HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! Theory of a Deadman. See page 24.
February,14 2012
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12
Represent yourself in Your SA elections
We’ve got spirit!
Bobby Perritt The Chronicle
Switch into election gear. February 14 and 15 are the last days of the SA elections for UOIT and Durham College. Students from both schools have the opportunity to elect one president of the SA. Students can also vote for the vice-president of either UOIT or DC, and five members of the SA board of directors, for either the college or university. The Student Association plays a central role in the quality of life students have. From campus recreation, to services like the UPASS, to communication with the provincial government over student rights and issues, the SA is behind it. Josh Bickle and students Rachel Calvelli and Daryl Johnston are running for SA president. Vice-president of college affairs candidates are students Arif Elmazi and Kayleigh Johnston.
Courtesy of Durham College Athletics
SPIRIT WEEK: Durham College students show their spirit with the Lord mascot at a Durham Lord’s basketball home game.
See Polls page 3
Black history month mix-and-mingle Kim Moreau The Chronicle
Kim Moreau
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Najjah Calibur, a local performer, singing at the GM Centre’s Black History Month ceremony.
It was a winning night all around as Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) celebrated their Black history month mix-and-mingle and watched together as the Oshawa Power basketball team defeated the Moncton Miracles. On Feb. 9, staff, faculty, students, alumni, and members of the community gathered in a group suite at the General Motors Centre overlooking the basketball court where the Oshawa Power basketball team would play later in the evening. Guests flooded the suite from the moment the event started. The event, appearing like a cocktail hour, had black-clothed tables with simple, colourful centrepieces,
an assortment of foods, including jerk chicken skewers and coconut shrimp, being served to guests on platters, and a table where guests could enjoy complimentary soft drinks or bottles of water. Not only did the Durham College and UOIT diversity office collaborate with the Oshawa Power, but also with the Caribbean African Student Association, the Women’s Centre, and the Club Carib of Oshawa Inc. Rochelle Ramathe, interim diversity officer, had high hopes for the evening. Prior to the event, she said she hoped for a fun evening of recognition of the achievements of black Canadians, and a celebration not just of black history month but of history in general. See A fun night page 2
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The Chronicle
February 14, 2012
Campus
A fun night to recognize local black Canadians
Kim Moreau
SINGING FOR LOVE: Najjah Calibur seeking a callback from the audience.
Zak McLachlan
PIECE OF THE PIE: Greg Murphy, dean of the School of Media, Art & Design, helped to serve pizza to students on Groundhog Day as a sign of gratitute.
Ooey, gooey, yummy pizza to thank students Zak McLachlan The Chronicle
There’s no better way to celebrate Groundhog Day than with free pizza and a movie in the Purple Pit. At least, that’s how Durham College sees it. The school held it second annual free pizza day on Feb. 2 for all students. Durham College president Don Lovisa wandered the halls, interacting with students and getting their feedback on the school’s gesture. “We do it just as a thank you to students,” Lovisa said. “It’s just a fun day.” Lovisa said the college partnered with Aramark and the Student Association to provide 1,000 large cheese and pepperoni pizzas and countless cans of pop, juice and Monster energy drinks. Stations were set up in the Purple Pit, the Galleria, the Student Services building and the South Village residence to make sure all students had an opportunity to get their free slice. A team of Durham College deans and support staff volunteered their time to hand
out slices to the students. In total, over 100 staff members helped out with at least 50 on hand at any given point throughout the event. “The credit goes to Greg Murphy,” Lovisa said. Greg Murphy is the dean of the School of Media, Art and Design at Durham College. Last year he thought of the idea to have a day to give back to students and thank them for their hard work throughout the year. The students seemed to appreciate the school’s kind act. Durham College student Elora Andrews thanked the college for the Groundhog Day surprise. “It’s really nice to get back from the school after paying tuition and working hard in our classes,” she said. Of course, it was only fitting to have the classic Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day playing on a projector screen in the Pit. Coupled with the occasional student displaying their skills on the Pit’s piano, the day became a big success and will continue to be a Durham College Groundhog Day tradition.
Kim Moreau
STANDING STRONG: Rochelle Ramathe, diversity officer, emceed the evening.
Kim Moreau
A MAN OF WORDS: Duane Austin receiving his thank-you gift for speaking.
Kim Moreau
STAYING TRUE: Jon Sarpong, expressing gratitute.
Campus diversity office celebrates black history month Continued from Page 1
Ramathe and previous Durham College diversity officer Jon Sarpong emceed the evening, introducing guest speakers John Henry, mayor of Oshawa; Don Lovisa, Durham College president; Richard Marceau, UOIT provost on behalf of UOIT president Dr. Tim McTiernan, who was unable to attend. “White, black, brown, red, yellow, blue,” began Marceau, summing up the thoughts of all the evenings speakers “We are all African, we are all black.” Ramathe and Sarpong also introduced two other guests, Duane Aubin, a well-known, experienced teacher and facilitator who has delivered over 150 seminars, keynotes and workshops in Southern Ontario and Jamaica whom they said they were excited to get, and Najjah Calibur, a Durham Region artist who had the UOIT Geek Freaks dancing behid him. Guests hung on every word that Aubin said, as he spoke about the history of Black history month and the importance of diversity. “ The entire galaxy is pregnant with diversity,” he said, talking about diversity not just among people but also among planets, animals, plants, and even a car. A car would not work, he explained, if all parts of the car were a steering wheel. Instead a car is made up of countless parts, all of different appearances and uses coming together to make the car work. He explained that people are the same. But the most important part of Aubin’s words were summed up in his final message “diversity matters” that had the crowd shouting and clapping with approval for his thoughts. “The hope I had from the diversity office of this event is that we would collaborate with the best of the best to not just be a part of the dialogue on respecting diversity but to continue to take a leadership role in this dialogue about diversity,” said Ramathe. Calibur then closed the special guests by singing a song that he wrote for Haiti. Guests sang along, swayed, and watched in awe as the Geek Freaks danced along. And the excitement continued as Farley Flex, a well-known member of the media from the Greater Toronto Area, announced that on Sept. 1, 2012 Canada will have the first AfricanCanadian television station. “Our culture touches everyone,” he said. Guests celebrated afterward with more food, drinks, and mingling prior to watching the Oshawa Power basketball team continue the excitement.
Black history month thoughts: - The abolishment of enslavement was achieved in Canada on August 1, 1834 - In 1944, Ontario passed the Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibited publication and display of discrimination - In 1956, the last segregated black school in Ontario was closed - In 1963 the first African-Canadian was elected as as a Liberal member for the provincial government - In 1971, an Order of Canada medal was awarded to African-Canadian sprinter Harry Jerome - Originally black history month was just negro history week, created to coincide with the birth of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, former enslaved person
Campus
The Chronicle
February 14, 2012
And the candidates are...
Photos and stories by Bobby Perritt
JOSH BICKLE
Josh Bickle, 25, is the current vice-president of college affairs. One of Bickle’s priorities is to reform some policies and restrictions for campus clubs and societies to allow them more opportunity to grow freely, with less SA intervention. Bickle also committed to smarter spending of SA money to lower some student fees. He said he wants to invest in services and recreation for all campuses, in order to create greater unity and eliminate the mentality of “satellite” campuses. Bickle volunteers on the board of directors for the College Student Alliance of Ontario. Students can check out Bickle on Twitter @josh_bickle, visit his website www.josh-bickle.ca or spend some face-time at www.facebook.com/jbickle.
RACHEL CALVELLI
Rachel Calvelli, 21, is a full-time legal studies-student at UOIT. She strongly advocates for uniting the three college and university campuses. Calvelli wants to improve the community relation services program, to unite students with the community through interactive volunteer and community service work, which includes valuable prizes from local businesses. She says she will revamp and promote the SA’s current social network site in order to open up communication between students and the SA. If elected, Calvelli will also make it her priority to address the policies surrounding campus clubs and societies and meet monthly with society and club presidents. Tweet with Calvelli @rachel4pres or add her to Facebook. Calvelli’s campaign site is www.rachelforsa.com.
KAYLEIGH JOHNSTON
Kayleigh Johnston, 20, is a first-year journalism student. As director of communications and advertising for the Society of Media Art and Design, she speaks to the SA on behalf on Media Art and Design students and has experience in event planning. Johnston says she will work at prioritizing SA funds to offer more student bursaries and will fund more societies. Johnston considers her excellent communication skills to be a valuable asset to the job. Johnston is on Twitter @kayleighmj or Facebook. Check out www.kayleighjohnston.com for more of her campaign.
ARIF ELMAZI
Arif Elmazi, 33, is in his last year of Human Resources at Durham College. Elmazi doesn’t feel that students are getting the most services for their money and he wants to end that. Elmazi also said he will work to modernize online learning and will fight to have all professors and instructors put thorough course material online, so that students won’t be at a disadvantage if they need to work or care for their children during class. Elmazi addressed the low scores he said Durham College has received on some of the annual student satisfaction surveys, and said that he would ensure the college, “challenges areas where we’re underperforming.” Elmazi prides himself as being a “fearless leader.” He has not begun to campaign online outside of the SA website, but can be contacted through Facebook.
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE
DARYL JOHNSTON
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Daryl Johnston, 29, in Hospitality Management at Durham College, has not finalized a campaign yet. “I’m in the middle of a tough decision,” he said, when the Chronicle contacted him five days before the first day of the elections. Johnston can be found on Facebook, and has a protected Twitter account.
Polls are open: get out and vote! Continued from Page 1
On the university side, students Jesse Cullen and Shane Comella will be running for the position of vice-president of university affairs. Unlike last year, votes may only be cast from the online polling stations set up on the Simcoe, Whitby and downtown Oshawa campuses. Poll locations on the Simcoe campus are the South Village and Simcoe residences, Vendor’s Alley, the Athletic Centre lobby and the UA west atrium by Quiznos. Voter polls downtown Oshawa are on the second floor of the Charles Street building, or on Feb. 15 in the basement of the Education Building. A polling station will also be set up in the Whitby campus student lounge. Anyone who could not make it to any of the three forums held from Feb. 6-8, can find candidate platforms, a list of your candidates for the SA board of directors under the purple “Elections” tab at www. your-sa.ca. The SA cannot properly represent students if students do not represent themselves by taking part during the elections.
Candidates speak out at forum Candidates for the Student Association president and the vice-president of college affairs flocked to the Durham College Whitby campus on Feb 8, for a forum hosted by the chief returning office overseeing the election. The presidential candidates were current vice-president of college affairs Josh Bickle and UOIT Legal Studies-student Rachel Calvelli. The third opponent, Daryl Johnston, was not present for the forum, and told the Chronicle that he had not finalized a campaign platform. The two head-to-head candidates for vice-president of college affairs were Journalism student Kayleigh Johnston and Human Resources student Arif Elmazi. All forum questions were tweeted or emailed to the chief returning office by students. Fixing the problem of isolation and inadequate SA focus on the satellite campus was a top concern. Bickle reminded the crowd that he already commits himself to six to eight hours per week on the Whitby campus.
