Remembering Lethbridge Community College open house ‘87

It’s interesting. I had no intention of going to school there, but I decided to go to an open house at Lethbridge Community College in the Spring of 1987 anyway.

Little did I know a dozen years later I would find my way there.

Today, I had a news release cross my desk from Lethbridge College, as it is called now, because heaven forbid mentioning community in your college. It was an invitation to an upcoming open house.

It reminded me of that time back in 1987, where I thought I knew where I was going. Little did I know it would be somewhere else.

North to university
To be honest, I don’t exactly remember when I set my mind to go to the University of Alberta. Some time in Grade 10, because when I mentioned it to my best friend Chris Vining, he was all in. That was back in 1984, when we were still getting to know each other.

I really cannot speak for him, but I knew I never even considered the University of Lethbridge or Lethbridge Community College, as so many of my high school classmates had. I really wanted to get off the farm, and out into the wider world.

It was a done deal pretty early, as I applied to the University of Alberta as soon as I could, and got accepted pretty early on.

There would be no looking back.

Open house
My Uncle Ed, who is married to my Mom’s sister my Aunt Johanna, is one of the best people I know. He worked for Lethbridge Community College for a long time, loved the college, and even sat on the board of governors, as one of three elected members.

It was through him that we found out the college was having an open house on a Sunday afternoon. I went with my parents, my sister and my Uncle Ed and Aunt Johanna. Obviously, I had no intention of going there, because I was committed elsewhere.

Yet, I did not consider it beneath me, as some of my high school classmates did. Some even referred to LCC as Last Chance College. Instead, I went with an open mind, and looked around to see if there was anything that would interest me, were I looking to apply.

Uncle Ed did show us around. We toured various automotive shops, classrooms, and I distinctly remember going to the LCC Meat Store. Back then they had a meat-cutting program. Even then I thought it would be a cool learning experience to operate an actual store. I also recall my sister asking the person showing us the meat store, if students were taught to cut other meat beyond beef and pork, like from wild animals.

We wound up our tour by sitting and having coffee and treats in the gym, where they had set up tables and chairs. The treats were made by students.

I remember thinking it seemed a lot like high school, not in a bad way, but definitely more of a gradual transition to post-secondary. The lockers in the hall, the shops, even the gym, all gave it an intimate setting.

Looking back, I was glad I went, more as an outing than to actually consider going there. After all I was laser focused on going to the University of Alberta and, by that time, I was at the point of no return.

Parting thoughts
Fast forward from that day in 1987, to the Spring of 1999. I thought about that day I went to the open house when I applied to Lethbridge Community College and their print journalism program.

As I said, I never looked down at the college. I always believed college and university complemented each other. Universities offered theory and colleges offered practical applications. To my mind, you need both.

In journalism, in particular, I have benefitted a great deal from an arts background coupled with the skills of organizing, planning, researching and writing taught by journalism school.

What I will always remember about my first day of college in the Fall of 1999, is thinking to myself, “This is sure different than it was in 1987.”