The Dialog Vol. 37 Issue 8. Jan. 7 to 20, 2019

VOL. 37 ISSUE 8 / JAN. 7- 20, 2019 GBC Student Newspaper • Founded 1982

NEWS/ P. 3

Students march against patriarchy

YEAR IN REVIEW/ P. 9

Where did the ban on bottled water go?

SCIENCE & TECH/ P. 11

Top tech to keep you on track for 2019

2019

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NEWS

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Tanveer Singh wins SA byelection Candidates express dissatisfaction in low voter turnout of 2.8% KEVIN GOODGER The polls have closed and the students have spoken.

Tanveer Singh, a second-year construction engineering technology student, has won the race for the international student representative position on the board of the Student Association of George Brown College (SA).

The unofficial results were released shortly after noon on Monday, Dec. 10.

Singh won with 74.5 per cent of the vote with a total of 327 votes, while Seth, a first-year international business management student, secured 112 votes.

Singh said that winning the election is "a new experience for me. I'm really happy and thanks to all who supported me in the election and voted for me."

He added that him and Seth both share the same vision for international students, including the idea of a study club, to help them ease these students into GBC, get homework help, and assistance finding jobs.

H e e n d e d b y s a y i n g, "thank you so much for giving me this opportunity, and I'm looking forward to working for the students and the SA." Also newly elected to the SA's board is Senthil Thevar who was the only candidate contesting for preparatory and liberal studies education centre representative.

Thevar received nine yes votes and two no votes.

The First Nations, Métis and Inuit students’ representative votes went to Jeffrey Hewitt who was also the only candidate in that race.

PHOTO: ASHRAF DABIE THE DIALOG

REPORTER- EDITOR

The newly elected International Students representative, Tanveer Singh won with 327 votes.

He received 131 yes votes and 48 no votes.

The positions of satellite campuses director and hospitality and culinary arts representative remain vacant, having received no nominations.

A total of 585 students voted in the SA's fall byelection, which is 2.8 per cent of 20,987 eligible voters.

Thevar expressed his appreciation, moments after learning the results.

While he was happy to have secured the position, calling it "a great, nice expe-

rience," he would like to see more participation from students.

The newly elected preparatory and liberal studies representative said that one of his plans for office is to take feedback from the students regarding their issues and work with them from there.

As for Seth, he wished Singh "the best of luck."

"Anything he has in mind, he should take forward with his full effort," he said.

Seth said he would run for

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US - editor@dialognews.ca

CONTACT US editor@dialognews.ca Tel: 416-415-5000 ext. 4274 Room E122 - Casa Loma 142 Kendal Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1M3 www.dialognews.ca Read this issue and back issues online at https://issuu.com/ dialog

EDITORIAL Assistant Editor: Ashraf Dabie . . . . . . . assistanteditor@dialognews.ca News and features Kevin Goodger. . . . . . . . . . . news@dialognews.ca Opinion: Timo Cheah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . opinion@dialognews.ca Arts and life: Ladshia Jeyakanthan. . . . . . . . . . . artslife@dialognews.ca Science and tech: Leslie Gallagher. . . . . sciencetech@dialognews.ca Sports: Allison Preston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sports@dialognews.ca General assignment: Nico deVeber. . . . . . . . reporter@dialognwes.ca The Dialog podcast: Luiz Felipe Lamussi. . . podcast@dialognews.ca Video: Peter Sarellas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . video@dialognews.ca Video: Valeska Mendes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . video2@dialognews.ca Graphic designer: Keynaz Varanlou. . . . . . . . . design@dialognews.ca Ad sales and marketing: Alicia Fung . . . . . . . . . . ads@dialognews.ca Distribution: Matthew Miranda . . . . . . . . distribution@dialognews.ca Publications co-ordinator: Mick Sweetman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . communications@sagbc.ca

the same position again.

Seth too is disappointed with the number of votes.

"I think a lot of people are not even aware that college (SA) elections take place," he said.

Requests for comments from Hewitt were not returned by press time.

CORRECTION The story "King Street pilot project ‘a success'" printed on Dec. 5 incorrectly stated that private vehicles were banned on King Street between Jarvis and Bathurst. In fact, private vehicles are allowed on King Street, but only for one block and must turn right at the next intersection. The Dialog regrets the error.

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OPERATION

CONTRIBUTING

The Dialog newspaper is published with the support of the Student Association of George Brown College.

The Dialog’s staff are responsible for the overall vision and direction of The Dialog newspaper,as it coincides with the larger vision and mission of the Student Association.

The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by student fees.

Occasionally, some advertisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the Student Association.

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

Contributions to The Dialog are always welcome. We request that articles be submitted as digital copies in plain-text (TXT) or richtext (RTF) format.

Letters to the editor can be sent in an e-mail message to: editor@dialognews.ca Images should be in EPS format for vector files or in TIFF format at 300 dpi for raster files.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We acknowledge that the work we do happens on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and most recently, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.

The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, and is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. The meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island.

The Dialog is a member of CUP, the Canadian University Press

NEWS

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Students march against patriarchy

PHOTO NICO DEVEBER, THE DIALOG

GBC community holds vigil and solidarity march for gender-based violence in Canada

EVENTS LISTING MONDAY, JAN. 7

FRIDAY, JAN. 11

BEADING CIRCLES Waterfront SA office re-opening 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Outside of the SA office, room 033 51 Dockside Dr.

