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DC updates status of fees
Matthew Jordan The Chronicle
The amount of student member fees flowed to the SA for the first term has been made available. Durham College released a lengthy statement over the school email service, reiterating its position on the SA’s current struggles and providing a brief breakdown of the amount of student fees paid out by the school to cover SA finances. DC and UOIT have been holding the SA’s member fees since September over concerns about the student government. The school’s concerns were the result of a delayed audit statement for the previous school year, since received. The schools have also requested a governance plan, which the SA has yet to comply with. The college and university restated their dedication to en-
sure student services and clubs aren’t affected. To date the college has moved $1,549,554 to the SA. The costs are broken down as follows: $297,496 for SA payroll $597,058 for SA operating expenses $655,000 for the student health and dental insurance plan UOIT has transferred approximately $1,771,900 to date. The college also said in the email that the managed flow of fees would continue until the SA submits all required information to the satisfaction of all parties. To date, the college is still waiting on a governance plan. The email also states the schools’ offer to help the SA overcome its internal strife still stands, and that the school looks forward to re-establishing its relationship with the organization.
@DCUOITChronicle chronicle.durhamcollege.ca
february
11, 2014
Strummin’ Along
Shane MacDonald
CHANGING THE TUNE: Dustan Grant, a nuclear engineering student at UOIT, plays some tunes in the UA building on Feb. 5.
Credit transfers easier with new guide Christopher Burrows The Chronicle Transferring credits from institution to institution has become a lot easier for Ontario post-secondary students with the launch of the ONCAT’s new course-to-course (C2C) transfer guide. According to Durham College President Don Lovisa, who is also the co-chair, the C2C transfer guide allows students to go onto the website, ONTransfer.ca, search your course, and the guide will tell you instantly which institution, college or university will give you credit for the course. “You could put in your diploma, for example, and say ‘where can I get credit, and how much credit can I get?’” said Lovisa. “It will instantly tell you what university will give you credit for your credentials, and now we’re building it backwards (university to college).” The C2C transfer guide was launched on Jan. 20, with 24 of Ontario’s institutions involved and 88,000 credit transfer opportunities. Lovisa says there are now 34 institutions involved and he expects it won’t take long for that number to
Christopher Burrows
MAKING THE SWITCH: Durham College student Nicole Haslam visits the new ONTransfer website. The site, which launched Jan. 20, was developed to help Ontario postsecondary students transfer credits from university to college or from college to university.
jump to 44. “It’s really expanding the whole credit transfer system, which has been an enormous problem in Ontario for many, many years,” Lovisa said about why the guide was created. “And this is really breaking down the barriers for students, it’s allowing students better
mobility. We know that there’s about 21,000-25,000 students per year who transfer between institutions in Ontario.” Lovisa also said that making it easier for students to transfer credits between institutions would save money for them and taxpayers, because students won’t have to repeat
prior learning. “I can think about 10 years ago where if you had a business diploma (for example) from a college, and you wanted to go to university you might get a credit or two,” Lovisa said. “That’s all. Not a year or two, but a credit or two. So you think of the cost of savings to you as
a student. You’re not having to take year one and year two again. You’re saving a lot of money, and that’s what it’s all about; it’s about better mobility.” Better mobility is also one of the reasons why Durham College and UOIT share a campus. “We’re one of the leaders within the system with UOIT, and we have as many students going from UOIT to Durham as we do Durham going to UOIT,” said Lovisa. “Because of our proximity we’ve enjoyed that relationship with students going back and forth, (the students) determining their own pathways.” According to Lovisa, there was a time when universities would say college students couldn’t be successful in a university setting because they need to “re-learn the information from the university’s perspective.” However, with funding from ONCAT, Durham College did a study with UOIT last year in which they compared the GPA of pathway students in years three and four with third and fourth-year university students who started in their program in year one. In all cases the pathway students had higher GPAs.
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February 11, 2014
Campus
Antigua trip a success for MAD team Reshanthy Vijayarajah The Chronicle
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anned, sun-kissed and overwhelmed with the opportunity the Association of Canadian Community Colleges has offered them, a trio from Durham College has returned from their trip to Jamaica and Antigua, first of two trips they will be going on. Chris Gauvreau and Manjula Selvarajah,students from Durham College’s School of Media, Art and Design (MAD), and Danielle Harder, a journalism professor, are back with a lot more work ahead of them. With the partnership of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), the media team is headed down to produce videos about CARICOM Education for Employment program, which is part of ACCC’s overall Education for Employment initiative. The government of Canada is funding the program and ACCC took the initiative to run the CARICOM Education for Employment to help fulfil the need for skilled trades and to create job opportunities for the unemployed in the Caribbean. It also supports private sector development through workforce training in the sectors of
Chris Gauvreau
ALL SMILES: Students at a local college in Kingston, Jamaica who we’re interviewed for the videos made for the ACCC. The team is heading to Trinidad and Barbados February 11. the economy where there is a lack of qualified workers and entrepreneurs. “This project is a fund-raising initiative. We are drumming up funding to change the lives of others,” said Gauvreau. “At this point I think that the other people I have met while
being down there have changed my life. I have never been as flattered or blown away by so many individuals in my life. From the cab drivers to the people we interviewed, every single person has changed my perception and interaction I do with people from now on.”
According to Selvarajah, the program is a win-win for everyone. The colleges are getting students, while the employers are getting employees within the community and not hiring from abroad. “In Jamaica, we focused on the renewal energy program
that was there in partnership with Saint Lawrence College in Kingston, and in Antigua we focused on theaircraft maintenance program they are developing at the local college in partnership with the College of the North Atlantic in Newfoundland,” explained Selvarajah. “So it is a great partnership between both countries and funded by the Canadian government and run ACCC through the CARICOM program.” On location , the team was able to do a live show on Riot Radio via Skype, along with DC students Cody Orme from the Journalism Print and Broadcast program and Shyah Yan Zarrabi from Digital Video Production “I didn’t want to leave Jamaica,” explained Gauvreau .“Most of the people we went down with are in love with Antigua but there was something about Jamaica that I adored. The relaxed culture, the interactions I had with the community and the scenery. It’s just like home. I haven’t felt that way in a while.” The team is set to head off to Trinidad and Barbados Feb 11. You can follow their trip through their website caribbeanproject2014. w o r d p r e s s . c o m .
Annual job fair arrives on campus Luke Callebert The Chronicle
Luke Callebert
PLANNING THE FUTURE: Students engage future employers at the Health and Wellness Centre for the college and university’s annual job fair. 60 companies were on hand to speak to students.
Employers from 60 various companies gathered at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC) on Feb. 5 as UOIT and Durham College jointly hosted the annual job fair on Feb. 5. The event is put on in collaboration with the Oshawa campus of Trent University. “This is the largest on-campus employer recruiting event that we host,” said William Howe, formally of Career Services, now with the Student Academic Learning Services of Durham College. The stormy weather of the day had a couple of the employers showing up late to the event because of how bad the morning roads were. It did not deter students, who lined the hallway of the CRWC up to half an hour before the event, looking for a chance to meet a potential employer. “I’ve had several people and it’s only been the first half an hour,” said Carol MacDonald, who was accepting applicants for her start-up business myPSW Direct Access Homecare. The initial crowd of students who had just lined up was buzzing with anticipation once inside.
“A new experience,” said UOIT student Fernandes, when asked about why he was there. “It’s an opportunity to come out of school and have a job.” From Costco and Lowe’s to the Armed Forces and CSIS, there was a little something for any student on the hunt for a career or full-time job after graduating. “Essentially the reason we put it on is to help students and graduates find work,” said Howe. “There are, certainly, every year a handful of students who get hired right here the day of.” Students who could not attend the one day event, for whatever reason, need not worry as every employer is listed online through the schools. “Students can always go onto the Student Experience at UOIT or hired.durhamcollege. ca, to see a list of the employers,” said Howe. “They can go and see what employers were here, they can get their contact information.” Howe said the trend with employers seems to be moving towards applying online after meeting at the job fair, so a student who did not attend should not be disadvantaged in the application process. Students can go to Career Services if help is required with applications or the resume process.
Campus
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February 11, 2014
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Students speak out on sexual abuse Matthew Jordan The Chronicle
Social Justice Week 2014 kicked off Feb. 3 with five days of engaging events for students to raise awareness in the campus community. Tuesday’s event was called There Are No Blurred Lines, a play on the Robin Thicke summer hit. The event was a showcase on rape culture, and set out to debunk the media myths about the female body and identity. The day was marked by several events, including a presentation by Durham’s Rape Crisis Centre, slam poetry, and a presentation by White Ribbon campaigner Jeff Perera. A graffiti wall was set up to allow students to share their thoughts on victim blaming, consent, and social justice. The SA’s Outreach/Women’s Centre was also on hand, providing information through its “curl for change” booth, challenging men about the language they use, and collecting donations for the rape crisis centre. “We’re going to address the issue by talking to men about the language they use, and how the language creates an environment where the mistreatment and abuse can go unchallenged,” said Pawel Wojda, of Outreach. Social Justice Week (SJW) began last year based on events for social justice, which take place at other schools. The idea centres on a week of different events targeted at issues that matter to students. This year
the events were held mostly downtown, at UOIT’s Charles street campus, as SA vice-chair and member of the SJW steering committee Baker Baha said it was a great opportunity to bring SA events to downtown students who often miss out. The downtown campus is also the hub for Social Science and Humanities students, some of whom were able to receive marks for their participation in the event. Last year the SA didn’t get a huge turnout to what would be the first SJW, but were able to build on what they learned coming into this year. Baha said they brought more people on to the steering committee, and were able to work with the schools’ various clubs, such as the Environmental club and the CSSDP, to create focused events to engage more people. The steering committee, along with 25 volunteers, was able to achieve that level of engagement, which was reflected in the turnout of students. People interested in volunteering for next year’s SJW can send a message to the SJW Facebook group. SJW has a clear focus moving forward. “The awareness. Knowing that you feel there is a problem, but you don’t know what the problem is,” said Baha. “If people have awareness, they can either act on it or they can make up their own mind. This is what we want for students.” An open discussion hosted by the Durham Rape Crisis Centre was had with students. Organizers with the centre en-
tions, the answers to which were displayed on a wall of artwork and messages. “I think that’s the way we really come to understand the impact of sexual violence.” Students were able to add their own thoughts to the graffiti wall, many of which reflected those of the centre’s clients. Rape culture is a concept that links rape and sexual violence to culture and society. It’s perpetuated in the media by the hypersexualization of women in advertising, music videos, films, jokes, TV, and other media platforms. Women are often depicted in a position of vulnerability or as an
object. Cohen said the prominence of these types of media normalizes and excuses sexual violence. She said it creates a culture of fear, where women are forced to think about where they can go and what they can wear. It creates a mindset in society where the idea that rape is inevitable sets limits on how women and girls live their lives. “Rather than viewing the culture of rape as something to change, people in a rape culture think about rape as that’s just the way things are, that’s just what our society is, and that’s just part of what we have to learn to live with. We at the rape crisis centre strongly disagree with that,” said Cohen. Challenging the beliefs and values of society doesn’t just mean redefining women, it also means redefining men and challenging the equally narrow role of masculinity. To confront that, a presentation was given by Jeff Perera of the White Ribbon campaign. The campaign, founded by Michael Kaufman and the late Jack Layton, focuses on educating men and young boys to respect women. The campaign was founded in response to the Polytechnique massacre in which 14 women were killed. Perera presentation focused on debating masculinity and what it means to be a man. He made a point of the way society builds men up to the idea of dominance. “Let’s start something. Let’s work together to start something on this campus and in our community to address these issues,” said Perera.
laws are growing stricter following the United States’ example of longer sentencing, stricter guidelines for pardons and more rules for prosecutors. As a result of these drastic changes, there are now only two main ways the government chooses to view drug use: illegal or medical. Maté also notes that none of these assumptions have reflected any legitimate science or research by any government or organization; it has simply become the dominant idea within society. “The idea the government has is that drug use and addictions are just a matter of choice; it’s just a bad choice so what do you do? You punish them,” said Maté. “For some reason it’s perfectly legal to sell and buy alcohol, but you’re punished if you possess drugs and things like marijuana, let alone heroine and cocaine.” Maté also has a wide range of experience in the medical field and holds firm to the belief that healing physical and mental ailments, including addiction, can be aided by soci-
ety and dynamics we surround ourselves with. He asserts that humans are merely products of and participants in the creation of our own biology. Every dynamic and social interaction that surrounds us has the ability to shape our biology and, in part, influence how we change. The same can be said for how people use drugs. “A child who had asthma had two parents who were constantly stressed, and then they treat that child with medication which contains stress hormones,” said Maté, “but nobody thought to say, god, maybe asthma comes from stress.” Durham College and UOIT’s own chapter of CSSDP cosponsored the event and many of the questions fielded throughout discussions related to drug prohibitions and policies in Canada. The local chapter works throughout the year to promote these ideas within the post-secondary community and open up discussions and open, honest dialogue on how young people perceive our country’s drug laws.
