Durham Chronicle January 31st

Protesting to support local pet shop. See Exotic Page 13.

An empty stage, a show for no one. See Two Page 17.

January 31, 2012

Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10

New year begins

Have your say: elections soon Bobby Perritt The Chronicle

There is a season, turn, turn, turn.

UOIT and Durham College are on the verge of a change in student government.

The Student Association executive-election is calling all students to the polls and aspiring potential candidates to the forefront.

The available executive positions are president of the SA, vice-president of college affairs, vice-president of university affairs and 10 spots on the board of directors, shared evenly between UOIT and DC students.

Campaigning will run Feb. 6-15. Eight polling stations will be open on all UOIT and Durham College campuses from Feb. 13-15 for voting.

Change is not only dependent on candidate platforms, but on the students who vote.

Those who have little faith in other candidates can consider

running for election themselves.

All positions are held for a one-year term, and can be applied for by full-time students, aged 18 or over, who have completed a clean criminal record check, and hold a 60 per cent GPA. No experience is necessary.

The next SA president, overseeing both the college and university, will earn $15.11 per hour, while the next vicepresidents of college and university affairs will make $13.45 per hour. The ten spaces on the board of directors are done voluntarily.

The deadline to fill out a nomination form for any of the positions is Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.

Those who qualify are required to come to the all-candidates meeting on Feb. 3, at 4 p.m. in room B138, the new campus-club space on the north side of the purple pit opposite the security desk.

See Vote Page 3

Spring Festival rings in anew Bobby Perritt The Chronicle

Nicole Patton

YEAR OF THE DRAGON BEGINS: Durham College opened the Durham Chinese-Canadian Culture Centre in the Simcoe Building prior to the Chinese New Year.

See Chinese Page 2

As memories of the January 1 New Year fade and resolutions are slowly forgotten, the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, launched on Jan. 23.

This year is the lucky and fortunate year of the dragon, which will bring prosperity and intensive power to everyone.

Abu Arif and Deena Wang of the International Offices of Durham College and

UOIT, and DC’s student life co-ordinator Krista Watson, from the Student Life department, teamed up to hold the schools’ first Chinese New Year celebration last Jan. 24.

People of all cultures were welcomed to the student services building for a free night of live traditional Chinese music, a kung fu demonstration, a dragon and lion ritualistic dance and an assortment of appetizers.

See Spring Page 2

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The Chronicle

January 31, 2012

Campus

Bobby Perritt

STRIKING A POSE: Don Lovisa and others worked on their kung fu skills, following along with guidance from the Northern Lakes and Southern Fists Kung Fu and Lion Dance Club in the Student Services Building.

Year of the Dragon starts on a high Continued from Page 1 UOIT president Tim McTiernan and Durham College president Don Lovisa showed up to join the fun, along with UOIT registrar Victoria Chow, who spoke about her days as an international student in Canada.

Entertainment began with a ritualistic dance of the white and gold lion and dragon. The animals are said to ward off bad spirits for a positive new year, as they reared upwards and even got face-to-face with some of the front row audience.

According to traditional Chinese belief, good luck was brought to the audience and the entire college and university, as the dragon consumed a head of cabbage – an essential Spring Festival custom.

The sifu, meaning “master teacher,” Ian Chow, of the Northern Lakes and Southern Fists Kung Fu and Lion Dance Club, along with five other members, demonstrated fu pao (meaning tiger-leopard). Fu pao is only one of about 300 styles of kung fu.

Lee K’O, one of the kung fu demonstrators who grabbed the audience with precise and bold kung fu moves, said he would definitely be willing to return next year to welcome the year of the snake.

A sweeter and softer guest

that night was Helen Chen of Ajax, who sang traditional Chinese music and drew eyes with her flowing, ocean blue shawl and blue bell dress blotted with a snow-white trail of flowers.

Her voice captivated listeners as it had for the 20 years that she sang professionally in the Chinese army.

‘

It’s not only about bringing together the college and university, it’s more about just being a big family.

Deena Wang

’

During her first song, Chen garnered applause when there were problems with her microphone and she continued singing as some of the hosts scurried around her, turning her mike off and making adjustments.

“I hope to come back next year…I hope I can see more students put together a show with teachers,” Chen said.

The evening finished with a traditional bamboo dance, where pairs had to strategically hop through a grid of clashing bamboo sticks without getting

their ankles clipped.

Deena Wang, international projects and research co-ordinator for the International Office at Durham College, was pleasantly surprised with the large and multicultural turnout.

“It’s not only about bringing together the college and university, it’s more about us just being a big family tonight,” she said.

“Students have demonstrated the need for a Chinese New Year event and celebrate the year of the dragon together,” said Watson.

People of Chinese origin make up the second largest student racial demographic at the college.

The Spring Festival is only one of the multicultural celebrations planned for this year by the International Offices and Student Life, to celebrate an “even” and inclusive calendar, as Arif, UOIT international student adviser, called it. Celebrations will also include Family Day on Feb. 20 and Modern Language Day on Feb 21.

“As president, to look out in the audience to see we have so many nationalities celebrating Chinese New Year, is really great,” Lovisa said, shaking his head.

Lovisa said that looking back at the Durham College of only

Bobby Perritt

A MEMORABLE NOTE: Helen Chen, a singer in the Chinese army for 20 years, sang traditional Chinese songs. a few years ago, it might have been more unlikely to have seen a Spring Festival than it is today. “Many colleges were working with international students (back then)…But it wasn’t time for Durham. Now it is.”

Traditionally, the 15-day Spring Festival starts on the first new moon and includes dragon and lion dances, house cleaning to purge negative energies, visiting elders, family feasts, parades and fireworks.

Campus

SA elections call for you to get involved

Continued from Page 1

Candidates will be given the chance to meet each other and discuss how the election process is going be governed.

Any candidate who does not show up to the meeting will disqualified from the election.

Chief returning officer Michael L. Maynard and deputy returning officer David Federman will be the ones enforcing the regulations of the election.

“This is our role as referees,” said Maynard, a part-time dispute resolution instructor at the college and former student as well. “It’s about a smooth, fair, well-run election.”

Elections come with many regulations for campaigners, which range from the content of their social media ads and promotions, to campaigning times, and restrictive campaigning locations.

“It’s fun to follow the rules,” is the message Federman wants to promote to candidates. Federman has election experience on the provincial and federal level.

For students who like to see a good debate around during election time, three live forums will be held over the nine days of campaigning, which Maynard and Federman believe will be more informative and efficient than a debate.

A forum will be held on the downtown campus Feb. 7, then move west to the Whitby campus the next day, and finally to the large Simcoe campus on Feb. 9.

Exact times and locations are still being whittled out.

Riot Radio will be archiving the events for anybody to listen to the forum whenever and wherever they want.

The Student Association plays a role in trying to raise the standards for student life. The SA works with provincial and local governments on behalf of the students, and also regulates the funding and rules surrounding the campus clubs and societies, which promote ideas, diversity and inclusion in the schools.

“This is (the students’) chance to better their student experience,” said Maynard, after saying voter turnout has historically been low. “We’re continuing to push – we just really want people to vote.”

For that reason, and since many classes don’t always run during conventional hours, extended voting times were introduced this year. For the first two days at the polls at the Athletic Centre on the Simcoe campus and the First Floor Space in the downtown campus at 55 Charles Street, will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Unlike previous years, tighter security regulations only allow students to vote online from the designated polling stations, using their personal student numbers.

To keep up-to-date with the elections, Maynard and Federman will tweet details @sacro_dcuoit. Bulletin boards and posters around the school will also be informative during this time. Also, the Student Association website, www.your-sa. ca gives detailed job descriptions under the purple “elections ” tab and further information helpful to those pursuing candidacy.

Election day is not far away. As Maynard said, “To the voters, get to know your candidates. To the candidates, get to know your voters.”

The Chronicle

January 31 2012

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Having fun getting fit Nicole Patton The Chronicle

Let’s get physical! For the second year in a row the Active Living Challenge has returned, one year after Durham College was named the most active campus in Ontario. Now students, faculty and other community members are invited to try to reclaim that title.

The Ontario Colleges Committee on Campus Recreation and the Flex Centre host the challenge, and those wishing to participate are free to get active in any way they choose, from walking to even shovelling snow.

“We’re just encouraging people to get active in any respect,” said Angela Wood, the Flex Centre fitness coordinator.

To be involved in the challenge and to have the chance to win prizes, participants must pick up a tracking card from the main athletics desk or the Flex Centre and complete 10 hours of physical activity. Participates are encouraged to complete 3 ½ hours or more of activity a week and fill in their tracking cards before taking them to a Flex staff member to be signed. A ballot will then be filled out, giving you a chance to win weekly prizes like Tshirts, personal training sessions and

Nicole Patton

FLEX CENTRE: Fitness co-ordinator Angela Wood wants students, staff and the community to get physical with the Active Living Challenge. more.

To be eligible for the grand prizes, participants must complete 20 hours of physical activity. The initiative is depending on the honour system, and participants are expected to be honest about how much activity they have completed.

First place prize is a Norco bike. “It’s a pretty good prize,” said Wood. Second, third and fourth prizes include a $100 Keg gift certificate, a $50 Future Shop gift card and Reebok gear.

The contest that began Jan. 9 and will run until Feb. 5, with the grand prizes being drawn Feb. 9 at 10 a.m.

Run for your lives: Relay for Life!

Amy Valm The Chronicle

A candle somberly glows through a white paper bag, illuminating a handwritten name. The names on the bags represent courage, strength and hope.

They are the names of people who overcame, battled, and some who lost a fight with cancer. The luminaria ceremony at Relay for Life is one of many that offers a way to encourage, support and remember everyone affected by cancer.

Initiated in 1985 by an American doctor who wanted to raise money for cancer in support of his patients, Relay for Life has since branched to 21 countries around the world.

UOIT and Durham College will be hosting the second Relay for Life event on March 16-17 in the Polonsky Commons. The 12-hour event will run from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. Participants form teams, and team members take turns walking the track during the course of the event.

“Relay outlines the three main stages of what the Canadian Cancer Society is trying to do, “ said Kathryn MacDonald, a third-year Automotive Engineer student at UOIT. “To celebrate the survivors and what they’ve accomplished, to remember the ones who have lost their battles, and to fight back, and take back our lives.”

Students can expect activities at the event such as bands, salsa, yoga and Zumba workshops. An Olympiad for teams will also be set up. Participating teams with the highest points can win prizes. MacDonald says that although the event is mainly held outdoors, there will be lots of coffee, hot chocolate and activities to keep you warm.

As well as planned activities, Mac-

Amy Valm

RELAY FOR LIFE: Brett Hussey and Kathryn MacDonald, student volunteers, organize Durham College’s second Relay for Life event.

Donald said that they like to see one or two people per team on the track at once, adding that there’s no running or need for athleticism. It’s a team effort in showing support for cancer research and initiative.

“There are a few ways to get involved,” said MacDonald. “Make a team. We promote 10 people per team.

Each person needs to raise $100 minimum. More is better.”

Primarily, money raised goes to research but also to help people affected by cancer right now. Family aid is established to help those suffering from the disease get financial assistance for treatment if they need it. Ride programs are funded to help those unable to make appointments get a lift.

“It’s not just money that’s going into research, and you don’t really see it necessarily touching people,” said MacDonald. “It’s helping people going through cancer right now. It’s making their lives easier and taking away some

of the stress of the whole situation.”

MacDonald said the goal is for everyone to have fun while raising money for a great cause. Booths will be set up in the UA Atrium and around campus in the upcoming weeks. Students can sign up or obtain further information on the event. As well as participants, volunteers are also welcome. Survivors are sought for the survivor walk. MacDonald stresses that it’s on a volunteer basis, so no one should feel forced, but the more survivors involved in the survivor lap of the event the more impact it has on where the money is going and who it is benefiting.

“Everyone is sort of affected by cancer,” said MacDonald, who will be running for her uncle this year. “Even if it’s not you directly. It could be friends and families that you might know. Everyone that I know does it for their own personal reasons, but in the end it’s just a great way to help everyone, it’s fun too.”

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The Chronicle

January 31, 2012

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Liberals lead with legalization To legalize or not to legalize, that is the question.

As of Sunday, Jan. 15 the Liberal party of Canada is officially endorsing the legalization and re-regulation of marijuana.

The Liberals vote came at the biennial convention after the idea was put forth by the party’s youth wing.

After the last election the Liberals were faced with lack of support and were left with only 35 seats in the House of Commons, and losing their status as official opposition has pushed them to re-evaluate their political platform to suit the needs of the voter.

To solve their support problem, or lack there of, they called on the youth wing to submit ideas that would attract the younger voter and reflect our modern society- starting with marijuana. Liberals have always been on the fence about cannabis prohibition. The last time the Liberals were in power they decriminalized the use and possession of marijuana. But since the Conservatives took the majority, pot has been reverted to a schedule one drug again. The talk to legalize, instead of decriminalize, is a whole new game entirely.

The party is discussing possibilities of growing and distributing cannabis under a strict regulatory system like alcohol, which has been an untapped market for many years.

Not only would the Liberals be creating income and jobs if they could get cannabis legalized, but they would also be saving Canadian tax-payers at least the whopping $400 million spent every year on arresting people for petty possession charges.

To resolve issues further such as criminal records destroying youth potential, and people who have been penalized due to records for minor possession-the Liberals want legalization to be retroactive, annulling all previous possession convictions.

Although delegates specifically rejected a proposal to remove the leader’s veto over the contents of future political platforms, the idea is not set in stone and there is no guarantee that the party will ever actually campaign the legalization of marijuana. Whilst all this reform talk is progressing, the Conservatives are still pushing for mandatory minimum sentencing, increased jail time,

and an expansion of the prison system, which will only result in yet another tax hike and further congestion in the courts.

To legalize or not to legalize is not the question at all, it’s the answer as yet another political titan rationalizes that the war

on drugs, specifically cannabis, has failed.

