October 25, 2002

Niagara News
October 25, 2002
Volume 33, Issue 3
Getting lockers
like pulling teeth
By BRENDAN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
If there’s one thing you don’t
want to do, it’s upset someone
who has the ability to stick sharp
objects in your mouth.
This is the case with the dental
students here at the Welland campus who have had difficulties getting back into the flow of things
after their full-sized lockers were
taken out this summer, and
replaced with lockers half the size
and not as deep.
Kristen Ditta, 21, of Brampton,
and Courtney McInerney, 21, of
Niagara-on-the-Lake, are two students in the Dental Hygienist program who are unhappy with the
change. “Considering the amount
of tuition we pay, and with how
expensive our instruments are and
how much time and hours we
spend in the building ... it’s just
not enough space ... it doesn’t
accommodate our needs,” Ditta
says, referring to the lockers being
taken out.
When asked why the lockers
were removed, Director of
Facilities Management Services
Mal Woodhouse says, “(There are)
two reasons. First off, they were
originals, 30 years old. A lot were
broken, bent or damaged where
you couldn’t get replacement parts
for them. They basically had a
lifecycle that they’d lived. Second
is that they took up a lot of hall
space. So for more people being
on the third floor with the science
lab going up there, we needed to
open up and make (the floor) look
more inviting, welcoming. So we
made the decision to go to the half
lockers and double the numbers.”
While some of the students on
the floor heard about this reasoning, after the change took place,
they still feel they got a “raw
deal.” With the amount of equipment and number of uniforms they
are required to have, they say the
half lockers aren’t enough.
“We have to maintain a profes-
sional appearance,” Ditta says,
“especially when dealing with the
public. And we have to iron (our
uniforms) here, not at home,
because everything is stuffed in
our lockers.”
The size of the half lockers isn’t
the only problem, as most of the
students now have two or three
lockers scattered throughout the
floor. “(We’re) trying to remember
combinations for everything and
whatnot, having different lockers,” says McInerney. “It was just
so much easier to have one locker.
Everything fit in fine, nothing was
wrinkled, you could hang everything up no problem, and now it’s
just a pain.”
That’s the same reaction across
the dental floor that started when
the students came back to school
this semester.
“They did it without consulting
us, without consulting the faculty.
It’s going to affect our student satisfaction surveys heavily,” says
Ditta. McInerney agrees stating,
“Last year it wasn’t a thought that
crossed our minds and now it’s
just an everyday hassle.”
When asked if the college was
going to stick with the half lockers, Woodhouse says, “What I
think people need to understand is
that when you end up getting special-sized lockers they become
very, very expensive and then they
only have one purpose. So there’s
no flexibility in them for other
purposes, other uses.”
It seems as though for the time
being, adjustments will have to be
made to get used to the change,
though in the winter new obstacles
will arise.
“We have to wear clinic shoes,
so that means we’re going to have
winter boots and clinic shoes in
there getting all dirty and muddy,
mixed in on top of our sterile
instruments in there,” Ditta says.
McInerney says there will be
problems as well. “The top lockers
Continued on page 2
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere
Branden Kinaschuk, 5, of Welland, gives a pumpkin a hug at the Howell
Family Pumpkin Farm on Holland Road in Thorold.
Photo by Lindsey Leamen
Community mourns
By AMY CONTOIS
Staff Writer
The rain fell lightly Tuesday
morning on teddy bears, letters
and pictures that cover the base of
the tree where three students died
on Oct. 18.
In what has been described as
Welland’s worst motor vehicle
accident in recent history, four
young lives were taken as a red
Monte Carlo, driven by Robert
Totten, of Welland, lost control,
crashing into the students as they
exited Kay’s Korner Variety on
Thorold Road.
Three of the students, Jonathon
Kaufman, 17, Jordon Haag, 16,
and Kristy Scott, 16, were pronounced dead at the scene along
with Totten.
Starla Larozen, 16, is in serious
but stable condition at McMaster
Medical Centre in Hamilton.
The accident has hit home for
many Welland residents and
Niagara College is not excluded.
Al Scott, professor of several
programs in the Apprenticeship
Continued on page 2
Index
Editorials
Page 8
Columns
Page 9
Car Show
Page 12
Fall Fun
Page 13
Entertainment Page 18
Sports Pages 20 & 21
www.niagara-news.com
Our paper is FREE
Page 2, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Death of local students shocks town
Continued from page 1
and Skills Training Division, at
the Welland campus is the father
of Kristy Scott, one of the students killed at the scene.
Scott joined the college in 1995
as a part-time instructor and has
been teaching full-time since
December 2000.
Darrell Neufeld, manager of
corporate communications for
Niagara College, says his heart
goes out to Scott and his family.
“This is a devastating accident.
Everyone’s (students and staff)
heart goes out to the families.
“Our hearts go out to Al. There
are a lot of people in this college
who are praying for Al and his
family. We hope that they will
find some peace and comfort
through all of this.”
Dave Spear, manager in the
Apprenticeship
and
Skills
Training division, worked with
Scott and says it is difficult to
express the sympathy he and the
staff in his division feel for their
co-worker.
“We’re doing everything to
help him in his time of need. It’s
just devastating.”
Michelle Sherry, of Welland, is
organizing a candlelight vigil for
those who wish to remember the
students. The vigil is scheduled to
take place today at Chippawa
Park on First Avenue in Welland.
She is asking people to bring their
own candles as she expects there will
Amanda McAusland, 17, of Centennial High School, and Andrew Willick, 17, of Notre Dame High School, mourn at the site of a
tragic accident involving three Welland students.
Photo by Adam Campbell
not be enough to go around.
asking that donations be made in Sisters of South Niagara as well Centennial Secondary School.
In lieu of flowers or expres- their names.
as the Girl Guides of Canada.
For Kaufman, donations can be
sions of sympathy the family of
For Scott, donations can be
For Hagg, donations can be made made to the Jonathon Kaufman
Scott, Hagg and Kaufman are made to the Big Brothers and Big to the Wesley United Church or Memorial Sports Fund.
Dental floor locker shortage aggravated by winter’s arrival
Continued from page 1
dripping onto the bottom lockers. I guess we’ll have to cross
(that path) when it comes.”
While unhappy with how
things are, McInerney says,
“They’ve accommodated it to the
best of their abilities from what
they told us.” But, when asked if
that’s solved the problem she
replied, “It’s helped, but it hasn’t
been solved. Having it solved
would be having the lockers we
had last year.”
Asked if there was something
the students could do if they
remained unhappy with the situation, Woodhouse says that,
“What we’ve done is we’ve
added more lockers up there
since the original complaints
started. We feel we’ve been able
to accommodate everybody as
best we can. If we need to add
more lockers up there, we’ll add
more of the same lockers.”
Marketing
Dental Hygienist program student Melissa Derasp, 21, of
Sudbury, kneels next to her Simcoe building third floor locker with
her equipment, uniform and books crammed inside. She has to
keep her school bag with her since there isn’t enough room for it.
A number of students have said they are unhappy with the halfsized lockers. A major concern is what will happen in the winter
with muddy, snowy boots.
Photo by Brendan Campbell
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 3
Wide distribution through online handbook
Parents,
students can
find out what’s
going on
By STEPHANIE GENOVA
Staff Writer
Niagara College has given staff
and students online access to the
Student Handbook.
You can access the Student
Handbook by going to www.niagarac.on.ca and clicking on
Student Services. You then click
on Student Handbook on the left
hand side.
Students can access and save the
handbook through the new college
portal. The site is http://my.niagarac.on.ca and students use their
log in. After logging in, click the
“Edit” button on the “Student Tips
and Tools” list’s header. Check the
box next to “Student Handbook”
and click “Save.” When you are
done, click “Back to My Page”
and the handbook will be part of
your portal.
Brigitte Chiki, director of student services, said, “To staff, it
(the handbook) is our Bible.”
Through the benefits of technology, the college has an easier way
to update the handbook.
The first 40 pages are online but
this version doesn’t include the
day planner or advertisements.
The college’s administration
talked about ways of distributing
the handbook, said Chiki. “We
wanted to make it as widely available as possible.”
By using surveys and recognizing student habits, the college
found that anything electronic
would work.
“Students can look at the handbook anywhere, day and night,”
said Chiki. Parents can also access
the handbook and find out what
goes on at the college.
Although it is expected that students read the handbook when
they get it, that doesn’t always
happen.
Students should look through
their handbook because there is a
lot of interesting and important
information in it.
By reading the College Services
section, you get to know what is
available to you. You can see the
varsity sports schedule in the
‘Students can look
at the handbook
anywhere, day
and night.’
— Brigitte Chiki
Athletics section, and you can also
get to see the social side of the college.
Students should also read the
Students Rights and Responsibilities
section to know the basic rules of the
college, said Chiki.
The Student Administrative
Council (SAC) produces the
Student Handbooks. The production and design was handed over
to SAC two years ago. SAC
changed some features and the
format, making it bigger.
“Students should read the advertisements and coupons,” said
Chiki.
Those students who don’t have
a hard copy of the Student
Handbook yet can pick one up in
the SAC office at their campus.
Students who have any suggestions for the handbook should let
SAC know.
“It’s your handbook. Use it,”
said Chiki. “We’d be missing a
very important resource in the college community if we didn’t have
the handbook available.”
Simcoe makeover includes $700,000 air system
Woodhouse
proud renovation
project free
of injuries
By AMANDA KLASSEN
Staff Writer
It was more than moving packing crates, as the Simcoe building’s second floor was totally
redesigned and a $700,000 new air
handling mechanical system was
installed this past summer.
Twelve new air handling units
were installed, six on either side
of the building.
Mal Woodhouse, the college’s
director of Facilities Management Services, says the 12 new
units replace two outdated ones
that were not capable of distributing the air evenly around the
building. The 35-year-old system was gutted and a new one
was brought in.
Woodhouse says that from a
technical viewpoint the new air
handlers were the most complicated part of the project.
He says there was some
debugging of the air system that
had to be done, but that was
standard.
From a physical viewpoint,
the demolition was also difficult. It was considered potentially labour hazardous.
“I am proud to say we did not
sustain any injuries,” says
Woodhouse, adding his proudest
achievement was having the pro-
SAC appoints three new student
representatives for 2002-2003 term
New student
reps describe
themselves
as enthusiastic,
hard-working
By KATHRYN HANLEY
Staff Writer
The votes are in.
Niagara
College
Student
Administrative Council (SAC)
has chosen its three student representatives for 2002-2003.
The student representatives are
responsible for being in the SAC
office five hours per week, including some general office duty.
These are unpaid positions.
Six students nominated themselves for the positions at a SAC
meeting on Sept. 20. The students
told the meeting’s attendees the
program they are in, a bit about
themselves, and the reason they
wanted to be on SAC. Behind
closed doors, a secret ballot vote
decided who would be victorious.
These are the students who will
help form SAC this year.
Melanie Kidon, a Public
Relations (Post-graduate) student,
won without being present. Kidon
submitted her nomination in writing to SAC before the meeting,
because she was unable to attend.
Kidon says that she will “bring
spirit, energy, and enthusiasm” to
SAC and Niagara College.
Donna Duric, 23, a second-year
Journalism-Print student, said, “I
really felt like I wanted to get
involved more. I’m enthusiastic,
dedicated and hard-working.”
Mark Hardwick, 28, a secondyear
Computer
Programmer/Analyst (Co-op) student, said, “I’d like to be able to
help out other students ... access
the admin ... anyone who has
problems.” He says he likes to
have fun. Hardwick was victorious in the vote, but later stepped
down from the position so that he
could run for the paid SAC position director of media and communications. Hardwick’s position
was then awarded to Laura
Wilson.
Wilson, 18, is a first-year
General Arts and Science student.
Wilson was next in line for the
position by votes at the SAC
meeting.
All three positions last the entire
school year.
Corrections, corrections, corrections
A number of errors were published in the Oct. 11 edition
(Volume 33, Issue 2) of the
Niagara News in the article
about equipment donated to the
School of Electrical/Electronic
Technology Studies at the college’s Welland campus.
JDS Uniphase, Celestica and
Dalsa donated equipment valued
at about $2 million to the program. Celestica, a world leader
in the manufacturing of innova-
tive electronics from its Toronto
branch, donated a Surface
Mount Technology Line – also
known as a Pick and Place
Machine – to the college. A second Pick and Place Machine was
donated by Dalsa, which will be
connected to the one from
Celestica.
In another story on Page 2, the
correct Web site for the
Broadcasting
Radio,
—
Television and Film program is
w w w. b r o a d c a s t i n g . n i a garac.on.ca.
In a report on Page 10, Enrico
Schirru’s age should have been
28 and his profession should
have been identified as an air
traffic controller in the Italian
Air Force.
The Niagara News apologizes
for any confusion caused by these
errors in the original stories.
It is the policy of the Niagara
News to correct errors of fact.
ject completed without any
injuries to personnel.
There was a lot of work that
went into ensuring the 10 students
who worked within the college
this summer could work safely.
The staff and the students are
pleased with the results of the renovating, says Woodhouse.
“Normally the rule of thumb in
this job is we go by the number of
complaints. That is the best communicator. If people have problems with things, they are calling
about it, and we have had very few
complaints.”
All the administrative offices
from Hennepin Hall have been
moved to the Simcoe building.
The old science lab that was part
of Hennepin has been moved to
the third floor of the Simcoe building, and the science classes and
dental hygienists classes now
share the newly renovated lab.
Hennepin Hall is slated for demolition by Nov. 30. Construction of the
new Welland YMCA will begin soon
after that and should be completed in
a year and a half.
Don’t Forget!
2 a.m.
Sunday,
Oct. 27,
2002 is
daylight
savings
time.
Be sure
to turn
your clock
back one
hour.
NIAGARA NEWS SPECIAL
The November 8th edition of the Niagara News will be dedicating a page
to commemorate Remembrance Day
Small messages (4” wide x 2.5” deep) are available for
$20.00 each
For more information please call Linda Camus,
Niagara News Advertising Manager 905 735-2211 ext. 7748
Page 4, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Degrees will strengthen our reputation
By DONNA DURIC
Staff Writer
Niagara College has received
an “A-minus” on two of its proposed applied degree programs,
says Marti Jurmain, director of
new product development at
Niagara College.
At its meeting on Oct. 10,
members of Niagara College’s
Board of Governors updated the
status of the two programs, to be
approved this month by Diane
Cunningham, Ontario’s minister
of colleges, training and universities.
The applied degrees will be
jointly implemented with two
other Ontario colleges. The bachelor of applied business in
Hospitality
Operations
Management will share resources
and facilities with George Brown
College in Toronto, and the bachelor of applied technology in
Photonics will do the same with
Algonquin College in Nepean,
Ont.
The ministry introduced the
possibility of colleges offering
applied degree programs in the
summer of 2000.
Jurmain has been working on
the proposal for the last 18
months.
“These are high-quality, highneed programs,” she says. “These
are areas where there’s a gap in
the labour market. They’re both
pretty solid.”
Independent quality assessment panels review the proposals
and ensure they meet eight quality assessment standards. The
panels report the findings to the
Post-secondary
Education
Quality Assessment Board, an
arm of the ministry, whereby the
‘It (the project) …
will strengthen our
reputation in higher
education.’
— Dan Patterson
minister can approve the program.
One of the standards states that
graduates of the programs must
understand the principles of their
area of study at a degree level.
Program content must allocate
70 per cent of course time to the
area of study, with the remaining
30 per cent dedicated to electives
and other courses, and the delivery of content must meet the
learning outcomes of the courses.
The college must include policies
that allow student feedback on
the program.
The college must demonstrate
the ability to deliver the program,
Members of Niagara College’s Board of Governors update the progress of the college’s proposed
applied degree programs in the boardroom above the Human Resources office at the Welland
campus.
Photo by Donna Duric
as well as prove that there is an dards as follows: F - fails to meet eight semesters (four years) with
economic need for the program.
the quality assessment board’s two work terms in the hospitality
Duplication of the program in standards; M - meets the bench- applied degree program and three
another college or university is mark and is of good quality; C - work terms in the photonics
not permitted, and the college clearly exceeds the benchmark applied degree program.
must prove that the graduates’ and is of excellent quality; and S
Dan Patterson, president of
credentials will be acknowledged - surpasses the benchmark and is Niagara College, says he enjoyed
in the industry. Student evalua- of rare quality. Niagara College working on this “pilot” project.
tion processes must follow the received a C, which Jurmain says
“It’s been an excellent exercise
guidelines already in use by other “is like an A-minus.”
in working with the faculty.
