INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / JUNE 19, 1990

 

 

Report urges Fraser Valley eats by-1995

 

new degree-grant-
ing institution
should be opened

in the Fraser Valley by
1995, says a report
prepared by Douglas Col-
lege President Bill Day
and the presidents of
Kwantlen College, Fraser
Valley College and Simon
Fraser University.

The report recom-
mends that the university
serve about 4,000 under-
graduates and 400

 

 

Carol Gran, Minister of
Government Services. The
Dean of Community
Programs and Services,
Jim Doerr, represented
Douglas College.

Expansion plans at
Douglas College include
more classrooms in the
New Westminster campus,
completion of the new
Thomas Haney Centre, and
Coquitlam campus site ac-
quisition and planning.

The goals of the expan-

 

 

graduate students by 1999.
Before this happens, how-
ever, the first priority is to
expand capacity at the

Bruce Strachan, Minister of Advanced Education, recently
released the Fraser Valley Access Committee report. Jim
Doerr (2nd from right), represented Douglas College.

sion plans throughout the
Fraser Vailey are not just
to meet expected popula-

 

four existing institutions.

"The report confirms the plans we have for
Douglas College," says Bill Day. He added that the
relationship between Fraser Valley College and the
new university will have to be approached carefully.

Bruce Strachan, Minister of Advanced Education,
released the report recently at a press conference in
Langley. Also present at the meeting was local MLA

Gallagher gains confidence from theatre

 

continued from page 7

The twenty-two year old, who
worked and travelled after com-
pleting high school, was bored by
nine-to-five jobs, so he decided to
try acting. He enrolled in the
Theatre Program at Douglas Col-
lege in September 1988, and his
first role was in that year’s produc-
tion of Kiss Me Kate.

And, as he calmly relates now,
he was a little nervous. "I remem-
ber that night very well. I was
backstage hyperventilating, and I
almost got sick thirty seconds
before curtain time." But the show
went on, and so did Gallagher, to
play in four more College produc-
tions, including the role of Egeus
in the recent production of
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.

The program at Douglas Col-
lege provides a good learning at-

mosphere for a person who wants
to try the stage, says Gallagher. "If
I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t be
going to Montreal,” he says.
"When I came here, I had no con-
fidence. The Theatre Program
gave me confidence, and it fuelled
the fire. Here, they don’t strip you
down and build you back up
again while giving you a lot of
theatrical dogma. You learn the
basics of speech, acting, and move-
ment without pressure.”
Gallagher’s off to Montreal to
begin the three year program in
September, but the young actor
says that leaving B.C. is tough.
"T’ll miss Douglas. I enjoyed the
two years, and made a lot of
friends. It wasn’t all a bed of
roses, and we had our problems,
but it’s mostly good memories."
Theatre Department Instructor
Dorothy Jones says Gallagher’s in-

tion growth in the region,
but also to improve the

post-secondary participation rate. According to a B.C.
government report, the province falls behind the
Canadian average for people who continue their for-
mal education after high school (20.14 per cent com-
pared to 27.75 per cent). At the press conference Carol
Gran said that the participation rate in the Fraser Val-
ley is below the provincial average. m

telligence and quickness has
helped him come a long way in
two years at Douglas College.
"We've seen phenomenal growth
in him. He came virtually out of
nowhere in terms of theatre ex-
perience, and he knew he had
limitations. But he’s a worker, and
there’s a spark there. It’s not just a
desire to perform on stage. He gets
under the skin of any character he
plays."

Graduates of the National
Theatre School of Canada are des-
tined for careers on the stage, says
Jones, and although seeing a stu-
dent from Douglas College chosen
to attend that school is gratifying,
Gallagher’s natural ability is what
made it possible.

"All we can do is develop
talent, and I like to think we've
done it here at Douglas College,”
says Jones. &

 

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