THE LAST SPIKE THE LAST SONG

THE LAST SPIKE
THE LAST SONG
Men’s volleyball team
finishes sixth overall in Canada
PAGE 10
Saying farewell to
Stompin’ Tom Connors
PAGE 20
T H E C OM MU N I T Y PA P E R OF N I A G A R A C OL L E G E
FREE
March22,2013
Vol44•Issue13
Erratic electronic election
SAC elections began March 11 on Blackboard; many students unaware of candidates or positions
By EVAN LEE
It is time to exercise your democratic rights and hit the polls.
The Student Administrative
Council’s (SAC) annual election
wrapped up when the polls opened
on Monday, March 11.
Voting is taking place online
through Blackboard only, as there
are no ballot boxes around the
campuses.
Any student who has paid student activity fees is eligible to vote,
including part-time and continuing
education students.
Between both campuses there
are 8,845 full-time, 686 part-time
and 3,340 continuing education
students.
The motto of the campaign was
Get in the Game and, according to
Adam Maiolo, marketing manager,
it seemed to work.
Maiolo says the campaign started out slowly, but adds,“Within a
week or two it really took off.”
He says that there were times
when six to 10 students were in
the SAC office all at once to claim
prizes and get information sheets.
He says that the initial point of
the campaign was to just get people
interested.
“All we were looking for were
conversation starters,” adding that
word of mouth is one of the best
ways to get people to pay attention.
However, not everyone got the
message.
Digital Photography student
Steph Farr, 20, of Welland, says
she is unaware of the candidates
and what they have to offer, saying, “I don’t know anything about
them.”
She says she isn’t even sure what
the different SAC members do.
Continued on page 2
CBC comedian Rick Mercer brews up a winning production in Niagara-on-the-Lake
RickMercer,centre,celebrateswithBrewmasterandBreweryOperationsManagementstudentsoutsidetheTeachingBreweryonMarch11.Storyonpage2.
Photo by Jane McTavish
Page 2
Niagara News
March 22, 2013
NEWS
Mercer brews up excitement
By JaNe MCTaVisH
staff writer
Lights, camera, cheers!
The Brewmaster and Brewery
Operations Management students
of Niagara College were unaffected
by the bright lights and glamour of
CBC’s Rick Mercer Report.
The commotion of having a TV
celebrity at their brewery didn’t
stop the students from keeping
everything running smoothly on
March 11.
The smell of malt surrounded
the area making everyone wonder
what ingredients the students and
renowned TV comedian Rick Mercer were mixing to achieve the beer
being created.
The CBC production team
started getting ready around 10:30
a.m. when they hooked Brewmaster Professor Jon Downing up with
a microphone. Minutes later, the
camera was rolling and Mercer
was interviewing him.
Andrew Walsh, a second-year
student, stepped up on camera to
help mill grains when suddenly
Mercer started to ask him questions.
“I had no idea I was going to be
asked questions. It was a natural
process, which made it fun instead
of having a script,” he says, adding, that Mercer seemed like a lot
of fun and really wanted to know
about the process of making beer.
Mercer proceeded to mix the
malt with water and hops. Letting
the huge container boil, he stirred
the mixture constantly.
In the meantime, Christine Nagy,
a first-year student, was working
on creating a coffee saison, a Belgian style of beer, with about 10
RickMercermixesmaltatNiagaraCollege’sbreweryattheNiagara-on-the-LakecampusonMarch11.TheepisodeisscheduledtoairMarch26.
Photo by Jane McTavish
of her classmates for a fundraiser, at the brewery is “pretty exciting.” year student and third-generation gram only being open for three
Beer 4 Boobs.
“It is a little different. We are not brewer, says he has been working years, it is expanding at a rapid rate
“Here it’s all about experiment- used to having this many people in his craft since the age of three.
and by having the Mercer Report
ing.” She says they go into the here, but I think it will give more
“I think Rick [Mercer] is an capture what they do, it will open
brewery every third week and the awareness of the program and it amazing guy; he is very funny. I more doors to get students more
second-year students formulate might make it more competitive think it is great to have this public- interested.
and create their own beers.
next year to get in because it’s be- ity. It is going to promote every“I love being a part of it.”
This 24-year-old from Niagara- coming more popular.”
thing for the college.”
At the end of the day, Rick Meron-the-Lake says having a TV crew
Jamie Daust, 26, a secondDaust says that despite the pro- cer Ale Beer was produced.
Confusion over election
Changes allow new SAC President’s
identity to remain a mystery until May
Continued from page 1
One aspect of the campaign that
cannot be ignored is the fact that
there are multiple positions, four
in Welland and one in Niagara-on
the-Lake, with only one candidate
running. How does that work?
Jennifer Howarth, SAC executive director, explains the process
in an email. She says the students
who are the sole candidate for a position must get a yes vote in order
to take the position. She clarifies
by saying, “With the students that
vote for this person, for the candidate to be successful, they need 51
per cent of the votes to be yes.”
If the candidate does not reach
the 51 per cent mark, the options
are to hold a by-election for the position in the fall term, or the position may be treated as any other job
where the most qualified candidate
is named to the position.
The same approach will be taken
to any position that does not have
a candidate, such as the director of
media position at Welland campus.
This may strike some as odd, as
it does Farr.
“I think there should be more
people running, give everyone a
choice.” She says, adding there is
“no point voting if there’s only one
person running.”
According to the constitutional
by-law changes that took place
on May 1, 2012, only the council
members do the voting to select the
next president. Presidential nominations are not finalized until after
the general election, and the next
president is voted in by the studentelected council members, not the
students. The general student body
does not get a say in the selection
of the SAC President. The new or
returning president will be sworn
in and revealed to the students, on
May 1.
Becoming President
The process for selecting
the next SAC President is
different from the rest of the
council. To be eligible, a
candidate:
• musthavebeenonthe
SACboardforoneyear.
• mustget25student
signaturesfromeach
campus.
• musttakepartinaspecial
meetingamongthe
boardandwill
get15minutestosell
themselvesandanother
15minutestoanswer
anyquestionscouncil
membersmayhave.
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 3
NEWS
Victim wonders why no inquest
Juan Ariza’s life turned upside down since van crash
By JOHNATHAN TONGE
Staff Writer
There was a long silence as Juan
Ariza heard there would be no
public inquest into the crash that
took the lives of 10 fellow workers
and turned his, and his family’s life
upside down.
On Feb. 6, 2012, the driver of a
flatbed truck, as well as 10 other
people, died in an area west of
Kitchener. The truck crashed into a
passenger van carrying 13 migrant
workers, including Ariza.
Ariza says he is recovering very
slowly. His back and hips are the
source of endless pain and his knee
and ankle nerves are broken. Ariza
says he feels “like an 80-year-old
man.”
His family in Peru suffered at
first, through a prolonged period
of waiting and not knowing what
condition their loved one was in.
Now living in Kensington Village, a nursing home in London,
Ont., Ariza speaks with his wife
Edith every day via Skype.
Although Edith can now breathe
easier knowing her husband is
alive and recovering, she now
faces a different worry.
Ariza’s work permit has expired
and he has received no answer
from immigration on his request
for extension.
With his current health situation
making it impossible for him to
work in Peru, deportation is not the
kind of reunion the Arizas would
like.
Add to all this trouble that Edith
underwent brain surgery in December. Ariza couldn’t even return
to Peru to be with his wife. Ariza
says he couldn’t get a guarantee
from immigration that he would be
allowed back into Canada.
Through all these struggles
Ariza’s son Flavio has had to be
kept in the dark. Ariza says his son
is only in Grade 3 and he doesn’t
want him to know what his father
is going through.
Flavio believes his father is
simply working in Canada and will
one day bring him to live a better
life in Canada.
That is Ariza’s hope, that one day
he and his family can all be legal
Canadians. Although he misses his
family in Peru, he thinks of Canada
as his home now.
“Feb. 6, 2012, I was reborn a
Canadian. Since that day I have
fallen in love with this land and the
people.”
Ariza says he has received support from the community. Several
families from North Park Community Church have brought him
food, as well as moral support from
the pastoral staff.
Ariza has also made a friend
in Teressa Fulton, the widow of
Christopher Fulton, the driver of
the truck involved in the crash.
Ariza says Fulton often visits or
calls him to see how he is doing.
Whenever he hears a truck, Ariza
says, in his mind he sees Fulton’s
husband and his truck trying to
swerve away from the van.
Ariza can’t understand why the
coroner has decided not to hold an
inquest.
He says it makes him sad because
there were lives that were lost and
many families were affected.
An inquest is held to determine
the who, how, when, where and
by what means of a death. When
deciding whether to have an inquest, Section 20 of the Coroners
Act says the coroner must first
decide if those questions have been
answered.
If he is satisfied then he must
death in similar circumstances.
After investigations involving
not only himself but also the OPP
and the Ministry of Labour, Dan
Juan Ariza, 36, survived a fatal crash Feb. 6, 2012.
consider how valuable it would be
for the public to be fully informed
of the circumstances of the death.
Lastly, the coroner shall consider
the likelihood the jury on an inquest might make useful recommendations directed to avoiding
Submitted photo
Cass, Ontario’s interim chief coroner, decided not to hold an inquest
into the crash. He says driver error
alone was the cause.
“We didn’t enter this [decision]
lightly. We knew the sensitivity
surrounding it, and if there was
a value in holding an inquest we
would have gone down that road,”
Cass says.
Cass could have also made recommendations based on his findings, but says he didn’t have any
to make.
Ariza says the accident happened
too fast for him to know if it was a
result of driver error, but insisted
an inquest could have found something to prevent future accidents.
Stan Raper, national co-ordinator for the Agricultural Workers
Alliance, says the organization
isn’t satisfied with the coroner’s
decision.
“Ruling out fatigue was a problem for us.”
He says the workers started at
7 a.m., vaccinated about 16,500
chickens and worked all day in
dangerous conditions. He added
that there are currently no regulations for the agriculture sector to
define what is dangerous work.
Taras Natyshak, labour critic for
Ontario’s New Democratic Party
caucus, wrote to the coroner this
past February.
In the letter, he says, “I am not
convinced by your argument that
nothing could be gained from a
coroner’s inquiry. There are serious problems in the agriculture
sector regarding the lack of regulations. I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision not to hold an
inquiry.”
Reached by telephone, Natyshak
explained his reason for writing the
letter.
“There have been several of these
migrant worker crashes, there is a
pattern. My hope is that we don’t
have to have another tragedy to put
the brakes on this pattern.”
College preparing for second lockdown drill next month
By SAMUEL FISHER
Staff Writer
Get ready for a lockdown.
The lockdown will be the second
major test of the college’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP).
David Jastrubecki, manager
of Security and Parking Services,
says there will be another drill in
April.
The first lockdown exercises
were last May. Observations were
recorded by volunteers, and further
input was received through a special email address.
The data was used to determine
what part of the EPP required updating for the next exercise.
The EPP is not the only safety
measure being updated.
Darren Williams, college health
and safety co-ordinator with Human Resources, says the fire plan
at the Welland campus has been
updated and is with the Welland
fire department for approval.
The updates include revisions
to bring the Welland campus in
line with the Niagara-on-the-Lake
(NOTL) campus.
Niagara College has a fire drill
each year.
The Welland campus evacuation time is six minutes, the NOTL
campus is five minutes and the
Maid of the Mist Centre is four
minutes, Williams says.
The college is moving quickly
on the EPP, covering scenarios like
fire, flood, toxic spills, noxious
gas releases, hostage threats and
lockdowns.
The 83-page document, which
can be found on the college website, was last revised on July 2,
2010.
Jastrubecki says the new plan
will be ready for review by the end
of March.
The plan will utilize the Incident
Command System (ICS), similar to
that used by the local municipalities of Niagara.
The ICS Canada website states:
“The ICS is used to manage an
incident or a non-emergency event,
DAVID JASTRUBECKI
Photo by Samuel Fisher
and can be used equally well for
both small and large situations.”
In 2007, the college joined the
School Police Emergency Action
Response Program (SPEAR.)
