` ` campus news - Digilog at UOIT and DC - DC-UOIT

VOLUME XXXIV, Issue 1
September , 
Photo by Mike Stathopoulos
LOOKING WELL: UOIT President Dr. Ronald Bordessa and Durham College President Leah Myers welcomed MPPs, alumni, students and faculty
to the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at the Wellness Centre located on the Avenue of Champions, just south of the library.
Students, you made this happen
By Heather Abrey
Chronicle Staff
The new Recreation and Wellness Centre, which has been under construction for the last two
years, had its official opening ceremony Sept. 12.
Durham College and UOIT
celebrated the completion of the
new Wellness Centre with a ribbon cutting ceremony in the triple
gym, with many current and former staff and students present,
as well as others, including MPPs.
The ceremony featured several
speeches, tours of the facility, a 13person pipe and drum band, and
of course, the ceremonial cutting
of the ribbon.
Leah Myers, president of Durham College, praised the student
initiative that brought the centre
to fruition, “To the students, congratulations. You did it, you made
it happen.”
UOIT president Dr. Ronald
Bordessa agreed with Myers. “The
advocacy of students and the support that they gave made this wonderful dream a reality.”
The new facility will be shared
by the two schools, as well as being open to the public, improving
the facilities available in Durham
Region, and adding to the cur-
rent tennis and ice centre located
across the street.
Varsity teams will be receiving
a boost, now having access to firstrate facilities, care and physiotherapy. The change rooms in the old
fitness centre will also be used for
See Recreation page 31
Trying times on the first day
Evictions looming?
By Alistair Lowe
By Amy England
The morning sun, clear and
bright, beamed across a quiet
campus in the early morning
hours of Sept. 4, a peaceful moment giving no hint of what was
to come.
Two hours later Simcoe Street
and Conlin Road were backed
up as about 5,000 new DC and
UOIT students attempted to
navigate their way to a parking
Photo by Alistair Lowe
space. The first day of school
had arrived. Security guards di- LAST-MINUTE CLUB: The line to buy a parking pass.
rected traffic as best they could.
Wearing boldly coloured vests, early as you can – as soon as you the information booth as the
questions came fast and furipointing this way and that, they get the invoice.”
However, after sorting out ous: “Where is the commons?
stood before the onslaught and
maintained order. Hampered his finances Opydo had to buy a Where is room B221? How do I
by malfunctioning parking cards parking permit. “I’ll do that anoth- change my schedule? Where’s
and students going to the wrong er day,” he said. Surrounded by a the barbecue?”Even with all the
sea of shuffling, bumping people, first-day confusion, DC/UOIT
lots, they stood their ground.
The flood of people broke Cathy Cordell and Deanne Tripp left a good impression with Karupon the parking desk and ac- looked overworked and stressed en Lowe. She came from Smiths
counting office, where lines of at the parking desk. They, too, Falls, Ont. with her son Chris.
students waited up to an hour- held their ground, working for “Everybody is helpful, calm and
and-a-half to complete a task hours to thin the crowd.
One by one students left the kind. It’s a lovely campus,” she
which would have taken five
desk with parking pass in hand, said.
minutes a month earlier.
Fear not, for the chaos will fade.
“I left things to the last min- some cradling them like a hardIn 2008, however, during the
won
trophy.
But
there,
amidst
ute,” first-year Business student
the
mass
of
humanity,
stood
early morning hours of the first
Chris Opydo said outside the fiMatthew
Waite.
He
manned
day of classes, it will return.
nance office. His advice: “Pay as
Students might have trouble
finding affordable and convenient
off-campus housing if the city of
Oshawa implements a new bylaw
for the area.The public meeting
scheduled for Sept. 9, to debate
this controversial topic had to be
cancelled. Hundreds of students,
residents and landlords could not
be accommodated at city hall.
Councillor Louise Parkes, officially cancelled the meeting. She
wanted it rescheduled so that all
parties involved could participate.
“This is unprecedented,” Parkes
said.
The issue of off-campus housing has been growing since UOIT
first arrived four years ago.
Area residents are upset because garbage, parking and noise
violations have increased since
students moved in to their community.
“The fact that we all live side
by side, makes the pure number
of renters overwhelming” said Michelle Bray, a representative from
the Windfields Farms Community
Association.
The bylaw will require all landlords to register with the city and
obtain a licence when renting
Chronicle Staff
Chronicle Staff
a room in the area surrounding
the college and university.“I think
licensing is a positive approach
and I hope it will give the city a bit
more control over the landlords,”
Bray said. “It will make landlords
more responsible.”
The bylaw will require properties to meet building codes and
improve property standards. Paul
Vrana ,a member of the newly
formed Homeowners of North
Oshawa group, feels the bylaw
will reduce the property values of
homes in the area.
The Student Association has
begun a poster campaign to inform
students of the issues surrounding the bylaw. “Students were not
formally consulted for this bylaw.”
Said Fraser McArthur, president
of the SA. The poster campaign is
meant to send the city a message
that students have a unified voice
on the issue. “We need a joint task
force, that includes students, to
work on this issue,” he added.
McArthur would like to see an
approach that considers factors
like private bedroom square footage and common area density.
Also what the impact on the community is in regards to waste and
parking.
All parties involved will have a
chance to debate at the next public meeting on Oct. 9.
2 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Liberals show us the money
School
receives
extra $10
million
By Colin Boucher
Chronicle Staff
Durham College and UOIT are
about to get a whole lot richer.
The provincial Liberals announced an additional $10 million
in funding on Sept. 5 to benefit the
entire campus.
Wayne Arthurs, MPP for Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge, said the Liberals announced a $50 million pot of
money for capital enhancements
of post-secondary schools in the
2007, 08 provincial budget. Arthurs emphasized in an electionstyle speech that since Durham
College and UOIT are receiving
20 per cent of that money, it goes
to show how much the McGuinty
government cares about this campus.
“The funding is important, it’s
critical…we get it at Queen’s Park,”
he said.
Other speakers at the announcement included Durham
College President Leah Myers,
UOIT President Ronald Bordessa,
and Student Association President
Fraser McArthur.
Myers said the massive growth
Durham College has experienced
since its inception 40 years ago,
when it opened its doors to only
260 students, was phenomenal.
She also thanked the provincial
government for the money.
Bordessa said the campus really needs new buildings, mention-
ing the 1,600 new UOIT students
on campus this year.
He assured the MPP that,
“Money spent here is money well
spent.”
He also said how happy he was
to meet new students on orientation week and how they came here
knowing UOIT was different.
After the announcement, Myers
said that deciding what to do with
the money will take some time.
“The government’s decision
to give us this $10 million was really something we hadn’t planned
for, so we were thrilled when we
got the news,” she said. “We know
we’ve got lots of needs for new
space on this campus, both in the
university and in the college and
in our student space, and of course
we could spend so much more
than $10 million easily, so it’s going
to take us a bit of time to figure out
the best way to spend this money
to have it go the farthest against all
the needs we have.”
Myers explained that in order
to initiate capital expansions, the
administration has to propose a
plan and have it approved by the
board of governors, who have to
approve the school’s budgets and
strategic plans.
“I expect that we’ll be doing a
more significant capital plan this
year that we’ll take forward to our
board in the springtime.”
The last significant capital expansion Durham College had was
in the year 2000, when it invested
in the south (SW) wing.
“In the intervening years we’ve
received capital monies for maintenance, but not for new build,”
she said.
While the administration figures out what to spend the extra
funding on, some students have
suggestions of their own.
“I think they should invest
more in the food services, and they
Photo by Colin Boucher
DELIVERING THE GOOD NEWS: Liberal MPP Wayne Arthurs, who is running for reelection, announced additional school funding Sept. 5 in the library reading room.
should be open longer,” said firstyear Criminology student Sarah
Houssan Eddine.
Other suggestions included a
swimming pool, more physical
resources at the library, and additional lab space. However, the
number one request was for better quality lecture and classroom
space. Many students complained
about the UP pavilion, referring to
it as “the circus tent.”
“It smells like a petting zoo,” said
one first-year Concurrent Education student.
Campus Growth
•Durham College has experienced a 14 per cent growth
since 2001, compared to an overall growth of 8 per cent
in the overall Ontario college system.
•Durham’s population is about 6,000 this year, 5.9 per
cent higher than last year. •Durham’s first year enrolment
is about 3,600, which is up 10 per cent from last year.
•UOIT’s population this year is about 5,000 students
•First-year enrollment at UOIT is about 1,800, only a 1
per cent increase from last year.
New drug dealer now on campus
By Jennifer Hopf
and Greg Snow
Chronicle Staff
Students no longer have to travel off campus to fill prescriptions
or other pharmacy needs since
the arrival of Lovell Drugs at the
Health Centre’s new location in
the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
Lovell Drugs is one of Ontario’s
oldest and largest independent
drug store chains. With the opening of its 11th location on campus
this past summer, students are
now able to receive benefits not
previously offered by the college.
“People involved in the health
area decided this would be a good
fit for the college,” said Rita Winn,
general manager of Lovell Drugs.
“Now students can get their medication right away.”
Aside from prescriptions, the
pharmacy offers vaccinations
and special counselling, as well as
compliance packaging (putting all
prescriptions together), free delivery and e-refills of medication.
There is also a wide variety of overthe-counter medication, from pain
relievers to allergy pills.
Lovell Drugs honours the stu-
Photo by Greg Snow
DRUGS, DRUGS, DRUGS: Vijay Pandya, the pharmacist manager, is on hand to assist
with prescriptions and any other issues or questions students and faculty may have.
dent insurance policy and if that’s
not enough, they will also cater
to any outside health plans. The
pharmacy handles all administration work as well. This includes
submitting any necessary forms
on behalf of the patient if the case
merits it, and upon completion of a
credit check, charges may be covered so there is no upfront cost.
Those who deal with other
pharmacies can have existing pre-
scriptions transferred to Lovell
Drugs.
“We also offer one-on-one consultations for those with any questions,” said Vijay Pandya, the pharmacist manager.
However, the pharmacy always
charges a dispensing fee of $10.99
for all prescriptions, excluding
contraceptives, which have a
capped dispensing fee of $7. Additional costs of drugs depend on
individual policies.
Furthermore, a variety of
monthly Clinic Days will be held.
Nursing staff will be available to
administer services such as checking blood pressure, blood glucose
levels, and cholesterol.
Pamphlets with information relating to smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, asthma, osteoporosis, blood
pressure, heart health, emergency
contraception and medication
safety are available.
The addition of the pharmacy
has no effect on the price of the
student insurance plan as Lovell
Drugs pays rent to the college like
any other business
“There is no cost to students for
us being here,” Winn confirmed.
The drugstore is open to all
Durham College, UOIT and Trent
students, as well as staff and the
general public. It is located on the
Avenue of Champions, just south
of the library. More information
is available on the pharmacy website, www.lovelldrugs.com.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
3
CAMPUS NEWS
40 years of history for DC
By Amy England
Chronicle Staff
The past and present united
together as Durham College celebrated its 40th anniversary on
Tuesday, Sept. 18.
The history of DC began in 1967,
when the doors were opened for
the first time. Starting with only 16
portables to house a few hundred
students and 14 faculty members,
Durham College has come a long
way from its modest beginnings.
Leah Myers, current president
of DC, offered some inspiring
words about her look at the college
since she became the first female
president in February 2006.
“We have made the student experience our number one priority
and we have been supported by
strong community partnerships
through our development.”
One of those developments was
in the ‘90s when the college transformed the Cadbury chocolate
factory into the Whitby campus.
During that time, DC offered a
new guarantee for future employers of graduates of the college.
The employment guarantee ensures that all graduates of the college would have the knowledge,
training and skills that they needed to excel in the workforce.
“But perhaps the most telling
has been our enrolment growth,”
Myers said. DC has gone from 205
students when it first opened to
now serving over 6,100 students.
“The numbers say it all in terms
of the growth and success of Durham College and we are here today to pay tribute to it.”
There are now more than 80
Photo by Amy England
STUDENTS CELEBRATE WITH THE LORD: Second-year Bachelor of Information and
Technology students hang out with the DC mascot. From the left: Stephanie Bajot,
Andrew Pearce, and Dave Aldwinckle were taking advantage of the food and music.
full-time programs, and with the
opening of University of Ontario
Institute of Techology, DC is making a lasting impact on the community, the province and the world.
One of these lasting impressions came when Mayor John
Gray announced at the ceremony
that from now on in the city of Oshawa and in region of Durham,
including Scugog, this day will be
marked as Durham College Day.
The recently retired Dr. Gary
Polonsky served as the president
of the college for two decades
from 1988 until Myers took over
in 2006.
“Right from day one, Durham
College got that this place had to
be all about the students, and all
about quality and all about caring,”
Polonsky said.
Polonsky’s tenure at the college
has seen some of the most dra-
matic changes, from the addition
of the Whitby campus, to the new
university.
“I simply inherited that from
previous generations and I have
tried my best to keep it going,” he
said.
One of the first generations of
college students and co-chair of
the 40th anniversary committee,
Ron Backwell graduated in 1969.
He has fond memories of his time
spent at DC.
Backwell recalled a racing contest that was held on campus. Students had turned a bed into something that they could race. And another year they had to transform
bathtubs for racing. He painted a
vivid picture of beds and bathtubs
racing down Simcoe Street, laughing at the prize for best bathtub,
which was a toilet seat.
The history surrounding the
college has been shaped by fond
memories and commitment of all
of its faulty, staff, and students.
But a few years before DC was
established there was a decision
that made the history and future of
DC successful.
In 1965, Minister of Education Bill Davis introduced a piece
of legislation that would establish
colleges of applied arts and science.
It was the first of its kind for the
area, a community-based postsecondary intuition that offered
students a chance to experience a
more practical education.
“No matter what your personal
connection to the college, no matter what it means to you, I truly
believe that what is the heart of the
college’s success and the heart of
the relationships that we all have
is the values and the sense of community that has been built over
the last 40 years,” said Myers.
The past and present of DC
have made a lasting impact.
“No matter how we have grown
and change, we all hold dear the
sense of family, of team of community that is Durham College,”
Myers said
Alumni
take a tour
of campus
Yearbook memories
By: Rory Wilson
Chronicle Staff
Photo by Amy England
THE YEARBOOK SAYS IT ALL: Durham College President Leah Myers looks at a piece of the past with
Ron Backwell, part of the first graduating class in 1969.
Students, teachers, and alumni were
among the many representatives of the
community celebrating 40 years of DC
on Sept. 18.
Crowds gathered in the south courtyard and were treated to a variety of
food complements of DC cafeteria
staff.
Practically Hip, a tribute to The
Tragically Hip, provided live entertainment.
The barbecue and music provided
alumni with a warm welcoming back
to the college that was once their own.
Tours were offered throughout the
afternoon that gave alumni insight to
the additions to the campus.
“We want to make graduates aware
of the changes,” said tour guide Sue
Hawkins.
A group of seven DC graduates followed Hawkins through the campus
observing the changes it has undergone.
“It’s grown in every area,” said Business Admin. graduate David Thom.
4 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
EDITORIAL
Durham College-UOIT Chronicle
Publisher: Robin Pereira
Editor-in-Chief: Gerald Rose
Ad Manager: Dawn Salter
TO CONTACT US
Newsroom: Room L-223; Ext. 3068
Advertising: Room L-220; Ext. 3069
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Band-aid bylaw not solution
Oshawa’s
housing bylaw
hurts more
than helps
Students living off campus might have a
hard time finding affordable housing if the
City of Oshawa passes a proposed bylaw.
One of the main goals of this bylaw, is to
limit the number of rooms to a maximum of
four per house that a landlord can rent to.
But because of poor planning by key
parties involved, it’s no wonder this bylaw
seems to be indirectly targeting students.
The city’s weak attempt to fix the current
student housing problems with this bylaw is
like placing a band-aid on a gunshot wound.
It ignores the bigger issue, and it only focuses on a small portion of the problem, instead
of directly addressing the issues that have
been brewing around campus since UOIT
first arrived four years ago.
Local residents are upset that noise levels, parking violations and an increase in
a transient population has decreased the
value of their homes. Landlords are upset
because homes that have been purchased
as an investment to rent to students will no
longer be a viable source of income. Students are upset because they feel they are
being unfairly targeted.
Anyone involved in the situation can see
that the current method of dealing with this
issue is clearly not working.
The City of Oshawa claims the bylaw will
protect all students and residents involved.
And yes, some of the issues that are addressed will no doubt keep students safe,
and residents happy. One of those is to require landlords to register with the City and
obtain a licence in order to rent out rooms.
This will allow the City to ensure fire codes
and other safety concerns are being met.
The fact is this, some of the problems local residents have regarding renting to students in the area surrounding UOIT and DC
are noise, garbage and parking. There are already bylaws in place that would effectively
alleviate some of those concerns.
Another factor that should be considered
is the fact that students, the largest group
that will be affected by this proposed bylaw,
were not consulted prior to its first draft.
The bylaw is only proposed for areas surrounding the campus. If this was not meant
to target student renters, why isn’t this bylaw
proposed for all areas, since renters are not
limited to only the area around the college
and university?
A meeting was planned on September 10,
but was cancelled because of the City could
not accommodate the amount of people
who showed up to debate this heated topic.
It seems that every party involved did
not fully research or anticipate the problems that occur from becoming a university
town.
There have been talks about building a
student village near campus that would accommodate students, and give them an option to live outside of residence. The problem is what you do with the number of offcampus students in the meantime.
The bylaw has not been approved yet,
and the city says it will not affect students
this year, and a new meeting is set for October 9.
But the issue is this; there is nothing in
place at the moment to effectively address
all the concerns of the residents, students
and landlords.
The fact that hundreds of students, landlords and residents showed up for this heated debate means that the current bylaw is
not the answer. As long as the bargaining
table stays open for discussion, there might
be an option that will appeal to all parties
involved.
Oshawa is now a university town and it
has changed the identity of the city. It has
naturally shaped the areas around the universities in to an informal living space for
students. Forgetting that fact or trying to
force students to live elsewhere will only
further drive the wedge between students
and the City of Oshawa. And will not effectively solve the problems at hand.
Amy England
Letter to the editor
A warm goodbye to former president Mel Garland
To the Editor:
Perhaps your readers, especially Durham students, may appreciate a few facts
about their College’s second president,
Mel Garland, who died this month.
For a starter, Mel was a distinguished
WW ll airman, including being a prisoner
of war. When I once asked him how that
went, he paused and shrugged humbly
and matter-of-factly, “It was war.”
Mel’s post-war career also had plenty of
highlights, of which he felt his presidency
here was the pinnacle. I’ll close, however,
with 2 personal loves. One was the envi-
Editors: Heather Abrey, Courtney Born, Stephanie
Bossence, Colin Boucher, Allison Bryan, Dave Butt, Chris
Buttonshaw, Andrew Capps, Ryan Chalmers, Craig Clark, Andrew Dalrymple, Jenner Domroes, Amy England, Mike Flynn,
Amy Gohr, Alyshia Higgins, Jennifer Hopf, Jaspinder Kaur
Jassal, Chris Jones, Svea Keegan, Sean Kent, Eric Laganis,
Karen LeBlanc, Alistair Lowe, Jenna-Lee Mainse, Kenny Mayhew, Rob McNab, Mark Milner, Tyler Ohlew, Emily Palonen,
Chelayne Pascoe, Alex Reid, Jenn Reid, Vanessa Reidt, Ingrid
Saravia, Rachelle Savoie, Greg Snow, Mike Stathopoulos,
Courtney Ste-Croix, Samantha Stewart, Katie Strachan, Brandon Terry, Rory Wilson, Dwayne Wynter
ronment, for which he was ahead of his
time. For example, he was a fierce proponent that sport fishers should return every
caught fish to the water.
The second was his family - married
to Margarite for SIXTY years, producing 6
outstanding kids and a ton of equally outstanding grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
Our college, country and planet are
better off for the life of Mel
Garland.
Dr. Gary Polonsky
Successor of Mel Garland
dvertising sales:
A
he Chronicle is published by the School of Communication Arts of
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The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
5
OPINION
New aloofness towards 9/11
Americans’
sensationalism
is now creating
apathy among
our students
We all know 9/11 well. Even today, Fox
News flashes the same twin tower and penthouse clips while providing the tacky proBush propaganda to the on-going war in the
Middle East.
The White House flies its flag at half-mast,
taking some sort of brief moment of silence
to pay tribute to the 3,000 people who were
killed six years ago.