He guaranteed that as president, more SA members would also spend time on the campus. And SA members wouldn’t be the only innovation. Bickle showed enthusiasm for delivering more entertainment to the student lounge, including a video game system and a ping-pong table, on top of the pool table he has already confirmed is coming to the student lounge. Calvelli said that she no longer wanted Whitby to be “an after-thought of the North Campus.” That was why she also promoted a campus lawyer for Whitby. Students on the North Campus already have free weekly access to an experienced lawyer for legal advice. Both Bickle and Calvelli were concerned for the restrictions and multiple other issues that they say campus clubs and societies experienced this year. “The clubs and societies are the most valuable part of the SA experience…I’d like to see them gain their autonomy,” said Bickle, who would like to meet with society and club presidents to discuss reforms in funding and regulations, which
could allow clubs and societies to grow fuller and be less constrained by SA management. Calvelli said that campus club and society stakeholders deserve monthly meetings with the SA. Candidates Kayleigh Johnston or Elmazi will be the voice for Durham College students, as the new vice-president of college affairs. Elmazi, who proclaimed himself a “fearless leader,” asserted students that with his policies, the SA would “…not only include Whitby, but make Whitby front row and centre.” One of the first items mentioned by Elmazi was how to address the low scores that Durham College has received in some areas of the annual student survey, which evaluates overall college services and experiences. He also supported advancing mobile learning by offering more online courses and requiring all curriculums to be more accessible online. Three things that Elmazi says he hates
are political red tape, the status quo and the answer “no.” “We have to use our student body…that includes every student out there. We have to use our strength in numbers to make changes,” he said in his final statement. Johnston was the only president or vice-president to advocate for more student grants from the SA. She also told the campus that she wanted to use Whitby as a host for many more SA events, and promote new clubs and societies. Johnston described herself as an easy communicator who loves brainstorming ideas with others. “I believe school spirit is important and I’d like to promote that here,” she said. Before the forum, Bickle encouraged students to vote even if it was their last year at the school, so that first-year students after them would have a good start to their school experience. “We can all remember being first years once,” he said. Elections will still be running Feb. 1315 on all three UOIT and Durham College campuses.
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The Chronicle
February 14, 2012
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Vote for more from the S.A. The Sheepdogs at E.P.’s, Shirley’s Dirty Bingo, and the X-Rated Hypnotist are courtesy of your SA. The student insurance plan, the Sexual Health Resources Centre, the Bike Depot, the U-Pass — again, all part of the SA. The Student Association is a vital part of Durham College and UOIT, regulating campus societies, clubs and social events, as well as working closely with provincial and municipal governments to advocate on behalf of students. But despite its major role on campus, voter turnout has been historically low in SA elections. Last year, a mere eight per cent of students voted. That’s about 1,200 out of 15,000 full-time students on campus. It’s election time again, and students should strongly consider playing a part in choosing the next president of the SA, vice-president of college affairs, vice-president of university affairs and 10 members of the board of directors. Those elected will be responsible for meeting student needs, addressing day-to-day concerns, attending events, determining the direction of the SA and a variety of other du-
Are you going to vote in the SA election? Why or why not?
ties. Current SA president Amy LaRue is passionate about the Student Association and the role it plays on campus. “We want to try to let every student take advantage of something,” she said, citing the SA’s events, student groups and
leadership opportunities. The SA also plays a crucial role in ensuring student views are being represented appropriately. “Every time I speak to the administration, I’m speaking for everybody,” said LaRue. “The student voice is being
Corey Petrie Police Foundations “If I can make it I will, but if not then I don’t really care.”
heard and taken into consideration.” In the past, the SA has been responsible for the abolishment of the mobile learning program in various Durham College programs, saving students thousands of dollars in
Teri Bristol
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“I don’t really know much about it. It’s not really promoted.”
“I’m going to vote. I want to become more active within the school.”
“Yeah, I will be. It gives students more say in school events and what happens on campus.”
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IT and software costs. The SA also negotiated to have Durham Region Transit transport students back and forth to campus from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., instead of just during peak hours. Members also campaigned to have 24-hour study space available on campus so students could study at all hours of the night, and not get kicked out by security. Even those who are graduating this year should fill out a ballot. “You’re using your knowledge from previous years to help incoming students,” said LaRue. “You’re kind of giving back to the community. You’ll be helping them get a better first year.” It’s important to realize the role the SA plays in Durham College and UOIT as a whole, and the importance of voting. LaRue advises students to take the time to become educated about the candidates and their platforms before voting. Voting begins Feb. 13 and continues until Feb. 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. across all three campuses. There will also be several voting stations with extended hours.
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Opinion
The Chronicle
February 14, 2012
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Manners matter to some of us still When I was little, I was taught to say please and thank you, hold the door open for others and respect those around me, particularly my elders and my teachers. It’s now 2012, and I’m guessing parents don’t teach their kids these important, common courtesies, as I have noticed a serious lack of manners, especially at school. First of all, if I hold the door open for someone, a simple “Thank you” would be appreciated. Or if I am following someone through a door, it would be nice if the door didn’t slam in my face.
Tracey Fidler Second, walking and texting should not be done at the same time. I have lost track of how many times I have been bumped into and given dirty looks because apparently I am supposed to move out of the way. Oh, and if these texters could watch for cars, that’d be great too. Third, if a pregnant woman, some-
one with a disability, or an elderly person gets on public transit, those lucky ones who have managed to get seats should get up and offer them theirs. If they’re young and healthy, it’s just the right thing to do. And guys, please prove to me that chivalry isn’t dead, and let a lady have your seat. Fourth, if students are waiting for their class to begin, and there is another class still in the room, it would be great if they didn’t block the entire hallway. My “excuse me’s” seem to go unnoticed, forcing me to dart from small open space to small open space, finally
taking a deep breath on the other side. Lastly, I have paid a lot of money for school, and I would really like to be able to hear about what I’m paying to hear about. It’s disrespectful to teachers and fellow classmates when there’s non-stop talking. Being at the ripe old age of 26, I’m not sure if this is the case with the “younger folk” everywhere, but it seems to be a serious problem at Durham College. Maybe I am just “old” and out of touch with what’s “cool,” but I’m pretty sure good manners will never go out of style.
Freedom of speech or religious hate? Recently, I came across a page that made me stop and think, and I didn’t like the conclusion I came to. It was a Facebook page of a group of Christians who wanted to get rid of pro-abortion pages on Facebook, telling all of the members to go and report the page so it would be taken down.When I read through the comments and statuses. Which had more hate than I have ever seen before. It made me wonder: why do people see that type of behavior acceptable? I wasn’t raised in a religious home, I was taught to be accepting of everyone and their beliefs. I also learned that if you censor one side of things, the other side should be censored as well. The biggest issue raised by this page, and the many other pages like it, is that they censor free speech. By saying that the pro-abortion pages should be taken down because a group of peo-
ple disagrees with it, then it is saying every opinionRobynne based Facebook page or group Henry should be taken down. The issues I see with these pages, especially when religious groups run them, are that they represent the opposite of what their religion says. As far as I know, the Bible encourages believers to accept everyone (and their opinions), and to spread love. It doesn’t say anywhere to protest people and their opinions, or to censor certain things because it is not mentioned in the Bible. In this case, one group is trying to eliminate
another group’s opinion page.Many people object to having negative beliefs shoved in their faces, and this page is a perfect example. They believe that just because something is against what they believe, no one should be able to see it. If the roles were reversed, and there was a page trying to get everyone to get rid of all the Christian pages, there would be outrage and the page probably wouldn’t last more than a couple of hours. We are given the freedom of speech, and this Facebook page is trying to take that right away from people. If they are allowed to show support for pro life, then people should be able to show support for pro choice. No matter the belief, regarding religion or anything else, it doesn’t give anyone else the right to shut down what someone else believes in.
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The Chronicle
Febuary 14, 2012
Campus
Nash looking to make Layton proud Bobby Perritt The Chronicle
Member of Parliament Peggy Nash came knocking on Oshawa’s door in her campaign to be the seventh leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Nash, MP for the ParkdaleHigh Park riding in Toronto, sparked several rounds of applause from a hopeful audience during a meet-and-greet at The Thirsty Monk pub, downtown Oshawa on the night of Feb. 6. She served as president of the NDP from 2009 to 2011, and is one of eight candidates across Canada in the race to Jack Layton’s position as federal NDP leader after he died of cancer last August. Voting will run March 23-24 at Exhibition Place in Toronto, or by mail and online ballots. Some faces at The Thirsty Monk included Mike Shields, the NDP candidate in last fall’s provincial election, several of his former campaign volunteers and Durham College graduate and Oshawa councillor Amy England. Jesse Cullen, president of the Young NDP and VP of University Affairs candidate, came out to show his support for Nash as well. “I can’t wait to go toe-to-toe with Stephen Harper,” Nash told the crowd of supporters, who exploded with hooting and hollering. “She has always been an advocate for the (LGBT) rights and a lot of hot button issues that receive little support,” said Shields, a personal friend of Nash’s for two decades. “Her campaign includes young activists,” Shields said, as a young man walked by wearing a white “Occupy” shirt. Being in a college and university-city, Nash described post-secondary education as a right. She joined the rally in front of Queen’s Park on Feb. 1 as Canadian students from coast to coast protested against high tuition fees in the National Day of Action. If elected leader of Canada’s
Bobby Perritt
THE RACE IS ON: Nash is back and ready to win. Stopping by downtown Oshawa’s The Thirsty Monk pub Feb. 6, she tells the people of Oshawa why she’s exactly the right candidate for the job. official opposition, Nash said she would push to reduce tuition rates, create more grants and cover the interest on student loans. A universal child care plan was another proposal. She marvelled at Quebec, where significant government subsidies make their child care centres some of the most inexpensive in the country. This puts more parents into the workforce and creates employment for child care workers. The province therefore profits five per cent of their investment and the Canadian government profits 44 per cent. Throughout the night, supporters confided in Nash mostly about labour and pension
concerns. Nash supported the large union-and labour-friendly mentality in the industrydriven Oshawa economy, assuring the crowd that outsourcing jobs and an abundance of free trade was not the NDP style. Or, as Nash put it, “Why would we ship out raw timber and then buy tables? Why don’t we make tables?” She also criticized some of Harper’s economic agenda. “Our prime minister wants Canada to be an energy superpower,” she said, adding that in exchange it would cost Canadians too many jobs. Some constituents were concerned over the recent proposal to hike the retirement age and
adjust the Canadian Old Age Security Plan (OAS). Nash dismissed claims from the Conservative Party that the OAS was becoming unaffordable, and insisted that Canadians should not have to wait any longer for their OAS, in order to have the freedom to retire. The only criticism Nash received during the open question period was from a 39-year GM veteran who questioned the NDP’s environmental integrity of opposing the CanadaUS Keystone XL pipeline in favour of transatlantic oil. Nash is only one of eight candidates from across the country attempting to lead the NDP. Many candidates share the common interests of environ-
mental sustainability, increasing First Nations rights and reserve funding, a more publicized health care system and less funding for military equipment. Elections are restricted to members of the New Democratic Party of Canada, who must join no later than Feb. 18 to place a ballot. A membership in Ontario costs $25 and can be completed at www.ndp.ca. For more information on Peggy Nash go to www.peggynash.ca or catch her tweeting @ PeggyNashNDP. Contacts for other party leader candidates can be found under “Leadership 2012” on the NDP Canada website.
York Region buses are back and FREE! Tara Oades The Chronicle
Students who commute to school from York Region will have a break from paying their fare for the next two months. York Region Transit and Viva buses are back after a three-month strike, and YRT is offering two-months free service to make up for the problems riders had encountered. Kathleen Gallagher, a customer service representative for YRT, said 96 per cent of the routes will be in service start-
ing Feb. 4, and the remaining routes will resume Feb. 26. “The offer will be valid from Feb. 4 to March 3,” said Gallagher. “We are encouraging everyone to take advantage of the offer, even if they don’t take transit regularly.” The free transit offer is possible because YRT saved around $9 million during the strike, and wanted to give some of it back to the riders, said Gallagher. The strike started Oct. 24, affecting around 45,000 riders in and surrounding York
Region, including Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Newmarket. Some of the riders include Durham College and UOIT students, who had to make different arrangements to commute to school every day. “Usually I would take the GO bus from the school to Unionville station, then catch the Viva purple to get home,” said Danika Soekor, a Kinesiology student at UOIT. “I found a carpool site and ended up finding someone to carpool with to Unionville which is a little
more expensive than just buying a bus pass every month.” Riders who had already purchased a monthly pass for February can either return it for a full refund or use it for the month of April when riders will have to start paying the fare. “It’s good to be back to work,” said Michael, a Viva driver. “Most riders have been good, I’ve only had a couple of people who were really upset and showed it.” When the offer expires fares will go back to the increased rate of $3.50, which was raised
at the beginning of this year, even though most riders have only been paying $3.25, while most of the buses were on strike. “Most drivers didn’t pay much attention to the increased fare while the workers were on strike, which is why most riders only paid $3.25,” said Gallagher. “But starting in April riders will be expected to pay $3.50.” For all students who take YRT or Viva, for the next two months bus fare can be saved for a well-deserved coffee or snack during the school day.
