I went in with an optimistic view. There was no pressure. - See page 22 Volume XLIV, Issue 5
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November 8 - 14, 2016
page 23 Photograph courtesy of Scott Dennis
A veteran remembers
page 12 Photograph by Tommy Morais
Sub-Zero 'smashes' Luigi
It's time to give blood
page 14
page 19
Photograph by Jared Williams
Photograph by Jenn Amaro
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KCAB FRONT of the
DC journalism students look at Durham College and UOIT, and beyond, by the numbers and with their cameras
Photograph by Sam Odrowski
Really, the fish was this big
Or perhaps the real fishy story is the construction on Simcoe Street is going on longer than originally anticipated. The good news? That just means we'll get to see the smiling face of Durham Regional Police Const. Jessica Park a little longer. Photograph by Rebecca Calzavara
No tricks, just treats
Second year Durham College public relations students Melanie Richard (left) and Natasha Hatherly spent Halloween in the pit. They were hosting a candy bar and raffle to raise money for the program's trip to Chicago in the spring.
What they're saying inside the Chronicle "We have a greater respect for our food when we're physically growing it." Campus - pg. 9 "I'm trying to make this my home. And I’m trying to bring something that I like doing, going to conventions, to my home area." "He's got a lot of knowledge in regards to the game. It's awesome to have a coach who knows what they're talking about." Sports - pg. 22
Entertainment - pg. 19
Photograph by Danielle Harder
The Chronicle scores on Riot
Ridgebacks soccer star Rhiannon Kissel stopped by the Riot Radio studio to talk about the season and being athlete of the week for the week of Oct. 25. Sports anchor Michael Welsh got the chance to chat with her live on the air.
Catch The Chronicle live Thursdays @ 3 p.m. on riotradio.ca
Campus
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To unionize or not to unionize? UOIT support staff are being asked to enter discussion about union
I’m not trying to intimidate anyone or twist someone’s arm.
Toby VanWeston The Chronicle
About 400 support staff employees at UOIT are being asked if they want to unionize. Members of the UOIT support staff are being contacted by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 555 to gauge interest in joining the union. PSAC Local 555 already represents teaching assistants, research assistants, sessional faculty and post-doctoral fellows at UOIT. This past summer, about 20 members of the UOIT support staff contacted PSAC to ask for help in negotiating the terms and conditions of their contracts. But before that can happen, the support staff members have to agree to join PSAC, says Marie Polgar-Matthews, PSAC 555 executive assistant. “We’ve reached approximately 200 people so far. We’ve had good response. A lot of people are asking for unionization,” says Polgar-Matthews. “We feel like we’ve contacted about half the staff. We’re hoping
Photograph by Toby VanWeston
Marie Polgar-Mattews, PSAC 555 executive assistant, in her office.
that we can reach out to [the other half ]. If they’re interested, they can contact us. So we can find out who wants to exercise this right. And even if they’re not interested, we still want to hear from them. Regardless, either way, we just want to know.” If 40 per cent to 60 per cent of the support staff indicate they want unionization, PSAC will contact the employer, UOIT, and the
Ontario Labour Relations Board to request a secret ballot vote for unionization. The results must be in favour of an union by 50 per cent plus one vote, for the groups to enter negotiations, says Polgar-Matthews. Polgar-Matthews says PSAC’s goal is to inform staff of their rights first and foremost. “I’m not trying to intimidate anyone or twist someone’s arm. I
just want to make sure they have all the information. So they can exercise their rights, informed,” she says. The support staff who contacted PSAC had a wide range of concerns, says Polgar-Matthews. These included wages, hiring procedures, working conditions, and vacation time. Some felt there was some nepotism in hiring, and others felt bene-
fits, such as the school’s vision plan, was not comparable to other universities. Polgar-Matthews is optimistic about negotiations with UOIT, in the event a decision is made to unionize. She explains how past dealings between PSAC and the school have always been positive. “We have a really good relationship with the employers. We have been in negotiations with them several times, and we’ve always been able to find common ground. We’ve never had to go on strike or cause any job action,” says Polgar-Matthews. For their part, UOIT supports the staff’s right to unionize. “The decision to join or not join a union belongs to the employee,” says John MacMillan, director, Communications and Marketing. “The university respects the law that allows employees to have a right to join a union if they wish.” PSAC has a year to reach the required 40 per cent to 60 per cent of support staff interested in unionization, in order for a secret ballot to be conducted.
The city of Oshawa needs your help in new survey
Have your say about the 2017 budget in new online poll Travis Fortnum The Chronicle
Our American neighbours are making a huge decision at the polls soon, but here in Oshawa you can make your voice heard, too. The city’s 2017 budget process is now underway and officials are calling on the community to get involved. City hall has posted a brief, four-question survey online for residents to do just that. All you need to do is register using your postal code and email address, to verify that you live within city limits. Every year the city uses a share of property tax dollars to make improvements and changes with-
in the community. For every dollar paid in municipal taxes, roughly 41 cents goes to Durham Region for expenses such as transit and 18 cents goes to local school boards. “It takes a lot,” says city councillor Amy McQuaid-England, a former president of Durham College and UOIT’s Student Association. “It’s a multi-million dollar budget. The survey was something that I had championed to try and get more involvement from residents in the budgeting process.” In 2016, the city has an operating budget exceeding $134 million. At a recent city council meeting, city departments discussed the need for the distribution of funds for several projects. These range from the expansion of off-leash dog parks within the city to bigger jobs, such as repairs to the multi-storey parking garage on Mary Street (by the Tribute Communities Centre, home of the Oshawa Generals). A new video scoreboard was installed at the arena this summer which cost the city more than $760,000. With the Generals setting their sights on a bid to host the 2018 Memorial Cup, the city has also approved an additional
$200,000 to help with working towards that goal. UOIT is also looking to be included in the city’s budget plans. The school is currently in the process of expanding into 380 acres of land that previously belonged to Windfields Farms. With the construction of the Software and Informatics Research Centre (SIRC) underway and another building coming soon, there are currently plans to ask for $25 million from
You don’t need to be an expert to know where you want your money to go.
Photograph by Travis Fortnum
DC student Joseph Wolfman fills out Oshawa city council’s online survey. the region, with some of that money coming from the city of Oshawa. City Council meets on Dec. 12 for a presentation of the proposed budget for next year. “I would encourage students to get involved,” says McQuaid-England, “you don’t need to be an expert to know where you want your
money to go.” Now more than ever it’s important for students to raise their voice and tell the city where they want to see their tax dollars go. Those in the area with a minute or two can spare can head over to ConnectOshawa.ca before Nov. 14 to find the survey.
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Editorial
PUBLISHER: Greg Murphy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Brian Legree AD MANAGER: Dawn Salter
CONTACT US NEWSROOM: brian.legree@durhamcollege.ca ADVERTISING: dawn.salter@durhamcollege.ca
Cartoon by Toby VanWeston
Breastfeed where you want Breastfeeding in public is not seen as the breast…um, the best place for women to feed their babies. Last month, a staff member from a Toronto country club escorted a woman to the basement so she could finish breastfeeding. When asked to leave a public setting to finish breastfeeding, a nursing mother may begin to wonder if the sole function of the breast has been forgotten. A woman breastfeeding in public may not be the most comfortable situation for people, but mothers shouldn’t have to accommodate the needs of others. A mother’s responsibility is to her child. Women should be able to feed their children without interruption or indignation.
