The Dialog Aug,10- 24 2012

Aug. 10 - 24, 2012

Aboriginal rights spark debate at board meeting Hate crimes have a logic: on the Oak Creek shootings Emanicpation day marked in Toronto Student strike training camp held in Toronto

Editorial

2 Aug 10-Aug 24, 2012

The Dialog

Become the media

By Mick Sweetman Managing Editor

The paper you hold in your hands isn’t a throwaway rag to read between class, or on the subway, or to use for packing during your next move.

No, this newspaper is much more. It’s your chance to contribute to create the type of media that speaks for you, and to you, about your life.

As a publication published by the Student Association of George Brown College, you pay for the production of this newspaper and it exists to cover your stories and the issues that you are concerned about on your campus and in your community.

Its role is to cover the news, both the good and the bad, hold people in power to account, and help provide context to what’s happening in the world around us.

Whether it’s a major international event such as the shooting of a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, rising tuition fees in Ontario, a student strike in Quebec, college faculty negotiations in Ontario, or what the college administration and SA’s board of directors is up to we are here to bring you the news.

Unlike the mainstream media we are not a private company seeking to generate increased profits for our shareholders. Our only function is to bring you the news, opinions, arts and culture, sports, and business and technology stories

Join the Dialog team!

that are important and you want to read.

As the acerbic punk-rock activist Jello Biafra once opined, “Don’t hate the media, become the media.”

To make this happen, to truly make this newspaper everything that campus and community journalism should be, we need you.

We need you to be excited about the opportunity to put your mark on what our newspaper can be and keep it a lively, engaging, and opinionated publication that carries on the best traditions of student journalism—as it has at George Brown College for the past 38 years.

So, when you have an idea for a story that needs to be covered, let us know about it, or even better pitch it to us and then write it yourself.

When you take a photo that needs to be seen, send it to us.

When you have a question that need an answer, ask us about it.

If you have an opinion about something we’ve printed, send us a letter about it.

You can email us at sapcoord@ georgebrown.ca, or call 416-4155000 ext. 2764, or drop by our office in room E122 in the student center of the Casa Loma campus at 142 Kendal Road.

Whatever you do though, make sure your newspaper, your Student Association, your school, and your community are everything they can be. Run your future.

Journalists play a key role in our student community. They gather information and prepare stories for our student publications and inform us about newsworthy events and happenings in our community. They present factual information on current issues and report on the actions of public officials, board members, corporations and others who exercise power.

We are currently looking for motivated students with a passion for storytelling to join our team. Please send a cover letter, resume and a sample of your writing to us at: sapccoord@georgebrown.ca or call 416-415-5000 ext. 2764 for more information.

Emergency food banks Lend a hand and make the difference…

Students should not have to choose between buying their textbooks and buying their groceries. To help alleviate some of the financial pressure many students face, the Student Association runs emergency food banks at the St. James, Casa Loma and Waterfront campuses. Here, students can pick up both non-perishable and some perishable food items to help to meet their grocery needs.

If you are a student who needs to use the food bank service, or if you want to make a difference in the lives of other students by donating, please visit a LifeWorks Centre for more information. The service is open and free for students.

St James Campus 200 King Street East, Room 159A LifeWorks 416-415-5000 ext. 2845 www.studentassociation.ca

Casa Loma Campus 142 Kendal Road, Room E130 LifeWorks 416-415-5000 ext. 6314

Waterfront Campus 51 Dockside Drive, Room 031 LifeWorks 416-415-5000 ext.5356

Managing Editor: Mick Sweetman SA Publications and Communications Coordinator: Mick Sweetman Dialog Published by: Student Association of George Brown College George Brown College student newspaper

Dialog Reporters: Preeteesh Singh Contact in person or mail: Room E122 - Casa Loma 142 Kendal Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1M3 Tel: 416-415-5000 ext. 2764 Fax: 416-415-2491 sapccoord@georgebrown.ca

Dialog Contributors: Harsha Walia Peter Hogarth Mike Roy Cover photo by Mick Sweetman of student protest on King Street E. on June 5

The Dialog newspaper is published by the Dialog Collective under the auspices of the Student Association of George Brown College. The collective is comprised of student editors and reporters and is responsible for the overall vision and direction of the Dialog newspaper, as it coincides with the larger vision of mission of the Student Association.

The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by the Student Association. Occasionally, some advertisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the SA.

