April 4, 2004 - Niagara News

Transcription

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Niagara News
www.niagara-news.com
Volume 33 Issue 14
Free
April 4, 2003
Top athletes celebrate success at banquet
By IAN SHANTZ
Staff Writer
Many Niagara College students strive for a successful education. Others strive for athletic success.
Some do both.
Students, coaches and other college personnel were
on hand to recognize this year’s top student athletes
at the 34th annual athletic awards, held at the After
Hours pub on March 25.
Nicole Webber, 20, of Iona Station, Ont., who
received this year’s female freshman of the year
award for her domination on the volleyball court,
says she was excited to win.
“My heart was pounding and I was just, like, whoa,
awesome.”
She seemed surprised at the fact she won. “I didn’t
actually think I would win it. I thought for sure someone from basketball would get it (the award), because
they had won a medal, and that was big.”
Webber, who is in the Business Administration program at the Glendale campus in Niagara-on-theLake, contributed to the team as a backup setter and
offensively as a back-up right side player. She closed
out the season as the starting setter, where she helped
the Knights to an Ontario College Athletic
Association (OCAA) Western region title, as well as
a medal at the provincials.
She acknowledges her coach Carolyn Welden by
saying she (Welden) helped her through the season,
especially while she was injured during the start of
the season.
“I am so happy with my season. I enjoyed my time
this year,” says Eduart Uka, 24, of Tirana, Albania,
this year’s male freshman of the year.
Uka, in his first year of the General Arts and
Science and English as a Second Language programs,
is a power hitter with the Knights men’s volleyball
team. He finished the season with 95 kills, eight
stuffed blocks and 13 service aces, for a total of 116
points and an average of 3.3 points a game.
Uka, who finished as one of the top three scorers on
his team, and seventh in the OCAA Western region,
was also recognized with all-star honours for two of
the four tournaments the Knights participated in.
Uka says he was “happy with the team’s success
this year.”
A big winner of the evening was Eliran Kikos, 25,
Continued on page 18
Photo submitted
Post-grad student killed in crash
JAGDEEP SINGH
By JASON RUMLEY
Staff Writer
Niagara College lost one of its
own on March 17.
Jagdeep Singh, 22, of India, a
student in the Interactive
Multimedia (Post-graduate) program, died in a car accident in
India along with two other friends.
Sadness struck his family,
friends and the teachers and students in his program.
“The college extends its sympathy to Jagdeep’s family and
friends, and staff and students of
the Interactive Multimedia program
and
International
Department,”
says
Darrell
Neufeld, manager of Corporate
Communications at the college.
“He had gone to India to see a
sick relative and was due back the
first week of April,” says Linda
Roote, of Welland, a professor in
the Interactive Multimedia (Postgraduate) program at the college’s
Welland campus.
“He had lots of potential,” says
Roote, who had been teaching
Jagdeep since September. “He
was a nice guy, well liked within
class and got along well with
everyone.”
Roote says Singh had a fulltime job set up for him in Canada
with a relative.
Singh’s roommate Nirav Shah,
25, of India, also a student in the
Interactive Multimedia (PostContinued on page 3
Leslie Greener, 23, of Cambridge, Ont., accepts her award as
the most valuable player on the college’s curling team. Giving
her the award is Ray Sarkis, the college’s athletic director.
Photo by Emily Cormier
Index
War on Iraq
Staff Spotlight
Editorials
Columns
Award Winners
Pg. 5
Pg. 6-7
Pg. 8
Pg. 9-10
Pg. 12
Battle of the Bands
Health
Entertainment
Success Stories
Sports
Pg. 13
Pg. 15
Pg. 16
Pg. 17
Pg. 18
Niagara News last edition for this semester is April 17
th
Only one paper left to get your message out to 5,000 full-time students and over 1,200 staff!
Special rates available for graduation and good-bye messages!
Deadline for advertising noon Friday, April 11th
Ask about our special “start-up package.” Purchase an ad in the
final edition this year and get an ad in the first fall edition for half price.
Please call Linda at 905-735-2211 ext. 7748 for more information.
Niagara News, April 4, 2003, Page 3
Student remembered with memorial service
Continued from page 1
-graduate) program, says he was “very close” to him.
“There was the three of us living together. Now there’s only
two. It’s very quiet now,” says Shah.
“He really enjoyed Canada, the school, the school pub and
Niagara Falls. He really enjoyed life.”
Shah says he is missed among his friends here.
“He was very funny, always laughing and joking around. He
had many Canadian friends here as well,” says Hassan Mujtaba,
24, of Pakistan, also a student in the Interactive Multimedia
(Post-graduate) program.
“The last time he was leaving to India he asked if we needed
any traditional food and stuff like that. He was very caring,”
says Mujtaba.
“I met him the first day of school. He was one of my best
friends,” says Srinath Appala, 23, of India, a student in Singh’s
program.
Asked what he’ll remember most about Singh, Appala says,
“He liked to dance. He was kind of an emotional guy.”
“He was very close to me. Very funny guy. We liked to joke
with each other,” says Palak Patel, 21, of India, also a student
in the same program.
Patel says he used to go to his house often and they’d go to
the pub together.
“He liked beer very much. His favourite beer was Molson
Canadian,” says Patel.
Patel says Singh was fond of Canada and knew he want-
ed to go to the United States this summer, but
was turned down for a visa.
“I will remember Jagdeep, or ‘Ronny’ as he
called himself here at the college, as a happy fellow, sometimes rebellious, but always smiling
and helpful to his fellow students,” says Dave
Robinson, Interative Multimedia (Post-graduate)
program co-ordinator, in a letter he wrote to
Singh’s family.
“I believe he demonstrated intelligence, maturity and a clear direction and focus on his own
personal agenda for his educational needs.”
“He liked to challenge the limits and set his
own parameters for his life and his studies
here at Niagara College,” says Robinson.
“We will miss Jagdeep, and we will think of
him fondly. We plan to create a permanent
memorial to honour Jagdeep and celebrate his
life as a student, classmate and friend. It will be
displayed in our Interactive Multimedia teaching
facility in his memory,” says Robinson in his letter to the family.
In remembrance of Singh, the college’s flags at
the Welland campus were at half-staff on March
25. A memorial service was held at the Welland The flags flew at half-staff in Singh’s memory on March 25.
campus Black Walnut building on March 26.
Photo by Dane McBurnie
New editors, writers produce next two editions
After seven months and 13
newspapers, the Niagara News
is
undergoing
personnel
changes.
The Journalism-Print program
second-year students are gone,
Nicole Johnson
Editor
Heather Crole
Assistant Editor
Casandra Bellefeuille
Charlotte Brett
Photo Crew Chief
Associate Editor
but certainly not forgotten.
Their tenure at the college is
ending with a one-month field
placement at various publications, including community and
daily newspapers, public relations departments and photography positions.
Students will be showing their
skills in the newsrooms of The
Niagara Falls Review, Listowel
Banner, Goderich Signal Star,
The Welland Tribune, Midland
Mirror,
Lucknow
Sentinel,
Ottawa
Citizen,
Hamilton
Spectator, Barrie Advance and
The Independence.
Several students will be han-
dling production and pagination
duties with the Niagara News,
The Niagara Falls Review and
High Advertising in Belleville.
Two students will be handling
photography assignments with
the Welland Fire Department for
a promotional publication.
Others will be handling magazine editorial duties with
Formula Publications which
produces Leisureways, Going
Places, Journey, S.O.H.O.,
Globe and Mail Real Estate;
Canadian Musician, Hamilton
Magazine, CCP Children’s
Magazine and The Spill, both in
Niagara News retraction/apology
Greco seeks more involvement at Niagara
Incorrect information appeared
in the March 21, 2003 edition of
Niagara News on page 18 in the
report on Sandra Greco.
The correct information should
have read as follows.
Sandra Greco, 26, of Niagara
Falls, Ont., wants to be involved
as much as she can be with
Niagara College’s students and
the public.
Holding a part-time post at the
Glendale campus Information
Desk in Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Greco says she has always “wanted to be involved as much as I can
be, to learn more about the cam-
pus and provide what I learn to the
students and out to the public.”
After graduating from St.
Michael’s Secondary School, in
Niagara Falls, Greco enrolled in
the college’s two-year Office
Administration – Executive (Coop) program. As part of her co-op
she worked in the Admissions and
Financial Aid departments here at
the Welland campus. Following
graduation in 1998, she was
employed as an administration
assistant outside the college.
Her first love, though, was still
Niagara College. In February 2000,
she joined the staff of the college’s
Continuing Education department
housed, at that time, in Hennepin
Hall, at the Welland campus.
“I was much happier to have
returned to the college,” Greco
says of her 18-month posting.
In June 2002 an opportunity in
the Professional Development
office found Greco expanding her
knowledge of the college’s operations for about nine months. The
office provides educational
resources and support to the college’s faculty and staff.
“It was a very fulfilling position. I enjoyed it very much, but
I missed the students and dealing
with students, so I resigned. I
networked with Student Services
and wanted to be involved with
students and the public of
Niagara College.”
In early 2003, Greco got her
wish. She’s working part-time,
for an “indefinite” period, at the
Information Desk of the
Glendale campus in Niagara-onthe-Lake and happy to be meeting students and the public again.
It is the policy of Niagara
News to correct errors of fact. We
apologize for any embarrassment
resulting from errors.
Toronto.
The program’s first-year students are at the helm with four new
editors: Nicole Johnson, 19, of St.
Catharines, as editor; Casandra
Bellefeuille, 19, of Delhi, Ont., as
associate editor; and Heather
Crole, 21, of Fonthill, as assistant
editor. Charlotte Brett, 18, of
Niagara Falls, is the new photography crew chief.
The 43-member class did the
reporting, writing, editing, photography and layout and design of this
edition.
The final edition of the Niagara
News will be published Thursday,
April 17.
Correction
Incorrect information appeared
in the Niagara News edition of
Friday, March 21, 2003.
On page 15, in a cutline for
a Niagara Idol photograph,
the correct name is Todd
Graves.
On page 26, in a cutline for
a photograph illustrating the
report on candidates for the
Student
Administrative
Council president election,
the correct name is Mark
Hardwick.
It is the policy of Niagara
News to correct errors of fact.
We’re looking for volunteers!
The Campus Improvement Committee invites all faculty staff and students to help clean up our campus
in time for our upcoming VIP events when prospective students and their families
will be attending program information sessions at Niagara College"
Clean Up Day at the Glendale campus in Niagara&on&the&Lake is Tuesday April ) from *+ a"m" to noon"
Clean Up Day at the Welland campus is Wednesday April , from *+ a"m" to noon"
During these events Aramark Food Services will provide hotdogs on the barbecue"Staff and students who are unable to participate can buy a
hotdog and pop for 0"1+" The proceeds will be donated to support the college’s Campus Clean Up Campaign this September"
Page 4, Niagara News, April 4, 2003
Double cohort comes with $3-billion cost
By LISA POOLE
Staff Writer
As Ontario high school students
prepare to graduate, they’re questioning how the double cohort is
going to affect their chance of getting into the college or university
of their choice.
The Ministry of Training,
Colleges and Universities has been
planning for the double cohort for
the past four years. The province
has already spent about $3 billion
preparing for the double cohort,
mainly on the construction of new
buildings to accommodate the
increased number of students
expected this September.
The double cohort is created by
the simultaneous graduation of
students from the prior five-year
high school curriculum and the
new four-year curriculum.
Dianne Cunningham, minister
of training, colleges and universities, said in a press release, “We
are in the midst of the largest
expansion in our colleges and universities since the 1960s. This
expansion began with the planning
for students in the double cohort,
but its benefits will last a generation to come. As a minister, I am
committed to providing Ontario
students with the high-quality
post-secondary education that will
equip them with the skills and
expertise they need to succeed.”
According to officials at the
Ontario Colleges Application
Services, they have received
71,000 applicants for September
entry into Ontario colleges. That
number is up about 11,000 from
last year’s applicants. The Ontario
Universities Application Centre
has received 101,949 applicants
for September entry into Ontario
universities, 32,644 more appli-
‘We are in the midst
of the largest
expansion in our
colleges and universities since the
1960s.’
— Dianne
Cunningham
cants than last year.
In the 2003-2004 academic year,
there will be 84,500 first-year
spaces in colleges, an increase of
1.8 per cent, and 68,500 first-year
spaces in universities, an increase
of 16.7 per cent over last year’s
admissions. There are more applicants than there are places. This
puts huge pressure on those high
school students waiting to hear
from the institution of their choice.
“I think it (the double cohort)
definitely puts a lot of pressure on
us to do the best that we can. I
know it affects (some) people
more than others. The best thing
you can do is try not to think about
it and do the best you can,” says
Shaun Blight, 18, an OAC (Grade
13) student.
Blight says his first choice of
school is Trent University, in
Peterborough, Ont., where he wants
to study Concurrent Education. “I
want to be a high school history
teacher once I graduate.”
“You always worry about not
getting into the school you want,
but you have to keep in mind that
it might not work out, so you can’t
get your hopes up. The main thing
to do is do the best you can so you
have options. Then you aren’t
‘forced’ to go to a certain school,”
says Blight.
Ian Dawson, 18, an OAC student, says he thinks the government’s idea to make the OAC year
obsolete was a bad idea.
“The school had an assembly for
the new curriculum graduates, discussing the possibility of current
Grade 12s staying for an extra
year. If that is the case, even if
only during the double cohort,
what is the point of removing
OAC just to create a backlog of
two graduating classes?”
“I am concerned with how
things will turn out. All I can do is
perform at the best level I am
capable of and hope that what I
present the universities with is satisfactory to the new standards that
have been set during this admissions year.”
Dawson says he hopes to attend
the University of Western Ontario,
in London, Ont., this September.
“I want to go to Western for their
MIT (Media and Information
Technology) program, so I can get
number of students that will be
attending a post-secondary education institute this September.
“Our government has always
promised that there would be a
place for every willing and qualified student in a college or university,” said Cunningham in the press
release. “I am pleased to report that
preliminary numbers are within our
plans, and I remain confident that
with the measures we have taken,
and continue to take, we will meet
that commitment.
“I am pleased that Ontario’s colleges and universities continue to
demonstrate their commitment to
provide a high quality education
for students. Our government will
continue to work in partnership
with Ontario’s colleges and universities to meet our commitments
to students in the double cohort
year. Now that the number of
applicants is known, we can come
forward together with confidence
and finish the job we began years
ago,” said Cunningham.
During the application process,
all students from the old and new
curriculums will be considered
equally, but application standards
are expected to rise because of the
large number of applicants.
For more information on the
double cohort you can visit
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/doublecohort/
‘What is the point of
removing OAC just
to create a backlog
of two graduating
classes?’
— Ian Dawson
my BA (bachelor of arts) in journalism.”
The double cohort has already
created an increase of 46.7 per cent
over last year’s applications, yet the
flow-through impact on enrolment
at colleges and universities is
expected to continue for about four
years after the double cohort.
The government’s SuperBuild
program has given Ontario’s colleges and universities $891 million
to help construct new buildings
and upgrade existing facilities, to
try to accommodate the larger
Mature student heads back to college for new start in life
By SARAH ALLINGHAM
Staff Writer
You’re never too young for a
new start.
A lot of middle-aged people are
going back to school to improve
themselves, and Rhonda McIntyre,
56, of St. Anns, is one of them.
Over the years she has graduated from high school, got married,
adopted two boys and raised a
family while her husband was on
the road driving a truck.