Female body parts are all over the media. While it’s understandable parents view ‘private parts’ as inappropriate for young children, sexual education is starting early. According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, students as early as first grade are learning about different body parts and their functions. This includes genitalia. Breastfeeding is a natural process. Humans are among over 5,000 species of mammals that produce milk to feed to their young, according to the Encyclopedia of Life. Farmers wouldn’t shame a cow into finding a more private part of the barn to finish nursing its calf. Women are no different. Women are not consciously making the decision to reveal their body
EDITORS: Jenn Amaro, James Bauman, Rebecca Calzavara, Nathan Chow, Sharena Clendening, Dean Daley, Alexander Debets, Travis Fortnum, Tyler Hodgkinson, Barbara Howe, Noor Ibrahim, James Jackson, Christopher Jones, Frank Katradis, Daniel Koehler, Angela Lavallee, Chelsea McCormick, Tyler Mcmurter, Laura Metcalfe, Tommy Morais, Joshua Nelson, Nicole O'Brien, Samuel Odrowski, Devarsh Oza, Trusha Patel, Matthew Pellerin, Asim Pervez, Emily Saxby, Tyler Searle, Jessica Stoiku, Euvilla Thomas, Toby Vanweston, Kayano Waite, Brandi Washington, Michael Welsh, Jared Williams, Erin Williams.
to the community. It’s not easy to work around the time when a newborn needs to eat. Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel, authors of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, believe newborns must be fed about eight to 12 times each day. According to Kelly Bonyata, a certified lactation consultant, a mother shouldn’t wait to feed until her baby is crying. It’s better to nurse too often than not often enough. Breastfeeding about ten to 12 times daily helps produce good milk supply. Newborns also take anywhere from ten to 45 minutes to finish feeding. Hind milk, the most nutritious milk babies need to gain weight, isn’t produced until near
the end of the feeding. Stopping a mother from nursing her baby prematurely is detrimental to the baby’s health. Not only is breastfeeding healthy for the baby, there are ways the mother can benefit from it. According to Cochrane, an organization dedicated to informing people about health and lifestyle choices, women who breastfeed reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infection. Milk production burns 500 calories a day, according to Murkoff and Mazel. This means women lose the weight they gained during pregnancy at a much faster rate if they breastfeed. Breastfeeding also encourages the continuation of healthy eating
The Chronicle is published by the Durham College School of Media, Art
and Design, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7L7, 7212000 Ext. 3068, as a training vehicle for students enrolled in Journalism and Advertising courses and as a campus news medium. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the college administration or the board of governors. The Chronicle is a member of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association.
Publisher: Greg Murphy
Editor-In-Chief: Brian Legree
Advertising Production Manager: Kevan F. Drinkwalter
Features editor: Teresa Goff
Photography Editor: Al Fournier
well after the stages of pregnancy. It’s important for mothers to maintain their energy while breastfeeding, according to the Canadian Women’s Health Network. Breastfeeding is a natural and healthy process; therefore women should not have to hide away from such a natural part of motherhood. Mothering a newborn takes a lot of time and energy. It shouldn’t be wasted on judgments others may have about exposing their breasts in the name of attending to their child. It’s something that you may not see everyday, but you’re going to run into it whether you’re in a country club, on the bus or on campus. Jessica Stoiku
MEDIA REPS: Brandon Agnew, Justin Bates, Zach Beauparlant, Kayla Cook, Nathalie Desrochers, Charlotte Edwards, Yannick Green, Madeline Grixti, Stephanie Hanna, Lijo Joseph, Sarah Judge, Shannon Lazo, Megan Mcdonald, Ashley Mcgregor, Josh Mcgurk, Katie Miskelly, Louisa Molloy, Jasmine Ohprecio, Alex Powdar, Olivia Randall-Norris, Kaela Richardson, Madeleine Riley, Alex Royer, Spencer Stevens, Rachel Thompson, Geroge Tsalavoutas, Alexandra Weekes, Cameron Westlake. PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Rachel Alexander, Angela Bahnesli, Sarah Bhatti, Anokhi Bhavsar, Steven Brundage, Chanel Castella, Brandon Clark, Scott Cowling, Leanne Howorth, Bryce Isaacs, Erin Jones, Natasha Kowo, Samantha Mallia, Alyssa Matthew, Alexandra Rich, Bethany Seaton, Kristian Seepersad, Georgina Tsoutsos, Marisa Turpin, Rachel Wendt, Travis Yule.
Ad Manager: Dawn Salter
Technical Production: Keir Broadfoot
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Opinion
Local farmers are not getting enough credit As a society we take the abundance and accessibility of food for granted, and it is because of hardworking farmers that we do not fear food scarcity. Farmers don’t get enough credit for providing what is the backbone of our daily lives. Farmers such as Stewart Skinner of Listowel, Ont. want you to do more than buy and consume. Skinner encourages the public to talk to farmers who produce their food. In the Op-Ed piece written by Skinner for the Toronto Star on Thanksgiving Monday this year, Skinner speaks about the gratification that comes for him by educating consumers who take the time to speak with him. Through education consumers learn more about the food they are consuming and the farmer gains respect for the work he does. If more of the public took the time to learn about where their food comes from and how it is produced, farmers would get the credit they deserve. Animal activists attempt to discredit the valuable work farmers do by putting the lives of animals ahead of farmers’ livelihoods. The fact is farmers feed our entire nation. According to the World Bank there will need to be an increase in food production by at least 50 per cent by 2050 to feed the then nine billion people on earth. Without an increase in the size of existing farm operations, or an
James Bauman influx of new farm operations, the number of those experiencing food scarcity and uncertainty will only continue to increase. Now more than ever we need to support our farmers, because without them society ceases to function. In Durham Region there are 20 farmer’s markets and farms that sell directly to the public. From Pickering to Newcastle to Brooklin, there are no shortages of opportunities for the public to not only buy locally but also to become more educated about their food. You would be hard pressed to find a farmer at a farmer’s market who was unwilling to discuss your purchase, how it was produced, and where it was produced. So when animal activists target farms and farmers with both sabotage or rhetoric they neglect the work that farmers do for our communities here at home in Durham Region, across Canada, and around the world. Go out and speak to a farmer, buy local, become educated about your food and how its produced. We need to take a moment, slow down, and step back to when those in the community knew who was putting food on their dinner table. When was the last time you spoke to a farmer?
Photograph by James Bauman
Pick up your trash, people!
The users of the men’s washroom at Durham College in I Wing have not been demonstrating any basketball skills. A shoot and a mess. Cleanliness is a group effort. Let’s keep it clean.
Voluntourism is not always what we think it is DC faculty recently received an e-mail to pass along to students of a volunteer opportunity overseas with Backpacking for a Purpose, a program through non-profit organization Operation Groundswell. Students need to sign-up by Nov 17 to ensure eligibility. Sound interesting? Even altruistic? Let’s be honest, volunteering overseas isn’t solely an altruistic act, but also doubles as a resume booster, gap year adventure, or, in some cases, just a cheaper way to travel. But what if you’re actually doing more harm than good? Your intentions may be of the virtuous variety, but the organization you choose to work for may turn your trip into a feeble endeavour with a travel bonus. Voluntourism rakes in a substan-
Emily Saxby tial portion of the $173 billion made annually in the global youth travel industry, according to a 2012 report in African Insight. And the issue is just that—voluntourism is a commercial industry. Its existence is a deal with the devil of sorts… Voluntourism began in the mid-1990’s and took off after critically-acclaimed movies City of God (2002) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) shone light on the culture and living conditions in Rio de Janeiro and Mumbai, according to a 2010 article in GeoJournal. The article was based on three studies
conducted in these two major cities as well as Cape Town, South Africa where 300,000 volunteers flock every year. Non-profits began competing against one another, and balancing their purpose and profit was the key to survival, according to a 2012 report in Tourism Recreation Research Journal. Non-profit businesses now have to undercut their missions to be financially feasible since the booming market has attracted organizations that are more money-based than mission-based. The more profit-driven organizations tend to take advantage of well-meaning volunteers by sending them to third world countries, putting them up in hotels, and letting them think they are enacting real change in a community by
building a school when in reality they are taking away opportunities for locals. According to Amnesty International, a non-governmental human rights organization, approximately 37,000 homes were repaired after the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. More than 80 per cent of the rebuilds were short-term unsustainable housing solutions. Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti recently, six years after the massive earthquake, and proved halfhearted humanitarian efforts did almost nothing to rebuild the country. Some of the most common voluntourism trips involve building schools and libraries, teaching English, and visiting orphanages. Voluntourism is most common
among youth, high school and college students. Have you been trained in carpentry… teaching… social work? A 20-year-old providing unqualified assistance to children with profound trauma over the course of a week or two would be better off donating the money spent on the trip to provide salary to those who are more capable. While your personal intentions are likely good, the mission of the organization you choose to volunteer for is far more important. Do your research before you plan to jump on the voluntourism bandwagon (or airplane) and be certain the company imparts real change. Is the organization transparent in its operations and has it made lasting positive impacts? Ensure it’s the communities benefiting and not the corporate sponsors.