The Niagara Regional Police
Service (NRP) developed the
SPEAR program, in participation
with all school boards in the Niagara Region.
As a member, the college pro-
vides the NRP with updated floor
plans, site photos and evacuation
plans each semester.
In 2008, the college’s public
address system was upgraded and
security cameras and on-campus
LCD screens were installed.
The college’s alert system sends
emails to students who have opted
in, providing important information about events on campus.
The system was most recently
used on Feb. 8, to inform students
the college was closed because of a
severe snowstorm.
Steven Moore, 18, of Scotland,
Ont., says, the EPP was touched
on at orientation but that is all he
remembers of emergency procedures.
Jastrubecki stressed the importance of communication.
“Communication and community effort are the keys of emergency
preparedness.
“Emergency preparedness does
not work without the co-operation
of everyone involved.”
What to do in
the event of an
emergency:
• Be aware of your
surroundings
• Avoid all open areas
including corridors
• Secure yourself and
others when possible
• Lock or barricade doors
• Avoid windows
• Close blinds and curtains
• Turn off all lights and
phones
• Stay Quiet
• Make the area seem
unoccupied
• During fire alarm DO
NOT EVACUATE until
directed to unless FIRE IS
DETECTED
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 4
EDITORIAL
March 22, 2013
New hospital opens in St. Catharines
T H E C O M MU N I T Y PA P E R OF N I A G A R A C OL L E G E
Editor: Stephanie Taylor
Associate Editor: Jeff Johnston
Assistant Editor: Travis Miles
Photo Chief: Brittany Stewart
Publisher: Greg Unrau
Program Co-ordinator: Paul Dayboll
Managing Editor: Charlie Kopun
Associate Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie, Gary Erb
Photography Consultant: Dave Hanuschuk
S302A, 300 Woodlawn Rd.,
Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3
Telephone: (905) 735-2211 Ext. 7750
Fax: (905) 736-6003
Editorial email: [email protected]
Advertising email: [email protected]
2009 WINNER
BNC2009
2009 WINNER
CANADIAN
COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER
AWARD 2011
SAC election?
So what?
Student Administrative Council
(SAC) elections are on.
Some of you may say, “So
what?” Others will ask, “What is
SAC?” Most will remark, “What
election?”
I don’t blame you. I’ve always
been somewhat cynical about student governments. They’re transitional. A collective of student politicians come and go each year, and
I never really know what service
they provide me. The elections
degrade into a handful of (mostly)
business students debating half understood issues to a very small and
apathetic crowd in the campus pub.
Every candidate glows the promise
of a tuition-paying part-time job
and some great resumé padding
when graduation comes in a few
short years.
But that’s politics and, at least,
it is democratic. Those who wish
to cast a ballot in the SAC election
can take solace in the fact they had
some say over who is representing
them in the running of their school
and making sure their voice is
heard, right?
Wrong.
Not a single one of you can vote
for your SAC President. He, or she,
is appointed by a board of directors
in a backroom deal, and you don’t
even know who is running until
someone has been chosen for the
job.
For some reason, the other 12
student positions are elected representatives accountable to you, the
student body, but the SAC president is not. This makes the SAC
president more of a company chief
executive officer than a politician.
The problem: Students aren’t
shareholders. Students expect
representation from their student
governments.
If you’re still asking, “So what?”
remember that SAC has its hands
in your pockets.
More than $100 from each student’s tuition is contributed to SAC
for it to give you student services
such as your U>pass, The Core
and Armoury, and your health and
dental plan. It is a budget of over
$1 million and it’s all your money.
Student governments exist to
give the student body a voice, representation and agency during their
studies. Elections keep politicians
accountable to the people who pay
their salary.
If the SAC president, the only
full-time position on council, is
appointed by a board of directors,
the president is only accountable to
that board. If you were thinking of
running for SAC president, think
again. You need to have worked on
the council for one previous year
before you are able to apply for this
position.
Cynicism about student governments can be challenged. If you
want to hold elections, make them
fair and democratic. Make the
candidates justify their running to
the students they mean to work
for. Allow students to elect their
president and open the position up
to thosewho thinks they’d be good
for the job.
JEFF JOHNSTON
Catherine Kuckyt, board member of Niagara Health System Foundation; Wendy Dueck, campaign coordinator; and Jan Cook, major gifts chair, attended the opening of the new St. Catharines hospital on March
7, 2013.
Photo by Jesse Johnson
Sports coverage is not
just a man’s game
Knowledge has no gender.
In my 23 years, I’ve seen very
few women in the world of sports
journalism, but the number is certainly growing.
Where would I fit in?
Throughout history, women
have struggled for “fair play” as
sports reporters.
Since the then-Major League
Baseball commissioner Bowie
Kuhn lost his case in 1978 disallowing female sports writers in
major league baseball teams’ clubhouses, there has been a slight increase in appreciation of women in
sports media, but it still isn’t equal.
According to a 2002 study by
Leah Etling, women make up about
13 per cent of sports departments,
as editors are generally reluctant to
hire women for their desks. That
number is a little too small for my
liking.
What is the reasoning behind it?
What can a man do that a woman
can’t?
In 1984 Claire Smith, a Philadelphia sportswriter and now assistant
sports editor at The Philadelphia
Inquirer, was physically removed
from the San Diego Padres’ clubhouse. The management refused to
abide by the rules that the Padres
may not have exactly enforced during the regular season, but would
during the playoffs.
It wasn’t until Commissioner
Peter Ueberroth was hired that all
clubhouses were opened to “prop-
erly credentialed reporters from
that day forward.”
That may have been yet another
shot on net, but once again, female
sports journalists hit the crossbar.
In 1990, Boston Herald sportswriter Lisa Olson was covering the
National Football League’s New
England Patriots. Olson was subjected to the worst abuse against
a female reporter in a locker room
ever recorded. She was verbally
taunted by some of the players.
The NFL issued fines and a statement that that type of behaviour
was intolerable.
Do we consider that a win, or
are we simply just suiting up for
overtime?
What can a man
do that a woman
can’t?
A Sacramento Bee beat writer,
Sue Fornoff, was covering baseball’s Oakland A’s in 1992, but received little co-operation from left
fielder Dave Kingman. He refused
to speak to her and, to push the envelope further, refused to speak to
other members of the press while
she was in the room.
Fornoff also received a rat with
a tag around its neck reading “My
name is Sue” at an away game in
Kansas. The finger was pointed at
Kingman, who was fined and told
that if anything like that happened
again, he’d be released.
If you ask me, to be a sports
reporter, or any kind of reporter,
there is one qualification and one
only: knowledge.
If you know how to write and
have enough knowledge to support yourself in whatever you’re
writing, you can write anything.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a
man or a woman.
Coming into the Journalism
program here, I didn’t know how
well my interest in sports journalism, would be accepted in my own
class, let alone out in the “real
world.”
Judging by past events, I might
be pulling for a Hail Mary, but the
odds are leaning towards the opposite end zone.
Thankfully, for aspiring female
sports journalists everywhere, we
have indeed advanced since the
1978 decision.
The downfall? We are merely
just rounding the bases. We have
yet to make it home.
I, for one, will not let a man
tell me that simply because I’m
a woman I don’t know sports or
can’t cover what he can.
I’m ready for the fight, whether
it is by tooth and nail, or stick and
skate.
STEPHANIE TAYLOR
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 5
OPINION
Violence is only a game
Gamers and non-gamers speak different languages
MICHAEL
PAGE
Columnist
My magazine ran dry and the
enemy was closing in. It was left
to me to carry the victory for my
fallen comrades. With a brilliantly
executed evasive roll, I dodged
the progressing enemy, revved my
chainsaw and gloriously cut him in
two.
Blood caked the screen and I was
greeted by the hurrah of my fallen
comrades’ voices as the match
came to a conclusion.
We had won. It had been another
night of reveling in the pinnacle of
video game violence.
In a swath of studies, video
games are yet again a centre of
attention in the grim reminder that
bad people do terrible things and
good people are left as victims.
As a member of the gaming
Violence is an Xbox and PC game designed for and based on the needs
of yourself and teamwork with other gamers.
Submitted photo
community, I welcome the results behaviour.
brought to light. The behaviour
You play against the game rather
that results in such a travesty has than the violence presented.
no correlation with the virtual vioWho hasn’t played Monopoly
lence of a video game.
for hours just to flip the board in
However, I do agree that aggres- frustration because another rival
sive thought results from the com- player has raised the rent on Baltic
petitive nature of gaming, although Avenue?
aggressive thoughts don’t reflect
I am a member of the gaming
community, but we aren’t a besieged class oppressed by another.
We are consumers of commercial
media; we are a self-made community of individuals who share a
passion.
The miscommunication between
non-gamers and gamers is a result
of the segregation we have with
our pastime. When non-gamers
analyze video games from afar,
the result can be biased because
non-gamers view the games as an
indulgence in ultra violence. This
reaction is what makes it simple to
pass judgment on the medium.
When a non-gamer is faced by a
gamer, it is as if they speak in different tongues. The anxiety created
from not understanding alienates
one from the other.
For me, video games have never
been about sitting down and killing everything. Gamers don’t play
games to kill other things. We play
games because we’re so important
everyone wants to kill you.
In the world we live in, it’s nice
to relax and let off some steam.
Video games make you feel important, and you are the focus of attention and vital to the experience.
Media portrays unrealistic goals for women
No one can be perfect, but no one should be plastic
JESSICA
REECE
Columnist
I was in the washroom the other
day washing my hands when two
women came storming in to use the
facilities, or so I thought.
Instead, they plunked themselves in front of the mirror and
began ripping themselves apart ...
figuratively, of course.
All I overheard was one after the
other finding flaw after flaw about
themselves and their appearances.
I heard things like: “I’m too fat.”
“My shoulders are too big.” “My
boobs are too small.” “My nose is
too big.” “My hair isn’t the right
colour.”
I became so disgusted with the
way they spoke about themselves
that I quickly took my leave.
I’m not sure if they were looking
in the same mirror I was, but these
women had absolutely nothing
wrong with them.
At the same time, I can’t say I
blame them.
Sadly, this is not the only time
I’ve witnessed this.
Everywhere, women are being
portrayed as porcelain dolls, with
perfect hair, flawless skin and a
size zero waistline.
This is not what a real woman
looks like; to me this is only what
Barbie looks like, and she is nothing but plastic.
No matter what magazine you
read or television show you watch,
you will constantly see the media’s
version of what beauty is.
To be completely honestly, that
idea of beauty looks sickly and
boring.
I don’t understand why you
would want to starve yourself
just to look “beautiful” for other
people.
Food is delicious. If it means
I had to give up all my favourite
foods just to lose a few pounds and
be accepted in society, I would not
do it.
In ancient times, women were
always shown with full bodies and
curves, and they were portrayed as
being the most beautiful women in
the world, so beautiful in fact that
wars were waged over them.
Women need to understand that
the media’s and popular culture
outlets’ partrayal of women in an
objectified way doesn’t mean that’s
how everyone should look.
Society is basically telling
women that if they want to get
anywhere in life, they need to do it
by looking good.
And the more beautiful you are,
the further you will get.
This is wrong.
Have you ever heard of a beautiful mind or a beautiful personality?
No, of course you haven’t, because
society doesn’t tell you these
things.
It doesn’t say, “You are perfect
the way you are.”
Now, I won’t lie, I have also been
found guilty of these body beautiful equals success thoughts and
wondered if maybe guys would
like me more if I were thinner, or
blonde.
Then I realized that is not who
I am.
Instead of taking away from my
body, I found other ways to make
myself stand out and be noticed.
I like to cover my body with art,
tattoos to be exact.
Yes, many see them as being disgusting or out of the social norm,
but I love them. They add to who
I am.
Other women stand out for their
intelligence or natural talents.
And you would not believe how
many more people will take notice.
Instead of starting some unhealthful diet or wearing more
makeup than your own skin can
handle. Just be real for once and
do what makes you feel beautiful. I
bet you’ll feel happier doing it too.
Every woman has a right to
shine. Just make sure it’s you shining and not the glare off the plastic.
