volume 20, no. 1 spring 2008 The University of Regina Magazine TheUofR Graduate who was almost Prime Minister of Australia Luther College student Jeremy Buzash was among the competitors at the Regina Musical Club’s recital competition on May 10 in the Luther College Chapel. The competition included performances on piano, violin, flute, percussion and vocals. Up for grabs was a $1,000 scholarship. The winner was soprano Mary Joy Nelson BMus’01. Nelson graduated summa cum laude in 2006 from the vocal performance program at the University of Kentucky where she is completing a doctoral degree in voice. Photo by Trevor Hopkin, AV Services. Degrees spring 2008 1 Although you’ll find “The I read with interest your I was interested to read the Who’d have thought, after all University of Regina tribute to Professor Duncan fall 2007 article by Marie these years, that two issues in Magazine” on our front cover, Blewett in the Fall 2007 issue Powell Mendenhall on the arowofDegrees would have that moniker is not entirely of Degrees. I thought that I legacy of Duncan Blewett. I content that struck so close to accurate. That’s because in should balance the emphasis was one of a few hundred home? the truest sense Degrees is on psychoactive drug research students in his Psychology 100 I was an undergraduate your magazine. Of course we in the article with a story class in about 1969. I don’t and graduate student at the enjoy bringing you the stories about one of Professor remember what he looked like then University of of the terrific people who Blewett’s other interests. or how he dressed but I vividly Saskatchewan Regina Campus have an association with the In the winter of 1984, I took recall his charisma and from 1967 to 1973, and U of R, but we can’t do it in a graduate reading course in powerful stage presence. intimately involved in student isolation—we depend on your consciousness with Professor At the start of each class affairs. As a member of the input. We were thrilled with Blewett. He had read Gary he would ask for estimates of SRC (and president for a while) the number of letters and Zukov’s book The Dancing We our group psychic energy level in the late 60s, the Carillon emails we received in Li Masters and wanted to talk and then decide whether he crisis and the surge of student response to the Fall 2007 about the interface of needed to raise it or not. If it activism became a defining issue of Degrees.It’sso quantum mechanics and was too low, he would part of my life. A few years gratifying when the stories we consciousness. Every week he increase it by standing at the later, when I was a grad pursue strike a chord with asked me to explain to him front of the stage and slowly student, Duncan Blewett was a our readers. Please, keep basic ideas in quantum raising his hands, palms major influence and mentor, those emails and letters mechanics and its upwards. Believe it or not, it and a member of my thesis coming. Tell us what we are relationship to consciousness. worked; I always felt better committee. He and June doing right and let us know Then, after a while, we afterward and I think everyone became friends, and I where we can make would break off that line of else did too. remember paddling into their improvements. Send us your discussion and we would talk He must have had some remote Lac La Ronge island story ideas or just drop us a in a far ranging manner about kind of power over the one summer, unannounced, to note and tell us what you’ve the nature of consciousness. department too, for although a very warm welcome. The been up to lately. You’ll find I ended up writing my term we had an expensive textbook, enthusiastic reception might all our contact information on paper about quantum I don’t recall that he ever have had something to do the facing page. We look mechanics and human mentioned it or anything in it. with the fact that we had a forward to hearing from you consciousness and it ended Instead, we heard a great deal supply of rolling papers, and and trust you will enjoy up getting published in about his theories of they’d run out. reading this issue of Degrees. Physics in Canada. It was my consciousness. There are a lot of stories still first academic publication! I was appalled when he to be told about those heady Greg Campbell Since then I have gone on to “spray painted” Einstein’s days on campus, and I hope Editor write numerous articles and famous equation to match the that you will continue to tell four academic books. And for décor, like something from a them—without neglecting the the past 20 years I have been garage sale, and hung it on present, of course. Life does teaching