Students from Four Schools Enjoy Flagball Tournament

Mr. Hunter, (centre, pointing) gives instructions to the Parkview
Adventist Academy team during Sunday's game.

Students from College Heights Christian School (CHCS), Parkview Adventist Academy (PAA), Coralwood Academy, and Peace Christian School enjoyed a weekend of spiritual renewal and flagball October 19-20.  Organized by Stacy Hunter, vice president for student services, the event was jointly sponsored by CUC, PAA and CHCS.

"We organized this event because we want students to have great opportunities to worship and play together," said Hunter.  "Weekends like this offer students the chance to make new friends, develop skills in teamwork and leadership, and refresh spiritually."

Eleven teams in three divisions participated in the tournament.  The Intro Division consisted of players in grades 5 and 6.  Junior high students formed the Junior Division and high school students made up the Senior Division.  Each team played five games over the course of Saturday night and Sunday.

Friday evening all tournament participants enjoyed a Youth Rally held in the CHCS gym.  The speaker was Oscar Halvorson, pastor of the Edmonton South Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Music and additional programming was presented by the 49 students from Peace Christian School who made the trip all the way from Chetwynd, BC.

CUC Promotional Video Wins Award

The promotional video, This Is What I Believe, written and directed by Jr Ferrer, won the Best in Class at this year's Society of Adventist Communicators Awards, held in Salt Lake City, October 24-26.  When evaluating the video the judges considered the following criteria:  Production quality, creativity, audience appeal, organization of storyboarding and how effectively it conveyed the organization's message.

Canadian University College released the video in English and French.  The English version was narrated by Jessica Hall.  The French translation of Ferrer's script was prepared by Nicole Sydenham and Isabelle Bagassien.  Bagassien, a graduate of CUC who now teaches at Greaves Adventist Academy in Montreal, narrated the French version.

Campus Musicians and President Present Service of Psalms

The congregation sang The Lord's My Shepherd with gusto as
Dr. Markosky played the mighty pipe organ and Rebekah Maurice
signed the words.

Claiming he had preached his one-and-only sermon last year, this year for the Sabbath for which he was responsible, President Haynal teamed up with campus musicians to present a musical/historical worship service titled, "Singing the Psalms," October 19 at the College Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church.  "It was inspiring to hear so many outstanding musicians and to be part of a wonderful inter-generational worship service," said Haynal.  

The church bulletin for this service can be found here.  Video of the service and many other previous services at the College Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church can be viewed here.

Four Hands on Two Pianos Dazzle the Audience

Pianists Cheryl Cooney and Debra Bakland teamed up to both enchant and thrill the Sunday@7 audience with a diverse program of music for two pianos.  In addition to CUC's Steinway grand piano, the artists used a Steinway grand graciously provided at no cost by the Edmonton Piano Centre.  

The evening's program began with a series of Paganini variations by Witold Lutoslawki.  "During the final variation so many notes were being played so rapidly and with so much skill that I had to remind myself to breathe," said one concert goer.  (Please view the video below.) 

After works by Brahms, Rachmaninov, Bach and Rzewski the program concluded with one of Dr. Cooney's original compositions titled Misère.  The printed program and information about the artists can be found here.

Sisters of Soul Raise Money to Fight Breast Cancer

The women of Canadian University College – students, alumni, faculty, and staff – presented the breast cancer benefit concert Sisters of Soul (SOS) on Saturday, October 19th, at the College Heights Christian School gym. The event was organized by staff member Bernice Leavitt joined by staff member Rhanda Bonet-Graham, one of the original founders of the concert series. Pastor Massiel Davila and Alayne Ng Thow Hing emceed the event and brought humour, awareness, and a sense of urgency for the importance of supporting breast cancer research.

 

The evening featured many excellent performances of a variety of genres including soul, folk, country blues, Celtic violin, cultural Indian dance, Gospel, and ballads. The highlight of the evening was the group performance of the Bill Withers classic, “Lean on Me,”  which concluded the evening’s program.  The printed program can be viewed here.

 

 

Sisters of Soul began in 1998 when Rhanda Bonet (now Bonet-Graham), a music major, organized a benefit concert in memory of her mother whom she lost to breast cancer when she was 12 years old. Rhanda, along with students Crystal Sayler and Melayne Shankel and staff member Bernice Leavitt, organized the first Sisters of Soul concert to much success and popularity. This success resulted in four more years of SOS concerts every October benefitting the Canadian Cancer Society (then the recipient of the funds). In 2000, the Canadian Cancer Society awarded Sisters of Soul with a certificate of appreciation for its fundraising efforts. The concert series continued for five years until Rhanda graduated and moved away.