Opinions expressed in the Dialog are not necessarily those of the Dialog Collective, the Student Association of George Brown College, or its editorial staff.

Dialog will not publish any material that attempts to incite violence or hatred against individuals or groups, particularly based on race, national origin, ethnicity, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

Contributions to the Dialog are always gratefully accepted. We request that articles be submitted as digital copies in plain-text (TXT) or rich-text (RTF) format.

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Originals only please.

The Dialog

News

Aug 10 - Aug. 24 2012 3

Our home on native land: argument at board

By Mick Sweetman Managing Editor

Sparks flew at the Aug. 7, board of directors meeting of the Student Association (SA).

A seemingly innocuous motion about starting SA meetings and events by taking a moment to read a short statement that would recognize that the college is on the traditional land of the Mississuagas of the New Credit started a heated debate.

The proposed statement would read: “I would like to take a brief moment before we continue to recognize that as many of us are settlers on this land, it is our collective responsibility to pay respect and recognize this land is traditional territory of the Mississsuagas of the New Credit First Nation and that we are here because this land was occupied.

In recognition that this space occupies colonized First Nations territories, and out of respect for the rights of indigenous people, it is our collective responsibility to honour, protect and sustain this land.”

Mohammad Ali Aumeer, the director of education and equity

who moved the motion said, “The key is, the first people who were here on this land, who never ceded this land, were the Mississaugas of New Credit. And to them it was a real priority to honour, protect and sustain this land and because of that fact it should be a priority for us as well.”

Aumeer noted that the education and equity committee had consulted with the Aboriginal services department on the need to recognize the historical context and that many departments of the college already use similar opening statements for their meetings.

Julia Mackenzie, director of internal affairs, disagreed. “Maybe this is not the most PC thing, but there have been a lot of issues about Aboriginal territory in this area, Caledonia for example.

That was really badly run and there have been some issues with territories, their use, reaction to their use, everything like that.” said Mackenzie, “Everyone faces different struggles. We don’t even know who took this land from the Aboriginals. Before the Aboriginals were here it was those that crossed the Bering Strait. I just

don’t see this as doing anything.

If we want to do something for Aboriginal rights there’s a lot of different things we can do that would be better.”

Lori Budge, Aboriginal students’ affairs councilor for George Brown College (GBC), did not return phone calls by the Dialog.

Aumeer later made a motion to refer the item back to the education and equity committee for more discussion and to allow board members have a broader discussion with people from the college’s Aboriginal services department. The motion to refer passed with only Mackenzie voting against it.

In other business, a motion passed at the meeting to make a $5,000 donation to the annual Labour fair hosted by the school of labour that the SA participates in and is on the organizing committee.

The labour fair at GBC has been organized for over 20 years in conjunction with the college and the Toronto and York Region Labour Council.

The week-long event brings trade union speakers into ap-

proximately 80 classrooms across GBC’s campuses. Over 3000 students are given the opportunity to hear the union perspective on issues such as jobs. Music, films, displays, theatre, art and other cultural events are also organized with a labour theme.

The board accepted the resignation of Aman Arora as the construction and engineering technologies representative. In a letter to the board Arora wrote that he would not be able to attend frosh week and other important events.

The board also voted to provide a subsidy for board members who need to pay for childcare to participate in board meetings. This money will come from the meeting facilitators budget line that in past years was used to provide sign-language interpretation for board meetings.

A sub-committee for the fall by elections was also struck with Amueer; Alistair Courtney, director of public relations; Jason Monaghan, business representative; and Mackenzie Deane, Ryerson Campus director, being elected to it.

4 Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012

News

The Dialog

Student strike camp trains activists

By Peter Hogarth

Special to the Dialog

The University of Toronto played host to an incredible conference the weekend of July 27 – 29. The Ontario student strike training camp, organized by the Graduate Students’ Union, brought together activists from Montreal, Toronto, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Guelph, New Brunswick, Hamilton and many places in between to learn how the students of Quebec organized a massive general strike against tuition fee increases.

Noticeably absent from the facilitators’ perspective was the assertion that province-wide organizations such as the CFS can simply “push the strike button” and call

There was an incredible breadth of sessions, covering a number of themes, from getting the word out to enforcing a strike. However, a few clear themes emerged throughout the weekend that are worth repeating and generalizing.

