Chronicle 14 15 issue 15

See Holidays, page 16

See Charity, page 43

Volume XLII Issue 15

April 14, 2015

SA is facing an identity crisis First-year engagement key to election turnout Andrew Brennan The Chronicle

S

tudent participation at Durham College and UOIT is down. Almost 800 fewer students voted in the recent Student Association (SA) election than in the previous year’s.

The SA election concluded on March 20 with approximately 1,200 students voting for the president.

Current SA president Ryan LePage said one reason voter turnout was low may be the timing of the election. LePage said many Durham College students were already on placement and that could have affected the numbers.

Durham College’s vice-president of student affairs, Meri Kim Oliver says there is an issue with student engagement on campus.

Oliver says there is a dilemma when engaging with the college’s first-year students.

She explains the identity of the first-year student at Dur-

ham College has changed from a person coming directly from high school, to individuals of a greater range of ages and life experiences.

“The identity of our students is no longer, ‘I am a student and I do these other things.’ It is, ‘I am this person and I have a very complex life, and one of those pieces is being a student,” says Oliver.

She says more than half of first-year Durham College students no longer come directly from high school, making it increasingly difficult for students to participate in a full-time commitment such as student government.

Oliver says the role of the student government has also evolved and this has led to a decline in participation.

“Student government used to be about 80 per cent about crafting the best programs for students,” Oliver says. “Now when you look at it, it’s more like 90 per cent of it is about the business of running a cor-

Andrew Brennan

SA PRESIDENT RYAN LEPAGE: Hopes the work in enhancing the student experience continues next year. poration.”

She says students who realize this and have a busy life outside of school will be hesitant to

take on such a responsibility.

Oliver adds the Student Association can no longer group all Durham College students to-

gether, let alone both UOIT and Durham College students.

See Cullen on page 2

Relax it’s just tax: Tips on filing for the first time Taylor Waines The Chronicle

F

or many post-secondary students, things such as taxes, T2202A and T4A are a foreign language.

Students spend years in school learning algebra and physics but many people have never learned about taxes.

Nancy Miller, a tax pro at Oshawa’s H&R block, says she sees many students in the offices closest to the campus.

“A lot of times students that maybe are in their first year don’t realize because they haven’t worked that they should have been filing their taxes,” Miller says. “Maybe

a year or two into their studies they got a part-time job or they’ve worked in the summer time and they have employment income, then they’ll come in and we’ll ask them about their previous years and we do have to do some backtracking for them.”

Miller says there is no late penalty for people getting a refund, but if they owe there is a five per cent late filing charge and one per cent per month. If people habitually file their taxes late, Miller says, the Canada Revenue Agency will increase the penalties, and increase the interest.

The process of filing taxes takes about 45 minutes to an hour if you are eligible for cash

back, Miller says. Students can get their cash right away for a fee of 15 per cent. If this is not an option, students can Efile their taxes and the return takes approximately two weeks, she says.

Even without income, students are entitled to credits that they may miss out on if they don’t file their taxes.

“GST credits are credits that are paid out every three months. It’s usually around $60 or so for someone that doesn’t have any income,” Miller says.

After turning 19, students are eligible for GST payments at the next payment period. The Ontario Ministry of Finance describes the Ontario Trillium

Benefit as relief to people for sales, energy costs and property tax. This is another perk of filing your taxes, Miller says.

“Anyone that doesn’t have any income or very little income, is entitled to the Trillium Benefit to help pay for the sales tax credit,” Miller says.

If you have no income or rent, you are still eligible for the Ontario Trillium Benefit, which pays roughly around $267 per year, Miller says.

The T2202 is a statement from the university or college, which shows how much of a student’s tuition went towards the tuition credits.

If students are in school for full time months they get an extra $400 credit for each month

that they are in full-time attendance and $65 per month for textbooks. If they are living in residence they get $25 for residence fees paid out on the Trillium Benefit.

Of 10 students recently surveyed, half said they do file their taxes. The remaining five said their parents file their taxes for them.

Karolina Roussakis, a Library and Information Technician student, said she just filed her taxes for the first time this year. “It was super easy,” she said.

On the edge of tax season, Miller shares her final tip for students filing taxes. “My only advice is make sure they file every year,” she says.

2

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

Campus

SA election by the numbers Voter turnout in the 2015 SA presidential elections decreased, despite an increase in enrolment at Durham College and UOIT. As the accompanying infographics show, under seven per cent of eligible voters cast their ballot for SA president, the lowest turnout in the past three years.

The SA oversaw $3.12 million in levies in 2013-14. The levies are paid by all students alongside tuition and are allocated for the SA, the Student Centre and Riot Radio.

The three executives of the SA each make $33,000 for one year of full-time work. This money comes out of the SA levy.

- Infographic data and visuals compiled for The Chronicle by Shane O’Neill.

Cullen: Visibility key to engagement SA president-elect plans to ride bus, engage students throughout campus Continued from page 1

“I

t will be about how do they engage the individual person, because this is what that person needs from their student government,” Oliver said.

She noted the SA could enlist the help of an outside consultant to create a report on what the true identity of the college is.

SA president-elect, Jesse Cullen, agrees that his team will need to connect with students on that personal level in the coming year.

He says strategies such as door knocking in the student housing neighbourhood and being visible in the hallways will be important.

Cullen also expressed a need to talk to people who use the public transit system. Cullen says he will even ride the buses

with them in an attempt to get to know students better.

He adds that tools such as social media could also be used, but as a complimentary option.

“People always want to do things at an arm’s length. I think the best way to engage people is to talk to them faceto-face and have those tough

In addition to incentivizing attendance by offering a free meal and wide selection of prizes, SA members made classroom visits.

The AGM was able to take place with an attendance level that the Student Association vice-president of college affairs, Ashley Bennett, called

‘

People always want to do things at an arm’s length. I think the best way to engage people is to talk to them face-to-face.

Jesse Cullen conversations,” he says.

January’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was the first example of the SA adopting new strategies to reach a greater level of student participation.

’

“phenomenal.”

“We [had] a good group of board members and executives in office this year, who’ve taken the time out to talk to students and let them know about the services that we have to pro-

vide, and explain to students why it’s important for them to get involved,” Bennett says.

The SA was also unable to meet quorum in their first attempt to conduct the AGM in November.

Durham College is not the only school that has recently needed to resort to incentives to draw students to school events.

Fleming College has also been dealing with many of the same issues.

With the help of a free meal, Fleming was able to attract the numbers it needed for its AGM, but struggled to keep them there until the end of the event.

Fleming’s vice-president of student affairs, Jungeon Kim, says grabbing the interest of students is one of the challenges student government faces.

“The topics [at the AGM] are kind of dry... so it was hard to get them involved in a twohour meeting” Kim said.

He said that the Fleming student government is looking into ways to make the AGM, and other similar events, more interesting to the students.

“By the end of the event, almost everyone was gone” Kim

said.

The Durham College and UOIT SA has tried to appeal to first-year students by providing them with a sense of comfort.

Cullen says you can achieve that by understanding the perspective of a student and trying to “walk in their shoes.”

He says he will work with the VP of equity, Reina Rexhmataj to ensure the SA is an, “inclusive, tolerant, safe place for students to be.”

Cullen says one of his goals will be to build relationships with students across Ontario.

“I think it’s time for someone to step up, some group of students to step up, [and say] we need to come together. I want to see us build some student power on provincial policy, like student debt and tuition fees,” he says.

Cullen wants to leave office with some of the framework of that goal being established.

“If there’s one thing I’d like to see done within this next year is us become leader on a provincial student movement, to really affect some change and grow some power on provincial issues like debt and tuition fees,” Cullen said.

Campus

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

3

New SA president believes in affordability

Andrew Brennan The Chronicle

The new Student Association (SA) president, Jesse Cullen says the major theme he saw come out of the election was affordability.

“Everyone wants to do something to help students make ends meet. So it’s just a matter of finding that common ground and figuring out where we can move forward on that,” said Cullen.

He is the new SA president after receiving almost half of the total votes (606). Harrison Hutcheon of Your Voice finished in second (408), and Sri Thiyagarajah was third (223).

Cullen and his team hope to make UOIT and Durham College a more affordable experience, to increase diversity with the help of new VP of equity Reina Rexhmataj, and to develop sustainable options in both travel and food on campus.

“Of course we want to grow our voice on provincial policy like debt and tuition fees.

That’s going to be a big priority for me, but there are issues on campus that I think deserve just as much attention,” said

Cullen.

Mike Guerard was narrowly elected as the new vice-president of college affairs, after running on a platform promoting campus unity. Guerard plans to use one-third of his salary to start funding a “Book Smart program.”

“This program will be open to all DC students, allowing them seek relief for expensive textbooks, other course mandated supplies and some out of pocket expenses,” says Guerard.

Vianney Nengue will represent the Whitby campus as the associate vice-president of college affairs. The two represent Durham College on the SA executive branch.

Siraj Syed is the new vicepresident of university affairs.

Syed is a third-year biological science and concurrent education student at UOIT, and a member of the Students Unite slate.

Approximately 1,200 students voted for the SA president, which is almost 800 less votes compared to last year’s election.

Current SA president Ryan LePage said the average voter

Andrew Brennan

STUDENT ASSOCIATION ELECTION: Poll clerks at the Student Centre voting location ensure the election process runs smoothly. turnout has been close to 10 per cent, while this election managed to draw around seven per cent of Durham College and UOIT students to polling stations.

LePage said the low number may be the result of fewer candidates, as well as many

Slates are changing the way students vote for SA Shane O’Neill The Chronicle

Tory or Grit? Republican or Democrat? Students Unite or Your Voice? Many democracies are founded on a dominant two party system, and this year, Durham College and UOIT are no different as candidates running on two different slates vied for office during March’s SA elections.

The SA elections saw two slates of candidates for each major position: Students Unite, headed by Jesse Cullen, and Your Voice, with presidential candidate Harrison Hutcheon.

A slate is group of candidates who share a set of views or values and decide to pool their resources together and run under the same banner in an election.

The SA only approved slates for the first time in 2013.

The decision to form the Your Voice slate was more strategic in nature.

“It’s helpful to have that extra budget to spend on campaign material for the group, buttons, handbills, posters,” Hutcheon said.

Cullen, a veteran of multiple campaigns both with and without slates, also talked about the benefits of the slate system saying, “the difference [in systems] is the ability to articulate ideas in a cohesive way that allows you to work with people once

you’re elected is something that we never had.”

“It really helps the SA start moving in the same direction,” Cullen said. “You don’t have as many competing interests at the table who might have never met each other before or [only] in a debate or event setting.”

Like Your Voice, Students Unite posters were plastered around each campus of DC, UOIT. The use of slates is uncommon among Ontario colleges and universities, but it is not unusual. Queens’ Alma Mater Society (AMS) is Canada’s oldest student union. There, slates are institutional. “AMS mandates all executive candidates run on a slate,” said Claire Cathro, AMS Commissioner of International Affairs. “[The] faculty reps here must run as individuals though.”

Western in London also mandates that executive candidates run as slates. The University of Calgary recently amended its by laws to discontinue the practice of slates.

“The first issue I would put forward with slates is the perception of bias,” Adam Swartz, vice president of operations and finance with the Students’ Union (SU) at the University of Calgary said.

Swartz explained the perception amongst many students that slates have an inherent advantage in an election the per-

ception was serving as a barrier to participation for those students who run on their own.

“The main impetus was to make things as fair as possible,” he said.

“But, last year [the SU] decided to only allow executive candidates to run as slates in name. With no pooling of budgets.” Swatrtz said the feedback and experience of this transition led to the SU abolishing slates entirely for executive and faculty rep candidates starting with the 2014-15 elections.

In the SA elections, Students Unite saw five of its six candidates elected to the SA. They are all students at UOIT. Both Cullen and Hutcheon recognize the slate system in the SA elections has both benefits and drawbacks. The ability to pool resources is valuable when campaign spending is strictly controlled, as is the case with DC, UOIT. “The significant disadvantage [with slates] is in terms of your organizational capacity,” Cullen said.

The SA’s election policy applies strict rules to pre-campaigning and states, “no campaigning shall take place before the nomination period and before the start of the campaign period.”

“Our election policy probably needs a little tweaking to keep up with the way slates are running,” Cullen said.

Durham College students being away on placement.

Cullen says the election was run on ideas. “Everyone wanted to improve the organization, everyone wanted to reach out to students, and it wasn’t about personalities,” he said.

Cullen will take over on

May 1. LePage said he hopes his work in providing greater bursaries for students and developing an expanded version of the current health plan will continue next year.

LePage will return to UOIT in the fall to complete his criminology degree.

SA candidates worry about low voter turnout Alyssa Erwin The Chronicle

Multiple candidates from the recent Student Association (SA) election are worried about student involvement after the low voter turnout.

Harrison Hutcheon, who ran for president, says a lot of students do not know what the SA is responsible for.

Zach Leveque-Wilson, runner up for vice-president of college affairs, says a lack of knowledge towards the SA could have been the result of the outcome of the votes.

“Such a small margin of voters, it could be anything from the fact that one of our names was first on the ballot so people who hadn’t talked to us checked them off. ” said Leveque-Wilson.

Zach Whitley, a candidate for UOIT Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science director, says that he does not think the SA does enough to engage student involvement at the schools.

“If you ask around, everyone doesn’t feel like they’re part of UOIT or Durham.

They kind of just go to the school,” Whitley says.

The SA hosts many events including concerts, parties, Winter Fest and Last Blast.

While they prepare other events including barbecues and picnics, Whitley believes that the SA focuses more on students who enjoy drinking and partying.

“We want students involved,” he said. “We also wanted to make our Student Association something you could be proud of that is more than just organizing social events. Not everybody drinks, not everybody wants to party.”

Leveque-Wilson and his team say they wanted to have the opportunities for students who enjoy partying and drinking but they also wanted to “create an environment that all students are welcome in.”

This student involvement could include more students running for the SA next year since many positions were left vacant.

Hutcheon encourages students to run in next year’s elections.

“If you think that you have a good idea or if you think you have a good policy and you think that you can do the job, then don’t let other people sort of intimidate you or demotivate you into giving it a shot,” he says.

4

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

Publisher: Greg Murphy Editor-in-Chief: Brian Legree Ad Manager: Dawn Salter

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Newsroom: Room L-223; Ext. 3068 E-mail: Chronicle.News@dc-uoit.ca Advertising: Room L-223; Ext. 3069 E-mail: dawn.salter@durhamcollege.ca

Time to break the status quo With the annual Student Association’s election fresh in our minds and a new president at the helm, some may be thinking – Wait, what? There was an election?

The election in mid-March saw the lowest voter turnout in the last three years with only 6.3 per cent turnout for presidential votes. That’s 1,346 votes on a campus with a combined student population of 21,105.

This was a decline of about 3.5 per cent from the previous two years.

Not only was the voter turnout low, the majority of votes went to UOIT candidates.

With the college and university having nearly equal student populations, it begs the questions, are there more voters from UOIT than DC, and is it time for a change?

The Student Association (SA) is a student run government that represents and advocates the needs of students from both Durham College and UOIT. It’s those representatives job to make sure students have the best experience possible, socially and academically, while at the college and university.

UOIT student and presidentelect, Jesse Cullen, is responsi-

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ble for ensuring just that.

Over the past three elections every president has been a UOIT student, despite there being Durham College candidates in the running.

This is not the only position that lacks DC representation.

This year, four of nine college positions were left vacant because no one ran for them.

In the 2014 elections, the position of assistant vice-president, the person who acts as a representative for DC’s Whitby campus, went unfilled as well.

Adding to this, the most recent two presidents, LePage and now Cullen, are part of the same Students Unite slate.

Herein lies the problem: consecutive years of UOIT presidents running on the same platform makes it difficult for an individual that isn’t part of the status quo to break through and make an impression. Voters get comfortable.

So is it time for a change?

In a straw poll conducted outside the computer commons on the day of the election – where the voting was taking place - ten students were asked whether or not they thought DC and UOIT should have separate student associations.

Sixty per cent thought they

ditors: Johnadeen Albertini, Sachin Bahal, Alyssa Bugg, Ryan Burden, Logan Caswell, Bill Christou, Cody Quinney, Michael Clark, David Conti, Alexander Costa, Jordan Edmonds, Alyssa Erwin, Amanda Filardi, Tianna Forde, Jordyn Gitlin, Sean Heeger, Jason Lacombe, Conner McLean, Mariah Pardy, Reba Pennell, Remona Maria Pillai, Taylor Prest, Tabitha Reddekop, Christopher Rego, Alexander Ross, Brandon Smith, Chloe Troicuk, Sandhya Visvanathan, Ryan Wilson, Hannah Anderson, Andrew Brennan, Megan Chase, Caroline Egan, Angela Lavallee, Shane O’Neill, Sherise Peart-Kent, Cameron Popwell, Amanda Ramlal, Charles Roach, Ashley Robertson, John Seymour, Justin Stewart, Marina Tyszkiewicz, Taylor Waines, Tyler Searle, Tyler Daniels, Kyle Johnson, Patrick Schonberg, Jared Williams Publisher: Greg Murphy

should, saying the schools are separate institutions.

During the poll many people declined to answer the question because they didn’t feel informed enough about what the SA is or what it does.

With voter turnout at an alltime low, it’s clear that students are simply not engaged.

If there were two separate SAs, it would allow the college and university a better opportunity to promote engagement, as they would be speaking to smaller audiences. It would also give DC the opportunity to concentrate on connecting with the admittedly disconnected Whitby campus.

That’s not to say a split SA would create a perfect world.

There are obvious issues that would surface.

Under the SA, the college and university share several services, such as Outreach Services, RIOT Radio and the health plan to name a few.

To split these services would certainly not only split the SA, but also split the unity UOIT and DC pride themselves in having.

An entire separation would be challenging, and no doubt, costly.

Here’s an alternative solu-

tion to think about. What if, instead of a complete separation, the SA created another presidential position? So there would be two presidents: one representing DC and the other UOIT. This would allow both presidents the freedom to govern their respective institutions, allowing them to concentrate on more specific issues. The university would be able to focus on Drop Tuition UOIT, for example, and the college on connecting with the Whitby campus.

This is not the first time an idea like this has been brought up. In 2013, then vice-president of college affairs and Durham College student, Josh Bickle, and UOIT student, Tyler Pattenden, proposed a structural change within the SA. The proposal called for separate SA presidents.

It also recommended two advocacy boards, one for DC and the other for UOIT, which would be comprised of all directors elected from each school and faculty at their respective institutions.

Under the UOIT president, there would be two vice-presidents of university affairs, one for the north and the other for

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the downtown campus.

Under the DC president, there would also be two vicepresidents of college affairs, one for the north and the other for the Whitby campus.

But the motion never went anywhere. At the SA’s 2013 AGM, Cullen, former vp of university affairs, said the proposal would be a lot of work, and the motion failed on a vote.

It’s difficult to imagine anything beyond our short time here at DC and UOIT. Change is a lot of work and at times it’s hard enough to stay on top of schoolwork. How can one possibly think of anything larger than that?

Here are some things students should be asking themselves: Am I happy with the way the SA is being run right now? Do I even know what the SA does? And if I don’t, why not?

Think of what could be done to make the difference for you.

As someone once said, “Change is a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up.”

Alyssa Bugg

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Opinion

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

5

The greatest coach in NFL history Bill Belichick is the greatest coach in National Football League history.

In an era with more roster and coaching turnover than ever before, Belichick’s New England Patriots have remained consistently dominant.

His 22 playoff wins as a head coach is best all time, and he is tied with Chuck Knoll for most Super Bowl wins with four.

It’s not the numbers that make Belichick the best head coach in league history, though.

It’s his anticipatory skills and ability to coach seemingly anyone that sets him apart.

The Patriots have been to the Super Bowl six times since Belichick became head coach in 2000. Those teams have

Logan Caswell featured more than 20 different Pro-Bowl or All-Pro Team players.

In 2003 they were the best defensive team in football. In 2007, they led the league in scoring and set a record for points scored.

Both years they went to the Super Bowl. Belichick finds a way to win regardless of his team’s strengths or who is on the roster.

The only player who remains on New England’s roster

from the championship season in 2001 is quarterback Tom Brady. Every other position has been a virtual revolving door in New England. Belichick doesn’t get on his players back as much as other coaches because he knows he could probably coach a hockey stick into a Pro-Bowl wide receiver.

Heck, more than 50 different players have caught a touchdown for the Patriots since 2001. Belichick is also a mastermind when it comes to game planning.

The Patriots were massive underdogs going into Super Bowl 31 against the St. Louis Rams, but Belichick devised a strategy that sputtered one of the most prolific offenses ever.

By jamming the Rams’ receivers at the line of scrimmage and relentlessly pounding anyone who touched the ball, New England was able to stymie St. Louis to just 17 points and went on to win the game 20-17.

Another example of Belichick’s mastery of the game came in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks. Cornerback Malcolm Butler made a game ending interception in the end zone that sealed the victory for the Patriots because of Belichick’s anticipatory skills.

Seattle came to the line in a stack formation and ran a pick play to the inside, something Belichick told Butler to be ready for in the weeks leading up to the big game.

Belichick’s ability to anticipate is also what allows the Patriots to draft so well. Even though New England consistently finishes atop their division and rarely misses out on the AFC Championship game, they always seem to have cap room and more picks than anyone in the draft.

That’s because Belichick doesn’t overreact when his team has a weakness, and sees the value in having multiple draft picks instead of one overpaid player.

Bill Belichick’s ability to anticipate and adapt is what has allowed the New England Patriots to win four Super Bowls, it is also what makes him the greatest coach in NFL history.

Photo by Frank Lopez

School Cup Challenge winners

Victoria Sykes, second from the left, a student in the Hospitality Management program, was the individual winner of the second annual Durham College School Cup Challenge, winning $500. Her school, the Centre for Food, also receives a $1,000 bursary award for the school with the highest student participation in the challenge. To celebrate Sykes achievement are, from left to right, Chef and Business professor Dave Hawey, Sykes, Chef Rob Grieve, Durham College President Don Lovisa, Chef Tricia Wiseman, and Whitby campus principal Darrin Caron. Throughout the month of March, the challenge allowed 2015 graduates to share their favourite memories and experiences from their time at Durham College.

Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the entire world Charlie Roach The Chronicle

Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time.

At his peak, he won nearly one third of the tournaments he entered. Twice, he was able to finish inside the top five of all four major championships in a season. He is also second all time in both major victories and PGA Tour victories. It’s not the number of wins that make Woods the best, though,

it’s how has he won and how he changed the game that make him special.

Woods was able to turn an elitist, rich man’s game into a global sport enjoyed by every age and race. He made golf cool.

Before him, most kids grew up wanting to be hockey players or football players or basketball players, anything but a golfer.

Not me. Not my generation. We wanted to be Tiger Woods.

The way he swung the club, the way he walked and talked

and dressed, it was almost as if he wasn’t human. If he had a putt on the 18th green at Bay Hill to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, it was dropping. If he needed to birdie the last hole of the U.S. Open while hobbling around on one knee, he’d do it. There wasn’t anything that Woods couldn’t do.

In 2009, though, it all fell apart. An embarrassing sequence of events led to a divorce from both his wife and swing coach. He lost millions

of dollars in endorsements and the respect of many around the world. The bubble had burst.

Since then, there have been glimpses of the old Woods, but nothing consistent.

In fact, he plays so seldom now that you could argue he is closer to retiring than winning again.

Many golf writers and experts predict that he won’t ever win another tournament, let alone another major. I wouldn’t be so sure.

He may be seven years removed from his last major championship victory, and his appearance in this week’s Masters may mark his first start in over two months, but he isn’t done just yet. He was won majors with three different swings, three different coaches, and three different caddies. He may be nearing the end of his career, and he may never win another tournament. Personally, I have a hard time doubting the greatest golfer off all time.

6

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

Butt out Where are all the aboriginal students and don’t are hanging out smoke!

Aboriginal students should selfidentify and benefit from the services Cameron Popwell The Chronicle

There is an existing tension between the First Nations people of Canada and the educational system that has been present for many years, according to Durham College’s Aboriginal Student Center’s Julie Pigeon.

She says even within the college, this stigma is still being fought against, though efforts in having students step forward to acknowledge their Aboriginal roots have been successful so far.

In an effort to help the First Nation students gain confidence in both education and society, the Aboriginal Student Services Center is running a campaign encouraging these students to step forward and self-identify and join the college’s Aboriginal Student Association.

The self-identification campaign began in mid-February.

So far, the campaign has involved hanging posters throughout the campus, handing out fliers near the Computer Commons, and occasional mentions of the campaign on Riot Radio broadcasts. The poster fea-

tures a picture of a student who has self-identified, accompanied by the location of the centre.

The Aboriginal Student Services Centre was founded in 2011. It was developed to provide students of First Nations’ descent the assistance they might need to find success, whether it’s looking for information, tutoring, or even getting spiritual guidance.

Since the center opened, approximately 250 Aboriginal students have self-identified and benefited from the department’s services.

While these numbers show success, according to the centre staff, they say there are many students who are “suspicious of the department’s reasons for wanting students to self-identify,” according to Pigeon.

‘

Since the centre has opened in 2011, over 200 aboriginal students have self-identified.

Julie Pigeon

’

Services provided by the centre are currently restricted to Durham College only.

For those students who are interested, they can fill in the self-identification section of their OCAS application, selfidentify on the student success survey at the beginning of their first year in a program, or self-identify under the Aboriginal Services tab on the Durham College website.

Campus

Taylor Waines The Chronicle

Smoke-Free Ontario says tobacco claims 36 lives across the province every day.

According to Statistics Canada, heart disease is also the second leading cause of death in Ontario, after cancer.

It’s statistics like these that led the provincial government to put in place new policies. As of Jan. 1, 2015, Ontario, and specifically colleges and universities, were hit with new bans surrounding the use and selling of tobacco.

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act legislation bans smoking on restaurant patios, on or near sports fields and playgrounds, and selling tobacco products on college and university campuses.

Josh Taylor, a Business and Entrepreneurship student at Durham College, agrees with the bans on smoking on restaurant patios.

“The wind tends to blow the smoke back at you,” Taylor says.

“It can ruin the dining experience when you just want to get outside and enjoy a nice evening.”

Taylor says smoking violates his rights. He references the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“Section 7 covers your right to safety of the person. So if you have the guaranteed right to be safe…it definitely infringes on that right,” he says.

But being a non-smoker he is not an anti-smoker. He says people have the freedom to smoke if they want, but they have to be considerate of those who do not smoke.

“There shouldn’t be a debate,” Taylor says. “It’s policy.”

Some Durham College staff also agree with these new poli-

Taylor Waines

AVID SMOKERS: Students stand out front Gorden Wiley building enjoing their cigarette away from others. cies. Kristin Mitchell, the manager of E.P Taylor’s says, “I think with all we know about smoking these days.

It only makes sense to eliminate second-hand smoke for people who don’t smoke.”

She doesn’t think these changes will impact the sales of the restaurant.

But Mitchell says restaurants should have a choice in whether their patios become smoke-free or not.

“I think the people that don’t smoke will use the patio more in the nice weather for eating, socializing and hanging out.

