March 26, 2004

Transcription

March 26, 2004

LADIES
it’s time to
Play Ball
Join individually or as a team
Niagara Regional Ladies
Slo-Pitch League
No weekend games
INDEX
Editorials..................................pg. 4
Columns.......................................pg. 5
Politics.....................................pg. 6-7
Entertainment..........................pg. 14
Sports........................................pg. 18
Check out pages
10 & 11 for
photos of Opeth
and Get Kay Dot
Find out
who this is
on page 16
Call 905-788-9382
www.slopitchniagara.com
International students receive awards
By LINDSAY ALLBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Students from around the
world come to Niagara College
for quality education and, in
most cases, leave with academic
marks higher than many of their
Canadian classmates.
College staff recently had the
opportunity to shine a light on
these remarkable students.
On Feb. 24, staff from the
International Education department
gathered in the Welland campus
boardroom to present deserving students with the first-ever International
Academic Awards.
Each recipient was called to
the front of the room where
Vice-President Academic Alan
Davis presented their $500
award and offered congratulatory remarks. Homestay families
and teachers were on hand to
offer support and applause for
the recipients.
International Student Adviser
Larissa Strong said the presentation and the reception that fol-
lowed were simply for the students.
The purpose of the ceremony
was “to recognize the incredible
academic success of our international department,” said Strong.
Strong says there aren’t many
awards and scholarships available to international students at
the college, and this was a good
opportunity to showcase their
dedication and hard work.
Tracie Wallace, originally
from the United Kingdom, was
accompanied by her husband
while she received her award.
She obtained a 93 per cent average
in
the
Business
Administration
—
Human
Resources (Co-op) program at
the Glendale campus in Niagaraon-the-Lake.
“It’s nice to know my efforts have
been recognized,” says Wallace.
She says she feels “very honoured” to receive the award and
thanks her husband for his love
and support.
Continued on page 2
International students from Niagara College were recently awarded with International Academic
Awards and $500. A small reception was held to celebrate their achievements.
Photo by Lindsay Allbright
Welland residents may get 1.8% tax cut
By LENNON CALDWELL
Staff Writer
The City of Welland’s Council is
expecting to approve up to a 1.8 per
cent tax cut for 2004.
Bruno Silvestri, city treasurer and
general manager of financial and
corporate services, says the city will
be able to afford the cut by moving
expenditures off the tax base onto the
water and sewer bill.
“We previously collected half of
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our sewage treatment (funds)
through taxes. Now that’s all going
to be done through the water and
sewer bill,” says Silvestri.
By moving $3.7 million from the
general levy to the water budget,
Welland can cut 2004 taxes by 1.8
per cent.
“We used to raise the $3.7 million
through taxes. Now that’s going to
be done through the water and
sewer bill, so it’s just basically a
shift of where the expenses were
coming from.”
To face the new challenge of
overcoming $3.2 million in new
spending, Silvestri says, “That’s
what the budget review is about. It’s
a matter of determining if some of
the new spending is actually going
to happen and if there’s some ways
of deferring some of the spending to
another year or whether we have to
do it at all.”
The finalized budget report is
expected some time in April. “That’s
what we’re targeting, but it may take
a little longer,” says Silvestri.
If the tax shift had not taken
place, residents’ tax bills would
have climbed up about 14 per cent
this year.
When asked how this would have
occurred, he replied, “It’s the additional expenditures that we would
incur. A lot of them are payroll
expenditures that are through three
per cent contract increases each year.
“This year we also had additional
pension money that we had to raise.”
Silvestri says Welland “always
runs on a balanced budget. Our
revenues and expenses are usually
the same.”
Last year, Welland’s total revenue
with taxes was around $25.2 million.
Silvestri says he believes next
year’s budget will be about the same.
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Page 2, Niagara News, March 26, 2004
Embracing cultural diversity at Niagara
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
celebrated with photo exhibit by college staff, students, friends
Staff Writer
“Raise your hand and work
toward the elimination of racism
in your school and community.”
The Canadian government
defines racism as the belief that
one ethnic group, race, or religion is superior to another and
the rest are unworthy of respect
or recognition.
Each year, an informative
brochure outlining facts about
racism is produced.
On March 21, 1960, demonstrators were killed in South Africa.
The date was marked throughout the world as International Day
for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination.
Forty-four years later, staff, students and friends of Niagara
College were invited to a photo
exhibit March 22 to March 26,
organized
by
International
Student Adviser Larissa Strong.
“Everyone is welcome,” she says.
The purpose of the exhibit “was
to raise awareness that racism is
still very much an issue in our
society and our college.”
To show the Canadian government’s dedication to eliminating
racial
discrimination,
the
Department of Canadian Heritage
launched is first annual Racism.
Stop It! Campaign in 1989, as outlined in the organization’s
brochure.
Strong says each year, the
Niagara College community presents more than 50 photos. “It’s
not so much showing what racism
is, but embracing diversity,” says
Strong.
Rachel Montgomery, 21, is a
student in the General Arts and
Science program at the Welland
campus.
She recently travelled to Haiti,
where she visited the small village
of Titanyan, about 30 minutes outside the capital city of Port-auPrince. The photos she took while
visiting the village were on display at the photo exhibit.
“The people in these pictures
are real. They are not fictitious
characters. I’ve met them, I’ve
laughed with them, I’ve wiped
their tears. I hope that I can
inspire people to learn more.
There are so many ways that we
can help people around the world
and also people right here in our
own city. We just have to have
the desire to help.”
Montgomery says people need
to accept the fact that racism
exists, and everyone must make
an effort to help make racism
disappear.
“I strongly believe that education is the answer. With each generation, I believe we are becoming
more accepting to all people,
races, sexes, and sexual orientations. I’m excited to see what will
happen in future generations.”
She says the exhibited photos
displayed send a message.
“We may look different on the
outside, but inside we are all the
same. We all struggle through the
same struggles no matter who we
are. Parents worry about their
children. We all fear violence,
Photos embracing cultural diversity hang from the ceiling in the
International Education department. The exhibit was on display to
commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination, which was March 21.
want love and feel hunger. We all
experience joy and pain, no matter
where we live, what language we
speak, and what colour we are. So
why focus on our differences?
Let’s celebrate life together.”
McGuinty plan removes barriers on employment
By ANDREA ST. PIERRE
Staff Writer
The Liberal Dalton McGuinty provincial government is investing in a threeyear plan to remove barriers that prevent
immigrants from working in their chosen
trade or profession.
A variety of projects and services will be
designed to help internationally trained people pursue their careers in Ontario.
Kathleen Wynne, parliamentary assistant to the minister of training, colleges
and universities, said the McGuinty government is investing in new programs to
help internationally trained tradespeople
and professionals contribute to the
province’s economic growth.
“Increasing opportunities for the interna-
tionally trained to work in their chosen trade bridge training project for engineering techor profession benefits us all,” said Wynne. nicians and technologists.
“Working with the regulators
The University of Toronto
of professions and trades, we
is to receive $645,000 over
will work to eliminate barri- ‘Increasing opportunities three years for its internaers that prevent the international pharmacy graduate
for the internationally program. The Michener
tionally trained from continuing their chosen careers in trained to work in their Institute, in Toronto, will
their chosen province and
receive $114,400 over two
chosen trade or
reaching their full potential.”
years towards access and
profession benefits
The McGuinty governoptions for internationally
us all.’
ment plans to spend $4 miltrained health-care profeslion in three years on a vari– Kathleen Wynne sionals. Mohawk College, in
Hamilton,
will
receive
ety of programs.
$233,400 over two years
Recent investments include
towards preparation for regismore than $1 million over 18
months for training projects for teachers and tration for medical laboratory technologists.
CON*NECT, a system within Ontario’s
more than $1 million over three years for a
colleges that allows the internationally
trained to put their skills to work without
duplicating prior training, will receive
$611,750 for one year. Career Bridge, an
internship program for the internationally
trained, will receive $701,000 for three years.
A web-based interactive fact sheet that
helps internationally trained immigrant
engineering technicians and technologists
understand how their skills fit Ontario standards will receive $8,000.
“Ontario’s prosperity depends on building an economy based on superior skills
and high standards,” said Wynne.
“The skills that immigrant professionals
and tradespeople bring to Ontario are a
brain gain for our economy and a great
benefit to our communities.”
International success recognized at Niagara
Continued from page 1
So Yeon Lee came to Niagara College from Korea
and obtained a 91 per cent in the Tourism Marketing
Operations (Co-op) program at the Glendale campus.
“I didn’t expect it (the award),” says Lee. “I feel
proud and happy for my parents.”
International students work hard to reach their
goals in Canada. The International Academic Awards
was a short, simple way for staff and students here to
show the recipients their efforts do not go unnoticed.
“We are so proud of them,” says Strong.
Other recipients included Muhammed Ali from Pakistan, 90
per cent in the Electronics Engineering Technology program,
Luis Alvarezsalazar from Ecuador, 81 per cent in the Hotel and
Restaurant Management program, Dhiraj Barla, 95 per cent in
Good Luck
at placement
Journalism-Print
students!
the Interactive Multimedia (Post-graduate) program,
Hildegard Dierens from Belgium, 86 per cent in the Ecosystem
Restoration (Post-graduate) program, Keiko Kanechika from
Japan, 89 per cent in the Business Administration program,
Joonhee Shim from Korea, 81 per cent in the Hotel and
Restaurant Management program, Nick Verbaeys from
Belgium, 92 per cent in the Police Foundations program,
Lauriane Barnier from France, 89 per cent in the International
Business Management (Post-graduate) program, Oluwafemi
Dagunduro from Nigeria, 88 per cent in the Computer
Network Operations (Post-graduate) program, Joonhyn Kim
from Korea, 95 per cent in the Computer Programmer and
Computer Programmer/Analyst program, Eun-Kyung from
Korea, 89 per cent in the Early Childhood Education program,
Al Mazroei from Oman, 91 per cent in the Tourism
Development (Post-graduate) program and Nikhil Patel from
India, 91 per cent in the Business – Accounting program.
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or email [email protected]
Niagara News, March 26, 2004, Page 3
By ROBERT WALKER
Staff Writer
This spring, the Vespa scooter
makes its triumphant return to
Canada after an 18-year hiatus.
First designed in Italy in 1946
by Piaggio, the scooter provided
cheap mobility for the war-torn
nation’s people. The Vespa’s huge
popularity in Europe soon spread
to North America, allowing
Canadians to enjoy the freedom
and manoeuverability of a motorcycle without the operation and
manoeuvering difficulties.
Piaggio stopped selling the
scooters in Canada in 1986, when
new stringent emissions control
legislation targeted the two-stroke
engine.
“Vespa enthusiasts kept the spirit of the scooter alive for the past
20 years,” says Maury Chaplick,
president of the CanadianScooter
Corporation. “People formed their
own Vespa clubs, meeting to enjoy
(the Vespa), fixing up and riding
the vintage scooter.”
“The continued enthusiasm is
why we’re bringing back the
Vespa.”
The new Vespa ET2 and ET4
models, imported and distributed
exclusively by the Toronto-based
CanadianScooter, comply with the
emissions standards that caused
the disappearance of their previous
cousin.
The new Vespa technologies
have allowed for its Western
return, says Chaplick.
“We’re thrilled.”
“Cities are clogged with traffic.
The sleek Vespa design would help
ease the congestion, making it easier for people to get around,” says
Chaplick. “Vespa has always been
about fun and freedom.”
The ET4, which is slated to sell
for about $5,400 Cdn, has a modern 150cc, four-stroke engine and
comes in dragon red, excalibur silver, pearl and black. The same
goes for the ET2, which comes
with a smaller 50cc, two-stroke
engine and will run buyers about
$4,000. Manufactured at the
Piaggio plant in Pontedera, Italy,
both models come equipped with
automatic transmissions, making
operation easy.
“The new Vespas have all the
style and excitement of the original, with a new take on the sleek
design that made it so popular,”
Submitted photo
Vespa scooter makes its comeback
says Chaplick.
CanadianScooter hopes to establish about 20 Vespa dealerships
nationwide, selling the new ET4
and ET2, as well as Vespa lifestyle
products, says Chaplick.
CanadianScooter should have
no problem finding dealers, he
says. “Just this week we
received 10 inquiries from interested parties.”
Later this year, consumers can
expect the anticipated arrival of
the newest Vespa, the 200cc, fourstroke Grantourismo.
For more information about the
new Vespa, go online at
http://www.cdnscoot.com.
Volkswagen vehicles referred to as family members
By VANESSA AZZOLI
Staff Writer
On the road of life, there are
passengers, and there are drivers.
Drivers Wanted.
On March 17, Jon Castle, managing partner and executive director for Arnold Worldwide, spoke to
about 200 people about the advertising campaigns of Volkswagen
from the past and present at Brock
University’s Sean O’Sullivan
Theatre.
“Technically, this is a lecture,
but I don’t intend on lecturing you.
Instead, I intend on sharing my
stories of Volkswagen from the
past 10 years.”
He says he likes to refer to
Volkswagen vehicles as “the member of the family who happens to
live in the garage.”
Castle says he was born in
Montreal and started off at a young
age helping his grandfather wash
his 1949 Volkswagen Beetle. He
says that many years later, he was
hired as an intern at Arnold with a
starting salary of $18,000 a year.
Arnold Worldwide is an advertising company based in Boston,
Mass., that has worked on many
internationally known product
campaigns such as Dunlop Tires,
Coors Light beer, Boston Market
and Pergo Flooring.
Castle says Arnold Worldwide
believes in “truth in advertising.”
Arnold has offices in Toronto,
New York City and Boston, as
well, as other locations throughout
the U.S.
The firm originated the “Drivers
Wanted” campaign, which ran
from 1995 to 1997. Castle was the
leader of the Volkswagen team. He
says Volkswagen needed a strong
campaign to get it back in the market again.
In 1994, Volkswagen had many
weaknesses, says Castle.
People had poor perceptions of
the quality and reliability of
Volkswagen. Also, Japanese cars
were making an impact on the
North American market and
removing the focus from German
engineering. Volkswagen believed
that its biggest strength was that it
had a unique and “cool” look, so
Castle and his team set the goal of
making the Volkswagen brand
Automotive instructors
give information session
By VANESSA AZZOLI
Staff Writer
On Feb. 23, the Automotive
Technician – Apprenticeship program held an information session
for any students interested in
enrolling in the program at the
Welland campus.
“The session is open to parents
and their children, or any students
interested in transferring into this
program in the future,” says Greg
Wheeler, co-ordinator of the program.
Mike Berstling, 19, of Thorold,
is a first-year student of the Law
and Security Administration program at the Welland campus.
“Throughout the year, I’ve kind of
changed my mind on what I want
to study. I came to this session
because I’ve always been interested in cars, and I think I want to
come into this program.”
Vincent Jenne, 19, of Thorold, is
a student in the program and has
almost completed his training. “I
really like this program because
you only have classes one day a
week, and you’re out working,
getting paid and getting your education all at the same time.”
The program will hold an information session once a month for
any students interested in the program. The next session will be on
April 13 in the Motive Power
Training Centre at 1 p.m.
important again in North America.
The team had to survey
Volkswagen drivers and any
potential buyers. They came out
with a list of demographics to get
their target age group. They came
to the conclusion that Volkswagen
drivers were more educated and
were risk-takers. Volkswagen was
an affordable car and geared
towards people who enjoyed driving.
Its main competitors were
Volvo, BMW and Mercedes-Benz
because of the German engineering market, and Nissan, Honda,
Toyota and Mazda because of the
price range.
Castle showed sample commercials from the “Drivers Wanted”
campaign, which branded the slogan “On the road of life, there are
passengers and there are drivers.”
Castle says the campaign helped
differentiate between drivers and
passengers. One of the commercials had the saying “It’s about driving, not being taken for a ride,”
which pointed out exactly who
they were gearing their campaign
towards.
From 1997 to 1999, after reestablishing the Volkswagen
brand, Arnold had to move the
brand to a “higher level.” The cars
were beginning to look nicer, and
they were sleeker and rounder.