Matthew Jordan
CHALLENGE THE NORM: Pawel Wojda curls some iron to raise money for the Durham Rape Crisis Centre. There Are No Blurred Lines was the second in a series of events for the SA’s Social Justice week. gaged students on the prevalence of rape culture, and created the opportunity to reflect on issues like victim blaming and consent. “We didn’t want this to be a workshop or a lecture about rape and rape culture, we really want this to be an engagement piece,” said Lynn Cohen of the Durham Rape Crisis Centre. “We asked students what do these things mean to you, what does social justice mean to you, what does it look like? We really want to start challenging some of those myths and misconceptions about rape.” Cohen said the rape centre asked its clients the same ques-
Use of drugs in society debated Sarah Pugsley The Chronicle
As part of social justice week at Durham College and UOIT, The Student Association and Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) hosted a series of speakers at the Regent Theatre on Feb. 5. Keynote speaker Gabor Maté, Judith Grant, Wesley Crichlow and Liisa Schofield discussed the impact of Canada’s drug laws across all levels of class, poverty and age. For 12 years, Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s downtown eastside with people who were challenged by mental illness, hard-core drug addiction and HIV. He has seen firsthand how women, visible minorities, indigenous people and people living in poverty have been challenged and suffered at the hands of the country’s stringent drug policies. “In a system which is based on profit, the people who have the most power can benefit from the work of the many and the idea that people are indi-
Catherine Legault
CANADA’S DRUG DILEMMA: Dr. Judith Grant responds to the keynote speech delivered by Dr. Gabor Maté regarding the impact of Canada’s drug laws during Social Justice Week at Durham College and UOIT. viduals is not true,” said Maté. “The same can be said for drug policies.” As young people, it is im-
portant to pursue justice for those individuals or groups who have been wronged. According to Maté, Canada’s drug
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February 11, 2014
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Step aside U.S., it’s Canada’s turn
Welcome to the golden age of Canadian athletics. Don’t get it twisted. This statement is not intended to take away from the accomplishments made by the rich history of athletes this country has already produced. It’s a statement as to how far athletics in this country have come. Hockey excluded, for obvious reasons, Canada still has quite an extensive list of famous athletes: Larry Walker, Steve Nash, Donovan Bailey, Clara Hughes, Ferguson Jenkins, and Nancy Greene. The list is pretty extensive and could continue well beyond the names mentioned. Unlike in previous generations, though, the elite Canadian athletes are not hockeyexclusive or scattered across different levels and different sports while being small in numbers. Our country is producing talent at all levels and overall in numbers unseen before in Canadian sports. According to CBC Sports, there were 34 Canadians who attended spring training last season in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the number is expected to grow this coming season. The record of 26 Canadians who played in an MLB game during a season is expected to be broken this season. These players are not just filler either. Joey Votto was the National League’s most valuable player in 2010, while Brett Lawrie, Michael Saunders and Phillippe Aumont all have tremendous upside. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), Canadians are leaving their marks, as well. In last year’s draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers took Canadian Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick, and it is widely thought that this year’s first overall pick will be Canadian Andrew Wiggins. According to TSN, the NBA currently
Richard East
has nine active Canadians -the most at any time in history and that number is expected to grow in the coming seasons, with some estimates placing the number as high as 25 active Canadians by 2016. In the National Football League (NFL), 17 Canadians made rosters out of training camp. The total Canadian number is again expected to grow in the coming seasons, but with the roster flexibility in the NFL, it’s hard to place an estimate. Nate Burleson plays a key role in Detroit’s offence, while Orlando Franklin, who played in the Super Bowl on Feb. 2, has one of the most important jobs in the NFL: protecting Peyton Manning. And that is just across the three major sports (minus the National Hockey League). Elite
Canadian talent is reaching far beyond just the major sports, though. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Canadians Rory MacDonald and Sam Stout continue to work up the ladder of their respective weight classes while Georges St. Pierre is one of the most known fighters in the company. Before stepping aside for personal reasons, St. Pierre was the UFC’s longest serving champion, winning 11 straight fights and holding his title since 2007. On the Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) tour, Graham Delaet, David Hearn and Brad Fritsch all made statements last season. Delaet ended up finishing 21st on the money list for the season, while Hearn finished 75th and Fritsch finished 142nd. Delaet finished ahead of prominent golf-
ers like Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood. Let’s also not forget Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic in tennis. Bouchard just had a magical run at the Australian Open of tennis, making the semi-finals of the major at just 19 years old. Most analysts say the sky is the limit for Bouchard, with some even making comparisons to Maria Sharapova. Raonic also had a great run, leading the Canadian team to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup. Most agree Raonic has the talent to become a top men’s player in the world as well. This is all without mentioning the fact that at the last winter Olympics, Canada’s amateur athletes produced 13 gold medals (not including the men’s hockey gold), three more than any other country. At the last summer games in London,
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Canada produced 18 total medals, the most for this country since 1996 in Atlanta. Canada has made strides across all sports, producing more elite level athletes, both professional and amateur, across more sports than ever before. While sports might not be the be-all-and-end-all to some, it’s time to take notice of this generation of Canadian athletes. There might never have been another generation like it, and these athletes have spent their whole lives dedicated to becoming the best at their chosen craft. In doing so they’ve put Canada on the world’s athletic map. As the Sochi Olympics continue, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the golden age of Canadian sports.
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Opinion
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February 11, 2014
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Don’t fear the future, let the future fear you Knowing every step of your journey isn’t a necessity
The future is a concept created by humans from the first time we decided we needed clocks Courtney to tell us what time it was back around 1500 BC. The future can hold great promise of things to Williams come. It can also be the scariest concept imaginable to students trying to find their footing in the world. From elementary school, to high school, to college and life beyond it, the future is something many people hope won’t come too quickly. In a February 2013 article in the Toronto Star, a Statistics Canada report shows that major student worries change throughout their school years. Early concerns about relationship issues and family problems give way to anxiety about the future – accounting for 73 per cent of overall student worries – by the time students leave high school and begin post-secondary education. From the time we enter high school, adults say it’s imperative that we know what we want to do with our lives. We have to take the right courses, get the proper grades, apply to the schools that will act as a catalyst to further our knowledge and eventually land us in the career of our choosing. As young adults, making that choice is difficult and scary – and as functioning adults in college or university, it doesn’t seem to get much easier. Society asks students on a daily basis: “What do you want to do?” and more often than not, the student in question doesn’t know how to answer. Sure, we’ve chosen a program in school and are working toward a diploma, a degree, an apprenticeship or an internship that will spice up our resumes – but that doesn’t mean we know the exact path we’re going to take. It doesn’t even nessecarily mean that we’re comfortable with the course that we’ve chosen! The possibilities branch out all around us and as we try to make a decision on which direction we want to take society is pushing us forward before we can even consider the options before us. We made a snap decision in high school and ended up where we are now. The question of what specific career we want comes up every single day and the pressure to be able to answer that question hasn’t diminished since Grade 9. Only now, we feel we need to have an answer. We’ve chosen a program, we’ve narrowed down our field of study – how could we possibly not know what we want?
Can you really not specifically tell me the exact company, position and pay youcexpect to receive five years down the road? Do you honestly not have every second of your future mapped out and every step you’re going to take cleared away for easy travelling? How unprepared of you! How irresponsible and immature! You should probably figure that out right away, right? Wrong! The stress placed on students today is immense. We worry about classes, about homework and getting it finished, about assignments and getting good grades, about tests and what we remember, about forgetting everything we’ve learned, about balancing school with work, about money and how we’re going to pay tuition, about midterms and exams and personal relationships and family life and everything in between. The list is endless. On top of all of this, we’re constantly being told we need to know exactly where our lives are going to take us. Figure it out now, or risk being stuck in limbo! Figure it out now, or forever hold your peace! The hourglass uses the flow of sand particles to measure the passing of time. Sticks of incense and lit candles are used to measure time in temples and churches all over the world. Time is seen as a gift to be treasured rather than a stresser to be weary of. But how do you measure time? It shouldn’t depend on knowing exactly where you want to be ten years from now. It shouldn’t rely on allowing the future to control your thoughts and determine your actions. You shouldn’t fear the future - you should make the future fear you. Time should be measured based on how much you are learning, the education and experiences you are receiving, the relationships you are building and the knowledge that as you make each decision and take each step forward in your life, the answers will come to you. You don’t need to know everything right now. You just need to work hard and know that your path is your own to create. The answer to every question you have lies in the future – just waiting to be discovered. So I won’t be afraid of moving forward, of leaving college and entering the future beyond this world I’ve grown so accustomed to. I won’t allow society to tell me that I’m not prepared enough and that I need to know how my life will end up before I’ve even had a chance to start living it. My path will be whatever I make it. I refuse to be afraid of the future.
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February 11, 2014
The not-so-social network Sarah Pugsley The Chronicle
Social networks are now an integral part of how we connect on a day-to-day basis. A variety of platforms exist to help people connect with one another either for business or pleasure. As these platforms grow, so does our desire to connect socially online rather than in person. Consequently, the lack of real connectedness may prove to be a serious disadvantage to potential careers, especially for post-secondary students. Ganaele Langlois, an assistant professor of the communications program at UOIT, specializes in online communications and connections. She is also the associate director of the Infoscape Centre for the Study of Social Media. Her insight into how students use social networking platforms comes from several case studies and research. “There is much less of a divide these days between online and offline relationships, and social networks like Facebook invite us to connect to people we know in real life, therefore complement existing relationships by offering new modes of communication,” said Langlois. “These days, social networks are not only on computers but on smartphones, and with push notifications we are always already connected to the network. This makes us, and our friends, more visible and more trackable...the ramifications of this are multiple: we still do not quite know how people negotiate social presence and the desire for down-time away from everybody.” As a young adult who is pursuing a career, one of the key
things to keep in mind while using social networks is your reputation. The second you publish something online, it will remain on the Internet forever. That includes everything you say, every picture you’re tagged in, and what your friends say to you. Potential employers will be able to access all this information with a quick Google search. “Young adults are becoming increasingly aware that one’s reputation online is something to be closely managed and crafted,” said Langlois. “There have been many cautionary stories of less than professional behaviour recorded on social networking sites leading to not being hired or being fired.” A recent study done by John Cannarella and Joshua A. Spechler of Princeton University compares the adoption and abandonment of social networks to the spread of infectious diseases. The rise and fall of these platforms and their relation to disease, as explained by Cannarella and Spechler, have been shown to spread infectiously between people before eventually dying out. The biggest example to support this statement is MySpace. Users began to leave the platform at the same rate as their friends, causing a $35 million loss for News Corp in 2011. The success of a social network depends entirely on the network of friends you create. So what can be learned from the MySpace example? No matter how you use a social network, it may die out depending on the rise and fall of its users. This may mean content is wiped from the site itself but it still remains on the Internet. As a young person entering the
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The Student Association is reaching out as it tries to find ways to expand Outreach Services outside the main campus. At their Jan. 29 board of directors meeting the SA body approved a motion looking at options for expanding outreach operations at the downtown Oshawa campus. The motion, which was proposed by SA director Cherlene Cheung, was in response to concerns she’d heard from students about Outreach’s location. “The complaints were coming from how restricted and limited and how small the space was,” said Cheung, who visited the location and agreed with the issues raised by students. “It felt exclusive rather than
inclusive.” Cheung described Outreach Services as one of the strongest and most valuable assets of the SA and praised its staff
Beliefs differ The Chronicle
Sarah Pugsley
CONSTANTLY IN TOUCH: Steve Douglas, fourth-year business student at UOIT, scrolls through the newsfeed on his Facebook. Nearly all people are constantly connected to social media with their smartphones. workforce with little to no experience, potential employers will check out your electronic background without hesitation. Another factor Langlois notes is the growing lack of real-life social skills. As each generation becomes used to using social media and the Internet to interact, interpersonal connections, which were once considered essential for any job, are beginning to fade. As you plan to enter the professional working world, it’s important to continue practising tradi-
tional methods of interaction. Langlois also implies that this is not to say that social media is negative; there are several instances where these platforms have been useful in raising awareness about important political and social issues. Maintaining a conscious attitude about social media and restricting your use, how you post and how you choose to network outside of the Internet will help post-secondary students in their job hunt and the future ahead.
ing assistance. Cheung pointed to the downtown campus’s 1,900 students and growing size as reason enough for improving the ser-
proposal. She said estimates pointed to the move costing the SA upwards of $200,000 to rent the proposed boardroom for five years. That’s why her motion is asking the SA to explore what options are available for future developments regarding outreach’s downtown location. “We are looking at different avenues to negotiate that between the SA and the institution,” said Cheung. Cheung’s proposal may have focused on the downtown UOIT campus but it was expanded on during the meeting. A friendly amendment asked the SA to examine ways to expand services to the Durham College campus in Whitby. Outreach will be hosting an informational booth at the Charles Street building in the second floor of the commons Feb. 10 starting at 10 a.m.