It’ll be a place where everybody can be and not have to worry about being subject to secondhand smoke,” Mitchell says.

Shajir Islamuddin Caycho, a second year Accounting student, has been a smoker for 12 years.

“I think it is a good move. I personally believe that smoking should be banned altogether in Canada,” says Caycho, who wants to quit.

Caycho is affected by the new policies as he can no loger purchase cigarettes on campus.

However, he says he would like to see a smoke-free campus in the future.

Governments are also trying to discourage smoking by offering grants for organizations.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care offered a grant in 2000, which Kelli-an Lawrance, a professor at Brock University, received for the creation of Leave The Pack Behind.

The organization is made up of a registered nurse, dental as-

sistant, and many other members with knowledge in health sciences and promotion.

Tyler Moon, a graduate of Brock University, first heard about this organization when Lawrance, his professor, received the grant. Having an interest in it, Moon joined LTPB in 2013.

“That’s just an area of interest for me so I just applied to work for an organization that I know is well established,” Moon says.

Twenty-one per cent of young adults begin smoking once they start post secondary, LTPB says.

LTPB hopes to reduce the number of young adult smokers, Moon says.

The organization offers incentives for people looking to quit smoking. “wouldurather” is a contest to help smokers quit.

Smokers who quit or reduce smoking before the end of the contest have a chance to win $2,500.

“Our goal is to reduce the amount of young adults smoking. I think that’s going to help support and make it a little more challenging and I think it’s a great step forward to hopefully reduce the prevalence rate of tobacco,” Moon says.

Out of 44 public colleges and universities in Ontario, 39 of them were not selling cigarettes on campus prior to the recent policies, Moon says.

Durham College has its own Leave The Pack Behind offering different options and supports available to help students quit. smoking.

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OCD and how to break it down Meet pros who help people deal with their OCD Deen Albertini The Chronicle

Durham College graduateDavid, 24, lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

David noticed he had OCD symptoms at the age of five and has suffered with manifestations of OCD,such as fear of germ contamination, hoarding, and intrusive thoughts.

David’s OCD has greatly impacted his relationships and personal life, and has been the source of a lot of his social anxiety.

“My OCD has inhibited my ability to make friends. Fortunately, I’ve two close friends throughout my life that were accepting of my disorder,” he said.

There is a form of OCD called relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD), which he also acquired. ROCD involves continuous thoughts of fear and doubt that one’s partner doesn’t love them and the relationship isn’t right, said David.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t realize ROCD existed until it was over for good. I fell into a black hole and was severely depressed,” he said There are many types of severe OCD, such as those involving obsessive thoughts of killing loved ones or of sexually molesting children. Harm OCD and Pedophile OCD are sub-types of OCD and make people living with it feel intense shame and depression.

Psychologist Bruce Hyman,

Deen Albertini

DURHAM COUNSELLOR: Heather Bickle is a counsellor at Durham College, and helps students deal with a lot of their mental health problems, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. director of the OCD Resource Centre in Florida, explains the cause of OCD as genetically inherited tendencies, brain variations and trauma.

“There is some really good evidence OCD runs in families. In other words, it is rooted in the genes that determine certain processes of brain chemistry and circuitry. These brain circuits are overactive in pa-

tients with OCD,” said Hyman.

According to experts, about one to two per cent of Canadians suffer from OCD. Mireille Huneault, media relations specialist for the Canadian Mental Health Association says living with OCD is difficult.

“Imagine your worst nightmare or a horrific horror movie. That person with OCD relives those images day in and day out. You

can imagine why they would feel compelled to rub those thoughts out,” said Hunealt.

People who live with Pedophile OCD have thoughts about sexually molesting or raping children. These OCD sufferers question if they have always been pedophiles, whether they are turning into pedophiles, or if they are losing their sexual attraction for adults.

“A pedophile does not experience these thoughts as unwanted and intrusive. The pedophile views these thoughts as something they want. The pedophile usually has some history acting on their behaviour, but there is no history with someone with OCD acting out their thoughts,” said Hyman.

Obsessive thoughts of stabbing a child, running over a friend, or drowning a loved one are thoughts of those living with Harm OCD. People living with Harm OCD usually question their morality and sanity, while some question if they are psychopaths.

It is rare for people who live with Harm OCD to act on their thoughts,” said Hyman.

Heather Bickle, an outreach worker for Durham College, has counselled students living with Harm OCD. According to Bickle, about 70 per cent of her discussions with her clients are anxiety related.

“The most severe form of obsession would be any obsession that blocks people from maintaining relationships, going to school and work. The obsessions themselves mean very little without the context of how they are impacting on day-to-day function,” she said.

Bickle, Hyman, and Hunealt all believe Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the best forms of treatment recommended for treating OCD. CBT helps people living with OCD accept and change their thinking patterns and develop positive behaviours.

David has tried various anti anxiety medications such as Cipralex and Prozac to alleviate his OCD symptoms, but he did not like the negative effects the drugs had on his body.

Currently, he is not on any medication or seeking psychotherapy to treat his OCD. He is using tools such as meditation, exercise, and aromatherapy instead. *David has requested we do not publish his real name.

Durham’s smartest meets science fair Remona Pillai The Chronicle

UOIT recently played host to the 2015 Durham Regional Science Fair, filled with many of the smartest and brightest young students in Durham Region.

The 2015 science fair had nine schools participating from across Durham region. More and more aspiring young scientists are attending the fair each year according few volunteers of the event. Filled with buzzing noises and excited children, the UOIT campus looked like an active school laboratory.

Children from Grade 4 to Grade 12 were welcomed to the science fair to display their experiments, studies and research. Thirty experiments were displayed at the science fair, with about two participants per team.

The science fair was a platform for the young scientists to showcase their talents and bring out their best ability in the field of science.

The students and faculty of the university put up the event.

They gathered students from schools all around Durham region and brought them together to present an educationally benefitting fair.

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My speaker experiment is one of a kind. It’s the first time a speaker has been made using paper plates and copper wire and I hope it impresses everyone.

Shayanuthaa Indran “This is exciting, the fair is held on a pretty large scale.

My teammate and me won the science fair at Ajax and now we have come here to present our experiment on, ‘ Music to your heart’,” said Shayanuthaa Indran a student at Alexander Graham Bell School.The exper-

’

iment described the effects that music has on a human heart.

The young children presented various experiments. The ’Magnet Rifle’ experiment described the force of attraction that magnets have when placed in a row. ‘The effect of music on memory’ stated that boys

could concentrate better when studying with music on when compared to girls who have a shorter span of concentration.

‘Acids and Bases’ discussed the different reactions of acids in the atmosphere.

“My speaker experiment is one of a kind. It’s the first time a speaker has been made using paper plates and copper wire, and I hope it impresses everyone,” said Rayen Abderrahman, the mind behind the ‘Speaker Idol’ experiment.

The event, organized by the university’s Faculty of Science, gave students the exposure and opportunity to showcase their experiments.

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Behind the screen

Campus

Sandhya Visvanathan The Chronicle

The world has developed and is now filled with different types of technology that help people around the world stay connected.

But cyberbully sometimes a negative effect of that and can have consequences.

“Cyberbullying” is when an individual is targeted by another person, using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones, according to Don’t Stand By, Stand Up, the first cyberbullying prevention program in North America.

Cyberbullying is usually not a one-time communication, unless it involves a death threat or a credible threat of serious bodily harm.

“Bullying is basically a power to exchange between two people. So I’m taking away your sense of power to control by manipulating or by saying straight forward things to you that degrade you as a person,” says Heather Bickle, an outreach worker at Mental Health Services in Campus Health Centre.

A survey Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey conducted in 2011 by StopBullying.gov, an organization that provides information to the government about cyberbullying showed that 16 per cent of U.S students in grades 9-12 were cyberbullied in the past year. A nationwide anti-bullying charity based in England conducted a survey in 2013 and found that 7 in 10 people are victims of cyberbullying.

It also stated that 54 per cent of young people using Facebook reported that they have experienced cyberbullying. Facebook and Twitter were found to be the most likely common of cyberbullying.

Education can help in preventing and dealing with the effects of cyberbullying. Bickle says Durham and UOIT should create a group that helps students face cyberbullying by teaching them cyber ethics and laws.

She says cyberbullying doesn’t hurt a person but it directs to hurt other people.

“Is it worth hurting someone else?” questions Bickle.

Mariah Pardy

STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING: Students feeling the pressure from high tuition costs can meet with advisors to discuss potential financial solutions.

Students need balance Mariah Pardy The Chronicle

Students are often balancing a number of responsibilities and many of these responsibilities surround the paying bills.

Balancing work and the repayment of loans can be stressful and can create quite a toll on students, according to Ryan Lepage, current Student Association president at Durham College and UOIT. “Unfortunately that’s the reality of the current education system [students taking on multiple jobs], especially when you’re a student living away from home,” said Lepage. “If you’re someone who’s working full-time when trying to go to school, where do you find

the time to study and still have time for your personal life?”

Many students deal with repaying loans that often leads them into high debt. According to Statistics Canada, the ongoing issue of high debt eventually leads people to abandon postsecondary studies. As well, the distribution of non-repayable bursaries has an impact on students’ motivation to continue on the path to finishing their post-secondary education.

Susan Allward, associate registrar of Student Awards and Financial Aid at UOIT, said that there are good resources available for students who need assistance.

“The Student Awards and Financial Aid office is here to work with students experienc-

ing financial difficulties,” said Allward. “I know that students work very hard to be academically successful in post-secondary studies, and some of our students work as part of their financial plan to pay for school.”

Due to high tuition fees, students at UOIT recently held the school’s first ever walkout. The walkout took place on March 24 at the UOIT downtown campus with calls by students to freeze all tuition costs and to provide debt relief.

To avoid debt students can visit the school’s website to see which bursaries or grants are available.

On UOIT and Durham College’s websites, applications are available for students to fill

out to apply for general bursaries. Before applying for this form of payment, both schools’ websites suggest that all other forms of financial assistance should be investigated such as OSAP, part-time employment, family support, and student lines of credit.

Students who have applied are not guaranteed to receive these bursaries, however.

According to The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, approximately $285 million in bursaries is provided annually to students. These bursaries are provided as nonrepayable grants and are designed to limit the high amount of debt that post-secondary students face across the country.

Online matchmaking… the new norm?

Sean Heeger The Chronicle

For years people have watched commercials for Match.com or eHarmony and many have laughed at the idea of finding a date online.

But it’s 2015 and online dating has become a staple in the lives of thousands of people.

In fact, matchmaking websites have moved past just letting anyone sign up to try and find love.

They’ve grown into websites such as ‘Farmers Only’ or ‘Elite Singles’ that allow people who belong to specific groups and subcultures to sign up and meet like-minded people.

When Neil Clark Warren, the creator of eHarmony, was a practicing clinical psychologist, he found marriages lasted because the couples were compatible in certain ways. He decided to find what traits made

up a successful relationship.

After identifying the keys to a successful relationship, Warren wanted to make sure people could be matched with their ideal partner.

His idea looks to have had some merit when looking at statistics from at study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

university student from Oshawa.

As a university graduate in an advanced degree program, D’amico said he had “little time for anything, never mind a social life” over the last five years.

Now D’amico says he’s ready to take the next step with the woman he met on eHarmony.

A busy schedule and lack of

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...Making a date can be done discreetly from an app on our phones.

Bruce Croxon According to the study, more than 6,500 people have stepped up over the last year to say they met their match online.

“I met the person I think I’m going to marry on eHarmony,” said Gaspare D’amico, a former

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time to socialize is the reason many move to online dating. Of course this isn’t the only reason to move from a night on the town to a website with an algorithm. In fact, one pioneer of online dating has his own ideas

for why this method works.

“We live in the digital age now and making a date can be done discreetly from an app on our phones,” said Bruce Croxon, founder of Lavalife and a pioneer of online dating.

The website ‘ionlywannabewithyou’ offers another reason why online dating might be a good option.

It says “sheer volume” gives people more chances to find their perfect match.

Twenty per cent of relationships now begin online, according to Statistics Brain, a website that compiles statistics from a variety of studies. About 17 per cent of those relationships ended in marriage.

Online dating is revolutionizing the way people meet but for some it may not come close to the old fashion way.

With the rise of technology we might all find ourselves telling our kids “I met your mother after I swiped right.”

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April 14, 2015

SALS teaches Durham students success Justin Stewart The Chronicle

The end of the year is close, group projects are due, exams are coming up, lots of tests and assessments are happening in class, and many students are stressed out. On top of that there’s the whole thing about the completion of the semester and trying to find a summer job so that you can come back to Durham College next year or for those who are graduating, finding a full time job. Getting stressed yet? Nicky Patel, manager of the Student Academic Learning Services, (SALS) says you might be.

“This time of the year it is particularly evident that students are coming in, they’re highly stressed and it’s all end of the year stuff,” she says.

SALS is a dedicated place only for Durham College students to go for a quiet spot to learn. It has tutors available and workshops that teach time management skills.

“We see students all year round struggling with lots of things, mostly time management and being organized

Justin Stewart

AT YEAR’S END: Nicky Patel (left), manager of the Student Academic Learning Services, hopes students will take hold of their own academic success with SALS. enough to complete their courses and be successful in their programs,” she says.

If you’re panicking because the work is piling up and you think to yourself, ‘what can I

do?’ SALS may have an answer.

“Take things like test and exam workshops,” says Patel. “Take one of these and it’ll teach you to get better marks in your exams.”

The SALS workshop teaches you how to study and get the highest marks, says Patel.

But don’t be fooled, she says.

SALS is no miracle cure for low grades.

“There’s always the possibility of improvement but it really depends on the student and how much work they’re willing to put into it,” says Patel.

This is where the SALS tutors come in. Paul Fernandez, a peer tutor and electronics student, helps his peers by teaching them in a way they can better understand.

“As tutors we are taught not to teach new material. We’re simply told to reiterate things taught in class and re-explain things,” says Fernandez.

He says being taught by a student helps students feel more comfortable because they can empathize with the struggle and “be a little bit more real with you.”

“A lot of the time students don’t take the time to start their assignments right away,” he says.

As advice for students struggling to keep up with school, Fernandez suggests to take some time even while you’re studying to relax. But he suggests to start studying early.

“If something is really frustrating you, you know watch the game and crack open a beer,” he says.

New students coming to DC How former Everest Students are handling the sudden closure of their college Chloe Troicuk The Chronicle

Durham College will be accepting students from Everest College but there could be some complications. Everest College shut down abruptly in February leaving almost 2,500 students scrambling to find a way to finish their education.

Havenell Pethol showed up for school on Feb. 19 to find the doors to Everest College closed.

“I still have four months left in the program and the whole situation is messed up,” said Pethol, who was in the Personal Support Worker program.

Durham College could see some of these students next year.

“There will be easy access for new students,” according to associate registrar, Lisa White at Durham College. However, the problem with students coming to Durham from Everest is their credits are not transferrable.

The incoming students must start programs all over again.

Students that already have knowledge in their courses

have the option of taking a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) instead of taking the course again.

The problem began last summer when all the Ontario Everest locations went up for sale and students questioned the board about whether there were any problems. They were

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I still have four months left in the program and the whole situation is messed up.

Havenell Pethol

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told not to worry.

Six months later, 14 Ontario Everest College locations shut down, affecting almost 2,500 students and 450 staff.

Now Pethol is worried. She is currently working as a housekeeper. “I plan to stay at my current job because I can’t get the diploma to switch to a new career,” Pethol said.

Other students may be able to switch to a new career

Jeremy Jannene

EVEREST COLLEGE’: Durham College expects to see a fair amount of former Everest College students this fall. through programs at Durham College. Vice-president of student affairs, Meri Kim Oliver, has created something known as the ‘coaching’ model to help with this transition. The coaching model is being put in place to help students figure out their footing at DC. Coaches are assigned to students to help them find things around campus and to talk to about certain issues a student might have with classes.

Student Services staff is receiving extra training to become coaches for students. Part of their training is in mental health, first aid, and in SafeTALK (suicide alert program) so they can help recognize mental health concerns that may

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I plan to stay at my current job because I can’t get the diploma to switch to a new career.

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Havenell Pethol not have been dealt with. Oliver said these coaches could have conversations about student’s concerns and make referrals to the appropriate professionals.

“Students in transition generally experience issues with adjustments to new environ-

ments,” said Oliver.

“However, most students who transfer from one institution to another do well because they have experience as students in general.

There are several resources available at larger colleges that are not always available at smaller colleges such as academic learning supports and peer tutors that can assist in the transition.”

There are more than 400 private colleges in Ontario, versus 24 publicly funded ones.

Students at private college pay around $14,000 per year for tuition compared to public college students who pay around $3,000 per year to attend school.

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Campus

Expensive learning tool on your lap Tianna Forde The Chronicle

Laptops have become a necessity in many post-secondary classrooms.

Here at Durham College, not all programs require students to have a laptop but many programs include laptop learning.

There are quite a few academic programs at Durham College that require the use of laptops – Advertising and Marketing Communications, Marketing, Library and Information Technician, Human Resources, Computer Systems Technology, and Public Relations – to name a few.

According to the laptop learning description, “Students enrolled in laptop programs will enjoy an exceptional learning experience through the use of technology.”

The technical skills that employers look for in recent graduates will be an added benefit when entering the workplace.

The decision to make a program require a laptop is made by the program team at a program team meeting.

“At program team meetings, issues are brought up about a problem, so if faculty found it was difficult to properly teach their class to students without

Globaloria

LAPTOP LEARNING: Students in laptop programs can enjoy an excellent

learning experience through technology.

computers in class, this would be discussed,” says Kyle Chapman, a learning technologist in the Centre for Academic and Faculty Enrichment (C.A.F.E.).

“This would be brought to the dean for approval.”

Several other post-secondary institutions have an equivalent to laptop learning.

Sheridan College, Centennial College, Ryerson University, and UOIT are just a few of the schools in Ontario that require students to have a laptop for their chosen field of study.

Sheridan and Centennial College students enrolled in mobile computing (laptop

learning) programs must purchase their own laptops. The school doesn’t loan, rent or sell any hardware.

Students are advised against getting tablets, as the schools say they aren’t acceptable replacements for a laptop and won’t aid in student success.

Government funding from OSAP is not always released on time. When this occurs, students who require a laptop for their program may be unable to purchase the hardware if they don’t already have it.

“It’s stressful. We’re lucky enough to afford the program we want. But then they make

Parents juggle both school life and home Taylor Waines The Chronicle

Oshawa is home to many young parents. About 25 of every 1,000 young women here between the ages of 15 to 19 have a baby every year, according to the provincial health ministry. Many of these parents attend Durham College as it is home to one of the only colleges in Durham Region.

Danielle Alford, 20, is taking the Emergency Call Center program as well as raising a twoyear-old daughter. Alford travels regularly between homes in Uxbridge and Oshawa and says her biggest struggle is being on time.

“Trying to get from home to the daycare to school in a certain amount of time is impossible,” Alford says.

She was a stay at home mom for the first two years of her daughter’s life. Alford says she is glad to get some time out of the house now. Attending school 18 to 20 hours a week, she says so far she hasn’t found many difficulties with balancing it.

He says if you have a good support system you can do almost anything. You would not be able to do it without them, she explains.

He says some people question her as a mother. When out with friends, she hears things like, “Why are you out right now, you have a kid?” Activities that an everyday college student does are deemed inappropriate because of the stigma attached to it.From a father’s perspective Cody Stephenson, 20, attends school while balancing time with his threeyear-old son. Though the child lives with his mother, Stephenson still has homework and his part-time job at the General Motors Centre to worry about, on top of being a father.

Stephenson says his biggest struggle is trying to find more time to see his son. He gets four to five hours with him every Monday, and on alternating weekends. As a full-time Protection, Security, and Investigation student, he is in school anywhere from 30 to 35 hours a week, and works five to six hours as well.

“When he’s there, it’s all about him and school comes after,” Stephenson explains.

He says his biggest support is family when it comes to him and his son. If he falls behind on payments or needs some extra money for diapers, he turns to his family for help.

“A lot of people put young parents down,” Stevenson says.

Some people think that young parents spend their time drinking, partying and not supporting their child Stephenson says.

But what they don’t understand is “You really don’t get time to be a college student…you come home, you go to work, you look after your kid.”

He has been referred to as a deadbeat many times and says stigma is a big problem that comes along with being a young father. Whether it’s about his child’s future, or his lifestyle, Stephenson says he has daily struggles. Stephenson believes Durham College should offer more support to students with children.

There should be a club specifically for parents, he says, to meet and discuss things.

“I really don’t know of any at all… if you have a kid, then put him in the daycare come to class and then get him when your done,” he says. Alford also emphasizes the convenience of the on-campus daycare, but says it is not reasonably priced for single parent students.

Young parents are faced with stigma and struggles of balancing school and home and although mothers and fathers may play different roles in their child’s life, they are still faced with many of the same obstacles.

us spend thousands more for a computer that can be supplied by the school for the time being for us to complete the program, instead of us having to be worried financially,” says Personal Support Worker student, Sabrina Chiasson.

Durham College does have loaner laptops that students can request to borrow.

The supply is limited and students are not guaranteed a laptop. Financial Aid encourages students to speak to them if their OSAP funds are delayed.

“We may be able to assist with an emergency loan or an institutional bursary. However,

there is an expectation that students should have some savings or other resources available to use prior to the start of their school year to assist them in situations such as delayed OSAP funds,” says Tatiana Flores, a financial aid officer.

Ryerson has a Laptop Loan Program, which allows students to borrow a laptop from the library.

The laptops are accessible on a first-come, first-served condition, but are only loanable for a period of four hours. UOIT gives students a laptop specific to their program before classes start. The average cost of a Macbook is $1,500 while a Chromebook is $269.

John Cooper, a professor at Durham College says laptop learning is generally good.

However, if schools do not provide laptops for each student, there has to be some kind of financial support available to assist in either purchasing them or making provision for a loaner during the school year.

“Otherwise you run the risk of putting a post-secondary education out of reach of students in need, and this runs counter to our government’s stated intent to ensure that post-secondary education be both accessible and affordable,” says Cooper.

Life beyond the bookshelf Connor Mclean The Chronicle

From the business section to biographies, The Chronicle has traveled all the way down to UOIT’s library to speak with Trish Johns-Wilson who took the time out of her busy schedule to prove that you should never judge a book by its cover.

Believe it or not, books aren’t her only passion.

Johns-Wilson finds time to volunteer each year for the school’s Christmas food drive along with other members of the library. When it comes time to go home, there is no throwing the book bag on the couch and relaxing right away.

“I’ve only got one dog, but she is a Standard poodle who acts like a human,” she says.

Walking and keeping up after her is a job and a nice welcome home.How does a librarian cool down after a long day of work?

“I’ll read just about everything. I love Stephen King, mysteries and romance novels. I love just about everything.” There should be no surprise. When she is not here stocking books and

helping students, JohnsWilson still loves diving into books.Whether it’s hard cover or electronic, the 19-year library veteran loves to get home and follow along the left and right of the pages.

She remembers always being fond of Stephen King and his tales of fear and suspense.

Sometimes books lead you on an adventure, but sometimes they can convince you to go on adventures as well.

Trish says magazines and books make it quite easy to want to go visit the beauty itself. Johns-Wilson says she takes many trips to visit family but in 2015 she’s planning to go to Newfoundland. It will be the first trip she takes just for her.

“I’ve seen just about all of Canada, the provinces anyways.”

She’s also determined to go to Scotland, Ireland and Alaska.

From the confines of the library’s massive stock of books, holding food drives, walking and spending time with her dog, doing yoga, gardening or traveling, Johns-Wilson has demonstrates how vast each and every person’s biography is, published or not.

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Beyond Vegetarian food bank not for Durham the dean Marina Tyszkiewicz The Chronicle

Mariah Pardy

The Chronicle

Being a dean can be a busy role to take on. A college dean has their own set of responsibilities and make sure that they apply all of the knowledge that they have to that level in a specific area.

Stephanie Ball, dean of the School of Justice and Emergency Services, dedicates most of her time to her busy schedule, but outside of the workplace she enjoys being active and is an avid reader.

On weekdays you will find Ball in the offices of Justice and Emergency services, but outside her responsibilities and duties as a dean, Ball lives an interesting life and has a variety of hobbies she likes to apply herself to.

Having grown up in Oshawa, Ball described her hometown as a place full of opportunities and sees the town as a variety of doors that can be opened by the upcoming generations.

Ball is an avid reader and enjoys the mystery and spy conspiracy genre of novels. Right now her main reads in her downtime are CIA novels. Ball says that she enjoys both movies and books, but will only do one or the other.

Ball lives a very active lifestyle. She enjoys working out in her spare time, doing activities such as running, weight training and yoga.

In university, Ball even swam competitively and says she still enjoys swimming when she’s out of the office.

Ball said that her children are very athletic which contributes to keeping her in her “milieu.”“I’d like to consider myself as fitness-oriented,” said Ball. “I think my days of being ‘athletic’ are over.”

Ball claims to not be much of a political person, but she admires and looks up to Canadian politician, Kathleen Wynne.

“I admire the way she handled the leadership and the election,” said Ball.

“It’s nice to see her really maintain that ‘class act’ persona.”

Aside from her exciting life, Ball can be found in the office of the School of Justice and Emergency Services at Durham.

Toronto is launching a vegetarian and vegan food bank but Durham food bank distributors say they aren’t ready to for the idea just yet.

Julien LeBourdais is the executive director for Feed the need Durham, a distribution center that supplies to food banks across Durham. LeBourdais says the prospect of having a vegetarian food bank lacks pragmatism for people in Durham.

“Durham is so spread out,” says LeBourdias.

Because many of the people going to food banks arrive on foot or by bus, one of the biggest challenges is getting to people. He believes a specialty food bank

approach seems too remote for those who need to travel to get to the food they need, especially when many relaying on these banks cannot afford it.

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It reinforces the idea that everyone is entitled to a good meal, and that we should value every person’s choices.

Suraia Sahar

’

Every year, food banks are faced with an increased need from the year before.

“As a social problem its not getting better, it’s getting

worse,” says LeBourdais.

With five to ten per cent of North Americans identifying themselves as vegetarians, for religious, health, environmental or ethical reasons, some utilizing food banks say the agencies should accommodate those needs.

LeBourdias thinks the goal of food banks should be to offer variety and educate people about nutrition, and not marginalize foods by individual preferences or dietary specialties.

“The system works best if there is enough choice,” says LeBourdias. He recognizes the merit of promoting plant-based foods but he says in many cases people lack experience with food preparation, especially when it comes to nonperishables, and they choose the

packaged options instead.

Gail Nyberg is the executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank that distributes to nearly 200 food banks across the GTA. Nyberg doesn’t believe food banks offer enough variety for vegetarians but says “it’s hard to gauge the need,” acknowledging those that follow a vegetarian diet won’t come to a bank when they know they cannot be accommodated.

Suraia Sahar is a vegetarian and that makes routine visits depositing items to food banks.

As a vegetarian, she contributes items that compliment her lifestyle and says, “it reinforces the idea that everyone is entitled to a good meal, and that we should value every person’s choices.”