Don’t miss a move…
read all the latest news online at
www.niagara-news.com
Art, music or
entertainment
could be your
gateway for a
life change
JOEL
PERUSSE
Columnist
For what at one time I considered
nothing more than entertainment –
something to skate or play ball to
as a kid – music has now taken on a
much more important role and had
become the foundation for my life.
Being as involved as I am now
with the art, I’m realizing the fruit
my work has produced. I can see
the impact that learning a new
skill or reaching a new level has
in encouraging further progress. I
feel the effects resonate throughout
my personal life because of the
responsibilities I feel I owe toward
the art itself for how much time
I’ve dedicated to it.
You could call it the education
of self. The idea of the artist’s life
is to consistently express one’s
ideas via whatever medium one
employs. During this sort of selfexploration, the willing will seek
more knowledge pertinent to their
interests.
Mark Twain said he’d never let
schooling interfere with his education. I’m saying the education I
receive is amplified by my musical
content.
I linger on thoughts concerning politics, psychology, religion,
worldly knowledge and whatnot
by documenting my own struggles
with poverty, depression, culture,
commercialism and general experience. Then I research these
subjects to better understand them.
Synthesizing your own philosophies and hypotheses is a very
cerebral pleasure. It’s a completely
different feeling coming to learn
something on your own without
direct counsel. This allows you to
find the path you think is the truest.
Then you can understand your past
faults in logic or whatever. Then
repeat, right?
The point is this ever-growing
knowledge and responsible time
management are the products of
my artistic productivity.
Besides the fact that I find real
practical value in it, music makes
me happy, is relaxing and affords
me the opportunity to get that
heavy stuff off my chest.
Hip hop changed my life. I believe art and the appreciation of art
is just as valuable a tool of education as institutionalized classes and
the mind-expanding nature of art,
as one of the most inherent of human voices, is far more important
if you’re trying to see past the
painted facade of commercial culture and get inside the heads and
hearts of real people.
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 6
March 22, 2013
OPINION
Rankin
Technology
Centre has
an addition
in the
building for
students
Dianne Scholtens, service clerk, shows off the new tech café that operates from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Rankin Centre.
Photo by Jesse Johnson
Finding your way in life
ALANNA
RICE
Columnist
While surfing the Internet recently, I read a quote I fell in love
with: Some of the most interesting
people I know don’t know what to
do with their lives.
I couldn’t have said it better
myself.
In 2011, I came to Niagara College straight from graduating from
my 600-student high school in
sleepy Dundas.
At 18, I had no clue what I
wanted to do for the rest of my
life. Naturally, I made a list of
my interests: books, pizza, movies, music, writing, Doritos, video
games, travelling and dogs. There
were many others, but none of
those interests were realistic school
majors.
Go figure.
At that age, and even younger,
we are pressured into following the
crowd. We’re supposed to graduate
from high school, go to college
or university, find our calling immediately and snag a high-paying
job, in order to pave the way for the
easy road ahead.
Many of my friends and high
school classmates scrambled to
pick a career path nearing our graduation date, praying they would be
accepted to some school so they
wouldn’t be left behind and have to
admit they had no idea what they
want to do.
You might as well say you have
flesh-eating disease than admit you
don’t know what you want to do
with the rest of your life.
It doesn’t help that so many
students rush into post-secondary
institutions only to reach graduation as confused as they were in
the beginning, but now bearing
thousands of dollars in debt.
I applaud those who know right
out of the gate what they’ll be happy doing for the rest of their days.
For me, and many others, the
road to the perfect career will be
a hard discovery. However, that
challenge doesn’t mean we need to
justify our confusion or uncertainty
to anyone.
We need to remember that some
of the most interesting people are
as confused as we are.
Life and school aren’t like the
movies.
We will all fall at times and
be confused about our uncertain
futures, but that’s the fun about
life. It’s all about the adventure to
find ourselves and what makes us
happy.
Nearing the end of my last year
in the Journalism program, I’ve
discovered many things about
myself.
I still love to write. I don’t mind
making deadline each week. I
hate phone interviews, and I have
grown immensely as a person since
my days in Dundas.
Is journalism the future for me?
Who knows? I hope to find out
down the road.
And maybe get some pizza along
the way.
Body issues are on the brain
ALANNA
RICE
Columnist
As a newly turned 20-year-old
woman, getting through the day
without having the topic of physical worth or the importance of a
woman’s appearance shoved in my
face is hard.
By “hard” I actually mean “impossible.”
The war on our bodies has begun, but is there an end in sight?
For me, some people will say,
“Wow! You’re so skinny! You’re
so lucky!”
Being thin doesn’t mean I don’t
have my own basket of body issues I constantly carry around with
me. Just having some body issues,
doesn’t mean they own me.
I am more than my body.
For women, technology hasn’t
helped in recent years. At the touch
of a button, you can be connected
to thousands of websites that support and encourage eating disorders or look at millions of photos
of women’s Photoshopped flat
stomachs in case you start feeling
good about yourself.
That won’t last long.
There’s even a new “thigh gap”
movement currently happening
online, in which females crave to
achieve, by any means necessary,
a gap between their thighs while
standing with their feet together.
Trust me, I thought it was a joke
until I read an article about it in
Vice magazine. The author, Bertie
Brandes, wrote, “It’s not fun, glamorous or even particularly youthful. It’s just a very clear sign that
the owner of said gap is depriving
themselves of food. Is that where
the future of the body image is going?”
Many of us will go online and
compare our bodies to fake or
unhealthy images of women and
eventually create a standard for
ourselves, one we can never reach.
Karin Jasper wrote in the article
Message from the Media that ad-
vertisements, fashion trends and
media outlets all “contribute to the
encouragement of an atmosphere
of weight preoccupation amongst
women.”
It doesn’t help when there is
over-sexualization of women everywhere we look, the practice of
showcasing women and girls in an
overtly sexual manner which then
becomes “normal.”
It comes to a point in our lives
when we begin to believe these
abnormal and unnatural images
of how we should look become
all that we stride towards. At this
point, it’s not even for the attention of men, but for outshining
our fellow women and reaching an
unreachable goal.
We will spend our lives angry
at our own bodies, straining for a
“better” body and thus believing it
will solve all of our problems.
The bottom line is your body is
your personal vessel, carrying you
around until you can gratefully fall
into bed at the end of the day.
Our bodies do not own us, nor
should society’s image of what
we should be. Instead of gauging
our self-worth on our waist size,
our bra size or whether our thighs
touch, we need to look inward.
Be proud in your accomplishments, your achievements, your
intelligence and your dreams.
Who cares how anyone perceives you? All that matters is to
love yourself, body included.
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 7
NEWS
Rules of the Crispino receives Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal
bus go up
and down
By ALANNA RICE
Staff Writer
As students, we’ve all had to
brave public transit.
Often you leave the bus angry
about some of the actions of your
fellow bus riders.
In a 2001 survey, Statistics
Canada reported that almost 3,000
people use public transit in the Niagara Region.
Since so many of us rely on
public transit, it’s about time we
all sat down and vowed to follow
these bus etiquette rules as chosen
by Niagara College students.
Many students are concerned
about respecting those with physical disabilities, seniors and pregnant women, while on the bus.
“Always offer the seats at the front
of the bus for elderly people, pregnant women and people who have
baby strollers,” says Shannon De
Forest, 21, a Hairstyling Techniques
student. “They need those seats more
than any of us. Always help others if
they need help getting to their seat
safely.”
“People have to be more respectful to elderly people or people with
wheelchairs. I always see students
pushing their way onto the bus before the people who may be slower
than us,” says Cassandra Fairchild,
19, an Education Assistant — Special Needs Support student.
Payton Jeffery, 19, a Police
Foundations student, says, “Let
the people in wheelchairs and the
babies in strollers on the bus first.
It’s sad to see the mother with the
newborn being pushed around by
impatient students.”
Sound on the bus can be an issue
as well.
“Keep your music loud enough
so you can hear it, but not loud to
the point where the driver can hear
it. If you want to talk with someone, sit near them and don’t yell
over people,” says Josh Skura, 28,
a Business – Accounting student.
With regard to what you do with
your backpacks, Kim Dalicandro,
25, a Graphic Design student, says,
“If you have a huge backpack, have
it at your feet so you don’t smack
people in the head, that are sitting
down, with it.”
Chris McGowan, 20, a Protection,
Security and Investigation student,
says, “No backpack deserves a seat
when a bus is packed.”
On a crowded bus, hygiene can
be crucial.
“Keep good hygiene so that
myself and others don’t have to
suffer. If you have to cough or
sneeze, please do so into your
shoulder or elbow; your hand does
not count,” says Scott Maguire,
19, a Motive Power Apprenticeship (Co-op) student.
At the end of the day, public
transit is for everyone. If we can
all agree to follow some simple
rules, perhaps riding the bus
won’t be such a hassle but rather
an enjoyable experience.
From left: Len Crispino, chair of Niagara College’s board of governors, receives a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal from James Knight, president
and CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, on Feb. 21 at Niagara College’s Wine Visitor and Education Centre.
Photo by Jane McTavish
Life-long employment help for Niagara students
Job Centre offers help to present students and grads
By BRITTANY STEWART
Staff Writer
Niagara College goes above
training and educating students; it
provides cutting-edge job search
services.
The Department of Co-op Education and Graduate Employment
Services, known to many as the Job
Centre, offers free career advice and
services to every current student
and graduate of the college. They
will also assist students who have
left the college without graduation,
but will usually refer them to the
Niagara College Employment and
Training Solutions office at One St.
Paul St. in St. Catharines.
The lifetime service includes
resumé building, interview training
and career consulting.
Jean Little, graduate employment
consultant at the Niagara-on-theLake campus, says they are happy
to help anyone, no matter how long
they have been out of the college.
“It’s lifelong. It absolutely is. It’s
like a family.”
She approaches each student on
an individual basis. “We give no
standard advice.”
She tailors the way she handles
each case to meet the needs of the
individual. Staff members stay up
to date on the latest employment
trends to offer relevant up-to-date
advice. “We’re in touch with employers; that’s our strength.”
“We can toot our horn saying we are the expert in the job
search field.”
Little says students often come
in near the end of their program or
after graduation, but she encourages them to do so at the beginning.
She says it’s beneficial for students
to know what employers expect
throughout their education so they
can be prepared when they start job
searching.
Students can get assistance on
a walk-in basis with student job
coaches. All career-related print-
ing, copying and faxing can be
done for free.
All services are free to use for
students and graduates of any program. Kristine Dawson, manager
of the Department of Co-op Education and Graduate Employment
Services, says the centre doesn’t
charge students. “It’s covered out
of the operating cost of the college.
We don’t have additional fees assessed to students.”
Sarah Barth, graduate employment consultant at the Welland
campus, says they are actively raising awareness about the services
offered, but more students could be
taking advantage of them.
“I do have to admit the Job Centre isn’t as well-known as we’d like
it to be.”
Helping with co-op is a big part
of what the department does.
Angelica Lasso, a graduate of
the Business Administration, —
Operations Management Co-op
program, says the Job Centre
helped her land the job she has held
for the last four years. She says the
services were “very beneficial.”
Following their advice helped her
feel more prepared.
“I would definitely recommend
their service to any Niagara College students; the Job Centre service is always happy to help out.”
March 18 to March 22 marks
National Co-op Week. Wayne
Sadlak, co-op career consultant,
says co-op is an important part of
education. He encourages students
to drop in to the Job Centre at both
campuses.
“It’s an opportunity for co-op
students to become aware of the
services offered and to win daily
prizes.”
Co-op programs offer a combination of academic study with
out-of-college work experience. As
opposed to an unpaid field or work
placement offered within the course
of some programs, a co-op is a fullterm job placement.
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 8
March 22, 2013
NEWS
Niagara celebrates women’s day
By ALANNA RICE
Staff Writer
Stand up and support your fellow woman.
Women from around the region
came together and celebrated
each other’s achievements March
8 for the 12 annual International
Women’s Day.