Ontario universities.
“Both review teams were quite
“It (the project) represents a
A background report given to serious,” she says. “We did a wonderful opportunity which
the board of governors states the good job.”
will strengthen our reputation in
rating scale on these eight stanBoth programs will consist of higher education.”
Native blessing ceremony keeps culture alive
By E. J. GOODER
Staff Writer
The wolf, hawk and the majestic
blue heron represent the different
clans of the First Nations people.
Ronosho; Ni, the Man of the
Longhouse, was dedicated with a
flourish Friday afternoon Oct. 11 at
Niagara Square in Niagara Falls.
Elder and native artist Doug
Maracle performed an aboriginal
blessing by spreading sacred 15thcentury tobacco, specially grown
from the site of the Neutral tribe in
Tillsonburg, Ont.
Maracle murmured a prayer of
blessing as he gently scattered
sacred tobacco on and around the
sculpture, a demonstration of
respect to the ancestors.
Guy Davis, 32, a Mohawk, of
Niagara-on-the-Lake, formerly of
the Six Nations Reserve in
Brantford, is the aboriginal artist
who sculpted Ronosho; Ni.
The piece took him five months
Artist Guy Davis with his creation, Ronosho; Ni.
Photo by Edna Gooder
to complete.
The sculpture, marbled with pale
pink and blue lines, is made from
“one solid piece of Portuguese
white marble.”
On the head of the sculpture, he
says, is an Iroquois feather hat and
around its neck a traditional choker. The fur, Davis says, represents
living with nature by using the animal for food and shelter. On the
back of the sculpture is inscribed
“The great tree of peace.”
The bear claw necklace represents wisdom and would be worn
by a chief.
Davis says he started carving as
a child and would “draw and sculpt
for hours” while his friends played
outside.
At the age of 10 or 11, Davis
says, he started seriously training
in his art form.
In 1999, he says, he met Steve
Powless, a craftsman, who taught
him not only the stories behind the
pieces, but also the finer details of
carving.
Through his research, Davis
says, he has learned a great deal
about the beliefs of the Longhouse
religion and this has helped him to
“understand his culture.”
“It really drew me in.”
He says he sculpts only native
pieces “to keep the culture alive”
and to build awareness of the
native involvement in the development of Canada and the U.S., “so
that it isn’t lost.”
Davis says he was pleased with
the turnout for the dedication
because it encourages him to work
harder at his craft and keep learning more about his culture.
The finishing of the sculpture, he
says, should take about two weeks.
He will use sandstone plus a diamond tip to buff and polish the
Elder Doug Maracle performs a blessing ceremony on a sculpture
of Ronosho; Ni by offering it ancient 15th century tobacco specially grown for blessing ceremonies.
Photo by Edna Gooder
stone to “a glass finish,” which will Queenston Heights.”
look “like a countertop” when
The Three Sisters Trading Post,
done.
in Niagara Falls, N.Y., as well as
Davis says the sculpture will be the Native Park in Jordan, Ont.,
erected somewhere on the Niagara have purchased other pieces of his
Parks Commission’s grounds in sculpture.
Chippawa.
Davis’s store, Native Stone, is at
He has a goal to carve a monu- 7 Wyckliffe Ave., in Niagara-onment, he says, bigger than Brock’s the-Lake. For more information,
Monument.
call (905) 468-9547, or 988-1430,
It would be displayed, Davis or visit his Web site at
says,
“somewhere
along www.nativestone.com.
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 5
Second meeting slated to hear public’s
concerns on multi-million-dollar project
resulting in “positive benefits to the total community.”
By E. J. GOODER
Davies said the community should know why the museStaff Writer
Public comments on a multi-million dollar tourism devel- um board suggested Adventures in Archaeology four
opment, Adventures in Archaeology and Civilization, will years ago.
“The museum collects artifacts that tell the history of our
be heard Nov. 4 in Fort Erie after time ran out in the first
town. Each artifact tells a story and we share these stories
information session recently.
Fort Erie Council members voiced some concerns before with the community. Teaching our history creates an identithe 2 1/2-hour special Council-in-committee meeting ty and a sense of pride. We give these artifacts a voice.”
She says more than four years ago the province “chose
ended on Oct. 10 at the Leisureplex banquet hall. The proposed Queen Street location and expected traffic increase, us (the Fort Erie Museum) to care for the Peace Bridge
financial obligation and the existence of high-tension collection.”
Davies says the artifacts have “over 9,000 stories to tell,
power lines over the proposed site were cited.
but we don’t have the financial
Adventures in Archaeology and
resources to tell it in the manner
Civilization is proposed as a
which it deserves,” nor does the
showcase interactive museum for
museum have the cultural resources
the more than one million artifacts
discovered along the shoreline of Visitors could tour excavation to tell the First People’s story.
The co-operation of Fort Erie’s
Lake Erie and the Niagara River in
sites and participate in active citizens
is needed by pledging supFort Erie. Visitors could tour excaport as well as getting the provinvation sites and participate in
archeological digs.
cial and federal governments to
active archeological digs in addihelp with honouring this “world
tion to touring guided exhibits
class site. Fort Erie can achieve
telling the story of early native setgreat things through co-operation
tlements.
Experts in science, planning, architecture, economic and partnership.”
Architect Woodworth, a Mohawk of the Six Nations of
development, museum collections and Native culture outlined the proposed project’s benefits to the community and the Grand River Reserve, is one of only two people in This 500-year-old Bird Stone was recently found at
world. An application has been made by Fort Erie Council Canada with a PhD in Traditional Knowledge of natives. He the Peace Bridge excavation site.
to have the development, when it is finalized, declared an says the site should become the “most sacred of burial
Photo by E. J. Gooder
grounds ... I feel humbled by walking here in the place of
UNESCO cultural world site.
The
Queen
Street
site
overlooking
the Peace Bridge and
Mayor Wayne Redekop said he wanted to make it clear the flint.”
Mather
Arch
was
chosen,
vanNostrand
says, because the
Touring archeological areas in town, he said he went to a
that Council had not made a final decision on “proceeding
flint
lines
are
below
the
ridge.
The
museum
would sit at the
with the project, or how the project will finally be managed, longhouse site. The first thing he did was to offer tobacco to
ridge’s
crest
in
the
most
historic
area.
if we proceed.” He added that a SuperBuild application had honour the ancestors. A 15th-century specially grown tobacThere would not be “a profound increase” in vehicle trafco from the Neutral site in Tillsonburg is used in cerebeen signed.
fic,
he said, because of the “major access to the Queen
Redekop said it has been during the past four years that monies. This, Woodworth says, is a spiritual site, “the home
Elizabeth
Way,” and the building would be set back from the
of our ancestors.”
road
as
part
of the bridge’s “plaza itself and not the houses.”
“I hope the few who are ready to do the work come
McCormack,
of Strategic Projections, says businesses in
through their anger, fear and reach a peaceful place where
the
community
would benefit. The increase in tourism
we can co-operate and work together.”
would
employ
more
people and those people would bring
He says the centre should represent the continuity of the
their
families,
but,
most
important, the “money would stay
native presence from antiquity to the present day. The native
in
the
community
and
tourism
attracts tourism.”
people, he says, will assume their roles as “compassionate
McCormack
says
Adventures
in Archaeology and
hosts and blend the native ways into contemporary culture.”
Civilization
would
be
financially
viable
on its own, generWilliamson, with Archaeological Services, of Toronto,
ating
“185,000
tourists
a
year,”and
1,000
new jobs in the
has been working in Fort Erie for the last 10 years. He says
community.
“Spinoff
impacts
are
conceivable
over the long
the town has pledged $6 million while the federal and
haul,
and
tourism
would
increase
to
500,000
visitors”
by the
provincial government has each pledged $2 million to the
year
2009.
The
economy
generated
by
the
year
2011
would
project.
Below the earth’s surface, he says, are “4,000 artifacts per be “$1.2 billion.”
O’Dell, of O’Dell Management, says the increase in revsquare metre” dating to around 4,000 years ago.
enue
and private sector partnerships and sponsorships
In 2001, Williamson says, a stone in the shape of a bird
would
help “reduce the public burden.”
was uncovered. This stone dated to 500 BC and is called
The
potential payback to the town, McCormack says,
the “bird stone” because it has what appear to be an eye
could
be
“$900,000 annually.” With the other attractions in
and a tail. He explained the bird stone may have been used
the
area
and
potential new businesses, the revenue could
as a weight on an arrow because it has small holes on the
reach
“$3
million.”
bottom.
Rino Mostacci, director of community planning and
“What we are doing here tonight is to provide a vision so
development
services for the town, said the community is
everybody understands the result of this amazing partnerevolving
and
a
“certain spirit” is returning.
ship on the part of the Fort Erie Friendship Centre and the
The
new
Official
Plan for the town, he said, will include
town of Fort Erie.”
a
“cultural
heritage
component.”
Another goal is to identify
The archeological site, about 90
this
area
as a UNESCO site.
acres, Williamson says, is one of the
UNESCO
is
the United Nations
“richest in northeastern North
Various
techniques,
such
Education,
Scientific
and Cultural
After the meeting, Dave Labbe presents a flint arrow- American.” His concern was how to
Organization.
This
area,
he says, with
head to Mayor Wayne Redekop. Tim Haggerty, coun- get the average person who’s not aboas holograms and
its
historical
culture,
would meet
cillor, moves a microphone so the audience can hear riginal to get excited about this rich
UNESCO
cultural
world
site criteria.
lighting, would be used in
untapped history.
Labbe’s address.
Dave
Labbe,
Innu,
Nitassin,
of the
Williamson says if this is one of the
Photo by E. J. Gooder
the
viewing
display.
Fort
Erie
Friendship
Centre,
gave
richest sites in North America “don’t
closing
remarks
to
end
the
presentathe concept and display of the past as well as the native peo- we have a responsibility to tell this
tion. Nitassin is the Innu word for
ple’s community has been developed. The project’s concept story?” Getting the public interested
Quebec
and
Labrador.
will blend not only the “aboriginal heritage, but also the in the cultural history of this land, he says, will get them to
“What we do today affects seven generations ahead and
go down the road to other cultural facilities in southern
archeology” that unearthed it.
seven
generations back of the native people in this area. See
Board members for the Fort Erie Friendship Centre and Ontario. “Archeologists and native people need to work
us
as
we
really are,” Labbe said. “We are a viable people.”
the Fort Erie Museum attended, as did Wayne Hill, execu- together.”
“Our
economy
has not been destroyed, just interrupted.”
While various speakers addressed the capacity crowd,
tive director of the Friendship Centre, Jane Davies, museum
Labbe
said
“We
must
help people to understand each other
curator; architect Dr. William Woodworth, a Six Nations Dan Long, a flint craftsman from Chippawa, honed an
and
be
allowed
to
co-exist
together.”
Mohawk; archeologist Dr. Ron Williamson; planner Bob arrowhead with stone tools like those used by early native
Despite
the
lack
of
a
public
comment forum, Jean Porter,
O’Dell; economic analyst Tom McCormack; and architect inhabitants. It was later presented to Redekop.
of
Fort
Erie,
said
the
proposal
sounded “great,” but wonOutlining the architectural aspects of the project was
John vanNostrand.
dered
if
the
twinning
of
the
Peace
Bridge will “take up the
Williamson said project budget estimates are “somewhere vanNostrand, of Architects Alliance. Telling the early native
space
where
the
museum
will
be?”
settlements’ story would require guides for the exhibits and
between $12 and $14 million.”
Theresa McKell, of Fort Erie, said she was in favour, but
Hill, an Upper Mohawk of the Six Nations Reserve near facility, he said. There would be opportunities for visitors to
only
as long as the “logistics are done right.”
Brantford, says the community is taking the “first steps to tour excavation sites and participate in an archeological dig.
Debbie
Bomberry, of Fort Erie, said she “wants this to
the future as well as the distant past.” Adventures in living Various techniques, such as holograms and lighting, would
happen,”
although
she’d like to see a native theatre that
and stories of the past “will soon become a reality.” The be used in the viewing displays. It would take about four
would
showcase
native
artists, such as actors and singers.
information, Hill says, should be taken with an open mind years to complete the project, he concluded.
Page 6, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Niagara students finding success in film
By SHANNON BURROWS
Staff Writer
Two Niagara College graduates
are literally making waves in the
world of film.
Justin Simms, 29, and Anna
Petras, 27, graduates of the
Broadcasting
–
Radio,
Television and Film (BRTF) program at Niagara College, recently co-produced a film shown at
The Atlantic Film Festival in
Halifax, N.S., on Sept. 14.
The film, entitled Ashore, “tells
the story of the passing of a way of
life from a father to a son against
the backdrop of the collapse of the
northern cod stocks in the early
‘90s,” says Atlantic Film; Web site.
Simms, who is a filmmaker in
residence
at
Newfoundland
Independent Filmmakers Co-operative in Newfoundland, was the
writer, co-producer and director
for the film.
“The (cod) moratorium shook
the whole province,” said Simms.
“On top of creating massive job
losses in the rural parts of the
province, it was quite a shock to
the very core of Newfoundland
itself. The fishery built this
province and sustained it for generations.”
Fishing “is the life there
(Newfoundland) ... it had such a
huge effect when it ended,” said
Petras.
“Everyone felt it,” said Simms, “if
not financially, then emotionally.”
Simms worked with Andrew
Stevenson, professor of film and
screenwriting at Niagara on the
script for the film. Stevenson is
credited as film mentor. “He
encouraged me to do it ... he
played an integral role in the birth
of the project. It probably never
would have been written without
him,” said Simms.
Partners on and off the set,
Petras said she and Simms always
wanted to make films, “and that
wasn’t going to happen in
Toronto” where she and Simms
were working at the time. Petras
said, “Justin’s script was obviously clearly about Newfoundland
the first grant application for
financial support to make the film.
The next nine months were
spent sending out more applications and raising more money.
The biggest challenge was “getting enough money to make it (the
film)” and “trying to maintain our
vision for the film on a shoe-string
budget, all the while trying not to
lose your mind,” said Simms.
Casting took place during
August and September 2001.
The film was shot Oct. 16 to
Oct. 26, 2001, in St. John’s, Nfld.,
‘He encouraged me to do it ... he played an
integral role in the birth of the project. It
probably never would have been written
without him.’
– Justin Simms
and wasn’t going to get funded in
Ontario ... it is an amazing script.”
They moved to Newfoundland
in May 2002 when Simms got a
job offer in St. John’s as producer
of a television show.
Petras said Newfoundland is “an
easier climate to make films ... I
know it sounds ridiculous because
it’s, like, Newfoundland ... it really was to be bigger fish in a smaller sea, instead of ... millions ... of
people who want to make films.”
The making of the film was a
long process.
In October 2000, the couple first
looked at the script again and said,
“Let’s go for it,” and they sent out
and in Petty Harbour, a small fishing village about 15 minutes outside of St. John’s, which Petras
said was “an ideal place to shoot
because you’re within such close
driving distance (of the city).”
The film was sent to Toronto for
processing, which, Petras said,
took about a week.
The post-production process
took place from February to
September, which includes picture
editing, music and creating the
score, sound edit, sound mix,
online edit and colour correction.
Post-production was “a parttime process,” said Petras, because
she and Simms had full-time jobs.
They sent a rough-cut version of
the film to the Atlantic Film Festival
for the June 7 deadline, along with a
synopsis and still photos.
The couple received word in
August that their film would be
shown at the festival.
The 10-year anniversary of the
cod moratorium was in July, which
was a “wonderful coincidence for
us,” said Petras.
The Atlantic Film Festival was
“a rush,” said Simms. “Everyone
was excited about going to
Halifax, as it’s a big festival and it
just feels neat to go on the road
with your film ... our screening
went well.”
“A realistic, resolutely unsentimental and relentlessly engaging
work,” said the film summary at
www.atlanticfilm.com.
Petras’ position as co-producer/production manager made her
responsible for managing money,
the budget, scheduling, negotiating contracts, and keeping up with
funders, paperwork, and what was
happening on the shoot.
The film had a cast of eight and
a crew of 24, one of whom was
Petras’ father.
Elias Petras, BRTF professor at
the college, was the camera operator for the film.
“That was the ... first decision ...
that my dad was going to shoot the
film,” said Elias.
Petras, who taught his daughter
and Simms when they were students at the college, said working
on the film “was great. It was really neat for me to work with the
Newfoundlanders. Most of the
crew got sick, except myself, on
the ocean scenes.”