Calling all volunteers: It’s not for everyone Caroline Egan The Chronicle

Volunteering is vigorous and tiring. Not all people are not cut out for it, and can barely keep the motivation to do such work, but there are some unsung heroes how have put in the time to help various communities.

Nadia Laschuk, for example, handles a large amount of volunteer work through the school.

It all started three years ago when she first started at UOIT and she was starting out as a concurrent education student and was told from her professors that volunteer work would be a must in her line of work.

Her first work was with the Concurrent Education Student Association (CESA) and would help with setting up events.

First she started with CESA as a rep, and then moved on to

secretary, and Vice President of professional development in her third year of university.

In her second year she began to volunteer with Lets Talk Science, which is a program committed to providing science education for poor and rural areas. They would bring in a scientist, as they called them, at libraries and malls to run small science experiments for children. She also has volunteered at UOIT as an orientation leader every September.

“My job was play games with the first years, get them pumped up, and also educate them about university.”

She participates in mostly one-day events that have the direct goal of encouraging children to participate in science and technology.

Such events include Science Rendezvous, Girls Spark Your Imagination, and First LEGO

League.

“I handled it all well around school but didn’t have free time for friends. Third year was the hardest year for my program and with organizing a conference and making meeting with the dean, it was way too much” she says. Now she usually volunteers no more than once a month.

I asked her what continues to keep her volunteering and she said “I love working with youth and inspiring them to be excited about things that without my help they might not have been. Even first year orientation, although an older age group, is that exact idea- it’s all about getting the first years excited about their education.”

Volunteer work doesn’t just stop in one neighbourhood though. Rachel Barber travelled all the way to Kenya in Africa to help out a less fortunate

community.

When she was just 12 years old she managed to raise $30,000 with the help of her elementary school. They preformed two concerts and a school musical that year so that all donations would go towards helping in Kenya.

She went with the Me to We organization which had everything planned out from carrying water four kilometres to the village, to laying down bricks to build a classroom.

“It was definitely worth all the hard work that was put into going and the hard work we put in while we were there” says Barber, “The satisfaction of knowing that I helped children get an education is indescribable.”

Volunteer work can be found near or far, and has a life changing impact on those who participate.

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Campus

Motoring in the afterlife Auto museum frequented by ghosts Sean Heeger The Chronicle

The Canadian Automotive Museum has been a historic staple in the city of Oshawa for more than 50 years, celebrating and showcasing the history of the automotive industry. The building houses a wide collection of antique cars and automotive artifacts, but some say the museum is home to much more than just automotive history.

Over the years, there have been many reports from staff and patrons of the museum who say they have seen or reported strange phenomenon around the building that can only be described as ghostly encounters.

No one really knows when the museum hauntings started, according to the Paranormal Seekers, a paranormal research and investigation group based in Durham Region.

The Paranormal Seekers are led by Rachael Cross, an expert in the paranormal who has been having encounters with spirits since she was a little girl.

“I grew up believing in ghosts and reading about them,” said Cross. “My grandparent’s house was said to be haunted and I spent a lot of time there, but spirits never bothered me until my family moved to Courtice.”

Cross said that every time she was at her grandparent’s house, she regularly saw spirits running across the backyard toward the swimming pool.

But of all the places the Paranormal Seekers have been, the museum seems to have a pull that keeps them wanting more.

Sean Heeger

MUSEUM HAUNTING: Ghost sightings have occurred in several areas throughout the Canadian Automotive Museum, such as inside vehicles or sitting in the chair above.

Throughout their investigations of the museum, the team has discovered a number of unusual phenomena such as orbs of light floating above cars, as well as voices on their digital recorders.

The team has come across at least five different spirits at the museum, each with a different story. These spirits have come in contact with Brenda Montgomery, the team’s psychic, and told her a little bit about why they are there.

“There is Cameron, a really friendly spirit in his late 40s.

He’s our tour guide each time we go to the museum and he points out the places where the other ghosts hide,” said Cross.

Montgomery said the spirit of a little girl told her she is attached to one of the cars in the museum because it belonged to her family. They say there are also the spirits of a little boy

who died in a fire next door to the museum, a pharmacist who enjoys the cars, and a guard who still continues to work his job long past retirement.

“My first time at the Automotive Museum, we were investigating and my fully charged, top of the line camera didn’t work for 20 minutes,” said Colin Williamson, a paranormal investigator and photographer.

“The weirdest part was hearing a voice say ‘hello’ and I was the only one who could hear it. Everyone else looked at me like I was crazy but later on the electronic voice phenomenon right before I say ‘who just said hello’ all you hear is ‘hello’.”

So what is it that makes ghosts affect our electronic devices like that, or make noises that only certain people can hear? Many experts, such as Cross, believe the ghostly plain of existence - the part of our

world that shares space with the paranormal world - can be picked up by and affect electronic devices.

Ghosts are able to manifest themselves or their energy by absorbing the power from things like cameras or phones, according to Williamson.

This theory, shared by many experts, may explain why electronic devices can act up, or just die altogether when a person is in or around a place said to be haunted.

According to Williamson, it also explains why it’s possible to use a device such as an electromagnetic field detector (EMF) to detect the presence of a ghost because they give off EMF readings. However, if people think a house or a place around town is haunted there’s always a “level of skepticism,” according to Cross.

Not only do ghosts sup-

posedly give off EMF but everything around does as well.

From the phone in your pocket to the breaker box in your basement, there are any number of things that can give off false EMF readings, according to Cross.

However, according to the Paranormal Seekers there are no false readings coming from the Canadian Automotive Museum. The investigators did what they call a ‘walkthrough’ before their investigations, to get base readings for their equipment and see if there is anything around that could be interfering with the devices.

The Paranormal Seekers have given many firsthand accounts of the goings on at the museum and pictures and audio recordings of what they call spiritual encounters are on their websit www.theparanormalseekers.ca.

Robots invade Durham College John Seymour The Chronicle

“Coopera-tition.” The fusion of cooperation and competition. This is what the FIRST Robotics competition at Durham College and UOIT was all about.

The competition invited high school students to create a robot designed for a specific task and to compete against other teens their age.

The program was created in 2001 as a charity to inspire

teens to have a passion for science and technology. The program allows teens to learn about the basics of robotics while building skills relevant to the fields related to science and engineering.

“We make science and engineering fun,” said Mark Breadner, executive director of FIRST Robotics. “We make it so fun in fact that they forget that they’re learning.”

The teams make the robots by themselves. That means they design, build, and program all by themselves. They are given

only slightly vague guidelines, such as a maximum height or weight, to follow, which adds to their challenge.

Another major challenge is trying to find a sponsor for the team to build the robot.

“Many teams are not fortunate enough to get the funding they need,” explains Jonathan Spragget of the Ajax based Team 5070.” With our school in particular, they will give us money based on how well we compete in the season.”

Many teams have to resort to sponsorships from businesses

or organizations.

There is combination of competitiveness and cooperation involved. The goal of the game is to have the larger stacks of boxes before the clock runs out by using the robot they built. As some teams have done, they had to work with the teams they were facing against in order to accomplish their objectives.

“It’s not like soccer where you’re full against each other,” explained Mackenzie Willis of Team 1305 from North Bay. There is an added stipulation

where both teams can stack four yellow boxes in the middle to give both sides a boost in score.

They had to make sure both sides had the correct amount of boxes in the already short time frame they were given in a round.

The winners of the competition are now going to Missouri to compete for a scholarship for science and engineering. The others will have to try their luck next time in another regional for another shot at the Missouri Finals.

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There’s hope for Norman’s farm Marina Tyszkiewicz

The Chronicle Lots of community support is coming in for Norman Collier and his animals at Wild Things Petting Farm after a house fire destroyed his home in early February. Collier, who was inside the house, and the animals managed to survive.

Crew members from fire departments in Pickering, Ajax and Stouffville came to put out with blaze.

Since then Collier has received over $16,000.00 in cash donations as well as a trailer from a local construction site that he’s using for a home.“Clothing, pots and pans, bedding, animal food, everything that I could have possibly needed I’ve gotten,” says Collier.

He says he’s surprised by the amount of care he continues to receive.“The only time I cried about it was with the overwhelming support. It’s almost nullified the fire,” he said.

Unlike conventional petting farms, where most animals can be observed behind a wire, Colliers animals roam his property freely. “Nobody likes to be caged,” he says.

Collier’s petting farm has been open to the public for decades and many of the animals on his farm are rescues, brought in from animal organizations such as the SPCA and Animal Services.

“I say yes before they ask. If I can’t look after them they think no one else can,” he said. On average, Collier receives nearly half a dozen large animals from these rescue groups each year, as well as countless smaller animals.

In spite of recently losing his house to a fire, and undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer, Collier continues to open his farm to animals in need of a home. He recently took in four goats.

“It’s a sanctuary I guess you could say,” says Collier. He also attends markets and purchases animals he sees injured, adding that many of them make a successful recovery after they’ve spent time at his farm.

Collier says the animals he sees more commonly in need of a home are potbelly pigs. “That’s a bad one for people,” he said.

A couple from Oshawa recently surrendered their potbelly pig to the farm after having kept the pig inside an apartment.

Brad Dewar is an investigation communication officer at the SPCA. He says there are a handful of cases where people ignore the bylaws and get animals they aren’t allowed to keep.

“Our job is to educate before enforce. We try to ensure that people know the commitments they take on,” said Dewar.

He says specific standards of care such as proper housing, ventilation, and proper access to food and water are other factors people need to consider before getting any animal.

According to Dewar, animals kept as pets that are traditionally considered livestock such as pigs, chick-

Marina Tyszkiewicz

ANIMAL RESCUER: Norman Collier petting his goat on Wild Things Petting Farm after losing his home to a fire. ens and goats do not face the fate of ending up at a slaughterhouse.

“Our goal is to rehome animals and that the animals go to the appropriate housing facility,” says Dewar.

Lindsey Narraway is the supervisor at Animal Services in Pickering, and says people keeping chickens in urban neighborhoods are sometimes a problem.

She says the main concern is the waste and smell of the animals, which become an issue in residential neighbourhoods where the houses are close together.

Narraway says Animal Services depends on spcific animal rescue groups to find these animals new homes.

“We look for local farmers such as Norman to help us out,” said Narraway.

Narraway says laws involving animal cases of abuse and neglect towards livestock kept for pets are equally enforced, as they would be towards conventionally domesticated animals.

“They’re the same and they deserve to be respected,” says Narraway.

The art of making regalia comes to Durham Angela Lavallee The Chronicle

Students at Durham College can learn to make their own regalia and learn the traditional way of the Indigenous people at the same time.

The Suswaaniing Center or “Nest away from Home,” is tucked away in Simcoe building offering a place to study and learn.

It’s not open to just indigenous students, but all students at Durham College.

Kim Wheatley visits the center twice a month and teaches regalia making. She is happy to talk with students and encourages all to come to the centre

even if it’s to learn about other topics on Indigenous people.

“I think it’s a good idea for students to come out and see what regalia making is all about,” said Wheatley.

Depending on the dancer, regalia is hand sewn from different materials to form the outfit.

Jingle dress dancers have exactly 365 jingles on their dress, which represents a calendar year. Most outfits have leggings to accompany the regalia.

Men and women’s traditional regalia is made from buckskin and cloth material male regalia has a bustle with eagle feathers and white bone to make it strong.

Grass dancer regalia are

male, while women regalia are mainly called fancy dancers.

These types of regalia are solely made of domestic materials such as silk and yarn and ribbons.

‘

...it’s a good idea for students to come out and see what regalia making is all about.

Kim Wheatley

’

Regalia has been worn by the Indigenous people for centuries and represents a unique culture, where people are eager

to learn more.

Melissa Donahue-White comes to the center to learn all there is from Wheatley. “I’ve wanted to come and see what regalia I could start to make for my son,” she said.

Donahue-White is not aboriginal, but believes her children will learn a lot from Indigenous culture.

“This material is for my son’s shirt. It’s a nice red color.

I think it’ll look good one him.”

Donahue-White visits the center on occasion but admits she’ll be back more often to get ready for the upcoming powwow season.

Wheatley’s regalia is traditional and she’s gotten a lot of compliments on the colour and

beadwork.

“Mine took me years to make. There is so much thought and work that goes into it, and I am very proud of it,” she said.

According to Union of Ontario Indians, pow-wow etiquette says that regalia is sacred to the dancer because when dancers make their regalia they are actually wearing their inner self for everyone to see, and they want a certain level of respect when out in public.

“I wish more students would come and visit me. It’s fun and they can learn a lot,” says Wheatley.

The Aboriginal Student Centre is housed in Simcoe Building and is open to all students at DC and UOIT.

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The man behind UOIT’s curtain UOIT president dreamt of being a pilot Sachin Bahal The Chronicle

Before Tim McTiernan became the president of UOIT, he began his life in Ireland, in the city of Kilkenny.

The locals know it as an old medieval city.

Growing up, McTiernan had a strong passion for rugby. He played on the rugby team during his teen years.

He was also a member of the school’s debate team and was “the rugby player on the debate team.”

During his first year of studies at Trinity College in Dublin, McTiernan continued to play.

However, he says he wasn’t good enough to be on one of college’s rugby team.

McTiernan says even though he doesn’t play rugby anymore, he still watches when he can.

“It’s hard not to watch rugby when you’re back in Ireland, because the country is full of sports fanatics.

Rugby is taken really seriously there,” he said.

Towards the end of McTiernan’s undergrad studies, he got

Sachin Bahal

PRESIDENT OF UOIT: Tim McTiernan dreamt of being a pilot growing up. His passion is travelling, hiking, and photography. He is now president of UOIT. married and had a daughter.

In August 1973, McTiernan along with his wife and daughter, left Ireland to come to Canada.

McTiernan says he and his

Innocent lending a helping hand Charlie Roach The Chronicle

The last decade has seen a dramatic shift in the way people view mental illnesses, thanks in part to people such as Judeline Innocent, dean of the School of Healthy and Community Services at Durham College.

Born in Haiti and raised in Montreal with her parents and five brothers, Innocent knew from an early age what line of work she wanted to get involved in.

“I always wanted to help people, and get into humanities,” said Innocent.

She obtained her nursing diploma in 1990 from the Royal Alexandra Hospital of School and Nursing in Edmonton and earned her PhD at Queen’s in 2013. She has written numerous essays on the stigmas associated with mental illnesses.

“I write them to give a voice to those who are voiceless,” said Innocent.

It seems as if Innocent were born to help people.She used to teach jazz dancing for under privileged teen girls in Alberta

when she was younger, and now as a clinician she helps the elderly in Oshawa by giving them mental capacity assessments. She has four kids, ranging from 15 to 30 years old, and just took on her new role at Durham College in November, keeping her busy helping both students and family. There is no doubt, though, she is very happy in her new role. “I’m absolutely loving it,” said Innocent. She also loves exercise, specifically, downhill skiing.

“I went to Mont Tremblant over Christmas and loved it,” said Innocent. “I only started about a little while ago and now I’m almost ready to go down the blue hill,” said Innocent, with a laugh.

After a long day on the slopes, Innocent enjoys her favourite meal, creole soup though she is not likely to make it herself as she admits the kitchen isn’t exactly her favourite room in the house.

“I hate cooking,” Innocent said. She expects to be around Durham College for a while.

“I would love to be here in ten years, definitely, I love it here.”

family arrived with “the Canadian flag flying over the south buildings at Vancouver airport, with handwritten immigrant papers.”

McTiernan knew a professor

at UBC, whom he had worked part-time and who convinced them to move to Canada.

Before earning his degrees in psychology and philosophy and starting a family, McTier-

nan had wanted to be a pilot.

His dream of being a pilot was first sparked when an alumnus from his high school came to talk about possible careers.

After that, McTiernan remembers telling his mother about his dream but she said he could only do that if he got a degree first.

“That was good tactics on her part because, by the time you get a degree, you sort of forgotten about being a pilot,” McTiernan said.

All hope was not lost for McTiernan’s pilot dream.

At one point of his life, he actually flew a plane but only for “about 17 miles and it terrified me at the time.”

McTiernan was helping get a provincial cabinet minister from a meeting at Nippissing University to Sudbury, Ont. When he was on the plane returning to North Bay, the pilot suggested McTiernan steer the plane for a bit.

“You have that sense that you are in control and I was so busy trying to keep the plane level…I realized that I could have tried to turn and had an opportunity to do more that what I did and I’ve been kicking myself ever since but it was scary fun,” McTiernan said.

Over the past few years, he has become increasingly interested in travelling, hiking and photography. When he travels with wife, they like travel on “the roads less travelled.”

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April 14, 2015

Do students know proper lockdown procedures?

Amanda Ramlal The Chronicle

Not all students are aware of proper lockdown procedures.

But school officials believe that the students know what to do.

This year, Durham College and UOIT had three campus lockdowns.

“Lockdown procedures are determined by the environment of the campus,” says Tom Lynch, director of campus safety.

College and universities teach so many different programs that he says this becomes a challenge. Some environments are glass rooms, auditoriums, metal shops, theatres and more.

Lynch says he could design a college where lockdowns would never be an issue, but nobody would want to come. It would be built with straight cement hallways.

“It’s an unfortunate reality in 2015 that a lot of our students are fully aware of the concept of a lockdown,” says Lynch.

He says the best way to ensure students know what to do during a lockdown is practice and become aware of the procedures.

The school cannot promise that students will be calm but he hopes students are aware there is a potential threat nearby. To stay safe, everyone must follow and take proper steps needed, according to Lynch.

Some students fear lockdowns while others do not.

“I do become very frightened and I find it difficult for me to think clearly. The first lockdown I experienced here, I had a full blown panic attack and I almost passed out,” says Sabrina Collins, Library and Information Tech student.

Amanda Ramlal

LEARNING THE RULES OF LOCKDOWNS: Khalid Almalki reads over the rules and procedures of a lockdown and realizes there are some he didn’t know.

Students should be fully aware of what the school does during a lockdown to avoid situations such as this.

The official lockdown procedure guidelines are located all around campus. It can be found in open areas, bathrooms, online and the student handbook. But though there are many options to view the procedure, some students still aren’t aware it exists.

“I have very little clue what to do in these situations other than the basic hide in the corner of the room in the dark quietly. I never really looked actively for more information on what to do,” says

Jon Hart, a Music Business Administration student.

Many students are only aware of the basic procedures of staying against the door, turning all the lights off, keeping quiet, and turning cell phones off. There is much more to the procedure, says Lynch, such as barricading the doors and covering all windows so no one can see inside the room.

Georgian College security advisor, Paul Mosley, says his college has safety lights located on teaching podiums and all around the school. These lights blink to alert students and staff that they

are under lockdown. Notifications appear on computers being used, a pre-recorded message that plays over the P.A system and students are offered texting subscriptions.

Georgian has not had any lockdowns for this year. But it is starting to adapt to a new model of safety that is gaining popularity across North America, says Posley.

A method named Run, Hide, Fight will provide students with additional options during a lockdown, he says. It involves telling students to run if they find it necessary to get off campus. Hide

which would be what’s already practiced at schools and fight if it comes down to defending their lives.

Tom Lynch has a message for all Durham College and UOIT students.

“All we ask is that when we make the decision to go into lockdown that the community respects the fact that, that decision is not taken lightly ” says Lynch If the community and students are both able to follow proper procedures and allow police to do their job, lockdowns will be handled quickly, efficiently and most importantly safely, he said.

Don Lovisa talks about his life away from work Taylor Prest The Chronicle

Important figures and intimidating titles are a challenge to look past. However when you have a conversation with these professionals, you may realize they are no different than everyone else, including the president of Durham College, Don Lovisa.

Beyond the title, Lovisa is a father, husband, and grandfather who adores playing music, going to campus events, and travelling the world with his family.

He has twin grandsons and has been married to his wife for more than thirty years. Lovisa doesn’t treat his role like a job but as a lifestyle. Through attending community events, and meeting important figures, such as the prime minister of Canada, he said that being friendly and approachable goes a long way for leadership roles.

“There’s a part of these jobs that is extremely enjoyable and does become beyond a day to day

of being in a job,” said Lovisa. “It becomes a lifestyle as opposed to you come to work you do your job and you go home.”

This ties in with much of the travelling he does with his family and friends. Lovisa has visited Italy, Mexico, the U.S., and Thailand. He wishes to travel to every single country with his wife and children.

During his encounter with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Lovisa said they talked beyond their roles. Both discussed their families back at home and the things they had in common, such as being raised in a trade’s family. They’re both from northern Canada and he said they communi-cated without intimidation of one another.

Lovisa always tells students and faculty to realize there are people behind that fancy title and they do the same things and feel the same kind of emotions as anyone else.

“They’re just living normal lives,” said Lovisa. “You strip

Taylor Prest

THE PRESIDENT ON THE JOB: Don Lovisa has little time to relax these days. away the title and people are just peo-ple.”

Lovisa has many hobbies including painting, golfing, camping, and music. He was a guitarist for a band when he was young

and has a passion for all genres of music. He even has a chair located in his office that resembles a blue electric guitar. Lovisa continues to attend campus events to interact with his many students

and staff members outside of work and to show his support for the college. He is just a man who enjoys social gatherings, playing sports, and spending time with his loved ones like anyone else.

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‘Everyone has to pay for parking’ Campus in midst of three year parking plan, fees go up this fall Logan Caswell The Chronicle

Paying for parking can sometimes ruin your day. It could be that one parking ticket you received because you didn’t want to pay the $15 daily rate, or the cost of your annual parking pass that took up your whole week’s pay.

Durham College and UOIT have a standard for students and faculty members who all have to pay a similar price, ranging from $500 at locations such as Commencement 2 and up to $700 at Champions South Lot. Nevzat Gurmen, vice-president of Corporate Services and CFO at Durham College, has a large portfolio that involves facility management, purchasing and financing. He takes care of determining plans for parking prices, and how long those plans should be in effect.

Logan Caswell

PROBLEMATIC PARKING: Nearly full parking lots show how many students and staff rely upon on-site parking for their daily commute to school and work.

“We introduced a new threeyear plan for parking two years ago so next year is the last year for that,” Gurmen says. “Previously, before that, for 10 years, the price never changed, so we introduced a new three-year plan that would see parking prices increase by $50 each year.”

For Gurmen, creating more parking locations is the first step to creating no wait lists for students.

“We have land north of Conlin Road that we hope to turn into more parking for students and faculty,” Gurmen says. “In the long term future we hope

to build a parking garage but that’s something that will take a lot of time and money and will increase rates.”

For faculty members, don’t expect to get free parking anytime soon.

“Everyone has to pay for parking. It’s a choice. Commuting is a choice,” Gurmen says.

“There is a cost associated with that and it’s because we need to recover costs such as road maintenance and snow removal.”

Count on the price of parking to go up again next fall, with parking passes costing anywhere from $550 to $750.

John Gallen, manager of parking and public safety at Fleming College, doesn’t believe parking should be free for students or faculty members either.

“When you look at the costs to operate parking, which involves plowing the snow, paying for the hydro to operate the lights, it all adds up,” Gallen says. “It would all have to come off of the budget and that means you have less money to hire teachers. If people didn’t pay, the school would have to.”

Gallen says it’s important for students and faculty members, at any school to understand

parking isn’t cheap to maintain.

“The college sees about $1 million come back each year in revenue for parking but $250,000 of that alone goes to the snow plows,” Gallen says.

“There are large costs people don’t even realize and, unfortunately, most people think it’s cheap to park.”

Fleming College has a lot lower rates than Durham College though, with a yearly parking pass costing about $360.

Bill Grylls, manager of traffic, municipal parking and transportation for Oshawa, believes parking is a balance of recovering costs and encouraging people to use the parking system.

“Parking rates are historically set to recover your costs, but a lot of that depends on the market and not scaring people away,” Grylls says. “It’s about finding the right dollar for people.”

Grylls says it costs a lot to operate parking around the city.

“To operate the municipal parking system is about $2,700,000 per year and from that we achieve about $3 million from revenue,” he says.

“We have a surplus of about $300,000 and I need that money to operate the system properly.”

Grylls couldn’t comment on DC, UOIT parking passes, but did say that the price to park in the city of Oshawa is close to the same as the institution. The yearly rate for parking garages in Oshawa costs $550, which compares to some of the cheapest options on campus such as Simcoe residence.

From hard work to holidays schedule as the end of the semester approaches, as she is retiring in June and looking forward to it.

Robinson hopes to spend her retirement following her hobbies and perhaps picking up new ones.

“It’s freeing to know that I can spend my days doing whatever I want without having my

She spends her summers aboard her boat with her husChris Rego band.

They both speak with The Chronicle other “like-minded individuals” while their boat float in the Durham College is the school pier and they enjoy the sun. many of us chose to attend but “My husband says that my we may have given little to no idea of roughing it is watchthought about who was impleing a black and white TV,” said menting the programs, creatRobinson. ing events, and giving us the She looks forward to beknowledge to succeed. ing able to spend Judy Robinson more time with is one name you loved ones once may or may not I would like to spend some of my time writshe retires. know but she is the ing a story book about life and life lessons for my Robinson is person in charge of grandson so when he gets older he has something also an aspiracademics for DC. to pass on. ing sculptor who But who is she? wishes to spend Judy Robinson some time learnis the vice-presiing how to wire dent of AcademJudy Robinson sculpt and then ics.

Robinson’s put her pieces in job is essentially her garden. She planning, organizsays she has not spent as much time scheduled,” said Robining, staffing and leading the son. time working on her garden as college’s academic vision and She spends her free time garshe would like but plans to do operations, along with its Redening, boating, and spending more with it once she retires. search and Corporate Training time with her family.

Just like When it comes to her granddivisions. everyone else, she is human. son, she wants to leave a legacy Robinson is facing a hectic

‘

’

Chris Rego

WORKING HARD: Vice President of Academics Judy Robinson working at her desk. and remind him what she was like and how much she loves him.

She plans to create an audio log so he always remembers what her voice was like. Shooting a video journal to help him and his grandchildren with any

of life’s challenges and teach lessons she had learned.

“I would like to spend some of my time writing a story book about life and life lessons for my grandson so when he gets older he has something to pass on,” said Robinson.

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A green hour to a green day

Durham College supports Earth Day

Sandhya Visvanathan The Chronicle

Durham College and UOIT used the recent Earth Hour to remind people about what both are doing to help the environment.

Since 2012, Durham College and UOIT have been taking steps to do their part.

The team that works towards the environment is called ‘Living Green- Green Team.’ The Green Team has taken the initiative to make Oshawa and Whitby campuses eco-friendly.

They have done many things, including a solar project.

“We have 350 solar panels of which each produces 720 kilo watts,” says Tanya Roberts, sustainability co-ordinator at Durham College.

She adds the college took an initiative to protect the environment by providing a bus pass for students.

“This helps reduce fuel and pollution,” says Roberts.

Durham College and UOIT have also launched a new oncampus battery-recycling program available to students, fac-

Sandhya Visvanathan

DURHAM COLLEGE AND EARTH HOUR: Tanya Roberts (left) and a volunteer show Durham College students the benefits of helping the environment and what students can do to help the environment. ulty and staff.