TRACKS -THE EARLY 2000’S JAM 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Kings Lounge St. James A Building, room 150 200 King St. East

Swing by our office for a free pizza lunch curtesy of your Student Association. We will also be doing various giveaways each hour.

We will be spinning the best in music from 2000 – 2010.

TUESDAY, JAN. 8 GBC at Ryerson: Free Pizza Lunch 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

5th floor / SHE Building

GBC students gather to march for women's rights in downtown, Toronto

NICO DEVEBER REPORTER-EDITOR

Students and faculty gathered at the St. James campus of George Brown College (GBC) on Monday to remember women who have lost their lives due to gender-based violence.

The vigil commemorated the 14 murdered women at École Polytechnique in 1989, missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada and women in Ontario who lost their lives due to gender-based violence.

After an emotionally-charged candlelight vigil, students and faculty stood together to take the issue to the streets, quite literally.

The protesters chanted “wherever we are, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!” while marching down King Street, united in their message against gender-based violence.

H a n a Ya s s i n , a s e c ond-year student in the assaulted women's and children's counsellor / advocate program (AWCCA) student who marched in the protest said she experienced some negative reactions during the march.

Yassin said she heard onlookers insult the protestors for stopping traffic and call them stupid. Despite the negative reactions Yassin said that the march itself was empowering.

The vigil was preceded by speaker Bridget Perrier, an activist and GBC alumni of the community worker program. Perrier was the keynote speaker for the day, sharing her experiences with gender-based violence to the crowd.

“It's not laws that kill our women, it's not the streets who kill our women‚—it's men who are killing our women,” said Perrier, setting the tone for the rest of the vigil.

An emotional and somber candlelight vigil then commenced with speakers sharing the names, stories, and causes of death of murdered women in Ontario. A candle was lit for each name.

Claire Larkin, a second-year AWCCA student and one of the vigil's co-ordinators, said that events like these are necessary for the GBC community.

“It's a dirty little secret that nobody wants to talk about,” said Larkin who said it was intended to educate

about gender-based violence.

Jasmine Chatha, a human rights advisor and investigator in GBC's diversity, equity, human rights services office was also a speaker in the event.

Chatha said that it is important to remember the École Polytechnique massacre of Dec. 6, 1989, because many students at GBC might not have been alive when it happened.

She hopes events like these will serve as an educational tool and to also help the GBC community become allies in the fight on gender-based violence.

“Hopefully it spurs them to educate themselves, seek out other resources, seek more information and help to be a solution to the problem,” said Chatha.

The AWCCA program held the candlelight vigil and march as part of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which is marked on Dec. 6.

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Swing by the 5th floor for a free pizza lunch curtesy of your Student Association.

We will also be doing various challenges to win cool prizes.

MONDAY, JAN. 14 SA board of directors meeting 6 p.m to 8 p.m.

Casa Loma Student Centre, boardroom E Building, First Floor, room E126 142 Kendal Ave. Winemaker's Tasting with Paul Pender of Tawse 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Third Floor, 215 King St. E.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16

Casa Loma: Free Pizza Lunch

Games Night 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Video game tournament sign up at 6:30pm Kings Lounge St. James A Building, room 150 200 King St. East.

Casa Loma: Free Pizza Lunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Casa Loma Student Centre E Building, First Floor 142 Kendal Ave. THURSDAY, JAN. 10 ST JAMES: FREE PIZZA LUNCH 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Kings Lounge St. James A Building, room 150 200 King St. East.

Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics will be on some screens NBA 2K19 & Street Fighter video game tournaments Classic board games: Connect 4, Battleship, checkers.

FRIDAY, JAN. 18

GAMES NIGHT 5 p.m to 10 p.m.

Video game tournament sign up at 6:30 p.m.

Kings Lounge St. James A Building, room 150 200 King St. East

GBC Wild n Out 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Kings Lounge St. James A Building, room 150 200 King St. East .

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs will be on some screens.

Fifa 19 & NHL 19 video game tournaments.

Classic board games: Connect 4, Battleship, checkers.

Cast members Justina Valentine & Conceited from the hit MTV show will be teaming up with GBC students for an entertaining event. Special performance by recording artist CMDWN Collective.

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NEWS

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Students bring mini putt to The George Special events students staged a night of fun and games to mark the end of the semester NICO DEVEBER The George student residence was decked out on Dec. 5 as a group of students held a mini putt event which brought the George Brown College (GBC) community together.

The event titled Turn Down for Putt featured two floors of mini putt, a silent auction, raffle prizes, pizza on the house and iced tea.

It was organized by a group of special events management students as part of their third-semester culminating project.

Fun and games aside, the journey to staging the event had its challenges.

Tracey Kolthoff, one of the co-ordinators pointed out that a lot went into planning the event.

Kolthoff, who is a second-year special events management student emphasized that communication is key in planning an event with a

PHOTO NICO DEVEBER

REPORTER-EDITOR

Evelin Cheung, left, and Andrew Tucker, right play mini putt

group, and that every detail comes into account.

Kate Hendry, another co-ordinator said that the event is important for her as a student because this was her first experience at planning an event from start to

finish.

Hendry said that a benefit to planning an event of this nature is being able to make others happy.

“I think that's what maybe people don't realize is one of the benefits of being in the

event industry.

There's a lot of stress, a lot of planning, a lot of detailed work, but then in the end it's so worth it to see people happy,” she explained.