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The downtown students do pay the same fees as north campus students but we just don’t have the same access to services
Priyanka Bahl for doing a wonderful job in such limited space. According to her, outreach’s current location is “a very small cubicle, literally three bathroom stalls combined.” She wants to expand their offices into an unused boardroom to allow more staff and volunteers to offer students a better environment when seek-
Campus
Kelsey Braithwaite
Outreach reaching farther Brad Andrews
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vices offered outside the north campus. Priyanka Bahl, associate vice-president of university affairs, agreed with Cheung and saw the issue as one of fairness. “The downtown students do pay the same fees as north campus students but we just don’t have the same access to services,” said Bahl. Cost is a factor in Cheung’s
For some students of UOIT and Durham College, feeling confident in who they are and in their beliefs is a struggle. There are numerous reasons why someone may be insecure, but many believe communication skills can help control those issues. Stephanie Campoli, an Outreach Services counsellor, hosted her second communication workshop on Jan. 29 as part of an ongoing life skills and wellness series. She focused this workshop on being assertive and the positivity it brings. At the workshop, students who attended filled the boardroom table and took a package of sheets Campoli provided. The first page of the package read “Icebreaker.” Everyone had to identify themselves, what they find difficult to communicate, with whom, and why. Even after these introductions, there were hesitant pauses between a question Campoli posed and an answer. It is clear even in safe and open settings, some people still have difficulty being confident in their opinions. Campoli pointed this out with an assertiveness questionnaire. “So we often have trouble being assertive when it benefits us,” she said. “Why do you think that is?” One student answered that she did not always feel like she deserved it. Another said she became used to being firm for other people in her life, but she had come to realize that if she had no positivity saved for herself, she could not be helpful to others. Campoli quickly agreed and then pulled out what she called a personal bill of rights. It was a list of rights that each individual should know they deserve. There was almost a sigh of relief as people chose a right that spoke to personal experience. Campoli closed the workshop with steps to develop assertiveness in general and sensitive situations. She allowed everyone to provide tips to each other. It was an important discussion and not one that most people ever have. It seems obvious that people want to convey your needs to people, but it does not always happen. To be reminded by your personal bill of rights that you have the right to “expect honesty from others” and the right to “not be responsible for others’ behaviour” is positive and necessary. Campoli’s next workshop will take place Feb. 26.
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New server in the making Durham Region to be better and safer turns 40 this year Kathryn Boyle The Chronicle
The school’s Minecraft server took a hit last month as players grew increasingly tired of how the server was being run. Through numbers of ambushes, issues with stolen items and spying, students soon grew sick of fearing for their subjective lives. Alex Kocot played on the Minecraft server with the previous owner Liam Pareis when the server first came to be. But once Pareis, Kocot soon felt he didn’t want to have any part of the server. Wanting to help students by giving them a server they would enjoy, Kocot decided to create his own server and ditch the one students no longer have fun on.
“This server is going to be slightly different than the current server in a number of ways,” he says. “One of the main ways is that there is a membership fee. It is a security measure. No [thief] is going to pay merely to ruin a server, and if they do, you do in some fashion have to respect them.” He explains he will have the skills necessary to be an effective and fun leader. “ I ’ m going to actually take statements at face value and not accuse others of lying when I have no evidence to base it on. I’m also going to make server events that work and interact with my server clients to hear what they want from the server and how they want things to go,” he says. “Basically, I’m going to try and bring back the way of living we had
when Liam was still in charge. Bring back the good ol’ days, you know?” Kocot says he has about five students on board already and has been privately messaging people he believes would like the new server. Once the server is up and running next month, he will be advertising the new group through friends of friends and posting on the original Minecraft server. “I may be brash enough to go onto the current server’s Facebook page and post about it there to basically save the survivors and leave the rest to Titanic.” Being a victim of the fallen server, Kocot wants students to know he has the ability to create a better server and will do everything in his power to keep them happy.
Reshanthy Vijayarajah The Chronicle
Durham Region turned 40 this year, and the region’s events preparation is underway. Everyone in the Durham Region, from Pickering to the north, is invited to celebrate the 40 year anniversary. They are also inviting students from the region to submit a short creative work celebrating life in Durham. “Get creative” entries may include an essay, poem or story with a maximum of 500 words, webpage, original song, photography or video. The Municipality of Durham was founded on Jan. 1, 1974. The region has a population of about 608,124. It also has a large population of immigrants
and visible minorities. “There are going to be a whole bunch of events throughout the year and there is going to be a launch in June. If you go on the region’s website there is a display of items the region collected throughout the 40 years,” said Amy England. “It’s a great time for Durham Region.” During the year, the region will be celebrating this milestone with various activities and events. Activities include the release of a 40th anniversary video, the unveiling of the one-of-a-kind artwork at regional headquarters in Whitby, and a creative contest. An anniversary party will be on Thursday, June 26. For more infomation visit durham.ca
A club for all kinds of car enthusiasts
Dan Cearns TheChronicle
Ben Martin’s childhood started out like most his age, he was a kid collecting and playing with Hot Wheels cars. But his interest in the motor vehicle quickly grew into a full obsession. Martin, an executive with Ridgeback Rides the campus cars club, started to collect model cars, remote control cars and he even drove a golf cart for a while. That passion also led to him eventually getting his own automobile. His interest in all things cars originated with a little help
from a familiar source, his father. “My dad’s into cars as well. He used to have a 1980 Camaro when he was younger. He would always show me pictures of his car, and if I wanted to buy a remote control car or a model car, my dad would be like ‘lets go get one or we’ll get it and we’ll make it and paint it.’ So he’s always supported me for that,” he said. While Martin’s interest was nurtured early, it wasn’t until later that executive member Nick Jaksetic truly became an enthusiast. “It was late grade 11 that I started to really get into it be-
cause some of my buddies were getting cars. That’s when I really started to save my money for a car. I spent all of grade 11 saving up for a car. At the end of grade 12 was when I bought it. I took care of it and I really got into it. It was a Mark 3 Jetta GT. That’s when it started,” he said. Martin and Jaksetic now share that interest and enthusiasm with all the members of Ridgeback Rides. The club started off as just a Facebook page, geared towards bringing first year student car enthusiasts together, but it grew. “There’s a page for all the
first-year students on Facebook and somebody was asking if there was a car club. We all commented and then we got a group going and that got a lot of members really quickly. We did some paperwork, and then got the club certified,” said member Peter Milenkovski. Since then, the club has grown. They boast a total of 260 members, with seven of those being executives. The club is open to students of Durham College and UOIT, with about a 50-50 split of members representing each school. They currently meet monthly, with most of their events being social gatherings at vacant
parking lots across the Durham Region. Attendees can show off their car, if they have one, or just talk with other car enthusiasts. The club may not have many meetings presently, but they have big plans for the summer. “In the future, we are planning bigger meets in the summer using the school facilities. As well, we are looking at doing trips to race tracks or places like that. We are planning to go to a track day at Mosport or something, where we can all go and take our cars on the track and just race each other,” said Martin. The members also mentioned that the club is open to all types of enthusiasts, from those of European cars, to lovers of American ones. “We are open to everything, we appreciate every type. As executives we try to be nonbiased. At least, everything except Mustangs or Shelbys,” Milenkovski joked. The main benefit of the club is the number of people that you meet, he said. “It opens up so many doors socially for you. Just to think of all the friends that we have made. It’s only possible through our love of cars,” he said. Martin mentioned that the club is also good for getting people good connections in the industry. “You get a lot of ins in the car industry, like places to go to get cars done and ways to find discounts because so many people know people,” he said. Since its inception last semester, Ridgeback Rides has become the place for all student car aficionados to connect and have a good time.
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DC welcomes battery recycling program Richard East The Chronicle
Durham College and UOIT’s campus libraries have begun their own battery-recycling program to pitch in with Durham Region’s recycling program, which collected 39 metric tonnes in March last year, setting a Guinness World Record. “It requires minimal staff time to take care of this project but I think the impact will be very positive,” said Pamela Drayson, chief librarian for the north campus. Although it takes minimal effort from the library to manage the recycling program the library staff have been advertising the program through news releases, posters and on the UOIT webpage news link. The north campus has already received 20 batteries in its first week. “I’m interested in weighing them in the spring and see how many we got,” said Drayson. Recycling bins at each campus library will be accepting
standard A, AA, AAA, C, D, 6-volt, 9-volt, button cells and rechargeable battery packs. The batteries will be collected from now until April 1. There will be bins at the north Oshawa campus, Whitby campus, the Education Library on Simcoe Street. and the Social Science Library on Charles Street. This will give those who live in residence a better option when dealing with their dead batteries, as there are few options for garbage and recycling disposal on campus. Batteries that are disposed of improperly can contribute to dangerous forms of pollution effecting the earth and water supply. “This is an easy way for students to help keep dangerous chemicals and metals out of landfills,” said Drayson in the library’s press release. “It’s just a matter of dropping off your used batteries as you enter one of the libraries. You can walk away knowing that taking this small step has helped make a difference in our planet.” Drayson says that if the program is successful it will continue into the next year.
Shane Macdonald
RECHARGING THE EARTH: UOIT Concurrent Education student Sarah Barnett does her part in recycling batteries at the campus library’s recycling centre.
Campus musicians club offers collaborations Christopher Willis The Chronicle
Music brings people together and if you’re a musician, there’s nothing better than finding oth-
ers to play music with. But finding them can prove difficult. However the DC/UOIT Musicians Club is hoping to change all that. Gianfranco Ingratta, president of the club, is a first-year
commerce student at UOIT. When he first arrived, he couldn’t find anything on campus that was music-related, so he went to the Student Association and inquired about creating a club.
The club started last semester and already has 90 members. Ingratta knows that they can easily break 100 before the end of this semester. “The club is really just a way to connect every single musician, get them collaborating, whether it’s a flautist or a metal guitar player. I want people to know each other,” Ingratta said. “I want people to understand each other’s musical views and try each other’s genres out, and that’s pretty much the heart and soul of the club.” Members use a Facebook group to communicate with one another and find other musicians for projects they’re working on. Ingratta keeps track of what’s happening on the page and says it’s nice to see the connections he hoped for are happening. One goal Ingratta has is to have members collaborate on musical projects and have a prize incentive. It might be to cover a song or make it as unique sounding as possible. Bands have formed already in the group, he said, and a metal bassist was able to help out at the Pangaea festival on campus and play Iraqi music. Members post for help on projects all the time. There’s a new executive team in the club that Ingratta said worked pretty hard in the last couple of weeks to come up with ideas and logistics for events. Some include putting on coffee houses, concerts and playing for charity events and retirement homes. When the club first started,
it was to bring the musicians together and have jam sessions. Rooms were booked and people could show up at any time and play. But this semester, Ingratta wants to make something known. “We really just want to have a few solid events that say ‘we’re the musicians club. This is what you can expect from us’, and set that down for all the years to come,” he said. Ingratta recommends members introduce themselves on the Facebook page and talk about their musical background. There are many musical genres in the club, metal being the biggest, but there’s something for everybody. A girl who plays recorder and classical music was a bit hesitant at first to join, as she thought she wouldn’t be able to work with anyone, but Ingratta assured her there would be someone out there looking for a musician of that type. Sure enough, a guy wanted to do a duet with a clarinet player and another guy that played metal invited her to a jam session. Ingratta said there are all sorts of members that are into different genres and aspects of music production, including audio engineers. “As long as you’re involved in the creative process and the creating process of music then I recommend people to join,” said Ingratta. Sounds like music to the musician’s ears. The group page is: facebook. com/groups/dcuoitmusicians
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Free pizza served up at DC/UOIT
Rebecca Watson The Chronicle
Pizza! Where? Free? Yes please! The Pit was overflowing and the aroma of pepperoni filled the air, as a stampede of students rushed for a free pizza lunch on Feb. 3. In light of Groundhog Day, pizza was rolled out by the trolley-load, boxes stacked high, as over 2,000 large pepperoni, cheese, and gluten-free pizzas were served by staff volunteers in various locations around campus. At 12 pieces per pie, 24,000 slices of pizza were handed out to DC/UOIT students, 10,000 slices more than last year’s free pizza lunch. “It’s awesome. I can’t remember the last time I got a free lunch,” said Mark Johnson, a video production co-ordinator. “It puts my students in a good mood. Makes it much easier to teach them.” February can be named as one of the coldest and darkest times of the academic year. This holds true especially for those who believe in supersti-
Rebecca Watson
FREE PIZZA: Amber Badour, an early childhood education student, accepts a slice from Corrine McCormick-Brighton, a professor in the School of Health, at the free pizza lunch. tion. When Wiarton Willie, the Canadian prognosticator, emerged from his winter home on Feb. 2, he was scared by his shadow, which seemingly foreshadowed another six weeks of winter. In commemoration of stu-
dent appreciation, Greg Murphy, dean of Media Art and Design, said the pizza is to remind students that regardless of the groundhog’s forecast, there are still nine more weeks of scheduled classes. “This celebratory pause also reminds our students that we
care about them and hope that their experience at our mingled institutions is memorable, fun and productive,” said Murphy. “It’s to remind students no matter how cold it is outside, there’s a warm and welcoming community to serve [them].” The Groundhog Day pizza
Club president Shane Pollard has been involved in the film industry for 11 years and got his start in music videos as a dancer, and then became an ACTRA member (union for actors). He’s been in films (You Got Served: Beat the World), videogames (Splinter Cell: Blacklist), commercials and TV shows. He is also majoring in accounting at UOIT. Some of the work he was
involved in took place in Ajax, Pickering and Oshawa. Pollard realized that although he knew lots of actors, producers and writers in Durham Region, the community wasn’t as well known. To do film work, you don’t have to travel to Toronto where a lot of people think films are shot. There are a lot of talented people at DC/UOIT, he said, so why not start from the bot-
tom (the short film project) and build from there. The plan of the club, which started late last fall, is to create an environment for filmmakers and film enthusiasts take their ideas and put them up onto the screen. “So we’re trying to take them on a full circle, in terms of film process,” said Pollard. Members are currently working on a short film and still haven’t decided whether it will
lunch tradition dates back to 2011 and is sponsored by Aramark Foods, the DC/UOIT Student Association, the presidents of Durham College and UOIT, and the DC/UOIT residences. As a collaborative effort, the amount spent is divided, and some think one free lunch a semester is not nearly enough. “I think they should do it more often since we’re paying thousands of dollars for tuition,” said Amanda Popert, an early childhood education student. After hours of shelling out pizza, instead of one slice, faculty started handing out double or triple slices to get rid of the large quantity. Some students took full advantage of their generosity. “This is my seventh slice. I’m not even hungry, I’m just taking pizza,” said Brendon Hair, a biomedical engineer student. Other students agreed it was a nice gesture overall. Giving merit to the phrase ‘starving student’, Ben Stolen said it was nice to get free food because eating on campus is much too expensive.
