February 12, 2010
Student Profile: Petre Iweriebor
By: R. K. Heise - SPC Student
All the way from Sapele, Nigeria, St. Peter's College has a new student attending for the second semester. Peter Iweriebor is enrolled in faculty of Arts and Science, and is taking two classes, both of which he finds unique and challenging. Peter's future plans are to pursue a career in medicine, and he is undecided as to whether he will stay in Canada or go back to Nigeria after he is finished with his education.
Peter attended the Ambrose Ali University, in Nigeria, before moving Ontario. Peter worked there for eight months before moving to Muenster, Saskatchewan for the beginning of the second semester at St. Peter's College. I asked him what made him choose St. Peter's College amongst many other choices, and he said that he discovered St. Peter's College website online; he previously didn't have much college experience outside Nigeria, so he decided that he would give it a try. "I received warm reception, it's friendly, it's homey, it's really different."
I asked Peter what some of the major differences between living in Canada compared to Nigeria, and he said: "I really like the health care system, there is no free health care in Nigeria... compared to the health problems in Nigeria, it's amazing."
What's also amazing is the amount of students attending the college this semester. St. Peter's College is looking forward to having students like Peter Iweriebor bring their hard work and talents to Saskatchewan.
January 12, 2010
Student Profile: Stephanie Wilcox
By: R. K. Heise - SPC Student
Stephanie Wilcox is one out of many first year students attending St. Peter's College. Stephanie is originally from Tisdale, Saskatchewan, and graduated from Tisdale Middle and Secondary School.
It was either St. Peter's College of the University of Saskatchewan, and St. Pete's was a much easier transition to university for Stephanie, as it was for many students. Other positive factors that attracted her to St. Peter's College were that it had a cheaper tuition and a smaller class size.
The teaching staff has also impressed Stephanie: "I like how the [professor] actually knows my name, and that I'm not just a number, and the fact that the staff is willing to be available at any time for us to ask questions."
Stephanie hopes to eventually attend the University of Saskatchewan and achieve her PhD in Psychology. When asked what she hoped to achieve as a psychologist, she said: "I want to be a clinical psychologist, working in rehabilitations with people with addictions. I hope that I can make a difference in someone's life."
Stephanie Wilcox is only one of many bright and interesting students that attend St. Peter's college who deserve to be recognized. Instead of reporting on student events I will be reporting on the students themselves through random selection and with their permission; each will be asked some similar and different questions. It is the students that make up the college, and the student perspective is where the future lies, because the students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow!
December 1, 2009
By: R.K. Heise - SPC Student
It is that time of year again where St. Peter's College students are opening the books and studying for their upcoming finals in December. Starting in the second week of the month and ending on the seventeenth, St. Pete's students will be working hard to finish off the semester. As second semester begins, there is a new project beginning with it.
St. Peter's College is taking on many new improvements this year such as the new elevator being constructed, and now the college has another project in sight. An idea from a student, for which he was awarded a bursary for, is being taken into consideration, and it is hopeful that an internet radio station for the college will be set up for the upcoming year.
The radio station will make a bi-weekly broadcast on past and upcoming college events. The idea is that it will be run by a small group of students, who will each contribute to a part of the broadcast.
Students at St. Peter's College have the opportunities and the resources to start their own projects, and it is just a matter of giving the effort to make it happen. Students are proving that you don't need to live in the city to start make a radio broadcast; you just need to set a goal, work hard at it, and in time you'll achieve your key to success!
November 13, 2009
A College Scene: Movie Club!
By: R. K. Heise - SPC Student
Up, Vanilla Sky, Jane Austen Book Club, Away From Her, Antitrust, Mamma Mia, The Proposal, and Benny and Joon. What do they all have in common? They've been just a few of the flick picks for the St. Peter's College Movie Club.
In the beginning of the year, the students were handed forms with a list of activities they could check off if it sparked their interest. Movie Club was one of the many options to check off. The year began, but no movie club was heard of, so a few of the students took the initiative to get it going. Students, Erika Knorr and I, chose to hold movie nights on Wednesday at 8 p.m., and are in charge of finding a couple of good films every week for those who are in need of a break from the busy student life. The club now consists of a small group of people, but we are always encouraging people to come out!
The college offers a nice entertainment lounge, with couches, bean-bag chairs, and a wide-screen television. The student lounge, next room over, even offers a microwave and bowls for those popcorn lovers. St. Peter's College does a great job providing facilities for the students so they can hold clubs such as this one. Movie club wouldn't be the same anywhere else!
Movies that may make an appearance in upcoming Wednesday nights include: The Jacket, Bobby, Children of Men, Love Actually, Life of Brian, Back to the Future I, II, & III, and even some Charlie Chaplin films!
Whether you need a break from work, or you need a way to reward yourself after a well-written paper, feel welcome to come out for a night at the movies!
October 21, 2009
Student Government is On the Go
By: R.K. Heise - SPC Student
The student government is on the go with planning events and fundraisers for St. Peter's College and its students. SPC student government is made up of nine members: Taylor Moisan, Breanna Jansen, Jenna Mollenbeck, Kyla Ronellenfitsch, Ryan Heise, Shaun Bruesch, Stephanie Wilcox, and our President, Mike Cleveland. A fundraising barbeque, a Halloween dance, and an awards ceremony are a few things that have been discussed in their Wednesday meetings.