In July 1994, however,
McIntyre’s husband, Don, was
involved in a serious car accident
that damaged his back so badly
that he couldn’t drive for a living
anymore. In fact, “he couldn’t
hold a full-time job because it kept
getting worse.”
“With the boys getting older
and needing more expensive
things, Don’s disability cheque
wasn’t cutting it,” McIntyre
says. She decided to go back to
school and enrolled in the
Business Administrative pro-
‘It wasn’t easy
going back because
I’m older and that
makes it difficult
because no one
really accepts you
… sometimes I just
wanted to quit …’
— Rhonda McIntyre
gram at Niagara College’s
Welland campus in 1996, graduating in 1998.
“It wasn’t easy going back
because I’m older and that
makes it difficult because no one
really accepts you, and with the
money involved, sometimes I
just wanted to quit and get a job
at McDonald’s,” McIntyre says.
McIntyre is working for H&R
Block in Welland and in
Grimsby.
“I took another night course,
after I graduated with H&R
Block, and now I work for
them,”
McIntyre says it was hard to
get a full-time job. She says she
was always working two parttime jobs “just to make ends
meet.” She says was a bookkeeper for a lumberyard “for a
long time.”
McIntyre says, “My advice is
if you really want to succeed,
you just have to try and give it
all your best.”
OSAP Web site makes Students in need of aid barely receive it
applying for a loan easier
OSAP for both of the years she
has been attending Niagara
College for one of the more
expensive programs offered,
Dental Hygiene.
Kennedy says she used the
Web site both times she applied
and used it with ease.
“Using the Web site was really
easy. Basically, you click on the
pull-down menus. It (all needed
forms and information) is all
there. You can’t miss it,” says
Kennedy, 24, of her experiences
using the Web site.
Kennedy says she plans to pay
off her debts as fast as she can.
“After the six months, I think,
they give you a minimum amount
you have to pay. I will triple it or
whatever I can afford, to pay it
off as quickly as possible. But I
will probably be in debt for a
while after school.”
For more information on
receiving OSAP, visit the Web
site at http://osap.gov.on.ca/ or
visit the financial aid office in the
college.
are an active part of her life.
“Every day brings something
different.”
She says she feels “you need
to enjoy each and every day
‘It should be easier
for students to get
money availability,
because some truly
need the help.’
Photo by Don Armstrong
By MELISSA MALYK
Staff Writer
It’s bright blue and gives students money.
The Ontario Student Assistant
Program (OSAP) Web site is full
of eye-pleasing effects, such as
pleasant colours and easy-to-follow links, highlighted for convenience. The bonus of the Web site
is that you can apply for money
from the government.
There are some criteria. You
have to be a student attending or
applying to attend a post-secondary school and a resident of
Ontario. You also have to be
approved by officials to get the
money, but it is still an interestfree loan. Sort of.
The government pays the
loan’s interest for you as long as
you are in school and maintaining passing marks, and for a period of six months after finishing
school, considered to be a grace
period. What happens then?
Kristi
Kennedy,
of
Leamington, Ont., has used
By MELISSA SCHNEIDER
Staff Writer
When you like what you do, that
feeling is reflected in your work.
Kathy Borisenko, a Niagara
College financial aid adviser, is
proof of this philosophy.
Born in Northern Ireland, she
says the thing she most enjoys
about her job is interacting with
the students.
She says she considers herself
successful. If she could work anywhere, she says she would work at
the college’s Welland campus
because of her friendly co-workers, the polite students and the
acceptance of the surrounding college community.
If she won $1 million,
Borisenko says she would take
early retirement while still keeping
herself involved in the life of the
college. She would give some of
her winnings to those students in
desperate need of financial help
and more to relatives and friends.
If she could change one thing
about her job, she says it would be
“the politics.”
From her perspective, it’s not
acceptable the way people who
Kathy Borisenko working at her
desk in the Financial Aid office.
really need financial assistance are
usually the ones who barely
receive it. “It should be easier for
students to get money availability,
because some truly need the help.”
If Borisenko could do any
job at the college, she says it
would be what she’s doing
now. The students and staff
— Kathy Borisenko
and feel glad that you can help
people.”
Borisenko says her definition of success is “getting up
in the morning and being able
to look at yourself in the mirror. Knowing that even if what
you do doesn’t affect the entire
world affects people in a positive manner, and if you can say
you like what you do, you’re
successful.”
Borisenko says, “Just getting
a thank you from a student I’ve
helped brightens my day.”
Americans give support to war troops
By CASANDRA
BELLEFEUILLE
Staff Writer
The U.S.-led war against Iraq
is more than two weeks old.
As U.S. President George Bush
has said repeatedly on television,
the war will last longer than
expected.
“American and Iraqi disputes
should have been done. It’s not
our fight to fight.”
When questioned about the
atmosphere in upper New York
State, Tesch says, “A lot of people are mad because troops from
our (armed forces) reserve left to
go to Iraq. For the most part, people are supporting the guys and
girls who did go over.”
“The war is, however, all over
the TV and newspapers more
than ever before.”
Willie Reese, 51, of Niagara
Falls, N.Y., says he definitely
agrees with Tesch.
“The war should have been finished years ago. The only change
I noticed is that people talk about
the war a lot — a whole lot.”
‘American and
Iraqi disputes
should have been
done.
It’s not our fight
to fight.’
— Teri Tesch
Photo by Greg Valentin
“It should have been finished
in 1991. Bush is trying to finish
what his father didn’t,” says Teri
Tesch, 36, of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
WILLIE REESE
Another Niagara Falls, N.Y.,
resident who wishes to remain
anonymous, expresses some concern about the war, but says,
“(I’m) not for it, that’s for sure. I
know Canada and Mexico don’t
support the war either.
“There are peace rallies in
Washington, San Francisco and
here in Niagara Falls. The rallies
are everywhere.”
Asked about the changes since
the war began, this American
says, “Not much that I know of.
Gas went up a bit to anywhere
between the prices of $1.59 to
$1.75 per gallon.”
“I guess since Sept. 11 (2001),
they (the government) are taking
no more chances. They are going
after all threats.”
The crowds were thick at a peace demonstration in Nathan
Phillips Square in Toronto in January 2003. Demonstrators hoisted huge letters to show their view that the war is over control of
the Iraqi oil fields.
Photo by Melissa Schneider
An unknown man, at the peace demonstration at Nathan Phillips
Square in Toronto, shows his support by handing out newspapers
against the war. This man wove his way through the crowd
spreading his messages of anti-violence.
At the same peace demonstration, demonstrators re-arranged the
letters to spell “war,” instead of “oil.”
Staff Spotlight
First-hand experience also an education
By BRENT WATSON
Staff Writer
Sometimes the best education is
first-hand experience.
Computer teacher Paul Dayboll
is living proof. With no college
education, Dayboll, 43, of Port
Colborne, has had many “enjoyable jobs” and is a member of the
Niagara College faculty.
Dayboll first started as a radio
disc jockey for two years, then
worked in advertising and promotions. He went on to sell cars,
eventually becoming the manager
of a bar for five years.
“To this day, that’s probably the
best training on how to run a business,” says Dayboll. “That’s where
I learned how to use computers.”
Dayboll says he felt the need to
learn more about computers because
he knew that was where industries
were going. He began to create databases and make his own programs
on the computer and sell them.
“I wrote databases because I saw
a need for them,” he says. “To this
day I’m still writing databases.”
He then went on to working in
newspaper composing rooms in
the 1980s, did desktop publishing
and became the manager of a
newspaper composing room.
“Back then, it was pretty roughshod,” he says. “Nobody was really doing desktop publishing much.
“Having learned how to do it on
my own and how to network
things on my own and stuff like
that was what got me hired,” he
says. “Back then, it was all new.”
Dayboll started to teach desktop
publishing at the Welland campus
of the college.
“I had always worked around
the college. I designed the Mac
Lab (located in the Simcoe
Building originally).”
Dayboll says when the opportu-
Faculty member Paul Dayboll assists Elly VanGrootel, of the
Public Relations (Post-graduate) program, between classes in the
Mac Lab in the Black Walnut Building at the Welland campus.
Photo by Brent Watson
nity to come to the college arose, regrets, and there isn’t a single job
he decided to take the position.
that he didn’t enjoy, with one
He says he doesn’t have any exception.
“I went to school for machinist,
and I worked with tool and die for
a while. The factory life was great
as long as I was learning, but then
it got to the point where it was
kind of mundane week after week,
with the same stuff all the time.”
All the other jobs Dayboll had
came from a “gradual transition”
where one thing led to another.
“I probably wasn’t the best onair DJ ever, and decided that wasn’t my skill set, but I learned a lot
doing it.” He says all the things he
learned as a DJ make him more
comfortable in front of a lecture
room full of students.
Now that Dayboll is a teacher,
he spends a lot of time preparing
his classes. “I probably spend 12
hours preparing a lesson.”
“This is the greatest job in the
world. I get paid fairly well, I get a
lot of time off, and I teach stuff
that I already know.”
Dedication shown through 20 years of part-time studies
By RYAN FARKAS
Staff Writer
When she was choosing a career
in high school, being a college
librarian was the last idea in the
back of Sue Bartlett’s mind.
Bartlett, originally of Sudbury,
is the library services co-ordinator
at the Learning Resource Centre
(LRC). She’s worked at the
Welland campus of Niagara
College for 22 years.
Bartlett’s educational background
started here at Niagara, where she
was part of the now-defunct Library
Technician program.
Bartlett says, “I considered the
journalism course because I like
to write.”
After graduation, Bartlett went
to school part time while having a
job and raising children. After 20
years of going to school at nights
and on weekends, Bartlett received
her bachelor of arts degree and her
master’s.
When it came time to decide her
career path in high school, Bartlett
says, “High school was kinda
wild. The job I have now is probably the last thing I would have
chosen.”
The library is soon going to be
implementing a new online system
available to anyone wanting to
access materials. Currently, this
process is being put together
behind the scenes and it’s hoped it
will be operating in the near
future, says Bartlett.
Bartlett has five full-time
employees, two part-time employ-
ees and a number of students
working with her in the LRC.
“They’re super,” she says.
One of the strangest things in
Bartlett’s professional career was a
full clean-out of the library. At one
time, the college’s cafeteria was
part of the original library. When
the clean-out occurred, many old
and outdated books were removed
from the library’s system. Bartlett
says, “Two years ago we totally
emptied out the library. It was
interesting, to say the least.”
When speaking of the future,
Bartlett says she hopes to be
“independently wealthy” and to
“hopefully be skiing somewhere.”
Here are two little-known points
about the library. When a student
has overdue books and comes in
and states this, the library will cut
the fine in half. Also, there is a
grace period of three days for any
overdue materials.
Bartlett says the library isn’t there
to take a student’s money, but rather,
to instill a sense of responsibility.
Staff Spotlight
Plato, Socrates, Descartes and Craig Meuser
By GREG VALLENTIN
Staff Writer
Some may call him a visionary,
some may call him a philosopher,
and others simply prefer to call
him Craig.
Craig Ritchie Meuser, 29, of
Fonthill, began his career as a
part-time philosophy teacher when
he was offered a position at
Niagara College’s Welland campus in January 2002.
Growing up on a farm in
Wainfleet, Meuser says he had
plenty of time to be imaginative
and creative because of the space
the farm provided.
Meuser then moved to Fonthill,
where he says he became popular
with the other students but never
as popular with the teachers.
“Teachers hated me because, of
course, I ask questions.”
Meuser, who had chronic
fatigue syndrome in high school,
recalls one particular problem he
had with a teacher.
“There was this one teacher in
this Catholic school I went to. I
came in on out-of-uniform day. I
was wearing a pair of jeans and a
sweater. I came in late, and she
had had doctor certificates from
me in the past, so she knew what
was going on. So I come in late,
and she starts yelling at me in the
middle of the class and how I’m
this degenerate screw-up and how
I’m never going to amount to anything at all in my life.
“So she drags me outside of
class and she starts yelling at me,
saying, ‘Look at the way you
dress. You’re a bum. You’re an
idiot. Get out of here!’ So I said to
her, ‘Miss So-and-So, you don’t
look really that good either. I don’t
know what you’re complaining
about to me,’ and I realized that
day, that it’s important for you to
respect teachers, but it’s equally as
important for teachers to respect
their students.”
Meuser says he decided to
become a philosophy teacher
year, first half first semester and
second half second semester,
because it’s very difficult to teach
the history of philosophy in what,
18 weeks?”
blows him away.
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche,
who was a philosopher during the
mid-1800s, is the philosopher,
Meuser says, he admires more
Craig Meuser, 29, a philosophy teacher at the college, enjoys a little rest and relaxation before his
next class begins.
Photo by Greg Vallentin
because no one was willing to
answer the various questions he
asked, such as “what is the nature
of miracles?”
“Nobody could give me an
answer, and often I was met with
resentment from teachers and
classmates. They didn’t quite
know where I was coming from. I
decided at that point that I wanted
to teach philosophy to high school
students, because at least what I
couldn’t get from school, I could
give to other people.”
For a teacher who has only been
at the college for a little over a
year, Meuser says he really enjoys
it so far, but there are some things
he would like to change.
“Ideally, it would be nice if they
extended the intro course over one
However, the thing Meuser says
he hates most about the college is
the water fountains.
“You know what bothers me
about the college? Water fountains. I don’t know why they can’t
create something that looks more
sanitary than what it is. I try to get
a drink of water and there’s stuff in
the fountain.”
Meuser says he credits a lot of
his learning experiences to the students in his classes.
“I’ve learned a whole lot from
my students. It’s incredible. Some
of the questions they ask me, I just
stand back and think wow, what a
great question.”
Meuser says that it’s the unique
perception some students have on
philosophy that just completely
than other.
“Friedrich Nietzsche was considered the bad boy of philosophy.
You see this exultation of reason.
Reason and rationality become the
only true way to knowledge.
Nietzsche looks at this and says,
‘Well, why do people want knowledge in the first place? What is it
about this kind of knowledge people want?’ Nietzsche says, ‘No,
let’s get back to life the way it is
supposed to be, creation, art and
life.’ He talks about this intoxicating characteristic of life where
you’re just so full of joy and you
appreciate everything that is
around you.”
Meuser says this is a general
view of the spirit and “actually
doesn’t do Nietzsche any justice.”
Influenced by such musicians as
Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Ron
Sexsmith, Meuser put his musical
talents to the test when he joined
the band The Smoothies, which
plays at the Mansion House in St.
Catharines every Saturday night.
Meuser says he loves teaching,
but whenever the day comes when
he can begin a career as a musician, he will leave teaching behind
for his love of music.
Meuser began writing his own
philosophy about five years ago
while collecting different insights
from various musicians that he
admires.
Meuser says he has written a
few unpublished pieces on his philosophy and he hopes to publish
them in another eight to 10 years.
“I need to get more of it together, but I’m talking about how to
live authentically. How do you
live an authentic life? And what I
talk about is the joy of melancholy, this feeling that we have,
this meaning that we experience in
which life is so overwhelmingly
joyful that we’re sad, or vice
versa, life is so full of despair that
we find great joy in it.”
“(Singer) Tom Waits, in a song,
says, ‘Catching the bar made by
her eye, the magical melancholy
tear in her eye.’ This idea that life
is so absolutely beautiful that it
can cause you sorrow, but great
joy at the same time.”
Meuser says he began asking
the question “why?” at the age of
about five and never stopped asking it. At 29 he is still asking
“why?” and asking his students to
ask as well.