Put on by Women in Niagara
(WIN) with the Greater Niagara
Chamber of Commerce, the luncheon’s theme was the “gender
agenda.” Presented by Meridian
Credit Union, the event was hosted
at Club Roma in St. Catharines.
Although the event started later
than expected, the room was full of
celebration and support for “inspiring, brave and courageous women
who came before us, are with us
now, and those that will come after
us,” said Ruth Unrau, chair of WIN
and a speaker during the event.
“It is an occasion for looking
back on past struggles and accomplishments and more importantly,
for looking ahead to the untapped
potential and opportunities that
await future generations of women.”
Valerie Pringle, the keynote
speaker said, “Every girl needs a
hero.” She went on to explain some
of her own heroes and inspiring
interviews she conducted over her
years as a journalist, broadcaster
and former co-host of CTV Canada
AM.
Her favourites included TV host
Oprah Winfrey, performer Leonard
Cohen and pianist Oscar Peterson,
and she recounted some of the lessons and wisdom she learned from
them.
Valerie Pringle spoke at the International Women’s Day celebration in St. Catharines on March 8.
Photo by Alanna Rice
Pringle is now involved with
many non-profit organizations
such as the TransCanada Trail, the
Canadian Foundation for AIDS
Research and many mental health
and addiction groups.
She said they are all “challenging and rewarding.”
Her advice for women just starting to make their own mark in the
world, was this; “Don’t back down;
don’t be afraid” adding women
should “go after what you want.”
Calling herself a feminist, Pringle said celebrating Women’s Day
“requires notice” and stresses the
importance of women working
together and paying attention to
“where we are and where we want
to go.”
Throughout her career, Pringle
said she has felt “hugely supported
by other women.”
During the event, Nancy Diamond, on the board of directors
for the Greater Niagara Chamber
of Commerce, presented the International Women’s Day Award
to Helen Young, the managing
director of the Inn on the Twenty in
Jordan Village.
The award is given each year to
a woman in the region who showcases leadership and becomes a
role model for others.
Diamond said Young has “excelled as an entrepreneur, as a
business leader and a visionary
community builder.”
Young said winning was a
“fantastic feeling” adding, “To be
recognized is priceless.”
She said Women’s Day is important to remind women they
have “strength in numbers” and to
celebrate accomplishments made
by women.
For women looking to follow in
Young’s footsteps and start their
own small business, she advises
they should reach out and be visible
in the community to be successful,
adding, “Spread your wings.”
Other speakers during the
event included Walter Sendzik,
chief executive officer of the
Greater Niagara Chamber of
Commerce.
He said speaking in a room full of strong
women was “intimidating” but
added, “women shaped who I am
today. ... I wouldn’t want to be
anywhere but here.”
Sandra Bell-Lundy brings humour to women’s day
By ANNIE PASQUARIELLO
Staff Writer
International Women’s Day
(IWD) is celebrated around the
world on March 8 to focus on
women’s economic and social
achievements and strides.
The Greater Fort Erie Chamber
of Commerce held its eighth annunal event along with the Small
Business Enterprise Centre of Niagara Falls at the Clarion Hotel to
celebrate women and give them a
chance to network.
Guest speaker Sandra BellLundy addressed the sold out
venue about being an international
syndicated cartoonist, success and
gender.
Her cartoon “Between Friends”
showcases three girlfriends and
their journeys through life in which
she uses some fact and fiction to
depict her successful comic strip.
The comic strip attracted the attention of King Features in 1994
and is now syndicated to more than
175 newpapers and appears worldwide countries such as Australia,
Jamaica and India.
She says the strip is reality-based
and there is a little bit of herself in
all of the characters.
With 225 syndicated cartoonists,
less than 10 per cent are women,
Bell-Lundy pointed out.
One of the attendees was Barbara Hopkins, president of the
Ridgeway Royal Canadian Legion,
who says the day is one to honour
women.
“I have seen change in the workplace since I started when it comes
to women advancing, but it is still
not enough.”
Bell-Lundy explained that she
was unsure if humour could be
gender based but it has given her
inspiration to discuss issues such
as body image, infertility, abuse
and even Kegel exercises.
A natural storyteller, she tells the
humourous incident of trying to
explain exactly what Kegel exercises are to her male editor.
“Women’s humour is something
inside us, that ambiguous something that connects us as a gender.”
Her comic strips have affected
readers going through similar
situations and she says she is proud
of the topics she has been able to
discuss – one of those being emotional abuse. She spoke to counsel-
lors at women’s shelters and spoke
to a friend going through a similar
situation to base her comic on, to
which she received “well over 100
responses on it.
“I would sit and cry because of
all the emotional mail I received.”
Her advice to upcoming cartoonists is to draw often, write what you
know and use life experiences and
look at the Internet as a means of
distributing your work.
Bell-Lundy says that humour has
helped her through some difficult
situations.
“Not everything is funny but
looking at things in hindsight you
can find some humour in situations
and understand the context.”
She says IWD is “a day to bring
to the forefront issues and challenges facing women and focus on
what is happening with them.”
Courtney Bonito, director with the
chamber and member of the committee that organized the event, says
that IWD and the event “represent
an opportunity for women to come
together and celebrate, share, network and be reminded of all that we
contribute to each other, family, our
workplaces and our communities.”
Sandra Bell-Lundy speaks at a networking event in Fort Erie for
International Women’s Day on March 8.
Photo by Annie Pasquariello
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 9
NEWS
Experiencing women’s hardships first-hand
By JESSICA MUIR
Staff Writer
Put yourself in her shoes.
International Women’s Day flew
under the radar on March 8, 2013.
What should have been a time
when women of all cultures could
celebrate their independence was
not recognized to its full potential.
Deanna Rose Sarah Apap, 18, of
Oakville., Ont., has just returned
from a recent trip to Nepal, where
she believed she was volunteering
at an orphanage.
“I found out it wasn’t exactly an
orphanage, and I also started working within the school when I got
there.”
Nepal is 80 per cent Hindu, 15
per cent Buddhist, two per cent
Islamic, 0.2 per cent Christian and
the remaining per cent is “other.”
“It is a very, very conservative
culture and is extremely backward
in a number of ways. The culture
is tied to a number of big topics
like social change versus stagnation, politics, women’s rights and
religion.”
Apap explains the political situation is poor because the working
class is tired of being mistreated
by the economic upper class in a
system that has been dictated by
religion the last few centuries.
“There have been many revolutions in the past 100 years, but now
the citizens are so tired, they won’t
fight anymore and no progress will
be made. The politicians are allegedly working towards drafting
the constitution, but the people
here have lost their faith in their
government and the politicians are
stalling.”
Apap says during her time in
Nepal she became close to many
respectable, inspiring and “unbreakable” women.
Their stories range from going
against society and fighting for
their rights to being rescued from
a brothel and living difficult lives
simply because of their gender.
Deanna Apap and one of her closest friends, Jiya, whom she met in Nepal during her long and eventful trip.
There are those like Kabita and
Sarmilla, role models for women
who believe in rights being respected no matter what and Karma,
a pregnant women brave enough to
leave a brothel.
“Giya, another girl I met, who I
am really close with, we talk every
day now and I miss her terribly.
She is in danger of being trafficked. I think that’s a major topic
that deserves discussion because I
want her to be known before she
goes missing.
“I love her so much, and every
time I think about her my whole
body hurts,” says Apap.
“I keep in contact from the kids
from the orphanage home I was
staying at as much as I can.”
“International Women’s Day
isn’t represented enough within
Canada. I consider myself to be
a feminist, but I don’t even know
what day it is and I think that fact
shows that Canadians don’t pay
enough attention to social issues.”
Apap explains, in Nepal this
day is not recognized because
the calendar there is different, so
they only know the more widely
celebrated holidays; however, it
wouldn’t be taken seriously.
“The majority of women in Nepal are uneducated. Only 35 per
cent are educated. Most of the uneducated women have never seen
anything other than the way that
they live, so they don’t think twice
about it. They may even think that
women’s rights are a strange notion because it would be so foreign
to them,” says Apap.
She says the educated women
hate that their rights are stripped
but as far as knowledge on the
issue of independent rights, they
have nothing to say.
Women of international heritage
in Canada have rights to things
women in international countries
like Nepal will never see.
Jiya was going to school, but
under the command of Nainu, a
hustler because he was the one
funding it.
Kabita was married to a man
who had another family with another woman and eventually he left
Nepal. Kabita was strong enough
to divorce this man and eventually
remarry, but she was shunned by
his society for her choices.
Submitted photo
Merodidi, a woman who was
relentlessly happy, fought for happiness every day.
Apa says if these women had the
chance to immigrate, they could
learn a lot from Canadians.
“They could learn that women
are actually equal and totally
capable of doing all the tasks that
men tell them they can’t do. They
could learn that dark-skinned
women are beautiful too and that
it shouldn’t be a criminal act to be
with another woman and that they
deserve rights.”
She explains the system here is
not perfect, and we do need to work
towards a system that will better fit
the needs of Canadian people.
“I think we are actively doing
that.”
Opportunity for new mothers created by students
By MEGAN BRIGGS
Staff Writer
Moms helping moms was the
idea behind Saturday’s Many
Moms for Many Hands Family
Marketplace event at Niagara College, organized by the second-year
Events Management Graduate
Certificate students.
It was an opportunity for new
moms to purchase gently used
clothing and toys, and for moms
with children’s outgrown clothing
and un-used toys to pass them on.
Nadine Ricica, 34, heard about
the event through her workplace
and decided to sell some of her
now three-year-old daughter Payton’s baby clothes. She says she
didn’t know what else to do with
them, and it sounded like the perfect opportunity to pass them on.
“I love it. I think it’s an awesome
idea. A lot of my clothes are in
great condition, so if someone else
can use them then by all means.”
Vendors from local businesses
also lined the Business Boulevard,
offering cosmetics, candles, accessories and more.
In the marketplace’s Kid Park,
mini manicures, haircuts and face
painting were provided for the
children and on Treat Street there
were plenty of cookies and sweets
to keep them happy.
The event ran from 8 a.m. to 1
p.m. with VIP early bird tickets being sold for $5 permitting one-hour
early access and giving mom’s first
pick of what was being offered.
As they arrived, early bird ticket
holders were presented with gift
baskets filled with cookies, coffee,
product samples and $5 Boston
Pizza gift cards.
Upon entry, guests were asked
for a donation of $2 and a nonperishable food item, with all proceeds going towards the renovation
of Port Cares in Port Colborne. In
conjunction with the Construction
Studies students, Event Management students have organized the
logistics and are improving the
reach-out centre throughout the
semester.
According to student Katie Travers, the brains behind the event,
this was a first for the school. “A
mom-to-mom sale like this has
never been done at Niagara College. It feels really good.”
Travers says she received excellent feedback from guests throughout the day. Most were seen leaving with armfuls of goods.
Kara Harley, 33 and her
11-month-old son Quinn attended
the event in search of new clothing after hearing about it through a
mommy network on Facebook.
“It’s definitely good coming
here to find things for now as well
as for down the road. They grow so
Kara Harley with her son Quinn at the event.
fast,” she says.
While Quinn enjoyed treats,
Harley says she found a lot of good
stuff at the various booths. “It’s
nice to see what else is available
Photo by Megan Briggs
in the community too. Some of
the vendors I’m not familiar with
and wouldn’t know about them if I
hadn’t come here. I think it’s such
a great idea.”
NIAGARA NEWS - March 22, 2013
Page 10
Page 11
Top Finish For Top Players
Knights wrap up their season in front of home crowd at the CCAA championships
By JEFF JOHNSTON
Staff Writer
After an exciting weekend hosting
the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships,
the Niagara College Knights men's
volleyball team wrap up the season
at No. 6 in Canada.
“Our first match against Capilano
[of Vancouver] was a great victory
for our program and was a great experience for our student athletes,”
says coach Nathan Groenveld. “We
lost a hard-fought battle to Nipissing [of North Bay], the eventual
national champions, I thought we
battled hard against them and lacked
the experience in finishing to earn a
spot in the final. Overall, I am extremely proud of our season and our
play at the national championship.”
Most note worthy were the packed
stands at the Welland campus Athletic Centre over the tournament
weekend.