Students and staff can dispose of their old batteries safely by recycling them through this program.

The Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee along with Durham College, UOIT and Oshawa Library organized ‘60+ Earth Hour’ on March 28.

The Earth Hour was intended to create awareness among the

residents in Oshawa.

“The main objective for the event was ‘to reduce juice,” says a volunteer Adrianna Wagner.

The ‘juice’ in this term means ‘resources.’

There were many presentations, including the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee and Oshawa Library, to promote and tell the public what they have done to protect

the environment.

Carol Cavallari, owner of the local food restaurant The Table spoke about how different resources are being misused.

“If we have short showers we will save a lot of water,” says Shirley Smith, a member of Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee.

Oshawa Mayor John Henry was part of this event. He count-

ed down for the Earth Hour.

After they counted down, the organizers turned off the lights and the screen lit with a movie ‘No Impact Man.’ Every year, Earth Day is marked on April.

On this day people take initiative to do something for the environment.

This month is going to be a ‘green’ month.

straight to their house.

A lot of people are introduced to medical marijuana when other options have been exhausted. People are using it to reduce seizures, stop back pains, and give them an appetite when it lacks.

However, there are more than a thousand applications for potential LPs waiting for approval, and Health Canada is very strict in terms of selecting which producers get the approval for grow-ing and selling medical marijuana, according to Chand Ratnayake, an Oshawa resident who proposed a new medical marijuana facility in the Durham Region.

Ratnayake, once a chemist, believes medical marijuana is often grouped with recreational mari-juana, and that people believe there is no difference between medicinal and recreational.

“It all comes down to the research. People refuse to do research because of the stigma of this harmful, illegal drug,” says Ratnayake. “If people would do their research it would be known that cannabis has great medical benefits.”

Licensed producers will give patients the best quality product that best suits them based on their symptoms, and Ratnayake believes it all comes down to finding the right combination. “It all comes down to the patient. Thankfully these licensed producers allow each patient to select based on their needs,” he says.

For example, one of the li-

Medical marijuana has proven to be a healthy alternative for people with mild to serious medical conditions.

For example, one Oshawa resident, 22-year-old Stephanie Ayotte, has gone from being in a wheelchair and experiencing multiple seizures a day, to now walking, being more so-ciable, and having fewer than 12 mild seizures per month, according

ijuana work for those strictly ill, and now we see it help people with every day illnesses such as anxiety and insomnia,” he said. “Therefore, if it produces every-day benefits, it should be classified as a medicine rather than a drug.”

While medical marijuana is becoming a hot topic around Canada, there is some concern about accessibility.

Ten students from Durham College were asked if they supported medical marijua-na legalization.

Each student was in favour but still showed signs of mistrust, saying they are unsure if the medicine will be used properly.

“People should be monitored to ensure they’re actually using it for medical purposes,” said Brid-get Buckmaster, a Child and Youth Worker student.

Medical marijuana is a controversial topic but with more people relying on the medicinal benefits of the drug, as well as pushing for more medical trials to establish clinical data surrounding mari-juana, will marijuana soon be looked at as a medicine rather than a drug?

Oh cannabis! Medical marijuana now

David Conti The Chronicle

April 1 marked one year since Canada’s new medical marijuana laws were put into place, allow-ing for easier access to cannabis. Before then, a patient had to have serious medical conditions, such as cancer or epilepsy, to use the drug legally.

While four U.S. states have now made cannabis legal, and 23 states currently have cannabis decriminalized or legalized for medical use only, several western countries are becoming closer to legalizing medical and recreational marijuana.

One year ago, the Canadian government instituted a new program, Marijuana for Medical Pur-poses Regulation (MMPR). This new program forced patients to stop growing their own canna-bis, making them buy from a producer approved by the government.

Across Canada there are 13 approved licensed producers (LP), allowing patients from all over the country to order their medicine to be delivered

‘

We have seen medical marijuana work for those strictly ill, and now we see it help people with everyday illnesses, such as anxiety and insomnia.

Chand Ratnayake censed producers, Tilray, offers a variety of different combinations for a variety of patients.

These include high indica strains of cannabis, which can be used by pa-tients with insomnia, or for pain relief, usually a night time use. The sativa strains are most commonly used to aid depression, because wakeful properties. The hybrid strains find a com-mon ground between the two, offering a balance.

’

to CTV’s Pauline Chan.

Medical marijuana patients across Canada are excited about the accessibility of their medicine, but they are also concerned about why the change wasn’t made earlier.

One medical marijuana patient from Durham Region, who wishes to remain anonymous, questions whether marijuana should be considered something other than a drug.

“We have seen medical mar-

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Fashion forward: This fall’s fashion Tianna Forde The Chronicle

Fashion Month is always full of surprising moments.

Canadians have had it with this year’s enduring winter season and are ready to welcome warmer temperatures.

But local fashion designers are already yearning for the nippy weather we’ll receive later in the year.

They say fall 2015 will be promising and full of readyto-wear trends, including the return of 70s style. Expect to see embellishment, fringe, fur, winter pastels and 50 shades of red. Cooler temperatures usually mean dark colours and black on black. Not this year.

“We will see more colours: bright and pastels,” says fashion blogger, Christerline Saint-Félix.

Your crown jewel for fall is embellishment, according to experts. Ornamentation is definitely in.

Designers around the world showcased a variety of embellishment styles this season.

Understated jewelry and lustrous accents were favoured on the runway.

“I think AW15 (Fall/Winter 2015) is about finding the inner girly-girl in all of us.

‘

I expect to see cozy pieces, red (some black) and pastels. Definitely pastels.

Erica Lynn

’

The vast amount of pink – from pastel to bubblegum, fur, embellishments, feathers and even fringe was a big hit on the runway,” says fashion editor, Lauren Nicole.

Fringe is a must-have for fall. This year, fringe is not limited to 70s-styled leather jackets. Sweaters are embellished with it, pencil skirts have fringe hemlines, and dresses are covered in it.

Oversized, chunky, and delicate fringe should make

an appearance in your wardrobe come fall. Some style icons have already claimed the fringe trend and don’t plan on waiting until later in the year.

Let’s not forget about fur.

Omnipresent and in all shapes and sizes, faux fur seemed to be the faux choice of the season. Models walked the runways with fur draped over their shoulders, mimicking a stole. Fur will keep you warm and help you look dapper as you do. Traditional fur picks are here and don’t seem to be leaving any time soon.

Soft shades are normally tied to spring and warmer weather but the colours of fall will be bright this year.

Black will continue to be the go-to shade for designers, no matter what season.

Regardless of the cooler weather, don’t limit your wardrobe to only dark autumnal colours. Layer your pastels with dark bottoms.

Look amazing in red. Designers set the tone with a rather alluring and powerful colour for fall. With bright

Christopher Macsurak

FASHION: Have fun with your style this fall. Expect to see embellishment, fringe, fur, winter pastels and 50 shades of red! tints against neutral fabrics, they certainly did paint the town red. Go for brighter shades for that special occasion and a more muted tone, such as burgundy, for everyday wear. Peace and love will also be a theme of fall.

Now is the time to relive the days of the disco. Designers took from the decade that brought us Grease as a muse for fall. This led to boho silhouettes, flower patterns, and lots of flare.

Will you dig it?Because fall and winter last so long, the key is to have items that can be versatile, according to menswear fashion stylist, Erica Lynn .

“I expect to see cozy pieces,

red (some black) and pastels.

Definitely pastels,” she says.

This year, World Master Card Fashion Week (Toronto Fashion Week) saw fashion meet fast food.

Paris Fashion Week was met with the reconstruction of a full-scale, old world Parisian brasserie for the always overthe-top Chanel showcase.

New York Fashion Week welcomed the debut of Yeezy Boost by Kanye West. Fashion isn’t limited to a season.

Tweak your wardrobe to make it work for the current season. You’re not expected to follow the rules with fashion.

Express yourself and make each trend your own. Have fun with your style this fall.

DeNoble fundraiser still going strong Reba Pennell The Chronicle

It’s been said that tragedy brings people together. In the case of a local fundraiser known as Cody’s Coffee House that statement has never been truer.

Cody DeNoble of Whitby was in the Jazz Guitar program at York University and had just finished his first year when he was in a car accident in late April 2010.

He died from his injuries 21 days later. He was 19 years old.

In June of that year, family and friends held a concert in DeNoble’s memory to raise money for the fundraiser and to help another boy, Greg Bell, who was injured in the accident After the accident DeNoble’s parents wanted him to be remembered and wanted to help other musicians in the area.

With the help of a couple of his mom’s close friends, the

process for creating a scholarship was in motion.

“They suggested a scholarship in Cody’s memory for high school students who want to pursue their passion in music,” said Kim DeNoble, Cody’s mom.

The Cody DeNoble Music Scholarship Fund is awarded to aspiring musicians of Henry Street High School in Whitby, where Cody went to school and graduated with a honours scholarship.

The event, held on Friday,

March 27 at Los Cabos Grill in Whitby, brought many of Cody’s friends and family together to celebrate his life and raise money for the scholarship.

“All of these people here are either friends or family or people Cody grew up with.

He knew everybody,” said his mom, praising her son, with tears in her eyes.

Los Cabos donated the space for the cause. The event raised about $700.

“I would run the event

again for sure,” said Brittney Ewasyn, one of the planners and a Durham College graduate. “The DeNobles started the scholarship because it was something that their son believed in and something Cody was passionate about. It’s for a good cause.”

As well as Cody’s Coffee House, there is also an annual golf tournament at the end of August.

Approximately $15,000 is earned each year, according to Kim Denoble.

Tom Lynch on life outside Durham Michael Clark The Chronicle

Many of us know Tom Lynch as head of campus security here at Durham College, but who is he when he’s not doing his daily job? What is this retired cop’s life outside of work?

Lynch was born to Irish immigrants that moved to Canada in the late 1950s. His father came to Canada to work on the Avro Arrow project as a flight technician, but was soon looking for other jobs after the federal government canceled

the project.

His father had first hoped the young Lynch would join the army and would follow in his father footsteps, to becoming a flight technician but his son had other ideas.

“Considering the brilliance and intelligence of my father, when it comes to engineering, in math and stuff I still count on my fingers and toes and half the time I’m still wrong,” said Lynch, with a laugh.

After two years in the reserves, Lynch left the army and told his parents he wanted to be a police officer.

After pushing his parents

to realize this was what he wanted, they supported him the rest of the way. In the end they were happy for his career.

Lynch went to Seneca College for two years to learn law enforcement and, in 1981, got a job as a cadet with the Toronto Police Service, since he wasn’t yet 21.

Lynch was an officer with the Toronto police for the next 31 years, leaving with the rank of detective sergeant.

“I left because in my early forties I decided to go back to school to make myself more marketable for potentially a second career,” said Lynch.

He went on to study at Guelph University for justice studies and Cincinnati University to get his masters in Criminal Justice Studies.

Outside of law and justice, Lynch partakes in something few know about: theatre.

Both of his teenage boys were into theatre.

It started twelve years ago and, at first, Lynch just drove them to their plays, but slowly he was sucked into the world of theatre.

He later volunteered to make the production sets for the plays, with his wife making the artwork and painted sets.

These are the times where his family all came together with a common passion. Lynch soon grew to love drama, started taking on roles, and even dancing and singing.

This March, Tom had his first lead role as Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Super Star.

Lynch is a proud workaholic. With the college in the morning and theatre at night, he loves it all. That’s not to say he can’t relax once in a while.

Besides ‘pyjama day’ when he’s off work, he someday hopes to retire, travel to Cuba, and walk on the Varadero beach.

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Looking at abortion in Canada Reba Pennell The Chronicle

When young women find themselves pregnant, whether they have somebody by their side or they are alone, there are three main outcomes of the pregnancy. They can choose to have the baby, put the baby up for adoption or abort the pregnancy.

Durham College and UOIT offer many services to help students who find themselves in this situation.

At Durham College there are many resources offered to women who may be pregnant and are wondering if abortion is their best option.

Outreach Services is home to the Women’s Centre, the Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) and other resources.

The Women’s Centre provides resources and advocacy to help women with their advancement and well being.

The SHRC helps provides education and support on a number of things, including pregnancy options, to students.

Outreach Services at Durham College helps students and “assists them in their student life, specifically surrounding their well being,” says Madison Mather, the Outreach Services co-ordinator.

If a student has reached out to an Outreach staff member and would like assistance in going to a doctor’s appointment, a staff member can take her.

The Outreach Service works off a pro-choice platform. The

service provides a number of information on all options for unwanted pregnancy and does not favour one option over another, says Mather.

She adds, the workers talk about the student’s personal preference and do not try to sway the student one way or another.

“Their body is their body.

It’s their very own domain and they have every right to do what they feel is right in that moment,” Mather says.

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, most often performed within the first 28 weeks of gestation.

In 2009, doctors in Ontario performed almost 30,000 abortions.

More than thirty per cent of those abortions were women in their early 20s, according to The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Outreach Services provides help to everybody in the Durham College and UOIT community, including staff and faculty.

There is no specific age group that comes in more than another.

There is a mix of all different kinds of students and there is a diverse group of people who come in, according to Mather.

Students who go to Outreach Services at the school may be referred somewhere else, depending on what they decide to do. It depends on the client and “where they are in their journey,” says Mather.

If they are not prepared for services outside of the school,

Reba Pennell

NICOLE DANIEL: Works with young women daily at the Durham Campus Health Centre. the workers at the Outreach Services do not pressure them.

Students may not be prepared if they do not want people outside of the Outreach workers to know that they are pregnant, says Mather.

Rose of Durham is one of the organizations Outreach Services and the Campus Health Centre may send students to.

Rose of Durham is a charitable, non-profit organization. Ac-

cording to the Rose of Durham website,its mission is to provide supportive programming for young parents.

The Campus Health Centre may refer students to other clinics in and around Oshawa based on many factors including whether they choose to put the baby up for adoption, abort the pregnancy or they choose to have the baby, according to Nicole Daniel, a registered nurse

at the Health Centre.

“We want to support the student in whatever decision they may choose,” she says.

The Campus Health Centre is “unbiased, non-judgmental and confidential,” says Daniel.

“We are here to support whatever one may want to do.”Many services are provided around Durham Region for young women in this situation. More and more continue to grow.

Ajax outgrows aging Harwood plaza Chloe Troicuk The Chronicle

There is a new vision for downtown Ajax and it is named the Grand Harwood Place. The town of Ajax wants to build condominiums in the front parking lot of the Harwood Plaza that has been around for 60 years.

The Harwood Plaza was built to serve up to 25,000 people.

At the time, the plaza was the heart of the community.

But with a growing population of 110,000, the plaza no longer functions as the town’s primary commercial focus, according to the town of Ajax.

As the plaza ages, the town says redevelopment is unavoidable.

The strip mall has been identified as a poor image for downtown Ajax but has potential for improvement.

“The redevelopment of the Ajax plaza is another step in the town’s vision of a true downtown for Ajax. The redevelopment of the plaza will happen.

It’s just a matter of the market because this is key,” says Paul Allore, director of planning and

Chloe Troicuk

HARWOOD: The Harwood plaza could be in for some interesting parking. development services for Ajax.

The town has been working with Windcorp Developments Ltd. since 2011 on a plan to redevelop the Harwood Pla-

za. Windcorp has presented a ten-storey building with retail stores occupying the first floor, offices on the second and third floors, and condos on the top

floors. The Grand Harwood Place also includes two underground floors of parking with a total of 530 parking spaces designated only to those who live

or work in the new building.

But some residents of the Harwood Plaza are worried about the effects of the redevelopment plan on their businesses.

Denise Burroughs, owner of the Ajax Bowling Centre, is concerned about the parking spaces being taken away.

The town is building this new building right on Burroughs’ front lawn.

The development is happening in the parking lot of the Harwood Plaza.

The plaza currently has 210 parking spaces and 133 of them are being taken for construction leaving only 77 parking spots for the entire plaza.

“We won’t find out until July 15 when the deadline for 85 per cent of the condos being sold is.

Until then, we just attend the town meetings and wait for the decision to be made,” said Burroughs.

Burroughs is trying to remain confident that the plaza will remain untouched and she can continue her business with her family.

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Durham says goodbye to retiree Durham College’s principal of Whitby Campus retires Shane O’Neill The Chronicle

Balance and adaptability, that’s the key to a long career, according to Darrin Caron, the soon-to-be retired dean of skilled trades, apprenticeship and renewable technology and principal of the Whitby Campus of Durham College.

After a 30-plus year career, the last four of which spent as dean, Caron will retire at the end of the current term.

While far from the end of his working abilities, he is looking forward to the next stage of his life and career.

Caron has been involved in secondary and post-secondary education since working as a student representative at Humber College in the 1980s.

Since then, he has moved around, starting in Toronto then moving to Nova Scotia and North Bay before starting at Durham in 2011.

“One of the keys to finding a good balance in [your] career is, I think, to make an effort to take new opportunities as they come to you,” Caron said, discussing some of his advice for students and young people as they begin their own careers.

“I think it’s important try new things and to expand your horizons, even if the change isn’t a direct promotion,” he said.

“It may not even come with a pay raise, but the change in perspective can have important benefits for you through out your career.”

When Caron first started in education at Humber, he was working on the business and corporate relations side of the table.He never imagined being involved in an institution from the faculty side, but a series of changes and opportunities altered his career path a number of times over the years.

Throughout his career, Caron said he benefitted from the sage advice and guidance of a mentor.

He credits Roy Giroux, former vice-president of Education and Faculty Services at Humber, as a mentor throughout his career and someone

who he keeps in touch with regularly.

“He helped to encourage me to continue my own personal education,” Caron said.

‘

I think it’s important to try new things and to expand your horizons, even if the change isn’t a direct promotion.

Darrin Caron

’

“He put the pressure on me to lead and be a leader in my time in Student Government and in my career.”

Caron spoke highly of finding a good mentor and colleague for the two-fold benefits.

Not only guide young people in their careers, but also to educate and expose them to different perspectives and experiences that you might not have considered otherwise.

“Greg Murphy, the dean of Media, Art and Design, is someone who comes from a different background” Caron said.

“He’s an artist and I’m not.

So while Greg is a colleague and friend, I also consider him a mentor for the ways he has been able to open my mind to new ways of thinking”.

For life away from work, Caron says balance is key.

“I’m a big reader. My wife and I do a fair bit of travelling.

Having a good balance of work

and life outside the school or office is important.

‘

Greg Murphy, the dean of Media, Art and Design, is someone who comes from a different background.

Darrin Caron

’

During his time at Durham, Caron made the weekly commute from his home in North Bay and found ways to stay balanced and comfortable while working and driving far from home. “Last year, I started to bring our dog down to stay with

me at my apartment every other week,” he said.

“It’s nice to have company for the drive, and also it is a really good way to help detach from work for a short period of time. “Being able to wake up and go out for a walk and again once I get back from work is such a welcome relief from the daily grind,” Caron said of his pet dog. Caron has nothing directly in his sights yet for his post-retirement plans. Other than taking some time to relax and reflect, Darrin will focus on spending time with his wife and dog.

Eventually he hopes to get into different types of consulting and become more involved in the community with his wife, through different groups and charities.

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A journey worth cherishing Hannah Anderson The Chronicle

There’s a story behind every person..

Kevin Baker, dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Employment Services at Durham College, enjoys much more than the simple thrill of challenging and addressing students.

Baker spent his early days on a farm where he had hundreds of rabbits, a horse, a few cows, chickens and maybe a pig or two.

“I grew up on a farm, even going to university was completely foreign to me. I would never have imagined university as a child,” says Baker.

He grew up with his grandparents on a farm in northern New Brunswick, just an hour away from the Quebec border.

His days were spent growing vegetables, visiting his uncle who owned a dairy farm, and galloping through the woods on a horse.

But at a young age, Baker Hannah Anderson was curious about Toronto and left home with only $20 and a TO TRAVEL IS BETTER THAN TO ARRIVE: Kevin Baker gym bag. opens up about his successful journey, as he takes on life “I was fifteen and I thought at Durham College.

Toronto was a cool place,” he says. ed a room when he acquired a He continued travelling to CaliHe had some friends there job. When Baker reached the fornia, Texas, Florida, Vancouand surfed from one couch to age of 18, he decided to travel ver, and Halifax—all over the another and he eventually rent- long distances truck driving. map.

“I didn’t start university until I was 27 and I discovered I really loved education. It changed my life,” says Baker.

“It’s one of those things that you do it, and you really enjoy it. I really love students, I love education, working with young adults.”

He worked his way up the ladder, with 19 years in postsecondary education as a teach-

always worried about your safety a little bit, worried about wars breaking out in the Middle East,” says Baker.

In 2004, he arrived in the villa in Doha and there was a bombing across from where he had lived three years earlier when he first started the project in Qatar.

“The day I landed there I got to the villa and about five min-

‘

I didn’t start university until I was 27 and I discovered I really loved education. It changed my life.

Kevin Baker

ing assistant at York University, as a residence tutor, and as vice-chair, and vice-president of the Qatar Project, the largest international education project in Canadian history.

“I think I have a crazy story from every day in my career,” says Baker.

In May 2001, he signed a deal to open a temporary campus for the state of Qatar because it decided the Canadian college system was the best in the world.

Then 9/11 happened five months later.

“You’re pretty close to a place that really doesn’t like America very much. You’re

’

utes later I heard there was a bombing, the one and only time they had a bombing in Doha,” says Baker.

Another time some of his employees were involved in a bombing at a community theatre.

All but one survived. The director was shot.

Life is much simpler these days in Durham.

Away from Baker’s career he spends his days working on his house, sailing, and riding his Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle whenever he can.

“Generally my rule is if it’s above 10 degrees, I’ll ride,” Baker enthuses.

Getting past the fear of needles Experts recommend students be up to date with their vaccinations Sherise Peart-Kent The Chronicle

A trip on public transit can be a scary reminder that the health of the immune system is not something to ignore.

Sometimes no amount of daily vitamins or avoiding public transit can prevent people from con-tracting the seasonal flu or other illnesses.

There are vaccinations for many of these viruses, but health professionals say postsecondary students often ignore the risks.

The Durham Region Health Department welcomes residents seeking medical assistance or prevention.

Public health nurse Taylor Farrell says immunization vaccinations are very popular

at the clinic.

She says antibodies aid the immune system in protecting itself against disease, and vac cines can help to provide complete immunity if exposed to diseases in the future.

“With vaccines there may be tiny amounts of dead or weakened germs, so the dead or weak-ened germs in vaccines basically help to make two important tools with antibodies and memory,” says Farrell.

The recent measles outbreak has raised concerns among students about the importance and effectiveness of vaccinations.

Farrell says in rare cases those who are vaccinated can still contract the disease, but with less severity and fewer

complications.

Some shots do require boosters and the timing of such follow-up shots may vary.

Farrell stresses the significance of staying on schedule with booster shots.

“It’s important for those students to check immunization records and see what doses they may be overdue for,” she says. Farrell says the clinic is frequented by Durham residents of all ages, new Canadians and stu-dents looking to get checkups.

“We typically see students coming into our health department clinics if they may not have ac-cess to health care providers,” she says.

Farrell also says the importance of vaccinations is sometimes ignored by post-secondary stu-dents, both domestic and international.

Graham Krucia came to Durham College from his home in Trinidad to study criminology and justice and forensic psychology. He says his views on vaccinations are not very different from those of domestic students.

“I don’t really deal with

doctors and hospitals unless I absolutely need to,” Krucia says, alt-hough he does agree that it is important to stay up to date.

Keeping tabs on vaccinations can become increasingly difficult, especially if records are lost says Farrell. She sug-

‘

It’s important for those students to check immunization records and see what doses they may be overdue for.

Taylor Farrell

’

gests speaking with a health care provider.

Another solution to being on track with vaccines is to have your immunity levels tested.

Helene-Marie Goulding, a senior lecturer from the Faculty of Health and Sciences at UOIT en-courages students to familiarize themselves with their immunity records and

not to depend on the concept of ‘herd immunity’.

That happens when people count on the majority of others to be vaccinated.

“With vaccination rates dropping as low as they have been, the herd doesn’t have immunity anymore and that’s why you’re seeing a rise in diseases that were thought to be somewhat eradicated or very low chances of getting in North America and measles is one of them,” she says.

Goulding also says there are unique risks that students face living on campus and they may require special attention.

“When you live on residence or on campus you’re living with a high density of people so your chances are increased of catching something the more people you’re exposed to the higher the risk.”

Goulding recommends visiting a health care provider to check immunity levels for infectious diseases, and to ask for advice on compromise in special situations in which immunizations may not be suitable, such as allergies or religious beliefs.

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Free legal advice for students Andrew Brennan The Chronicle

The Campus Paralegal Student Assistance (CPSA) is a free legal clinic held by two Durham College paralegal students, as well as a supervising licensed lawyer.

They provide students of both Durham and UOIT with confidential legal advice.

But the CPSA is one of the commonly under-utilized services at Durham College and UOIT. The problem, as expressed by both second-year paralegal student Josephine Spitale and supervising lawyer Lavinia Inbar, is a lack of awareness the service exists.

The CPSA received inquiries from approximately 80 students, either in person or by email, over an 18-week span this academic year.

Kandace Bond Wileman, one of the original members of the CPSA, says these numbers are actually an improvement from when the project began.

She says they may received about ten inquiries from students over a 10-week period when it began in 2012.

Bond Wileman referenced other legal clinics at University of Toronto, York University and Windsor University, and how they were “flooded” with students.

“It was our hope that students would sort of flock to us,” she says.

Bond Wileman blames a bit of her own “ignorance” for the initial lack of traffic.

“I didn’t consider how much marketing it would need to actually make students aware of it. So I think the reason they didn’t [come] was because they weren’t aware,” she says.

“Getting the word out is a real struggle, and we tried different things.”

Bond Wileman says they went to classrooms, reached out to the deans of every school, distributed pamphlets to every department office and ran advertisements on the TVs around campus.

Josephine Spitale says one of the goals the CPSA worked towards this term was raising awareness of its existence and letting students know they have this tool.

They used many of the same strategies Bond Wileman mentioned, but Spitale says a lack of visibility was a huge problem.

“Even when I just Google the office itself, I couldn’t even find it on legal services,” she says.

One issue the program can help students with is grade appeals. Spitale says she’s unsure whether students know they can find help with that issue.

“That process is so important for a student who is struggling academically, who may have a particular situation that

they need assistance with the guidance through that process,” says Spitale.

“People don’t know that we do that either.”

Bond Wileman says issues of tenant’s rights and financial appeals were expected to be their primary areas of operation.

“It wasn’t really on our horizon. Maybe at the back of our head, we thought maybe one or two, but I don’t think we expected it would predominately be the intake,” she says of dealing with issues of grade appeals.

The CPSA approaches each case as a unique set of circumstances, and works with the individual to find a solution that best suits that student.

Spitale says the CPSA works to form the strongest possible argument to enhance a student’s chance at a successful

appeal.

“We will help [students] draft their appeal letters, word what they are going to say and direct them to other services to get some background information,” she says.

‘

We’ve noticed that if something like that happens, where we start reaching out, that people will start reaching back to us as well.