Laughter and cheers from students, their f a m i l i e s, a n d the community alike could be heard throughout the night as guests went through the two-floor mini putt course.

Students like Jamie Hadley, who came out to support her fellow students in the program, said events like these help foster a sense of community at GBC. Hadley also mentioned she was excited for the silent

auction her fellow classmates had included in the event.

According to co-ordinator Kennedy Zurborg, mini putt is not easily accessible in Toronto, with most of the courses being in the outskirts of the city.

Evelin Cheung, a special events management student noted that it is very difficult to find a place to play mini putt in Toronto, so she was happy to be able to have that opportunity.

Co-ordinators Kolthoff, Hendry, and Zurborg all agreed that they hoped that this event served as a much needed de-stresser for the GBC community at the end of the semester.

Proceeds from the Turn Down for Putt event will offset other similar initiatives, all of which will be directed towards charity.

New free speech policy for colleges New free speech policy for Ontario colleges criticized by student and faculty organizations for lack of consultation NICO DEVEBER REPORTER-EDITOR

On Jan. 1, 2019 colleges across Ontario, including George Brown College (GBC), will implement a new free speech policy.

The policy states that colleges must allow for open conversations without the fear of reprisal, even if others find their viewpoints offensive.

The policy states that members of the college community are free to criticize and contest the views of others but they can't obstruct or interfere with anyone's freedom of expression.

Although the policy prohibits "speech that violates the law," including the Ontario Human Rights Code, it also states that “it is not the role of the colleges to shield members of the college community from ideas and opinions that

they may find disagreeable or offensive,” and that it is up to individuals to challenge ideas they find unacceptable.

The policy also states that “colleges may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of freedom of expression to ensure it does not disrupt normal college operations" or endanger the safety of others.

GBC president Anne Sado said Cory Ross, GBC's vice president of academic, will be holding town hall meetings in January to explain the policy to academic staff who will be most impacted by the policy in their classrooms.

"I don't think that what's reflected in the policy right now is very different than the approaches and operational processes that we have already," said Sado, who noted that the college would have to develop a complaint system.

"It's extremely important for us to create very inclusive environments that also deal with very difficult topics." said RM Kennedy the division chair of the union representing college faculty. "Every single day faculty are walking into classrooms trying to find a way to balance that and nothing from Colleges Ontario is going to change the fact that it's our professional responsibility."

The policy also states that official student groups must comply with the policy as a condition for ongoing financial support and recognition.

"We will be reviewing this policy and meeting with the senior administration of GBC to ensure that this policy does in fact protect students and isn’t used in a way contrary to its purpose," said Arnel Fleurant, director of education for the Student

Association of George Brown College (SA), in an emailed statement. "We are concerned about how this policy will be used on campus.”

Sado said she knows that the SA does a lot of events in their own space that aren't managed by the college.

"I think we'll have a good conversation with the SA executive and make sure that we're on the same wavelength," she said.

The only student representation in drafting the policy was a student from the College Student Alliance (CSA). A spokesperson from the CSA declined to comment for this story.

The Canadian Federation of Students—Ontario (CFS-O), who represent over 350,000 students—including at GBC, were not asked to participate in drafting the policy.

“They just want to push their agenda and it doesn't matter what people think about it,” said CFS-O chairperson Nour Alideeb who said she hopes that the policy will be used to police hate groups and not clamp down on student activism.

The policy was created due to the Ontario government’s directive for all publicly-funded universities and colleges to develop and implement a free speech policy by Jan. 1 2019.

With files from Leslie Gallagher.

OPINION

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

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We are not our mental illness Gerontology student addresses common misconceptions about mental health ERICA STREISSLBERGER GERONTOLOGY STUDENT

We are humans, we are not our mental illness and our mental illness does not define who we are. I am going to explain the difference between mental health and mental illnesses.

Mental health is something that we all have; we can take care of our mental health by eating the right

foods and by working on our physical health.

I know for myself and my mental health, I love to walk and also do kick boxing. Taking care of my physical health helps me focus on my mental health.

This leads to my next point about mental illnesses. Many people think that if they have mental health then they have a mental illness. I’ve seen and have talked with many people about mental health and they think that it’s the same thing.

This adds to the stigma of talking about it and getting the proper help you need.

I recently spent a whole afternoon with a homeless person who had a mental illness and the way he was talking you would have never known that he had a mental illness until he said something about

his mental health.

For others, mental health gets thrown around so lightly that it then becomes hard to talk about and everyone just pushes it to the side.

The singer Demi Lovato has spoken about this subject. She feels that people think when you seek help or treatment it’s like going to a body shop with your car, they fix you up and you leave well.

Finding proper treatment and help is not like that. It takes time and work to feel and look better.

I am very passionate about mental health. I think that it has to be treated as an illness the way a physical illness would be treated.

When I go to my doctor I make sure they look at every part of my body including my mental health.

When I was first diag-

nosed with generalized anxiety and depression, I made sure that I talked about it and asked my doctor what to do.

She put me on medication, suggested I see a counsellor and be tested at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). I did that and found a counsellor at a place called ADAPT in Oakville.

ADAPT has meetings similar to the 12-step program and one on one counselling.

While researching ADAPT, I found that many people use counselling as a tool in their tool box.

I also found that once I was open and started talking about mental health and mental illnesses those around me started talking about it too.

I feel that once someone

starts talking about it, they can open the gateway for others to be open and honest.

That is something that I needed to do because once you become open and honest you can surrender to the process and get the help you need.

