March 14, 2007

Passion for fencing
Page 21
NIAGARA NEWS
THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF NIAGARA COLLEGE
FREE
FREE
October
2007
March 14,26,
2008
Vol 38 • Issue 3
Vol 38 • Issue 12
All-Canadian
Canadian
Kaitlyn McKenna
puts her Knights
on national stage
By JESSE DOSTAL
Staff Writer
Niagara Knights womenʼs basketball star Kaitlyn McKenna has
become the first-ever Niagara College basketball player to be named
an all-Canadian all-star.
McKenna, a small forward, has
been a dominant player with the
Knights since she was first on the
team during the 2005-06 school
year.
This year was McKennaʼs best
as she averaged 16.43 points
per game — second in the Ontario College Athletic Association
(OCAA)— after leading the league
in scoring for much of the year.
Coach Ron Lemon has had the
privilege of coaching McKenna,
since she was an OCAA rookie.
“Sheʼs the last one off the court
… always shooting,” says Lemon
of McKennaʼs work ethic.“When
she talks, [her team-mates] listen.”
McKenna, 22, says that she tries
her best to work hard because she
loves the game and “wants to be on
the court.”
Lemon says that McKenna is not
a “real rah-rah-rah” type leader, but
uses quiet leadership and stellar
play on the court to set an example
for her teammates.
“[McKenna] is very coachable,
and her teammates all respect her,”
says Lemon.
Lemon doesnʼt shy away from
giving McKenna the credit that he
feels she deserves, and says that
being named all-Canadian is the
top award someone he has coached
has received.
Continued on Page 3
GIRL
Kaitlyn McKenna has made her Niagara Knights coaches proud
with her basketball accomplishments.
Photo by Matt Day
THIS ADVERTISMENT WAS PAID FOR BY THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS-ONTARIO
2
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
$32m Master Plan renovations
College’s original campus gets
a 40th anniversary face lift
By EMILY PEARSON
Staff Writer
A $32-million construction
Master Plan may begin in 2009 if
the collegeʼs board of governors
gives its approval in June.
Mal Woodhouse, director of facilities management services here,
says the project will “take 20 to 30
years to complete.”
The main purpose of the plan
for the Welland campus is to
cut maintenance costs, improve
transportation around the campus
and allow students to be more
“connected.”
The major facelifts are for the
Mackenzie and Black Walnut
buildings to be torn down and for
the main building to be expanded
to be a two-storey student hub,
complete with gymnasium and
open access lab, says Woodhouse.
The plan also features an overall
landscaping plan for the collegeʼs
99 acres. “Twenty to 30 years
from now, it [the Welland campus]
will surely be the Central Park of
Welland,” says Woodhouse. He
adds the wooded area behind the
Childrenʼs Safety Village is home
to endangered species and the plan
hopes to expand the park-like setting over the campus for a greener
landscape.
The drawings have been in the
making for almost two years and,
Woodhouse says, heʼs “eager to
get started.”
The college is taking on an energy-saving initiative and is promoting an energy-saving design,
but much of these upgrades are
going on behind the scenes now.
The college has just put in “green
power” boilers that save $200,000
in heating costs.
Woodhouse hopes to “eliminate
barriers” by solving accessibility
problems.
Slated are new security systems, complete with classroom
surveillance, which, Woodhouse
says, was not brought on by the
gun scare back in September. The
need for a security upgrade was
in the plan two years ago, Woodhouse says.
The money will come from
capital fundraising campaign
involving businesses, student
contributions, college funds set
aside in savings and an Ontario
government grant, which, Woodhouse says, the college is “very
likely” to get.
He adds the drawings are “so far
along” only small details need to
be decided, but the fine details are
open to change, based on needs.
A model of the Welland campus shows the Master Plan ideas for a full renovation of the 40-year-old
campus.
Photo by Joe Fowler
College prepares for high alert
New Emergency Preparedness Plan should improve student safety, says college
By SHANE BUCKINGHAM
Staff Writer
Niagara College is aiming to
update on-campus security by
Sept. 1.
In response to the Sept. 14, 2007,
incident, when Daniel Mook was
arrested at the collegeʼs Welland
campus for being allegedly
intoxicated and carrying an
unloaded pellet pistol, the college
created new security procedures
and technological enhancements.
The initiatives underway are
the recommendations of a college
working committee consulting
with Niagara Regional Police.
The committee was put together
shortly after the incident by
Steve Hudson, vice-president of
corporate services. It includs four
people: Mal Woodhouse, director
of facilities management, John
Levay, director of information and
technology services, Jim Garner,
director of human resources and
Rick Demers, manager of health,
safety and security.
The way the incident “unfolded,
it was handled well, but there was
also room for improvement,” says
Gord Hunchak, Niagara Collegeʼs
director of communications and
marketing.
At that time, Levay says the col-
lege was already in the “infancy
stage” of reviewing its Emergency
Preparedness Plan following the
Dawson College shooting in Montreal; however, after Sept. 14, the
college “expedited” the process.
“I think youʼll always see an
emergency plan improving and
continuously evolving,” says
Hunchak.
Garner says they “didnʼt have
any prior consultation” from the
NRP on situationʼs involving
an armored intruder before the
incident.
However, they have consulted with the NRP about other
aspects of the Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP), such as
bomb threats, of which Niagara
had a half a dozen.
The NRP assisted in the creation
of an evacuation plan and a shelter
in-place procedure, something the
EPP did not include previously,
says Garner.
As for the collegeʼs enhancements, it will be installing Voice
Over Internet Protocol phones
over the summer, says Levay.
The phones can be used as twoway voice communications “like
a regular phone” or they can be
“flipped over” to broadcast mode
for announcements.
Certain individuals involved
with security or the marketing and
communications department will
have access codes, so they can
broadcast an announcement to the
rest of the college.
Levay says this will be cost effective because every classroom
has been set up for multimedia,
so the phones will simply “piggyback off the wiring thatʼs already
there.”
Thereʼs “nothing better or
worse” technologically compared
with the phone system the Welland
campus already uses, says Levay;
however, the phones were selected
because it allows the college “to
stay open and current technological trends.”
“Itʼs a flexible program we
can build on for the future,” says
Hunchak.
The public address (PA) system
is being upgraded to improve sound
quality and the coverage. It will
extend into areas it doesnʼt reach
currently, such as washrooms, the
residence and exterior classrooms.
Again, Levay says it “wonʼt
be difficult” to install the upgrades
because wiring to all buildings is
done. Once the project is complete, broadcasts, with the proper
code, can be made from any phone
at either campus to the entire
college.
“What we decided was to go
down to the least common denominator. Everyone knows how
a phone works. Everyone is used
to using it as a paging system [at
Wellandʼs campus] and with certain extensions everyone knows
exactly how that operates. So putting that into place with the right
security codes means people can
utilize the technology theyʼre most
comfortable with when dealing
with an emergency situation.”
Unlike Welland, Niagara-onthe-Lake campus does not have a
phone paging system and has to
make all announcements by microphone at the security advice.
However, by September, it too,
will be equipped with the same
technology, says Levay.
A Virtual Command Centre is
being constructed, which is “essentially a conference bridge,”
says Levay.
“It keeps the emergency response
team communicating directly with
each other, and more than one at a
time. Itʼs everyone virtually in the
same conversation. And thatʼs key
having direct communication saves
a lot of time instead of having to
relay messages,” says Hunchak.
Under the old plan, staff was
“supposed to physically meet” at a
specified place within the college
during a security situation.
As for security camera upgrades, Garner says Woodhouse
and Levay “will determine the
through tender and process the
kind of equipment thatʼs chosen and the installation of the
equipment.”
“Weʼre looking at expediting
that and we want to have, if not all
the entrances covered, we want to
have the primary ones covered.”
A third party will be installing
the cameras under the supervision
of Niagaraʼs staff, says Levay.
New signage will be posted
around the school to help emergency workers responding to a
crisis.
Training has been planned for
staff, security and faculty “before they go on vacations,” says
Garner.
The scenarios will let everyone
practice “different responses and
roles,” says Garner.
Securityʼs job will remain to
“call the police immediately” in
the event of an armed intruder.
Students can view the media release on the blackboard
homepage.
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Editorial Page 6
•
CBC and CTV Tours Page 12 – 13
•
Niagara Noise Page 18 – 20
•
Sports Page 9 – 10
3
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Cooking for gold at Niagara
By JOE FOWLER
Staff Writer
Looking for the best cake, rolls
or éclairs in the region? Look no
farther than Welland.
On Feb. 25, the question was
answered at the Fourth Annual
Niagara Invitational High School
Cook-off hosted by the Niagara
Culinary Institute at the collegeʼs
Niagara-on the-Lake campus.
Notre Dame High School student Nathan Libertini walked out
of the solo bakery competition
with a gold medal. Silver went
to Tamara Martell of Danforth
Collegiate and Technical Institute, and bronze went to Barbara
Belanger of Eastdale Secondary
School in Welland.
The baking competition saw
six solo bakers preparing a decorated cake and assorted rolls and
éclairs.
Ian Campbell and Holly
Flippance, of Torontoʼs Danforth Collegiate and Technical
Institute, took home the gold
for the culinary portion of the
competition.
The culinary competition saw
24 two-person teams prepare an
appetizer of French pistou soup
and chicken cordon bleu with
spinach-stuffed tomatoes for the
entrée.
“Itʼs overwhelming. I wasnʼt
expecting to win, and then they
called our team,” said Holly Flippance, of Toronto. “We practised
and the team pulled together
pretty well actually. We were
worried about the chicken and the
tomatoes.”
“It was good, a little nerve
wracking. I wasnʼt sure when to
start,” said Ian Campbell of Toronto. “I had to put the chicken
back in the oven. It wasnʼt cooking. Itʼs a good thing we had to
plate at five minutes to show. Iʼm
really excited about the scholarship. Itʼs a good place to start.”
Gold medal winners in both
competitions win a $1,000 scholarship towards Niagara Collegeʼs
culinary programs.
Solomon Chau and Eugene
Kruglov, of St. Francis High
School in St. Catharines, took
silver. Bronze medals went to
Jordan Heil and Bryan Nault, of
Port Colborne High School.
The teams were judged on culinary technique, presentation and
balance of ingredients, taste and
hygienic practice.
Judges from companies like
Vintage Inns and Unilever Food
Solutions were on hand to observe and grade the teams.
Chef Revival sponsored the
baking prize, and Mercer Tools
sponsored the culinary prize.
Knorr was also a sponsor at the
event.
Competitors came from the Niagara region and Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Toronto.
The event also served as a networking opportunity for the novice chefs and patissiers to touch
base with some of the regionʼs
chef elite.
Allie Pullia 16, of Jean-Vanier Secondary School in Welland, measures out spinach for the culinary
competion.
Photo by Joe Fowler
McKenna shines as leading Knight
Continued from page 1
“Itʼs the top honour at the college,” says
Lemon.
The Niagara Falls native says that she tries
to be a leader on and off the court, saying
this is especially important with five rookies
on the team this season.
“You got to have the [veterans] there,”
says her coach.
This is not the first time McKenna has been
recognized for her play as a Niagara Knight,
also having been named to the first team
West All-Star team three years in a row.
In 2006, as well as being named an all-star,
McKenna won the OCAA Rookie of the Year
award, the OCAA All Academic Award and
the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
Academic All-Canadian award.
She says that even with all these honours,
being named all Canadian is “definitely at
the top.”
Although McKenna graduates this spring,
she still has two years of post-secondary
athletics eligibility remaining, so many institutions have contacted her about her services. Her coach says that the interest is on
a national level, saying that there has been
interest from Vancouver to Prince Edward
Island.
“I definitely want to play out my final two
years of eligibility,” says McKenna.