Josephine Spitale

’

In an attempt to raise awareness, the team at the CPSA has added promotional images to the television screens found on campus, printed new brochures, began visiting class-

rooms, and contacted department heads across both Durham College and UOIT. “We’ve noticed that if something like that happens, where we start reaching out, that people will start reaching back to us as well,” says Spitale.

The members of the CPSA also made it clear that those who reach back can expect a safe environment where everything discussed will remain confidential.

The trio of legal advisers are available to students two days a week.

They can’t act as legal representation, but can help guide students through a variety of matters including: • Tenant’s Rights • Ontario Disability Support Program • Ontario Works • OSAP

• Workplace Safety & Insurance Board • Employment Insurance • Employment Standards • Ontario Human Rights Code • Small Claims matters • Criminal Injuries Compensation • Provincial Offences • Commissioning and notarizing documents The Campus Paralegal Student Assistance service closed its doors for the term on March 24, but will be open again in October.

Their office is on the North Campus, and can be found in the J-wing of the Simcoe Building in room 117.

The trio has a common message for all Durham College and UOIT students.

“We’re here and we’re willing to help,” says Spitale.

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April 14, 2015

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Diversity thrives at DC and UOIT Tabitha Reddekop The Chronicle

Students got a chance to change cultural stereotypes at Durham College and UOIT’s annual Mother Language Festival.

The festival, which stems from international Mother Language Day, was held in mid-March to celebrate cultural diversity on campus.

Aida Malekoltojari, student development specialist at UOIT and co-organizer of the event, said it’s about celebration.

“We are really hoping to showcase the diversity on our campuses and a great way to do that is to allow a celebration of our culture and languages.”

The event featured nine exhibits, including tables from Saudi Arabia, India and Brazil.

Students dressed in traditional garb offered visitors customary food, such as Jelebi, a Pakistani favourite.

The sticky orange treat looks like coiled hardened strands of spaghetti. Mahad Muhammad describes the taste as nice and sweet. “You can never really have enough of it,” he laughs.

Participants also taught guests how to speak Arabic and other languages along with showing them henna and other cultural experiences.

The event even had a cultural performer who led students in an interactive traditional African drumming session including battle chants, team building and a rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Many exhibitors took this opportunity to dispel common myths about their cultures.

“People think a certain way about Saudi Arabia,” said Hamad Alqabasani. “They think we live in [the] desert and still

Tabitha Reddekop

MOTHER LANGUAGE FESTIVAL: Mariam Khaksar (left), Hesham Farhadi (centre) and their co-exhibiter are proud to represent Afghanistan at the Mother Language Festival at Durham College and UOIT. take camels to drive.”

He isn’t the only one who saw an opportunity to change people’s minds about other cultures.

Mariam Khaksar from the Afghanistan table said, “I know Afghanistan is in the media for bad things but we do have a good side.”

She said she wants people to see the beauty and diversity of her country.

Hesham Farhadi, another student at the Afghanistan table, said the people of Afghanistan are just as caring as any other country.

“We are not how the media puts us. We are very friendly as you can see,” he added with a

grin.

His friend agrees. “Every country has a good side. People need to take the time to look into those cultures,” said Khaksar.

Abolishing these negative stereotypes was also the goal of another exhibit called Arabia, which brought together many students to show community between their countries.

The exhibit was several tables long to create a hub of Middle Eastern culture.

The group said they united together because even though they represent many countries, they all share the same language.

“We want to tell people, we

are together. We have lots of things in common,” said Omar Malaikah, a UOIT international student from Saudi Arabia.

Ahmed Alamer, leader of the project and a UOIT student, explained the group represented a language. They used history, art and, most importantly, food to convey their messages.

“Arab people love food so the first thing people see when they visit our booth is food,” said Alamer gesturing to many Middle Eastern favourites adorning their table.

The group was voted the best exhibit and received first place for its hard work.

“I think the most important part of this success is the team-

work,” said Alamer. “Everyone had their part and their share of the success.”

Around 350 students came out to enjoy the festivities.

Sarah Edwards, from the international office at Durham College and co-organizer, said they expected more. In the past, the event has drawn up to 700 guests. She said it was likely a promotion problem and it will be something to work on for next year.

But Malekoltojari said she is pleased with the students who participated. “They had so much enthusiasm, just being here and setting up. They brought so much more then we expected.”

Steady mindset and good health a must Tianna Forde The Chronicle

The Student Association of Durham College offers students access to campus Outreach Services.

Within the outreach services department, there are four smaller services available to the campus community: Women’s Centre, Pride & LGTBQ Centre, Sexual Health Resource Centre, and Campus Food Centre — also known as the campus food bank.Campus Outreach Services provides support for students, resources and information, while organizing educational and social events and workshops.

The goal of Outreach Services is to establish and maintain impartiality for the campus

and surrounding community.

Students who live on campus in residence have access to an outreach worker.

“I work with students regarding any mental health concerns,” says Jennifer Kavanaugh, a student residence outreach worker, “meaning, anxiety, depression, moods, suicidal ideation and more.”

The Women’s Centre was created to teach and empower the women on campus. The Tianna Forde centre’s goal is to build a community that appreciates and FOUR OUTREACH SERVICES AVAILABLE: Women’s commemorates women. All Centre, Pride & LGTBQ Centre, Sexual Health Resource genders are welcome in the Centre and Campus Food Centre.

Women’s Centre.

Much like the Women’s Centre, the Pride & LGBTQ educate students about diver- everyone — while the SHRC Centre and the Sexual Health sity and sexual health. The plans to make sure students Resource Centre (SHRC) pro- LGBTQ Centre honours diver- can freely share their worries vide information and tries to sity and encourages love for and learn about their sexual

health.

The Campus Food Centre — or campus food bank — aims to lessen student hunger by supplying food for students.

The Campus Outreach Services work to maintain equality and diversity. “I also support students one to one to manage everyday stressors of student life, helping direct them to other campus or community resources or providing techniques to help manage and reduce stress,” says Kavanaugh.

Outreach workers are available to support you while students navigate the amenities available to you on both the Durham College and University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) campuses and the neighbouring communities.

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April 14, 2015

Campus

Meeting international friends at DC Remona Pillai The Chronicle

That sudden chill down her spine, that refreshing and pure breeze, that realization of attaining the freedom she left home for. This is something she dreamt of, moving to a different country. Keya Patel, a student from India who moved to Oshawa last September felt this the day she stepped onto foreign land.

Moving from a country where being together and being dependent on family and friends is everything to a country where independence is important for its dwellers, was a journey she took almost 25 hours to complete.

Patel is one of the four hundred international students who moved to Durham College this year to learn something new and to breathe in a different air and culture. “This is exciting, life is so different here.

It’s pretty scary, but surely a learning experience, “she said.

Canada is one of the most popular countries chosen by international students for its safe environment, excellent education and health care. Students leave their home country and move to countries such as Canada, America, and Europe, to enrich their knowledge and become financially and mentally independent individuals.

“I was a pampered child. I never even lifted a spoon to cook back home, and now I literally cook, wash and clean.

Oh my God, it’s like a different life all-together,” said Vrutant Panchal, a project management student at Durham College.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS: International students at Durham’s big ‘O’.

Remona Pillai

Life in countries such as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other developing countries is very different when compared to life in the western countries.

The financial, economical and employment sectors of these nations are still developing. Attaining financial stability and security is one of the main reasons for international students to move away.

“Sending my child away from me was extremely difficult, I still cry myself to sleep, but I know it is for her benefit.

To see her grow is all I want,” said Jayanti Patel, Keya’s mother.

If life is so good back home for international students, why

are they here in Canada? Why pay three times the fees, leave families behind, and live a life alone in new country?

“It is the experience that I am here for, the practical knowledge, the independence and the education makes moving to a different country enriching,“ said Arpita Goala, a Public Relations student from the University of Winnipeg.

“The medium of education and the quality provided in Canada is beyond doubt one of the best, thus I am here.”

A popular belief is that international students must be rich, that’s the only way they should be able to manage the expenses. But it turns out they

are not really that rich. Many international students move to foreign countries by taking out education loans and mortgaging properties. International students put in an enormous effort and finances to move to a new country such as Canada.

Vikram Sanghai, a Visual Effects student at Durham College feels international students take the step of moving to a different country to increase their future prospects and secure their lives.

“The opportunity of employment and quality of living is much better here in Canada.

Yes, it was a mentally difficult journey getting here, but it sure is worth the effort,” he said.

There are many students at Durham College and other colleges in Canada who are here to make a better life for their families back home.

Canada is one of the countries that provide stability and thus it is the new home for thousands of international students “Students come here in the hope of learning something new, enlightening and benefiting to their careers. I miss my family a great deal, I shed a tear or two every time I talk to them, but I know it is important for me. The sacrifices made in the journey are just steppingstones to success,” said Keya Patel.

began a regular exercise and nutrition plan in January. She turned to her mom, who lost 85 pounds and has managed to keep the weight off for a decade, looking for advice.

“She taught me basically everything I’m living by now, and that’s to watch what you’re eating, but never deprive yourself,” Spitale said. “And my portions haven’t changed I would say the things on my plate have really changed.”

Sylvia Emmorey, a nutritionist at Durham College, suggests when eating meals, watching portion size is important.

“It’s portion control that makes the difference,” Emmorey said. “Instead of, when you’re finished your plate, asking if you’re full, you should be asking yourself ‘am I hungry?’ before you go back for seconds.”

Though Spitale has seen her share of challenges, she certainly isn’t alone.

Studies show weight gain among first-year students is significant. A 2011 study from

Ohio State University found an average weight gain of three pounds, while a separate fouryear study a year later from Auburn University reported an average 12 pounds in a single year.

According to Emmorey, one of the challenges first-year students face is the lack of a schedule. “[In high school] you know what time you’re getting up, eating breakfast, going to school, you have breaks at a certain time,” Emmorey said.

“When you get to college, every day of the week is different.

Classes may start at eight, they could start at noon.”

Scheduling when to eat and eating the right things go handin-hand when maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “[Students] need to eat something small every 2-3 hours. And that should be nutrient-dense foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, those types of foods,” Emmorey said.

She says, something as small as snacking and drinking water

throughout the day can have a significant impact.

“A glass of water helps you wake up in the morning,” said Emmorey.

“To have it throughout the day, [it helps] keep up brain function. It also helps cleanse.

So if you’re eating unhealthy foods, [water] can help to flush some of the sodium.”

Spitale does not credit her success solely to dietary changes. Incorporating exercise into her daily life has also been a large part in her success.

“If you can bring [exercise] into your every day life, that’s the best advice I could give anybody,” Spitale said Angie Wood, fitness co-ordinator at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre (CRWC), recommends that students find out what works for them.

“What kinds of things do you like? What kinds of things did you like as a kid?” said Wood.

“Maybe there’s an ultimate Frisbee team you can sign up for, maybe there’s horseback riding down the street from

you.”

Wood suggests taking advantage of the free one-week group fitness trials the CRWC offers at the beginning of the fall and winter semesters as it’s a good way of trying out different activities.

Her suggestions come at a good time as weight gain and obesity rates are on the rise. According to a 2011 Public Health Agency of Canada and Canadian Institute for Health Information joint report, obesity rates have roughly doubled between 1981 and 2007 in youth and adult categories.

Spitale wants to ensure that she sets a good example for her daughter and to ensure her daughter doesn’t see the same future.

“The importance [of healthy living] for me is that if I’m able to extend my life, by just a few days, then those are a few more days on Earth and a few more days with Emilia,” Spitale said.

“And basically paving a way for her, and paving a way for me to a healthy future, together.”

Nutrition exercise and routine Alyssa Bugg The Chronicle

For many people, the first year of college can be overwhelming. For some, it’s their first taste of independence and their first time away from home.

Between balancing school deadlines, social life and work, many students may be quick to neglect healthy eating and exercise.

Josephine Spitale, a second year paralegal student at Durham College, a Team Experience member and a mom, has lost more than 30 pounds, but not without challenges.

“I’ve tried various things throughout the years. If you can name it, I’ve tried it,” Spitale said. “And sometimes [I’ve] lost a significant amount of weight, to the point where I was the smallest I’ve been. Problem is, as soon as I stopped that item, [the weight] comes back really quickly.”

Spitale struggled when she

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The Chronicle

How to manage diabetes

Chris Rego The Chronicle

Diabetes is becoming a major threat to Canadians. Canada currently has ten million cases of known diabetes patients and twenty Canadians are newly diagnosed every hour, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Being young is no guarantee that diabetes will not affect students. The only guarantee is that if students maintain an unhealthy lifestyle they may suffer with this disease or one far worse.

The sooner students take an active role in their health the sooner they will see positive changes in their lives.

The main cause for high rates of diabetes is lifestyle, including poor diet and little to no exercise, according to experts in the field.

One out of every 400 children within Durham region will develop Type 1 diabetes before the age of 18.

But Type 2 diabetes is also becoming increasingly common and has risen by 70 per cent over the last 10 years.

The causes for all types of diabetes may vary depending on genetic makeup, family history, ethnicity, health and environmental factors.

Type 1 and Type 2 are similar but there are two key differences. Type 1 is most common in those 18 and under while Type 2 is more often found in people 18 and older.

Type 2 patients may also require insulin shots regularly.

Diet and exercise are fundamental to improving a diabetic’s lifestyle.

Students should be aware of the foods they eat and what in-

April 14, 2015

New diabetic shares his journey Chris Rego The Chronicle

Chris Rego

DIABETIC KIT: Metforman, blood glucose meters, and lancet devices are used commonly by those who have been diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to help their bodies manage glucose. gredients are in them. Fresher foods have ‘healthier’ sugars so, for example, it is better to eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice.

For those who are diabetic, it is important to stick with natural options.

“A low sugar diet, watching out for added sugars as well as proper components of meals can help manage Type 2,” says Durham College nutritionist Sylvia Emmorey.

Diabetics must get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise and must to build a good sweat when they work out.

Health Canada recommends people get one hour of exercise on a daily basis.

That is not being achieved, in part due to the distractions of things such as video games, television, and binge watching Netflix.

The potential heath risks are not just diabetes but also heart attack, stroke, obesity, and mental health issues.

Diabetics can still live healthy and full lives by making small changes not just to diet and exercise but by also having a positive outlook on life.

Signs and symptoms of

diabetes can include unusual thirst, frequent urination, weight change (gain or loss), lack of energy, burred vision, frequent or recurring infections, trouble getting or maintaining an erection.

There are several key elements to managing diabetes.

They must be maintained to ensure good health.

“Diabetes has become more prevalent within the media and is, unfortunately more often than not just a small blurb and that is not enough information to be keep the public informed,” said Sylvia Emmorey.

I have never given much thought to how I eat or treat my body.

I have had to think about my health lately because I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

I knew the risks of treating my body like it was a circus and not a temple.

Now I am paying for all that sugar and fast food.

My life has taken a 180 degree turn because I would get sick if I ate like I used to.

I can fully admit that I knew little about what diabetes really was and how it would affect my life.

It is scary that diabetes affects all aspects of life.

Many changes are needed in my case but I think now that having diabetes can be positive in my life.

It all depends on how the individual looks at it. In my case, I am actually happy because it forced me to get motivated about staying healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

What’s next for Windfields Farm?

Jordan Edmonds The Chronicle

The developments at Windfields Farm are in full swing with houses already being built, but Oshawa residents are trying to make sure the history of the site is not forgotten.

Windfields Farm has historical relevance not just to Oshawa but the rest of Canada. The farm was used to breed racehorses from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s under the guidance of Edward Plunkett (E.P.) Taylor.

The most famous horse was Northern Dancer, the horse won many trophies including the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The wins ultimately brought the country together during his heyday, according to the Oshawa Heritage group.

“I have lived in the city for 29 years. We need to celebrate

25

our rich working history and this culture is embedded in me because it’s important to the region and city,” said Paul Ralph, commissioner of the development services for Oshawa.

Although the farm closed in 2009, many other Oshawa residents feel that the history needs to be remembered.

“I don’t feel that simply because the farm ceased to function that those memories and important parts of our cities history deserve to be simply forgotten,” said Mark Morissette a former Oshawa resident who now lives in Courtice.

There is a lot planned for the site ranging from housing to eventually a large commercial center in the next five to ten years, according to Ralph.

It remains to be seen if the original buildings and graves will be preserved when construction starts around the core

farm area. It is owned by UOIT and some, such as Morissette, are anxious to see whether the university will keep the structures intact.

“Unfortunately, although the university has included the core of the farm in its campus master plan, it has not announced any official plans for how they might become part of the campus expansion,” he said.

In late 2013, UOIT established the Windfields Community Group to discuss memorial plans for Windfields Farm.

This Committee was made up of representatives from UOIT, the public, the city and Heritage Oshawa.

According to a public report, the farm will be commemorated in lots of ways, including street names, parks, bridges and trails. Also a new firehall will be built in the shape

of a barn to resemble the old structures. The relationship between the developers, UOIT and groups such as Heritage Oshaw has improved dramatically, according to Ralph, and many are feeling positive with the developments.

“The relationship is excellent. After UOIT showed their master plan there has been a lot of positive feedback,” said Diane Stephen chair of Heritage Oshawa.

UOIT now owns some key properties in the estate including the Windfields stone house and the trillium cemetery, where 15 horses are buried.

“The community appreciates that the developers and university are understanding the interest that the community has in keeping a portion of Windfields Farm alive,” said Stephen.

Some, however, feel that al-

though relationships have improved, they are interested to see if promises are kept.

“Activists on both sides of the road simply want city hall and the developers to use and build the heritage into the site plans, which could be done,” said Barry Dutton, community activist and former Oshawa council candidate.

There are pros and cons and the housing could bring in valuable income for Oshawa, according to the local real estate agent.

“City hall does not want to upset the developers and lose 300, 500, or 3000 new homes of tax and developer fees. I see both sides,” said Dutton.

Oshawa residents will soon find out if the history of the estate will be preserved. Until then, developers say they will try to keep the Windfields Farm legacy alive.

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April 14, 2015

Campus

Volunteer your way to success Alyssa Bugg The Chronicle

Many of us have been told at some point that we should get involved, we should put ourselves out there and that it will be good for us. Volunteering is one of the many ways we are encouraged to get involved.

For some, getting involved and socializing comes naturally, but for others, the idea of talking to people makes them uncomfortable.

Shameir Hosein, a Computer Systems Technology student at Durham College, was def-initely the latter - shy, introverted - but still curious about what the college could offer him and knew there wasn’t much to lose.

“The word ‘volunteering’ itsef has many factors towards it,” Hosein said, “[but] for student involvement, there’s really nothing to lose. There’s actually more to gain.”

Not only is Hosein a fulltime student at Durham College, he’s this year’s leader of DC Crew, the group with the orange ‘Ask Me Why I’m…’ shirts.

He’s also Durham College’s Student Life Assistant and he still manages to volunteer with his brother’s elementary school whenever there’s a field trip or a painting day. He also volunteered last summer with the Islamic Soccer League, where he coached six and seven-yearolds. Hosein is a busy guy.

It’s easy to make excuses

Alyssa Bugg

KEEPING BUSY: Shameir Hosein, Durham College’s Student Life Assistant and this year’s leader of DC Crew, busy working at his desk in the Student Services Building. and talk about how busy you are with school, household re-sponsibilities and work, and how it’s difficult to manage your time with all of those re-sponsibilities. For students who feel this way, they aren’t alone.

According a 2010 Statistics Canada study, more than 60

per cent of Canadians aged 15 and over who had not done any formal volunteering in 2010 said their main reasons were not having enough time.

It wasn’t until he started to put himself out there, started to try new things and build on his skills, that he realized how beneficial volunteering could

Procrastination has no place in college. You need to keep on top of your priorities and always leave time to study.

erything on your own. It is OK not to understand everything, you are in your first year.

There are many people here to help you from your professors to student services. According to Gennuso, your professors can become your best friends.

The staff at Durham College are here to help guide you to where you want to be.

4. Do not wait to find help Once you finally realize that you could use help understanding something, it could be too late.

Remember, time goes by fast in college so the longer you wait to find help, the further behind you can become.

5. Be social Finally, it’s college! Get out there meet some new friends.

Communication is an important skill to have in life so why not practise it now.

There are so many ways to become social in college whether it’s meeting new people or joining a club. Make yourself known. However, make sure you can still find that balance between a social life and your priorities.

be to his career. According to Forbes Magazine, good leaders are invaluable to a company.

Hosein feels volunteer-ing has equipped him with the tools to become a good leader.

“It’s the stuff that you do that you don’t [realize, that] will build your leadership skills,” said Hosein.

Volunteering offers many opportunities to develop essential life skills that will be beneficial to your career.

According to the Statistics Canada study, two-thirds of volunteers said their interper-sonal skills had improved through volunteer work. The study also showed volunteers thought the experience had given them better communication and organizational skills. As well, volunteers felt they gained specialized knowledge as a result of their volunteer work, such as women’s and political issues, criminal justice and the environment.

Hosein found every role he has played within volunteering has given him the opportunities to develop skills like time management, communication and leadership skills.

“It’s the stuff that you do that you don’t [realize, that] will build your leadership skills,” said Hosein.

“Communicating, organizing, self-motivation, that all pertains to what a leader should have,” said Hosein, thinking back to when he realized the skills he had learned had all been part of the puzzle.

There are hundreds of activities to get involved with around Durham College, including DC Crew, campus clubs, athletics, peer mentoring and the list goes on.

Hosein admits he’s still a shy guy but he hopes that volunteering will continue to help him develop his skills.

Triumph tips for Durham students Alyssa Erwin The Chronicle

As the year comes to an end, the anxiety and stress levels of students follow. That is… until next year. However, if you learned anything in your first year at college, the following years could be a breeze, or so one can hope.

The transition to college can be a stressful and difficult one. However, there are ways to make it more enjoyable and eliminate some of that stress.

1. You are not in high school anymore It may seem obvious but it definitely is important. One of the biggest differences in college is that students want to be here. No one is forcing you to go to college. You need to want to be here.

“You need to remember that it’s more professional than high school,” says Kevin McCarthy, a first year Community Service and Child Studies Foundations student. Your teachers will not call home if you miss a class. It is up to you to show up.

2. Time goes by faster than you think

‘

You need to remember that it’s more professional than high school.

Kevin McCarthy

’

“Time flies by, so do the work that needs to be done.

It’s stressful at times but if you manage your time well you’ll be fine,” says Taylor Mollon, a first year Operations Management student.

Robbie Gennuso, a first year Community Service and Child Studies Foundations student, says one of the best things in college is to have a set routine.

There is no better way to manage your time than by having a routine.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help One of the worst things you can do in college is try to do ev-

Alyssa Erwin

FULL OF CONFIDENCE: Taylor Mollon powers through his first year, proud of his accomplishments and awaiting what comes next.

Although it can be stressful, and hard to adjust to at first, college can be one of the best times of your life if you allow it

to be.

Your first year of college does not define your overall experience. You do.

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April 14, 2015

Getting his second chance Ryan Burden The Chronicle

Imagine discovering that your life is coming to an end, much sooner than you’d planned.

What do you do? What happens to all of your dreams and aspirations? How do you tell the people that love you?

For 20-year-old Oshawa resident, Duncan Fisher, that flurry of questions became his waking nightmare early last December.

‘

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that many, such as poor diet control and lack of exercise, were synonymous with his lifestyle.

And then, after what seemed like an eternity, Fisher finally returned to the small clinic on Glenanna Road to receive what he expected to be the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

Fisher feared the worst, but walked out of Dr. Wapola’s office with the best possible news: the lump was not cancer at all, but a fatty deposit. He had nothing to worry about.

My first thought was cancer, because of the history of breast cancer in my family, even amongst men.

Duncan Fisher It was like any other day for Fisher, until he discovered a large lump on his right breast while showering. “My first thought was cancer, because of the history of breast cancer in my family, even amongst men,” Fisher said. “My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor.”

It quickly became a cause for concern for Fisher, who immediately consulted his family physician, Dr. Piyal Wapola.

“I automatically assumed it was a death sentence,” Fisher said. “It got me very worried.”

After the testing, Fisher spent sleepless nights bargaining with himself, worrying that it could be the end. He made promises to himself that if it wasn’t the end, he would change his life.

His family was confident that he would be fine, but he still feared the worst.

Fisher spent his time researching breast cancer symptoms and causes, and found

’

“It was a big relief,” Fisher said, “to be able to get back to my life instead of having to worry about this was very relieving.”

Now it was time to fulfill the promises he’d made to himself.

“I decided that I needed something to make me feel like I had something to do with my life,” Fisher said, “something that felt like I was moving forward and making myself a better person. I found the Canadian Forces to be an excellent choice, it has the physical requirements that I need.”

Fisher changed his entire lifestyle following the scare. He cut out junk food, and spent much less time alone on the Internet or playing video games.

He began to exercise regularly and thrived on the feeling of his progress. In short, he began to live his life the way he always wanted to.

“I didn’t want to be sitting around playing video games

Ryan Burden

DUNCAN FISHER: After receiving the good news he’s getting ready for his interview with the military. and browsing Reddit all day anymore,” Fisher said. “I wanted something engaging, challenging and rewarding. That’s

my goal right now.”

In only a few months, he was noticeably thinner, more toned, and much happier. Fisher had

his first interviewwith a Canadian Forces recruitment officer in March and is eagerly awaiting the next step of his journey.

Students with autism make a major switch

ASC supports students Jordyn Gitlin The Chronicle

The transition from high school into post-secondary is a huge step for many students.

Changing classes, new schedules and, sometimes living on your own for the first time.

However, there are many people trying to help the students with autism into this major switch.

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) offers help to students preparing to make their switch into post-

secondary, such as information nights for the families as well as visits to their desired school as well as a co-op.

Anila Punnoose, the autism resource team leader and speech language pathologist at the DDSB, says a lot goes into the student’s transition. “The transition starts at a young age,” Punnoose says.

When starting the transition, teachers and staff alter the high school curriculum based on the students needs.

In their final year, before postsecondary, students have to prepare for it.

The students, as well as families, get a taste of what postsecondary has for them. This includes information nights and visits to the schools. There is also a co-op at schools, such as Durham College. “It allows kids to have placement,” says

Punnoose.

Durham College also offers accommodations for students with autism to gain help. These accommodations include the Access and Support Center (ASC) as well as Community Integration through Cooperative Education (CICE).

Once in post-secondary, there are many programs to help students. At Durham College, the CICE is a program helps students with intellectual disabilities or significant learning challenges. This program offers support from learning facilitators, which includes a modification of course work, note taking, tutoring and other related support.

Shauna Moore, a learning facilitator at CICE, says the program is designed around the student and it varies based on the individual students

needs and abilities.

Moore says often the most challenging thing for the students is the transition into college and taking in a new environment, such as group work.

“What we recommend in the CICE program is that they come in and book a tour,” says Moore, “and take the bus a few times to the college.”

She says as learning facilitators they try to make themselves available to help the students, to show them where their classes are as well as “helping to make them familiar with the environment.”