A club for aspiring filmmakers Christopher Willis The Chronicle
Quiet on the set! Cameras rolling. Creativity take one and…action! The Filmmakers Club on campus gives students an outlet to share ideas, get help for a project they might be working on and also participate in short and long-term goals within the club, including a short film created by the members.
be a comedy or drama, or perhaps a mix of both. The group will have the whole summer to work on the short film. They hope to get the script done and all polished to go into production before the end of the semester. Pollard said that filming in the summer takes a week max. Then comes postproduction next semester, with editing and then submitting to film festivals, but first it’s focusing on the story. What happens at meetings varies. Sometimes they might be working on the next stage of the project, helping other members with their own ideas, or providing script analysis workshops. The club also looks at different media formats besides film, including helping members with advertisements, music videos and web series ideas. Pollard is trying to promote resources that can be accessed to students and filmmakers in Durham Region as there are a lot in the area but they don’t always have a way of talking to one another. Making those connections was one of the goals. There are 15 members in the group with five core members always at the meetings, held on Mondays from 4 – 6 p.m. at the UOIT in room UA3120. All students are welcome to join and can find out information by contacting thefilmmakersclub@hotmail.com
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UOIT welcomes OEC 2014 Giorgio Berbaiotis The Chronicle
The 2014 Ontario Engineering Competition, hosted for the first time by a group of UOIT students, handed out thousands of dollars in prizes on Feb. 2, to students from across Ontario. Over the weekend, the aspiring engineers tested their skills against a series of challenges designed, in the words of the OEC chair Justin Rizza, to “strive to provide young students the academic challenge needed to develop the foundations of real-world engineering.” The competition consists of seven individual events, with unique teams for each event, a sort of engineering olympics. The competition was largely dominated by the University of Toronto with two second and three third-place finishes. Waterloo was not too far behind with one first and two secondplace finishes. UOIT was shut out of the victor’s circle entirely and had to content itself with the honour of hosting the event and the compliments the campus got from the visitors. “You have a nice facility here, and it’s nice the rooms are available” said Brian Laughton, who has worked with OEC competitions for eight years. He noted that in past years, universities had not been able to as easily accommodate the event. He told of one year when the Parliamentary Debate event was hosted partially in hallways. In contrast, UOIT’s campus and facilities were repeatedly described by competitors and others as modern, cozy, spacious, beautiful and well-kept. But of far more interest to those attending were the one-of-a-kind engineering-specific facilities UOIT has on offer. “They’re doing something in a wind tunnel, we’ve never seen that before,” Laughton explained. “They’re using a shaker table for junior design, we’ve never seen something like that in a junior design event before…
Campus New event at the OEC
Giorgio Berbatiotis The Chronicle
Giorgio Berbatiotis
INTO THE FROST OF BATTLE: Competitors from across Ontario gather in a section of UOIT’s Climatic Wind Tunnel system during the 2014 Ontario Engineering Competition. The site would later become the arena for a robotic deathrace. that’s going to be really cool for the young students in junior design to get to see the shaker table and work with that and see the effects.” The OEC and the prizes it offers students are made possible largely because of the sponsorship of industry giants like Hatch, OPG, Suncor, Blackberry, Siemens and others. This brings industry professionals to the young engineers just as they hone they skills for the heat of battle. Dr. Tom Murad, who works in engineering management for Siemens Canada, explained his and his company’s interest in OEC. “Because of my passion for dealing with younger engineers, or engineers-to-be, I wanted to come and contribute to this… With all modesty Siemens is the largest engineering company in the world. We are always open to keeping in communication with younger engineers, the new generation of engineers. We have been in Canada for over 100
years and we’ve always relied on local engineering capabilities to help innovate. We want to bring new generations into engineering. So my contribution here is to talk to the students, tell them that Siemens exists and they have options when they graduate, and they can contribute to our success and growth.” Samantha Hess, a representative of Hatch, the main sponsor of the event, elaborated on the benefits for companies like Hatch of getting involved in the OEC. “It’s a great opportunity for us to get out into the community itself and meet-up-andcoming engineers. You end up meeting a lot of students that in a couple years I see in the hallways at Hatch. This particular sort of a competition is essentially consulting in nature… It’s just, all in all, engineering at its core.” Hess has been involved with the OEC for a number of years and found UOIT’s facilities impressive.
“They’re beautiful. Everything is so fresh, clean and new,” she said. “It’s pristine… you guys should definitely showcase your campus, its beautiful. I love [Polonsky Commons], just beautiful.” The 2014 competition was largely organized by a board of UOIT students chaired by Justin Rizzi. Next year’s competition will be hosted at Ryerson University, and is Chaired by Farah El-Moghrabi, who praised the 2014 board for a job well done. “The competition was really nice, successful. Any troubles they had they fixed… I learned a lot from it,” she said. Ismail Al-Janabi, her cochair for next year’s event elaborated. “It’s a really good lesson for us to just know how to schedule and run everything at the same time. To understand the advantages and disadvantages of things.” They stressed they would not reveal the theme for next year’s event at Ryerson.
UOIT had the honour and distinction of being the first university in Ontario to host a programming event in the Ontario Engineering Competition. The goal of the event, according to organizers, is “to encourage software engineering students to produce a piece of industryquality software with all of the proper user and administrative documents.” The event was ultimately won by McMaster University, with Guelph coming in second and the University of Toronto in third. OEC 2014 char Justin Rizzi said the event gives computer engineering students the opportunity to compete alongside their fellow engineers in the prestigious competition. UOIT sent a team of three: Connor Sliva, Paul Azevedo and Sagar Desai. They noted the pressure of competing in the first programming event while representing the host school, especially considering it was the first time it was UOIT’s chance to host the prestigious competition. Despite the pressure however, they relished the opportunity. “It’s really exciting,” said Sliva. “Nice to meet new people.” The trio had attempted a design at an exploration application. Using GPS, the “road trip” app as they called it, would send you suggestions of nearby places to visit catered to your specific interests and history, and then direct you there if you chose. “The idea was to allow you to be impulsive,” said Desai. “You could just go in your car and start driving.”
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February 11, 2014
Giorgio Berbatiotis
BREAK AN EGG!: Two separate pairs of eggs face off on MAST, a multi-million dollar piece of equipment. The eggs are protected by the designs of their respective teams, and will have to endure multiple Gs from multiple angles.
Design the focus of OEC MAST shakes things up Giorgio Berbatiotis The Chronicle
The Junior and Senior Design Events, the flagship events of the Ontario Engineering Competition, were won by Ryerson and Laurentian Universities. The events were by far the most anticipated and watched parts of the competition, streamed live online, and watched closely by groups of a few dozen engineering students from across the province. The winners received a $1,500 prize, with second place claiming $1,000, and third $500. The Junior Design competition took advantage of UOIT’s unique Multi-Axes Shaker Table, or MAST. “Here we can shake, rattle, and roll. We get to take things and break things,” said John Komar, the director of engineering and operations at the ACE building where MAST is located. “It’s a 3D shaker, basically. It moves in the Z direction, up and down. X, back and forth,
and Y, back and forth the other way. Then it has the ability of putting ‘moments’ along those axes as well… You have six degrees of freedom.” Several aspects of MAST make it a very specialized and expensive piece of equipment costing millions, the only one of its kind in Canada. For OEC, it was used to test eggs. The event was designed “to encourage junior undergraduate engineering students to produce a feasible design despite limited resources and preparation time”, according to the OEC 2014 organizers, and required engineers to craft a protective barrier for their eggs, which would then be put onto MAST where they could be forced to bear up to 15 Gs of force. To enhance the challenge, the participants were limited in time to plan and prepare, and given only basic materials, such as paper cups, elastics, a piece of styrofoam, popsicle sticks and some straws. The Senior Design competition took place in UOIT’s Climatic Wind Tunnel. “It’s a one-of-a-kind tunnel,” said Komar. “We have this dynamometer hooked in with the wind and we can simulate up to 250 km an hour under full dynamic loads of a vehicle. We’ve had
windmills, solar arrays, sides of buildings, lots of things.” The tunnel is, according to Komar, the only one of its kind in the world. “The neat thing, too, is its fully climatic, which means I can throw rain, snow, freezing rain, hurricane force winds, anything we want. The unique feature is the dynamometer, which is a very sophisticated road simulator, over 129,000 kilos of machine, so that now, we can test, under full dynamic loads, going up hill and turning it into the wind.” The Senior Design teams were given the task of preparing a little automated car to trek a snowy course in the snow chamber. Few of the vehicles made it very far, but loud yelps of excitement burst out any time a flailing machine inched its way through the course, and only those who had adequately incorporated counters to the terrain’s treachery into their designs managed to get more than a couple of feet. “Our team has done it for four years, we once had a team go to the Canadian competition and place second,” said James Bishop-Gray of Conestoga, who participated in the Senior Design event. “It’s an interesting problem this year.”
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Giorgio Berbatiotis
BUILDING AN ARGUMENT: Engineer’s were finding themselves structuring sentences to build a case for why their team shouldn’t be toppled in the Parliamentary Debate (left) and Consulting (right) events at OEC.
OEC events prove that engineers are full of talk Giorgio Berbatiotis The Chronicle
Waterloo’s debate team snatched victory away from the University of Toronto team at OEC 2014. Parliamentary debate is regarded as one of the most exciting and appreciated of the speaking-focused events at OEC. The final debate was done in front of the few hundred students, sponsors and organizers of OEC, gathered for the awards dinner at the Sikorski Hall in north Oshawa Feb. 2. To add insult to injury, the final debate was over which engineering school was best. In this final round, which is traditionally humorous and done at the awards dinner, each team had to argue that their opponent’s school was the superior institution. After a half hour of emphasizing their own impotence and the blatant superiority of Waterloo, the University of Toronto saw their arguments confirmed when the judges awarded Waterloo the $1,500 prize. This final round was part of a long process of debates
that took place throughout the competition. “Essentially the goal is to put the engineers on the brink of their ability to make a good case with minimal time,” said Mason Verkruisen, a senior UOIT engineering student and organizer of OEC 2014. “They were given a theme of all the questions --automotives-- to go with the OEC 2014 theme. They were not, however, given the actual questions. An example of a question might be: “Should school buses have enough seat belts for every student?”” Consulting is an event inwhich the engineer’s ability to sell technical solutions convincingly is tested. Students try to convince judges their solution to a problem is best. This year, students focused on transit issues. The first prize of $2,000 went to Ottawa University. Communications is an event designed to focus on swaying non-industry professionals using “research, a convincing viewpoint, and dynamic presentation.” The first place prize of $2,000 went to Carleton University.
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Caffeine: your Focusing more on the friend or foe? outside than the inside Katrina Owens The Chronicle
So you think you’re not addicted to caffeine? Unfortunately, for many adults over-consumption of caffeine products has become a social norm. According to Health Canada, 60 per cent of adults in Canada get their daily dose of caffeine through coffee, 30 per cent through tea, and the remaining 10 per cent through soft drinks, chocolate and energy drinks. Health Canada says the recommended safe amount to consume for an adult is three cups a day, 237 ml in each cup.