Volkswagen had to compete in a
higher priced market, so Arnold
put the emphasis on the Passat, a
luxury/business car. They made
the statement that it looks nicer
than other Volkswagen cars, but
doesn’t cost any more.
Arnold then introduced the New
Beetle in 1998. Castle says that
campaign was very difficult
because they had to come up with
a campaign of “how to launch a
car that means different things to
different people.” Castle says the
New Beetle became a magnet for
Volkswagen. He says the New
Beetle “turned heads.” People
were going into dealerships to
look at the Beetle and were then
noticing the Jetta, the Golf and the
Passat and were purchasing those
cars.
Castle says the New Beetle is
still a unique and the most recognizable car on the road.
Castle went on to speak about
the Touareg, Volkswagen’s new
Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). He
says the Touareg is “the
Volkswagen that does what other
Volkswagens don’t.”
Castle also presented the new
Volkswagen Phaeton, a $100,000
vehicle, to establish a position in
the luxury category. He says the
Phaeton is geared towards “transcendent drivers.” He explained
they are those who appreciate
change and are able to see things
for what they are.
To close, Castle introduced the
marketing campaign of 2005. He
says people no longer test drive
vehicles because they research the
vehicle on the Internet and get
feedback from people they know.
He says when people go into dealerships to drive the car, they are
almost sure that is the car they
want, so to get people to drive
Volkswagens, the new campaign is
“Drive it. You’ll get it.”
Castle’s presentation took just
over two hours and had a questionand-answer period at the end.
Is it worth your life?
Grant Grice, 21, Student Administrative Council vice-president of public relations, helps to clear the
way for the tow truck, which brought a car damaged in an accident onto the Niagara College Welland
campus property for Sex, Alcohol and Drugs Awareness Day Feb. 26.
Photo by Jason Rumley
Our next edition is Thursday, April 8. It is being done by the first-year students of the Journalism-Print program.
EDITORIALS
The Niagara News is a practical lab for the Journalism-Print program, covering the college community and other areas of interest.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the management of the Niagara News or the administration of
Niagara College, Room V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3
Phone (905) 735-2211 / 641-2252 / 374-7454 / FAX (905) 736-6003
Editor: Sarah Allingham; Associate Editor: Ryan Farkas; Assistant Editor: Jolene Holmes;
Publisher: Leo Tiberi, dean, Information and Media Studies;
Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt, co-ordinator, Journalism-Print program;
Associate Managing Editor: Gary Erb, professor, Journalism-Print program;
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie, professor, Journalism-Print program;
Advertising Manager: Linda Camus;
Technology Support: Kevin Romyn;
Photography Consultant: Andrew Klapatiuk, photography instructor;
Photography Editor: Jonathan Jones;
Photography Crew: Jolene Holmes.
www.niagara-news.com
Good luck, Journalism-Print graduates
It has come.
The second-year Journalism-Print students are leaving. This is our last edition,
but don’t worry, the first-years are taking over.
We are very busy finding new jobs, new programs and new lives.
It has been a blast doing this paper for all of you, but now it is time to pass it on.
As we leave and go our separate ways, we will always remember working long
hours in V10.
At first I was scared about graduating and leaving school. I haven’t had a graduation in six years. I haven’t had to find a real new job either. Now that I have to, I
am really excited. We all are, I think.
Hey, where’s Cas? Oh yeah, she moved back home and is now working for The
Brantford Expositor.
With some of my classmates already gone and working full-time in the field, it
feels a bit strange with missing people.
Soon, we will all be remembered as a student body roaming the campus grounds
and halls, working on the computers, cramming in the library, and socializing at the
pub and in the cafeteria. Don’t worry. You’ll be missed too.
Farewell, Niagara College. I hope you enjoyed our news stories, profiles,
columns, sports updates, editorials, political stories and entertainment news. The
Niagara News will never die. The next group of eager journalists will run it again
and again. This is not a goodbye but good luck wished to all grads and hardworking students.
Cheers.
SARAH ALLINGHAM
Where did it all go wrong, politically?
If only we had known a year ago the economic and political mess we’d create,
there wouldn’t be a need to write this.
Rather, I’d focus on the end of the year, the relationships lost, the employment
confusion and the sappy goodbyes traditional of Niagara News’ graduating class.
Instead, I’m forced to watch, on CNN no less, the assassination of the most
prominent Palestinian leader in years. Al-Qaida not only blames the United States
for this atrocity, but also calls for an equivalent retaliatory attack!
Where did it all go wrong?
Why can’t we go back to being content with a daily Tim Hortons coffee?
Here’s a list of instigators to blame for the seemingly unavoidable Third World
War:
Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. If he wasn’t such a ruthless dictator, the
United States wouldn’t have invaded and stirred the chili pot, bringing me to ...
The United States. It walked into Iraq with promises of an easy war. Flowers
would rain from revelers as freedom marched through downtown Baghdad, with
democracy in tow. Instead, people die every day, and religious factions grasp for
every inch of political power available.
U.S. President George W. Bush, the whistleblower. He shifted the focus of the
terror war from Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, after his escape from Tora Bora,
to Iraq. He went from having the greatest financial surplus in his country’s history
to the greatest deficit.
Religion. By bringing Western politics into the irreverent religiousness of the
Middle East, the combination of the two passions will likely end in feudal hatred
and explosions.
Honourable mentions go to North Korea, Libya, inflation, reality television,
American Idol, OPEC and the swindling of billions by corporate whoremongerers.
It makes graduation go down a little bit easier, no?
RYAN FARKAS
Your voice or opinion is welcome in our Letters to the Editor section. Our policy regarding letter submissions is this: All letters must be received on the Friday one week
prior to publication. Each letter must include the writer’s name, college identification number and program of study.
All letters must be signed and include a day and evening telephone number for verification use only.
All letters can be mailed or brought to the Niagara News newsroom, Room V10, Voyageur Wing, Welland campus.
Email address: [email protected]
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occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. This applies whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise.
There shall be no liability for non-insertions of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement.
All advertisers are asked to check their advertisements after first insertion. We accept responsibility for only one incorrect insertion unless notified immediately after publication. Errors,
which do not lessen the value of the advertisement, are not eligible for corrections by a make-good advertisement. There shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond
the amount paid for such advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, revise, classify or reject any advertisement.
Last edition from the second years, but the first-year Journalism-Print
students are taking over the Niagara News’ First Edition April 8.
COLUMNS
By MIKE O’DROWSKY
Staff Writer
Column
The end of April will mark the
end of my tenure as a Niagara
College student.
My time spent here was eventful, to say the least. I met people
from all over Canada and around
the world.
I have seen, done and experienced things that I never thought I
would encounter. I was humiliated
beyond words, praised beyond
expectation and scared out of my
mind more than once.
My experience began in the residence, which would best be characterized as a lesser shade of hell. My
understanding of college was that it
was to get away from your parents
and the powers that control you.
It was to strike out on your own
and live for the first time as an independent person. What a nice thought.
Instead, we got video cameras
watching our every move, limits
on who and how many people
could be in your room and a
plethora of other little things that
reminded you of what you were
trying to get away from. The
rooms were nice, at least.
I only lasted one semester in residence. Cabin fever set in and I got
the hell out.
For the second semester of my
first year, I moved into a spacious
house on Rice Road with a group
of people who were more or less
strangers to me.
I slept in a crawl space that was
attached to the room I paid for. My
room, at my insistence, was converted into the “smoking room.”
I lived with Graham McKee, 21,
Cornelius (Corey) Maaskant, 21,
Adam Durst, 21, Bobby Fielder,
23, and Kyle Young, 21.
Living with five guys is not
easy. It is loud, filthy, cumbersome
and, to some extent, dangerous.
By the time we left that house,
there were various substances on
the walls and floors, and holes in
almost every wall, the carpets and
furniture were dotted with cigarette burns and the front door
wouldn’t close, let alone lock.
Living with those guys was so
terrible that I decided to do it again
this year.
Well, all but one. Young graduated and we were commissioned
by our new landlord to find a sixth
person to fill the final room. Being
decisive go-getters, we didn’t find
anyone, so our landlord found
someone for us.
We knew that our landlord had
found someone to fill the void,
but we had no idea who he was.
We were all worried that he
would be some little knob that
would object to the filth and
minor rule bending that we had
become accustomed to.
Photo by Mike O’Drowsky
Time spent at Niagara College ‘eventful’
BRAD “COOTIE” LECOUTER
Bradley “Cootie” LeCouter accepted it.
joined the fold during frosh week
There are a lot of things about
in September. He was five-feet college that I will not miss,
five-inches and 135 pounds of 18- among them the squalor, the malyear-old piss and vinegar.
nutrition, the bickering and the
We were partially right. He was 8:30 classes.
a bit of a knob, but he didn’t object
For each thing I will not miss,
to our lifestyle.
there are 100 things that I will
The only thing about him that never forget. Six things I will
we objected to was his insistence never forget are Graham,
on bathing in the washbasin in our Cornelius, Adam, Bobby, Kyle
kitchen, but after a while we and Brad.
Student’s time has come to graduate
Staff Writer
Column
The time has come.
It’s time for me to take the batteries out of my tape recorder and
unload all the blue pens from my
jacket pockets.
It’s time for me say goodbye to
the International Education department and move all my things out
of residence.
The time has come for me to
graduate.
I must say, it has been quite the
year and a half, full of ups and
downs and in-betweens.
My experience at Niagara
College will stay with me for a
lifetime, and so will the people I
have met along the way.
First, Cindy. Big, naked Cindy.
We both know the memories
won’t stop here, even though
being neighbours will.
Our dinner dates every night,
green booger drinks, watching
Survivor and American Idol,
walking to the good old Seaway
Mall every day and Halloween
in St. Catharines. No matter
what, I’ll never forget the little
things. If you read this, and I
doubt you’ll read this, you’ll be
able to put all the memories
away as well.
Then there was Laura Baura.
You’re older than I am, and much
wiser. I’ve learned things from
you that I wouldn’t have learned
from anyone else. Our special
nights and good times during the
summer are what make us such an
awesome couple. Thanks for
babysitting Adam for me; I know
he’s a real handful.
Thanks for buying me Sprite
when I was dizzy and letting me
listen to the funny songs on your
MP3 player.
Even though you always want to
take a cab, thanks for going out for
dinner, grocery shopping and
shopping for shoes with me, even
though you bought them after I
had just picked them out.
And my dear roomie, Angela.
You’re right, you have been my
longest-lasting roommate. Your
medal is in the mail. We may be as
different as day and night, but
everyone knows you can’t find
better roommates than we are.
I sometimes made fun of what
you eat for dinner, because face it,
not everyone can live forever on
overstuffed ravioli and hard-boiled
eggs, but I had my revenge by eating tuna and leaving the dirty fork
in the sink for you to smell.
Although we dress differently,
watch different television shows,
eat different foods, like different
kinds of movies and have different friends, there is one thing we
will always have in common: the
need to sneak subs into our, sorry
your, jacket in hopes of catching a
quick meal while watching Lord
of the Rings.
For once in your life, you actually looked fat.
My friends are the reason I am
going to miss this place, this
armpit of Ontario we call Welland.
I also want to thank everyone in
the International Education
department. The staff and students
within those offices are by far the
most interesting people I have
ever met. I thoroughly enjoyed
writing stories for the Niagara
News, especially the ones that
included you and fascinating
experiences here at Niagara.
Special thanks to Lairssa and
Jos, for keeping me up to date with
the happenings in and around the
department. Without you, my stories would have never made it.
This is my final goodbye to
Niagara College.
Like most people, I will keep
these memories as I move to bigger and better things.
Oh, and Angela, Dennis called.
He wants his jacket back.
Television deemed ‘annoying’ by student
By ROBERT COLE
Staff Writer
Column
I was watching TV recently, and I
noticed a disturbing trend.
Television is getting more and more
annoying. Everything from reality
TV to advertising is absolutely
annoying. Even the news is becoming repetitive and grating.
Take, for example, the whole
thing with Janet Jackson. Aren’t
people done with that, yet? It’s a
dead horse, so stop beating it. Do I
care if she showed her breast? No,
I don’t. I don’t think anyone else
does either.
Everyone is saying it’s a big
blow to censorship. I agree it is, in
a very bad way. Now everything
must be changed.
Live shows are on delays, just in
case a private body part pops up
during a concert, or someone
blows his brains out while playing
Russian Roulette on a morning
show.
With reality TV, there is a growing number of Survivor wannabes
and lives being filmed. I get the
feeling that I could probably produce my own reality show, as well.
I have one in my head right now.
It’s called “Who’s the 1337est?”
(1337 is pronounced “leet,” for
those not in the know).
It would take place on an
Internet message board. The challenges would address withstanding current Internet fads. If you
can’t stand looking at rude ASCII
art, you will be banned from the
message board. The prize for the
winner would be a life.
The inevitable celebrity show
would have the likes of William
Hung and that dude who played
Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of BelAir competing to see who is the most
elite. Think that would go over well?
Finally, advertising. Of the many
ads on TV, about 90 per cent of them
make me want to avoid the product
at all costs. About 80 per cent of that
90 per cent make me want to give a
swift kick to the person who created
the commercial.
A series of commercials airing
show a youngster tormenting his
(apparently mute) little brother.
These ads are cruel and rude. I
have seen lighter ads corrected
or revoked.
Another ad is a homebrewed ad
from Hamilton. It features two very
annoying children with very annoying voices. Not one word from their
mouths is audible. How does this
company (I won’t mention names)
expect to sell anything?
It doesn’t look as if television
will change anytime soon. I suppose, as long as South Park and
The Simpsons remain on the air, I
will be happy.
I’ll try to keep an open mind, and
I will do other things to occupy my
time, like reading, writing, making
an RPG, going out with friends, or
watching people on a message board
moan about how “leet” they are.
Journalists, including those in the Journalism-Print program at Niagara College, are taught that their reporting must be balanced, fair and as objective as
possible. That rule must also exist for columns written by reporters. In columns, the
feelings and opinions of reporters are welcome, but balance, fairness and objectivity must never be disregarded or treated
lightly. Our columns, which are clearly identified as such, do not reflect the opinions or feelings of the Niagara College
administration or the management of the Niagara News. Columns reflect the opinion of only one person: the writer.
POLITICS
Values challenged at Conservative standoff
By STEPHEN DOHNBERG
Staff Reporter
Stephen Harper emerged victorious after the first ballot at last
weekend’s Conservative Party of
Canada’s leadership convention.
Harper tallied a total of 16,148.9
points or 56 per cent of the vote —
well above the 50 per cent plus one
margin needed to secure the new
party’s leadership.
vidual ridings select delegates to
attend the convention on their
behalf. An anonymous Clement
supporter noted that while popular
appeal may be a good reason to
select a candidate, a party’s job is
to select the candidate “with the
most substantive platform.”
The Conservative Party of
Canada has a platform that is yet to
be defined. While the candidates
porters, killing time after voting on
Saturday morning, went a few
blocks north to Nathan Philips
Square in Toronto to “Protest the
protesters, dude! It was wicked.”
Some see Harper’s designation
of
former
Progressive
Conservative leader Peter McKay
as “deputy leader” of the party as a
move to claim the centre ground.
This perception is not entirely
Ralph Klein’s keynote address: “You are the bosses, I am
the employee...Members of the party, keep our feet out of
the fire.”
Photo by Stephen Dohnberg
Stephen Harper congratulates fellow leadership contenders Belinda Stronach (far left), and Tony
Clement (far right).
Belinda Stronach trailed with
10,196.2 points (35 per cent) and
Tony Clement rounded out the
results with 2,755 point (nine
per cent).
Consistent with the stump
speaking that occurred during the
59-day selection process, Harper
expressed his confidence to the
more than 1,200 assembled party
members that the new party can
unseat the federal Liberals.
Portraying Prime Minister Paul
Martin’s Liberals as being “old,”
“corrupt” and “cornered like an
angry rat,” Harper made a brief
plea for party unity, recognizing
the commitments of leadership
contenders Stronach and Clement.
He declared, “There’s going to be
a takeover.”