Ashley Anthony

Keep it moving slow-pokes!

It should take me five minutes to get from the bus to my class; sometimes it takes less time as I walk quickly, being a lifelong, experienced pedestrian. Other times it takes longer due to slow-walkers. There seems to be different breeds of slow-walkers. People who think it’s cool to walk slow, people who stop once they get to their class but manage to halt the people behind them, and the friends who insist on walking horizontally.

Is it cool to walk slowly, as if where you need to go is not important? Tuition is not cheap. Most classes involved deadline dates to hand in your work. This work is graded, showing you your educational progress.

Many people pay this expensive tuition and their own time to achieve an education. Where a student needs to go should be important.I call people who stop once they get to their class, the “waterholers.”

Their classmates sit in no structured shape whatso-

ever but in an awkward enough way Hillary that they create an obstacle for everyDi Menna one else. The people who join the waterhole crowd begin to slow down and then slowly come to a stop, not against a wall, not leaving room for anyone else to pass. The people behind them are not in their class, why do they need to stop? Canadian geese travel in a V formation when migrating because it reduces wind resistance and keeps track of the group. The slow-walkers that walk together in a horizontal line create a wall obstructing the path for anyone wanting to pass. A horizontal formation does nothing to reduce wind resistance, which won’t be

generated anyway at such a slow pace, and hopefully the same mind that got these individuals into a postsecondary educational establishment will not lose a group member if said member were to nudge slightly to the left.

The Canadian Physiotherapy Association says that 70 per cent of back problems start by doing daily routines, such as wearing heavy knapsacks. Trolley bags seem a healthy alternative. However, pair a trolley bag with a slow-walker and normal-pace-walkers may want to cause more than just back pain. There is a Facebook group called I Secretly Want to Punch Slow Walking People in the back of the Head, which has over 22 thousand members. We all spend our time to at school, many spend thousands of dollars. Let us share the halls.If you do not have a physical disability, pick up the pace.

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ditors:

Ashley Anthony, Ashley Bain, Natasha Cohen, Kristian Cuaresma, Amanda Darrock, Patricia DeBres, Hillary Di Menna, Angeline Doucett, Mahmoud El Bayrakdar, Nancy Ellis, Tracey Fidler, Larissa Frankevych, Robynne Henry, Kamesha Horne-Simmons, Chealse Howell, Sarah Hyatt, DJ Johnson, Justin Knaggs, Sarah Labatt, Omar Laing, Sarah LePage, Brandan Loney, Lori Marks, Cameron Mcdonald, Zachary Mclachlan, Ray McNeil, Matt Mcphee, Kimberly Moreau, Derek Morton, Aaron O’toole, Tara Oades, Nicole Patton, Bobby Perritt, Philip Petrovski, Mike Pickford, Tyler Richards, Austin Rogers, Mike Ryckman, Brad Snape, Kaitlyn Tarrant, Denis Umpleby, Amy Valm, Meghan Wels, Emily Wood.

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Opinion

The Chronicle

January 31, 2012

Be considerate while driving Have you ever had a moment when you felt kind enough to wave someone through at a stop sign, even though you got there first?

That is what’s regarded as a driving community. All through traffic school you’re told to share the road as it’s there for everyone; motorcyclists, cyclists or cars. But it seems once everyone graduates, a free for all mentality takes charge.

It’s not uncommon to see someone weaving through traffic in hopes of getting to their destination faster. The only problem is that the rest of the traffic catches up to them at the next red light.

Or you may find yourself at a four-way stop sign that has

Philip Petrovski an eager driver at every corner.

Whatever the case, pushing your way through doesn’t work often and patience can truly be a virtue when it comes to driving.

Blame it on the flawed North American driver’s training programs, poor traffic control or bad drivers. But it certainly makes it difficult to understand how European drivers manage to get to their destination when so many of their roads

are about the width of our oneway streets.

The first time I got to Macedonia with a license, I couldn’t fathom how these people could drive this fast, this controlled and relaxed, and in streets so thin you feel claustrophobic.

All the while, the vast majority of their cars are Yugos. These cars are tiny and powerless vehicles from the 1970s.

They aren’t classics either, and they cost about the same as a monthly insurance payment in North America.

So if people can make do with lawnmowers and miniature roads to drive them on, our modern cars and ocean sized highways seem more than possible. The secret to driving in

harmony seems to be a sense of patience and community.

It sounds like a mystical dream to think about a road where people are relaxed and on time for work in the morning. But if there wasn’t a person cutting everybody off in traffic who got in an accident and closed two lanes, it could be an achievable dream.

Get rid of some distractions like the text message you just got or the make-up you forgot to put on and wait until you get to your destination with your car and calm in once piece.

Next time you have the chance to let someone through, take it. Maybe they’ll let you in a couple kilometres down the road.

Simplify child names please Robynne Henry Robin, Robyn, Robynn, and Robynne.

I have come to conclusion that my parents got every parents’ wish when naming their child: they chose a name that was different. There wasn’t a million other Robynne’s running around with me in elementary school, but the name was known enough to be able to be spoken in everyday conversation.

The spelling of my name has always raised eyebrows, and gotten compliments on the way it is spelt.

My name has grown with me throughout the years, being professional when I need it to be, childish when the situation called for it, and unique in that I have never met another girl with a name spelled like mine.

But I have gotten into the habit of spelling my name out when someone needs to write it down. It bothers me when someone spells my name wrong- especially if I

spell it out and watch them spell it incorrectly.

Doctors, nurses, parents, teachers and even friends have all pronounced and spelt my name wrong at some point. It bothers me when people pronounce my name wrong when they see its spelling.

Even my own family spells my name incorrectly every Christmas when we get cards in the mail!

I have yet to meet a person that spelled my name right on the first try, unless they already knew how to spell it. It was my Grandmother who decided to change the spelling, to make my name more feminine. When I asked her why that mattered, she said she knew I wasn’t going to be very feminine so my name might as well be.

A few weeks after I was born, my dad came home and looked at my mom and said “You know we have doomed her for life, right? And she is in for years of therapy!” He explained he read an article about spelling your child’s name out of the norm, and how you doom your child.

My mom took that in stride, and said I was already a few weeks old and the name suited me.

In my parents’ defense, they had a motive when they changed the spelling.

They didn’t want me to be mocked in school and be compared to the bird or the caped crusader’s side-kick, and hadn’t met many girls (or boys) with the name before naming me.

The downside is that even the computer refuses to acknowledge the way my name is spelt, and it gives me different ways to spell it. They include: Rabbin, Rowlyn, rabbit, and my personal favourite: Crowlyn. I know I am not alone though, growing up with numerous friends who had this issue as well.

Sarahs were turned into Soras, and Christinas were turned into Kristens. Stevens were turned into Stephens and Lees turned into Leighs. Even if you change a letter or two in a name, it baffles some people so much they don’t know how to pronounce.

In school, we are taught to keep things simple. The way something looks is the way it sounds, so when people see my name they assume it is a different sound than it is. The moral of the story is, in my opinion, remember to K.I.S.S. your child, (Keep it simple, stupid.)

Spend your rebate wisely Amy Valm There’s no question that school is an investment in your future and the dawn of tuition rebates is great.

But why not make investing for your future a little bit more cost effective by catering a rebate for everyone in financial need, or catering to more optouts?

Students who have been out of high school for less than four years, in full time studies and from families with $160, 000 annual income or less are eli-

gible to apply.

Many mature students or students who already attended university or college prior to their current standing have debt and pay the same increased tuition fees but are not eligible for the rebate. This seems unfair.

While I’m happy for the students who get a rebate, people like me, who graduated from high school seven years ago, are sort of shunned.

Sure tuition was less in previous years for some of us who were attending post-secondary.

But we’re paying the same increased amount of money as everyone else now.

The Globe and Mail wrote an article outlining the new rebate.

In the comment section one user said that his niece booked a trip for reading week and upgraded to a better phone with the money she’ll receive from the rebate.

A Facebook update relays that once said person gets the rebate, they’re going “straight to the pub”.

Is the Ontario government rebating money so that young people can go out and waste it?

The point of the rebate is to pay off the debt you’ve already incurred, or help with the debt that you will be incurring.

The importance of investing or using the money to pay off debts should be better conveyed with this new initiative.

Like a punch, our tuition is spiked with many hidden fees.

We pay for so many little things, and aren’t always aware of what we can get in return.

Career Services for instance is available to help students improve their resume, practise interview skills, and act as a stepping-stone into the working world.

By not utilizing these services that we pay for, it’s basically like throwing money away.

Those students who can’t apply for the rebate, may as well take advantage of all the services we pay for.

Congratulations to those students who qualify for the rebate, but please spend it wisely.

Contribute it to paying off debts you’ve incurred thus far or put it into savings. It truly is a great gift that many envy.

Why do we need celebrity stuff?

Drew Barrymore bats her long Covergirl lashes, Kim Kardashian premieres a sassy dress from her Sears line and Tiger Woods is always in Nike.

Celebrities are everywhere and they’ve all got something that they want consumers to buy.

Whether it’s contractual or for pleasure, celebrity endorsements boost sales.

But just because the rich and famous have it, why does everyone else need it?

It all comes down to consumerism and clever advertising to make the average person want a small taste of celebrity. The ability to say, “Joe Blow uses the same shaver, or Jane Doe has the same dress,” is the aim to gain popularity.

For example, in December, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a nude dress adorned with black lace to a charity event. Within several hours clothing retailer Zara sold out of the dress in stores and online.

Consumers who bought the same dress, can brag that the princess has the same one. What does that statement mean to the rest of the world? Are they going to try to find a balding prince and get married next?

Ole Henriksen, a natural skin care guru, brought his line of products exclusively to Sephora Canada last summer. At the Toronto launch he said, “This is Paris Hilton’s favourite facial scrub and Justin Timberlake uses our Nuture Me moisturizer.”

There was one problem: Paris Hilton and Justin Timberlake were not there to testify to these claims.

Neither celebrity has ever publicly acknowledged or spoken about using Henriksen’s products.

Did he think namedropping would increase his sales or the popularity of his brand?

If you’re one of the lucky owners of the lace dress worn by the princess, or use Henrisken’s products, does it really matter? Your social status is not going to change, your shoe size will still be the same and your boyfriend will still not put the seat down.

There is nothing magical about owning something a celebrity.

Larissa Frankevych

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The Chronicle

January 31, 2012

Campus

Taking the first step to success Kim Moreau The Chronicle

For many students, going to high school was an easy middle step in their transition to college life.

For others, it’s not that easy, but it’s also not impossible, thanks to government initiatives that established the Centre for Success at Durham College.

Approximately 150 students were able to earn their Ontario secondary school diploma last semester and celebrated their completion on Jan. 19 in the Oshawa campus gymnasium.

The ceremony included students, friends and family, board chairs, directors and principals from the program’s four school boards, Durham College senior administration, and Ministry of Education representatives.

Representatives from each school board, the Durham District, Durham Catholic District, Kawartha Pine Ridge District, and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington District school boards, shared their gratitude with Durham College and allowed a student speaker from each board to share how the program has affected their views on education and their outlook on the future.

“Being in a small group really helped me focus on school work and getting things done,” said the first student speaker, Deswayne Freeman from the Durham Catholic school board.

Freeman had originally planned on furthering his studies in physical education but decided that a career in music production would be better

suited to him after taking his mandatory college-level course.

Students in the Centre for Success program attend classes at the college taught by a secondary school teacher from the students’ school district.

While in the program, they are also required to enrol in a college-level course taught by college faculty and receive dual credit once they have completed it successfully.

If the student pursues further post-secondary education at Durham College, their previous college-level course can be taken into consideration if it is needed for the program they are planning to pursue.

“This experience has made me want to aspire to do more in life,” said Amanda Yates from the Kawartha and Pine Ridge District school board who now hopes to pursue a career in carpentry.

Yates, like many other students, admits that she wouldn’t have finished school if she didn’t get into this program.

Similar programs, referred to as a school-within-a-college program, exist across Ontario as part of the Ministry of Education’s student success strategy that hopes to decrease dropout rates across the province.

Ontario drop-out rates contributed to Canada having the second lowest graduation rates for a developed country prior to the program’s establishment.

As of 2009 and 2010, the graduation rate has improved to 81 per cent, 13 per cent above the percentage rate in the 2003 and 2004 year. According to the ministry’s statistics, this growth represents approxi-

Kim Moreau

GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL: The program co-ordinator of the School College Work Initiatives, Susan Pratt, speaks with students and representatives from Durham College and school boards at a ceremony for high school graduates. mately 72,000 more students who have graduated since the implementation of the student success strategy.

Some students are forced to drop out of high school, tossing their education onto the back burner and sometimes leaving it forever.

The Centre for Success aims to engage students in a college environment and offer pathways to post-secondary education.

“It means I got to make up for my past mistakes, and a little bit extra,” said Christina VanAlstyne, one of three speakers from the Durham District school board, who never

thought post-secondary education was possible prior to enrolment in this program.

Tyler Thrussell and Kendra Eaton, also speakers from the Durham District school board, shared their gratitude toward their teachers who aided them in every step of the way and helped them achieve their Ontario secondary school diploma.

“The teachers in this program saw potential in each and every one of us,” said Thrussell, and speakers throughout the evening echoed his thoughts.

The last student speaker, from the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clar-

ington District school board, Mark Muhic, explained that he learned the value of hard work and appreciated all of the added perks he received by coming to Durham College rather than attending a regular high school.

“It’s a great freedom that you just don’t get in high school,” said Muhic.

After the speeches came to a close and Susan Pratt, program co-ordinator of the school college work initiatives said a final congratulations to students, each graduate walked across the gymnasium floor, overcame their past obstacles, and received their high school diploma.

UOIT jumps in student numbers Bobby Perritt The Chronicle

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology has growth hormones that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger envious.

The Oshawa university started in 2003 with 900 students, and hit just over 8,400 last fall.