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Campus
Photograph by Jessica Stoiku
Dr. Sean Bohun lecturing his class of third year students at UOIT .
The language of mathematics This is one in a series of conversations with faculty experts at UOIT and Durham College
Dr. Sean Bohun is an expert in math and physics in the faculty of science at UOIT Jessica Stoiku The Chronicle
About half of Grade 6 students in Durham Region are below the standard level in mathematics, according to results from the Education Quality Accountability Office (EQAO). Dr. Sean Bohun, an Undergraduate Program Director and Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), explains how math and physics is important to solve problems in the world as smaller, interconnected mathematical equations puzzled together. Tell us what you do and how you do it. What I mostly do in my job is try to have people I interact with, that
was in high school, I thought that meant I had to do physics. So I did degrees in physics and I did a masters degree in theoretical physics. At that time physicists only did one type of job. I don’t like solving the same problem constantly. It drives are not in mathematics, reveal the me crazy. I was interested in the problems that they have and try complete variety of all the problems to determine if these problems are that I could tackle. well posed. I would systematically rule out processes that are con- Who inspired you along the founding. I try to find the dom- way? inant process and then I translate the insight that I get from looking My PhD. supervisor was trained as at the corresponding mathematics an applied mathematician, which problem into language that person means they’re a lot more pure. The will understand. I’m able to talk to appreciation of doing mathematics them to leverage what they know properly really rests with him. He into constructing a model. I’m able wanted me to really carefully exto give them very deep insight into plain why certain things had to their problem by translating what behave the way they had to. He the mathematical conclusions are. also really appreciated how if you That’s what I excel at. have the [physics] intuition, it really makes your life that much easier. How and when did you get in- It allows you to form a picture of terested in mathematics? what’s going on in the world in your head. If you’re doing the problem When I was very young, maybe ten, and you get something that doesn’t I knew that I wanted to be the per- seem right, it sort of is itchy. You just son that solved problems. When I know something is not right.
What is the toughest challenge el for a drop of paint falling down a you have faced in your field? wall.’ Exactly the same equations. I train my students to see these things Trying to find the information I and translate problems into mathneed to get to the next step. Some- ematics and then translate them times people just don’t have it. So I back. will talk to people that are experts in other fields. Sometimes they What is the most important know the information, and some- thing about mathematics times they know that it doesn’t exist thatd you think people should yet. Some of the things I model, be- know? cause I’m trying to make them as realistic as possible, it’s not clear the I can tell you if it’s possible to do best way to do that. The informa- something. These problems that tion is not really available, or I have I get, the reason usually why the to work with somebody else to get people I work with are having difthat information. The problem with ficulty with them, is because the key the students is that, until they really piece that makes that problem interunderstand what I do, they really esting is something that hasn’t been aren’t excited about it. You have to considered before. So the problem is do a lot of background to get to the inherently difficult. It’s just on the point where you can work with me. edge of being able to be solved. If it were in the class of things that we What’s your favourite part of knew how to solve already, it would your field? already be solved. I’m coming up with new theories and new problems One of the nice things about math- that have sort of irritating properties ematics is that I can write down the that make them very difficult. equations for something and then I can say, ‘okay, that is a model for This story has been edited for style, length traffic on a highway. It’s also a mod- and clarity.
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Photograph provided by Dr. Christopher O’Connor
Dr. Christopher O’Connor is an assistant professor at UOIT.
Young people and crime This is one in a series of conversations with faculty experts at UOIT and Durham College
Sharena Clendening The Chronicle
Dr. Christopher O’Connor is no stranger to the crime and the justice system. The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, has worked out west, worked at the University of Wisconsin and now he’s here in Oshawa. What does an assistant professor do? I do a lot of the method classes, as well as, a sort of data analysis, these sorts of things. So that tends to be where my teaching area is focused here. I also teach a class on risk in crime, which is an advance justice study one. What type of research do you do?
I focus in a few areas; mostly I have done research on young people. I have done research on how young people steal cars, a bit on school towards transitions and how young people perceive deviance, in particular, in a boomtown setting. I have done some work in Fort McMurray. I did a research project on how young people transition from school to work in that boomtown context, where you can
easily get a job driving a truck for example and make $100,000 rather than go on to further education… Recently I am doing research on policing. So how the police use social media to talk to the public. On current stuff, I’m moving some of my oil and gas research into fracking, I’m looking forward to that project. It will also include looking at some of the social aspects that goes along with fracking.
How young people are often ignored to a certain extent.
What makes this research relevant? I think what I try to do is provide sort of a best practices in a lot of my research, or implications for policy. In terms of some of my more recent stuff on police and social media, I’m doing interviews with police officers across Canada and trying to gather some of the best practices for how to use it. What are some of the things that go well using social media as police agencies? What are some of the things that go bad? And what I do is turn that into recommendations with things not to do and write that up and send it. When did you get interested in this topic? I have always been interested ever since undergrad, in doing research with young people, and
that’s sort of where it started my interest in research. And basically how young people are often ignored to a certain extent. We research them but we don’t actually talk to young people very often or as much as we should, I think, to get an understanding of how they understand the social world, some of the issues that they have and challenges they have. So what drew me to research is how little we knew about young people. It also goes with my interest in oil and gas. I was in Alberta doing my PhD and this opportunity developed because it was sort of the height of the boom around 2005 – 2006, and no one really had done that type of research in Fort McMurray on this topic, so it was an exciting time to do that. This story has been edited for style, length and clarity.
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Doug Holdway and his grad students study the effects of man-made chemicals on aquatic organisms and their ecosystems.
Campus
Photograph by Tyler Searle
Why we need to watch what goes down the drain
This is one in a series of conversations with faculty experts at UOIT and Durham College
UOIT professor sits down to talk about the importance of his work Tyler Searle The Chronicle
Dr. Doug Holdway is a professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) who specializes in aquatic ecotoxicology. A graduate from the university of Guelph with a PHD in marine biology and aquatic toxicology, his work to keep our water sources healthy has taken him all over the world, from New Brunswick to Australia. Dr. Holdway agreed to sit down and explain why he chose this profession as well as some of the different ways he conducts his research. In his own words, “Somebody has
to speak for the fish.”
systems.
How exactly do you study the effects of toxicity on aquatic organisms?
What go you interested in studying aquatic organisms?