Surrendering to the process may look different for everyone, but to me it’s leaning on the people who are there to support me such as: my counsellor, my doctor, my sponsor from my 12-step program, along with my sister, niece and lastly teachers in my program.

Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today, writing this and getting the word out about mental health and mental illness. So please, find the support you need and be a support for someone who is struggling.

Opinion

GBC students looking back at 2018 From puppies to pole dancing, 2018 was quite a year for GBC students NICO DEVEBER REPORTER-EDITOR

What was your most memorable moment of 2018?

Robert Boyde

Kaysia Bilagot

Kevin Saunders

Dhruv Rabadiya

Flavio Araujo Silva

Gas technician student

Business marketing student

Civil engineering

HVAC Technician program

Game programming student

“One of my friends was in the hospital because he got in a crash."

He suffered a lot of external injuries and he had to spend three months in the hospital, so I got to see him again on my birthday."

She said her most memorable moment was on New Years when she decided to take up pole dancing.

“It was really fun, it let me express my sexuality in a different kind of way. I found out I really liked it and I'm still doing it in 2019.”

“I've been wanting a dog for so long. I've been a student for years so it has been a big step that I can finally balance the school, the work and the dog."

“When my brother had his baby; his first-born daughter.

I think that was the biggest moment for me because it just brings up so much happiness and joy in the family.”

“Moving on from secondary school to GBC is a big moment in my life and though I am a bit worried about where I am going to go, or if this is for me, I would say I'm definitely going to remember this."

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ARTS & LIFE

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Get a taste of the poster design show GBC graphic design students learn how to cater designs to clients Second year graphic design students at George Brown College (GBC) gathered at the school of design building on Nov. 29 to support each other in the annual poster design show while networking among potential partners.

The proceeds of the posters, which sold for $40 each, helped to fund a scholarship available to first year students in the same program.

The participating students were asked to design their posters in response to client briefings that went over their expectations as far as design was concerned.

These clients were hypothetical restaurant owners starting their businesses in Toronto.

Accessibility was a technical aspect of the design produced by Jessica Chaberski.

Her continuous contour illustration of a fox sold as

quick as the animal itself!

“I love colour, but for someone that’s visually impaired, they might not see certain contrasts,” explained Chaberski.

Particular shades of grey and orange were utilized to accommodate this factor.

There was a truly unique aesthetic to every poster, despite the assignment calling for groups of five students to develop a central theme.

The objective was to help the client “find the best attributes for that niche market that they are looking for,” said Joel Kentjanaputra, who was assigned a client new to Toronto.

Kentjanaputra’s design was to focus in on reflecting the history of the restaurant.

In Joel's case, the recipient was Cajun, an ethnic group mainly located in Southern Louisiana and the Eastern Maritimes of Canada, with Indigenous, Métis and French

heritage.

He decided to design a lobster to align with the restaurant’s staple dish.

Prominent designers were chosen as inspiration for their works.

Kentjanaputra was fascinated by the eclectic nuances of the signature polka dot style of Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese contemporary artist.

“Little circles,” were used, “as a metaphor for my cayenne; to sprinkle on the lobster,” he said.

Megan Drummond, who wa s i n K e n t j a n a p u t r a ’s group, incorporated the jazz culture of the restaurant.

Seeing the similarities between these two artists and how they branched out, arrived at an interesting result. "(Lichtenstein) used a lot of halftone dots, stripes and bold colours in his work,” said Drummond, who designed a guitar in the pop artist’s style.

Darcy on a path full of road blocks and setbacks.

Luckily Jerri Johnson, professor at the school of design, was there to guide students during the process.

“Originally they looked like graveMegan Drummond, with her sold Cajun restaurant yards, (Johnthemed poster son) said, because they were really small,” said DarSix winners were accomcy, on her development of the panied by two choices of the colourful buildings. school's dean.

Before submitting, Darcy The winners were chosen accentuated the amount of by alumni of the program refining that needed to be who are currently work withdone once she magnified the in the industry. composition.

Among them, Madeson But in the end, the little Darcy placed for her Scandihouses took home the win. navian architecture graphic.

The creative process took PHOTO: TIMO CHEAH /THE DIALOG

TIMO CHEAH REPORTER-EDITOR

Afternoons revamped Try our new custom afternoon treat.

Choose your roll cake slice and one of three drinks for $8.

Cappuccino (5.5oz) Flat white (7oz) Matcha latte (7oz)

ARTS & LIFE

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

7

Redefining masculinity with VR TIMO CHEAH REPORTER-EDITOR

Irem Harnak and Elli Raynai, interaction and design development students at George Brown College (GBC), co-directed a virtual reality (VR) documentary on masculinity, which takes viewers into the world of five transgender men.

The mixed media installation premiered at the HotDocs International Documentary Festival in Toronto back in Apr. 2018.

It went on to be included in La Biennale Veneza, a prestigious film festival in Venice, in Sept.

‘Made This Way: Redefining Masculinity’ started as a photo project that was brought to life through Harnak’s and Raynai’s collaboration as co-directors.

Harnak, as a visual artist, has a passion for photographing her subjects in a meaningful way, which led to the

documentary.

“I have an intimate way of shooting people. We are really close. We always talk, I make them laugh, so they get really comfortable,” expressed Harnak.

Raynai started attracting attention in the media for his production of ‘I Am You’, which is possibly the first Canadian narrative VR film.

