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.

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.

It was hot, humid beyond belief, and bugs of every shape and
size were crawling and buzzing around, but Red River College Medical
Radiological Technology instructor Jennifer Stayner couldn’t have been happier.

Stayner and MRT student Brandi Pollon traveled to Nicaragua during
the summer of 2009 with the Flying Doctors of Canada (FDOC), a
non-governmental, not for profit organization comprised of doctors, nurses and
other health care workers.

Doctor Benjamin Cavilla formed FDOC along with three other
doctors in 2006. During his medical training he traveled around the world
helping remote communities. It was in these situations that he noticed a
disconnect between non- governmental agencies and the communities they were
helping.

“Basically, what I saw was that these groups weren’t
addressing why the people were sick in the first place. If you don’t treat the
source of the illness and cure it, the people keep getting sick, so I started a
new sustainable approach to humanitarian efforts.”

This sustainable approach is key to the FDOC’s mission.

“We have a real goal of sustainability — at no point in time
do we want to go into a community and have that community rely on us,” says Dr.
Cavilla. “We want to go in and fix what’s wrong and leave knowing they’re on
their way.”

Since their vision of sustainability involves more than just
treating the illness, FDOC builds water filters, gives lessons on proper hand
washing, and they also involve a diagnostic aspect. That’s where Stayner comes
in.

Stayner has always believed in helping her community, so
when she was approached to work with communities within Nicaragua, she jumped
at the opportunity.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to find a way to do all
things I love which is teach, to x-ray, and do community work,” she says.

While in Nicaragua, Stayner and Pollon worked with the FDOC
doctors and volunteers in small clinics they set up. People would walk,
sometimes for hours, to get medical treatment.

“Some mornings there were 100 people there waiting for us,
mostly women and children. They would come from far distances to get health
care for their children,” says Stayner.

The partnership between FDOC and Red River College allows students
to gain valuable international experience, and Stayner is excited for her
students. “Getting here was hard work but rewarding, so rewarding,” she says.
“It’s a labour of love, and the students are so enthusiastic.”

One thing Stayner took away from the trip last August is the
positive spirit and generosity of the people she met.

“On one of the last days we were in a small town, one of the
women cooked for us. She killed a chicken, and made rice and beans; it was
clearly a lot for her, and she made a wonderful meal. It was very touching to
have people in the community care for us as we were caring for them.”

Want to read more stories from RED magazine? Visit the Red
River College Alumni Publications page.

Staff at RRC are feeling a bit healthier and energetic
thanks to the Wellness Committee at the College.

Two weeks ago, the Wellness Committee encouraged staff to take part in the “Take 5 Challenge”, an initiative encouraging staff to take
five minutes each day to enhance their well being.

There were free yoga lessons, “Meet and Greet” events with
various departments, exercise groups run by Recreation Services, plus daily
tips on how to relax and feel good while at work.

At one Meet and Greet, Sara MacArthur, Sustainability
Manager at RRC, hosted an information session on the College’s recycling
program and composting program at the Notre Dame Campus.

• The recycling program started in 1999 and collected paper
  and aluminum
• RRC recycled nearly 500,000 lbs of material last year
• RRC diverts about 300 lbs of organics from the landfill
  daily and sends it to its on-site compost pile

The Civil Engineering Technology (CET) department also
played host to RRC staff wanting to know more about its program area. CET
instructors demonstrated different GPS surveying equipment and let the guests
try it out. They also toured staff through the College’s Centre for Applied
Research in Sustainable Infrastructure (CARSI) located at the Notre Dame
campus. The CARSI building is the first dedicated research lab at a college in
Manitoba. Some interesting facts about CET:

• CET is the second-largest program at RRC with seven
  different program areas and the new Construction Management degree program
• CET trains students to use high-quality GPS equipment that can measure
  to a spot within a centimeter

Besides the information sessions, one of the most popular
activities during the week was the potluck lunch. Departments were encouraged
to host or join a potluck lunch with others at the College. This was the second
time organized potlucks were held at the College this year and they were even
more successful this time around. The event built upon a tradition established
by areas such as Aboriginal Education and ACCESS Programs, who held a potluck
and invited everybody from the College community to join. All around, people
shared a lot of food, laughs and a good time.

RRC Regional Campuses also participated in many of the
activities, which truly made the “Take 5 Challenge” a College-wide initiative.

Upcoming Wellness Committee events include a breakfast and a walkathon to kick-off College Week on Monday, June 7.

The Wellness Committee was established as part of RRC’s
People Plan to help foster and sustain a healthy campus community for students
and employees through the development and implementation of a holistic health
and wellness program that is comprehensive, accessible and affordable.

A member of Red River College’s Executive Committee is
already feeling the spirit of the 2010 Winter Olympics, a month before the
actual games.

David Rew, Vice-President of Student Services and Planning,
was asked by Coca-Cola to be an Olympic torchbearer because he represents
staff, faculty and student interests through his work at the College.

“When you’re asked, it’s one of those things that you think
won’t happen. When [the Vancouver Organizing Committee] called me, I was quite
surprised,” says Rew.

An avid runner, Rew carried the Olympic torch on Thursday,
January 7, for 300 metres in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

He says his favourite Olympic sports are bobsledding at the
Winter Games and marathon running at the Summer Games.

With the Olympics back in Canada, Rew says that not only are
the 2010 Games good for Canada’s economy, but they also bring out the best in Canadian
pride.

“It’s fantastic. Whenever we’ve hosted the Olympics, whether
it was the Winter Games in Calgary or the Summer Olympics in Montreal, it does
a lot for the country.”

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games kick off in Vancouver, British
Columbia, on February 12.

Former Red River College staff member Flor Marcelino talks to the Winnipeg Free Press about her new role as Manitoba’s Minister of Culture, Heritage & Tourism.

Chad Evans — an Educational Assistant at RRC's Exchange District campus — has set himself an enviable mission: to try a pizza from every pizza joint in Winnipeg that he can find.

Evans blogs about his progress at The Urban Sasquatch, providing a star rating for every slice he samples. His efforts to locate the premier pizza in the 'Peg were recently chronicled in the Winnipeg Free Press.