Campus
The Chronicle
February 14, 2012
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Don’t regret your student debt Paying off debts quickly pays off in credit rating Amy Valm The Chronicle
Graduation is a time to celebrate and be recognized for all your hard work. After the graduation cap is thrown, the photos taken and the tears shed, then what? Hopefully a job, but for many what follows is a piece of paper in the mail. It sits behind glass, in all its 8 1/2-by-11-inch glory. That little piece of paper you worked your butt off for; your diploma. A few months after the diploma is usually a stark reminder that it’s time to start repaying your debts. Casting a gloomy shadow over graduation, debt repayment can seem like it will take a lifetime to pay back. Holly Nelson started down her career path with a $16,000 student debt lagging not too far behind. She understands all too well the importance of debt repayment. Her everyday life is encompassed with it – only not just her own. Nelson works as an internal auditor, hired by the National Student Loan Program to monitor borrowers. “It’s important to keep up with repayment on your student loans because it can negatively affect your credit if you fall behind more then 33 days in arrears,” said Nelson. “After 33 days your missed payment is reported to the credit bureau and will stay in your credit report, affecting your credit score.” Angela Piggott-Murphy, a UOIT and Durham College graduate, may as well have a gold star for all her hard work. Over the years she’s obtained a General Arts certificate, a Business Administration diploma with honours, and a Bachelor of Commerce with honours. Her credentials put her in a great place to find work in many different fields, but the $38,000 price tag attached was a little hard to swallow. Like many students, Piggott-Murphy struggled to make her monthly loan repayments. “I got my payments put on hold (with OSAP) until I ‘made enough money’,” said PiggottMurphy. “Which was by no means enough money to support me, pay rent and pay back my loan. I got a job at a bank
Amy Valm
THE PRICE OF EDUCATION: Good credit takes a lifetime to build and seconds to destroy. Gain an understanding of how choices you make in regards to paying back student debt will reflect on your credit rating. and consolidated on a five-year term at the employee rate. The payments are high but I’m done in five years.” Debt consolidation is the act of combining two or more debts to minimize the interest paid or gain a fixed interest rate. “It’s not always beneficial to consolidate your student loan with a line of credit or other loan from the bank,” explained Nelson. “The interest rate on a student loan is typically much lower than banks. Interest from your student loan is also deductible for tax purposes whereas the interest from a bank loan isn’t.” Nelson said that there is also the option of increasing your payment term with corresponding higher payments in order to pay down your loan quicker. “Lump sum payments go purely to the principle of the loan and will decrease the balance much more quickly,” said Nelson. “There is no penalty for paying your student loan off early either, as would be the case with other types of loans.” Student loans seem easy enough to obtain, but when repayment comes around, it paints a different picture as Shelly Runighan has learned. She studied photography for two years at Sheridan College. A stint at Durham College for journalism helped her rack up $22,000 in debt to OSAP. “Coming out of college, and having six months interest free was nice,” said Runighan. “I found that coming out of
college, I was only able to get a minimum wage job. Making payments on top of paying rent, and supporting yourself isn’t always possible. I did explain that my payments were too high, and wasn’t given any help, so I just didn’t pay them. I eventually applied for loan interest relief, which helped.” Runighan said she was shown no sympathy when she was unemployed. Not being able to afford payments, Runighan’s loan nearly defaulted. Nelson defines defaulting as not paying your loan for six months, which results in having it returned to the government. On top of blemishing your credit, not being in good standing with your loan can hinder future endeavours. “Not keeping your loan upto-date has negative repercussions,” said Nelson. “If you are planning to go back to school, you will be refused funding until your loan is back in good standing. It can also affect getting a job because some companies do credit checks.” Rather than allowing your debt to manifest in a negative way, Nelson encourages students to take advantage of programs set up by the government to help students in situations where making payments is difficult. Many people know about interest relief, a program to assist borrowers who can’t afford to make payments by just allowing them to pay the interest, not everyone is aware of the
Repayment Assistance Plan. It works by filling out an application and showing income records that prove you cannot afford to make payments. For Runighan, working at a dental lab is a far cry from photography, but for now, it pays the bills. She now owes about $8,000, and expects to pay off her debt in one year’s time. Some students find themselves not having to worry about financial burdens because their parents pay for their education. But one former Durham College student regrets having his parents pay his way. His nickname is Lucky, and to many, Luke Lester would be considered just that. Lester attended Durham College from 1997 to 1998. His short college career was on his parents tab, allowing him to walk away without graduating and without a debt regret. “I didn’t have any sense of personal attachment to what I was doing,” said Lester. “It wasn’t my education. I had no real responsibility to finish what I started because it wasn’t my money. When I wanted to quit it didn’t hurt me. I didn’t lose anything other than the time I spent.” That lack of appreciation for money landed Lester in financial ruin a few years after college. “When I went out on my own it was quite a shock to me,” said Lester. “It was difficult to not only pay for things but to manage my money in a way that allowed me to save for my fu-
ture or keep money in reserve. I didn’t have it instilled in me that I needed to be responsible with it.” Because of this, at the age of 22, Lester was forced to declare bankruptcy. “The thing I’ve learned most is to carry as little debt as you possibly can in all aspects of your life,” Lester said. “Whenever possible, pay off your debts before spending your money on niceties in life. Take big chunks of money and pay off your debts so you’re not burdened with debt for the rest of your life.” To many, bankruptcy is a scary word. Rightfully so. The repercussions from declaring bankruptcy haunt you for years. “Declaring bankruptcy is one of the worst things you can do,” said Nelson. “It kills your credit so you can’t buy a home or a car, and declaring bankruptcy doesn’t excuse your student loan.” While many teenagers enjoyed a disposable income from summer jobs during high school, Melanie Gareau was saving every penny, babysitting and applying for scholarships. Her mom wouldn’t let her apply for OSAP or get a bank loan after she saw what a hard time her cousin had repaying her student loan. The Durham College animation grad is now thankful to be debt free. “I received a scholarship to any school in Ontario,” said Gareau. “There are a lot of scholarships out there, and bursaries. People just have to look into the general requirements early and get a head start. It’s free money, but you have to look around. There are lots of different scholarships for different people.” After graduating, Gareau couldn’t find any paying jobs in her field. She said that not having a burden of debt was a huge relief. Gareau encourages other students to take advantage of scholarships, and work during the summer to be financially sound for school. “I would recommend a budget in order to maintain a social life and debt repayment,” said Nelson. “Having a budget will allow you to focus on what you’re spending money on and not spend beyond your means.” Nelson also encouraged people to use services set up to help with debt repayment. Financial Aid is located in the Student Services Building and offers financial planning and counselling to Durham students. “We can advise students on the repayment process and the options available to them if they are not in a position to start repayment,” said Chris Rocha, director of Financial Aid and Awards.
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Ladies, take off your bras Kim Moreau The Chronicle
It’s Valentine’s Day! Maybe you’ve spoiled yourself with a sexy new bra, but have you given thought to your old ones? The Student Services Building staff has the answer! They want your old, unwanted and unloved bras! As part of the Power of Pink campaign, staff are hopeful that the Durham College and University of Ontario Institute of Technology community will donate their old bras, as well as those from their family and friends, to help a worthy cause. The bras will be donated to developing countries across Africa where bras are too expensive to produce. The Power of Pink bra bank campaign also helps support sustainability in the community. Rather than having old bras thrown into the garbage and contributing to waste in landfills, they can be reused. But donating bras and offering a sustainable means of disposing of old clothing is not to overlook the overall hopes of the campaign, support for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. “We’re supporting research and knowledge,” said Marion Neven, who works in Financial Aid and Awards in the Student Services Building. “Knowledge is power.” Neven and Kathy Bryers,
a receptionist in the building, both feel that the issue is one that needs to be focused on. Both women are passionate about their roles with the campaign and hopeful that the community will hear their call to keep bras out of landfills. “Don’t be shy,” said both women. With 759 full-time, part-time and contract women staff at the college and 649 in the university, donations from staff alone could equal 4,224 bras if each person donated the average donation of three unwanted bras. One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime and one in 29 will die, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Odds of conquering breast cancer improve with further education and research that the college hopes to support financially and emotionally. Eco Canada Textile Recycling will be weighing and taking the donations offering a rate of five cents per pound of bras collected. In addition they will contribute another five cents per pound. Last year fundraising initiatives raised over $26,000. The staff of the Student Services Building invites everyone to donate their old bras into any hot pink collection boxes located around the campus and join them on March 7 as they do a final weigh in.
Kim Moreau
BRAS, BRAS, BRAS: Marion Neven and Kathy Bryers, staff at the Student Services Building, collect new and old bras for the Power of Pink campaign to help countries across Africa.
KSA is now open for business By Ray McNeil The Chronicle
Feeling like Canada’s a little boring? There are many different cultures represented on campus thanks to student clubs, and now another can be added to the list. The newly-formed Korean Student Association (KSA) at Durham/UOIT is now open to anyone interested in learning about Korean language and culture. Currently the club has 20 members from many backgrounds, including Chinese, Saudi and Malaysian. “Every country has their own characteristics,” said president Michael Kim, referring to the way people of Asian decent are lumped into one group. Kim first had the idea for the club
because he noticed Durham/UOIT was the only campus in the area that didn’t have one. “I want to show them the Korean image,” said Kim. At first, Kim was having trouble finding others to join, because he originally only wanted Korean students as members. “I found out that there really are not that many Koreans attending UOIT,” he said. Kim then changed the club to allow anyone to join. Having a KSA at Durham/UOIT also helps advertise the school to Korean students looking to attend post-secondary education in Canada. “They don’t know about the school,” he said. “The school has potential, just like Ryerson (and) U of T.”
“It’s not like other schools that have a KSA, because we don’t have enough Korean people to start with,” said vicepresident David Han, who also wanted to start a Korean club on campus. “A friend of mine told me she saw a poster on the wall in the hallway that said someone was looking for people who are interested in making a KSA,” he said. Han then got in contact with Kim and the two began sharing ideas for the club. “We tried looking for people, and we found 10 people, enough (according to SA guidelines) to make a club,” said Han. Kim and Han then spent last summer preparing the club, which was approved by the student association in September. They are currently planning their
first official event for March, a Korean food festival. The event, to be held upstairs in the student centre, will feature authentic Korean cuisine and entertainment. Han says he wants to do better in terms of membership. “Our goal is 50 people,” he said. “The main purpose of our club is to get people interested in our culture,” said Kim. Both Kim and Han emigrated from Korea to Canada. Kim’s older brother is president of the Korean club at Seneca College. He told him to challenge himself. “He also brought me ideas about promoting our school to Koreans,” said Kim. Anyone wanting to join the club can contact the KSA at du.kim@mycampus. uoit.ca.
It’s getting more pink in here
Brandan Loney
Chronicle Staff With more than 32 members in attendance for their first information session, this year’s Power of Pink day,
Wednesday, March 7, looks to be a promising fundraiser for cancer victims and survivors everywhere. The Power of Pink campaign started in 2005 and over
the years has included events like pink and denim day, and sales of beads and mugs for $5. And the campaign has spread from vendor’s alley to the Whitby campus.