“The atmosphere at CCAA's was
incredible all weekend. The crowds
for every match, regardless of who
was playing, were loud, enthusiastic
and massive. The overall environment was incredible for all the participants, especially the athletes,”
says Groenveld.
The top finish in Canada was
not the only success of the year.
The Knights also won gold at the
Niagara College Men's Volleyball
Invitational Tournament in January,
came in fourth place at the provincial finals, and Shayne Petrusma
became Niagara's fifth athlete to be
named All-Canadian.
Groenveld was most impressed
by his team’s ability to pull together
in a short period of time. He commented on libero Cam Chitty’s vast
improvement over the course of the
season.
“Overall, Cam Chitty saw the
most improvement of any player.
While all our of guys got better over
the course of the season, the most
dramatic was his. Cam was a walkon who was granted an extended
tryout to our team in September, and
by November he was our starting
libero.”
Although the Knights are graduating six players this year, Groenveld
says they will still be a contender
next year.
“Our program returns a lot of
young and talented players. With
our recruiting class this year we will
be a contender in the highly competitive Ontario Colleges Athletic
Association West Division. " The
returning players will add a veteran
element ot an already talented group
of players,” he says.
Photos by Jordan Aubertin
Photo by Collin Stachura
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 12
March 22, 2013
OPINION
Knights stand proud
JAMES
CHUNG
Columnist
A new fan is born.
I had the privilege of being able
to cover the 2013 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
men’s volleyball national championships here two weekends ago.
I wasn’t quite sure what to
expect. All I knew was that it was
going to be a showdown of the top
eight programs in the nation, and
despite not knowing much about
the sport, it turned out to be quite
the show.
One of the perks of being a sports
journalist with the Journalism program here is that I can interact with
some very interesting and talented
people – mainly, some of the best
athletes I have ever seen.
I was thoroughly impressed and
inspired by everything that took
place at this year’s nationals.
I was humbled by the level of
competition in our country’s volleyball program. I was moved by
the level of respect each player and
coach had for his peers, and I was
privileged to witness the hunger
that was evident throughout the
weekend – something that, as an
athlete and sports fan, sent chills
down my spine.
I was blessed to experience all of
this from a front-row seat.
I can only imagine what it must
have been like to live the journey
as a team.
It was interesting to see the different coaching styles, and just to
name a few, coaches like Nipissing
University’s Eric Yung, Southern
Alberta Institute of Technology’s
Andy Hayher, and Capilano University’s Nathan Bennett were all
focused on helping their teams
showcase their best stuff.
It was inspiring to hear what
each coach had to say about his
players and his program. Most
notably, Yung had this to say about
his right side, Andre Leblanc.
“Andre’s been with this program
for five years. I’ve had the privilege of coaching him the last three.
I was waiting. I was waiting for
Andre to come out of his little box
and play the volleyball that I know,
and the rest of his teammates know
he can play, and he showed that
tonight.
“I’m very proud of him. I’m very
happy that he did it at this stage.”
With the Nipissing University
Lakers winning this year’s championship, Ontario now has the
bragging rights of having the top
volleyball program in the country,
and I cannot say enough about
the talent level of the volleyball
players in our country today. It is
something to brag about.
Guys like British Columbia’s
Capilano University Blues left
side and libero Dan Caverly, British Columbia’s Vancouver Island
University Mariners’ middle Lee
Hamilton, and Niagara College’s
outside hitter Shayne Petrusma,
From left to right: Niagara College Knights’ middle Sam Youlton, of Chatham, Ont., outside hitter and team
captain Shayne Petrusma, of Bowmanville, Ont., and setter Brad Wall, of St. Catharines, celebrate after scoring
a point against the Vancouver Island University Mariners, of Nanaimo, B.C., at the 2013 CCAA men’s volleyball
national championships held at Niagara College.
are – as sports journalists would
call them – “freak athletes.”
All three were named AllCanadians this year, and all three
Niagara College Knights’ outside hitter Shayne Petrusma, of Bowmanville, Ont., blocks a shot against
the Vancouver Island University Mariners, of Nanaimo, B.C., at the 2013 CCAA men’s volleyball national
championships held at Niagara College.
Photos by James Chung
impressed not only in their athletic
ability, but also by the things they
said about their teammates and
coaches throughout the weekend.
All three players stayed
grounded, humble and confident in
their team’s ability to perform at a
high level.
I asked Niagara College’s
Petrusma to share his thoughts
about
his
team’s
overall
performance at the nationals,
what it takes to perform at a high
level, and what it meant for him to
compete at the nationals.
He says, “I thought we had some
very good moments at nationals
this year. We showed a lot of character in our quarter-final match
against Capilano, especially when
we had some rough patches.
“I would say that if you are
serious about playing at a high
level, then you need to be willing
to make sacrifices and put in the
time, especially in the summer,
when you aren’t playing. Working
out over the summer and making
good decisions about how you treat
your body will put you in a good
position to become a great player.”
“It’s [volleyball] something
that has been a part of my life for
a number of years and it means a
lot to me. Being able to finish my
career by playing in a national
tournament was a great way to end
it and the whole season was a fantastic experience.”
His coach, Nathan Groenveld,
says the team competed against
and beat some of the top programs
in the country and “it is a testament
to the hard work our guys have put
in all year.”
“Shayne played extremely well
– evident by his opening round
Player of the Game Award and
tournament All-Star selection.
His composure throughout the
tournament helped a young group
be successful. I can’t say enough
about his tournament and season
overall.”
To aspiring volleyball players,
his message is to “seek out the best
coaching, teams and competition
available to you. Treat every day
as an opportunity to get better and
make your teammates better.”
When I caught up with Niagara
College President Dan Patterson
after the Knights’ semi-final game,
he says, “They’ve done a tremendous job. Hats off to the coach and
the team. They were up against an
incredible group of competitors.
“We’re very proud to host this
event and we couldn’t have asked
for a better crowd that came out to
support our team. We’ll celebrate
the work and the accomplishments
that they’ve had this year. We can
stand very proud.”
To finish strong in the semi-finals
as a seventh-seed is impressive to
say the least, but with a little bit of
belief, dedication and preparation,
anything is possible.
If you ever get a chance to
witness a national championship –
even if it’s a sport you think you
wouldn’t enjoy – give it a chance.
You could become a fan.
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 13
SPORTS
Late victory for Lock Monsters
Expect a testy rematch on March 25
By JAMES CHUNG
Staff Writer
It was a historic night for a
Niagara Lock Monsters player as
they battled the Toronto Shooting
Stars in a close affair on the road
last Friday.
Niagara team captain Brad Favero became the second player in
Canadian Lacrosse League (CLax)
history to record 100 career points
following his two-point performance against the Shooting Stars.
Favero would score the first goal
for his team with five minutes left
in the first quarter. His teammate,
Dylan Llord, would follow suit,
scoring their second goal.
Andrew Potter would cash in on
their third goal, but with 2:30 left
in the first quarter, Travis Gibbons
would be called for a penalty.
Gibbons wasn’t in the penalty box long because the Shooting
Stars capitalized on their manadvantage just seconds later.
The two teams went into the
second quarter tied at 4, and after
a closely knit second quarter, the
Lock Monsters headed into halftime with a 9-8 lead.
The lead was short-lived, as the
Shooting Stars tied the score with a
goal from Brad Levick.
The Lock Monsters’ defence
struggled before Coach Jeff Dowling made a goaltender change in
the third quarter, bringing Connor
Danko to the bench and sending
Grant Crawley as the new netminder.
Down 12-10 to start the fourth
quarter, the Lock Monsters looked
for their team to step up and deal
with the adversity. Dan Williams
would score with less than eight
minutes left in the game to bring
his team within one point.
With the scoreboard reading 1413 in favour of the Shooting Stars,
Jason Mazachowski would score
the equalizer with 6:30 left to play.
Less than 15 seconds later, Gar-
rett Ball scored to give the Lock
Monsters the late lead.
Potter would score the insurance
goal with four minutes remaining.
Dowling spoke about his team’s
performance following the game,
saying, “I think the first half, we
played a pretty good game offensively. Defensively, we were a little
lackluster.
They took it to us in the first half
of the third quarter, and we needed
to change the momentum. I don’t
think Connor Danko played poorly
in net, but we had to do something.
Our defence wasn’t playing well,
so we changed goalies and it just
seemed to work for us.We started
to battle back and chip away at
it, and once we got the lead, guys
were pumped on the bench.”
The most intensity they’ve had
in the game was when we started
to chip away. Even when we were
down 14-12, you could see that
guys were rising up off the bench.”
When asked what his message
was following the goaltender
change, Dowling says he let the
goalie coach talk to Danko.
The message: “This isn’t you.
This is our defence, and we need to
spark them.”
Asked to assess his players’
performances, Dowling says, “Andrew Potter felt he had a bad game
last game. He only had a couple
points, but he’s been playing great
on both ends of the floor all season.
I think he felt that he needed to
step up and he did that with five
goals and five assists tonight. Jason
Mazachowski, he’s a defence-first
player, but he chipped in with three
goals tonight, which was big for
us.”
Looking towards their rematch
with the Shooting Stars only 10
days from this game, Dowling
says, “They [the Shooting Stars]
were missing a couple of guys.
They had a game last night and
they had a couple guys banged-up.
Andrew Potter, of St. Catharines, celebrates after scoring an insurance goal for his Niagara Lock Monsters late
in the fourth quarter in a game against the Toronto Shooting Stars at Mattamy Athletic Centre, in Toronto
last week.
Photo by James Chung
I know they’re missing a couple of
their big defenders and one of their
offensive players. So, we know
they’re going to be a different team
the next time we play them and
they’re going to come out hungrier
for it. Hopefully, our guys will
learn from our mistakes and play a
lot better in front of our goaltender
in the first half.”
Catching up with Potter after the
game, he spoke about his team’s
performance as well.
“It was nice to see the boys
come out with some adversity in
that fourth [quarter]. It’s a tough
barn to play in [The Mattamy Athletic Centre, home of the Shooting
Kim Squire, of Ohsweken, Ont., tries a behind-the-back shot against the Toronto
Shooting Stars in a regular season Canadian Lacrosse League game at the Mattamy
Athletic Centre, in Toronto last week.
Photo by James Chung
Stars], and that’s a good team [the
Shooting Stars]. They’re coming
off a loss. I’m sure they would
have liked a win last night, and
they showed a lot of character, but
it was good to see the boys battle
through adversity at the end there.”
“The whole team just stepped
up. Crawley came in and played a
good, solid game in net, and Jason
Mazachowski had his first hat trick.
That was big for us.”
Going into their match at home
against the Shooting Stars, Potter
says his mindset will be to “come
out with the same momentum.
We’re going to have them at home,
it’s going to be a different feel for
us, and we’re just going to play
high-paced lacrosse just like we’ve
been doing all season.”
The Lock Monsters get ready to
face the Shooting Stars at home on
Monday at 8 p.m.
All home games are played at
the Seymour-Hannah Centre in St.
Catharines.
Ticket prices are $12 for adults,
and $8 for children, seniors and
students.
For more information on the
Lock Monsters, visit lockmonsterslax.ca.
For more information on the
CLax, visit canadianlacrosseleague.ca.
Gary Muzzin, goaltender for the Toronto Shooting Stars, looks on as his team plays
against the Niagara Lock Monsters at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto last week.
Photo by James Chung
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 14
March 22, 2013
NEWS
College welcomes Canada’s Chef at Home
Students get a taste of
Chef Michael Smith
By JESSE JOHNSON
Staff Writer
“We’re in one of the finest cooking schools in the country. You will
get out what you put in.”
Famous for his cookbooks,
cooking show and elegant restaurants, Chef Michael Smith visited
Niagara College to share stories
and entertain high school and Niagara College students.
‘Look for ways to
engage with our
communities.’
— Michael Smith
Smith discussed ways to succeed
in the food industry, explained how
he became a chef on TV and gave
advice to students coming out of
high school.
Smith broke down the steps
every chef should know. “Gather,
prepare and share. It’s really that
simple.”