Although it is far from the largest university in Ontario, enrolment has risen 13 per cent since last year. There are also nine per cent more students who make UOIT their primary university choice.

For first-year-student Syed Abbas-Jafri, 18, UOIT was his first choice for a school. “I heard it had a better mechanical engineering program than (other universities) I applied to,” he said. “The environment is really nice – helpful people.”

Most of the student population comes from Durham Region and the eastern GTA, while five per cent are international students.

UOIT registrar Victoria Chow gave some credit to the university’s location on the outskirts of the GTA, which is home to 5.5 million people.

Gizella Maudi, 22, fourthyear-criminology student, came to the university largely because she is from Oshawa.

Maudi is happy with the school because of its use of new technology. But she will have to eventually leave for York University in Toronto for law school, because it is not offered at UOIT. “Tell them to make a law school. I’ll come here,” she laughed.

Chow said that UOIT is special because it tries to offer programs for “twenty-first century

careers,” that prepare students for the workplace as much as possible.

UOIT is also the only laptopbased university in the province. “The use of technology is very attractive,” Chow said.

Areeb Siddiqui, 20, came to UOIT from Mississauga because it was the only school he found in Ontario that offered a BA of engineering in Energy Systems.

“The school is laptop-based, so it was cutting edge technology,” he said. “It has a unique system. You can’t find energy systems programs anywhere else.”

“Our growth is dependent on the ability to make new programs,” said Chow. “Within the next few years you may see additional buildings...there have been plans for more growth in the Simcoe North area.”

She couldn’t comment on the details of any new projects or programs before they are formally approved.

Already in 2011, the university has completed the ERC (Energy Research Centre) for developing and engineering many types of energy, including solar, geothermal and wind.

Last year the school also added the ACE building (Automotive Centre of Excellence), known for its $100-million wind tunnel, used to test vehicles’ immunity to some of the most extremes of weather.

With the university’s rapid growth, it has recently attracted attention to its 53:1 studentto-teacher ratio, the smallest in Canadian universities.

However, Sarah Mason, 20, second-year Health Sciences, credited the small classroom sizes as one of the upsides to

UOIT. In an informal north-campus poll, virtually all students commented on the small classroom sizes, and none felt that their professors were too overloaded with students to give them individual assistance or answer their questions in the classroom.

“Reality is we have very small class sizes if you look at us comparatively…It’s something we think of as we look at UOIT’s growth,” Chow said.

Along with new programs, building expansions and more technological innovations, UOIT has a more global agenda for its future students as well.

Its future growth will include more globalized partnerships for conducting research and will focus on creating more opportunities for students who wish to study abroad.

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Motivation for the first generation Emily Wood The Chronicle

Her office is simple. The walls are mostly bare, her desk organized and free of clutter, her coat hung neatly on the rack in the corner of the square room. It reflects little of her day-to-day work at Durham College.

But three cardboard signs stand out, propped against her window with logos reading “I’m the First.” One of these, she explains, is covered with signatures belonging to first generation students who have graduated. This is where her true passion lies.

Lucy Romao Vandepol is the First Generation co-ordinator for Durham College and UOIT. She is responsible for marketing the program, promoting orientation sessions and e-mentoring new students via regular email updates about events. With the help of a small team, Romao Vandepol organizes workshops, activities and social events to help first generation students get involved.

“The goal of the program at all of the campuses is to support students who are the first in their family (to) be successful while they’re at (post-secondary) school,” said Romao Vandepol. “It’s about helping them to get to the graduation

point.”

Many first generation students are unsure of themselves in large college environments.

Questions ranging from OSAP to clubs to locker rentals sometimes go unasked because timid students don’t know where to find the information they need. These students often face challenges of having to juggle both school and work and their families have little understanding of the struggle they face at school.

Funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the First Generation program exists at several college and university campuses across Ontario, although programs at each school aren’t identical.

“Each college and university was able to submit their own proposal for what they wanted to offer,” Romao Vandepol said.

Her own experience as a first generation student helps her relate to the needs of current first generations.

Living in residence when she first began university, she jumped right into the social events on campus to meet people and develop a stronger connection to the school.

She realized immediately the difference made by getting involved, a personal experience that allows her to connect with

new and mature students in the First Generation program.

“A lot of our students are mature students or students who are making a career change, so I can relate to them that way,” said Romao Vandepol. “I know the value that comes from being involved.

I think there’s a lot that students can learn and a lot of transferable skills that students can acquire from being involved and taking advantage of all the different opportunities that are available to them during their post-secondary education.”

Helping students learn to make connections is the most important part of her job, something that will help all students when they begin their job search.

“There’s so much learning that happens while you’re here, not just the learning that happens within your class that will help you be successful and help you find employment,” Romao Vandepol said. “I myself will credit a lot of the transferrable skills that I acquired while I was at school as well as my other jobs with helping me get this job, because I didn’t go to school to be a first generation student co-ordinator.”

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a certificate in Human Resource Management and worked as an employment counsellor for seven years before deciding it was time for a

Emily Wood

Lucy Romao Vandepol: First Generation co-ordinator at Durham College and UOIT holding her poster signed by past first generation graduates. career change.

Romao Vandepol’s love of her job lies in the daily opportunity to help students, witness their success and cheer them on until their graduation.

“It’s nice to see students that are faced with so many different challenges, in addition to being a first generation student, doing well. It’s really rewarding to see that,” she said.

Romao Vandepol attends

all convocation ceremonies at Durham College and UOIT, proud to see many first generation students, who make up one third of the student body, receive their diplomas.

She admits to tracking down the graduates for their signatures on her poster boards as a final farewell, so those graduating in the spring should keep an eye out for her and her First Generation sign.

Looking through classifieds, you don’t see a lot of jobs looking for reporters.”

Greenhorn credits her program, saying that she was well prepared to take on the working world. But lack of motivation and the onset of a recession dwindled her chances of becoming a reporter.

Although taking journalism and deciding it wasn’t the right thing came with a hefty price tag, Greenhorn has no regrets, saying that having journalism on her resume hasn’t been a hindrance.

“I had a lot of life experiences,” said Greenhorn of what she has done between graduating and now. “I taught English in Poland for seven months.

It was amazing. It was a very good experience and I learned a lot about myself and other cultures.”

Her journalism background was an asset in helping her land her teaching gig. Now, 26 and back in Canada, Greenhorn has returned to Durham College, studying something at the other end of the spectrum from journalism.

“I’m taking dental reception,” said Greenhorn. “It’s a

one-year course. I graduate in May. One of the reasons I went for the program was I saw how many jobs there were. I love it.

I feel like I’m in the right thing now.”

A part-time job as a dental receptionist has continued to spark passion in Greenhorn.

She applies skills learned in her job to school and vice versa.

“Make sure you know for sure that’s what you want to do,” she said. “Because it will motivate you to be successful in your studies and ultimately in finding a job.”

Career Services is available for students for up to two years after graduating to work on resumes, cover letters, and interview skills. School liaisons are available to discuss any issues within a program, or if you’re feeling something just isn’t meshing.

“If you’re in something you really want to do - go for it,” she said to students who might feel hindered by highly competitive programs. “Don’t be lazy, get up early start looking. Because eventually you will find work, for all the rejections you will eventually get accepted somewhere.”

If at first you don’t succeed

Amy Valm The Chronicle

Post-secondary is a time to set yourself up for the rest of your life - an investment in your future. But what if what you’re studying churns up no jobs or you decide it’s just not right for you? Many students find themselves in that boat upon graduating and are forced to change career paths.

Diana Greenhorn wanted to be a journalist. She began her career path young and eager at Durham College in 2004. Three years of hands-on work and a field placement with Roger’s Television in Oshawa projected a bright future ahead.

“I was really young,” said Greenhorn. “I did want a job in journalism but it didn’t work out for me. I sort of got sucked back into my old job.”

After her 2007 graduation from the Print and Broadcast Journalism program, the world was Greenhorn’s oyster, or so she thought.

“It was kind of intimidating,” said Greenhorn of finding a job in her field. “Because you need to have a car or be willing to work without pay at first.

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DC club’s animated party

By Ray McNeil The Chronicle

The music was pumping and the drinks were flowing as the Anime on Campus pub night took over E.P. Taylor’s last Tuesday.

The party, organized by the Anime on Campus club, coincided with the Chinese New Year, which began the year of the dragon on Jan. 23.

“I hear it’s supposed to be a good year,” said Natasha Handley.

Fans of the animation style came out to have a good time, some even dressing up as their favourite anime characters.

“I figured tonight would be fun, something else, something new,” said legal studies student Raymond Engelsman, who has attended some of the club meetings at Durham.

The event included traditional Chinese decorations, along with anime-inspired dance music.

“The club is more or less us-

ing anime as a rallying point to meet people,” said club advertising executive and graphic design student Chris Tran, who created the posters and decorations for the night.

“Yesterday we had quite the

‘

A lot of people come by to watch shows, chat, play games, just hang out and have a lot of fun

Neil Ruescher

’

epic Settlers of Cattan match,” explained club treasurer Deanne Branchaud.

Settlers of Cattan is a board game where players attempt to build their settlement first by acquiring resources.

“We have a lot of people come by to watch shows, chat, play games, just hang out and

have a lot of fun,” said vicepresident Neal Ruescher.

The Anime on Campus club primarily holds viewing nights at the school every two weeks.

Members can get together and watch some of their favourite anime.

Though trying to pick their favourite is difficult.

“The list could go on and on.

We watch a lot of anime,” said Handley.

The list includes the likes of Hellsing, Battle Royale, Ghost in the Shell, and Durarara!!

However, just because it is animated, does not mean it’s always for children.

“People who say that don’t really know what anime is about,” said Mack Sturrup. “It really transcends an age limit.”

“Most of the time it’s not for children!” said Nicole Kedvessy, “Some of the stuff I watch… not for kids,” referencing some of the more mature themes anime includes.

“And they’re not as limited,” added Handley.

Ray McNeil

E.P. TAYLOR’S: Jenn Frei, middle, is dressed as Arietta from Tales of the Abyss. Deanne Branchaud, right, is wearing kitty ears Jan. 24 at E.P. Taylor’s for the Anime on Campus pub night.

“You can see some really crazy stuff in anime, and you could never really have that in a normal TV show, without it seem-

ing completely ridiculous.”

The Anime on Campus club is located in room UL105 on the Durham/UOIT campus.

Mad writers group Write-On

By Ray McNeil The Chronicle

If there’s something you want to do, then go and do it, make no excuses, and certainly do not wait for someone to do it for you.

That’s exactly what the members of the group WriteOn are doing.

The group brings people who love to write together in one place. Every week the members meet in a public venue to present recent writings and have them critiqued by the rest of the group. Last week the meeting spot was the Mad Café on King Street.

“I just wanted something to keep me writing and keep me inspired,” said founder Hillary Di Menna on why she created the group, originally run out of her residence. Recently though, it has evolved. “Now I’m excited to actually make something out of it.”

The group has begun developing a magazine of writing collections with a common theme. The theme chosen for the first issue is lost and found.

“It gives us a purpose, and a direction,” said member Harley R. Pageot. Pageot is currently an English major at York University, as well as the creator of Broken Arts, a local arts group committed to putting on all-ages events throughout the Oshawa area.

“We’re all trying to challenge ourselves to write more,

and more varied, and that’s why we’re doing this,” said member Brock Mundy, who met Di Menna while she was looking for a public setting for the group.

Mundy sprang into action and started speaking with local business owners and creating event pages through social media.

Write-On has now been meeting once a week since mid-November at various locations in downtown Oshawa.

“I found it (the group) through a friend,” said member and first-year journalism student Sarah Crookall.

“It’s a good way to grow as a writer.”

After a short hiatus during the Christmas break, the group saw its numbers go down by more than half. Di Menna admits she could have been more persistent in getting people to come out, but it may have worked to their advantage.

“We were getting to a point where there was like 12 people attending, which is a little too much,” said Mundy, who said he did not feel any discouragement because of the drop-off in attendance.

“After that we had about six, which I find ideal.”

With a laid-back and calming environment, the meeting began with some friendly chitchat about current events and some playtime with Di Menna’s daughter Patience. “She’s like our cheerleader / excite-

Ray McNeil

WRITE-ON: Group members Harley Pageot, Brock Mundy, Sarah Crookall and Hillary Di Menna at a Tuesday evening meeting of writing group, Write-On at Mad Cafe. ment,” said Mundy. However, the members were soon reading their works for the rest of the group to muse over.

The members all bring with them different writing styles, such as literary non-fiction, journalistic, and spoken-word poetry.

Pageot presented a piece in the form of a love letter with important information left

blank, meant to represent the writer’s fading memory, while Mundy read a feature news story he had written about Oshawa’s cultural scene.

Language and writing games are also played to keep the atmosphere light and friendly. Some of the games include descriptive exercises, stream of consciousness pieces, and collective poetic writ-

ing. “It gets your brain working and you learn a lot about your vocabulary,” said Di Menna.

The challenge is the universal appeal that every member enjoys from the group. “When I was five I knew I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up, so I’ve just always been invested in books and things like that,” said Pageot.

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Sun and fun for reading week Tips for students on smart, safe and fun travel plans Tracey Fidler The Chronicle

Who says Reading Week is for reading? It’s time to put away those textbooks, and take out the sunscreen.

From Feb. 18 to Feb. 23, airports will be buzzing with college and university students, ready to escape the Canadian cold and embrace the southern sun.

But before you book that trip and get ready to travel, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Charlotte Oxenholm has helped many students plan their reading week vacations throughout her 22 years as a Sears travel consultant, and knows the hot spots.

“The most popular is Cancun,” says Oxenholm. “It’s very unique, and has a great nightlife. For students, you can’t beat it.”

Cancun is also more affordable for students, generally averaging in price about $1,000, depending on the hotel quality.