All of the student services at the school are open to help students, including those with autism, depending on their needs. Moore says during her role as a professor, if she worked with a student with autism, she would be able to

assist them by giving them material in a different format to help them understand it better.

Both the DDSB and the CICE offer an array of accommodations to students during their transition into post-secondary.

Jenna, a first year Web Design student with Asperger’s, says the college is good at helping compared to her high school.

She said it did not do as much to help her at all where as the college is good with finding a quiet place to study for tests, finding people to talk to or connecting with professionals in the area to help accommodate her.

Switching from high school into post-secondary can be a major change with the new environment.

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Post-secondary eating habits Here’s how to improve upon them Charlie Roach The Chronicle

There are few things people enjoy more than a good meal.

Whether it is homemade soup or the smell of a wellseasoned steak grilling on the barbecue, food brings people together like nothing else. Unfortunately, a lack of knowledge about food and food budgeting may have diminished this generation’s idea of what a good meal is.

Post-secondary students don’t generally have extra cash lying around, and they are also often under a tight schedule.

Throw in the fact that many students don’t know how to cook and you can see how they are left with few options other than McDonald’s or frozen chicken nuggets.

So how are they supposed to eat well with little money, little time, and little knowledge? The answer is they often don’t.

Connor McCormack is a mechanical engineering student at Durham College and every day experiences the difficulties of trying to eat a balanced diet while at school.

“It’s tough. We have four of us living here and we’re all on different schedules. We don’t have a lot of like sit around the table type meals. I mean, I try to eat well but in between classes it’s normally just grabbing something quick. A lot of days I’ll eat a breakfast sandwich in the morning, and then I kind of go from there. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s the healthiest lifestyle,” said McCormack.

He isn’t the only one that struggles to maintain a healthy diet.

Nine out of the ten students polled at Durham College found it too expensive or time consuming to eat healthily while attending school. Zzhee Liao is in the Interactive Media Design program at Durham and he feels there aren’t enough affordable healthy options on campus.

“I try to grab like a pita, or egg whites from Coffee Time, but that’s about it. But even a pita is pretty expensive, like eight bucks for a small. It’s definitely not cheap,” said Liao.

Food insecurity isn’t just a problem at Durham, it is prevalent in post-secondary institutions province wide.

Of the 350,000 students who used food banks in Ontario last year, roughly four per cent of them were post-secondary, a three per cent increase from

the year before.

Because there are so many factors making it difficult for students to access healthy foods, experts such as Durham Region’s Public Health Nutritionist, Deborah Lay, believe

‘

should be taught in school,” said Lay. That’s a sentiment shared by the 24-year-old head chef at Royal Ashburn Golf Course, Joseph James. James became head chef at the popular course

I was in college when I first started cooking. I couldn’t eat takeout anymore just because it was too expensive and not too good on the body. Before I left for school my mom wouldn’t let me cook toast.

’

Joseph James the education system needs to change better prepare young adults for life on their own.

“Life skills. We need to teach kids what to do with food before it goes bad. How to budget properly, what to shop for, food storage, these are all things that

last summer, and said he knew practically nothing about food or cooking coming out of high school.

“I was in college when I first started cooking. I couldn’t eat takeout anymore just because it was too expensive and not too

good on the body. Before I left for school my mom wouldn’t let me cook toast,” James joked.

So how can we prevent this from being a problem for the next generation? If we weren’t taught how to cook, who will

taken seriously by students.

“I did actually take hospitality and tourism. Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly a model student.

I didn’t go much,” said James.

There is help available for students now, though. Anyone

‘

It’s tough. We have four of us living here and we’re all on different schedules. We don’t have a lot of like sit around the table type meals. I mean, I try to eat well but in between classes it’s normally just grabbing something quick.

’

Connor McCormack

teach our kids? Experts such as James and Lay believe we need to be teaching those skills in school, to both boys and girls.

While many high schools in Canada offer some type cooking or hospitality or course, they are often optional and not

who is struggling financially or would like to learn more about food budgeting or preservation can visit websites such as www. communityfoodadvisor.ca, and www.studentnutritionprogram.ca., for tips from experts and professionals.

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April 14, 2015

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Unemployment may affect mental health Justin Stewart The Chronicle

Experts who work with unemployed youth in Oshawa are concerned about what being jobless is doing to their health.

The latest study by the Durham Workforce Authority reveals 23 per cent of people aged 15 to 24 in the Oshawa area were unemployed in December of 2012.

A recent study of 7,000 German adults found major personality changes after years of unemployment. The study, published by the American Psychological Association, found that people became less conscientious, less agreeable, and less open. The study indicates unemployment has wider psychological implications than previously thought.

Heather McMillan, director of the Durham Workforce Authority, isn’t surprised by what the study found.

She saw similar personality changes in unemployed Ontario teens.

McMillan explained the highest rate of unemployment belongs to people with a bachelor’s degree at 16 per cent, with the second highest being college diplomas at 14 per cent.

The most surprising thing to her is that the lowest rate of unemployment is for registered apprenticeship at 9.9 per cent.

“There are significant opportunities for viable long term employment in apprenticeships,” she said. But because youth feel entitled to other jobs and trade work has a stigma she said they might not be dedicated to what they do.

McMillan works on employer engagement, where she goes

Justin Stewart

DESPERATION: Unemployed youth may turn to job-hunting sites for employment opportunites. However, with unemployment rate so high, some won’t find work. out to different job market to gauge what potential employers are looking for. She recently went to the food sector and talked to nine different companies. One theme rang true.

All said the same thing: entitlement.

“People have entitlement and they don’t want to deal with that,” says McMillan.

Maralyn Tassone, executive director for Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre, says there is a fear and shame attached to unemployment and adds entitlement is also an issue.

“What is comes across as is ‘I’m too good for this job. You’re lucky you have me’ and it’s not the way it works,” she says.

Tassone says there is a pro-

gression put into the minds of kids these days that many youth won’t meet.

“The American dream is still in the minds of people. Work hard in school, you go to postsecondary, you do really well,” Tassone explains. “People feel that when they graduate they’ll get a job, but then they go out into the labour market and employers are asking for experience.”

Oshawa youth will go into the job market with loads of debt and a lack experience, says Tassone. Unable to get jobs to pay off their debt, youth often lose identity, self worth and feel hopeless, she says.

“This is the first generation of kids that will not do better than their parents,” Tassone

says. “How do you get into a housing market valued at a million dollars?” Youth struggling to meet unrealistic expectations placed on them by society and others will feel frustrated and depressed, she said.

Wendy Stanyon, a psychologist and psychiatrist at the UOIT, says youth are particularly susceptible to mental illness and adds one in five Canadians have a mental illness.

“Youth are a group of people who are highly stressed in many ways so now you add in that someone is also unemployed,” Stanyon said. “Stressors increase the likelihood or potentially act as triggers for somebody to develop a mental illness. So it makes perfect sense to me.”

Stanyon says society makes people who are unemployed feel ashamed. “‘Why are you unemployed? You must be lazy.’ We make all these judgements on people every single day so of course youth feel stressed,” she says. It’s about shame, feeling vulnerable, isolated, and inferior to the rest of society, she says.

“Sometimes life isn’t fair and things don’t work out fairly but we can’t rush to judgement,” she said. “In some ways we have fixed our children’s problems over the years.”

Now youth are in the workforce and they lack problem solving skills and work ethic, Stanyon said.

“If we set up our children thinking that they’re going to be doctors and they don’t get to that point, what are they going to think about themselves?” she said.

She says some parents live through their kids and are ashamed of them when they’re unemployed because they feel if they were smart and driven, they would never fail.

Stanyon said society has to do more to build young people’s resilience because getting work is tough and if youth are led to believe that, they’ll be successful.

John Henry, mayor of Oshawa, says he is doing his part to alleviate teen unemployment.

He says there are new projects in the city being developed specifically to combat teen unemployment.

The new Oshawa Shopping Centre will create 1,000 jobs, the One World Buffet will make 85 jobs, a new hotel will make 80 jobs, and a new development in the north end will create 1,500 jobs.

Oshawa, the evolution of a city Conner McLean The Chronicle

Oshawa was built around the once mighty General Motors car plant. Since then it has grown in quick fashion to be more than just a city based around a car plant.

As the city blossoms, the people of Oshawa could have the chance to witness many businesses opening up. Whether it is the partial revitalization due to UOIT and its Regent Theatre or the building of the General Motors Centre, the downtown is a mix of diverse stores with much to offer. From food, clothes, and places to watch live performances, there is always something happening.

On the other hand there are still some newspaper-filled windows that wait for a new owner to open them. But the

numbers of stores without owners has continued to drop dramatically over the last decade, according to David Tuley, Oshawa’s downtown development officer. “ Back in ’96 our vacancy rating for commercial properties was roughly 30 per cent, that is three out of ten stores.

By 2006, it came down to 20 per cent. By 2010 it came down to about 12 per cent, ” he said.

Since 2006, Oshawa has given $541 million dollars in building permits to further grow the nucleus of the downtown’s rejuvenation.

That money is a big part of the reason Oshawa has been able to see the drastic shift in the last nine years of growth for the downtown, according to Tuley. Oshawa has also given out 47 incentive loans since 2003, representing a total value of $1.2 million. These loans offer financial incentive programs

that come in the form of loans and grants to aid with various costs associated with development and redevelopment.

Today there are 58 dining establishments downtown with only two restaurant spaces still vacant downtown. One is about to become the new Hollywood Cone ice cream shop.

Above all else, Tuley believes the key to Oshawa’s downtown identity isn’t just being a food or clothing location. Downtown Oshawa is looking to be grown as an inclusive environment for everyone.

“Whether they have mobility issues or needs based on religion,” he said. “ It’s as simple as getting together for Wimbledon, the tennis tournament or providing food after dark for the Muslim community for Ramadan.”

Community reaches far more than simply ideals for the downtown. Store owners say

that they are doing their part to create inclusivity for everyone. Head chef and owner of Nourished on the Go, Gabriella Budani, said before her there weren’t any vegan restaurants in Oshawa but she is glad that she can give more options. She brings an element not often seen by the downtown community. Her food adds variety to a downtown already filled with burger joints, Chinese food restaurants, and barbecue shops.

She was warned of the so called “dirtiness” of Oshawa’s downtown by people before she made a location there. But she said she is happy she took that chance and likes her store being there very much.

“It has so much potential to grow.” Budani noted of the downtowns core.

Budani isn’t the only store owner doing her part. Darryl Koster, owner of Buster Rhino’s, a multiple award winning

and CBC’s Dragon’s Den-approved pork restaurant, holds the Craft Beer Festival every year to help brewers all across Ontario brand themselves and their products.

Carol Cavallari is another person who believes in bringing people together. Her “We Grow Food” campaign has hundreds of people every year helping to grow food as a community.

Even though city officials don’t have an answer to all of the downtowns questions they are always looking for new ways to make it a better place for everyone. Tuley hopes for inclusivity to blossom from all of the downtowns projects being worked on and to be worked in the future. Tuley cannot do it all alone but with help from store owners he is confident that Oshawa can keep being a progressive space for stores and the people who shop at them.

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Health talks concern students OMA, ONA, and provincial government can’t agree on what must be done to help with bringing in new doctors and nurses Shane O’Neill The Chronicle

T

he provincial government is embroiled in a war of attrition with Ontario’s doctors and nurses.

The province, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), which represents Ontario’s 28,000 doctors, and the Ontario Nurse’s Association (ONA) are in contract negotiations.

For students, finding a family doctor may not get any easier in the short term.

The OMA says that a budget cut of $580 million to physicians’ fees by the province will have immediate impacts on doctors.

According the doctors’ union, existing family practices and medical centres will be unable to bring in new physicians, including doctors and nurses, except to replace retiring staff.

Many doctors and nurse’s say the result may be a shortage of young doctors and nurses in future, as well as a lack of opportunity for new grads.

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Newly graduated physicians have many choices with respect to starting up a practice or joining an existing practice.

David Jensen

’

This reduction to physicians’ fees, which pay for everything from heating bills at family practices, to the salaries for Ontario’s doctors and registered nurses, even though the demand for care in Ontario is expected to rise this year with the province’s growing population, according to the OMA. David Jensen, a media relations co-ordinator with the Ministry of Health and LongTerm Care, said that there are several models under which doctors practice in Ontario.

He said new doctors may find opportunities as they come available or by replacing another doctor in an existing model.

“Newly graduated physcians have many choices with respect to starting up a practice or joining an existing practice,” Jensen said.

Dr. Scott Wooder, a physician based in Stoney Creek, believes these cuts can only hurt Ontarians.

“These [cuts] to physician services unfairly target young doctors, residents training in family medicine and medical students who hope to make a career in family medicine,” he said.

Jose Jung, a Practical Nursing student at Durham College said while the ongoing labour negotiations and funding freeze hadn’t affected students working in placements across

Ontario, he is concerned about like wages and facilities. doctors is illegal in Ontario as the government’s priorities.

It’s not an easy situation (for they are considered an essen“As students, we get a lot governments),” he said. “Pro- tial service. of protection from things like viding care needs to the top priThe ONA had been on strike working overtime. ority but I worry it will be more until Feb. 19 of this year, trying But many of the nurses I difficult for me (as a nurse) to to negotiate for increased fundwork with at placeing to match the ment are not as rise in inflation fortunate,” he exand the increase I would advise they take the long-term view... plained although in workload they should not be distracted by short-term turhis career ambiemergency room moil in the medical profession. tions have not and community been changed by care facilities the evolving labour have seen, and Dr. Scott Wooder situation between will continue to the province and see, with Ontarnurses, he is concerned about find a good balance between io’s growing and aging populathe government’s focus on pro- work and life.” tion. viding care.

While many medical stuAlthough a new deal was “I understand that it’s diffi- dents, doctors and residents in not reached, the ONA and the cult to find a balance between training wish to bring attention Community Care Access Cenbudgets and funding for things to their cause, strike action by tres (CCACs), which oversees

‘

’

continuing care in the province, agreed to arbitration, which has yet to be resolved.

A broad public awareness campaign is now underway in both traditional and social media in support of both sides of this debate. Doctors hope the public will see the benefit of their cause.

Wooder has advice for those students currently in training and hoping to advance their careers in medicine.

“I would advise they take the long-term view. They will be in practice for 30 or 40 years and they should not be distracted by short-term turmoil in the medical profession.”

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Second Career opens new doors Tabitha Reddekop The Chronicle

He was 44, had a wife, two kids - and a shoulder injury.

This is the predicament Nigel Charlton of Nestleton found himself in after a 2008 work related injury left him unable to do the job he had been doing for 24 years.

Charlton says he didn’t know what to do. “With my injury I wasn’t going to have a labourer’s job. I wasn’t going to be doing any heavy lifting,” he says.

He says the specialist he saw about his injury recommended he apply for the Return to Work program.

The Return to Work and Second Career programs are opening new doors for many laid off and injured Canadians. Both programs offer them a chance to return to school.

Return to Work is a program run through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) that gives injured workers such as Charlton an opportunity to be re-trained for a more suitable job.

Charlton was sponsored by WSIB and started taking Business Operations Management at Durham College in the fall of 2010.

He says because of his injury, WSIB paid for everything, including tuition, books and transportation, even giving him a bi-weekly pay cheque so he could support his family.

“WSIB was very supportive, I always did what they asked me. I had a good relationship with my case worker,” he says.

Another option is the provincially run Second Career pro-

Nigel Charlton

SECOND CHANCE: Nigel Charlton is hard at work at his new job as a general manager at Buttons Heating and Air Conditioning company. gram. This program provides workers who have been laid off since 2005 or longer funding so they can go to school and get re-trained.

Tania Gonsalves, an employment counsellor with Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre, says it all starts in offices like hers.

She helps clients interested in re-training figure out if they are eligible for Second Career.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) has the final say on whether they can receive funding.

MTCU says it has approved just over 10,500 applicants in 2013-14.

It can sponsor applicants for up to $28,000 for tuition, books and living expenses depending on each person’s circumstances. Some people may

be eligible for more if they are disabled, have larger families dependent on them, or need to live away from home.

MTCU says 74 per cent of Second Career students find a job because of being re-trained.

Gonsalves says after the application process has been approved, the next step is research. She gets her clients to research schools and compare program length, cost and other factors.

She also helps them use online career assessments to figure out which program would be best for them.

“There’s a difference between someone who might express an interest in the trades because they have always enjoyed working with their hands versus someone who might say they have always had an inter-

est in mathematics,” she says.

Gonsalves estimates she sees around 20 Second Career clients in Durham Region from beginning, middle and end of the process each year.

She says the opportunity is what makes the program important. “So people know it doesn’t just end with the job loss, that there is certainly hope and certainly opportunity following the end of one employment option.”

This second hope is what appealed to Charlton. He says he never got an opportunity to go to school after a spinal infection ruined his chances of a hockey scholarship at Princeton University.

He couldn’t afford school after losing the scholarship and worked as a quality inspector for a company in Oshawa for 24

years before his injury. “[The program] opened up opportunities. I got to show I’m not just a labourer or a factory worker,” he says.

Terri-Lynn Villeneuve, 45 and a current Second Career student at Durham College, says she always wanted to continue her education but life got in the way.

She was laid off in 2005 and was supposed to start school through the Second Career program in 2009 but a pregnancy changed her plans.

Now she is in her first year of the early childhood education program at Durham College.

She says the second career program pays for her tuition and books but she wishes it provided gas money to get to school. She says she couldn’t have afforded to return to school without the program.

The mom of four has had the lifelong aspiration to be a kindergarten teacher.

“There’s a lot of work included in the education process but if you can ride it out and get your stuff handed in, it’s worth the effort,” she says.

Charlton feels the same way.

He is now the general manager at Buttons Heating and Air Conditioning in Pickering. He says he has found his calling.

“I wanted to be a manager of people,” he says. “The job I had before was just a job. What I have now, I consider a career.”

He says putting the time and effort into a second career is worth it. “It’s two or three years out of your life to make the difference for the rest of your life.”

He adds with a smile, “I’m happy now.”

Rose of Durham helps young parents Taylor Prest The Chronicle

Oshawa has the highest teen pregnancy rating in Durham making it difficult for young parents to find support. However, there are many support systems to help find them success, such as The Rose of Durham.

Rose of Durham opened in 1988 and focuses primarily on supporting young parents and transitioning them into the role of mother or father, including providing the necessary tools and guidance they needed for success.

Executive director, Janet Chappelle, said having a child while young presents certain obstacles, alternate directions, and roadblocks for the parent.

But for young people who, for example, wanted to be a teacher before pregnancy, they can still accomplish that goal. It

will require more time for completion, but the opportunity remains.

“Being a young parent myself, the best advice I would give young parents is to not give up on any of your dreams,” says Chappelle, who had a daughter at 17. “Giving up on your dreams is the example you’re giving your child and by achieving your dreams, that is a better example you’re setting for your child.”

During a young parent’s time at Rose, they’re able to sign up for many programs that help better prepare them for parenthood. They are required to do an “intact” (session) with a selected counsellor, providing details about their story, how they became pregnant, and their current situation. Expectant parents will then be able to select many prenatal care classes run by the public health department that provide information needed for parenthood.

Additionally, Rose offers teenage mothers 21 and under a schooling program. They can earn credits while on-site with a teacher from the Durham District School Board and will be able to use their gained credits to apply for post-secondary education.

‘

Ontario Works, also known as welfare, has a program specifically designed for teen parents called LEAP: Learning, Earning, and Parenting.

Janet Chappelle

’

“What that does is it reinforces that engagement with the education system,” explained Chappelle.

LEAP provides money for daycare while young parents remain in school. Until graduation, they’re provided with bus

passes, stipends for school supplies, and, if they receive their diploma, they will earn a $500 scholarship.

Young fathers are also offered a 10 week program titled, “What a Difference a Dad Makes,” that helps those who are not involved in their child’s life. This program offers young dads information on the important role they play and often leads them to becoming more involved with their children.

“We’re known in the community for our business to partner. The school program, for instance, is partnered with the Durham board of education, prenatal is partnered with the health department, we also partnered with the hospital,” said Chappelle. “Where, if a young girl gives birth and is not connected with The Rose, we go in and do an intact right in the hospital.”

Rose of Durham has seen many success stories. They give

counsellors and Chappelle the drive to further what they do.

She has attended many weddings and gatherings with the parents she helped over the years.

“The staff are really supportive, especially Janet and her husband,” said Rose graduate Jen Lartz. “And because they were so supportive, they came to my wedding which was pretty awesome.”

Marisa Mei, executive director for Durham College’s Outreach Services, supports helping young mothers in postsecondary.

“Minimizing and reducing barriers that those parents may be experiencing can just eliminate those small components, allowing them to focus on the academics they need,” said Mei. Many services provide support for young parents. Rose and Outreach are only a select few that demonstrate courses for success.

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I can hear you now Bill Christou The Chronicle

Bill Christou

ENSURING THEIR EDUCATION: The Campus Access and Support Centre is offering accommodiations for hearing impaired students like Kelly Balkissoon, making sure they complete their post-secondary education.

Receiving a post-secondary education is no small feat.

There’s a lot of work involved in each class, and if you miss the lessons you may not understand how to do assignments.

For students that are hearing impaired, all of this is an even bigger challenge.

“Only eight percent of hearing impaired Canadians receives post-secondary education,” according to the Canadian Hearing Society’s discussion on education and disability, 2002.

CHS offers a lot of information to help hearing-impaired individuals looking to go into a post-secondary institution to further their careers.

Being a not-for-profit organization, CHS provides information services so that students understand what they’ll need in the classroom to learn effectively.

Gordon Ryall, director of employment and educational support services at CHS, says often people with hearing loss considering further education worry about the cost of accommodation.

“Often persons with hearing loss considering post-second-

ary education are concerned about additional costs related to accommodation due to their hearing loss and some need academic accommodation again because of their hearing loss,” he says.

At Durham College, the Access and Support Centre (ASC) offers accommodations for hearing impaired students as well as students with many other disabilities as well. Hearingimpaired students are offered in-class interpreters and note takers to help them communicate with their professors and classmates.

Kelly Balkissoon, the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) coordinator at Durham College’s ASC, had previously used these services while attending Durham College.

“It made a huge difference for me. We had very interactive teaching methods in most of my classes. The notes allowed me to follow along in real time and add my thoughts to the discussions,” Balkissoon says about her experience with accommodations.

Often students with a hearing impairment prefer using a note taker. “Our students seem to really enjoy the computerized note-taking service. From my personal experience as a

hard of hearing individual, the more interactive the teaching method is, the more I struggle with understanding what is being said, Balkissoon says. However, having a computerized note-taker helped me to follow along with what was being said not only by my professor, but by my classmates as well.”

Meaghan Squires, a hearing impaired student in a first year Developmental Services Worker program, says she can’t always hear what is being said in class discussions even though she has two hearing aids.

Because of issues similar to Squires’, Durham’s ASC has accommodations specific to the hearing impaired. Students can be provided with American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, computerized note takers, FM in-ear communication systems between the teacher and student only, or videos that are captioned.

“The ASC arranged for me to have note takers in my classes with me. I was also given the option of using an FM system as well,” Meaghan said.

With many different accommodation methods and the information available to students today, the adjustment to postsecondary education can be made much smoother.

The alternative way to school Sachin Bahal The Chronicle

Some students believe that taking the bus may not be the most reliable way to get to school but there are other alternatives available.

Sometimes a bus may not show up on time or it might be full, making students wait for the next one.

Public transit can take at least twice as long to get from point A to point B. If public transit may not be the best option, then what is?

One possible option is Blancride.

Blancride is an app created

by UOIT students for the Durham Ignite competition. It first launched in November 2014 to Durham College and UOIT students.

The user downloads the free app, on either their iPhone or Android smartphone, and signs up through the app.

The user will be given the option to signup as either a driver or a passenger, or be both later on.

As a passenger, a user would set a pickup location and destination, as well as the time and day.

A driver would see the request and choose whether or not to pick them up. If that driver is headed in the same direction and going within 5 km

Sachin Bahal

A NEW RIDE TO SCHOOL: The Kia Soul is one of the vehicles available to students through the Student CarShare program. of their destination, the driver can pick them up.

The current cost is $5 per 20 km and then costs $0.25 per km after that. There is no restriction to how long a trip can be, as long as there is a driver going in the same direction as the user.

Since it launched, the app is now available to students at York University and University of Toronto Mississauga.

Noah Murphy is a sales team lead for Blancride. Murphy has been with the team since the beginning of the project.

“We have almost 1,900 registered users and there is people posting everyday, which is fantastic and we’re growing by hundreds each week,” Murphy said.

There are other options for those who would rather drive themselves.

Tanya Roberts, sustainability co-ordinator for Durham College, has worked alongside the manager of transportation to create carpool parking spots.

These spots are dedicated to those who drive with more than just one person in their vehicle.

The carpool parking spots can be obtained the same way as regular parking spots.

When someone signups, they get a discount on the parking pass because they are carpooling with up to three other people.

There are 30 parking spots split between the main and Whitby Durham College campuses. All of those spots are sold out.

Roberts said the campus cares for people who may not have their own vehicle. This is done with the Student Car-

Share program.

Discount Car and Truck Rentals created the Student CarShare program and Kia provides the vehicles.

To use the program, students pay a $50 annual fee and then pay for the length of time they want to use the vehicle for.

The rate is $6 per hour or $63 for the day.

“I think there is quite a good diversification of alternative transportation… but there’s always room for improvement based on student demand,” said Roberts.

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April 14, 2015

Canadians fight Canadians MuslimCanadians go overseas Logan Caswell Chronicle Staff

An increasing number of Canadians are going overseas to fight with ISIS and the numbers are troubling, according to Lorne Dawson, a legal studies professor at the University of Waterloo.

“We’re seeing more and more Muslim-Canadians go overseas and fight for the culture they believe in,” he says.

“It’s a problem that most people don’t think exists.”

Dawson has made a career of covering acts of terrorism. He knows the Muslim religion and has paid close attention to ISIS and how it makes this recruiting possible.

According to Dawson, more than 20,000 people around the world have reportedly left home to go and fight with ISIS. “You see Muslim individuals try and find out who they are in Canada and don’t,” Dawson says. “Somewhere in that process they lose themselves and try and find a place where they can help and that’s when ISIS comes in play, they think it’s exotic” He wants people to understand that ISIS should, and needs to be, taken seriously.

“ISIS truly believes they are an apocalyptic group and believe that they are the ones that will save the world before it comes to a end,” Dawson says.

“They try and use propaganda to entice individuals to come and fight for them, may that be making videos viral or messaging them on Facebook.”

He says more Canadians than Americans are going over to fight for ISIS. “Footage has shown proof of 50-60 individuals gone to fight for ISIS from Canada already,” Dawson says.

He also says the largest numbers are coming from France, Germany and England.

“You’re seeing them target young people who aren’t tied down, who can tolerate the conditions,” Dawson says.

“They really target women so they can make more families.

They hope to build a culture of holy warriors.”

Dawson says ISIS has caused some Canadians to have a negative feeling towards people of the Muslim faith.

“I believe most Muslims in Canada are starting to feel hostility and defenseless,” Dawson says. “Most Canadians are understanding but the longer we go on more Canadians are becoming protective about the

situation.”