McKenna says that right now she is undecided about where she will play these two
years, adding she has not completely counted
out returning to Niagara.
“If we can get her a good education that
will lead her to a good job, I would love her
to come back,” says Lemon.
Kaitlyn McKenna surveys the court in a recent Ontario College Athletic Association
game.
Submitted photo
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4
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Come for the plants, stay for the wine
NOTL open house ‘bigger and better’
By TERRI GILES
Staff Writer
Wine, food and a diverse environment are all In Your Backyard.
This weekend is the 39th Annual
Horticultural Open House.
The event, coined In Your Backyard, showcases studentsʼ talents
and skills from the Horticulture
department and the Culinary,
Esthetics and Event Management
and Viticulture programs.
Jim Thomson, greenhouse
manager, says he hopes to see
visitors from all over the region
attend because the open house
showcases everything Niagara is
known for, such as wine, food and
the environment.
“This year we have more involvement from the viticulture,
environment and culinary programs,” he says. “It will be bigger
and better than ever.”
In Your Back Yard will be held
at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus on Taylor Road in the gymnasium, cafeteria and greenhouse.
The Wine Store and the Niagara
Culinary Institute Dining Room
will also be open. Guests will be
able to taste wine and food in a
backyard setting complete with
a garden, a water display and a
gazebo designed by students and
set up in the gymnasium.
Students will give gardening advice, sell plants they have grown
over the year and present demonstrations in the greenhouse.
Guests from the wine, culinary
and environment fields will be
speaking about the front yard designs, new Niagara wine products,
skin care tips and more.
Viticulture and culinary stu-
dents are providing wine and
food for visitors, and Niagara
College brand wines will be on
sale at the Teaching Winery and
Wine Store.
The event, which has free
admission, will give visitors the
chance to purchase from a wide
assortment of potted bulbs, flower arrangements, house plants,
hanging baskets, wine, food and
esthetics.
For those without a green
thumb, students from the esthetics program will be showing
their talents in the skin care field
by giving tips on keeping skin
healthy.
Chris Langendoen, 35, a student in the horticulture program,
says the event will be very busy
because it gets bigger and better
each year.
“Those who want to be better
gardeners should come because
we will be offering tips on how
to improve your gardens, such
as how to properly prune plants,
which plants are poisonous to pets
and when to plant your garden.”
The all-ages event will have an
Easter-themed childrenʼs area, in
the greenhouse and a colouring
area in the cafeteria hosted by
event management students. All
children in attendance will receive
their very own free spider plant.
“We have all sorts of plants in
the greenhouse right now that are
ready to pop into bloom,” says
Thomson. “The greenhouse will
be a sea of colour for the event.”
“In Your Back Yard will be the
perfect start to the spring season,
and we welcome everyone to attend the event.”
The Niagara College greenhouse at the NOTL campus, is one of three
open house venues this weekend.
Photo By Terri Giles
IN YOUR BACKYARD
39th Annual Horticultural Open House
Saturday and Sunday
March 15 and 16, 2008
from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Showcasing the talents of students training in Horticulture,
Culinary, Environment, Esthetics, Wine & Viticulture, and
Event Management.
Featuring:
• Student demonstrations
• Interactive displays
• Guest speakers
• Gardening advice
• Competitions
• Vendor exhibits
• Wine tasting
• Childrenʼs area
For more information, visit the In Your Backyard web site:
http://niagaracollege.ca/backyard
Enrolled in a Red Seal trade?
Apprenti(e) dans un métier Sceau rouge?
Then you may qualify for a $1,000 grant.
Si oui, vous avez peut-être droit à une subvention de 1 000 $.
There are a lot of reasons to pursue an
apprenticeship. We’ve added another. The
Apprenticeship Incentive Grant is a new grant that
is available to registered apprentices once they
have successfully completed their first or second
year (or equivalent) of an apprenticeship program
in one of the Red Seal trades.
Aux diverses raisons de faire un apprentissage vient s’ajouter une
autre : la Subvention incitative aux apprentis. Il s’agit d’une nouvelle
subvention offerte aux apprentis inscrits, après la 1re ou 2e année
de formation (ou l’équivalent) terminée avec succès dans un métier
Sceau rouge.
How to apply:
CALL:
1-866-742-3644 / TTY 1-866-909-9757
CLICK:
servicecanada.ca
OR VISIT: a Service Canada Centre
Pour présenter une demande :
COMPOSEZ : 1-866-742-3644 / ATS 1-866-909-9757
CLIQUEZ :
servicecanada.ca
OU VISITEZ : un centre Service Canada
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
5
The power of sports
BY SHAWN DIXON
Staff Writer
“Look after yourself, look after
one another,” is the motto of Right
To Play, an international organization devoted to building a healthier
and safer world through the power
of sport.
The main goals are to improve
health, build life skills and foster
peace for children across 23 poor
and war-torn countries in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East. Top
amateur and professional athletes
who serve as Right To Play Athlete
Ambassadors support the agencyʼs
causes.
These athletes, from more than
40 countries, inspire children, are
role models for positive lifestyle
choices and help raise awareness
and funding for the agencyʼs
projects.
Some athletes visit Right To Play
projects to get a first-hand account
of the organizationʼs work. Last
summer National Hockey League
players Steve Montador and Andrew Ference got the chance to go
to Tanzania and help.
“Where the athletes go specifically isnʼt as important as what is
happening on the ground,” said
Mark Brender, the deputy director
for Right To Play Canada.
“These trips give the athletes a
first-hand experience to see what
we are doing. Weʼve really had exceptional support; it reinforces that
we are doing something important
and it inspires the athletes to get
even more involved.”
Athletes donʼt have to fly to
countries needing help in order to
show their support.
Colleen Shields, former Ontario
and Canadian champion swimmer,
swam across Lake Ontario in August 2006 to raise $5,000 for Right
To Play.
“If I can help kids learn to play
through my sports, I will,” said
Shields.
She said she was “inspired” by
Canadian Olympic gold medalist
speed skater Clara Hughes, who
has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the agency.
“I have picked the right charity,”
said Shields.
Recently 10 NHL stars, including
Alexander Ovechkin, Joe Thornton
and Daniel Alfredsson, all made a
donation to Right To Play based on
minutes played in one game.
“Anyone who has experience in
sports understands why the athletes
give Right To Play their support,”
said Brender.
Right to Play raised about $20
million for needy children across
the globe in 2006.
This money is used to train local
coaches for the children, implement programs and keep the initiatives locally driven in the countries
Right to Play touches.
For more information on Right
to Play or to make a donation, visit
www.righttoplay.ca.
‘It’s about time’
Part-time workers rally
at Niagara College
for union certification
By SHANE BUCKINGHAM
Staff Writer
Part-time faculty across Ontario
is being courted by “the largest
membership drive in the history of
the labour movement in Ontario.”
The Ontario Public Service
Employees Union (OPSEU),
which represents 16,000 part-time
workers, held a rally at Niagara
Collegeʼs Welland campus on
March 10. The rally was to propose
union certification to the collegeʼs
1,000- member part-time staff.
“Our campaign is not just the
rights of part-time workers, but
itʼs also about quality education,”
says Roger Courvette, president of
the Organization of Part-time and
Sessional Employees of Colleges
of Applied Arts and Technologies,
an affiliate of OPSEU.
After a Supreme Court of Canada
ruling that collective bargaining
rights are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
in June 2007, McGuinty promised
to “recognize the right of colleges
to bargain collectively” in August
2007, he says.
Less than three weeks later this
“historic campaign” was launched,
says Courvette.
“Our campaign slogan is Itʼs
Time, but when we run into parttimers they say, “Itʼ about time.”
Under the 1975 Colleges Collective Bargaining Agreement
(CCBA), part-time employees are
excluded from collective bargaining.
Welland New Democrat MPP
Peter Kormos says his party has
introduced two private members
bills to amend the CCBA to include
part-time employees.
“Were going to do everything
inside the legislature and outside
the legislature to force McGuinty
and his government to keep his
promise,” says Kormos.
Heather Minow, Student Administrative Council president,
announced the part-time student
workers at the college, which make
up 30 per cent of the part-time
workforce, would also be able to
unionize.
For more information on
OPSEU, visit www.opseu.org.
Andrew Ference, of the Boston Bruins, and Steve Montador, of the Florida Panthers, pose for a picture with
the children of Tanzania helped by Right to Play last summer.
Submitted photo
6
NIAGARA NEWS
NIAGARA NEWS
Editor: Terri Giles
Associate Editor: Matt Day
Assistant Editor: Jessie Dostal
Photo Editor: Devon Meron
March 14, 2008
Editorial & Opinion
We welcome your opinion
E-mail: [email protected] • Mail: V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland,Ont. L3C 7L3
In Person: Room V10, Welland campus. • Policy: All letters must be signed
and include a day and evening phone contact number for verification purposes.
Publisher: Leo Tiberi
Managing Editor: George Duma
Associate Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt
Design/Layout Consultant: Peter Conradi
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie
Photography Consultant: Dave Hanuschuk
Technology Support: Kevin Romyn
V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd.,
Welland, Ont., L3C 7L3
Telephone: (905) 735-2211
Fax: (905) 736-6003
Editorial E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising E-mail: [email protected]
Publisherʼs E-mail: [email protected]
2006 WINNER
Niagara News is a practical lab for Journalism-Print program students studying at Niagara College. Opinions expressed in editorials and columns are not
those of Niagara News management or the college administration. Columns,
identified as such, reflect only the writerʼs opinion.
Readers are welcome to respond to columnists by e-mail at
[email protected]
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asked to check their advertisements after first insertion. We accept responsibility for only one incorrect insertion unless notified immediately after publication.
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.
Thank you, from Legend packs up 17 years
Niagara News
of exciting gridiron action
“You are educated. Your
certification is in your degree.
You may think of it as the ticket
to the good life. Let me ask you
to think of an alternative. Think
of it as your ticket to change the
world.” ~Tom Brokaw
As April approaches and our
time at Niagara College nears an
end, we at Niagara News would
like to thank you for reading
the paper every week and your
unwavering support.
In
the
Journalism-Print
program, second-year students
have done their best to keep the
entire region up-to-date on the
events here at the college.
It is our goal to give readers
unbiased and timely information
about college sports, the Niagara
music scene, politics and events
that affect our community.
We would also like to thank
our professors for their support,
guidance, honesty and patience.
If it werenʼt for their passion
and dedication to journalism,
we would not have the same
drive and determination we do
now about proper spelling of
names, and accuracy of fact.
Without their unwavering
support, we would not be where
we are today.
From the knowledge we have
gained, we are confident that
when we go into the workforce,
we will be fully prepared, due
to our facultyʼs unconditional
mentoring and care.
The second-year journalism
class is a tight-knit team of
editors, reporters, paginators
and photographers, working to
make Niagara News a reliable
resource for college updates.
We would like to wish the
next team of Journalism-Print
students, who will take over the
next issue of the paper, good
luck. We hope they have fewer
hurdles to jump over than we
did (although we like to think
we did pretty well) and are as
proud of Niagara News as we
are when March comes around
again next year.
To our readers, we wish you
a fabulous St. Patrickʼs Day, a
happy Easter, a non-stressful
end of school and a successful
future.
TERRI GILES
“There goes my hero, watch
him as he goes...” – My Hero,
Foo Fighters.
March 4, 2008 will go down
as the saddest day in history for
myself and every other Green
Bay Packers fan.
It is the day that the legendary
quarterback,
Brett
Favre,
decided to retire after an
illustrious 17-year career, of
which the last 16 were spent in
Green Bay.
Iʼll never forget the day I
picked out my favourite football
team. When I was seven, my
auntʼs boyfriend asked me what
team was my favourite.