“Look for ways to engage with
our communities.”
He says it is better for chefs to
use local ingredients than using
processed foods. He told students
to spend a summer working on
a farm so they could learn more
about how the food is grown.
Smith talked about how he
began as a TV chef. It was while
quietly working in his garden,
walking down the basil row, that he
decided to make a cooking show,
and within a year he had one.
Smith started cooking at 23
years old and has opened several
restaurants in 17 years.
“Everything changed when my
son was born. I realized I knew
nothing about food and wanted to
influence him.” He says he knew a
lot about making food look good,
“but it’s less practical when you’re
trying to cook healthy food for
your son.”
Smith’s first career choice was
to be an artist. He says he spent
$22,000 on art school before becoming a chef.
Jim McClean, chef professor in
the college’s Culinary Management program, was in attendance
to hear Smith speak.
“It was quite inspiring. It was a
good renewal for the faculty. He
gave good advice for current students.”
McClean would like to see more
chefs come here to speak and provide their knowledge and opinions
to the students. “It’d be great.”
He says Smith is changing the
way people eat and helping people
get away from the trap of fast food.
First-year Culinary Management
student John Cebado says Smith
was “really informative” and he
would like to see more chefs speak
to students.
Chef Michael Smith speaking about some of his favourite ingredients.
Photo by Jesse Johnson
Trade agreements can put Canadian farmers out to dry
By JOHNATHAN TONGE
Staff Writer
Federal NDP agriculture critic,
Malcolm Allen, says he is concerned about the potential impact
upcoming trade deals will have on
Canadian farmers.
The Comprehensive Economic
and Trade Agreement (CETA)
and the Trans-Pacific Strategic
Economic Partnership (TPP) have
been under negotiation since 2009
and 2010 respectively.
The government says CETA and
the TPP will benefit Canada “enormously,” but many are worried
about the costs of any benefit.
Allen says the European Union’s
(EU) insistence on gaining access
to Canadian cheese markets is a
concern to the NDP.
“The government will be under
pressure [in CETA negotiations]
to provide access on dairy in exchange for access to Europe’s beef
and pork markets.”
Gerard Landrum, a chicken
farmer in Niagara Falls, is also worried the trade deals are a potential
risk to chicken farmers, as there is
“a chance that our government will
have to put supply management on
the table in some sense that would
change our current system.”
Supply management is a collec-
tion of tariffs on imported goods as
well as marketing boards, which
set the quotas and prices of goods
such as milk and eggs.
Advocates of supply management say it ensures a fair and
consistent price and product for
consumers, and a dependable income for Canadian farmers.
Landrum says any change to
the current supply management
system would lead to vertical integration of the industry, where one
company owns all aspects from
hatchery to feed mill to processing
plant and says this would “spell the
end of independence for farmers.”
However, not all farmers are
worried. Ron Versteeg, a second
generation dairy farmer from Russell, Ont., has more faith in the
government, saying it will protect
dairy farmers and the supply management system, but that diary
farmers “are always vigilant.”
Rudy Husny, press secretary for
International Trade Minister Ed
Fast, says CETA and the TPP are
under negotiation now and therefore he can’t speak on them, but did
point out the Conservatives have
negotiated nine free trade agreements without altering Canada’s
supply management system.
Husny says Canadians have no
reason to doubt the government as
these agreements have been “the
most open, transparent and collaborative negotiations in Canada’s
history.”
The NDP isn’t convinced.
automotive, agricultural products
and many others.
According to Versteeg there is
no reason Canada should have to
alter its supply management system to conclude these agreements.
‘Canada can negotiate these agreements without
sacrificing pillars of our agriculture industry.’
— Malcolm Allen
Allen says, “We know that supply management is on the table.
[The] international trade minister
has suggested that supply management could be at risk, at the same
time [the] Agriculture and AgriFood minister has claimed the opposite. The Conservatives should
be honest about their intentions.”
Husny would not say exactly
what the government hopes to have
come out of these agreements only
that the trade negotiation with the
EU “is Canada’s most important
trade initiative since the signing
of the North American Free Trade
Agreement,” and would benefit many sectors of the Canadian
economy, including aerospace,
wood products, manufacturing,
If anything, he says, the EU should
have to make the changes.
“We already let in more of their
[cheese] than they do ours, they
should come up to our level.”
The negotiations have lasted far
longer than expected but, Husny
says, that isn’t anything to worry
about.
“As in all negotiations nothing is
agreed to until everything is agreed
to and our guide for finalizing any
agreement will be the quality of its
content not any calendar date.”
The government says CETA will
generate “significant benefits” for
Canadians.
Husny says a trade agreement
with the EU would bring a 20
per cent boost in bilateral trade,
a $12-billion annual increase to
Canada’s economy, almost 80,000
new jobs, and an extra $1,000 for
the average Canadian family.
Landrum doesn’t believe the
hype. He says he does not think
80,000 jobs would be created but
if the economy would be so benefited, it might be worth a change
to the supply managment system.
He worries that opening the
Canadian market to foreign competition “would mean lowering our
food safety standards.”
Critics of Canada’s supply management system feel the opposite.
They say the current system stifles
innovation, inflates prices and lowers the quality of products.
Versteeg is adament in his defence. “We have excellent quality,
everything is thoroughly tested,
there is absolutely no basis for
anyone saying the quality is less
without competition.” He adds
that critics of the system should
remember that unlike many other
countries Canada does not subsidize its farmers.
Despite the critics Allen says the
NDP supports the supply management system the way it is, adding,
“Canada can negotiate these agreements without sacrificing pillars of
our agriculture industry.”
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 15
NEWS
Aboriginal culture on display
Powwow takes over the Welland foyer
By BRIANNA MCGREGOR
Staff Writer
Niagara College students got a
taste of Aboriginal culture Tuesday
with a demonstration of colourful
traditional dancing and thunderous
powwow drumming.
Niagara College’s First Nation,
Métis and Inuit Student Services
(FNMISS) hosted their ninth annual powwow and craft sale in the
cafeteria foyer.
At 9:45 a.m. the Cassandra Swan
Fiddlers started the event, while the
craft vendors prepared their tables.
Six craft vendors from the Niagara region and places as far as Quebec sold handmade goods such as
jewelry, dreamcatchers, beadwork,
leather goods, wood carvings and
paintings.
Judith Kinght, a Haudenosaunee
from the Niagara region, says she
doesn’t care about making money
at the event. “It’s more about
showing people what I like doing
and displaying what I do.”
Kinght sold porcupine earrings,
wampum beaded jewelry, glass and
crystal necklaces and bracelets. “I
don’t do a lot of the traditional
pieces. I like doing more unique
pieces.”
Marlene King, of Waswanipi,
Que., has always attended the col-
The Lost Dancers, a dancing group, showcases their dancing styles to students and staff.
Photo by Johnathan Tonge
lege’s craft sale and powwow. King
says she enjoys showcasing her art
and meeting different people.
At 12:15 p.m. the Ohnia:kara
drum and dance group started the
traditional feature of the event.
The drum group does northern
powwow style with traditional and
original songs.
The Lost Dancers arrived at 1:40
p.m. and drew a large crowd in the
cafeteria foyer.
There was a variety of dancers that participated such as
women and men’s traditional,
men’s grass and fancy feather,
women’s fancy shawl, jingle dress,
and hoop dancers.
Students were invited into
the dancing arena for intertribal
dances. These are where non-Aboriginal people are invited to dance
inside the dance arena. Students
were also invited for a round dance
and smoke dance.
Both dance groups shared the
meaning behind each dance style as
well as its origin. They also shared
the stories behind the creation of
the round and smoke dances.
Arlene Bannister, office administrator for the FNMISS,
says the event is important to
promote cultural awareness and
also to share culture and traditions with students and faculty.
Bannister says she was one of the
people to start this gathering and
make it an annual tradition.
“The students were asking
why we had no powwow, while
other colleges and universities
were holding them.” She says it
started with just craft vendors.
Then they added the drumming and dancing later on.
“The students love it, also
the staff. They appreciate
learning the culture, dancing,
singing and craft work.”
Building with energy efficiency is important
By ANNIE PASQUARIELLO
Staff Writer
The traditional way of house
building has been around for hundreds of years. Wood framing and
drywall have lasted this long, so
is there any reason to change that
model?
Both Peter Smith, of STEEP
Building Systems and Niagara
Research believe the answer is yes.
Niagara Research, is involved
with the company that produces energy efficient and environmentally
friendly building material. Niagara
Research tests the R-values of it in
a hot-box apparatus built behind
the Niagara College Technology
Centre on the Welland campus.
R-values measure energy efficiency of thermal resistance used
in the building and construction
industry.
Gary Dolch, a professor of Technology Studies who is working on
the project, says the staff will be
monitoring any energy lost in the
apparatus. The structure accommodates a removable wall panel that
essentially divides it in half. Panels
can be inserted, tested and removed
to test the R-values of STEEP’s existing wall panels against industry
competitors.
The STEEP system eliminates
thermal bridging. Dolch explains
no one has gotten to the root of that
problem yet. “We want to control
the changing of the air.”
He says the pre-assembled pieces
are 60 to 70 per cent cheaper than
traditional wood framing, but the
industry hasn’t changed the way it
builds so “it can be a tough sell.”
Wing Pak, professor of civil engineering here and team engineer,
says the units are insulated with
foam on the inside and steel on
the outside. There are minimum
building standards set by the
government and Pak says, “These
materials exceed those standards.”
According to Smith, STEEP’s
goal is to build better and greener
and provide manufacturing jobs in
the Niagara region.
It’s product is made from 50
per cent recyclable material and
is 100 per cent recyclable. Smith’s
wife, Donna, noted that the leftover foam at the plant is used
to make teddy bears and there
is no released “off-gassing” after two minutes when building,
so no chemicals are released.
By comparison, the smoke and
flame index is less than wood’s. “If
wood were a new product, it would
never be allowed,” says Smith.
Not only is the STEEP material
eliminating thermal bridging, but
it is also much quicker to build
with it.
“The biggest thing is foundations,” says Smith. “We can have a
house up in two days. We can give
consumers better options when
they are spending $500,000 but
From left to right, Wing Pak, Donna Smith, Peter Smith and Gary Dolch standing outside of the hot box
apparatus behind the Technology Centre at the Welland campus.
Photo by Annie Pasquariello
there is a lot of misinformation out
there.”
Niagara Research and STEEP
came together when a colleague told Dolch about the
product and the Niagara Sustain-
ability Initiative, a non-profit
organization with a mandate connecting government, industry, community and academia to advance
environmental and economic performance in the Niagara region.
Smith says he thinks Niagara
Research will “100 per cent help
the company. Niagara College has
done more in four months than
any government agency has in
four years.”
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 16
March 22, 2013
SPORTS
Junior teams battle to the finals
By STEPHANIE TAYLOR
Staff Writer
The race is on.
The playoffs for the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League began
on Feb. 27, with each team in the
Niagara region involved.
The playoffs started within the
conference. The Golden Horseshoe
conference saw four matchups between the eight teams.
One matchup saw the St. Catharines Falcons, first place team with
most points in the league, take on
the eighth seed Buffalo Jr. Blades,
who captured three points in the
51-game regular season,
Falcons head coach Frank Girhiny says although Buffalo won
one season game they “compete
real hard and are relentless.
“We need to stick to doing what
makes us a top team and not get
into bad habits or try to play individualistic hockey. If we stick to
our plan we should be OK advancing into the next round.”
Going into the playoffs, coming
off a great season, Girhiny says the
biggest threat is a toss up between
many teams.
“We have by far the strongest division. You look at Port Colborne,
who were on our tail the entire
season. Welland has improved immensely, as well as the Falls and
Thorold. Any of those teams are
capable of winning this division.”
The defending champion Falcons have their sights set on the
Sutherland Cup again.
“I thought the regular season
went really well,” says Girhiny.
“After coming off a Sutherland
Cup Championship, the returning
players, as well as the new ones,
stayed focused and were committed to excellence.”
While the team may be the looking forward to another championship, the Falcons do know that the
road is not easy.