This year’s convention lacked
the exhilaration and anticipation of
traditional leadership conventions,
however. In a preferential ballot
selection, in which over 250,000
party members were eligible to
vote for the leader by a ranking,
veteran party members, like former leadership candidate Sinclair
Stevens, declared, “The electricity
is gone.”
Other delegates expressed
delight with the unique selection
method, saying that it was more
democratic and allowed members
living in remote regions to cast
their ballot. Others believe that the
selection process should be left to
the traditional method where indi-
all agreed on issues such as scrapping the gun registry, harder penalties for crimes, opposition to pot
decriminalization and gay marriage, many outside the party see it
as an even further swing to the
right than the one the original
Progressive Conservative Party
held. Indeed, many younger sup-
unfounded, as many recall Harper
as a rising star in Preston
Manning’s Reform Party and
Stockwell
Day’s
Canadian
Alliance movements. Both parties
had been criticized for their lack of
sensitivity about racial, religious
and cultural issues.
Regionally, Harper took a strong
majority with a combined average
of 68 per cent, to Stronach’s 20 per
cent, and Clement’s 12 per cent in
the three ridings of St. Catharines,
Welland, and Niagara West
Glanbrook. Turnout was strong in
the St. Catharines riding. At 10:15
a.m., only 15 minutes after voting
opened at the Polish Legion on
Vine Street, more than 100 people
lined up to cast their ballot. The
new party appears to have attracted new voters, when one estimates
that there were less than 50 active
party members in early 2003.
Another highlight of the convention was Alberta premier Ralph
Klein’s keynote address Saturday
afternoon as convention goers
awaited the first ballot results.
Klein took the opportunity to bash
the federal Liberals’ lack of values
and mock former Prime Minister
Jean Chértien — replete with
accent and contorted face, saying
in imitation, “What? What is that
word, values?”
Newly elected Canadian Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper, and wife Laureen, wave to
supporters after pleas for party unity.
Maloney gets
the vote
By LENNON CALDWELL
Staff Writer
The federal Welland riding
has a new Liberal candidate as
John Maloney won the party’s
nomination meeting March 11.
Over 1,700 Liberals gathered
at Centennial Secondary School
in Welland to vote.
The three candidates were
Maloney,
member
of
Parliament (MP) of the old
Erie-Lincoln riding, Anthony
Tirabassi, Niagara Centre MP,
and Greg D’Amico, former
Niagara Centre riding association president.
The voting took place from
6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., following the three candidates’ final
10-minute electoral speeches.
The results were announced
shortly after 11 p.m. when
Maloney gave his victory speech.
“It wasn’t a fight, it was a
sibling rivalry,” said Maloney.
“We’re all family and we all
worked together.”
He says his rivals worked very
hard on this campaign and there
will be no disunity in the Liberal
party in the Welland riding.
In The Tribune, Welland’s daily
newspaper, Maloney was reported to say, “I don’t take any joy in
taking the crown from friends and
colleagues. It’s sort of a bittersweet end to it.
“What’s most important is
that we move forward into election mode, and whenever the
prime minister decides that he
wants to go to the polls, we’ll
be ready here in the Welland
riding.”
The Conservatives will nominate their riding candidate on
April 22 and the New
Democratic Party will nominate
its riding candidate on April 4.
POLITICS
Teeter-totter negotiations find balancing point
By JASON RUMLEY
Staff Writer
The labour negotiations teetertotter found a balancing point as
the strike was averted and an
agreement made on March 2.
Negotiators for 24 community
colleges’ faculty reached a tentative two-year agreement with
administration. The $33-million
price tag includes a 7.3 per cent
wage hike for more than 8,500
faculty members.
The contentious issue of workload has been referred to a joint
task force.
The contract provides for pay
increases of three per cent, retroactive to Sept. 1, 2003, with a further
0.5 per cent on April 1, two per
cent on Sept. 1, and 1.8 per cent on
April 1, 2005.
The tentative settlement averts
a strike by 8,600 teachers, counsellors and librarians, which had
been set to begin March 3.
Dan
Patterson,
Niagara
College’s president, says he was
aware the strike had been averted
about 5 p.m. on March 2.
“I was always hopeful that an
agreement would be reached
before the deadline, though a
strike did appear likely,” says
Patterson.
Asked to assess the financial
strain the agreement may put on
colleges, Patterson replied, “It’s a
fair and reasonable agreement for
everyone, especially for students
who are able to finish the year
without disruption. It certainly
adds to the college’s costs, and
we’re facing a real challenge in
finding ways to balance our books
without cutting programs or sacrificing the quality of our programs.
“Colleges are in serious need of
increased investment from the
province, including multi-year
funding so we can properly plan,”
says Patterson.
When asked if the new agreement really was about quality education or money, Patterson says,
“Certainly salaries were a key
issue in the dispute. The agreement also includes a commitment
to study the issues surrounding
faculty workload. I hope through
this initiative those issues can be
addressed and resolved.”
“We always expected to be in
the range of our comparative
group,” says Sherri Rosen,
president of faculty union OPSEU
Local 242 at Niagara College. She
was also a member of the
negotiating team.
Rosen says the increase in college faculty wages maintains
salary ranges between that of high
school and university faculty.
“We ended up right where we
expected to end up. Did we want
more however? Yes,” says Rosen.
“The task force will be struck,
and I’ve been told the colleges will
assemble a team to negotiate
issues,” says Rosen.
“In January 2005 we’ll be
negotiating again. This isn’t even
one year away.”
“We hope that the task force will
set the basis for some serious discussions. Colleges need to get
their heads around that there are
changes needed with regards to
faculty working conditions,” says
Rosen.
When asked if the same issues will
arise in negotiations for the next contract, Rosen says, “No question. This
is an on-going issue. Workload and
staffing will be amongst our top
demands this time.”
“The strike negotiation never
resolved the issues. It just postponed it. The issues haven’t gone
away,” says Rosen.
“About 75 per cent voted to
strike, 75 per cent were prepared
to give up their wages. What
could make 75 per cent want to
do that?” says Rosen, adding,
“Of the 75 per cent, many were
new faculty not high on the high
end of the wage scale, with
young families, but they weren’t
afraid to strike.”
Rosen says there are hundreds
and hundreds of contracts settled
every year, but you only hear
about the ones that don’t
get resolved.
According to the team negotiating on behalf of the colleges,
the faculty union was looking
for a pay hike of 16 per cent over
two years in early negotiations.
The amount was later reduced to
a nine per cent increase over two
years, and settled for a
two-year agreement with a 7.3
per cent increase.
New Liberal representative voted in Welland
By LENNON CALDWELL
Staff Writer
The Liberals are one step closer to
election time as they have just elected their representative for the
Welland riding.
John Maloney, Erie-Lincoln member of Parliament (MP), was voted in
by about 1,700 fellow Liberal representatives on March 11.
In the Centennial Secondary
School auditorium in Welland,
Maloney was nominated over
Niagara Centre MP Anthony
Tirabassi, and the former Niagara
Centre riding association president
Greg D’Amico.
Maloney says his first priority
will be to conduct an assessment
of the needs and concerns of those
areas he hasn’t represented
previously.
“I have to find what people’s concerns are and how we’d go about to
address them.”
Since he is a member of the steel
caucus, some of Maloney’s campaign issues were to help Welland’s
steel industries.
He says he recently met with
members of the union of Stelpipe
and Atlas Specialty Steels.
Representatives from all levels of
government attended, including
Welland Mayor Damian Goulbourne
and Member of Provincial
Parliament Peter Kormos.
“It’s going to be a joint effort that
will hopefully keep the (Stelpipe)
plant in Welland open and operating.
We would actively like to pursue
potential buyers. It’s a well-run plant
with a dedicated workforce and it’s
working at capacity now,”
says Maloney.
When responding to the closing of
Atlas Specialty Steels, he explains
that there is a study, funded by the
federal government, to find the viability of the plant in Niagara.
“I’m optimistic that there is still a
possibility that Atlas Steels will continue to be with us. We’ll have to
wait for the study to consider which
are the viable options to pursue,”
says Maloney.
When asked about the recent
averted college teachers’ strike,
Maloney answered, “Ultimately
this would have been a very bad
time in the school year for the
strike to disrupt the colleges. I’m
very happy to see that something
was reached.”
“We’d like to keep the youth in
the peninsula and we’d like to affiliate with other schools.
“To keep the youth in this area
we need to find employment in the
fields that they want to pursue. It
all comes down to encouraging
employment
opportunities,
expanding on existing industries
and attracting new industries to
this area.”
Maloney says he thinks the elec-
tion might be called for this spring.
“An actual day may be around
late May or early June, but we
don’t know for sure. We’re waiting
for (Prime Minister) Paul Martin to
receive a mandate from the people.
“I think it’s important that
Martin shows a complete change
from the (former prime minister
Jean) Chrétien government. The
sooner we receive the mandate,
the sooner we can start to work on
these issues.”
Maloney was elected in 1993
as an MP for Erie. In 1997, a
boundary adjustment changed the
riding to Erie-Lincoln. In 2000 he
was re-elected for the riding of
Erie-Lincoln.
Paul Martin’s first year in review at Brock
By DON ARMSTRONG
Staff Writer
Brock students and faculty were
given insight into Paul Martin’s
first year as Canadian prime minister.
Dr. Livianna Tossutti presented
her lecture, Paul Martin’s Year of
Living Dangerously: Brickbats,
Ballots and Budgets, to about 50
people at Brock University in St.
Catharines on Feb. 25.
In a phone interview, Tossutti, a
professor in Brock’s department of
political science, says the meaning
behind brickbats, ballots and budget
Awarding their own!
had to do with “metaphorical darts”
representing attacks on Martin
(brickbats), two different political
races
in
the
Progressive
Conservative leadership race and the
possible federal election (ballots),
and what to expect in the budget.
Besides these points, Tossutti
says, in her 40-minute presentation, she also discussed the recent
sponsorship scandal.
“We’ve seen this before,” says
Tossutti.
Tossutti says that in the next
federal election, Stephen Harper,
leader
of
the
former
Alliance
party,
would
be
the
most
experienced
candidate
to
challenge Martin and that voters
should expect to see “a lot more
negative ad campaigns from the
Conservatives.”
She says negative ad campaigns
are riskier in a multi-party system
than a two-party system such as
in the United States as “it may
move voters away from the party
you are attacking, but it may not
move them to your side.”
The lecture was held as part of
Brock University’s department
of political science speaker’s
series. The department’s chairman David Whorely organized
the lecture.
“Throughout the year, the
department invites specialists to
share their ideas on different areas
of politics,” says Whorely, in an
online interview. “This program
helps foster interest in political
affairs ... and promotes useful
discussion on matters important to
our public lives.”
Other topics that have been
addressed as part of the
speaker’s series, according to
Whorely,
include
Queer
Litigation: Unexpected Appeal
Decisions in Gay Rights Cases
by department of political science Professor Matt Hennigar
and The Impact of War on
Children by General Romeo
Dallaire, which, Whorely says,
was
“the
major
session
in the series.”
He says there are two more
lectures planned in the series,
one on international politics and
the environment, the other on
corporate social responsibility.
Dates have yet to be finalized.
Don Armstrong, (second from left) 20, of Lanark, Ont., a second-year student in Niagara College’s Journalism-Print
program, is the second recipient of the Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild (SONG, Niagara Falls Unit) Scholarship.
With him is Jamie King, manager, alumni development and student services at Niagara College, Corey Larocque, a
reporter with the Niagara Falls Review and chair of SONG (Niagara Falls Unit) and John Robbins, (far right), a reporter
with the Niagara Falls Review and
SONG Local 87M vice-chair. Armstrong
is completing his one-month placement
for April helping first-year JournalismPrint program students paginate two
Niagara News editions on April 8 and
April 23. SONG established the scholarGroups of up to 8
ship to assist a graduating JournalismPrint program student in the student’s
final year at the college.
Photo by Jolene Holmes
905-32-4-RENT
United Way raises over $1 million for charity
By SARAH WEGELIN
Staff Writer
This year’s campaign is over.
What comes next?
The United Way of South
Niagara began its campaign for
2003 on Sept. 9. At a breakfast
kick-off, it announced its goal
would be to raise $900,000 in
donations from local workplaces.
Canadian
Tire
Financial
Services (CTFS) and John Deere,
as well as Niagara College, all
announced their in-house goals.
CTFS’s goal of $191,000 was
met and exceeded as it raised
$235,000 by the campaign’s deadline on Dec. 3.
Doug Gowman, CTFS’s project
manager and last year’s employee
campaign chair, said, “The company has really built this campaign
within the last several years. This
year’s success is built on a growing level of support inside CTFS.
Our contributions have risen from
$75,000 in 1999, to $128,000 in
2001, to an incredible $220,000.”
John Deere had a goal of
$100,000. It raised a total of
$102,285.40. Niagara College
raised $24,254.48.
On Oct. 2, 2003, the UWSN
announced it
had
raised
$155,000, but
Jill
Cappa,
executive
director for the
campaign, was
skeptical.
“It’s hard to say if we’ll reach
our goal,” she had said. “Last year
was a lot of bad news.”
“The bottom fell out of the economy.”
Workplace contributors, such as
Welland Pipe and Atlas Steele,
have closed, making it harder to
attribute donations from the community.
“When there’s a lot of fear happening in the community, people
want to hang on to their money,”
Cappa noted.
Fear or no fear, by Dec. 3, 2003,
the campaign was a success, raising nearly $55,000 more than its
$900,000 goal, resulting in over $1
million.
Bill Auchterlonie, marketing
director for the campaign,
announced he was “knocked out”
by the success.
“I feel so good about this campaign because the people in
Welland who were able to give,
did, big time.”
When campaign dollars are collected and put into the bank, the
next step is to distribute the money
to the agencies and programs that
have been chosen.
Dollar amounts and the programs that get them are decided by
a group of volunteers called the
allocations committee. This committee categorizes the requests for
funding starting with basic needs,
women’s issues, family, children
and youth, physical or developmental disabilities, health support
services, community services and
special projects.
In a 2000-2004 funding request
summary, a total of $942,949 from
26 agencies for 57 programs was requested.
This year the allocations committee recommended
that
$680,268 be granted.
The $262,681 left over
will be distributed to overhead costs
and expenses.
Andrew Dewar, chair of the
allocations committee, says,
“There’s an allowance for pledge
losses, a big chunk for transfers
out, pledge losses and administrations.”
Auchterlonie, now executive
director for the UWSN, says, “If a
company closes down (in reference to Atlas Steele) before we get
the money, then we’re short.”
On the UWSN pledge form,
there is a choice of boxes where
you can indicate where you want
your money to go. A specific program or a United Way in another
city are examples of this.
Auchterlonie says, “It is the
allocation committee’s job to make
sure they give to agencies that are
well run.”
“They make sure we’re not just
giving to a group that might or
might not do a good job.”
The United Way funds programs. It does not provide “funding
for
buildings,”
says
Auchterlonie.
One example is the Backpack
for
Kids
program,
says
Auchterlonie.
The program is one in which the
“teachers in schools deliver, in an
anonymous way, backpacks filled
with binders, pens and pencils” to
children from low-income families. The United Way will provide
the money for the materials.
The United Way will not fund an
agency that gets most of its funding
from the government, for example
the Welland Multicultural and
Heritage Council.
“We tend to look for things that
will make people’s lives better,” says
Auchterlonie.
Funding distributions will begin in
April.
How to start healthful lifestyle with YMCA
“I see it all the time. People
think they can get a membership at
a gym, push their body to the limit
and lose tons of weight. It doesn’t
work that way. People need to
realize if you never use a muscle,
it is going to take you some time to
be able to use it at full force. You
need to keep in mind your body
didn’t become out of shape
overnight and it’s going to require
a lot of work to get it back.”
Adams says everybody can benefit from more exercise in his or
her life. There are many components of a healthful lifestyle.
While exercise is important, there
are other aspects that sometimes
are overlooked. Healthful eating,
proper sleep and exposure to positive environments all play an
important role in good health.
Adams says if you want to be fit and
feel good about yourself, you must
keep all of these components in mind,
in all of your daily activities.