Bush looks off in a mournful tone and
gives his old speech about how this war is feel not directly affected by the war anyfor the greater good for the people in Iraq more.
and how they are just one step closer to
One can recall in grave detail the type of
achieving their goal.
youth panic that our country first encounHere in Canada, September 11 is a day tered after the events of 9/11.
There was viewer alarm as live footage of
we will not forget. Most post-secondary stuAmericans flooding the
dents like myself were eiNew York streets posed
ther public or high school
the question to Canadian
students in morning
Chelayne
viewers, are we next?
classes when announceIn the weeks that folments first came through
Pascoe
lowed
news reports deabout the attack in 2001.
tailed
places
in Canada
However, looking forthat
could
be
targets of
ward, the anxiety and vulbombing.
nerability that Canada first faced about our
However, today a mere glance at TV
safety as a country after 9/11 is now finally
Guide
programs during the week of Septhrough for students.
tember
11 is proof enough that the fear our
Although our generation may feel symcountry
has with the war is merely Ameripathy for those Canadian troops still in the
war, it is through overuse of American sen- canized propaganda. Programs such as
sationalism, desensitizing students with Toxic-Dust, and movies such as The World
overplayed videos, and blurring war per- Trade Center, and Fahrenheit 9/11 simspectives that makes our youth in Canada ply portray the message about the heroic
Americans either for or against the war as
students yawn over another Americanized
media message about the war.
As well as showing Canadians the thousands of red, white and blue programs, our
generation is also becoming largely desensitized to the war with video footage everyday of what is going on in the country.
With more gore and less censored graphics of war and 9/11 events, seeing a person
get shot in the Middle East is nothing more
then a shrug to students now.
Another reason is the overly blurred perspectives of the war. With one source crying
oil, another declaring it was for the peace
of citizens in the Middle East or protecting
us from the terror of the weapons of mass
destruction, it can be easy for one not to believe a word of it.
No matter the reason, there is really no
direct connection to students as Canadians
to the war and events of 9/11. We may never
forget, but in retrospect, we have moved on.
Society’s new obsession with size zero
Does my bum look big in this?
This is a common phrase used
by many women in our society,
but what’s hard to understand is
half the women using this phrase
have no bum in the first place yet
they believe their bodies are distorted.
Society believes a woman has
to look a certain way - stick thin.
That’s because everywhere
you turn there are adverts, products and movies promoting thinner celebrities, such as Nicole
Richie.
Younger women look up to
these celebrities as role models,
so when a girl sees her favourite
celebrity lose weight, she believes she has to as well. She’ll do
anything it takes.
According to the Canadian
Mental Health Association, 70
per cent of women between the
ages of 15 and 25 have eating disorders because of the preoccupation of society on body image,
and 10 to 20 per cent of those die
due to this illness.
One example of society badmouthing a women’s size is the
time former super model Tyra
Banks was pictured in a bikini plump is more important.
looking less fit than she used to
Oh yes, I forgot, size is more
be.
important in this world.
Dove played a huge part in
So What?
showcasSo,
Tyra
ing so-called
gained a little
Real women,
weight, and it’s
when it went
Jaspinder
published
in
in-depth and
every paper focused
on
Kaur
Jassal
that’s pathetic.
real beauty.
Not to menDove has also
tion we have
released the
young people
advertisement Evolution Movie
suffering, or even worse dying on its website www.campaignfrom anorexia, yet publishing forrealbeauty.com.
It captures a woman being
a photo of Tyra looking a little
made over, but then Photoshopped just to resemble what
society believes a women should
look like.
Society needs to focus more
on what really matters, things
such as war, the environment
and the less fortunate.
“Women deserve to feel beautiful just the way they are,” says
the Dove campaign, and it’s a
strong statement that should be
honoured in society.
At the end of the day women
and men are both equal and society needs to portray this instead
of revolving around the size zero.
Car has evolved from gasoline to air
Warnings are everywhere: from the news
to shocking documentaries, we’re reaching
a global oil production peak and we’re struggling to come up with alternatives.
While this problem can’t be solved overnight, there have been many advances in
the realm of transportation.
We’ve developed vehicles that run on solar, electric and hydrogen power, as well as a
variety of hybrids. There is even a car in existence that runs on Kool-Aid. However, what
could be the greatest innovation to date is
the air-powered car.
According to Sebastien Braud, a representative for Moteur Developpement International (MDI), the air-powered car currently in development is “safe, doesn’t pollute, doesn’t explode, it’s not poisonous and
it’s not expensive.”
Merely a concept for going on 15 years
now, MDI has begun producing cars in
Europe using compressed air technology
(CAT): the three-seated MiniCAT for local
commuting and the six-seated CityCAT for
longer distance.
The MiniCAT is about the size of a Smart
Car, and can reach a maximum speed of 220
km/h and travel about 200 to 300 kilometres
before needing to refill the air tank, making
it perfect for inner city commuting.
The CityCAT is slightly less impressive,
According to the book Deep Economy
reaching up to 110 km/h with a driving dis- by Bill McKibben, if people in China owned
tance of 200 km. Refilling the tanks with cars at the same rate as Americans, the
compressed air takes about four minutes at number of cars in the world would immea station; the car also has a built-in air com- diately double.
pressor that can plug into any standard elecIf everyone in the world owned cars at
trical outlet to refill the tank in four hours.
this rate, the number of cars would be nearly
According to MDI, air cars are powered five times greater than now; our atmosphere
by engines fuelled by compressed air stored couldn’t handle that much carbon dioxide.
in a tank under high presIn very short order, husure. Instead of mixing
man life would become
fuel with air and burning
impossible. UnfortunateAmy
it to drive pistons with
ly, it does not seem as
hot expanding gases, air
though air-powered cars
Gohr
cars use the expansion of
will come to North Amercompressed air to drive
ica for a long time.
the pistons.
Safety standards proThe manufacturers developing CAT cars hibit the introduction of these CAT vehicles
have designed safety features into their con- until all regulations are met. Comprised of
tainers. The air tanks are comprised of car- fibre and injected foam, CAT vehicles are
bon fibre and have passed explosion and safer than cars made of steel, easier to repair
puncture tests to ensure the compressed air and don’t rust. However, in a collision test,
does not pose a threat to passengers in the it’s unlikely that passengers would come out
event of a collision.
totally unscathed considering the car’s lightAir cars are also emission-free, and with- weight building material.
out a catalyst, air is non-flammable.
In addition to safety protocols, we live
So why doesn’t everybody have an air- in a society whose mindset is that bigger
powered car? Most people would agree that means better. We want Hummers, we want
the time to act is now; we are in dire need of Jeeps, we want SUVs and other gas-guzzling
an alternative to burning fuel.
monstrosities.
Sure, the MiniCAT and CityCAT would
be perfect to help reduce gas emissions and
decrease oil demands.
However, not everybody wants to drive
tiny Smart Cars that wouldn’t stand a chance
against a Hummer. Ignorant, wealthy people
don’t care about emissions or oil reserves –
they want bigger, faster and more expensive
vehicles.
Another hurdle for the air car is profitability. Air is everywhere. It’s free.
There is comparatively little profit in producing cars that run on air.
Couple this with the popular belief – or
myth – that oil companies don’t want any alternative resources to succeed, the future of
the CAT cars in North America seems pretty
grim.
However, MDI remains hopeful that the
first cars will be available on the market next
summer, beginning in France, India and
Spain.
McKibben is right: we’re past the point
of turning off lights and hoping for the best.
If we want to survive the storm, we need to
make big changes now. The air-powered
car seems to be a great alternative to fuelbased cars. Now is the time to take action if
we want our planet and society to withstand
the coming changes we’re about to face.
6 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Assistance a shade of orange
By Colin Boucher
Chronicle Staff
A lone first-year student wanders through the corridors of the
Gordon Willey building on the first
day of school, lost and confused. A
student clutches his schedule, he
frequently glances up to compare
the numbers on it to the numbers
on the doors he passes. Suddenly,
he sees the friendly face of one of
the many volunteers of the newly
expanded orientation program,
Ask Me I’m Orange.
The program, which began last
year and only pertained to UOIT
students, was hailed as a success
by the Student Development Coordinator Sarah King and thirdyear Commerce student Angela
Piggott, who helped organize the
volunteers.
About 60 of them showed up
on for their assigned posts around
the campus. Their duties included
answering questions like where
to find classes, or which offices to
seek out for specific services, such
as buying a meal plan or a parking
pass. Some of the more senior volunteers, who were student ambassadors during the past school year,
also offered tours to groups of students and parents.
The program is still experiencing growing pains, but the co-ordinators were open to suggestions
from volunteers on how to improve it in the future. For example,
faculty were allowed to participate in the program this year but
they suggested their time slots be
hourly rather than every hour and
a half, so they would be able to do
it between classes.
King and Piggott praised the
leadership the volunteers showed,
such as moving to busier areas
when they had no one around to
ask them questions.
“They took their own initiative,
which is also really quite convenient. I appreciated that a lot,” said
Piggott.
“We really appreciate what they
(the volunteers) do, and their services are really appreciated by the
students who use their services,”
said King.
But, she said, one area of improvement would be their recruiting process.
“It was really difficult to find
volunteers, and I think next year
we would try to recruit the volunteers earlier,” she said.
King explained that the colour
orange was used because it was
the only bold colour that isn’t used
by any of the UOIT faculties or
Durham College schools.
Ask Me I’m Orange volunteer
Matt Waite said he enjoyed his experience as a volunteer and would
do it again next year.
“The most common question
was ‘how do I get to the F wing?’
because it was not labelled clearly,
it’s in such an obscure part of the
school, and apparently there were
either a lot of classes or the orientations for programs in those
rooms,” he said.
“Another common question
was ‘where do I go to get my student ID?’ There were actually
printed directions for that though,
made up by the very clever people
at the reception desk.”
Overall, Waite enjoyed his experience being a volunteer and
would encourage others to join up
next year.
“Being a volunteer was fun, I
met a bunch of people, and made
some friends,” he said.
The program ran Aug. 29-30, as
well as the first week of school in
September. King said volunteers
who are still open to being approached throughout the rest of
the year will have golf tags or buttons on their backpacks bearing
the Ask Me I’m Orange logo.
Safe
haven for
women
in need
MATT WAITE: Ask Me I’m Orange volunteer ready to assist new students.
Tuition covers
health expenses
By Jennifer Hopf
Chronicle Staff
Whether students need glasses
or an artificial arm, the new and
improved insurance plan has it
covered.
At a $36 increase to the cost of
the health plan portion of tuition, a
number of extended health benefits are now offered. These include
emergency transportation, equipment rentals, medical supplies,
prosthetic appliances and orthopedic supplies.
Also covered are services by
paramedical practitioners such
as nutritionists and chiropractors. If recommended by a doctor,
clinical psychologists, speech and
massage therapists and physiotherapists are included as well.
Physicians in all these fields are on
staff here on campus.
In accordance with the plan,
ClaimSecure pays for 80 per cent
of most prescriptions, immunizations and services up to a maximum of $3,000 for the policy year
of Sept. 1 to Aug. 31.
Students are not limited to the
By Amy England
Chronicle Staff
The Women’s Centre is a new
safe haven on campus that will
offer abuse counselling and information opened on Sept 14.
It will provide support and help
for women in need, and is located
by the library.
The focus of the centre is to
have a safe and private place
where women can seek advice in
a wide variety of situations, including date rape and spousal abuse.
The new centre also shares
space with some club offices,
which including P.R.I.D.E. and
SHARE, to name a few.
It also offers a fully stocked and
completely confidential food bank
for students in need.
Allison Hector-Alexander, director of the centre, hopes to raise
awareness surrounding these issues.
“If you know of a woman who
might be afraid to access services,
we can provide them with support,” she said.
But students don’t need a specific reason to stop by the centre.
It will have a quiet area dedicated
to studying and a television for
those who need an escape from
the pressures of life and school.
The centre has also teamed up
with the Student Health Centre
Photo by Colin Boucher
Photo by Amy England
IAN NEILSON AND ALLISON HECTOR-ALEXANDER: The
two celebrate the opening of The Women’s Centre.
Legacy gala a
sold-out event
By Karen Le Blanc
Chronicle staff
and local law enforcement, to assist any student who may need
help with counselling and support.
This is the first time that all of
these resources have been available in one area on campus.
“We have thousands of women
here that have needs, and to be
able to focus on them and support
them is critical,” said Margaret
Greenley, vice-president of Student Affairs.
The Women’s Resource Centre
also plans to be involved in campaigns that will help raise awareness and money for women’s issues.
services offered by the school or
the on-site pharmacy; they are free
to take advantage of the benefits at
any health facility, with any practitioner of their choice.
“This is the Cadillac of plans for
students,” said Kathryn Bremner,
SA services co-ordinator. “For
only $36 in additional costs, it’s
certainly worth it.”
Vision care has also been added to the benefit package at the
continued request of students,
since the government no longer
covers eye exams. One eye examination per 24 months will be fully
covered and partial coverage will
be offered for lenses, frames and
contacts to a maximum of $80.
Students are also provided the
opportunity for one dental examination, consultation, cleaning and
polishing per policy year at no
charge.
All Durham College and UOIT
students are automatically enrolled in the plan, but Trent students must opt in. A co-ordination
of benefits is available for those
students also covered under alternate plans, enabling them to
receive optimum coverage.
If you were planning to attend
the 2007 Legacy Gala you’re out of
luck, it’s sold out.
The Moroccan-themed evening will feature exotic attractions
including traditional music, belly
dancing, fire-eating, sword-swallowing and acrobats.
The gala held each September
is designed to raise awareness
about students’ need for financial
assistance, raising funds for the
scholarship and bursary program.
Dr. Peter Zakarow and his wife
Marianne will serve as honorary co-chairs of the evening. The
Legacy Gala has proven to be one
of the most successful fundraising
events, raising more than $1 million to date, with last year’s event
netting close to $470,000.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
7
CAMPUS NEWS
Mel Garland’s DC legacy
Family mourns after the
loss of college’s second
president to Alzheimer’s
By Karen Le Blanc
Chronicle staff
The Canadian flag flew somberly over the campus at halfmast the first week of September,
acknowledging the passing of
Melvin Lloyd Garland, Durham
College’s second president.
Garland, 84, succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in Ancaster on
Sept. 3. He served as president
from 1980 until his retirement in
1988.
The celebrated life Garland led
was full and adventuresome by all
accounts, and education would
prove to be a common thread
throughout his life.
Jennifer Garland, his daughter, told of his heroic experience
during the Second World War, in
which he served as a Spitfire pilot
with the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF). He was shot down, captured and was missing in action
for a period of time before escaping the German troops.
Dr. Gary Polonsky, who succeeded Garland as Durham College’s third president, described
Garland as a private man of few
words who had a fantastic family.
“He and Marguerite were married
60 years in March, they had six
kids,” said Polonsky. He affirms
how happy and tight Garland and
his family were.
Polonsky recounts his most telling moment with Garland, the first
time he met him. He had learned
that Garland had been a prisoner
of war and asked him, “What was
it like?” Garland paused at length
and replied, “It was war.”
Following the war, the implementation of the Veterans Rehabilitation Act afforded Garland
what he had always wanted, an
opportunity to attend Queen’s
University.
There he earned a Bachelor of
Science Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering. He went on to
Harvard University, obtaining his MEL GARLAND: The president of Durham College from
Masters in Business Administra- 1980 to 1988 died Sept. 3 of Alzheimer’s.
tion.
Throughout Garland’s illustrious career, he held senior posi- to serving on the Windsor Indus- executive director. In this capacity
tions, gracing many prominent trial Commission as vice-chair he travelled extensively, leaving
boardrooms, including General and the University of Windsor Re- his wife at home to manage their
six children. His daughter Jane
Electric, Ford, Kimball Systems search Institute as director.
In 1974, the Ontario Ministry of Garland attributes his success
Ltd., General Bakeries and International Tool Limited, in addition Tourism and Trade appointed him in part to her mother. “He had a
Downloadable outlines
allow teachers to teach
DC/UOIT is
saving paper,
students told
to download
By Sean Kent
Chronicle Staff
As students began classes this
year, they noticed that it is now
their responsibility to download
and print out their course outlines.
Charlotte Hale, associate dean
for the Schools of Design and
Communication Arts at Durham
College, says that like downloading timetables and accessing
students’ marks, downloading
outlines is “part of a greater initiative by the college to make the
best and most efficient use of
technology as well as being environmentally responsible.”
“We were concerned about
the students’ personal ability to print course outlines,” said
Hale, “but so far it’s been going
was successful.
Although some students may
become frustrated at first, it really doesn’t take much time once
they get used to it.
“I have no problems downloading the outlines,” says second-year Paralegal/Court Tribunal student Heather O’Reilly.
“I think the teachers have more
important things to take care of
for their students.”
O’Reilly said that school is
about learning to be responsible
and believes this is why students
are now being asked to download their outlines.
She says that some students
don’t bother to do it, but she
finds the outlines useful to know
Photo by Sean Kent
what’s happening in class each
week. In case she is absent she’ll
CHARLOTTE HALE: Associ- know what readings are expectate dean for Schools of De- ed for classes missed.
sign and Communication
O’Reilly said for her program
it is expected that each student
Arts at Durham College.
download their outlines. Hale
said it’s the same for most prosmoothly.”
Hale said that communica- grams.
She said the school did ensure
tion to students concerning the
downloading of outlines began there were some backup outlines
early by sending out letters and printed for courses in which stue-mails to students ahead of dents don’t use laptops.
“Next year,” said Hale, “it
time to make them aware of the
change. She said the School of should be easier, since students
Justice did a pilot last year, which will be used to it.”
rock behind him: my mom.” She
reminisces about her childhood,
explaining that she was born with
a cleft palate, requiring speech
therapy lessons that her father
faithfully took her to.
“Dad spent hours practising
exercises with me. He was a very
busy man, he always took time,”
she recalls.
Both Jennifer and Jane clearly
said that their father instilled in his
children how crucial a good education was. “Education was key. It
was imperative we all got a good
education,” said Jane.
During Garland’s service on the
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
education committee, the Ontario
community college system was
established, prompting him to set
his sights on becoming a college
president, and in 1980 his vision
became a reality.
Throughout Garland’s eightyear term at the college, he proved
to be pivotal in the implementation of the apprenticeship programs, as well as the construction
of a new state -of-the-art robotics
lab.
Jennifer attended Durham
College in the Public Relations
Program during her father’s presidency, saying that the highlight
was, “having my Dad present my
diploma to me.”
“It was always a dream of his to
be a college president; it was fitting that he wrapped up his formal
career in that role,” said Jane. “He
loved Durham College. He loved
what he did.”
Library makes changes to
accommodate students
By Eric Laganis
Chronicle Staff
When you first returned to
school this year, you may have noticed a number of changes around
campus, such as the red wall outside the L Wing and the addition of
a bookstore to the UA building.
You may have also noticed the
new gatehouses added to the Simcoe Building and Commencement
parking lots.
The library has also made
changes, though some are not as
noticeable. Library staff have been
working on a vigourous campaign
to enhance their services during
the summer in an effort to make
it a more enjoyable place for students and staff, said chief librarian
Pamela Drayson.
For one, the library will be open
longer. The new hours are 8 a.m.
to midnight Monday to Thursday.
The library was open 8 a.m. to
11 p.m. Monday to Thursday last
year.
“We are now open more hours
per week than any other college in
Ontario,” she said.
Changes to the study areas include adding more soundproofing to the group study rooms on
the third floor in an effort to make
them as quiet as possible for students, Drayson said.
Another new feature is that
rings have been installed at each
seat so students can lock up their
laptops and can leave them unattended without the fear of them
being stolen. About 100 chairs
have also been replaced because
they were broken.
“Students are staying in the
library longer than they used to,
so they need more comfortable
chairs,” Drayson said.
The library is introducing an
annual guest lecture. This year’s
guest speaker is Bob McDonald,
host of the CBC radio show Quirks
& Quarks, and the topic is energy
consumption. McDonald will be
visiting the campus on Oct. 2.
Aside from all these new changes, the library is also working hard
to continue to fulfill students’ requests for new books.
“If there is a book the library
doesn’t have, students can make a
request and we’ll buy it,” she said.
Drayson said the library has
added more than 10,000 print
books since last year, bringing the
total to 80,000. The library has also
added 40,000 e-books since they
introduced it in May, 2006.
In addition to library improvements, the staff is looking at ideas
to help improve the campus, she
said.
For example, in conjunction
with the Student Association, they
want to come up with ideas to support the new Women’s Centre as
well as working with the Student
Support Centre on ways to better
aid ESL students.