Dawson isn’t the only person who thinks Canadians need to be more thoughtful about the Muslim religion.

Siraj Patel, director of the Islamic Centre of Oshawa, has lived in Oshawa his whole life and believes that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.

“Three years ago there were about 150 Muslim families and now it’s exceeded 600 and it keeps growing. We’re a very diverse population in Oshawa,” Patel says. “We never expected it to grow this much.”

Islam is the second largest religion in the world.

Patel believes Muslim culture sometimes isn’t taken the right way because of the conflicts that are happening overseas.

“Muslim is a person who submits themselves to a will of

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Logan Caswell

MUSLIM CHAPEL IN OSHAWA: Many Oshawa residents of the Muslim faith frequent the chapel to practise their religion.

God,” Patel says. “Muslim-Canadians who go overseas and fight against us is something we hate seeing because it makes people think negative things.”

Patel says his biggest goal is

to help any Muslims who need guidance to get on the right track so people stop going overseas.

“You’re really starting to see Muslims as a whole have really

embraced a responsibility to fit a context to Canada,” Patel says. “We want people to embrace what a Canadian-Muslim is and to change the negative views towards the culture.

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April 14, 2015

Entertainment

Jordyn Gitlin

PRESCRIPTION 2 ROCK: 24 Hours, Andre De Boer, Deko-ze, and Leah Daniels answering questions and talking about the music business at Durham College for the Music Business Management students.

Went to an event, left with a mindset Prescription 2 Rock, gives inside view to what Music Business Management is all about Jordyn Gitlin The Chronicle

Prescription 2 Rock hit the stage at Durham College once again with an array of artists and genres for an entertaining, informational and fun night of performances.

Music Business Management students put together Prescription 2 Rock, an annual event that provides students and guests with the opportunity to hear artists share their experiences and see them perform.

The theme for this year’s event, Sonic Highways, explored the variety of music

genres presented by different cities in North America.

Tim Deegan, former MuchMusic VJ, hosted this year’s event with guest artists including 24 Hours, an R&B singer; Deko-ze, a DJ; Andre De Boer, a member of Canada’s chameleon acoustic pop/rock group; Bluevenus; and Leah Daniels, a country/pop singer.

The night kicked off with Deegan asking the artists an array of questions, which lead into a round table discussion.

The artists gave their stories about how they ended up where they are now, what big things they have to look forward to in the future and their advice for

future artists.

The artists were asked for the best advice they were given in the music industry.

24 Hours and De Boer both agreed with the same advice “Be yourself and give your all,” De Boer said, adding that they are all humans and “communication is the biggest thing” to keep things going smoothly.

‘

It’s so easy to make music now...there’s a lot of ‘OK’ trash.

Deko-ze

’

Daniels gave advice to people who might be questioning whether or not they want to be in the performing career.

“If there is something else that you can imagine yourself doing, do it,” Daniels said. “Because this is the hardest thing to do.”

She said “you have to want it so bad” because there is no room for a backup plan in this career. There are other people in the world who do it better and want it more than everyone else and it will be hard to compete against it, she said.

Deko-ze was especially interested in talking about where artists get their music from. He asked his round and the reply was YouTube, iTunes and Spotify. He then talked about the marketing of music.

Each artist spoke about how they got to where they are. 24 Hours said he started into the music career by making a song as a joke. “I didn’t expect anything out of it,” he said. “The Internet is my biggest resource.”

Now 24 Hours is going to be performing in Miami, Florida.

Erick Lopez, a first year Music Business management student, says the advice and information the artists provided helped him have a better mindset of being in the music industry.

“I have more of an understanding on how rough things

Jordyn Gitlin

Tim Deegan talking about what he did after being a MuchMusic VJ. can get and how good things can get,” Lopez says. “It makes me a little more prepared for what I’m in for.”

The night finished off with performances from the artists and the guests said they went home with a better understanding of the music industry.

Entertainment

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

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Amanda Ramlal

ARTISINAL CHOCOLATIER WORKSHOP: Residents and students gathered April 1st to learn about the root of the word chocolate.

DC, UOIT students discover the history of chocolate at a tasty talk

Open up to the culture of what makes chocolate, cacao Amanda Ramlal The Chronicle

Many people share a love for chocolate. It’s given as gifts for holidays, it’s a celebration food, and it’s also just an every day luxury. What many people don’t know is the root of the word chocolate or where it comes from.

Students and guests found their answer at Durham College’s artisanal chocolate workshop.

ing. It was their first time visiting Durham College, but they have been teaching the public for eight years, informing students and guests about the root of chocolate and why their chocolate is so unique.

Sacco gave a short but detailed history lesson on chocolate and how it’s created from the seeds of the cacao tree. Cacao beans are made out of 55 per cent cocoa butter that simulates blood flow, cleans arteries and has more antioxidants than any other food, he says.

‘

Everybody knows about chocolate but not a lot of people know about cacao, and getting people acquainted with cacao is a wonderful... moment.

Michael Sacco “It’s a great opportunity to come out to a learning community that we don’t often have a chance to share with,” said Michael Sacco, founder of ChocoSol Traders accompanied by Emily Wat., Engagement and Education Animator with his company.

He impressed students and guest by starting his presentation with samples of Xocolatl (a drinking chocolate) and different flavoured cacao beans.

Sacco and Wat opened thanking everyone for attend-

’

The company, ChocoSol Traders, gets its name from the word “sol” having multiple meanings in different languages. In Spanish sol means sun, in French it means earth, and in English it becomes soul, meaning heart.

ChocoSol Traders sells many unique types of chocolate. Eating chocolate, drinking chocolate, nibs, and dry goods. The company takes pride in its work. They trade from direct growers in Mexico as well as local Ontario farmers.

Amanda Ramlal

PACKAGE OF CACAO BEANS: Michael Sacco shared his favourite ChocoSol products with guests.

“I thought it was a very informative workshop. It was cool to hear all his experiences, especially in Mexico, says Parastoo Sadeghein, a Paramedic student. “He had great enthusiasm.”

Sacco shared his background experience and stories of his apprenticeship in Mexico. That is where he learned the most and fell in love with chocolate, he says. It was the first time he had ever seen cacao beans turned into liquid. He says that is a memory he will never forget.

“Everybody knows about chocolate but not a lot of people

know about cacao, and getting people acquainted with cacao and true chocolate is a wonderful, teachable moment,” says Sacco.

Sacco says what makes his chocolate so unique from others is that it’s all stone ground.

Ingredients are directly traded, and made by people who are as committed to the process and the relationships of making it together as a team, as they are to the quality of the product.

“He’s so passionate and he’s really good at challenging you, which is great because that pushes you out of your comfort zone. It’s your opportunity to

rise to the occasion,” says Wat. At the end of the presentation students and guest had their eyes opened to a new world of chocolate.

Sacco calls the chocolate people know today as the “candy of the masses” while cacao is “a food of the gods.”

Sacco pushed the importance of culture and how the process of making chocolate is just as important as its outcome.

Sacco says the cacao bean is a very special food that needs to be cherished from cultures today, as it was respected in the past.

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A fun place to avoid

stress

Amanda Ramlal The Chronicle

Stressful times call for a place to let loose and have fun. Durham College and UOIT’s student drama club hope students will share this fun experience with others who are looking for a good time.

Students with an interest in acting and expressing themselves run the club. There is both a mixture of inexperienced and experienced students.

“There’s no pressure to be a professional,” says Carl Pilon, Drama Club president.

Pilon gets a lot of emails from people asking if they can join, not having any prior experience. But everyone’s welcome to the Drama Club, he says.

“I respond saying ‘Please feel free to come whenever you have the time.’ What we do at the meetings is just play improv games and kinda mess around, have fun and work on our skills,” he says.

Pilon says he sees great improvement with students who were once shy.

“It’s nice to see them get over that shyness,” he says.

Many of them eventually warm up, make friends and join in on the drama clubs improv games.

The drama club is an active group holding meetings once per week.

In meetings, club members do various activities.

Sometimes the club has a specialist come in to teach special effects or improv workshop. Students also rehearse for plays and their final show, put on at the end of the year. This year’s production was Ryan and Kelly.

Despite Pilon being the Drama Club’s president for only one year, he is seeing improvement in himself and a decrease in shy students. He believes the Drama Club is an important place for the students.

“A lot of people have very serious and dry majors, very intensive homework loads,” he says, “and when you’re engulfed in your major so much and you don’t really get that chance to express yourself and laugh the drama club exists to give you that opportunity.”

Entertainment

April 14, 2015

Inside the Oshawa poetry club Chloe Troicuk The Chronicle

Oshawa has a small but strong poetry community.

The Oshawa Public Library provides space for the poetry club’s monthly meeting at the McLaughlin branch. There were nine people present to hear this month’s subject, Robert Graves.

Robert Graves was a Celtic poet born in Wimbledon, near London. He was known as an English poet, novelist, critic, and classicist. Graves modernized mythology for the general English reader and produced 140 works in his life.

Trevor Moore and Adam White lead the poetry group in discussion of poets throughout the centuries. They discuss the poet’s writing styles, their views and how they affected the world. The club also has open mic readings of members’ personal work.

Chloe Troicuk

GRAHAM DUCKER: Former kindergarten teacher, recites a poem.

“We should almost always pull words out of stories or poems and learn from them,” said Moore.

Moore is a writer, but he goes through phases. He also writes fiction, poetry, music and paints and draws.

The group has been running for two years now and although the club is not large it has a dedicated number of six people that attend every month. The group ranges in age from ages 25-55 but anyone over 18 is welcome.

They cover every poet and type of poetry from modern to abstract. “It is important to bring in different styles and respect every one of them,” said Moore. The club used to run out of The Vault in downtown Oshawa but began advertising for a new space and the library offered one.

Library staff also contribute to the club. Jennifer Clark, program co-ordinator, oversees the club and sometimes shares her work. This month she shared a poem she wrote on the GO train one morning. “I felt inspired on the train so I pulled out my phone and started typing,” said Clark.

Newcomer to the group, Ol-

ivia Sultana, has been writing for more than 40 years. Sultana has written poetry, dialogue, stories, and anything else she can imagine up with a pen and paper.

She is in the process of finding an agent to get her works published.

“I always felt that I was an author in another life, so in a way being a writer belongs to me,” said Sultana.

The club also produces a small magazine monthly called Howl. In each edition, they focus on the poet of discussion for the meeting and publish a few poems by members of the group.

Brad Heyerdahl takes his lunch break from the bank where he works so he can make the meeting.

He began writing because of heartbreak and has been taken with poetry since then. “I’m a fan of a well turned phrase,” said Heyerdahl.

Entertainment

The Chronicle

April 14, 2015

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Jordyn Gitlin

POPPIN’ AND LOCKIN’: (Left to right) Members Diego, Brian, and Bryan of Durham College’s Hip-Hop dance club strike a pose.

Durham doesn’t dance Jordyn Gitlin The Chronicle

Acting and dancing are two of the many art forms known today, yet most colleges and universities in Ontario do not offer these programs.

In Ontario there are only five colleges that offer a drama program and two colleges that offer dance.

Durham College and UOIT have an array of arts programs.

At Durham College they include, photography, fine arts, and graphic design. However, acting and dance do not make the list.

Brian Dsouza, a UOIT student who enjoys dancing in his free time and is on the school’s hip hop team, said even if the school offered dance as a minor he thinks many people would be interested in it.

“Definitely I do know a lot of people who are interested in it,” Dsouza said. “I know this is

more of a technology and business school, but if you bring in this program…on the business side, there’s a larger target audience.”

Carl Pilon, the drama club president, and Alex Kocot, vice-president, both agree that bringing drama is a way to relieve stress at school and said as a program it would help the students.

“Just having one drama class, one dance class where people take it as an elective,

I think that would be a good idea,” Pilon said.

Kocot added that he thinks the sooner the schools add these electives, the more people they will attract.

They have talked to other students who would also be interested in having these programs.

Greg Murphy, dean of Media, Arts and Design at Durham College, said he would love to have the two programs.

“It would be complimentary

to the things we do in film and, for instance, animation, we could really use people understanding how their bodies are used as instruments,” he said.

He added the only problem is space.

There is no space at the school, as the programs require specific equipment and technology.

Until then, there is the drama club and multiple dance teams to keep students busy and happy.

New songwriters are revealed David Conti The Chronicle

Musicians, parents, music fans, and students all took a trip down the rabbit hole on Thurs-day night, but instead of chaos and confusion, they were treated to a variety of musical acts, and tea as well.

Music lovers and supporters filed into Durham College’s Marketplace to experience Songs Revealed, a songwriting competition showcasing writing ability, radio potential, performing strength, and the pure talent that comes from the Durham region.

The event featured an “Alice in Wonderland” themed set-

ting. Hosting seven live acts from around Durham and Ontario, each with a unique sound and style. Each performer had the chance to perform two songs, giving them an opportunity to show off their songwriting abilities.

Three judges were there to critique, give advice, and, ultimately, name a winner of the competition. The judges were singer-songwriter Trish Robb, radio producer Ryan Chung, and Amy Fritz, a music engineer and producer with 15 years experience.

The talent was not just restricted to those participating in the event, as Darrell Millar, drummer and co-founder of the 1980s Canadian heavy metal

band “Killer Dwarfs” hosted it.

Music is a passion for many, and it was no secret that these contestants were on another level of passionate for the music they create, pumping their feelings and soul into every chord, note, and strum.

From first-timers trying to put themselves out there, to those who have been there before, the performances were nothing short of entertaining, as seen by the crowd’s ovations, and the lack of criticisms from the judges. Each judge was channeling their inner Paula Abdul and not Simon Cowell.

The first performer of the night, 26-year-old Aaron Mangoff of Orillia, opened the show with a soft, subtle couple of

songs showed heavy Dallas Green and City & Colour inspiration, which Chung noted.

Songs Revealed helps upcoming artists get noticed, but Mangoff also believes it should have a heavier focus on the students putting it together. “It’s great that it allows young artists like myself get noticed,” said Mangoff.

“It is also awesome for the students putting it together.

They get to exercise putting an event together and learn more about the business.”

The two-hour event featured more artists, notably Gib & Tam, a duo with a jazzy-funky, but grunge type of sound.

There was also Sarah Fazackerley, who played two powerful

songs surrounding loneliness, and even tossed in a unique flute solo.

The eventual winner of the competition was NUBS, who had a contagious energy on stage, dancing, toe-tapping and enjoying himself. Performing two songs, NUBS — also known as Logan Brown — was compared to artists such as Prince and Lenny Kravitz.

Songs Revealed is part of the Reel Music Festival, a threeday event put together by the Music Business Management students at Durham College.

The event includes lots of live music, panels, as well a keynote speaker. This year’s festival marks the 15th anniversary of Reel Mu-sic.

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Entertainment

April 14, 2015

The mysteries of the art display unfold Durham makes use of empty wall for art Alex Ross The Chronicle

If you’ve ever been to the Tim Hortons above the Pit then you know that area is almost always busy.

In such a dense area of the school, Sean McQuay, co-ordinator of the Fine Arts program, decided it would be a good place to display the works of students.

He said the empty wall that used to reside where the display case is now was a perfect spot to safely showcase the student art.

In the past, artwork has been stolen from shows. The locked case ensures the students’ work will not get damaged, vandalized, or stolen, according to McQuay.

The process was not long, but it did take a lot of work.

From the time McQuay thought of the idea to the finished product took only six months, but the design took a lot of research to figure out the best arrangement. McQuay visited the McLaughlin Art Gallery to study their showcase.

“It all takes time… if it were my only job it would have taken a lot less,” said McQuay.

Some of his Fine Arts students said they feel noticed when they hear people talk about their work on display in the case.

“It’s always good to have your work shown,” said Sara Bugden, one of McQuay’s students that specializes in sculpting.

Each student has their own preferred medium they use to create art, according to McQuay, but he does not show prejudice about the medium when choosing the pieces that go on display.

“It was a curatorial decision,” said McQuay, “a decision in picking the most resolved pieces.”

He chooses the art by its level of completion.

Alex Ross

ON DISPLAY: Art from students on display in the case across from Tim Hortons above the PIT. A place for students to showcase their work.

The students in his class are split between mediums, some prefer acrylic paints, and others prefer oil paints.

Some of these differences even stray all the way to carpentry and sculpting.

No matter the medium or style of piece, as long as it is

complete then it is eligible to be put on display, said McQuay.

The class agrees, having art on display is a large part of becoming an artist and the display case is a great way to showcase pieces.

Many students in his class think McQuay made a good

choice in adding the case to the empty unused wall.

“Next thing you know your piece is up in the case without notice,” said Brown. Bugden agrees.

“It’s always good to have your work shown,” Bugden added.

Goodbye Canada, hello anywhere else Post-secondary students deserve a nice break after this semester, so let’s travel Alyssa Erwin The Chronicle

Picture this: you’re relaxing under the nice, warm sun. No assignments, no exams. Just your stress-free self, tanning by the ocean.

Unfortunately, that’s not the situation. Instead you’re stuck studying in the weather-confused country we call home.

Travelling can be expensive, especially for students.

They already have so many things to pay for including tuition, food, and rent. It makes it even harder if they’re working a part-time job. However, there are many tips and tricks to getting around expensive flights and travel packages.

There are many sites that travellers use to get the best deals on hotels, flights, and travel packages.

Expedia is a popular travel booking website. It allows you to explore and compare the costs of flights and hotels. It also lets you build your own vacation package or choose from their pre-made ones. It offers packages from some of

the most popular travel destinations including Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Europe. Jessica Benoit, a first year Business Fundamentals student, says that her most memorable trip was her trip to Spain.

“I didn’t stay on a resort so we got to actually explore the city and the way people lived,” she said. “I really want to go to more place in Europe, perhaps France or Italy.”

Trivago is another travel website. It compares hundreds of hotels on more than 250 different sites including Expedia.ca, Hotels.com, and Booking.com. It helps people find the cheapest hotels. Unlike Expedia, Trivago does not allow them to find and book flights.

Campus Vacations is another site and is directed towards students. Campus Vacations helps organize individual and group vacations for college and university students across Canada and the United States.

It has Spring Break trips, ski trips, and multiple destination trips. Campus Vacations provides guidance to students who want to plan a vacation.

It claims to also help them receive the best prices possible.

Now the real question, where would you want to travel?

“I’ve always wanted to go to New York,” says Taylor Cunningham, a first year Hospitality Management student. “I love busy places.”

The United States is the most visited country by Canadian tourists with New York and Florida being the top two visited states. More than four million Canadians travel to New York and more than three million Canadians travel to Florida annually.

Whether it is for a destination wedding or to escape the harsh Canadian winters, warmer places are always desired by Canadians. Nearly two million Canadians travel to Mexico a year, making it the second most visited country by Canadians. The hardest part for students who wish to travel is saving up enough money.

It can be hard to put aside an amount especially when there are so many things to pay for including phone bills, insurance and school.

“I’m currently saving up

Chloe Troicuk

ANYWHERE ELSE BUT HERE: It would be nice to get a break from this semester and weather to take a trip elsewhere. for a trip this summer and it’s harder than I thought,” says Cunningham. “I still have to pay bills and stuff for school, but the best thing is to put away a certain amount of money each time you get paid.”

However, working parttime can make it difficult to have money to set aside. Benoit suggests to “save gradually.”

“Trips are fun but not if it’s at the expense of running up a credit card,” she says.

Trips can be expensive and saving can be difficult but they shouldn’t be stressful. Vacation is a time to relax, so the

planning should be just as relaxed.

“Don’t panic and rush to save,” says Benoit. “Start saving early so that you don’t have to crunch to get the money.”

She also suggests that people be “financially able to go.”

The most important tip of travelling and planning a trip is to do your research first.

“You have to give yourself a limit and a goal, then work towards it,” says Cunningham.

To know what your goal is, do the research.

There is nothing worse than not having enough money or finding out your hotel isn’t what you expected.

Entertainment

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April 14, 2015

Art that makes a scene at Durham Alex Ross The Chronicle

The art scene in Durham Region is growing, but it is still under-appreciated, according to local artists.

Jeremy Smyth, a local artist, is a former web designer and graphic design student at Durham College. While working for companies and working with people designing websites, he lost most of his artistic freedom.

“Making boring websites for boring people,” he said. The art industry is underappreciated because of these types of jobs with people calling themselves artists, yet completely destroying the creativity in people.

‘

When I make something (sculpture) I’m too attached to them, I want to keep them forever.

Sara Bugden

’

With spring right around the corner a lot of people will be going out and enjoying the weather, some may even be going to get a bit creative. “Nature is inspiration for everyone,” said Smyth.

The art scene in Durham Region has seen many artists pass through, but some of who have not necessarily succeeded. Yet the art scene in Durham, more specifically Oshawa, has been seeing a slow incline after it

boomed in the 1990s, according to Smyth.

Shows such as Space Invaders help artists show their work and help the city become more artistic, said Smyth. There are also small venues that sell art by local artists, including Wasted Space and CORE 21, according to Sara Bugden, a Durham College Fine Arts student.

These small venues may be good for exposure but they don’t cater to larger original pieces and because of this it may be a little harder to make money, said Smyth.

“It’s always something you can hang on your wall… a print or a painting,” said Smyth.

“That’s always where the money is.”

On the other hand, Bugden has only sold her original pieces. She has sold multiple paintings and drawings to people, but she has sold a sculpture.

“I paint those for myself and then someone wanted them, but when I draw something it is meant for them,” said Bugden.

People may buy a sculpture, but there is a much better chance of the artist getting their art shown and sold if they display their work as a print, said Smyth. Not only are they easier to display, they take less space and usually cost a lot less than an original, which makes it easier to get artwork into the community.

To influence the art scene in Durham, Sarah Shaw teaches art classes to people from ages six all the way to seniors.

Shaw’s child group, ranging between the ages of eight and 18, make up 75 per cent of her students.

Alex Ross

CONCENTRATION: Sara Bugden, a Fine Arts student at Durham College, is working on her thesis. Art takes a lot of time, but to an artist it’s worth it.

She says the art classes in school may not satiate their interest in art and they come to her classes to learn more and have the tools to express themselves fully.

She views art as a full-time job. “If you look at art as being artistic, you’re looking at it as a career,” said Shaw.

Art takes all of the artist’s time, said Shaw.

Between owning a business, trying to get that started, and keeping it successful and trying to evolve her artwork, the in-

dustry is exhausting, she said.

The presence of art is an underrated one, she said.

The banners on the light posts downtown Whitby were designed by local artists, but how many people look up and appreciate the artists’ work?

With nice weather approaching more galleries will be making bigger shows and more inviting events for people who want to go out and enjoy spring.

Some upcoming shows with student artwork on display in-

clude the third-year grad show at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (RMG) that opens to the public on April 14th, the juried art show at the Whitby Station Gallery opening May 1st, and the Home to Home show at the RMG open July 16th for showings during the PanAm games.

Bugden said there are plenty of shows in the upcoming months with a lot of her pieces on display.

“Durham caters to young artists by making small venues to show their art,” she said.

dent Association. They chose the painting from Paint Nite’s website, which has more than 100 paintings to choose from, include a difficulty setting for people who are either new to painting or for people that want something more challenging.

In the end, it was decided that ‘Blue Twilight’ was the majority’s choice for the event.

It was a painting of a forest setting, created with mostly dark colour shades. MajBee, the event’s artist, said the painting is owned by Paint Nite and is in the top twenty of recommended art pieces.

For $15, students could dive in with their creative minds with their favourite drink in one hand and a paintbrush in the other.

Students such as Renee, a student in Foundations for Art and Design, enjoyed being in a place where students from different programs could come together.

Students enjoyed artistic lesson from MajBee, an expe-

rienced 28 year-old artist, who showed them how to unlock their creative side with her positive encouragement and direction.

Creating many masterpieces at Paint Nite E.P. Taylor’s hosts a way to de-stress, with students holding a paint brush in one hand and a glass of beer in the other Michael Clark The Chronicle

Durham College and UOIT hosted their first Paint Nite event at E.P. Taylor’s in late March where students could drink and paint to their hearts content.

It was a place to be social with new people, and to find a new way to tap into their creative mind. With just a few instructions they could create a masterpiece.

Paint Nite is an organization that blends the concepts of artistic painting and drinking into one event. The idea is to help pubs gain revenue on slow nights with a unique opportu-

nity for costumers to be more social and show each other their creative sides.

‘

Different paintings, all the same paintings, but different personality.

MajBee

’

Paint Nite doesn’t expect only people that consider themselves artists or students from art programs to show up.

Everyone can come, all are in-

vited to come together, have fun, and release stress in a nonjudgmental environment.

Paint Nite runs for twohours. Attendees follow the step-by-step instructions from a professional artist who tells them how to make a blank canvas into a masterpiece to take home.

E.P. Taylor’s Paint Nite hosted around 25 participants.

It was the first time for many students at the event, so the organization allowed an extra hour for them to complete their paintings.

Like other Paint Nite events, participants all painted from the same painting, chosen through a vote by the event organizers, in this case the Stu-

‘

I just thought I could do it with other people, meet new people and so far I’m enjoying myself.

Renee

’

“It’s not just a little bit of instruction. I tell them exactly how to paint it, beginning to end,” said MajBee. She said students could put their painting into their own interpretation of the art piece.

Ashley and MajBee hope this is just the first of many Paint Nites to come here at the campus.

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April 14, 2015

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Sports

April 14, 2015

41

School comes first for DC athletes Charlie Roach The Chronicle

Durham College continues to produce outstanding student athletes who excel in the classroom as well as on the field.

That was evident this year at the Durham Lords academic awards. The annual event recognizes the efforts of Durham’s varsity athletes inside the classroom. One of the big winners of the day was Recreation and Leisure student, Kelsey Gallant.

Gallant won the Bert Dejeet Memorial Scholastic award, given to the male and female athletes with the highest GPA in the school. She was honoured to win such a prestigious award.

“When they called my name I was really excited. It’s quite an accomplishment. It felt really good,” said Gallant.

With a GPA of 4.7 while playing both baseball and volleyball for the Durham Lords, Gallant also works two jobs and recently took on a new role with the Town of Whitby.

How can one person do so many things and at such a high level? Gallant said organization and time manage-

Photo courtesy of Durham College Athletics

DURHAM COLLEGE ACADEMIC AWARDS: Durham College president Don Lovisa with Bert Dejeet Memorial award winner Kelsey Gallant. ment are keys.

“I have an agenda, and it’s pretty crazy. Everything is colour coded and everything,” she said. “So yeah, I just make sure everything is organized.

Durham College is really accommodating and so are my coaches. In the end, school always comes first.”

Gallant is used to having a busy schedule, she has been

busy her whole life. Since a young age, she has been playing school and league ringette, volleyball, and baseball.

She played baseball at a young age for the Whitby Eagles and for the Henry Hawks high school team before playing at Durham College. During that time she also played volleyball for her school team and the Durham Attack, and

worked part-time and fulltime jobs.

One person who has seen the efforts of student athletes at Durham College is their sports information and special events c-o, Chris Cameron. Cameron knows Gallant and the male recipient of the Bert Dejeet award, Jonathan Jealouse, are dedicated.