Tracey Fidler

DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT: That small navy booklet is your key to a fun this reading week. Ensure that it’s up-to-date and in tip-top shape for a smooth ride out of the country.

Another popular spot for students in Mexico is Los Cabos.

“It’s beautiful,” says Oxenholm. “But keep in mind you can’t swim in the ocean there.

It’s very rocky and the undertow is strong.”

Oxenholm has also seen her fair share of students heading for the sun and sand of the Dominican Republic, especially Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.

Cuba is also popular, particu-

larly Cayo Coco, but she warns about the unpredictable weather. Wherever students decide to go this Reading Week, Oxenholm advises them to book sooner, rather than later.

“A lot of people think that if they wait until the week before, they will get this amazing deal,” she says. “But that’s not always true. The ones that are really good deals are usually a bad day of the week, with terrible flight times.”

Instead, Oxenholm sug-

gests booking about six to eight weeks before departure.

She also recommends booking through a travel agent, as opposed to online, to get all the facts about the hotel, the flight and insurance. When booking online, the results from a search could be 48 hours old, meaning the package may no longer be available.

“Travel agents can see what packages are available in realtime,” says Oxenholm.

One final suggestion from

Oxenholm while booking a trip?

“Get travel and cancellation insurance!” she warns. “It covers you for the stuff you don’t think will happen, but does.”

ClaimSecure, the insurance agency for Durham College and UOIT, does not provide coverage outside of Canada, so students will have to purchase insurance from another provider.

Oxenholm also reminds student travellers that insurance companies will not cover any injuries or health issues associated with alcohol or drugs used while outside of Canada.

“If you’re drinking, and you get hurt, you won’t be covered,” says Oxenholm.

So you’ve gone ahead and booked your trip. Now what?

It’s preparation time.

Number one?

“Make sure your passport is valid for six months prior to expiration, and is also in good condition,” says Oxenholm.

“Some countries will deny it if it’s in bad shape.”

She also stresses that the name on the bookings must be identical to the name appearing in the passport.Another important thing to remember is that a request is only a request.

“We will do the best we can,” says Oxenholm, when taking requests for specific buildings and rooms. “But at busy times of the year, not everyone is going to get what they want.”

And finally?

“Understand that you are in another country, and it’s not going to be the same as back home,” she says. “So keep an open mind, and you will have an amazing experience.”

The cost of pocket dials Nicole Patton The Chronicle

You need help. Whether it’s fire, police or ambulance, the first number you’re going to call is 911. But what happens when that number is too busy answering mistaken calls to get to yours right away?

In the past, dialing 911 guaranteed the caller an instant connection with emergency services, but with the rise of the cell phone that line has been clogged with what has become known as pocket dialers.

Pocket dialing is when a person accidentally calls emergency services while their cell phone is in their pocket or handbag.

It is not a difficult thing to do because hitting as many numbers on the keypad as possible automatically dials 911.

According to statistics from Bell Canada, out of 202,000 calls to the Durham 911 centre last year almost 33,000 were wireless hang-ups (or pocket

dialing). That’s around 16 per cent of all the calls made, almost as much as the 19 per cent that were transferred to the ambulance service.

“It’s becoming more and more,” said Susan Knox, a part-time professor at Durham College and technical services manager of the Durham Regional Police 911 unit. “One in six calls made are wireless hang-ups.”

The Durham Regional Police, as well as others around the GTA, are starting a campaign to combat pocket dialing. Officers are encouraging people to lock their cell phone’s keypad, turn off the 911 autodial feature and/or refrain from programming the number into their speed dial. If you have accidentally called 911, do not hang up! Tell the operator it was a pocket dial. If you do not, they are obligated to call you back to make sure there is no real emergency. That takes up time that the emergency

services do not have. That also takes more money from the taxpayers, as the region pays the operators. More pocket dials means more operators are needed, which also mean the taxpayers pay more. The emergency services are also testing a new way to contact operators this year in Toronto.

“People think it’s 911, it was built for voice,” said Knox.

“But we’re really afraid when that (texting) comes in.”The fear comes from the belief that those who text in will be pushed aside to accommodate those who call in. There is also a fear that texting may take longer to reach the operators than calling does and may become clogged in the system. However, Knox assures people that if they call in and the operator hears some sort of noise signalling distress, help will be on the way.

But even if texting is introduced to the public, the police still encourage you to remember to lock it before you pocket!

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Group fitness is fun fitness

Tracey Fidler The Chronicle

You pack up your workout clothes, lace up your running shoes and drag yourself to the gym. You walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes, lift a few weights, yawn and call it a day.

If you find your workouts are boring, ineffective and uninspired, you may want to try a group fitness class.

The campus Flex Fitness Centre offers many options that cater to varying interests and fitness goals, such as spin, Zumba, step, boot camp, belly dancing and yoga.

Angie Wood, the campus fitness co-ordinator, manages the fitness centre and promotes fitness around campus. She also coaches various campus athletic teams and teaches spin classes. A strong supporter of group fitness, Wood frequently joins a number of the college’s fitness classes.

She says group fitness has many benefits for those who don’t enjoy a traditional gym atmosphere, don’t know how to work out effectively or aren’t sure what exercises to do.

Wood equates the classes to having a personal trainer. “[All of the instructors] are certified, so you know you’re

Tracey Fidler

GROUP FITNESS: Fitness Instructor Courtney Collicott cheers on members of her boot camp class at the Flex Fitness Centre. getting a well-rounded workout, as opposed to working out just one muscle group,” she says.

Instructors also provide adequate warm-ups, cool downs and flexibility exercises. Those working out on their own tend

to forget these aspects or ignore them, says Wood.

Kelsie Beasley is a graduate of the Durham College Fitness and Health Promotion program, and is now a personal trainer at the Flex Fitness Centre, as well as a fitness class

instructor. “It’s a fun, social atmosphere,” she says of the classes. Her fellow fitness instructor, Courtney Collicott, agrees.

“A lot of people come with friends, or even make new ones,” she says. “And if you

Stay active with evening pilates classes Tracey Fidler The Chronicle

Now there are even more opportunities to stick to that New Year’s resolution to get in shape!

The Flex Fitness Centre is partnering with Mindful Balance, a local pilates studio, to provide students, staff and community members with evening pilates classes. Classes will be taught by certified pilates instructor Melissa Boyd, the owner of Mindful Balance.

She will be closing her studio shortly.

“She wanted to move to a different location,” says Angie Wood, fitness co-ordinator for the campus fitness centre. “So we got together with her and said she could run her program out of here.”

“The plus for us is we haven’t had tons of luck getting our evening programs off the ground, whereas Melissa has a

client base to draw from,” says Wood.

The classes run from Jan. 18 to April 18, and cost $196, or $14 per class. However, they are pro-rated, so those who haven’t yet signed up will only pay for the remainder of classes.

The beginner’s class runs on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. The advanced classes run later that night, with one session from 6:30 p.m. to 7:20 p.m., and the other from 7:30 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. Students, staff and members of the community can register at the main athletics desk in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, however there is only room for 12 participants per class.

“We’ll see how this goes,” says Wood. “We might add more [classes] later.”

For further information, contact Angie Wood at angela. wood@dc-uoit.ca or 905-7212000, extension 2100.

miss one, there is that accountability there. They will call you on it.” Beasley also argues that you can learn new exercises and techniques to use outside of the class.

Dana Reeson, a research analyst at UOIT, frequently attends a variety of fitness classes, including Zumba and Collicott’s boot camp sessions. “I’m not motivated at all by myself,” she says. “I need someone to keep me going!”

UOIT biochemistry student Jocelyn Anderson is new to the campus fitness classes, but also finds the classes help keep her motivated. “I like that someone else makes [the workout] for you, and you just follow it,” she says.

The classes are also affordable, with prices decreasing with the number of classes taken concurrently. Three classes cost $30 each for 10 weeks of instruction, which, as Wood says, is “about the cost of a coffee.”

They are also pro-rated, which means students, staff and community members can join at any time and will only pay for the remainder of classes. Says Wood, “A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I have to pay extra for the classes, I will just do it on my own.’ But can you?”

Get hot and get healthy

Tracey Fidler The Chronicle

It’s gettin’ hot in here!

The LGBTQ Centre is partnering with the AIDS Committee of Durham Region to host Hot and Healthy, on Feb. 4 dedicated to sexual education.

There will be four workshops, including Sexual Self-esteem, Toys for Girls, Toys for Boys and BDSM 101. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in room C113, and lunch will be included. Attendees are asked to contribute $10.

All proceeds will benefit the AIDS Committee of Durham Region. There will also be an after party at Club 717. “If you attend the Hot and Healthy day you get in free at the after party.” says Glenn Blake, the AIDS Committee of Durham Region. “We get the door money.” To attend RSVP Glenn Blake at m2m@aidsdurham.com.

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Every book in your back pocket Tara Oades The Chronicle

Why carry only one book with you when you can carry over 1,000 in your back pocket?

That’s a question millions of Canadians answered in 2011 alone, and the number is still rising.

E-readers like the Kobo, Kindle and many more have sold like crazy, and it wasn’t just because of the holiday season. It seems many people worldwide are seeing the convenient benefits of the book-sized device.

“All of our e-readers have been selling really well. Most of our Wi-Fi ones sold out completely over the Christmas break,” said Brittany Coderre, assistant manager at Chapters located in the Oshawa Centre.

“The benefits are endless when comparing e-readers to books.

They are lighter, hold between 1,000 to 3,500 books, can last on one charge for over a month and Chapters has over two million books available for their ereaders.”

Even though e-readers seem like a logical move for avid book readers, some people aren’t convinced that an e-reader is right for them, and feel that reading a book off a machine won’t be the same as an actual book.

Like any product there are pros and cons, and both should be considered before making a switch from a product that has been around for centuries to one that has been around for about four years.

“Overall I think people are interested in e-readers, and are willing to make the switch so to speak once they know a little bit more about them,” said Adrian Alam, an e-reader specialist at the Chapters located in the Eaton Centre in Toronto.

“Most people don’t want to give up the feel of a book, and worry that their eyes will hurt if they read for a long period of time. It’s a personal preference, but it seems that when people try them they start to love them.”

E-readers may not have the book feel and smell, and if you wanted to impress someone with your library of books, you might not be able to if you’re

sporting only a thin machine in a vast room, but there are many pros that disbelievers might have overlooked.

For example, many ereaders, excluding tablets, and phones that might have a downloadable electronic book app, use e-ink technology for their displays instead of a backlight, which is a low-power screen that simulates the look of a printed page. No other devices other than e-readers use e-ink technology, but the newer versions such as the Kindle Touch, Amazon’s brand, use eink pearl, a higher contrast ink for clearer words and an easier reading experience. This allows people to read a book off their e-reader for as long as they want, without damaging their eyes.

Also, depending on the brand, an e-reader can store up to 3,500 books, and people are able to manage all their books through an online account.

Therefore, if it was stolen, all the money spent on books isn’t gone to waste, but can be easily transferred through a USB cord to another device. And depending on the age and genre of the book, they can be bought at a lower price than in the stores, or even free.

However, one of the big downsides, indicated in numerous customer reviews, is the durability of the screen, and outer shell if not protected by a case.

“I have had a couple people come in complaining about the durability of the screen,” said Coderre. “The people that complained also dropped, stepped or spilt something on their ereaders. None of them broke on their own. Like any device, you have to take care of it.”

E-readers have many perks, but like any new device there is always a downside. Unlike paperback or hardcover books that can be passed along to a friend to read, e-readers are unable to do so unless your friend is kind enough to let you borrow their device.

Companies such as Chapters, Amazon and Sony have announced that within the year, upgraded e-readers will be equipped with a ‘lend’ option, which will allow books

Tara Oades

E-READER: The Kindle Touch, Amazon’s e-reader brand, is being compared to a typical paperback book to show some of the similarities. bought on one e-reader to be sent to another e-reader for free. However, a book can only be used at one time, so both people can’t read a borrowed book at the same time.

“I have a Kindle Touch, and

absolutely love it,” said Jessica Bonilla, a third-year UOIT engineering student, and recent e-reader owner.

“It is exactly like a book. You even need to buy a light if you read in the dark because there

is no backlight, so you can read it for as long as you want. It does suck that you can’t just let a friend borrow a good book you read, but it’s not a deal breaker. You can still recommend it to someone.”

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D & D’s animals may be doomed

Hillary Di Menna The Chronicle

Seventy-five people gathered at Oshawa city hall at noon Jan. 23 with chants amplified by a megaphone, encouraging Oshawa city bylaw director Jerry Conlin and Mayor John Henry to come out. They didn’t.

The group was protesting the revoking of an exemption D & D Exotics had to an animal control bylaw. The law prohibits keeping certain animals, mostly lizards and snakes, as pets. D & D was given an exemption to the bylaw because the animals were rescued and not being sold.

D & D Exotics, an exotic pet supply store and rescue centre, received a letter Jan. 13 saying their exemption will be revoked due to a complaint. The owners, Doug and Debbie Grills, were not told what the complaint was, or who made it.

Despite efforts to find out, they say Oshawa council is keeping them in the dark. What they do know is more than 100 animals, some of which they keep in their own home due to the large number, may be euthanized.

Grills and their supporters wanted the chance to discuss the outcome for these critters.

Oshawa city councillor Doug Sanders came out to show his support.

“He’s on my speed dial and I’m sure

Hillary Di Menna

CITY HALL: Protesters gather to stop the slaughter of D&D’s exotic rescued animals. Trent White, 5, and his mother show their support.

I’m on his,” said Grills.

“It’s a legal matter they won’t allow [Grills] to address,” Sanders said to reporters. “ I need to talk to some people inside this building to get some action going.”

Oshawa realtor Barry Dutton was the first to arrive, megaphone in hand.

Looking at Conlin’s office window, he said, “You get too much money to ignore

us. You need to face the people; we pay your salaries.”

Supporters joined from off the street or from social media invitation. Protesters carried signs with slogans like “Stop the slaughter,” while eating communal Timbits.