“I want to know stuff. I’m so
fascinated with the world of other
people. I just want to find out what
they know and what I can know
about the world.”
Green, a man with four careers in 32-year span
By JEANETTE GROTTICK
Staff Writer
Many people work all their lives
in the same career until they retire.
Brian Green has worked in the
same profession for 32 years, but
has had about four careers within
that time.
Green, 57, of Fenwick, says he
has enjoyed his time at Niagara
College.
“Very much, yeah. I feel like I
had about four different careers,
but all in the same organization,
which is a nice way to go.”
Green has been a professor here
since 1971. He was a high school
teacher for a year, then went to
Europe for a year. When he
returned, he went back and taught
high school.
“I never did decide (to become a
college professor). It was one of
those things that just happened. I
taught at high school for a year.
Then it was suggested to check out
Niagara College for an opening for
English and in the Theatre Arts
program. The college had a very
good technology theatre at the time
but it closed.”
Green teaches courses such as
the current events course and
broadcast journalism in the
Broadcasting — Radio, Television
and Film program and the
Journalism-Print program.
“Current events is where I have
the most students and concentrate
the most of my time on, but broadcast journalism is the other course I
teach.”
Green says he finds news fascinating. “It’s clearly changing and
unpredictable, which dramas,
soaps and sitcoms aren’t. The
issues of importance being decided, often humour — news has
everything. Essentially you’re
watching history being made.
People in the future will be considering now, history.”
In his travels to China and Hong
Kong in 1990, Green was sponsored by Niagara College. He went
to Asia because Niagara had an
academic relationship with a university in China. A request was
made for people who had
Editorials
The Niagara News is a practical lab for the Journalism-Print program, covering the college community and other areas of interest.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the management of the Niagara News or the administration of
Niagara College. Room V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3
Phone (905) 735-2211 / 641-2252 / 374-7454 / FAX (905) 736-6003
Editor: Nicole Johnson; Associate Editor: Casandra Bellefeuille; Assistant Editor: Heather Crole;
Publisher: Leo Tiberi, director, Communications and Information Technology division;
Editor-in-chief: Neil McGregor, manager, Communications and Information Technology division;
Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt, co-ordinator, Journalism-Print program;
Associate Managing Editor: Gary Erb, professor, Journalism-Print program;
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie, professor, Journalism-Print program;
Advertising Professor: Linda Camus;
Technology Support: Kevin Romyn;
Photography Consultant: Andrew Klapatiuk, photography instructor;
Photography Editor: Charlotte Brett;
Scanning Crew: Charlotte Brett, Don Armstrong.
www.niagara-news.com
It’s a lot of work, but we can manage
As the college school year comes to an end and students can see the
summer in the near distance, I can only see a blurry scene of what can
vaguely be called my summer.
As the second-year Journalism-Print program students are off to
their field placement, the first-year students are frantically gearing
up to take over the newspaper. Hectic is one word that can describe
the transition that we are trying to make. It seems as if one minute
there were tests and the usual assignments, and now, all of a sudden, we are experiencing tests, assignments, presentations and production of the Niagara News.
As the associate editor, I’m also taking on the responsibilities of
editing and revising reports and making editorial decisions. Our
stamina, patience and ability to complete our work are really put to
the ultimate test.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. It’s a great opportunity and all of the hard work will eventually pay off. As soon as a few
more newspapers are published, all of this hustle will seem a lot
easier.
Good luck to all of the second-year students on their field placements and congratulations to all of the first-year students for
putting together an outstanding first issue of the Niagara News.
CASANDRA BELLEFEUILLE
Course leads a student to CNN addiction
Ignorance was bliss.
Now my chances of enjoying a carefree, fun-filled summer are
ruined, all because of Brian Green, a current events professor at
Niagara College.
I’ve never been particularly interested in current events,
yet I chose to be a journalist. Until now, I refused to watch
the news because it’s depressing. There’s always crime,
death and destruction, so I chose to just ignore all that. Now
it’s right there in the job description.
When classes started in September, Green told the students
that the news is “interesting,” “informative,” “a real-life soap
opera.” Naturally, I laughed.
Now it’s April and U.S. President George W. Bush has
declared war on Iraq, and I can’t tear my eyes away from the
television screen. It’s not that I’m morbid; I don’t like violence
and I wish the whole thing could have been resolved peacefully; however, now it’s wartime, and I’m addicted to CNN.
I planned to spend my summer outside in the sun playing Frisbee
on the beach, washing my car, swimming and partying. Now I can’t
because, until this war is over, I’m going to be stuck inside, glued
to the tube.
It was Green who sparked my interest and, inadvertently, ruined
my summer. That is, unless the war ends soon.
NICOLE JOHNSON
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prior to publication. Each letter must include the writer’s name, college identification number and program of study.
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Good luck, graduates
As the school year comes to a close, we are realizing all the
hard work it takes to make this paper. We admire all the
graduates for their hard work and dedication.
Thank you and good luck in your future.
Columns
Change can hurt, but you can learn from it
can possibly
be, yet I still
have trouble
joining in on
By SAMANTHA MARTIN
the class disStaff Writer
cussions.
Column
I usually
leave
not
thinking
about whatever topic we
Change comes eventually.
have talked about, but one in parMy first class on Monday and ticular stuck in my mind.
Tuesday morning is developmenMy professor asked us if we had
tal psychology.
changed and how we had changed.
I walk into class as alert as I I dismissed the question in class
because I knew I had changed.
Everyone does.
There are always periods in your
life when you know you have to
change. You have to become more
responsible, you have to take care
of yourself, and you learn that you
can’t rely on your parents or
guardians.
Then there are the things that
force a change upon you, a change
you don’t even notice until you
look back and think.
That’s what happened to me. My
cousin Allan died in August in a
drunk-driving accident.
It shocked the entire family,
some more than others.
I grew up with Allan. He was
exactly four years older than I am,
and he was my older sister’s best
friend. I don’t have a childhood
memory of my sister without
Allan in it. Losing him made my
entire family take a step back and
look at life: how precious it is,
how lucky we are to have one
another, and how lucky we are to
have had him in our lives.
It was then I changed. I grew to
appreciate my family, not taking
them for granted because I knew
that in a second they could be
gone. I could be gone.
I want to have those memories
because no matter how much it
hurts to remember he’s gone, it’s a
comfort knowing I was lucky
enough, no, blessed to have had
him in my life. I have become a
stronger person because of it.
No matter how much I wish it
had never happened, I couldn’t
change it, so I grow from it. I’ll
continue to grow from it because
in the end, it’s all we can do. Look
back at our lives and the choices
we’ve made, and grow.
Blaming media may be blaming wrong source
in this nonnuclear family, but there is
a marked difBy SHAYNA MALONEY
ference.
In
Staff Writer
1986,
you
Column
rarely heard
stories about
children
killing
one
a n o t h e r
My generation was the first to because they “saw it on TV.”
be raised in a three-parent houseIn the 21st century, however,
hold: Mom (who worked), Dad hardly a day goes by that you don’t
(who worked), and television hear about youngsters slaughtering
(which was great because unlike each other, and in nearly every
real adults, it could be muted when case, someone (be it the media, the
it made us angry).
parents, the church, the judiciaries
Today’s children are also raised or the government) blames it on
violence on television.
When two bullied, outcast
teenagers sprayed bullets around
their high school in Colorado, suddenly it was Leonardo DiCaprio’s
fault for having a dream in THE
movie that he brought a shotgun to
school and killed his classmates.
Notice the capitalization? That’s
right. Not only was it a scene in a
movie, it was also a dream sequence.
A 16-year-old “accidentally”
killed a six-year-old child while
practicing moves he saw on the
World Wrestling Entertainment
program.
I’m not refuting the idea that
violence in the media has an effect
on children. I am saying, however,
that perhaps it doesn’t have to be a
negative effect.
My parents believed that if they
taught their children the difference
between real and make-believe, we
wouldn’t allow film or television to
influence our actions that much.
Moreover, if they sat down and
talked to us about the things that we
saw, we would understand the difference between right and wrong.
Maybe the violence and sexuality in the media will make the next
generation worldlier, make them
grow up a little faster.
If we teach our children that
regardless of the fact that they may
think they understand sex, and that
violence on television rarely has
the consequences it does in reality,
we may be able to prevent future
Columbine incidents.
There will always be movies
and television shows that push the
boundaries of taste, that move the
line of what we can and can’t
show, but that doesn’t mean our
society’s moral limitations will
also be changed.
Some things are just wrong and
always will be wrong. As long as
we, as adults, parents or role models, make sure we teach our children these things, we can help stop
violence and too-early sexuality
without resorting to those greatest
of evils: censorship and violation
of free speech.
Take action now, don’t deny Canadians IHOP
been denied
for too long.
The IHOP
chain
is
By DANE MCBURNIE
known for its
Staff Writer
amazing panColumn
cakes that are
so rich and
delicious,
one
might
suspect the
Canada is facing a problem that powdered sugar on top of a short
shows no sign of remedy. I’m talk- stack to actually be some sort of
ing about the shortage of quality drug. The restaurants have every
and dedication in the pancake pancake imaginable. The bacon is
industry. There’s a chain of restau- always perfectly crispy, and the
rants located in the United States four selections of syrup at every
called the International House of table are always full and ready
Pancakes (IHOP), and Canada has for pouring.
I apologize, but it’s very hard to
describe these restaurants without
sounding like an advertisement.
Did you know they have pancakes
made with chocolate batter? I
would go so far as to say the traditional mothers of the world
have nothing on this place.
Americans, I ask you. Do you
know how lucky you are to have
so many locations around you to
serve you and feed your faces with
pancake perfection? You probably
take it for granted.
Actually, it should be known
that Canada hasn’t been entirely
neglected. British Columbia is
home to 12 IHOP locations, but
they are exclusive to that province.
The rest of Canada is IHOP-less. I
think it would make more sense to
have them in Ontario, if any
province. Not only does it have the
largest population, but it’s also
home to both Canada’s largest city
and the country’s capital. Poor
misguided IHOP, what were they
thinking?
I have only had a chance to
indulge myself three times. The
first was in Florida while I was on
vacation with my family, and the
other two times were in Las Vegas
where I was staying at a Holiday
Inn right across from an IHOP.
That was a good breakfast and dinner that day.
IHOPs are magical. I implore all
of you to make an effort to eat at
an IHOP before you get too old to
enjoy the little things, like pancakes. Make your time there a special one. Take a loved one and
make a memory. Maybe the best
time of your life will be at an
IHOP. Maybe you will meet your
significant other at an IHOP.
Maybe you will leave your significant other at an IHOP. Maybe you
will leave her for the pancakes.
Maybe you’ll leave because she
made you choose, and because you
knew deep down inside that she
will never be as fluffy and rich as
they are, and you were very, very
hungry. I’m sorry, Lisa. Please forgive me.
Shouldn’t complain, nobody said college was easy
you have for
yourself, but
it’s being on
your own for
By MELISSA GRAHAM
the first time.
Staff Writer
It can be
Column
downright
scary, well, at
least for me
anyway.
I came to
College life is tough.
this college thinking my life was
The problem is not so much the going to be much better, stressschoolwork and the expectations wise. I was glad I could make a
fresh start.
I moved into residence thinking
it would be great to be on my own.
I didn’t think about how hard it
would be to live with a roommate.
The experience is very different
from living with family members.
Getting used to someone else’s
habits drove me nuts. I am a perfectionist and maybe even a control freak. I like to have things
done my way and if they’re not, I
get all stressed out. It’s not a
pretty scene.
I stress so much about my
marks, I swear when my professors see me coming I can almost
hear them sighing. If I don’t get
perfect grades, I feel as though
my life is over. I know I am just
being overly dramatic, but these
things just eat away at me until I
am ready to explode.
Then there is being so far away
from home. It is wrenching not
being able to see my family
members whenever I want. I
can’t even call them because I
have no extra money to spend on
a telephone card. Plus, I have a
roommate who pretty much
monopolizes the telephone.
Another thing that makes college tough is having a job. It can
be stressful trying to juggle time
spent on homework and time spent
at work. Sometimes I am so
rushed, I hardly have time to sleep.
I guess I shouldn’t complain
about college being so hard,
though, because nobody said it
was going to be easy.
Journalists, including those in the Journalism-Print program at Niagara College, are taught that their reporting must be
balanced, fair and as objective as possible. That rule must also exist for columns written by reporters. In columns, the
feelings and opinions of reporters are welcome, but balance, fairness and objectivity must never be disregarded or treated
lightly. Our columns, which are clearly identified as such, do not reflect the opinions or feelings of the Niagara College
administration or the management of the Niagara News. Columns reflect the opinion of only one person: the writer.
Columns
$1,000 man will still eat Kraft Dinner
Administrative
Council (SAC)
was
giving
away
thouBy BEAU CALLAGHAN
sands of dollars
Staff Writer
in prizes, but
Column
because I won
$1,000 in a
SAC
draw.
Winning this
amount
of
Winning $1,000 means I don’t money reminds me of what it was
have to eat Kraft Dinner, but I’ll still like as a youngster finding $20 on
eat it. The only difference will be I the street. Thinking I was a millioncan afford fancy ketchup.
aire, I would stroll to the corner store
March 13 will probably go down to buy my weight in candy. Now that
as one of the luckiest days of my life. I’m $1,000 richer, I find myself
It was so, not just because it was strolling again, at least until I pay off
Student Appreciation Day across what debts I hold.
campus, when the Student
My luck brought some pretty odd
responses from my peers. Many suggested I purchase a large house or
luxury car. Others figured I could
rule the world like a king, considering the vast riches I hold. In listening
to these responses, I began to wonder
what other students would do with
$1,000 or even $1 million.
Ryan Kelly, 21, of Belleville,
Ont., a second-year Photonics
Engineering Technician program
student, says he would take his
friends out for some beers and
gambling if he won $1,000. If he
won $1 million, he says he
would buy a house and a car and
give some money to his parents.
Roy
Dykstra,
18,
of
Lowbanks, Ont., a first-year
Broadcasting
–
Radio,
Television and Film (BRTF) program student, says with his $1
million he would “buy Niagara
College.”
Mike Adams, 18, a first-year
BRTF program student from Erin,
Ont., says, “If I won a thousand dollars I would probably cash it all into
dollar bills, put it all over my bed and
roll in it.”
Not every student I spoke with
held an outlandish purchase idea
for his or her money.
Amanda Marcer, 18, of Fort
Erie,
a
first-year
Office
Administration – General program student, says she would
pay off her loans and put the rest
of her $1,000 in the bank.
Marcer says if she had $1 mil-
lion she would help her mother
pay off her debts, as well as give
money to charity.
Jay Cheel, 24, of St.
Catharines, a first-year BRTF
program student, says with his
$1 million he would “change the
world in more ways than one. I’d
probably install a theatre in my
hous, and I’d buy stand-up
arcade machines and most of
them would be NBA (National
Basketball Association) Jam.”
It’s great to dream of such
riches, and even greater to
dream of ways to spend it.
If I could hand out my luck
like tiny cereal box mail samples, I would hope people could
experience the same joy.
Freaky parenting not very persuasive
I’m only 19
years old and I
still live at
home.
I’m
By NICOLE JOHNSON
worried about
Staff Writer
my mother; I
Column
think
she
might be losing her mind.
The thought
of having a
My mother says she wants me to baby has never crossed my mind.
have a baby.
I don’t particularly like babies. Of
This is a problem for me because course I think they’re cute ... until
they cry, until they spit up everywhere, or until I have to change
their diapers. Basically, I think
they’re cute from a distance.