“It’s really common sense. You
can’t run on the treadmill for an
hour, eat a Big Mac and go home
to bed, thinking you have done
yourself any good.”
Adams says he does consider himself to be healthy. There are some
things, he says, he would like to
change. He says he does consume alcohol on the weekends. Many nights, on
the way home from the bar, he has been
know to stop at his favourite burger
place for greasy food before going
home to bed.
“You can’t be perfect, you
know. You do need to have some
fun.”
Adams says he eats healthfully
YMCA campaign enters
residential phase for
community fundraising
By ANDREA ST. PIERRE
Staff Writer
The fundraising public phase
for the new Niagara Centre
YMCA is underway.
The
Growing
Strong
Campaign began in fall 2002
and is now in its residential
component, headed by John
Mataya, special gifts and divisional chair.
Mataya will lead a group of
volunteers seeking contributions
from small businesses, families
and individuals. The group will
be responsible for inviting the
community to contribute to the
campaign’s $1.75-million goal.
All donors will have their
names etched on a wall inside
the Niagara Centre facility when
it opens at its Woodlawn Road
site in Welland.
“This new YMCA is really
becoming a reality,” said
Mataya. “That’s why I have
become involved in the project.
It will be an honour to see my
family name etched in the
Donor Recognition Window
along with the hundreds of other
individuals and businesses who
contribute to make this project
possible.”
The overall campaign is doing
well. It is at 90 per cent of its
goal and should reach 100 per
cent by fall when the Niagara
Centre is set to open.
When the YMCA is complete,
it will be a wonderful addition
to the community.
“The new Y will help to revitalize the city and increase our
collective self-esteem,” said
Mataya. “It will provide much-
needed activities for seniors and
youth.”
The 54,000-square-foot complex will house an aquatic centre, gymnasium, locker rooms,
play centre, fitness centre,
multi-purpose room and recreational walking track.
Everyone will reap the benefits of the new YMCA. There
are programs for old and young,
and YMCA financial assistance
will make it possible for lowincome families to join.
“The Y is truly a community
centre, and this is reflected in
the fact the Y provides financial
assistance to approximately 25
per cent of its members,” said
Mataya. “This type of social
conscience helps to foster spiritual, emotional and, of course,
physical growth.”
most of the time and the odd “slip”
is more of a treat. He says he doesn’t feel it is harming him.
“You have to look at the big picture. If you are healthy most of the
time, it’s OK to cheat every once
in awhile.”
The Welland YMCA is locat-
ed on East Main Street. A student membership costs $26.75
per month and can be used at
any YMCA. New members are
given a tour of the facility and a
program outlining services and
programs provided. There are
personal trainers available to
United Way
marketing
director ready to
get her ‘feet wet’
By SARAH WEGELIN
organizations.
Staff Writer
This year’s campaign goal has
The skill “instrumental in mar- yet to be set by the board of
keting” may be found
directors.
on the resumé of the
Walsh says, “Bill
United Way of South
and I will be workNiagara’s new maring together.”
keting director, Karen
New
to
the
Walsh, 42.
Welland communiWalsh was appointty, but not to the
ed to the United Way
United Way, Walsh
of South Niagara post
recently held the
on Feb. 11 by Matt
position of camBotden, president of
paign and commuthe board of directors,
nications co-ordinaand Executive Director KAREN WALSH tor
with
the
Bill Auchterlonie.
Northumberland
She says her new position “has United Way. During her time
been great. I’m just getting my there she was responsible for marfeet wet.”
keting the United Way’s annual
Auchterlonie was promoted to campaigns and working closely
executive director on Jan. 19. He with member agencies and comhad held the position of head of munity partners.
marketing since June of last year.
She says she came to Welland
Walsh agrees that she has some because her husband was relocatbig shoes to fill.
ed to work in the Niagara region.
“Bill did a really good camShe’s held previous communipaign last year,” she says, recog- cation positions with the 1997
nizing the success of the 2003 Special Olympics and special
campaign in raising over $1 mil- events assistant with the Town of
lion in donations from local Wasaga Beach.
Photo by Sarah Weglin
By WANDA MERSEREAU
Staff Writer
“People just have to be more
active,” says Kevin Adams.
Adams, 23, is the deck supervisor at the YMCA. “Of course you
are not going to feel well if you’re
eating tons of food and not getting
any exercise.”
Adams has worked at the
YMCA for four years in various
positions including summer camp
counsellor, lifeguard and aqua-fit
instructor. He says he enjoys his
job because he is always meeting
different people and because while
he is at work he is able to work out
and maintain a healthful body.
He says many people start on
what he calls a “crash work-out.”
He calls it this because, he says, it
is bound to fail.
New AIDS Wellness Centre in South Africa
brings hope to millions of South Africans
By RACHEL HAUN
Journalism student,
Ryerson University
During her visit to the SSD
project in South Africa
“When I needed to urinate, it
was so sore. When I had a bowel
motion, it was so sore. When I
went to the toilet, it was so sore.”
Asanda Veni is HIV-positive. Veni
breaks down and cries while she is
telling her story to a crowd gathered in a small yellow building.
There are so many people that
there is no more room inside, so,
as a result, people crowd around
doors and windows trying to catch
glimpses of Veni and to hear tidbits of her words. Most people fan
themselves in the humidity as they
listen.
Veni is one of several people
who spoke on Feb. 23 at the official opening of the Ikhwezi
Lokusa Wellness Centre in the city
of East London, South Africa.
Ikhwezi is a centre for community-based comprehensive management of HIV and AIDS. One of
the three volunteer doctors comforts Veni as she continues to tell
her story to the crowd.
Veni was diagnosed with HIV in
1998. In 2001 she began to succumb to infections. Her body
became covered in sores and pimples. She was so dehydrated from
diarrhea that her tongue was dry
and stiff when she stuck it out of
her mouth. At times she was so
weak she couldn’t walk by herself.
She was often confused.
“I thought I was losing my
mind,” says Veni, through her
tears.
Then Veni explains that she
found hope when her mother introduced her to one of the doctors
from Ikhwezi. She says they
opened their hearts to her. They
began treatment on her, and it wasn’t long before she regained much
of her weight and strength.
“You saved my life. Thank
you,” cries Veni. The crowd
applauds enthusiastically, while
some wipe tears from their eyes.
Ikhwezi is helping more than
200 others like Veni. The HIV and
AIDS pandemic has become overwhelming in South Africa, infecting one-third of the population, but
it has inspired Dr. Nonkosi
Ngumbela to make a difference.
Ngumbela founded Ikhwezi six
months ago. She works at a hospital in East London and says she
was touched by the pain of the
poor who were suffering from HIV
and AIDS and who couldn’t afford
treatment. She began to dream of a
place that could help.
Ngumbela addresses the crowd
gathered for the official opening.
“There are 600 people in South
Africa who die every day from
HIV AIDS. “In developed and
privileged communities, the HIV
takes about 10 to 20 years to
progress, at least. And even so it is
a manageable condition. In our
patients, the progress is just three
years, and it is so rapid because
there is a lack of resources and
information. We are armed with
this passionate conviction that our
patients will live a better and
longer life,” says Ngumbela.
Last year, Ngumbela, along with
two other doctors and many volunteers, opened Ikhwezi’s doors.
They registered as a non-government organization, but have yet to
receive any funding.
Ngumbela maintains her job at
the local hospital in order to
finance Ikhwezi. Together, she and
her husband have been able to
cover the overhead costs of running the centre so far, but many
things, such as antiretrovirals
(ARV), a drug used to prolong life
in HIV and AIDS patients, are still
too expensive and out of reach for
the Ikhwezi.
Now, Ikhwezi is beginning to
receive some individual donations
from companies and persons.
International assistance has also
arrived. Niagara College, in partnership with the Canadian
International
Development
Agency and Eastern Cape
Technikon (a South African postsecondary education institution),
has started an internship program
to help.
Jos Nolle is the director of
International Education and
Development at Niagara College.
He speaks to the crowd and
explains that he is proud to be able
to help through an international
internship program.
“We’ve brought you some volunteers, some help: Erin and
Kristen,” says Nolle.
Kristen Marosi and Erin Rogers
have been placed with Ikhwezi
since November. They are both
university graduates and proud
Canadians. Ngumbela refers to the
two girls as her “Ikhwezi Angels.”
Marosi and Rogers have many
tasks. They put on many of the
educational programs about HIV
and AIDS prevention in the community. They also help care for
patients, teaching them the right
foods to eat and helping them
stay active. The event today,
attended by over one hundred
people, was planned and organized mostly by them.
When Marosi returned from
Christmas vacation in Canada,
she brought two wheelchairs
with her. The wheelchairs were
put to use right away, and today
they are being officially presented to Ngumbela as part of the
official opening.
A man from the crowd stands
up and interrupts the applause
for the wheelchair donations. He
is a representative of the Rotary
Club, an international organization with many branches.
“If you need more wheelchairs, tell us. If you need more
medical equipment, we’ll find it
for you,” he says.
The crowd applauds wildly.
The final speaker is the
Member of the Executive
Council
(MEC)
for
the
Government of Education,
Nomsa Jajula, who is also a
chairperson of the Eastern Cape
HIV AIDS Council. Ngumbela
has been trying to get the attention of the South African government for a while, and finally,
the government has sent someone.
Jajula speaks of the importance of government involvement in such programs as
Ikhwezi, as well as the importance of promoting HIV and
AIDS prevention.
“We need to take the initiative
to band together to support this
centre,” says Jajula.
Her final words are to
announce a donation of 40,000
rands (the equivalent of $7,100
Cdn) to Ikhwezi.
The crowd cheers and
applauds. Volunteers begin to
dance and sing in celebration,
and a smile stretches from ear to
ear across Ngumbela’s face.
Children in their school uniforms and women dressed in
colourful clothes dance and
march in the streets, singing,
laughing
and
celebrating
Ikhwezi and their new-found
hope in receiving treatment.
Partnership between Niagara College, Eastern Cape province
in South Africa contributes to skills development, reducing poverty
Staff Writer
Connections with fascinating
parts of the world are woven
through
the
International
Education department.
The
Sustainable
Skills
Development project (SSD) joins
international project managers
from Niagara College with representatives from Eastern Cape
province, in South Africa.
The objective is to build strategic partnership networks in areas
such as education and government
and to reduce poverty through
skills development and increased
access to incomes and employment, says the International
Education department’s project
website. Eastern Cape Technikon
(ECT) is the newest technikon in
South Africa bringing technological progress to the Eastern
Cape province. ECT hopes to
increase its contributions to the
regional economy and social
development through these partnerships and with the implementation of the South African
National Skills Development
Strategy, which mirrors the
Three representatives from the Sustainable Skills Development
project in South Africa recently visited Niagara College. From left
are Clive Poultney, Kholi Tati and Les Holbrook.
National Training Act (NAT).
The NAT, a product of
Canadian government legislation
and financial support, has become
one of the foundations on which
the Canadian system of colleges
and technical institutes has been
built. The project is funded by the
Canadian
International
Development Agency.
The Eastern Cape province was
chosen because of scattered
unemployment numbers, in some
areas as high as 70 per cent.
Disease and malnutrition are also
factors, as well as an underdeveloped tourism industry and gender
inequalities.
Three representatives from
South Africa were guests at
Niagara College recently. Project
managers from Canada and South
Africa had the opportunity to
update each other on the progress
of the SSD project.
Les Holbrook is the executive
director of the Border-Kei Chamber
of Business in East London, South
Africa, affiliated with the South
African Chamber of Business.
He says this is bilateral project
that has been “a very informative
experience.”
“It is critical to understand the
culture,” says Holbrook, adding the
purpose of joining the project was
to contribute to its success and learn
about the dynamics of the areas
being observed.
Kholi Tati, manager of training
and
equity,
Eastern
Cape
Technikon, says there is an impact
on the communities that are being
reached and people are beginning to
feel the momentum.
“There are so many challenges
in South Africa.”
Tati says the number of educational and employment parallels
in Canada and South Africa are
“phenomenal.”
“Tourism is at its infancy. We’re
thinking more globally.”
Clive Poultney, operations manager, tourism, hospitality and
sport education and training
(THETA) representative, says the
cross-pollination throughout the
project is “excellent” and the
developments of the project are
“very clear.”
“It’s very encouraging to see it’s
going to work,” says Poultney.
He gives credit to the goodwill
and commitment of the Canadian
and South African representatives.
The site says the steps toward
achieving the goals of the SSD project include developing the link
between education, training and
employment, as well as enhancing
individual skills. Facilitating access
to incomes in formal sector jobs,
community projects and entrepreneurship, combined with
maximizing local knowledge,
will also contribute to the success of the project.
The second-year Journalism-Print students
bid you farewell.
Look for the first-years’ first edition
Thursday, April 8.
905-32-4-RENT
Groups of up to 8
By MIKE O’DROWSKY
Staff Writer
Swedish Heavy Metal conglomerate, Opeth, appeared at the Opera House on Queen Street
in Toronto on Feb. 24 to support its North American tour.
The band was formed in Sweden in 1993 and has since toured with such notable bands as
Type O Negative, Amorphis, Katatonia and Metallica.
“We wanted to be the evilest band on the f****** planet,” says Opeth guitarist Peter
Lindgren.
Opening on this night for Opeth was a new band, Moonspell, and former Coal Chamber
singer Dez Fafara’s new band, Devil Driver.
Opeth is known for its 10-minute songs and distinctive style, a combination of traditional
heavy metal riffs and screaming, accentuated with classical acoustic melodies and soft
singing.
On this night in particular Opeth was in top form giving the crowd ample reason and
opportunity to scream. The show lasted for two hours and the band played such classics as
The Drapery Falls, Deliverance and In My Time of Need.
Photos by Ryan Farkas
Photos by Mike O’Drowsky
A benefit for Last Wish, a Niagara College-produced documentary, was
held at L3 in St. Catharines on Friday, March 12.
The final band to play, GetKayDot, provided escapist Radiohead ambience,
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ soul groove and a dash of Incubus’ lyrical madness.
Surrounded by St. Catharines hipsters and fanboys/girls alike, the opening
song touched on Modest Mouse’s charisma with its personal twist.
However, the set wasn’t flawless. The lead guitar player had technical difficulties all night, unable to find the correct timing and tuning.
Last Wish features the story of John Szubert, a terminal cancer patient,
whose final wish is to be a contestant on the television show The Price Is
Right.
Paginated by Ryan Farkas
By RYAN FARKAS
Staff Writer
Importance of co-op to be celebrated
By IAN SHANTZ
Staff Writer
The importance of co-operative education (co-op) for
post-secondary students will
be recognized on a national
level next week.
National Co-op Week, to be
held March 20 to March 24, is
designated by professional
organizations, primarily colleges and universities across
Canada, that promote co-op
programs. Its purpose is to
raise awareness and inform
prospective employers about
the benefits of hiring students
for co-op positions.
Bea Clark, consultant —
graduate services at Niagara
College’s Job Centre at the
Glendale campus in Niagaraon-the-Lake, says the prime
focus of the week is “promoting it to the community and
employer community.”
Clark says she recognizes
that most students are aware
of how important co-op is, but
she wants employers to
become more aware.
“Of course, we promote it
internally, but our students
already know the value of coop programs. We want
employers to know that co-op
programs are important and
that students are available for
co-op employment,” Clark
says.
Part of the week’s agenda at
Niagara College is a massive
e-mail campaign.
Clark explains the contact
taking place between the col-
lege and an employer through
the e-mails: “We make them
aware
that
it’s
NCW
(National Co-op Week), that
students really value co-ops.
If they (the employer) haven’t
posted already, we encourage
them to post with us as soon
as possible.”
Clark says the new online
job posting system is also
something that will be showcased throughout the week.
She says some employers
are
already
using
http://www.niagarac.on/jobposting.ca and have given it
great reviews.
Although the week will
mainly focus on reaching out
to employers, students are
encouraged to stop by the
Job Centre, where there will
be treats on hand and draws
all week.
The Job Centre is located
at the Welland campus in
SE101 and at the Glendale
campus in W115.