Toes were cold in the afternoon’s rainy weather but anger was red hot.

Cries of “Shame on you,” and “How

do you sleep at night?” could be heard from inside of city hall, or what Dutton called “The Ivory Tower.”

“It’s a direct infraction of the community’s charter of rights,” said Debbie Grills before her husband left for the store with Global. The store was closed for the day; the Grills did not want to take any chances leaving the animals unprotected.

Former Oshawa mayor John Gray came out to show his solidarity with D & D. “They have a very good operation, they take in a lot of rescues,” said Gray.

He called the D & D store last Thursday to find out what was going on.

He recalled a lizard the Grills had adopted whose face was mangled, skin falling off. The Grills took the animal in to nurse it.

There is a new group on council who doesn’t want to rock the boat, he said.

However, he added, “This is unnecessary controversy.”

“We’re big supporters of D and D Exotics,” said Durham College student Melissa Rawlinson.

“They’re a voice for the animals no one else wants to be the voice for.” Like most gathered in the rain that afternoon, she didn’t want to see any animals die.

Sarah Grills, 17, led chants such as, “Our mayor’s a slayer!” and “We need the D and D. Stop the hate, don’t procrastinate!”

GO ahead and pay more money Tara Oades The Chronicle

Get ready to shell out a little more for your commute each day as GO Transit announced that it will be raising fares on Feb.18.

The price of a GO trip is based on the distance travelled, so in an effort to keep pricing fair, GO Transit has introduced

three new price categories that will be in effect once the fare increase hits.

There will be a 30-cent increase on current fares between $4.20 and $5.50, a 35-cent increase on fares between $5.51 and $7, and a 40-cent increase on any current fares greater than $7.

Students who take GO Transit on a regular basis with a monthly pass will save 30 per

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cent off the price of 40 singleride tickets, and student Presto users will continue to save 35 per cent off the cost of 40 single-ride tickets.

GO Transit serves about 57 million passengers each year, and with the price of diesel fuel increasing, and a demand for more frequent service GO Transit thinks it is time to increase fares.

“We know that people need to get certain places at certain times, and want to feel safe and comfortable while riding,” said Donna Lay, a GO Transit customer representative. “To do that we need money for track

repairs, station repairs, such as adding more parking spaces, and for keeping our trains and buses well maintained.”

If you have done the math and are one of those people stocking up on two-rides or tenrides and realized you can’t use up all your tickets before Feb. 18 there is no need to panic. All two or ten-rides unused before the increase date will remain valid with no time limit to use them. If you ride on either GO buses or trains on a regular basis, stocking up on two or tenrides before the fare increase might be a good idea.

“I kind of expected GO to

raise their prices. I mean, every other transit system has so far,” said Alex Meyer, a UOIT student who commutes from Markham and takes GO Transit twice a day. “But, unlike other transit systems, the buses are actually on-time, run more than once every two hours, and are pretty comfortable. If paying a little more keeps the service the way it is then I won’t mind paying that little extra.”

The fare increase is to help GO keep up with passenger demands, says Lay. Many students and passengers complain that there is a lack of parking spaces at main GO stations.

People will park at GO stations then take the bus or train to cut down on parking fees because GO station parking is free.

However, depending on the time, finding a spot is impossible.

To fix this problem GO Transit is adding more parking spaces and even parking complexes to some of their more popular stations. At the Ajax GO station a 1,000-space parking complex is being built, and the Scarborough GO station parking lot is being rehabilitated with a new lighting system to improve safety, says Lay. If students have any questions regarding the fare increase they can visit gotransit.c or download the free GO Transit app available for most smartphones.

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Get stress off your back Amanda Darrock The Chronicle

As second semester begins, some happy-go-lucky students who nearly skipped down the halls at the start of the year, now sport bags under their eyes and an almost zombie-like persona.

Add in the headaches, sore backs, lack of energy and just overall grumpiness and it is most likely associated with lack of sleep from school and work.

What if there was another reason behind it and what if the solution was only one adjustment away? Chiropractors say symptoms like this can be resolved as a benefit of chiropractic care.

Chiropractic is described by the Canadian Chiropractic Association as a manual practice providing diagnosis, treatment and prevention for disorders related to the spine, pelvis, nervous system and joints. It was discovered in 1895 by Dr. David Daniel Palmer. He believed that the use of chiropractics could cure all ailments. Palmers son, Bartlett Joshua (B.J) Palmer took interest in his father’s chiropractic work and after D.D. Palmer died in 1913, B.J. Palmer continued on with the work that his father started and developed chiropractic into what it has become today.

“It’s about optimizing your potential, you are working with the nervous system. We are improving that nervous system, which controls everything in your body,” says Dr. Aly Shariff, who practises in Oshawa. “Any type of misalignment happening within your spine can affect your nervous system and if your nervous system is in any way subluxated, misaligned, irritated, we can improve that and optimize your potential.”

Practioners say that people afflicted with what chiropractors call subluxations, only experience pain 10 per cent of the time. The World Health Organization’s definition of subluxation is “a functional problem related to a joint and the structures associated with the joint, such as the muscles, tendons and nerves.” These problems can cause neck pain, headaches, whiplash, arthritis, limited motion of limbs and affect your general health and wellness. Carrying backpacks full of books and laptops, slouching in your chair, hunching over to write essays on a low desk, and running upstairs, are everyday happenings for students.

“A lot of clients are focused on their stress: this is where my stress is coming from and this is why I’m stressed,” says Shariff. “You cannot change certain stressors. They are a part of life

that exists and we tend to focus on things we cannot change.

What we should be focusing on is things we can change, our bodies ability to adapt to these stressors.”

Other lifestyle choices such as drinking, smoking, drugs both recreational or medical, or car accidents which affect numerous students, can cause subluxations, which in turn affect your overall health and life.

“The biggest benefit of chiropractic care would be improving overall well-being,”says Karim. “By helping a person get better you address the joints, you address the spine which is all part of the central nervous system, where everything is controlled.” According to Statistics Canada, over four million Canadians a year experience the benefits of chiropractics. “I think it’s beneficial to everybody. If you talk about wellness, the big question we should be asking ourselves is not who is it beneficial too but at what point do you not want to be well in your life?” says Shariff. The answer should be never. We want to be well from the day we are born till the day we die, therefore chiropractic should be part of everyone’s lifestyle from the day they are born till the day they die.”

Chiropractors say even children can benefit from chiro-

Amanda Darrock

GETTING ADJUSTED: Dr. Aly Shariff working on patient Katie Gallant. practic care. As they are growing so are their spines. With the help of chiropractics, they say, child spines stay straight during growth, which allows them to optimize their bodies and their wellness. When look-

ing for a chiropractor there are some things to consider. “Find someone that you get along with, that will work with you, and someone that you believe in, and have confidence in,” says Karim.

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Rock Star Live a smash hit

By Ray McNeil The Chronicle

Music and good times filled E.P. Taylor’s as Rock Star Live cranked the sound to 11, and blew the audience away.

The event was held at the college pub on Jan. 18, and ran from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

It was part karaoke, part rock show, where students could come up on stage and sing their favourite songs with a live band.

“The music’s louder than the singers, but that’s what makes it karaoke,” said bar patron Kris Cotton.

The band included Salads bassist Chuck Dailey, David Usher drummer Chris TaylorMunro, lead singer Jackie Skinner, and Juno-nominated guitarist Gerry Finn, who started Rock Star Live six years ago, because he felt it would be a cool idea to try out.

“I’ve had a lot of people say to me, ‘Oh I thought it was rock band,’ or ‘I thought it was this,’ and they don’t really understand.

When I’ve explained to people what it is they’re like.

‘Oh that is so cool!’ ” said Matt

Ray McNeil

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR: Jackie Skinner, lead singer of Rock Star Live, helps students through a song at E.P. Taylor’s Breimer, who performed two Green Day songs, When I Come Around and Interstate Love

Song.

The night started off slow, but gained momentum as more

people made their way to the microphone.

“It’s expected now,” said

Skinner.

“Until people really understand what this is about they won’t get excited until the second or third set.”

The set-list included nearly 400 songs, with everything from 1950s rock ’n’ roll, to today’s contemporary hits.

“I was kind of skeptical, but then as soon as I got here and I saw the set-list, I was like, these guys know everything,” said Airryn Dupuis, who sang Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood.

“It’s your time to shine, my friends,” shouted Skinner, whose rendition of the Alanis Morissette hit You Oughta Know started the night off.

At that point, bar patrons were still wary about showing off their vocal skills.

However, after the first set, the crowd had loosened up and was ready to belt out some tunes, while those in the audience gathered around the stage to cheer the singers on.

“With a little liquid courage, that’s all it takes,” said Breimer.

Rock Star Live can be seen every Monday night at The Legendary Red Rooster in Burlington.

Cinechats offers warm welcome to film buffs Tracey Fidler The Chronicle

Good company. Great conversation. Excellent movies. - all at Cinechats, a year-round weekly get-together where film buffs can enjoy the world’s best movies and a subsequent indepth discussion.

Artsforum Magazine’s creator and film critic John Arkelian hosts the event every Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on campus in room C113.

“The object is to show good movies,” says Arkelian. “Movies that have the power to move you emotionally and make you think and provoke conversation.”

Since its launch in 2005, Arkelian has screened 235 feature films at Cinechats, and attracted 11,000 filmgoers.

The films he screens are generally only shown in festivals or big city art houses.

For 16 of the movies, Arkelian had to seek out special permission from the movies’ producers to be able to show them.

“Almost all the movies aren’t shown at commercial theatres,” he says. “It’s always been frustrating to me that those kind of movies just don’t get screened commercially.”

Some of the previous films shown have included Finland’s Mother of Mine, Gigante from Uruguay and American film Temple Grandin, which drew a record-breaking crowd of 119.

After the film, Arkelian leads a discussion with the audience, and takes suggestions for future films.

He says Cinechats has generally attracted an older audience, including faculty, staff and alumni, but students are few and far between.

He urges them to come and check it out.

“It’s a very comfortable, welcoming group,” says Arkelian. “It’s all people who share something in common.”

When Cinechats first began, Arkelian says the former UOIT president told him he thought it was “a happy marriage, exposing students to humanities and arts, and other ways of seeing the world.”

The films shown are intended for those over 18, and admission is $3.

Arkelian is also the man behind Artsforum Magazine.

He created the not-for-profit publication in 2000, aiming to provide an eclectic variety of stories to a diverse audience.

It focuses on various forms of art, including photography, theatre, music and dance, but is not solely dedicated to it.

There are also articles about topics ranging from human rights to environmental protection.

Both established professionals and industry newcomers are welcome to contribute to the magazine.

“When it’s someone who has never been published before, a writer or a photographer, it’s nice to start them on their way,” says Arkelian.

The magazine is free, and available at various locations, including art galleries.

To learn more about Cinechats or Artsforum Magazine, contact John Arkelian at (905) 5760359 or visit www.artsforum.ca

Brandan Loney

NO SHOW: Two for the Show plays an empty E.P. Taylor’s

Student concert goers a no-show Brandan Loney Chronicle Staff

It was a disappointing evening when local band Two For The Show (TFTS) came to play at E.P. Taylor’s on Friday, Jan. 20 and no customers came out to the pub.

TFTS arrived early and began setting up their equipment.

They did a variety of sound checks and everything

seemed right. However, something was not right.

The staff at E.P. Taylor’s were saying it would be a slow night. Dead, they said.

At first, the lack of an audience seemed to be a problem of timing.

The band was supposed to begin their set at 9 p.m. but since there wasn’t an audience to perform for they held off until 10:30.

They played for half an hour, then the pub closed at 11.

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Meghan Wels

ROCK STAR LIVE AT DURHAM COLLEGE: Dallan Rands performs in front of a crowd at E.P. Taylor’s, living the life of a Rock Star.

Keep on Rockin’ the real pub Meghan Wels The Chronicle

A few brave students got the rock star treatment at E.P. Taylor’s on Jan. 18 during the Rock Star Live event for Winterfest.

It is quite an experience for anyone who has ever dreamed of singing in a rock band.

Among the crowd of shy stu-

dents was the brave and bold Dallan Rands, a construction and hoisting student at Durham College.

Rands took the stage multiple times during the evening singing hits like Bryan Adams’ Summer Of ’69 and Smash Mouth’s All Star. “I used to play in a band,” said Rands.

“I’ve been playing guitar for 10 years and I even took some

vocal lessons.” Rands was joined on stage a few times by his cousin Noah Rands. who has also had some musical experience The pair belted out a unique version of Rockstar by Nickleback, only to receive a thunderous applause from the crowd.

The members of Rock Star Live helped warm up the crowd with some performances of

their own, including their own version of Rolling In The Deep

by Adele, with a rock and roll twist. Rock Star Live performs and puts on karaoke events in pubs and bars all across Ontario. The band is made up of professional musicians who have had much experience in the music industry. As the evening progressed, the band got the crowd fired up with mul-

tiple permances by a variety of interesting rock star wannabes.

Gradually, more students gained the courage to grab the mike.

With a band of talented musicians and a long list of some of the most popular hits from the ‘60’s to 2012, the music was definitely a hit among the crowd no matter who was singing.

they are recording themselves, will soon be released, and they have upcoming show dates in Peterborough.

The name of their band speaks wonders about Jones’ issues with communication.

“The name started as a joke between me and my best friend,” says Jones. “We made all these jokes about band names, At the time we were writing a lot about miscommunications.

People don’t really know how to communicate, they say one thing and mean another. Elephant Shoes is perfect, when you mouth it, it looks like you’re saying ‘I love you’ when you’re really saying ‘elephant shoes’.

It encompassed the whole miscommunication thing.”

For 19-year-old Jones, music is her life. As a child growing up in Scarborough, she was painfully shy, so much so that she couldn’t talk to anyone without her mom around. It wasn’t

until she discovered music that she was able to emerge from that shell. She found herself wanting to play guitar like the people on the records that her father showed her at a young age.