They were both curious to explore the perspectives of their subjects and thought VR was the best way to portray them.

The co-directors agreed that the stories of these transgender men were not being fully realized in picture form due to the conversations they were having beforehand.

Harnak finds that she can relate to these subjects because of her constant questioning of what it means to be a man.

Growing up in a patriarchal environment she was

always wondering why men have certain privileges from birth that women have to work hard for.

“Immersing someone else like I was immersed in their world,” was how the idea sprung into the directors’ heads, explained Harnak.

This concept was achieved since the subjects opened up and talked about their personal stories as if the viewer were a close friend.

They hope this allows people to feel a close connection to them and "generate that empathetic feeling," Raynai said.

During the experience, viewers can explore different environments that the subjects felt most reflected their experience.

You are within their space, where you can walk around them, beside them and “they have multiple facades of their personality, so we try to put that in the ex-

PHOTO: TIMO CHEAH/ THE DIALOG

GBC students use virtual reality to immerse viewers in the lives of transgender men

'Made this Way: Redefining Masculinity' premiering at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Apr.

perience,” said Harnak.

Viewers are presented with five interactions with each subject, sometimes one version talking over the other, or two that synchronize together to bring attention to certain aspects of their story.

“What it becomes is a dance of wordplay where the viewer feels like they're real-

ly understanding the point of view of what we're talking about,” said Raynai.

In Dec. 2018, they planned on filming two more subjects for an updated project.

The intent is to go one step further by capturing the stories of people who are queer or gay transgender men.

Cast members Justina Valentine & Conceited from the hit MTV show will be teaming up with GBC students for an entertaining event.

Special performance by recording artist CMDWN Collective.

Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 Kings Lounge, St. James 6 pm to 8:30 pm

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ARTS & LIFE

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Looking back on a smoke-free GBC Students give their perspectives on the policy after it's implementation NICO DEVEBER REPORTER-EDITOR

At start of the fall semester 2018 George Brown College (GBC) banned all smoking and vaping on college property, buildings and in vehicles.

The no-smoking on campus policy also restricts students from smoking within nine meters of any entrance to the school.

Just months later, it seems

as though students are still not fully aware of what the parameters of the ban are.

"I don’t really know much about it but I do see students smoking outside of the school premises but other than that I don’t really know," said fashion management student, Jenny Mack.

She was happy that the ban was put into place but found that people are not following the rules.

“For students who are non smokers, who walk by Kendal street or come from Dupont

station, its disturbing for them,” she said.

According to the policy, the purpose for this ban is to protect the GBC community from the dangers of smoking and inhaling secondhand

management student said about adhering to the new policy.

Daley too admitted to seeing people still smoking on campus, despite the security measures in place to prevent

smoke.

The ban has been implemented for an entire semester, yet both smoking and non-smoking students alike do not feel the ban is successful; regardless of their support for it.

“Yes and no. I do and I sometimes can't, most of the time it's fairly quick,” said Dajon Daley, another fashion

it. As such, he believes the policy is not successful.

As for Neal Niewia Domski, a skilled trade student, he finds the no-smoking policy to be inconvenient.

"A lot of people have to go further out and I don’t see this being a benefit really because everyone continues to smoke," he said.

"I’d perhaps bring back

the smoking areas in the upstairs (patio)," Domski added.

Shortly after the no-smoking on campus policy was introduced at GBC, Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis.

In Ontario, the new laws allow adults who are 18 years of older to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis which can be smoked in most outdoor spaces where smoking cigarettes is allowed.

GBC does not currently

have a policy in place following the legalization of cannabis, however there are guidelines.

The guidelines limits possession to 30 grams as well and prohibits smoking anywhere on campus in adherence to GBC's smoke-free policy.

Requests for comments from the college were not returned by press time.

Not all is lost for Saudi students The suspension of KASP forced some Saudi students at GBC to leave while others fought to stay LESLIE GALLAGHER REPORTER-EDITOR

The start of the fall semester was an unpleasant one for international students from Arabia.

This is after diplomatic tension led the Middle Eastern nation to suspend government-sponsored scholarships which allowed thousands of

students to study in Canada.

There were suggested solutions which would allow the students to remain in Canada and work on parttime basis to offset the cost of their studies.

However, for some students, it was already too late.

"Overall, there were not many GBC students impacted by this decision, and there were even some students who have been able to stay at GBC for this semester," said Ashley Sullivan, manager of international student services and support at GBC.

"The International Centre continues to support any student who has been impacted by the withdrawal of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) back in the summer," Sullivan added.

ARTS & LIFE

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

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Too much for too little on OSAP 2018's audit indicates overspending on OSAP while student groups call for more ASHRAF DABIE ASSISTANT EDITOR

Ontario’s Auditor General, Bonnie Lysyk in the 2018 Annual Report indicated that the province's spending in the last fiscal year generally did not achieve its goals.

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is one of the areas where this finding was reflected.

Over the past two years, OSAP has undergone significant restructuring aimed at improving access to post-secondary education.

However, the audit report stated that, “an increase in enrolment of only one per cent for universities and two per cent for colleges, even though the number of OSAP grant recipients rose by about 25 per cent.”

“To question the effec-

tiveness of a program that has only been in place for a year is poor practice in policy analysis,” said Nour Alideeb, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario.

“At this point, it’s impossible to say whether the program was effective in boosting enrolment from low-income students,” she added.