The "Student Government BBQ Fundraiser" was held on October 21st at the Willkommen Centre in Humboldt. Smokies on a bun and baked goods were sold by the students to raise money for their upcoming Halloween dance, also know as the "Halloween Howler". The dance has been planned for Halloween night, starting at 10 p.m. and ending at 2 a.m. The cost for students to get in is $10 with a costume and $12 without.
Next on the agenda for St. Peter's College is the Awards and Scholarship Ceremony, taking place at the college on November 15th where scholarship and award recipients will be recognized for their achievement. Awards and Scholarships being presented include: Paul J. Hoenmans Bursary, The Action Humboldt Award and the City of Humboldt Award. The President of the Student Government, Mike Cleveland , will present the SPC Student Government Bursaries.
The student government's hopeful plans for the future include a Christmas Party, a ski trip, and more dances, and there will certainly be a lot of events and fundraisers to come. As a member of the student government, I hope that we, collectively, can make it a great year and fun experience for the students of St. Peter's College!
October 7, 2009
Serving Up Volleyball
By: R.K.Heise - SPC Student
The SPC volleyball season is off to a great start with a fourth place holding in the first tournament of the season. Team members went to Saskatoon and participated against seven other teams on the last weekend of September.
Andrea Gress (Middle), Megan Britz (Power), Jorden Peters (Power) and Elly Knorr (Center), four girls out of a team of eight, shared with me their thoughts about the last tournament. All four of them claimed that it went well, had a lot of fun, and that they're ready for more! Knorr says: "I think we did better than expected. We got a broader view on what we should prepare for and what is waiting for us for the next tournament."
Hepburn, Saskatchewan is where the girls are off to for the second tournament of the season. After two practices, they feel that the team is prepared. "I've been preparing since our last tournament, and I've been kind of mentally preparing for volleyball since the beginning of the year," says Gress. And as for their expectations for this upcoming tournament, Britz says it best: "To do better, to win one! We're going to do some sliding (diving for the ball) in the game."
I asked each person what they thought was their team's strongest and weakest point. Knorr thought their strongest point was the team's commitment and ambition, and Peters said it was communication. Organization and team commitment were some of the weaker points according to Gress and Britz.
Caleb Frey, the team coach, shared with me his practice philosophy: "Well, I believe that for a good game of volleyball, you need to be in the right conditioning and I like to push my girls so they can be better on the court. If I tire them out in the practice, they won't tire out on the court. I think that in our last tournament, we did really well, but then we tired out in the second sets. I got a couple more ideas for the practice, so we'll see if what I'm doing is working and we might have to kick it up a notch."
Judging by the amount of preparation and determination, ‘kicking it up a notch" will be exactly what they'll achieve in Hepburn!
September 23, 2009
Making and Taking Residence
By: R. K. Heise - SPC Student
Living on campus residence is an experience of its own, whether it is St. Scholastica or Severn Hall, our new addition for student residence. Severn Hall has been newly renovated and is now available to SPC students for rent for this year. According to Father Demetrius, a monk at St. Peter's Abbey, more space was needed due to an increase in student enrolment and the lack of residences. To fix this problem, the monks of St. Peter's Abby made a decision to renovate the lower guest wing as a temporary residence for students.
I inquired as to why supporting education is important to the monks. Father Demetrius said, "Benedictine monks have always been involved in education and the arts. The monks of St. Peter's Abbey started St. Peter's College in 1921 and have been involved in education since that time."
After interviewing some students in one of the residences, it became clear that many of them share the same emotions and experiences of living away from home, but for others, home is only a short drive away. When I asked what it was like to move, I got a variety of answers ranging from "not that bad" to "exciting and scary". For some, it was difficult at first, but after meeting and getting to know people, it got a lot easier. Residents also brought personal belongings that made them feel at home away from home, and some of these items included: pictures, plants, movies, slippers, laptops, music, and for one student, her unicycle.
Living on campus is fun and interesting experience for all of us. It's much more convenient and not as costly as some of our other choices. As one student said: "It's kind of exciting because it's a new start, it's like an adventure." I agree, it certainly has been an adventure so far.
September 16, 2009
The College Corner
by St. Peter'sCollege student R.K. Heise
New experiences: it's what moving away from home and going to college or university is all about. Orientation day at St. Peter's College just happened to be one of those experiences for the many students attending the institution from all around the province and country. As one of those students, I had a great time meeting new people, while being welcomed and prepared to start my first year of college in Muenster.
To fill you in on what goes on at a small college orientation, here are some of the day's events: a presentation for the students and the parents, a tour of the campus, pictures for student I.D cards, and purchasing books for classes. In amongst it all was a lunch sponsored by the monks of St. Peter's Abbey, also know around the college as the "Men in Black."
Compared to a larger campus' orientation day, the one at St. Peter's may come off as a bit small, but bigger isn't always better. The size of the college and its small number of students makes the high school/university transition far less overwhelming for students at St. Pete's, as well as a lot more fun. Being from a small town myself, I can understand why it's considered a better choice. You get to know a lot of the people, and the professors get to know the students better due to the smaller class size. It's friendly, it's personal, and it's small town Saskatchewan.
On that note, I look forward to a great year at SPC. I also look forward to being a student reporter for this year.
The above column is written by a student at St. Peter's College, located near Muenster, Saskatchewan