“My mom made me play piano while growing up,” says Jones. “Someone told her that I should learn piano before guitar so that I could learn the theory behind the music.”

Once Jones had the theory down she went on to learn and play not only the guitar but also the ukulele, glockenspiel, and drums. She got lost in the adrenaline of music and went on to pursue it through postsecondary education, taking Independent Music Production at Seneca College.

At this point, Elephant Shoes was an idea but it didn’t become a reality until she met Vickery two years ago. “We met through an ex-girlfriend, which

sounds really cliché, but after we met people kept telling us we should jam together,” says Jones. “Steff has a metal background. You wouldn’t think our styles would mesh. They just do.”

Influenced by everyday experiences and her musical idols Tegan and Sara, Los Campesinos and Tokyo Police Club, Jones writes her songs every chance she gets. “My songs are about me,” says Jones. “It’s how I perceive life through my eyes. A lot of the songs are triggered by experiences. The song I Love you Forever Today, I wrote when I was 16. It’s about people I was dating. They’d say ‘I love you’ and I’d get really uncomfortable and say ‘you just met me’. It’s through experiences like that, where you feel uncomfortable communicating, that bring out the best songs.”

When Jones is not perform-

ing shows or writing music with Vickery, she works at the Music Scene in Whitby, after classes or weekends, teaching people and children how to write music and play instruments. This helps them overcome their insecurities. “It’s always really rewarding when I see a child who is really shy like myself, or nervous to be in a new place, and I can use music to calm them and get them to open up. That’s the biggest reward.”

Other than music, Jones enjoys Harry Potter books, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hanging out with her girlfriend and friends plus making as many connections with as many people as possible.

“We are beginning to record our first E P. I would like to see music become a career,” says Jones. “I enjoy meeting so many people through music. Music means everything to me.”

Music that tames the Elephant Amanda Darrock The Chronicle

Using music and lyrics to explore the world around her and conquer shyness, Cat Jones of Whitby has not only been able to help herself but many others with her music. As creator of the alternative pop band Elephant Shoes, Jones and her bandmate Steff Vickery have used their music as an emotional outlet and a way to discuss the issues they see in the world around them.

Having performed at events through The Broken Arts, group in Oshawa, at Brooklin Harvestfest and having just performed at the Music Scene in Whitby on Jan. 28, Elephant Shoes has a growing following.

Having their music available through myspace they’ve been able to meet up with artists from not only Durham but also Toronto. Their first EP, which

Cinefest

The Chronicle

January 31, 2012

Cinefest Durham is a volunteer organization sponsored by the Friends of the Oshawa Public Library website www.oshawalibrary.on.ca/cinefest.

February 22nd - Cafe de Flore

Jean-Marc VallĂŠe return s to French-language filmmaking with this po unconventional love sto werful and ry that weaves together two disparatenarrative s to create a tale of emotion and de stiny.

7 p.m. Box Office open @ 6:15 Cost: $8.00 (cash) Oshawa Cineplex Odeon Theatre 1351 Grandview St. N

Cinefest Durham greatly acknowledges our partnership with the Friends of the Library, Film Circuit presented by TIFF and its sponsors and supporters.

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Music comes alive in the downtown

Meghan Wels The Chronicle

A group of local aspiring musicians gathered at The Bombshell in downtown Oshawa on Saturday, Jan. 21 to share their talents at Living Culture’s Musical Entropy.

The show featured a selection of some of Durham’s best local bands, such as the talented trio Busker Bros, Oshawa’s own Viva Mars, and the quirky jazz-based Hairy Holler.

Each band has a unique sound that sets them apart from the rest and kept the show interesting. The musical entropy show was put on by Living Culture, a local group that is dedicated to putting on shows all over Oshawa for local

bands who wish to break out of the city’s stereotypical music scene.

“The scene around here is all metal,” said Busker Bros drummer Dan Leduc, who is very appreciative of living culture and their shows directed at a non-metal audience.

The show drew a large crowd of young people interested in the music.

The performers were not only talented, but extremely entertaining.

Band members of Hairy Holler danced around the room with their instruments as they played a few original songs that left the crowd in awe.

The show was a great success for Living Culture and they plan on putting on more in the future.

Meghan Wels

MUSICAL ENTROPY: Local bands come together to showcase their music.

A journey to strength through country Amanda Darrock The Chronicle

Ask Barbara Lynn Doran about fate and she will tell you that her music is living proof.

Beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, she entered into a genre in a different way than anyone else.

As an aspiring country musician, Doran has taken in all her life experiences, and condensed them into her music and lyrics.

With one EP out and another one coming soon, Doran has grasped her individuality and used it to better herself. After struggling for years with issues of self-identity, Doran used her music to express her feel-

ings and reach out to a broader spectrum of people.

Growing up in Scarborough, Doran was exposed to music often, as her mother would play music around the house and her grandfather played the piano. “It’s sort of a genetic thing,” says Doran. Growing up she took classical vocal classes for eight months to improve her singing ability. Doran often stuggled with herself through mental frustrations and put up walls around herself to allow very few people to actually know her.Through self-exploration and writing, Doran began writing music. As a youth in Scarborough there was not a lot of country music.

“I wasn’t exposed to it,” says

Doran. “Plus I grew up in Scarborough so their wasn’t a lot of country music. I don’t think we even had a country music station, so I have a lot of different influences -hip-hop, rock and alternative-which makes me different from other country artists who have had a lot of exposure.”

Admiring country artists like Taylor Swift and Sara Evans, Doran found herself drawn to certain aspects of country music.

“I have always wanted to write songs that told stories, and once I got more into country I realized this is where I need to be.” Other than just the story telling, country appealed to Doran because of the mass

demographic that she is able to reach. “A song that I write can relate to someone who is a teenager or someone in their sixties. It can reach more people.”

In 2009 Doran released her first self-titled EP. The songs featured are more than traditional country. Doran uses influences of pop and rock, making her style original.

Innocent, and Little Misunderstood, are two of the songs on Doran’s EP that meant the most to her. “Little Misunderstood was my first co-write song,” says Doran. “That song I really enjoyed working on. It was a song that I always wanted to write. Innocent was a little bit harder to write. I have a ten-

dency to write songs that are positive, so this song was about my family, the innocence of youth. For me I know it speaks to a lot of people.”Innocent was also involved with Doran’s best memory so far in her musical career. While playing at the Moonshine Café in Oakville last summer she received a standing ovation from the crowd. “It was a really special moment for me. It was a smaller venue, but I wasn’t expecting it.”

When she is not pursuing music, Doran works for her family’s truck company/dealership in Durham while residing in Whitby.

Doran holds high hopes for her future and her music career.

drawing monsters there are no limits. A goblin one person draws can look completely different from a goblin someone else draws, no one can be wrong. If an ogre makes a derogatory comment about an elf’s height or a goblin’s wit, there is no controversy, said Mundy.

“Monsters are the face of what we repress, and what we repress is often ugly, violent and dangerous.

Those animalistic, evolutionary tendencies that reside in all of us to fight, fuck, kill, dominate, destroy and so on, are evolutionary survival-ofthe-species traits that haven’t yet left us, despite living in such civilized times, so we need an outlet for them.

We can safely displace those urges into something hideous -- like a Frankenstein’s monster, vampire or werewolf -- and watch them run wild within the safe confines of fiction,” said Dave Alexandre, Rue Morgue maga

zine editor. Pageot, who wants to be a children’s teacher, said that monsters are used in children’s show to be relatable to all children.

Children’s television shows such as Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba use monsters so that all children can relate.

Unlike a show where everyone is blond and the brunette child at home cannot identify, monsters don’t look like any children and with that issue eliminated can identify with everyone.

Monsters are imperfect and do not expect perfection from their audience. Award winning make-up artist Kat Crisp enjoys the freedom of transforming people into monsters, she told The Chronicle.

“If you can dream it, an SPFX studio somewhere can do it. That’s the beauty of horror, sci-fi and fantasy films the only limit is your imagination, and budget!” “Horror is the greatest,” said Bryan Miners of horror band Black Cat Attack

in a Chronicle interview.“Who doesn’t want to hear about what goes bump in the night?”

To Miners, a band’s stage show is of extreme importance.

He uses The Misfits, Gwar, Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson as examples. His own band has Jack-o-lanterns on stage, and what appears to be severed heads hung from Miner’s amp.

People were terrified when The Exorcist was made into a movie in 1973. When something that is supposedly as pure as God is attacked, people getgetuncomfortable.

The unknown has always been terrifying it was the factor that made 1999’s The Blair Witch Project such a hit.

“Death is the greatest fear because it’s the ultimate unknown,” said Miners. Whether his time is being spent watching a two hour horror film, listening to a two minute horror song, or reading a horror book for two weeks, it is time spent being allowed to laugh at death, he said. Being entertained by

death takes the edge off of the fear of dying.

People are scared when seeing a reflection of humanity.

Crisp, who has a BA in Psychology from York University, used the film The Hills Have Eyes as an example. In the original 1977 film, the hills people are dressed as savages.

“They are dressed in somewhat native Indian garb. Seems a little racially charged to me.”

In the 2006 remake, the hills people are disfigured due to nuclear testing and pollution.

“A very real concern for us right now as we’re destroying the earth with pollutants.

And Cancer is becoming just as common as a simple cold,” said Crisp.

“Movies like 28 Days Later and AMC’s The Walking Dead showed something startling.

We’ve advanced so far and so quickly technologically that we could feasibly wipe ourselves out with one super virus, disease, or another plague. It’s actually possible.”

Shock rocking the monster mash Hillary Di Menna

The Chronicle Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was first published in 1818.

Nosferatu, an unauthorized film about Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, terrified film audiences in 1921. Today, the company that creates Barbie, Mattel, stocks toy store shelves with Monster High dolls.

Monsters have always had their place in pop culture.

Tattoo artist and illustrator Ryan Howe, York University English student Harley Pageot and spoken word poet Brock Mundy discussed why monsters are so fun to work with at a Write-on group meeting at Mad Café at an early January Tuesday evening.

“If it’s a monster it can do whatever the hell you want,” said Pageot. He used the examples of a flying deer and a fish that lives out of water as examples, of things people will not question if they are placed in a fictional setting.

Howe added that when

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She is the songwriting queen at age seventeen!

Amanda Darrok The Chronicle

At age 17, most people spend their time seeing friends, working on completing high school, and entertaining crushes, while possibly maintaining a part-time job.

Imagine adding in music performances, auditions and trying to get songwriting classes off the ground. For Kimberly Clarke this life is a reality.

As a soon-to-be graduate at Anderson Collegiate with hopes of going to Durham College for Child and Youth Worker in September, Clarke is not only pursuing an education but taking her love of music to the next level and using it to help other songwriters and musician improve their talents.

Growing up in Oshawa, Clarke got into music at a young age. “I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t walking down the street singing songs about dinosaurs,” says Clarke.

“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love music.”

Seventeen-year-old Clarke has indulged her musical passion through writing songs,

playing piano, guitar or ukulele, and singing songs by her favourite artist, Amy Lee of the band Evanesence.

It was Lee’s music that inspired Clarke to take up piano lessons in Grade 7, which she continued for five years.

After piano Clarke moved on to teach herself both the acoustic guitar and ukulele in the years following.

Using these instruments, Clarke creates music, that she describes as a mixture of her own creation and country values, which incorporates her own version of the vocal talents of world-famous singer Adele. “ I try to imitate her singing style in some way; you’re imitators before you are originals,” says Clarke.

With a writing style comparable to Taylor Swift, Clarke writes from experiences and emotions.

“She writes her music about life and personal experiences and what influences you to get out of bad decisions and bad experiences,” says Clarke, comparing her lyrics to Swift’s. “When I want to get out of them, I have the sappy love songs, the inspirational ones. I haven’t written any ones that are stories.”

In an attempt to expose her musical talents to the public, Clarke entered talent shows, performed in a televised talent show in Ajax, and auditioned two years in a row for the show Next Star.

Her efforts to further her music career paid off in December 2010 when she met musician, author and entertainer Ron Beer through auditions for the Songwriters Music Festival. As a musician, Beer’s experiences have been an asset to Clarke. While working with him, she has had the opportunity to perform in different venues.

“It was a really big breaking point,” says Clarke. “Beforehand I was just taking up music as a hobby, where now I do it as a part-time career with Ron. We play shows, big house parties, we play venues, and we both get paid to do it.”

She has also started to do shows solo, including one very recently.

“It felt good to break off and do a show on my own and have the spotlight solely on me. It was a glorifying feeling.”

Clarke is also working very closely with Beers to help other songwriters.

Together they have been working hard to get songwriting courses up and running for people in Durham Region.

Clarke is also involved with songwriter at the waterfront, which is where a group of songwriters split up into groups at the lake and play at the Whitby pier and Rotary park and then they play Ajax Rotary park in the same day.

Clarke keeps her feet on the ground and thinks logically when it comes to her future, as she is looking forward to beginning the Child and Youth Worker program at Durham College this coming September.

“I wanted to pursue my music more, but I realized that the music industry wasn’t doing as well as it could be in Canada,” says Clarke.

“Finding a career in this field is really difficult. Unless you’re Justin Bieber famous, it’s really hard to make it.

That’s why I started to look into colleges and found child and youth worker. I didn’t want to put all my effort into it and then it doesn’t work out.”

With the support of her friends and family Clarke is striving to pursue her dreams and is looking forward to the Songwriters Festival.

Spielberg doesn’t horse around

Matt McPhee The Chronicle

When it comes to making a great film, once again, director Steven Spielberg doesn’t horse around.

War Horse is a visually stunning film with well-laboured shots, cinematography and blocking, a feat Spielberg has consistently accomplished in his 37-year film career.

In the opening sequence, the audience is introduced to the vast fields of the English county of Devon, where young Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine, in his film debut) first lays eyes on the title character, a thoroughbred foal still coated in amniotic fluid.