“He does an amazing job,” said
Anna. “The whole crew, everybody,
just like fell in love with him.”
Simms and Petras, who own
New Found Films, have made
three previous films together,
which they used as support material to get funding for Ashore.
Petras said working together can
be “really hard. You put everything at stake, but it’s really
rewarding in that there’s such a
tight bond. At the same time, you
have an amazing experience that
you shared together and created
together.”
In the future, Petras said she
plans to “carry through with
Ashore as far as it can possibly go”
because there’s been a “good
response.” She says she would like
to make her own short film over
the winter.
Simms said he is planning to
do a short film in December and
is trying to get funding to further
develop a screenplay. Simms
said he wants to get Ashore into
“as many film festivals as possible” and try to sell it to different
broadcasters around the world,
as the film has a Canadian
broadcasting licence from the
Canadian
Broadcasting
Corporation.
Ashore was shown at the closing gala for the 13th annual St.
John’s International Women’s
Film and Video Festival, from
Oct. 16 to Oct. 20.
CFBU radio still off air until issue resolved
By KATE DESROCHES
Staff Writer
It’s looking better for Brock Radio.
Since July Brock Radio has
been off the air and CFBU and the
Brock University Students’ Union
(BUSU) have been negotiating.
They have been back at the table
for three meetings. “We had a really productive third meeting,” says
Sebastian Oort, CFBU president of
the board of directors.
Oort says the most important
part of the negotiations is to keep a
relationship with BUSU after
everything is done. He also says
the most important thing is to get
the radio station back on the air.
“I hope we can resolve it soon
because members are getting
antsy. There is no reason it should not be
resolved before the end
of November.”
CFBU has had a lot of
positive feedback from
students and the community. Two businesses
have offered CFBU air
space and many students have e-mailed
Oort wanting to get
involved.
Oort says he thinks the reason
for the students’ support is that
the station was shut down in the
summer. “They should not have
shut it down without a referendum, and that is the bottom line.”
They have agreed to change some
bylaws and there have been some
structural changes as well. CFBU has
asked for power over the financial
books, the hold of the student levy, the
money students donate as part of their
tuition, and to get back on the air.
The president of BUSU Mark
Baseggio says they wish to have
nothing other than the role
of trustee for financials
from this point on. The outstanding
loan
is
$82,065.45. All financial
updates by CFBU must be
posted on the Web site
according to the “restructuring framework plan.”
The Brock University
Students’ Administrative
Council (BUSAC) presented this plan to CFBU.
BUSAC has also asked that they
prepare detailed monthly budgets
for the first six months they are
back on the air. BUSAC must
approve all budgets on a yearly
basis and the radio board of directors must include a BUSU execu-
tive and a BUSAC councillor.
Jeff Kerk, vice-president of student services for BUSU, was acting executive on the BUSU board
but resigned recently for personal
reasons. He says he didn’t like the
way the situation was being handled by CFBU adding he will be
back on the board “eventually.”
Baseggio agrees that negotiations have been going well. He says
he’s glad they have “come to common ground.” BUSU has returned
CFBU’s space to help them get
ready to go back on the air.
Baseggio says that the most support for CFBU has come from the
community and that five to 10
concerned students have sent him
e-mails about the issue.
Culinary Institute showcases accomplished chefs
By ASHLEIGH VINK
Staff Writer
Culinary creations and home
cooking have established a base
for Niagara chefs from Oct. 7
through March 18.
The Niagara Culinary Institute
has launched its annual chef showcase with a list of six outstanding
and accomplished chefs from the
Niagara region.
Mark Hand, food and beverage
manager at Niagara College’s Maid
of the Mist campus in Niagara Falls,
says the showcase is a “valuable
experience for our students. It (the
showcase) gives students the opportunity to work with chefs, gain
experience and find potential jobs.”
“It is a win-win situation. It is a
great way for chefs to find staff,”
as well as “an opportunity for stu-
dents to work with a chef who may
be a potential employer.”
Hand says students who have
volunteered for the showcase have
received job opportunities from
the event in the past.
The series is a way to promote
chefs and wineries within the
Niagara region.
The event, promising five
evenings of culinary excellence,
features Chef Antonio DeLuca, of
the Hillebrand Vineyard Café on
Nov. 11; Chef Virginia Marr, of the
Pillar and Post Inn on Dec. 2;
Chefs Kevin Hamer and Michael
Price, of LIV Restaurant at the
White Oaks Conference Resort
and Spa on Jan. 13; and Chef Alain
Levesque, of Terroir La Cachette,
on Feb. 10. A kickoff evening was
held Oct. 7.
Marr, Hamer and Price are graduates of the Niagara Culinary Institute.
Each event will cost about $65
and the price is all-inclusive.
The showcase will end as all of
the featured chefs come together
on March 18 to create the Gala dinner at the Maid of the Mist campus.
Hand says the showcase is a
“celebration of Niagara from start
to finish.”
Do you have a news tip or story idea you would like to see in the Niagara News?
Contact a reporter in the newsroom at Niagara College, Welland campus,
Room V10, or call (905) 735-2211 ext. 7749 or 7750 Fax (905) 736-6003
Niagara News, 0ct. 25, 2002, Page 7
ESL students enjoy Conservation Park hike
By LORI LANGLEY
Staff Writer
It is a beautiful time of year for a
hike, and that's just what staff and
students from the English as a
Second Language (ESL) program
at Niagara College set out to do.
The 11 students and two staff
members from the college went to
St. John's Conservation Park, in
Pelham, for a nature hike on Oct. 10.
The students were encouraged to
bring cameras to the scenic park,
and all took advantage of the
numerous photo opportunities.
The students looked at different types of trees, wildlife and
fish, many of which were foreign to them.
Larissa Strong and Glen
McQuestion were the two staff
members who organized the trip
and went with the students.
Strong is the student adviser in
the ESL department, and
McQuestion is a departmental
teacher.
The hike took just over an hour,
and with the quiet of the woods, it
was a good opportunity for the students to get to know one another.
The students that went on the
hike are from Japan, Taiwan,
China and Mexico.
All say they had a good time,
and all took a lot of photographs.
Felix Wu, 28, of Taiwan, Inga
Chuang, 26, of Taiwan, and
Ruolan Zheng, 23, of China, say
they had fun on the outing.
Chuang and Zheng say their
favourite part was seeing the
pumpkin field because pumpkins don't grow in Asia.
"The pumpkins are so big and
pretty," says Chuang.
Ran Honjo, 20, and Kaori
Kondo, 20, say they thought the
park was the best part because "it
was so pretty."
Honjo and Kondo are here from
Japan. Honjo says she would like
to stay in Canada to continue her
education by taking graphic
design. Kondo says she would like
to take tourism in Canada.
International students look for fish in the pond at St. John’s Conservation Park in Pelham.
Photo by Lori Langley
Niagara first to offer interpreter program in region
By SARA CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
With the Niagara region being
one of the largest multi-cultural
areas in Ontario, Niagara College
is the first to offer an interpreter
program in the area.
"The program is really taking
off," said Taralea McLean, development officer for the Continuing
Education department. "So many
people have registered already and
we are getting more each day."
Niagara College is offering this
college certification program in
foreign language interpretation, in
co-operation with the Ministry of
Citizenship. The courses are based
on sessions that have been offered
for many years to a select group of
trainees destined for employment
in provincial and municipal agencies. The materials, although they
were designed specifically for
work with police, hospitals,
women's shelters, and social service agencies, will be of assistance
to all individuals who wish to prepare themselves as bilingual interpreters, regardless of their mother
tongue or the setting in which they
are eventually employed.
"Human services agencies such
as the police, hospitals and social
service organizations face an enormous challenge when dealing with
non-English-speaking clients,"
said McLean. "They must find
sources of trained interpreters with
the background and orientation
necessary to deliver professional
language services."
The work of skilled bilinguals,
or "sworn interpreters," is one that
is well established in many parts of
the world. In Canada, work and
training opportunities for interpreters in non-official languages
has been limited. However, over
the last 15 years, a marked increase
in the number of immigrants to
Ontario has resulted in an escalating need for competent language
specialists.
"The courses will offer techniques
to improve listening skills, note-taking and short-term memory," said
McLean, adding the program will
not teach a foreign language.
"The students must know a second language – and it can be any
language – but this course does not
teach it," said McLean. "There is
more to interpreting than just
knowing a different language."
She added that there are five
courses in the program, including
English and Ethnics in Canada. The
weekend program started on Sept.
21 at the Glendale campus in
Niagara-on-the-Lake with more
than 30 students registered.
"For students who want to
become interpreters, they have to go
out of the area to be trained," said
McLean. "Niagara College is providing a Language Interpretation
program in an area that needs it."
McLean said there are more than
10,000 immigrants entering
Canada through Niagara every
year and the demand for interpreters is growing.
"People who go through Niagara
College will be able to learn the
interpreter skills they need," said
Rosanna Thoms, executive director
of Information Niagara, which
operates Interpreters Niagara, a
service funded in part by the
Ministry of Citizenship.
Prior to the program being
developed, she said, interpreters
were trained at Information
Niagara and that training took a
great deal of time.
"We decided to work with the college to try and attract those people
with the skills in English and another language," said Thoms. "Our
challenge, at Information Niagara,
has been trying to find people who
are fluent in two languages."
Thoms said the demand for
interpreters exceeds the supply;
most have other jobs or flexible
schedules.
"Being an interpreter is not a
full-time job. They are freelancers," said Thoms.
"Interpreters like to help others,
who may even be from their homeland," said Thoms. "Knowing a
second language is a skill you want
to keep using and that you don't
want to lose. Being an interpreter is
a skill on its own."
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All you can eat $2.99 (Buttermilk or Buckwheat)
2 for 1 Saturday Weekend Buffet
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Includes: bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit desserts
and made-to-order omlettes plus much more
2 for 1 Saturday Buffet
Purchase one buffet plus 2 beverages and receive
2nd buffet of equal or lesser value
FREE!
Offer available Saturdays 8am-2pm
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(Take Lake Street exit off QEW)
Who knows how far they’ll go.
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Page 8, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
EDITORIALS
The Niagara News is a practical lab for the Journalism-Print program, covering the college community and other areas of interest.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the management of the Niagara News or the administration of
Niagara College, Room V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3
Phone (905) 735-2211 / 641-2252 / 374-7454 / FAX (905) 736-6003
Editor: Kate DesRoches; Associate Editor: Shannon Burrows; Assistant Editor: Amanda Klassen;
Publisher: Leo Tiberi, director, Communications and Information Technology;
Editor-in-chief: Neil McGregor, manager, School of Media and Design;
Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt, co-ordinator, Journalism-Print program;
Associate Managing Editor: Gary Erb, professor, Journalism-Print program;
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie, professor, Journalism-Print program;
Advertising Manager: Linda Camus;
Technology Support: Kevin Romyn;
Photography Consultant: Andrew Klapatiuk, photography instructor;
Photography Editor: Lindsey Leamen;
Contact Sheets: Lindsey Leamen;
Scanning Crew: Carissa Pertschy; Kathryn Hanley; Meaghan Hutton.
www.niagara-news.com
October, breast cancer’s month of hope
October is dreary, chilly and full
of hope.
The leaves are turning red and orange
and the ribbons are turning pink.
Breast cancer awareness is the focus
of October’s darker days, adding a certain reflective touch to the month of
Halloween, college midterms and general malaise. It is a time to remember that
we are mothers, daughters, sisters,
nieces, aunts and grandmothers.
Cancer has certainly changed the
rules without asking us. It is happening to women at younger ages
without warning. It is no longer just
a matter of inheritance.
Pink ribbon donations and fundraising runs are
great ways to explore the possibilities and reflect on
the power of hope and the fight for a cure. People,
getting together for a cause that affects everyone is a
powerful display of hope, love and compassion.
All across our country, charities, companies and
organizations have popped up focusing a lot of their
public relations power on awareness.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation states that
20,500 women will be struck by breast cancer and that
the organization is going to do
something about this tragedy.
Foundation members have a few
ideas up their shirts. (I mean
sleeves.) such as the Celebrity
Bra Auction on eBay, with bras
“supported,” signed or designed
by celebrities such as singer
Celine Dion and the National
Basketball Association’s Toronto
Raptors. The CIBC Run for the
Cure happened in our own
backyard as well as across
Ontario and raised $13 million.
Knowing that one in nine
women will be affected by breast cancer, take an
inventory of your friends and family. Don’t forget
to include yourself. Do what it takes to prevent it,
fight it and cure it.
KATE DESROCHES
Healthy lifestyles minimize breast cancer risk
Breast cancer. It’s a phrase that strikes fear into the
hearts of women worldwide.
Each year, 182,000 women in the United States are
diagnosed with the disease, and 43,000 will die from
it or its complications.
One in nine women
already has, or will,
develop breast cancer in
her lifetime.
Women are not the
only ones at risk. Every
year, 400 men will die
from the disease of the
1,600 diagnosed.
These startling statistics validate the
increasing paranoia
among women concerned about their risk of con-
tracting the disease.
This is understandable, especially for women who are at higher
risk, such as those who are more
than 40 years old.
It is recommended
that women perform
monthly breast selfexams and have regular clinical breast
examinations.
Mammograms are
among the best methods, as early detection is your greatest
defense.
Many women, however, ignore these
recommendations because of inconvenience or fear of what might be found.
It is not necessary to live in
fear of the realities of this disease, but it is necessary to do
what you can to minimize your
risk. Studies have shown middle-aged women who smoke,
lead sedentary lifestyles and have
poor eating habits are at higher
risk of developing breast cancer
than women who are active,
practice good nutrition and
remain smoke-free.
I encourage everyone to make
a habit of healthy living and support research funding
causes such as the CIBC Run for the Cure. For more
information, visit
www.thebreastcancersite.com.
SHANNON BURROWS
Your voice or opinion is welcome in our Letters to the Editor section. Our policy regarding letter submissions is this: All letters must be received on the Friday one week
prior to publication. Each letter must include the writer’s name, college identification number and program of study.
All letters must be signed and include a day and evening telephone number for verification use only.
All letters can be mailed or brought to the Niagara News newsroom, Room V10, Voyageur Wing, Welland campus.
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occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. This applies whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise.
There shall be no liability for non-insertions of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement.
All advertisers are asked to check their advertisements after first insertion. We accept responsibility for only one incorrect insertion unless notified immediately after publication. Errors,
which do not lessen the value of the advertisement, are not eligible for corrections by a make-good advertisement. There shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond
the amount paid for such advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, revise, classify or reject any advertisement.
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Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 9
COLUMNS
It’s plain and simple: growing up sucks
By DANA BLACKLOCK
Staff Writer
Column
It is 9 a.m. I just rolled out of
bed thinking about how for 14
years I have never felt this feeling
that I’m feeling now. It’s my last
year of schooling. Where the hell
did time go?
In elementary school and even
high school I used to pray for the
day that I would graduate from
college and be done for good.
However, now it’s kind of scary
and overwhelming. I don’t think I
like it that much. OK, I hate it.
I’m not getting any younger.
I’m going to be 20 in December
and yet I still feel like such a kid.
When I was in my early teens I
used to wonder what I would
look like and be like when I
turned 20. I pictured myself as a
grown-up woman who had
calmed down, matured and had a
toned-down hair colour. Nope, I
was wrong. I still want to jump
around and play fight. I still get
urges to play Nintendo. I wear
ripped jeans and my hair is far
from calm, but I just don’t care.
I’m comfortable with how I am,
whether I feel 20 or not.
Don’t get me wrong. I am
ready to pursue a career in what
I’ve been dreaming of the past
few years — a writer for a music
magazine — but at heart I still
want to play.
It’s bizarre to think that, in
about 10 years, I may be married
and have children. Why can’t I be
five years old again just for one
day? Sometimes I miss playing
with my He-man and She-ra
action figures. I miss eating all of
the marshmallows from the box of
Lucky Charms. I miss Jem and the
Hollograms. I miss wearing jelly
shoes and snap bracelets. I miss
side ponytails. I miss that Sesame
Street was my idea of comedy. I
don’t miss New Kids on the
Block, though.
The best was having two full
months off for summer. I bet we
all forget what that is like. At this
age we are lucky if we get a full
week off.
Then there’s the fact that we
didn’t know what stress was. I
really miss that. If we were stressing out, it was over what kind of
ice cream mummy would bring
home from doing groceries.