“Having won the Sutherland
Cup we do know what it takes,”
says Girhiny.
“With 10 returning players, as
well as our entire staff, we realize
it is a marathon and not a sprint. If
our team continues to execute our
game plans and work as hard as
their opponent, we should have at
least a good opportunity for a long
run in the playoffs.”
The Falcons swept the Jr. Blades
in four games, advancing to the
conference semifinals.
The second matchup saw the
second seed Port Colborne Pirates
face seventh seed Fort Erie Meteors.
Team captain Dayne Phillips
finished the regular season with a
league-leading total 113 points.
“Simply put, Dayner is the best
player in the league,” says head
coach, and coach of the year, Brian
Kelly.
Phillips was also named the
league’s player of the month for
October, November and December.
The Pirates finished with the second best record in Ontario, behind
only the Falcons.
“We have had a terrific season,”
says Kelly.
“Our goal at the start of the year
was to finish in the top two spots
in the regular season, get back to
the final, and take the next step by
winning a championship. We have
solid goaltending, steady defence
and five of the top seven scorers
in the Golden Horseshoe Junior
Hockey League, including the
leading scorer in Ontario.”
In this year’s playoffs, Kelly
Knights go for gold,
make college history
By JEFF JOHNSTON
Staff Writer
The Niagara College Knights are
beginning the round robin action in
the Canadian Collegiate Athletic
Association (CCAA) championships in Edmonton to compete for
gold in women’s curling.
The Knights are the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)
champions and are expected to be
a contender in the national tournament.
“I am fully confident that if they
play the way I know they can and
with the knowledge they are the
OCAA champions, I expect them
to be on the podium at the Nationals,” says coach Scott Brown.
“Only the colour of the medals
needs to be confirmed.”
The team consists of Katie Spanton, Tess Brown, Hilary Minor and
Melissa Borowski.
Borowski was the skip that led
the team to a comeback win over
the Confederation College Thunderhawks of Thunder Bay in the
OCAA finals.
It was the first championship in
Niagara College history.
“In order to be a successful curler
you need to be confident in not just
your abilities but also the abilities
of your fellow teammates,” says
Brown. “There also needs to be
communication between the team
from the skip to the player delivering the stone and the sweepers
have to be able to judge the weight
[speed] of the rock, to ensure the
called shot is made.”
The team will play seven games
over three days in the round robin
section of the tournament that
started March 19. The semi-finals
and championship games will be
played tomorrow.
“In order to be successful at the
CCAA’s, the team will need to be
focused on each game, not thinking about other games. They also
need to remain as calm as possible
during the game as some shots
may not finish as planned and only
concentrate on the next shot,” says
Brown. “Based on each player’s
abilities, and the way they play
together as a team, I have to say,
once again, I am excited about
their chances to bring home a
medal from the CCAA Nationals.”
The Welland Jr. Canadians host the Port Colborne Pirates at the Welland Civic Arena in game 3 of the semifinals.
Photo by Jame McTavish
says while some of the Pirates hav“We had 35 wins out of 51 Horseshoe conference pitted the
ing career seasons, “It won’t mean games,” says Osbourne. “That’s a fourth seed Niagara Falls Canucks
a thing if we don’t win a champi- pretty good record.”
against fifth seed Thorold Blackonship. That has always been our
After defeating the Stoney Creek hawks. The Canucks finished the
goal.”
Warriors in five games, Osbourne season with a 30-18-3 record with
The Pirates advanced to the next says he wants to keep the boys “fo- the Blackhawks close behind with
round in five games, defeating the cused and working hard to beat the a 28-19-4 record.
Meteors 4-1 in the best of seven second seed.”
Their first round matchup was
series.
The Jr. Canadians’ players to the only one to reach Game 7, with
The third matchup saw the third look for are what some may say Thorold taking the series.
seed, the Welland Jr. Canadians are the backbone of hockey teams.
The semifinals matchups are the
against the sixth seed, the Stoney
“Our goalies need to be the star Falcons against the Blackhawks
Creek Warriors.
players to move on,” says Os- and the Pirates taking on the CanaJr. Canadians head coach Keith bourne.
dians.
Osbourne is happy with the record
The fourth and final matchup
For a complete schedule of
the team held in the standings.
in the quarterfinals of the Golden games, go to http://www.gojhl.ca.
Superfan in the big leagues
Toronto Blue Jays fan heads to New York City for
MLB Fan Cave competition and chases her dreams
By STEPHANIE TAYLOR
Staff Writer
She did it.
After gathering the support of
her followers, family and friends,
April Whitzman has made it to the
Top 10 of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Fan Cave.
“I can’t remember a moment
where I have been without words,
but I was speechless when I first
heard the news, and even now, I
don’t think there is anything I can
say that can describe how honoured
and excited I am for this incredible
opportunity,” says Whitzman.
After hearing the news, the first
person she told was her father, a
devoted baseball and Montreal
Expos fan.
“I would not be the baseball fan
I am today if it hadn’t been for my
father. As a child, baseball was a
way for him and I to bond together.
Now I am blessed to be able to use
my passion to bond with many others, all across the world.”
‘The opportunities
the Fan Cave will
present are endless. It is truly a
dream come true.’
– April Whitzman
This is a special opportunity for
Whitzman as the sole Blue Jays
fan, but the first Canadian to make
it to the final stage. She will move
to New York City within the week
and live in what has been dubbed
the MLB Fan Cave.
Along with the other nine finalists, she will be tasked with
watching baseball, writing about
baseball and talking about baseball. Basically, living and breathing baseball.
“If I last until the end, I will be
watching over 2,600 games on the
season. I will also get the chance
to interview baseball players and
speak with pop culture celebrities.
The opportunities the Fan Cave
will present are endless. It is truly a
dream come true.”
Whitzman says, although her
qualifications may have helped her
chances of being chosen as a finalist, she recognizes the support she
has received from all around the
world.
“I really can’t thank everyone
enough for the support. It has
meant more to me than words can
even explain! I hope to make you
all proud while I am chasing my
Big League dreams in New York
City.”
To follow the progress of April’s
dreams in New York City during
the MLB Fan Cave competition,
add her to Facebook: http://www.
facebook.com/April.Whitzman or
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@alleycat17.
March 22, 2013
NIAGARA NEWS
FEATURE
Page 17
Tattoos – accepted with exceptions
People should still be cautious of what and where their body art is
By JESSICA REECE
Staff Writer
They’re colourful, wild, symbolic, unique. Everywhere you look,
you’re likely to see at least one.
They have become one of the
biggest art forms to hit the streets.
They’re tattoos.
Tattoos have been around for
centuries. Originally they were
used as symbols of protection,
strength and status, but they could
also represent bad affiliations, such
as gangs.
Today they are worn more as an
art form, displaying personality,
favourite designs and life experiences.
However, even though they are
becoming increasingly popular
and accepted, there are still some
people who see them as crude and
unprofessional in the workplace.
“Times are changing. Tattoos
are being more accepted day by
day by employers because they are
beginning to understand that just
because you have a tattoo doesn’t
mean you’re a negative member
of society,” says Wyatt Watson,
a Niagara College student, in the
video game design and development program.
With old traditions dying out and
tattoos becoming more of a social
norm, employers are becoming
more accepting, with a few expectations.
“As someone who does the hiring, I think it’s less about the tattoos and more about what they look
like and how you wear them. If the
work is done well, looks good and
starts a conversation, then it’s good
for business,” says Heather Glifford, a Niagara Falls resident and
manager of Falls Convenience.
“In today’s society, it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to be free of
body art,” she says. “On the other
hand, if you have an obscenity tattooed across your forehead, then
that does not bode well for you in
the job market.”
While some employers are keeping their clean appearance and
dress code standards, others are
beginning to adapt.
Inspector Desmond Carter, of
the Niagara Regional Police Service, says its officers are permitted
to have visible tattoos, with a few
cautions.
“Tattoos have become more
prevalent in the last 10 years, but
officers, and even aspiring officers,
need to consider the social norms
Students and workers of Niagara College confront workplace acceptability when it comes to their visible
tattoos. Above: Mary Macrae, a student in the Art and Design Foundation program. Bottom center: Nicole
Schoonderwoerd, Personal Support Worker, and Concetta Costa, Office Administration. Bottom left: Rick
Rutherford, contractor at Nigara College.
Photos by Jordan Aubertin
in the community and within the
police service they work, or wish
to work for. Officers with tattoos
are permitted to display them, but
as we serve a very diverse community, it is important that tattoos on
officers are inoffensive to members
of our community.”
Many tourist-based industries
tend to ask their employees to
cover their tattoos because of how
diverse and multicultural their clientele can be. They do this in order
not to offend anyone.
“At HOCO [based on Clifton
Hill in Niagara Falls] we’re not
supposed to have any visible tattoos, but it’s not really enforced.
I’ve only ever seen them ask one
person to cover his tattoo and it
was a naked pin-up girl on his leg,”
says Jason Frost, a Niagara Falls
resident.
Many employers are issuing
guidelines for tattooed employees.
Greg Medulun, director of communications at Fallsview Casino,
says his organization has recently
lifted the ban on visible tattoos.
“Our policy around appearance
provides personal choice along
with guidelines to ensure all employees are represented professionally. Niagara Casino employees are
permitted to have visible tattoos.
However, visible tattoos may not
contain offensive graphics, profane
or vulgar wording, hate or extremist symbols.”
Jean Little, a graduate employment consultant at Niagara College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake Job
Centre, says it is part of her job to
make sure students look their best
and act professionally to ensure
they have the most job opportunities.
“We tread on the side of being
safe because we don’t want students to be limited because of them
[tattoos].”
Even local tattoo artist James
Takeo, of Golden Horseshoe Tattoo
& Piercing, located in St. Catharines, says you should be cautious
when deciding on the placement of
tattoos.
“Our studio rarely does tattoos
on hands, necks or faces as we
don’t want our clients discriminated against at their jobs.”
With more people getting tattoos
and with the growing acceptance
of them, you should still be cautious when deciding what it is you
are going to get and where you will
get it.
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 18
ENTERTAINMENT
March 22, 2013
Fans party with Hollerado
By ALEXANDRA
STAVROULLAKIS
Staff Writer
The excitement was contagious.
Even though the small venue
forced many fans to stand arm
touching arm, the Mansion House
Bar in downtown St. Catharines
was buzzing with excitement on
March 9.
Laughing, in groups, while enjoying their drinks of choice, fans
awaited the arrival of the main act.
Hollerado, an Ottawa-based
rock band, had attracted the large
crowd, with tickets selling out only
days before. Openers, Thought
Beneath Film and Xprime, put on
a spirited show. Thought Beneath
Film covered a song by Weezer
in addition to their own original
material while Xprime performed
original songs and covered a
Beatles classic.
Michelle Gow, 20, of St. Catharines, almost missed the concert.
“I got a text saying Hollerado
was playing in town, and I rushed
from my house.”
Gow says she has seen Hollerado a few times but was still extremely excited to watch their set.
“Every time they play I have to
see them,” says Gow, adding that
her favourite song by the band is
Fake Drugs.
Fans packed the room to the
stage, the band was escorted in
through an on-stage door to avoid
the crowds.
An explosion of cheers of “Hollerado” erupted, as the four band
members, each wearing white
T-shirts designed with unique
pockets featuring Batman, a boat,
cars and planets, picked up their
instruments to begin the show.
Nicole Fraser, 29, of Niagaraon-the-Lake, says she was happy
she came. “I love that they are a
Hollerado perform at the Mansion House Bar in downtown St.
Catharines on March 9, from left guitarist Nixon Boyd and lead vocalist
Menno Versteeg.
Photo by Alexandra Stavroullakis
really party-type band.”
They opened with Americanarama, to boisterous crowds, that
were dancing and singing along
to the music, playing many of
their singles early and ending with
crowd requests.
Recently the band released its
second LP, White Paint on Feb.
26.
Their live set could be described
as very creative, streamers be-
ing shot twice into the audience
and various members of the band
running into the crowd. Drummer
Jake Boyd, even played a drum
solo with his bare hands.