The Auditor General also highlighted that $65.7 million was issued in grants to students who later withdrew from their programs.

The revised OSAP policy mandates that students who withdraw from full-time studies within 30 days must repay the funds received in the form of loans.

For those who withdraw after, the amount due is calculated based on the time the student was in school.

The grants issued to students who withdrew in 201718 are yet to be converted to loans.

“I don't think that reflects poorly on OSAP. What that is saying is there is a need for more assistance for students during their academic career,” said Abdullah Mushtaq, the director of advocacy at the College Student Alliance (CSA).

He is calling on the government to look into why the students are dropping out and provide assistance to reduce those instances.

“If the reasons were financial, then clearly OSAP is still messing up and OSAP needs to be increased,” Mushtaq said.

He also suggested mental health as another factor and noted that students in such cases should be exempted from repaying.

Coming out of the 2018 audit was a 33 per cent increase in mature students who are now accessing OSAP. Of this total, 27 per cent were already enrolled and were previously unable to access government funding.

Parental income is taken into consideration when determining eligibility for OSAP, but the 2018 revised model removed this criteria for students who have been out of school for four years or more.

“I think any person trying to come back and become a student, improve their education, I think that is a very good thing,” Mushtaq noted.

He alluded to the looming closure of the General Motors plant in Ontario, saying, “In a rapid changing economy, more access for mature students is going to be paramount for their success.”

Looking ahead, the audit predicts an upward trend in the overall cost of OSAP, with a projection of $2 billion annually by the fiscal year 2020-21.

Alideeb responded, saying “there was virtually no new money put forward by the government to create the modified grants program. Almost all of the funding came from previously existing tax credits and OSAP grants.”

“The Auditor General fails to acknowledge the many positive impacts of the targeted-free-tuition program or address the long-term objectives of the changes made to OSAP under the previous government,” she argued.

Similarly, Mushtaq believes that "there are improvements that need to be made but we (CSA) don't want to see cuts happen to OSAP."

Where did the ban on bottled water go?

Sustainablity task force takes a step back to focus on reducing environmental footprint ASHRAF DABIE ASSISTANT EDITOR

There were talks of instituting a ban on the sale of plastic bottled water at George Brown College (GBC), but this big move has been put on hold.

A multi-stakeholder team was convened earlier this year to address calls from students, after the GBC sustainability squad managed to secure over 100 signatures in

favour of the ban.

The squad proposed reducing the amount of plastic generated at GBC by switching to reusable bottles.

This campaign revolved around statistics by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation which projected that by 2050, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish.

According to Stephanie Foster, the sustainability co-ordinator at GBC, the team acknowledged the students' concerns regarding the environmental impacts of plastic disposable water bottles.

However, after weighing the pros and cons, they decided that it was not the right time to make such a move.

“We wanted to make sure that we did have access to convenient bottled water filling stations around campus, which we don't quite yet,” she explained.

“And two, when we started looking at the sales of what

beverages students are buying, it was a bit mind blowing in that they are buying, between 50 to 60 per cent, soft drinks,” Foster added.

In fact Waterfront campus, where the sale of bottled water has already been prohibited, had the highest rate of soft drink purchases.

Given these concerns, the task force is currently planning a series of communications campaigns to raise awareness.

Foster said that students and staff “should have their own reusable water bottle and (know about) the benefits, both from a health and environment perspective and economic perspective (as well).”

Addressing the threats posed by plastic bottles was just one of the focuses of the sustainable task force.

Other initiatives geared towards promoting environmental sustainability at GBC are currently in the works as

well.

But why the focus on the environment?

“Climate change is obviously one of the most pressing environment issues of our time,” Foster said.

GBC is still recovering from the effects of drastic changes in weather patterns after a rainstorm on the evening of Aug. 7 left sections of Toronto drenched in water, causing damages to Waterfront and St. James campuses.

The college is currently making several strides in maintaining a green approach by reducing page usage and recycling, with a monthly diversion rate of about 65 per cent.

However, through the sustainability task force, GBC is looking to do more.

As such, GBC will be launching a new sustainability plan which is expected to roll out by spring 2019.

As for the banning of the

sale of bottled water on campus, they are hoping to revisit this proposal within a year, Foster said.

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ARTS & LIFE

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Denis Jones' work behind the camera

LADSHIA JEYAKANTHAN REPORTE-EDITOR

It took going full circle for Denise Jones to stumble upon a partnership with George Brown College (GBC).

Jones, a media freelancer, is the woman behind the camera and the creative mind behind the expressive photography that showcases the works of students in the makeup and aesthetics program at GBC. Karen McLachlan, head of the makeup and aesthetics

has taken for the students since then can be found om Jones' Instagram account.

Among the shots that stand out as her best work is one which features model Frederique Ndatirwa, wearing a striking head wrap along with a pair of Kenyan earrings to contrast.

Denise Jones back when she worked at cityTV As Ndatirwa, the model to showcase program, worked as a makethe work for make up stuup artist at Citytv long before dent Kevin Ndatirwa walked she came to the college. in, Denise Jones was taken In the newsroom, she met back to her birth country of Jones, a videographer who Kenya and the three immedilater went on to work for ately connected to produce a CBC and HGTV before her stunning portrait showcasing very own company, Denise African culture.

Jones Productions Inc., came At 19, she came across a to life.

Citytv truck that was making M c L a ch l a n r e q u e s t e d a turn at Church and GerJones come to the college a rard St., and she thought to few years back, to document herself she wanted to work the work of the makeup stuthere someday as a cameradents through professional operator. portraits for the program.