8 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
U-Pass: Save cash Safety procedures
and take transit written to help in
Jenna-Lee Mainse
Chronicle Staff
The Universal Transit Pass has undergone some changes this school year to
make it more useful and cost-efficient for
students.
The U-Pass is available to all full-time
Durham College and UOIT students. September 2006 was the first year for the UPass after a majority of students voted in favour of the service through a referendum.
“We have a transit system that never existed in Durham two years ago,” said Margaret Greenley, vice-president of Student
Affairs.
Currently, a high number of buses pass
through the school daily to transport students from across Durham region.
According to the Durham College website, full-time students receive unlimited
transportation throughout Durham Region.
The U-Pass has advantages to students
travelling from outside the region - they can
buy GO tickets at a reduced rate.
There is also hourly bus service along
Highway 407, new heated bus shelters and
bus service improvements around Oshawa.
Student Association President Fraser
McArthur said the U-Pass expiration date
has been extended into late May, catering
to students who attend longer-running programs on Durham College’s Whitby capus.
Each full-time student pays $50 per semester for the service, which is included in
tuition fees.
While many students who take the bus
are happily paying the $100 a year, those
who drive cars to school may not be as
pleased.
“Since it was a general referendum, it
was meant to act like a mandatory fee,” said
McArthur. Meaning that every full-time
student must pay for the service, whether
they take the bus or not.
Gary Polonsky, the recently retired president of Durham College and UOIT, was
still in the position when the U-Pass referendum was passed.
“I think that every decision I made, and
I made thousands in my 18 years of serving
the school, every decision was fabulous for
a bunch of students, and not so fabulous for
another, and in between for another,” said
Polonsky. “That’s the bell curve of life.”
Greenley said the students who take the
bus daily are experiencing a huge savings
compared to what they would be paying
without the U-Pass.
Students were given the opportunity to
vote in favour of, or against, the universal
bus pass from Feb. 7-9 last year.
Up to 75 per cent of students voted in
favour.
“This was not originally my idea,” said
Polonsky. “It was the students’.”
minimizing risk
Students are
given booklets
to aid them in
times of need
By Brandon Terry
Chronicle Staff
Emergency situations can happen anytime and anywhere, there’s more to it then
stop, drop and roll or remain calm.
Now students and faculty can have a
better idea of what to do, thanks to the
Emergency Procedures and Information
Handbook.
This is the first year that a booklet has
been written on what to do in case of emergencies to help minimize risks to students
and faculty.
Kim Carr, public safety manager for
DC/UOIT, and other safety experts including Durham Regional Police, EMS and fire
services, wrote the pamphlet
. “This is not something you
just write and put on the shelf,” says
Carr.
The pamphlet is being distributed to all
classes to ensure students understand the
basic responses to certain threats. Students
are advised to keep the pamphlet on hand
at all times.
If students or faculty do not have the
booklet, it can be found on the Durham
College website under Emergency Procedures and Information Handbook.
The pamphlet has many dos and don’ts
in the event of situations like fires, hostage
situations and even psychological crisis,
which in Carr’s opinion is an emergency
situation that is often over-looked.
Carr believes that early intervention is
the best way to prevent student crisis on
campus.
The pamphlet helps students learn to
observe crisis behaviour before it erupts
into an emergency.
Drastic changes in behaviour, such as
violent writings and conversations involving violence, can be an early warning sign
of troubled students.
“The school has a team of specialists on
staff to handle these things,” says Carr.
The school is equipped with emergency counsellors in the health and wellness
centre next to the new Lovell Drugs if such
needs arise.
Instead of sending students home, Carr
wants to “get them well and back into class
where they belong.”
In the event of a hostage situation, an important tip is to try not to use cell phones.
Carr advises everyone to turn phones
to silent mode and not try to text message,
make calls or attempt to take pictures of
the active threat.
If an emergency was to erupt, the school
and police need to use the communication
towers to co-ordinate a response.
However, if everybody is using their mobile devices, it could slow response times.
In the future, Carr plans on having a
computer system that allows messages to
be transmitted to all desktop and laptop
computers throughout the campus simultaneously to help with emergency situations.
Also, in the event of a lockdown or hostage situation, if the school has a mobile
device number on file, the school will be
able to send a text message to the device.
That’s why the handbook asks that cell
phones be silent so the ringer or alert does
not give away the student’s position.
Carr urges students and faculty to remain calm and listen to authority figures
during threats.
Shagwells holds
huge promotional
BBQ for students
By Chris Jones
Chronicle Staff
Free food and cheap beer.
The free food was a barbecue and Shag
wells hosted it Sept. 6.
“We’re trying to get people to know that
we are here,” said Russel Chef, one of the
cooks.
Shagwells, the bar on top of the Campus
Ice Centre that opened halfway through
last year, was having a huge promotion to
get students to come check out the bar.
The barbecue was from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. and
as the classic rock blared out of the speakers,
students lined up around the patio, sipping
their discounted pints of beer and having a
good time.
Chef and the other cook Gord McCaugherty brought out platter after platter of hot
dogs and hamburgers.
Many students were there for the free
food, but stayed for the atmosphere and the
overall look of Shagwells. “We love you guys,”
said Chef as he was placing a hot patty on a
bun.
Students received the notice about the
free barbecue on their campus emails and
told their friends about the event.
“I heard it from a buddy, and all he had to
say was free food and I was there,” said Adam
Lipchitz, a fifth-year Engineering Management student. “I like the atmosphere here. I’ll
have to come back.”
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
9
CAMPUS NEWS
Business grads going on film
Video will use Business
grads to recruit new
students into program
ditional business clothes.
It also includes having them
Chronicle Staff
read the questions beforehand so
they can be familiar with the maThe Business program is reach- terial.
ing out to future students in a creSome of the questions include:
ative way.
what aspects of your learning exJackie Bathe, the associate dean perience at Durham College have
of Business, is in the process of you found the most beneficial to
making a video designed to show your job?
future students what kinds of jobs
And what kinds of advice
they can get when they graduate would you give to students on infrom the program.The video will terviews?
outline the careers of eight recent
Aside from the CIP, the ComBusiness graduates in an effort to munications and Marketing proshow students the
gram is working on
success of the pro(A graduation/ putting the video on
gram, Bathe said.
the Business webThe success vid- recruitment video) site as another way
eo will cover all ar- lets people know students can access
eas of the program,
it, she said.
such as Marketing, what they’re getMany students
Accounting and In- ting
themselves like the concept of
formation Systems,
a graduation video
into
she said.
for prospective stu“Students come
Student Phil Cairns dents.
in not knowing
“It lets people
what the end prodknow what they’re
uct will be,” Bathe said.
getting themselves into,” said
The idea behind interviewing third-year Info Systems student
recent graduates is that students Phil Cairns.
can relate more to graduates their
Brandon Williamson, a secown age than a graduate who is ond-year Mechanical Engineer30, she said.
ing Technician student, also likes
Along with Justin Christie, the the idea of a graduation video for
web specialist for Communica- future students because he says
tions and Marketing, Bathe will be a video is more memorable than
filming the video Sept. 25 and 26.
photos. He would also like to be
The target release date is Nov. 1, a part of a video for his program
the same date as the College Infor- when he graduates, if he is apmation Program (CIP).
proached.
The event is where high school
“It’s better to be a part of somestudents from around the region thing than not,” he said.
come to the campus to learn about
Once the video is made, Bathe
the various programs, Bathe said.
is hoping to have it updated every
The video making process will two to three years.
have the graduates wear their tra-
By Eric Laganis
‘
’
Unique UOIT
program gets
accreditation
By Samantha Stewart
Chronicle Staff
Founded in 2002, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) received word
this past July that both their
Nuclear Engineering program
and Manufacturing Engineering
program were accredited by the
Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board and the Ontario
College of Teachers.
The news came after a
lengthy process that started
back in 2005 when a group from
the OCT came to do an on-site
review of the programs and
the level of education offered at
UOIT.
After the review, the information collected was sent away
to be looked at by the OCT Accreditation Committee.
For the next five years the
university can prepare teachers
for this program.
UOIT’s Nuclear Engineering
program stands alone as the
only accredited program of its
kind in all of Canada.
The manufacturing Engineering program is the only
accredited program in Eastern
Canada.
Photo by Eric Laganis
FILMING FOR THE FUTURE: Jackie Bathe, the associate dean of Business, is in the
process of creating a grad video to interview students who have recently graduated
and become employed in hopes of informing and recruiting prospective students.
College now offering
an activities transcript
By Sean Kent
Chronicle Staff
Students can now gain the recognition they deserve for non-academic activities at school.
Durham College initiated the
Co-Curricular Recognition Program last January.
It offers students the chance to
obtain a non-academic transcript
that outlines leadership skills and
different activities they have been
involved in while attending college.
“It’s a really exciting program
and not a lot of schools offer it,”
said Lucy Romano Vandepol, FirstYear Experience co-ordinator at
Durham College.
Vandepol said students are able
to gain access through My Campus, where they can update their
profile based on what they have
done throughout the school year.
Activities submitted to the program must focus on the enhancement of student life or the image of
the institution, engage students in
student life or provide a service to
other students that would not otherwise exist, be associated with a
Student Association ratified club,
college department, school or service.
Students must participate in
at least 75 per cent of the meetings, events, training or games as
pre-determined by the staff coordinator, they must be an active
member of a non-academic group
that meets at least four times during an academic term.
The activities must also not receive academic recognition, such
as co-op or internship.
“All activities,” says Vandepol,
“are validated, which makes them
a bit more official and employees
can gain access to them.”
There are also leadership
points, which students can gain in
the program to make them eligible
for different awards. The highest
award is te Founder’s Cup.
Winners of this award will have
their name added to the Founder’s
Cup, which is permanently displayed at the college.
They will also be presented
with a replica of the cup, an honouraria and will receive acknowledgement of the award on their
co-curriculum record.
To gain points students must
play a leadership role in the activity and must have contributed a
certain number of hours each semester per activity.
Students can gain up to four
points per activity. One point is
awarded after 10 hours is spent
during a semester.Students who
are eligible for four points must
spend 150 hours with their activity
during the school year.
They must also be elected by
students to represent the institution or group of students with
which they are involved, offer a
significant contribution to the improvement of the campus environment or institution reputation,
spread information throughout
the entire student body, co-ordinate, chair and attend regular
meetings, plan events on campus
for students in order to increase
student involvement and must
have a minimum commitment of
two semesters for their activity.
Based on the number of points
each student has gained they will
be eligible for the awards.
The students with the highest
points will win the highest award.
10 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
11
CAMPUS NEWS
Capturing the moment in time
Student
opens
business
By Brandon Terry
Chronicle Staff
With a Canon in her left hand
and coffee in the right, Kristina
Mogensen stands ready to shoot
the day, and capture what she was
hired to do, the moment.
Mogensen began her photo
journey at Sinclair Secondary
School where she first picked up a
camera.
The moment the shutter closed
and the quiet click came from the
camera, stealing a moment from
time, she was hooked.In January
of 2006 Mogensen enrolled in a
night school photography class at
Durham College. Every Tuesday
night for three hours, she learned
the principles and elements of
photography. She also is currently
enrolled in second-year Advertising at Durham College.
With combined knowledge
from Durham’s photography and
advertising courses Mogensen
opened her own photography
business, Timeless Photography,
with her partner Jackie Wilford
Photo by Brandon Terry
SAY CHEESE: Photographer Kristina Mogensen talks about her love of photography, her business and her schooling.
from Sheridan College in June
2006.
They were able to get their busi-
ness off the ground with the assistance of Summer Company, an organization run by the Ministry of
Small Business and Entrepreneurship that awards grants to young
entrepreneurs.
First-year students talk about
their views on starting college
By Jaspinder K Jassal
Chronicle Staff
Adapting to a different lifestyle
can be extremely hard for some,
but full of fun for others, especially
first-year students.
Most first year college and university students are full of energy,
whether it was getting drunk during Frosh week or out partying
until 3 in the morning. But when
it comes to the first day of school
many are confused, lost and completely stressed.
Many of the first-year students
attending DC/UOIT are fresh out
of high school, and for them coming to a bigger place can be a complete shock, especially when they
are used to having all their classes
located in the same corridor.
A question asked to select firstyear students; what was the biggest change you faced?
“Being more organized,” said
Joselyn McFadden, A ECE student
at DC. “ Getting used to longer
breaks,” added Katrina Brennan,
also an ECE student at DC.
Many students had the same insights when it came to the changes
they were facing.
Compared to high school, colleges and universities have longer
classes that are split into lectures
and tutorials.
Within the day students can
have up to three hours of spares
between classes.
Although most first years find
it easy to get around the campus,
some find it hard to understand
the different buildings.
“It is difficult finding your way
around campus when everything
is so spread out For Example, you
have A wing, then B wing is in a
whole different direction,” says
Kirk Plummer, a student in Law
and Security.
“ I agree it’s really confusing,”
adds Eric Fullerton, also taking
Law and Security.
Students were asked what they
most enjoyed about their first
week at school.
Many responded by adding
that the orientation was one of the
most enjoyable experiences.
Even though they found it enjoyable, some students felt staff could
have added more information to
make it even better.
“They should add more activities, and have even more people
to have our questions answered,”
said Maeghan Whitlock, a Business Admin student at DC.
A lot of students had trouble
understanding Mycampus, and
felt that they should be given more
information on how to use it.
“Our course isn’t laptop-based,
Mogensen’s first paying customer was a student she attended
Sinclair with. She was hired to take
professional head shots so her client could have updated photos of
herself for family and friends.
Timeless Photography doesn’t
shy away from a challenge. They
do weddings, personal shots, family portraits and any other special
occasion.
“The first year is basically
grundge work, where you will get
doors slammed in your face,” says
Mogensen. “ But this is just for fun
and a little pocket money.”
Her primary concern is making
her clients happy.
“It’s about making a picture,
not just taking a picture,” she said,
so she encourages clients to view
her on-line portfolio at kristinamogensen.smugmug.com to see how
flexible and customized their pictures can be.
Business is picking up for Mogensen. Calls from families for
seasonal cards are becoming
more frequent and with holidays
such as Halloween and Christmas
around the corner her life will only
become more hectic. Small businesses have also been speaking
with Timeless Photography to jazz
up some merchandise for online
photos.
Mogensen will continue to
learn as many different techniques
as she can until her business has a
solid reputation at the top of the
business food chain.
SPC
offers
students
discounts
and more
By Jenna-Lee
Mainse
Chronicle Staff
Photo by Jaspinder K Jassal
NEW FACES: First-year Nursing students Nicole
Poirier and Christine Tulloch spend some time in
the computer commons.
so I think that there should be a
session within our orientations to
better understand my campus,”
added McFadden.
Just show your Student
Price Card to the cashier at a
clothing store, restaurant or
hotel receive significant savings to help with your already
tight budgets.
The SPC Card entitles
students to discounts and
special offers at thousands of
retail, food, travel and hospitality venues across Canada.
The card, which costs $8,
can be purchased online or at
stores such as Bentley, Campus Crew, Foot Locker and
Jean Machine.
According to the SPC website, some benefits to the card
include: 25 per cent off bus
trips with Greyhound, $2 off
a medium pizza from Pizza
Pizza, 10 per cent off Guess
retailers and much more.
To order and obtain more
information on the SPC Card
and participating retailers,
visit www.spccard.ca.
12 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo by Greg Snow
READY TO SERVE: Jeff Foxall, the manager of the new food service at the Student Centre, waits for students to place orders. The food service
now offers a wide variety of food, from pizza and burgers to more healthy choices of wraps and salads. All food is reasonably priced.
Place order here: SA now offers food
By Greg Snow
Chronicle Staff
When you enter the door, music
assaults your ears and the smell of
delicious food hits you in the face.
Welcome to the Student Centre.
Will Ellis is the Student Centre
manager and is looking forward to
what is being offered at the centre
this year.
“Our goal is to support all student academics with social and
affordable programs to help them
relax and enjoy campus life,” he
said.
The centre has a lot to offer. It
is home to many services that are
geared to students’ needs.
On the first floor, E.P. Taylor’s
pub hosts a wide variety of events
including poker nights, pub nights,
live shows and special events. Also
on the first floor is the food service, which was previously run by
Chartwells but is now being run by
the student centre.
“I am excited about the new
food service located here. I believe
it caters to all students needs with
a wide variety of food for everyone,” Ellis said.
Students who get the munchies well past closing time for other
food services on campus can head
to the student centre because it is
open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., which
is longer than other food services
on campus, offering new and
healthy choices with less of a time
constraint.
“Being that the food service is
new not only for the Student Centre but for the students, we are
currently working on pricing and
are open for suggestions regarding the menu,” said Ellis. Currently
the menu consists of items such as
wraps, pizza, fries, wings, poutine
and burgers both meat and veggie.
On the second floor there is the
Tuck Shop, which acts as a convenience store selling a variety of
snacks as well as GO service passes and used books.
Students can also sign out free
video game systems to be played
on one of the three big-screen
televisions located just outside the
tuck shop.
While passing time between
classes, students can play pool,
foosball, video games and watch
television. There’s also a quiet
lounge for students who are looking for time to study or hold meetings.
For those who need the services of a print shop, the Artist Den
owned and operated by Robert
Pellegrino is available for all printing needs.
“We do all kinds of printing;
black and white, colour, business
cards, banners as well as large format printing,” said Pellegrino.
He is also available for special
appointments if students cannot
get in during office hours.
An important area of the Student Centre is the Student Association office. Naheed Dosani is
the vice-president, Internal and
Operations.
“Students should know we are
here for them. It is not our money
we are dealing with, it is theirs and
we are not the Student Association we are your Student Association,” Dosani said.
The SA acts as the voice of the
students, fighting for tuition freezes and currently using their voice
to fight against the recent housing
by-law facing students.
“Most people don’t understand
that we are a $1.2 million corporation and we represent our students
the best we can,” Dosani said.
For those wishing to get involved with the SA there are options.
Elections are quickly approaching and will take place on Sept. 26
to the 28, allowing students to have
a say in who is representing them.
You can also start or join one
of the many Student Association
clubs on campus.
“We have over 60 clubs currently ongoing. It’s probably the
best way to get involved with us,”
Dosani said.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
13
CAMPUS NEWS
Library changes for the better
New hours,
seats and
books equal
better quality
for students
By Eric Laganis
Chronicle Staff
When you first returned to
school this year, you may have noticed a number of changes around
campus, such as the red wall outside the L Wing and the addition of
a bookstore to the UA building.
You may have also noticed the
new gatehouses added to the Simcoe Building and Commencement
parking lots.
The library has also made
changes, though some are not as
noticeable.
Library staff have been working on a vigourous campaign to
enhance their services during the
summer in an effort to make it a
more enjoyable place for students
and staff, said chief librarian Pamela Drayson.
For one, the library will be open
longer. The new hours are 8 a.m.
to midnight Monday to Thursday.
The library was open 8 a.m. to 11
p.m. Monday to Thursday last
Photo by Eric Laganis
READ A BOOK WHY DON’T YOU: Pamela Drayson, the chief librarian, says the library
is open more hours per week than any other college in Ontario.
year.
“We are now open more hours
per week than any other college in
Ontario,” she said.
Changes to the study areas include adding more soundproofing to the group study rooms on
the third floor in an effort to make
them as quiet as possible for stu-
dents, Drayson said.
Another new feature is that
rings have been installed at each
seat so students can lock up their
laptops and can leave them unattended without the fear of them
being stolen.
About 100 chairs have also
been replaced because they were
broken.
“Students are staying in the
library longer than they used to,
so they need more comfortable
chairs,” Drayson said.
The library is introducing an
annual guest lecture. This year’s
guest speaker is Bob McDonald,
host of the CBC radio show Quirks
Enrolment rate soaring
By Mark Milner
Chronicle News
Enrolment at Durham College
and UOIT has increased for the
2007-08 semester, surpassing the
goals set by both schools.
Durham College’s enrolment
has increased to just over 6,300 students, said Paul Bishop, registrar
for Durham College, an increase
of six per cent over last year.
“We’re exceeding our goals,”
said Bishop. “We’re very pleased
with the numbers.”
For a school of Durham’s size,
the enrolment increase is above
average. In fact, Durham’s enrolment rate is about five per cent
higher than that of similar sized
schools.
However, UOIT’s enrolment increase is much larger. This fall, the
university’s population increased
by almost 1,000 full-time students
and now exceeds 5,000, putting
it in the same class as Trent and
Lakehead.