“That one,” I said, as I pointed
to the team wearing green on
the TV screen. I remember he
chuckled and said I had made
a good choice because they
had a young, very talented
quarterback.
From that point on, I became
obsessed with the green
and gold. I was officially a
cheesehead, but I would never
have guessed what the next 13
years would mean to me.
Being only 10 years old, I
watched Favre win a SuperBowl.
I was the happiest kid in the
world, for my hero had just
proven himself as the best.
Eleven years later, I look back
and watch that game against
the New England Patriots and
actually realize how genuinely
happy he was, running down
the field to his teammates with
his helmet off, yelling at the top
of his lungs. He made the game
fun, and I appreciate how lucky
I am having grown up with him
being my inspiration.
Nowadays, it seems like it is
all about the money. I look at
superstars Peyton Manning and
Tom Brady and it just looks like
they are throwing a ball on the
field because they have to, not
because they want to. You donʼt
see them making fart jokes,
pulling pranks mid-game, or
throwing snowballs at other
teammates on a freezing day.
Favre reminded us all that itʼs
just a game, and that you should
be having fun while battling it
out on the gridiron.
Favre was human. He didnʼt
seem out of the fansʼ league. He
went through his troublesome
times, just like we all do. He
battled a painkiller and alcohol
addiction, just to come out
stronger. He lost his dad, and
that same week, played the
game of his life against the
Oakland Raiders.
His wife, Deanna, has been
battling breast cancer, yet he
still chucked a ball around on
the field like it was his first
game in a uniform.
I think the reason everyone
likes Favre is because nearly all
of us can identify with at least
one thing he has gone through.
But did he ever decide to give
up? Not until 275 games in a
row had he decided it was time
to call it quits.
With
virtually
every
quarterback record belonging
to Favre, he has nothing left
to prove. I hope future athletes
look to him as a role model, and
not to the criminals of the game
who make the news for drug
busts, spousal abuse or illegal
gambling rings.
I donʼt know what the future
now holds for my favourite
team, but come September I
will be looking forward to a new
dynastyʼs beginning for one of
the most storied franchises in
sports.
MATT DAY
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
7
Bundling up for bigger things
Editorʼs Note: This report was
written prior to Jennifer Haynesʼs
departure. Watch for an update in
the April 11 edition.
By JORDAN BAKER
Staff Writer
Itʼs time for the big move.
Itʼs thousands of miles away and
a place where a dip in temperature
could shock someone to the coldest
bowels of hell.
Itʼs a place known only as Hay
River.
The gal making the move has
just been outfitted with the “most
amazing” coat she has ever seen,
though.
“I look like a marshmallow,”
says 26-year-old Jennifer Haynes
of big-city Burlington.
Itʼs time for her to look at things
in a slightly new light, though. Who
cares what you look like when the
windchill is minus 45?
Haynes is leaving the life sheʼs
known here for a new job in a new
town, a much smaller town. Hay
River is only 3,600 people strong.
She starts her new job March 3
at the Hay River Hub community
newspaper 4,500 kilometres from
her home.
Nestled in the underbelly of
Great Slave Lake in the Northwest
Territories, the town of Hay River
isnʼt as remote as other places in
the north, for you can drive there
if you have the time and chains on
your tires.
Two major things she must become acclimatized to are the slow
and easy small-town atmosphere
and the bitter, not-so-sweet cold.
The cold means Haynes is excited at the prospect of the “onesie”
being a daily fashion choice and the
cold is something she says sheʼll
get used to. Itʼs the small town and
its folk she fears the most.
“I definitely have no experience
in dealing with small-town life or
small-town people. I am worried I
will be seen as the city outcast.”
With her fashionable outsider
onesie designed by Coco Chanel,
she shouldnʼt have any trouble impressing the locals.
The key to adapting, she says,
is to “go with the flow and take it
as it comes. I am trying not to have
too many expectations. I think
it will be easier to adapt if I do it
that way. If I set no expectations,
my expectations canʼt be disappointed.”
Whatʼs going away without a
going-away party?
Jennifer surely doesnʼt know.
Her roommates are throwing
a Hawaii/Hay River-themed party. Guests must dress tropical or
arctic.
She expects the party to be the
last opportunity for some fun before her looming trip, which includes a flight to Edmonton and
then another into Hay River.
“I am sure the bittersweet moment will come at the airport when
I leave. Iʼm not sure if my parents
are taking me, but I know my best
friend will be seeing me off. That
will be a tear-jerker.”
Joel Lightman, Haynesʼs friend
and drinking buddy, will send her
on her way and be the one to prevent her from turning around.
Her friend Patrick Teskey, who
works at the Hub, already has given
her a small piece of advice: “You
have to make a decision youʼll be
happy with, and I know itʼs not an
easy one. Just remember though, I
went through this too, but I didnʼt
Journalism-Print expresses
appreciation to field
placement firms
Students in the second-year of the Journalism-Print program
spend 140 hours of unpaid field placement in April building
portfolio and expanding their network of community and industry contacts.
Program faculty and students wish to thank the following organizations for their participation:
Daily Newspapers
The Tribune, Welland as reporters, photographers,
page designers
The Review, Niagara Falls as reporters, photographers
The Observer, Sarnia as reporter/photographer
Community Newspapers
The Hay River Hub, Hay River, North West Territories as
reporter/photographer (hired)
Tillsonburg News, reporter/photographer
The Voice of Pelham, reporter/photographer
Niagara News, Production assistant
Elmira Independent, Reporter/photographer
The Orangeville Banner, reporter/photographer
The Mount Forest Confederate, reporter/photographer
Public Relations
Researched Innovation, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Media Officer
St. Catharines General hospital, in-house
reporter/photographer
Niagara Region Public Health, communications/
public relations
Canadian Cancer Society, media relations officer
Gillianʼs Place, St. Catharines, public relations officer
Jennifer Haynes, a second year journalism student, stands along a snow frosty and covered road in Hay River,
Northwest Territories.
Submitted photo
have a single person up here that “one of the stages of emotion” one miliar to her.
I knew.”
goes through when facing a major
“I donʼt really like change very
Haynes says Teskeyʼs words are change.
much, but I tend to throw myself
“as comforting as they can be.”
She jokes that what sheʼll miss into these types of situations. I am
She did have a small panic at- the most is Tim Hortons but says definitely going to miss all of my
tack earlier, something she calls sheʼll also miss everything else fa- friends.”
8
NIAGARA NEWS
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YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES.
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stimulating environments. Whether close to home or abroad, the Forces offer you:
• A wide range of careers in professional fields and technical trades
• Training programs throughout your career
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To find out more, visit our Website or your local Canadian Forces recruiting centre.
WWW.FORCES.CA
1-800-856-8488
JOIN US
March 14, 2008
9
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Sports
Knights reflect on up-and-down season
Team hopes to learn from disappointing 10-8 finish
By MATT DAY
Staff Writer
With a 7-2 start to the season, the
Niagara Knights menʼs basketball
team looked poised for a deep playoff run. But as the saying goes, all
good things must come to an end.
The team struggled with the
final half of the season and
barely squeaked out an above
.500 record.
“I think the level of competition
was a lot harder,” explained head
coach Mike Beccaria on the sudden fall of productivity. “We didnʼt
really play well and it was disappointing.”
He says he believes one of the
pitfalls of the team was losing
confidence in the type of zone
defence they ran.
“We had different personnel
and were limited to playing manon-man.”
The 10-8 Knights eventually
lost in the first playoff game
to the St. Lawrence Vikings
86-77.
“Iʼm a little upset. I wanted to
go to the tournament,” said Anthony McAleese, a veteran of the
Knightʼs team. McAleese will be
graduating this year, who said
he wanted to make it to “the last
dance,” but playing away from
home really hurt the morale of
the team.
Near the end of the season, the
Knights split a six-game road
stint and ended up losing five of
their last six games.
“We had a real slump in play.
We lost some guys due to some
academic trouble, so we had to
pick up new guys and it was hard
to teach them,” said rookie Jeremy Settimi, 19, of Hamilton.
Despite the result of a disap-
Niagara Knights guard, Anthony McAleese sprints down the court
against a Sheridan Bruins defender on Jan. 16 in a home game
Photo by Matt Day
pointing finish to a strong start, build on this experience for
Beccaria said he is confident the next year.
team can learn from this and
“Graduation is going to hurt
us, but with the group of kids we
have coming back, itʼs a solid
core to build on.”
Beccaria pointed out there is
always some good to take away
from a bad situation.
The Knights lost by only a
combined six points in two
games to Sheridan College of
Oakville, the eventual Ontario
Colleges Athletics Association champions. They split two
games with silver medalists Algoma Univeristy of Sault. Ste.
Marie.
“After a week or so, you put it
into perspective and see that we
played really good teams,” said
Beccaria.
He says he is pleased with
what he has done for his first
year of being head coach for the
team and is looking forward to
next season.
BRTF tournament
for scholarship
still going strong
By SARAH JOHNSON
Staff Writer
The fifth annual Greg Darling
Scholarship Fund Ball Hockey Tournament will take place on March 15
at the Ball Hockey International
(BHI) courts on the Welland campus at Niagara College.
Second-year Broadcasting Radio, Television and Film (BRTF)
Presentation student, Sarah
Zinger, is the Promotions Manager for the college radio station
90.1 The Heat.
“Ball Hockey International
and 90.1 FM The Heat get together every year to put on the
Greg Darling Scholarship Fund
[tournament]. Any teams are allowed to go into the tournament;
it doesnʼt matter where you are
from. We actually have a team
from London thatʼs in the tournament,” Zinger, 20, said.
They have 10 teams signed
up to play in the tournament on
March 15 as well as the alumni
team of broadcasting professors,
making the total 11, Zinger said.
The teams each paid $150 to
enter the tournament.
Past tournaments have pitted
teachers against students, always
with thrilling results, but the
tournament is open to anyone and
everyone.
The scholarship is named after
Greg Darling, a former BRTF instructor at the college who died
in 2003.
“We raise money for the Greg
Darling Scholarship Fund. Greg
Darling was a teacher who taught
in broadcasting and he [died] in
“[The scholarship
is] given out every
year at our annual
GRAFITI awards
the broadcasting
students put on. The
scholarship goes out
to a deserving film
student.”
— Sarah Zinger
2003. [The scholarship is] given out every year at our annual
GRAFITI awards the broadcasting students put on. The scholarship goes out to a deserving film
student,” she said.
Zinger said there would be priz
offered this year.
Linamar, a car parts manufacturing plant in Guelph, donated
mugs, pens, T-shirts, hats, cardholders and CD cases for the
teams. Zinger said there is also
a raffle table, which will have
Lego figurines that were donated from Zellers, The Worldʼs
Most Comfortable Pen from
Staples and a Jersey from Prospect Sports.
Zehrʼs donated all of the condiments and hotdog and hamburger
buns Zinger mentioned.
If you would like more information about the tournament,
contact Zinger at [email protected].
always gambling,
If a close friend is
line.
help. Learn more on
she may need your
ca
friends4friends.
10
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Sports
UFC fighters come north
Ultimate pros show their stuff at local fight club seminar in Niagara
62921619
Nick Diaz practices jiu-jitsu with Vince Mattei (bottom left). In the
background, Nate Diaz (top left) instructs two students.
Photo by Matt Day
By MATT DAY
Staff Writer
Not many people get to train
with a professional athlete in their
favourite sport, but a group of about
30 had the opportunity to spar with
EliteXC fighter Nick Diaz and
Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) fighter Nate Diaz.
The brothers led a seminar at
Fight Club Canada (FCC) on
Drummond Road on March 1.
The two Californian brothers
braved Canadaʼs cold weather for
their first-ever visit to Canada.
“Itʼs cold, but itʼs good because
Iʼm not in the snow every day, so
itʼs fun,” said the 22-year-old Nate,
who is 8-2-0 for his professional
record.