The campaign members come from all over the school. Representatives from the school of Media, Art and Design, Centre for Students with Disabilities, Campus Health
Centre and others attended the meeting. As a campus community, Power of Pink has raised nearly $87,500 and has a goal of $100,000 for this year.
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Students can listen and watch Riot Nancy Ellis The Chronicle
Students’ work – that’s the most important – and now the school of Media, Art and Design (MAD) has another way to showcase the talent that pours out of Durham College. It can be seen on TVs screens, located in the L-wing, on both the first and second floor. Greg Murphy, MAD dean, said this is part of MAD’s “school initiative,” getting students work on display as soon as possible. The TVs host all things MAD — products of graphic design, advertising, photography, journalism and more. Durham College and UOIT will have a new digital outdoor display board, outside of the Riot Radio which will show a live streaming video of the host(s) of Riot Radio and scrolling information about E.P. Taylor’s, bus schedules, weather and other information. “It will include information that they (students) will find interesting and informative,” Murphy said. The digital display board will be 12 to 15 metres long and about three metres high and will be able to be seen from the residences, Murphy said. The installation will take place over reading week and cost about $150,000.
The SA has been working on this project since February last year, but this technology is “built to last”, Murphy said. The digital display board will “allow our students to be more progressive”, Murphy said. “This technology is more progressive then any other school that I know of,” he said. It provides a “hands-on experience with digital signage”.
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How many times have you listened to a radio show and wanted to see what they were talking about?
Greg Murphy
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The new technology will not only create a more innovative way to display Riot Radio, but the web-based radio can unite people will similar interests. Murphy is hoping Riot Radio will engage people across the world with its web-based station and display board, bringing people together with similar interests who can collaborate or share issues or general interest stories with each other, kind of like Skype.
Nancy Ellis
L-WING RIOT MONITORS: Media, Art and Design dean Greg Murphy beside one of the new showcase TVs.
Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise plan Kim Moreau The Chronicle
TO ADVERTISE IN THE CHRONICLE CONTACT DAWN SALTER 905.721.2000 x. 2604
Many people create New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and although most New Year’s resolutions fade, for some people that desire to lose weight is ingrained into their everyday life. For some people, every day is a battle with the scale. Every day it becomes ritual to weigh themself, and critique their figure. Too fat here, too fat there, too fat everywhere. It never ends. Eating disorders are often thought of as a teenagers’ issue, yet they accompany many men and women into adulthood. Media-driven ideas of what’s perfect inspire men and women of all ages to diet, exercise to extremes, and do whatever necessary to lose weight to feel good about themselves, regardless of how it impacts their health. “I think our expectations are completely unrealistic,” said Kathy Bales, a part-time professor at Durham College who previously worked in the Lakeridge Health Eating disorders clinic. Magazine covers, television programs, billboards, commercials - everywhere people look there’s an advertisement encouraging them to lose that extra few pounds or for men, to bulk up that extra bit – feeding inner body issues and encouraging unhealthy behaviour. There are several types
of eating disorders affecting people, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa refers to losing weight due to a lack of eating. Bulimia nervosa refers to binging and purging which results in a yo-yoing of weight. Bingeeating disorder refers to eating in abundance. The difference between bulimia and binge eating is that binge-eaters do not typically try to eliminate the food from their system. Sylvia Emmorey, Durham College nutritionist, said there is also a growing trend with fitness being taken to an extreme as well. People suffering from an eating disorder are eager to get rid of calories as quickly as possible, and for some people they see going to the gym as a healthy alternative. While exercising is proven to lead to a healthy lifestyle, taken to the extreme it can also be dangerous. “I think there is too much focus on size,” she said. She encourages students to think about their health above all other things. Emmorey explained that all diets work, but they don’t necessarily achieve the weight loss that people desire and do not necessarily work long-term. Working with a nutritionist will create long-term strategies to achieve a desired weight loss in a healthy way. She encourages students to not just look at the number on the scale, but to take into con-
sideration their overall health. “Just because you’re thin, doesn’t mean you’re healthy,” she added. For people suffering from an eating disorder, however, this information is far too late to hear. The numbers are the lifestyle, the weight loss is the success, and every pound or inch lost is a step in the direction they want to go. Eating disorders are a lifelong battle, even for people who overcome their disorder, said Bales. Undo stress can cause someone to revert to their old ways. Mental health and eating disorders are closely intertwined. While relapse is common, it is preventable. Students suffering from an eating disorder should find a counsellor they can work with long term to address their inner battle. Bale recommends monitoring involvement with media and advertisements, and continually working at self-acceptance. “Remind yourself why it’s important to make this change,” she said. Working toward improving health rather than losing weight can help goals become more realistic and beneficial in the longterm. Effects of eating disorders are both physical and mental, but with the right assistance in coping with inner thoughts, the compulsion to be thin can be diminished and the trek to health can begin.
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Going MAD for mobile computing
Nicole Patton The Chronicle
Take a look at your mobile device. Whether it’s an iPhone, an Android or another device, it has applications you use in your everyday life. According to Statistics Canada, 33 per cent of Internet users went online using mobile devices in 2010. Those applications, or apps, have to be created by experienced developers and programmers with the skills to deliver such apps and websites for mobile devices. Now students of Durham College can acquire those skills. Web Applications for Mobile Computing, one of the newest Durham graduate certificate programs, will educate students to be those developers and programmers in one year. “Everybody is on their phones. They’re text messaging, their receiving email. Our phone is basically now like a mini computer that we carry around with us,” said Kris Felstead, the co-ordinator for Web Development. “So that was a component that we’re utilizing to communicate as a human being, but we weren’t really leveraging yet in our curriculum. And that’s how the post diploma for mobile apps came
Nicole Patton
BEING MOBILE: Web Development co-ordinator Kris Felstead poses with his iPad, illustrating the use of mobile devices to explain the new Web Applications for Mobile Computing post-graduate program at Durham College. about. It’s all about how do we create content that’s acceptable for mobile use.” The program will show students how to use the Apple Mobile Operating System (iOS)
and Android platform to create apps, websites and rich media for hand-held devices. Felstead said that the program would be good for students who have a foundation in coding or people
with at least five years of industry experience. The idea for this program came about when Felstead and Greg Murphy, dean of Media, Art and Design, got together and listened to some
Ready for life after graduation Emily Wood The Chronicle
It’s time to make things happen. You’ve been in school for up to four years and it’s most likely been draining, but now is not the time to coast through the final months before graduation. In fact, it’s time to kick things up a notch. On Feb. 1, the Durham College First Generation program hosted Closing the Chapter, an event designed to help students prepare for their upcoming graduation this spring. Three speakers made presentations, providing tips and useful information on building resumes and cover letters, organizing co-curricular records and managing debt. So how can you prepare for graduation? Lucy Romao Vandepol, First Generation Co-ordinator at Durham College, is a strong advocate of student involvement on campus, which looks great on any resume. Students are now able to build co-curricular records through the Durham College portal to create a detailed list of the clubs and activities they participated in during their college careers. You can also choose to leave an involvement off your record if you feel it does not apply to their desired field. The record shows titles and descriptions of any positions held. It applies to club administrators as well as basic members. Melissa Bosomworth, First Year Experience Co-ordinator of Student Life at DC, advised students to indicate only the highest level achieved in a single club.
This personalized record of involvement is a tool that can help set you apart from other applicants when your resume is piled with hundreds of others, she said. It proves, with specific examples, your employability skills, including problem solving, team building, and even financial management. Once your record is created, you can access the official document as a PDF at www.durhamcollege.ca/cocurricular. Printing of this document is unlimited. Anna DeGrauwe, career advisor at Durham College, also spoke at the session. Students can make appointments with career services at any time, or drop in for information on creating great resumes, cover letters and interviews. You can also find information booklets about job hunting, resumes and cover letters online through the DC job portal under career resources. “You have our services available to you for two years after you graduate, completely free of charge,” DeGrauwe added. The job portal also houses a search engine with new employment opportunities posted daily. Students can have email alerts sent to MyCampus e-mail addresses when new job postings meet their specified criteria. The MyCampus e-mail, DeGrauwe indicated, is active for life and goes dormant only if users fail to log on every three to six months. Her advice? Save the job descriptions of all positions you apply for. Knowing the specifics of what skills employers are looking for will help you better prepare if called back for an interview.
As for job fairs, students should dress to impress and go armed with intelligent questions for specific employers. Researching attending companies will help prove what you could bring to the company. “Employers will know you prepared to be there and think, ‘What a good first impression,’” said DeGrauwe. She also encouraged students to take notes after speaking with employers (not during) about the skills and qualities they are looking for in new hires. This will also help should you be called in for an interview and is great information to include in a cover letter for that company. Elaine Catell, Durham College Student Awards Officer, was also present, discussing an issue at the forefront of many students minds: money. Along with tips on how to create a personalized budget to manage money and providing information on repaying OSAP loans, Catell stressed the importance of repaying debts to the college before the graduation ceremony this spring. College debts include any outstanding fees from tuition to library fines and failure to pay the college can result in withheld diplomas. Outstanding payments can be found on the MyCampus administrative services under financial profile. To get help with preparations for graduation, drop in to Career Services in room 212 of the Student Services Building or call (905) 721-3343 to make an appointment.
ideas given by an advisory board. The board is made up of external people in industry who give suggestions to the MAD school as to what programs, certificates or classes should be added. “This (web applications) was an area they said that if somebody had this post diploma on their resume it would almost be a shoe-in for them to be hired because it’s such an important aspect right now,” said Felstead. “If you do a quick job search for somebody that’s in computers and establishing precedence for a company, from a bank to a design company, they’re all asking now not just to have a website but to have a mobile version of that.” The concept for the program was built in an afternoon, according to Murphy, and MAD is trying to offer a wide variety for the students to choose from, including this new web apps program. “Technology has no value, unless you make it so it meets the needs of the user,” said Murphy. “You don’t have a user until you do that though. You actually have to show this technology can make someone’s life easier, more affective, more efficient. So we recognize that as the next wave, and certainly the current wave, with millions of apps available on the iPhone, there’s a lot of work there for people to develop web applications for mobile computing.” The MAD school is still working on a suite of post-diploma programs for the near future with different programs like animation and games linking curriculums to create more post-diplomas that will help their students succeed with whatever they hope to achieve. “So you can take your foundation in a certain discipline, but then you have this suite of programs that you can chose from,” said Felstead. “It’s going to be really successful.”
Singles will not be alone
Larissa Frankevych The Chronicle
Valentine’s day is not for everyone, and for those who are single might feel the extra sting of loneliness. To combat this a fun night of anime, called Forever Alone on Feb. 14. The fun-filled night will be held in Room I110 at Durham College from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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It’s getting hot and healthy here Hillary Di Menna The Chronicle
Rollercoaster rides, Barbie dolls, and sexual self-esteem were part of Hot and Healthy’s first workshop Feb. 4 in room C113. Don Carter, 48, shared the ups and downs of his life, which he at times referred to as a rollercoaster ride. When the event co-ordinators from the LGBTQ Centre, Durham College, UOIT and The AIDS Committee of Durham Region asked Carter to speak he said his decision came after some self-reflection and the realization that, “I do feel healthy and I do feel hot.” He said prevention education was there in his life and he did not respect his body enough. Carter was diagnosed HIV positive in 2006. He had seen his peers die of the disease and a man he looked up to had killed himself six months after being diagnosed. He lost a lot of weight and suffered financially since he could not work. He said he spent a lot of evenings alone in the hospital reflecting on his life decisions. He cut out “fluff” friends and had a great feeling of maturity. He developed a fighter’s mentality. “I am going to put my boxing gloves on, I am going to fight, I am going to win this.” “I passed through the ‘80s and ‘90s without getting positive,” a time period where there was little to no information regarding AIDS. Carter now works as a case manager for the AIDS Committee of Durham Region.
