Now here's a mafia you wouldn't mind messing with.

Several decades' worth of Creative Communications students (known in local media circles as the "CreComm Mafia") gathered yesterday to pay tribute to a colleague, mentor and friend: departing Red River College instructor Steve Vogelsang, who'll be moving to British Columbia at the end of the school year.

The combined send-off and reunion, held at The Roblin Centre downtown, drew upwards of 250 people — many of them current CreComm students who were taping their final "Live At Five" newscast of the year. The majority, however, were recent graduates and media colleagues who'd returned to thank Vogelsang for the impact he's had on their careers.

"It was in second year that Steve said to me, 'Martin — you should try anchoring,'" recalled recent CreComm grad Shannon Martin, who entered the program intending to study print journalism, but now works as Global Winnipeg's late-night anchor.  

"I didn't want to do it, but I did — and I loved it. Steve was the turning point in my broadcasting career."

Vogelsang joined the RRC team in 2002, following a long and distinguished career with CKY-TV (aka CTV Winnipeg). In the ensuing years, CreComm students have benefited greatly from his knowledge and experience, and from the countless curriculum-related initiatives (among them, the aforementioned "Live At Five" newscasts) he's had a hand in implementing.

"Being able to share that experience with enthusiasm and humour has made him a favourite here on campus," said RRC President Stephanie Forsyth.

Vogelsang, for his part, seemed genuinely touched by the tributes. While addressing those gathered, he referenced common qualities among the so-called mafia, including "a certain hunger, a certain desire, and certain self-destructive tendencies that cause you — against your better judgment — to put up with instructors like me."

"When you survive something like that, you're bound together with all those people who survived it right along with you," he said. "That characteristic is what brings us together as alumni. It's what makes it easier for me to go, because I'll be taking that with me."

Click here for more information on RRC's Creative Communications program.

(Left to right): CreComm students Andrew Parker, Dylan Hughes and Michelle Choy show off Upper Cruster, a magazine celebrating — what else? — Winnipeg's upper crust.

They've still got a year to go before graduating, but students in Red River College's Creative Communications program can already call themselves published writers.

The students — who've spent the last few months working on a term-long magazine project — showed off the fruits of their labours yesterday at the annual Creative Communications Magazine Fair.

Working in groups of three to four, students guide their magazines from inception stage to finished product — responsible for everything from articles and photographs to advertisements and marketing strategies.

"One of the reasons we have this project is that it brings together skills from a lot of different courses," says CreComm instructor Karen Press. "(Students) get to use their writing skills and their layout skills, and of course they're matching content to their audience — magazines are an especially good vehicle for targeting audiences."

This year's batch of entries included magazines devoted to Winnipeg's historic architecture, the transgendered community, coffee and tea beverages, and moving out on your own for the first time (among many others).

A panel of industry judges — among them, recent CreComm grad Jeffrey Vallis, whose SANDBOX Magazine (a co-creation with fellow CreComm-er Braden Alexander) has been making waves in local fashion circles — also weighed in on the students' work, awarding cash prizes to those deemed especially impressive.

The prizes, sponsored by the Manitoba Magazine Publishers Association, went to the teams responsible for Thingamajig (Best Overall — Ashley Wiebe, Pamela Wankling, Michael Badejo, Brian Bulos), Lomo (Best Design  — Garrick Kozier, Ryan McBride, Alex Rohne, Jordan Thompson), and Burlap (Best Content — Albertine Watson, Veronica Neufeld, Kevan Hannah, Jaremy Ediger).

Click here for more information about RRC's Creative Communications program.

On Feb. 22^nd and Feb. 23^rd, Red River College will open its doors to prospective students from throughout the province, as part of annual Open House events aimed at showcasing the best the College has to offer.

From noon – 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Feb. 22^nd, and again from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Feb. 23^rd, attendees will have the chance to learn about the wide variety of programs and services available at RRC, by touring our Winnipeg campuses, speaking with staff and instructors, and taking part in information sessions and other interactive events.

“There really is something for everyone at Open House,” says Student Recruitment Officer Jennifer Powell of the event. “Visitors will learn that an education at Red River College is an excellent way to launch their career, whether they are students coming directly out of high school, or those wishing to further their careers or change direction.”

The Open House is aimed not just at potential students, but also parents, teachers and guidance counselors, all of whom are invited to seek the resources they need to assist in making decisions about post-secondary and career paths.