Generally we use model organisms, like small species of fish or rainbow trout, invertebrates like Daphnia, water fleas, or hydra. We expose them to select concentrations of various contaminants and observe their survival, growth, and reproduction. Why is this relevant? Why do we need to know the effects of toxicity on aquatic organisms? Basically, every chemical that we manufacture and use ends up in aquatic ecosystems. The vast majority are designed for purposes other than use other than use in aquatic ecosystems, and they can have dramatic effects. Particularly the substances we have been recently studying; pharmaceuticals and personal care products. These are very active compounds designed to have biological effects, but not designed to have effects on the non target organisms found in aquatic eco-
It is an interest I’ve had since I was five years old. We went to visit the Federal Fisheries Research Station in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. I was fortunate enough to get a tour of the laboratory and from that point on that was what I wanted to do. Ironically, many years later, I ended up doing my PHD in the very laboratory I visited as a five year-old. Did anyone ever inspire you along the way? By biggest inspiration would have been John Sprig, who is sort of the grandfather of aquatic toxicity in Canada, and one of the world experts. In his day this was a very new science and he developed some of the earliest protocols for studying these compounds. I did my masters with him at the university of Guelph. What are your current projects? I teach both introductory physi-
ology and I teach advanced topics in environmental toxicology. I also have a group of very talented graduate students that assist me in undertaking research on various contaminants on aquatic organisms. Mostly for the moment we’ve been focused on pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Things like birth control pills in females or ibuprofen, which is an Advil. So chemicals we use on a day to day basis go through us—via the toilet—into sewage treatment plants, but they were never designed to remove these kinds of chemicals. So only some of them are removed, and the rest go out in the broader environment, where, in the case of hormones, they can have potent effects in very low concentration. The earliest form of endocrine disruptors—which is the broad term for chemicals that affect the endocrine system, like hormones. The earliest types of chemicals we had that caused these effects were DDT, which affected the egg shells of various species of birds, by impacting on the calcium production in the egg. The birds would sit on the eggs and they’d collapse, and as a result the populations collapsed catastrophically. In lake Ontario, we have a variety of organo chem-
ical—especially organ chlorines— that are still present as a consequence from usages in the 1960’s and 70’s, which are still around because they are so persistent... It doesn’t look like we’ve learned much over time. We keep making the same mistakes. What do you think is the most important thing in aquatic toxicology that people should know about? That’s an interesting question. I would think that people should be aware that everything we use and produce eventually ends up in the water. This is everything from micro-plastics, where plastics break down, to chemicals that are day to day use, to agricultural chemicals. All of the products that we are associated with will end up in the water—fresh water and eventually the ocean. Unfortunately, most of these chemicals will stay in the aquatic environment and only the really volatile ones will cycle through. The world is the blue planet, and we need to look after that blue. This story has been edited for style, length and clarity.
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Put your money where your mouth is Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story Kayano Waite The Chronicle
Imagine not buying groceries for months at a time. Or only being able to eat food found in dumpsters. That’s what filmmakers Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer did for six months. Their film was recently shown at the Regent Theatre in Oshawa where several dozen locals saw the movie for free. The documentary Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story is an award-winning documentary about a married couple who choose not to not buy shelved food for six months. The film also shows how much food the food industry and consumers waste on food products. According to the film, In the U.S., nearly 40 per cent of food goes uneaten. y. This is worth more than $30 billion worth of food wasted yearly, according to the Toronto Food Policy Council. Large amounts of organic material going to landfills makes methane gas, which become hazardous to the environment. The event was hosted by the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee, together with the Region of Durham and UOIT. The chair of the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee, Susan Hall, said the film could teach viewers about actions to not waste food. “We picked this movie in part because it ties food waste to climate change,” she said. Also in part be-
cause we haven’t done a movie that focused on food and waste like this before.” The overall focus of the night was on waste reduction, food production and climate change. There were several displays set up before the movie started. One of them belonged to the Whitby Ajax Garden Project. The Whitby Ajax Garden project is a not-for-profit community and communal garden. Volunteer Victoria Templer says food made in the garden goes to several agencies, including local churches, food banks, shelters and the Boys and Girls Club.
We have a greater respect for our food when we’re physically growing it. Templer says DC students have helped with pest control at the garden over the past two years. “They and their teacher came out. They would go through all the garden, find out what was infecting our vegetables and then come back and give us a small report,” she said. Shane Jones, a horticulture professor from Durham College, was the guest speaker of the night. Jones agreed with the view of the film. He says people may not think much about how much food they’re wasting.
Photograph by Kayano Waite
Whitby Ajax Garden Project volunteers Darlene Dzura (left) and Victoria Templer at the Regent Theatre.
“What I found is that we have a greater respect for our food when we’re physically growing it,” he said.
“When we’re the ones physically putting our hands in soil, when we’re the ones watering day after day, when we’re the ones pulling
off weeds, when we do all of that we have a greater connection to our food and a greater respect for it”.
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Campus
Durham College marks 50th anniversary in 2017 Jessica Stoiku The Chronicle
Durham College president Don Lovisa is looking forward to the celebrations the college has in store in a couple months. Durham College, along with the 15 other Ontario colleges, opened their doors in 1967, with the others following just before and after that date. They will be participating in events to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2017. Durham College has been planning the celebration for more than a year through an internal commit-
tee consisting of about 35 students, alumni, faculty and retirees. Every month will host a different event that Lovisa hopes will draw in past and current students on campus. The first event in January will be a hockey game between the Oshawa Generals and the Hamilton Bulldogs at the Tribute Communities Centre. An interactive tour bus will be making its first stop at Durham College in September and will continue to travel to the other colleges in Ontario. It will provide a glance back through the 50 years of the
college system. “We hope to draw a lot of alumni back on campus for the various events for a bit of a homecoming,” says Lovisa. In 1965 the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology was founded to provide more access to higher education, as well as accommodating for the different learning styles of students that universities otherwise could not provide. The 24 colleges in Ontario now serve about 220,000 full-time and 300,000 part time students, according to the Report on Education in Ontario Colleges.
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Many alumni of Durham College have left the region, according to Lovisa. One of the biggest challenges the committee faces, is trying to reach out and create a noise and buzz loud enough to bring them back and share their stories with current students. “We probably have 75,000, 76,000 alumni,” says Lovisa. “Our biggest challenge is trying to communicate and trying to get alumni from around the world to come back or to get into the celebration.” Every college throughout Ontario will be running a Speaker
Series with alumni. “We want people to talk about the college system. We want them to talk about their experience in the college system and how it has helped them in their careers and in their lives, so that the next generation understands what the colleges provide,” says Lovisa. Some alumni have gone off to become presidents and co-founders of their own companies as well as executives of corporations. Meeting these people and listening to their success stories is very rewarding in his job as an educator and president, Lovisa says.
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Durham veteran remembers Second World War Tommy Morais The Chronicle
Norman Harold Smith saw history first-hand. As a sergeant in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) he witnessed the Second World War and the impact of the holocaust. “Once we defeated Germany, I went to a few concentration camps and saw the terrible horrors there. Guys so skinny that’d you wonder if they could still stand up. People whose minds were already gone just wandering around,” says Smith. With Remembrance Day approaching, the 92-year-old veteran, a Brooklin resident, took time to remember his days serving the country. Some doubt and even question the holocaust’s existence. Smith has seen it for himself. “Oh yes, it’s absolutely true. I did see it so no matter what anybody says, that’s its fake… It was the real truth; I saw it with my own eyes.” He remembers one particular instance where he felt helpless after visiting a hospital in Holland. “I was stationed in Holland. Near the airfield was a hospital full of children and we used to take candy there. We were told there was no sense in doing that, they were starved to death. There was no use, they were too far gone. It’s something you never forget,” he says. Smith vividly remembers famine and starvation among the people of Holland. “They would line up outside our tents begging for food. We had barrels of food. These people would dig in the barrels with their hands. They were eating tulips, anything to survive. I can still see them and that’s a long time ago.” Smith began his military training when he was 16, but was told he was too young to defend his country. Smith was waiting for the call when he turned 18 in 1942. “I got my call when I turned 18, came in did my medical and so forth and went to Quebec and Halifax for my training and then off to Europe.” To many, including Smith, being in the military meant work, food and shelter in a country that was undergoing a recession. “Before the war I was looking for work. The military was a job, a way of life,” he says. Smith got to do five missions as a
mid-upper gunner before the RCAF found out he was colourblind. “We flew over Germany and dropped bombs,” he says. “We’d be going after airfields and factories. It was very scary, but I never had any mishaps.” Sometimes the emotions would get the better of the veteran who would yell profanities at the enemy. “You don’t really want to hear the words” he admits, with a laugh. “Take that, you [explicit]!” The leading aircraftsman was devoid of personal feelings as he shot at the enemy. “I don’t know how to put it into proper words,” he begins. “You’re so tense in the air and emotions are running wild. You don’t think about things. That was your enemy, that’s it.” Many of Smith’s compatriots died defending their country. More than 45,000 died and 54,000 were wounded defending Canada during the Second World War. “They would say, “he bought it” when one of them died,” he says. “We knew right away what that meant.” The Second World War has long been a popular landscape for movies and video games. The former aircraftsman believes the way movies and video games portray war is exaggerated and disrespectful to deceased veterans. “I think it’s glamourized. I don’t think its fair to the veterans that have passed away.” Smith was honourably discharged on Oct. 23, 1945. Hitler had been defeated, the war was over. Upon returning to Canada, Smith readjusted to civilian life by going back to school. He took an electrical class and later founded a business called Electric Motors. Today he is retired and lives with his life partner at the Court at Brooklin in Whitby. The veteran is decorated for his work in the RCAF. His medals include: 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and the 1939-45 War Medal. “It makes me a little weepy,” he says. “I don’t look at these too often.” Smith and other veterans are honoured on Nov. 11. “They would do the same. I did my job,” he says humbly.