“I’ve learned to co-habitate with the virus.” This statement seems a necessity when Carter is not only HIV-positive, works with the virus and inevitably has to disclose the virus when dating. He said it was a long journey before achievement the type of confidence he has today, post-diagnosis. Before moving to Whitby, Carter grew up in Newfoundland. His mother being a Pentecostal minister, religion was a driving force within the household. He never saw his parents kiss. Shy and insecure over his small size, Carter would hide behind his musical and artistic talents, touring Newfoundland singing with his father. To add to his insecurities, he would look at his sister’s dolls and ask himself, “Who do I relate to?” Carter met his first girlfriend was in kindergarten. He “married” her one day in the tot classroom and continued a relationship until Grade 6 when she dumped him, the reason being Carter’s inability to take her to the school dance as his religion prohibited dancing. Every year Carter’s family would visit Florida. He would feel an intense panic when looking at other men, out of fear that his father would notice. Carter started stealing the centrefolds from gay porn magazines to look at when he found privacy. Though today his mother is open and able to discuss his sexuality, she warned him in his youth, “Don’t ever tell your dad what you’re doing because he will kick you out.” Carter would meet men on these vacations and have sex with them in bathrooms or at their homes. He described the
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E-waste a success for Durham Region Hillary Di Menna
HOT AND HEALTHY: Don Carter shares his life story at Durham’s Hot and Healthy Workshop Feb. 4. situations and afterwards like a rollercoaster ride. During the experience he’d have an “up” but when he went home to his family his fear would bring him back down. He says his sister is “every gay man’s dream,” since she is “gorgeous” and understanding. Carter explained his father’s love is conditional because his religious mind set is very clear in saying “homosexuals go to Hell.” Carter said he’d remember questioning: “Am I gay? Am I comfortable being gay? How do I be gay?” When his family found out, they were devastated. Carter was made to throw albums and magazines into the fireplace while his family members watched. He was raped one holiday in Florida, “It felt like being in a candy land and being poisoned.” The situation made him think everyone was right, so he married a woman for 10 years. He described the marriage as a reaction to the rape. The couple had sex only three times, each time 20 months apart and each time ending with a baby. After 10 years they divorced. Though he described leaving his marriage as breathing for the first time, he lost family and friends. “Divorce [to the church] is
worse than being gay.” His ex-wife later discovered she was a lesbian and the two remain friends who both care for their two boys and girl. Carter became popular at clubs, and with the popularity and a lack of prevention education came promiscuity. “As soon as we understand we’re gay, we’re kids again, a gay adolescence.” He entered a six-year relationship with a man 13 years younger. Carter was his first. The relationship ended when his boyfriend was getting his second degree and Carter was entering a new phase of his own – turning 40. Carter is in a new relationship and lives a full life that he describes as, “something like an airport for me, arrivals and departures my whole life” He is more than happy to share information regarding AIDS, HIV and safe sex. On Feb. 4, he did so in a candid manner. At times funny, using Barbie dolls and action figures to illustrate societal points, and at times tear-jerking, like when he shared the story of his son emphasizing his support of his father’s work by clicking the “Like” button on a Facebook status talking about the Hot and Healthy workshop. “Thanks for coming out, pun intended,” said Barb Bryan.
Philip Petrovski Chronicle Staff
Durham Region is cleaner and greener after the second annual winter e-waste collection event On Jan. 14, a collaboration between the region of Durham and the Ontario Electronic Stewardship resulted in the collection of 28 tonnes of electronic waste. The collection required 617 vehicles, which delivered the e-waste to be properly shredded and recycled. Your old electronics may contain valuable metals that can be reused. Also many electronics use hazardous chemicals, which should not be disposed of in the garbage. “The initial goal of the event was to divert waste from the landfill and have it properly disposed of and recycled.” Communications manager Joanne Paquette says, “and this year was even more successful.” Many things are considered electronic waste. The things commonly forgotten in basements and closets are reusable. “We collect old speakers, stereos, computers, handheld devices and phones, among other things,” Paquette says, With such a large-scale collection event, organization and transportation required a larger team. “This was put together by Durham Waste Management staff in partnership with Ontario Electronic Stewardship. The collection event was a joint effort,” Paquette said. While the collection event was created to dispose of a mass amount of electronic waste, collection will continue throughout the year with three dropoff locations: 1640 Ritson Rd., Oshawa, 1623 Reach St., Port Perry and Sideroad 17, Brock. “We hold special collection events throughout the year,” says Paquette. “There are more collection events coming up.”
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Are toilet bowls biohazards? Bobby Perritt The Chronicle
Are you a nester? Do you lay a nest of toilet paper on public toilet seats before you sit down to answer nature’s call? Many people do, thinking they’re avoiding disease and infection. But do public toilets really deserve the stigma many people dump on them? According to microbiologist Dr. Ayush Kumar, 36, of the UOIT health sciences department, public washrooms can be hosts to harmful bacteria and germs, but sitting on the toilet isn’t as bad as many make it out to be. Kumar holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Manitoba. He has been with UOIT since 2007 and now teaches PhD and Masters students at UOIT and runs a campus microbiology and antibacterial resistance lab. First of all, according to Kumar, the toilet paper nest is a futile attempt in sanitation that is more psychologically soothing than it is a germ barrier. The material is too porous to act as a filter and therefore even in a few layers, easily gets penetrated by germs, especially if it’s moist. Sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIs and
Bobby Perritt
TOILET BOWL SAFETY: What kind of protection does one need to simply use a public washroom, like this one at a Durham Region grocery store? STDs) were instantly crossed off the list of health risks in public bathrooms. “The chances of picking up an STD from a toilet seat are close to impossible,” Kumar said. “A lot of (STIs and STDs) are susceptible outside the
body.” These sicknesses primarily transfer through direct bodily contact. They thrive in high carbon dioxide and low oxygen environments. It’s a tough world for an STD or STI that has been cradled inside a human body, and without warning is thrown onto the cold porcelain of the outside world. A toilet could only theoretically transmit such sicknesses if a carrier’s genitalia touched the porcelain and by a stroke of horrible luck left bacteria or a virus behind for an unsuspecting receptor’s genitals to touch in the exact spot very shortly after. “If you start getting (sexually transmitted sicknesses) from non-sexual behaviour or by non-sexual means, we wouldn’t be calling them STDs,” Kumar rationalized. Toilet seats usually can’t even hold a high enough concentration of bacteria in order to transmit these sicknesses. Every toilet in Durham College is temporarily closed and cleaned four times per day – including the toilet seats. Staph infection was the only skin disease Kumar could think of that hypothetically could be transmittable by toilet seats under exceptional circumstances. There have never been any published reports of these cases though. People are constant everyday carriers of staph, but Kumar explained that somebody whose immune system is compromised, by AIDS, cancer or cancer treatment for example, could be susceptible to the bacteria if there is a way for it to enter their blood stream through a cut or open sore. This could happen by broken skin touching the infected toilet
or it could enter the body in a number of ways if the person is unhygienic enough to not wash their hands after. Possibilities such as this, are what drive markets for products like the SaniCone from Avre Skin Care. The female urinary cone is a handheld, compostable cone that women use to stand up to urinate. They can carry them by the pack or individually, tucked away in their underwear. Five packs of ten cones cost about $20 online in Canada. Yet Kumar said, “What is more concerning than sitting on a public toilet…I would be concerned more about flushing a toilet.” With the high pressure of water rushing into the bowl, tiny airborne water droplets laced with feces spray “like perfume,” up into the air. It is unhealthy to inhale feces that have come from yourself or a stranger. The sink tap, Kumar pointed out, also presents much greater health risks than sitting on a toilet, unless the toilet is visibly plastered in filth. Kumar also told people to keep in mind what he considered to be a couple of other particularly risky surfaces. The hard-to-clean crannies on the rotating handles of some paper towel dispensers tend to accumulate untold mounds of germs and chipped hard surfaces (such as countertops), are generally rougher and hold onto bacteria. As well, hand washing is not something to be done carelessly. Health Canada recommends lathering hands with soap long enough to sing Happy Birthday, and using paper towel to turn off the tap, to prevent recontamination of hands with the bacteria and traces of feces
from all the hands that have just finished in the stalls. As well, antibacterial products have downfalls for general health. “Only one to two per cent of bacteria is (harmful),” Kumar said. Good bacteria, which are essential, are plastered all over people’s skin. It acts as a protective layer against pathogenic or harmful bacteria, much like a condom protects the skin during intercourse. Antibacterial products diminish germs as advertised. But harmful bacteria tend to become resistant to antibacterial agents. Essentially, antibacterial cleaners tend to kill all the “good guys” to live up to their antibacterial title and leave behind only infectious bacteria. These bacteria multiply faster when their space to roam isn’t cramped by friendly germs, Kumar explained. Regular soap kills germs by indiscriminately dissolving bacteria in fatty acids, where even devilish bacteria and germs generally do not adapt. Strangers that share the same surface to set their bare thighs and bare rumps upon, plus the occasional dribble that may go astray, seems to be more psychologically hazardous than biologically hazardous. Avoiding touching many bathroom surfaces, especially after you’ve washed your hands, avoiding antibacterial soap whenever possible, and leaving the stall the moment the toilet flushes, are more effective ways to avoid germs in public washrooms. So at least while you’re sitting and not moving about the washroom, enjoy your porcelain throne like the kings and queens you are – you deserve it.
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Stores help dress the homeless By Jordan Lloyd Chronicle Staff
Jeans are the number one gift idea at the Oshawa Centre for the Teens for Jeans program. When a person takes cloths to a store it is normally for one of two options, either to return them or to exchange them. At the Oshawa Centre however, one store is taking them back for donation. The program was created in 2008 to raise awareness among teens and the community about one-third of homeless
people being under the age of 18. According to its website the campaign was created by Do Something, a non-profit organization with the goal of motivating young people to make an impact through social change. Do Something works in conjunction with the stores Aeropostale and P.S. from Aeropostale to collect as many pairs of jeans from the public as possible for donation to people in need. The campaign is running for the fifth time and already has over 10,000 schools signed up for donations. For the school that donates the most jeans,
prizes include $5,000, and new Aeropostale jeans for every student involved. Gently worn jeans of any brand are being accepted and a 25 per cent discount is given in exchange for every donation. Former Durham College student Daniel Morrell believes it is a good cause to take part in. “I had seen that they were taking donations here and wanted to help out,” he said. “I think people often forget that so many of the people who are homeless out there don’t have as many pairs of jeans as we do.” The campaign started on Jan. 16 and will end on Feb. 12, after which all of the
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jeans collected will be donated to local shelters and youth agencies throughout North America. In the four years that the campaign has been held, over 1.5 million jeans have been collected for the homeless. Morrell believes this is something that can catch on. “Other people I know have more pairs of jeans than they know what to do with,” he said. “Why not bring them here and get rid of them for a good cause.” Do Something is hoping that this year they can increase their total donations to two million.
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Campus RESUMANIA: From left to right: career advisers Anna De Grauwe and Alix Chasse, and employment adviser Mary Noble, at the Resumania clinic at the student services building. Ray McNell
Steps toward a new job By Ray McNeil The Chronicle
Finding a job is hard work, especially for students. However, those who attended Resumania might have lightened their load just in time for the campus job fair, by learning ways to ensure employment. The drop-in clinic was held at the student services building on Feb. 2 and 3, and was a firstcome, first-serve event. “We had a lot of people up front, and then steady business throughout,” said internship
co-ordinator and employment adviser Mary Noble. Students received help during the three-hour workshops on how to present themselves and their talents to an employer. “A lot of the students had very good resumes and they just needed a little bit of tweaking,” said Noble, mentioning that any students who did not were advised to book an appointment for additional help. Grammatical errors and consistent white space are something that should be done
beforehand. “Ideally the person has seen us before, or has at least looked at something in regard to format and content,” she said. Noble said she helped most students with getting their college-learned skills on the resume, because at this point many of them have little experience out in the work force. “They’ve got their education, that’s good. And they’ve got their work experience and volunteer experience, that’s good. But sometimes employers want to know ‘well, what have you
learned in your program?’ and so we try to help them get those college-learned skills on the page, and give themselves credit for what they know,” she said. But just because the resume looks good, does not mean the fight for a job is over. The two biggest flubs a student makes when looking for a job are not dressing appropriately for the interview and not researching the employer beforehand. “You’re there to impress them, and ideally, have them remember your names,” said Noble.