I suppose I could get past all of
that. After all, they do smell nice
most of the time. They’re soft and
warm and cuddly. It’s really cute
when they giggle, so I guess you
could say they’re amusing.
Even so, I could never have a
baby of my own. I have no idea
how to care for one. Even my
boyfriend probably knows more
about babies than I do, although
I suppose I could learn. They’re
foreign territories to me. I’ve
never been around a baby for
any length of time; I don’t know
how they work.
Babies are fragile. I don’t like to
hold them because I’m scared to
break them. Besides, whenever I go
near a baby, it cries. I think babies
hate me, so I try to stay away.
I suppose that if I did have a baby
I could manage well enough; however, I still don’t want one yet. I’m too
young for a baby.
I have neither the time nor the
money for one.
I can’t help but wonder why my
mother would ask me to have a
baby. She can’t really be serious,
can she?
Maybe it was some kind of
freaky parenting technique to
scare me into being extra careful, a
kind of reverse psychology. I hope
so, because if she thinks she’s
going to have a grandchild any
time soon, she’s off her rocker.
Canadian authors help explore mind
Staff Writer
Column
I’ve noticed a lack of general
appreciation for good Canadian
writers and novels lately.
These authors are the people
who have helped shape the world
in which we live. Instead of giving
them the recognition they deserve,
we are too busy playing games on
the computer or watching television. Not many people find the
time anymore to sit down and read
a good novel.
When they do read, what they
read is usually
nothing
of
substance. A
good read is
one when you
can picture the
story as it
unfolds to you
and
leaves
you with a
greater under-
standing of life.
Whether it is novelists such as
Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood,
Timothy
Findley,
Michael
Ondaatje or poets such as Leonard
Cohen, Alden Nowlan or E.J.Pratt,
Canada is defined by its writers.
Unfortunately, this is still not
enough to give them the recognition they deserve. A good writer is
someone who is moved by his or
her environment and can cleverly
combine words with emotions to
make us laugh or cry in an instant.
What do we do to these writers?
We cast them aside for romance
novels and trashy tabloid newspapers like The Enquirer. What is
wrong with us?
When a truly great Canadian
novel hits the shelves at our local
bookstore we should be lined up in
anticipation. We should be patriotic and support the authors who are
writing for us. We should support
those whose only goal in life it is to
quench our desires for a decent
vocabulary. Is it fair that the people
who have helped shape this country get little to no recognition?
When I talk to people about
this matter, it is distressing to
hear that not many of our prestigious authors are well known.
How would they gain recognition? Well, have they starred in
Harry Potter? Maybe Titanic?
Only actors gain recognition but
in the scheme of things they really haven’t contributed anything.
A good book can be your best
friend, your escape or your
entire world.
A good book can be carried
around in your knapsack, left in your
house or taken on long journeys.
A good book can be beaten
about and it will never complain to
you. It’s happy just to be opened,
and it can be thoroughly enjoyed
for hours at a time. It can be read
and reread and with each reading
offer something new to the reader.
There are great Canadian books
for your every mood. Are you in
the mood for something romantic?
Read the English Patient by
Michael Ondaatje.
Are you in the mood for something humourous? Read Not
Wanted On the Voyage by
Timothy Findley.
Are you in the mood for some
intrigue? Read Alias Grace by
Margaret Atwood. Or are you in
the mood for something thought
provoking? Pick up a book of
poetry by Alden Nowlan.
However your day has been,
there should always be a good
Canadian book to greet you when
you get home. Slip into something comfortable and read. Give
these Canadian authors some
credit. Buy their books, and be
entertained for a few hours.
I guarantee you will get more
from reading a good book than
you could ever get from watching a few mindless hours of television.
Let your brains explore, go on
adventures, meet new people
and see the unimaginable
through good literature.
Thanks for a great year !
The last edition of Niagara News is April 17
Journalists, including those in the Journalism-Print program at Niagara College, are taught that their reporting must be
balanced, fair and as objective as possible. That rule must also exist for columns written by reporters. In columns, the
feelings and opinions of reporters are welcome, but balance, fairness and objectivity must never be disregarded or treated
lightly. Our columns, which are clearly identified as such, do not reflect the opinions or feelings of the Niagara College
administration or the management of the Niagara News. Columns reflect the opinion of only one person: the writer.
Letters to the Editor
Know all the facts, then write about it
Dear Editor:
This letter is in regards to the
article written on March 14, 2003
(Niagara News, Editorials, page 8):
My letter is regarding the blurb
on page eight of your respectable
paper. The article is challenging
Canada’s Young Offenders Act
(YOA). With a title as “Young
Offenders Act makes no sense,”
there is a sense of strong prejudice.
It is to my best available knowledge that there are compulsory
requirements of an article, which
are to be free of prejudice, bias,
and that it must be (of a) somewhat
informative nature, as, unfortunately, this article seems to lack,
being that its focus is inaccurate,
and finger pointing.
My first point, the article states
that the act (says), “The YOA covers youths from ages 12 to 17, but
at the age of 18, a youth is considered an adult, and the act will not
apply.” This information is quite
inaccurate. A “young person” as
defined by the YOA means “a person who is, or in the absence of
evidence to the contrary, appears
to be 12 years of age or more, but
under 18 years of age, and where
the context requires, includes any
person who is charged under this
act with having committed an
offence while he was a young person or is found guilty of an offence
under this Act.” This excerpt from
the 2003 Tremeear’s Criminal
Code, disproves the information as
printed in the newspaper; as an
“adult” can be charged with a
YOA offence if the offence was
committed when the individual
was legally considered a young
person.
The next topic of my concern is
the paragraph that states, “In most
cases, but not all, I believe the
child’s parents may be one of the
biggest reasons the child is committing the crime in the first
place.” This is a very bold statement, especially when considering
there is no basis of information
obtained, or any comparison,
which at minimum somewhat
strengthens this unorganized,
scrupulous theory.
The paragraph goes on to state
that children “lash out” because of
lack of attention derived from their
parents. Please bear in mind that
we are not talking about a
preschooler who throws a tantrum
because mommy won’t drop her
conversation with the teacher to
look at her finger painting. We are
talking about youths that hurt,
cheat, steal, damage, or even kill
others or their belongings. (sic)
And, as it plainly states in the
Criminal Code, some of the
Declarations of Principles of the
YOA, under section three are as
follows: “33. (1) Policy for
Canada with respect to young
offenders - It is hereby recognized
and declared that crime prevention
is essential to the long-term protection of society and requires
addressing the underlying causes
of crime by young persons and
developing
multi-disciplinary
approaches to identifying and
effectively responding to children
and young persons at risk of committing offending behaviour in the
future.
(a.1) While young persons
should not in all instances be held
accountable in the same manner or
suffer the same consequences for
their behaviour as adults, young
persons who commit offences
should nonetheless bear responsibility for their contraventions.
Society must, although it has the
responsibility to take reasonable
measure to prevent criminal conduct by young persons, be afforded the necessary protection from
illegal behaviour.
Young persons who commit
offences require supervision, discipline, and control, but, because
of their state of dependency and
level of development and maturity,
they also have special needs and
require guidance and assistance.
(c.1) The protection of society,
Good coverage on gala
Dear Editor:
Please extend my appreciation
to Ashleigh Vink for her great article on the Seafood Gala in the
recent Horticulture Open House
edition of Niagara News (March
22, 2003).
She nicely profiled the variety
of talent and hard work that went
into creating a very successful
event for the college. I personally
saw many people reading this edition at the open house this past
weekend, and it was wonderful
that our event was included.
It is always our pleasure to work
which is a primary objective of the
criminal law applicable to youth,
is best served by rehabilitation,
wherever possible, of young persons who commit offences, and
rehabilitation is best achieved by
addressing the needs and circumstances of a young person that are
relevant to the young person’s
offending behaviour.”
As everyone knows, when a person is convicted and sent to prison,
the criminal has the potential to
gain a vast knowledge of other
offenders’ crimes. In other words,
why would we pay all of this
money to punish the person, when
in essence, the reality of the matter
is that the offender may likely
repeat offend as a result of information obtained from other
inmates?
So why teach youths how to
properly execute savage crimes
when we can help correct their
individual problems and prevent
further occurrences from happening?
Next, the thankfully short blurb
about the legal smoking age in
Ontario versus the minimum buying age of tobacco, and how it
apparently correlates to the “Same
Thinking” as it apparently applies
to the young offender. I don’t even
know where to go with this point,
it’s almost wasting a thought.
The YCJA (Youth Criminal
Justice Act) information was pretty flawless of prejudice; that I am
thankful of.
Although the portion “Just having a slap on the wrist and going
back to everyday life is hardly
teaching them a lesson” is just a
further drag on about the previous
mentioned statements, which is
uninformative, boring, useless,
and prejudice.
The closing final government
quote is self-explanatory, which is
intended to leave the topic at hand,
because there is no more (or ever
was, for that matter) a knowledgeable basis of topic to write about.
In closing, I’d really like to say
I’m disappointed in this article. I
thoroughly enjoy reading from
your informative publication and
seeing all of the new minds at
work in the business.
It’s usually quite refreshing. I’d
really like to see this problem
cleared up, as it was somewhat
offensive. The writer could have
discussed the information with
someone with a thorough knowledge of law and would have
received the proper basis of opinion via education. Thank you for
your time.
Sincerely,
Shawn Hudec,
Second-year
Tax time
with your students as they produce
the articles for Niagara News.
Congratuations on another exciting year for the Journalism-Print
program.
Sylvia Kadlick, CFRE
Executive Director
Niagara College Foundation
Your voice or opinion is welcome in our Letters to the Editor section. Our policy regarding letter submissions is this: All letters must be received on the Friday one week prior to publication. Each letter
must include the writer’s name, college identification number and program of study.
All letters must be signed and include a day and evening telephone number for verification use only.
All letters can be mailed or brought to the Niagara News newsroom, Room V10, Voyageur Wing,
Welland Campus.
Dr. Alan Davis
comes from
Athabasca Univ.
By NICOLE JOHNSON
Staff Writer
Niagara College has a new vicepresident academic.
He is Dr. Alan Davis,
Athabasca University’s vicepresident academic.
Davis will officially join the
college on Aug. 5.
He has served as vice-president
academic at Athabasca University
in Athabasca, Alta., since 1996,
following a 12-year teaching
career in chemistry at Fraser
Valley College in British
Columbia.
Davis held several academic
director positions with the Open
Learning Agency’s Open College
and British Columbia Open
University in Burnaby from 1989
to 1996.
He earned both his masters and
doctorate in chemistry from
Simon Fraser University in British
Columbia.
“Alan brings to the position
extensive experience and an
impressive record of success and
achievement in post-secondary
education in Western Canada,”
said Niagara College President
Dan Patterson in a press release
issued on Tuesday.
“A community-minded individual, Alan has served as a school
board trustee and chair, and member of a local arts council.
“He has also been involved in
professional theatre as an actor,
director and playwright,” said
Patterson.
Davis will be coming to
Niagara with his wife, Denise,
and his son, Alex.
“I hope you will join me in
extending a warm welcome to him
upon his arrival,” said Patterson.
Patterson thanked members of
the Vice-President Academic
Search Committee including
Allison Chiappetta, Jim Garner,
Marcos
Schmidt,
Taralea
McLean, Neil Chartrand and
Marti Jurmain, for their time,
effort and commitment.
Davis replaces Dr. Bonnie Rose,
who left Niagara in September and
is vice-president of academic
affairs at Niagara University in
Lewiston, N.Y.
Niagara College has campuses
in Welland, Niagara Falls and
Niagara-on-the-Lake with more
than 5,500 full-time students
enrolled in more than 60 postsecondary and 10 post-graduate
programs.
A student gets his taxes prepared for free by the Canada
Customs and Revenue Agency Community Volunteer Income
Tax Program on March 27 at the Welland campus.
Photo by Don Armstrong
Green enjoys travelling
television experience. It was a
teacher-training visit.
Green says, “The people (in
China) were very welcoming. I
didn’t know what to expect.
Mainland China is known for
being humourless and formal,
but they were funny. We had a
good time.”
Green didn’t know the language. “Yeah, that was certainly
difficult,” he says. “I would have
loved to be able to communicate.
When we went to remote China,
people didn’t know how to take
us. We were some of the few
Westerners they’d seen. (It) gave
me appreciation for foreigners
who come here.”
File photo
College names new VP academic
BRIAN GREEN
On vacation, he has also travelled to most of the countries in
Europe. He has visited Germany,
Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia,
Britain and Belgium, but spent
most of his time in France.
And the winners are...
Showing off
photography
skills
Above: Winners of the Journalism-Print program’s Photo Contest. From left to right, back row
Brendan Campbell, photography teacher Andrew Klapatuik, front row Elyse DeBruyn and
Ashleigh Vink.
Photo by Sara Campbell
It was unanimous. The images submitted for the Year
Two Journalism-Print Photography Contest were “the
best yet.”
Members of the program’s Advisory Committee met
March 19 at the Welland campus to vote for first, second,
third and best overall in the categories of illustration, news
and photojournalism.
For Illustration, Brendan Campbell with his dental
hygiene shot, won first place while Edna Gooder took second place with her Hamilton skyline.
Topping the news category, and taking best overall, was
Jason Grosse’s shot of the anti-war protest in Toronto.
Second was Ashleigh Vink’s Holocaust memorial and she
also won for her photo of two horticulture students in the
college’s greenhouse.
Vink took the top prize for photojournalism with her
depiction of jewelry; Elyse DeBruyn won second place for
the story of diabetes and insulin while Lori Langley took
third for the anorexia depiction.
Special thanks are extended to prize donors Frederick’s
of St. Catharines, Bell Arte Camera of Burlington, Cole’s
Books and Black’s Photography of the Seaway Mall,
Welland. The Communications and Information
Technology division and the Journalism-Print program
provided additional prizes.
Above: Overall winner,
Jason Grosse
Pagination by Sheena Werner
Right: Horticulture students in the college’s
greenhouse by
Ashleigh Vink.
Above: First prize winner for the news category. Anti-war protest in Toronto.
Photo by Jason Grosse.
Right: Dental hygiene shot by Brendan
Campbell, winner for best illustration.
a
er from the ba
rock
nd
K
Sl
ra
d
n
e.
id
Left: Mike
Podio, of
Welland,
sings and
plays trumpet for
Ceremonial
Snips.
S
Left: Boosak, on
vocals for the
band Andy
Moog and
the
Sausage
Party.
Top Corner:
Jinnie
Gordon of
Slide.
Above: Jay Newlands handles vocals for
the band Body Flag, from Niagara Falls.
Loud &
Proud
Cale Tiffin from the
band Bodyflag.
See Battle of the Bands story
on page 16
Matt Dickenson from the band Spoken.
All photos taken by Brent Watson
Pagination by Sheena Werner
Left: Jeff Beadle, lead singer of Psybin.
Middle: Jinnie Gordon of Slide.
Right: Chris Buck of Dissonance.
By TAMARA SARGENT
Staff Writer
Should you glance inside the
security office at the Welland
campus while walking by,
chances are you will see a security guard sitting at the desk.
He or she may not appear to
be doing much, but that’s not
the case.
Diana McMillan, supervisor of
security for all three Niagara
College campuses, says, “Every
day is different.”
She says her job is “never
boring.”
McMillan, 58, has been protecting and assisting the students for more than 16 years.
After four years of working the
night shift, she was promoted to
the highest position in the security department, site supervisor.