Albert’s father Ted (Peter Mullan), a drunk with a limp, who is a Boer War veteran and recipient of many medals, bids most of his rent in an auction in the village against his landlord, Lyons (David Thewlis), to which the rent is due.

Ted wins the auction with the confidence that he bid on a horse with great ambition, despite the condemnation he re-

ceives from his wife Rose (Emily Watson) back home.

Due to Ted’s handicap and crapulence, it’s up to Albert to train Joey to become a plow horse.

Regardless of Lyons doubtfulness and the townsfolk’s gazing and heckling, the boy and his horse plow the fields in order for the Narracotts to produce and harvest their livelihood, turnips.

A great rainstorm floods the crops and Ted cannot harvest the vegetables to make rent.

With the outbreak of WW I, Ted sells Joey to the Army.

As distraught as Albert is, he is optimistic that he and Joey will reunite one day.

Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) assures Albert he will take Joey as his own horse, and then claims the sale transaction as a temporary lease, promising to return the thoroughbred once the war is won.

In the Army’s makeshift rope stable, Joey fraternizes with a black standardbred named Topthorn.

In the first of a series of

vignettes, Joey first lands in Quiévrechain, France.

The English charge a German camp in an attempt to catch them off guard only to be ambushed by heavy artillery in a scene that implies the brutality of war through lone war horses rushing past the German frontline riderless, including Joey.

Joey takes the audience galloping through a series of chapters, from two German boys who go AWOL mounted atop Joey and Topthorn, to finding solace with a French farmer and his granddaughter, until the two horses are seized and brought back to war to pull heavy military hardware.

Still longing for Joey, Albert enlists and is stationed in the trenches during the Battle of the Somme.

With an illustration of Joey in his pocket that Captain Nicholls had sent him four years prior, he unfolds the paper for a glance, quite possibly his last.

It’s a moment of sentimentality leading up to a vicious

battle scene.

Spielberg manages to show the gritty realism of war like his depiction of a different World War in Saving Private Ryan, sans the gore.

What follows is a drawnout, dramatic dénouement that pulls the heartstrings of even the most hardened filmgoers.

Snippets of humour relieve the dramatic and sincere subject matter, whether they are intentionally over the top or very subtle.

The cast portrays their characters with great conviction and the visually stunning landscapes take on a characteristic of their own, supported by a score by long-time Spielberg collaborator, composer John Williams.

War Horse shows the humanity in all people with themes of bonding, companionship and compassion.

A great film for any war film fanatic.

Based on the bestselling children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse is the little thoroughbred that could.

January 31, 2012

21

Move over Charlie Chaplin Philip Petrovski Chronicle Staff

The ‘If you had a time machine what would you do question’ seems a little over played.

However the film the Artist, takes you back to a time before film ever had dialogue. Taking place in the 1920s and 1930s, the film truly brings a new perspective to its audience.

Possibly one of the boldest moves in cinema in a long time, the Artist is a black and white silent film now in theatres. With the collaboration of several French production companies and actors, the film redefines the meaning of avantgarde.

Not often do we see films produced by foreign companies doing well in North America, but the Artist is an exception.

Seeing your first silent movie is quite the experience, and what is even more interesting was how entertained the audience was, even watching a film with no speech.

The score provides the baseline for the mood of each scene, with an almost looney tune song for comedic scenes and high strings for the heated sequences. It’s easy to forget how difficult it would be to provide a good performance when the actors don’t have the luxury of their own voice.

The film’s central idea deals with the end of an era, when silent movies became inferior to the ‘talkies’.

The main character, George Valentin, is a silent film star who deals with this transition of film and his bruised ego. His love interest, Peppy Miller, is on the other side of the transition as she becomes a rising star in new cinema.

The film is consistant and accurate to the silent movie era, from the movements of the actors, to the lighting and set design. What was strange about seeing a silent film in 2012 is that at times the score fades and you can hear the film rolling, giving a feeling of 1920s cinema.

While the movie playing in the next room has constant explosions to provide excitement, the modest film the Artist uses character development for its climax.

The silence of the film makes a loud statement about getting back to a great story and intriguing characters instead of blowing things up. For film addicts, the Artist is a must see. For anyone else, it will be an experience you will never forget.

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The Chronicle

Entertainment

January 31, 2012

Snapshot: Jenine Daubney Self-taught photographer calls herself ‘a hustler’ Hillary Di Menna The Chronicle

Slender with blonde hair and a confident smile, this woman looks like she belongs in front of a camera. Yet Jenine Daubney prefers to stay behind the lens.

A self-taught photographer, writer, bluegrass singer and mother of two, it’s understandable when she confesses to not getting much rest.

“I’m a hustler,” she said with a wink and a smile.

Daubney is a freelance photographer for SNAP Oshawa and a sports photographer for Hunter’s Sports Photography in Bowmanville.

Photography is not just what puts food on Daubney’s table.

It is a way for her to capture memories and emotions. Her most emotional shoots were those for two families of terminally ill children. Daubney’s eyes began to fill with tears as she told their stories.

Both shoots were done for free.

“If you have a talent it’s not

all about money.”

The first was during the holiday season two years ago.

Brooklin Berry was a young, terminally ill girl. She was a medical anomaly, being born with brain cancer.

Pictures of Berry and her family were taken. Ten days later Berry’s father died unexpectedly.

Another child, Riley Martin, the same age as Daubney’s son, was one of triplets and had Leukemia.

The photos Daubney took were used for the boy’s funeral last April.

She gave both families pictures, blew some up for the funerals and made collages.

Despite the sadness she felt, and inspired by the strength of both families, she didn’t break down.

A professional business demeanor has always been important to her, she said.

Her business advice is to be respectful of clients. She makes sure to present herself professionally through what she wears and a relatable, confident

Hillary Di Menna

SNAPSHOT: Freelance photographer Jenine Daubney comes out from behind the lens. personality. A firm handshake accompanies her big smile.

She remembers her knack for photography beginning at the age of four. On a holiday in Florida with her grandparents, whom she lived with, she took pictures of them, knowing they didn’t have many photos of themselves.

Daubney left her home in Bowmanville at 14 to hitchhike across Canada. Daubney hitchhiked and hopped freight trains for six years, exploring North America.

She lived in a Vancouver group home for a year, where they gave her a camera and access to a darkroom. She developed a natural eye for detail, from using the rule of thirds to paying attention to textures like brick walls or patchy grass. And she learned the importance of capturing the moment.

“A lot of friends I loved ended up passing away and I wished I had a picture of them.”

Her photography portfolio began to grow as various opportunities came her way.

Working as a body piercer at Solitary Studios in Oshawa, she was asked to take pictures for Unlucky Girls, a site similar to Suicide Girls.

As a Relay for Life participant, where she shaved her head and donated her hair, she approached the event photographer, Sharlene Beekman.

Daubney asked Beekman if she could go on shoots with her.

Though the photographer had never taken on an assistant, she later contacted Daubney and invited her to join on a wedding shoot. The two contin-

‘

It’s making some-

thing

that’s

not

beautiful interesting.

Jenine Daubney

’

ued a partnership and Daubney found a talent in capturing candid moments.

After doing freelance work in Toronto, Daubney moved to England. She had always wanted to get her English citizenship, her mother’s family being from there, she spent a year with her two children, her daughter, Ivy and son, Cash.

They lived in a former Roman village with a population of 900 for six months. Her respect for architectural photos developed as she saw the older buildings of England. The family moved to London for the remaining six months. Her first day there she met her boyfriend, Thiago Abreu.

“I’m kind of a crusty old man who lost interest in new forms of art and the imagination behind a artist. Being with Jenine and seeing all the creativity involved in her work opened my mind to new ways of knowledge and creation. I am so grateful to Jenine for that,” Abreu said.

At the end of the year, the new family moved back to Bowmanville, where Daubney resumed her photography.

Her advice for aspiring pho-

tographers was, “Trust your gut.”

“It’s making something that’s not beautiful interesting.”

For her it’s important to play a role in recording history, she said. Her boyfriend is a reflection of this, being a history teacher.

Daubney had taken a night course through Durham College, using film and a dark room.

“The old-school way.”

She plans to return in September to take both filmmaking and social work. She’s wanted create films ever since being a part of the cast and crew of 1999’s Deadend.com, she said.

For social work, she wants to help with mental illness and addictions.

Meanwhile, Daubney has been back from England for a year and is receiving client referrals. She is looking into selling her work at craft shows and selling stock photos.

Also a writer, Daubney has completed a children’s book, The Adventures of Ivy Biby in Costa Rica and is working on another where Ivy Biby visits England.

She wants these books to be fun and have a positive message.

Despite these projects, Daubney said she never thought of herself as an artist, until recently.

Being an artist comes second for Daubney. The first is being a mother.

“Everything I do is for my children, they’re the driving factor.”

The Chronicle

Sports

January 31, 2012

23

Vatri shines through with 100th Zak McLachlan The Chronicle

A ray of light shone through the dismay of another loss as Josh Vatri scored his 100th point as a Ridgeback in the men’s hockey team’s 5-3 loss to the York Lions.

Vatri is the first Ridgeback ever to hit the milestone, recording two assists to bring his total to 101 points in 99 conference games.

The two clubs went back and forth in the first period, both accumulating a number of scoring chances but headed into the intermission in a scoreless draw.

York capitalized on the power play seven minutes into the second period to take the game’s first lead.

The Lions extended their lead with a goal late in the period and appeared to have a hold on the game going into the final frame.

But the Ridgebacks sparked a comeback when James Woodcroft netted his second goal of the season just 28 seconds later.

York quickly bounced back with another marker 40 seconds later and held the 3-1 lead for the rest of the period.

UOIT started the third period with the man advantage and didn’t waste any time jumping on the opportunity.

Luke VanMoerkerke scored just eight seconds into the period on the power play to cut the Lions’ lead to one.

Vatri recorded an assist on the play to mark his milestone 100th point.

Zak McLachlan

VATRI’S 100TH POINT: Josh Vatri, the Ridgebacks right winger, now has 101 points in 99 conference games, making him the all-time UOIT Ridgebacks scoring leader.

But again, York bounced back with another goal just seconds later to regain the twogoal lead. They added an insurance goal halfway through the frame to put the game out of reach for the Ridgebacks.

Tony Rizzi scored his 10th of

the year with only six seconds left in the game, but it was too late, and York skated away with another victory.

Jason Guy made his first start of 2012, stopping 25 of 29 shots before being pulled in place of Jacob Rattie. Rattie let

in one goal on six shots.

Defenceman Mike Noyes recorded two assists to extend his scoring streak to five games and earn him UOIT male athlete of the week.

The Ridgebacks host the Laurier Golden Hawks Jan. 27

and travel to Waterloo on Jan. 28. Scores were unavailable at press time.

With just five games left in regular season play, the Ridgebacks sit in the bottom of the division, six points behind the eighth and final playoff spot.

is a team located in Whitby called the Whitby Wild. The team is quite new to the NRL, beginning its fifth season last September. The NRL has been gaining popularity over the past few years, however the league still holds its regular season matches in local arenas across the country. For example, the Whitby Wild’s home arena is located at the Iroquois Sports Complex, and they play on six different ice pads in the complex, but usually on pad four, which is more primed for ringette than any of the other ice pads.

This is not even the largest rink in the complex, but this is where these professional athletes play and practise every week.

The league extends throughout Canada, but doesn’t reach into the United States yet, because ringette is largely only

played in Canada and parts of Europe.

The Mecca of ringette is Quebec. The national playoffs are regularly held in Montreal every year where all of the qualifying teams throughout the league compete for the championship.

Tickets for regular season games cost $5 and season tickets cost around $50, a small price to pay compared to the cost of seeing other professional teams in Toronto, which can cost you upwards of $500 to see one game. Turnouts to the games are moderate, half with friends and family and the other with curious sports fans drawn in by the commotion and fast pace of the game.

One of the head coaches of the Whitby Wild, Gary DaDalt, explained his view of where ringette has evolved to as a sport.

“The teams make enough

money to enter tournaments, cover rink costs, and provide the majority of equipment to our players. Basically neither the coaches nor players make any money out of this, we just do it for the love of the sport.”

DaDalt also commented on the future of the sport, which could see more women look into ringette as a viable alternative to hockey.

DaDalt’s daughter, Deanna, is one of the star players of the team. She also hopes the sport continues to grow over the years.

“You can see in the minor leagues, at least in Durham, that more girls are playing, and that’s always a good sign.”

As for the lifestyle of the sport, Deanna remained optimistic.

“Making money would be awesome, obviously. Maybe one day we’ll make it on prime

time TV and then we can start thinking about the big bucks.”

Deanna DaDalt coaches a minor ringette team in Whitby along with one of her teammates, Kelsey Gallant. The pair have been coaching for three years now and are witnesses to the growth of the sport.

Gallant shares the same philosophy when it comes to the sport, however she had more to say on the minor league.

“You can see as a player when you coach that some of these girls are going to stick with it forever, and that’s how I know the sport will keep on growing.”

Regardless of the success of this season, the players and coaches of the Whitby Wild are still hopeful that ringette’s exposure will continue to increase and bring more fans to the games and ultimately the sport.

Throw out the puck, put a ring on it Cameron McDonald The Chronicle

Ringette is a sport that is largely overlooked in Canada, thanks to the popularity of many other sports like hockey, baseball, soccer, and basketball. These sports have established professional teams for their respective sports, which all bring in massive revenues and have large fan bases across the country, not to mention comprehensive media coverage.

Ringette has a professional league called the National Ringette League (NRL). They don’t sell out the Air Canada Centre or find their highlights on TSN or Sportsnet, but they do have season ticket holders and coverage on the local Rogers television station.

The local professional franchise for the Toronto region

24

The Chronicle

Lords call in a new catcher

Robynne Henry The Chronicle

Sydney Kozuska, a catcher from Alberta, has committed to join the Durham Lords women’s fastball team for the 2012 season.