Campus
DC gets cultured Larissa Frankevych The Chronicle
If you’re into cultural music, theatre or dance, Pangaea, the upcoming showcase of cultural festivities by Durham College could be for you. It will run from Feb. 27 to March 2. For more information or to schedule an audition time, contact Derek@sacampuslife@ dc-ouit.ca.
Size matters Larissa Frankevych The Chronicle
Your daily Tim Hortons cup just got a little more bang for its buck. They made room for the new 24-ounce, extra large size. The whole line of sizes has been upgraded. For example, the old small is now extra small and the old medium is now small, and so on. But with the new sizes, does that mean it now costs more for each size? “No” says Dawn Joe, a representative for Tim Horton’s.
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Origin of the heart shape DC students look to the heart Hillary Di Menna The Chronicle
It’s Valentine’s Day. School children are swapping cartoon character-emblazoned cards, chocolate and flower store registers are filling up and text messages are ending with the greater than symbol followed by the number three. Where did the heart shape come from before this clever use of mathematical symbols? Durham College students weighed in. “Egyptians wrote it on walls,” said Johnny Paty a first-year Computer Systems Technology student. The Egyptian’s “heart soul” symbol did look like the heart symbol we see on red and pink products every February. Egyptians used Silphium seeds, which looked like hearts, for birth control.
Hillary Di Menna
OFF THE SHELF: Fine Arts student Tosha Lavender poses in the library with a copy of John Irving’s Until I Find You, from the Valentine’s Day themed shelf. Ancient Cyrene coins had the heart symbol imprinted in them. A second-year Computer Systems Technology student,
Harley Brignall, said it was a female’s bum sitting down. Tosha Lavender, a Fine Arts student, agreed in that it was part of the human anatomy.
There is a school of thought that the heart shape is modeled after a woman’s vulva, breasts, or buttocks. “The heart is capable of sacrifice,” Eve Ensler wrote in the Vagina Monologues. “So is the vagina. The heart is able to forgive and repair. It can change it’s shape to let us in. It can expand to let us out. So can the vagina. It can ache for us and stretch for us, die for us and bleed and bleed us into this difficult, wondrous world. So can the vagina.” “It was made because a real heart looks gross,” said business student Teana Mata. “Maybe it’s because it’s two halves coming together,” she laughed. “That’s a good question.” Chris Willis, a first-year journalism student, suggested it was on the first Valentine’s Day card, before admitting to looking it up after being overwhelmed by curiosity. A Valentine’s card from 1910 does show a picture of a woman holding a large pink heart. Math somehow managed to again fit into the equation – my apologies. A cardiod, named after the Greek word for “heart” is a curve that creates a heart shape.
Misfit Matriarch rises to online fame
Larissa Frankevych The Chronicle
Gone are the days when parents got advice from books like, ‘what to expect when you’re expecting.’ As our generation moves into the tech-savvy world of the Internet more and more parents are turning to parenting blogs to obtain advice on raising children. Hillary Di Menna is one of those bloggers, writing about her life experiences as a young mother. Di Menna is a secondyear Journalism student who created the popular parenting blog Misfit Matriarch. “Originally my blog was, ‘a response to unwanted parenting advice.’ But it’s grown into a collection of book reviews, interesting articles, videos,” said Di Menna. Di Menna became a mother of her three-year-old daughter, Patience, when she was 22. She struggled against the stereotypes associated with being a young mother. “This surprises everyone but Patience was planned. I was engaged to her father and even though I wore my engagement
ring strangers felt compelled to ask, ‘Do you even know the father?’ said Di Menna. Her blog has a strong following with 100 members on the Facebook fan page. She doesn’t care how many people follow her blog and says she’s honoured if even one person reads it. “There is no proven way to raise a perfect child, yet it is expected of us to do it without fumbling along the way,” said Di Menna about her blog. “We’re given years to perfect our cursive writing but expected to be the perfect parent as soon as that pregnancy test shows two lines.” Her daughter, Patience, is thrilled with her mother’s blog, “She’s such a vain girl, she loves seeing pictures of herself. The only thing she cares about the most on it is an awesome song about cleaning up your room.” Misfit Matriarch has also become a way for her to showcase some pieces from her portfolio as a writer, which helped her land her next gig, writing a parenting column for a new magazine launching this month.
Larissa Frankeych
MISFIT MATRIARCH: Journalism student Hillary Di Menna keeps her sanity while relating to parents. Di Menna’s advice for future bloggers is to write about something you enjoy, update on a regular basis and know your audience. “I’m lucky that I’ve found a way to tell my lame jokes and brag about my daughter all in one forum.”
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Tracey Fidler
PROPHET, METAPHOR OR SON OF GOD?: Shabir Ally, Dr. Christopher diCarlo and Dr. Tony Costa took the podium in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre Feb. 9 to debate the question: who was Jesus?
Does He or doesn’t He? Tracey Fidler The Chronicle
Who was Jesus? It’s debatable. More than 500 students filed into the gym at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre on the evening of Feb. 9 to hear three separate viewpoints as to whether Jesus is a metaphor, a prophet or the Son of God. Three campus clubs, the Campus Church, the Skeptics Symposium and the Muslim Student Association, organized the event, inviting Dr. Tony Costa, Dr. Christopher diCarlo and Shabir Ally to debate His existence. DiCarlo has a PhD in philosophy and was a professor at various universities, including UOIT. He has written several books and articles, has won a long list of awards, including Ontario’s best lecturer, and has participated in numerous lectures and debates concerning ethics, reli-
gion and human origin. DiCarlo participated in a similar debate at the campus in 2009, where he squared off against theist Joel Boot as to whether God exists. Ally has a BA and an MA in Religious Studies and is the president of the Islamic Information and Dawah Centre International in Toronto. He has given lectures about Islam all over the world and discusses religion on a weekly television show called Let the Qur’an Speak. Costa has a BA and an MA in the study of religion from the University of Toronto and earned a PhD from Radboud University in the Netherlands. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society and frequently lectures about Christianity across Canada and the U.S. The free event began shortly after 6 p.m., with each debater
making an opening statement. DiCarlo was the first at the podium, disputing that Jesus ever existed. “Jesus Christ was entirely fabricated by the minds of humanity,” he said, arguing that people created Jesus out of fear and the need for security. “It’s a natural cultural development to hope for a saviour.” He also said there was a lack of historical evidence to support Jesus’ existence. “Why have there been so many accounts of other historical figures of lesser significance than Jesus Christ?” he questioned. “There are no eyewitness accounts, no first-hand records of him.” Ally spoke second, stating Jesus was a prophet according to the Qur’an, the religious text of Islam. “We regard Jesus, the Muslim man, as a prophet,” he said. “To Muslims, prophet means one who speaks on behalf of God, a spokesperson.” Ally went on to argue that
God and Jesus exist, and God is the “designer” of the universe, who brought us all into being. Costa was last to make his opening statement. “Jesus did truly exist,” he said. “He’s a messiah, the Son of the Lord.” He went on to address diCarlo’s point that there was a lack of historical evidence of Jesus’ existence, saying that most scholars do, in fact, recognize Him as a historical figure. Costa claimed it was the “leftists” who discount His existence. The debate then became more heated when diCarlo, Ally and Costa asked each other several questions and then argued back and forth. Ally and Costa disagreed as to whether Jesus died on the cross, and Ally argued with diCarlo about the origin of Christianity. Representatives from the Campus Church, the Skeptics Symposium and the Muslim Student Association then took the microphone to ask the debaters questions from their
clubs, as well as questions from the audience. The debate came to a close with each debater reiterating his initial statements, while also addressing the other sides’ weaknesses. So what did the audience think of the debate? “It was great,” said Dental Hygiene student Sheneil Black. “It really just reinforced my beliefs.” Software Engineering student Spencer Johnstone said all of the debaters “were very professional,” and that he would “definitely come back next year.” In the days leading up the event, volunteers from the three campus clubs set up a table in the purple pit to promote the debate. Students could fill out ballots for a chance to win a $500 gift card to the Oshawa Centre. According to the results from the ballots, 264 students believe Jesus is a metaphor, 273 believe he is a prophet and 711 believe he is the Son of God.
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What’s all this stuFF? Matt McPhee The Chronicle
Ray McNeil
SOUNDING OFF FOR MBM: Amanda Stewart performs at the MBM open-mike at E.P. Taylor’s.
MBM hosts open-mike night
By Ray McNeil The Chronicle
If you’re a musician looking to show off your talents, you don’t have to go far. The Music Business Management program (MBM) is holding open-mikes on Mondays from noon to 2 p.m. at E.P. Taylor’s. Everyone is welcome to come out and get up on stage for a chance to rock a few covers, or serenade the pub crowd with some original compositions. “I love the open-mike environment,” said second-year MBM student Braeden Mitchell, who has been running the open-mike since last semester. “You can become a part of such a great community of
musicians.” Along with emceeing the event, and playing a few songs before intermission, Mitchell is responsible for booking the venue, as well as organizing promotion, equipment and booking people to play. “The whole point of openmike is to give people like this the confidence and an opportunity to play for an audience,” said first-year MBM student Carolynne Colbeck, who is in charge of the talent for each afternoon show. “I’m the liaison between the artist and the open-mike,” she said. In order to get booked, performers must get their e-mail address signed up at the MBM booth in vendor’s alley, or at the open-mike itself. After that it’s up to Colbeck to bring everyone together.
“I then get the mailing list, I put them onto our contact list, and I send out e-mails asking who wants to play, at what dates, and then send them the full details,” said Colbeck. Working the open-mike also gives the MBM students credit for their campus entertainment class, which requires them to get at least 30 hours of real-world experience. “Being here, and dealing with the e-mails I get, I rack up hours,” said Colbeck. Among the many acoustic players, there are also artists who specialize in rap and a cappella. “It’s a nice crowd out here,” said pre-health student Scott Morris, who played the openmike for the first time. Morris was scheduled to play in the open-mike last semester, but
could not make it out. “I got an e-mail a couple weeks ago, asking me if I would play this show, so I came and played this one,” he said. Morris, who has been playing for about seven years, said he would be happy to come out and perform again. “As long as it doesn’t conflict with my classes, yeah,” he said. “If you’re an up-and-coming artist, or you’re really nervous (and) you only play in your bedroom for your pillows or your mirror, then it’s good to get out and kind of break that shell, and give you a little bit more experience,” said Mitchell. Anyone looking to perform at the next MBM open-mike can contact mbm.openmic@ gmail.com.