Nick, a black belt in jiu-jitsu,
showed the class some new fighting techniques and new moves
with the help of Nate, a brown belt
in jiu-jitsu.
Along with the new moves, Nick,
24, who has a professional record
of 15-7-0, offered some advice to
aspiring athletes.
“Like the Nike sign says, Just Do
It. Youʼve got to train hard.”
Nick said he got into fighting
when he was in high school.
“Like the Nike sign
says, Just Do It. You’ve
got to train hard.”
— Nick Diaz
“I didnʼt have anything in school
I was interested in. When I got into
a Jiu-Jitsu school, I was actually
learning. Jiu-Jitsu gave me more
direction. I learned more. I wanted
to learn.”
The brothers would demonstrate a move to the class step by
step, then walk around and help
anyone who needed some oneon-one.
Chris Taber, 35, of Niagara Falls
said the $80 fee to enrol in the
seminar was worth it to “roll on the
mats” with the mixed martial arts
[MMA] fighters.
“Right now is the best time to be
in Jiu-Jitsu or MMA because itʼs
still on the way up,” said the FCC
gym member. “Once these guys
become superstars, youʼre not going to have this chance to be one
on one.”
The three-hour seminar started at
noon and autographs were signed
from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The clubʼs president, Matt
Skinner, said The Fight Network
contacted the gym and asked if the
brothers could come to Niagara
Falls and lead a class.
“They wanted to do it here because we are one of the premier
MMA clubs in Ontario,” explained
Skinner.
The club, which opened on
Sept. 20, 2007, has world-class
instructors who have been to the
Olympics and the Pan American
Games.
“Nate and Nick being here builds
our credibility. It shows we are the
real deal,” said Mike Booth, the
gymʼs vice-president.
Nickʼs next fight is scheduled on
March 29 against South Koreaʼs
Jae Suk Lim in a co-promoted
event by EliteXC and Strikeforce,
while Nateʼs next fight is scheduled
for UFC Fight Night 13 on April 2
against Kurt Pellegrino.
For more information on how
to become a gym member, contact
either Skinner or Booth at 289477-1032 or visit
www.fightclubcanada.com
l
a
c
i
p
o
r
It’s T
MARK YOUR SCHEDULES!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
For Niagara College’s 13th Annual
Student Appreciation Day Event
Throughout
udents will
the College, st
eaways, prize
find treats, giv mpus store
nd ca
draws, food a
any other
specials and m
surprises!
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND ...
150 Tropical Eggs have been
hidden throughout the college,
find one and win a prize!
It’s
our way of sa
yin
“thanks” for ch g
oosing
Niagara Colleg
e as your
place to study,
work, live
and play
Staff of Niagara College wish to acknowledge, with much appreciation, your contribution to our college community.
11
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
d
a
d
P
y
.
t es are ’s
S ey
smiling
Left: Ken DiBattista, Oliver
Mohan, Travis DePasquale,
Jamie Moss and Bear
Tracey show off their
Irish side at the Niagara
College Welland campus
After Hours.
Bottom right: Green beer
is back. Soon enough,
many avid Irish wannabes
will indulge themselves
with some frothy green
pleasure.
Bottom left: Jamie Moss
has a tattoo, for the pride
of the Irish, so “every day
he can be a little Irish.”
Photos by
Rachel Sanderson
A toast to
customs
of the
Emerald Isle
By JORDAN BAKER
Staff Writer
Hereʼs a toast to you: May the best day of your past be
the worst day of your future.
The customary cheers of St. Patrickʼs Day are about
bestowing goodwill on your fellow man. The Irish are to
toasts what the Chinese are to proverbs.
Irish “slainte” means health, so in loose translation
and direct usage, it means “cheers” or “to good health,”
and itʼs often said over a pint or just before a bar fight.
While the Irish enjoy a five-day festival of bagpipes
and beer, it is only on March 17 that we in Canada pay
homage to the patron saint of Ireland. On this day, everyone has an Irish heritage, and the rivers run green with
leprechaun blood.
Andrew Mclellan, second-year Broadcasting – Radio,
Television and Film program student, says, “Itʼs an excuse to have a good time and party.”
It is in fact a statutory holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador, although very few places outside Ireland that give
the day off. Guinness, a popular Irish beer, is petitioning
to make
it a national holiday in the United States . Keep your
fingers crossed: there are only 886,659 more signatures
needed.
Proposition 3-17 requires one million signatures by
midnight on March 16 to present to Congress for the
proposition to succeed.
Although the holiday would be in the U.S., you donʼt
have to be American to sign the petition. Anyone across
the globe can sign by saying he or she resides in one of
the 50 states.
It might have been a good day in Ontario to replace
Family Day, but Premier Dalton McGuinty surely doesnʼt
think so, and understandably, as a day celebrating family
is going to attract more voters than a holiday – originally
a holy day – devoted to an alcoholic saint.
There are a few St. Paddyʼs staples, such as the boring green dye in your Canadian beer. more adventurous
drink to order is the truly Irish beer like Murphyʼs Irish
Stout or Kilkenny Cream Ale.
Mclellan says on the 17th he is “encouraged” to
have a Guinness Draught and suggests others might
try “a celebratory Irish car bomb,” a drink that combines
a pleasant mix of Guinness and Baileyʼs.
Mclellan also suggests listening to bagpipes, or for
those who have pop rather than parade music in their
collection, getting into the Irish spirit by listening to
bands like Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly, with
their engaging lyrics: “We drink and drink and drink and
drink and drink and drink and fight.”
Drinking and fighting? Itʼs a St. Patrickʼs Day miracle!
The final suggestion is for everyone, even those who
donʼt like beer or appreciate music. Just wear green,
whether itʼs a hat, a sock or a bowtie. Wear anything
green to show your support. The Irish arenʼt picky, and
neither is Patrick.
Have a safe and enjoyable St. Patrickʼs Day, and as
you slide down the banisters of life, may the splinters be
pointed the other way.
12
13
NIAGARA NEWS • March 14, 2008
CBC grooms students
Photos clockwise from top: Peter Lucignani, a 2006 Broadcasting – Radio Television and Film graduate, is an on-air technical director, in charge of making sure the shows are on time.
Photo by Rachel Sanderson
Leah Fallaise works a camera at the Canadian Air Farce Studio. Photo by Shane Buckingham
Eric White, Rob Bilodeau ad Leah Falliase goof around in the coffee shop in the Canadian Air Farce studio. Photo by Shane Buckingham
Rob Bilodeau and Eric White at the CBC News at 6 control room. Photo by Jordan Baker
Chris Broadley, Kayla Cleland, Garry Carr, Ralph Atkinson and Andrew Chalmers pose in The Sports Network studio at CTV. Photo by Rachel Sanderson
By JORDAN BAKER
and SHANE BUCKINGHAM
Staff Writers
It began with an interview. Each student
was outnumbered and alone on one side of
the table, opposite a panel of seven.
Walking in to try to find them, we could
see the towering atrium that rises up all 10
storeys of the building.
Through the “rat mazes” of hallway,
you can find your way by keeping in mind
the colour-coded elevator system, says
Eric White.
The Niagara College Broadcasting –
Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) student, one of three who is interning for
six weeks at the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation (CBC), says most people who
start at the CBC are lost for the first two
months.
As we sit down with the students in the
towering atrium, the interview participants
quickly became a target of the networkʼs
Valentineʼs Day celebration in which
employees hurled red paper airplanes from
all storeys to the floor below.
For BRTF student Rob Bilodeau, whose
name badge for the first week of his internship lovingly read “Rod,” this was his first
panel interview.
“We sat there with seven people shooting
questions at us, technical questions ...”
“Personal questions,” intern Leah
Fallaise cuts in. “Like, what would you do
if someone was, like, bashing on your edit
suite and you have three minutes left to
finish editing?”
Bilodeau quietly answers, “Iʼd tell them
to go away.”
He says they asked questions most students donʼt learn.
“But Bill Boehlen taught us it all,” says
Fallaise.
According to Boehlen, BRTF professor, the program tries to “lay a good, solid
technical foundation.”
He modestly adds, “We always hope
weʼve prepared them well.”
On the other hand, White was a little
unprepared on his first day. In fact, he says,
when he printed an e-mail with directions
and a phone extension to call once he had
arrived, he somehow cut off the extension.
“I was just sitting downstairs locked
out and not knowing what to do and, fortunately, Rob and Leah walked up and we
got upstairs all right.”
Gail Carducci, manager of studio
resources at CBC, says the three Niagara
College students interviewed for the internship all stood out.
“They impressed us at the interview and
they did not disappoint. They didnʼt need
hand-holding at all. They were quite selfsufficient.”
The three students took part in CBCʼs
News, Current Affairs and Newsworld
(NCAN) internship, now in its
second year.
The internship entails a week in each
location and gives students experience in
an array of environments. Students went
through a week of orientation before their
editing, shooting, post-production and instudio work.
In the third week of shooting footage,
White “snuck a couple of” his shots into
the newscast. “I actually have had a couple
of shots on the news. So I run home … and
I wait for the third story on top of the hour
and Iʼm watching and I see the shots of my
cars and Iʼm like, those are my shots,” he
exclaimed. “It kind of exciting to know one
of my shots actually made it to air. I didnʼt
think it would happen.”
In the fourth week of post-production,
White was required to direct, although he
says he “hated it.”
He says when he was working on production, the director “forced” him to direct
one of the promo-packages for the six
oʼclock news.
“She forced me to wear the headset and
call all the shots … I was kind of nervous
about it because Iʼm an intern and who
really wants to listen to me? But they were
all really good about it. I think they had
a lot of fun mocking me more than anything,” he says, laughing.
The final week task was to write, shoot
and edit their own piece about their experience at the CBC.
Bilodeau and Fallaise took a comedic approach to their videos, which were
shown to supervisors on the last day of the
internship, Feb. 15.
The last week, Fallaise says, she has
enjoyed "free rein" of the building and
applying the skills
theyʼve
learned.
"And we've been
able to hang out
together."
Though students
aren't sent to their
internships with the
intention of finding employment,
Boehlen says, many
do.
Carducci says, "I
guess you could look
at it as an extended
job interview. If we
have jobs available,
we're more likely to
give it to successful
interns.”
White and Bilodeau will
be staying on at CBC RadioCanada for an extra two weeks of interning and two weeks of training that could
turn into a job.
“I talked to the head honchos to see if I
could stay, so Iʼm here,” says White.
“Theyʼre looking for an editor and, if
they see potential in me, I could get that
job,” says Bilodeau.
Continued on Page 15
Photo by Rachel Sanderson
CTV welcomes BRTF talent
By EMILY PEARSON
Staff Writer
It was heaven for any behind-the-scenes
television production enthusiast. A walk
through CTVʼs many control rooms on
Feb.15, for the second year Broadcasting
– Radio, Television and Film (BRTF)
students let them truly get a sense of what
goes on behind the scenes. The students
explored sets, viewed expensive equipment and had a chance to meet some of
CTVʼs on-air personalities.
In Toronto, where space is at a premium, CTV had its own winding road
leading to black iron gates, complete with
security booth and an officer who forced
the bus driver to stop and state name and
purpose. The lobby, simple and understated, greeted its visitors with bare sterile
walls, a small sitting area complete with
televisions displaying CTV 24/7.
The 28 students, four of whom were
girls, chatted amongst themselves in
anticipation of what was to come. All were
armed with cameras and open minds.
To the BRTF studentsʼ delight, it seems
Niagara College and CTV have quite the
accord. It started about 20 years ago when
Harold Wesley, director of CTV operations, was shopping for students to take on
for hire and placements.