consciousness at the bare wall of his go on. consciousness theory classroom. King’s University College, If it was just a teaching Best regards, courses that have always method, it worked, for I Ron Myhr BA(Hons)’71, MA’73 been popular with students. remember it almost 40 years But it is only recently that I later. Dr. Blewett’s classes were have returned to the often outrageous and In Degrees, (Vol.19 #2, pg. 19), substance of those sometimes infuriating, but they I am included in your cover of discussions with Professor were always well-attended and alumni represented by the Blewett and have gone back never boring. Assiniboia Gallery of Regina. to looking at the quantum The article states that I have mechanics and consciousness Randall Osczevski BSc’73. an MEd’96. Sadly, this is not interface. This is a rich area the case. It must belong to of investigation that is someone else, but the thought gaining in prominence, but I’ve recently re-connected with is flattering. Thank you for whose importance was the University and got my first your attention. appreciated by Professor copy of Degrees today (Fall Blewett already back when I 2007). I was stricken to find Terry Osborne BFA’74, BEd’81 was still a doctoral student at an article about the life and the University of Regina. death of my teacher and friend, Duncan Blewett, and Sincerely, bemused to find an article Imants Baruss PhD’89 about student activism back in Professor the 60s and 70s, in the online archive version of Spring 2007. 2 Degrees spring 2008 Editor Greg Campbell ’85, ’95 Communications Director Paul Corns Alumni Association Board 2007-08 Loni Kaufmann ’95 President The University of Regina Magazine Charlene Banjac ’98, ’06 First V-P Spring 2008 volume 20, no. 1 Sean McEachern ’03 Second V-P Colin Woloshyn ’99 V-P Finance Brian Munro ’96 Past-President On the cover: John Hewson MA’69 was poised to become prime minister of Australia as Janet Sinclair he led the Liberal Party into the 1993 federal election. What happened? Read Catherine Margaret Dagenais ’87, ’91, ’97 Armitage’s compelling story beginning on page 24. Teresa Drew ’01 Rebbeca Gibbons ’99 Neil Jacoby ’74 Richard Kies ’93, ’03 Jay Kirkland ’99 Scott Nicholson ’93 ’96 Christy Ross BPAS’93 Contributors Catherine Armitage Phillip Charrier Don Hall Trevor Hopkin Brian Miller ’89, ’95 Brenda Oliver David Sealy 8 12 24 Lisa Maree Williams All photos by AV Services unless otherwise noted. Original design and layout by features Bradbury Branding and Design. departments The miner’s daughter 8 Degrees is published twice a year by External Relations at the University of Meet Vianne Timmons, the Feed Back 2 Regina. The magazine is mailed to alumni University of Regina’s seventh President’s Note 4 and friends of the University. Ideas and president and vice-chancellor. opinions published in Degrees do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, the Around Campus 5 Alumni Association or the University of Dream project 12 Regina. Letters and editorial California filmmaker Chrystene Spot Light 17, 44 contributions are welcome. Advertising inquiries are invited. Ells uprooted her life and Focal Point 22 moved to Regina to begin a film she had been dreaming about Alumni News 36 To reach us: making for almost two decades. Class Notes 38 Editorial/Advertising/Letters Degrees, External Relations The earnest emergence 360 Degrees 42 210 North Residence, University of Regina of queer studies 18 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, S4S 0A2 Queer studies is slowly finding Ph: (306) 585-4402 Fax: (306) 585-4997 its way into Canadian Email: [email protected] university classrooms. This Address Change winter, Cultures of Queer, the Alumni Relations first U of R class offered in the 210 North Residence, University of Regina discipline made its debut. 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, S4S 0A2 Ph: (306) 585-4112 Fax: (306) 585-4997 A man for all seasons 24 Email: [email protected] John Hewson spent less than a Toll-free: 877-779-4723(GRAD) year at the University of Regina (in Canada and U.S.) in the late 1960s yet his University of Regina homepage experience in Regina left an www.uregina.ca indelible mark on the man who Publication Mail Agreement Number would later vie for the office of 40065347 prime minister of Australia. Return undeliverable magazines to: External Relations 210 North Residence, University of Regina A conversation with 3737 Wascana Parkway Rob Norris 32 Regina, SK, S4S 0A2 Degrees sits down with Rob ISSN 0843-7092 Norris, Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour, to talk about his vision for post-secondary education in the province.