“It’s a planned rise,” said UOIT
associate registrar Leslie Becskei,
“so we’re not totally unprepared.”
He added that the recent certification of the university’s Nuclear
Engineering program has been a
factor in the rise of enrolment as
well.
Durham’s growth is not confined to any one school within the
college.
“It’s pretty evenly distributed
& Quarks, and the topic is energy
consumption. McDonald will be
visiting the campus on Oct. 2.
Aside from all these new changes, the library is also working hard
to continue to fulfill students’ requests for new books.
“If there is a book the library
doesn’t have, students can make a
request and we’ll buy it,” she said.
Drayson said the library has
added more than 10,000 print
books since last year, bringing the
total to 80,000. The library has also
added 40,000 e-books since they
introduced it in May, 2006.
In addition to library improvements, the staff is looking at ideas
to help improve the campus, she
said.
For example, in conjunctionwith the Student Association, they
want to come up with ideas to support the new Women’s Centre as
well as working with the Student
Support Centre on ways to better
aid ESL students.
The goal of all these changes at
the library is to try to accommodate the needs of students, Drayson said.
Tyncel Hasan, a first-year
Graphics student, said the changes would encourage her to use the
library more because it’s a good
place for students to study since
there are many things happening
on campus and it’s easy to get distracted.
For more information on the
library and the changes they are
going through, visit their website
at www.durhamcollege.ca/EN/library/library.php.
Fourth
annual Go
Abroad
Fair a
success
By Samantha
Stewart
Chronicle Staff
Photo by Mark Milner
THE KING REGISTRAR: Leslie Becskei is the associate registrar for UOIT. He says the
rise in enrolment does not come as a shocker.
across the schools,” said Bishop.
While some programs, such as
Water Quality Technician and Environmental Sciences, are more
popular than others, Bishop added, “generally speaking, we’re pretty consistent across the board”.
The growth is mostly even
across all faculties. While such
programs as Nursing and Business
have seen gains this year, all of the
university’s programs remain pop-
ular.
Unlike the college, enrolment at
UOIT is coming in two ways, from
both new students and an expanded graduate program. This fall, the
university has more than doubled
its number of graduate students.
Most new students are not travelling far to attend Durham.
“We actually have a large portion of our students come from the
Durham Region,” said Bishop. The
university’s range is a bit wider, but
most come from Durham Region
and the eastern GTA.
The increased numbers should
not have any effect on program
content, said Bishop.
“Everything
was
healthy
enough that we were able to continue,” he said.
The university is the same way.
“We can’t get too large,” said Becskei.
The fourth annual Go
Abroad fair was held Sept. 15
and 16 at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre.
Hundreds attended the
event hoping to learn about
the opportunities open to
them if they want go abroad.
With 95 exhibitors this
year, a number that has
grown over the past four
years, students have many
advantages. There were
seminars detailing what to
expect when students are
travelling abroad, including
a special seminar from JeanMarc Hachey, the author of
The Big Guide To Living And
Working Overseas.
The fair held a photo
exhibit, showcasing pictures
taken by students who have
travelled or worked abroad
over the past year.
14 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Gaming: are you obsessed?
By Heather Abrey
Chronicle Staff
Lots of students pass their free
time playing an assortment of
video and online games, and sure,
some of them play a lot, but can
such behaviour really be classified
as an addiction?
Many American doctors and
researchers are at odds as to
whether obsessive gaming behaviour can be classified as an addiction or merely a habit. According
to an American Medical Association (AMA) report, 90 per cent
of American young people play
some variety of video game, and
up to 15 per cent show some sign
of addiction.
Many doctors, such as Dr. Louis
Kraus of the American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
agree that while many kids show
signs of obsessive video game
use, this could be a symptom of
something larger, such as depression or social anxiety, rather than
an addiction in itself. The AMA attempted to get the habit classified
as an addiction to raise awareness
and potentially have treatment
covered by insurance plans, but
backed off, saying in a report, “…
there is currently insufficient research to definitively conclude
that video game overuse is an addiction.”
It’s true that such games, particularly online games, can be se-
Heather
Abrey
ductive and a search on YouTube
can come up with several videos of
people documenting the deletion
of their gaming accounts in hopes
of quitting their habit, as well as
other videos expanding on game
addiction.
There is nothing particularly
wrong with gaming itself, but it
has the potential to spiral out of
control for many who may have
underlying issues. The AMA reports that, “…current data suggests
(those most susceptible to heavy
gaming) are somewhat marginalized socially, perhaps experiencing high levels of emotional loneliness and/or difficulty with real life
social interactions.” This combination is when gaming can get out of
control, becoming an issue when
it interferes with one’s life.
Parents who are concerned by
excessive gaming in their children
should have them checked for
things such as depression, a root
cause of this problem, rather than
blaming only the games themselves. Of course, the format of
such games doesn’t help matters.
Many are set up in a fashion that it
takes long stretches of continuous
play to achieve a goal in a game
that really has no end.
Gaming in moderation is a pastime no different than watching
television, but gaming obsessively
is a serious problem. Whether or
not it is a true addiction, awareness should be raised. Everything
in moderation.
‘Invincible’ skater dies New Durham
after being hit by truck public alerting
Skater
system
created
missed by
friends and
family
By Chris Jones
Chronicle Staff
Bowmanville lost an inspirational skateboarder after he was
struck by a transport truck while
walking home on the 401 from a
party Aug. 19. He was 23. Rob Piontek, who was recently added
to the first Adidas skate team for
Canada, was known around Bowmanville for his ability to skate and
his positive attitude.
“He had a positive way of skating,” said Chris Kerr, a fellow skater
and good friend of Piontek.
“Whenever he bailed (fell off his
skateboard) he wouldn’t freak out.
He would shake his head, laugh, go
over to the side pull his hoody over
his head and smoke a cigarette.”
Piontek has been skating since
the age of 10.
“He was an interesting individual growing up,” said Kara Atkinson one of his aunts. “Rob’s ability
to skate was a gift, not a talent.”
At his memorial, Aug. 24 at the
Clarington Older Adults Centre in
Bowmanville, many gathered to
pay tribute to the lost skater.
“I didn’t know my son was this
special, I’m surprised about the
(number) of people who showed
up,” said Kim Piontek.
Many of Piontek’s good friends
were trying to hold everything in,
especially his good buddy Samuel
James.
James and Piontek have been
friends for 12 years, and they’ve
skated ever since, including skating in Spain.
“Rob could skate anywhere. He
used to do stuff I had no nerve to
try,” said James. “I’ll have many
memories of Rob, all good ones
too.”
James wasn’t at the party Piontek was at before he died, but
Outdoors we will have sirens,
and indoors, residents will be
Chronicle Staff
given a tone alert radio that will
alert them,” Reidt explained.
A new public alerting system
Also, those with hearing disis being installed to warn citi- abilities will be provided with a
zens in the unlikely event that special tone alert radio that is
an emergency should occur at equipped with a strobe light.
either the Darlington or PickerThese devices will be given to
ing nuclear generating station.
residents within the three- kiloThe new system is currently metre zone free of charge.
installed and will hopefully be
So, what actions should be
operational by the end of the taken if the need arises?
year.
If the public alerting system
It consists of 18 sirens, 14 in is activated it will be done by orClarington and 4 in Pickering der of the province and switched
that when be triggered must on by the Durham Regional Powarn practically
lice Service.
100 per cent
Residents are
We have good encouraged
of those in the
not
three-kilometre reliable technolo- to panic, but to
contiguous zone gy backed up by a go immediately
of the plants
inside and switch
within 15 min- good public com- on their televiutes.
munication plan. sion or radio for
Gordon Reidt,
appropriate inforemergency manmation from the
agement co-orGordon Reidt province on what
dinator for Durto do.
ham Region, is proud of the new
In case of a power failure
system.
people will still be notified. The
“We have good reliable tech- sirens are equipped with a batnology backed up by a good tery pack as well as solar panels,
public communication plan,” making the new alert system
said Reidt.
not only efficient but also enviCurrently residents of the ronmentally friendly.
area are warned by telephone,
Since Ontario Power Genbut that was inefficient and eration operates the Darlington
does not meet the provincial and Pickering plants, they will
standard.
be picking up the bill for the serThe sirens themselves will vice.
be mounted on poles approxiThe new alerting system
mately 50 feet in the air. They could also be accessible for
will be loud enough to be heard, other emergencies should they
but not so loud that any damage happen. Also, the sirens are cato hearing will occur.
pable of delivering voice comThe siren locations were de- mands.
termined once information on
“The sirens have voice capapopulation density, land use, bility but that may be something
terrain, background noise and we can look at in the future,”
acoustic surveys was gathered.
Reidt said.
Based on that information,
“Hopefully, the new public
appropriate locations were cho- alerting system will be up and
sen.
running as soon as possible and
“There is an indoor and out- providing residents in the area
door system being put in place. with a safe and reliable system.”
By Greg Snow
‘
’
DAREDEVIL: Friends and family of skater Rob Piontek
say he was a postive and gifted skater. Piontek passed
away Aug. 19 after being struck by a transport truck.
he wishes he had been. “I could’ve
made a difference,” he said.
His sister, Rachel was devastated as well about the death of
Piontek.
“He was someone to look up to.
He was the kind of guy that whenever he skated or did anything, everyone would watch,” she said. “He
was invincible. You wouldn’t think
anything would happen to him.”
Instead of flowers, Piontek’s
family started up a charity called
the Rob Piontek Skate Memorial
Fund. Donations can be sent to the
Piontek family, the Morris Funeral
Chapel located at 4 Division St. in
Bowmanville, or dropped off at the
Alcatraz skate shops located on 15
King St. E in Bowmanville and on
22 Stevenson Rd. S in Oshawa.
The money will be used for two
things, the Rob Piontek Send a Kid
to Skateboard Camp program and
to fund skate parks in Durham Region.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
15
CAMPUS NEWS
Rez is secure: Management
By Mark Milner
Chronicle Staff
Despite the recent attacks at York University’s dorms, most students at Durham
College and UOIT’s residence feel safe.
“I think security’s pretty good,” said UOIT
student Adam Drysdale. “They sign everyone in and they take your licence.”
However, there is a plan in place, says
South Village manager Chris Haze, to help
prevent anything happening.
To keep intruders out of the residence, all
students entering either have to show their
room card or have someone with a card
sign them in.
“There are two types of key cards,” says
Haze, “one for each residence.”
This way, security staff can immediately
tell if a student is trying to sneak in. Should
any doubts arise, staff can swipe the stu-
dents card, thus getting their name and
room number, and ask to see additional ID.
There are also the many security devices
in the building itself.
The building has cameras that cover all
the floors.
The main door to get into the residence
from the lobby requires a valid key card to
open, and each room is equipped with a
door that automatically locks when closed.
Additionally, if a student feels that there
is a problem, they can report it to the front
desk or to the security guards from their
room.
However, despite all of these precautions,
altercations can still happen.
“From time to time students try to circumvent the policy,” said Haze.
When a resident is caught, there are escalating forms of punishment, ranging from
losing guest sign-in privileges to having a
behavioural contract to eviction from the
residence.
“We never want to evict students,” said
Haze, “but we have to follow the procedures.”
However, some students feel that more
could done with the residence security.
“We could have a monitor,” said UOIT
student Nick Soldera, “one person, who’s always circling the floors, making sure everything’s fine.”
Another measure of security is two resident advisers (RAs) who patrol the hall from
6 p.m. until 6 a.m.
If they see anything suspicious, they’re
trained to approach the person and to make
a note of it in their log.
And should any incident arise, they are
equipped with walkie-talkies to contact the
front desk, where they can call for security.
One student feels that there’s too much
security in the residence already.
“I don’t think that cops should walk
around,” said UOIT student Jeff Munro.
“I think the RAs do a good enough job of
keeping the place under control… I don’t
think it needs to be improved.”
“Security was good for the first two
weeks,” said Durham student Nicki Lamont.
“They used to be here 24/7, sitting at the
front, asking for people’s IDs.”
“Our job is to keep the students in residence safe,” said Anna Taylor, an RA for the
South Village residence.
While there haven’t been any problems
so far this year, it could happen, she said,
adding that the visible security system
would act as a deterrent.
“We’re just here to advise,” says resident
academic leader Satwant Sidhu about her
role and that of the RAs (they’re trained together over the summer).
How to make your dorm fabulous
Decorating
made easy
by designer
By Allison Bryan
Chronicle Staff
The dorm rooms are small, the
spaces are tight and yet you have
to share it with one other person.
What to do? Perhaps the wisdom
of an interior decorator is what
you need. Inspired by colours,
fabric, good design and swanky
furnishing, freelance interior decorator Sharon Grey teaches how to
decorate a dorm on a shoe-string
budget.
Enjoying a décor that is a mixture of contemporary, traditional
and a hint of neo-classics, Grey
wants to get the point across on
how to de-clutter.
“Each roommate should have a
basket to put everyday stuff in, like
books, binders and keys. If possible, keep baskets under beds, if
not, the foot of the bed is just fine.
Make an effort to put away clothes
and dump trash like pizza boxes. If
you clear the clutter, the space automatically is maximized.”
Living in a dorm while decorating does not have to be expensive.
Shopping at hip, yet inexpensive
stores, such as Ikea, Wal-Mart,
Zellers, Canadian Tire and thrift
stores is manageable on a student
budget.
No room is too small, Grey
says.
“When decorating a small
space, keep in mind that mirrors
give the illusion of a bigger space.
Also, it would be best to have a
monochromatic room, preferably
in a muted colour.”
Grey, whose credits include
cleaning and decorating homes
before they go on the market, enjoys talking decorating styles with
young people. She says a key element in decorating is to add pieces
you can take with you to your first
grown-up apartment upon gradu-
ation. Always remember to compromise styles if you’re sharing
with a roommate. Find that common ground, regardless of what it
is, whether it be a band, colour, or
a particular ethnic flare, and make
them the focal point of the room.
If the dorm allows you to paint,
then paint! Paint is essential. Grey
concurs that paint is the cheapest
decorating item. Along with paint,
Grey says don’t forget about social
aspects of dorm living.
“Invest in a good love seat, or
comfortable chair. Always remember you can get slightly damaged
pieces, or if you are not the damaged goods type, you may resort to
a floor model piece of furniture.”
Most importantly, don’t forget
your roots. If your interest is in an-
imation, Bon Jovi or travelling, put
up significant memoirs to remind
you of who you are and where you
are from. If you’re the type who
loves a well-made bed, then fill
your bed with comforters, shams
and pillows.
One last tip: Grey says is less
is more. Do not become too loud
with your styles for a small dorm
room.
“In order to create an environment for studying, colours that
are calming are best used. Loud
colours will make the statement:
this is a party room.”
With these tips it’s easier to
make your home away from home,
homey. Take pride in where you
live. Decorate, decorate, decorate!
UOIT holds child porn conference
By Jennifer Hopf
Chronicle Staff
As part of a global endeavour against Internet trading of child
pornography,representatives from a number of organizations assembled for a series
of meetings on the UOIT campus in late
August.
Chilean law enforcement officials were
among those in attendance at the conference, sponsored by the Kids’ Internet
Safety Alliance, to discuss initiatives for
abolishing the sexual exploitation of children online with officers from the National
Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre.
“UOIT is extremely pleased to be wel-
coming the Chilean delegation as it is providing everyone involved with an important opportunity to share information and
collaborate about this most critical and
important battle,” said Paul Gillespie, cybercrime director of UOIT and vice-chair
of KINSA, in a recent news release.
The goal of the meetings was to inform
Chilean officials of innovative investigative
methods. This included a demonstration
of the Child Exploitation Tracking System,
a software program used by law enforcers in several countries, at UOIT’s Hacker
Research Lab. Topics included the interviewsing children, image analysis and legal
issues.
Durham College Fall Convocation Class of 2007
16 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo by Andrew Dalrymple
FUN WITH TOYS: Displays inside the sexpert office, located in room G1035, which is in the first floor of the new athletic complex.
Sexpert office ready to help
By Andrew Dalrymple
Chronicle Staff
The Sexual Health Resource
Centre is looking for Sexperts.
The centre provides information and awareness about safer
sex, healthy relationships, sexually
transmitted infections and other
sexually related topics.
A second-year student-run service, being a Sexpert also offers
benefits such as training and experience in sexual health and education, a co-curricular credit and a
great amount of social experience.
“Anyone can be a Sexpert,” says
Sexpert Jessica Hause. “Just pick
up an application and apply. You
also have to write a one- to twopage paper on why you want to be
a Sexpert.”
After the application process,
if the centre is interested, they will
request an interview. Work hours
are reasonable for students – two
hours a week in the office and four
hours a month outside the office.
Located in room G1035, the
resource centre offers all contact
information and referrals for such
specialized areas as abortion,
adoption, pregnancy and sexually
transmitted infection testing.
“It’s more convenient and much
easier for students to get research
here (Durham College/UOIT). It’s
more accessible for students on
campus,” says Hause.
The centre also sells sex products such as lubricants, male and
female condoms, pregnancy tests
and spermicidal sponges.
Along with condoms and lubricants, the centre also sells sex toys,
some with names like Tush Toy,
Tickle Me Dolphin and the Rabbit.
“All of our products are ordered
and purchased at cost price from
the manufacturer,” says secondyear Sexpert Sayeida Jaweriye.
If you’re interested in being a
Sexpert, pick up an application
form at the Campus Health Centre
between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on
weekdays.
Completed forms should be
dropped off at the Sexual Health
Resource Centre office no later
than September 21.
Any questions or concerns,
visit the SHRC website at SHRC@
dc-uoit.ca or call ext. 2854.
Part-time job fair gets students hired
By Courtney Born
Chronicle Staff
It’s that time of year, beginning a new lifestyle full of books,
lectures, new friends… and collecting receipts from the bank
machine that read Insufficient
Funds.
In need of some extra cash or
learning new job skills students
across campus came to see what
employment opportunities were
awaiting them at this years job
fair.
Hired Career Services annual
part time job fair in the University’s Science building, a great
opportunity for students to learn
teamwork and customer service
skills while earning a few extra
bucks between classes.
Helping students living on and
off campus find employment,
Hired Career Services decided
to bring the employers to the students for the third year.
With over a dozen organizations, students are given the opportunity to talk one on one with
potential employers and fill out
applications.
College and university students took their time exploring
the booths and carefully filling
out applications throughout the
day.
Hired Career Services, the
co-ordinator for the event, has
provided students, graduates,
employers and faculty with job
search and career development
services for over three years. Putting on four career and education
fairs a year gives students multiple opportunities to find that
perfect career choice.
“The turnout this year is better than it has ever been,” said
Angie Paisley, from Hired Career
Services. “It’s not limited to just
first-years; the fair is open for all
students who are looking to earn
some extra cash.”
Some companies were hiring
for either seasonal work or jobs
with very few hours.
This made the job search a little harder for students who were
looking for more hours. However,
most employers are managing to
work around busy class schedules.
Hiring anywhere from six to
100 students, each company had
something different to offer stu-
dents interested in a part-time
job.
“We are looking for students
with strong customer service and
team management skills,” said
Karli Coulter, a representative of
Rona Home and Garden centre.
“It is … important that an employee can work independently
just as well as they do in a group
situation.”
Strong leadership skills, enthusiasm and an energetic personality are also listed in the top five
skills employers were looking for.
Some students didn’t seem to
find what they were looking for
at this year’s job fair. Not enough
retail jobs or co-op opportunities
seemed to be the main concern
from students.
“I was expecting a lot more in-
ternship opportunities, or at least
more local jobs,” said Justyna Przboroswka , a second-year Paralegal student at Durham College.
A job fair puts you in a comfort
zone of knowing there are career
opportunities available and Hired
Career Services are trying to help
you get them.
However, some students felt
that the main objective was not
present. With a lack of jobs located directly in Oshawa, students
were not able to rely on unpredictable bus schedules to get
from work and back.
Overall, this year’s job fair
seemed to be a success, with
many students filling out handfuls of applications, hoping to
hear back from potential employers.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
18 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
20 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
To
advertise
in the
Durham
College
Chronicle
contact
905 721 3069
or
Dawn.Salter@
durhamcollege.ca
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
21
CAMPUS NEWS
A day in the life of a president
By Amy England
Chronicle Staff
He looked at home in his office, dressed in a corduroy black
blazer, t-shirt, and jeans. Casual
and comfortable, Fraser McArthur makes the job of Student Association president look effortless.
With the sound of his BlackBerry
buzzing, and the phone ringing,
he seemed relaxed among the
chaos.
