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drag queen beauty contest. To us, it was hilarious, although from the outside it probably looked juvenile," observes Fedyk. Today's security features at Luther College might take the edge off some of the creative exuberance of past years, but residents have access to study areas, a branch library, music listening and practice rooms, a worship centre, auditorium, a television den and a recreational area within the building. COLLEGE WEST When College West opened in 1973 it was intended to be a multi-use building housing academic facilities as well as accommodating up to 276 people in one- and two-storey apartments with single and double bedrooms. At the time, plans called for similar colleges east, south and north patterned after the English university model, with academic "Dons" living in residence and teaching students. Along the way, that idea was discarded, although at one time there were seven teachers living in College West. Professor Emeritus Dieter Ruoff is the last link to this part of the college's history. "I was lucky," says Ruoff, who came from his native Switzerland to teach in 1968, and moved into College West 17 years ago. "I had a big suite, and the mathematics office was just around the corner." Ruoff officially retired in 2003, but he's teaching one math course in the spring 2004 semester. One of his warm memories is of making the rounds of the building sampling various national dishes and getting to know students during the international dinner nights. His concern that students might show up at his door unannounced, asking for help with math problems, never materialized, but many students have kept in touch after they graduated. "I'm still in touch with some of them by e-mail; they're past the middle of their own careers," muses Ruoff. While it appears that people mostly got along, there were instances where rivalries surfaced among residents. Pat Bellamy of College West Residence Services recalls the days one group of students claimed squatters' rights on the roof court, where they placed a hot tub and sofa for their leisure hours. This clearly rubbed another group the wrong way. While the hot tubbers were downtown at the bar, the story goes, the rival group made their way to the roof and may have, ahem, relieved themselves in the tub. "That put an end to the pool parties," says Bellamy. Today the roof court is covered with wire to keep the pigeons away, a 21st century postscript to more colourful days. LA RÉSIDENCE "It was very much like one BIG family," says Rose-Marie Bouvier, describing life in the Institut de Formation Linguistique (Language Institute), as it was then known. Bouvier managed the day-to-day operations of the 67-bed residence from when it opened in 1991 until 1994, and was indirectly involved until 2001. "Besides being residence manager, I was also considered the den mother, although I wasn't too much older than most, and even younger than a few. I made sure they followed the rules and sometimes discussed personal problems and school issues with them," Bouvier recalls. The majority of the residents were about 18 years old, and living away from home for the first time. The place had a distinctive French ambience, Bouvier says, because students had to be able to speak French or be taking a French class in order to stay there. (La Résidence currently gives priority to francophone or Frenchspeaking students, students taking two French classes or a class taught in French, as well as residence assistants and exchange 8 THE THIRD DEGREE Spring 2004 Ensuite kitchens have always been one of the attractions of the popular College West residence. students.) Yvonne Beaubien is another former residence manager who believes that being an informal mother figure had its advantages in attracting potential residents. "I think I convinced a lot of parents to have their children stay in the Language Institute, because they felt comfortable knowing I was there." The building was originally designed to be a round tower, says Beaubien, but this was changed to make better use of space. Beaubien considers it a cut above other residences because most of the 50 rooms are singles with a full bathroom. Double rooms are located on the corners. "We had judges, lawyers and government officials coming here to upgrade their language skills," she explains, "and they wanted a nice room." Hotel-style beds are another amenity unique to La Résidence. Beaubien remembers one particularly tall resident telling her it was the first time in his life he fit in a bed without his feet sticking over the edge. Bouvier says La Résidence was great for young students who didn't have to worry about meal preparation, grocery shopping or kitchen clean-up. Instead, they could choose from two meal plans. For some residents, their idea of "luxury" was going to the cafeteria for breakfast in their pyjamas and slippers, she chuckles. Even on a cold winter's day, the Language Institute, which houses La Résidence, is a warm place to call home. For more information, or to arrange a tour of the new residence show suite, call Residence Services toll free at 1-866-354-3394 or visit the Web site at: www.uregina.ca/residences. Residence Services can also provide information on College West and La Résidence. For more information on Luther College residence, call toll free at 1-800-LUTHERU(588-4378) or visit the Luther College Web site at: www.luthercollege.edu
Birth? Marriage? Promotion? Volunteer? What’s new with you? Share your news with your classmates and stay connected with Luther! Email: alumni@luthercollege.edu Visit: www.luthercollege.edu Write to: Alumni Relations Officer Luther College, U of R 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK S4S 0A2 Larry Matthies BSc'79 HIGH LIGHT If there ever was a U of R alumnus with an out-ofthis-world job, it's Larry Matthies BSc'79. Matthies is a computer scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., the agency that manages the Mars Exploration Rover project for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Matthies leads a team of scientists that developed the computerized vision system used by Spirit and Opportunity, the two robotic vehicles that rolled off their landers in January to search for signs of life on the red planet. The image processing software developed by Matthies' team was crucial to the Mars mission. First, the system was used to estimate the landing crafts' velocity and slow them, as necessary, for a safe landing. Secondly, the system was used to create a three-dimensional representation of the surface that allowed the rovers to safely navigate across the rocky Martian terrain. "For my group, our greatest fear was the failure of the descent system because it's mission-critical," explains Matthies. "The reconstruction they did after the landing of Spirit suggested that if that system hadn't worked we might have landed too hard on the surface." Although he earned his BSc in computer science with distinction, Matthies was no one-trick pony. When he wasn't busy learning he was involved in many extracurricular activities including being involved in the computer science social club and serving as student representative to faculty senate, member-at-large of the Students' Union and chair of the U of R Debating Society. "Those things broadened my experience and made me a more well-rounded person," he says. "They gave me skills for things like giving presentations and running meetings. Those skills have been quite valuable along the way." Matthies says that robots with similar vision systems have military applications and could be used in hostage situations or in the aftermath of earthquakes when searching collapsed buildings is too difficult or dangerous. As well, such robotic vehicles are used in automated mining operations and for automated cargo movement at shipping ports. Still, it's using the technology for deep space exploration that most intrigues Matthies. "To me, the two biggest questions are: Is there life elsewhere and why is there a universe in the first place?" Matthies says. "I'm very fortunate to help the scientists who are working to answer those questions." In early March, data collected by the rover Opportunity led scientists to conclude that the Martian surface once held an abundance of water and therefore may have been capable of supporting life as we know it. For more information visit the Mars Exploration Rover Mission Web site at: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html Spring 2004 THE THIRD DEGREE 9
Page 1 and 2: UNIVERSITY OF REGINA ALUMNI MAGAZIN
Page 3 and 4: Editor Greg Campbell ’85, ’95 E
Page 5 and 6: photographer of the moving image, i
Page 7 and 8: Choose the card that supports the e
Page 9: A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME What happe
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Page 15 and 16: Tim Lilburn BA’73 Award-winning p
Page 17 and 18: Peter Leavitt, Department of Biolog
Page 19 and 20: BERT FOX/FERGUSON ENTRANCE SCHOLARS
Page 21 and 22: Two grads go flat-out for Grey Cup
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Page 25 and 26: GROUP HOME INSURANCE for Members of
Page 27 and 28: for all human beings. Maintain your
Page 29 and 30: LAST WORD WORD Reminiscing about re
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