It’s nice to sit here and reminisce about the good old times
where we could run around without a care in the world, but I
guess I just have to face it. Those
days are gone, and will never
happen again.
At least I am able to look back
and say that I had a good childhood and that I grew up in a pretty “radical” point in time. I guess
I can go through all the fun little
stuff again one day when I have
kids of my own, but until then it’s
all memories. Yeah, growing up
sucks, but it’s life. I’m going back
to bed now.
The up’s and down’s of having a twin sister
By MARIAN ORLEANS
Staff Writer
Column
Twins are sometimes very difficult to take care of especially
when they are young. As a twin, I
find it hard to get along with my
twin sister, Marion.
For example, she likes certain
types of music, dress and foods
that I may not like. She likes rock
music, wearing skirts and eating at
fast-food restaurants. On the other
hand, I like listening to rap and
sentimental music. I like wearing
jeans but not skirts. I don’t like
eating outside, especially at fastfood restaurants.
My sister and I are non-identical twins but we have outside sim-
ilarities and sometimes tend to act
similarly. She and I have the same
tone of voice and sometimes have
the ability of thinking about the
same thing. For example, I may be
thinking of going to a certain mall
to do shopping. A few seconds
later, she will tell me she wants to
go shopping at the same mall. At
other times, we’ll both be talking
to someone and we’ll say the same
thing at the same time. It’s amazing how she and I think like that.
We have similar appearances.
We also have the same height,
skin tone, body structure and
shoe size.
In terms of personality, people
sometimes find it difficult to get
along with me because I’m
sometimes very conservative and
like keeping things to myself.
My sister, on the other hand, is
very outgoing. She is good at
making friends the first time she
meets anyone.
She and I share a passion for
travelling. We’ve travelled together to different countries and states.
We enjoy seeing new places and
getting to know languages other
than English. We speak French
and many other native languages.
We’ve been to Britain, France, the
United States and some countries
in West Africa such as Ghana,
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Despite the similarities, my sister and I share, we constantly
argue, often over things we
shouldn’t. We do that because we
have different opinions. There are
things she might like that I don’t,
so, because of that, we always
argue about our differences.
In terms of hobbies, we have the
same interests. She and I like
playing and watching basketball,
dancing, shopping, singing and
travelling. We enjoy meeting new
people and experiencing new cultures. We try not to get on each
other’s nerves because we have
our own way of dealing with
issues, but, other than that, we
have a good relationship.
We advise each other sometimes and help each other when
we are in need. Whenever we are
in a decision-making process, we
discuss the issue thoroughly. We
mostly end up making the same
and right decision.
Now that we don’t live in the
same place, we miss each other
very much. I visit her most of
the time and we tend to have lots
of fun.
In conclusion, my twin sister
and I have characteristics that
amaze people. I used to think that
she was a burden to me, but now I
know it’s good having a sister
with the same characteristics.
Many people pray to God for
twins. Others have them without
even them wanting twins. Twins
are precious gifts from the
almighty God.
My mother, for instance, told
me that she always thought twins
were cute and a blessing for a person to have them. She said she
always wanted to have twins.
When her doctor told her she was
pregnant, she was excited and
couldn’t wait to give birth. She
said she is blessed because of us
and she thanked God for making
her dream come true. She said our
names were given to us by our
grandmother.
Laziness, littering cause an unattractive campus
By SHANNON BURROWS
Staff Writer
Column
How often do we hear people
accusing youth of being “disrespectful,” “irresponsible” or
“lazy?”
Upon hearing these accusations, it
is my natural instinct to defend the
members of my generation.
Lately, however, I find myself
tending to agree, especially the part
about being lazy.
All we have to do is take a look at
the condition of our college campus,
and it’s obvious.
Frankly, it’s disgusting.
Bottles, paper, cigarette packages
and candy wrappers litter the grounds
everywhere I look. The other day my
friend picked up several handfuls of
garbage when he saw it scattered
against a trash can. How ironic.
Not only is it is displeasing to
the eye, but potentially dangerous.
Too often, I sidestep broken glass
and jagged bottles, especially
around the pub.
I remember when I was in high
school, I would shake my head at the
smart-ass teenyboppers with attitudes bigger than their pants (or platform shoes, depending on their gender) who would toss their cigarette
butts on the ground to their left while
passing a garbage can on their right.
College students must be more
mature than that, I hoped.
Apparently not.
I’m no hippie tree-hugger, but I
don’t want to see my surroundings
deteriorate because of someone else’s
negligence, and I certainly don’t
want to fall into the stereotype of
being lazy or irresponsible.
Come on, folks. Walk those extra
two steps and put your Tim Hortons
coffee cup to rest where it belongs ...
in the trash. Afterwards you can pat
yourself on the back for taking such
initiative.
Do take a moment to note the convenience (and frequency) of sufficient recycling and garbage containers throughout the campus. Your contribution may seem insignificant, but
it really does make a difference.
Journalists, including those in the Journalism-Print program at Niagara College, are taught that their
reporting must be balanced, fair and as objective as possible. That rule must also exist for columns written
by reporters. In columns, the feelings and opinions of reporters are welcome, but balance, fairness and
objectivity must never be disregarded or treated lightly. Our columns, which are clearly identified as such,
do not reflect the opinions or feelings of the Niagara College administration or the management of the
Niagara News. Columns reflect the opinion of only one person: the writer.
Page 10, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Education key to success, ad exec says
types in a position such as strategic planner. This job demands
identifying every “trigger point of
the target audience, and it is
imperative to be on top of everything, to understand popular culture and know what’s hip,”
Gaffney says, adding, “the personality prerequisite is someone who
is fascinated by people.”
For those whose strengths lean
toward the imaginative end of
things there are opportunities within the creative department of the
firm. These positions involve writing copy or working as an artistic
director, and usually entail working in teams of two. This facet of
the business, Gaffney says,
requires people who are “passionate about ideas, visionary and
detail oriented, who understand the
client’s business and can communicate ideas in a creative way.”
The technophile will find a
niche in the newer and rapidly
growing interactive multimedia
departments, which not surprisingly require people who are “passionate about technology and
future oriented.”
From a broader, industry-wide
perspective, what employers
South Niagara United
Way drive on track
By MEAGHAN HUTTON
Staff Writer
The United Way umbrella is
touching more lives in the Niagara
region each year.
As more lives are touched, more
money is needed, though.
This year’s campaign goal is
$1.1 million.
United Way of South Niagara is
on the way to reaching its goal. As
of Oct. 15, the campaign has
reached $309,509, or
about 28.1 per cent of
its goal.
The United Way has
raised its money
through
various
events in Welland,
Pelham,
Port
Colborne and Wainfleet.
In September, the local Jail and
Bail fundraising event raised a
record of $14,000, says Sharon
Svob, United Way of South
Niagara campaign and marketing
director.
Campaigning is underway
throughout the community with
breakfasts, luncheons, barbecues,
draws and auctions.
“Giving to the United Way is
the most effective way to raise
money for programs in the community,” says Svob.
The United Way of South
Niagara serves 29 agencies in
Got Ads?
Welland, Pelham, Port Colborne
and Wainfleet.
The Niagara Credit UnionWelland branch’s Penny Sale is
underway. Anyone can stop by
before Oct. 31 to support the
United Way and win prizes.
Upcoming events include
Skate with the Spirit on Dec. 6
being held at Main Arena in
Welland. Radio station Spirit
91.7 and the City of Welland will
sponsor the event. A
donation to the United
Way will be the ticket
into the event. Along
with skating there will
be draws, a clown, face
painting and crafts for
youngsters.
At Niagara College, the United
Way campaign has reached
$17,754 of its $28,000 goal.
Organizers are planning the
Halloween Challenge, a collegewide contest for the best decorated
departmental office and/or best
costume. All offices are eligible
and everyone is encouraged to
participate.
The challenge will take place on
Tuesday, Oct. 31, between 10 a.m.
and noon. The winners will be
announced on Nov. 1, with prizes
to be given to the top three winners.
Admission to the contest is free,
but donations are welcome.
Advertise in the Niagara News
The Journalism-Print program
students will publish 12 editions
of the college newspaper.
For advertising, contact
Linda Camus, advertising manager:
905-735-2211 ext. 7748
[email protected]
require, added Gaffney, is “someone who is an idea person and a
team player with a make-it-happen
attitude.”
Submitted photo
By THOMAS CONNELL
Staff Writer
For anyone considering a career
in the rapidly expanding fields of
marketing and advertising,the
annual Mackenzie Heritage
Printery Colloquium was the place
to be on Oct. 19.
This
year’s
topic
was
“Influencing Our Lives: Early
Print Advertising.”
Held at the scenic Queenston
Heights Restaurant, the ninth
annual colloquium featured three
guest speakers including Adrianne
Gaffney, of the Toronto firm
MacLaren McCann, who focused
on employment opportunities in
what is one of today’s leading
growth industries.
Gaffney, who holds a degree in
communications from Brock
University in St. Catharines and
works as a senior account director,
spoke of the diversity of occupations within the industry, and how
it is largely a matter of matching
skills and, “perhaps more importantly, personality,” with the various positions available.
At one end of the spectrum there
is a demand for the more strategically minded, numbers oriented
ADRIANNE GAFFNEY
She cautions “it is not a particularly glamorous industry, although
from an outside perspective it may
seem that way, and it is definitely
not a nine-to-five job.”
In her presentation Gaffney
made it clear that regardless of
your personality type or whether
you are a team player or a visionary, you won’t even get your foot
in the door without the basics –
skills and education. She encourages anyone considering a career
to “get smart and get educated.”
Her description of the long, often
irregular hours, and the sometimes
round-the-clock demands of the
work did not seem to dampen the
enthusiasm or dissuade the
Niagara College Public Relations
(Post-graduate) program students
attending, nor the Brock University
and other community college students at the presentation.
Nancy Geddie, co-ordinator of
the program, said, “I think the students are savvy enough to know
that advertising and public relations can be very hard work. The
presentation was a very worthwhile and very enjoyable event in
an attractive setting.”
In an era defined by corporate
re-engineering and downsizing
resulting in shrinking opportunities for graduates in most fields,
the marketing industry is something of an anomaly. In an increasingly competitive globalized economy, companies are relying more
than ever on agencies such as
MacLaren McCann to stay abreast
of rapidly changing trends and
consumer habits, says Gaffney.
As a result, spending on advertising has expanded dramatically,
she says. The total annual outlay
for advertising worldwide is estimated at $1,202 trillion (US).
With
increased
spending,
employment in this sector has doubled in Canada since 1992, now
accounting for 250,000 jobs.
To further explore the opportunities in this industry Gaffney recommends checking out mybigfuture.ca and publications such as
Marketing Magazine and The
Cassandra Report.
Preceeding Gaffney’s presentation, were Russell Johnston, associate professor in Communications
Popular Culture and Film at Brock
University, and Lana Castleman,
associate editor of Graphic
Monthly, Canada’s trade magazine
for the printing industry.
Each presentation was followed
by a question period, and the
morning program concluded with
a free lunch and a tour of the nearby Mackenzie Heritage Printery.
The colloquium was sponsored
by the Mackenzie Printery
Committee in association with the
Niagara Parks Commision and the
Institute of Communications and
Advertising.
Making friends, memories
By MEAGHAN HUTTON
Staff Writer
The United Way is giving
young people a chance to make
everlasting friendships.
The Big Brothers of South
Niagara is one of 29 agencies
funded by the United Way of
South Niagara.
Big Brothers helps boys and
girls through positive role modeling, and it enhances the mind,
character and a sense of community in children through safe and
healthy relationships.
Little brothers are young boys,
generally between the ages of six
and 16, who could really use a
friend and an older male figure to
look up to.
Along with the Big Brother
program there is also a Big
Sister program. Little sisters are
young girls between the ages of
six and 16 who benefit from
having the support, guidance,
and positive influence of an
older female figure. Sometimes
a little sister may just be a girl in
need of a special friend.
Big Brothers of South Niagara
has a variety of programs for
youngsters.
In-School Mentoring, for
example, matches an adult volunteer with a child in a school environment. It builds a positive
friendship and strengthens a
child’s self-esteem and school
performance. Although this program is in the school, it is not necessarily academic based, says
Greg Whelan, Big Brothers of
South Niagara executive director.
“Our volunteers not only help
kids with academic issues, but
help them with their self-esteem.
They help them build their confidence about themselves.”
This program is a co-operative
effort between the District School
Board of Niagara and the Niagara
Catholic School Board.
“The United Way of South
Niagara funds $55,927 that is 40
per cent of what the Big Brother
organization needs. The Big
Brother organization raises the
rest of the money through various
charity events,” says Whelan.
Every year there is a Bowl for
Kids’ Sake at the Bowl-O-Rama
in Welland. The next one will be
held in March 2003. They also
held Tim Hortons Sportsfest ball
hockey tournament and a golf
tournament, says Whelan.
The organization is always
looking for volunteers. “Each
year many college students
become volunteers. Twenty-one
per cent of our volunteers are
Niagara College students.”
Anyone can volunteer to be a
Big Brother or Big Sister. Visit
Big Brothers of South Niagara at
the Seaway Mall or call 905735-0570.
We WANT your letters
Here is your chance to sound off.
T h e Niagara News wants your
thoughts and opinions on whatever delights or disgusts you.
Each letter must include: writer’s name, college identification
number and program of study. Letters can be mailed to the
Niagara News or dropped off at the newsroom V10.
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 11
This year’s Health Fair ‘a huge success’
By CARISSA PERTSCHY
Staff Writer
Niagara College’s Health Fair is
a useful learning tool for students.
The college Health Fair, offered
every year at a different campus,
is an opportunity to show off all
campuses to people in the community. This year the Health Fair
was held Oct. 8 at the Welland
campus, and Oct. 9 at the
Glendale campus, in Niagara-onthe-Lake.
“It’s an opportunity for our students to see what’s in our community. Not just now, but for future
endeavours,” says Carolyn Gould,
college nurse.
It’s a chance for students to see
agencies beyond the college and
to acquire information they will
be able to use, not just in the
immediate future, but also later if
a family member becomes ill, or if
a service is required. The Health
Fair introduces many different
services so students know where
to go for information and guidance when needed.
There were 19 participants at
this year’s Health Fair including
the following: Leave the Pack
Behind, Distress Centre Niagara,
Ontario March of Dimes, Multiple
Sclerosis Society, Sexual Assault
Treatment Centre Niagara, the
Regional
Public
Health
Department and Heart and Stroke
Foundation.
“Seeing students at tables, visiting booths, obtaining information
— that, to me is exciting,” says
Gould. “It’s good to see students
learning new information.”
Kelly Wilson, health promoter
with the Regional Public Health
Department, says this was the first
year she attended a Health Fair at
Niagara.
“From my point of view, the
Health Fair was a huge success.
The Fake Bake display I was
showing generated a lot of interest
from students as well as staff at
both the Welland and Glendale
campuses.”
Students want reliable and credible information. The Regional
Niagara
Public
Health
Department can offer that. “We
are dedicated to achieving a
healthier Niagara. Until now, I
think there has been a definite
lack of reliable and trusted information on tanning, and it’s good
to be able to get the facts out to the
public,” says Wilson.
At the end of the Health Fair,
Gould gathered materials from the
various participating groups so
that she can have up-to-date printed material for students, she says.
If you would like to obtain more
information about a topic at the
Health Fair, you can go into the
health centre and pick up pamphlets.
Niagara College is offering flu
St. John Ambulance representative Virginia Davies answers a Niagara College student’s question at
Health Fair Oct. 8.
Photo by Carissa Perschy
shot clinics for students and staff Tuesday, Oct. 29, between 9 a.m.
If you would like to receive a
at the Welland campus and the and noon. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, flu shot, you must make an
Maid of the Mist campus, in the Maid of the Mist campus is appointment by contacting the
Niagara Falls. The Welland cam- holding its flu shot clinic between health centre. The cost of the flu
pus is holding its flu shot clinic 9 a.m. and noon.
shot is $5.
Health Centre offers support, confidentiality
By ELYSE DEBRUYN
Staff Writer
Is there a chance you might be
pregnant? Are you in an abusive
relationship? Do you think you
have been raped?
The Health Centre at Niagara
College in Welland can help.
The Health Centre offers many
services to women. This year
birth control pills are covered
under the Student Health Care
Plan.
Carolyn Gould, the health
nurse at the Welland campus,
said women should be more
informed.
“It depends (on) what experience you have. It’s a need-toknow basis. We’re out there
offering things.”
Some services the Health
Centre offers are pregnancy tests,
counselling and support, and
information about abortions, rape
and abuse.