His political involvement began in 2004 when he was the SA
UOIT Vice- President. Later he
served as a representative on the
UOIT Board of Governors.
Eric Dillane, VP of campus life,
who became friends with McArthur during the summer working
on campus said, “He is a nerd in
president’s clothing.”
Now as president of SA, McArthur has plans to improve areas
in services and communications.
One of these improvements is
the new Women’s Centre that
opened on Sept 14. Also, the SA
Photo by Amy England
has added new sports to the intramural program.
Another focus McArthur DON’T CALL HIM JOHN: Looking dapper in his blazer, Fraser has big plans for the
wants to build on this year is the Student Association and wants to reach out to students all across the campus.
use of Facebook as a tool to reach
more students. One of the groups
He joked about how people try the East Coast and in the Atlantic
the SA set up is called Your Stu- students, he said.
Born in Tennessee, his given and call him John, but he never Provinces. The sound of his voice
dent Association-Durahm College, UOIT & Trent in Oshawa. name was John Alexander Fraser responds, remembering the first does not give that fact away, but
The group already has over 1,000 McArthur. Three days after he was day of Grade 9 when he didn’t an- the words of car and bar bring out
members since it started at the born his mother’s maiden name, swer his name when attendance the Newfoundlander accent.
He moved to Ajax in the last
beginning of September, and is a Fraser, became the name that was called.
Most of his life was spent on two years of high school and he
great method to connect to more everyone knows him by today.
planned to go to school in the
states, after he graduated.
But his plans changed and
McArthur’s life on campus began
with a last minute decision not to
return to Tennessee for school.
“When I came back here to pack
up my stuff, I woke up one morning and said I have to go to school
here. I don’t want to go to the
‘
He (Fraser) is a
nerd in president’s
clothing.
Eric Dillane
’
states,” said McArthur.
McArthur, who is taking chemistry at UOIT, has plans to one
day work on the business side of
pharmaceuticals. Until then his
days will be filled with long hours
and the commitment of being the
SA president.
It is a fine dance to balance
his personal life and SA commitments. “I am not afraid to turn off
the BlackBerry,” he said.
“I really like the position, it’s
frustrating sometimes, but it is
definitely worth it,” he added.
And with that the momentary silence in his office was filled once
again with the buzzing of his
BlackBerry filling up with emails.
And the ringing sound of a phone
that needed to be answered.
An extravagant
time on campus
By Amy England
Chronicle Staff
Photos by Amy England and Alistair Lowe
FUN ALL AROUND: SA
president Fraser McArthur
dethrones Evan MullerCheng while playing Get
‘Em Off.(Above)
Evan Muller-Cheng, (right)
former SA president
smacked down face first
into the mats.
Leslie Lewis, a first-year
Paralegal student, ate a
hamburger while Sherman
watched. (Far right)
Orientation week kicked off
with an exciting event filled with
concerts, food and games.
The Campus Extravaganza was
a major hit for new students, offering a fun and eventful day on
Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Students could walk around the
grounds by the university and take
advantage of free food, including
burgers, hotdogs, pizza and drinks.
And students filled the lines up.
The event, hosted by Student
Life, offered things like Sumo
wrestling, and a large venue of
clubs and services to help students get to know what is offered
on campus.
It also featured a booth that
promoted the new Women’s Centre that opened on Sept.14.
There were tons of buttons and
free pamphlets that students could
take home.
Students who might have
missed this event can visit the SA
website for more details about all
the clubs that are offered on campus.
“It was good, I found out everything I needed to know about
campus, and with the information
stands. Plus I got free stuff,” said
Anna Iwinski, a first-year dental
assistant student.
“In order to benefit in the full
experience of coming to school,
it isn’t just about academics. You
need a lot more to enjoy yourself”
said Fraser McArthur, Student Association president. “It’s very important to get out and see what is
offered.”
McArthur took his own advice
and played a game of “Get’em off ”
with former SA president Evan
Muller-Cheng. In a heated fight,
Muller-Cheng was knocked off his
podium, face first into the air-filled
cushions that surrounded them.
The final band of the day, MicLordz and Sauce Funky, played
a few tunes. Their unique sound
brought together elements of funk,
hip-hop and added a nice soundtrack to end the day’s events.
22 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Oshawa Centre gets
new look and new stores
By Emily Palonen
Chronicle Staff
Good news for mall rats, shopaholics, sports fans and yoga gurus:
The Oshawa Centre is currently
undergoing several renovation
projects to revamp the shopping
mall, with fresh new stores including a brand new Sport Chek and
lululemon athletica.
“There are a lot of exciting
things happening,” said Bri-Ann
Stuart, the marketing director of
the Oshawa Centre. “We’re updating our retail mix to serve all of our
customers better.”
Town Shoes, Dynamite and
Yves Rocher are among the new
concept stores that Stuart lists
as the latest additions to the OC.
Shoppers can also expect to see
two new escalators installed at the
south end by the Bay.
First built in 1956 in the heart of
one of the fastest growing regions
in Canada, the Oshawa Centre has
proved to be one of the nation’s
top sales performers, with 11 million annual shoppers, according to
Ivanhoe Cambridge, the managing
company of the Oshawa Centre.
The reopening of Sport Chek
in its new location below the food
court is the biggest renovation
project being taken on at the Oshawa Centre.
John Taylor, the hard goods
department manager of Sport
Chek, said the new store location
is going to be much larger, 20,000
sq. ft. larger, to be exact. The size
will increase to 43,000 sq. ft. from
23,000.
“We are going to have all new
display boxes,” said Taylor, who described the new store as, “brighter,
with more product and bigger.”
With the updated concept and
new location, Taylor said customers can expect their future shopping experience at Sport Chek to
be a good one.
“They’re going to see more
choices in each department…
more brands that our high end
stores carry,” said Taylor.
The current location is scheduled to close the first week of December, as the goal for the new
location opening is Dec.12. This
date has been pushed back from
mid-November due to the construction process.
As for the vacant space that will
By Alistair Lowe
Chronicle Staff
Police were in the zone
throughout Durham Region during the first week of
school, issuing 1,091 tickets.
Officers from the Durham
Regional Police Service conducted a safety and speeding
blitz called “In the Zone,” between Tuesday, Sept. 4 and
Friday, Sept. 7.
The targets of the one-week
safety initiative were dangerous and aggressive drivers in
or near school zones.
Police issued 796 tickets
for speeding, 80 for disobeying or not stopping at stop
signs, eight for aggressive driving, six for driving while unlicensed, 15 for driving under
suspension, and 65 for other
document-related offences.
One driver was arrested and
charged with impaired driving and exceeding the bloodalcohol level of .08.
Photo by Emily Palonen
NEW LOOK: Sara Lack and friend stand in front of the Oshawa Centre. Both girls are
ecstatic about the changes the mall is undergoing.
be left over, firm plans have not yet
been made.
However, Dollarama, Tonic Salon spa and Okaïdi, a youth clothing store, have been confirmed as
additions to the Oshawa Centre to
be expected soon.
Sara Lack, a second-year Busi-
ness Administration student at
Durham College and an employee
at Jacob Boutique in the Oshawa
Centre, is excited about the mall
renovations.
“All of the new stores will attract
new customers to the entire mall,”
said Lack. “It will be good for busi-
ness for all stores.” Lack is mostly
looking forward to lululemon athletica, set to open in early November. However, if she had things
her way, Urban Behavior would
reopen. It closed down this past
year and was replaced with Costa
Blanca.
Making our streets safer
By Jenn Reid
Chronicle Staff
Durham Region has launched
a child pedestrian safety campaign, just in time for back-toschool.
“Kill The Speed – Not A Child”
is focused on encouraging parents to teach their children the
importance of road safety, as well
Police
target
speeders
as kids
return to
school
as increasing public awareness.
Safe Kids Canada reports that
an average of 80 child pedestrians
are involved in a motor vehicle
collision every week in Canada.
Ten will sustain major injuries
and one will die.
Children don’t develop the
ability to judge safe or unsafe traffic situations until somewhere
between age eight and nine.
Until that time, they can’t pro-
cess multiple pieces of information, such as how fast a car is going or whether the driver can see
them properly in the rain.
“They just assume drivers will
stop,” Lynne Gray, a public health
nurse with the Health Department, said in a press release.
It is important for drivers to
use caution at all times, especially when driving by schools
and parks. Safe Kids Worldwide,
a non-profit organization for the
prevention of child injury, reports that two thirds of drivers
will speed in school zones during
the 30 minute period before and
after school.
Unintentional injuries, such as
those caused during vehicle accidents, are the leading cause of
death and disability for children
in Canada.
Highway
named
for fallen
soldiers
By Katie Strachan
Chronicle Staff
Due to an online petition for a
172-km stretch along highway 401,
signs reading Highway of Heroes
can be seen to commemorate the
bravery and sacrifices Canadian
soldiers have made.
Since 2002, as the bodies of our
fallen soldiers come home, local
citizens and emergency personnel
can be seen on crowded overpasses waving national flags, saluting
and wearing red.
After 14,000 people signed
their name on the petition, the
provincial government made the
decision to rename the stretch
Highway of Heroes after our fallen
troops.
The stretch of road from the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton to
Toronto will not lose its official title
of MacDonald-Cartier Freeway.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
23
CAMPUS NEWS
Longhorn facing lawsuit
Local tattoo
studio used
non-sterile
equipment
By Rachelle Savoie
Chronicle Staff
When a patron enters a piercing
or tattoo parlour, they are asked to
sign a waiver stating that all equipment is sterilized and that the
piercing or tattoo is the patron’s responsibility after the fact. But what
happens when the sterilization
has been compromised? Since
August, two parlours in Durham
Region have been found to be using non-sterile equipment during
routine inspections.
Longhorn Body Art Studio,
a well-known studio located in
downtown Oshawa, was closed
early August after a routine inspection showed that their autoclave, a machine that heats solutions above their boiling point to
achieve sterilization, was malfunctioning.
The machine had received
three failed spore tests within a 10month period.
The health department used
Longhorn’s waiver forms to contact anyone who used their services between Nov. 17, 2006 and
Aug. 1, 2007, urging clients to get
tested for diseases transmittable
by blood, such as hepatitis B and
C, and HIV. They re-opened about
a week later after passing the required tests.
The studio now faces a $10-million class action suit, which was
filed mid-August., $3 million of
which is for “compensatory damages for negligence and breach of
Photo by Rachelle Savoie
NEVER GOING BACK: Computer Technology student
Mike Schnurfeil said he feels betrayed by Longhorn
Body Art when they used non-sterile equipment on him.
contract”, and $7 million for ““punitive, exemplary or aggravated
damages.”The action has not yet
been heard in court.
Longhorn was not the only studio to have issues with sterilization
recently. 68 Degree Nail in Ajax
was also found to have a possible
malfunction with their autoclave
between April 30 and June 24 of
this year. Though mainly a nail
salon, the studio also provides services for some body piercing.
The investigation does not include ear piercings done with a
piercing gun, as the equipment
used for that is single use and is
replaced after each piercing.
Students who frequented the
parlour had mixed feelings about
the possible contamination of
equipment.
“I got my tongue done (pierced)
during that timeframe,” said Mike
Schnurfeil, a Computer Technology student at the college.
“It pissed me off when I found
that out. I felt like my trust was betrayed because you sign an agreement with them where they say
that they use that stuff only if it’s
sterile.”
His trust in the parlour has left
as well. “I would never go back and
I tell everyone to never go there.”
Schnurfeil is not the only person shocked by the sudden closure. Dayna George, an Animation
student at the college, was pierced
at Longhorn in January.
“I was really nervous, just because it wasn’t expected,” said
George, who made sure she got
tested right away. “I was very
shocked, but also nervous for all
those people.”
Unlike Schnurfeil, George
claims she would return to Longhorn in the future, claiming that it
was accidental and blown out of
proportion.
There is still the question in everyone’s minds: will Longhorn be
able to make it through not only
the lingering doubts in everyone’s
minds about their integrity, as
well as the impending $10-million
class action suit against them?
Anyone wanting more information about getting tested or on the
can do so at www.region.durham.
on.ca
Flash
student
card for
discount
From mall
to taxis,
students
can save
By Emily Palonen
Chronicle Staff
Flash a Little… Save a Lot.
No, this statement is not
referring to any provocative
or illegal activity.
It is, however, referring to
a program that is designed to
help students save their pennies while shopping at the
Oshawa Centre.
The Flash a Little… Save
a Lot program began three
years ago exclusively for
Durham College and UOIT
students offering special discounts at a wide variety of retail and food vendors.
The Oshawa Centre gives
students a break with discounts at more than 35 participating stores throughout
the mall.
From a Blueline Taxi ride
at $12 flat rate, to 15 per cent
off dinner with friends at East
Side Mario’s or 10 per cent off
Casey’s Bar & Grill, students
can plan an entire shopping
trip around this savings program.
New bill to tackle street racers
Some feel
new law
will lead to
harassment
By Katie Strachan
Chronicle Staff
From movies to video games,
the need for speed is a passion
that race car drivers share.
However, drivers on Ontario’s
roads are feeling the same passion and it’s becoming lethal. Bill
203 was recently passed in an effort to prevent any more deaths on
Ontario roads as a result of high
speed.
The bill ensures that any driver
caught “street racing” will feel the
effects under the Criminal Code.
Before the law was passed, drivers caught driving dangerously
were fined anywhere from $200 to
$1,000. The law now gives authorities the right to fine racers up to
$10,000.
Ontario now has the highest
fines for street racing in all of Canada.
According to the Ministry of
Justice, drivers caught for exceeding the speed limit while racing
can be jailed for up to 14 years if a
person is injured.
If charged with dangerous driving causing death a person can
receive a punishment of life in jail.
This is a significant difference from
the previous 14-year jail sentence.
The amount of time a person’s
licence is suspended after being
charged with street racing or dangerous driving has increased as
well.
Fined drivers can expect to lose
their licences for up to three years
longer than previously.
Drivers caught street racing
could even face the crushing of
their cars. It has happened in Ontario before in an effort to scare
racers.
Durham Regional Police Constable Glen Brown feels there are
too many car accidents and deaths
are occurring because of speed. “I
think that this racing law will really crack down on it. These racers
can lose their licences, their cars or
‘
I really think this
racing law will really crack down on
it. These racers can
lose their licences,
their cars or their
lives.
’
Durham Regional Police
Constable Glen Brown
their lives.”
According to the Specialty
Vehicle Association of Ontario’s
(SVAO) website, the law also allows law enforcement officers
who believe you are driving or
have driven a vehicle that has been
involved in racing to seize your ve-
hicle and suspend your licence for
up to a week.
The police officer can also
charge a driver for up to six months
following the incident. It also
means there is no right to appeal
the grounds of the suspension or
impounding of your vehicle under
any circumstances.
The SVAO also states that even
if a “racing” charge can be successfully defended in court the driver
receives no compensation for the
impounded vehicle or suspended
driver’s licence.
The law prohibits the operation
of a motor vehicle that has been
equipped with specified performance enhancing equipment.
While a great number of accidents are due to speed, the blame
should not be placed on car enthusiasts who enjoy modifying their
vehicles simply for looks.
“I don’t feel that people, young
guys in particular, should be targeted for having a nice car,” added
Daryl Richard, an avid car enthusiast.
“I do think going 50 km/h over
the speed limit is crazy but a lot of
times I get blamed or questioned
even before I’ve even done anything wrong.”
Some import car fans feel that
Bill 203 will lead to further harassment of specialty vehicle owners.
They argue that a performance
part in a person’s vehicle does not
automatically make that person a
street racer.
The SVAO charges that Bill 203
will unreasonably limit the peaceful possession and lawful enjoyment of (modified) vehicles.
“I feel like we shouldn’t all be
grouped together. It’s getting a little
out of hand.” Richard stated.
Ryan Bailey, manager at Auto
Accessory Zone, a car modification shop in Whitby, says. “I think
it’s crap. The cops seem to be totally biased towards modified imports.”
“I have been harassed numerous times for driving a modified
car. Almost every day in fact.”
Bailey also added that it has
affected sales within the industry
drastically.
24 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo by Vanessa Reidt
STICKY FINGERS ABOUND: George Kefalidis (inset) shows off his grilling skills at the seventh annual Rotary Rib Fest held in Lakeview Park. The
event, held on Sept. 6, drew over 30,000 people from across the province to sample ribs cooked by barbecue enthusiasts nationwide.
Mounds of meat to mow on
By Vanessa Reidt
Chronicle Staff
Mmm mmm ribs…
The robust scent of barbecued
ribs overpowered Lakeview Park
in Oshawa Sept. 6 at the seventh
annual Rotary Rib Fest.
The festival travelled all over
southern Ontario with Oshawa as
the last stop.
The three-day event started on
Sept. 7 to Sept. 9 with a variety of
events each day. More than 30,000
people attended last year. Organizers expected a 20 per cent increase for this year’s festival, said
Katherine Hewins, a member of
the Oshawa Rotary Club.
Approximately $50,000 was
raised from the festival, going to
a variety of charity organizations,
said Hewins.
Rib Fest featured barbecued
ribs by 10 of the best cooks from
Canada and the United States.
Live bands, carnival rides, corn
booths, free massages and more
were what Rib Fest had to offer
this year.
Tribute bands for Shania Twain,
Cher, Elvis Presley, and Bon Jovi
highlighted the festival, bringing
many adults and children to the
lake.
“We’ve had great business this
year, better than I’d ever expect,”
said James Gibson, a 20-year-old
employee at the Texas Ranger Rib
booth.
The Texas Ranger Rib brought
Oshawa their specialty ribs that
originated from the heart of Waco,
Texas.
Student Association President
Fraser McArthur enjoyed his visit
to Rib Fest this year.
“Rib Fest was awesome,” he
said. “They were absolutely succulent. There was an amazing offering of ribs, chicken, and pulled
pork to take home. There was no
way you couldn’t stuff yourself.”
Proceeds from Rib Fest went to
the Rotary Club of Oshawa and activities in the community.
“This year’s Rib Fest was an
overwhelming success,” said Joan
Skelton, president of the Rotary
Club of Oshawa.
“We expect it to be bigger and
better in 2008. Thank you to the
community, Durham College and
UOIT students who contributed.”
Cinefest supports local library
By Greg Snow
Chronicle Staff
Cinefest Durham is back and
is supporting the Oshawa public
library system by showing Canadian and international films at
Famous Players in the Oshawa
Centre.
Starting in September and running until May, Cinefest Durham
will be hosting shows on the last
Thursday of every month, with
the exception of December.
Cinefest Durham has been
around for 12 years and has an
average of 150 to 200 people per
showing.
Rick Ficek is among the many
that organize this event.
“We usually have a pretty good
turnout for the event and it has
been well received by the community,” Ficek said.
Working in conjunction with
the Toronto film festival, Cinefest Durham receives a variety of
films that would not usually be
shown in a regular theater.
Cinefest’s first showing will
‘
We usually have
a good turnout
for the event and
it has been well
received by the
community.
’
Rick Ficek
be a movie called Amazing
Grace.
The movie is directed by Michael Apted and takes place in
1784 when a 21-year-old man
named William Wilberforce is
elected to the British House of
Commons.
Wilberforce is unique because
he is a politician with a conscience. He attempts to rid Britain of slavery, but his proposal is
defeated.
Then after leaving politics due
to health problems, Wilberforce
meets Barbara Spooner, who
encourages him to follow his
dreams. He then launches another campaign to end the slave
trade in Britain.
A monthly event like this requires help.
“We are always looking for
volunteers,” Ficek said. “You can
get involved with Cinefest by contacting myself at 905-579-6111
ext. 5220.”
The first showing is on Sept. 27
at 7 p.m. Those looking to attend
must buy tickets at the table located beside the box office.
“Many people go to the box
office to purchase their tickets
but they have to come to the little
table beside it,” Ficek explained.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
25
ENTERTAINMENT
Durham College-UOIT Chronicle
Relaunching the Riot Radio
Riot Radio
is now
live-to-air
By Rory Wilson
Chronicle Staff
The rocking sound of college
radio went live to air Sept. 12 when
The Riot held its pre-launch celebration.
The weekly Wednesday night
pub show at E.P. Taylor’s supplies
the rocking sound of The Riot college radio.
Listeners indulged in a variety
of mixed music as DJ Jay Almeida
and partners kept tunes pumping through the speakers all night
long. Almeida updates his set list
on a regular basis – he feels it’s crucial to keep a fresh sound.
“I’m always looking for songs
people haven’t heard in a while.”