Attention all future Hollywood players. WalkMyCampus.com is hosting it’s first annual stuFF Student Film Festival 2012 and calling on all post-secondary students across Ontario, ages 18 to 35, to showcase their talents in filmmaking. The contest opened Feb. 6 and is looking for a variety of short films, ranging from animated shorts to experimental films, music videos and documentaries. Amir Kendic, founder of WMC, said everything submitted will get reviewed and all genres are welcome. The films will be reviewed and nominated by WMC’s student members, as well as Amir Azimi, executive producer of Brothers on Fire Productions. Azimi will be looking for creativity and production value. In an email, he stated that many film students make the mistake of copying an admired director’s films. He believes filmmaking is all about being creative and trying to think outside of the box. The window for submissions closes March 20 and the winner will be announced June 4. Azimi said they may have one or two other heavy names from the film industry that work with BFP on a regular basis give them a hand in the judging process, “but that’s a secret for now.” Kendic said this is a first for WMC and they are keeping it small and simple, approaching it with baby steps. The winner will not only receive a $1,000 cash prize, but also spend a day with the BFP team for a mentoring session and feedback on their winning film The student will be able to ask questions regarding the industry as well. Hoping the festival will be a success, Kendic said as stuFF grows, the prize will get bigger. A future prize may include the winner getting hands-on experience on the set of a BFP production, either a music video, a commercial or a film. WMC is a community-based website for students to showcase their talents. For more information, visit www.walkmycampus.com
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Deadman hits Toronto hard Amanda Darrock The Chronicle
Toronto’s Sound Academy was rocked by Canadian band Bleeker Ridge opening for world renowned Theory of a Deadman. The Toronto venue was packed on Feb. 4, with an assortment of fans young and old, anxiously searching for a hint of life on the darkened stage. The anticipation mounted with every minute that passed and the energy in the room exploded as the lights burst onto the stage. Orillia natives Bleeker Ridge broke the anxiety as they burst onto the stage and distorted the crowd cheers with strong bass and chilling guitar. After numerous songs the band blasted one last song following their thank you as a “warm-up to get you ready for Theory of a f#*#ing Deadman,” said lead singer Taylor Perkins. The crowd was clearly heated up as the lights dimmed and the stage began to slowly fog. As the fog slowly crept across the stage, the hundreds of fans became one voice chanting, “Theory, theory.” Their cries and chants were quickly met with the presence of drummer Joey Dandeneau, followed by bassist Dean Back, rhythm guitarist David Brenner and finally the crowd’s cheers erupted as lead vocalist Tyler Connolly grasped the microphone. As the guitars blared and the drumbeat pounded, Theory of a Deadman performed their first three songs off their album Scars and Souvenirs to the crowd’s utter joy.
Amanda Darrock
Theory of a Deadman: Lead singer Tyler Connolly rocks a packed Sound Academy on Saturday Feb. 6. During their second song Got It Made, Connolly took the opportunity to engage the crowd further by recording them with his own handheld device. Each song met with fans dancing, head banging, throwing their fists and devil horns in the air while the majority belt-
ed out the lyrics of each song. While the evening went on the songs turned to ones featured on their newly released album The Truth Is… which was met by screams and cheers. Connolly pulled Theory of a Deadman-branded guitar picks from his microphone stands and threw them into the crowd.
As the evening went on, the stage layout changed to resemble a camping scene. Not only did the stage change but the sound did as the band turned to a fully acoustic set to perform songs, including, Easy To Love You, while a fan, pulled from the crowd accompanied them on stage.The rollercoaster of
melody and emotion changes through the rock and roll hit a softer side as Connolly introduced their next song Santa Monica, which has been widely requested on all their tours. As the final chord of encore song Bad Girlfriend vibrated through the air, the sensation of enjoyment filled the venue.
The accident that led to music Amanda Darrock
The Chronicle When a terrible skateboard accident left Pickering resident Chris Greenwood bound to a hospital bed, he thought that his life was over, until he discovered his inner music and that discovery has lead him to a successful musical career. Having just released his new album, Fighter, which is gaining huge popularity as he performs all over the world, rocker/rapper Manafest(Greenwood) still sticks to his roots and keeps it all about the music. With numerous albums out and the opportunity to work with artists such as Trev from the band Thousand Foot Krutch, acclaimed producer Adam Messinger and Tooth & Nail records, Greenwood still sticks with his Christian roots and said he hasn’t let his fame change him. Among his albums, including Citizen Activ, Glory, My Own Thing Epiphany, and the newest album, Fighter, Manafest has his own personal favourites. “My favourite record to work on was The Chase. It’s my most focused record.
It was the first time I did an all-rock record. My solo writing definitely improved and the value of the music itself improved. And I worked with an awesome producer, Adam Messinger, who has worked with some of the top artists out there, be it Justin Bieber, Chris Brown or catchy songs that end up on the top 40 out there.” Though fans all over the world have come to learn Manafest’s lyrics and appreciate his music, Japan has shown a huge love for the rock/rapper. “When we were playing in Tokyo, the fans at the concert were singing every word,”says Greenwood. “It’s really shocking, you are in this totally different country. It’s an honour. You are up on stage and you perform and people pick up on it, and they appreciate it. It’s very honouring.” The name Manafest was not just a fluke, or a typo. “We changed the ‘I’ to an ‘A’ just to be different, so when people would search it, it would come up quicker and changed the a upside down, again to change it. The whole idea behind Manafest is light the dark place. Be it in
the music industry or in life, things get gnarly. I always wanted to make inspiring music, with lyrics that are emotionally driven and stuff that just talks to people.” Growing up in Pickering, Greenwood got into skateboarding at the age of 14, following years of pressure from his cousin. “He was a great skater and I looked up to him. Everyone has that ‘cool cousin’. He’d pushed me for years to get into it,” said Greenwood. Skateboarding was his life and passion, until he suffered a bad skateboarding accident. That caused severe foot injuries. As he lay in bed, he thought of everything else he wanted to do in life if he couldn’t skateboard. “I listened to a lot of music,” said Greenwood. “Like Michael Jackson when I was a kid, and tons of other music. I grew up with it, but the thought of creating it or performing it was never even a thought. I actually failed music in public school.” Starting off rapping his lyrics, Manafest slowly broke into rock as well. “I started off doing rap, just because of the guys I was hanging out with. Who you
are friends with influences your music. I was also influenced by a lot of other music, like rock. Even on my first EP which contained 4 songs, there was one rock track, so it was always in me.” Manafest has used these two musical styles to get his message out there. Though called a Christian rapper by many, Greenwood believes his music is more than that. “I just want to make music that can reach out to everyone. To tell stories of experiences that have happened to me. When you put the label Christian on music, it means it’s only for this select group of people, which is the opposite of what I’m trying to do.” When Greenwood is not touring or in the studio, he is still skateboarding. This is something he has been incorporating into his stage performances. He also makes as much time as possible for his wife Melanie in their Pickering home. “It’s all about finding balance in life, family first in that balance. I believe in chasing your dream, but I don’t believe in stepping over your family to achieve it.”
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King of the Dot blackout two Michael Ryckman The Chronicle
More than 400 people attended King of the Dot’s Blackout 2 event in Toronto on Saturday, Jan. 28, said KOTD founder Travis “Organik” Fleetwood. Canadian hip hop artist Classified was also in attendance, alongside New York hip-hop legend Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan. The event was held at Club XS just south on Richmond Street in Toronto and was the biggest crowd that KOTD has ever had. Former Durham College advertising student poRICH said the largest crowd a battle rap event has had in Toronto was KOTD’s World Domination 2, which was held in August of 2011.
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KOTD always one-ups themselves after every event and is loyal to everyone they deal with. Corey Charron
The crowd at Blackout 2 was almost double in size showing the rapid growth battle rap is having explained poRICH. Not only was the crowd massive but the event was also filled with some of the best battle rappers that the world has to offer. Legendary battle rapper Thesaurus from Monterey California was flown out to battle against Nova Scotia’s Pat Stay. Along with Philadelphia’s Passwurdz, Los Angeles California’s Dizaster, Okwerds, New York’s Cortez and PH (Pumkinhead),
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KOTD goes above and beyond to bring the best artists to Toronto. KOTD has begun to make a name for itself as the best battle rap organization because they are loyal to all the artists and fans. Battle rapper Corey Charron said it’s because they fly out battle rappers to compete against one another in Canada, and just started to hold events on TV for fans who can’t make it to Toronto. “ I think a major part is how professional they run their
company. KOTD always oneups themselves after every event and is loyal to everyone they deal with,” said Charron. “ They are the most innovative battle business of all time. Holding grand prix, beat box battles, two vs. two match ups, KOTD has a blueprint that every league should follow.” One thing that made Blackout 2 a memorable event was the fact that it was the first KOTD battle rap event that was held on pay-per-view. If fans were unable to make it to the event they were able to purchase the event and watch on their TV for $15. KOTD may not be the first league to hold a battle rap competition on pay-per-view but with 600 purchases at $15 each, it was definitely one of the
most successful, said Organik. Battle rapper and hip hop artist from Orlando Florida, 24/7, said the event was one of the most packed he’s ever been too and he was impressed by every single performance on Saturday. “For stand-out performances damn near everybody held it down tonight,” said 24/7. “ The event was fucking crazy bro. I’ve been to a lot of events and that’s the most people I have ever seen. At one point I was stuck. I mean I couldn’t fucking move bro.” According to fans Tyrell Myers and Aaron Black, the most anticipated match of the night was the return of Nova Scotia battle rapper Hollohan vs. New York’s Cortez because “they both have a cut-throat and gritty style,” said Black, and 24/7 agreed. “Cortez vs. Hollhan was nuts bro, I mean nuts. Both of them were ridiculous,” said 24/7. The normal KOTD format has judged, matches but for this battle it was called a promo match-up and wasn’t judged said Thesaurus. This leaves it open for any viewers to decide for themselves who won. “The way I feel about it, if it’s not a tournament or something on the line then promo is almost the better way to go,” said Thesaurus. “ Just from a feedback standpoint online, go look up a SMACK battle or even a Battle America battle. You never hear endless debates over who got robbed. You might as well let the artists showcase. No one’s pride gets hurt. I mean it’s obvious when someone loses anyway.” Thesaurus went on to say that every battle of the evening was incredible and as debatable as any promo match-up and said he was at the size of the crowd. “What a night! It’s the best event I’ve ever been to and it was the most packed that venue has ever been, which is insane,” said Thesaurus. “ For the most part, every battle was debatable there was a few one-sided ones but more than less you could make a good argument either way on them, and those are always the best ones.” Each event they have seems to be growing in size and if they continue to put on the pay-per view events, poRICH and Charron said they can see profits rising and a bigger fan base because KOTD has become the premier league. “KOTD has solidified their spot as the premier battle league. If you want to prove you can hang with the best then you bring your gloves to Canada,” said Charron.
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Hellishly capturing the old west genre
Nicole Patton The Chronicle
It’s a television genre that hasn’t been touched in years, but has finally returned to the small screen. The down and dirty Westerns that have captivated audiences for years have reemerged with AMC’s new television series Hell on Wheels. Set in 1865, the story follows the true-life nomadic camp more commonly known as ‘Hell on Wheels’, which accompanies the building of the American transcontinental railroad from the east to the west. The central character of the series, Cullen Bohannon, is a former Confederate solider who works as a foreman while searching for the Union soldiers who murdered his wife and son. Covering historical problems such as the Civil War, racism towards freed slaves, sexism and relations with Native Americans, Hell on Wheels gives a realistic look into the lives of the people involved with the creation of the railroad and the settlement of the West. Unlike many of the popular, fantastical westerns of the late 1940s and 50s, the series reveals how gruesome and difficult life truly was for the railroad workers. From hangings by fellow workers to scalping by the “natives”, it was said that there was a murder a day while working on the railroad. The story is believable for the time period and stays true to history, showing the mistreatment of African Americans and Aboriginals instead of making people believe everyone got along completely fine. The
characters are strong and relatable, letting viewers invest themselves in the storyline. While set in the western states, the series was filmed in Calgary as well as central and southern Alberta. Although the backdrop of the show was portrait worthy, the Canadian environment fought with the cast and crew repeatedly. “The first few weeks here in Alberta . . . we had epic rainstorms, flooding and hail,” said series producer Chad Oakes to the Calgary Herald. With thick mud and an abundance of insects, the cast and crew got a taste of what life really had been like for those in the past. One such cast member who experienced the crazy weather was British Columbian native Christopher Heyerdahl who plays the Norwegian head of security mistakenly known as ‘The Swede’ by the railroad workers. “Ultimately, we could get away,” said Heyerdahl to Collider.com. “If we had to, we could jump into our trailers and go into the city and hide in these big concrete bunkers, and get away from the weather. But we were reminded that these people could not. They were in the middle of nowhere. When the weather came through, they survived or didn’t survive.” Having the cast deal with these conditions makes the show all the more believable. They understand what the people of the time had to go through by the experience and not by reading something in a book. The series that aired on Nov. 6 finished the first season Jan. 15 and has been approved to begin shooting the second season later this year.