Throughout her years of service,
the job has remained about the
same. At one time, campus
security issued tickets in the college’s parking lots, but the City
of Welland’s bylaw enforcement
department does that now.
“(College) Security mainly
provides personal escorts,
breaks up any fights and collects lost and found material,”
says McMillan.
That may seem simple, but all
is not what it seems.
A few minutes into the interview, McMillan gets a call over
her radio that requires her immediate attention. A student needs
medical assistance, so it’s security to the rescue. McMillan rushes off to assist. When she returns,
she explains being a security
guard at the college isn’t as easy
as it might appear. “Since January, we’ve had 122 incidents
we’ve had to write reports on.”
The term incident includes
fights, domestic disturbances,
thefts and even bomb threats.
Bomb threats aren’t as uncommon as one might think. “We
get quite a few,” McMillan says.
“We’ve come close to catching
them a few times.” She adds
some of the calls come from
telephones on the campus.
The most common incident
security handles are lost items.
“There are 210 articles in the lost
and found,” McMillan says as
she opens the cabinet they are
stored in. Among textbooks and
binders are watches, keys, glasses, a cell phone and stacks of student cards and driver’s licences.
“We leave it up to the students
to claim lost items. We don’t
have the time to search for them
to return their stuff.”
What does it take to become
a Niagara College security
member?
McMillan says a person must
“take basic first aid, a crisis
intervention course, then complete a home course and pass a
two-hour exam.”
Once a person is hired, she
says the candidate is given “quite
a few shifts of training” before
being considered a full-fledged
member of security.
What do the college’s security
guards do when they’re not
assisting with medical emergencies, foiling bomb threats or
protecting students from undetermined harm? Well, those fire
extinguishers don’t check
themselves.
The college has campuses in
Welland, Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
By JASON RUMLEY
Staff Writer
For students who don’t know,
Niagara College does have a
Health Service Centre and a dedicated nurse working at keeping
students and faculty healthy.
Carolyn Gould, originally of St.
Catharines, but living in Fonthill,
is the full-time nurse at the
Welland campus.
She has been a nurse here since
1991. “When I first started, I said I
was only going to be here for five
years, but the job got me,” says
Gould jokingly.
She says her duties at the school
include the health and well-being
of the college faculty and students.
She says she deals with complaints varying from headaches to
“what’s this spot on my back?”
She says she offers supportive listening for students on issues such
as weight problems, proper dieting, smoking, sleeping disorders,
hygiene, disease prevention and
promotion of good habits.
“Basically, any health care
issues regarding you.”
Asked whether her job is fulfilling, Gould says, “Absolutely,
never a dull day here.”
“My job makes me strive to
learn and keep up on everything ...
the more I learn about the human
body, the more I am amazed by it.”
Prior to coming to Niagara, she
says she has done every job in a
hospital at some point.
“I’ve been everything from a
floor nurse to a head nurse and
involved in orthopedics, emergency and surgery. I was involved
in public health in York Region
and I even taught part time at
Seneca College in Toronto for a
nursing upgrade program.”
Gould says one of her favourite
jobs was communicable disease
tracking. “I really liked it. I would
investigate diseases by tracking
them back to the carrier.”
What Gould says she likes
most about her job is her space.
“I like my space here and being
able to help people out at the
college.” Her biggest dislike is
not having a window in her
office. “I would love to be able
to see outside.”
She says Niagara is a “good
place to work overall.”
“I love the college age group
and working with them (the students) at the college. It’s a
healthy population, and everyone’s changing and learning.”
She says the only thing she can
think of that can and has made
her job easier has been having a
secretary.
“I have a great boss who has
given me a secretary. It has been
such a blessing.”
She says she has had the opportunity to bring in co-op students
from the Office Administrative Executive program as well for
secretarial help.
Gould says Welland is a “very
tough area” with regard to health
services. “Under-serviced, critically under-serviced, particularly in some areas such as psychiatry and orthopedics. We need
more help and more doctors in
the Welland area.”
She says, “The college is
lucky to get a doctor here in the
first place” let alone on Fridays.
“It’s hard to get a doctor with
the time to take on other patients
at the college. The last three
years have been the best.”
For example, she says, Dr. Paul
Oliverio, the Welland campus doctor, has more than 4,000 patients
of his own and comes in Friday
afternoons on his half-day off to
help out, and she really appreciates his efforts.
“An average day at the Health
Service Centre really does vary.”
She says during peak days in the
winter at the Welland campus, as
many as 80 to 90 people could
walk through the door.
File photo
Keeping you safe ‘Absolutely, never a dull day’
not an easy job
Niagara College’s Carolyn
Gould from the Welland campus’ Health Service Centre.
Last year among the three campuses in Welland, Niagara Falls
and Niagara-on-the-Lake, 8,160
patients were helped, 6,272 being
from the Welland campus.
“The numbers have almost
doubled since 1996, and the current numbers are showing a marginal increase of about 10 per
cent a month.”
In the past, she says, she has
had third-year students come in
and ask when the Health Service
Centre was established, not knowing it has been here all along.
The Health Service Centre can
be found in L20, around the corner from the Campus Store.
Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. weekdays unless posted otherwise. Appointments are
recommended, especially with
Dr. Oliverio on Fridays. She
says appointments are “booked
solid” three weeks ahead.
Gould says she would like the
students to know “that we’re
here to help.”
Prompt response team handles 3 bomb threats
By DON ARMSTRONG
Staff Writer
Bomb threats to Niagara College campuses have been happening more often this past school
year than normal, says Rick
Demers, Health and Safety and
Security manager at the college’s
Welland campus.
On Nov. 1, 2002, an unidentified male phoned the Glendale
campus at Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Ont., saying that there was a
bomb in the building, forcing an
evacuation. Since then, there have
been two more threats to the
Welland campus, one in January
and one in February, says
Demers, 52, of Welland.
“I don’t know why (there has
been an increase in the number of
threats). People may just be
stressed or insecure about security,” says Demers.
Demers has been Niagara College’s manager of Health and
‘Only when a device
is found do we call in
the police bomb
squad.’
— Rick Demers
Safety and Security at the Welland
campus for eight years and says
City museum displays college art
By CASANDRA
BELLEFEUILLE
Staff Writer
Niagara College’s artistic talent
is on display.
Students in the Art and Design
Fundamentals – Graphic Design
Production program are having
their artwork displayed at the
Welland Historical Museum, at 65
Hooker St. The artwork, first
showcased on March 15, will
remain there until April 18.
Susan Moakef, curator/ director of Welland Historical Museum, says, “I put word out that
space was available and the life
drawing teacher at Niagara College contacted me.”
Moakef says she has worked at
the museum for two years, and this
is the first time Niagara College
has contributed pieces of artwork
to the exhibition.
Meghan Kelly, 19, of Burlington,
is a first-year student in the program.
“I think it’s mostly second-year
students, but some of the outstanding first-year drawings were
sent,” says Kelly.
“If I get the opportunity next
year, then I definitely want my
work to be showcased.”
When asked to comment on the
drawings, Moakef says, “Some are
interesting, Picasso-looking. Anyone can make a life of art if you
find your own style. Clarify it
(your style) so it becomes unique.
Some people are ‘bad artists’ but
they have a unique style.”
Moakef says the museum can put
work on display next year if the college is willing to contribute again.
The museum is open Tuesday to
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Everyone is welcome.
On April 5, from 1 p.m., to 5
p.m., there will be a Meet the Artists
the number of threats vary from
year to year. “Sometimes there
could be one every three to four
years, or like this past (school)
year, three times.”
Demers says that the college has a
trained volunteer bomb search team
made up of staff members at the college, “mostly support staff, but some
administration and faculty.”
Police are present during the
investigation of a bomb threat,
says Demers, but they act as
observers. “It is only when a
device is found do we call in the
police bomb squad.”
The evacuation of the college is
dependent on the location of the
device, says Demers. For example,
if a bomb, or other suspicious
device, were found in the Black
Walnut building at the Welland
campus, only the Black Walnut
building would be evacuated.
Good Luck
to those involved in the Many Hands Project set for
Saturday, April 5. The project is a one-day building blitz
in support of a local charitable organization. This year’s
recipient is Bethlehem
Place, the only transitional
rehabilitative program in the
Niagara region that provides
an integrated approach of
housing and support services to women, men and
children in crisis. The
residence is at 58 Welland
Ave., in St. Catharines.
Living in fear of nuts simply unnerving
By JASON RUMLEY
Staff Writer
It’s a headache for the food industry because of the potential liability
and the people who have it.
Nevertheless, the people who suffer from this allergy have more to
worry about than just a headache.
Peanut allergies are one of the
most common food allergies, especially in children.
In recent years, allergists have
noted an increase in the number of
people with allergies to peanuts.
This food allergy is so severe that
everything from the smell, to eating
trace amounts of or having contact
(touching) with peanuts can be fatal,
says
the
Public
Health
Nutritionists/Dieticians of Ontario.
Other possible symptoms of an
allergic reaction to peanuts
include vomiting, nausea, hives,
itching, swelling anywhere on
the skin, breathing problems,
trouble swallowing, dizziness,
anaphylactic shock and even
death, says the same source.
Foods included in the peanut
category are all legumes that are
ground nuts and tree nuts, which
include walnuts, cashews and
almonds.
About 1.5 million Americans
are believed to be allergic to
peanuts and/or nut products.
Firm numbers in Canada aren’t
‘I guess I don’t have
to think about it ...’
— Amanda
Freeborn
available, but the Anaphylaxis
Network of Canada estimates
that between one and two per
cent of Canada’s population suffers from this allergy.
If you are born with the allergy, you will most likely always
have it. However, recent
progress in the medical world
has been made.
In an article from the American
Helping students
to reach potential
By IAN SHANTZ
Staff Writer
She has a strategy, and that is
precisely what her job requires
of her.
Debra Calabretta, of Niagara
Falls, a learning strategist,
works at the Centre for Students
with Disabilities, within the
Student Services Division at all
three Niagara College campuses.
Calabretta works with students with learning disabilities.
She says she works in one-onone situations and small groups.
“I teach them strategies on
how to learn within their disability.” She has been working for
‘I like people
and really enjoy
teaching at
all three
campuses ...’
— Debra
Calabretta
the college for six months.
“I enjoy working with this age
group. I have really enjoyed my
time so far.”
She says she also works at the
college over the summer. To
obtain this job, she says she needed experience with students in a
classroom environment. She was
required to have knowledge about
students with disabilities and
strategies for working with them.
• 3 Million Liability
• Worker’s Comp.
Calabretta obtained her undergraduate degree at Brock
University in St. Catharines.
After that, she travelled to the
University of Sydney in
Australia to get her teacher’s
certificate.
Before coming to Niagara
College, she worked as a teacher
for four years, teaching Grades
1, 2 and 3 in Mississauga, Ont.,
and in England. She has also
been a flight attendant.
She says she really likes working in the college atmosphere. “I
like people and really enjoy
working at all three campuses,
where I can meet more people.”
She explains why she enjoys her
work. “I enjoy teaching students
how to learn.”
She may move on from
Niagara some day and says she
would “like to do anything in the
teaching profession. I’m open to
many concepts. I’ll go anywhere
and consider anything that
comes my way.”
Outside of her career, she has
hobbies that include painting,
creating, learning, and most
important, travelling.
“Challenging myself with new
experiences, like going to downtown Toronto by myself or travelling by myself those are
things that I really enjoy.”
“Just my Rollerblades and my
bike – that’s all that I have to
take care of,” she says.
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Press it says that development of
a new drug, called TNX-901, is
underway. It is on the fast track
for US government approval, but
a fight between pharmaceutical
firms Genetech, Tanox Inc. and
Novartis Pharmaceuticals has
delayed the next round of tests.
Even if those tests were to start, it
would probably take three to four
years before the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration approved
the drug.
Dr. Hugh Sampson, in an
Associated Press article, says
TNX-901 is “not a cure for the
allergy itself, but a drug that will
provide a buffer zone, allowing
people to accidentally consume
a small amount of peanuts and
not react.”
The only cure or treatment now is
avoidance of all products containing
peanuts. A life-saving needle,
known as an Epi pen, holds an
injectable drug containing epinephrine or adrenaline that is used to
stop allergic reactions.
Avoiding peanuts is easier said
than done, however. Most people
don’t realize that residues are left on
utensils, containers, dishes, tabletops, rails, doors and door knobs
every day.
It only takes a tiny amount of
peanut particles or residue for
someone with this allergy to
react. The oil residue from loose
peanuts is left on your hand after
eating them so, if you don’t
properly wash your hands before
touching something, you may be
putting someone at risk of a
potential allergic reaction.
“No, I don’t even think about
it,” says Amanda Freeborn, 19, of
Hamilton, a second-year student
in the Educational Assistant –
Special Needs Support program.
“I guess it’s because I don’t
have to think about it, as I’m not
allergic to it,” says Freeborn,
when asked of her awareness at
school after eating a peanut
product and the harm it may
cause someone with this allergy.
“The first time I heard of it
was 10 years ago when my
cousin was born, but it seems to
be growing with time,” says Pam
Mackay, 20, of Cambridge, a
second-year student in the
Educational Assistant – Special
Needs Support program.
Asked about her awareness at
Niagara College after eating a
peanut product and the harm it
may cause to one with the allergy, Mackay says, “Not at all. I go
on with daily life. I don’t think
about that stuff.”
“We don’t know why people
are more sensitive to the allergy
than others,” says Carolyn
Gould, of Fonthill, the full-time
nurse of Niagara College’s
Welland campus.
Asked what students should
know about this peanut allergy,
Gould says, “I advise everyone
to watch out for fellow students.
Be careful about what you eat
and touch. After you’re done eating, wash your hands before
touching something, as residual
peanut butter or oils may be left
on the table.”
Everyone welcome to MMC closing
All graduates, past and current
employees and staff are welcome
to the official closing of the Maid
of the Mist campus in Niagara
Falls on Thursday, April 17.
The ceremony, which begins at
5 p.m., is called Past, Present and
Future.
“All past graduates for sure are
invited back,” says Karen
Marasco, Student Administrative
Council (SAC) student health
plan administrator. “We’re looking for a big crowd. It should be
fun.”
SAC officials at the Welland
campus and Maid of the Mist
campus are organizing the event,
which is scheduled to last two or
three hours.
“Hopefully people will have a
fun time,” says Marasco.
There will be a $2 charge at the
door to provide for refreshments
and food.
All programs in the tourism,
culinary and hotel management
at the Maid of the Mist Centre
will be moving to the Glendale
campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake
in September.
The Maid of the Mist campus
opened in 1989.
See our last newspaper Thursday, April 17
Sunday, April 13th
GRAFiTi
AWARDS
!
p
u
t
i
Turn
Entertainment
Snow performs at Welland campus pub
Staff Writer
In his light blue sweater, tuque and sunglasses, Darrin O’Brien doesn’t look that different from the average person.
When the lights were dimmed and the audience quieted down at the Niagara College
After Hours pub though, he was transformed
into the person audiences know and love:
Snow. Snow has fought hard to be among the
top singer/songwriters.
Originally from Toronto, but discovered
singing in the streets of New York City,
Snow says it was “hard to gain recognition
in the beginning, because not a lot of people in America knew anything about
Reggae music.”
Snow says he loves what he does, but if he
ever won a lottery with enough money to
never have to do anything again, he would
buy an island and sleep.
For his dedicated fans though, he would
still make music, but just allow it to be downloaded off programs like Kazaa.