Photograph by Tommy Morais
Norman Smith shown here as a young man. This document served as his identification during the Second World War.
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Saint Vincent’s is serving those in need Sam Odrowski The Chronicle
Saint Vincent Palloti’s soup kitchen in Oshawa is making a difference for the community in multiple ways. The kitchen has served dinner to those in need every day for the last 25 years. On an average night, St. Vincent’s serves supper to a hundred to two hundred people, totalling about 50,000 hot meals annually. Kitchen supervisor, Tony Crasto, says he sees a lineup around the block every day, filled with people waiting for a hot meal. St. Vincent’s receives many donations from the community to meet that need. Tim Hortons and other local bakeries often throw away unsold goods so whatever isn’t sold by the end of the night is often donated to St. Vincent’s, according to Crasto. He says retirement homes also tend to cook more food than is needed, leaving them with lots of leftovers. Instead of throwing that food away, it is packaged up an brought to St. Vincent’s where it is sorted through. The charity also receives donations from Loblaws and Costco. They donate food that is on the verge of expiry that otherwise would have been thrown away, according to Crasto. Serving a hot meal is just one way St. Vincent’s meets the needs of lower income and homeless families. “For example, if it was winter and it was very cold out and they needed a winter jacket, upstairs we have a facility that’s a second hand clothing store that allows these individuals to purchase items they may require at a very nominal
price,” says Crasto. Apart from the dinner service and clothing store, St. Vincent’s also has a foodbank. Crasto says there is also a need for breakfast and lunch, not just dinner. Crasto says to accommodate this, volunteers prepare bags of bread and muffins to give to patrons on their way out. “We want to have them take something with them so that they can get through to the next dinner meal,” he says. St. Vincent’s also donates things like sandwiches to homeless dropin centres such as Gate 3:16 and The Refuge. Crasto says this way St. Vincent’s makes sure the community gets the most out of its donations. “Nothing really gets wasted here or thrown out,” he says. “In fact, it’s a great circle of support from the community to the soup kitchen, from the soup kitchen to the homeless drop-in centre, to the youth centre, to all different places. We are helping and supporting each other to make it successful to help those in need.” St. Vincent’s takes a different approach to serving meals. It offers a large four course dinner with a wide selection of meats, vegetables, starches, stews, soups, salads, and desserts. Servers take orders and deliver food to the patrons. Crasto says this creates a restaurant atmosphere where people can choose what they want instead of all being forced to eat the same thing. Patrons pay between $1.00 and a $1.50 a meal. “The reason we do that is so the individual doesn’t feel like it’s a handout, they’re feeling like they earned their meal,” he says. “They
Photograph by Sam Odrowski
Tony Crasto, kitchen supervisor at Saint Vincent Palloti’s soup kitchen in Oshawa, standing in front of bread that is given to those in need. purchased their meal with their hard earned money and so it gives them that sense of dignity that I’m still providing for myself.” Free meal tickets are purchased by volunteers throughout the year so no one goes home hungry whether they have the money or not. The issue of poverty in Durham Region is more prevalent than some people think, according
to Kin Wong. He is a volunteer who picks up the community’s donations in his truck. “Sometimes the teachers have to take money from their own pocket to help feed the kids,” he says. “So when I have extra stuff I bring it down to them so they have something nice.” He has volunteered at St. Vincent’s for the past eight years and
says he loves the good work they do. The kitchen is run by four staff members and 1,500 volunteers. Since August, Durham College has committed to having 16 members of its staff volunteer at St. Vincent’s on the first Thursday of each month. There are currently 90 volunteers from Durham College signed up to serve.
Staying fit by pedalling bikes and watching movies Matthew Pellerin The Chronicle
Amid a sea of darkness lies a blank monitor - motionless and offline. Directly in front of the screen is someone on a simple exercise bike. As the user begins to pedal, a series of scenes unfolds on the monitor. When the pedalling stops so too do the images on monitor. This is not the typical way to enjoy a movie. There is no popcorn or comfy armrest here rather an innovative process: one that requires its audience to work for their entertainment. Steven Evans is a professor and program coordinator at Durham College’s School of Media, Art & Design. Professor Evans encourages students to experiment with current technology, while improving and tweaking it to make their own creations. “[The experiment] is an amalgamation of other ideas and we’ve been building on our own experimentation that we’ve been doing over the past two or three years,” says Evans. As a facilitator, Professor Evans, along with a pair of Durham Col-
lege students, has designed a Kinetic Theatre Experiment. This experiment involves a stationary exercise bike, television screen, as well as a unique visual story written and produced by a Visual Arts student and a massive amount of complex digital coding.
Congratulations, you have burned 2000 calories!
Steven Evans, professor and program coordinator, standing in front of one of the exercise bikes in the kinetic theatre.
This concept, while unique and innovative, is based on existing technology. There is the Swipe technology by Fibaro, which allows users to change content based on gestures and hand motions. Contex, a French water company, held a campaign in which women in a
town square were required to pedal exercise bikes to make a man on screen strip. As the man was about to be completely revealed, a message covered his private parts that read ‘Congratulations, you have burned 2000 calories!’ For now the experiment rests in
Photograph by Matthew Pellerin
C152, waiting for its time in the spotlight. “At some point we would like to join with another program or institution and make it go live in a public space,” says Evans. “Ideally we’ll have it set up at Open House in the spring where prospective students can ride the bicycle and watch the
movie play.” The Kinetic Theatre Experiment isn’t the only technology you’ll be seeing from Evans. “We would like to set up a ‘Smart Room’ environment,” says Evans. “People would come in the room, and there would be cameras and sensors that recognize them and react to them.” Evans and his students have even more tech on the horizon with plans for Ontario College’s 50th Anniversary. “We’ve been asked by the college to build an ‘Escape Room experience’ and some of these experiments will be used,” says Evans. “There are extensive plans going forward.” The technology might seem a little futuristic: something akin to the Wii taken to the next step. However, this will be incorporated in countless aspects of our lives in coming years. Evans says, “The technology is already here.” Movies that require pedaling, content that changes based on hand gestures plus rooms that interact with guests – whatever the next product of this tech revolution is, it is guaranteed to change how we interact with the world around us.
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Donating blood doesn’t take much time Jenn Amaro The Chronicle
Donating blood is such an easy thing for everyone to do, and such a life altering thing for someone in need. On Oct. 31, Durham College hosted a blood typing session. Students were pricked in the finger, and were told what blood type they were within minutes. Maria Roussakis, a medical laboratory science graduate from UOIT, was volunteering for the day with the Canadian Blood Services (CBS). “If you are able to donate, do it. It’s an amazing thing. It’s an hour of your time and it makes such a difference,” she said. Lots of students lined the South Wing hallway and found out their blood type on Oct. 31. This is the first step into making the decision to become a blood donor. However, if you didn’t get the chance to find out your blood type, there’s still a chance to donate. On Nov. 8, in the Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre, the CBS will be returning to campus and collecting donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is not necessary to already know your blood type to come in and help save a life. If you are a previous donor, bring your donor card. If this is your first time, bring a piece of ID with your picture and signature on it. Roussakis says there is a shortage in the blood blank and they could use all the donations they can get. Blood type O negative is in high need, as it is universal. This means that O negative blood can be given to all blood types which is why it is in high demand, according to the CBS. 52 per cent of Canadians say they know someone in need of blood donations, and while one out of every two Canadians is eligible to donate, only one in 60 Canadians donated last year. Students are encouraged to help increase this number at Durham College by raising their sleeves and donating, says Roussakis. The CBS is also offering a OneMatch Stem Cell swabbing during the donation clinic. They accept donations from ages 17-35 and are in high need of males and ethnically diverse individuals. Only one out of two patients find a stem cell match, according to the CBS.