"It's just that one moment Many of the portraits she in time that inspired that

PHOTO: MARK O’NEILL

Denis Jones is the woman behind the camera, taking portraits of the works of makeup students

thought," she said.

During her studies in Britain, she reached out to Citytv through an email hoping for a response ahead of her return to Canada to be closer with her family.

She “didn’t want to put all (of her) eggs in one basket,” and looked to other places as well to secure a job by the time she got to Toronto.

"I knew on the plane coming back home that I had an interview with the managing director of Much Music, David,” Jones said, adding she was in disbelief at the time.

One thing led to another, and she landed right where she had hoped, working at Citytv full-time and was hired as the only woman working among 30 cameramen at the time.

"It brought a lot into my life," she said, referring to Citytv.

Jones knew that she had to move on so she could do other things outside of news, and gave her notice of leave in March 2008, exactly five years later.

Her choice to freelance was motivated by her curiosity of the editing process.

On the shows she worked on, the camera crew would never handle anything beyond shooting.

Now, she does professional photography along with corporate videos offering different packages to companies.

"It doesn't have to happen overnight," Jones said, who has dedicated her life to videography and recently photography; something she decided to take on professionally five years ago.

Working freelance provided her with a diverse set of skills and gave her greater flexibility to make other people's ideas come to life.

"When I take pictures, and I see people happy, that feeds my soul," Jones

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SCIENCE & TECH

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

11

Top tech to keep you on track for 2019 Making resolutions is easy, keeping them is a different story LESLIE GALLAGHER Think back to one year ago.

Did you achieve your 2018 New Year’s resolution? Or maybe the question should be: do you even remember it?

The desire to better ourselves is a human impulse, but unfortunately, so is getting distracted.

However, for 2019 there should be no more excuses with some of the best technology at your disposal.

To make it easier, we took a look at the top tech that can help students at George Brown College (GBC) keep on track with their goals.

said Karan Deep Singh, a wireless networking student at GBC. To get organized and stop procrastinating, many students use the free iOS and Android app, My Study Life.

Rather than a traditional yearly calendar, My Study Life works based on academic years and semesters.

You simply input your subjects, classes, and assignments, and it not only notifies you of upcoming due dates and potential exam conflicts but also allows for task-based checklists where you can adjust the size of the task and update it daily as you work toward completing it.

1. Getting better grades “The goals for 2019 are just to get done with the course I am doing right now, and pass with flying colours,”

2. Finding a job Dhruvi Dokani, an international fashion management post-graduate student at GBC, said: "I'm aiming to

REPORTER-EDITOR

finish this course, and hopefully getting a good job.”

Once you’ve successfully passed your classes, ideally with flying colours, the next natural goal is to land a job.

The interview is a critical and challenging step. If you can forgive the 90’s interface, the content on MyInterviewSimulator.com will have you walking into your job interview prepared and confident.

This free website takes you through common interview questions, starting with the dreaded, “Tell me about yourself”, and explaining how to best answer each.

You can also practice with a series of interview simulations at the end.

If you want to try a mock interview face-to-face, check out InterviewBuddy.com.

They offer virtual interviews with industry experts

and share feedback afterwards.

However, this tech comes with a price tag attached, which is a little steeper at $21.00 for a 25-minute interview. But for those with interview jitters, it may be worth getting the practice.

3. Staying fit Of course, these goals are best achieved when you stick with the classic new year’s resolutions: health, wellness, and fitness.

Sydney Siomra, another GBC student said, “My goals for 2019 are getting a little bit more serious with school, definitely heading back to the gym a lot more often than I am right now, and just taking better care of myself.”

A smart scale is worth considering.

Smart scales sync up to

a fitness app on your smartphone, tracking data from your workouts and measuring not just your weight but your body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage, which are better indicators of overall health.

There are many different models, with prices starting at $22.

While burning those calories, do not forget about your mental health. The 10% Happier meditation app for Android or iOS is a great introductory tool for keeping your brain focused, reducing stress, and sleeping better.

The beginner course is free, after which you can pay between $8 to $15 a month to access the content.

With ambitious goals coupled with the tech to keep you on track, you will be all set to take on the New Year.

12

SPORTS

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Huskies forging ahead into the future GBC varsity teams reflect on 2018, counting every step as a win ALLISON PRESTON REPORTER-EDITOR

2018 has been a year of changes for George Brown College's (GBC) Huskies, especially for the baseball, soccer and cross country teams.

With shifts in coaching, and new players entering the field, sports this fall followed a common theme of building, strengthening and looking towards the long term.

Baseball found a new head coach in former assistant coach AJ Wideman, while the women’s soccer team welcomed new leadership with Leslie Fitzpatrick.

Having assistant coaching experience with the women’s indoor soccer team, Fitzpatrick was not new to the school either.

Both of these teams had low win-to-loss ratios, but manager of sports and recreation, Melanie Gerin-Lajoie was happy with how far they

have come and is optimistic for their futures in the OCAA. She explained that there is a bit of a process and trend that can be expected with the coming of new coaches.

“You know the first year you come in, your hands are kind of tied with what you're inheriting from the previous administration and you're getting to know the rules around our leagues and the policies,” said Gerin-Lajoie.

“Second year, you're starting to incorporate some of the learning from the first season," she added.

Gerin-Lajoie believes that the women’s team is ahead of schedule in that plan.