Entertainment began early in
the night with DJ Bixx working to
warm up the crowd. Bixx made
way for Almeida and his partner
at roughly 11 p.m. The two took
Photo by Rory Wilson
I PREDICT A RIOT: DJ Trixx, DJ Jay Almeida and DJ Bixx are just some of the people
responsible for the Riot Radio’s music. The Riot can be heard at EP Taylor’s and the
Marketplace cafeteria, as well as other locations throughout the campus.
control of the soundboard and
were ready to rock the night away.
Almeida has a selection of songs
he uses to get the crowd pumped.
“They’re called club bangers,”
he said.
He describes them as any song
appealing to pure party animals.
Aside from acting as a DJ,
Yuk Yuk’s comedians bring
the laughs to EP Taylor’s
By Amy England
Chronicle Staff
UOIT was on the hit list of topics and hilarious rants from comedians at the Yuk Yuk’s comedy
night.
On Thursday, Sept. 8, EP Taylor’s
was filled with people all wanting a
good laugh, and Yuk Yuk’s did not
disappoint the eager crowd.
Sabrina Jalees, who is known
for her witty commentaries on
Much Music’s Video on Trial,
kicked off the night. Her routine
was filled with jokes that poked
fun at herself, her family and even
the audience.
At one point, she even pulled
up first-year UOIT Science student Deanna Williams, who was
celebrating her birthday on the following night. The crowd echoed
in wishing her a happy birthday at
Jalees’s request.
“Oh my God, it was so funny I
was actually crying,” Williams said,
even after she had been made fun
of by all of the comedians that
night.
Local comedian Kevin Herod
added his unique perspective of
moving from the big city of Toronto to Bowmanville.
Painting a humorous picture of
the mayor of Bowmanville, with a
white board and marker standing
at the border of the city, frantically
adding and erasing people to the
population count as cars drive in
and out of Bowmanville’s city lim-
Almeida lends a hand whenever
possible to The Riot, as it’s a volunteer-oriented station.
“We’re going to be looking for a
lot more volunteers,” says live-toair producer Lee Clifford. The station plans to be heavily involved
with sporting events this year.
Station manager Kris Dickerson intends mass coverage of
UOIT Ridgebacks hockey, Durham
Lords and any sports in relation to
students. Dickerson works hard to
make campus radio appeal to all
students by covering sports and
playing a wide variety of music.
The station has many shows
devoted to independent music.
Dickerson keeps the station open
to any bands looking for advertisement or radio play. “We get a lot
of music from local indie labels,”
he says.
Mainstream music is called for
at times in order to attract listeners.
“Being in the cafeteria, we have
to play some mainstream music,”
says Dickerson.
The Riot throws parties weekly
at E.P. Taylor’s and encourages students to come out and have a good
time.
“Come out on a Wednesday
night. Good-looking people. Good
party,” says Almeida.
Ron
Jeremy
returns
to Shwa
By Svea Keegan
Chronicle Staff
Photo by Amy England
GOOD SPORT: Ron Josol, Sabrina Jalees, Durham student (and punchline) Deanna
Williams and Kevin Herod pose together at EP Taylor’s after the show.
its.
Herod even sparked interest
and controversy by touching on
the topic of UOIT versus Durham
College. The crowd of students
laughed together but UOIT was the
biggest brunt of the joke. Herod’s
twist on the issue of two school
co-existing on the same campus
brought laughs too everyone in
the crowd.
Headliner Ron Josol brought a
Philippine flair to the night, with
jokes about how his father pronounces certain letters, mixing
up the sounds of F and P for the
sound B or V. Making a reference
to how his dad would give directions using the Don Valley Park
way, but he would call it the Don
Bally Fark Way.
“As for the comedians, they
were solid,” Andrew Prill, a Graphic Design student said.
The Big Sexy Nightclub on
King Street is hosting another
Playboy-Palooza night where
Ron Jeremy and Playboy SE
Cover Girl Amy Lynn Grover
will make an appearance on
Sept. 29.
Jeremy, the retired but
legendary adult film star, visited the Durham College and
UOIT campus last fall for one
of the stops on his Porn Debate Tour with XXX Church
anti-porn website founder,
Craig Gross. As a star in over
1,500 X-rated films, Jeremy
will certainly be a hit among
fans of the nightclub on Saturday night.
Accompanying him will
be Ontario native Amy Lynn
Grover, who modelled on the
cover of Playboy’s December
2006/January 2007 Special
Edition Lingerie issue, has
made it onto the cover of
three fitness magazines and
is featured in another two.
There is going to also be
music by Michael Mayhem
and McStubbs.
The Big Sexy Nightclub
is located at 39 King Street
East.
26 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
A tattoo you’ll always love
By Jenna-Lee Mainse
Chronicle Staff
Late at night, in a small transformed classroom of the old Cedardale School in South Oshawa,
you can find four musicians—
working towards a dream come
true.
The members of Lower Back
Tatti have filled the small rehearsal space with the necessities:
two guitars, one bass, a drum set,
amps, microphones and a couch.
And they have plastered the walls
with posters of their mentors, artists they idolize and pin-up girls.
The band’s practising has paid
off. They’ve opened for 80s super
group, Glass Tiger, and headlined
their own show at E.P Taylor’s on
Sept. 14 (hosted by 24KEntertainment).
Members of the group include
Andrew Creelman, 25, lead vocalist, who carries enough emotion
behind the microphone to immerse the audience into the music.
Eoin McGuirk, 24, the laid-back
lead guitarist, whose talent with
the cords brings an original sound
to the group.
Chris Meringer, 22, the tattooed
drummer who wears his heart on
his sleeve (literally) and, with the
help of his drumsticks, brings a
raw intensity and beat to the table.
Finally, there’s Johnny Gregson,
25, the bearded bass player, whose
skill behind the bass works in unison with the individual sounds of
the other band members.
The band name, Lower Back
Tatti, came into play when Creelman and McGuirk were talking
about tattoos on females.
“One of us just said how much
we admired lower back tattoos
on girls, and then it was just like
‘yeah, the lower back tatti,’” said
McGuirk.
Ironically enough, Meringer is
Photo by Jenna-Lee Mainse
WELL DECORATED: Lower Back Tatti’s members (clockwise from top left: Andrew
Creelman, Eoin McGuirk and Chris Meringer) prepare for their next big show. Greats
like Beck and Queen adorn the walls of their rehearsal room.
the only band member with any
tattoos—one of which happens to
be on his lower back. He also has
a heart-shaped locket tattooed on
his upper right arm. “Some girl out
there has the key tattoo, and I just
have to find her,” joked Meringer.
Lower Back Tatti describes
their sound as alternative and un-
Lower Back Tatti leave their mark
Band wows the crowd
at E.P. Taylor’s show
By Jenna-Lee Mainse
Chronicle Staff
As a dry ice haze fell over the
almost sold-out crowd on Sept.
14 at E.P. Taylor’s, Lower Back
Tatti took the stage.
When the first note left lead
singer Andrew Creelman’s lips,
the attention of the crowd turned
from the bar to the band.
The opening number, Focus
on the Pain, had fans jumping
with their hands in the air.
Creelman’s vocal cords never
once seemed to falter as he belted out the original lyrics of Lower
Back Tatti.
Eoin McGuirk, lead guitar, and
Johnny Gregson, bass, worked in
unison to bring sound and energy to the band’s already flawless
performance. Although tucked
away at the back of the stage, it
became impossible to ignore the
beat that drummer Chris Meringer set for the rest of the band.
A combination of raw talent and
over-the-top showmanship is
what put Meringer’s individual
performance over the edge.
Lower Back Tatti’s latest hit,
So Amazing, sent a romantic
hush over the hazy crowd. “That
song is about you and everyone
you love,” said Creelman during
an interview earlier that week.
The relatable lyrics about saving
loved ones from themselves are
enough to make a fan fall headover-heels for the original single.
As the band finished its set
and stepped off stage, the audience refused to let the show end.
“One more song, one more
song!” chanted the mass of fans
while pumping their fists in the
air.
definable. They use their personal
love and life experiences for lyric
inspiration, which they write with
their producer Maladen (he goes
by just one name).
“Our style is mainstream alternative. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel,” said Gregson. “We
are trying to write music that will
appeal to the masses.”
Lower Back Tatti’s latest song,
So Amazing, was written with the
help of Maladen and artist Andy
Stochansky. According to Creelman, the song is about the ones
you love.
Although all four band members have come together to create
Lower Back Tatti’s style, they all
became involved with music in
different ways.
Meringer walked into his Grade
7 music class, saw a drum set, and
has been playing ever since.
Gregson worked backstage at
the Canadian Juno Awards and for
Glass Tiger—earning most of his
music mentoring this way.
McGuirk was hooked on music
when his uncle started taking him
to David Bowie, Treble Charger
and Nine Inch Nails concerts.
Creelman stumbled onto his
talent after singing a few notes
while drinking a few beers with
his friends one night. “[Andrew]
has the voice of an angel,” laughed
Meringer.
From an outsider’s point of
view, it is the individuality and
chemistry of the band members
that makes Lower Back Tatti so
appealing to its fans.
They plan to release a full album by early December. Fans can
listen to their music at www.myspace.com/lowerbacktattiband.
Overall, the members of Lower
Back Tatti share a dream to make
it big while doing something that’s
real.
“It’s all for the good of the music,” said Creelman.
Band’s
album sales
are far
from dead
By Rory Wilson
Chronicle Staff
Photo by Jenna-Lee Mainse
GIVING THEM WHAT THEY WANT: Andrew Creelman
and Eoin McGuirk of Lower Back Tatti.
And so, Meringer, McGuirk,
Gregson and Creelman took the
stage one last time and fulfilled
the crowd’s rquest.
As I Lay Dying conquers North
America’s metal scene.
The Californian thrash band’s
latest album An Ocean Between
Us has seen great success since
it’s release on Aug. 21. The album
sold 3, 358 copies in Canada within a week of its debut putting it at
number 19 on Canada’s Top 200
album chart. It also rose to number 2 on the Canadian Hard Rock
album chart and number 3 on the
Independent album chart.
An Ocean Between Us saw
greater success in the US selling
34, 490 copies in its first week. It
landed at number 1 on the US Top
200 album chart and became the
Top Hard Rock album.
The bands new video “Nothing
Left” has been playing regularly on
Much Music and Musique Plus.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Tony Lee visits E.P. Taylor’s
27
By Heather Abrey
Chronicle Staff
You’re getting sleepy, very sleepy. Now, on the count
of three, you will strip down to your underwear. One, two,
three. Or does that only work for Tony Lee?
Durham College and UOIT students good-naturedly
submitted to the power of X-rated hypnotist Tony Lee, on
Sept. 10 in E.P. Taylor’s. The evening started off with a performance by the Sleddogs, a band that will soon be featured in
a new television show by the creator of the Trailer Park Boys,
and continued into a night full of cursing and debauchery.
Lee had the audience roaring with laughter as his victims
performed embarrassing, often sexual stunts while hypnotized. Men were told they were beautiful women and performed exotic dances for other men, chairs and imaginary
pigs were molested, and, of course, men stripped down to
their underwear. Lee graciously allowed the women he hypnotized to remain fully clothed, though they did not escape
without a few of their own embarrassing stunts.
The audience particularly enjoyed a stunt that involved
a member of the E.P. Taylor’s door staff, leaping out of their
seats and craning their necks to get the best view possible.
Every time Lee visits, a member of the door staff is victimized in this humorous way, but the nature of what they’re
submitting to is apparently shrouded in secrecy, keeping
those who are new in the dark until they get to find out for
themselves. This seems to be a tradition best left intact. The
element of surprise, and all that.
Durham College was Lee’s first school gig and he says
he loves performing here because students, “drink more
alcohol per capita than anywhere else.” He has been hypnotizing people for about 21 years and says that originally
he didn’t believe in hypnotism. It was while fooling around
with his girlfriend of the time, spending about 20 minutes
doing the old “you’re getting sleepy” routine, that he found it
could actually be done.
Lee’s shows are not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, and certainly if you can’t take the embarrassment
with a good-natured smile, you shouldn’t volunteer to be
hypnotized. Still, those brave souls who volunteered put on
X-RATED HYPNOTIST VISITS SCHOOL PUB: Hypnotist Tony Lee visits E.P. Taylor’s Sept. 10,
leaving the audience roaring with laughter and victims embarrassed. The band Sleddogs
opened up the show.
a very well-received show. Lee himself is quite the showman, downing shots and beers between stints of wandering
through the audience.
While some may have wandered away feeling vaguely
disturbed, the majority of the audience were grinning and
Four days of concerts
featuring Dallas Green
played Day Old Hate and another song that’s going to
be on a charitable album coming out this month.
Playing alone seemed to give Green an intimate
vibe with fans who would yell things such as “I love
Four days worth of Dallas Green is what fans of his
you Dallas,” and “Marry me,” between songs while he
side project City and Colour got earlier this month.
tuned his guitar.
The more serenading side of Canadian rock band
Green acknowledged the crowd the whole time
Alexisonfire played four soldout shows at the Danand humourously responded “I think you should get
forth Music Hall.
to know someone before you marry them,” then addOnly three shows were lined up, but
ed “especially with divorce rates being
after selling out quickly, a fourth show
I
think
you
so high.”
was added which also packed another
Fans got to hear a few new songs
should get to know
soldout crowd of 1200 fans.
that will be on an album planned for
Along for the ride was Welland, someone before
early next year, as well as a cover of
Ontario’s own Attack In Black, which
Boiled Frogs, off of Alexisonfire’s hit alopened and generously thanked those you marry them.
bum Crisis.
in the crowd who came early to see
The second single Comin’ Home
them.
started typically with Green playing
After playing for only 40 minutes
and letting the audience realize how
Dallas Green alone then was spiced up with the
band entering halfway through to finclear and crisp the sound was in the
ish it with a full sound.
theatrical music hall they cleared the
His last song before the encore was Somestage.
times (I wish), which included a Justin Timberlake
Clearing the stage usually means everything but
verse thrown in from his hit single My Love. The
monitors and a couple amps for Green who plays
crowd seemed to love it.
alone with a guitar or piano, but a drum set and bass
A standing ovation brought Green out for the enamp were still present.
core to sing the overplayed single Save Your Scissors.
With a live album released at the end of March last
After thanking the crowd for coming out he said he’d
year that included a DVD, something different was
“breathe life” into the song and did so by playing it
needed and Green delivered by coming on with a
with a more up-tempo rhythm that got the audience
bassist and drummer and introducing them after the
clapping.
second song.
It didn’t last for long though when Green told them
Not only did it give a unique twist on Green’s sound
jokingly that it wasn’t helping him, and encouraged to
instrumentally, but also vocally when both members
singing instead.
of the band would join in for choruses and an a capelWhat was thought to be another solo acoustic act
la for the ending of Hello I’m in Delaware.
turned out to be the opposite and left the crowd wonAfter playing four acoustic songs the band left the
dering all night about what else he had up his sleeve.
stage and Green played sitting center stage with his
By Dave Butt
Chronicle Staff
‘
’
laughing the whole night through, and more than a few
were downing beers themselves. Overall it was a solid night
of entertainment for a mere $5. Oh, and if you received any
strange phone calls that Monday night, blame Tony Lee.
28 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Hopesfalls in Dungeon
Seconds To Go was next on the
lineup. This rock band impressed
people at the beginning of their
set with their energy and heavier
songs.
But, eventually they slipped into
a repetitive motion where, eventually, all of their songs sounded the
same.
The biggest surprise of the night
was Whitby natives Carousel.
Carousel set a new bar for all
local bands with a breathtaking
performance from start to finish.
They were the softest and only
pop rock band of the night but had
the biggest audience and reaction
with their unforgettable hooks,
melodies and some of the catchiest choruses around.
With a short quick set, Daggermouth ripped the venue in half.
They may have had the fewest
people watching and the shortest
set but their aggressive pop-punk
sound threw three die-hard fans
into a miniature mosh pit.
The show was probably the
equivalent of a band practice to
them but they seemed to have fun
on stage and gained a handful of
fans.
Finally the highly anticipated
screamo-headlining act Hopesfall hit the stage, bringing in some
older fans who broke into a bigger
mosh pit and seemed really into
their set.
Despite the nearly empty venue Hopesfall still played a solid
set and were tight in all aspects of
their performance.
Each band on the lineup gave
everything they had. Shows like
this should not be missed.
Band
line-up
gives solid
performances
despite near
empty venue
By Craig Clark
Chronicle Staff
Hang your heads low, Oshawa
music scene despite the unmistakable talent of the veteran screamo
band Hopesfall and Canadian poppunk heavyweights Daggermouth,
The Dungeon stayed nearly vacant
the whole concert in Oshawa on
September 17, maybe packing 40
people into the venue.
Although the lack of an audience all the bands gave all their
effort and solid performances all
around.
The night started off with young
local hardcore band Champ City.
Despite their best efforts they
failed to get a reaction from the
crowd.
Most of their songs showed
why they didn’t have many fans,
considering the repetitiveness in
the guitar work and breakdowns.
London, Ontario-based band
Students McLovin
this Superbad film
By Jenn Reid
Chronicle Staff
Monday
da
- Fri y
1/2 Price
App izers
et
4:00 pm
-7:00 m
p
This summer’s box office battle
was bigger than ever, with sequels
and new blockbusters coming out
almost every weekend.
Well-known franchises such as
Spiderman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, and Harry Potter were
up against heavily hyped films like
Transformers and the first ever
Simpsons movie.
But to many students, there
was only one winner at the box office. It wasn’t a pirate or a wizard, a
superhero or a robot or even a yellow cartoon family.
It was McLovin.
Superbad was this summer’s
break-out hit, a comedy about
awkward high school boys trying
to drink and party and get the girl
before going away to college.
It opened on August 17 at the
number one spot in Canada and
the United States. In the opening
weekend alone, the film managed
to make over $33 million in the U.S.
This was the third highest opening
weekend for an R-rated film this
year, trailing only behind spring’s
epic 300 and the other Judd Apatow directed comedy, Knocked
Up.
Even now, over one month
since its release, Superbad is still
in the top five at the box office,
and has made over $110 million
worldwide.
The film starred Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the scenestealing McLovin.
“The existence of McLovin is
what made this movie so awesome,” said UOIT student Mike
Baldassi.
McLovin’s character spent
most of the movie hanging out
with a pair of wild cops, while his
friends tried to buy alcohol. The
outrageous, raunchy humour was
an instant attraction for students.
“I couldn’t stop laughing. There
were so many things done in that
movie that no one would say or do
in real life,” Ed Singleton, a Business student, said. “It’s my favourite comedy of all time.”
Although students agreed that
it was their favourite of the summer, they differed on what their
favourite scene was.
“I was laughing too hard to remember much,” Singleton admitted.
Baldassi found it much easier
to pinpoint what he enjoyed the
most: “There was only one movie
this summer that confirmed the
comedic qualities of spermicidal
lube.”
Steve
Tyler
still
rocking
after
37 years
By Courtney Born
Chronicle Staff
Over three decades of music, over two dozen albums
and millions sold worldwide,
these five Boston musicians
prove there’s no slowing
down.
Aerosmith put on an electrifying show last Tuesday
night at the Molson ampitheatre, showing that after 37
years, Steven Tyler and his
Boston bandmates can still
rock harder and louder than
ever.
Kicking off the night, Joan
Jett and the Blackhearts had
no problem getting the crowd
of over 16,000 fans upbeat
and energized for the night
ahead of them.
Tyler, 59, was strutting
his stuff, all decked out with
his usual over-the-top style,
wearing a leopard print hat,
sunglasses and oversized
overcoat, while Joe Perry
looked chic in black leather
pants and a red silk shirt.
Starting the night off with
an ear-popping, jaw-dropping performance of Love in
an Elevator, the thousands of
rocking out fans were out of
their seats singing along to
classic and more recent hits.
Intense solo after solo,
Perry pulled off amazing guitar riffs one after another. The
Boston guitarist showed no
signs of slowing down while
pulling off a crowd-pleasing
double-neck guitar solo to
Living on the Edge as Tyler
got up close and personal,
singing to a few lucky fans.
The band played for over
two hours playing an assortment of songs from 1973’s
classic Walkin’ the Dog to
more recent Baby, Please
from their latest album
Honkin’ on Bobo.
Other standouts were
Tyler’s singing of Last Child,
which he claimed they hadn’t
played in Toronto since a
1976 concert at Maple Leaf
Gardens. Along with such
classic hits as Dream On,
Cryin’ and Walk This Way,
fans couldn’t sit still for long.
