May 14-15 May 15

Association of BC Drama Celebration of Teaching, Learning,
Educators Student Theatre Festival Program Innovation and Scholarly
6:30pm, Laura C. Muir Theatre Activity,

New Westminster Campus
Admission: $10

Tickets and info: 604-527-5488

4-6:30pm, Upper Cafeteria
New Westminster Campus

May 15-June 27

The Amelia Douglas Gallery
presents Works by Mona
Goldman. Opening Reception
May 15, 4:30-7:30pm. Gallery
times: 604-527-5723

 

Building a winning team

Under the leadership of Athletic Director Lou Rene Legge, Douglas College
Royals teams and athletes made headlines during the 2007-08 season.

The last game is over and next season looms ahead. But when
she glances back at 2007-08, Douglas College Athletics Director
Lou Rene Legge has to acknowledge — it was a very good year.

How good? The Royals finally captured the prestigious national
men’s basketball title. The powerhouse badminton team earned
its third-consecutive Canadian championship. Seven individual
athletes claimed major provincial and national awards.

Put it all together and the Royals finished number two

 

in the nation — just behind Mount Royal — for aggregate
championship points in a field of 104 Canadian Colleges
Athletic Association (CCAA) institutions. Douglas College also
earned its ninth aggregate title in the 14-team BCCAA (tying
with Malaspina while competing with fewer teams).

“This accomplishment is particularly sweet because the
universities and university-colleges have so much more money
than we do to put into varsity teams. Competition for student
athletes is intense,” says Legge.

The blend of strong funding and team success is a winning
formula in the demanding sport of athletic recruitment.
Hoisting a championship banner in 2008 helps attract key
players for 2009.

“The exposure that we received from the provincial media in the
Sun, Province and Global TV really put our name out there. I get
daily emails and phone calls from guys who want to come and

play for Douglas.”

“Tt rubs off on the other sports as well because they have

heard about our success with men’s basketball. All the coaches
have to work to recruit as the best student-athletes are hot
commodities for every institution with an athletic program and
the competition is fierce.

Douglas College’s emergence as a centre of excellence in sport
science and coaching also plays a role.

“Sport Science and the Bachelor of Physical Education and
Coaching programs are integral to our success,” says Legge. “We
can now keep students for four years whereas before we were
getting them for two years and then they moved into university.”

Finally, it’s a matter of having the right people in place. Legge
credits the dedication of coaches and staff who work with
students and offers special kudos to College instructors.

“Douglas College faculty have been tremendous with their
support of athletics. They assist the students with competition
by rescheduling everything from assignments to exams and
understand when these students have trouble focusing on
Monday morning after a long weekend away,” says Legge. “We
would not have the success that we have had without the help of
faculty.”

 

 

Individual
athletic
highlights

Alvin Lau —
Badminton — CCAA
Male Athlete of the

Year

Lyndsay Thompson
— Badminton — Sport
BC College Athlete of
the Year

Andrew Sturgeon
— BC Premier's Award
for men’s basketball

Seveh Palani
— Wrestling - NCWA
National Champion

Billy McNutt

— Basketball — BCCAA
Athlete of the Year/
CCAA All-Canadian

Melody Liang
— Badminton — CCAA
All-Canadian

Richard Liang
— Badminton — CCAA
All-Canadian

 

 

Early Childhood Educators head to Uganda

For the first time, Douglas College’s Early
Childhood Education (ECE) Program is
participating in the College’s Uganda Project.

ECE Program Coordinator Lynda Phillips
accompanied student Katie Kump to Masaka,
Uganda, to learn how to improve ECE
students’ experience and learning.

“LIl be studying what students need to know
apart from what we teach them in order to do
their practicums in Uganda,” says Phillips.

The Douglas College Uganda Project was
initiated in 2006 by the Community Social
Service Worker Program (CSSW). Since then
CSSW students have been completing 1o-week
practicums there every spring.

Both ECE and CSSW are part of the Faculty
of Child, Family and Community Studies. The
faculty has encouraged other programs to take
part in the Uganda Project.

Phillips is hoping more ECE students will take
part in the program next year. She says Kump,
who had already planned to head to Zambia

with a volunteer organization, was a perfect
choice for the Uganda Project.

In Masaka, Kump is working in a school for
children with physical and mental disabilities.
She is also working on hospice wards and
creating a play space for children with AIDS
at a local hospital. Though she is qualified to
work with children up to six years old, she is
hoping to work with children of all ages.

Phillips says the experience will help her
students and the population at large to
understand that the ECE field is much larger

than practicing in local daycares and schools.

“People can have a myopic view of what early
childhood education is. Looking at non-
government organizations you can see how
much is done in ECE and what can be done.
We train for licensure but with a degree, it
opens doors to other things,” says Phillips.

Follow the progress of this year’s students
in Uganda on the Uganda Project blog at
ugandaproject2008. blogspot.com.

ECE Program Coordinator Lynda Phillips is learning how to support ECE
students in Uganda.