“Your education at Niagara College is
the basement; we build the building,” said
Wesley to the BRTF students. According
to Wesley, Niagara students have the best
chance to blossom with their alreadyacquired knowledge of television equipment when that knowledge is put into a
practical environment. Wesley emphasized
that in his search for the school to deliver
quality practical knowledge of the television equipment, Niagara College provided
BRTF students with the right technical
knowledge, and they were the right fit
for CTV.
The eyes of the students lit up as soon
as Wesley, their tour guide, ushered them
through the main entrance and into the
belly of CTV. The first stop was a long
hallway with black glass. Hidden behind
that glass were a number of different control rooms with switchboards, monitors
with endless knobs and buttons.
Of the 3,000 CTV employees, Wesley
said itʼs “hard to walk into a room without
seeing a Niagara College grad.” Correct
he was when the students entered the
first control room of the day to find Peter
Lucignani, a 2006 graduate of the BRTF
program, and now an on-air technical
director, sitting quietly at his computer
watching over the program listings. He
says he was well prepared to jump into
his job.
Next, the students sat in on the CTV
News at Noon, with Christine Bentley
and Tim Weber. Wires taped to the black
floor ran every which way, connecting to
flat screen TVs and other equipment. The
two hosts had cheeky comments between
takes, and the cameramen joked.
Continued on Page 15
GINO REDA
14
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
It’s not magic, it’s Lasik
BY MICHAEL BRIGHT
Staff Writer
They say in the land of the blind,
the one-eyed man is king.
Thanks to the Bodner Institute
in Toronto, I may be heir to the
throne.
Because of complications at
birth, I have always needed the
aid of glasses or corrective contact
lenses to see.
On March 26 I underwent Lasik
eye surgery to correct the vision in
my right eye.
I arrived at the clinic at 8 a.m.,
nervous because if the surgery
doesnʼt go as planned Iʼd be blind
in one eye for the rest of my life.
I sit in the waiting room until
called for pre-surgery tests, where
freezing drops are applied to my
eye and I am given a Valium.
Soon, Iʼm called into a cold,
dim room with a surgical bed and
expensive-looking machines.
I lie on the bed and a nurse tells
me to “relax and look at a green
light” on one of the machines.
An ocular tool is placed in my
inner eyelids forcing them open.
Again, Iʼm told to “relax and look
at the green light.”
The machine moves closer to
my eye, and the ocular tool creates
pressure. It feels as if at any moment my eye could pop out of the
socket.
“Relax. It will all be over soon.
Look at the green light,” Iʼm told
again.
The machine moves slowly
across my cornea with a sharp
precision blade like a piece of deli
‘For the first 21 years
of my life I couldn’t
see the world clearly,
but now it looks
pretty good.’
— Michael Bright
Niagara College Journalism-Print student Michael Bright lays down
and prepares to go under the laser.
Photo by Lauren Jones
meat sliced scrupulously thin.
“Youʼre doing great. Keep looking at the light,” says the nurse,
as my vision quickly becomes
so blurred I couldnʼt tell the difference between my finger and a
Volkswagen.
The nurse helps me off the table
and back into the waiting room.
The faces of my family suggest
that I donʼt look that same as the
way I was when I went in. I am told
that my pupil is completely white
and my eye is bloodshot.
Back in the waiting room, the
Valium I was given to calm down
is now starting to make me drowsy.
I fall asleep in the waiting room
momentarily.
I wake to the doctor calling me in
for my procedure. He leads me into
a well-lit room with a surgical bed,
a LASIK machine and flat screen
television through which my family can observe the procedure.
A nurse helps me onto the bed
and once again tells me to “relax
and look up at the light. It will all
be over soon.”
A doctor uses a small soft utensil
to fold the flap of skin that was cut
over to the side, leaving the bare
pupil exposed.
The light centres over my eye.
Soon, I can smell flesh burning; itʼs
the laser correcting my vision.
“Youʼre doing good, only a few
more seconds,” says the nurse.
The laser stops, and the doctor
folds the flap back into place and
applies a few different eye drops.
I am helped into another waiting
room, with dim lights and large
comfy chairs where I am told to
rest, wearing large dark glasses.
I spend a half hour napping
before I am woken to have my
eye examined one last time by the
doctor.
The doctor tells me, “Everything
looks good. Weʼll see you for your
appointment tomorrow.”
I leave, seeing very little out of
my right eye, and try to make it
back to the car.
The entire procedure takes a little
over an hour.
I spent the rest of the day sleeping, applying various eye-drops
and trying to improve my vision.
In 24 hours, my vision had all
but completely returned. Despite a
lack of precise focus, my eyesight
has improved to better than it had
ever been with glasses or corrective lenses.
For the first week I must intermittently apply prescription eye-drops
and wear dark sunglasses in bright
light and outside as well as while I
sleep so that I canʼt rub my eye.
For the first 21 years of my life,
I couldnʼt see the world clearly, but
now it looks pretty good.
Historic Niagara takes new approach
By BRAD MOORE
Staff Writer
Unwelcome images stream
through oneʼs mind when downtown Niagara Falls is mentioned.
Could it be that a fresh coat of
paint and an open mind might be
the answers that Niagara Fallsʼ
downtown area needs to change
its reputation and become the next
cultural epicentre?
Historic Niagara has donated
4555 Queen St. in Niagara Falls to
My Downtown Niagara Falls as a
part of a revitalization planned for
the area.
Sal Blech, property manager
for Historic Niagara, says this organization hopes to revitalize the
downtown for arts, culture and new
media. When the downtown area
is sustainable and attractive once
again, there will be an industry for
the people growing up here.
Members of the community have
been gathering in support of the
movement.
Melanie Mullen of Niagara
Falls and a Green Party member
is co-ordinating renovations for
this project. She says the people
of Niagara Falls need to have their
downtown brought back to life
because “they donʼt have a place
to call their own, no place to be
creative on their own.”
With so many bands, artists and
writers in this area, My Downtown
Joe Sacco of Niagara Falls works to give 4555 Queen St. in Niagara Falls a new look with some love and a
fresh coat of paint. Historic Niagara donated the property to the My Downtown Niagara Falls rejuvenation
program.
Photo by Brad Moore
Niagara Falls is taking steps to
make a proud home for creativity.
In mid-January, Mullen met with
motivated citizens and artists to
discuss ideas.
“The talent is phenomenal,” says
Mullen. She says one thing is most
apparent to them: this is an artist
culture.
The idea for change had been a
popular one but needed local volunteers to be put into action. Since
its recent beginning, momentum
has increased beyond what its
founders say they expected. The
original meeting of about 20 people quickly grew to over 100. The
online support on facebook.com
for revitalizing the downtown has
grown to over 1200 people.
“It [culture] is going to come
from the inside – the community,
the artists – and spill out onto the
streets [and be] very reflective
of the community,” says Mullen.
“Weʼre not going to leave and go
to Montreal. Weʼre going to stay.”
Ronald Menchenton, 25, of
Niagara Falls, heard about the
meetings through a friend. He is
one of many who are giving 4555 a
brand-new look.
“I want to help get it fixed up so
there are places to go downtown.”
The rundown look and lack of
downtown activities have local
consequences.
“The city has needed a downtown since it closed down,” says
Caroline Meyer of Niagara Falls.
She grew up in the Honeymoon
City but moved, without hesitation,
to Toronto. At the time, she says,
Niagara Falls had only “retirement
homes and malls.”
She has since returned and found
a place among the others on the
ground floor of the revitalization.
Those interested in being part
of My Downtown Niagara Falls
are asked to e-mail downtown@
melaniemullen.com, search My
Downtown Niagara Falls on facebook.com or visit www.whereismydowntown.com.
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
15
NC and CBC shine for BRTF students
“I like the fast pace
of news because
every day it’s a
different thing,”
— White.
Rob Bilodeau and Leah Fallaise sit at one of the editing suites on the top floor of the CBC building in Toronto. Each student spent a week in post
prodution while interning at CBC.
Photo by Jordan Baker
Continued from pages 12 and 13 [Radio-Canada] into the program ers [internships] are just news. highlight of their time at the
The co-op at CBC Radio- next year.”
CBC was working on The Hour,
Thereʼs more than that here.”
Canada came up while Bilodeau
The students chose CBC as their
He says the Music Televi- with host George Stroumbouwas already at the CBC. When internship because of the number sion (MTV) internship is just lopoulos. Students helped edit
this chance became available, as of opportunities in the building, “coffee runs.”
the show.
the “only Frenchman in the pro- which houses 6,000 employees.
One afternoon after finishing
“I think weʼve learned more
gram,” he applied.
Fallaise says she applied to the in each week than a semester at her work, Fallaise was able to
Carducci says he made a NCAN internship because “[CBC] school.”
pop in on the show as it started
contact and arranged the extra specifically said there would be a
“I like the fast pace of news filming.
weeks while he was on the job.
White worked on The Hour
good chance to experience lots of because every day itʼs a different
“It was great. This has different areas.”
thing,” says White.
on his second day and had fremade us think to incorporate
Unanimously, they say the quent run-ins with StroumbouBilodeau explains, “Most oth-
Canadian experience
Continued from pages 12 and 13
One said, “Theyʼve worked together way too long.” An old camera sat abandoned and dusty off to
the side. The students marveled at
the piece of technology before taking a seat on the floor, able to see
only glimpses of the hosts between
the three cameras taping them. It
was dead quiet on set when the
cameras were rolling.
The BRTF students took photo
opportunities at the TSN set,
getting a feeling of what it might
feel like to one day be a TV host.
The next set, the Sunday morning church set, sat dark, giving an
odd contrast to TSNʼs flashy red
and orange setup, complete with
flat screens. Once again Wesleyʼs
comment was proven true when
students prodded the camera operator on the set, Pete Gerbrant. The
Niagara graduate told them he did
his placement at CTV nine years
ago and had never left.
On the way to the Sports Centre set, the students ran into Gino
Reda, host of Thatʼs Hockey, and
received some welcome advice.
“Television is a tough business.
If youʼre good enough , youʼll get
the job.” Wesley confirms that.
Only the top BRTF students go
to CTV for placement, and only the
best get hired on. Most of the male
students were in heaven on the
Sports Centre set and once again
stopped for photo opportunities.
Even Reda contributed to the photo
op when the whole class posed with
him at his desk.
On the three and a half hour rush
hour bus ride back to Welland,
students chatted about what they
learned, commenting on how simplistic the sets were before drifting
off for a little shut-eye.
Pierce Derks, 20, a second-year
BRTF student from the U.S., said,
“It was kind of surreal and satisfying ... walking around the studios
and knowing what most of the
equipment was there for and how
it worked.”
He says he plans to use his education to work in audio design, film
production and documentaries.
Derks said he was grateful for his
experience at CTV.
“It made me realize how far Iʼve
come along in my education over
the past two years at Niagara College and how close I really am to
being a part of the industry.”
Kevin Reid, 19, who wants to
be a CTV camera operator said,
“I learned a little more on how big
stations like CTV get their news
updated so quickly and how fast
current events can be covered and
put on air.”
lopoulos. “Every time I pass him
in the hallway or see him in the
elevator, he always says hi, even
if he really doesnʼt know who you
are. He likes to pretend he knows
everybody.”
Fallaiseʼs
next
internship
began March 4 in Vancouver for a
smaller production company, Out
To See Entertainment.
That companyʼs credits include
producing the Gemini Awards
and it is currently doing projects
for the Knowledge Network
and CBC.
The students were able to critique and give feedback to their
supervisors about the internship.
Carducci mentioned, as did the
students, the biggest kink in the
program is that there is only a
week in the studio.
Fallaise says, “I wish I had
more hands-on experience.”
Carducci says thereʼs more
observing and less hands-on in
that week.
“Next year we may reduce the
time in studio or incorporate more
aspects in that week.”