Leaving their fans standing and wanting more, these
classic rock icons proved no
matter the age, no matter
the time, these five extraordinary musicians won’t miss a
beat while finishing up their
World Tour. Next stop Uncasville, Connecticut.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
29
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Graduation Day for Mr. West
In what he describes as the best
song
he’s ever made, Big Brother
Chronicle Staff
offers a glimpse into his life with
September 11 was graduation his idol.
However, another side is shown
day for hip-hop fans.
as
well.
In a time where commercial
Ego in hip-hop is essential.
hip-hop music is repetitive and
The powerful and declarative
lacking true creativity, the man
lead
single, Can’t Tell Me Nothing,
known as Mr. West, the Louis Vuitvoices
what many seem to think of
ton don or Kanye West, delivered
him
already.
with his third studio album, GradWith lines such as, “Yeah that
uation.
tuxedo
might have been a little
From the start,
gweedo/
but
West has you feelwith
my
ego/
I
ing like it’s a new
can
stand
there
day. Sampled from
with a Speedo/
Elton John’s Someand still be
one Saved My Life
looked at like a
Tonight, the heavy
fucking hero,” in
•Big
Brother
drum base line acthe song titled
•Can’t
Tell
Me
companied with
Glory, West’s
Nothing
piano and harego becomes
monic background •Stronger
humorously arvocals is appropri- •Good Morning
rogant.
ately titled, Good
•Everything
I
Am
Speaking of
Morning.
humour,
West’s
•Good
Life
Through clevclever
skits
er lines such as: •4.5/5
from
his
first
“Scared to face the
two
albums
are
world complacent
not
present
on
Graduation.
Th
e
recareer student/some people gradsult
is
that
listeners
will
have
to
do
uate, but we still stupid/they tell
more
thinking
than
just
laughing.
you read this, eat this, don’t look
around/Just peep this, preach us, However, he does lighten things
teach us, Jesus,” West gives listen- up with Drunk and Hot Girls.
Depending on your preference
ers insight into what he sees as a
with
skits, the only other drawback
faulty system.
might
be the number of songs.
What makes this album more
Th
ere
are
only 14 compared to 20
important than most in this genre
on
each
of
his first two albums.
is that he appears sincere in his
Backed
primarily by his own
beliefs and isn’t afraid to share his
production
and only six featured
feelings or insecurities.
guests,
West
is able to incorporate
Willingly admitting to listeners
all
sides
of
his
personality: Good,
that he’ll never look as picture perbad,
funny,
intelligent
and insightfect as a Beyoncé, West isn’t afraid
ful
all
at
the
same
time.
Mr. West
to say what makes him different
graduates
at
the
top
of
his
class.
from the rest.
By Dwayne Wynter
Must-have
tracks:
Big names at
The Dungeon
next month
By Craig Clark
Chronicle Staff
The Rolling Stones, Tragically
Hip and Tom Jones are just a handful of very successful musicians to
have played concerts in Oshawa,
but William Neville, owner of The
Dungeon and WRNent promotions, hopes to make big concerts
a regular thing.
With Boys Night Out, Mariana’s
Trench and I Hate Sally all appearing at The Dungeon next month,
Neville has been building relationships with labels and bands to
hopefully bring the biggest musical acts to Oshawa.
“That is what I’ve been trying
to do for the past year, build real
good relationships with bands, labels and agents. So, as of right now
the relationships we have built are
real strong,” said Neville.
Bands with big Canadian success are also booked at the venue
for shows this year.
“We will have Ill Scarlett again
and GOB and I am working on
some real big stuff here at my
venue and some larger venues in
Oshawa,” said Neville. “That is our
goal at WRNent and The Dungeon
- bring the biggest possible shows
here to Oshawa”
Neville is not only interested in
popular bands smaller bands can
also put on their own shows.
“I have an online booking form
on
www.thedungeon.ca that
bands can request a booking at
the Dungeon,” said Neville. “But
for most of the bigger bands I or
a promoter that works with me
get a hold of the band directly or
through their agent.”
Neville has spent endless hours
and lots of money to give the Oshawa music scene a new, better
reputation.
“We have put a lot of money
into cleaning the place up and
trying to change the reputation of
The Dungeon and now that has
happened,” said Neville. “So we
are able to book the big bands and
they are calling to play here.”
Photo by Dwayne Wynter
KANYE WEST’S GRADUATION: The famous Mr. West’s third album titled Graduation
was relased last week with great response from loyal fans worldwide.
Hey, Springsteen’s back
By Andrew Dalrymple
Chronicle Staff
Born to Run. Badlands. Dancing in the Dark. Sound familiar?
That’s because they’re the music
titles of none other than Bruce
Springsteen.
The Boss and his E Street
Band are hitting the road together for the first time in four years.
Rolling Stone leaked out the
information about Springsteen’s
next album Magic, which he will
be playing and promoting over
the course of three months. It’s
set for release on Oct. 2.
Coincidently or not, the international tour also starts on Oct.
2 in Hartford, Connecticut and
wraps up just before Christmas
on Dec. 19 in London, England.
Although Springsteen has 31
concert dates for his tour, two
of which are on back-to-back
nights in his home state of New
Jersey, he’s only coming to Canada for two nights. On Oct. 14 he’ll
be playing at the Civic Centre in
Ottawa and the following night,
Oct.15, Springsteen will be blow-
ing the roof off the Air Canada
Centre in Toronto.
“I’ve seen Bruce live a few
times and he keeps on getting
better and better with age,” smiles
Shane MacInnis, an avid Springsteen fan. “He goes on stage for
like 2 ½ hours and he puts on
one hell of a show. You definitely
get your money’s worth.”
Tickets for some U.S. shows
go on sale starting Sept. 8,
Sept.17 for Toronto. Ticket prices
vary depending on which website you go on, but according to
Ticketmaster, the cheapest price
for an individual ticket is $67.50
with tax.
“If you have the money and
are a Boss fan, you have to go.
You’ll regret it if you don’t,” gushes MacInnis.
The E Street Band is the backing band for Bruce Springsteen.
They’ve been together on and off
since 1972. Some members of
the E Street Band have left, some
have stayed. Here’s a description
of who’s in the band currently
and what they do:
Danny Federici – organ,
electronic glockenspiel, accordion and other keyboards
Garry Tallent – bass guitar
and tuba
Clarence “Big Man” Clemons – saxophone, percussion
and backing vocal
Max Weinberg – drums and
percussion (joined September
1974)
Roy Bittan – piano and
synthesizer (joined September
1974)
Steven van Zandt – guitars,
mandolin and backing vocals
(officially joined July 1975; left in
1984; rejoined in 1995)
Nils Lofgren – guitars, pedal
steel guitar and backing vocals
(replaced Steven van Zandt
in 1984; remained in the band
when van Zandt returned)
Patti Scialfa – backing and
duet vocals and guitar (joined
June 1984; married Springsteen
in 1991; they have a daughter
and two sons)
Soozie Tyrell – violin, percussion and backing vocals.
Zeppelin reunion show
By Chris Jones
Chronicle Staff
The Led is being let out. Led Zeppelin, that is.
The great rock band will be performing a one-time
come back concert in memory of Ahmet Ertegun, the
founder of Led Zeppelin and Atlantic Records.
The band will play together for the first time in 19
years on Nov. 26 at The O2 venue in London.
Led Zeppelin’s remaining members Robert Plant
(vocals), Jimmy Page (guitarist), and John Paul Jones
(bassist) will headline the concert. Drums will be
played by John Bonham’s (original drummer) son Jason.
Other acts that are attending include The Who’s
Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman, Foreigner and young
Scotish singer Paolo Nutini.
30 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Another classic Woody
By Sean Kent
Chronicle Staff
“Kierkegaard was right,” thus
ate Zarathustra. Nonsense? Gibberish? Or downright genius? Depends on the reader.
This past summer, writer, filmmaker and comedian Woody Allen released two sets of essays and
short stories, The Insanity Defense
and Mere Anarchy. For those who
love him the books are a must
have. For those who aren’t that
fond of him, they are an acquired
taste such as a fine glass of Scotch,
once the ice sets in the taste buds
start swirling.
Most of what appears in the
works has previously appeared in
the New Yorker and other news-
papers and journals, dating from
1966 to the present.
Allen’s usual wry sense of humour is ever so present in the pages as topics range from Socrates to
former Disney president Michael
Ovitz’s trial.
“I am fat. I am disgustingly fat. I
am the fattest human I know,” begins The Insanity Defense’s Notes
of the Overfed, Allen’s parody of
Dostoyevsky’s Notes From the Underground. He claims to have written the section after reading Dostoyevsky and a Weight Watcher’s
magazine on the same plane trip.
Other memorable works from
The Insanity Defense include The
Schmeed Memoirs about Hitler’s
barber during wartime Germany.
“As I told the trial at Nurem-
berg,” claims Schmeed, “ I did not
know that Hitler was a Nazi. The
truth was that for years I thought
he worked at the phone company.”
Then Schmeed goes on to recount
how Hitler once contemplated
growing sideburns and became
furious when word came through
that Churchill was growing them.
Then there’s Selections from
the Allen Notebooks, compiled
of short paragraphs in which Allen takes on his usual paranoid
delusional role. “Getting through
the night is becoming harder and
harder,” it begins, “Last evening, I
had the uneasy feeling that some
men were trying to break into my
room to shampoo me. But why?”
In Mere Anarchy’s Thus Ate
Zarathustra, Allen claims that Frie-
derich Nietzsche’s diet book was
discovered following his death,
“No philosopher came close to
solving the problem of guilt and
weight until Descartes divided
mind and body in two, so that the
body could gorge itself while the
mind thought, who cares? It’s not
me.”
Some of the selections from
Mere Anarchy were inspired by
absurd stories Allen had read in
the New York Times and elsewhere.
How Deadly Your Taste Buds,
My Sweet came from a story in
which a 2.6 lb white truffle was
sold at an auction in London for
$110,000.
Then there’s Glory Hallelujah,
Sold! Which Allen wrote after
finding out there was a “self-style
Prayer Guy,” who sells personalized prayers to people on e-bay.
“The proposition read,” writes Allen, “Bard wanted to write special
material good pay no atheists
please.”
Near the end of the book there’s
Surprise Rocks Disney Trial, which
brings one final witness to the
stand for former Disney president
Michael Ovitz’s trial.
“Counsel:
Will the witness
please state his name.
“Witness:
Mickey Mouse.”
From beginning to end The Insanity Defense and Mere Anarchy
are bound to bring forth a chuckle
or two. For those new to Allen just
let the ice settle and remember Kierkegaard was right.
Fall into fashion
Cowabunga!
Trends:
sweaters,
legwarmers,
and neutral
colours
Classic ‘80s
cartoons turn
blockbuster
By Amy Gohr
Chronicle Staff
By Vanessa Reidt
Chronicle Staff
Keep cool, stay warm.
With the fall season right
around the corner, it’s time to get
fashion savvy with the new trends
that will keep you warm and looking good.
“People this year are obsessed
with sweaters!” said Paula Florence, an employee at Bluenotes in
the Oshawa Centre.
Plaid coats, jackets with fur
on the hood, print sweaters, polo
shirts, leg warmers and low rise
jeans are some of the styles of this
season, said Florence.
Kandice Stanley, manager at
the new store Town Shoes that
opened recently at the OC, said
ankle boots are the number one
shoe this fall. Pointy shoes and
round shoes are most popular
with animal prints on them. Silver,
metallic and patent shoes are all in
style this season with brown, red
and burgundy leather purses.
“A fashion must is ankle boots
with skinny jeans. Also, tuck your
jeans into your boots,” said Stanley.
Legwarmers have come back
from the early ‘80s and have become a big fashion statement.
Town Shoes ankle boots range
from $150 to $180.
The ‘70s flare jean has also
made a comeback this fall at Guess
in the OC.
“The flare jean, with a blouse
and vest over top has become a big
hit,” said Carly Boyes, an employee at Guess. White, red, grey and
black are all colours of the season,
Photo by Vanessa Reidt
AUTUMN TRENDS: Tianna Hamel models fall fashions
from GARAGE clothing in the Oshawa Centre.
she said.
Men’s fall fashion has a similar
trend.
“Guys don’t like the looser fit
any more. Fitted shirts and pants
are popular, with mainly neutral
dark colours as their choice,” said
Majoire Santos, an employee at
Guess. Blazers, pinstripes, leather
jackets and hoodies are all popular for men, said Santos.
More fashion styles this fall,
like knit wears, sweater dresses
with leggings, leggings with shorts,
capris, and flat shoes are all carried
from summer to fall said assistant
manager Kathryn Bombino at Le
Chateau.
“There is a big ‘40s influence in
this year’s fall fashion, like the pencil skirts, satin, tweed and wool,”
she said. “Lucite jewelry that is
thick clear plastic to wear on your
wrists and neck are a big hit this
season as well.”
Bombino suggested a sweater
dress this fall is a must, with skinny
jeans and ankle boots.
All of the new fall fashion trends
will give everyone a new look to
keep cool and stay warm for the
season.
What do talking chipmunks,
robots that turn into cars, little
blue people and super-humans
have in common? They’re all
popular ‘80s cartoons, and
they’re the new breed of blockbuster movies.
The movie industry follows
certain genre trends, among
them fantasy, horror and comic
books. The most recent of these
trends is ‘80s cartoons being
formatted for the big screen.
“The ‘80s is totally retro right
now,” said Travis Wood, an independent filmmaker and producer for CTV/MTV.
“You have to remember the
remake itself has been cycling
through the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and
now we’ve hit the ‘80s.
Once filmmakers can milk
everything possible, they will
move on to the ‘90s with things
like Saved By the Bell or a liveaction Doug.”
It started with the animated
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
movie, followed by the liveaction Transformers, this summer’s biggest blockbuster movie, which grossed $155.4 million
in its opening week, according
to Variety Entertainment News.
Because Transformers was met
with such praise, it appears film
companies are optioning these
old favourites to cash in on
childhood nostalgia.
Now we’re seeing previews
for Alvin and the Chipmunks,
as well as online confirmation
for the cartoons The Smurfs, GI
Joe, Voltron, ThunderCats, and
He-Man to be made into films
within the next three years.
“It seems like the safe buffer
zone is 20 years or so before you
go back and touch a movie,” said
Wood. “Sometimes we’re lucky
and movies like Transformers
turn out to be pretty good. Now,
I’m not sure how much can be
said for Garfield and Alvin.”
Wood feels that the resurgence of ‘80s favourites comes
as a combination of both a lack
of original movie ideas and the
movie industry responding to
what viewers want.
“In cases like this it’s always
what viewers want,” said Wood.
“It’s so hard to be original today
in film. You have to go to great
lengths and do some pretty genius stuff to make a real impact
on audiences.
“Yet there will always be
fresh original stuff coming out,”
Wood added, “and there will be
remakes and rip-offs too.
What it really comes down to
is money for production houses.
If Transformers flopped, there
might not be a Voltron on the
way.”
According to Variety, Warner
Bros. and producer Joel Silver
are working with Mattel to turn
cult favourite He-Man and the
Masters of the Universe into a
live-action movie in the style of
director Zack Snyder’s 300.
Unlike many cartoons of
the ‘80s, He-Man was born as a
Mattel action figure; the cartoon
was created in hopes of selling
the dolls. Brad Pitt, among others, has been rumoured to play
He-Man.
It was also announced in
June that Warner Bros. has optioned the rights to make a CGI
animated feature film based on
the ThunderCats cartoon.
The script has been written
by Paul Sopocy and will be produced by Spring Creek Productions.
“It is a smart move in the
sense of a built-in fan base from
all the kids who have now grown
up and are paying adults, bringing their own kids to see it (the
remake).
“What I’m waiting for is when
we start remaking the remakes
of movies,” said Wood.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
31
S
PORTS
Rec centre creating a buzz
Durham College-UOIT Chronicle
By Michael Stathopoulos
Chronicle Staff
Athletics at Durham College
and UOIT received a major boost
with the official grand opening of
the new Campus Recreation and
Wellness Centre.
A press conference was held in
the new 28,500-square-foot triple
gymnasium on Sept. 12.
It was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony that included key
figures in the development of the
centre – Durham president Leah
Myers, UOIT president Dr. Ronald Bordessa, athletic director Ken
Babcock and SA president Fraser
McArthur.
The centre, located on the west
side of the campus is sure to impress anyone entering it for the
first time.
“ It’s got the wow effect,” said
Mike Vandenberg, facility attendant at the recreation centre.
“For first-year students, they don’t
know what to expect so they just
accept it and go away with the
thought, ‘this is great’ but for returning students who have seen
the old complex, it’s like ‘whoa’, did
this just happen?”
Naheed Dosani, vice-president
of Internal and Operations feels
the centre has come a long way
and created an excitement on
campus. “The facility is amazing,”
he said. “We saw when it was fourfifths done what it was going to
be. We knew right away when we
walked in it was going to be amazing. I think the buzz on campus is
Photo by Mike Stathopoulos
HOOPIN IT UP: Craig Edwards, a first-year student at UOIT, enjoys some drop-in basketball in the new triple gymnasium at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
unbelievable.”
The massive facility comes in
at a whopping total area of 97,000
square feet. It will house everything from a new workout facility
to a pharmacy, as well as several
examination rooms available to all
students.
The recent completion of the
new Campus Ice Centre, coupled
with the Recreation and Wellness
Centre, will allow all varsity sports
at the college and university to
compete on a level playing field
Consistency the key to
success for Lords golf
By Robert McNab
Chronicle Staff
The Lords men’s golf team will be in tough this
year, but coach Mike Duggan is confident that if his
group stays consistent, they will be able to meet the
challenges that lie ahead.
Last season the team went to their seventh
straight Ping CCAA national championship and
captured their second straight silver medal in the
team competition.
Any coach will tell you that the ultimate goal is
to win a gold medal or a national championship,
but Duggan, who is entering his tenth season as
head coach, isn’t making any bold statements and
he readily admits that things are a bit different this
year.
“The goal is to win, but realistically, I’d like to win
any kind of medal,” he said.
The team will miss departed players such as Tyler Martin and Will Mitchell, and while they can’t
be replaced, Duggan is optimistic the new arrivals
can do the job.
With only two holdovers from last year’s team third-year Professional Golf Management student
Matt St. Thomas and second-year Professional Golf
Management student Ryan Morissette – the rest of
the group will be counted on heavily to pick up the
slack.“The most important
thing for the new guys this year is consistency,”
Duggan said. “If we can consistently shoot in the
low 70s and stay away from shooting a lot of 80s,
we should be okay”.
Duggan sees Humber College as a team that his
players can learn from.
“Their top two players give them a chance to win
every time because they’re always consistent,” he
said.
If the Lords want a medal of any kind, they’ll
have to adjust to some of the courses that might
not be the easiest to play. Some give them more
trouble than others.
“Our players prefer the old style courses such
as Oshawa, as opposed to a links-style course like
Lakeridge, which has really fast greens,” he said.
This year, Duggan would like to see a more fundamental approach to the game.
“I’m really stressing course management this
year, which means thinking a lot more about taking smarter shots and not going to certain clubs
just because everyone else is. All that comes with
experience,” he said.
The Lords season got underway on Sept. 24 at
the DC Invitational at Lakeridge Links Golf Club.
Results not available at press time.
with other major schools in terms
of facilities and recruiting.
Teams will now have access to
numerous services located that
will aid in their development both
on and off the playing surface.
One of the primary services is
the new workout facility, The Flex,
located on the second floor. Carly
McGhie, a former member of the
women’s basketball team at Durham and current Flex employee,
feels it will only benefit the varsity
teams of the college and university
and provide an upgrade from the
old facility.
“It’s going to be a lot better for
the teams in terms of recovery.
Having the option for the health
centre downstairs is going to be
great and being able to come up
here and use all the machines offered including the free motion
machines will be a lot better for
the athletes.”
Also available to the athletes is
a brand new physiotherapy room,
massage therapy, acupuncture
and chiropractic services.
Having these services all under
one roof will allow for quicker care,
which in turn will result in quicker
recovery and a return to game action.
One of the biggest positives of
the recreation and wellness centre
is the ability for varsity coaches to
use it in the recruiting process.
“Our tour for student-athletes is
we take them to residence first, we
take them to the library and then
we bring them here,” said Ken Babcock.
“Students want to see what’s
happening on campus. Where am
I going to sleep, where am I going
to eat, where am I going to hang
out? It’s just a great recruiting trip
and by the time they leave, they’ve
pretty much signed.”