“We are very happy and excited that Sydney has made Durham her choice,” Head coach Jim Nemish said in a press release. “She is a outstanding catcher from the Edmonton City Hornets midget fastball program with excellent skills behind the plate.”

Kozuska visited a Durham open house with her mother, and met with coaches, players and faculty to see if Durham was the right fit for her.

“After their trip, they said that everything was first class and Durham was more than they expected,” he said.

Last year, Kozuska played with the River City Hornets in the Midget A U18 league, and got to attend the the 2011 Canadian national champions as well as the provincials, where her team placed fourth.

She also played with a year with the Alberta Warriors, where her team finished in sixth place at the Western Canadian Championship and she earned M.V.P. honours.

“The great asset that Sydney has is she is a switch hitter with line drive power,” Nemish said. He went on to say he is happy to have Kozuska in their program, and she brings depth behind the plate and in the field.

January 31, 2012

Sports

Local arena scores with council

Angie Doucett The Chronicle

Harman Park Arena will be staying open.

Oshawa city council made the decision at a six-hour meeting, which faced ridicule from a heated crowd and a visit from police. The meeting was adjourned with a chorus of cheers after a 6-5 vote against closing Harman Park on Jan. 19.

Council opened with a report from Rob Lockhart, a partner with Rethink Inc., a company, that specializes in city planning and leisure service planning.

Lockhart’s analysis of Oshawa’s prime time ice usage concluded that Oshawa has a surplus of 2.2 ice pads. The study looked at registration trends over the last 15 years, Oshawa’s growing population but decreasing youth and the assumption that there would be fewer children in Oshawa’s future.

“Unless Oshawa hits a growth spurt, its growth will flat-line,” Lockhart said. “Removing the surplus of available ice in Oshawa is manageable but it’s going to require scheduling adjustments.”

Lockhart’s report suggested that a two-pad reduction would result in full use of Oshawa’s prime time hours, a break even in revenue, age-appropriate scheduling and the ability to maintain 12 annual tournaments.

Yet many council members and the audience of residents were convinced the report was lacking.

Councillor Amy England suggested that the report did not look at the social or economic impact of Harman Park Arena’s closure.

Lockhart replied that he wasn’t asked to.

Although the report analyzed Harman Park Arena closing, off-season use for ball hockey and lacrosse and women’s leagues were excluded from the report. No direction was offered in the report to suggest a plan if Harman Park Arena were to stay open.

The Campus Ice Centre and the GM Centre were included in the report for ice usage, yet

Angie Doucett

ARENA STAYS OPEN: Oshawa’s league representatives, Bob Babin, Bill Swindells, Doug Smart, Bob Crystal and councillors Bruce Wood and John Neal held a press conference to oppose Harman’s closure days before the decision. the ice pads are not open for general use.

Councillor Doug Sanders said there was only partial data included in the report, and summer lacrosse, a sport that uses dry pads in the warmer seasons was not included in Lockhart’s prime time hour matrix.

Protestors waving signs that read pucks not trucks based on the rumour that the arena’s location would be used as a parking facility for garbage trucks, disrupted council proceedings several times before the police were called to monitor the crowd.

League representatives Bob Babin of NASC, Bill Swindells of OCHL, Dave Bryan of the Ball Hockey Association, Bob Crystal, president of OMHA, and Ralph Hoffman, vice-president of Oshawa Girls Hockey Association, along with Oshawa residents and eco-friendly contractors, were able to voice their concerns and suggestions on the issue of closing Harman Park Arena.

“On behalf of the girls and women in our association, we’re offended that we weren’t included in the report,” Hoffman said. “Our association grows by 10 per cent each year and we

use up every minute of available ice time. We’re responsible users of ice – we share it with each other to further the development of all players.”

Hoffman went on to point out inaccuracies in the report on ice usage, stating that there were at least 100 women on the league’s waiting list who couldn’t play because there isn’t enough ice time.

“We host two tournaments per year and all hotels from Oshawa to the DVP are booked with our girls - good luck getting a seat at a restaurant in town.”

“Harman is important to me, as a mom,” Linda Johnson, an Oshawa resident said. “My kids stay off the street because of this arena.”

In an effort to find an ecofriendly solution to the financial difficulty in keeping Harman Park open, Joel Phair of Solera Sustainable Energies (who has two step-children who play hockey in Oshawa) suggested installing solar panels to reduce cost. “In eight to nine years, the cost of the new roof structure will earn itself back,” Phair said.

Those in support of Harman Park Arena’s closure reminded council and residents of the

cost to maintain the Arena, $3.05 million, according to city staff.

“It’s more than the taxpayer can bear right now,” Councillor Roger Bouma said.

Councillor Nester Pidwerbecki agreed and said Oshawa needs to start thinking with its head instead of its heart.

City staff also suggested closing Harman Park Arena would save $330,000 for taxpayers yet could not come up with a number for demolition costs.

“Closing Harman is going to cost more money to decommission than it is to restore,” Councillor Tito-Dante Mariampietri stated after city staff could not produce an accurate number.

Councillor England agreed.

“So we’re looking into a crystal ball and using usage indicators that are five years old. Voting without knowing the outcome is hypocritical.”

Councillors Nester Pidwerbecki, Bob Chapman, Nancy Diamond, Mayor John Henry and Roger Bouma voted in favour of closing Harman Park Arena.

Councillors Amy England, John Aker, Bruce Wood, Doug Sanders, John Neal, and Tito-Dante Marimpietri voted against.

Fresh faces fill the soccer pitch

Mike Pickford The Chronicle

Another season of indoor soccer is upon us, and Stan Bombino, head coach of the Durham Lords men’s team, will be eager for his team to impress after the fall’s disappointing outdoor program.

With 12 freshman players making the team, the Lords

perhaps don’t have the experience that they have had, but Bombino is still optimistic for a successful season.

“I’m expecting us to do quite well this season,” Bombino said. “We’re always a team that other colleges are wary and respectful of. Hopefully we can show why.”

After participating in a tournament at Centennial College Jan. 21, Bombino has now

seen first hand what his team can do competitively, and although the results weren’t exactly what he was looking for, he was pleased with the performance.

“We went 1-1-2 in the tournament, but I feel a couple of our players really impressed,” Bombino said. “I wouldn’t say any of the teams we played were significantly better, we were just unlucky at crucial

times.”

Despite his preference for experienced college players, Bombino says the number of freshman players is something that is to be expected due to the different, often shortterm, programs at the college.

“It’s always a challenge trying to build teams,” Bombino said. “Very rarely are players here for more than two or three years, so we just have to

work with what we have.”

Bombino also pointed to the Lords silver medal-winning team four years ago as a reference to what a young team can do.

“When we won our only provincial medal four years ago, that was a relatively young and inexperienced team, so if the players are good enough, they will win games and tournaments.”

Sports

The Chronicle

25

January 31, 2012

Dempster among the elite Tyler Richards The Chronicle

If you build it, they will come: It’s one of the most iconic lines in sports movie history, and for Sam Dempster, head coach of the Durham College baseball team and head coach of the Great Britain national team, it’s a line that rings true.

Twenty years ago Durham College was void of a baseball team.

“At the time Field of Dreams was the big movie, so we tailored our posters around the movie,” Dempster said in a recent interview with the Chronicle. “I think we had three of our players coming out of a corn field.”

That first year was tough, commented Dempster. “The first game we had basketball T-shirts and baseball pants on because we didn’t have any jerseys.”

Since that year, the Lords under Dempster have gone on to win six provincial titles, and this past year a national championship.

Dempster also recorded his 300th win, a win that was bittersweet for the veteran coach.

Dempster took on his brother, Dr. Stephen Dempster during his 300th win. Stephen helped found

the Crandall University baseball team in 2005, much like how his brother founded the DC team 13 years earlier.

“It was good to reach that milestone,” Dempster said. “I just wish it wasn’t against my brother.” There were no hard feelings between the two brothers, but obviously it was a hard game for both coaches.

It isn’t Dempster’s only instance of working with family.

For the past 13 years he has been coaching with his son Colin.

“I’ve learned a lot from my father and I hope one day I can impart some of what he has taught me onto someone else. I don’t want to fill his shoes and I don’t think anyone can fill them,” said the younger Dempster.

One of Dempster’s greatest achievements in baseball was winning the 2011 CIBA nationals in New Brunswick with Durham.

“We have been knocking on the door for a while,” Dempster commented. “I think what it was, was we always started the year off with a win. This year we started with a loss, so maybe that helped us a little bit.”

According to Dempster winning and losing doesn’t matter, it’s the players that make the

game worthwhile for him.

“The thing that is most important is the players. You remember those people more than wins and losses. ”Dempster has been all over the world for baseball; recently he took the British national team to Tel Aviv, Israel.

He coached the team to victory over the home team of Israel in the 2011 European qualifier, allowing Great Britain to move on to the 2012 European championship this September.

“It was a great experience,” Dempster said.

The heat was one of the things he remembered the most about Israel.

“It was so hot there, even in the evening, people would be going down to the beach at midnight and swimming in the ocean sometimes until dusk.”

This past November, Dempster was the recipient of the 2011 European Baseball Coaches Association career achievement award, which was presented in Prague.

But the big victories -- winning in Israel, the CIBA championship and the ECBA award -- don’t compare to Dempster’s proudest moment of his baseball career.

“When I met and had my picture taken with Mike Piazza was pretty memorable,” he remarked, “but none of those really compare to going to Uganda

‘

Dempster reflected on his time in Uganda. “The coach, George Mukhobe, had three kids and they always wanted to wear my watch, it was a Ti-

Its kind of an honour to know that your father has been all over the world and recognized for his accomplishments.

Colin Dempster and seeing people playing baseball. A catcher in his bare feet, a pitcher in his bare feet, not having anything.”

Dempster went to Uganda as a Major League Baseball envoy coach and according to him it was one of the most influential experiences of his life.

“In Uganda they don’t have baseballs, they have balls made out of shredded plastic bags,” he said.

“If a bag is whole it’s like finding five dollars in Uganda, but when the bags are ripped they push them against a barrel that’s burning things and it melts the plastic. They keep building and building until they have a baseball. To have one of those is tremendous.”

’

mex Ironman. I would often let them wear it and I would have to chase them and get it back and they would get upset. Not this year, but last year I bought them all watches for Christmas. They haven’t taken them off.”

The younger Dempster had a lot to say about his father’s travels. “Its kind of an honour to know that your father has been all over the world and recognized for his accomplishments.

He’s worked really hard to get where he is and he will never stop learning and improving.”

Dempster is looking to repeat his 2011 CIBA nationals victory with the Lords, as well as take the Great Britain team far into the 2012 European baseball championships this fall.

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The Chronicle

OUA Men’s Hockey

OCAA Men’s Basketball

West division

GP W

Western Lakehead Waterloo York Brock Windsor Guelph Laurier UOIT

22 18 2 2 38 22 16 6 0 32 24 13 7 4 30 23 11 8 4 26 23 12 10 1 25 22 9 12 1 19 23 7 12 4 18 22 7 14 1 15 23 4 18 1 9

L

OTL Pts

Recent Results Jan. 19 UOIT 1 - Guelph 3 Jan. 21 UOIT 3 - York 5

East Region

GP W L Pts

Centennial 13 12 1 24 Algonquin 12 10 2 20 St. Lawrence 12 8 4 16 George Brown 13 8 5 16 Durham 12 7 5 14 Georgian 13 7 6 14 Fleming 14 5 9 10 Loyalist 12 4 8 8 Seneca 13 4 9 8 La Cite 13 3 10 6 Cambrian 12 1 11 2 Recent Results Jan. 20

OUA Women’s Hockey

DC 91 - Loyalist 71

OCAA Men’s Volleyball

West division

GP W

Laurier Guelph Queens York Toronto Windsor Waterloo Brock UOIT Western Ryerson

20 19 0 1 39 20 15 4 1 31 20 11 6 3 25 20 11 8 1 23 20 11 8 1 23 20 9 9 2 20 20 8 8 4 20 20 9 10 1 19 20 8 12 0 16 20 8 12 0 16 20 1 18 1 3

Recent Results Jan. 19 Jan. 20

Scoreboard

January 31, 2012

L

OTL Pts

UOIT 2 - Brock 3 *Outdoor Classic UOIT 2 - Guelph 1

East Region

GP W L Pts

OCAA Women’s Basketball East Region

GP W L Pts

Seneca 10 9 1 18 Algonquin 9 8 1 16 George Brown 10 7 3 14 Loyalist 11 7 4 14 Fleming 12 5 7 10 Durham 10 4 6 8 Georgian 10 3 7 6 Centennial 11 3 8 6 St. Lawrence 9 0 9 0 Recent Results Jan. 13 Jan. 20

DC 73 - Fleming 45 DC 55 - Loyalist 74

OCAA Women’s Volleyball East Region

GP W L Pts

Algonquin 14 14 0 28 Seneca 13 11 2 22 Durham 14 11 3 22 Loyalist 13 9 4 18 Georgian 14 9 5 18 George Brown 15 7 8 14 La Cite 14 6 8 12 Cambrian 14 3 11 6 Fleming 14 3 11 6 Trent 15 3 12 6 Boreal 14 1 13 2

Cambrian 14 14 0 28 Trent 15 12 3 24 Algonquin 14 10 4 20 Loyalist 13 9 4 18 Georgian 14 9 5 18 George Brown 15 7 8 14 Seneca 13 6 7 12 Durham 14 4 10 8 Fleming 14 3 11 6 La Cite 14 3 11 6 Boreal 14 0 14 0

Recent Results Jan. 15 Jan. 18 Jan. 20

Recent Results Jan. 18 Jan. 20

DC 3 - Cambrian 0 DC 3 - Trent 0 DC 3 - Fleming 1

DC 0 - Trent 3 DC 1 - Fleming 3

The Chronicle

January 31, 2012

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The Chronicle

January 31, 2012