First of all, workshop facilitators emphasized the need to find issues that mobilize students. This means starting from a broad basis of unity, while putting forth an argument that can start a debate that will mobilize students. Emphasizing realistic goals rather than revolutionary slogans may seem too “reformist” at first, but students’ ideas can be transformed in the struggle of fighting for those goals, leading to more radical positions and actions. Through the process of

involved, start more conversations and expand the number of people working on this project? Can we use direct actions, such as occupations and demonstrations, to raise the profile of the movement and the confidence of students, involving broader layers of the campus?

Presenters emphasized the need to include other sectors of society in the struggle. If the movement only speaks for students, its appeal will end there. We need to be connecting the student movement to workers facing austerity, people who cannot afford post-secondary education, racially marginalized people and beyond.

Presenters emphasized the need to organize at the departmental level, rather than campus-wide.

A chalkboard at the student strike training camp outlines a strategic plan. Photo: Mike Roy strike votes for all of Ontario, something that is not realistic or even possible. Instead, the weekend held very serious discussion and debate about practical ways to build the student movement outside Quebec and mobilize students to transform their campuses.

tactics such as pickets, flashmobs and demonstrations, the level of struggle can quickly escalate.

Actions should always be thought of in the context of drawing more people into the movement. For instance, how can we use a petition or leaflet to get more people

Doing this ensures greater participation and more direct democracy.

Start with departments that are most open to arguments against increasing fees and avoid organizing huge general assemblies that can be more easily overwhelmed by organized forces hostile to a

progressive student movement. By organizing these friendly departments first, stronger departments can go on strike and empower other departments to join as well.

These stronger departments can strike first to create momentum and pressure other campuses to do the same. However, they should not be isolated. Often times strike votes happened a year before they were acted on because they required strike votes from a certain number of other campuses. For instance, a strike mandate could require seven other departments, 20,000 students, and three other campuses to go on strike first. For a strike to be effective, the strike must be enforced. Picket lines to stop classes from happening are a must.

One lesson that bears repeating is that a strike is a tactic for achieving a goal. If we focus on the strike as the end-goal, we risk alienating students not ready to strike right away. The legitimacy of a strike comes from the prior mobilization which has involved as many people as possible in the General Assemblies (GAs) and the voting.

Imposing radical demands from the top-down without adequate mobilization will not make for a strong strike; voting on a strike or imposing a strike will not be effective if it cannot be carried by the rank-and-file students. Strikes don’t appear out of thin air, but they are not impossible. They involve engaging with fellow students and expanding the participation in campus politics.

As one Montreal facilitator put it, “you should never be too prudent to act, but you should never be too confident to cause chaos without a mandate.” Mobilize your department, listen to the GAs and take action. What appears as apathy can turn to radicalism quickly, but it will require some serious work.

This article was originally printed in the Socialist Worker Canada

The Dialog

News

Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012 5

Emancipation day marked in Toronto

By Preeteesh Singh

hosts the ‘Caribana’, which is the largest Caribbean festival in North America.

The Network for Pan-Afrikan Solidarity (NPAS), United Black Students at Ryerson, and other partnering organizations came together to commemorate Emancipation Day in Toronto. This event took place in the Thomas Lounge,

Caribana chairperson).

Agbetu spoke on the effects of enslavement on the present generation and call for reparations.

She pointed out that the whole slavery system was a dreadful past and the trauma can be still observed in individuals, which leads to violence in the community. The media only covers the violence

