Irene Wright PDP 1967, BA 1991, MA 1995


Photograph courtesy Cherie Thiessen

Salt Spring Island’s Irene Wright (PDP’67. BA’91, MA’95) is one of 12 women on the cover of the West Coast Women 2004 Appointment Book. Wright, who is December’s West Coast woman for community leadership, is an environmental activist, retired French immersion teacher and coordinator, community justice advocate, and president of the Saanich–Gulf Islands NDP Federal Riding Association.

Outstanding!
This year’s Outstanding Alumni Awards go to Vancouver Sun journalist Daphne Bramham (MALS’99) and Orca Bay’s Dave Cobb (BBA’87), both for professional achievement; the Vancouver Eastside Educational Enrichment Society’s Hendrik Hoekema (BA’71), for service to the community; SFU psychology professor Marlene Moretti (MA’82, PhD’86), for academic achievement; and outstanding student Tracy Chandler (BSc’03).

Special Convocation
Four world leaders will join the ranks of university alumni at a special convocation April 20. The Dalai Lama, Shirin Ebadi, Vaclav Havel, and Desmond Tutu will all receive honorary degrees. The Dalai Lama is religious and political leader of the Tibetan people and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Ebadi is a lawyer and human rights activist in Iran; she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Havel is a Czechoslovakian writer and human rights activist. Tutu was
instrumental in leading the movement to end apartheid in South Africa. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

Ha, Ha, Ho, Ho, Hee, Hee
Florence Rita Rickards (WEMBA’93) is one of eight certified laughter leaders in B.C. She calls herself the “Laffter Lady” and holds laughter workshops around the province in which she teaches laughing as a key to longevity.

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Film Festival
The Corporation, co-produced by Bart Simpson (BA’96), wins the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival; the People’s Choice Awards at the Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto International Film Festivals; the National Film Board of Canada’s Best Documentary Award at the Calgary Festival; and the Joris Ivens Special Jury Award at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam.

Director Scott Smith’s (BA’94) Falling Angels is named one of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Canada’s Top Ten 2003 and opens the Canadian Images Series of this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival.

Other new films with an SFU connection include The Delicate Art of Parking, writer/director Trent Carlson (BA’93), producer Andrew Currie (BA’93); How to Be a Model, producer/writer/
director Allison Beda (BA’94), producer Bridget Hill (BA’92); light.rapid.transit, director Jason James (BA’00), cinematographer Bob Aschmann (BA’93); Linton Garner: I Never Said Goodbye, writer/director Colin Browne (MA’80) of the Centre for the Contemporary Arts; The Magicial Life of Long Tack Sam, writer/director Ann Marie Fleming (MFA’94); and Moving Malcom, producer Bridget Hill.

Wang Watching
Piano prodigy Harris Wang (see aq, May ’03) has the audience in stitches on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After guessing that Leno is 70 (he’s in his 50s), he says his favourite part of performing is “the refreshments.” Wang is the son of Shumei and Zhixiang Wang (PhD’93).

Rachel Schill | Erin Cumpstone


Photograph Marianne Meadahl (SFU Media and Public Relations)

Three of the first eight players selected for the Canadian women’s Olympic softball team have SFU roots – Angela Lichty (BA’03) and students Erin Cumpstone and Rachel Schill will play in Athens in August. The team trains at SFU with head coach Mike Renney, who coaches the NAIA-winning SFU women’s team.

A Democratic First
The Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Reform, currently debating how B.C.’s electoral system will work, has many SFU connections. Former university president Jack Blaney is chair of the assembly, and staff includes Leo Perra (MA’84), chief operations officer; Marilyn Jacobson (MBA’95), director of communication; and Susanna Haas (BA’03), project coordinator.

Participants in the assembly were selected from the voters’ list and include Tanis Dagert (BA’88), Frederick Shum (PBD’91), Shoni Field (BA’96), Marijke Merrick, (BEd’70, PDP’74), Diana Cochran (BA’97), Ken Nielsen (BA’82), and Anna Rankin (BSc’88), plus Ian Hay, Lana Donnelley, and Charles Walker, who attended the university. Current SFU students include Derrick Harder, Nicholas Boudin, Firmin Hung, and Jill Reilly. www.citizensassembly.bc.ca

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Eternal Myth
Brenda Guiled’s (MSc’79) Telling Maya is billed as “a novel about what’s missing in the world of stories, why it matters, and what must be revealed.” www.tellingmaya.com

New Boss
John L. Anderson (EDD’03) is the new superintendent and chief executive officer of the Delta school district. He is recognized internationally for his work in deaf education and inclusion. Moving into Anderson’s former role as assistant superintendent in Burnaby is John Simpson (PDP’76, MEd’86).

Crime Fighter
Doug LePard (BA’01) is appointed deputy chief constable of the Vancouver Police Department’s Investigation Division. He is responsible for all detectives in the major crimes, vice/drugs, special investigation, and financial crime sections.

TV Times
Terry O’Neill (BA’74) is the new host of NOWTV’s current affairs program X-change. O’Neill was previously editor-in-chief of BC Report before it ceased publication in 1999 after 10 years. Karen Khunkhun, who attended SFU, takes on the role of breakfast television host, traffic/weather, Citytv. She was previously a producer and traffic-entertainment reporter on the Larry and Willy Morning Show at The FOX.

Alumni Information Commons
An integrated facility that allows students to use library references and computing services in one spot opens on the third floor of the library. Generous alumni donations help fund a significant portion of the cost to build and equip the facility. For information on the facility go to: www.info-commons.sfu.ca/.
For information on donating go to:
www.sfu.ca/advancement/alumni_giving/Info_Commons.html

Daredevil of the Slopes
Unlike many of his contemporaries, extreme skier and filmmaker Peter Chrzanowski (BA’85) is still alive and skiing at 46. The man who popularized big mountain free skiing in Canada is conducting workshops on how to make and market extreme ski movies and is also working on Goldenrush, a movie about the gradual reinvention of Golden from resource town to ski resort. aq

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