“If it’s regarding date rape,
here’s the place to come. We
would help you handle it. We
would give you the options and
support them, (like) a follow-up
for a sexually transmitted disease
test, pregnancy test, etc.”
Gould said the most important
thing she does is listen.
Everything said to a counsellor
is confidential unless the person
signs a release form.
“The one thing we do here is
listen. Listening is our business.”
If a woman suspects she is
pregnant, the Health Centre will
do a pregnancy test for $5.
“Depending on the outcome, I
might refer her to a counsellor.
We offer support for any decision
made. We would give her the
options,” said Gould.
Chris Philbrick is the health
nurse at the Glendale campus in
Niagara-on-the Lake, ext. 4449
and at the Maid of the Mist campus in Niagara Falls, ext. 3629.
Her
e-mail
address
is
[email protected].
Gould’s extension is 7635 and
her
e-mail
address
is
[email protected].
The Health Centre is open
weekdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., while the Glendale campus
is open Monday to Wednesday,
from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and
the Maid of the Mist Campus is
open Thursdays from 8:30 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m.
Students at Niagara College
were able to opt out of the
Student Health Plan if they are
covered under another plan.
Students had to fill out a form
and bring proof of alternate coverage to any campus Student
Administrative Council office
before Oct. 11.
Eating disorders not always problem with food
By ROBYNE SIMPSON
Staff Writer
When someone has an eating
disorder, it’s often assumed this
person has a problem with food.
This is not true in some cases.
It can be a deeper issue in a person’s life according to information
at
www.mirrormirror.org.com.
Someone with an eating disorder can use purging, eating or
restricting intake to deal with
his or her issues.
There are many other ways
someone can display an eating
disorder, such as excessive use of
exercise, diet pills or laxatives.
According to information at
w w w. r a d e r p r o g r a m s . c o m ,
anorexia nervosa is the disorder
where anorexics see distortions
of their body image.
They may feel the only control they have in their life is
over food and their weight.
Anorexics resist hunger and
have a fear of weight gain or
being fat.
Signs that may signal someone is suffering from anorexia
are withdrawl from friends and
activities, denial of hunger,
excessive comments about feeling overweight despite weight
loss and excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving
food. These are only some of
few signs of anorexia.
Researchers say 18 per cent
of patients with anorexia die of
the disorder, half by suicide,
the other half due to problems
with irregular heartbeat.
One per cent of women have
severe anorexia during their
lifetime.
Kadey
Oliver,
22,
of
Oakville, Ont., a first-year student in the Recreation and
Leisure Services program, says
her friend had cases of anorexia
and bulimia nervosa.
Oliver’s says her friend had
severe mood swings, and that she
“didn’t know what caused them.”
“You could eventually figure
it out by the way she acted and
ate, and she always went to the
bathroom after she ate,” says
Oliver.
Although unsure of how,
Oliver says her friend did
receive help after her mother
eventually found out.
According to information at
w w w. r a d e r p r o g r a m s . c o m
bulimia nervosa occurs when
the person eats compulsively
and then purges through selfinduced vomiting.
This cycle usually occurs in
secret.
Bulimics use laxatives, strict
diets, fasts, chew-spitting and
extreme exercise. Bulimics are
obsessed with body image just
as are anorexics.
Signs that someone is suffering from bulimia are discolouration or staining on their
teeth, calluses on the back of
their hands and knuckles from
self-induced vomiting, unusual
swelling of the cheeks or jaw
area, and frequent trips to the
bathroom after meals.
Researchers say bulimia
occurs in 20 per cent of women,
and that about four per cent will
have severe bulimia during their
lifetime.
Erin Kugan, 19, of Toronto, a
first-year student in the
Recreation and Leisure Services
program, says her sister was
anorexic and bulimic.
“She went from maybe 200
pounds to almost 90 pounds,”
says Kugan.
Kugan’s sister eventually told
her that she had this disease.
Kugan told her sister that if
she didn’t do something about it
she was going to tell her parents. Kugan’s sister’s boyfriend
watched her closely and kept
her eating.
Her sister didn’t get professional help for her disease but is
“doing OK now,” says Kugan,
adding everyone who knows
about the disease keeps an eye
on her.
Compulsive overeating is a
cycle of binge eating and
depression
according
to
www.raderprograms.com. It is
usually followed by feelings of
shame, disgust and guilt.
Compulsive overeaters usually
eat normally in front of others
but binge eat in secret.
Binge eaters are constantly
battling with their weight, and
researchers say the number on
the scale usually determines
how compulsive overeaters feel
about themselves.
Researchers say 25 per cent
of obese people suffer from
episodes of bulimia nervosa.
In all three eating disorders
the complications can be severe
and fatal.
Page 12, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Matt Elliott, 19, from Peterborough, a first-year student in the Motive Power Operations – Automotive
program, shows off his barbecuing skills.
Joe Serianni, 22, of Welland, a second-year student
in the Developmentally Handicapped Services
Worker – Continuing Education program, poses in
front of his silver Mustang.
Photo by Robyne Simpson
John Marchio, 18, of Welland, an employee at
Commisso’s Food Market, poses beside his truck
he entered in the car show.
‘Go BIG or go home,’ says eager entrant at car show
By LINDSEY LEAMEN
Staff Writer
“Go big or go home,” said John Marchio, referring to his
hopes of winning the sound competition at the car show last
Friday.
The 18-year-old Welland resident, who works at
Commisso’s Food Market, entered his truck in the car show
after he heard about it through friends.
The show, organized by students in the Motive Power
Operations – Automotive program, at Niagara College, was
held in the Skills Centre for Motive Power Training on Oct.
18 at the Welland campus. The students planned the event to
show the rest of the college what goes on there.
Although the weather could have been better – it rained
much of the day – the students were in high spirits match-
Furtunato Scolaro, 18, of Welland, a first-year
student in the Motive Power Operations –
Automotive program, shows how the throttle
body fuel injection works.
ing the loud music and smell of barbecued hamburgers.
“I heard through the grapevine that there was a car show,”
said Joe Serianni, 22, of Welland. Serianni, a second-year
Developmentally Handicapped Services Worker
–
Continuing Education program student, entered his silver
Mustang.
Nineteen-year-old Trevor Proulx, of Welland, commented
that more participation from other programs would be good.
“It’s rockin’ though,” the first-year Motive Power
Operations – Automotive program student said.
Another first-year student in the program, Mark
Sandonato, said he thought it was a great show, with a pretty good turnout. “I like the classic cars best,” said the 19year-old Thorold resident.
The show featured displays that explained the intrica-
Ihton Frederick, 25, from Trinidad, a second-year
student in the Motive Operations – Automotive program, shows how the scan tools work.
Photos by Lindsey Leamen
cies of such automobile mysteries as scan tools, which
determine where the problem is; auto scopes, which analyze every electronic device on any vehicle; four-wheel
steering, benefits and advantages; and how a throttle body
fuel injection works.
Harry Lewis, co-ordinator of the Motive Power
Operations – Automotive program, said that organizing the
show was a good experience for the students. They were trying to bring people from other areas of the college to see
what they do “without ruffling any feathers.”
Second-year Motive Power Operations – Automotive
program student Mike Vandervliet, 20, of Dunnville,
said he was “really glad things turned out the way they
did. Everybody put in a really great effort. We hope the
one in the spring will be bigger and better.”
Chris York, 19, and Chad Lang, 19, both of
Welland and first-year students in the Motive
Power Operations – Automotive program, check
out the engine of a car entered in the show.
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 13
!
s
r
u
o
l
o
c
l
l
a
f
r
u
o
y
w
o
h
S
The sun was shining brightly
when E. J. Gooder, camera ready
and on-hand, accompanied her
daughters’ families on a visit to
Stoney Creek Mountain on
Oct. 20. Equipped with harvest
candies, the family cheerfully
posed for Gooder and brought
pumpkins and happy memories
back with them to share with the
Niagara News crew.
Counterclockwise from left: the Haunted
Hayride on the Stoney Creek Mountain was full
of Halloween fun for the Gooder-Graham
brothers and sister; Chuck-a-pumpkin: hit the
target and win a new pumpkin; Thomas,
seven, and Hannah Belle, three, hide out in the
kid-sized Haunted House on the mountain;
Fletcher, two, hunts for pumpkins and succeeds; and Thomas gets down at eye-level to
pick a worthy pumpkin.
Photos by E. J. Gooder
Page 14, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
PROFILES
Professor’s experience helps students
By JESSE H. FOSTER
Staff Writer
A Niagara College professor
says his experience in electronic
engineering will help his students
become more in tune with employers’ wants and needs.
Edward Stark is a co-ordinator
for the first-year Electronics
Engineering Technology (Co-op)
program.
Stark, 53, of Caistor Centre,
Ont., was in the first graduating
class of the program in 1970.
His first entry-level job was in
Simcoe, Ont., as an audiovisual
technician for the Norfolk County
Board of Education, ensuring all
the schools’ equipment was in
working condition.
Stark says students wanting to
get a job after the program need a
good background in the basics of
electronics. Also, students have to
know what part of the field they
want to go into.
Stark says these days there are
many opportunities in the electronics field. There are fields within fields, he says.
“The field is huge, absolutely
humongous now.”
Stark says for a new student, the
program can seem a little intimidating, but the student has to real-
‘It was worth it for
me 32 years ago.’
ize there is a substantial amount of
opportunity in electronics.
He says this is a challenging
course “but it’s worth it in the end.”
“It was worth it for me 32
years ago.”
Over the years Stark has owned
and managed his own company,
called Luminex (Niagara). He
bought the company when it was
in bankruptcy. Luminex (Niagara)
specializes in the custom manufacturing and design of illuminated
signs and displays.
Stark says when he bought the
company he was “the expertise”
behind it. He did the product
manufacturing and designs. As
time went by and the company
grew, he found himself mostly in
management.
It was here, running the company, where he found his ability to
teach. Since this company has a
number of different aspects to it,
Stark had to teach his employees
the different procedures.
In 1992, after 13 years of running the company, Stark sold it
and shortly after began his
teaching career. He has been
teaching at Niagara College for
six years.
Stark says the college doesn’t
appear to be what it once was.
“We didn’t have anywhere near
the technology that we have now.”
He says there is “nowhere to
Edward Stark assists a student.
Photo by Jesse H. Foster
go but up.”
“I’ve been in it for 32 years, 1970
to 2002, and I have never once
regretted – not for five seconds –
have I ever regretted being in it.”
Stark say electronics has been a
“great” career. “It’s treated me
well and I would do it again.”
Gleddie proud of helping PR students
By E. J. GOODER
Staff Writer
The pretty blonde woman smiles
as the students walk across the
stage on convocation night to
receive their diplomas. “It’s really
nice to know I kind of help them
on their way.”
Martha Gleddie is the internship
development officer (IDO) for the
Public Relations (Post-graduate)
program at the Welland campus in
the Simcoe building, Room 206.
She has worked for three years
as the IDO. “My specific duties
are to find internships for the
students.”
Gleddie, 46, of Niagara-on-theLake, says she matches students
for one-month volunteer placements with organizations such as
the United Way and the Hamilton
Health Sciences Corporation.
The “non-profits like them,” she
says, “because it gives them an
extra hand.”
She will stay at Niagara, she
says, as long as there is the opportunity. “I love working with the
students.”
Two days of the week, Gleddie
says, she works in her hometown’s
Chamber of Commerce co-ordinating special events such as the
Peach Festival.
During the summer months she
works for the “chamber full time.”
Her three-year term, as the
chairperson for Hospice Niagara,
Gleddie says, is finished.
Family is equally important to her.
Her husband, John, is a chiro-
her family in a variety of ways.
“We go to church on Sundays, we
talk a lot on the phone (and) we
always kind of know where everybody is.”
‘We go to church on
Sundays, we talk
a lot on the phone
(and) we always kind
of know where
everybody is.’
MARTHA GLEDDIE
practor in St. Catharines and they
have two daughters.
She keeps in close touch with
Most evenings they have dinner
together, but, she says, “our driveway is like a revolving door” as
someone is always coming or going.
Her family is “very much
involved in community stuff,”
Gleddie says, as well as being
active in their church.
She admits she is an obsessivecompulsive, adding if “I slow
down ... I’m asleep.” Every day
for one and a half hours she works
out either lifting weights, running
or swimming.
This year, she says, she has
completed two half-marathons and
two triathlons. A triathlon usually
involves three events: biking,
swimming and running. “I like
running.”
As for other relaxation she
explains how doing needlepoint
when “I am sitting in a car and I
can’t go anywhere” has helped
her complete many needlepoint
projects.
Teacher saying goodbye after 30 years at Niagara
By SHARI HADGRAFT
Staff Writer
After working for 53 years, a
teacher at Niagara College is getting ready to say goodbye.
Evelyn Kita, 64, of St.
Catharines, teaches in the
Interdepartmental Studies and
Access Division. “We don’t have
any actual programs going on at
this department. We move into all
the other programs with electives,”
said Kita.
She will have worked at the college for 30 years after her term is
finished on Aug. 31, 2003.
“I’m ready to retire. I will be 65
and I have been working since I
was 11 on farms, as a waitress, as
an usher, gas station attendant,
graduate nurse and a teacher.”
She said she worked for her
family’s bakery business.
When retirement approaches,
Kita said she won’t miss the deadlines or any other stressful situations that may occur during the
school year.
“I will miss the people. There
are some very nice people here at
the college. I’ll miss the contact
with them,” she said, when referring to what she’ll miss most.
Kita’s educational background
includes the Mack Training School
for Nurses in 1959, a diploma from
‘I will miss the
people. There are
some very nice
people here at
the college. I’ll
miss the contact
with them.’
the University of Western Ontario
in London in 1962, a bachelor’s
degree from Brock University in St.
Catharines in 1972 and a master’s
degree in adult education at the
University of Toronto in 1985.
“I started teaching in 1962 in the
EVELYN KITA
Nursing program at the St.
Catharines General Hospital. At
that time it was called the Mack
Training School for Nurses.”
The reason Kita said she came
to Niagara College to teach was
because the college took over the
Nursing program at the General
Hospital in 1973.
The nursing division was closed
in 1995, but Kita didn’t start teaching here as an employee until 1998.
The stress of nursing was getting to her, she said. “When you’re
involved in something it’s very
easy to stay with it because you
know it.
“Most of the patients were getting sicker and sicker, and bringing students into a situation where
they were learning, it’s extremely
stressful because you have to be
careful of the students. You have
to be careful for the patients,” she
explained.
When coming to the college
after the closure in the department
at the hospital, Kita said she felt
relief. “It’s very nice to come to
work and not have that threat of
endangerment.”
A regret Kita said she has is that
she can’t do everything. “I can’t
understand the people who get
bored because there is so much
stuff to do.”
Spending time with her family is
a major priority for her, she said.
Kita has three children; two boys
and a girl who are all married with
children of their own.
Her biggest influence, she said,
is her mother. “She’s the one who
used to push me and tell me that I
can do things. My mother had a
way of treating everybody as if
they were special,” she recalls.
Asked the best and worst aspects
of her job, the students came up as
the answer for both. The best is
“because they keep you young.
They keep you on your toes.”
“The worst part are the students
because when they’ve got problems, you can’t always help them
and sometimes their problems put
them in a position where they fall
through the cracks in the system,”
she said.
Kita’s outside interests include
going to auctions. “I go to auctions
and I like to buy pieces of furniture
that need a little bit of care.”
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 15
Tanning beds not as safe as people think
By CARISSA PERTSCHY
Staff Writer
Vanity can kill.
Do you want to maintain the
sun-kissed look of summer all
year? If you do, tanning beds
may not be your solution.
Contrary to popular belief,
tanning beds are not safer than
sun exposure. “Tanning beds
produce two to five times more
damaging ultraviolet A rays than
the sun,” says Kelly Wilson,
health
promoter,
Chronic
Disease Prevention Division,
Regional Niagara Public Health
Department, of Welland.
It is important to know health
risks associated with artificial
tanning. Ultraviolet radiation
damage from tanning beds accumulates over time and can cause
wrinkles and premature aging of
the skin, eye and immune system
damage and skin cancer, including the most serious form,
malignant melanoma.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer nationally.
“Anyone born in Canada has a
one in seven risk of developing
skin cancer during his or her
lifetime. The good news is that
60 to 70 per cent of skin cancer
cases could be avoided by adopting a safer lifestyle,” says
Wilson.