Topic needed for fall term class project
By DANE MCBURNIE
Staff Writer
The
college’s
Public
Relations (Post-graduate) program invites anyone who is
interested to submit an application providing a topic for the
Marketing Research 2004 Fall
term class project.
The topic must deal with
“It’s a win-win situation. The
students get the opportunity
to work on a real project with
tangible results, and the client
gets a comprehensive package filled with valuable
research.”
– Linda Camus
some aspect of the students,
staff and faculty of both the
Glendale campus in Niagara-onthe-Lake and the Welland campus. Submissions should cover
the behaviour, attitudes and
preferences of a college-related
issue, department or service.
The class has dealt with
Aramark
Food
Services,
Campus Pride and Niagara
News in previous projects.
“It’s a win-win situation,”
says Linda Camus, marketing
research professor. “The students get the opportunity to
work on a real project with tangible results, and the client gets
a comprehensive package filled
with valuable research.”
There is no cost to the client,
but responsibilities include
meeting with the class at the
beginning and end of the project.
The deadline for submissions
is May 31. Any interested parties
looking for information, or to
submit, should contact Camus at
[email protected].
Paramedic students sent on placements
By SHEENA WERNER
Staff Writer
After a short review in January,
the second-year Paramedic students were sent out to do their
placements.
The second-year students are
now on their placements in places
like
Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Toronto,
Bolton,
Guelph,
Mississauga, Hamilton, Barrie,
Orangeville,
Brantford,
St.
Catharines and Niagara Falls.
Although they are on place-
ments, the second-year students
have a research project that
they must hand in and another
paper due.
The second-year students also
must return in April for final testing and to prepare for the provincial exam that they all must write.
The first-year paramedic students are also busy this semester
as they have six ride-outs, going
in the ambulance with fully
trained paramedics. They will be
doing observations, three hours
of lab and classes to learn how to
handle the equipment and trauma
cases.
During the summer the firstyear paramedics are not expected
to work in their related fields but
may work for companies like
Event Medical Staff, where they
work at sports games and races,
Ontario Patient Transfer, transferring patients, or supplying first-aid
where it may be needed.
The second-year students are
gone from the college but have
some advice for the first-years.
“Study, study, study. Make the
most of your time here,” says
Amanda Lucciola, 24, of St.
Catharines, Ont.
“Do your readings, understand
your biology and practice your
scenarios,” says Jamie Kallio, 23,
of Sudbury, Ont.
“Work hard, stay focused on materials that you have learned right from
the beginning,” says Heather Davies,
29, of Toronto, Ont.
“Be sure this is what you want.
There’s a lot of stress in this program and if you’re only half-hearted about it, quit,” says Donny
Kennedy, 23, of Stevensville, Ont.
“Your Mosby’s (medical dictionary) will be useful in your second
year. Understand the nervous system well for Cheryl’s tests,” says
Michelle
Bullied,
20,
of
Scarborough, Ont.
“We have a good group,” says
Cheryl Taylor, Paramedic program
co-ordinator, about the first- and
second-year students.
Job builder workshop
positioning, pricing strategy,
contracts and agreements, time
management and priorities, government regulations, accounting
and record keeping and resource
availability.
The Niagara College BDC, at
the Glendale campus in Niagaraon-the-Lake, has helped over
1,500 people find placement in
the workplace through selfemployment and contracting out
their services.
For more information, contact
Bitner at 905-641-2252 ext.
4452.
CAMPUS RADIO NIAGARA COLLEGE
TURN IT UP! The NEW Heat 90.1 fm!
Proudly presents...
The First Annual
Greg Darling Memorial Scholarship
Ball Hockey Tournament
- all proceeds to the Greg Darling Scholarship Fund -
Condoms for
all!
Student
Administrative Council
(SAC) member Blake
Turner, 20, of St.
Catharines, and Grant
Grice, SAC vice-president of public relations
at the Welland campus,
have a tableload of condoms for students during SAC’s Feb. 26, Sex,
Drugs and Alcohol
Awareness Day at the
Welland and Glendale
campuses.
Friday April 16 & Saturday April 17
• All Students and Staff Welcome
• Guaranteed 3 Games
• ‘Fun’ Tournament
$10 per player • Minimum 12 players • Call for information
Photo by Beau Callaghan
A Job Builder workshop will
help graduating Niagara College
students learn about contracting
and freelancing as job avenues.
The one-hour workshop is
designed to “position students to
create their own employment
opportunities in a changing
workplace environment,” says
Larry Bitner, workshop leader
for the Niagara College
Business Development Centre
(BDC).
The workshop will provide
information on important positioning issues such as image and
C R N C
300 Woodlawn Road (Niagara College Campus)
905-734-1040
MS certification an advantage in job search
By SUSAN LAMEY
Staff Writer
Expecting to graduate in April, three students
from the Business Administration – Marketing
program at Niagara College have an advantage
in their search for employment. Tara McKeag,
Tia Sheppard and Roberto Gonzalez successfully completed the Microsoft Office Specialist
certification in one component of the Microsoft
Office Suite of business programs.
“The certification is the globally recognized
standard for validating expertise in the
Microsoft Office suite of business productivity
programs,” says Barb Smith, professor in the
college’s Business and Entrepreneurship division. Certification sets the students apart in
today’s competitive job market. It brings
employment opportunities, greater earning
potential and career advancement.
Sheppard and McKeag received certification
in Excel, a database program, and Gonzalez
received his in PowerPoint, a presentation program. Certification testing can be done for each
Front row, professor Barb Smith congratulates Tara McKeag, who is certi- component in the Microsoft Office Suite.
McKeag, Sheppard and Gonzalez took their
fied in Excel. Back row, Tia Sheppard also is certified in Excel while Roberto
testing
in April 2003 at the test centre at the
Gonzalez received certification in PowerPoint.
Glendale campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The
Photo by Susan Lamey
test was administered through a computer. The
three students had no problem achieving the
passing grade of over 80 per cent, Smith said.
The students haven’t waited to put their skills
to work. Using Excel, McKeag has developed a
system to track purchasing while working for
the Niagara Parks Commission.
“Certification has helped me create a presentation for ACE (Advancing Canadian
Entrepreneurship),” Sheppard said.
Sheppard and McKeag said they are hoping to
find employment with the new casino opening
in Niagara Falls.
From Guanaguato, Mexico, Gonzalez will be
going home after graduation where he will be
working in his father’s agricultural business.
The Microsoft Corporation offers certification, and Niagara College does not have anything to do with the certification process.
However, Smith encourages students in all business administration programs who have successfully completed their MICR courses to take
the certification testing. The cost is $100 for
each test and financial assistance may be available. Students who are interested can contact
Smith at the Glendale campus at 905-374-7454
extension 4135.
Schmidt receives student leadership award
By ROBERT COLE
Staff Writer
On Feb. 23, Marcos Schmidt was given
the ACAATO Student Leadership Award.
ACAATO is the Association of Colleges of
Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario.
Schmidt graduated from Niagara
College’s
Hotel
and
Restaurant
Management program in 2003. He is now
enrolled in the Tourism Development
(Post-graduate) program, at the Glendale
campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, on a freetuition scholarship.
“I feel privileged,” said Schmidt, of the
nomination, in an e-mail interview.
“Awards like the ACAATO’s Student
Leadership Award are very distinguished
and prestigious.
“I value it as a great closing for my college life.”
Schmidt was vice-president of internal
affairs for the Student Administrative
Council (SAC) at the Maid of the Mist
campus in Niagara Falls. Schmidt said that
he became part of SAC “almost by accident.”
“I was a class representative during my
first year at the college. I used to announce
events in class, basically. Some of my colleagues encouraged me to run. They
believed in me.”
“I just thought I could add to the organization. I believed I could bring some fresh
ideas and that I could do more for the students than I was doing at the time.”
Schmidt’s nomination stemmed from a
history-making contribution. While participating in SAC, Schmidt created the
Strategic Planning Committee. This committee developed a five-year strategic plan,
which set out an action plan with goals and
objectives for SAC.
Schmidt said the committee began when
some of his SAC colleagues attended a conference organized by AMICUS-C
(Association of Managers in Canadian
College, University and Student Centres),
and they came back with the idea to make a
strategic plan.
“Once Chris Williams (one of Schmidt’s
colleagues) mentioned in our first SAC
meeting that she would like to start such a
plan for SAC, I jumped in and told her I’d
like to lead the project,” said Schmidt.
Win $1,500 scholarship working for charity
Your summer job could win you a $1,500 scholarship while you gain valuable job experience working
with a registered charity.
The Labatt People in Action program helps students
gain work experience by funding employment the students create themselves in partnership with a charity.
The program will help 130 students across Canada
this year. Application deadline is
March 29.
Information about the program
can be found at http://www.lpiajobs.com, by calling Labatt at 1800-334-2627
or
e-mailing
[email protected].
For the third consecutive year,
Labatt People in Action students
will have the chance to earn a
Labatt Future Leaders Award. The
award is given to four students who
demonstrated exceptional ability
and dedication in their summer jobs,
while giving back to their community.
The award includes a $1,500
scholarship and an all-expense paid
trip within Canada to attend the
Social Innovators Summit, where
students will meet some of
Canada’s current leaders and share
stories about what they learned in
their summer projects as well as
their views on how to improve
youth joblessness.
Labatt has received funding from
Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada in the past to
offer the program and has submitted a request this
year again.
Labatt Breweries of Canada is one of the longest
established brewing companies in the country. The
firm brews 60 quality beers and employs 3,800 people. Labatt is part of Belgian-based Interbrew S.A.,
the third largest brewer in the world.
To the Public Relations
(Post-graduate) class of 2004:
Upon collecting information for the project from other SAC members, the committee was set up and the plan was set out.
“Marcos is very intelligent and committed to socially responsible behaviour as a
young professional,” said Jos Nolle, director of Niagara College’s International
Education and Development division. “He
will forever be a positive force for good
relations between Brazil and Canada and
for cross-cultural understanding.”
Schmidt lives in Natal, Brazil, where he
is serving as a technical adviser for a
Niagara College project funded by the
Association of Canadian Community
Colleges and the Canadian International
Development Agency.
Check out the next edition of
Niagara News on April 8 as first-year
Journalism-Print students take over.
International Careers
Teaching English!
Thousands of New Jobs Every Month!
A real opportunity for adventure!
Five-day certificate course is being offered this spring, May 12 - 16. (Evgs and Wkd)
at the District School Board of Niagara.
Wed., Thurs., and Fri., 6:00 pm-10:00 pm, Sat. and Sun., 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.
CALL 1-888-246-6512
INTLcollegeoflinguistics.com
“Be well.
Do your best.
Keep in touch.”
-Garrison Keillor,
author and broadcaster
from the program faculty and staff
Groups of up to 8
905-32-4-RENT
Page 14, Niagara News, March. 26, 2004
ENTERTAINMENT
HCH — Punk Rock for next generation
By MELISSA SCHNEIDER
Staff Writer
It’s never as simple as it seems.
You think being in a band is all
about playing an instrument and
having the courage to get up on
stage to perform for a crowd of
people you don’t know. That’s not
all there is to it.
It’s easy to claim “I’m in a
band.” Being in one means having
talented musicians committed to
rehearsal every week, writing new
songs the public will enjoy and
making sure you’re good enough
to live up to your claims. Half-Cab
Hailee is one of the bands proud to
claim its members are musicians.
Consisting of Laurence Morden,
25, lead vocalist and guitarist,
Chris Ledroit, 28, guitarist and
back-up vocals, Chris Arenburg,
27, bassist, and Chris Spicer, 26,
drummer, Toronto-based Half-Cab
Hailee wants to make it big and
enjoy every step along the way.
The name was inspired by the
fact half the band members had no
other way to get to rehearsals other
than by cab. It’s a unique name for
a band looking to promote its punk
rock roots. Only Arenburg, Ledroit
and Morden were available for an
interview.
Half-Cab Hailee has 10 to 15
original songs. Morden says, “We
are always working on honing our
skills and adding that extra something in every new song we write.”
He says the lyrics he writes seem
“pretty straightforward” and
Ledroit and Arenburg agree.
When asked if Half-Cab Hailee
had an advantage being a Torontobased band, Ledroit gave a “yes
and no” answer. He says,
“Obviously this is where you have
to be to make a career and get the
attention of the people whose
attention you need, but there’s also
a lot of competition.” To him it’s
the “big fish in a little pond versus
little fish in a big pond scenario.”
Morden says, “Many great
bands have come out of Toronto,
and the facilities and venues are
far better than other places.”
Arenburg, Ledroit and Morden
say they are proud to be Canadian
and look forward to taking their punk
rock lyrics to a variety of venues.
Morden would most like to join
“the warped tour” because he has
always “been in the crowd stunned
with awe just from the energy of
the crowd.” Ledroit would like to
play “bigger clubs in pretty much
any city across Canada” while
Arenburg “wouldn’t mind playing
anywhere.”
Half-Cab Hailee might just be
one more small Canadian band
looking to make it big, but it offers
originality, a toe-tapping beat,
“energy, an entertaining time and
musicians that can play their own
instruments.”
Ledroit says he “is sick of threechord pop punk tunes,” so Half-Cab
Hailee is looking to add “more
bridges, tempo changes, interesting
chord progressions and complex guitar lines” to their music.
As musicians, if it came to a
choice between money and
music, Arenburg, Ledroit and
Morden say you need them both.
Arenburg explains, “You need to
have good music in order to
make good money.”
Each of them strongly believes
that when you start a band you
need a mixture of friendship and
musical talent.
Ledroit says, “There’s no use in
playing with friends who can’t play”
while Morden says, “A mix is what it
takes. Any band needs skill, but they
also need those stupid moments
where nothing makes sense.”
Arenburg adds, “You need to be
able to work together to achieve
the ultimate goal of global music
domination.”
Half-Cab Hailee has performed at
most of the bigger clubs around
Toronto including The Horseshoe,
Club 360 and the Phoenix.
Latin night at Niagara College proved fun for all
Staff Writer
On March 19, staff, students and
friends of Niagara College were
invited to a night of Latin food, dancing and atmosphere.
More than 130 people turned out
at the After Hours Pub at the Welland
campus, at a price of $10 a ticket.
Preparations had been underway
since February, with subcommittees
covering all the details. Promotions
and publicity, decorating, menu
selection, food preparation, music
and clean up were all planned and
carried out by Niagara students and
supervised by college staff. Each
group – Canadian, Latin and international members – met Wednesday
evenings to finalize plans.
Food preparation was done at the
new hospitality centre at the
Glendale campus in Niagara-on-theLake. Supervising chefs Dave
Gibson and Bob Demers, along with
international student Ashish Damle
and Roberto Lecaro from Ecuador,
prepared the food that was served to
the guests. Favourites included
empanadas, a traditional pairing of
pastry and meat, quesadillas, guacamole, nachos and salsa, rice
pudding and other authentic
Latin dishes.
Counsellor Erik Madsen is not a
stranger to these fun-filled events at
Niagara. In October, Madsen could
be found shaking hands at Diwali, a
traditional Indian festival of lights.
Two guests at the Latin party
showed off their salsa moves.
“Niagara College is becoming an
increasingly diversified community
with a significant number of international students,” says Madsen. “This
is an opportunity to showcase
Latin culture through food, music
and dance.”
Madsen says the event is something to which the staff and students
can relate.
“It’s also an opportunity for Latin
students, international and Canadian
students to be active participants
in the planning and implementation process.”
Student Administrative Council
and the International Education
department helped subsidize the
event. Madsen says that if profits
were made, proceeds would help
fund additional cultural events at
the college.
“We’re hoping to have a year-end
event involving all the cultures represented at the college.”
Mike Sullens, 18, of Goderich, is a
student in the Culinary Management
program at the Glendale campus. He
came out to After Hours to see the
work of his teachers and classmates.
“I really had a lot of fun,” says
Sullens.
He says the food was a good combination of flavour and textures. “It
really went together well.”