“Making the decision of where to go to school is sometimes tough,” explains Student Recruitment Officer Clint Thiessen. “I feel that one of the best ways to find out if Red River College is the place for you is to attend Open House and meet with an academic advisor, or take a personalized campus tour. Red River College staff are here to help you with you transition into college, and then into the workforce.”

At RRC’s Notre Dame campus, attendees can head to the North Gym to peruse displays and kiosks representing more than 110 full- and part-time programs. Scheduled tours of the Notre Dame, Exchange District and Stevenson Campuses will also take place throughout the duration of the event, with complimentary shuttle services available to transport students from campus to campus.

For more information, visit www.rrc.ca/openhouse.

Instructor Bob Chamberlain (left), accepts the School of C+DE's first-ever Teaching Excellence Award, as Raeann Thibeault, Dean of the School of C+DE, looks on.

Red River College shone a spotlight on some of its most important contributors last week, during the School of Continuing + Distance Education’s annual Instructor Appreciation Reception.

The event, which drew close to 200 attendees, gave staff members at the College a chance to pay tribute to C+DE’s pool of instructors, many of whom balance their teaching responsibilities with real-world industry jobs during the day.

“Tonight is our opportunity to say thank-you and to show appreciation for everything that our instructors do throughout the year,” said Raeann Thibeault, Dean of the School of C+DE.

“You help our students achieve their goals, and you help our students to be successful.”

Thibeault was joined at the speaker’s podium by David Leis, Vice-President of Business Development at RRC, and Stephanie Forsyth, the College’s President and CEO. Both spoke of the significant impacts that RRC instructors have on the lives of their students.

“This side of the College is so filled with that entrepreneurial spirit of creativity and integrity that is so great to be around,” said Forsyth.

“It’s like there’s this secret side of the College — a shadow side of the College — that comes alive at nights and on weekends. You’re really making a difference — both to students, and to industry here in Manitoba.”

As part of the reception, organizers paid tribute to instructors marking their 10^th, 20^th and 25^th year of service with the College. They also honoured longtime instructor Bob Chamberlain — described by students as a “toasted marshmallow” (crusty on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside!) — with the first-ever Teaching Excellence Award.

Those recognized at the event included: Clara Baricz, Carlos Clark, Arnold Evans, Sandie Foster, James Hayes, Nancy Hughes, Suzanne Kelly, Phillip Klassen, Harold Klause, Daniel Larson, Dennis Mitchell and Bradley Schellenberg (10 years); Wayne Bemister, Leon Wartzaba and David A. Bibby (20 years); and Otto Gebhardt and Maureen Olafson (25 years).

Click here for more information about the School of Continuing + Distance Education.

Stephanie Forsyth (left), RRC's President and CEO, with Jhon Pinto (centre), a Civil Engineering student from Colombia.

Red River College's 6th Annual Welcome Party for Immigrant and International Students, held Fri., Nov. 26th at the Notre Dame Campus, was an entertaining — and welcoming — event that drew over 380 student, staff and family members.

The party featured Bhangra dances by Sher-E-Punjab; French Canadian folklore courtesy of Ça Claque, African rhythms from the Casimiro Nhusi Band; and the Latin American energy of Cubanisimo and Papa Mambo.  Children in attendance also enjoyed caricatures, face painting and amazing balloon shapes.

Greetings were offered by a number of individuals — among them, Stephanie Forsyth, RRC's President and CEO; Nadia Mahmood, Acting Manager for Diversity and Immigrant Student Support; Levinia Brown, Elder; Stevenson Alloso, Director of International Education; and Danielle Funk, President of RRC's Students’ Association — all of whom touched on the importance of welcoming immigrant and international students to the College.

“Manitoba welcomed more immigrants last year than at any time in its recorded history — 13,520 people from around the world decided to make this province their new home," Forsyth said in her address. "As immigration to Manitoba increases each year, Red River College has seen significant growth in the number of immigrant and international students on our campuses. We've responded to that demand with more programs and services catered to you, and I'm proud to say that we are a leader in Canada when it comes to innovative ways to support immigrant and international students.

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Several decades’ worth of accolades and achievements were celebrated in style last week, as former students and current faculty — along with a host of community partners — gathered at Red River College’s 2010 Alumni Dinner.