Henry Gomez, the award-winning music composer and professional Slavery, where people were treated actor who started his career from as property who could be bought, George Brown College, Ryersold and forced to work, existed son University and University of ages ago, particularly in the British Toronto spoke on the connection Empire. This practice was carried between emancipation and carnival out full throttle in Africa and also including arts and festivals. existed on other continents. The The carnival culture started when slave trade included forced labor, the Africans introduced their own sex trade, child dance moves slave trade, ritwhich were acual slavery, debt companied with bondage, human a special kind of trafficking and vibrancy which wage slavery. was not comSlavery was ofmon. They also ficially abolished showed organiin most of the zational skills in British Empire the process and on Aug. 1, 1834, slowly gained with the exceppopularity. The tions of the East torch bearers India Company, were introduced the Island of since there was Ceylon and the no electricity at Island of Saint that time and the Helena. It was singers conducted achieved by the the road march passing of Slavwith elaborate ery Abolition costumes, which Act the previous became the year. However, essence of the this victory over carnival - and the chattel slavstill is. ery was only a The event also Speakers (from left to right) Henry Gomez, Helio Sousa, Abena Agbetu and Dr. Melanie Newton partial one. Only featured perforlisten to the audiance’s questions. Photo: Preetesh Singh / Dialog children under mances by progresthe age of six sive artists after were fully emancipated and all for- Oakhram House, located at 63 but not the reasons behind it. She the panel discussion was finished. mer slaves over the age of six were Gould Street on the Ryerson Uniexplained that the effects of the Djembe players, singers, and rapre-designated as ‘apprentices’ who versity Campus. The event started slavery system of the past can still pers were included in the show had to continue working around with an elevation ceremony which be seen in the form of racism and while the small but decent audi40 hours per week without wages was conducted by Abena Agbetu colonialism in the present world. ence shook their legs to the tunes. for their former masters. Peaceful (Murphy Browne). She started the “Slavery went on for 400 years, The second part of the NPAS protests continued for four years proceedings with ‘libation’ which we will get reparation, maybe not program will cover the 50th anagainst the apprenticeship system, is a part of the African culture in my lifetime, maybe not in our niversary of Jamaica’s and Triniuntil full emancipation was grantwhich includes remembrance of lifetime, but we will get reparadad’s Independence, and a critical ed on Aug. 1, 1838 and de facto ancestors. tion.” Agbetu concluded. examination of their post-indepenfreedom was achieved.

The libation ceremony was Dr Melanie Newton spoke on dence realities.

Since the abolition of slavery in followed by a panel discussion, contributions of enslaved men and The commemorations will be the British Empire, Aug. 1 is wide- featuring eminent speakers, Abena women, Haiti and abolitionists to held on Friday, Aug. 17, 2012 in ly observed as Emancipation Day Agbetu (journalist and commuemancipation. the Ontario Institute for Studies in in most parts of the world. The nity activist), Dr Melanie Newton Helio Sousa addressed the enEducation, located at 252, Bloor province of Ontario also dedicates (historian and professor at the slavement and resistance in Brazil. Street West, Toronto. this day as Emancipation Day, and University of Toronto), Helio He gave references to the Brazilian it has been declared a civic holiSousa (capoeira Angola teacher) rituals, heritage and society in his day. During this time Toronto also and Henry Gomez (educator and speech.

Dialog Reporter

Opinion

6 Aug. 10 - Aug 24 2012

The Dialog

Hate crimes always have a logic:

By Harsha Walia Special to the Dialog

The Oak Creek Gurudwara is my brother’s and frequently my parent’s sangat. Over the years, they have described to me how, with deep love and commitment, the community came together to build the Gurudwara. How every week the Gurudwara provided a refuge, a sanctuary, a sense of home, a sense of belonging from the isolation of being an accented brown-skinned immigrant living in Wisconsin. When I heard about the shooting at Oak Creek Gurudwara, I happened to be facilitating at an immigrant and refugee youth camp. Dozens of young middle-school and high-school aged racialized immigrants and refugees from Latin America, Asia and Africa were describing being taunted and bullied at school, feeling discriminated against by their

teachers, the hardships of systemic ately victims poverty, daily fears of detention of police killand displacement, and feeling like ings and child “unwelcome and unwanted paraapprehensions; sites.” As young people in British fill the floors Columbia, they were articulating of sweatshops an experience of racism similar to and factories; that which my family faces living are over-reprein the Midwest United States. sented in heads While these murders were abhor- counts on povrent, they were not ‘senseless’. The erty rates, incarad nauseaum suggestion that the ceration rates, killings were senseless attempts to unemployment construct the shooting as random rates, and high and without logic, when in fact school dropout racist hate crimes operate through rates. Colonialthe very deliberate and precise ism has been, logic of white supremacy. and continues The local Sikh community in to be, shaped Milwaukee had been raising conby the counters cerns about racial harassment, tar- of white men’s geting, and violence for at least the civilizing mispast year. The Sikh Coalition has sions. The occureported more than 700 incidents pation of Turtle of anti-Sikh hate crimes in the U.S. Island is based since 9/11. One of those was Balon the white subir Singh Sodhi, 49, the first post premacist crime 9/11 hate-crime fatality. He was of colonization, Muslim men. Racialized violence shot five times on Sept. 15, 2001 in where indigenous lands were behas also always targeted places of Mesa, AZ and his murderer Frank lieved to be barren and Indigenous worship–the spiritual heart of a Silva Roque admitted that he People believed to be inferior. The community. In Iraq, for example, killed Sodhi because he was dark, occupation of Afghanistan has the U.S. army accelerated bombbearded, and wore a turban. White been justified on the racist idea of ings of mosques from 2003-2007 supremacy is fostered, cultivated, liberating Muslim women from condoned, and supported–in the education system and mainstream corporate media, from military missions to the prison industrial complex.