On March 19, staff, students and friends of Niagara College were
invited to a night of Latin food, dancing and music. The event was
presented and subsidized by the college’s Student Administrative
Council and the International Education department.
Love for music began at an early age for Finnan
By ROBERT WALKER
Staff Writer
“I am a story-style songwriter,
crafting songs from the people I
meet, the tales I hear and the
places I visit.”
On the eastern leg of his crossCanada tour, Canadian musician
Aengus Finnan took time out from
his busy schedule to answer
some questions about himself
and his music.
In St. Catharines last week for a
performance at Brock University,
Finnan says his love for music began
at an early age.
“I think that the story and atmosphere of music was what drew me in
first. I used to sit at home as a kid
with those big pilot-style headphones on, and I would drift away in
songs, travelling to other places, ages
and emotions on the words and
melodies that songwriters and bands
had put to vinyl.”
“I preferred music to television,”
says Finnan, “because with music I
was able to make up the pictures
myself. Television left no room for
imagination. All you could do was
react to what you were shown.”
This tour of his native land is a rarity for Finnan, who says an inhospitable recording industry here has
led him to pursue his career mostly
in the United States.
“In truth, it is tough (in Canada). If
you stand up and promote yourself,
you are perceived as arrogant, but if
you don’t promote yourself, you
can’t make a living. Eventually you
Visit us online at www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/niagaranews.
head south of the border where I now
tour more often than in Canada.
Frankly, I am too proud of my work
to continue to beg to play in
Canada.”
Finnan says traditional music has
“influenced the dramatic and epic
nature” of his songs, while songwriters like Gordon Lightfoot and Stan
Rogers “have inspired me to explore
my own country and her people with
an eye to the humble truths and triumphs of the day to day.”
Niagara News, March. 26, 2004, Page 15
New Niagara paper ready to deliver
Residents throughout Niagara
region will soon have a newspaper to call their own.
Metroland Printing, Publishing
and Distributing Ltd., today
announced it is launching
Niagara this Week, a community
newspaper serving the Niagara
region.
“We are very excited about
launching a community newspaper in such a vibrant marketplace
and serving such wonderful communities,” said Murray Skinner,
president of Metroland, Printing,
Publishing and Distributing
Limited. “It is a natural extension of our existing newspapers
and I believe will be well supported by readers and advertisers
alike.”
Niagara this Week will be a
full-colour, free, tabloid weekly
newspaper delivered on Fridays
to every home in the region.
With 185,000 copies printed
each week, Metroland’s newest
publication will have the largest
press run of any community
newspaper in Canada.
“Niagara needs a newspaper
dedicated to covering the people,
places and events that make the
region a great place in which to
live and work,” said Publisher
Ian Oliver. “We are committed to
making Niagara this Week not
only the largest, but the best
community newspaper in the
country.”
The paper’s first issue is set to
roll off the press April 16.
Niagara this Week will focus
its editorial content on local
news, feature stories, entertainment and sports. Editorial and
local advertising will vary
according to communities within
the region, as the newspaper will
be broken down into four zones.
The paper has hired award-winning editorial staff members to
cover the region’s stories and
will open communication lines
with residents of Niagara’s various communities to ensure the
paper consistently represents its
readership’s needs.
Advertisers will benefit by the
launch of the new paper. With
Niagara this Week’s expansive
circulation and competitive rates,
advertisers will gain unparalleled
access to residents of Niagara
through the newspaper.
The launch of Niagara this
Week is creating 35 to 40 fulltime jobs in the region, including
editorial staff, advertising representatives, production workers
and administrative employees.
A signature feature of
Metroland papers is youth-oriented carrier forces. Metroland is
utilizing 1,000 young residents
of Niagara to be part of the
Niagara this Week distribution
team.
Niagara this Week is also committed to developing excellent
relationships with community
groups throughout the region.
Local clubs and service organizations with sponsorship or promotion needs are encouraged to
request assistance from the
newspaper. “It is important for us
to establish and maintain links
within the communities in
Niagara,”
said
Oliver.
“Metroland is committed to having a positive, long-lasting presence in the region.”
Niagara this Week’s office is
located at 3550 Schmon
Parkway, Suite 1, Thorold, Ont.
Metroland, a wholly owned
subsidiary
of
Torstar
Corporation, publishes more
than 60 award-winning community newspaper in Ontario.
Torstar’s newspaper operations
include The Toronto Star,
CityMedia Group (including The
and
Hamilton
Spectator)
Metroland Printing, Publishing
and Distributing Limited.
Additional information about
the company is available at
www.metroland.com.
Best-selling author reads from first novel
By MELISSA SCHNEIDER
Staff Writer
Last in the Harpweaver reading
series, held monthly at Brock
University in St. Catharines, bestselling Canadian author Dennis
Bock read a chapter of his first
novel, The Ash Garden, published
in 2002, to a select few Canadian
literature enthusiasts.
According to Michiko Kakutani,
of The New York Times, The Ash
Garden is “an elegant, unnerving
novel that illuminates the personal
consequences of war.”
The Ash Garden is the story of
three characters – Anton, a
German physicist, Sophie, a young
Jewish girl, and Emiko, a young
Japanese girl.
The story begins with Emiko, a
face-scarred survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima, who goes to the
United States for medical reconstructive surgery.
One day, she starts a documen-
tary about Hiroshima and its
effects on the world. Asked to
attend a pro-atomic bomb lecture,
she meets Anton and quickly realizes that this may be her only
chance to get the answers she’s
been longing to have. Anton is one
of the few remaining creators of
the atomic bomb that killed
Emiko’s family and permanently
damaged her face.
Although Bock didn’t experience the atomic bomb’s devasta-
tion of Hiroshima, he says, “What
a novelist does best is step outside
of his or her experience” because
“if we stuck to writing what we
know, everything would become
boring.”
Bock researched books for
weeks before writing and although
he knew he wanted to write about
a nuclear bomb and the physicist
partially responsible, the first thing
that came to his mind to write
about was Chernobyl, the site of a
nuclear disaster accident. That
diminished,
however,
with
thoughts of that terrible day in
Hiroshima.
Bock’s The Ash Garden has
been shortlisted for a number of
awards, including the Kiryama
Pacific Rim Prize, the Regional
Best Book for the Canada
Caribbean region of the 2002
Commonwealth Writers Prize, and
the IMPAC Dublin Literary
Award.
Brock professor promotes Canadian literature
By DON ARMSTRONG
Staff Writer
Literary critiquing and knowledge
came to Brock University March 1
as Jean-Francois Chassay read from
his latest written work, L’angle mort.
Chassay, a professor in the literature department at Université du
Québec à Montreal, spoke to an
audience of about 20 staff and students of Brock University.
Jane Koustas, a professor in the
department of Modern Languages,
Literature and Cultures at Brock
University in St. Catharines, organized the event.
She says that with the co-operation of the University of Guelph and
the University of Western Ontario, in
London, literary figures are invited
from Quebec to the three universities
to “read from and discuss their work
as well as how they become writers
and why they continue to write.”
Koustas says she has been the
Brock representative on the Canada
Council and has organized the lec-
By MELISSA GRAHAM
Staff Writer
“Our mandate is to create, promote and deliver a complete and
dynamic tourism experience for
our visitors.”
Leya Poulouski, assistant, special events and tourism for
Tourism of Welland Niagara
(T.O.W.N.),
says
the
organization is becoming better
known.
“Since Shane (Sargant, director, special events and tourism)
started, he started getting the
word out to hotels and
restaurants to make the public
aware.”
She says T.O.W.N. promotes
tourism and special events in
Welland, offering general tourist
information to people touring
the town. She adds that it started
in 1993.
“This year is the 11th year for
the Food Festival and that is
Photo by Melissa Graham
Welland becomes better known
LEYA POULOUSKI
when we became a corporation.
“The main events run out of
our office are the Niagara Food
Festival, in September, and the
Welland Rose Festival, in June,
which is in its 43rd year.
We also do New Year’s Eve in
the Park at Chippawa Park in
Welland. It was run by the City
ture series for six years.
The Canada Council is the arts
granting branch of the federal government.
“They sponsor(ed) this event in an
effort to promote Canadian literature,” says Koustas.
She says Chassay is an established
literary critique and “contributes reg-
ularly to the literature section of
major Quebec newspapers.”
A prominent Quebec literary figure, Chassay is the author of 15
major works on literature, including
fiction and literary criticism, with his
latest work being on the influence of
American literature on writing in
Quebec.
Helping others
of Welland out of city hall, but
T.O.W.N. is going to run it from
now on.”
She says T.O.W.N. is taking
on annual events such as the
Mike Burwell Triathlon and
Little NHL to build Welland as
“an event city.”
“We received a $10,000 grant
from the Ontario Ministry of
Tourism for promoting tourism
and developing events. We also
got a grant from Human
Resources Development Canada
to be used towards funding
for new staff, and it gives us
money to increase marketing.
T.O.W.N. has six employees.
Its offices are in the Seaway
Mall on Niagara Street in
Welland. Its hours of operation
are weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information call
905-735-TOWN (8696) or visit
the website at
http:// www.tourismwelland.com.
The official opening of the Niagara Culinary Institute at the Glendale campus
in Niagara-on-the-Lake will take place on
Friday, April 16. The 40,000-square-foot facility will house all the hospitality,
tourism and culinary students.
Student Administrative Council (SAC) member Vicky Sullivan, 21,
of Georgetown, prepares balloons for students to purchase in honour of someone whose life has been affected by drugs or alcohol
during SAC’s Sex, Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Day held at the
Welland and Glendale campuses on Feb. 26.
Photo by Beau Callaghan
Puppets in Motion for railway safety
By SARAH ALLINGHAM
Staff Writer
Percy the Pig, Jacko the Rabbit,
Freddy the Fox and Andy Cap are
just some of the characters that are
a part of Puppets In Motion (PIM).
Andy Cappadocio, referred to as
Andy Cap, is the brains behind this
production. He works for the
Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) in
Cambridge, Ont. He says he realized while he was working just how
dangerous the train tracks are for
children and decided to bring railroad safety to children’s attention.
“I want to plant the seed in
order for children to learn safe-
ty,” says Cap.
PIM is aimed at youngsters from
early childhood to Grade 4. “I feel
that these age groups are overlooked in the teaching of safety
programs that have been offered in
the past,” says Cap.
He teaches the children through
verbal and visual reinforcement.
He uses PowerPoint storyboards
with six boards per story. These
help the children follow along.
The puppet voices are pre-recorded children’s voices. Cap says that
by doing things this way, he can be
more involved, talk to the children
and have them interact more.
Andy Cap loves to interact with the audience. Here he is with
Officer Beaver greeting some fans.
Submitted photo
PIM is a non-profit organization. All the funding from sponsors
and donations is reinvested.
The CPR, the CPR Police, Dr.
Ala Lozinski, Air Athletics, Better
Renovations, J.M. Delisle &
Associates and Kirkendale North
Neighborhood Watch sponsor
Cap. He is hoping, with more
sponsors and donations, that he
can launch his new modules.
These include It’s My Body,
Bullying and Awareness of Racial
Issues, Drug and Substance Abuse,
Alcohol Awareness and Safety
with Santa Claus.
Cap has colouring books, videos
in French and English, and a series
of The Baggy Kids storybooks in
the making.
Cap works two full-time jobs.
One is at the railroad, and the
other is at Sicard Holiday
Campers, in Smithville. He says
his Sicard Holiday Campers’
paycheque is put towards PIM.
Cap started this program as a
pilot for the railroad in 1999. It
just happened to go better than
planned. When he started, he had
a partner, Mike Fitzpatrick, a
CPR officer.
“Mike (Fitzpatrick) was the
pit bull. He took it (PIM) to new
heights,” says Cap.
Although very busy, PIM was
underfunded. Fitzpatrick left.
They had an opportunity to
obtain a $27,000 donation but
PIM wasn’t yet registered as a
non-profitable/charitable organization.
For Cap, all of his time is vol-
Celebrate Women’s Day
By WANDA MERSEREAU
Staff Writer
“Females rock,” says Rachel
McGregor, 19, a student at
Niagara College.
March 8 was International
Women’s Day. McGregor says she
thinks it is “very important to have
a day for us ladies. We should
have a day just to celebrate us and
our sisters.”
Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1909 in accordance
with declarations by the
Socialist Party of America. The
first International Women’s Day
followed four years later in 1913
and was celebrated in Canada,
Australia, Russia and Europe.
Women’s Day is designed to
advance the status of women
worldwide. It is a day of global
celebration for the economic,
political and social achievements
of women.
In Russia, the first Women’s
Day was used as a peace movement before the First World War,
on the last Sunday of February.
This national holiday has
since spread from a few countries on varied dates, to a worldwide annual celebration on
March 8.
International Women’s Day is
commemorated by the United
Nations in a charter first signed
in 1945, in San Francisco, Calif.
The United Nations says it
was the “first international
agreement to proclaim gender
equality as a human right,”
describing its importance as
“rooted in the centuries-old
struggle of women to participate
in society on an equal footing
with men.”
The Niagara College Welland
campus Learning Resource
Centre had a special display
devoted to Women’s Day. The
library has a variety of books
celebrating women’s accomplishments in sports, politics,
history and many other areas.
The PIM (Puppets in Motion) crew. At top is Andy Cappadocio
(a.k.a. Andy Cap), president of PIM. Second row from left to right
is Percy the Pig, Chucky Beaver, Officer Badger and Patti
Possum. In the bottom row, from left to right, are Freddy the Fox,
Roscoe Racoon, Jacko the Rabbit and Penelope Porcupine.
Submitted photo
untary. He now runs PIM alone.
“It’s not about me,” says Cap,
adding, “I’m not making any
money off it. I’m doing it because
children need it.’
“People believe and have good
intentions, but at times it doesn’t
follow through,” says Cap.
Funding is the biggest issue
when running your own business, he says. “Time equals
money.”
PIM performs for free at
schools, special events and community services. Cap has traveled across Canada and in the
United States with the puppets.
“If it (PIM) saves one life, I
have done my job,” says Cap.
For more information, visit the
PIM
interactive
website
http://www.puppetsinmotion.ca.
New ingredient
for New York Fries
By CALISTA LIVINGSTON
Staff Writer
New York Fries (NYF) is getting an oil change.
The firm is converting to
trans fat free Fry Max ZT, a
high oleic sunflower oil,
because of growing health concerns over the trans fats found
in hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The change will be made in all
of the firm’s stores by March 29.
“Research tells us that fries top
the list of foods purchased outside
the home, so removing trans fat was
the right thing to do,” said President
Jay Gould, in a press release.
“After months of testing, we
found a way to do it. By changing
the oil, without sacrificing the
taste, we’re offering our customers one more reason to choose
New York Fries.”
Aside from being trans fat free,
the new sunflower oil is high in
mono-unsaturated fats, low in saturates and high in oleic fatty acids,
which raise good cholesterol while
lowering bad cholesterol.
The Fry Max ZT has been tested
since the middle of January at
Scarborough
Town
Centre,
Fairview Mall and Avenue Road in
Toronto.
So far, the stores have gained
positive food/oil ratios.
Our moods change as often as weather does
By WANDA MERSEREAU
Staff Writer
Does the constant changing of
weather have your body in disarray?
Has this been a long, depressing winter? Did your outlook on life seem to
brighten while you were away on
spring break, or just with the few
bright sunny days we have started
experiencing?
This is the case for about 17 per
cent of Canada’s population. Dark,
gloomy days can make for gloomy
people and bright, warm days can
sometimes provide us with a little
more ambition to get out and do
what needs to be done.
There are some people whose
moods change as drastically as the
weather and for the same reason.
They can find the shortened days of
autumn and winter crippling. They
are overly irritable, have decreased
energy, and often feel fatigued or
overwhelmed by feelings of anxiety
or despair.
This is caused by a clinical depression called Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD). Awareness of this
mental condition has existed for 150
years, but it has only been recognized as a disorder since the early
1980s. SAD is often referred to as
the “winter blues,” but there are a
small portion of sufferers whose
symptoms occur in the summer.
While most people are able to continue their normal lives, dealing with
their fatigue and weakened concentration, some are unable to cope.