Carducci commends the BRTF
program saying, “Weʼre pleased
with the quality of applicants
from Niagara College. The co-ordinators and teachers have much
to be pleased about.”
STUDENT
COMBO
MOVIE ADMISSION,
REGULAR POPCORN &
REGULAR SOFT DRINK
*Valid 2007-2008 photo student identification from a recognized Canadian University or college must be presented at the Box Office. Students are only permitted
to purchase this combo for performances running on the same day of the purchase and must redeem their receipt for the concession portion of combo on the same
day. Students are only permitted to use their Student ID for this combo once per day. Subject to seat availability. No refunds once combo is purchased. Exchanges
on admission ticket are only permitted by re-submitting student ID and must be for another performance on the same day. No substitutions or time extensions once
promotion ends on May 31, 2008. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Not valid for advance purchases, special programs, events (e.g. WWE and Reel Babies),
Real D or IMAX presentations. This offer is only valid at participating Empire Theatres in ON, AB, BC, SK, MB and exclusively in Antigonish, NS.
16
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Indie Wrestling Offers
BIG
Entertainment
Rough Wrestling International offers up inexpensive entertainment
for Niagarans as fans flock to various outlets across the region for a
night of cheap fun. Wrestling favourites such as Troy Buchanan, Chris
LaPlante, “Sniper” Randy Vahn and Chuck “Pretty Boy” Simpson get the
crowd up on its feet with their airborne antics.
Photos by Michael Owen
By MICHAEL OWEN
Staff Writer
The smell of the sweat and the
roar of the crowd were no match
for the crash of “Asian Nightmare”
Kwan Changʼs body as it was
slammed into the mat by “Sniper”
Randy Vahn.
The hall was crowded with
over 180 spectators from wall to
wall, the lights were flashing, the
speakers were pounding, and most
students didnʼt even know
about it.
Recently, first Rough Wrestling
International (RWI) held one of its
monthly indie wrestling shows at
the Knights of Columbus Hall, on
Empire Street in Welland.
Tim, a man from Port Colborne,
said, “I love it! I would even join
it!” When asked if he would recommend the show to students Tim
replied “Darn right.”
Included in the card were Quinsen Valentino, and Chuck “Pretty
Boy” Simpson, from the World
Wrestling Entertainment (WWE),
and RWI favorites Chris LaPlante
or Ryan Dennim. “Sniper” Randy
Vahn is the crowdʼs favourite loveto-hate bad guy.
Admission was $12 in advance
or $15 at the door. Doors opened at
6:45 p.m. and the first bell rang at
7:30 p.m.
“A cheap good time. [Thatʼs]
just good wrestling,” said Geoff,
21, of Welland, a Sniper fan who
has been coming to RWI events for
several months.
The show consisted of five
matches, including one-on-one
matches, a tag team match and an
intermission show.
The next show is April 5 at
the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Simpson will be displaying his
pig roasting ability at 6 p.m. leaving an hour and a half for spectators to engorge before first bell at
7:30 p.m.
Bart Sheridan, 20, a Niagara College student known to his friends
as a wrestling expert said “I was
very entertained. They had very
good wrestling matches.” Despite
this having been his first show,
Sheridan said “Iʼd say a variety of
Niagara College students could enjoy it. Itʼs a night of entertainment
for a good price.”
RWI has been in operation since
its first show in Dunnville on Aug.
15, 1998, which had a turnout of
over 500 spectators.
RWI, based out of Welland where
it runs 12 shows a year, has also
held spot shows in Bobcaygeon,
Cobourg and St. Thomas.
Owner and promoter Chuck
Simpson was a wrestler in the ʻ80s,
but got out of it in 1990 to start a
family.
Simpson started working with
Steve Buckley of Renegade Wrestling in 1998, before starting RWI
(then Big Time Wrestling), running
five to six shows per year.
Simpson mainly gets wrestlers
from Ontario, but some come from
Montreal or even the U.S.
Simpson says he is trying to promote wrestling fulltime.
“What Iʼm working towards is
having two or three shows all in
one weekend,” said Simpson. He
plans on running shows Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, each in a different town.
“Itʼs all about the talent and production,” said Simpson
When asked what advice he had
for students considering becoming
wrestlers, Simpson recommended
setting goals in advance and getting a good trainer.
“(Independent wrestlers) typically wrestle for seven to eight years
before making the big time,” said
Simpson.
“When youʼre wrestling in front
of a couple of hundred people the
pay rate is not the same as wrestling for the WWE [but], the in ring
performance is no different,” said
Simpson.
“We are a family-oriented production,” said Simpson “A 10-year
-old or a 12-year-old can watch our
show.”
He added, “Itʼs the basic good
versus evil, [and] the good guy
usually wins.”
For more information, call RWI
headquarters at 905-734-4452, email roughwrestlinginc@hotmail.
com or visit the Facebook group
Rough Wrestling International
(RWI).
Results
Match 1:
“Wanted Man” Ryan Dennim and Troy “The
Boy” Buchanan wrestled to a 15-minute draw.
Match 2:
Sik Rik Matrix defeated Jake OʼReilly.
Match 3:
”Sniper” Randy Vahn w/ “Mr NVP” Jay Moore
defeated “Asian Nightmare” Kwan Chang.
Match 4:
“RWIʼs Newest Member” Otis Idol defeated
Quinson Valentino.
Match 5:
RWI vs NVP Match: Kryss Thorn and “Go
Time” Chris Laplante (RWI) defeated Notorious TID and Cody Deaner w/ “Mr NVP” Jay
Moore (NVP).
17
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Not all fun and sun,
but working long
days for little pay
By MARYANNE FIRTH
Staff Writer
Suddenly,
minimum
wage
doesnʼt seem so bad.
When on vacation in a foreign
place, we enjoy the beach, the food
and the beer, but put little thought
into the lives of the people that
make our trip so fruitful.
On a recent vacation to Cuba, I
had the opportunity to speak with
several resort workers who opened
my eyes to the other side of the
vacation hotspot.
Because of concerns of government repercussions and the
jeopardy of their employment, the
sources within the story asked that
their last names not be used.
Yoel, a friendly bartender at
a lavish tourist resort in central
Cuba, spends his days serving
drinks and making nice with the
hotel guests.
With his kind demeanor, you
would never guess the lengths he
goes to, to keep his family fed.
Yoel says he drives two hours to
work each day, works his eight-to10-hour shift, for “less money than
you can imagine,” only to drive
two hours home again. He says he
works seven days a week and often
the long hours “are hard on [his]
mind and body.”
Because of to tourist restrictions,
employees of resorts are prohibited
to live in designated areas of the
island, and this means a large commute for many workers who donʼt
even own cars.
“Weʼre an hour from the city,”
says Yoel, “so itʼs an hour drive
just to reach a bus and an extra
hour bus ride if you donʼt drive.”
He says he does his job “with a
smile” because he knows his family
relies on the money he provides.
Lider, another bartender at the
same resort, says he pulls double
shifts all the time, working 16 hours
on top of the four-hour commute.
Above: Tourists enjoy the sun and sand at a Cuban resort, while, left, a woman spends her work shift posing
as a human statue, and, right, a yardworker collects ripe coconuts and turns them into tropical drinks for
resort guests.
Photos by Maryanne Firth
With four hours of sleep under
“Change is not coming, my exchanged, the government takes a
his belt, Lider says heʼs often ex- friend. It is not,” he says, but keeps large portion of it, and the worker
hausted, but “canʼt take breaks” a sad smile on his face.
sees pennies in return.
during his shift.
“There are people who work
Tourists are often encouraged to
With the recent resignation of seven days a week,” says Yoel, bring small tokens of appreciation
Cuban President Fidel Castro, “and still their family at home is to tip, like toiletry items, which
one would think change would be starving.”
are expensive to purchase in Cuba,
at hand, but with his brother Raul
According to the British Broad- rather than tipping with money beCastro taking power, little change casting Corporation, in 2005 the cause the government cannot take
seems to be in the near future.
minimum wage in Cuba was raised these small gifts away.
Yoel expressed his concern with to 225 pesos a month, roughly
Workers are often appreciative
the government, saying, “We need $9.25 Canadian.
when given small items that we,
change, but for change to happen , we
When tourists visits Cuba, their in Canada, sometimes take for
need a new government system.”
money is converted into Cuban granted, like shoes and clothing.
“We need younger minds in Convertible Pesos, tourist money
Leaving space in your suitcase
power who are not stuck in tradi- at its best, and because itʼs not the for items to give someone in need
tional ways. That is why things will regular currency of the country, any may leave you with a better feelbe the same, the people in power tip left for a worker must be brought ing than any day in the sun could
are set in old ways.
to the bank to be exchanged. When provide.
Tap into your water resources
By SCOTT
VAN DE LAAR
Columnist
Water, water everywhere
but can you afford to drink
it?
One thing you may
have noticed lately
on your grocery bill
is how expensive
water is and how
inexpensive it is
when
compared
with single bottle
purchases. At most
vending machines,
it costs a dollar or two to purchase
a drink thatʼs available almost everywhere.
There used to be a time when
people could say at least the water
is free. It still is, just not the corporate manufactured kind. Is it good
to spend that much money for a
single bottle? Linda Vienne au,
46, an Aramark cook at Niagara
College, says, “For the price of one
bottle here, you can go into a grocery store and get an entire case.”
“I think itʼs dumb to spend $1.50
for something you can get for free,”
says Greg Leverton, 19, a physics
student at McMaster University in
Hamilton.
In Canada, people might expect
that because the Great Lakes provide a plentiful fresh water source,
the price might be lower.
“Considering Canada has 25 per
cent of the worldʼs fresh water, it
should be cheaper, but not like dirt
cheap,” says Curtis LaPlante, 21,
a graduate of the Photonics Engineering Technician program here.
Some people say bottled water is
better for you than drinking normal
tap water, but these people are usually employed by brand names like
Aquafina and Dasani.
“With todayʼs market I think
itʼs becoming increasingly more
important to shop around before
diving into buying something, but
unfortunately not enough people
are doing that, and theyʼve only got
themselves to blame,” says Josh
Sabourin, 19, a former employee
of Price Chopper Canada.
One other thing people might
consider is that to purify the water
some brands that modify the water
have to add so many anti-bacterial
chemicals that itʼs probably better
to drink tap water in the end.
18
O
NIAGARA NEWS
rganic foods, carpentry and the release of his last album, Idols of Exile,
music — what do they all which featured over 20 musicians.
have in common? Itʼs all
“It was a revolving door of musicians,”
about the soul, according to Collett states.
Jason Collett.
“It made it quite dynamic that way. But I
Collett is a veteran of the Toronto indie- wanted it to be more of a folk affair, with
rock scene and, besides his solo ventures, more of a real band feel. “
is most known for his work in the interna“I feel that everybody who played on this
tionally acclaimed Canadian super group, record is in the band in some way. Pasa Mino
Broken Social Scene (BSS).
is obviously the focal point, but guys like
Collett recently released his newest solo Tony, Liam OʼNeil [from The Stills] and Aneffort, Hereʼs to Being Here, an album drew Whiteman, any of those guys can just
that differs a lot from the laid-back folk jump up with us and play. It was just natural
he has become known
for all of them to be
for. Collett says he creon there.”
ated something that he
The
aforemenwas proud of: a “guitar
tioned Whiteman, is
record.”
also the force behind
“Itʼs a guitar record,
another BSS solo
but in a very old- school
project, which he
sense to it,” explains
entitled Apostle of
Collett.
Hustle. Whiteman
“Thereʼs just some
and Collett have
tasteful layers and
been friends for
tasteful licks. They are
years and the two
not huge sounding guialways seem to find
tars or anything. I feel
the time to work
thatʼs one of the more
with each other,
accomplished parts of
despite BSS current
the record that I am Jason Collett’s new album, Here’s to Being “hiatus” status.