The crimes of white supremacists are not exceptions and do not and cannot exist in isolation from more systemic forms of racism. People of colour face legislated racism from immigration laws to policies governing Indigenous reserves; are discriminated and excluded from equitable access to healthcare, housing, childcare, and education; are Toronto Mayor Rob Ford poses for a photo with a uniformed Jon Latvis disproportionwho played in the racist band “RAHOWA” short for “racial holy war.”

The patterns of hate crimes have a sense, have a logic, have a structure – they are part of a broader system of white supremacy.

White supremacy, as a dominant and dominating structuring, actually necessitates and relies on a discourse that suggests that hate crimes are random. Otherwise, whites might just have to start racially profiling all other young and middle-aged white men at airports or who are walking while white.

The Dialog

Opinion

Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012 7

On the Oak Creek Gurudwara shootings with targeted attacks on the Abdul-Aziz al-Samarrai mosque, Abu Hanifa shrine, Khulafah Al Rashid mosque and many others.

And so I repeat: the patterns of hate crimes have a sense, have a logic, have a structure – they are part of a broader system of white supremacy.

Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, notes that the army veteran and gunman Wade Michael Page, 40, was the leader of a racist whitepower band End Apathy. Potok further details Page’s involvement in a number of other white power bands and his attempts to purchase good from neo-Nazi websites. Media reports also note that Page was a psychological operations specialist in the army, responsible for developing and analyzing intelligence that would have a “psychological impact on foreign populations.” While racialized cultures and religions are consistently held to task, the culture and system of white supremacy is never scrutinized by the state or media. What breeds white power movements? Who funds white power groups? How are people recruited into neo-Nazi groups? What is the connection between white supremacist groups and state institutions like the army? These are the questions that will never be interrogated because whiteness is too central, too foun-

dational to the state and to this society to unsettle.

White supremacy, as a dominant and dominating structuring, actually necessitates and relies on a discourse that suggests that hate crimes are random. Otherwise, whites might just have to start racially profiling all other young and middle-aged white men at airports or who are walking while white. Whites might have to analyze what young white children are being taught about in schools and in their homes about privilege and entitlement. Whites might have to own up to and seek to repair the legacy of racialized empire, imperialism, and settlercolonialism that has devastated and continues to destroy the lives and lands of millions of people across the globe.

Whites might actually have to start distancing themselves from white supremacy.

To my Sikh sisters and brothers: this incident is yet another reminder of what it means for us to be racialized as Others and as eternal Outsiders. No matter how hard we strive to be “hard-working, tax-paying model minorities,” our bodies and lives and labour will always be rendered disposable and expendable. We are and have been deliberate targets much before 9/11. The turning back of the Komagatamaru and the experience of the Ghadr Party on the

Striving to be more desirable within an oppressive system–that is built on our social discipline and compels our obedience–will never set us free. What will set us free is our collective liberation and thriving as the proud brown people we were meant to be.

The shooter, Wade Micheal Page, played in the white-supremacist band End Apathy and was a former pyschological warfare specialist in the U.S. army. Photo: ADL west coast are our most salient reminders. So perhaps it is time to stop attempting to assimilate into white supremacy, to stop capitulating to colonialism and empire, and to take a stand against oppression. We cannot see and name ourselves as ‘accidental’ victims of islamophobia, which suggests that somehow Muslims are more “appropriate” targets of racism. While racism and its impacts often paralyze us, we must channel our collective grief and outrage as a space for alliance and solidarity with other racialized communities–with Muslim communities bearing the brunt of islamophia, with blacks who disproportionately endure police violence and over- incarceration, with Indigenous people who are being dispossessed of their lands and resources, with non-status migrants who have been deemed

illegal and are facing deportation.

Striving to be more desirable within an oppressive system–that is built on our social discipline and compels our obedience–will never set us free. What will set us free is our collective liberation and thriving as the proud brown people we were meant to be.