Appointments can be made for blood donations on the CBS website for Nov. 8. If students cannot make that date, they are still encouraged to donate on their own time and make an appointment on blood.ca or calling 1-888-2-DONATE.
Photograph by Jenn Amaro
Students had a chance to learn their blood type and schedule a time to donate blood when Canadian Blood Services visited the campus recently.
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South Asia tension brings stress to international students Asim Pervez The Chronicle
A conflict between Pakistan and India is having an impact on international students at Durham College and UOIT who call those countries home. Approximately 300 students are from those regions, according to Vice-President of the International Student Association, Jankhan Patel. The dispute has been on-going for nearly sixty years now. The two countries have both made threats of nuclear warfare toward each other. The conflict makes it hard for international students that have family in the affected areas. These students studying isn’t easy because they have a family at home to worry about. It is not easy for students to focus on their school work when they have to go to bed every night not knowing if their loved ones are safe. Dozens have died and there has been multiple occurrences of gun fire and grenade use along Kashmir, the disputed territory where the two countries meet. Jankan Patel, says he noticed that everywhere is mostly friendly in Canada, unlike
at home. “Over here, we are helping each other more than back home in India and Pakistan, so I’d just to be good to each individual, it doesn’t matter is he from India or Pakistan,” he said. Ruchit Joshi, an Electronics Engineering Technician, said it is stressful to have family back at home. “It’s very stressful because we have families back home,” he says. “So it is hard because there is a cold war going on. We are tense for our families.” Dhiren Tandel, a Chemical Lab Technician, says that he is getting lower marks because it is challenging to focus on school work. “I am worried for my family and their safety. The situation in the country is not very good, as a result of that I can’t concentrate on my studies,“ he said. Parth Patel, a Computer Program Analyst says that he keeps his hopes for the best. “The matter is not in our hands,” he says. “We can hope for the best, we have to stay in positive in a such a tense condition.” If students are in need of someone to talk to, they can visit the Mental Health Services located in Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, Monday through Friday.
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A little sweat goes a long way Four tips to stay healthy Brandi Washington The Chronicle
Exercise and sleep are two important parts of staying healthy. However, there is more to think about when being active, according to Angie Wood, fitness coordinator at the department of athletics at Durham College and UOIT. She said there should be some component of moderate to vigorous sweating when it comes to your day. Wood teaches “Find Your Fit,” a general elective course at Durham. She also teaches a cycling class at the FLEX gym and she is passionate about yoga. She uses guidelines produced by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) in the course she teaches and in her own life. CSEP is a science research volunteer organization website designed to help Canadians with the four main parts of their day: sweat, step, sleep, and sit. Wood recommends people take at least 10,000 steps a day. She approves of activity trackers, such as Fitbit, and watches that track daily steps. She said sleep is often the ‘S’ left behind. For those who already work out and don’t have time to sleep, Woods has a message. “You can’t workout at your max 24/7 and never have any rest,” she said. “Because it’s those times that you’re resting that are actually doing some repairing in your body.” According to the 2016 Canadian sleep review by Project Sleep, 74 per cent of Canadians are getting less than seven hours of sleep per night. Instead, adults should receive at least seven to nine hours of sleep and a maximum of two hours of sitting per day, according to CSEP. Wood said it is important to be active and not be sitting for no more than two hours per day. As much as these four components are important, she says people can’t forget about nutrition. “You can work out all day and then eat McDonalds 24/7 and not have the body that you want. But if you fill your body with the proper nutrition and exercise that’s when you’re going to see some really big changes,” said Wood. Physical activity and nutrition go hand and hand. Wood has a veggie and fruit shake in the morning, along with snacks such as nuts, seeds, and yogurt. Tyler Tompsett is a Kinesiology student at UOIT and an intern at the gym. He said bodies are meant to move. “You’re going to feel a lot better if you’re physically moving your body,” he said. Tompsett knows a lot about how to treat your body because he is on the Ridgebacks rowing team. He said it is better to drink chocolate milk as opposed to Gatorade when being active.
Tompsett and Wood are walking buddies and both motivate each other to take a quick stroll during the day. Wood said it is important to exercise with a buddy, making sure you both stay on track and get the sweat your body needs. The gym offers activities such as Zumba, yoga, Pilates, belly dancing and many more. There is also an indoor track, saunas, and much more. The FLEX is located in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre. Durham College and UOIT students can access the gym for free. But Wood says walking your dog or walking, shoveling the snow, hiking, gardening, and walking to school are also perfect ways to be physically active. “The better you move, the better you are,” said Wood.
Photograph by Brandi Washington
Noor Ibrahim getting her daily run at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre.
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Entertainment
Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth rock Oshawa Dan Koehler The Chronicle
Plaid wearing 90s rock fans rejoiced as the decade was brought back to life in Oshawa. Alternative rock bands Our Lady Peace and I Mother Earth rocked the Tribute Communities Centre Oct. 29 in front of a screaming near-capacity crowd. Oshawa duo The Standstills, who rose to fame during 2012 after winning the 97.7 CHTZ-FM Rocksearch, opened the show with their mix of blues and western inspired hard rock. The groups started their Canadian tour Oct. 15 in Abbotsford, BC, and finished it off Nov. 5 at Casino Rama in Orillia. This year marked the first time IME’s original vocalist Edwin has performed with the group since his departure in 1997. “It makes me feel young again that’s for sure, It brings back that sense of youth,” said BMO Branch Manager Charlene Esposto, an
OLP fan at the show. “It’s a good opportunity for us to be able to reclaim that and feel something we haven’t felt in a really long time.” Formed in the early 1990s in Toronto, both OLP and IME share a similar style of music and fanbase, with fans sometimes even confusing the two. “My mom and I used to listen to them on the radio all the time and we used to laugh because their names were so similar we thought they were the same band,” said James Hennebury, a fan at the show seeing both OLP and IME for the first time. “Now they’re doing it (touring) at the same time and it is awesome.” Both OLP and IME continue to make new music. OLP released the single ‘Won’t Turn Back’ in 2014 from their 2012 album ‘Curve’, and IME released the singles ‘The Devil’s Engine’ and ‘Blossom’ in 2015. Although fans are always happy to hear new music, its really the songs from the bands glory days
Photograph by Dan Koehler
Edwin, frontman of I Mother Earth, is touring with the group for the first time since 1997. that hold a special place in people’s hearts. “Honestly I’m here for their old music,” said Leanne Legleiter, an OLP fan at the show with a friend. “When they come out with new music then definitely yeah I’ll listen to it, but I love their old stuff.” Aside from the grungy outfits and loud music, the tour aimed to
bring about some good to those in need. All three bands worked with World Vision, who came along the tour. The goal was to sponsor children in one specific community in Zimbabwe which with bands are associated. “They’re looking to sponsor all the children in that community
and do a water project,” said Lorie Smith, a volunteer with World Vision. “I see the program from start to finish and I see how its just transformed communities.” As of Oct. 29, 100 children had been sponsored through the tour, 199 shy of the goal. For more information about how to donate, visit www.worldvision.ca
Retro gaming back like it never left at Oshawa con Jared Williams The Chronicle
From the moment the doors opened the crowd poured in. The childhood nostalgia filled the room. There’s only one place on this side of the Greater Toronto Area where you’ll find people dressed as Lynx, Sub-Zero, Freddy Krueger and Luigi all together, trading video games and game-themed collectors’ items such as toys, figurines and cards. They were on hand for the Durham Video Game Convention Fall Show as collectors, vendors, and game players gathered at Oshawa’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43 on Oct. 30. Stores from all across the province set up shop to join the game play. For some gamers in attendance, it was a time to relish in the retro video game surplus they didn’t get a chance to when they were younger.