 

Bernice Leavitt reintroduced Sisters of Soul in October 2012 to a new generation of CUC students who decided to take up the cause and present a concert this year as well. Rhanda moved back to Lacombe this summer and was delighted to once again work with Bernice on this exciting event.

 

All proceeds from donations, sale of baked goods, and breast cancer merchandise will benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Last year’s concert raised a total of $800. This year’s concert far exceeded that of last year and raised a total of $1,886! 

 

 

 

Award-Winning Documentarian Martin Doblmeier Makes Three Presentations

Martin Doblmeier, who, with his company Journey Films, has produced more than 30 films, spoke about his work at University Convocation Tuesday, October 8.  In addition to his presentation Tuesday morning, Mr. Doblmeier screened two of his films and led a discussion following each showing.   The Power of Forgiveness was shown Monday evening and The Adventists 2 was shown Tuesday evening.

Shown below is the introduction of Martin Doblmeier given by Dr. Joy Fehr at University Convocation:

I am pleased to introduce to you today our featured interviewee. Martin Doblmeier is the founder and president of Journey Films, a film and television production company located in Alexandria, VA that focuses on religion, faith and spirituality and their role in our world today. Since beginning Journey in 1984, he has traveled on location to more than fifty countries to profile numerous religious leaders, religious communities, heads of state and Nobel Laureates. His films examine how belief can lead individuals to extraordinary actions, how spirituality creates and sustains communities and how faith is lived out in the most challenging times. Since its founding, Journey Films has produced thirty award-winning films and documentaries, including an Emmy in 2010 for the film Washington National Cathedral: A New Century, A New Calling, and six Gabriel Awards for best film on a topic of religion.  Martin himself has also twice won top honours from the Religious Communicators Council.

His most acclaimed film is 2003's Bonhoeffer, a documentary film on the German theologian and Nazi resister Dietrich Bonhoeffer who joined the plots to kill Adolf Hitler. The film was released nationally in theaters and took the top prize for documentary films at numerous film festivals, as well as a Gabriel Award.  Martin Doblmeier has also worked closely in recent years with the Seventh-day Adventist church, having profiled the denomination in the documentary The Adventists, released in 2010, as well as The Adventists 2, released just this year.  I am looking forward to seeing this particular film this evening right here in the College Heights Church.

Mr. Doblmeier holds degrees in Religious Studies, Broadcast Journalism, and an honorary degree in Fine Arts. 

If you attended last evening’s screening of Mr. Doblmeier’s film The Power of Forgiveness, you will have heard Mr. Doblmeier tell us that he is on a personal journey, a quest of sorts.  He keenly wishes to discover how God is alive and well in the world and is privileged to find his answers as he uncovers how God is alive and well in the lives of other people.

I know that we will be blessed this morning to catch a glimpse of God’s workings in lives: Martin Doblmeier’s life and the lives of the people he encounters as a result of his work.

Please join me in welcoming him this morning.

Small Explosion and Fire Result in Significant Water Damage in Science Centre

Late Tuesday night, October 8, there was a contained explosion in the chemical preparation and storage room on the top floor of the north wing of the Chan Shun Science Centre.  While the chemical storage room was badly damaged, we are incredibly grateful nobody was hurt.  (The authorities are still investigating the cause of this incident.  When they conclude their investigation we will share their findings with you.)

The explosion and subsequent small fire in that one room triggered the sprinkler system on the top floor of the north wing.  As a result, there is significant water damage to our labs on that floor and the floor below.   Fortunately, there was very little or no water damage on either floor of the west wing, which contains classrooms, offices, and the atrium.

As a result of this incident all classes or labs normally conducted in the Chan Shun Science Centre are cancelled today (Wednesday, October 9) and tomorrow (Thursday, October 10).  All other classes in all other locations on campus will meet at their usual time and place today and tomorrow.

Because of the water damage, we will not be able to use any of the labs or other facilities on either floor of the north wing for the remainder of the semester.  We are in the process of identifying new locations we will use for classes and labs that were being held in the north wing.  We will have new locations ready to go when all classes resume Wednesday morning, October 16.  Signs will be posted and e-mails will be sent identifying each new class/lab location.

We will have both floors of the west wing ready for use by Tuesday, October 14.

If you have personal effects in the north wing that you would like us to retrieve, please e-mail your request to Bonita Campbell.  If you notify Bonita promptly, we should be able to have retrieved your personal effects by 2 pm, Tuesday, October 14.

I want to personally thank Darren Bishop and his staff in Plant Services and Campus Security for their prompt and effective reaction to this event.  Many of them have been working on this situation since 11:30 pm last night and, without having stopped for sleep or rest, are still at work. 

As we have the opportunity, all of us should thank the firefighters and emergency response personnel from Lacombe, Blackfalds, Bentley and Red Deer who so professionally served us.  I am also very grateful for the assistance Nova Chemicals and Dr. Laurence Wong provided.