The event — held Friday, Nov. 19th at The Fairmont Winnipeg — gave those in attendance a chance to pay tribute to their peers, among them entrepreneur John Gale, the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Gale, a 1980 graduate of RRC's Mechanical Engineering Technology program, was one of the driving forces behind the creation of a diamond drill bit that revolutionized the drilling industry in the mid-1980s. He’s currently overseeing a development plan that aims to turn the city of Kenora into a world-class business and tourist destination.

“It was definitely the most successful alumni dinner to date,” says Dale Oughton, RRC’s Alumni Coordinator, of the event, which drew more than 400 attendees.

“John Gale had the entire room in stitches, He was absolutely priceless, and very eloquent.”

As always, the event helped RRC raise awareness of its Alumni Program, the purpose of which — as Oughton explains — is to maintain relationships between the College and the graduates, while celebrating the achievements of alumni.

Emceed by Creative Communications instructor Steve Vogelsang, the event also featured tributes to RRC students Nikki Brown and Andre-John Camara, winners of this year’s Alumni Spirit Awards.

Money raised by the event will be used to support RRC’s Alumni Scholarships. A portion of the funds raised will also go towards the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, the rooftop deck of which will be reserved for Alumni Association functions.

From left: Mario de Negri, Al Richards and Ryan Ratushniak, winners of RRC's inaugural Chili Cup.

Staff and faculty at Red River College found a novel way to beat the winter blues last week, by engaging in some five-alarm fun at the College's first-ever Chili Cup.

The cook-off, held Nov. 16th at RRC's Notre Dame Campus, saw 13 teams putting their culinary skills to the test. Upwards of 150 students and staff members took part in the "tasting" component of the event, which helped to raise nearly $400 for RRC's Students' Association Food Bank.

The event boasted two award categories: the President's Choice Award (determined by Stephanie Forsyth, Cathy Rushton and John Reimers), and the Chili Cup Award (determined by the tasters).

The competition was close, but in the end, the following teams emerged victorious:

Chili Cup (First Place): Rebels Burning Fire Chili — Ryan Ratushniak, Mario de Negri, Al Richards and Dan Gilbert. The Rebels' chili wowed the tasters with its unique flavour and surprising undercurrent of cinnamon. It'll be served up in the voyageur Dining Room on Thu., Nov. 25th — aka "A Chili Day in November."

Chili Cup (Second Place): Tammy's Revenge — Tammy Kowerko

Chili Cup (Third Place): Piementas de Chili Caliente — Garry Giesbrecht

President's Choice: 33 Miners Trapped in Chili — Colin Fast

Congratulations also go out to staff and students at RRC's Winkler Campus, who also participated in the event. With six entries, the Winkler competition was similarly fierce, but the aptly named El Scorcho dish (courtesy of Shane Dubyk) eventually took the top prize.

On Thursday, September 30, join us for the Red River College Alumni Wine & Cheese event at the Exchange District Campus (formerly Princess Street Campus). The annual event is a great opportunity to connect with friends, former classmates and instructors. This year, alumni will have the opportunity to meet RRC's new President, Stephanie Forsyth.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Location: Loewen Atrium, Exchange District Campus
160 Princess Street, Winnipeg

Please confirm your attendance by contacting Melissa Warden at 632-2118 or e-mailing smwarden@rrc.mb.ca. 

The next generation of TV news anchors and weather reporters
were honing their skills at Red River College last week as part of the
RRC/Manitoba Moose Respond to Reading program.

A grade five classroom from Niji Mahkwa School won the TV
broadcast field trip through the Respond to Reading program and got to
experience what life is like inside a TV studio. Students took turns reading
the news from behind the news desk and doing the weather in front of a green
screen while their classmates watched on televisions throughout the studio.

Now in its tenth year, the Respond to Reading program is designed to encourage students in kindergarten to grade five to get into reading in a fun, motivational way.

Last week, a grade four class from Ecole Noel Ritchot shut
their textbooks, put on chef’s hats and made some delicious food at Red River
College.

The culinary experience came as part of a prize for being
selected as one of the winning classrooms in the RRC/Manitoba Moose Respond to
Reading program. The program, now in its tenth year, is designed to be a fun,
motivational way to encourage children in kindergarten to grade five to read.

RRC Culinary Arts students and instructors helped the 30
grade four students make personal pizzas and decorate cookies. Afterwards, the
kids had a pizza party in the cafeteria before getting a tour of the campus.