Chardi kala.

Harsha Walia is a community organizer and writer based in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories. She has been involved in anti-racist, feminist, and antiimperialist organizing for over a decade and can be reached at @ HarshaWalia.

This article was originally published on www.racialicious.com

News

8 Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012

The Dialog

Student lounge under renovation at St James

By Preeteesh Singh Dialog Reporter

If you haven’t noticed it yet, you will soon.

The student lounge at the St James campus is going through some major renovations this fall.

With a budget of almost $2 million approved by the 2011 – 2012 Board of Directors, a massive upgrade is in the cards.

The student lounge, which is meant to give students space to relax and study, is now expected to stand apart and have a stylish turn.

As explained by Maria Quian, general manager of the Student Association (SA), which is in charge of the renovation project, it has the responsibility to select and supervise the designers, architects and project managers

from the college’s approved list.

The SA and the college architects together ensure that the specifications and construction of electrical, mechanical and other systems are compatible with the base building plans, and they meet the college standards for health and safety. The SA also ensures that a college representative participates as a resource person for each renovation.

The contractor selected from the college approved list by an invitation to quote is the Michael Thomas Group which co-incidentally is a company founded by two George Brown College alumnus 17 years ago. ‘Taylor Smith Architects’ has been brought in to design the project for the renovation of the student lounge.

Dennis Knowles, SA facility staff, reveals that the revamped

Graphic courtesy Taylor-Smith architects

student lounge will have some ultra-modern facilities for the students with enhanced audio-visual technology including 50 - 55 inch flat screens televisions and a sound system furnished evenly across the ceiling.

The technology quotient will rise further with the construction of a stools and tables across the north west side which will be equipped with power outlets for connection of laptops in a fully Wi-Fi enabled zone.

The subway entrance to the student lounge will be a little wider in contrast to the current inlet.

The quiet lounge will be converted into a multimedia meeting room whereas the events and facility office will be demolished and reconstructed.

The main area will also see new couches and lightings.

Washrooms will be altered and mostly riveted along the north and south side instead of the current east and west entrance.

The hallway leading to the lounge will be perked-up with new ceilings, lighting, flooring and benches along the trajectory.

Two of the popular eateries within the lounge, Fit for life and Subway, will remain open for the students during most of the construction phase.

The students might face minor inconvenience as Subway will only be accessible through the George Street entrance.

If everything goes well and according to schedule, the renovated student lounge will be up and running by Nov. 30 this year with some modern vibes but the same old charm.

The Dialog

Sports

Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012 9

Got leisure time? Play intramurals

By Preeteesh Singh Dialog Reporter

Over the years George Brown College (GBC) has taken pride in the intramural sporting activities that it has to offer to students.

These in-house or within the college activities bolster a healthy lifestyle and motivate students to use their free time to play the sports they love. This is a means to keep fit, to enjoy sports, to make new friends and create the memories that will last a lifetime.

The intramural program includes activities like indoor soccer, volleyball, badminton, ball hockey and basketball. These games are played within the college community and on the campus.

With intramurals, you do not have to be a Lionel Messi to play soccer; you do not have to be a Michael Jordan to play basketball and you do not have to be Saina Nehwal to play badminton. The fact of the matter is that you should just have the love for the sport you want to play. It’s not always necessary, and in fact not always possible, to win everything. The competitiveness

matters, the spirit matters.

How does it work? All you have to do as a student is to form a team among your friends or classmates at a time when everyone is available, pick a sport that you are interested in and register yourself in the athletics department of the college.

The college authority will set and mail your schedule in return. The registration is usually done in the first two weeks of the start of each semester, but you can register later as well. Only thing to keep in mind is that the schedule changes every five weeks, so you need to keep yourself updated.

The games are usually held during the lunch hours and they run for at least half hour. If you or your team wins, you advance towards your way to awards such as championship t-shirts, team winners, campus wide champions, most valuable player male/female. The facilitation is done at an event called ‘socials’ where every participating team is invited and provided food and drinks with the awards. If you lose, you’ll definitely try again for the sake of the good time spent and for the sake of keeping fit by sweat-

ing out a little. It’s a win - win situation all the way. Well, not theoretically but literally.

With the new gym coming up in the St James campus, the current fitness centre can be fully utilized for the participants, which is a boost for the department and also the players.