“People who tan look ridiculous. If you want a tan, you
should do it naturally because
everything else looks fake,” says
a second-year Broadcasting —
Radio, Television and Film student, Dave Popowich, 20, of
Welland.
“People already smoke, drink
alcohol and get pierced to fit in
with society, so why would they
stop at tanning?” says Popowich.
Wilson says, “The most challenging part (of my job) is trying
to change attitudes and beliefs.
It’s tough to convince people,
especially young people that you
don’t need a tan to look good.”
There isn’t any safe way to tan.
“A tan from under lights in a tanning salon or from the sun’s rays
is a permanent sign of skin damage.”
“The natural look is always
the best because that’s the truest
a person can be,” says
Popowich.
The best part of health promotion is “getting out in the community, talking to people of all
ages and helping them make
healthy lifestyle choices,” says
Wilson.
“When students and people in
general become educated consumers, they may be less
inclined to voluntarily spend
their money to potentially harm
their bodies,” says Wilson.
Wilson has been a health promoter with the Regional Niagara
Public Health Department for
four years. She specializes in the
area of skin cancer prevention.
“I was raised with the ideology
that if you have your health, you
have everything.”
College students fill out entry forms at the Fake Bake? ... Think Twice display during the Oct. 8
Health Fair.
Photo by Carissa Pertschy
Revee Vervaet, 18, of Simcoe,
Ont., is a first-year Office
Administration — Executive
student at Niagara College’s
Welland campus who says she
tans because it makes her look
healthy.
“I feel there are risks involved
with tanning and the risks are
evident because tanning beds
can burn you, but I still tan.”
If you would like more infor-
mation on artificial tanning, visit
www.regional.niagara.on.ca and
click on the Public Health
Department or call 1-800-2667248.
Controversial studies link abortion, breast cancer
By THOMAS CONNELL
Staff Writer
On Oct. 6, more than 135,000
runners and walkers in 33
Canadian cities participated in
the 11th annual Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation/CIBC Run
for the Cure, raising more than
$13 million and kicking off
Breast
Cancer
Awareness
Month.
The overwhelming success of
this event, and the high degree
of public involvement and corporate sponsorship, are testaments
to
how
seriously
Canadian women and the
Canadian medical community
view this devastating disease.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer among Canadian women. In
2002, an estimated 20,500
Canadian women will develop
it, and an estimated 5,400 will
die from it.
Given such statistics the battle against this disease is a formidable one in terms of scien-
raising of public awareness are
largely a result of the efforts of
the CBCF, the Canadian Cancer
Society and their thousands of
volunteers.
Despite their efforts and stated
commitment to eradication of
breast cancer, the CBCF and the
CCS have come under increasing fire from various quarters for
what critics say is a mystifying
unwillingness to accept a growing body of evidence in the last
decade linking breast cancer and
induced abortion.
Dating back to the early
1990s there have been 37
accredited and wide-ranging
studies exploring the possible
link between breast cancer and
induced abortion. Twenty-eight
of these show a causal link.
Dr. Janet Daling, of the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center, at the University of
Washington, and lead author of
the only published study specifically commissioned by the
American Cancer Institute, con-
‘... no evidence from high quality research
showing that there is a link.’
— Marjorie Cohn Zacks
tific research and funding.
While the government and the
medical community have their
role to play, any successes in
the areas of research and treatment or fundraising and the
cluded in her 1994 study that
induced abortion increased a
woman’s risk of developing
breast cancer by 50 per cent.
Daling was, and remains, a prochoice advocate but believes
that women should be informed
of the “facts.”
Subsequent to the Daling
study, Dr. Joel Brand, a prominent
American
cancer
researcher, conducted a meta
study, pooling and examining
the findings of all known published studies, and determined
that induced abortion increased
the risk factor by 30 per cent.
Although the research itself
was a highly complex and
lengthy process the findings that
prompted researchers to declare
a causal link between breast cancer and induced abortion can be
explained quite briefly.
When a woman becomes pregnant her breasts enlarge because
a hormone called estradiol, a
type of estrogen, causes cells,
normal and pre-cancerous, to
multiply. If the fetus is carried to
term, a process called differentiation occurs, shaping the cells
into milk ducts, shutting off the
cell multiplication process. If,
however, the pregnancy is aborted, the woman is left with more
undifferentiated, cancer vulnerable cells than she had before she
became pregnant.
These and other studies have
prompted at least four U.S.
states to introduce legislation
requiring doctors who perform
abortions to apprise their
patients of the risks outlined by
this data. The British Medical
Association recently urged doctors in the United Kingdom to
make these findings known to
their patients.
In light of this recent research,
critics of the CBCF and the CCS
ask why none of this information
suggestion that it is the controversial and politically charged
nature of abortion that prevents
‘Right now, the facts are being hidden
from women.’
— Marlene Tersigni
is mentioned in any CCS literature relating to risk factors. They
also question why on the CBCF
Web site, which mentions a
number of proven and possible
risk factors, from smoking and
alcohol consumption to age and
lack of exercise, the abortion
link is totally ignored.
Marjorie Cohn Zacks, of the
CBCF, says that no reference is
made to a possible abortion link in
their Web site or literature because
there is “no evidence from high
quality research showing that there
is a link. We fund research on
breast cancer. We have not funded
any research to determine if there
is a causal link between breast
cancer and induced abortion.”
She states, “Anyone can do
research and publish research, but
they are not all peer reviewed by
qualified people. There are even
studies out there that suggest having had an abortion reduces a
woman’s risk of developing breast
cancer.”
Christine Koserski, media
spokesperson for the Ontario
Division of the CCS, rejects the
the CCS from including it as a
possible contributing factor to
breast cancer.
She stated in an interview that
“current scientific evidence does
not support a link between abortion and breast cancer. Many of the
studies that do report a link have
weaknesses.”
“The strongest studies show
there is no link between induced
abortion and breast cancer,”
although she didn’t mention any
specific studies.
Many pro choice advocates and
medical professionals, including
some who declined to be quoted
for this article, maintain that not
only are the findings showing a
causal link between breast cancer
and
abortion
“scientifically
faulty,” but that they are also a
“strategy employed by Right to
Life groups to scare women.”
St. Catharines Right to Life
spokesperson Marlene Tersigni
responds by stating, “Women
deserve better than this. We should
be told the facts. And right now,
the facts are being hidden from
women.”
Page 16, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Street Talk
Edition 3
Sean Cillis, 20,
Stoney Creek,
first-year student,
General Arts and Science
program
“I would like the times to
change so I don’t have to have a
three hour break in between my
classes. Make them more compact.”
By ROBYNE SIMPSON
and ELYSE DEBRUYN
Staff Writers
This week we ask: What changes would
you like to see at Niagara College?
Graham McKee, 20,
Goderich,
first-year student,
General Arts and Science
program
Robyn Allcock, 20,
Niagara-on-the-Lake,
first-year student,
Early Childhood Education
program
“Being able to sell textbooks
back whenever you want.”
“Better Open Access Lab. The
computers are too slow. A more
direct route for buses from the
other campuses.”
Jennifer Siconolifi, 19,
St. Catharines,
first-year student,
Educational Assistant –
Special Needs Support program
Jodie Anderson, 19,
Hagersville,
first-year student,
Educational Assistant –
Special Needs Support program
“Always lineups in the bathroom. Maybe bigger bathrooms
and more selection in the cafeteria with lower prices.”
“Clocks in classroom should
work. Better announcements for
school activities.”
$44,000 loss projected for After Hours Centre
By JASON GROSSE
Staff Writer
With a projected loss of
$44,000 this year, changes in the
structure of the Welland campus
After Hours Centre are probably
on their way.
Marcos Schmidt says although
he can’t confirm right now if
changes will take place, he hints at
“probably.” Schmidt is vice-president of internal affairs for the
Student Administrative Council
(SAC) at the Maid of the Mist
Centre in Niagara Falls.
Schmidt says the reasons for the
debt are repayments for loans
which SAC took from the college
in order to construct the new After
Hours Centre.
“We wanted to increase the traffic of people in our pub,” Schmidt
says, “so the initial agreement that
we had with Niagara College is
that we’re going to expand our
pub so that in the back, where our
pool tables are now, we’ll have
openings to what would be the
new cafeteria located between
Simcoe (building) and the After
Hours pub. And that would connect the other buildings in the
campus with our student centre.”
The cafeteria, known as the
Student Gathering Centre, eventually was located in part of the
redesigned Learning Resource
Centre, rather than between the
two buildings.
However, he says that although
SAC did its part, the college “didn’t get the funding they expected
from the source they expected —
they got funding from somebody
else and they changed the plans.”
The result, according to
Schmidt, was “we renovated that
area. We did something that was
not really necessary. Yeah it
improved the student centre but it
didn’t really reach all the objectives that we had initially.”
Schmidt says SAC is “predicting a loss of just under $44,000.”
He says one of the big reasons is
“we’re repaying a loan that we
had to take when we wanted to
expand the pub.” He explains that
SAC “didn’t expand the pub with
our money. We took a loan
through the college and now
we’re paying $25,000 a year.”
Schmidt says another reason the
pub lost money was the opening
of the Kave Night Club in
Welland. “That took a lot of people,” he says. “We lost a lot of
traffic on Comedy Night.”
Some of the positives he points
to are that, since September,
“We’ve been having really good
nights at the pub,” he says. “If we
continue like this we’re probably
going to go over our projected
revenue.”
A factor contributing to the
increased revenue at the After
Hours Centre is the increased
enrolment at the college this year.
“We’re going to have enough
money to cover this debt that we
initially had – so the pub may end
up on the loss but by the end of the
year ... that loss is probably going
to be covered.”
Schmidt says he is “aware” of
issues that the pub is having. He
says one of the problems is that
the pub manager “doesn’t directly
respond to SAC ... he responds to
a committee.”
Schmidt adds the college is
“losing a big opportunity of having more functions in the pub”
and adds the pub “should be more
active than it is right now.”
He says he’s in the process of
creating what he calls a “strategic
agenda” for the pub. “We’re going
to be dealing with some major
areas that we feel we have to
address. Different things like staff
promotions, finances (and) general operation of the pub.”
Schmidt says a committee,
composed of SAC representatives
as well as college representatives,
“is going to discuss how far we
want to set our policies for the pub
and how much freedom we are
going to give to the manager. This
is the main thing that we have to
do right now. There’s a lot of
loose ends on the administration
of the pub.”
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Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 17
‘Creating memories’ for college students
By DANA BLACKLOCK
Staff Writer
Since age 16, Dave Rapelje
says he’s always had a job within a bar either bartending, promoting shows or booking bands.
Today, the Welland-born
music fanatic is managing After
Hours, the Welland campus pub,
and Alexander Davidson’s, the
Glendale campus pub in
Niagara-on-the-Lake.
By 1991, after completing his
many years of schooling at
Niagara
College,
Brock
University in St. Catharines and
Niagara University in Lewiston,
N.Y., Rapelje became part of the
Niagara College faculty.
“I started as a teacher/professor in the
Law and Security (Administration)
program after completing my master’s
degree in the U.S.”
As general manager of the
campus pubs, Rapelje oversees
the daily operations. He books
all of the talent, such as bands
and special guests, supervises
staff while assisting them with
day-to-day issues and advises
the student government. He also
creates all documents with
respect to incidents that take
place at the centres.
Rapelje says he is in the business of “creating memories.”
With his job he can provide students with the opportunity to
look back at their years at
Niagara College and remember
some great times.
“I also enjoy my staff of students.
I love to watch them grow as people
and with their abilities at work.”
‘I still, after nine
years, cannot
understand why
guys fight. I guess
they view their
actions as cool, (but)
I just think it’s
dumb.’
After nine years of working
with students, Rapelje says he
has made some longtime friends.
However, one thing that really
bothers him is the occasional fight
that tends to happen on Thursday
night pub nights, he says.
“I still, after nine years, cannot understand why guys fight.
I guess they view their actions
as cool, (but) I just think it’s
dumb. I find it sad when someone is hurt or injured as the
result of a fight. “Can’t we all
you. It is the one-hit wonders that make
your life like hell.”
Rapelje says he’s had some
interesting conversations with
Jeff Martin, lead singer of The
Tea Party, about his music.
“Some of these acts I have
done 10, 15, 20 shows with. It’s
‘I did a series of
shows with Las
Vegas-type acts, and
Kenny Rogers was
the nicest guy to
work with.’
DAVE RAPELJE
just get along?”
Aside from campus life, Rapelje
says that for 10 years he has been
dealing with artists and promoting
shows in the Niagara area.
“I did a series of shows with Las
Vegas-type acts, and Kenny Rogers
was the nicest guy to work with. These
older established acts are the ones that
still know how to say please and thank
kind of a weird friendship that
arises after that many dates.”
Rapelje says he loves crowds
and their reactions to a performance. He also has opportunities
to do some large-scale tours.
When the Rolling Stones were
gearing up for this current world
tour, Rapelje says he got a telephone call and was to answer a
bunch of questions in regard to
touring along with them.
However, he says it is a long
way from home and he loves his
wife of three years too much to
be away from her for that long.
“Crazy thing is, she keeps on
telling me to do it.”
The last time Rapelje counted
his CD collection at his home
office in Port Robinson, he says
he came up with 2,000 of them.
He says he is into different genres of music, so he listens to certain tunes at certain times. When
he’s working on his HarleyDavidson motorcyle, he says it’s
cold beer and country. When he
needs to think, it’s obscure jazz,
drum and bass or trance. When
he’s on his tractor cutting the
lawn, it’s classic rock.
“Music charts a person’s lifetime. It contains knowledge and
feelings.”
After Hours has much to offer
for October. There will be an
All-Male Dancer Review for
Ladies Night on Monday, Oct.
28. On Tuesday, Oct. 29, XXX
rated hypnotist Tony Lee will be
making an appearance.
Every Wednesday night After
Hours will be holding a comedy
night with Yuk Yuk’s on tour
and every Thursday is pub
night. On Thursday, Oct. 31,
After Hours will be holding a
Halloween Bash.
After Hours
Page 18, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
ENTERTAINMENT
Thumbs down, thumbs up, Comedy Night full of laughs
By RACHEL WILKINSON
by the artist Shaggy, but is failing horribly. The sound
Staff Writer
pierces my ears and instantly my eyes spot the bar.
Column
A drink is not a bad idea considering the singer. I proMusic is booming outside as I inch closer to the front ceed to the bar and order a drink. Not surprisingly, the
entrance of Niagara College’s
singer doesn’t sound any better,
Welland campus pub for Comedy
‘I
was
able
to
laugh
as
even after I’ve finished my drink.
Night, held each Wednesday at
I start to notice more people enterI’ve never
After Hours.
ing
the pub, also heading towards
I enter with my companion,
laughed
before.’
the
bar.
A loud group of college stuwaiting for our identification to be
dents
begins
to sing with the piercchecked so we can take a seat. As
ing
music,
while
one
of
them
pours
more beer into each of
soon as we are approved, almost instantly the smell of
smoke fills my nostrils. People brush past me, reeking of their cups from the pitcher on their table. They’re having a
alcohol. I scan the room looking for a seat. I spot one good time.
near the back and head toward it.
Loud voices and talking are all I hear for a while. A few
Someone is on stage trying desperately to sing Angel beers later, I’m ready for the show to start. Sure enough,
it does after everyone sings a proud, drunken version of
O Canada.
The first act is Jay Brown. He takes the stage and
begins his stories in the hope of having the crowd roaring. I, personally, did not find him as funny as others did,
so I sit waiting patiently for the next act to begin.
Soon after, Gilson Lubin takes the stage. He cracks
various jokes about the United States, booze, drugs and
other things. The crowd laughs hysterically.
Even though I think I’ve had one too many at this
point, I knew this guy would have been funny regardless.
The night was ending for me once Lubin was done, for
the simple fact that I don’t feel very well, but I am satisfied because I was able to laugh as I’ve never laughed
before.
Trews have surprisingly un-Maritime sound
By LINDSAY LEAMEN
Staff Writer
Review
The snappy beat and lyrics of the first song,
Confessions, had me tapping my feet to a sound that
brought to mind Barenaked Ladies, and Dave Matthews
Band. This good-mood enhancing song invariably
brought me to my bed, where I proceeded to jump around.
The Trews, formerly Trouser, find inspiration from successful bands such as the Beatles, Tragically Hip, and the
Rolling Stones. The Trews originally started as a cover
band but released their debut album in fall 2002, produced
by Gordie Johnson, of Big Sugar. They have been touring
as an opening act and are on an East Coast tour.