Finally, I want to thank the students who helped us respond to this difficult situation.  Students who were studying in the Chan Shun Science Centre immediately pulled the fire alarm, called 911 and made sure nobody was hurt, before evacuating the building.  Then, without delay, they texted, e-mailed and called me and other campus administrators! Thank you for reacting in a prompt and proper manner.  Thank you for showing care and concern for each other.  I am very proud of you.

We will most certainly get through this difficult time.  We will completely restore our Science Centre as expertly and quickly as possible.  As we go through this process, please do what you can to encourage those who are doing the restoration work, and the faculty, staff and students whose work and study have been disrupted.

Please remember that Jr Ferrer is CUC’s official liaison with the media.  If you are contacted by the media, please refer them to Jr or me.

Finally, please be careful to only post information that you are absolutely certain is accurate on your Facebook page and other social media sites.  If you need factual information, please contact Jr. 

First Evensong of the Year Features Soloists and an Ensemble

One of the cultural and inspirational gems Canadian University College offers the community is Evensong.  This program of music and selected readings presented by the faculty and students of the Division of Arts takes place about eight times a school year in the College Heights Seventh-day Church.

The first Evensong of the 2013-14 academic year, Sabbath, September 28, featured readings by Dr. John McDowell, Dean of the Division of Arts, and a pleasing mix of solos, duets, and a small ensemble.  The printed program can be viewed here.

Focus on CUC's History:

Canadian University College Celebrates 100 Years of Phone Service

President Charles O. Smith (1922-1928) had two candlestick telephones
on his desk.

In an age of instant communication devices in one’s pocket, it may be hard to imagine a time when the only contact with family, friends and businesses was by Canada Post once a week. This is how it was the first three years on the hilltop. The school installed its first telephone one hundred years ago in 1913 to serve 179 students and 14 staff. By 1926 the school had two telephones; one for the institution and one for the students.  (CUC now has just over 50 lines or "channels" as they are called in our new phone system.)

Carl Wilson, Class of 1914, developed
CUC's first campus phone system.

Despite these limitations, Carl Wilson, an alumnus of 1914, installed a line system of communication using dry cell batteries so that messages could be relayed between the main building and the dormitories. Apparently this “campus line” expanded to include residences on the hilltop. Therefore, the president’s office had two telephones, one for the campus line and the other operated by the Alberta Government Telephone Company.

            

A building had to be moved off the present site of the College church in 1961 to make room for construction of the first church building on campus. Among the storage items in this building were some original candlestick telephones. Dale Visger, on staff at the time, salvaged two of them and kept them until 2007 when he gave them to the archives department.

by Edith Fitch, CUC Historian and Archivist

Dale Visger found some of the original candlestick telephones in this building when it was moved to make
way for the College Heights SDA Church.

Dale Visger gave Edith Fitch two old candlestick telephones for CUC's archives.

President Hubert K. Martin (1928-1933) had an old candlestick telephone for campus calls and a "new" desk phone to make calls off campus.

It is fitting that this summer, 100 years after CUC got its first phone, the institution
installed a new phone system and a number of new phones.  This is the phone that
is now used in the president's office.

Faculty and Staff Enjoy Annual Meet and Greet

New at CUC are, from left to right, David Ringer, Adam Deibert, Christian
Lintan, Rhanda Bonet-Graham and Karlee Hunt.

Faculty and staff gathered at the Lacombe Memorial Centre for CUC's annual "meet and greet."  This event allows "old" faculty and staff to meet all of the "new" (and many are young) faculty and staff.  It is also at this event that we say good-bye to those who are leaving CUC.

While some have already been at work for several months, we officially welcomed 14 new full- or part-time employees:

• Rachel McQueen, Receptionist in Student Services
• Tammy Clarke, Laboratory Technologist
• Adam Deibert, Chaplain
• Karlee Hunt, Office Manager, Computer Services
• Dr. Ellison Obisike, Assistant Professor of Wellness
• Lindsy Gulfan, Program and Promotions Assistant (One-Year Position)
• Candice Jones, Pool Janitor
• Mary Gordon, PAA Residence Hall Dean
• Melody Ilacas, Enrolment Advisor
• Rhanda Bonet-Graham, Capital Campaign Manager
• David Ringer, Administrative Residence Hall Dean
• Chelsea Lamming, PAA Math/Science Teacher
• Cristian Neacsu, Assistant Professor of Music
• Alyssa Malley, PAA Administrative Assistant
• Christian Lintan, Media Assistant
• Shantel Smith, Chaplain

In addition to enjoying a delicious light supper catered by ARAMARK, faculty and staff spent time finding who had done each of the interesting or unusual things listed on their ice-breaker sheet.