Recreation and Wellness
Centre built for the future
continued from page 1
varsity teams and the main offices can be used as a varsity operating centre.
Students have made a big commitment to paying for this 97,000square-foot centre, committing to
payment of $14 million. Students
will pay $145 per year for the next
25 years. Those who put in payments for the space, but graduated
before completion will receive a
free year’s pass for every payment
made. Alumni of both schools will
also be receiving special rates. Athletic director Ken Babcock points
out that St. Lawrence College recently built a new recreation centre that is only 8,000 square feet
and students there will be paying
$190 per year for 25 years.
The total cost of the facility is
$17 million. The administration
will be pitching in the last $3 million required.
The existing centre has lasted for about 30 years and has a
student capacity of 3,000, while
the new centre has a capacity of
between 16,000 and 17,000 students.
At the 11 a.m. opening cer-
emonies students could be seen
through the glass windows, walking back and forth, using the new
centre. Sarah Murray, a secondyear bachelor of science student,
thinks the yearly fee is worth it.
“A regular year gym membership is closer to $300 and it offers
a variety of top-of-the-line equipment.”
She has already used the gym,
also taking part in some of the free
classes that were running during
the trial week, and loved it. Murray
is going to sign up for classes.
“Hopefully it will encourage
students to take part in physical
education.” The only downside she
can see is that the change rooms
are a bit on the small side.
When it came down to a referendum on whether to invest in
building a new athletic centre, 24
per cent of the student population
turned out to vote, a relatively high
turnout for this type of referendum.
Colleges and universities usually get about 10 per cent turnout.
When all the votes were tallied 86
per cent were in favour of building
a new facility.
32 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
SPORTS NEWS
UOIT’s women set for battle
By Kenny Mayhew
Chronicle Staff
UOIT’s women’s varsity hockey
program is looking to embark on a
journey this year that will give its
student athletes a chance to prove
to university campuses that they
have the character and skill required to form a successful hockey
team. Known as the UOIT Ridgebacks, the team will look to build
on specific assets and character
traits that will in turn shape them
into a winning team. Respect,
passion and commitment will be
among the traits needed for the
team to develop a chemistry that
will translate into a successful season.
The coaching staff, head coach
Gary Pitcher and assistant Scott
Barker, will focus on building a
team that will thrive on player
development,
competitiveness
and experience. These qualities
will be essential to establishing a
contending team in a competitive
division.
Photo by Kenny Mayhew
DROP THE PUCK: UOIT Ridgebacks defenceman Leigh Simpson (above) shows off
the team’s jersey as the girls prepare for upcoming home opener against Western.
“We’ve been building this program for a couple years now,” said
Barker. “We spent last year recruiting six or seven players. We tried
to focus on bringing in a group of
girls that we can add to the core.”
A large factor in the team’s success this year is team chemistry.
The coaching staff organized activities such as a “stick and ball”
tournament to help the players get
to know each other.
“A lot of the girls have played
with each other or against each
other,” Barker said. “Come Sep-
tember the girls were comfortable
with themselves and each other.”
The Ridgebacks will enter
a league featuring nine other
schools. The league will also feature Laurier, Western, Windsor,
Waterloo, Guelph, Brock, York,
Queen’s and U of Toronto. Entering this division as a new team, the
outlook is positive.
“The other schools don’t know
our chemistry and what were
about,” said Barker. “They don’t
know what expectations to have
about us.”
Coaching staff announced the
full team roster at the Brian McFarlane Theatre inside the Total
Hockey Museum in Bowmanville
on Sept. 17. The team will play an
exhibition game Sept. 23 against
the University of Ottawa to celebrate “Total Hockey Day in Bowmanville.”
The team will then travel to St.
Catharines to face Brock, Guelph
and Concordia universities before
their regular season debut against
Western University on Sept. 29 at
1 p.m.
Expectations Durham Lords begin
season on a strong note
high for last
year’s champs
By Mark Milner
Chronicle Staff
Team to
defend gold
with honour
By Rob McNab
Chronicle Staff
The 2007-2008 version of the
Lords women’s fastball team
can be summed up in one word:
hardworking.
And although that word can
be overused at times, don’t tell
that to head coach Jim Nemish.
Nemish, who is entering his 19th
season as head coach, has high
hopes for a club that won a gold
medal last season.
“Our expectations are always
high and our goal is always to
win a national championship.
We’d be happy with any kind of
medal, but our goal is always a
gold medal,” Nemish said.
The coach believes this year
he has the team to do it. He noted that there are some areas of
concern, however.
“Our bench is weaker, but
everyone’s working hard and
I’m really happy about the effort that everyone’s showing,” he
said.
There are seven players returning this season, but one
player who won’t be around is
former rookie of the year, three
time all-star and last year’s
OCAA batting champion, Karen
McWilliams, who cannot return
because she in enrolled at Trent
University.
“Karen was the player who
really got us going last year, she
was our leadoff hitter and really
set the tone for everyone on the
team. She was our catalyst and
she will be missed,” he said.
Nemish will be counting instead on several other veteran
players to fill the void and set an
example for some of the younger ones.
Catcher Vanessa Chaborek
is someone that Nemish thinks
highly of and he’s looking for her
to step up and provide some
leadership. Other players expected to make an impact are
Amanda Ellison, Danielle Smith
and Jenn Landry, who Nemish
credits for her dedication to the
game.
“Jenn had an ankle injury,
she’s got seven screws in there
and still she comes to the park
every day and gives one hundred per cent,” he said.
That competitive nature is
something that needs to rub off
on everyone else as well. With
teams like St. Clair College, Seneca and Mohawk, the competition is fierce.
In his previous 18 seasons as
head coach, Nemish owns an
.819 winning percentage.
“The coaching staff, great
support from the college and
the effort I see from the girls
every day is what drives me to
continue doing this,” he said.
Baseball season started off
right, if a little late, for the Durham
Lords, with four straight conference wins to start the season.
However, the Lords did lose
two exhibition games to the St.
Clair College Saints, as well as two
more while visiting Jefferson College in New York.
On Sept. 15, the Lords won two
games against Queen’s University
Golden Gaels, by scores of 8-0 and
7-6.
Gary Rose pitched a three-hit
shutout in his first start of the year
in the first game for the Lords,
while relief pitcher Riley Whelan
got the win in the second.
However, the next day against
St. Clair, the Lords lost both games
by scores of 11-6 and 9-1. Getting
the losses were Derek Howe and
Mike Arsenault.
“We came out flat,” said right
fielder Chris Jones. “We made a lot
of errors… it was just a bad day.”
The second game of that doubleheader was especially bad for
the Lords, as a Durham error in
the top of the sixth led to a St. Clair
comeback.
Those two games will not count
towards the conference standings, which remain 4-0, as of press
time.
Earlier, on Sept. 12, the Lords
beat the York University Lions in
both games of a doubleheader,
7-3 and 7-0. The winning pitchers
were Howe and Arsenault, respectively.
The season started off with two
exhibition losses to the Jefferson
College Cannoners in New York,
by scores of 11-1 and 5-3 on Sept.
8. Like the St. Clair games, those
losses have no impact on the
Lords’ conference record.
So despite any losses, the Lords
are looking at the bright side of
things: they’re 4-0 and leading their
conference. And they seem to be
learning their lessons, as well:
“I think we needed Sunday to
get our heads straight,” said Jones,
“to bring us back down to Earth… I
think the season’s going well.”
UOIT student looks to
balance work and play
By Jenner Domroes
Chronicle Staff
The first time you walk through
the doors to the strange, crowded
halls you may feel overwhelmed
with emotions.
Fear. You’re not sure what to
expect or where to go from there.
Sadness. The life you know and
are comfortable with is just outside those doors.
Excitement. While the comfortable part of your life is on the
other side of those doors, a new life
is now beginning for you.
Pride. You made it here. Accomplished everything before this
moment to get here.
These are just some of the feelings running through your body as
you begin your first day of college
or university.
First-year UOIT Business Commerce student, Morgan Mitchell,
can relate to some of these feelings.
While she may feel unsure of
university life right now, Mitchell
is sure about what she wants to do
with her life.
“Ideally, I want to run some
kind of business. Right now it’s
landscaping.”
Mitchell is a person with many
passions: art, photography, landscaping, writing and sports. But
her biggest passion, which is clear
from the way her eyes light up and
her quiet voice becomes animated
when speaking of it, is hockey.
Mitchell, who plays defense for
the women’s UOIT Ridgebacks
hockey team, has been playing
since the age of 10. Before joining the Ridgebacks she played for
Whitby Junior Wolf AA. With five
practices and two games a week,
Mitchell only has time for four
classes per semester right now, so
graduating may take longer than
expected. But this doesn’t bother
Mitchell. Instead, she smiles and
gives a small shrug, saying there
are other options like summer
school and online courses.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
33
SPORTS NEWS
Leafs take to ice at GM Centre
By Dave Butt
Chronicle Staff
More than 5,000 screaming
fans came out to welcome the
Toronto Maple Leafs to their first
visit at the General Motors Centre,
where they held their annual Blue
and White Game last Sunday.
Some of the stars taking to the
ice on the Blue team were captain
Mats Sundin, Thomas Kaberle and
the new highly-anticipated forward, Jason Blake.
The White team had in its lineup tough guy Darcy Tucker, power
forward Kyle Wellwood and Bryan
McCabe backing up on defence.
Last year the game was held at
the Air Canada Centre, but Leaf
fan James Beden doesn’t mind
taking the trip from Toronto.
He attends about one game a
month because of high ticket prices, as do many Leaf fans.
“You’re around real hockey fans
here,” said Beden, “not guys in business suits who got tickets for free.”
The Leafs’ new jerseys were
seen on the team for the first time,
too. Beden fells they’re probably
better for the players, but just don’t
look as cool.
Corey Komopka from Port
Hope, could be seen with his friend
Sam Wilson, from anywhere in the
arena with their blue and white
faces, hair, and clothing.
Komopka said he was happy
not to have to go into Toronto to
see NHL hockey.
Also taking to the ice was the
Oshawa Generals’ own Dale
Mitchell, who was drafted 74th by
the Leafs last June.
Mitchell had a huge season
Photo by David Butt
BLUE AND WHITE: Mats Sundin (right) and Ben Ondrus battle for the puck at the Blue and White game in Oshawa.
last year with the Gens, scoring 43
goals and finishing off the season
with a total of 80 points.
“It was exciting to line up
against guys you watch all your
life, like Sundin and Kaberle,” said
Mitchell, when asked about the
Get fit this month
By Amy Gohr
Chronicle Staff
Looking to get in shape? Fitness classes are now available at
the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
Classes began Sept. 17, and
are being held in the new aerobic
studios and training room. Initial
classes include abs and back, kickboxing and spin.
Sept. 12 to 15, students and
staff had the opportunity to test all
classes for free.
Student and staff classes are
offered at a discounted rate – $60
per semester; you can take as
many classes as you like during
that time.
To register, see the main desk at
the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre and pick up a weekly
schedule.
experience.
The skill level is a drastic improvement when comparing to
the OHL said Mitchell.
Gens fans will see him again
this season after announcing last
week that he will be returning to
the team.
Oshawa-born Jay Harrison, who
was part of the Leafs line-up, said
it was great to come back home to
Durham Region, where he both
watched and played hockey.
“It was my first time in the new
building. It’s a beautiful facility,”
Harrison added.
All proceeds from the event
went to the Ronald McDonald
Charity, which received a cheque
before the game for $50,000.
B-ball try-outs begin
By Dwayne Wynter
Chronicle Staff
There were sore limbs, aching
bones, cries of agony and bodies
lying on the floor in pain.
Though it may sound like
someone’s favourite horror movie or the battlefield in Iraq, those
words describe the start of a new
year for the Durham Lords basketball team.
Under the bright lights of the
Campus Athletic Centre’s basketball court, 25-30 hopefuls
tried out for this year’s team.
Working hard and sweating
profusely, players played against
one another trying to prove their
worth to the coaching staff, headed by Peter Gordon.
“This is one of the better teams
that I’ve had,” Gordon commented while watching from the sidePhoto by Dwayne Wynter
lines. “We are more athletic.”
DETERMINATION: It’s all or nothing for the men who
Players trying to impress want to make a spot on this year’s team.
showed off creative moves and
hustled for loose balls.
Displaying good hands for
Other key players to watch for
However, according to Gor- the basketball and a soft shoot- are Tyler Pelley and super-quick
don, it will take a positive atti- ing touch around the basket, he returning point guard Michael
tude and good defense to make shouldn’t be limited to just a de- Savage.
the team.
fensive role either.
Although the Lords won’t
“That’s our goal (defence). OfNot everyone will be new. be the biggest team in terms of
fence has never been our prob- Looking to carry a 15-to-16-man height and size, Gordon believes
lem.”
roster, the Lords will have four or they will be exciting.
Liam McMorrow, a six-foot- five returning players, including
“It should be a sexy year,” he
eleven newcomer, will help that OCAA league scoring champion said.
defensive goal.
and all-star Anthony Batchelor.
34 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
SPORTS NEWS
Ridgebacks have golden weekend
By Mark Milner
Chronicle Staff
Gold. It’s what’s on the mind of
the UOIT rowing teams after their
multiple gold medal-winning
weekend.
In their first regattas, UOIT’s
rowing crews won gold in three
different races, a tally that includes the first-ever gold medal
for the women’s rowing crew, and
one silver medal.
“Overall, I’m very pleased,” said
rowing coach Rob Millikin. “They
gave it their all… we went against
some of the best schools in that
conference.”
The women’s novice cox four
crew won a gold medal at the
Western Invitational Regatta on
Sept. 16, finishing with a time of
19:43:4. Rowing were Valerie Naylor, Jessica Bosse, Laurie Moote,
Melissa Szabo and Jennifer Ouellette.
Also winning gold at was the
men’s novice eight, winning with
a time of 22:56:7.
Rowing on this crew were Colin Jeffery, Michael Orram, Mark
Heinen, Rob Nayor, Adrian Baker,
Alex Sabo, Kevin Van Rooy, Rob
De Vries and Jo Liang.
Photo by Mark Milner
EARLY MORNING ON THE LAKE: The UOIT Ridgebacks rowing team training on Lake Scugog in preparation for
the Head of the Thames and Western Invitational regattas. The Ridgebacks rowing team won three gold medals.
The day before, at the Head
of the Thames regatta, the nov-
ice men’s eight crew finished in
15:27:4 for UOIT’s first gold medal
of the weekend.
The varsity heavy women’s
crew won a silver medal, finishing
with a time of 5:49:3.
Ridgebacks ready to row Gens new owner
ready for season
By Mark Milner
Chronicle News
Morning comes early for the UOIT rowing
team, usually with a 4 a.m. wake-up call. The carpool comes at 5, meeting these students and taking them up to Port Perry.
It’s here, on the shores of Lake Scugog, where
they train, five days a week from September until early November. It’s here, in what looks like a
large garage, where they meet, where they unload
the boats, oars, lifejackets, all well before 6, well
before sunrise.
“I just wanted the exercise,” says Alex Sabo,
one of the newest members of the rowing team.
“I thought it’d be good to try. I’d never done it before.”
Others say they wanted something to get them
up early or that they were looking for a challenge.
At least one says she’s stayed because she likes
watching the sunrise from out on the lake.
Once at the lake though, the students break
up into their crews, getting ready and loading the
boats into the water as a team, each person lifting their own share of the load – just like they will
once they’re in the water.
Together, the rowing crew carries their boat
down to the dock (there’s often a lineup, too. A
passerby of this scene could well see four long
boats lined up in single file, all waiting their turn).
When they get down to the lake, after the boat
is in the water, they all take off their shoes, then
another jacket – it gets cold out on the water this
early - and get in the boat.
Usually two full boats can take off at once – 16
rowers – but if they’re using smaller boats, up to
four may take off.
This morning, though, after a quick shove to
move the boat away from the dock, and a yell
from the boat’s coxswain, 16 rowers take off into
the darkness on the lake.
Robin Millikin is the head of UOIT’s rowing
program and was one of the founding members
of the Durham Rowing Club back in 1989.
And he rowed crew years ago, in his own college days, during the 1950s.
“It’s not a sport,” he says of rowing. “It’s an addiction.”
Last year was the first year for UOIT’s rowing
team, and nobody expected the small, scrappy
team from a new university to compete, especially against established schools like Queens, McGill
or Brock.
However, their novice men’s eight team finished fifth at their first regatta, the Western Invitational, then fifth again at the Trent Regatta.
At the Brock University Invitational, they finished first .
Bring those hands out low,” yells Millikin from
his boat, as it slowly drifts alongside an eight-person crew, “I don’t want to see any skipping!”
Once all the rowers have gotten out onto the
lake, the coaches get into their own boats and motor out after them. From those vantage points that
they direct the rowers and time their strokes.
The key for a rowing crew to win a race is to
have at least 20 strokes a minute for the duration
of the race - which is least 240 strokes for each
rower.
“Each rower is expected to dead lift their own
weight,” says Millkin. “240 strokes is like 240 dead
lifts in eight minutes.”
He compares rowing to putting a stake in the
ground. The rower lifts his or her oar and drives it
into the water, using it to push the boat along.
Then they lift the oar out of the water and do it
again, 240 times.
Thus, the training program for the rowers focuses on free weights more than anything else.
They do exercises with truck tires or with heavy
bags for an hour a day during the off-season.
Their mandate isn’t just to win, says Millikin,
but to also turn out a well-conditioned athlete.
So far, this dedication to fitness has been the
key to UOIT’s success.
The Head of the Thames regatta in London,
Ont., on Sept. 15, is the start of rowing season for
the Ridgebacks.
Competing in a tight field that included schools
such as Western, Trent and Brock, the Ridgebacks
managed to pull out a win in the novice eight
men’s crew and a silver medal in the Varsity heavy
women’s crew.
The next day at the Western Invitational Regatta, they struck gold again, winning in two different events: the women’s novice cox four and the
men’s novice eight.
“Nobody expected us to be competitive,” said
Millkin.
“Those kids rose to the challenge… This year,
they’ll be watching for us.”
By Kenny Mayhew
and Chris Jones
Chronicle Staff
The Generals finally got a new
owner. Well not exactly. Owner
John Davies decided to split ownership with a new up and comer.
Roco Tulliois is his name, and
both him and Davies are optimistic about the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Generals.
Over that period, the Generals
have won 12 OHL Championships and four Memorial cups.
“I’m delighted to have Rocco
on board as a partner of the Oshawa Generals and looking forward to his involvement with the
Generals family,” said Davies.
“Rocco brings great passion
and drive to our organization and
real values as well, with his many
business contacts.”
It wasn’t an easy thing to get
Davies to sell over half his franchise though.
“As soon as I heard there could
be an opportunity for co-ownership I called (Davies),” said Tullio.
It took Tullio approximately 60
hours to convince him to sell, but
eventually he got through to him.
“Which just goes to show you.
If you aim for something don’t
listen to negative comments. You
can do whatever you want.” Tullio
said.
Both Tullio and Davies decided not to tell the public how
much money was offered.
Tullio is excited to be part of
this organization and emphasizes
the player’s talents and goals.
“All these kids are overwhelmed with talent. I can’t wait
to see these kids in the NHL,” said
Tullio
Tullio can’t wait to show his
style of managing this upcoming
season.
“I’m looking to be a good partner with the city of Oshawa and
helping out in the community
any way I can. You always dream
about playing for or owning a
hockey team when you’re a kid
and I’m delighted to be able to
be a part of the Generals in this
way.”
John Tavares is back from the
Canada and Russia Super Series,
or as head coach Brad Selwood
likes to put it “the pooper series,”
due to the whipping team Canada layed on Russia.
“It was a good experience. I
played a different role in this series, I played the assist role.” Tavares said.
“I just can’t wait for the upcoming season so I can put the puck
in the net.”
Tavares’ draft eligibility for the
2008/2009 NHL season was kept
confidential because he’s keeping
the Generals his main priority.
“I just want to focus on the
team and help win,” he said.
Head coach Selwood is doing
everything he can to prepare for
the season opener against Sudbury, “You don’t have enough paper”, he said about his strategies.
Then he went on to suggest
that the team holds practices
every day at 4 p.m. and works
on special teams, conditioning,
systems and everything else possible to bring the team to where it
needs to be.
The team holds its season
opener at the GM Centre at 7:35
pm where they will host the Sudbury Wolves, last year’s Memorial
Cup winners.
After the conclusion of the
game, they will head to Belleville
to face the Bulls.
The Chronicle
September 25, 2007
36 The Chronicle
September 25, 2007