“This disorder can affect personal
and professional lives and seriously
limit their potential,” says the
Canadian Mental Health Association
(CMHA). The CMHA says research
into the cause of SAD is ongoing. It
is “thought to be related to seasonal
variations in light.”
Your body’s “biological clock”
responds to changes in seasons, partly due to the differences in the length
of days. Until the invention of electricity, people worked during sunlit
hours and slept in darkness. People
are now working shifts that require
them to sleep during the day and be
out at nighttime. The sun produces
vitamin D, which is a vital component of health. This deficiency
affects individuals differently.
The CMHA says two to three per
cent of people may have SAD, while
about 15 per cent have a less severe
experience, described as the winter
blues. SAD can affect children but is
more prevalent in people over 20.
Risk of this condition, which is seen
more in women than men, does
decrease with age and is more common in northern countries. If you feel
these symptoms may apply to you,
the CMHA strongly suggests you
contact your physician.
There are many forms of therapy
that are able to provide rapid relief.
Feelings of depression for long periods of time, dramatic changes in
appetite and sleep patterns or
thoughts of suicide are debilitating,
but can be overcome. Antidepressant
medication, counselling and light
therapy can be used to treat this disorder. People with mild symptoms
can find comfort in simple activities
such as exercise and more exposure
to natural light. Opening curtains,
taking midday walks and moving
workstations closer to windows can
benefit all people and make for a
more enjoyable winter.
By ASHLEIGH TAYLOR
Staff Writer
Exposing independent bands’
music to the public on her radio
show allows Courtney Murphy to
channel her love of music and
radio.
Murphy, 20, of Kitchener, Ont.,
is a second-year Broadcasting —
Radio, Television and Film
(BRTF) student. Her radio show,
Inside Scoop, airs every
Thursday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
on The Heat 90.1 FM.
Besides playing indie bands’
music from across Canada, such
as Fervid Whisper, Heat Wave
and the Candidates, Murphy says
she also plays punk and alternative music.
Playing indie bands music and
allowing it to reach others is
important to Murphy.
“Every band has a talent. By
playing their music, they have a
chance to show their talent and
what they’ve got. I give them an
outlet.”
Filling a three-hour show with
indie music is the hardest part of
running the show, says Murphy.
She goes to shows looking for
acts that she can include in hers,
a search that involves a lot of
research, time and planning.
“Being able to play what you
want, letting everyone hear what
you like, it’s empowering to have
people hear the music, getting
friends’ music out there and giving them credit for their hard
work,” says Murphy, of her
favourite aspect of running the
show.
By doing this, Murphy has
learned the importance of organization.
“If you’re not organized, listeners can tell. If you have one
bad show, listeners might not
tune in again, or if listeners are
tuning in for the first time, they
may never tune in again.”
An interest in radio developed
in Murphy when she was young,
and she was drawn to the “style,
diversity and approach” of
Toronto radio station 102.1 The
Edge.
Murphy says she thought radio
Photo by Ashleigh Taylor
Murphy exposes indie bands on radio show
COURTNEY MURPHY
would be an “awesome job.”
Music is a great love of
Murphy’s. She herself plays several instruments, and she has
been in percussion groups and
concert, jazz and orchestra bands.
She is able to play any type of
percussion instrument from
drums to timpani as well as the
flute, trumpet and bass guitar.
“I’ve never not loved music. It
came natural.”
Murphy sees the medium of
radio as being significant to people and culture.
“Music is a part of everyone’s
life. Radio is an outlet to express
music and words. People can’t
live without it.”
According to Murphy, radio is
expanding in a progressive way.
“It’s evolving. I like where it’s
going, in a lot of cases. It’s a lot
more open. Programming is
more loose, a less consistent pattern. There is more individual
style.”
Radio censorship is something
that, Murphy says, is needed in
some instances but it can reach
dangerous levels.
“Censorship is good. You
never know who is listening.
Certain things don’t need to be
said, but censoring thoughts gets
to be too much.”
Murphy says she likes artists
for their “musical talents.” She
likes a lot of indie bands that
emphasize vocals and instrumentals.
Her favourite artist is socially
conscious Canadian soloist
Matthew Good.
The music of today is unimpressive to Murphy.
“I really don’t like it.
Everything is the same. There is
no focus on the important things,
like vocals or instruments.”
Murphy says this dislike is the
reason she features indie music
on her show.
With her unique voice, Murphy
says she was encouraged to take
the BRTF program.
“I felt like it was the thing I
had to do. It comes naturally.”
Through radio, Murphy says
she gains self-esteem, something
she doesn’t usually have in other
situations, she admits.
“In this niche, I feel that I can
express more self-esteem.”
Murphy says she would like to
find a career at television stations
City TV, MuchMusic or the radio
station 102.1 The Edge.
Company used to remove college’s snow chosen carefully
By JONATHAN JONES
Staff Writer
A company must meet specific
criteria in order to be chosen to
remove Niagara College’s snow.
“It’s all done through a tender
process,” said Mal Woodhouse,
director of facilities management
services.
“We develop all the specs for the
tender, in concert with the purchasing agent, and submit it to all the
interested parties and then review
the submissions and then award the
contract based on a number of factors.”
These include “the amount of
equipment they have available,
where they see us in terms of their
priorities with other customers,
what they can do in the event of a
big storm, do they have the physical ability to be able to deal with a
big storm, in terms of equipment
and people? and storage of salt and
sand.”
“There’s a lot of factors that go
into the tender.”
“Much of it depends on who has
what equipment, what’s available.”
“A lot of the people that are in
construction do this as a sideline in
the winter, just to keep their equipment moving. If the construction
industry is really busy, you’re not
going to get a lot of bidders for the
job.”
Woodhouse said there are “a
number of people” that do the
snow removal for the college.
“We have my staff that do all the
entrances and the walkways. We
have two separate contractors,
one’s Colangelo, who does the
Welland campus and the Maid of
the Mist campus in Niagara Falls,
and Gigante who does the
Glendale campus in Niagara-onthe-Lake.”
“The contractors primarily do
the parking lots, the main roads
and the main sidewalks. My staff
do the secondary sidewalks and all
the entrances.”
Woodhouse said the snow
removal budget for this year is
$150,000 and that it “fluctuates”
between $120,000 and $180,000
“depending on the amount of snow
we get.”
“Depending on whether or not
the snow stays, that’s a big factor.”
“This year and last year it stayed,
so what ends up happening is, in all
the spots where you’re cleaning
“‘We’re probably looking, at
this point, depending on if we
get any big storms, probably
about $160,000, year-end
estimate. We’re probably
around $105,000 or
$108,000 right now.”
– Mal Woodhouse
snow and you keep piling it up you
have to, at some point, haul it
away. That increases your costs
because you’ve got trucks and
manpower involved.”
“We’re probably looking, at this
point, depending on if we get any
big storms, probably about
$160,000, year-end estimate.
We’re probably around $105,000
or $108,000 right now.”
Woodhouse said there is a clause
in the contract that binds the contractor to come and remove the
snow if two inches of snow has
fallen.
“It’s a judgment call as well.
When you’re dealing with Mother
Nature, you’re never quite sure
what she’s going to deal you, so
you have to be able to use some
judgment and some experience.
These contractors and my staff
have a lot of experience, so we
react accordingly.”
“So if we get a condition, normally at the start or the end of the
winter season, where we get freezing rain, snow, sleet, you get a variety of things which change the conditions and the safety for staff and
students. We have to be able to
adjust accordingly to that. The
ballpark figure is that if we get two
inches of snow on the parking lots,
that’s the benchmark for the contractors.”
“It’s much along the lines of the
municipalities; they have the same
kind of format.”
“There is a procedure in place to
identify priority areas, so the first
thing that the contractor does,
which is normally in the middle of
the night when nobody’s here, is to
deal with the main roadways first,
then the secondary roadways, then
the parking lots, then the sidewalks.”
“By that time I have my crews
that are split in two, some are in at
seven in the morning, some come
in at eight. The seven o’clock crew
is in starting to do all the entrances,
putting the salt down and shovelling.”
“About eight years ago as soon
as December came, so did the
snow, and it never left the entire
year until the spring. It just kept
snowing and snowing. I recall us
having piles of snow 25 feet high,
which became a real problem for
us and we had to haul it offsite.
That became very expensive.
Those are the kinds of winters
where you just cringe when you
see it happen.”
“Everybody says they’d like to
have snow at Christmas. From my
standpoint, I’d like to see it
brown.”
College students experience the joys of spring break in Florida
By WANDA MERSEREAU
Staff Writer
“It was the best March Break of
my life, even if it was in February,”
said Jack Dinsmore, 23, of St.
Catharines.
Dinsmore has returned from a
five-day spring break trip in
Daytona Beach, Fla.
This getaway is part of an annual
trip for high school, college and
university students organized by
Break Away Tours. The firm has
advertised great holidays for 20
years.
You may have noticed posters or
fliers around the college promoting
what looks like great vacations for
very little money. This is exactly
what Break Away offers.
“It seemed a little suspicious,
going to Florida for $400 all inclusive. I just figured it was some kind
of scam,” says Dinsmore.
Dinsmore, a third-year Arts student at Brock University, in St.
Catharines, says he was becoming
frustrated with school.
“It’s my last year and I have so
many papers due, I just wanted to
get away. It seems like all I ever do
is go to work, go to school or study.
I’ve never been out of Canada
before.”
Dinsmore says he noticed the
posters around the campus in
January and remembered a friend
said her sister had gone on the trip
last year.
“It’s a great way to go. You get
four of your buddies, a week off
work and some spending money
and that’s all you need.” Dinsmore
says it wasn’t hard to get people to
go, and they ended up filling two
rooms instead of one. “Once people
started talking about it, everybody
wanted to go.”
“We weren’t sure what we
were getting for $400. It
definitely exceeded our
expectations.”
– Jack Dinsmore
Dinsmore got on a bus on the
afternoon of Feb. 20 and arrived the
following evening.
“The bus ride there was OK.
There were tons of stops, and it felt
like we were never going to get
there. The ride home was the same
except there was so many people
telling their stories about what great
times they had, it was kind of fun.”
He stayed in the Ramada Hotel
with four of his friends. Each room
had two double beds and a cot.
While it sounds a little crowded, he
says they spent so little time in the
room, it didn’t matter. He says he
was surprised at how nice the hotel
was.
“We weren’t sure what we would
be getting for $400. It definitely
exceeded our expectations.”
Dinsmore says he slept a lot on
the bus. “It’s a good thing I slept so
much on the way there. I hardly
slept all week. Every day there was
something else to do.”
While in Daytona, Dinsmore
says his agenda was booked, with
organized trips to Disney World,
Sea World, pool parties and dance
clubs at night.
“I met so many people. We woke
up every day and went down to the
pool and grabbed some beers and
food. That’s what everybody was
doing. It’s the best way to wake
up.”
Dinsmore says one of the highlights of his trip was the boat trip.
On the third night Break Away
arranged for a “mini-cruise.” The
boat picked up its guests and, armed
with alcohol and tons of music,
took students from all across North
America out into the night. Dancing
the night away, under the stars and
above the ocean, Dinsmore says it
was “almost like magic.”
Dinsmore says the trip did him a
great deal of good and now he is
planning to go again next year.
While he says he had a fantastic
trip, he also says it’s good to be
home. He says he missed his girlfriend and admits he really needs “a
good night’s sleep.”
SPORTS
Whistler puts skiers on top of the world
By SHANNON ARNOLD
Staff Writer
At Whistler Blackcomb there
are no rules, only powder bowls,
glaciers and a view that takes your
breath away.
The Blackcomb Glacier marks
the top of the world, while
Whistler’s Peak offers steep cliffs
and challenging terrain.
Skiing or riding the resort is an
experience that draws thousands
each year from every corner of the
globe. As the newest Olympic site,
Whistler, in British Columbia, has
the greatest vertical rise and usable
terrain for skiing and other winter
sports in North America.
According to its website, it is consistently ranked in the top three of
North American resorts selected
by industry magazines and has the
largest above treeline terrain and
bowls in North America. It has 12
powder bowls, three glaciers,
steep powder chutes and more
than 200 marked trails.
The Whistler and Blackcomb
mountains are nestled side by side,
towering to the right and left
respectively of Whistler Village.
The Village is an entity full of
shops, restaurants and pubs that
bustle during the day and are overflowing at the mountain’s 4 p.m.
quitting time.
Driving in from Vancouver
requires a 5 a.m. wake-up call to
make first tracks and often results in
staggering around the hotel room
half asleep, trying to remember why
skiing outweighs going back to bed.
The Sea to Sky highway provides a picturesque drive up to the
mountain, as its winding, Grand
Prix-like curves climb along with
building skiers’ anticipation to
begin the ski day.
The narrow road is closed in by
steep cliffs on the right, with Lions
Bay and the mountains rising
majestically on the right. Shannon
Falls can been seen from the road,
its cascading water falling from
over 1,000 feet as one of North
America’s tallest waterfalls.
Vancouver is known for its rain,
and on wet mornings Whistler
Blackcomb is completely concealed by clouds. Guests can be
looking up from the Village and be
unaware that a first-class mountain
should be in view. A ride up the
gondola may begin in rain, go
through any number of cloud layers and end in sun and clear skies
as you look down on the clouds
below.
Blackcomb opens first, from
Nov. 22 to April 25, and reopens for
summer glacier skiing and snowboarding from June 7 to Aug. 1.
Whistler’s season stretches from
Blackcomb’s 7th Heaven Zone is known for its packed powder
and panoramic cruising. On a clear day, it offers a breathtaking
view of Whistler and the surrounding snowcapped mountains.
Photo by Shannon Arnold
Nov. 27 to June 6.
One lift ticket allows skiers and
riders to enjoy both mountains for
the price of $71. A quick stop at
any 7-Eleven in the area will give
you a discounted rate of $61.
Compared with Holiday Valley’s
price of $40 US for a day lift ticket to
ski a 750-foot vertical drop, $61 Cdn
is reasonable for Whistler
Blackcomb’s 5,000-foot vertical.
Each mountain is unique, offering terrain for every ski or snowboard level. Whistler has more
advanced powder bowls at The
Peak, an area for expert skiers that
is mostly ungroomed. Harmony
Ridge has intermediate bowls and
a ridge that skirts them running to
the base of the mountain. Skiers
can drop into the bowls at any time
or stay on the marked trails.
Whistler Village is nestled between the two mountains, with an
Blackcomb’s 7th Heaven is
array of dining, shopping and lodging options.
known for its panoramic views
Photo by Shannon Arnold and packed powder, preserved by
the colder temperatures at such a
high elevation.
The Blackcomb Glacier offers a
unique experience available
nowhere else, giving one the sense
of being in another world. It takes
a gondola ride, two chairlifts, a Tbar and a short hike to arrive at the
top. Once you begin descending
into the glacier, cliffs rise on either
side with expert skiers visible, flying down the steeps.
People from all over the world
are drawn to Whistler, and the long
gondola and chair lift rides
allowed you to meet skiers from
Britain, Germany, Australia and
Washington, D.C.
There is a surprising number of
Ontarians visiting and living in
Vancouver, and Aussies outweigh
the number of Canadians working
at Whistler Blackcomb. The
friendly atmosphere at the resort
battles Disney World as the happiest place on earth.
An array of accommodation
options are available right at the
mountain, but for those looking to
save some cash, staying in the city
is more economical.
Only an hour and 40 minutes
from the mountain, the Hampton
Inn and Suites is a prime location
with an overwhelming number of
stores, restaurants and shops, all a
short walk away.
Most important, the $119 price
tag per night greatly offsets the
staggering prices in Whistler
Village. Rooms at Resortquest
Whistler start at $270 per night,
with prices at The Westin Resort
and Spa running as high as $1,189
per night for a two-bedroom unit.
Any visit to Whistler Blackcomb
is an experience, with breathtaking
days on the mountain, après ski and
nightlife in The Village.
Cougars finish third in season, fall short in playoffs
By BRENT WATSON
Staff Writer
Welland
Cougars’ General
Manager Al MacNevin isn’t satisfied
with the Cougars and how they fell
short in the second round of the
Golden Horseshoe League hockey
playoffs.