Playing a three-song encore,
including a cover of Blink 182,
Hollerado left fans cheering for
more music.
“I saw them play as an opener
once. They blew away the main
act,” says Gow.
“We often ask the crowd what
they want to hear next,” says
Menno Versteeg, guitarist and lead
vocalist for Hollerado.
“You get older, you get more
perspective, your music evolves,”
says Versteeg.
Starting later that night the band
embarked on a North American
tour, opening for Sum 41. Versteeg says they will be starting in
Vancouver making their way back
to the east coast before ending in
Montreal.
Metal Fest awaits the Angels of Death
Slayer cover band ‘a natural fit’ for Project Pain Music Festival
By SHANE LEONARD
Staff Writer
Beer bottles and horror memorabilia litter the small practice space
of the Angels of Death, a slayer
cover band with an affinity for
thrash metal and drinking.
The band practices its Satanic
tributes at guitar player Chris
Dow’s small home. All the gear is
crammed into his tiny living room,
which overflows with empty beer
bottles and coffee containers.
Despite these small confines, the
band comes together well by taking every song with the seriousness
of a true musician.
“Yea, we drink … a lot,” says
Dow, after a long laugh, “but the
guys and I treat this [stuff] seriously. The drinks are just us having
fun and relaxing while we jam, no
different than anyone else.”
The band began as Inferus, a
local thrash metal band playing
under the banner of Project Pain,
but it all came to an end because of
differences in musical tastes.
“We are all friends, and there
weren’t any hard feelings when it
ended. It just ended,” says Dow
reflecting on the earlier days.
The band stayed close friends
even after the dissolution of Inferus and would eventually decide
to take up the reins as a top Slayer
cover band.
“We were already known for
playing the best Slayer covers in
the area, so it was just a natural fit,”
says Eric Horton, 23, of Welland,
the band’s other guitar player.
The band claims that playing
covers doesn’t cause as much
stress in the process of playing music. “We get to hang out, drink, and
play the music we love, and whatever happens just happens. It’s just
a perfect match,” says Horton.
Their lax attitude has worked
to their advantage and led them to
strengthen their thrash metal skills
in a more relaxed jam session atmosphere.
“Don’t get me wrong; when we
did originals, it was an amazing
time. Writing our own music and
playing it live was awesome, but
playing covers is more fun at this
point in our lives,” says Horton.
The band gathers at Dow’s home
after each member finishes work
around 5 p.m., and spends the first
hour setting up gear and talking
about various things. Laughter is
a common sound as the members
clearly get along exceptionally
well.
“These guys are great,” says
Heather Rose, 25, of New Jersey.
“I met them a few years ago shortly
after I moved [here], and they are
just awesome, always friendly to
their fans and fellow musicians.
They’d do anything for anyone and
that’s really rare nowadays.”
It isn’t uncommon for the Angels
to welcome friends or fans to their
practices as they claim it adds to
the energy and the fun. “It’s like a
mini show,” Rose laughs.
Once the members of the band
have set up their gear, they are
quick to hammer out song after
song, with near sniper precision
expertly paying homage to the
band they cover.
“It’s a great workout,” says
Dan Infantino, 25, of Welland, the
band’s drummer. “I look forward to
this every week.
“I get to hang out with my friends
and have a few [drinks] and play
some metal yea,” he exclaimed
enthusiastically with a big smile.
The band is looking forward to
a new set of shows coming up,
including Project Pain’s magnum
opus Metal Fest.
Angels of Death may not seem
like the most professional band,
but they are doing something right,
as they enjoy every moment they
are playing tribute to the metal
lords, Slayer.
NIAGARA NEWS
March 22, 2013
Page 19
ENTERTAINMENT
Waterbodies refreshing
The Waterbodies share a meal at a St. Catharines diner.
By TRAVIS MILES
Staff Writer
On Feb. 21, St. Catharines’ own
Waterbodies released their new
LP, The Evil We Know, during a
performance at L3 Nightclub.
This is the fourth release for the
alternative rock veterans, but their
first full-length album. The album
boasts 11 exuberant songs, tied
together by a loosely conceptual
theme.
Sitting in a downtown St. Catharines coffee shop, Mike McGean,
the band’s guitarist and vocalist,
swirls his coffee in hand and talks
amongst the swarm of ambient
conversations.
“Most of the content flowed
together … it just kind of came
naturally.”
He recalls the album’s name
came about during the recording
process in the Ridgeway, Ont., studio of producer Dean Malton.
“It was advice we got from a
conversation with Dean that ended
up tying in with the themes of the
record. … Mostly it’s just about
being in a rough spot. [It’s about]
being tied down with relationships,
jobs, whatever it may be, and finding positives in the negatives.”
The members of Waterbodies
are no strangers to this mentality,
as shortly after finishing the album
they lost their second guitarist and
back-up vocalist, Dylan Turner.
“Dylan’s in Australia right now.
I think he’s making wine or some-
thing,” McGean says, half smiling.
“For whatever reason, he felt
like he needed a change. I am
happy for him, though. I hope he
is doing well in Australia,” he says.
Despite
the
complications
Turner’s departure caused for the
band, McGean says that it was “a
blessing in disguise.”
“I thought it was going to be difficult. Dylan really brought a lot to
the band … but since then we have
really tightened up. Everything
seems more cohesive now.”
Upon Turner’s departure, the
band decided to continue on but
as a three-piece, leaving Turner’s
position unfilled.
McGean says that the band as a
three-piece has a new element of
simplicity. Elaborating on this, he
says, “There is less going on, so it
is easier to hear everything.”
He refers to the change as “surprisingly refreshing,“ as the three
members seem to be on the “same
wavelength.”
The Evil We Know was released digitally in November, and
complications with pressing are
what pushed the physical’s release
date back two months later.
“We had the actual tracks, but
we didn’t have the physical records
to sell. … It was so deflating, just
waiting.
We had this record that we were
just sitting on and we wanted to
move on and work on new stuff
and just keep things fresh. That
Submitted photo
was really taking the life out of the
band at the time,” he reminisces on
the stress of the delays, running his
hand rigidly against his brow.
McGean says that the period of
non-activity and frustration may
have had something to do with
Turner’s departure.
Now that the album has been
released, McGean says he is relieved, and this relief shows in his
optimistic expression and tone.
For the rest of the year, McGean
says, the band plans on “playing as
many shows as we can, recording
and basically doing all the shit we
should have been doing since Day
1.” He looks forward and laughs.
“I think we are where we need to
be as a band.”
Snips a cut above the usual local band
By TRAVIS MILES
Staff Writer
Welland’s own The Snips’ recent full-length album, Highs of
Low, is the Welland band’s first
since changing their name from
The Ceremonial Snips. The onceaggressive brass bandits have
changed vastly over their 10 plus
years as a band and have settled
on their now-realized craft of indie
punk rock anthems.
Much like Blackouts, the band’s
debut EP as The Snips, released in
2010, the songs on Highs of Low
are well crafted.
The instrumentation is a highlight of the record as dueling
guitars with subtle overdrive blend
seamlessly with the complex but
tasteful drumming of Brent Furlop.
That is not to say the record’s vocals or bass guitar are anything to
be overlooked, however, because
they round off the band’s sound.
The vocals of Ricky Pridmore
bleed personality and sway back
and forth from aggressive to sombre but never fail to be melodic.
The vocal performance makes the
record very catchy, but in an unconventional way. It will take listeners
four or five times before they really
catch on to the lyrics and melodies
in the songs. The contrast between
aggression and melody creates
swells within the songs and knocks
the listener about like a sonic pingpong ball. Alexander Standen, a
musician and Pre-Media and Design student at Niagara College’s
Welland campus, says he enjoys
these up and downs on the record.
“The dynamics are great. They
have the ability to go down and
then come up and peak with potency.”
“Since Blackouts, they have really come into their own as a band
… They are a rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse,” he adds.
Since releasing Highs of Low
independently through the band’s
own label, Rival Party Records, in
August, The Snips have been very
busy completing a month-long European tour in September, playing
one of punk rock’s most notorious
festival’s, The Fest, in Gainesville,
Fla., and touring Ontario and Quebec relentlessly. The band has also
released a video for each song on
the new record.
Welland natives The Snips will be busy in 2013.
Submitted photo
Page 20
NIAGARA NEWS
MEMORIAL
March 22, 2013
A true Canadian
Manager and friend Brian Edwards addressing thousands of loving fans, stage right to Connors’ casket. An arrangement of his most iconic possessions surrounded the body: The
classic black hat and stomping board, the acoustic guitar and Order of Canada medal.
Photo by Luke Archibald
Peterborough hosts memorial for thousands
of loving fans in tribute to Canadiana
By JOEL PERUSSE
Staff Writer
It was a little after Hamilton’s
skyline disappeared in the rear
window of a beat up Land Rover
that it sank in. I was not only going to a memorial service, but to a
March 13 tribute to the life of one
of Canada’s most revered singersongwriters.
Stompin’ Tom Connors, who
died March 6 at 77 years of age,
represented a certain kind of person
– the blue-collared, hard-working
travelling man of the Great North –
but I’m sure most Canadians know
and love at least one his songs.
His anthem, The Good Old
Hockey Game, brings back the
fond memories of a younger chap,
but those are gone now.
Now I’m roughly two hours
from Peterborough and four hours
from cold beer, good music and an
ecstatic bunch of fans.
“It’s Canadiana, man,” said Alex
Kovacs through bursts of frigid
breath.
Organizers opened the doors just
after 7 p.m. By this time a couple
hundred men, women and children
‘I came to know
his roots [and] all
the people he’s
influenced.’
— James Ferth
formed a line that wrapped around
the Peterborough Memorial Centre
and stretched down the street.
Of course, there were tailgate
parties and loudspeakers blasting
out the classics, such as Sudbury
Saturday Night, Man With the
Black Hat and Peterborough
Postman. Later inside, the arena
exploded with applause when a
video of Connors performing that
very song played on the big screens
above the stage following a speech
by Mayor Daryl Bennet. Another
notable applause came when he
mentioned Connors giving back
his Juno Awards.
Darcy Malone, from the Peterborough area, told me his “grandmother grew up right outside Skinner’s Pond and my uncles fished
out in Stompin’ Tom’s area.” He
said he used to boot around the
man’s old schoolhouse as a kid
with his friends. Malone’s favourite
song is To It and At It.
Adrienne Clarkson, former
governor general, was also in attendance and took to the stage with
a heartfelt reminiscence of her
friend.
If you knew where to look, you
could find singers Tommy Hunter
and Rita MacNeil, among others.
The bands that covered Connors’s songs that night were
chosen by Stompin’ Tom himself.
He prepared his public service for
almost two weeks before his death.
Some of the artists lucky enough
to be chosen were JP Cornier and
Dave Gunning, who played Gumboot & Little Wawa; Dave Bidini,
who played Bridge Came Tumblin’
Down; and Mark Laforme, who
had the last performance with I Am
the Wind, said to have been Connors’s favourite song.
When the ceremony ended a few
hazy hours later, the people left
not with a sense of mourning, but
serious pride, happy to have been a
part of Canadian history, happy to
have the music and happy to have
the memory. He was the “spud”
hero-man of many.
“I came to know his roots [and]
all the people he’s influenced,”
said James Ferth, Morning News
Anchor at 100.9 myFM Brighton,
after the show. “It’s been an absolutely fantastic memorial and
celebration of Stompin’ Tom.”
Some things you
should know:
• Stompin’Tomwasborn
inSaintJohn,N.B.,Feb.9,
1936.
• Helivedwithhismother
inalow-securitywomen’s
jailbeforebeingseizedby
Children’sAidSociety.He
wasadoptedbytheAylward
familyandmovedtoSkinner’sPondatnineyearsold.
• HepickedtobaccoinTillsonburgforlessmoneyaday
thenyou’dtipabarista.
• HemethiswifeLenainabar
inCharlottetown.Tomwas
playingandshewasserving
drinks.
• He’stheonlypersonwho’s
beenallowedtowearhis
hatintheQueen’spresence.
Itwasdesignatedreligious
headdress.