Statistics Canada found out a staggering 20 per cent of men, and 15 per cent of women between the ages of 31 and 70, exceed the recommended guidelines for caffeine consumption. Exceeding the recommended amount is easier than it seems. The average travel mug is 230 ml, so just by gulping your favourite caffeinated beverage on the way to work, and once more when you arrive, you could possibly be almost at the limit by lunch. Consuming 600 mg or more caffeine a day can trigger body shakes, irritability, dizzy spells, dehydration, insomnia and diarrhea.
Eating disorder awareness Kate Hussey The Chronicle
Today I turned on the television and I saw women who had hours put into their makeup, hair, and wardrobe, thousands of dollars worth of special lighting, and some fancy camera equipment that costs more than a down payment on a home. Today millions of young girls turned on the television and saw an image of what they think they should be. Perfection is an idea planted in our minds from a young age, but it still haunts us even as adults. Eating Disorder Awareness Week ran from Feb. 2 until Feb. 8 and conveyed the message ‘It’s not our bodies that need changing. It’s our attitudes.’ Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia and binge eating are believed to be a result of negative body image and that can at least partly be blamed on what we see around us.
The media can have a negative influence on both men and women. According to Dan Keeley, counsellor at the Campus Health Centre, more men than ever have become obsessed with how they look.
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It’s an internal kind of perfectionism that completely haunts the person so that they’re never right.
Dan Keeley
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“It’s 6 pack city out there. They’ve gotta be pumped and buffed. That really bombards men. It makes them really start to obsess over how they look,” he said. But the pressure men face is nothing compared to the overload of images for women which have been around much longer and is more intense, said Keeley. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation website, girls are snowballed with media images of females who are tall, underweight, and white. The images are artificially created, using digital manipulation, and highly unrealistic.
The images mostly show women as passive, posed in a sexually provocative manner for the purpose of selling consumer products. “There’s an image that represents probably less than 2 per cent of the population. That means that 98 per cent don’t see themselves represented there. Or they think of themselves as, ‘Eh, I wish I could be like those 2 per cent all the time.” Society’s views and the media tend to portray the message that thinness is attractive, which may contribute to a distorted body image, according to the mental illnesses section of the Statistics Canada website. “It’s an internal kind of perfectionism that completely haunts the person so that they’re never right,” said Keeley. In September 2004 Dove launched a body image campaign called The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty to help redefine the definition of beauty. It’s global study in 2011 revealed that only 4 per cent of women around the world consider themselves beautiful and anxiety about looks starts at a young age. For companies like Dove, there are another thousand companies still objectifying women.
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Student filmmaker expanding business Riyad Alli The Chronicle
Alex McFarland is not your typical third year music business management student. On top of his course load, he is in the process of establishing his own video production company called Films by Alex McFarland. Inspired by the music he loves and videos of his idols, McFarland knew exactly where he was going to start filming, in his own off-campus student house. “I always noticed how artists of every genre have a sweet video of a house party,” he explains, “Like the ones where if you
knew the artist personally, you’d recognize everyone in the video.” He currently has four professional music videos under his belt and is actively expanding. Artists he’s directed and produced for include local Oshawa pop punk bands Cheap Date and Lint. McFarland sees himself as different from most filmmakers due to the fact he didn’t go to school to sharpen his skills. “I taught myself everything, no courses at all. Learned a lot from trial and error and YouTube tutorials,” he says. McFarland plans to work part time after graduation while continuing to build his film career with a roster of music artists he believes in.
Teanna Dorsey
NUTRITIONAL FOOD: Volunteers with the Durham Food Advisory and Campus Health Centre serve soup and samples of healthy recipes at the nutrition campaign on Feb. 4 in Vendor’s Alley.
Community Food Advisers return to Durham College Teanna Dorsey The Chronicle
The annual nutritional campaign informed students on eating habits and gave out free food in the south wing hallway Feb. 4. The campaign was also at UOIT in the UA building Jan. 31. “We have healthy eating recipes and samples,” said Milly Wagner, a volunteer with the Community Food Advisers of Durham Region. This year is the nutritional campaign’s 10th year on campus. “We’ve had about 60 students come by since 10:30,”
Wagner said. She was on her second plate of baked goods by 11 a.m. The attendance at the event matched previous years, and students lined up to get a free piece of cake and a bowl of soup. The table was lined with easy recipe ideas, perfect for students with a busy work load or anyone who doesn’t have time or space to cook extensive meals every day. The recipes included fruit yogurt smoothies, strawberryapple salsa with cinnamon crisps and southwest baked bean soup, which was the soup being served at the table. They all had minimal ingredients
and a quick preparation time. “It is important when you’re eating from the Canada’s Food Guide that you’re noting the portion sizes,” said Teresa Engelage, campus nurse. Healthy eating habits can help students focus on studying. It’s also important to drink lots of water and stay hydrated. “It’s a good idea to pick up a crockpot,” said Engelage. The soup given away during the nutritional campaign was cooked in a crockpot. Food can easily be prepared in the morning and left alone all day, so students can enjoy a healthy meal when they get home.
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Pets will always love you Sarah Pugsley The Chronicle
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and for many this means another year of traditional Hallmark routines. Whether you’re single, looking, desperate or in any sort of relationship, this can be a tough holiday to get through. But perhaps there’s a different kind of gift to give to yourself. This year, the Ontario SPCA is running it’s annual Paws & Give campaign, which aims to help sheltered cats and dogs with donations and treats. Valentine’s Day-themed gifts, rescue and relief donations, animal welfare and shelter wellness are among some of the few categories people can choose to donate to. The Valentine’s Day treats range from feeding a puppy or kitten to comfort blankets, heart-shaped biscuits and more. Throughout its 13 communities, Ontario’s SPCA rescues between 3,000 and 5,000 pets every year from terrible conditions. Volunteers, staff and members of the community are essential in bringing each and every part of the SPCA together
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Make an effort for your S.O. Samuel Baker The Chronicle
Sarah Pugsley
PUPPY LOVE: If you’re feeling lonely this Valentine’s Day, why not consider adopting a pet? in working order with no government funding. All money raised in the campaign goes towards supporting pets and staff. Pet adoption can also be a scary prospect for any potential owner, especially post-secondary students. Finding the right match, connecting with a pet and making sure that your living arrangements fit the needs of your furry friend are all important things to consider. But
if you feel as if you’re prepared for a pet in the New Year, finding that special someone on Valentine’s Day may be the perfect fit. Finding love in the arms of another person may be the traditional Valentine’s Day mantra, but the love a pet in need can provide may change your life. According to petfinder.com, there are several reasons why your pet would make a better date than a human. Pets
don’t talk, they don’t demand fancy dinners and they most definitely won’t get upset when you bring them a gift they may not like. They also don’t care whether you’re presentable in appearance, and will always be happy to cuddle or play with you no matter what state you’re in. So this year’s holiday, consider adopting a new friend or spend time with the one you already have at home.
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and Durham College and UOIT are partnering with Red Cross to use the commercial holiday to their advantage in the form of a fundraiser. DC/UOIT and the Red Cross will be selling cards, candy, chocolate and flowers in the UA west atrium Feb. 12-14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Whether or not you or your significant other believe Valentine’s Day is a true holiday or not, it’s a good excuse to do something nice and make that special someone feel especially special. So put personal beliefs aside this Valentine’s Day. No need to try and stick it to the man by not buying anything because you don’t think it’s a real holiday. Scrape together a couple bucks, buy some flowers or some chocolates, and put in a little effort. It doesn’t take much.
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Online petition to renovate Genosha Student proposes UOIT facility at hotel Shane MacDonald The Chronicle
A dining room, a stock brokerage, a radio station, a strip club, a nightclub, a tavern, a boarding house, and now, maybe a UOIT facility? Oshawa resident and five-year UOIT student, Bjoern Wolkmann, walks by the Genosha hotel every day and has decided to take action.
A petition has popped up on Change. org, the “largest petition platform” in the world, to renovate the Genosha hotel located in downtown Oshawa into a UOIT facility. Wolkmann started the petition as part of an assignment to change the world via political means for his political science class. The hotel, built in 1929 and a designated heritage site, is located at Mary and King Street and has been vacant for some time now. This isn’t the first time the Genosha has been considered as a UOIT facility. As recently as April 2010 UOIT was reported as acquiring the Genosha’s basement for their psychology department but the plan was never followed through. The petition put forward to renovate the Genosha is still in its infancy but it breathes new life into the debate over what the future of the hotel may be. One Durham College student, Jess Murray, a member of the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy club on campus, had this to say: “Turning this building into a UOIT facility, preferably a student residence would have a number of positive impacts. It would draw more students, who are the source of Oshawa’s economy, to UOIT, therefore benefiting the local businesses. The restaurants across the street from the Genosha Hotel never last longer than a few months and I believe this would help these businesses.” Mayor John Henry says the owners of Genosha are probably counting on the redevelopment and excitement surrounding Oshawa’s downtown to bring in new buyers who might show interest in the building. “The big problem that we have with the Genosha is the building is privately owned, the bills are paid, so the property taxes are paid. As long as the owner of that property continues to pay his bills and pay his taxes and keeps the building in relatively good shape, as where it is right now – minimum standards, then we don’t have much power,” He also noted that vacant lots pay less in taxes than an occupied lot. “If the private sector cannot make the project work, then the public sector will never make it work,” said Mayor Henry. An Oshawa downtown that is becoming more accommodating to students, with new UOIT facilities popping up all over and a growing student population, changes the priorities of new development. What do you see in the future for Oshawa’s downtown?
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Academic learning through memory
Kathryn Boyle The Chronicle
The way a student learns can make or break a pass in a class. Discovering the easiest way to learn can help make studying easier and effective. Resident Academic Leader Rohit Moni held an event for students testing their memory skills and learning styles to show them which way they learn best. “We have to hold one event a month, and I am in charge of academic-based events,” Moni says. “Academic events can be seen as boring, but this is a game. It’s fun.” According to the Learning Styles Online website, there are five different types of learning: visual, aurul, verbal, physical and logical. Visual learners prefer to use pictures and images to understand. Aural learners prefer the use of music and sound. Verbal learners prefer speaking or writing. Physical learners like touching items or
Kathryn Boyle
TOTAL RECALL: Danika Geseron recalls from memory the items Rohit Moni has put behind the desk in a learning exercise. using their body. Logical learners use deductive reasoning and systems. On one side of a desk were 18 items split among four different sheets of paper. Students
had to memorize what was on the sheets and were given 30 seconds to do so. After the 30 seconds were up, students were told to move to the other side of the desk and tell Moni what
they remembered. “This exercise is a way of teaching people the different ways of learning,” Moni says. Danika Geseron was the first student to memorize the items.
She listed 11, and Moni told her she was probably a physical learner because she didn’t touch any of the items and could have listed more if she did. Jeff Ekeanyanwu was the next in line. He pulled the sheets out and examined each item individually. Then, put the sheets back and returned to the other side of the desk, even though he still had 11 seconds. He listed nine of the items. Moni told him he was most likely a physical learner, and Ekeanyanwu told him he was more of an aural learner after taking a test. Teaching students their learning style isn’t easy, especially in a classroom setting. Everyone learns differently, and Moni found a fun way to inform students which method is easiest for them. The way students learn makes all the difference, and showing them how they best remember things can improve marks.
A League of Legends of their own
Gaming set at Durham/UOIT has positive start to season Jesmarnin Lafuente The Chronicle
With Season 4 introduced and the Lunar Revel dawn-
ing on seasoned players, the Durham College and UOIT’s League of Legends community is now more alive than ever. A massive online battle arena (MOBA) released in 2009,
League of Legends is a freeto-play game created by Riot Games, inspired by Defense of the Ancients. It gained massive popularity because of its easier learning curve compared
to other MOBA games and according to Eurogamer’s website, 27 million people play LoL daily and 67 million play monthly. To put things into perspective, in October 2013, there were 12 million daily players with 32 million playing monthly – in less than 4 months the community had more than doubled. “I play League because it fills up my free time and it’s a shared interest between my friends and I,” says UOIT Commerce student Jon Yang, who is also the Executive Director and Master of Ceremonies at this year’s LAN War. “No matter where we are or what’s going on in our lives we can make time for a game or two. In all honesty, that’s it. I enjoy the company of my friends and League of Legends allows me that luxury. Don’t get me wrong though, I want to get better and rank up too, but playing with someone else, chatting and having a good time makes it worthwhile.” Interaction Design Sheridan Tech student Mason Waterworth says although he was initially uninterested in the game, he tried it out at a friend’s house and discovered the game had many enjoyable qualities. “It caters both to a casual gamer being free to play, but also to competitive players with a ranked and professional scene developing,” says Waterworth. With a bigger community come some problems. Often enough, when a player does poorly during the game, they
are put down by allied players as well as opposing players. At higher levels, this is more common since they are expected to play better. Though this is a universal problem within the game, Durham College and UOIT’s community has abided by the rules Riot has given and maintain a positive environment even before the season began. Game Design and Development student Jord Farrell says the community was awesome even in his early days in the game.
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It caters both to a casual gamer being free to play, but also to competitive players with a ranked and professional scene developing.