Entertainment
Kisses in time for Valentine’s Tyler Richards The Chronicle
On Feb. 7 Paul McCartney released his 15th studio album, Kisses On The Bottom. The album is McCartney’s first studio album since his 2007 release, Memory Almost Full. The new album is a collection of cover songs from McCartney’s childhood. Tunes like I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter by Fred E. Ahlert and Joe Young, the lyrics from which is where the album got its title. McCartney’s vocal dynamics lend themselves to these types of songs. The softness in his voice fits the feel of the album well. However songs like We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me) and My Very Good Friend the Milkman leave something to be desired. McCartney is most at home on the tracks on the album that he himself wrote -- My Valentine and Only Our Hearts. Featured on My Valentine is fellow Englishman and one of McCartney’s good friends Eric Clapton. His acoustic guitar riffs add nice fillers to the double bass and brushed drums of the background music. It is rumoured that the album is a Valentine’s Day present to McCartney’s new wife Nancy Shevell, and with it’s odd release timing and the best song on the album clearly being My Valentine, it isn’t too hard to believe those rumours. While it isn’t among McCartney’s greatest works, Kisses on the Bottom is definitely a pleasant listen on a cool summer’s eve or sitting by a warm fire in the depth of winter.
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Sports
February 14, 2012
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Lords win final home game Tyler Richards The Chronicle
The Durham College women’s volleyball team took to the floor for their final regular season home game and they didn’t disappoint. They played the Loyalist College Lancers and won three games to one. Durham started off game one strong, going on two fivepoint streaks off the serves of Alexis Roddau and Natasha Jakovljevic, but when the Lancers made some changes the Lords hit some tough competition. “He (Loyalist coach Tony Clark) moved around his players,” said Durham coach Shane Christopher. “We were putting the ball over the net, we just couldn’t put it in the place we wanted.” The Lords were able to pull off a narrow win in their first game by a score of 25-21. Indecision and bad communication led the Lancers to gain a small foothold on the Lords during the second game, a lead that went back and forth for the rest of the game. One of the highlights of game two was a beautiful soft spike by Roddau that helped the Lords gain the momentum they needed to eventually overcome the Lancers and win 2523. Durham started off weak the third game, but they weren’t completely out of the game in the beginning. After some bad
Tyler Richards
ALL SPIKED UP: Durham’s Nicole Riedstra hammers a hard spike at the visiting Loyalist Lancers. Riedstra and seven of her fellow teammates will not be returning to the team next year. communication by the Lords, Christopher decided to call a time out, but it wasn’t enough for Durham to take the lead and they lost in the third game 25-14. The Lords turned it back on for game four and what would be their final home game of the season. Colleen McRobert
played especially well; her setting is what helped the Lords keep their spikes on target. Long rallies and questionable officiating helped keep the scores close into the latter half of the game. Things started to tip in the Lords’ favour when Christopher put in Laura Plahuta. It was with Plahuta’s help
that the Lords hammered the final nail in the Lancers’ coffin. It wasn’t just the last home game for the Lords; it was also the last game in the college volleyball careers of seven women: Jenn Sheehan, Alexis Roddau, Ashley Mulholland, Nicole Riedstra, Laura Plahuta, Kristyn Vavoulis and Natasha
Jakovljevic. Durham’s season finale is tonight at Georgian College. The Lords sit tied for seventh place with George Brown, but the only way for the Lords to make it to the post-season would be for George Brown and sixth place Seneca to lose every game they have left.
1,000 points and counting for Emery Tyler Richards The Chronicle
Tyler Richards
LAYING UP: Erin Emery recorded her 1,000th point in a big win against the Georgian Grizzlies on Feb. 3.
What’s better in college basketball than scoring 1,000 points in your career? Scoring 1,178 to break the current OCAA record -- and Durham’s Erin Emery is on her way to doing that. Emery reached 1,000 points in her career early in the first quarter during Durham’s 6458 victory over the Georgian College Grizzlies on Feb 3. After sinking the first basket of the game for the Lords and downing a single free throw, Emery sank an easy basket for her 1,000th point. “I was just playing the game,” Emery said. “I wasn’t counting or anything.” In December Emery broke Durham College’s all-time record of 886 points, set by the late Bonnie Slaughter back in 2004 of 886. Slaughter set the record in four years at Durham, while Emery set her record in five.
Emery is only the third player in OCAA history to breach the 1,000-point barrier. “It’s pretty exciting,” said athletic director Ken Babcock. “We’ve never had a player do that and we have had some pretty good players in our uniform. Milestones are an interesting things in sport, and to score 1,000 points in college basketball is a big deal.” Emery is currently second in the league in points per game at 18.2. If she maintains that average she could finish the regular season with somewhere around 1,050 points. If the team goes far into the post-season Emery could be within throwing distance of the scoring title. The current record holder, Natasha Thombs of Seneca College, averaged 17.6 points per game in her last season with the Sting. One person who has every confidence in Emery is her fiancée Tyler McGarrity.
“She’s had one amazing career,” McGarrity said. “I have nothing but confidence in her as a basketball player. She has a knack for scoring. There is nothing she can’t accomplish if she puts her mind to it. It would be pretty awesome for her to finish off her career as the OCAA all-time scorer.” Babcock isn’t so sure though. “She’s close,” Babcock said, “but we’re running out of time. She would have to light up the scoreboard in the next few games to reach that record.” Currently the Lords sit fifth in the East. For them to play a home game in the playoffs they need to have a third or fourth place finish at the end of the season. Whether Emery makes it to the title or not seems to be a moot point at the moment. She’s going to finish her college basketball career knowing that she is one of the three players in OCAA history to cross the 1,000-point barrier.
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Sports
Lady Lords contenders Lords lose a for OCAAs at Seneca gruelling game
against Grizzlies
Tyler Richards The Chronicle
The fanfare that surrounded the Durham college women’s basketball team’s 64-58 victory over Georgian College Grizzlies was almost solely based on captain Erin Emery’s 1,000th career point, but it wasn’t just Emery contributing on the floor. “We had a good press,” coach Tim Baulk said. “We haven’t done it all year and it’s really something we just added to our game.” Along with Emery’s 14 points in the game, some of the other big contributors were Kelsey Hare with 15 points and freshman Keriann O’Sullivan with 12 points. The Lords seem to be having trouble waking up in the first quarter. Once that buzzer goes and the referee blows his whistle for the second quarter the women do wake up and turn it on full throttle. In the second quarter the Lords allowed the Grizzlies to score only one basket while they netted a big 11 points, tak-
Pierre scores 17, but can’t help Lords win at home Robynne Henry The Chronicle
Tyler Richards
PLAYING FOR THE WIN: Durham College’s Alicia Del Fuoco dribbles the ball during the Lords’ 64-58 victory over the Georgian College Grizzlies. ing them into the lead. They would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. The women take on St. Law-
rence College at home this Friday. Game time is 6 p.m. in the old gym at the Campus Recreation Centre.
The Durham College men’s basketball team suffered a tough 74-73 loss against the Georgian Grizzlies at home on Friday Feb. 3, the winning shot for the Grizzlies coming from Mark Brown at the buzzer. The crowd was on their feet when Brown stepped up to the charity strip after he was fouled, taking his two foul shots. Brown missed both shots, and the rebound came back to him after bouncing off five other players. Brown threw
an off-balance shot at the buzzer, hitting the backboard and going in. With this win, The Grizzlies swept the season series against the Lords. They beat the Lords in Barrie earlier this year. Christoff Pierre was the Lords’ leading scorer for the second straight game as he recorded 17 points, with Byron Wabano and Rob Gagliardi scoring 14 points apiece. The Lords are currently tied for third in the place with The Grizzlies and St. Lawrence in the east region. Each team has nine wins. With this loss, the Lords’ conference record is 9-7, with an overall record of 11-11. The Lords’ next scheduled game is in Toronto against the George Brown Huskies on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Results were not available at press time.
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OUA Men’s Hockey
OCAA Men’s Basketball
West division
GP W
Western Lakehead Waterloo York Windsor Brock Guelph Laurier UOIT
26 21 2 3 26 17 9 0 26 14 8 4 26 12 10 4 26 13 12 1 26 13 12 1 26 9 12 5 26 8 16 2 26 5 10 1
L
OTL Pts
45 34 32 28 27 27 23 18 11
Recent Results Jan. 27 UOIT 4 - Lakehead 5 Jan. 28 UOIT 2 - Wilfred Laurier 5
GP W L Pts
Centennial 15 14 1 28 Algonquin 14 11 3 22 St. Lawrence 14 9 5 18 Durham 15 9 6 18 George Brown 14 8 6 16 Georgian 14 8 6 16 Fleming 15 6 9 12 Seneca 14 5 9 10 Loyalist 16 5 11 10 La Cite 15 4 11 8 Cambrian 14 1 13 2 DC 65 - Fleming 74
OCAA Men’s Volleyball
West division
GP W
Laurier Guelph Toronto York Queen’s Windsor Brock Western Waterloo UOIT Ryerson
24 23 0 1 24 18 5 1 24 14 9 1 24 13 10 1 24 12 9 3 24 11 11 2 24 11 12 1 24 11 13 0 24 9 11 4 24 9 15 0 24 1 22 1 UOIT 4 - Western 6 UOIT 5 - Windsor 0
East Region
Recent Results Jan. 31
OUA Women’s Hockey
Recent Results Jan. 27 Jan. 28
Scoreboard
February 14, 2012
L
OTL Pts
47 37 29 27 27 24 23 22 22 18 3
East Region
GP W L Pts
OCAA Women’s Basketball East Region
GP W L Pts
Algonquin 11 10 1 Seneca 10 9 1 George Brown 11 8 3 Loyalist 13 8 5 Durham 12 5 7 Fleming 13 5 8 Georgian 11 4 7 Centennial 12 3 9 St. Lawrence 11 0 11 Recent Results Jan. 27 Jan. 13
20 18 16 16 10 10 8 6 0
DC 46 - Algonquin 66 DC 65 - Centennial 59
OCAA Women’s Volleyball East Region
GP W L Pts
Algonquin 16 15 1 30 Seneca 15 13 2 26 Durham 16 12 4 24 Loyalist 15 11 4 22 Georgian 16 11 5 22 George Brown 16 7 8 15 La Cite 16 6 9 12 Fleming 16 5 11 10 Cambrian 16 3 13 6 Trent 16 3 13 6 Boreal 16 1 15 2
Cambrian 16 16 0 32 Trent 16 12 4 24 Algonquin 16 11 5 22 Loyalist 15 10 5 20 Georgian 16 10 6 20 Seneca 15 8 7 16 George Brown 16 7 9 14 Durham 16 6 10 12 Fleming 16 4 12 8 La Cite 16 3 13 6 Boreal 16 0 16 0
Recent Results Jan. 20 Jan. 27 Jan. 28
Recent Results Jan. 27 Jan. 28
DC 3 - Fleming 1 DC 3 - Algonquin 3 DC 3 - La Cite 1
DC 3 - Algonquin 2 DC 3 - La Cite 0
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