Snow says he has “always been a grounded
person,” keeping the same friends and the same
girlfriend because “I guess people who don’t stay
the same aren’t happy people to begin with.”
Snow isn’t perfect though, and he’ll be the
first to admit it. His most embarrassing
moment happened at a concert in Vancouver.
It was a concert mostly attended by skateboarders, and Snow wasn’t used to having
things thrown at him. When a shoe came flying on stage, he threw it back, accidentally
hitting a woman in the face. When talking
about this incident, his tone is that of repentance. He has since gone back to Vancouver
and sincerely apologized for the incident.
When the topic of government arose, Snow
says he doesn’t “do anything government. I
quit everything government.”
The government, to him, he says, is just
another controlling, overbearing force in a
world already filled with problems.
“Get rid of the police too.” Although he
says he doesn’t feel safe in any country, to
him, the police represent a lack of safety
because they are an unnecessary force.
People know of Snow, although there are
no rushing masses to shake his hands and
no screaming fans to stalk him. He says he
likes it that way.
People know him just enough to respect
him without going that extra mile.
“When I go to a club and people wanna
talk, I talk,” Snow says.
Whatever stroke of luck Snow had to make
him famous has not gone to head. “I have to
be down to earth. I could have changed, but
then I would have hated myself.”
When touring he leaves behind a sevenyear-old daughter, Justuss. Although he misses her, he says she shouldn’t yet be introduced
to the lifestyle of a singer.
“She’ll know what I’m talking about in a
couple of years.”
Snow is someone who can appreciate the
beauty of life. When he creates his songs,
anything can inspire him: a nice day, a good
experience or time with friends.
At the end of the interview, Snow was gracious enough to sing a sample of his newest
song, Missing You.
If you have not heard of Snow, remember
these three things: He’s a great singer, he’s a Snow performed for 200 people at the Molson Canadian Cheap Date held in the
nice person and, most important, he’s After Hours pub at the college’s Welland campus.
Canadian.
Caught in Thought takes Battle of the Bands
By BEAU CALLAGHAN
Staff Writer
Niagara College’s showcase of musical talent was
by no means lacking in quality as the After Hours pub
at the Welland campus held the seventh annual Battle
of the Bands on March 24.
Sixteen bands performed about three original songs
each set for the crowd and judges. The night started
at 8:30 p.m. and ended at 2 a.m. with the new champions, Caught in Thought, taking home $500 in
recording studio time and a berth to the second round,
to be held at the University of Western Ontario in
London.
“We always set out with the attitude to play our
music, and when it comes to competitions people
judge different styles of music. We just go out there
and do what we do and if we win at doing what we do,
then fine. We just have a good time and do what we
love,” says John Weaver, 21, of St. Catharines, lead
singer and rhythm guitar for Caught in Thought.
Despite the dominant punk rock sound of the evening,
Caught in Thought, inspired by such bands as Led
Zeppelin, The Beatles and folk musicians such as Nick Drake
and Bob Dylan, slipped a free-spirited sound into the mix to
capture the title of champion.
“We’re writing stuff that’s catchy. You don’t have to be
clichéd to be catchy. There’s a lot of great bands out there
that write hooks and stuff that are pop-ish, that aren’t
clichéd, that don’t have to be manufactured,” says Weaver.
When it comes to the added pressure of performing in the secChris, of Welland, played
bass guitar for the bands
Dissonance and Flatlined.
His surname was not given.
Tyler Black of the band Underwhelmed plays guitar.
ond round, Shawn Dennis, 22, of St. Catharines, a first-year student in the General Arts and Science program who plays bass
guitar for the band, says they’re a little worried. Having won last
month’s Brock University Battle of the Bands, Dennis says the
band feels confident.
Welland-based band Psybin, who played songs that
sounded like gunfire and shouted lyrics to the audience,
placed second. Placing third was the crowd-pleasing
Through Our Silence, whose guitar player Jeff Luciani,
18, of Thorold, says he has been playing guitar for
seven years. He amazed onlookers by playing the
guitar with his teeth.
“The music scene’s been really good here. The
competition is huge out there,” says Tim Jakob, 20,
of Thorold, lead singer of Through Our Silence,
adding his approval for another band in the competition called Spoken. Jakob says, “Anything with
hippies and acoustic guitar is high class for me.”
During the course of the evening, bands such as
Caught in Thought, Body Flag, Spoken and
Underwhelmed made reference to the war in Iraq.
Underwhelmed played its anti-war song Never Had,
which brought feedback from audience member Joel
McNutt, 20, of Smithville, Ont., a General Arts and
Science program student at Niagara College.
McNutt says it’s important for bands to be political.
“I really think people need to speak out and show their
concern. There needs to be more than CNN to provide
an outlet,” says McNutt.
Audience member Kathleen Romanin, 20, of St.
Catharines, a second-year student at Brock University,
says she’s just here for a good time and to cheer on her
favourite band, Nangarri, of Niagara Falls, whose onstage
antics from its shirtless lead singer and its lead guitar player, contributed to the memorable evening.
Other bands that night included Ceremonial Snips, Andy
Moog and the Sausage Party, Dissonance, Flatlined, Behind
the Name, Awkward Pause, Social Imbalance, Woodfine
and the lone female lead band of Slide.
Rob plays guitar for the band
Spoken. His surname was not
given.
All photos by
Brent Watson
Success Stories
Need a job? Two grads create their own
By HEATHER CROLE
Staff Writer
Students may find job opportunities, business contacts or friends at Niagara College.
A graduate of the Art and Design
Fundamentals — Graphic Design Production
program and the one-year Interactive
Multimedia (Post-graduate) program, Scott
Miner, 24, originally of Crystal Beach, Ont.,
lives in Depew, N.Y., and attended Niagara
College from 1998 to 2002.
Close to Miner’s graduation time, he got a
job in Ellicottville, N.Y., as a graphic
designer at a dot-com company. He then
became a multimedia developer for Fischer
Price in East Aurora, N.Y.
Miner’s works in Alden, N.Y., as a marketing lead for Drew Candle Co. He designs
the company’s Web page and product labels
and does computer troubleshooting.
Miner met Denise Couture at Niagara
College when she was in Broadcasting —
Radio, Television and Film program, from
September 1999 to April 2002. Couture, 23,
originally of Tillsonburg, Ont., lives in St.
Catharines, Ont. She graduated from the
Journalism-Print program at Centennial
College in Toronto in 1999.
From May 2000 to May 2001, Couture
worked as an intern at the radio station Edge
103 WEDG in Buffalo, N.Y., and then landed a part-time job at a Niagara regional
radio station, 101.1 the River, in St.
Catharines from late spring of 2002 until the
fall of 2002.
She is a full-time audio buyer for HMV
Canada.
“I am responsible for ordering all new
audio releases that come into the HMV store
in St. Catharines, and I deal with label representatives and all the marketing people
who work in HMV head office. I must
decide what is best for this market (which
CDs will sell).”
Couture’s favourite memory of being at
“although I thought Comedy Night at the
pub was cool.”
Couture said her favourite courses here
were radio presentation and current events
with Brian Green. Couture said she thought
both classes were “interesting and thorough” and the current events class “is a
well-laid out course.”
Couture said she thought film studies was
her least favourite class because “the choice
Niagara College was “the late nights in the
TV or radio studio, with those people ... in
our lab groups, and having pizza delivered
at 3 a.m.”
Miner’s favourite memory of being at the
college was a contest he had with his friend
Devon, whom he met while attending Niagara
College, “to see how many girls I could date at
one time. I lost by one ... he got seven.”
Miner said the least favourite aspect of
attending Niagara College in his program
was the students in his program having “no
sense of humour,” out-of-date equipment,
high tuition and some un-supportive teachers. Miner also said that Niagara should
have better extra-curricular activities,
of staff could have been better” and the students didn’t care for the presentations.
“More class options should be made for
first-year students,” Couture said.
Miner said the teacher he liked most was
John Allen, his multimedia teacher “but he
quit Niagara and is now a multimedia
teacher overseas for the United Arab
Emirate.”
Couture said she enjoyed having Green as
a teacher because “he is the most educated
person on the broadcasting staff. He has a
way of relating to students and making us
think, and he made us want to be there.”
Miner and Couture share a common interest, their love of music, so after graduation
they started their own alternative music
magazine called The Vinyl Sessions. The
magazine began as a Webzine designed by
Miner and Couture. About one year after its
birth, it went into print. Couture is the editor
and serves as the promotional department
for the magazine. Miner “is the Web and
graphics dude, as he likes to be called,” said
Couture. They are both reviewers and writers for the magazine.
“It is an alternative music freebie for the
Niagara region. We do CD reviews, cover
story articles, and deal with record labels
and representatives. It’s a quarterly magazine,” said Miner. “The next issue will be
out the first of April.”
The Vinyl Sessions was a sponsor, in July
2002, of the St. Catharines Event for New
Music and Entertainment (SCENE), where
more than 50 local bands played at five different venues. The magazine is distributed
at various locations in the Niagara Region,
one being the pub at Niagara College’s
Welland campus.
While Miner said he is “content right
now,” Couture said she would like to do
more free-lance writing and “make more
contacts in the music industry.”
The only thing Couture said she would do
differently if she were back at the college is
“I would have gone into TV production
because there’s a better job market for that
right now.”
For more information visit this Web site
http://www.thevinylsessions.com.
Child, youth worker reaches
goal of job in hospital setting
larly enjoy working with a variety of people at the hospital
because it feels like I am learning something new every day.”
After graduating from the
Submitted photo
By IAN SHANTZ
Staff Writer
A former Niagara College student had a goal upon graduation.
She says she wanted a job in a
hospital setting. She has reached
her goal.
Julie Hewitt, 23, of Acton,
Ont., works at Sunnybrook and
Women’s
College
Health
Science Centre in Toronto.
Hewitt, a graduate of the Child
and Youth Worker program at
Niagara College, is a child and
youth worker at the adolescent
and mental health unit within the
hospital.
Hewitt says she appreciates
her job. “Working at a hospital
in the mental health area has
always been the job that I wanted. I really enjoy it. I like working with adolescents and really
enjoy being able to see the
progress with different patients.
I got my dream job two years
after college.”
Hewitt’s
responsibilities
include providing structure
through daily routines and stability within the unit, planning
and implementing therapeutic
programs, one-on-one counselling, daily assessments of
patients and providing empathy
skills by being a role model. She
is in charge of groups that discuss topics such as social skills
and mental health.
Hewitt works closely with
psychiatrists,
psychologists,
mental health workers, social
workers and community agencies on a daily basis. “I particu-
JULIE HEWITT
three-year program in April
2001, Hewitt began to search for
work in her field.
She says that although she
didn’t land a job until the end of
that summer, she “never struggled to find possible employment in the field of child and
youth.” She says she was appreciative of the fact that the college called her and e-mailed her
with job postings following her
graduation.
“It’s good to know that they
(Niagara College consultants)
keep in contact with their former
students.”
Hewitt
says
she
was
impressed with the fact that
every course’s material was put
to use. “I thought that my field
placement was a very important
aspect of my learning experience at Niagara and was vital to
where I am today.”
Hewitt worked at Halton
Women’s Place in Burlington for
about two years before deciding
to apply at Sunnybrook. Hewitt
is attending night classes at
Brock
University
in
St.
Catharines where she is attempting to get her honours bachelor
of arts degree in psychology.
“I
enjoy
working
at
Sunnybrook, but someday I
would like to be my own boss.”
Hewitt has advice for anyone
enrolled in the Child and Youth
Worker program at Niagara:
“Don’t give up after your first
year. The theory work gets strenuous, but once you’re in your
field placements, it opens opportunities.”
GOOD THURSDAY
APRIL
17
FEATURING
APRIL
17
THE
PRACTICALLY HIP
PHATSTICK
POINT BLANK
& THE
‘Don’t give up after
your first year.’
– Julie Hewitt
She says to choose wisely
when selecting a job because
“contrary to rumours, the field
can pay very well and shift work
isn’t all that’s available. The field
seems to be in demand right now,
and it seems like this is a great
field to be in right now.”
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Sports
Athletes honoured at sports banquet
of Haifa, Israel, who took
home honours for top senior male
athlete of the year, as well as
OCAA All-Academic and Academic All-Canadian awards.
To receive these awards a player must maintain an honours
grade-point average of between
80 and 89 per cent and be
involved in a sport.
Reflecting on how it felt to be
recognized, he says, “It feels great.
I want to say thank you to all of
my teammates. They did it for me,
all the players. I’m very happy and
I think we had a good year. I’m
looking forward to next year and
Registrar Al Vaughan spoke to the athletes at the beginning of the
event.
hope it’s going to be even better
next year.”
Kikos, a second-year Electronics Engineering Technology program student, led the Knights to
the team’s first OCAA Western
region title, and a bronze medal at
the nationals.
His personal accomplishments
included leading his team in scoring with 40 two-point field goals,
37 three-point field goals and 45
free throws for a total of 237
points and an average of 19.8
points a game, as well as being a
Western region second team allstar and champion all-star.
Kikos says much was expected
of him and his teammates at the
beginning of the season. Referring
to the turmoil in his home country
of Israel, he says,
“It was hard to concentrate on
basketball with all the other stuff
going on right now. It’s not easy. I
always was talking to them (his
family back home), making sure
they were OK.”
Ginni Llord, 22, of St.
Catharines, was excited to receive
her award for top senior female
athlete of the year.
“It was a big surprise. I was very
surprised. I thought that there were
a lot of other athletes that deserved
it. I am just thankful for my team
and my coaches.”
Llord, a fourth-year General
Arts and Science program student
and a graduate of the Child and
Youth Worker program, is a sixfoot power hitter on the women’s
volleyball team.
She helped her team post its
most successful campaign since
1970, with a 15-1 record, and
brought home a silver medal at the
OCAA championships.
Her individual success included
leading the league in kills, for the
season. She also leads the OCAA
for career kills and was selected an
OCAA Western region all-star.
Llord praised her team’s success. “Our goal in the beginning
was to win a medal, to medal at
OCAA. To win a silver medal was
amazing. Next year, I think we’re
going to do even better.”
An award recognizing a coach
involved in the recruitment of students to Niagara Colllege was handed out for the first time this year.
Basketball coach Ralph Nero
claimed the award for his commitment and dedication to the recruitment process.
“It’s always nice to receive an
award, especially since it is a new
award,” says Nero.
He said the other college coaches also did a “great job” this year.
Al Vaughan, Niagara College’s
registrar, recognized the importance of athletics at the college and
of this year’s athletes.
“I would have to say that it does
enhance the overall image of the
college. I think the fact is people
like to belong to an organization
that’s a winner, and this year the
success of our athletes has been
incredible. I think that everybody
at the college feels really good
about that and they enjoy being a
part of it.”
Also echoing those thoughts was
Ray Sarkis, the college’s co-ordinator of athletics and recreation.
“The event went really well last
night, for myself and the rest of the
staff. The administration enjoyed
the evening.”
Describing what the night
meant to him, Sarkis says, “It’s a
night for athletes, and as long as
they’re happy and enjoy themselves, then that’s what it’s all
about. Honouring our top athletes and the success of our
teams is what it’s all about. We
had a lot of success this year.”
There were about 140 students
at the event.
Graeme Gaunt displays his
award of excellence.
34th Annual Athletic Awards
And the winners are...