Formed in 1998 in Nova Scotia, the Trews have a surprisingly un-Maritime sound, although they have received
recognition from the Maritime music community for their
maturity, work ethic and well-crafted material.
Their music is new and fun, and they put on a good
show. The band will be playing at the Kave in Welland on
Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 21, and Nov. 28.
Go check them out live, or see their Web site at
www.thetrewsmusic.com. For more information on the
free shows at the Kave call (905) 735-6666.
Actors meant to portray their characters’ role
By BRENDAN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
Column
There are certain characters actors portray that you
could never imagine anyone else playing.
Take the role of Hannibal Lector, for instance. Could
you see anyone other than Anthony Hopkins playing the
part of Lector? Not likely. Did you know that Jude Law
was in close negotiations to play the younger Lector in
Red Dragon, until it was decided against him, and
Hopkins was made to look younger instead.
This “almost chosen” happens all the time behind
closed doors in Hollywood. Some major roles have been
turned down by an actor only to be a breakthrough role
for another. Ask Will Smith. The former Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air turned down the part of Neo in The Matrix, thus
leaving the spot open for Keanu Reeves in what may be
his best-known role.
This can happen on the small screen too, where
Dawson’s Creek star Katie Holmes turned down the role
of Buffy on the hit show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This
left the spot to be snagged by Sarah Michelle Gellar,
obviously her big break.
Matt Damon is one who has won roles, snagged roles
and passed on roles. Damon won the lead in the
Rainmaker, an adaptation of the John Grisham novel,
beating out a newcomer to the actors’ A-List, Ed Norton.
The two crossed paths again when Damon signed as
Private Ryan in the Oscar-nominated Saving Private
Ryan when Edward Norton passed on it. Damon gambled
by passing on the lead role in the highly anticipated
Planet of the Apes movie in order to do The Bourne
Identity. The move paid off as Apes bombed, and The
Bourne Identity was a hit with critics. A sequel is already
in the works.
Sometimes an actor will turn down a sequel to a hit
movie in which they starred. Most times we see new
actors take the character’s role, though it usually never
has the same impact.
Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her portrayal of Clarice
Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, but she turned
down the returning role in Hannibal because she felt her
character wasn’t as smart. Julianne Moore took over.
Foster went on to work on Panic Room after Nicole
Kidman turned down the lead.
Sequel passing was also the case with Vin Diesel after
the sleeper hit The Fast and the Furious. While Paul
Walker was actually the main character, Diesel’s character ended up stealing the spotlight. When it came down to
it, Diesel chose to sign in XXX, its sequels, and a prequel
to the movie Pitch Black instead of starring in The Fast
the and Furious 2.
Sometimes there are people considered for roles you’d
never imagine them in. Christopher Walken was considered for Han Solo in the Star Wars saga before Harrison
Ford. Reese Witherspoon apparently turned down the
leads in both horror flicks Scream and I Know What You
Did Last Summer. Also the early 1990s’ buddy-cop flick
Bad Boys starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence was
originally written for Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz.
Ever heard of Dougray Scott? How about Hugh
Jackman? Scott was originally cast as Wolverine in the
X-Men movie before dropping out to play the villain in
Mission: Impossible 2. That left the door wide open for
Jackman to step in.
In the end, while we believe the choices for certain
roles were perfect, it’s always interesting to back up the
casting train of a movie and just see who got off before it
started.
Certain knack to producing perfectly mixed CD
By MATT TAYLOR
Staff Writer
Column
I love burning compact discs. I like that I can customize
them to my own tastes ... but it’s very hard.
Take a punk CD, for instance. You can fit up to 80 minutes worth of music on the average disc. That’s like 30
punk songs. The problem is digging up 30 songs that you
can stand listening to over and over.
I’m sure everyone with a simple CD writing program
can relate. You scroll your playlist and select your
favourite songs. When you get to the end, you still have
time left on your disc, so you end up putting on pity filler
songs. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, anyone?
I, however, have a solution to this problem: the mighty
mixed CD. You are all familiar with this concept, but
there is a certain knack to producing the perfect mix.
First, it needs a flow. The right transitions are key to a
perfect CD. For example, you don’t want to throw an
early Fu Manchu song between acoustic Neil Young and
an Oasis whiner.
These artists all fit well on a mix, but they have to be in
the right order. Build from style to style slowly.
Second is the climax. Everyone has a favourite song,
but favourite songs do change, so remember not to focus
on the flash-in-the-pan song of the day. You have to make
the CD equally important from beginning to end. The climactic tunes should be old favourites or anthems.
The third and most important element is diversity. After
all, it is a mix. Don’t put 15 punk songs then three U2
songs and call it a mix. It isn’t. It’s a punk CD with three
U2 songs at the end.
Other factors to simply keep in mind are these: timelessness, song length and artist popularity.
What I mean by timelessness is that classic rock is still
around for a reason: it’s good. Don’t be afraid, then, to
throw a little Blue Oyster Cult or Talking Heads on there.
Song length is relative. Pink Floyd has a place on any
mix of mine but you are working with limited time, so
don’t go overboard with Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.
Artist popularity is up in the air. You like what you like,
and there is no bad taste in music, but if your song list
included the Rheostatics, Phish and Ben Harper, the latest
single from Creed might be a bit of a lark.
Remember, this is just a blueprint. Of course, people’s
mixes will vary considerably but just keep these points in
mind.
If it is a mix for your apartment and to share with your
roommates, keep the music generic. A few bands to use in
this situation could include Weezer, AC/DC, Bone Thugs
and Harmony, basically stuff that everyone can tolerate.
A driving mix should be peppy and something you can
sing aloud to. Classic anthems such as Raise a Little Hell
by Trooper fit very nicely on a road rock mix.
A mix for the bedroom is completely up to you. Keep in
mind there will be at least two people getting off on this
CD. I prefer surf soul like Jack Johnson or Ben Harper
themed discs, but as I said, this is all personal preference.
To finish up my little tutorial, don’t forget to think
about it. The main problem I encounter is lack of thought
and foresight. Will the mix be in my stereo in a year? Will
I want to listen to this twice? Keep this in mind and you’ll
do fine.
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002, Page 19
Scholarship applications increased tenfold
By DONNA DURIC
Staff Writer
Scholarship application numbers have
increased tenfold over last year, with more
applications than scholarships available.
About $20,000 will be awarded to those
who applied by the Sept. 23 deadline.
“We had a very disappointing number of
scholarship applications last year,” says
Jamie King, manager of alumni development and student awards. “This year, we
have some more ambitious targets. We have
grand hopes.”
The student awards office is hoping to
raise $100,000 at the annual Seafood Gala on
March 8, 2003, for next year’s applicants.
The majority of scholarship funding comes
from the money raised at this event.
The awarding of scholarships is based on
academic merit or community and volunteer
involvement. Bursaries are awarded to those
demonstrating financial need. Unlike the
loans provided by the Ontario Student
Assistance Program, awards, bursaries and
scholarships do not have to be repaid.
One of the largest scholarships available is
the Branscombe Family Foundation scholarship, worth about $3,200. The Brad
Cleveland Bursaries, donated by Niagara
College faculty, are worth about $750 each
and are the largest bursaries available.
Students in the Office Administration program are the only students eligible to receive
these bursaries, the number of which varies
annually. This year, two will be available.
The deadline for applying for all bursaries
is Nov. 1.
The Niagara College Web site has a section
on student awards, and bursary applications
can be downloaded from the site.
Although the student awards office
extended deadlines last year because of the
low number of applicants, it was still able to
award most of the funds.
“It’s always a challenge promoting scholarships,” says King.
Remaining funds are invested in an endowment fund that will never be touched until the
college is ready to release the money and, as
a result, the fund collects interest.
Students with questions regarding bursaries should speak to a counsellor at the
financial aid office at their campus. Once
financial options are exhausted, students can
visit www.scholarshipscanada.com for
advice on national scholarship programs.
Students provide haircuts to gain experience
By LINDSEY LEAMEN
Staff Writer
Find yourself a bit short on cash? Niagara
College’s Hairstylist Apprenticeship program has the answer to at least one of your
financial worries.
Once a month, students in the program
will be at the Welland or Glendale campus
to provide free haircuts to staff and students
to gain experience.
“It’s a win-win situation for everybody,”
says Domenic Caruso, development officer
and program overseer.
Students in the program spend Mondays
being instructed by award-winning salon
owners Alex and Frank Fortino, of Salon
Alessandro, in St. Catharines.
Hazel Aperocho, 28, of St. Catharines,
graduated from the program last year. She
has won gold medals at skills competitions
at the provincial and national levels, and a
bronze in the world competition.
She helps instruct students at Salon
Alessandro. Aperocho says the free cuts are
an “excellent service” that benefits students at the college, as well as the program’s students.
Courtney Rodocker, 20, of the Paramedic
program, was one of the many students
waiting in line last month. She thought the
Paramedic Week beneficial
By RACHEL WILKINSON
Staff Writer
Children’s activities, a free barbeque, career information, meeting
paramedics and seeing modern and
vintage ambulance vehicles – all of
this and more were available for
the public on Sept. 28 at the
Regional
Headquarters
in
Brampton, Ont.
The open house was part of
Paramedic Week, from Sept. 23 to
Sept. 28, recognizing the contributions made by Peel Regional
Ambulance Services paramedics.
Curtis Garlick, 20, of Brampton,
who is enrolled in the second-year
of the Paramedic program at the
college, attended the open house.
Garlick said, “They had someone from the service talking about
employment and answering questions. They had a barbeque, new
and historical ambulance vehicles,
a display of the equipment, a
demonstration of a car crash and
they offered CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) courses you
could sign up for.”
For Garlick, the best part of the
event was “seeing the old and new
ambulances as well as meeting
some of the medics from Peel.”
Garlick said he thought the open
house was a good idea because“it
lets people see what the profession
is all about and helps people gain
respect for it. It helps them become
aware of what the paramedics do.”
Garlick said if he had the
opportunity, he’d attend a similar
event again.
Week of the Child
service was “really cool,” because she
would normally spend $50 on a haircut.
The dates that the haircutting service will
be provided at Welland campus are Nov. 4,
Dec. 2, Jan. 13, Feb. 3, March 3, and April
7. At Glendale campus in Niagara-on-theLake the dates are Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 20,
Feb. 17, March 17 and April 21.
Sara Burt, 19, of the Educational
Assistant – Special Needs Support program, receives a free haircut from
Amanda Godbout of the Hairstylist
Apprenticeship program.
Photo by Lindsey Leamen
New year means changes
By RACHEL WILKINSON
Staff Writer
A new year means changes.
For Curtis Garlick, 20, of
Brampton, Ont., a second-year
Paramedic program student, there
are many differences this year.
Garlick says, “This year I
have a lot less class time. Last
year I had around 25 hours a
week and this year I have about
15 hours a week. There is more
practical experience and more
lab time.”
See our
Remembrance
Day
issue
Nov. 8
New Year's &
Spring Break
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To book, contact:
Welland Vice-Mayor Mike Belcastro marches in the Teddy
Bear parade as part of the Week of the Child at the college’s Welland campus on Oct. 23.
Photo by Amy Contois
More than 14,000 booked already!
905.501.9774 or 1.800.465.4257
www.breakawaytours.com
Ont. Reg. #'s 2267878 & 2422707. Prices will vary depending on departure
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transportation info. Terms and conditions available at time of booking.
Along with changes, there’s an
element in the program. A new
ambulance impressed many students. Garlick says, “I think the
new ambulance was a great addition. We needed it.”
The best advice Garlick says he
can give to the first-year paramedic students is “work hard and
don’t give up. Make sure you are
serious about becoming a paramedic. It’s a lot of work, so make
sure you take it seriously.”
Along with classes comes field
placement. Garlick says he has to
complete 90 hours of field placement to successfully graduate
from the program.
The most difficult part for
Garlick so far is “applying your
skills in a practical setting. It is
difficult because the classroom
and real life can be challenging
and difficult to differentiate
between and get used to.”
Although a new year means
changes, Garlick says, most of
them were “positive.”
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ANNOUNCING....
The 2002 Annual United Way Hallowe’en Challenge
The Hallowe’en Challenge is a contest for the best decorated
departmental office and/or the best costumes. All offices at
all campuses are eligible, and everyone is invited to
participate.
Be creative, be innovative, but most of all, have fun!! The
Hallowe’en Challenge (and the judging) takes place on:
Thursday, October 31, 2002 between 10 – noon.
The winners will be announced on November 1, 2002.
Please join us to help the less fortunate. Remember, in
numbers we can make a difference!!!
Call Betty Ann, ext. 7519 or Nadine, ext. 7719 to ensure
you are on the right pumpkin path for judging.
All entries must be submitted to Betty Ann or Nadine by Monday,
October 28th.
SURPRISE PRIZES FOR THE TOP 3 WINNERS!!!
GHOSTLY GOOD LUCK TO ALL...
Happy Hallowe’en
Page 20, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
SPORTS
Author recalls advice on living life to fullest
By JORDIE FRY
Staff Writer
Described as one of the best sports and
hockey writers of our time, Bruce
Dowbiggin spoke at Brock University as the
guest speaker as part of the Harpweaver
Reading Series on Oct. 9.
Dowbiggin says he has enjoyed a very
successful career that has varied from television and radio to print. “I enjoyed doing
all of them, but it took a while to get used to
each one. TV is too restricting, in print you
get good depth and ideas, but radio combines the best of both.”
Dowbiggin says it takes at least six
months to a year after one starts working to
find out what works best and “if you are cut
out for that type of job.”
While attending the University of Toronto’s
General Arts and Science program,
Dowbiggin edited a student newspaper and
says that was as close as he would come to
journalism at that point in his life. As a postgraduate student, Dowbiggin worked a number of years in theatre and said he thought he
would be writing plays and scripts for movies.
After a long talk with his boss at the theatre
about what he had planned for the future,
Dowbiggin says his boss waited patiently
until he was done before saying, “Don’t stop
living until you are 30.”
“This is something that really stuck with me
through the years, and it is a story I tell people
because it is so true,” says Dowbiggin.
“I, myself, did not keep a steady job until
I was 28 or 29. I came across an ad for the
Bruce Dowbiggin autographs copies of his new book, The Stick, for fans at Brock
University on Oct. 9.
Photo by Jordie Fry
TV Guide and they wanted a sports editor, along with television coverage of the 1996
so I applied and got the job.”
Atlanta Summer Olympics and 1994
From there Dowbiggin says he earned Commonwealth Games in Victoria.
himself a job on CBC in 1984 as the sports Dowbiggin also covered the Winter
anchor for Metro Morning and Ontario Olympics in Nagano, Japan, by radio, showMorning. He appeared on CBC-TV as the ing the adaptability and experience he had
sports anchor for The Six O’clock News and gained over the years in various areas of
CBC At Eleven on CBC Toronto.
journalism.
Throughout the 1990s, Dowbiggin made
After leaving CBC for The Calgary
a name for himself by taking on a number of Herald in November 1998 as the featured
positions with CBC. He created a number of sports columnist, Dowbiggin says he keeps
popular sports programs, which he hosted, his ties close with CBC by still doing some
assignments for the organization.
“I have respect for the CBC as they
always stood behind me, such as when I was
sued for libel and they took a strong stand
behind me the whole time.”
Dowbiggin says this is the reason he stills
contributes to CBC TV, CBC Radio, TV
Ontario and other outlets whenever he gets
the chance.
Dowbiggin has won two Geminis for
Canada’s top sportscaster in 1993 and 1996
and has published three books. His first
book was The Defense Never Rests, which
came out in 1993. His next book was a bestseller available in bookstores across
Canada, Of Ice and Men. His most recent
book, called The Stick, is what he read from
and talked about at Brock in St. Catharines.
He spoke to a small crowd on his life
experiences and personal thoughts.
Dowbiggin says he decided to write the
book because while he was writing his second book Of Ice and Men, his editor asked,
“Why don’t you write a story about the
equipment and superstitions of hockey
players?”
He was talking to a friend who told him
how the Micmac Indians made hockey
sticks from tree branches in the mid-1800s.
From that, he wrote the story about the
evolution of the hockey stick from those
beginnings.
Dowbiggin lives in Calgary with his
wife and three children. He says The Stick
will be made into a documentary airing on
CBC next fall.
Father’s influence impacted Knights’ cornerback
By ADAM CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
This cornerback for the Niagara College touch football team isn’t only picking off opposing quarterbacks,
but has aspirations of picking off mischief as a customs
officer.