“With an award like that

that’s the top overall GPA for all of our athletes, it just shows their time management skills and their dedication,” he said.

“Practicing and playing games four or five times a week and to be able to pull in the marks that they do it shows their dedication to not only Durham College athletics, but to their respective programs and sport. That’s why we celebrate them the way we do,” Gallant credits her parents as her biggest influence and inspiration.

Both parents were also athletes, and she believes she got the best of both worlds in terms of her genetics.

“They are fantastic. At a young age I grew up watching a lot of sports and both of my parents played sports as well,” she said. “My dad played volleyball and my mom played baseball, actually. So I kind of got the best of both of them.

They would wake me up at 6 am and take me to ringette practices,” said Gallant.

“I think my dad was my biggest inspiration in that he came with me to all my sporting events. And the travel, we travelled all through Canada playing sports and he was always there so it was great.”

UOIT student-athletes court academic success Sean Heeger The Chronicle

Thirty student athletes were honoured for academic excellence both provincially and nationally today at the UOIT academic luncheon making this “an all-time high for the school,” according to faculty member Matt Manly, who hosted the event.

“This is one event where academic achievement, and achievement outside the classroom come together,” said UOIT president Tim McTiernan.”

All of those students re-

ceived the All-Academic award, given to each athlete that achieves a GPA of 3.5 or higher while competing in sports. The average GPA for this year’s class of awardwinning athletes was 3.76. The highest score was achieved by Riley Therrien, a UOIT tennis player, with a 4.18 GPA. The UOIT Scholastic Award was also presented to the players who had the top GPA in both men’s and women’s varsity leagues.

This year also marked the first time that each player received a $2,000 scholarship from the Bob Baun varsity

scholarship fund. Therrien, a second year Criminology student, is the first male athlete to be awarded this scholarship.

The first female athlete to win the scholarship is Katherine Koehler Grassau, a varsity soccer player in the Applied and Industrial Mathematics program.

Koehler Grassau says the awards are not easy to achieve.

“I spend all my time studying and playing soccer, and when I’m at practice I work hard, do what I have to do and come home and study again,” she said.

Therrien’s time is also split

Photo courtesy of UOIT Athletics

UOIT ACADEMIC AWARDS: UOIT president Tim McTiernan with All-Academic award winners Riley Therrien and Katherine Koehler Grassau. between school and sports but he credits tennis as not being too strenuous compared to hockey or soccer. Therrien thinks “time management and prioritizing what needs to get done,” is the key to splitting

his time.

Therrien also volunteers for the Canadian Diabetes Association, he works on the board of directors in his town’s municipal politics, and has been working all year.

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Panchan, Clarke hoop it up as DC’s best Basketball MVPs are Durham’s top athletes Alex Ross The Chronicle

Ajahmo Clarke couldn’t have asked for more to finish off his college basketball career than winning the William Avery memorial award for best male athlete at Durham College.

Lindsay Panchan was named female athlete of the year.

They were both named MVP for their respective basketball teams.

Some other honourable mentions include Katrina Gammie and Isiah Passley for male and female freshman athlete of the year for their play on the softball team and soccer team, respectively.

Clarke led the Lords in scoring with a 22.3 average points per game. That earned him fourth in the OCAA and ninth in the CCAA. His offensive drive helped lead the Lords to the final four for the second year in a row.

Panchan dominated the

Al Fournier

DURHAM’S BEST: Ajahmo Clarke (men’s basketball) and Lindsay Panchan (women’s basketball) are Durham College’s athletes of the year.

OCAA and the CCAA with a 25.0 average points per game, the second highest in OCAA history. Clarke is a second year

student in the Recreational and Leisure studies program.

With his upcoming graduation he hopes to go overseas

and play for a semi-professional league in either Australia or Germany. Clarke is currently working on getting an agent to

represent him and trying to get a tryout for a team.

If Clarke is successful in his quest for a semi-pro career he will drop his work and focus on basketball, he said. However, during the off season he said he would try to get a part-time job somewhere that teaches kids how to play basketball or a form of recreational centre.

“I was surprised and humbled… it was a big shock,” said Clarke. This is the second year in a row that he has won the William Avery memorial award, but this year was a true surprise, he said.

Last year he had a feeling he would win the award so it didn’t come as much of a surprise when they announced it.

However, with the team growing stronger since last season he felt he had more competition, which led to a bigger shock when they called his name at the ceremony.

This was Panchan’s first year playing in the OCAA league, but that didn’t stop her from decimating the league.

The sports management student managed to pull of the second highest average points per game with 25 points.

She also averaged 38.9 minutes of play per game, the highest in the league. This was the 45th Annual Athletic Banquet held by Durham College’s athletics department.

UOIT’s Landry, Bevan are top athletes Ryan Burden The Chronicle

The ninth annual UOIT Athletic Awards started off with a bang – literally- with streamers exploding from each side of the stage onto Ridgebacks’ mascot Hunter and his new girlfriend as they entered. From that point on, the night was filled with laughter and thunderous applause as the Ridgebacks supported each other.

The nominees for female athlete of the year were Melissa Berney, captain of the women’s hockey team, curler Riley Weagant, soccer player Kylie Bordeleau and lacrosse player Taylor Landry. Landry was all smiles as she walked up to the stage to accept her trophy and bouquet of flowers.

The nominees for male athlete of the year were curler Ben Bevan, hockey player Kevin George, soccer player Joe Vaz and golfer James Krantz.

With a look of disbelief, Bevan claimed the award. “I was shocked, I wasn’t expecting to win men’s athlete of the year,” he said. Bevan is graduating from UOIT’s Finance program this year and hopes to continue curling in the future. “After I graduate, I’m going to look to get a job in finance but also

Ryan Burden

TOP ATHLETES: 2015 UOIT athletes of the year, Taylor Landry (women’s lacrosse) and Ben Bevan (men’s curling). continue my curling outside of school,” Bevan said. Melissa Berney, captain of the women’s hockey team won an MVP award, as well as several other awards throughout the night.

Bevan went on to win a number of other awards, including the

MVP award for men’s curling.

“It still blows me away, all the things that you guys accomplish throughout your career. It truly is amazing,” said head of athletics and host, Scott Barker. Sponsors and family members of UOIT founders were

invited to the stage to present special awards. Rower Mike Juzkow won the Rob MIllikin award, an honour named after the founding coach of the UOIT rowing program. The athletic therapy award went to Emma Depasquale, a Kinesiology stu-

dent trainer. The Dr. Gary Polonsky awards were given to a male and female student that displayed great leadership.

Shelby Cohen from women’s curling claimed one and Travis Martin from men’s soccer achieved the other. Other leadership awards were given to a player from each sport, as well. The nominees for team of the year were women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, and men’s curling. With deafening approval from the audience, women’s soccer took the team of the year award. The freshman athletes of the year were Mike Robinson from men’s hockey and Katherine KoehlerGrassau from women’s soccer.

Taking a break from the awards, the audience took part in a competition of heads and tails, where participants guessed the results of a coin flip to win two flight tickets with Porter airlines valued at $2,500. With incredible luck, Ben Kennedy won the contest for the second year in a row.

“Three hundred people, here, three hundred people last year, and Ben Kennedy wins two years in a row,” said Barker with a laugh.

The full list of awards can be found on the Ridgebacks website.

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Order on the court Alex Costa The Chronicle

Jordan Edmonds

CHARITY CUP: Durham, UOIT men‘s and women’s volleyball teams after playing in the charity matches.

Durham, UOIT team up for charity

Jordan Edmonds The Chronicle

The UOIT men’s and women’s soccer teams completed the double by winning both games in the fourth annual Charity Cup matches at the CRWC. The teams played to raise money for the charity Their Opportunity.

The five-year-old charity is based in Oshawa and provides opportunities for children if their families can’t afford to enroll them in an organized sports program.

Intern program and development coordinator, Joseph Maraldo, explained how important it was to establish the link with both schools.

“Having a face and a presence is very important for the charity,” he said.

The charity has worked in partnership with both schools

before to host events like this.

Durham women’s soccer player, Riley Graham, expressed her excitement for the event and always loved having the chance to play UOIT. “It feels amazing to give kids the opportunities that I had, which is to play sports competitively,” she said.

The teams raised $567 from donations and raffle tickets for a signed Jonathan Bernier jersey. The money will go to Their Opportunity to support children in the Oshawa area.

“It’s great for the kids. I played sports when I was a kid and some kids don’t always get the opportunities, so its good for them to get into sports,” said Kevin German, a fan at the game.

The soccer games were competitive as they played for the title of Campus Cup champions. The women’s game ended 6-0 in favour of UOIT and the men’s game finished 7-3, again

to UOIT. “The atmosphere was very welcoming with lots of fans, there is lots of school spirit here at both Durham and UOIT,” German said.

The first match-up saw the Durham and UOIT women’s teams play for the cup. UOIT managed to dominate the possession in the game and made life very difficult for the Durham team.

UOIT ended the first half leading by four goals, scored

by Alyssia Robichaud, Jessica Mithrush, Shynice Williams and Sonia Sampogna. A combination of good movement and passing contributed to the lead.

The second half was more of the same as UOIT extended the lead, ending the game with a comfortable 6-0 win. The two goals of the half were scored by Cassandra Sribny and Jessica Mithrush, who added her second.

Durham’s Graham felt her

team could of done some things better.

“We could of communicated better we are a new team so we are pretty quiet,” she said.

The rivalry is apparent between Durham and UOIT. “We share the campus and people know about the rivalry it gets hyped up and it is a pretty big rivalry,” Graham said.

The men’s game took a similar course to the women’s game. Sasa Vukoje opened the scoring for Durham when he slotted one past the goalkeeper.

This would be the only goal for Durham in the first half, however, as UOIT scored five with no reply in this physical game. and Andrea Cicciarella.

Durham scored one goal in the first half, however, UOIT scored five with no reply .

The second half was a different story, Durham scored two more goals but it wouldn’t be enough and UOIT went on to claim the cup.

Volleyball shines bright at Durham Durham Lords men’s and women’s volleyball teams both have seasons for the books

Megan Chase The Chronicle

Durham College’s volleyball teams came away with strong seasons, which are shining a spotlight on the college. Many of the players were chosen for the championship all-star teams after the women’s team won silver at their provincial championship and the men’s team was the top seed in the East Division with a perfect record.

The majority of the women’s team will be losing players to graduation and Tony Clarke, head coach of the women’s volleyball team, believes the biggest challenge for the upcom-

ing season will be bringing in new players.

This is Clarke’s first year coaching at Durham and he is excited about the team winning silver, the first in nine years.

“I want to be recognized provincially and nationally, year in and year out, so hopefully we’re in that exact same position we were this past season to next year and seasons on,” said Clarke.

The men’s team will be losing their core group. Making way for a new one will mean having to take a more hands-on approach next year, according to George Matsusaki, head coach of the men’s team.

“Though we’re losing some

players we’re excited for the new players who have already committed to the program next year and we’re optimistic that we can be just as good, if not better, next year than we were this year,” said Matsusaki.

Matsusaki was named the OCAA coach of the year and contributes the team’s success, having an experienced team and not having to change much.

With both teams facing changes in the upcoming season, coaches are determined to gain national attention. While both coaches acknowledge it will take time to get there, they are committed to recruiting new players and are confident in their programs.

The first place Durham Lords men’s volleyball team have added to their streak clinching top spot in the East OCAA division and are determined to compete at nationals.

This year marked an accomplishment for the Lords, achieving a perfect season.

They achieved an 18-0 record after defeating a struggling Fleming squad.

After having a breakout year in 2013-2014, the Durham men’s volleyball team has since failed to place top three.

This season George Matsusaki men’s volleyball coach wanted to risk everything, going with no rookies.

“All of our players have been here before. They were with us last season at nationals, and although we have no true rookies, being a winning program will attract kids to this school,” he says.

Matsusaki says this seasons result is not really that surprising.”

Although it doesn’t really matter if we stay undefeated because at nationals if you lose then your season was pointless,” he says.

With the reigning champions Mohawk Mountaineers having a great season, it’s tough to say how the Durham Lords will do, given the two teams have yet to play each other this season.

Despite that, the Lords have some all-star caliber players with captain Jeremy Hoekstra, right side Erik Janssen who leads the team in points averaging 3.9 per game and Petrus Kuypers, who sits third in the league with a hitting percentage of .482.

Matsusaki says Mohawk had a fantastic team heading towards the end of the season.

“They have a great team with pretty much all of their players back, along with a fantastic player in Charlie Hancock who came over from Canadore,” says Matsusaki.

“If we faced them it would be in the gold medal game and they are the favourites going in.”

The men’s volleyball team has a lot on the line, and 2014-2015 may be the first time since 1996 that they walk away with an OCAA title.

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Sports

Where does the dough go?

Bill Christou The Chronicle

Sports are a large component in any school’s budget, but many don’t know where the money for these sports comes from.

With such a large number of players on various teams, the equipment they need to play on those teams, and the transportation and food costs during travel, there is a lot of fundraising that needs to be done.

Durham College and UOIT have an array of sports teams.

Each team has its own budget for spending out of all of the money raised by the schools, with the majority of money coming from student ancillary fees.

Along with student fees, alumni dinners held for former students who played on sports teams in the past also sponsor sports teams.

‘

Primarily the biggest cost is travel, and

related costs to competing in the conferences we play in.

Ken Babcock

’

Ken Babcock, athletic director for Durham College and UOIT, is in charge of deciding what the budget gets spent on.

Babcock decides what is most important, what is needed, and what isn’t needed but is an affordable expense, such as taking the team out for a dinner.

The biggest source for funds is direct student fees.

Every college student pays a set amount that helps fund different programs.

The university’s fees make up its entire sports budget, Babcock said.

“Primarily the biggest cost is travel, and related costs to competing in the conferences we play in.”

For example it’s around $20,000 a year to compete in the OCAA (Ontario College Athletics Association). With ten different teams that’s $2,000 per team.”

Chris Cameron, sports information and special events coordinator for Durham College and UOIT, is in charge of fundraising, community activities, and pre and post-game press releases.

“We do some promotions during the volleyball games, giving away fan packages, free wings at St. Louis, all to bring in the community and get them interested,” Cameron said.

Both Babcock and Cameron play large roles in raising funds for the DC/UOIT sports initiatives, bringing the community together to enjoy sporting events.

Bill Christou

VARSITY SPORTS: Durham College athletic director Ken Babcock oversees the varsity athletic funding.

Babcock has spearheaded the athletic department since 1995.

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April 14, 2015

Durham hosts All-Star Saturday Alex Costa

The Chronicle

Alex Costa

ATHLETIC COMPLEX: Scott Dennis stands outside the recreation department at Durham, UOIT, proud to show off the facilities on campus. came out to support their fellow athletes.

“It’s great to see an event this big being held at Durham…

I’m having a great time here today, I think all the fans are, I’m jealous that we don’t have an all-star day for baseball,” said Michael Chilvers, part of the Durham Lords baseball team, but a fan that day.

Dennis said athletic director,

Ken Babcock has done a fantastic job of organizing events at Durham over the past few years, and said next year the college actually plans on hosting the woman’s basketball national championships, due to the successful events Babcock has put together in the past.

Moving forward the only concern for Durham would be their student staff, said Scott.

“With so many events being held in separate areas, it really took a toll on our student staff and we were a bit outnumbered.”

Durham also had eight athletes there with two athletes participating in each of the events throughout the day.

Next year, Durham hosts the CCAA woman’s national basketball championships.

Inspiring fans David Conti The Chronicle

Many athletes have dreams and aspirations, to make it to the big leagues, to play in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans. For many of these could-be superstars, the biggest stage of their life is playing at the college and university level. However, is it still the biggest stage even without an audience?

With unpredictable turnouts at the sporting events at Durham College, which sports team at Durham College garners the most attention, and is the college doing enough to bring in a larger audience? According to Christopher Cameron, there’s only so much the college can do.

“Largest audience? We’re talking court sports, no doubt,” said Cameron, special events co-ordinator at Durham College. Volleyball and basketball are popular at Durham, consistently bringing in large audiences that aren’t afraid to be loud and show support.

Dreams coming true John Seymour

The Chronicle

Durham College had another chance to show off its athletic facilities in late March when it hosted the 2014-2015 events consisting of both men’s and woman’s basketball and volleyball all-star games, including a morning of skill competitions.

This was the second event in the past month to be held at Durham, with the OCAA men’s basketball championships taking place in the previous weeks leading up to All Star Saturday.

“It’s not often that you find a college that has five gyms capable of holding an event this big.

We have a great facility here at Durham, so why not showcase it?” said Scott Dennis, sports information and marketing officer at Durham in charge of putting together this event.

With five gyms in use for this year’s all-star game, about 200 athletes from across Ontario participated.

“This is my second straight year coming to Durham and they do a great job putting the day together. It’s nice to see familiar faces here as well,” said Shylanda Saunders, the OCAA second team all-star out of Sheridan College.

Blair Webster, executive director for the OCAA, said he’s happy to welcome everyone back to Durham for the second consecutive year, shining a light on the college’s privileged sporting facilities.

Students and Athletes attending Durham/UOIT also

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There are no records of fan attendance. However, it is evident at many games there isn’t as much support for others.

Cameron says there are a few variables that play into this.

One is proximity. Though a lot of Durham’s sports teams play on campus, some teams have difficulty getting more attention because they play elsewhere. The Lords baseball team plays three kilometres away from the school, making it more difficult to get fans out to support their team. Cameron has an idea to improve the situation.

“We would focus on one game for baseball all year, and try and get people out to that on a fan bus for one game,” said Cameron. “It could be the final game of the year, or a playoff game.”

Another factor is advertising, social media, and word of mouth to get people to come to games. There are posters around the campus to advertise upcoming events, social media for the school goes crazy the day of a big game, yet only

David Conti

DURHAM, UOIT GYM: Both Lord Durham as well as Hunter the Ridgeback greet fans ahead of the anticipated Charity Cup game on campus. two sports in the school get the most at-tention. Cameron believes it could be as easy as putting up more posters, or sending more tweets, or even doing something like a reminder sent to students’ college e-mails.

“You’re never doing too much,” Cameron says. He says an important piece of getting more fans to the games is hav-

ing the athletes of other sports teams supporting their fellow Lords athletes at their respective events.

While Cameron believes the staff is doing a lot to increase attendance at sporting events, they are determined to make sure people attending school aren’t just students, but fans too.

Some years ago in a Thai-food restaurant in Toronto, a man was doing push-ups in between cooking the customers’ meals.

His boss didn’t like that he was doing it, and promptly fired him after the second time he got caught with his exercises.

He got hired back, with a pay raise, rather promptly due to it being the middle of the late dinner rush.

He kept on doing push-ups in between cooking.

Who was this young man and why was he doing push ups?

Ajahn (or Master) Suchart Yodkerepauprai, a world famous martial artist. He was keeping his body fit to continue doing Thailand’s martial art, Muay Thai.

Yodkerepauprai visited Durham College this semester to talk to the Martial Arts Fan Club about Muay Thai, with the fighting style of his home country.

Suchart himself has been practicing Muay Thai since he was nine-yearsold, a sport and discipline that he has made his life around. He started in his village, Mae Hong Son, in local tournaments.

Since moving to Canada in 1986, he has taught more than 50,000 students and now owns two different Muay Thai schools in Toronto. Before that, Muay Thai was a relatively unknown sport.

“No one knew what it was. ‘Is it Tae-kwon-do, is it Karate, is it Kung-fu?’ I tell them it’s Muay Thai,” he explains. “No one knows.”

He has trained many students. A few have gone on to work for private security and police forces.

Some of them have also become athletes in different leagues of fighting.

When he started out, it was a challenge for him to get students.

“After starting, it took me three years to get two students,” Suchart said, explaining the struggles with starting out with a new and unknown gym with an unknown sport.

He has been given multiple awards by multiple sporting organizations, including Trainer of the Year in both 2011 and 2012, and is listed in the 2010 Canadian Immigrant Top 25 Canadian Immigrants for his help in turning peoples’ lives around for the better.

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Sports

Amanda Filardi

ALL-STAR THERAPIST: From an everyday massage therapist to tending to the national women’s lacrosse team for the 2013 World Cup, UOIT and Durham’s Alison Chasczewski works hard to tend to our athletes.

A hands-on approach to winning Amanda Filardi The Chronicle

Alison Chasczewski has done many things in her career as an athletic therapist, some of which are memories she will hold on to forever. Traveling with a national women’s lacrosse team, and being the lead therapist in charge of medical at the 2013 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup being two of the biggest.

Chasczewski, athletic therapist at Durham College/UOIT, started with the national team in 2005, and says her involve-

ment with the team was a bit of a fluke.

“I was rehabbing a girl that was in university and she was a lacrosse player…she ended up being the manager for the team,” says Chasczewski. The coach of the team at the time was looking for a therapist, and decided to give her a call after hearing about her from a university student. “You take those opportunities when you’re dealing with international and national level teams, so I said ‘sure, why not?’”

That “sure why not” may not have lead her to the national team right away due

to security restrictions and timing, but it did lead to several years of great experiences, beginning with working with the junior national team in Australia.

“It was an invaluable experience,” says Chasczewski.

Having to take care of a team of girls for a 24-hour flight was a challenge, but she was up for it.

Her biggest task came in 2011, when she was asked to be the chief therapist for all medical at the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup, hosted in Oshawa.

She was responsible for making sure that every team

‘

You take those opportunities when you’re dealing with international and national level teams, so I said ‘sure, why not?’.

’

Alison Chasczewski

had efficient staff, training equipment, and providing staff to those teams who didn’t have any.

Chasczewski had her work

cut out for her, but she knew it wouldn’t be easy.

“That planning was two years in the process.,” she says.

“That pretty much took up all my summer of 2013.”

Chasczewski admits she didn’t learn everything there is to know about lacrosse, as the sport is a complicated one, but she did learn how hard it can be to co-ordinate large events like a world cup.

As for what is ahead, she has no plans.

Right now she is a busy athletic therapist at Durham College, taking care of athletes during and after their seasons.

Durham roller derby looks for ‘Fresh Meat’ Durham Region Roller Derby is making a strong comeback, in hopes to expand to campus sports

Angela Lavallee The Chronicle

Roller derby is making a comeback in Oshawa and is one of the fastest growing sports in the province, according to local enthusiasts.

Durham Region Roller Derby (DRRD) is made up of three teams with a farm team to pick from each new season. The league was created in 2009 as a not-for-profit organization and has grown since then.

“We’ve been in the Durham Region for five years. Our roller derby teams are growing bigger each year,” said Brian J. Legree media and relations manager of the Durham Region Roller Derby.

Legree finds it funny because he is always mistaken for Durham College’s journalism professor and editor of The Chronicle, Brian Legree. “I’m not him,” he says chuckling.

Legree says roller derby has changed over time.

“The teams are dedicated to each other and the league, and its highly competitive sport,” he says. “It’s a tough game and it’s not like 40 years ago. A lot has changed in the game since then.

It’s challenging in finding a spot to play, but we manage.”

The DDRD league follows the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association’s rules and regulations. Players usually skate in an oval, where a pack of blockers essentially try to

stop the jammers from getting through and scoring.

‘

The teams are dedicated to each other and the league, and its highly competitive sport.

Brian J. Legree

’

Currently the DRRD competes with teams from Peterborough, Lindsay and Kingston on a derby pad at Coachlite Roller Gardens in Oshawa.

Roller derby is not a college sport, something Legree has tried to rectify. “Colleges are not interested in a league yet.

I think the type of surface and space we need is the issue,” he said.

Legree said he’d like to see roller derby an Olympic sport and perhaps with a slope bank rather than a flat track. “The Olympics now have BMX, why not roller derby?”

Players who want to try roller derby can take the Fresh Meat Camp training. The camp is essential requirement to go onto the farm team to compete at that level. The camp also provides training for those who want to referee or coach.

In late March, the camp reopened for a new training season and runs for 11 weeks. The director of the camp hopes a lot of women will come out and join.

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Ajax is a Pan Am field of dreams

Jordan Edmonds The Chronicle

One of the largest sporting events in the world will soon arrive in Canada. With 42 countries from around the Americas competing, the 2015 Pan Am Games is taking place all over Ontario, and you can catch baseball right on your doorstep.

The President’s Choice facility in north Ajax has been chosen to host both the men’s and women’s baseball and softball for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

“The Ontario government saw benefit in hosting the games around the Greater Toronto Area,” said Heather Irwin, a Pan Am Games co-ordinator and spokesperson on the Toronto 2015 organizing committee.

Ajax was chosen to host the baseball and softball due to its

good accessibility to Toronto and the rich history of baseball within the Durham region.

“Ajax submitted a proposal and the municipal government worked with both the federal and provincial government to prepare for the games,” Irwin said.

Some of these preparations include converting two soccer fields at the facility into two game-ready diamonds and renovating the existing field with a completely new clay infield to meet International Baseball Federation standards.

With approximately 175,000 spectators expected to visit the facility, there will be lots of events running for them while watching the events.

“We expect it to be a well attended event and one the community will be excited about,” Irwin added. The buzz around the games has already begun, according to local base-

ball player and Ajax resident Ilija Bozinovski.

‘

The facilities and games are going to inspire a lot of kids and do big things for Canadian sports.

Ilija Bozinovski

’

“Everybody is talking about the Pan Am Games and the new facilities, I haven’t experienced anything like this,” he said.

The MLB recently cleared way for all major league teams to allow minor league players to play for their chosen countries.

Many feel this is a great as-

pect of the games, not only because of the quality of players on the field but there is potential to see a player who will be a superstar in years to come.

Players in the last Pan Am Games included Drew Smyly, Jordy Mercer and Jose Abreu, who are all now established big league players.

More exciting players are expected to be on the rosters this year, according to Irwin.

“This is considered to be one of the premier international baseball championships in the world and we expect some of the best teams and players from around the world,” she added.

This event has taken years of planning and it has been a very expensive journey with the budget for the games standing at $1.4 billion. The renovations and buildings, however, are not just for the present they are also for the future of sports in Ontario.

The facilities have all been built with legacy in mind so that it doesn’t go to waste, according to officials. A huge workforce has been assembled to ensure everything runs smoothly too. Around 23,000 volunteers have been recruited from across Ontario.

Bozinovski feels this is a worthwhile investment.

“The facilities and games are going to inspire a lot of kids and do big things for Canadian sports,” he said.

These events always have the potential to inspire many future sports players according to Irwin. It will be interesting to see the impact it will have on not just the Durham region but also the whole of Canada.

“There’s going to be baseball superstars playing at diamonds that I grew up around, I can’t wait,” Bozinovski added.

The opening ceremony is July 10.

Our teams in action this season

Sean Heeger

TOP LEFT: UOIT women’s hockey team in action against Queen’s Gaels.

Sean Heeger

BOTTOM LEFT: Jordan Edmonds warming up in the bullpen for the Durham College men’s baseball team.

Tabitha Reddekop

BOTTOM RIGHT: Jessica Broad and Maddie Rae-White blocking a spike from a Georgian Grizzlies player.

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The Chronicle

April 14, 2015