Athlete of the year
Male freshman athlete of the year:
Eduart Uka (men’s volleyball)
Female freshman athlete of the year:
Nicole Webber (women’s volleyball)
Male senior athlete of the year:
Eliran Kikos (men’s basketball)
Female senior athlete of the year:
Ginni Llord (women’s volleyball)
Most Valuable Player
Men’s basketball: Edson Jones
Women’s basketball: Shannon Katch
Curling: Leslie Grener
Golf: Maxime Barre
Rugby: Steve Mizuik
Men’s indoor soccer: Joe Conte
Women’s indoor soccer: Jennifer Elliot
Touch football: Jonathan Barr
Men’s volleyball: Justin Ross
Women’s volleyball: Vicky Smith
OCAA All-Academic Awards
Eduart Uka (back from left) and Eliran Kikos were the big winners
in the freshman male and senior male athlete of the year category respectively while freshman Jennifer Webber (front row at left),
and senior Ginni Llord won for the females.
Men’s basketball: Eliran Kikos
Women’s basketball: Carrie Stratford, Tasha
Dolinski, Rachel Franklin, Jaclyn Austin
Women’s volleyball: Marla Adams, Karina
Dykstra, Tracy Smith, Vicky Smith,
Rickie Dutcher
Curling: Melissa Shallow, Darcy McLaren,
Bryant Karner, Kelly Hall, Leslie Greener
Golf: Chris Near
Men’s indoor soccer: Graeme McIntosh,
Andre Pacheco, Greg Snazyk
Women’s indoor soccer: Jennifer Biczel,
Jennifer Elliott, Robyn Mertz, Ashleigh
Vink
Touch football: Jeff Fazecas, Nii-Narh
Kabutey, Adam Stauffer
Rugby: Alun Jones, Craig Grainger, Adam
Grant, Kyle Fisher, Mike Bembenek
CCAA All-Academic Awards
Men’s basketball: Eliran Kikos
Women’s basketball: Carrie Stratford
Athletes of Distinction
Women’s basketball: Tasha Dolinski
Men’s volleyball: Adam Durst
Women’s volleyball: Vickey Smith, Nicole
Carlton-Burnham
Men’s indoor soccer: Andre Pacheco, Mike
LoMedico
Women’s indoor soccer: Jennifer Elliott
Rugby: Mike Bembenek, John Hadden,
Mathew Hayes, Alun Jones
Curling: Darren Kinnash
Touch Football: Aaron Kincaid, Leighton
Bishop
Awards of Excellence
for four years of dedication
in intercollegiate sports
Men’s indoor soccer : Tim Kazakos
Men’s volleyball: Andrew Chatel
Men’s basketball: Edson Jones
Women’s volleyball: Ginni Llord
Men’s volleyball: Graeme Gaunt
Chef professor finds true calling in cooking
and began to work at restaurants
in Toronto.
Olson says some of the people
whom he aspired to be like were the
chefs he met and worked with in
Toronto, and the ones who taught
him while he was in college.
“Several chefs in Toronto
inspired me to work hard and
always keep an open mind with
cooking.”
Eventually, he became a partner in a successful restaurant, Inn
on the Twenty, situated in a winery, in Jordan, Ont. Olson
worked there for nine years.
While working at the restaurant,
Olson met and married a pastry
chef named Anna, “the love of
my life.”
As a couple, the Olsons wrote
the Inn on the Twenty Cookbook
and contribute regularly to cooking magazines across Canada.
“I look to my wife for a lot of
support in decision making as
Submitted photo
By CHARLOTTE BRETT
Staff Writer
It was only after living and
working in Japan that one of
Niagara College’s chef professors realized his true calling was
in the culinary arts.
Michael Olson, 39, of Welland,
said a career in health sciences
was what he first went to university to study for, but he decided
on cooking “because it was
something I wanted to do, not
what everyone else wanted.”
He moved to Japan in 1983
when he was 19 for about 10
months to play and coach hockey
on a travel visa. He began to
work in a restaurant to learn
more of the Japanese language.
He says it was at that point he
decided a culinary career was
what he truly wanted.
Olson gained a diploma in
Culinary Management from
Toronto’s George Brown College
MICHAEL OLSON
she is my best friend and partner.
She is very diligent, and I respect
her opinion in personal and business matters.”
The Olson’s have an 11-yearold daughter named Mika.
After working at the Inn on the
Twenty, Olson’s wife gained her
own show, Sugar, on the Food
Network Canada.
While working at the Inn on
the Twenty, Olson heard of a job
opening at Niagara College,
applied and was selected.
“I often thought I might teach
but the timing seemed a little
soon at the time, yet I don’t
regret leaving the industry at all.”
Olson has worked at the
Niagara College Maid of the
Mist campus (MMC) in Niagara
Falls for two years. He says he
plans to work at the MMC until
he retires.
Olson says he enjoys being a
professor of culinary arts in the
hot kitchen. “I can interact with
people from around the world
and hopefully have a positive
impact on students.”
Olson says that he has had many
memorable moments at the MMC.
“I had a man introduce himself
to me and say that his son benefited from his time with me. It
was truly gratifying.”
Olson says there are many benefits to working at the MMC. He
says he enjoys not having to
work late nights or weekends,
and he has more freedom with his
job than he has ever had before.
“The school gives me an opportunity to pursue other interests in
the food world through research
and travel.”
After seven years, Olson says
the college sponsors chefs to take
sabbaticals. The college will send
the chefs to different countries to
gain knowledge of different culinary skills of the world.
Sign language interpreter important asset to students
By ASHLEIGH TAYLOR
Staff Writer
Patricia Dekker-Lovegrave, 31,
moves her hands and fingers with
grace as she gives a voice to a
world filled with silence.
Dekker-Lovegrave, of Holland,
has been a sign language interpreter at Niagara College for three
years.
Her job is of much importance at
the college as it allows deaf students to become involved in the
classroom and gain a college education.
She signs to the student as the
instructor speaks at the front of the
class, and she speaks for the student to the rest of the class.
Niagara College contacted
Dekker-Lovegrave to be a sign language interpreter, she says, since
she also does freelance work at the
college.
She attended a three-year program at Windsor’s St. Clair
u
o
y
k
n
a
h
T
College to learn the art of sign
‘I think the biggest
misconception is
that sign language
is like English. It is
its own unique
language.’
— Patricia DekkerLovegrave
language.
“I took night courses. Then I fell
in love with sign language, so I
took it full time.”
Working with a number of students and instructors at the college,
Dekker-Lovegrave says she enjoys
being employed at Niagara College
because the environment is so
friendly.
“Being involved with so many
different classes, involved with so
many activities, is my favourite
part of the job.”
Working so closely with the
hearing
impaired,
DekkerLovegrave has seen first-hand the
hardships and misconceptions deaf
people have endured.
“I think the biggest misconception is that sign language is like
English. It is its own unique language.”
Dekker-Lovegrave says one of
the most satisfying parts of her job is
the challenge it produces every day.
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Student counsellor can handle any concerns
By SHEENA WERNER
Staff Writer
The Counselling Department at
Niagara College is ready for those
who come in.
Working at the college for more
than 21 years, Jocelyne Briggs, of
Pelham, says she tries to help students as much as she can.
Briggs meets with students to
assist them in any way they need,
whether it be academic concerns,
personal concerns or anything else
that they may need.
“Seeing students through a suc-
cessful completion of studies is
why I do this. I enjoy working
one-on-one with the students, the
diversity of the students and their
needs. No two days tend to be
the same.”
The Counselling Department is
part of the Student Services
Division. Its funding comes from
the college. This funding, in turn,
means all students who to go to
counselling will find it is free of
charge. The office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
throughout the school year. The
services are provided at the three
campuses in Welland, Niagara
Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Briggs says she believes she
helps students every day. “The students would have to all come back
and tell me if I have helped, but I
do what I can.”
In her spare time, she says she is
as busy at work as at home. “My
children play hockey, and we currently are building a house. Loads
on the go.”
Briggs says she has always seen
herself in this type of job field. She
says if she was doing anything
else, it would be related in some
form to helping people.
The Counselling Department
provides more services than just
counselling. The department operates the Start Right program and
organizes
the
Student
Appreciation Day activities.
“We also attend all of the information sessions and participate in
orientation
activities,”
says
Briggs.
As with most jobs, this one has
its pressures. “There are days
when the pressure is more intense,
but we try to leave it at work.
Some things are hard to leave at
work, but if I brought it all home
then I would burn out quickly.”
Briggs has advice for anyone
wishing to pursue a similar career,
“Take the opportunity to volunteer
prior to going into studies to see if
you have made the right choice.
“Any student in the college can
contact us through a counsellor
directly or through a secretary. It is
free. We want to help and provide
resources to those in need.”
Students needing help If you need a job, look here
can get peer tutoring
By KATIE LEBEL
Staff Writer
A college education can come
with many challenges. Student
Services at Niagara College
helps and guides students to
their fullest potential.
Josie Tremonte, 35, of
Thorold, is the Peer Services
assistant at the college’s
Welland campus. She began
working here in August 2000.
She worked as an assistant for a
financial planner for three years
previously.
Students at the college looking for help with their studies
can meet with Tremonte and
receive help with a tutor offered
by Student Services. The student
is usually matched with a second-year student of the same
program.
Tremonte says her position is
“very gratifying.”
“When a student comes in and
thanks me for getting 90 per cent
on a test, I find it very rewarding. It makes all my hard work
worth it.”
Students can benefit “very
much” from the service, says
Tremonte.
Although, the numbers of
users are up from last year, students are not taking full advantage of the program.
“Students don’t realize how
helpful a tutor can be. We want
all students to reach their fullest
potentials,” says Tremonte.
The tutoring office is in
SE102A, across from the
Campus Store. Office hours are
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday
to Thursday.
Tremonte says she looks forward to more students taking
advantage of the Peer Services at
the college. “We’re here to help.”
By NICOLE JOHNSON
Staff Writer
Niagara College students needing a job should look here, says
Lyndsay
Walker,
20,
of
Beamsville, Ont.
Walker, in her final year of the
Office Administration Executive
program, works as an office support clerk for the Continuing
Education (CE) department at the
college’s Welland campus.
“It was posted on www.campusworklink.com,” Walker says,
explaining how she found out
about the job opening.
“It’s an awesome job site. If
you’re looking for a job, that’s
where you should go.”
Walker works with the development officers of CE, who co-ordinate all the courses offered
through this program.
She works as a receptionist and
provides administrative support to
the development officers, by taking telephone calls and typing
reports.
This is just a part-time job for
Walker, who works on Saturdays
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from 8 a.m. to noon in room L24
of the Lundy Wing, earning $8 an
hour. She started working for the
college last September and has
agreed to stay on until April.
“I like my job,” says Walker,
‘I meet lots of
interesting people.
I get to work with
students of all ages …’
— Lyndsay Walker
adding, “I meet lots of interesting
people. I get to work with students
of all ages, and it’s an excellent
opportunity to gain experience for
my career.”
Walker says she likes the people
she works with in the office.
“I work with nice people. We
had a pretty wild Christmas party.
Trish Labonte, the director of CE,
had everyone over to her house for
a pot-luck dinner and we played
games and drank wine.”
The only thing, she says she
doesn’t like about the job is the
drive from Beamsville to Welland,
which uses a lot of gas.
Walker says students from her
program should consider working
for the college because it’s a great
opportunity to “gain valuable experience toward their future goals.”
During the week, Walker works
for the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation as an information
co-ordinator and also volunteers
with the 57th Grantham Optimist
Boy Scout troop in St. Catharines
as a Web site designer.
By PAT PARKINSON
Staff Writer
Recruitment works.
Randy Conlon, 35, of St
Catharines, is employed by
Niagara College as the co-ordinator for the Student Recruitment,
Enrolment and Registration
Services.
“I’m responsible for all recruitment activities for the college,
programs and services to potential
students throughout the province
and country,” he says.
Since 1991, Conlon has worked
for the college doing similar work.
“I didn’t always have this position,
but the job was similar and has
evolved.” Conlon said he used to
be a “media liaison officer.”
Conlon said he “absolutely
loves his job” by being able to see
the results and analyzing the data
over time.
“I like looking at a school that
has no recruits coming to our college. Then the next year maybe
one person from that school
attends Niagara, and the next,
maybe five. By seeing this, you
can tell if recruitment is working.”
Conlon said he is not directly
Recruitment provides ‘flexible schedule’
RANDY CONLON
responsible for the enrolment of
students, but would like to think
the “fruits of labour” are shown.
He said like any job, certain
days you just don’t want to be here
because of “limitations on what
you can do. For example, in an
ideal world, we would visit every
secondary school in Canada.”
Conlon said although extremely
busy, he has a “very flexible
schedule,” which allows him to
teach five hours a week on top of
his normal job.
He teaches a public relations
course to second-year students in
the Journalism-Print program.
“I have an excellent relationship
with my immediate supervisor, Al
Vaughan (the college registrar).”
Conlon said along with his
other duties he finds time to help
coach college basketball and
touch football.
“I like coaching. It’s great. I
wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
He is a graduate of the college’s
Journalism-Print program.
Conlon said he has a wife
named Tina, who is a teacher, and
a daughter Ally, 3, and a son,
Michael, eight months.
Bookstore employee enjoys job even after 13 years
By JOCELYN SYMONS
Staff Writer
As she starts her 13th year working at
Niagara College in Welland, Sylvia Marotta
says it’s been a long time, but she still
enjoys her job.
Marotta, 41, of Welland, is a graduate of
the college’s Business Administration program. She entered the workforce at age 24
as an office clerk for booksellers Barnes and
Noble and has been at the college bookstore
at the Welland campus ever since. Her job
consists of ordering course packages and
serving customers.
“I really enjoy the interaction with the
students; however, everything else has
become monotonous,” says Marotta.
“Working part-time Monday through Friday
as a cashier makes me critically examine my
job,” she says. “I’d like to upgrade my skills
and work in an office as a secretary.”
Although Marotta says sometimes the
part-time hours are nice, a full-time job
would suit her lifestyle better. “I wish it was
a full-time job and that we were Niagara
College employees instead of with Barnes
and Noble.”
Marotta says there is little change within her
line of work.
She says she enjoys her co-workers and
will continue to work there until something
else comes her way. “I have to work with
them all day so I might as well get along
with them,” she says jokingly.
Apart from being employed part time,
Marotta says she is a devoted wife and
mother. In her spare time, she takes a computer night course and spends time with her
family. “I spend my time taxi driving my
two boys to hockey.”
Although Marotta’s job is predictable, she
says it keeps her young. “Being surrounded
by students every day makes me feel like
one, and that feels great.”
Library technician says she enjoys working with students
By CHARLOTTE LEE
Staff Writer
Since many Niagara College students only pass by the
Learning Resource Centre (LRC) on their way to the cafeteria or to have a smoke outside, they might go through their
college life never having touched a book from the library.
More and more people are in the LRC prior to exam time,
with many people studying in the little booths or on the
computers checking their Hotmail accounts.
Dale Zinatelli, 51, of Welland, is a library technician at
the college’s Welland campus. Zinatelli is not a librarian
because in order to be one, you must have a university
degree.
She has had training to be a library technician. She graduated from the two-year Library Technician program at the
Welland campus, which is no longer offered. She has
worked at the college’s LRC for 31 years.
Zinatelli said she chose the job because she liked that it
was a “nice and quiet working environment.”
“I really enjoy working with the staff and students,” said
Zinatelli, adding she enjoys the fact her job is always
changing.
Just last year, the LRC went through a major renovation.
It used to be where the cafeteria is now and not down below
it. The cafeteria was situated in the Black Walnut building.
“It (the LRC) is a lot brighter, but it’s smaller and gets a
lot more crowded.”