“There’s not a lot of shows out on this side,” event organizer Justin Ashley said. “The more east you go from Toronto there’s nothing for [video game] shows. And I’m an Oshawa resident, I just moved here four years ago. I’m making this my home. And I’m trying to bring something that I like doing, going to conventions, to my home area.” Also owner of Fly by Nite Buy and Sell in downtown Oshawa, Ashley was dressed as Freddy Krueger while conducting the convention. “Most of the conventions are too far. I’m attracting a different audience that may not ever get the chance to go to those bigger shows in Toronto,” Ashley said. “I went to Fan Expo this year – I didn’t enjoy myself. It was too crammed.” A steady flow of gamers visited the Legion hall for the event, but had ample room to check out the booths.
Ashley said he received “a lot of positive feedback,” and added “people would say ‘love the atmosphere, love the vibes of this place’.” While at the convention, gamers took part in the Nintendo Super
Smash Bros. tournament for a chance to win prizes donated by the vendors. The owner of Oshawa’s G.A.M.E.S. video game store, Jesse Manchen, hosted the tournament.
“The tournaments are cool because it’s a community event thing. We don’t charge for the tournament. It’s a small fee to enter in [the convention]. It’s to get people connected and to actually join and have fun,” Manchen said. The show made its biggest impact on those looking to find and relive a piece of their childhood, and those who wanted to revisit some of the most influential gaming eras. “I wouldn’t call myself a collector. I just buy the games that I want to play that I didn’t get to play when I was younger. A lot of that’s like PS2 (PlayStation 2), N64 (Nintendo 64) and PlayStation,” said one fan, who had an interest in finding older games. “Everyone has good memories of playing N64 when they were younger.” The next convention is expected for spring of 2017.
a battlefield, or ‘gym’ as it’s also called, on the top of the Kaaba. “There is something very sacred to a community and, I mean, in this case it is it is for us Muslims, but in the same way we would understand it for any other community,” said Pandor. Pandor also said if there is something sacred for a community, the game makers should not put their playground on those places. Although Pandor also said Pokémon Go is just a game and the council
allows Muslims to play the game. Many Muslims at Durham College play the game, but say putting a gym on the top of the Kaaba is disrespectful for them too. Aisha Ahmed, a social worker student at Durham College agrees to the decision of council. “The whole Kaaba, that is a very holy spot and if it was outside, I would kind of understand, but right on the top. If people are coming there and instead of praying and stuff they are playing a game and
instead of praying the god, what they are supposed to be doing is a bit disrespectful,” said Ahmed. The game is also banned in non-Islamic countries such as Russia, Australia and Portugal. According to Russian government, the game is an American Influence, which they don’t want to put in people’s mind. Australian and Portuguese authorities say that people play the game while walking on the roads, which can cause accidents.
Photograph by Jared Williams
Justin Ashley dressed as Freddy Krueger with a Power Glove.
Pokémon GO still banned in some Islamic countries Devarsh Oza The Chronicle
The viral smartphone game Pokémon Go is creating a controversy in the Middle East. In the game, people have to go to specific places and do a battle to catch a Pokémon character. Some Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Indonesia have banned the game by calling it ‘haram’ or ‘forbidden’. The Imam Council of Saudi
Arabia released a fatwa, or ruling, saying the game uses icons, which are considered unlawful in Islam. There is a ‘battlefield’ on the top of the Kaaba, the holiest place for Muslims in Mecca, as well as collection points to collect the Poképoints on the gates of the grand mosque. The council considers it disrespectful of Islam. Muslims including the imam of Oshawa mosque, Shakir Pandor also considers it wrong to put
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Photograph by Tyler Searle
The Blu-ray edition of the new Jungle Book movie, versus the novel. The question is, which is better?
From novel to film: A look at the Jungle Book Tyler Searle The Chronicle
As a young boy rides downriver on the back of sloth bear, old and young audiences alike sing alongside them about the Bare Necessities. On April 15, 2016, Disney released a live action remake of the Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau. The film was a commercial and critical success, and as of October, it is the 4th highest grossing film of 2016. Though many people are familiar with the original 1967 Jungle Book, which Favreau’s film is remaking, what most people don’t know is that the Jungle Book is, ironically, based off of a book. Originally released in 1894, the Jungle Book is a collection of seven short stories written by English writer Rudyard Kipling. Though, aside from the names of the characters, the book and film are vastly different in terms of how they portray the characters and tell their story. Favreau’s film is more faithful to the book than the 1967 film, but still takes a lot of liberties. Both the film and three of the book’s short stories follow the adventures of Mowgli, a human child (called a man-cub by animals) who is raised by a wolf pack in the Seeonee Hills. In the film, Mowgli (played by Neel Seti) is a curious child who is skilled at making tools and inventions to help him survive in the jungle. Though his friends and family don’t always approve of his tricks, he is still loyal to them and quick to jump to the aid of anyone in trouble. In the book, Mowgli is much more of a wild child than his movie counterpart. Having been raised among the wolves allowed Mowgli to run and climb better than most men twice his age. Mowgli was also more cunning and proud in the book, which allowed him to
lord over some animals and come up with creative ways of beating his rivals, usually through enlisting the help of unlikely allies. Among Mowgli’s closest friends who shared in the majority of his adventures are the black panther Bagheera and the sloth bear Baloo. Both act as Mowgli’s teachers as well as his friends, but their roles are reversed in both mediums. In the film, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), is a proud and old soldier who discovered Mowgli as an infant and brought him to the wolf pack. Since then he has looked after Mowgli as his chief teacher, and though he loves the man cub like his own, he is often frustrated by Mowgli’s inability to give up his human tricks. In the book, Bagheera was born in captivity before he escaped into the jungle, and knows more about humans than most jungle folk. He loves Mowgli more than anything and often refers to him as “little brother,” but approaches life with a relaxed and aloof personality. He helped to pay for Mowgli’s initiation into the Seeonee wolf pack by killing a bull for the wolves. As for Baloo (Bill Murray), he is a “ jungle bum” who spends most of his days sleeping, eating, and singing without a care in the world. When he meets Mowgli, he recruits the boy to help him gather honey, and develops a parental bond with him. Soon after, he is willing to risk his easy going lifestyle to see Mowgli safe. In the book, Baloo is the keeper of the Law of the Jungle—the unspoken rules that all jungle folk go by, and the words to say to befriend any creature. He vouched for Mowgli to be entered into the Seeonee wolf pack as an infant, and spent years teaching him the Law of the Jungle. In his old age he became stubborn and strict, and while he loved Mowgli like a son, he was not above clodding him
over the head. Even though the characters so far have had minor character changes, or had their personalities swapped with another, this is not the case for others. The most drastic change comes in Kaa, the giant rock python. In the film, Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), is present for only one scene, in which she acts and speaks much like a temptress.
She hypnotizes Mowgli by showing him visions of how he lost his human family before trying to eat him. Afterwards, she is never seen again in the film. In contrast, book Kaa is an ally of Mowgli, as well as male. When Mowgli is kidnapped by the Bandar-Log monkeys, Baloo and Bagheera recruit Kaa to help them rescue the man cub.
Afterwards, Kaa grows to appreciate Mowgli’s company and shares his vast wisdom of the jungle’s history with him. This information would prove invaluable in Mowgli’s later adventures. In the end, Jon Favreau did a wonderful job adapting the Jungle Book for modern audiences. Though his film is loved, its good to and compare the changes.