GBC is currently fourth overall in women's soccer at the OCAA after the Huskies tied the majority of their games, 3-5-2.

Gerin-Lajoie is optimistic about the roster they had this year and hopes to build on that in the coming year.

For baseball, the new head

coach has been growing on the culture that the previous head coach left him.

With strong focus and spirit, the Huskies may not have had a knock-out season, but they remained optimistic even when they lost.

“You know, everybody’s positive, ” said pitcher Jack Middleton after losing against the St. Clair Saints back in September.

“We all think we have a really good team. Our pitching is behind us. Defense, hitting has always been there for us.

We’re just all ready to go. We just need to develop a little bit more,” he added.

The cross country team found a star athlete in Garrick Loewen, who is only in the first of a four-year program.

Loewen's debut at college cross country placed him 32 at Nationals. He is expected to run for GBC again next year, which brings great promise for the team.

Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team saw an influx of new players. They ranked third in the Central Division, but saw a disappointing defeat at the OCAA tournament in their own backyard.

“We had a good core of returning players, but also a lot of new players. I think a good part of the performance had to do more with just inexperience playing at that level,"

said Gerin-Lajoie.

The hopes, moving forward, are to build on the experience they have gained from 2018 and work towards a more cohesive unit for 2019.

With files from Matthew Green.

“We had a good core of returning players, but also a lot of new players. And I think a good part of the performance had to do more with just inexperience playing at that level.”

FR U STR AT E D W I T H G RO UP WO R K ?

• • • • •

Get to know your peers Understand the assignment Address challenges immediately Set timelines and deadlines Remember plagiarism is an academic offense For more information on the Academic Advocacy Program: Email: academicadvocacy@sagbc.ca Phone: 416-415-5000 x 6320

SPORTS

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019

Creating a culture of winning Huskies men's basketball coach believes in excellence on and off the court

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HUSKIES SCORES MEN'S BASKETBALL Dec. 4 George Brown . . . . . . . . . 105 Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Dec. 6 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL Dec. 6 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 BADMINTON

PHOTO:PHILIP IVER / GEORGE BROWN ATHLETICS & RECREATION

George Brwn Open Dec. 8-9 Women's Single 1st: Yunji Kim 2nd: Victoria Duong (HUM) 3/4: Nicole Wang Men's Singles 1st: Andrew Zhuang 2nd: Kyle Golding 3/4: Alex Stephen Women's Doubles 1st: Angeline Alviar, Yunji Kim 2nd: Christine Nguyen (SEN), Michelle Tam ) 3/4: Liz Duong (HUM), Bernita Ng 3/4: Shi Ya (Emily) Lu, Grace Wang Men's Doubles 1st: Dino Bajramovic, Alex Stephen 2nd: Ra Seang, Vinh To 3/4: Davyon Reid, Muhammad Usama 3/4: Mike Ra (GBC), Ace Zeng (GBC)

First-year head coach Peter Sambu has led the team to first place in the East Division, leading into the second half of the season.

ALLISON PRESTON REPORTER-EDITOR

Head Coach Peter Sambu has not wasted any time in adding his own touch to the George Brown College (GBC) men's basketball team.

Sambu who was fresh to the team this season has made it a priority to ensure that the players are winners both on and off the court.

It is clear from Sambu's priorities that he has a strong background in education.

Focusing on what Sambu refers to as the three pillars, he expects excellence in academics, community, and athletics from his team.

When looking for members, Sambu seeks athletes who are students first and athletes second.

“I told them that we need to build a culture. A culture of winning, a culture of excellence on and off the floor, and community excellence,” said Sambu.

What attracted Sambu to GBC was the competitive nature of the league, as well as his own personal feelings of the college.

A native to Toronto, Sambu had close ties to the Huskies basketball team growing up.

“I learned the fundamentals of the game from the age of 15 to 18 in this gym, so I had the opportunity to come home,” Sambu commented.

This is Sambu’s debut season in the OCAA as well at GBC, but he is not new to coaching.

With 22 years of experience under his belt, some of

the teams he has coached include Nipissing University and Lakeland College.

Under his leadership at Lakeland, the team made it to nationals one year, and had an undefeated season in another.

This success and wealth of experience has not gone unnoticed.

“He's had a couple of very successful teams over those years, which I think have helped contribute to the success he's had so far this season here,” says Melanie Gerin-Lajoie, manager of athletics and recreation at GBC. The team has taken quickly to the culture and identity that Sambu has brought with him.

“The new coach, Peter Sambu definitely came and brought his own flair, his own

style and touch,” says forward player Adam Costanzo, who is playing his second year for GBC. “We're not going to come in and try to play to another team, play down, play up we're just going to play Husky basketball,” Costanzo added.

The team started off this season with a six-game winning streak.

Their first loss came after playing Seneca College.

In a close game, the Husky's winning streak was broken by a three-point lead.

Sambu is pleased with the progress that the team has made so far this season.

“Process before product, as long as we're better tomorrow than we were today, then I'm happy," he said.

Mixed Doubles 1st: Calvin Leung, Boom Nilyok 2nd: Ace Zeng (GBC), Yunji Kim 3/4: Alex Chao (GBC), Anh Hoang (GBC) 3/4: Justin Wong, Salina He

FUN

The Dialog • dialognews.ca // Jan 7- 20, 2019 // PUZZLE

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// SUDOKU

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6 3

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Across

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Down

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