Here was released on Feb. 5 and garnered “Andrew and I
proud of.”
This is something he instant critical acclaim.
share a rehearsal
attributes to the work
place,”
Collett
of his backing band, as well as the contribu- elaborates.
tions from Tony Scherr, who has played bass
“We are kind of the same age in the whole
and guitar for many noted artists, including Broken Social Scene brat pack. We have a
Norah Jones.
real affinity for one another.”
“Iʼve tried not to use guitar or lean on
This last year has been big for BSS alumthat crutch, particularly electric guitar in ni, Collett and Whiteman have their solo
the past.
projects, but singer Amy Millan and Em“The players in Pasa Mino [his live back- ily Haines also have their other respective
ing band] are brilliant guitar players, and groups and solo careers. Current sensation
they play really well together.”
Leslie Feist blew up this year, performing on
“When the dust settled, we ended up with the Grammies and leading the charts with a
some really tasteful playing from the guitar No. 1 single, also featured in that infamous
players.”
Ipod commercial. Collett says that it isnʼt
Hereʼs to Being Here captures the magic anything new at all, people just havenʼt noof a closely knit group of friends and brilliant ticed over the years.
musicians holing themselves up to make an
“I think what people need to realize is that
album, which is exactly what they did. Col- everybody has been making brilliant music
lett and company spent their time recording on their own for a long time, kind of under
in a barn, of all places, outside of Toronto.
the radar,” Collett affirms.
“We basically just wanted to be in a place
“You put all of those people together and
that was large enough to accommodate the you are going to get something explosive,
band,” Collett elaborates.
like what Broken Social [Scene] has been.
“We wanted to capture the energy and the
“Itʼs a wonderful thing to be doing, in
chemistry of the live band. We had been on the context of collective, or a family kind of
the road for a couple of years together.”
community. Thereʼs a real strength to the fact
“Howie Beck [the producer] and the band that we are all still close, we are each otherʼs
and I would truck up there. It was nice to be best critics. When any one of us release on
out of the city, in the middle of winter; it was album, itʼs basically a kick in the ass. We
nice to get holed up in a place like that.”
need to try to catch up to each other. Itʼs a
Getting comfortable with his fellow mu- really healthy environment to work in.”
sicians in a smaller band environment was
The other part of the “healthy environsomething that Collett had planned since ment” according to Collett is getting to work
with an independent label, specifically his
current label, Arts and Crafts. He says that
indie labels are taking over Canada because
of the lack of good music coming from major labels.
“Major labels they canʼt afford the luxury
of cultivating careers anymore. They are in
it for the quick buck. They are looking for
a hit, and if it doesnʼt happen they drop the
artist. Itʼs just a numbers game at this point,”
Collett suggests.
“They have left a void that the ʻindiesʼ
have been able to fill, with artier, more interesting music. The Internet has facilitated
a whole new sort of industry.”
“Itʼs exciting to be a part of that community. Itʼs very vital and itʼs also full of so
much interesting music.”
Because of the eclectic taste of
his friends and fellow musicians,
creating different types of music is
something that he understands. On
one hand, he participates in the finely
crafted and layered wall of noise that
is BSS and on the other, he creates laidback folk rock.
“I move around a little bit, but I
can do that under the blanket of
rock ʻnʼ roll music,” says Collett.
“In my own world, I am doing
pretty traditional rock ʻnʼ roll
music, you can call it roots-rock,
singer-songwriter, whatever.”
“Iʼm definitely going for a
classic sensibility, and that just
reflects my personal taste. Itʼs the
kind of music I like to listen to. Iʼve
always tried to record records with not
a lot of trickery, but the idea that they
can be listened to and enjoyed just as
much 30 years from now.”
The Internet, according to Collett,
is allowing kids to hear all kinds
of different music, making more of
a varied blend of taste in the current
culture.
“They [teenagers] can plug into the
entire recorded history of music and
have immediate access to it.
“We are still dealing with leftovers of lazy rock journalism and
major industry that feel the need to
categorize every genre. But young
kids donʼt really care about that
stuff all that much. Teenagers are
listening to everything from Nina
Simone to Radiohead.”
Besides music, Collett is known
for his love of carpentry as well as
his taste for organic foods, but he
says that it isnʼt something that he
bases his entire life on.
“Thereʼs a similarity between the organic slow
food movement and
March 14, 2008
indie-rock, in the sense that there is small
feeling to it,” Collett explains.
“Itʼs not so much about the money. You can
believe in it and there is it a lot of passion in
it. Indie-rock and slow food believe there is
a sensibility that you donʼt want poison in
what you eat and listen to. Food is sacred,
water is sacred, and I think music is sacred
too. People have this need to not have their
food or their music sullied.”
“But when you are travelling Middle
America, sometimes youʼve just got to eat.”
He says that the architecture and manufactured products of the Cracker Barrelʼs,
Wendyʼs and McDonalds are taking over
Canada, pushing out mom-and-pop stores.
“Thatʼs industrialized food. Itʼs basically
like eating elevator music,” Collett
jokes rather seriously.
“It does affect your soul in some
way, I feel. What youʼre putting
in your body and your putting in
your ears.
To clean his soul, Collett
participates in woodworking, a hobby
that he turned
into a career
over
a
decade
ago,
even
running a
carpentry co-op
in Toronto.
“I
still
enjoy doing it,”
Collett confirms.
“Having a trade
that is creative is similar to music. You both
get tangible results,
and itʼs something
thatʼs good for your
soul. You get to stand
back and take pride in
the fact that youʼve created something.”
But for Collett, like
the other members of
Canadaʼs biggest indie
collective (in size and talent), the music he creates
is what guides his life.
“The more ideas you
have, the more open you
are going to be when you
are in the studio. Thatʼs
when the magic really begins to happen.”
Story by
RYAN KELPIN
Submitted photos
19
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Noise
New breed of Canadian rock
By RYAN KELPIN
Noise Staff
Many bands that talk the talk when it
comes to the rock lifestyle, but indie-rock
favourites Ladyhawk walk the walk as well.
The group of four large bearded men seems
like a threatening premise at first, especially
with their signature loud indie-rock sound
they have become known for. The sound
combines the best elements of the folk rock
of Neil Young and the distortion-laden power
of Dinosaur Jr.
Lead singer and guitarist Duffy Driediger
said that the band takes a lot of inspiration
from its “obsession with Silkworm.”
“Andy Cohen [from Silkworm] is my favorite guitar player,” Driediger elaborated.
“We take influence from so many bands
and musicians, so I never really know which
one is taking the lead in what comes out of
us.”
This sound is heard on Ladyhawkʼs newest release, Shots, an album that personifies
everything great about Canadian rock music.
Itʼs straightforward, blunt and unforgiving,
like the legendary rock of our past.
“It took about 10 days to track and two
days to mix,” Driediger explained.
“It was very different from our past experiences because we got to stop everything else
in our lives and leave the city.”
Like most small bands that have built
a foundation on their live show, they have
constantly tried to capture the rough rock
tactics and energy of their live show on their
albums. They have never done as efficient a
job as they have done on Shots, a testament
to the power of their concerts. Playing live
also gives them a chance to get used to the
songs, said Driediger.
“For the most part, we play our songs live
for a while before recording them, but we like
to do a bit of both,” Driediger described.
Ladyhawk is composed of, from left , Darcy Hancock, Ryan Peters, Sean Hawryluk and
Duffy Driediger.
“On our EP that came out last year we just
went in, got a little high and let it happen.”
“With our full-length albums, we have had a
bit more of an idea of the songs before going
in to record.”
The albumʼs artwork also has somewhat of
a an unusual story behind it. It features what
appears to be a vampire mask on a piece of
Submitted photo
wood, almost looking like a painting.
“Well, I think itʼs cool,” Driediger stated.
“It looks like a painting, at first sight.
Maybe it doesnʼt have any significance but,
after looking through all the pictures Jason
[a photographer who took their album photographs] took that day, that one just stood out
to us. Maybe because itʼs a little odd.”
Ladyhawk recently toured with Niagara
area bands Attack in Black and Casey Baker
and the Buffalo Sinners, a tour that Driediger
describes as basically “a great time.”
“The tour with those bands was one of our
favorites,” Driediger confirmed.
“The bands are very different from each
other and Iʼm saying that they are great for
totally different reasons. Casey Baker is full
of piss and vinegar. Attack in Black is one of
the best live bands around.”
While Ladyhawk has never achieved the
type of success that other Canadian rock
bands like Nickelback (donʼt worry, they
donʼt sound anything like Nickelback) have,
Driediger asserts fans that thatʼs not really
one of their top priorities.
“I assume those bands set out for that kind
of attention, so good for them, I guess,”
shrugged Driediger.
“They got what they wanted. We started
the band to have fun and now we get to try
to make a living at it, which is awesome and
something I never could have dreamed of. I
think weʼre happy to get to tour around and
do our thing and hope that our hard work
pays off one day. “
“Iʼd sure like a Lamborghini though. Is
that how you spell it?” Driediger laughed.
The band is set to start their cross-Canada
tour with indie rock mainstays Black Mountain, a band that they have toured with before
and look up to.
“Itʼs been a while since we have toured, so
Iʼve got the itch again,” Driediger elaborated.
“We all do, I would say. Our first-ever U.S.
and Canadian tour was with Black Mountain
in the fall of 2005. They are a great band and
they are great people. It will be awesome to
watch them play every night for while.
Ladyhawk plays the Casbah in Hamilton
on March 19 and the Mansion House with Attack in Black in St. Catharines on March 23.
The End defies genre titles, only cares about music
By DEIDRA LUNARDON
Noise Staff
Itʼs not The End (TE); itʼs only
the beginning.
This Mississauga metal-quartet
produces the intense, groundbreaking music of TE, who have been
rocking the scene since ʼ99 and a
decline doesnʼt appear near.
Having the demeanor of true
rock ʻnʼ roll roots, the genre has
been around for decades, vocalist Aaron Wolff explains. “It just
seems that rock ʻnʼ roll is a good
attitude” to have.
“Itʼs kind of like saying ʻPop.ʼ
Itʼs just got a bite to it.”
Sounding completely opposite
to the sugarcoated style attached to
pop, TE executes a live show with
extreme intensity and drive.
“Weʼve been a band for almost
nine years and weʼve been through
a lot of stuff. For us, to keep going up on stage and doing it every
night, you can tell thereʼs a passion
and a love for what weʼre doing,”
he says.
TE is Wolff, Steve Watson
(guitar), Sean Dooley (bass) and
Anthony Salajko (drums).
Currently TE is with Dine
Alone/Distort Records. Wolff says
no offers by major labels have been
made, but the band would “be open
to basically anything.”
“Iʼm not against signing to a
major record label or anything
like that, but I just would never
get involved in something like that
unless the people around us were
good people.”
He says the positives to an indie
label are its small staff and personal
approach.
“If you want something done, you
can call the people up on the phone
and say, ʻHey man, can you do
this?ʼ whereas [with] a major label,
you call one person and they relay
that message to six other people.”
Touring for the past year was
the hardest challenge the band has
faced, according to Wolff, by taking
a toll on the members financially
and emotionally.
“The hardest thing is to stay out
there, but youʼve got to stay out
there because thatʼs the only way
an independent band such as ourselves will get known or make any
headway.”
With fifth member and lyricist
Andrew Hercules leaving the band,
Wolff says he will likely take over
Herculesʼs role as he previously
“put the pen to the paper.”
Acknowledging the bandʼs lineup is diverse with several different
ideas, he says with their current
record, Elementary, they tried
bringing everyoneʼs visions to life
and gave “everyone a platform to
show themselves in the music, and
get their personal taste out.”