The Cougars finished third in the
regular season, with a record of 2812-7-1 in 48 games. After sweeping
the Stoney Creek Warriors in four
straight games, they had trouble
showing up against the Thorold
Blackhawks in the second round,
winning only one game.
MacNevin says the playoffs for
the Cougars can be evaluated easily:
“We underachieved.”
“We had the personnel and the
staff to advance at least to the finals.
“Obviously, when you finish third
in the regular season, even if you are
facing the first place team, you
should at least have a chance.”
MacNevin says the 7-1 loss to the
Blackhawks in the first game was a
hard loss for the team.
“It gave the Blackhawks a lot of
confidence and made our guys question themselves.”
MacNevin says the Cougars’
poor playing wasn’t the only set-
back for the team.
“We’re not allowed to criticize the
referees, but one of our losses was
because of officiating.”
Concerning the second round as a
whole, MacNevin says, “The breaks
didn’t go our way.”
With 21 players eligible to return,
MacNevin says there will likely be
about 15 familiar players for the fans
in Welland to cheer for, with the rest
of the eligible players either going to
a different area, or going to play in
the Ontario Hockey League.
MacNevin would not comment
about possible staffing changes, saying everybody in the team is taking
time to spend with their families and
have a break.
Possible changes will likely be
announced around the time of the
team’s banquet on April 18.
Women’s soccer coach loves everything about it
By MELISSA ROBERTS
Staff Writer
With a long history of coaching,
Louie DeLorenzo says he loves
everything about it.
At the age of 58, DeLorenzo has
accomplished a lot in those years.
Not only is he a licensed B
mechanic, but he is also a landlord, owning apartment buildings
in St. Catharines, Welland and Port
Colborne.
DeLorenzo started playing soccer
at age 17. When he began coaching
at the age of 25, he realized it was his
passion.
He started coaching the Senior
Women’s Soccer Team in Welland
and the Senior Women’s Soccer
Team in Thorold, both for three
years.
He then coached the Port
Colborne Senior Men’s Soccer team
for 10 years.
“I really enjoy coaching and all the
new challenges it brings every year,
and I can honestly say that I don’t
dislike anything when it comes to
coaching,” says DeLorenzo.
As the coach for the Niagara
College women’s indoor soccer team
for the past five years, DeLorenzo
says he “really enjoyed the girls this
year.”
“I think this year we had an excellent team. Even though we were one
game short to qualify for the top
eight for the OCAA (Ontario
Colleges Athletic Association), they
were a great bunch of girls to
coach.”
As for assistant coach Joanne
Volz, DeLorenzo says he enjoyed
her company. “She is a great person
who contributed a lot to the team. I
just hope she will be back alongside
me next year to coach the next
bunch of girls.”
Team Captain Katie Meidinger
says, “I have had Lou as a coach for
three years now and he’s the greatest. He really cares about the team
and always wants the best for us.”
Asked about extracurricular
activities, DeLorenzo says he loves
an active life.
“I play soccer (and) referee, and
I can say that I am an old car lover.
I love to go to car shows in my
spare time.”
Goodbye, Guzda Piper enjoying retirement
Facilities management
technologist to retire
By JONATHAN JONES
Staff Writer
A long career will come to an
end this summer.
Gary Guzda, 53, of Welland,
facilities management technologist,
will be retiring at the end of July.
Guzda has worked at Niagara
College since August 1973. He
graduated from the college in
1971 with a diploma in
Mechanical Drafting and worked
for Lightning Fastener in St.
Catharines for two years, before
working at the college.
“Wow, that was a long time
ago,” said Guzda, staring off into
the distance.
Guzda is responsible for work
orders, the tools used in the shops
and the college keys.
“Presently, I am the lead hand
for facilities management. Since
I've been here, I've had eight different bosses and eight different
office locations.”
Guzda said there are several
things he will remember from his
time here.
“The mock disaster of '74. There
were 36 casualties. They were
Theatre Arts students and the
make-up and props were so realistic. What a mess. People were panicking and students were driving
the 'wounded' to the hospital, all to
find out it was a fake.”
“There was the blizzard of '77. I
went outside to check all the cars
in the parking lots to see if anyone
was inside their vehicles. A cable
broke from a tower on the roof of
the Lundy building, so in the middle of a storm I climbed up to put
a new anchor line on. I slept in the
Board Room of Hennepin Hall. A
lot of students slept in the
Hamilton Room.”
“There was a support staff strike
in '79. The coldest day of the year,
and we were out on strike.” He
said with a laugh. "It was a shortlived strike, only two weeks, thank
goodness.”
Guzda said the biggest change
he's seen over the years here
would be seeing “the graphic
design program evolve from a
portable and one classroom in
Hennepin Hall, to practically the
whole Black Walnut building.”
Guzda is married with two children, an 18-year-old son and a 25year-old step-daughter. He has
three grandchildren.
Guzda said he plans to "take it
easy" when he retires.
“I have sailboats, motorcycles, a
36-year-old Camaro, and my wife
and I breed Yorkshire Terriers.”
By JONATHAN JONES
Staff Writer
This shipper and receiver is
shipping out.
Craig Piper, 52, of St.
Catharines, retired on Feb. 27.
Piper said he doesn't have anything specific he's looking forward to about retirement.
“The wife wants to go on a trip,
so I'm leaving that up to her. It's
either Cuba or the Dominican
Republic," said Piper.
“I'll find something to do, just
to keep busy. A guy who retired a
few years ago that I know delivers
drugs for Shopper's Drug Mart,
about 20 hours a week or something, just for something to do and
some pocket money.”
“My wife manages a Tim
Hortons so maybe she can get me
a job.”
Piper has worked at the college
for 30 years. He started on Sept.
17, 1973.
“I started working in the old
Wellandvale campus. It's not even
there anymore. That was before
they built the Glendale campus. It
was down in a gully in St.
Catharines.”
“There used to be three of us in
here at one time. We had our own
supervisor and then the two
workers. The supervisor retired,
and they didn't replace him. That
left two, and then he left.
Actually it's Ray Sarkis, who's up
in the gym now. He used to be in
here with me.”
“They've cut back on the shipping. There used to be a lot more
shipping out of here, but when
they privatized the book store,
Barnes and Noble does it all
themselves now.”
Piper said the most memorable
part of being at the college is all
the people he has met.
“The people you get to know
and develop friendships with.”
Piper said the biggest change in
the 30 years has been the shift
“from three down to me" in the
Shipping and Receiving department, at the Welland campus.
“I've only had one other job
besides here. I worked for two
years in a small factory in St.
Catharines, a sheet metal place.
Then I came here. Right out of
high school, I haven't stopped.”
“I'll miss a lot of the people. I'll
come back and visit once in a
while just to rub it in a little.”
Piper is married and has three
daughters, aged 21, 17 and 14.
“I live with four women. I'm
outnumbered.”
Facilities Management Services
held a reception for Piper and staff
at the Welland campus Shipping
and Receiving area on Feb. 27
from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Tournament to raise scholarship funds
A special ball hockey tournament will be held at Niagara
College's Welland campus on
April 16 and April 17.
The tournament is being sponsored
by
Ball
Hockey
International and 90.1 The Heat,
the college radio station.
The first annual Scholarship
Ball Hockey Tournament will
raise funds for the Greg Darling
Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Darling, 50, of St. Catharines, was
a faculty member in the
Broadcasting – Radio, Television
and Film (BRTF) program for 11
years. He died suddenly on Nov. 1.
He was a 1982 graduate of the
BRTF program.
After the death, the Niagara
College Foundation created the
Greg
Darling
Memorial
Scholarship Fund. BRTF students
have organized a number of
fundraising events this school year
to contribute to the fund.
All college students, faculty and
college employees are invited to
participate in the ball hockey tournament.
Cost is $10 a person with a guarantee of three games. Games will
be played on Friday, April 16, and
Saturday, April 17.
More information can be obtained
from Anthony Pasto at 905-7341040. The 90.1 The Heat contact is
Stephen Lauzon. His e-mail address
is [email protected].
Complete an education at your own pace
By SHANNON ARNOLD
Staff Writer
The distance learning option at Niagara
College is hinged on flexibility and based
on student accommodation.
Over 100 courses are available online
through OntarioLearn.com for students to
complete at their own pace and graduate
with a diploma.
OntarioLearn.com is composed of 22
community colleges in Ontario who have
partnered to develop and deliver on-line
courses, sharing curriculum and instructors.
Niagara College is one of the seven original
colleges of OntarioLearn. The total enrolment for OntarioLearn is 8,187, with 735 of
those Niagara students.
Carole Rogers, student support officer
and facilitator, says the program is used
mainly by students “who wouldn’t normally
be in the classroom setting anyhow,” such as
students with disabilities or those working
abroad. “It is dominated by women in their
30s, career women with families.”
Also enrolled are students from Quebec
and the United Arab Emirates, and several
from the area who are playing hockey in
Sweden.
Niagara students take advantage of electives offered during the summer months to
lighten their fall course load or accelerate
the completion of their program.
Online learning shares the course requirements of classroom learning, with set courses for each program. The similarities end
there.
Instructors use e-mail and either
Blackboard, First Class or Web CT as
platforms to keep in touch with their students. This online conferencing system
serves as a virtual classroom where students can interact with fellow students
and receive and submit assignments,
“attending” anytime.
Rogers cautions that it is not easier to take
a course online. Students must be indepen-
dent learners, self-motivated and able to
meet deadlines, completing the requirements on their own initiative.
She says it is “hard for some students
because it is so flexible.” Effective time
management is crucial, for while students
are free to log on when time permits, the
learning environment is structured with
deadlines and the instructors’ expectations
to meet.
Rogers is directly involved with the
distance learning students as their support
officer and facilitator. She counsels students, advocates special accommodations
by other colleges, notifies instructors
when there is a problem and communicates with co-ordinators at other colleges
to ensure courses run smoothly.
She also teaches several online courses,
which include levels one and two of the
software programs and PowerPoint,
Computers and Nursing and Computers for
Women.
The first week of each course serves as
orientation, giving students time to download the required software and order textbooks, both of which can also be done
online.
The option of registering online was
first made available for the 2004 winter
term. Students can also register by phone
by calling 905-988-4306, fax to 905-7366000, in person at the Continuing
Education office at the Glendale campus
in Niagara-on-the-Lake, or Welland campuses, or by mail to the Office of the
Registrar, Continuing Education, Niagara
College, Room SE105, Welland Campus,
300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland, ON, L3C
7L3.
Additional information about the distance learning program and registration
dates for 2004 Spring/Summer start
courses will be available soon online at
http://www.niagarac.on.ca/study/programs/distlear.
Lunch box auction feeds child care centre
By JASON RUMLEY
Staff Writer
Expensive lunch boxes are
going to a good use.
The Child Care Centre at
Niagara College’s Welland campus received a cheque for $473
from the Student Administrative
Council (SAC) in mid-February.
Recently the Welland campus
SAC held a Lunch Box Auction at
which four lunch boxes containing
about $200 worth of gift certificates from businesses were auctioned.
This cheque represents the total
funds raised from students as well
as a donation matching funds
raised from the Welland campus
SAC.
“I thought of the idea at a meeting that the money raised would
go to the Child Care Centre,” says
Grant Grice, 21, SAC vice-president of public relations, a secondyear student in the Police
Foundations program in Welland.
“It’s a good way to help out the
school,” says Grice.
“We’re very excited. It’s a nice
surprise,” says Pat Eversden,
Niagara College Child Care
Centre manager.
Eversden, manager since 1990
and a graduate of the Early
Childhood Education program
here, says, “Many Niagara College
students who have children use the
centre.”
“I happened to know it (the auc-
tion) was going on but I was
unaware of where the funds were
going towards,” says Sandy Fox,
director of Ancillary Services for
Niagara College.
Fox says the centre also supports the Early Childhood
Education program as it provides
the students with placements.
“We will use the money to provide new equipment and toys for
the children, so whatever the donation is, it will be used to benefit the
children,” says Fox.
“It is our pleasure to promote
and support the children and families who benefit from the Child
Care Centre,” says Mark
Hardwick, 29, of Fonthill, SAC
president at the Welland campus, a
second-year student in the
Computer Programming program.
The centre was constructed in
1995 at the Welland campus.
Fox says it used to be located
behind the Mackenzie building.
The centre operates weekdays,
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Welland campus Child Care
Centre has 11 full-time staff and
six part-time staff.
Programs for children include
infants, toddlers, preschoolers and
an after-school program for children up to the age of 12.
The centre works in partnership
with Welland Pre-school Services
to provide support, assistance and
programming to meet the needs of
children with special needs and the
Grant Grice, 21, Student Administrative Council (SAC) vice-president of public relations, hands Pat
Eversden, manager of the Child Care Centre at Niagara College, a cheque. SAC and students from
the Welland campus raised the funds through the Lunch Box Auction. To the right of Grice is Sandy
Fox, director of Ancillary Services for Niagara College, as members of SAC and staff of the Child
Care Centre look on.
Photo by Jason Rumley
group as a whole and observation
facilities.
The centre has qualified early
childhood educators with specialized training and experience.
All of the staff has current certi-
fication in CPR and first aid.
Dedicated staff serve a hot nutritious lunch and two snacks daily.
To register a child, the centre
requires a completed application
form, current medical and immu-
nization records and an orientation
with the manager.
Fee subsidy is available through
the Ministry of Community and
Social Services to families demonstrating financial need.
OPP lures preying Internet sharks with ‘kids’ as bait
By ROBERT WALKER
Staff Writer
A 14-year-old Barrie youth has
been charged with two counts of
Internet luring, making him the
youngest person in Ontario to be
charged with the offence.
The two victims, both under
the age of 14, were met online by
the accused and asked to meet in
person.
The Ontario Provincial Police
Child Pornography Section
(OPPCPS), in conjunction with
Barrie Police Services, intervened. The youth was also
charged with two counts of invitation to sexual touching and two
counts of impersonation.
“You have these kids, locked up
in their rooms for hours at a time
with
high-speed
Internet.
Eventually curiosity takes over,
and they want to see what they can
get away with,” says Dective
Sergeant Frank Goldschmidt, of
OPPCPS.
“Who knows what (predators)
have in mind? That’s why you
want to nip it in the bud right
away, before they can get close to
these kids.”
Formed in 1975 at the request
of the Attorney General,
OPPCPS, or Project P, employs
12 OPP officers. Operating out of
Toronto, it is the provincial lead in
the investigation and prosecution
of pornography offenders and is
responsible for the enforcement of
the new child luring legislation.
In a nutshell, Project P’s system
for catching Internet predators
works like this.
First, one of the officers joins a
chatroom, under the guise of a
young person. Then it’s only a
matter of minutes before the
“sharks begin to circle,” says
Goldschmidt.
“You wouldn’t believe how little time it takes to get hit by
some of these guys. All of a sudden you’ve got half a dozen
(interested predators).”
After contact is made with the
offender, officers maintain a dia-
logue, waiting for an invitation for
sex and/or a meeting.
“Some of these guys are bolder
than others,” says Goldschmidt.
“Within minutes the guy could be
offering to meet the bait for sex –
to wait for him on some street corner, to tell him what we’ll be wearing, what kind of car he’ll be in.
Some cases get closed in a few
hours ... Some cases can take
months.”
Goldschmidt calls these drawnout pursuits “a grooming process,”
during which it takes time for the
bait to earn enough of the suspect’s trust for him to risk breaking the law.
“It’s important for our officers
to keep up on what’s popular for
kids today, in order to be convincing. Otherwise, these really careful
guys will smell a rat and not want
to talk anymore.”
Images of the bait are also
important in earning the perpetrator’s trust, says Goldschmidd.
“In cases in which the suspect
wants a picture of the child whom
he thinks he is talking with, we
just give them shots of officers
we know from when they were
kids.”
“Last year, Project P was
responsible for the charging of 44
offenders, which is impressive
when you consider last year we
only had nine people.”

March 26, 2004

Transcription

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