One concern though is the lack of commitment shown by students.

There has been a decrease in the number of students who actually turn up for the event after registering for it. It should be pointed out that other colleges in Toronto do charge a fee and require a deposit from their students who register for intramurals. This is not the case with GBC, so the college calls for more intensity and commitment from students in terms of participation.

One of the most common comments from the students regarding intramurals, or any kind of sporting activity, is that how do they take time out of their already jam-packed academic schedule?

Assignments, case studies, group activities, and exams suck up their hours and they are left with no time

for any extracurriculars.

Wendy Roberts, athletics member service specialist for the athletics and recreation department at St. James campus answers this question. She says that the intramurals are designed in such a way that it caters to the needs of the students who are short on time. It is flexible in nature and it is usually conducted when most students are available, during lunch or after school hours. She is convinced, these are the 20-30 most rewarding minutes for students. During this time they do not think about assignments and exams. The short time spent here completes their day and takes them away from all the stress. It is also helpful to them in terms of networking as they get to meet a lot of people from various fields in the same arena.

So, to all the students who are keen on sports but do not have time, play intramurals. To learn is good, to play and learn is better.

Enjoy and have some leisure time, as it reminds of the poem ‘leisure’

by W.H. Davis. “What is this life, if full of care. We have no time to stand and stare.”

Sports and Games

10 Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012

Varsity sports: ‘do not fear failure’

By Preeteesh Singh

singles; Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) men’s badminton player of the year; and Quarter finalist, men’s singles and mixed doubles in the Pan-American Junior Games, Mexico 2007 where he represented Jamaica. The awards and recognitions keep coming his way.

Reid says, “It’s the passion and love for the game which does wonders.” Being focused, being nice to people, training hard is important too. He has set his goals as far as his career is concerned, after the completion of his academic pursuits, he’ll be training for a year in the Asia-pacific region and prepare himself for the next Olympics.

All this started at the athletics department of GBC, he registered himself for varsity, played for the college and eventually became one of the top badminton players in the country. One can imagine how wonderfully things can shape up with proper support and guidance.

Reid suggests that more students do not turn up for varsity because of ignorance, the college does its

Dialog Reporter

He came to George Brown College (GBC) from Jamaica in 2008. He was iffy about the culture in the beginning, skeptical, not sure whether people here would accept him in this new country. He started school in Jan. 2009 and got enrolled in the business administration - accounting program. GBC changed his perspective, he was welcomed in the new society, he was asked how he was doing when he walked through the corridors of the college, and he suddenly felt at ease.

He was comfortable in his new surroundings and he began to look for his interests apart from academics.

Sports it was, Badminton in particular. His name is Dayvon Reid, now an alumni of GBC, he works part time in the college as a student ambassador for athletics. Reid is a national level doubles silver medalist and a nominee for men’s player of the year by Canada Colleges Athletics Association (CCAA); Provincial level men’s doubles champion; silver medalist in men’s

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Crossword by Natasha Mehan

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Answers in next issue of the Dialog.

best to get the information across but students need to put in efforts from their side too. The GBC athlete of the year says “Things don’t come to you; you go and get it, because real thing starts when you start running.” Reid says, “do not fear failure, it’s a part of the game.

Live, learn and move on.”

The GBC varsity teams are known as the Huskies, meaning ‘energetic and athletic’. They compete in the OCAA and also at the national level in the CCAA. The Huskies varsity teams include sports like basketball, soccer (indoor and outdoor), volleyball, badminton, golf, x-country, and rugby.

To be a part of the huskies, a student has to register for the tryouts, get the medical examination done at the venue and perform to the best of their abilities. If they get selected, they get a call. At that time they have to pay a nominal fee of $80 which includes clothes, jerseys, bags and banquet passes. Training and fitness remains an integral part of the Huskies. They have specific Across 2. Rapper & U.S. state 7. Free money 9. Make better 12. Place to perform 13. Pain in leg joint (2 wrds) 16. Having the characteristic of oak trees 17. Popular Halloween Costume 20. Result of subtraction 22. Coined the term “Oedipus complex” 24. Drill instructor abbr.

25. GBC’s new campus 27. Popular reality show character known for “pouf” 28. Canadian tower 29. Annual GBC trip (abbr.)

33. Famous GTA winery 37.Chicken _____ rice 38. Bibliography format 40. i.e. Epsom 41. Health risk when eating fast food 42.”All systems go”

coaches for all sports who help the players to achieve their best. They also keep a close watch on the intramural and extramural players, and promote the potential good players into the varsity team.