The Hagersville, Ont., native has been a longtime
football fan turned football player at the start of the
2001-2002 collegiate season.
Aaron Kincaid, 20, who is in his second-year of the
Law and Security Administration program, says he
never played football throughout high school at
Hagersville High School because he was too busy with
junior hockey. The love of the football game came from
his father.
“My dad was the biggest influence on me as far as football goes. I grew up watching the Ottawa Roughriders
(Canadian Football League) with him, and he basically
taught me how the game is played,” says Kincaid.
Last season, the college’s touch football team captured the bronze medal.
Kincaid says this year’s team has more potential than
last year’s team.
“This year’s team has a lot more depth than last
year’s. Last year, we had one or two main players that
we would count on getting the job done. This year, we
are playing more like a team, spreading the ball around
and allowing everyone to contribute,” says Kincaid.
Not only did Kincaid play hockey throughout high
school, but he was on the Hagersville High School track
and field team, where he competed in long jump and the
100-metre dash.
Kincaid says the upside to his pursuit of playing
sports throughout college is to keep active, yet sports
have never gotten in the way of his academics. Kincaid
‘My dad was the biggest influence on
me as far as football goes.’
— Aaron Kincaid
says he likes to enjoy the college life just like any other
students playing and watching sports and hanging out
with friends.
“I haven’t encountered any problems with being a student athlete. We only practice twice a week, for a little
over an hour each night and therefore it doesn’t interfere with my studies.”
Kincaid and the rest of the Knights varsity football
team are gearing up to take on all challengers at the
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Championships
being held at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, Ont.,
from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27.
Aaron Kincaid, cornerback for the Knights, flashes a
team hand signal.
Photo by Adam Campbell
Niagara wants revenge against Mohawk at OCAA
By ADAM CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
It’s put up or shut up time for Niagara
College’s touch football team.
The 2002-2003 varsity touch football
season is coming to an end this weekend
at the Ontario Colleges Athletic
Association
(OCAA)
Provincial
Championships at St. Lawrence College
in Brockville, Ont.
After the Durham Invitational Touch
Football Classic, which was held at
Durham College in Oshawa on Oct. 5,
the Knights put up a 2-1 record in the
three-game tournament losing to the
Hamilton’s
Mohawk
College
Mountaineers in the finals.
The Mountaineers put up an undefeated
record of 3-0 during the invitational, which
was Niagara’s only tournament appearance.
Aaron Kincaid, 20, of Hagersville,
Ont., who is a second-year student in the
Law and Security Administration program at Niagara College’s Welland campus and starting cornerback for the
Knights touch football team, says, hands
down, one team will be their biggest challenge come this weekend at the provincials in Brockville.
“The team that could give us the most
trouble would be Mohawk. They are a pretty solid team all around, but like all teams
they have their weaknesses,” says Kincaid.
Six teams will participate in the OCAA
Provincial Championships.
St. Lawrence College has three separate
teams participating — St. Lawrence
(Brockville), St. Lawrence (Cornwall) and
St. Lawrence (Kingston), last year’s winner
of the OCAA Provincial Championships.
Along with the three St. Lawrence
College teams, Mohawk College of
Hamilton, Durham College of Oshawa and
Niagara College will play in the tournament.
The OCAA Provincial Championships
will be decided in round-robin fashion, to
seed the playoffs.
The first and second place teams from
the round-robin will play for the gold
medal, and the third and fourth place
teams will play for the bronze. The
Knights took the bronze medal in the
2001-2002 season.
Kincaid says he isn’t worried as far as
the OCAA Provincial Championships are
concerned and feels the team has a “great
opportunity” of bettering the team’s
bronze medal showing last season.
Kincaid says he welcomes the opportunity of getting some retribution on
Mohawk College, who defeated the
Knights at the Durham Invitational at the
beginning of the month.
“In the previous tournament, our only
obstacle was Mohawk. Mohawk got
lucky and edged us in the finals. It was a
very close game, and we are looking forward to playing them,” says Kincaid.
Niagara News,Oct. 25, 2002, Page 21
Men’s b-ball team splits first two games
By JORDIE FRY
Staff Writer
The Niagara College men’s basketball team opened the season
with a solid 72-69 win in front of a
home crowd against Oshawa’s
Durham College, on Oct. 16.
Jamaal Cornwall scored a team
high 23 points on his way to a double double, grabbing 14 rebounds.
“I’m satisfied with the way I
played, but it’s the first game of
the season and there is always
room for improvement,” says
Cornwall, 20, of Chatham.
Cornwall says they were really
sloppy as a team, but being the
first game of the season it is somewhat expected.
Strong games were played by
Edson “ Silky” Jones as he recorded 16 points and six assists, while
LeVar Morgan posted solid numbers with 15 points, ripping down
10 rebounds.
“I played well in the opening
part of the game, but I lost my legs
later in the game and that affected
my shot. I need to get into better
condition,” says Jones, 23, of
Brampton.
“We played well as a team but
we had a lot of turnovers which we
need to correct, but it is a much
better start this year than it was last
year as we came out really slow,”
says Jones, who is enrolled in the
General Arts and Science program.
Jones says he was impressed
with the way the supporting cast
did, especially Eliran Kikos, a
rookie on the team who is turning
heads with his talent. The Durham
Lords played five exhibition
games compared to Niagara’s one
and didn’t impress anyone with
their play.
“They had a couple of quick
guards, but for a team that has
played five games, they weren’t
impressive at all.”
Morgan says he was proud of
Niagara and it was encouraging to
start the season off on a good note.
Although Niagara won the game,
there were some things that
Morgan says the team really needs
to work on.
“Our press break is really struggling right now and we need to
find ways to figure out how to
break it.”
Morgan had the highlight of
the game with a two-handed
power dunk midway through the
second half, but Durham kept it
close until a travelling call with
55 seconds left sealed the deal
for the Knights.
The men’s team travelled to
Toronto’s George Brown College
for its second exhibition game of
the season. While opening up a
15-point lead to start the game,
Niagara Knights’ point guard Edson Jones shoots a foul shot in their 72-69 win over Durham College
on Oct. 16.
Photo by Jordie Fry
Niagara broke down and showed
that it was only their second
game of the year letting George
Brown come back to win the
game 77-70.
Kikos continued his strong
play while leading the team with
23 points in a losing cause.
Captains Cornwall and Jones
said they lost because of a lack
of focus and want to put this
game behind them.
New golf course takes in Niagara co-op students
By LESLIE BRANCONNIER
Staff Writer
A Niagara College student
says she thoroughly enjoyed her
golf co-op experience.
Kim Legros, 27, of Niagaraon-the-Lake, is a second-year
student in the college’s Golf
Management program. Legros
did her co-op placement at the
Legends on the Niagara in
Chippawa.
The Legends on the Niagara
golf club opened this year and
has taken 12 co-op students
from the program.
Within Niagara College’s 23
programs offering co-op experience, about 95 per cent of the
students are available at various
times, said Lucia Szeplaki, 38,
of St. Catharines, a Job Centre
consultant at the college’s
Glendale campus in Niagaraon-the-Lake.
“We match students with
employers,” said Szeplaki,
explaining the centre sends students on co-op to places relevant to their field of study.
“We try to keep most of the
placements local. The job market is not necessarily out there.
“It’s easier to get in touch
with the possible employers and
do the background work if the
company is local,” said
Szeplaki.
There are, however, some
external placements, while
some students get placements
near their homes.
The Golf Management program’s co-op placements start
on April 1 and end in the middle
of September.
‘It’s a great and
honourable sport.
People who play golf
understand it.’
– Kim Legros
This timing is to accommodate the needs of the employers,
so that students can be there for
the majority of the golf season,
said Szeplaki.
Legros has just finished her
co-op experience with the
Legends on the Niagara.
Originally in the medical
field, Legros says she decided
to try something else, but still
wanted to work with people.
“I want people to have fun as
well as myself.”
Legros worked as a customer
service representative. “You
need the right drive to give
great customer service.”
This is “high-end service, the
highest you can give,” said
Legros, adding that for the most
part people are “great. The staff
is absolutely wonderful.”
Legros wants to become a
golf tournament or event coordinator.
“It’s a great and honourable
sport. People who play golf
understand it. You have to trust
your competition. It’s one of the
biggest growing industries in
Canada.”
There are nine new golf
courses being built in the
Niagara region.
“I would recommend it to
anyone who enjoys golf, people
and the outdoors,” said Legros.
“This was an awesome work
experience. It was a new facility with everybody wanting to be
there. It was a great experience
being part of an opening team
of a large enterprise.”
Women’s b-ball team has strong outing at tournament
By JORDIE FRY
Staff Writer
The Niagara College women’s
basketball team started the season
off slowly but rebounded nicely at a
tournament last weekend.
The women opened the season
with an exhibition game against
Oshawa’s Durham College, which
they lost.
“We started off pretty good and
ended the game well, but the middle
of the game was awful. We missed a
lot of easy shots,” says returning
Carrie Stratford.
The tournament was held at
Loyalist College in Belleville where
the women played three games,
winning two making them tournament finalists. “This was a very
important team building tournament,” says Shannon Katch, player.
“We pulled together and really
started playing like a team,” says
Student wins silver at golf championships
By ADAM CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
Last year a bronze, this year a
silver medal on a national level
for this Niagara College student.
Maxim Barre, of the Golf
Management program at the
Glendale campus in Niagara-onthe-Lake, captured his second
medal in as many years.
This year’s Canadian Colleges
Athletic Association (CCAA)
Golf Championships were hosted by Durham College at the
Lakeridge Links in Oshawa
from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11.
In the individual competition,
taking first place was Ryan
Lamb of Toronto’s Humber
College with a score of 219. In
second was Niagara’s own
Barre, who was a mere three
strokes out of a first place finish
along with Jon Hackett, of
Humber College, who tied Barre
with a score of 221. They share
the silver medal.
Taking the bronze medal was
Mike Rutgers, of St. Clair
College of Windsor, with a score
of 224.
Humber College took the gold
medal in team play with a score
of 921. Coming in a close second, capturing the silver medal,
was
Champlain
Regional
College, of Quebec, with a score
of 926. Taking the bronze medal
was the host of the CCAA Golf
Championships,
Durham
College with a score 937.
Barre was the only golfer on
the team to crack the top three,
including the Knights’ team
effort.
starting point guard Tasha Dolinski.
Coach Georgie Groat says
Stratford, Katch and Dolinski led
the team as they are all showed their
experience of being second-year
players throughout the tournament.
“Carrie and Shannon received allstars of the tournament and Tasha
should have been one because she
played excellent in every game. It
was an excellent tournament for us
because we were able to get all of
our players on the floor,” says
Groat.
“It was good to play against
teams that don’t know our defence,”
Groat says “because we were able
to work through a lot of our problems.”
The women started off by playing Algonquin College of Nepean
and came away with a convincing
win 69-49 with Katch and
Stratford leading the way with 17
and 16 points respectively. The
second game was a lot closer with
the Royal Military College from
Kingston squeaking out a victory
over the Knights by the score of
51-50. The leading scorers were
Stratford with 17, and Theresa
Birnie with 14. Their third and
final game was against the home
team Loyalist where the women
pounded out 71 points in a 71-53
trouncing. Katch dropped in a
team high 18 points and Dolinski
added 16 of her own.
Dolinski, Katch and Stratford all
said back-up point guard Marsha
Desa Sarno and centre Theresa
Birnie played extremely well with
Sarno playing great defensively and
Birnie playing well on the boards.
“We came together and played
some awesome team defence while
our passes were crisp and we were
able to use everybody throughout
the tournament,” says Katch.
The women continue their season
when they play their next game at
home on Wednesday, Oct. 30
against Seneca College, of North
York.
Page 22, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002
Book sale helps pay university scholarships
By ELYSE DEBRUYN
Staff Writer
Like a good bargain? Then come to the
Canadian Federation of University Women
book sale and support the young women in
your community.
The 32nd Annual Book Sale, of the
Canadian Federation of University Women
(CFUW), Welland and District Branch, is
on Nov. 2. It will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
in the cafeteria at Centennial Secondary
School on Thorold Road, Welland. There
will be books, puzzles, games and videos
for all ages.
Mary-Lee Varty, a member of the
Welland and District branch, said
her particular task this year
is chair of publicity for the
annual book sale.
CFUW has many chapters across Canada. The
members are women who
have received an academic
degree.
“One of the objectives of
this group, which was formed
many years ago, was to promote
education for women. That goal
remains today though, thankfully, attitudes have certainly changed.
Providing scholarships is one way
that this particular chapter
(Welland and District) has chosen
to accomplish this objective.”
Varty said all proceeds go to university scholarships for local
female secondary school graduates chosen by the schools, in
Fonthill, Welland and Port
Colborne.
“They just have to show us
proof of registration and acceptance and we consider them.”
She said the scholarships are
based on a B academic average and need.
The scholarship is $500 a student.
The three young women who won in Port
Colborne are Alex van Baalen, at
Lakeshore Catholic, Joelle Yade, at
Eastdale and Sarah Couture, at Port
Colborne High. The winners in Welland are
Christine Kerr, at Notre Dame High School,
Natalie O’Brien, at Ecoles Secondaire
Confederation and Erin Matheson at
Centennial Secondary School. In Fonthill,
Jillian Secord, from E.L. Crossley, won.
To support the food drive being held by
the Community Resource Action Centre on
Nov. 2, a bin will be provided at the book
sale for non-perishable food donations.
Washington woman reflects on sniper shootings
By STEPHANIE HANSEN
Staff Writer
Authorities are hunting for the
sniper who shot 13 people over the
past three weeks in the
Washington, D.C. area. Ten people
have been killed and three wounded as of press time. All the victims
were slain by a single gunshot.
Cindy Brown, of Washington,
D.C., sat down to talk about how
recent events have affected her life
and her city.
Brown, 26, says she works
“about three minutes away” from
where the first string of shootings occurred in Montgomery
County, Md.
“I had just come home from
work when I heard about the first
killing and when I went into work
the next day, the businesses were
open, but all the doors were
locked.”
Brown says the mood in the city
hasn’t changed as much as it has
in the surrounding suburbs.
“People in the upper-class
neighbourhoods now say they are
going to buy their gas in the ghetto (northeast and southeast D.C.)
instead of in Montgomery,
because a lot of the killings have
happened at gas stations. Most of
those people would never normally enter those parts of the
District. Now that it has happened to them, they realize that
they are not untouchable. Up
until this point they felt safe
because of the people around
them. It’s a mental thing.”
Brown also says the people who
are in the lower economic class
aren’t as scared because most of
them live in D.C. and are used to
random shootings.
“Honestly, I think that if this
had happened right in the District,
you wouldn’t have heard about it
up in Canada. It’s only because it
happened in a quieter, more elite
white neighbourhood that it went
international,” says Brown,
adding, “also the proximity to the
anniversary of Sept. 11 made it
more important.”
Brown says when the first
attacks happened people thought it
was a terrorist diversion and the
city went into lockdown.
“People used to be afraid to go
into D.C. at night. Now they are
afraid to be in corporate suburbia
in the middle of the day,” she says
about the state of paranoia. Brown
See our issue coming Friday, Nov. 8, about
Remembrance Day
NIAGARA NEWS SPECIAL
The November 8th edition of the Niagara News will be
dedicating a page to commemorate Remembrance Day
Small messages (4” wide x 2.5” deep) are available for
$20.00 each
For more information please call Linda Camus,
Niagara News Advertising Manager
905 732-2211 ext. 7748
also makes reference to how the
media is affecting the situation.
“The Montgomery County
Police had a conference where
they were yelling at the media,
‘People in the upperclass neighbourhoods
now say they are
going to buy their gas
in the ghetto instead
of in Montgomery ...’
— Cindy Brown
who were trying to connect to
many other shootings that the
police were not even linking
together, ... (the media) also tried
to blame the murders on a missing
person who’s report happened to
come in the same day as the
shootings began and he had a registered gun.
“The media are just starting
unnecessary stuff to scare people
even more.”
Brown says she herself isn’t
scared for her life. “If it’s my time
to go, then it’s my time to go. I
don’t really have control over that.
“I don’t think that the police
will catch him. He’s too smart.
They tried to put him in the geographic profile so he went down to
Virginia to prove he doesn’t fit
into any profile. They will only
catch him when he kills himself.
He’s trying to be one of those
famous serial killers. They’ll
make movies about him.”
Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002 Page 23
DUMAURIER
Page 24, Niagara News, Oct. 25, 2002