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Mason Waterworth
“I pretty much just said I was starting out and people gave me tips when I did something wrong and were a lot more forgiving of my mistakes.” In his experience, Farrell says people who are known to be toxic should be made to play with only other known toxic players until their behaviour improves or they are banned. This way people are more encouraged to be proper for fear of falling into games with those types of players. There are people who rage or are just toxic but those people are becoming a minority.
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Don’t fall to flakes this winter Kate Hussey The Chronicle
Not even makeup can hide dry skin. In fact, it only makes it stand out more. Sun damage is a popular topic, but cold weather and harsh wind can be damaging as well, and they often go overlooked. Dryness will break down collagen in the skin and cause premature aging, said Teresa Commodaro, owner of Sugar my Skin in Oshawa. The best protection is moist, supple skin, said Kosta Haitas, social media co-ordinator of Pure and Simple Beauty Inc. “You’d be surprised how many people use moisturizers that simply aren’t thick enough or that contain alcohol or other drying ingredients during the
winter months,” said Haitas. On an average winter day in Ontario, a moisturizer will keep your skin hydrated and balanced, and also act as a physical barrier against the sun, wind, cold, heat, pollution, dirt, and sweat, said Haitas. “At night is when the skin regenerates. It’s a healing process the body goes through,” she said. Natural emollients in oils are important to look for in a moisturizer, said Commodaro. “If one is not highly sensitive or acneic, grape seed oil or coconut oil are the best natural moisturizers,” she said. Daily dry skin management should include gentle cleansing and moisturizing, according to the Canadian Dermatology Association.
“Natural skin care products and treatments have been around for years. They come in every price range and for every skincare need imaginable. At Pure and Simple alone we feature not only our own brands, but quite a few others as well and we have an enormous range of skincare treatments available,” said Haitas noting that each individual has their own needs and concerns. Harmful chemicals such as Petroleum, PHP’s and drying alcohols should be avoided, according to Haitas. “I’m always suspicious of products I can’t pronounce, and if I don’t know it, I research it,” she said. Dehydration can also play a role in dry skin and most skin concerns.
“When the skin is lacking moisture, the pores are unable to open and close properly. When this happens, any dirt that gets into the pores gets trapped, causing acne. Also, dehydrated skin is prone to scarring and skin pigmentation,” said Haitas. “Your skin is very smart and will tell you when something you’re using is no good. If the skin turns red or if you get that ‘squeaky clean feeling,’ most people have come to associate with cleansers, you’re using something harmful to your skin.” Haitas suggests using gentle cleansers, rich moisturizers, or face oils. Skin issues can be distressing, but there are many things to consider before going to a dermatologist. “My personal
view is that a dermatologist should be seen only when all avenues have been exhausted. They certainly do provide a valuable service but you have to keep in mind that their main directive is to treat a problem, a specific issue, and not the skin as a whole,” said Haitas. “Sometimes the medicinal solution can help one problem, but cause another (usually caused because of dehydration). Once all avenues have been explored, then we will recommend seeing a dermatologist, but it’s important to remember that most issues can be resolved holistically and naturally,” she said. If there is pain or swelling of the skin, it’s time to make a visit to the dermatologist office, Commodaro said.
ham College, thinks people are going about dieting the wrong way. “There’s always a diet of the week,” she said. “People don’t have the right information and are only privy to things mainstream.” Many Durham College and UOIT students are gearing themselves towards being healthier. Emmorey says the number of students using her
services is increasing. “I think a lot of people are realizing that a healthy diet factors into learning, energy and concentration levels,” she said. One of the main mistakes young people make when dieting is counting calories. Emmorey says everyone’s body is unique. “Don’t count calories,” she said. “Everyone burns calories at a different level. Look at
quality and quantity of food.” Instead of counting calories students should be focusing on portion size. Something may appear to have 200 calories on the packaging but what many people tend to forget is those 200 calories might be in every half cup. If you eat an entire cup you’re actually taking in twice the calories you think you are. Another mistake Emmorey is noticing students make is that they believe dieting myths. The biggest one is that fat-free and light foods are better for us. “Diet pops, light and fat-free foods don’t help lose weight, they increase weight,” said Emmorey. Our bodies aren’t satisfied with these diet products because our brains don’t register that we’ve had a full serving. This results in over-eating and bigger portion size of the diet products. The dreadful number on the scale isn’t always a good indicator of one’s health. One
of the biggest problems Emmorey says she encounters is people paying too much attention to what the scale says. “A big problem is the number on the scale,” she said. “It isn’t all about the number on the scale.” Young people are sometimes associating being healthy with being thin. It isn’t always the case, says Emmorey. “People generally think thin people are healthy,” she said. “Just because you’re thin doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Health comes in all shapes and sizes. You can be thin and have high cholesterol.” Living a healthier lifestyle is not as difficult as some people may think. Two key factors are regular exercising and a healthy diet, which includes eating a variety of food in moderation. The correlation between a bad diet and feeling bad can’t be denied, says Emmorey. “People are linking eating bad with feeling bad, and also eating good and feeling good,” she said.
Deep dark secrets about dieting Katrina Owens The Chronicle
It has rules and regulations, restrictions, consequences and the power to break a person down. These words usually coincide with a hefty contract but, what these words also describe is unhealthy dieting. Sylvia Emmorey, holistic nutritionist and professor at Dur-
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Water toxicology advanced by award-winning UOIT student Rebecca Watson The Chronicle
Provided by John Guchardi
AWARD-WINNING SCIENCE: Jordan Anderson, a UOIT applied PhD bioscience student, recently won two first place awards for his research on toxicity of cyclodextrin in American flag fish.
They may be fish but they’re not just any fish. The fish that UOIT student Jordan Anderson works with are special. Over 50 tanks in his lab are filled with rainbow trout, Japanese medaka, and American flag fish, all with one thing in common. They are subjects of groundbreaking science. In the first year of his PhD in applied Bioscience, Anderson has already won two first place awards for his research. Winning first place for his water toxicity poster presentation at the ATW in Moncton, NB, last October, Anderson researched the effects of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin on the American flag fish. The long-named chemical compound is mainly found in odour suppressants but can be found in other places too. In some cases it is used to distribute medication into the body, in food preservatives, and in odour preservation as well as odour elimination products. “We found through a lifecycle exposure, once the fish were sexually mature, the size of the female gonads increased, having an affect on reproductive organs,” said Anderson. He also found that when parent fish were exposed to the chemical, their babies were
more sensitive to other toxins, especially compared to fish whose parents weren’t exposed. Currently being used in laundry detergents and fabric softeners, the compound is already being pumped into our water. No one has really looked at the affects of cyclodextrin, specifically in fish, so the implications are still yet to be seen, said Anderson. There may also be potential for it to be harmful when combined with other compounds, but that’s future research, the kind Anderson hopes to be working on. In November last year, he won his second first place at SETAC in Nashville for his developing PhD project, explaining why he hopes to look at whether cyclodextrin will alter the toxicity level of oral contraceptives. The compounds found in birth control, synthetic estrogen and synthetic progestin, are hormone mimics that prevent pregnancies. When a woman on the pill goes to the bathroom, the urine is flushed away to the wastewater treatment plant. There the water is treated before being released back into receiving waters like lake Ontario. However, the synthetic hormones are often seen in the outflow of the plant. “In most wastewater treatment plants there is no dedicated step to remove chemical contaminants, particularly pharmaceuticals,” said Anderson. “They can be indirectly removed but typically not all are removed. So you do end up seeing similar affects in fish - inhibition of reproduction - even with low levels of these compounds.” When cyclodextrin meshs with synthetic hormones, their compound toxicity could
change, increase, decrease, or have no affect. “That’s why we have to look into it,” said Anderson. Dedicated to his work, Anderson can be found in his lab seven days a week during experiments. He likes overcoming challenges while doing something he loves to do, and although aquatic toxicology can be somewhat time consuming, it’s worth it in the end, he said. “You will see great work from him in future studies and publications,” said John Guchardi, Anderson’s senior research lab manager and technician, who describes Anderson as extremely organized and focused. “He is certainly one of the best students we have ever had.” His co-workers agree he is a pleasure to work with. “Jordan is a great asset to our lab. He’s always willing to lend a hand and help out whenever needed,” said Lindsay Beyger, a fellow PhD Biology student. “The lab is lucky to have him.” When he’s not in the lab, his research still doesn’t stop. He spends time reading scientific journals or catching up with new research. Douglas Holdway, UOIT’s dean of science and chair of aquatic toxicology, said UOIT is proud to have him. “Jordan shows exceptional maturity, judgment, initiative and originality in his thinking, well beyond what would be expected at his stage of graduate student development,” said Holdway. Fish have always interested Anderson, even as a young child. He holds fond memories of fishing with his dad, and other than his studies, fishing is still his favourite past time. He loves that his job is working with fish.
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CPSA giving students opportunities Sinead Fegan The Chronicle
Developed just two years ago, the Campus Paralegal Student Assistance program (CPSA) is making strides in not only providing students with legal advice but also in training paralegal students from Durham College. The program was developed when the executive director of the Northumberland Community Legal Centre thought of the idea as an innovative way to get assistance for students on campus, as well as provide a placement opportunity for Paralegal students. The program is also another way to assist the clinics with their heavy caseloads. The law society requires that in order for a Paralegal student to get their licence they have to complete 128 hours of related experience. Therefore, CPSA is staffed by two placement students, each semester, from their final year of the program. There is also a supervisor, April Maurer, who is a licensed paralegal. Her role is to assign tasks and research, as well as review all of the interns work before it goes out to students. This winter semester Mitch Feyen and Jean-Paul Habert are the interns. Paralegal students only practise a certain area of law, so they can’t give advice outside of their area of practice. Maurer explained that the majority of the concerns from students
Sinead Fegan
LEARNING THE ROPES: . Two placement students from the Paralegal program at Durham College, JeanPaul Habert (left) and Mitch Feyen, with their supervisor April Maurer, licensed paralegal. have been small claims court questions, and traffic offence questions. They also have tenants asking questions about their rights. The main goal of CPSA is to provide free and confidential legal advice to students of UOIT and Durham College. They can also help with forms. However, they don’t go out and represent a person. If they’re unable to
assist students then they can refer you to one of their sister clinics in the Durham Region, so they can get the help they need. “I suspect students are living on low income, usually OSAP, so they probably can’t afford to get a consultation, or with a private bar member, they may not even know where to start,” said Maurer. “ This is a good
starting point for students. It’s easy to access and figure out where to go from there.” Once a student calls in with a question the student intern will take down their name, contact information and what the issue is. If the intern is unable to answer the question right away they’re then required to do the research. The work has to be reviewed before the student can be advised. Feyen and Habert have been going to different classrooms throughout the college and university doing presentations to get the word out about this as-
sistance on-campus. CPSA staff can be reached Mondays and Tuesdays, by email or phone at their office, located in the Simcoe Building room J-117, from noon until 8 p.m. If they’re not there when a student calls then they can just leave a message. They can also accept walk-ins for more accessiblity. On Feb. 11 Feyen will be outside of the Commons from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., handing out pamphlets and directly answering any questions or concerns students may have about the services.
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Super Bowl success for Seattle
Fans watch game at E.P. Taylor’s Courtney Williams The Chronicle
It was the third quarter before Denver Broncos fans began to lose hope at E.P. Taylor’s on Sunday, Feb. 2. Over 80 per cent of people in attendance at the Super Bowl Sunday event cheered and screamed when SA promotions crew representative Patrick Cheong shouted “Who’s rooting for the Broncos?!” Very few people responded when Cheong asked who was cheering for the Seattle Seahawks. The rest of the crowd laughed, confident that the Broncos would come out on top. When the score was still 38-0 in favour of the Seahawks going into the fourth quarter, tempers began to rise. The final Super Bowl XLVIII score was 8-43 in favour of the Seahawks. One student ripped off his Broncos jersey, threw it at one of the many big screens set up around the bar, stomped on it repeatedly, and left. Others
watched surprisingly quietly for a venue holding about 100 people at the time. Despite the negative mood, the SA crew kept spirits high by giving away prizes and raffle tickets at each commercial break throughout the evening, which also featured Big Mugs deals, half priced wings, and cheap appetizers. The grand prize for the night was a 58-inch flat screen TV. The only catch? Students had to stay until the end of the game to claim their prize if they won. The end of the game found many students sitting around unhappily insisting they had only stayed because of the chance they had to win the glamorous prize. Tempers were high and Seattle fans were smug as everyone sat around excitedly waiting for the numbers to be called that would determine who won. Cheong called out three numbers before someone finally claimed the TV – fourth-year Information Technology student and Seahawks fan Arthur Johnson. “I can’t believe this,” he said in between high fives and hugs with his friends. “I’m so happy the Seahawks won, and now this…today is just a lucky day for me.” Security at E.P’s expressed excitement for the small number of issues relative to the turnout throughout the night.