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Sports
Dempster is top ball coach in OCAA A wealth of experience leads to accolades
Christopher Jones The Chronicle
Coach Sam Dempster was recently named the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) men’s baseball coach-of-the-year. His team finished with a 13-11 record after they finished hosting the Canadian Colleges National Baseball Invitational on Oct. 28-30, where they lost to Fanshawe in the semifinals. Dempster, who has been coaching Durham since the team first began 24 years ago in 1992, said “it’s an honour to get it.” Dempster didn’t take any of the credit though. “The players do everything for you. Anytime that a coach or a manager gets an award it’s due to the players that play for him. That’s the key. Without the players, nothing really gets done. It’s all about the players.” One such player is Alec Brown, a pitcher, an outfielder and an OCAA all-star for the Lords baseball team this season. Brown said that playing for Dempster is “awesome. He knows a lot of stuff. He’s got a lot of knowledge in regards to the game. It’s awesome to have a coach who knows what they’re talking about all the time.” Dempster actually scouted Brown when he was still a young
ball player in Bowmanville and brought him to Durham.
Dempster helped start the Durham men's baseball program in 1992. Since Dempster helped start the Durham men’s baseball program in 1992, the team has appeared in ten national championships, the first in 1994, only two years after the team’s inaugural season, the most recent in 2012. The Lords have also won seven Ontario championships, the first in 1999 and most recently in 2011, when they also won the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA) title. On top of his work with the Lords, Dempster has also been a scout for the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers in the past. When asked if he met any interesting players during his time working
Photograph provided by Al Fournier
Sam Dempster, Durham College's men's baseball coach, on the field earlier this year.
for major league teams, he simply laughed and said, “I saw George Steinbrenner [former owner of the Yankees] from about 100 feet away. Just the back side of him, going into the complex while I was standing outside with my gear.” Dempster is also the head coach of the Great Britain national team.
Under his guidance, the team qualified for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Dempster said that his time with the Great Britain team is the closest he has ever gotten to the major leagues in the way they were organized. He said that the level of talent was at the major league level. Chuckling he talked about
how his own private office was three times the size of his current office at Durham. Dempster has been on the coaching staff of the Durham Lords baseball team since 1992, and while he was happy to win the coach of the year, he’s already thinking ahead to next season.
Lords women's soccer going through major changes Michael Welsh The Chronicle
Durham College women’s soccer team has suffered in recent years. It has not posted a winning record since 2013. But now, the program is on a new path. A coaching change late into the season sparked a fire under a team that was near the bottom of the standings and was going through another poor season. Alex Bianchi started the season as an assistant coach for the Lords men’s soccer team but was named the women’s head coach with only six weeks left in the season. The move came following the resignation of Ramon Macintosh. Taking over a team sitting outside of the playoffs late in the year may seem like a tough transition but according to Bianchi it was just the opposite. “I went in with an optimistic view. There was no pressure,” says the coach. “There was no target put on us and that was nice. It was just about getting in there and turning the program around.” When Bianchi took over the team, it had a 2-6 record. The
Photograph by Michael Welsh
The Lords celebrate a big goal in a key win at home against Centennial College. Lords needed to pick up wins in three of their final four games to make the playoffs. The team rallied together and
won the necessary games to make the playoffs. According to Bianchi, the biggest factors in the team’s improve-
ment were a new energy amongst the players as well as a change in formation. “I think the formation was a
big issue. They were playing very defensive and I didn’t think they were very comfortable,” says Bianchi. “The girls embraced my style of play that I have used for years which is more offensive.” Dave Ashfield, head coach of the Lords men’s soccer team, was sad to see his long-time assistant go but was excited for his new opportunity and agrees Bianchi is the right man for the job. “Congratulations to Alex, he truly deserves it,” says Ashfield. “He has been a fantastic coach with me the past three years. When Alex started coaching with me I told him if I could ever help him get a head coaching job I would and luckily for Durham it was here.” The Lords lost a tough playoff-qualifying match to the nationally ranked team from Humber College. Despite the loss Bianchi is happy with how the game went and the message it sends. “Six weeks ago this team probably wasn’t making the playoffs. Humber was expecting a different type of game but we pushed them,” he says. “I think that was a positive message to the team and to the school that this program is going to get better.”
Sports
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Lords are champions!
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Softball team wins OCAA gold for 18th time
Josh Nelson The Chronicle
Jim Nemish, head coach of the Durham Lords women’s softball team has a philosophy about winning. “When you’re winning, it’s contagious, and a winning program will attract the good athletes and because we’ve been very successful…we’ve been able to bring top athletes to our program,” he said. Nemish should know. Durham just completed its season with a bang, defeating the St. Clair Saints, 11-6 in the gold medal game to win its 18th OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) championship. The victory marks the 15th gold medal Nemish has led the Lords to in his 28 seasons as head coach. With their season on the line, the Lords won seven of their final eight regular season, qualifying them for the championship after being in fifth place and out of a playoff position. The Lords then swept the playoffs beating St. Clair 8-4, Fanshawe 10-3, and St. Clair again in the final game. Going into the season it looked unlikely that Durham would pull off a second straight championship. Coach Nemish had some concerns with the number of rookies on the team. “We did have a big turnover, we had close to nine freshmen this year, so our expectations as always were to compete and win a gold medal…but my biggest concern was how long it was going to take for the freshmen coming in to gel with the returnees and get used to playing at the college level,” said Nemish.
Photograph by Josh Nelson
Coach Jim Nemish has built a powerhouse program at Durham in women's softball.
With the Lords in fifth place going into the final week of regular season play, coach Nemish knew he had to motivate his team. “Well, we had a little team talk, we weren’t playing our best ball, we were making unforced errors at the wrong time, we weren’t hitting the ball, everybody just had to start believing in themselves,” said Nemish.
Durham not only saw new faces this year, but some old as well. Caleigh Coels, the Lords centre-fielder, was adamant about joining the team again after taking a year off. She was a key part in the Lords’ championship win as she went 4-for-4 at the plate scoring a run. “I was watching Lords the whole time (while away) basically, I really
missed them, then I ended up calling Jim back and asked if I could try out again…I just came back and I was all ready for every practice, I was excited, ready to play games, represent Durham and play with the girls again,” said Coels. Ashley Black was the Lords best pitcher in the finals, preventing the Saints from forming any type of offence in the first four innings and
was named one of the championship all-stars. She also took a year off, missing last year’s championship, which motivated her to win this year. “I wanted to win OCAAs because (in) my first two years we were alright, but witnessing the team last year win OCAA, I wanted a medal,” said all-star AshleyBlack.
Durham's Martin wins OCAA golf coach of the year Claims award for second time
Sharena Clendening The Chronicle
Durham College has a real ace with Durham Lords golf coach Tyler Martin. He has been hon-
ored as the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association coach of the year for the second time. He won the title for the first time in 2014. His peers on the team and the athletic department nominated Martin for this award. Lord’s golfer Lucas Pichl, whom placed second at the Georgian Invitational, says Martin was intimidating at first, but once he got to know the coach he realized the coach was very nice and person-
able. Martin is not only the coach, he is a graduate of the Durham program and won OCAA individual titles in 2004 and 2006. Martin says he strives to help the players keep the right mindset and help them grow as golfers. “I am extremely grateful to be selected again as the OCAA coach of the year. It makes it extra special because it is voted on by my peers,” said Martin.
Games in your backyard
Men’s Hockey: Nov. 11, UOIT vs. Western, 7:30 p.m., Campus Ice Centre Nov. 12, UOIT vs. Guelph, 7:30 p.m., Campus Ice Centre Generals: Nov. 13, Oshawa vs. Sudbury, 6:05 p.m., Tribute Communities Centre (formerly the GM Centre) Men’s Basketball: Nov. 11, St. Lawrence vs. Durham, 8 p.m., Kingston
Photograph provided by Scott Dennis
Coach of the year Tyler Martin (centre) poses at golf event.
Nov. 12, Hilbert vs. Durham, 4 p.m., Hamburg, N.Y. Men’s Volleyball: Nov. 10, Loyalist vs. Durham, 8 p.m., Belleville Women’s Basketball: Nov. 8, Loyalist vs. Durham, 7 p.m., Belleville Nov. 11, St. Lawrence vs. Durham, 6 p.m., Kingston Women’s Hockey: Nov. 11, Queen’s vs. UOIT, 12:30 p.m., Kingston
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