The tryouts for all the above mentioned sports are set to get rolling from the month of September.

These tryouts will be held after the orientation so that the forthcoming fall students also get a chance to participate. The complete tryout schedule for different sports can be found at the website: www.athletics.georgebrown.ca The coordinators and coaches can also be contacted for more information.

With the fall season coming up, GBC is all set to take varsity sports to the next level.

Down 1. Amphora 2. Word of caution 3. Miner’s pursuant 4. Annoy 5. Lower number in a fraction 6. Cattail in Spanish 8. Dot over the i 10.Startled cry 11. GBC guest illusionist in 2011and 2012 14. Balanced 15. Canadian stereotype saying 18. A man whose behavior is dishonorable 19. Hairdos of the 60s and 70s 21. Holder of milk 23. Coming together 24. Street on which new GBC campus is located 25. Fermented juice 26. Scarce resource 30. Musical group & instant message abbr.

31. Website language 32. South Indian dish (like sponge-­cake) 33. Flash _____ 34. ”SA’s __ your back” 35. Kiln for drying hops or malt 36. High pitch 39. Pose a question

Clubs

The Dialog

Aug. 10 - Aug. 24, 2012 11

Student Association clubs list

Anime Vortex tsuko_kamonosuke@hotmail.com

Fine Dining ong_ray17@hotmail.com

Hakuna Matata lizbeth_lascano@hotmail.com

Power to Change p2c.gbc@gmail.com

Bachelor of Applied Business bab.association@gmail.com

Food & Beverage Club gbcFandB@hotmail.ca

Hillel @ George Brown gonialter@gmail.com

Bachelor of Business Hospitality Student Club (BABHS) Ahmad wafaahmad89@gmail.com

First Generation Club yuriy_ilyin@rogers.com

HIM Student Association hthande@georgebrown.ca

Professional Networking for the Construction Industry cgraystone@gmail.com

Game Developers Club gamedevsclub@gmail.com

Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure events.htlconnects@gmail.com

GBC Wine Tasting Association mandyschnurr@gmail.com

I Run T.O Club iruntoclothing@gmail.com

GBC Construction Professionals candaceharris_mk@hotmail.com

International Networking Club ddaswani@georgebrown.ca

George Brown Ski & Snowboard gbcskiandsnowboardclub@hotmail.ca

Mosaic Diversity Club urintosh2dani@yahoo.com

Grape Vinez rita.huynh@gmail.com

Muslim Student Association hahmadi@georgebrown.ca

Canadian Association Food Service Professionals atucker6@georgebrown.ca Canadian Nursing Student’s Association kathleen.kerr123@gmail.com Career Counselling Study Club (CCPC) Kipros1@gmail.com Cultural Connection Club yvonnecasey@rogers.com

Self Defense Club ugo.sibeudu@gmail.com South Asian Student Alliance shoaib1992@live.com Students for Non-Violence cgraystone@gmail.com Team Jamaica jessica.holder@hotmail.com The Gospel GBC staceyannneil@live.com

MORE THAN JUST YOUR STUDENT UNION - WE ARE YOUR TEAM! THE STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO GBC STUDENTS. THOUGH WE FREQUENTLY WORK WITH THE COLLEGE, THE SA IS A SEPARATELY INCORPORATED NOT-FOR-PROFIT — RUN BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS. APPROXIMATELY 22,000 FULL-TIME GBC STUDENTS ARE PART OF THE SA, AND WE ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE. FROM PROVIDING HEALTH INSURANCE TO THROWING PARTIES, THE SA WANTS TO ENSURE EVERY STUDENT HAS AN ENRICHING AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AT COLLEGE. CLUBS LEGAL COUNSEL TTC SALES FACILITIES TAX CLINIC SAFEWALK LIFEWORKS CAMPAIGNS FOOD BANK JOBS EVENTS MEMBER SERVICES ACADEMIC ADVOCACY BURSARIES LGBTQ CENTRE ASL COMMUNITYCENTRE THE DIALOG THE SOURCE ABORIGINAL STUDENT COMMUNITY CENTRE CENTRE FOR WOMEN AND TRANS PEOPLE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COMMUNITY CENTRE