Courtney Williams
CHEERS TO THE BIG GAME: Durham College students celebrate after winning one of the raffle prizes offered at E.P. Taylor’s Super Bowl Sunday event on February 2. The event attracted more than 100 people.
Comedy night strikes back
Tim Morrell The Chronicle
E.P. Taylor’s once again hosted Comedy Night to lighten the mood of stressful students going into mid-terms on Feb. 6. Despite not having a full house in attendance, the crowd was laughing out loud to each punch line laid before them, and were engaged when they were included in jokes. Tim Golden explains why he chose comedy to be a viable career. “I’ve always wanted to do it when I was young,” he said. “And when I finally had the balls to get on stage and to do it, you just don’t stop.” Garrett Jamieson was inspired by the classic showcase of stand-up comedy ‘An Evening at the Improv’ while growing up, and it just stuck with him ever since. “I’ve always wanted to be a comedian since Grade 6. There was a day [that year] where you could dress up as what you want to be when you’re older,
Tim Morrell
CRUDE HUMOUR: Arthur Simeon performs stand-up at E.P. Taylor’s. and I came as a stand-up comedian. All my jokes were from my colouring books, so I was a hack from day one.” Arthur Simeon chose comedy for not the reasons one would expect. “I chose comedy because there is no other career where
you can meet women and be lazy at the same time,” he chuckled. “Every other job, one of those two things will not happen.” Walking up and facing a wide variety of people can be intimidating at first, but Golden explains how he faced his
stage fright. “For the first year, even two years, all I did was practise my skits into the ground,” he said. “So half the time I didn’t know the audience was there, not even reacting. I think that’s when you start to develop and just feel the audience.”
How a crowd reacts is how they gauge where they’ll go next with their material. Keeping yourself poised during these moments is key. “It’s not just a confidence booster, it’s more like a gamble you take and the laughter is the pay-off,” said Simeon. But there are times where the crowd can take you out of focus. “Sometimes what can throw you off, though, is when the audience laughs before the punch line, because it could be something you said prior and you aren’t aware why people are laughing,” said Jamieson. Simeon’s mindset is to speak his mind despite the huge disparity of cultural difference in audiences. “I believe when you hold back a joke, you are denying someone in that audience a chance to enjoy themselves just out of fear,” he said. “If nine people don’t enjoy it but two do, then you’ve done well. In many ways, you have to perform for those two people just as much as the others.”
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Encore for The Barenaked Ladies Will McGuirk The Chronicle
Well that ended well, BNL. The four lads, who have been at it for 25 years give or take (with Kevin Hearn replacing cofounder Steven Page), showed they still have the chops. The Barenaked Ladies’ appearance at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa Feb. 3 drew a sizable crowd, filling about three-quarters of the arena. By the end of the two-hour performance the Lads had them all up on their feet cheering for more. It was the medley of hits that did it, really: a medley of other people’s hits. Hearn had worked with the late Lou Reed and a cover of Walk on the Wild Side seemed apropos when he introduced it, but the cover was not a tribute, just a nod and an introduction to an assault on the current charts BNL style. It was as if your four fave funny younger brothers dressed up as Kid ‘n Play and took on Reed’s Walk and Katy Perry’s Roar, Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus, Avicii’s Wake Me Up and Lorde’s Royals, among others. Add in raps about Oshawa and b-boy dance moves and it was a showstopper. It was a show the audience didn’t want to stop. BNL obliged with an encore of Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love with
Al Fournier
STILL GOT CHOPS: The Barenaked Ladies rocked an almost-full house at the G.M. Centre on Feb. 3. drummer Tyler Stewart singing and singer Ed Robertson on drums. The band began the night with a mix of new songs from their latest album Grinning Streak and a selection of wellknown numbers, but the show did lag in the middle. Their most famous track, If
I Had A Million Dollars, plus their theme from Big Bang Theory put it all back on track until the band brought the hits medley out for a fun, goofy, adept and wonderfully entertaining ending. Montreal’s Ladies of the Canyon opened. It’s a short walk from the GM Centre to the
Thirsty Monk where the four gals last played in Oshawa but it’s a long road from bar to arena for a musician to take. The Ladies’ second album Diamond Heart, which builds on their love for Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones and Heart, has carried them this far. Their beautiful harmonies and Wild
Horses guitar riffs played well and caused some goose bump moments. Toronto based Clara Venice was also on the bill. Dressed as if she had just stepped out of Narnia, Venice managed to channel her inner Lady Gaga through her Theremin-based EDM.
lege, is hosting a weekly open mic Wednesdays at the Moustache Club in downtown Oshawa. The 33-year-old musician and first-year student says the plan is to have MBM students and
local players attend, perform and meet up in a great venue. “Hopefully we can get a group going with people inspiring each other and working with each other,” says Hildebrand. “Maybe expand it to oth-
er nights with something bigger than just acoustic players.” Hildebrand lived in Bath near Kingston, where he ran his own studio and label prior to registering for the MBM program. He has also hosted open
mics around the Limestone City. Bands such as Glorious Sons would participate. “I was more on the side of not-for-profit and artist sharing,” he says of his time in Kingston. “I went back to school to learn about the copyright and publishing end of the industry,” he says, adding that he also wanted to know about job opportunities centred on music beyond being an artist. According to the Durham College website, those enrolled in the MBM program will “develop skills in management, marketing, promotion and small business while learning the essentials of event production, live sound reinforcement, studio operations and media.” Free Mind Operations is the student-run label Hildebrand works for he says. He is hoping to use his mid-week gatherings to scout out possible new signings and to offer free advice to musicians looking for information about the music industry. The open mic is free to attend and bands are welcome to come out and play, he says although bands should contact him beforehand to ensure that sound requirements are met.
MBM student hosts open mic Will McGuirk The Chronicle
James Hildebrand, a student in the Music Business Management program at Durham Col-
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Imperio Nazza: 12 Years a Slave Top Secret is captures the another hit album emotion of readers Sarah Samuel The Chronicle
It’s been only been three months since their last edition, and Los de la Nazza have done it again. After coming out with King Daddy Gold Edition in late October last year the dynamic duo, Eliezer Garcia and Eduardo Lopez, also known in the reggaeton world as Musicologo and Menes, came out with their 8th edition of the Imperio Nazza series. Imperio Nazza: Top Secret, highlights the Nazza series as another mixtape with a variety of songs from different singers. Like King Daddy Edition, Top Secret caused quite a stir on social media, being the second studio album released worldwide through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and iTunes simultaneously.The 23-track album was released on Jan. 6 and was produced at El Cartel Records. Top Secret has been eagerly awaited since Musicologo and Menes announced the date of release in late November. The album has balance in songs and context. Tracks like Igual Que Ayer, Nuestro Amor and Dime Bebé give the album versatility and an emotional slant making a point, Reaggeton isn’t all about partying and crazy night life -- it’s about feelings too. The Party Bus, Sin Miedo, Lo Que La Calle Pide, Una Escapaita give the
album signature underground reggaeton “voice of the street” feel. Musicologo and Menes (Los De La Nazza) outdid themselves by not sticking to the clichéd sound and instead includes outside talent for this album. The best thing about Top Secret is, its versatility. It not only includes new and upcoming artists like Divino, Delirious, Carnal, Killatonez and Endo but also has a good number of songs by the golden boys of the industry like Daddy Yankee, Arcangel, Farruko, J.Alvarez and Jory who are among the top reggaetoneros the audience can hear on Top Secret. Many Reggaeton artists find staying consistent a challenge, but Los De La Nazza keep coming back stronger and fresher.For the critics who say Lunny Tunes made Reggaeton what it is today, it’s fair to say that Musicologo and Menes’ Imperio Nazza Series since it started in 2012 outdid that controversy, as they are the best producers in the Latin reggaeton industry today. Imperio Nazza is a complete and a versatile album that is successful in bringing the old school reggaeton back to its former glory with a twist of versatility. Fans whose insatiable appetite can’t be met, can enjoy Top Secret’s music till Los de la Nazza release another album, which they have already hinted on.
Reshanthy Vijayarajah The Chronicle
“It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears, that the rod is for the slave’s back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in maturer years,” Solomon Northup explains in his book. To me a book is always better than a movie. I have not watched the most talked about movie of the year, 12 Years A Slave, but I have read the book. 12 Years A Slave, is an autobiography of a free African American man born in New York during the 1800s. Solomon Northup was born to a freed slave; he was a great violinist and a farmer with a family. He also became an activist against the slave trade after he was captured and sold into slavery. He was recognized as a heroic image for many African-Americans. While his book was a flop in the 1800’s the release of the movie has made it a best seller. During the 1840s, the slave trade era, Northup was lured into believing that he would be part of a circus group as a fiddler for performances in New York City. He accepted the job offer and left with
his so-called employers, leaving behind his family, expecting to see them again soon. Instead, he was being kidnapped drugged and sold as a slave to a plantation owner in New Orleans. It’s obvious he was kept captive for 12 years, but it’s the emotions and the heartache that make the reader understand what this man has gone through. His struggles to contact his family, the abuse he faced along with many others like him. “Really, it was difficult to determine which I had most reason to fear—dogs, alligators or men!” Northup wrote. In 1853 with the help of John Manning, an English sailor, Northup was able to contact his family and get help from the governor of New York, Washington Hunt. Northup was freed and returned to his family, during which this book was initially written. Northup tried to get justice at that time, but the justice system was still a grey area. Blacks were not allowed to testify against whites and without a testimony he was unable to take the matter to court. His life never returned to normal. He spent his days giving lectures and publicly speaking to people, letting them know what happened to him. Northup went missing four years after his return. No one really knows what happened to him.
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‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Rosanne Cash is an emotional journey makes dad proud Aleksandra Sharova The Chronicle
The Coen brothers’ new film Inside Llewyn Davis, which made a triumphant debut at the Cannes film festival last year, is a melancholic period piece about America’s early ‘60s folk scene. The titular character, exceptionally played by a littleknown actor, Oscar Isaac, is a failing folk singer, a vagabond with no home, an empty-handed loser with a lot of baggage to deal with. He is a man who isn’t there. Llewyn Davis is part of an irretrievably broken past – he once was a part in a duo. Their record, with the tragic title If I Had Wings, is now forgotten, and Davis’ first solo album Inside Llewyn Davis has no commercial success. “Play me something from Inside Llewyn Davis,” says a Chicago club manager. Davis’ pessimistic music doesn’t give away much of what’s really inside Llewyn Davis. Sleeping on other people’s couches, living on black coffee and cigarettes, Davis despises the idea of creating commercially-oriented music, as much as he hates his sister’s sugges-
tion he quit show business and return to the merchant navy. “Exist? Is that what we do outside of show business? It’s not so bad,” Llewyn’s sister says when he contrasts himself with people outside the music scene who merely “exist.” Eventually, Davis will have to face that he has to exist too. There is an overpowering sadness to the film, but at the same time it is sweet and touching. The story begins with
‘
Exist? Is that what we do outside of show business? It’s not so bad...”
Joy Davis
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Davis walking out of a club into a dark alley and getting beaten by a stranger. Events that follow are logically connected to the opening scene – a chain of tragicomic events that inevitably brings Llewyn to the first scene of the film. The circle is complete; the plot returns to the beginning. Just as Ulysses, a ginger cat, and another important charac-
ter in the movie, returns home. The name Ulysses is a parallel to Homer’s Odyssey. It’s not the only reference to Homer in Coen brothers’ career. In 2000, their film O Brother, Where Art Thou? was nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. The film was the adaptation of Homer’s poem. Davis’ character is loosely based on Dave Van Ronk, a real-life folk singer. The film’s atmosphere and aesthetics were inspired by Van Ronk’s memoir Mayor of MacDougal Street. The film is shot by Bruno Delbonnel, a French cinematographer best known for his work on Amélie, Dark Shadows and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Nostalgic and dimly-lit – that’s how Delbonnel portrayed the French capital city, when he was working with Coen brothers on their piece in Paris, je t’aime. And that’s how Llewyn Davis sees Manhattan. “Life is a long song,” sang a British rock band a decade later of the events depicted in the movie. Joel and Ethan’s film isn’t so much about “a song,” even though the soundtrack (mostly performed by the cast) is astounding. Inside Llewyn Davis is a phenomenal bittersweet film about “life.”
Keshyla Reddick The Chronicle
If you are looking for new music to play in the background while you work, it’s here. Rosanne Cash, the eldest daughter of Johnny Cash, released her newest album titled The River & Thread on Jan. 14, making it her first album in five years and the 13th of her career. A Feather’s not a Bird starts the album off, and was the first single to be released. Cash’s voice is unique in its tone providing an intriguing aspect to each song. “A feather’s not a bird, a storm is not a sea, a stone is not a mountain; but a river runs through me.” As the song’s chorus, it definitely hooks the listener, becoming the part they are most likely to sing along to. This song has a very interesting instrumental arrangement, with guitar, strings, drums and background vocals, but it somehow doesn’t crowd Cash’s voice at all. When the Master Calls the Role is another standout, telling the story of a young couple who get married before the young man goes off
to war and doesn’t return. It also tells how the lives of others go on, dealing with this life-changing event. Modern Blue is a bit more upbeat, which is a welcomed change, but not enough to throw the listener off. It’s about having to explore the world, but at the end of it all finding your way back home, and finding comfort in the place you call home. This album is one that could play in the background while you softly sing along as you work. With an interesting mix of country, folk and soft rock songs, the album has a very contemporary feel to it. Although each song has a different arrangement, none seem out of place. There are no high, long vocal runs, which allows for you to listen to the story each song tells. Cash had help from many artists on this album such as Cory Chisel, Rodney Crowell, Amy Helm, Kris Kristofferson, Allison Moorer, John Prine, Derek Trucks, John Paul White, Tony Joe White, Gabe Witcher, as well as her husband, producer and guitarist John Leventhal. This album is a 7.5 out of 10.