Zinatelli said the move meant changes to the LRC. All the
rooms and computers are new. She said it’s nice that the
cafeteria is in the main building.
It’s better for the students and the staff, she said. “It would
have been nice if we had more space because it gets kind of
Studying easier in LRC
By MELISSA GRAHAM
Staff Writer
Three Niagara College students
say the Learning Resource Centre
(LRC) at the Welland campus provides a valuable service for the
students.
The LRC is across from the
security office in the Tecumseh
Wing. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8
a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Fridays. The
LRC provides Internet access,
books, magazines, study rooms
and movies as resources for the
students to use.
Dale Zinatelli, library technician,
says quite a few students make use
of the resources at the LRC.
Patti
Jones,
18,
of
Stevensville, Ont., a first-year
student in the Educational
Assistant — Special Needs
Support program, says it makes
no difference if the LRC is open
until 8 p.m., because she usually
goes there during school hours.
“I don’t really make use of the
resources. I mainly go there to
study.”
Leona Emberson, 19, of
Caledonia, Ont., a first-year student in the same program, says it
is useful to students for the LRC
to be open until 8 p.m.
“I go to the library once a week
to use the study rooms. I find it
helps me get my work done.”
Jennifer Coutu, 19, of Niagara
Falls, a first-year student in the
Art and Design Fundamentals —
Graphic Design Production program, says she goes to the LRC
once a week to study and do
homework.
“I think it is helpful that the
library is open until 8 p.m.,
because if I had a car I could come
back here and do my homework.
It is easier to study here than at
home because there are less distractions.”
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crowded sometimes.”
The computers, she said, might be getting improvements
for the future.
Zinatelli said she thinks the changes to the library are
good with the more open design concept.
Although Zinatelli does work with the books in the
library, her specialty is videocassettes. Zinatelli sorts orders
and lends out the videos to students and staff, but her passion “will always be books.”
“It would be nice to have a few more dollars for books so
that our selection was wider.”
She said lots of students use the LRC, but if they haven’t
yet, they should start and see what it’s like.
“Our new library is very open, clean and has a lot to offer
to a student whether it is a place to study, to do research or
just to find a good book and relax.”
Personal journals give intimate
look into Cobain’s life, music
By ASHLEIGH TAYLOR
Staff Writer
Published nine years after he
took his life in 1994 at the age of
27, Kurt Cobain’s Journals give
us an intimate look into the life
and mind of one of the most fascinating musicians of our time.
Formed in 1989, Nirvana
defined music in the early
1990s with its classic 1991
album Nevermind. With their
raw, loud, angst-ridden confessions, the members of Nirvana
paved the way for the Seattle
grunge wave.
As Nirvana front man, Cobain
was raised to cult figure status.
He was the anti-hero for lost
youth who identified deeply
with his music. Many still maintain an intense interest in his life.
Born in 1967, Cobain discovered the underground Seattle
punk rock scene in his early 20s,
a discovery which led to the
inspiration for Nirvana. After the
success of Nevermind, Nirvana
released its second album In
Utero in 1992.
Cobain
married
singer
Courtney Love and became a
father to Frances Bean.
At the height of Nirvana’s
career, Cobain began using
heroin. Cobain was urged to
enter rehab after a drug overdose in March 1994. Cobain
escaped the rehab facility, went
to his garage in Seattle and
ended his life with a gunshot to
the head. An electrician discovered his body April 8, 1994.
Cobain’s suicide shocked the
world and turned him into one of
the most tragic figures in rock
‘n’ roll history.
Cobain’s journals chronicle
passages from his early 20s until
the months before his death.
To be able to read these passages of Cobain’s writings is a
privilege, as we get an inside
look into his life and private
thoughts that we would otherwise never know.
Cobain is revealed as a
thoughtful and witty, yet troubled, soul that poured his innermost thoughts into his journals
in an almost therapeutic way.
The pages tell the tales of
his youth, his intense love for
music and his dark spiral into
drug abuse.
He wrote with passion and
conviction about politics, punk
rock ideals, his own insecurities and an endless flow of
lyrics.
We see the world through
Cobain’s eyes, a world sometimes filled with despair, but
also hope.
Cobain shouldn’t be confused
with a depressed junkie, as he
also expressed love for others
and had a sense of humour that
is evident in his many cartoon
drawings, his criticisms and all
he found wrong with the world.
Cobain’s journals leave us
with a deeper understanding of
the man who became an icon.
See our last Niagara News on Thursday, April 17.
Niagara graduate has bright future
By KEIRA CUTHBERT
Staff Writer
It’s time to serve up some food
and serve up some sound.
From a waitress to an apprenticeship as a sound technician, Sarah
Martin, 25, of Thorold, has done a
lot since attending Niagara College.
The former student in the
Broadcasting – Radio, Television
and Film program was a fixture at
the school from 1998 to 2001.
Her fascination with film began
at an early age.
“I always wanted to do film, ever
since I was a kid,” says Martin.
She says she made her first
film at age seven, making
Claymation, which she stills does
in her spare time.
Martin says she chose Niagara
because students get to produce
and make movies in their first
year, while other schools, like
Humber College in Toronto, wait
‘I always wanted to
do film, ever since I
was a kid.’
— Sarah Martin
until the last year.
“My mommy didn’t want me to
leave home,” she says laughing.
After graduation, Martin
decided to volunteer for independent film companies in
Toronto, such as Realization
Films, Point Black Pictures and
Cogeco Cable Inc. in Niagara.
At the beginning of the year,
Martin decided to specialize and
began working in the sound
department on location sets, as a
boom operator or a cable puller.
This summer Martin will
apprentice with a sound technician in Toronto to become an
audio assistant.
She will then take a test to get into
the sound union NABET and to
receive a licence as a sound engineer.
The films she’s worked on are
independents, “small potatoes that
went to film festivals.”
Even though she’s starting from
the bottom again, she says, “being
on set is wicked fun ‘cause anything can happen and you meet a
lot of people ... even when bad
stuff goes, it’s even fun to figure
‘My mommy didn’t
want me to leave
home.’
— Sarah Martin
out how to overcome.”
Some films she says she likes are
Legend, Pink Flamingo and her
favourite, Gone with the Wind.
Martin says she spends most
of her time watching movies and
noticing their faults. “I never
had a social life. I’m a hermit.
I’m usually at home.”
For a student who started with no
goals in 1998, Sarah says, she has
them now. They include a
Volkswagen van for sound equipment, an apartment in Toronto, a
house in Niagara and Claymation
side projects. Claymation is the
process of moving plasticine figures
slightly for every second of film.
A soon-to-be-released movie
Martin has worked on will head
to the Toronto International Film
Festival this fall and will be
aired on CTV.
Bus too inconvenient, expensive for students
By VANESSA AZZOLI
Staff Writer
An old bus rolls down
Merrittville Highway packed with
tired students at 8 a.m.
The Brock Hub is a bus that runs
from Niagara College to Brock
University daily to help students
living in St. Catharines, Niagara
Falls and Thorold commute to the
college campuses.
Carolyn Flatt, 23, of St.
Catharines, says this bus system
“tends to be confusing and costly.”
“Buying one pass for each bus
line definitely is not cost effective
for students,” says Flatt, a student
in the Public Relations (Post-graduate) program. She adds that the
buses should work on a better time
‘There’s not much
room and too
many people are
always
standing ...’
— Jennifer Coutu
schedule. “They should run until
all the students’ classes are over.”
The Brock Hub leaves Welland
six times a day, leaving students
sitting at school between runs
waiting for their bus to come.
James Johnson, 26, of St.
Catharines, says that the cost is fair,
but “I suggest that the bus make
more runs at better times.” He’s a
Computer Programming student, at
the Welland campus.
Jennifer Coutu, 19, of Niagara
Falls, says what is currently set
up is a “good system,” but not
everyone agrees.
“There’s not much room and too
many people are standing in the
mornings,” says Coutu, a first-year
‘Buying one pass for
each bus line
definitely is not
cost effective for
students.’
— Carolyn Flatt
student in the Art and Design
Fundamentals – Graphic Design
program at Niagara College’s
Welland campus.
The Brock Hub averages a ridership of 50 students a trip. The bus
leaves Welland at 8 a.m., 9 a.m.,
12:40 p.m., 1:40 p.m., 4:40 p.m.
and 5:40 p.m., leaving many open
time slots in which students are
waiting for the bus to arrive.
A bus pass for Welland Transit for
the semester costs $250, while a bus
pass for St. Catharines Transit is
$280. Students are paying $530 a
semester, and $1,060 a year to take
this bus from home to school.
Songwriter has some big dreams
By KRYSTINA GRANDMOND
Staff Writer
Business Administration –
Marketing (Co-op) program student
Sara LaFratta, 19, of Thorold, wants
to be a star some day.
What makes her different is that
she’s already on her way.
LaFratta has been singing since
the age of four, but started vocal
lessons at 13. She has been writing
and recording with Ray Lyell in
Hamilton for the last four years. She
has performed her own songs with
‘If someone got
famous from a song I
wrote, I’d be very
happy for them.’
— Sara LaFratta
him at three different locations, one
of which was Hamilton Place.
“I’ve been on hiatus for a while.
I’m going back in mid-May,” says
LaFratta of her lessons with Lyell.
In the last four years with Lyell,
she has written and recorded five
original songs and a Christmas ballad, Silent Night. Since her time off,
she says she has written one song.
“I just want to get in there and
create from scratch. Those songs
are usually the best ones.”
LaFratta has also worked with
vocal coach Elaine Carlson, of
Thorold, for the past two years and
has written and recorded one song
with her. Carlson has also worked
with Ray Lyell in the past.
“That’s how I got to her,” says
LaFratta, “but it was too much
money doing vocal lessons and
recording, so I had to choose
one.” She says she wants to
“stick with recording.”
LaFratta says her older songs
were “definitely pure pop,” but her
newer ones are getting to be more
pop/rock. In the future, she says
she wants to try a more
dance/techno sound.
“That music never fades. You listen to radio stations and it’s always
there. It’s more long-lasting.”
She says she wants to be signed
to a recording label before releasing an album, “but if nothing happens, I’ll copyright my old stuff
and send it out for others to sing.”
She says she would keep her
newer songs for herself.
“If someone got famous from a
song I wrote, I’d be very happy for
them. My name would still be out
there as a songwriter.”
LaFratta says her music inspirations have changed over the years.
“I used to be one of the biggest
Hanson fans,” she says, “but now
it would definitely be J-Lo
(Jennifer Lopez).”
Although many artists shorten
their names or use stage names,
LaFratta says she prefers to use
her own name, “but if I did shorten it, it would definitely be S-La.”
LaFratta says her goal for the
future is to combine “marketing
with music.”
“My dream job is to work at
Sony Records in Toronto in their
advertising and promotion department and still release records.”
She also works part time at The
Pillar and Post Inn in Niagara-onthe-Lake to help pay for college.
“I’m mostly saving for school,
‘I just want to get in
there and create
from scratch.
Those songs are
usually the best
ones.’
— Sara LaFratta
and after that, maybe a car. I’d
love a black Alero.” LaFratta says
her parents pay for her recording
sessions, “but when they’re in a
bad mood, I pay.”
LaFratta’s program is held at the
college’s Glendale campus in
Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Student art
at the museum. Two students
have been asked to attend.
This is a way for the public to
meet the artists behind the
drawings and paintings.
Admission to the museum is
free. However, there is a donation
box at the door with all proceeds
going to the museum.
Kelly says, “If I get the
chance, I will go see the work.
It’s hard because I don’t have
a car and I don’t know where
the museum is.”
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Health Canada
35th hort open house attracts many visitors
Spring begins with annual
visit to Glendale garden
By JEANETTE GROTTICK
Staff Writer
The smell of spring was in the
air at the Glendale campus in
Niagara-on-the-Lake
when
Niagara College sponsored its
35th annual horticulture open
house on March 22 and March 23.
Clarica Kaye, 75, of St.
Catharines, says she was enjoying
the horticulture show and will
probably be back next year.
“I’m enjoying seeing all
the plants and
deciding on what I
might put in my garden this year.”
Jordan Harris, 22,
a first-year student
in the Winery and
Viticulture program,
says he believes the people came for the wine,
not the plants.
“I think a lot of people came to
see us. The plants are secondary.”
Harris says he’s in a “great” program and feels rewarded by the
turnout.
“Yeah, for sure it’s a great expe-
rience, (including) the fact that we
have won national awards.”
Ian Terreberry, 21, a first-year
student in the Landscape
Technician program, commented
on the event turnout. “I think it’s
pretty good. A lot more people
than I expected (came). It’s my
first time here as well.”
Terreberry says the students at
the Glendale campus
started setting up the
tables and booths
for the horticulture
open
house on
March 18.
“We started
setup
on
Tuesday so (it
took) about a
week, but we’re
growing plants all
the time.”
Terreberry says he wants to
work in landscape, not in the
greenhouses.
Jim Dobsi, 49, of Welland, says
he’s enjoying himself. “Yeah, it’s a
blast. It’s beautiful to see all the
Marian Grima stands beside a display of custom-made copper and cedar butterfly houses created
by landscape design class students.
Photo by Jeanette Grottick
plants, and it’s relaxing.”
Dobsi says it’s his first time at
the horticulture show, but he’ll
“definitely” come back next year.
The horticulture open house is
not just for adults, but for children
as well. This year the students
added a showing of the Harry
Potter movie, with students and
faculty members dressed up as
some of the characters. Last year
they had a theme from Shrek. The
students gave away free plants to
children and had drinks and snacks
for them at the children’s area.
Students work pays dividends at hort open house
By NICOLE JOHNSON
Staff Writer
The horticulture students at
Niagara College’s Glendale campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake will be
showing off their green thumbs this
weekend at this year’s open house.
“The open house will showcase
the work of the horticulture, landscape design and floral design students,” says Marcie Newell, a
greenhouse clerk at the college.
Tracy Unger, a first-year student
in the Greenhouse Technician program, says her class is working
“very hard” to prepare for the open
house and all the students are
being marked on their effort.
“One of our main features is our
tropical section, (but) there’s other
different sections like herbs and
flowers that are for sale,” says
Unger, 20.
She says the open house, which
will be held on March 22 and
March 23, is for “anyone who
wants to see what Niagara College
is all about.”
Unger says her class is divided
into groups to present a variety of
plants to the public.
“My group is doing medicinal
herbs native to Ontario. We’re
doing St. John’s wort, burdock
root and wild ginger.”
While some of the students’
work will be shown in the main
building, Unger says the majority
of the displays will be in the
greenhouse.
The college has a large greenhouse that is divided into three
‘One of our main
features is our
tropical section,
(but) there’s other
different sections
like herbs and
flowers that are for
sale.’
— Tracy Unger
kinds of plants.
The first section of the greenhouse is the warmest, with cuttings
and tropical plants that won’t be
for sale. Throughout the other sections of the greenhouse visitors
will be able to buy some of what
they see on display.
Unger says she encourages
everyone to come to the open
house for the experience.
“It’s interesting. You learn so
much and it’s so relaxing in the
greenhouse.”
Editor’s note: Interviews were
done before the event.
sections, each with different
temperatures to house different
Banishing cabin fever, people eagerly wandered the greenhouse rows learning which plants would
thrive in their home gardens, then loading their trays with purchases.
Jordan Harris pours a glass of a fine vintage wine from the college’s teaching winery for those who paid a dollar.

April 4, 2004 - Niagara News

Transcription

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