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Lords extend win streak to 13 Sean O’Leary The Chronicle
The Durham Lords men’s volleyball team won their 13th consecutive game Feb. 6, defeating the Georgian Grizzlies in a marathon, back-and-forth battle that needed five sets. Head coach George Matsusaka said it was the hardestfought win of the year. The Lords were on the brink of losing twice but were able to outlast their opponent and come out with a victory. “It was a gut-check win,” said Matsusaka. “It’s good for the guys to come out with the win, and battle hard in a game that could have gone either way.” The Lords lost the first game 25-20 but were able to tie the match after winning the second game 25-21, overcoming a 1915 deficit. The third set of the match was the closest of the five, with Georgian coming out on top 27-25. Both teams played terrific defence and both came back from three points down to extend the game. In the end it would be Georgian’s blocks and kills that would be the difference. On the brink of losing their
Sean O’Leary
ON A TEAR: Durham Lords libero Dan Popovic sets up a teammate with a bump in the second game of a five-game set versus Georgian. Durham won the set 2521 and the match 3-2. first in-conference game since Oct. 30, the Lords played their best set of the match, winning 25-15. The game started back and forth, and no team was able to establish more than a two-
point lead until the Lords scored four unanswered points, giving them a 16-12 lead. The lead caused Georgian to call a timeout, but it was to no avail as all the momentum was on Durham’s side. With the sup-
port of screaming fans behind them, the Lords scored seven consecutive points to give them a 24-14 lead. Georgian scored one more point, but the Lords sealed the victory and forced a fifth and
deciding game, thanks to a block at the net. In between the fourth and fifth games, Matsusaka conferenced with his team, ensuring they were ready. “It’s important to settle the guys down and make sure they focus on how they’re going to execute for each point,” said Matsusaka. In the fifth game the Lords started slowly, going down 5-2 and forcing Matsusaka to call a timeout. After the stoppage, Durham made it 7-5 and gained the momentum in the gym. Fans were making as much noise as they could, and with each point Durham scored, the players celebrated a little bit harder. The Lords made it 13-8 but showing no quit. Georgian had rallied to make it 13-13, when Brad Van Hartingsveldt made a massive block to give Durham the momentum. The Lords added one more point, making it 15-13 and clinching the victory. Before the game, the seniors of the team were honoured as it was the last home game of their careers. Michael Harper, Dan Popovic, Riley McAllister and Brad Van Hartingsveldt were recognized before the game for their contributions to the Durham Lords volleyball program
Lords lose five-set heartbreaker Ryan Verrydt The Chronicle
There was a lot to take in at the CRWC on Feb. 6. In a rematch of the semi-final game at the Adidas Cup, it was a night dedicated to head coach Shane Christopher, his daughter Kaylyn and all the graduating seniors. The Lords women’s volleyball team showed they cared with a hard-fought, fiveset loss to the Georgian Grizzlies. With everyone wearing purple hair ties and tie-died purple shirts before the game and with the initials K.C. written on their legs to show their support, the teams battled hard throughout the game, with the Lords losing by scores of 28-26, 23-25, 2512, 21-25 and 16-18. “We were up in the fifth set 8-4 when we switched sides and I thought we had it in the bag, I really did,” said Lords assistant head coach Mandi Doris after the game. The service game was one of the Lords’ strong points, led by graduating senior Emily Gilbert, who had eight aces on the night. Jessica Broad again led the Lords with 16 kills and maintains her position near the top
Ryan Verrydt
FACING ADVERSITY: Lords hitter Jessica Broad dives to play a ball while teammate and graduating senior Emily Gilbert and head coach Shane Christopher look on. The Lords would lose the match against the Grizzlies in five sets on Feb. 6 at the CRWC. (Inset) Lords players had the initials K.C written on their legs in support of their coach and the passing of his daughter Kaylyn. of the OCAA in points and kills. “We fought so hard. It was a game that we were prepared to win but we were not able
to close,” said Broad after the game. “I think we scared them a bit and provincials will definitely be interesting when we
get to play them again.” It’s been a tough week for the Lords team after learning of the passing of Christopher’s
daughter Kaylyn on Jan. 27, but the team pulled together to support their coach. “I think we needed to find something inside of us that triggers the winning mentality. All of a sudden we wanted to win so much more for him than anything else,” said Broad. “We dedicated this game at the beginning to K, to Shane, and to the seniors and we did just that. Whether we came out with a win or not, we fought so hard.” Doris echoed that sentiment. “It means they care,” she said. “It means we had a really purposeful goal and they wanted to put in the effort and show how much it means to them.” After the game, Durham College took time to honour those graduating seniors, presenting them with pictures and a bouquet of flowers. Graduating members are Emily Gilbert, Natasha Jakovljevic, Allison Doris, Joelle Parnham, Madison Pilon, Alysha Johnson, Meghan Renwick and LeeAnne Jeffs. The Lords sit with a 7-8 conference record and are now headed on a three-game road trip to end the season before returning home to the CRWC to host the OCAA provincial championships Feb. 20-22.
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Caruana’s heart is in hockey
Ridgebacks coach took long road to dream job
UOIT records fourth straight win
Matthew Jordan The Chronicle
Sean O’Leary The Chronicle
At the age of four, you don’t get to make many choices. Your parents dress you, your parents feed you, and your parents instruct you. In some cases, like Justin Caruana’s, they enroll you in figure skating. While he’s not proud to admit it, Caruana was a figure skater before a hockey player. At the age of six, he started playing hockey, and it changed life for the current interimhead coach of the UOIT Ridgebacks men’s hockey team. Growing up in the small town of Orono, Caruana was driven by his older friends to try his hardest at hockey. As much as his friends helped his game grow, no one was there for him more than his father, says Caruana. “He drove me to those early morning practices as a kid, travelled across the country and just gave me every opportunity to be successful,” said Caruana. “He has been there since day one. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Along with hockey, Caruana played baseball, but once he started receiving OHL packages, phone calls and meeting with scouts, it hit him that this was his chance to take his game to the next level. Caruana’s seven closest friends all played junior. or NCAA, so in his draft year, Carauana ramped up his determination and was drafted to the Petes of the OHL. As a member of the Pe-
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Athletic Department
NEW COACH: Ridgebacks men’s hockey interim head coach Justin Caruana has earned two victories since taking over for Marlin Muylaert after the Christmas break.
tes, Caruana lived his fondest hockey memories. In the 2005‘06 season, Peterborough tied a franchise record for most consecutive games without a regulation loss, and swept the Knights to win the OHL Championship. “The way the city rallied behind us was an amazing feeling,” said Caruana. “That was one of, if not the team that I had the most fun on in my whole career. It was such a great group of guys. Many of them I am still in contact with today.” After winning the OHL, Caruana and the Petes advanced to the Memorial Cup. It was held in Moncton, NB., and Caruana remembers the amazing experience. “Everything from the opening ceremonies and dinner to having my friends back home messaging me while I was playing was something really cool,” said Caruana. “Aside from the
hockey, just being able to explore the area and tourist attractions with teammates and family was a great experience and is something I will never forget.” After one more year with the Petes, Caruana went on to play four years at Carleton University. Once his playing days were done, he jumped at the opportunity to begin coaching. Growing up, Caruana wanted to be a teacher, and as one of the more vocal guys in the room as a player, Caruana combined the two to become a coach. As a coach, Caruana expects hard work from all of his players, he knows working with the talent he has is the proper way to assess a team, and to meet expectations. On top of that, being willing to learn from mistakes is important to Caruana. “I think you need to be open
for criticism,” says Caruana. “Nobody is perfect, and as a player and as a coach this is something that allows you to learn and grow from.” “I also feel adaptability is key. The game is ever changing, so being able to adapt to certain things is a huge asset.” Though the Ridgebacks have struggled this season, Caruana has earned two wins in his tenure as head coach, and hopes they can elevate their play heading into the playoffs. In the offseason, Caruana loves to golf, and fish competitively, but neither of those can hold the same spot in his heart as hockey, and living without it wouldn’t be the same. “My life would be very different without hockey, almost a little empty you can say,” said Caruana. “Hockey has been my whole life ever since I was a little boy, I think I would be lost without it.”
The Ridgebacks women’s hockey team continued its climb up the standing with 3-1 road win over the York Lions Feb. 1. The win continues the Ridgebacks’ winning streak, now at four. Captain Jill Morillo continued to shine for the team, recording three points, including two goals for 13 on the season. That moves her into fourth in the OUA for goal scoring. The Ridgebacks played a disciplined game, and managed to stay out of the penalty box for the full 60 minutes. UOIT forward Sarah Worthington continued her point streak with a goal in the first period, and has eight points in the past six games. The season of record setting also continued with Tori Campbell’s 10th win of the season, the most of any UOIT goaltender in the program’s history. Campbell turned aside 33 shots in the victory and padded her stats by dropping to a 1.50 GAA, maintaining the lead among rookie goaltenders. The Ridgebacks improved to 13-8-1 and hold on to fifth in the standings. The team wraps up the season with a home-andhome against Brock and Guelph and are set for another playoff berth.
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Fighting for a playoff spot Luke Callebert The Chronicle
It was a tale of what could have been seen as two completely different teams for Durham College men’s basketball team. The Lords’ playoff hopes took a seemingly severe hit on Feb. 1 when they fell to the Canadore Panthers 95-86 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC). The Lords were led by another monster performance from Eric Smith who had a doubledouble with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Smith was matched in points by newcomer Dylan Pelissero who also had nine rebounds. Neither performance was enough, though. Durham carried the play in the first half, with their biggest lead being 11. The Lords held the Panthers to just 41 per cent shooting in the half, while shooting 55 per cent as a team. The trends would reverse in the second and Durham was eventually felled by the team’s inability to defend against the three-pointers. Durham was outscored 33-3 from beyond the arc. The Lords would tie it up with just over a minute remaining, but Canadore eventually proved to be too much. With the loss the Lords fell into a four-way tie for the fifth spot in the east region. With only six teams making the play-
Luke Callebert
IT’S A LONGSHOT: Eric Smith in a game against the Canadore Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 1. Canadore would go on to win the game 95-86. offs from the east, the Lords (7-10) are in a fight with Seneca (7-7), Loyalist (7-9) and St.
Lawrence (7-9) for the fifth and sixth spots. On Feb. 5, though, Durham
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beat Seneca College 95-86. In a complete reversal from the second half against Canadore, Durham was responsible defensively while having an offensive explosion. Coming off a five-point lead at half time, Durham scored six points in the first 30 seconds of the sec] ond en route to a game-high 18-point lead with 10 minutes left. Durham would give a little, but still held on for the sixpoint victory. Ajahmo Clarke led the Lords, yet again. Continuing his outstanding season, Clarke dropped 39 points on Seneca. He is now in the top five in all major categories in OCAA scoring.Eric Smith continued his stellar season, as well, adding 24 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Durham now, momentarily, holds the fifth spot in the east region. They have 16 points and are now 8-10. The problem for the Lords is that Seneca, St. Lawrence and Loyalist all have quite a few games in hand to make up the points in the standings. The positive for the Lords is the team is in front of every other in the fight at the moment. Another positive is the two remaining games are against St. Lawrence and winless Fleming. Durham will need to run the table in order to have a chance to play in the OCAA championship tournament. The fight for the playoffs continues on Feb. 14 against St. Lawrence at the CRWC. By then the picture should be a lot clearer as to where Durham stands in the playoff picture.
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Lords can’t be stopped Matthew Mazer The Chronicle
The Durham women’s indoor soccer team visited Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario on Jan. 31 for a tournament, but they lost in the round robin. The men’s team visited Redeemer the following day, and they placed third overall, winning the consolation final. The women’s team played on Friday against St. Clair, Humber and Redeemer Alumni. Alicia del Fuoco played in the tournament. She said the team played well for their first tournament of the year. “We went 1-1-1. We won one, lost one and tied one,” del Fuoco said. As for the men, they played their tournament on Feb. 1. Adam Farr was there but did not play in the tournament. “The guys went undefeated in their tournament,” Farr said. “They tied their opening game 2-2 against Brock University. They would go on to beat Redeemer in the next game 1-0 and they would tie their final game 0-0 against Conestoga.” Farr added “It’s pretty good to go undefeated in your first tournament.”
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