TE has never wanted a brand attached to its name, Wolff says. “We
donʼt try to say, ʻOh, we want to
write a metalcore song or a mathcore song.ʼ Weʼre just trying to
write some good songs.”
“Because weʼve been a band for
so long and we want to continue
to be a band for a long time, itʼs
important that we do things that
surprise people and piss people off
because we want people to expect
the unexpected from us.”
As TE prepares for a North
American tour with Killswitch
Engage this May, Wolffʼs thoughts
are focused on the positives even
with a member down.
“Itʼs just taking a new shape and
a new twist, which is exciting because itʼs growth [and] evolution.”
An exremely intense and driving
live band, the members of The
End have been rocking the music
scene since 1999. And despite
the band’s name, group members
see themselves as being on the
verge of a new beginning.
Submitted Photo
20
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Noise
Silhouettes emerge from shadows
By DEIDRA LUNARDON
Noise Staff
Upon the first listen, you may
hear the typical and familiar sound
of other Ontario punk-rock bands,
but These Silhouettes (TS) have
something others may lack: an
identity.
With the band already established in the fall of 2005, vocalist
Stuart Aiken joined that December
to make a well-rounded, self described “dark-pop” quartet.
He has a voice that cuts, but
doesnʼt overpower the background
melody. With guitar riffs that blend
with Aikenʼs strong vocals, the
band creates a sound that packs a
punch.
TS consist of James Fox (guitar),
Trevor Johns (drums), Coady McCormack (bass) and Jason Hennessy (guitar).
Describing the bandʼs formation
as a universal decision, he says,
“We all had the same idea.”
“We all just wanted to be in a
band and play some music.”
With the members except for
Aiken hailing from small town
Cobourg, Ont., he says, “We kind
of just met at shows and then we
all kind of got together that way.
Then we eventually all just became
friends.”
Getting the small, yet valuable
necessities, such as a van and
trailer for the bandʼs tour, has allowed them to broaden their audience exposure.
Aiken notes that touring has
“brought us all closer.”
Manager Mark Spicoluk, founder
of Underground Operations, works
for Universal Music Canada, so TS
has “all the advantages of a major
label in Canada,” but is able to stay
on a “great indie label.”
“They support us and itʼs 100
per cent mutual respect there. We
couldnʼt be happier anywhere
else.”
Recording a “more dynamic”
follow-up to Decemberʼs foursong release titled The Thomas
EP, Aiken says “all chip in our
own ideas and we all kind of put
our two cents into it so it makes the
best sound.”
With 11 songs tracked and
From left are Jason Hennessy, Coady McCormack, Stuart Aiken, Trevor
Johns and James Fox.
Submitted photo
four more to go, Aiken says fans all put our pieces in. Weʼre not
can expect more diversity in this against having other peopleʼs opinrecord from a range of amplified ions shown throughout songs.”
Aiken pens the anguished, yet
heavy songs to ballad-esque, softer
material.
uplifting lyrics to the bandʼs music,
“We all work together [and] we incorporating everyday “personal
experiences” into his lyrics.
A great example of this can be
found in the single I Hate The Way
You Move.
He opens the track with a soft,
yet controlled, tone, singing, “This
room got tense as you chased me
with your eyes tonight/ I am sweating from the limelight/ and how the
stars will shine so dull tonight.”
“The lyrics really are going to be
more about the last year of my life
and all the things that our bandʼs
been going through,” he explains.
With the ongoing battle many
bands face, of selling out when they
become popular, Aiken advises listeners and artists not to worry about
what their music will be labeled if
it does achieve success.
He says, “Listen to whatever
music you want and keep going
because eventually everything
that gets well known is considered
mainstream. Music is music and
youʼve just got to do what you love
and it shouldnʼt matter what people
think.”
TS is on a Canadian tour that
wraps up April 12 in Montreal.
Higgs adds playfulness to her sound
By DEIDRA LUNARDON
Noise Staff
The soft-spoken, old soul, throaty vocals
that make Nova Scotiaʼs Rebekah Higgs unforgettable are the same reason she makes an
audience remember every note she sings.
The 24-year-old Halifax, N.S., native,
who been playing the piano and violin since
she was a child, says she has always loved to
sing and perform.
It was while attending university that
Higgs learned to play guitar and began writing her own songs.
Looking up to bands such as Broken Social Scene, which she thought incorporated
the “playfulness” she was looking to put into
her own sound, Higgs says she canʼt put her
finger on what her sound should be named. Nova Scotia’s Rebekah Higgs has overcome
“I was asking my friend James who did obstacles in her life to find succcess in
the artwork for the album and was like, ʻI music.
Submitted photo
donʼt know what category to put myself in.
Is it folk? Is it pop? Is it electronic?ʼ”
I feel alternative allows you to be whatever
“In general, I just say alternative because you want. It doesnʼt necessarily mean you
have to fit into a category.”
Having a raspy voice since childhood,
Higgs says her music teachers would try to
correct it and even put her in speech therapy
because they were concerned about the
hoarseness of it.
She can laugh about it now, but at the time,
she says, it was very discouraging.
“Growing up it was something that held
me back from doing a lot of the stuff that
I wanted to do, like school musicals and
singing in choirs, because they would never
accept me musically.”
It wasnʼt until later she realized itʼs “the
quirkiness and the flaws in your voice that
make you more interesting and intriguing.”
Higgsʼ lyrics are based on global issues
such as the U.S. government and problems
happening in her hometown, such as street
kids and poverty.
She says the “romantic illustrations” present in her lyrics are a collection of thoughts
from reading novels of Lewis Carroll such as
Start your engines!
Enter the “CGA Ontario One-Hour Accounting Contest” for college and university students on March 19, 2008.
LINE UP ONLINE TO WIN UP TO $5,000 IN CASH.
The Certified General Accountants of Ontario (CGA Ontario)
invites you to enter its online accounting contest. First, sign up at
www.cga-ontario.org/ contest and obtain a user name and password
for the contest. To qualify for the competition, you must complete
this task by Tuesday, March 18, 2008. When you login to complete
the contest you must choose between two levels of difficulty to test
your accounting and financial skills. This step must be done before
3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, (the day of the contest).
The competition begins promptly at 4 p.m. (on that same day) and
lasts for one hour. Eligibility is restricted to students currently
enrolled at an Ontario university or college.
CHOOSE YOUR TIER OF CHALLENGE.
Eligible and registered students choose between two levels of
difficulty; both tiers offer cash and scholarship prizes (see below).
Remember to choose your level of difficulty carefully, because this
decision could earn or cost you the win.
A REWARDING EXPERIENCE.
Tier 1: Basic- and Intermediate-Level Financial Accounting
Questions
1st place = $4,000 cash and a scholarship worth $5,000 towards
the CGA program of professional studies.
CERTIFIED GENERAL ACCOUNTANTS OF ONTARIO
CGA Ontario
416-322-6520
or 1-800-668-1454
Help Line
1-800-242-9131
E-mail
[email protected]
Websites
www.nameyourneed.org
or www.cga-ontario.org
Aliceʼs Adventure in Wonderland.
Taking those influences into consideration,
she recorded her 2006 self-titled album
solely on her own, playing every instrument
heard on the record. She tours the material
with Colin Crowell, Jason Vautour, and Sean
McGillvary. These are the same musicians
that she plays with in with indie-electronic
band Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees.
Performing in the alter-ego bands feeds
her “desire to live two different lives or have
two different experiences where youʼre able
to put yourself out there in different ways.”
Working on tracks for a January 2009
release of her next album, she says a hint of
ʼ60 flare and melodies will be heard. Higgs
performed three sets last Thursday at Leeʼs
Palace and Silver Dollar, as part of Torontoʼs
Canadian Music Week.
“I feel like Iʼm so unpredictable, and things
are constantly changing and shifting with me
that I just want to keep with my inspiration
and artistic integrity.”
2nd place = $2,000 cash and a scholarship worth $5,000 towards
the CGA program of professional studies.
3rd place = $1,000 cash and a scholarship worth $5,000 towards
the CGA program of professional studies.
Tier 2: Intermediate- and Advanced-Level Financial Accounting
Questions
1st place = $5,000 cash and a scholarship worth $5,000 towards
the CGA program of professional studies.
2nd place = $3,000 cash and a scholarship worth $5,000 towards
the CGA program of professional studies.
3rd place = $1,500 cash and a scholarship worth $5,000 towards
the CGA program of professional studies.
EVEN MORE INCENTIVE TO WIN.
The university or college that boasts first-place in either tier
receives a donation of $5,000 from CGA Ontario awarded to its
accounting department.
Additional information about the format of the contest and the
rules and regulations is available at www.cga-ontario.org/contest.
21
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
‘En garde!’ for fencing
By MONICA KEYES
Staff Writer
You envision swashbuckling
pirates and privateers fighting their
way across the Indian Ocean clouding your mindʼs eye, for the idea of
holding a blade in your hand can
cause excitement.
In true Jack Sparrow style,
fencing is an adrenaline-pumping
sport practiced around the world.
In the Niagara region, it can be
found at Brock University in St.
Catharines.
“Itʼs one of those sports where
you either love it and never leave
it, or try it and move on,” says Varsity Fencing Coach Tim Stang.
An elegant and traditional sport,
fencing has existed for hundreds
of years. A challenge to body and
mind, it requires discipline and determination with a level of patience
and competitiveness.
Found in three forms – foil, épée
and sabre – each offers something
slightly different. The foil is the
modern version of the original
practice dueling sword, and this
form uses a scoring system based
upon hits on the torso. The modern
historical dueling sword, the épée,
is scored on hits taken anywhere on
the body. The sabre is the modern
version of a cavalry sword; points
are taken from the waist up, when
the cutting edge strikes.
For the past 19 years, Stang has
been involved in fencing. Beginning at the University of Ottawa
and continuing at Brock, he says
he first developed an interest in it
when he was six years old.
“I recognized this as what I
wanted to do.”
Multi-disciplined, Stang has
competed
regionally,
nationally and internationally in all three
styles. In each form, he has won
countless medals.
Saying foil is his first love and
épée his second, Stang quickly corrects himself, “No, thatʼs not true. I
like them all.”
Brock Universityʼs varsity fencing team consists of a squad of 48
people, 24 of whom are chosen
to form the team that meets three
nights a week.
“Ninety-five per cent of people
who join have never had any fencing experience … itʼs one of the
few varsity sports that you can start
at university,” says Stang.
The majority of equipment is
provided through funding from the
university, but some fundraising is
still held throughout the year.
One of the original three varsity
teams at Brock, fencing has a legup with a legacy of equipment.
Community and childrenʼs
classes are available on Monday
nights. Classes exist for six to 10
year olds, 11 to 15, and 16 and up.
Local high schools have also
caught the fencing bug. Ridley
College in St. Catharines recently
began a fencing program.
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary
School began offering the sport as
an extracurricular activity in 2004.
According to Stang, fencers are a
certain type of person.
Seconds before the electronic buzzer registers the point, Stefan
Wittmann pushes Wendy Fawcett back with a lunge.
Photo by Monica Keyes
“There is a difference between
people who fence and fencers. A
fencer lives and breathes the sport
– itʼs like a soccer player … such
devotion.”
Captain Blood and The Sea
Hawk, two black and white Errol
Flynn movies, helped to inspire
22-year-old Stefan Wittmann to try
fencing.
Taking a double major in visual
arts and music, Wittmann is in his
fourth year at Brock and third year
of fencing.
“Iʼve always been interested in
fencing from watching movies as
a kid, so when I saw signs around
campus, I thought I would give it
a shot.”
Wittmannʼs attention was first
held with swords, but as he spent
more time practicing, he discovered its refined art.
He compares it to music, as the
more you practice, the better you
become.
Recreation and Leisure Studies
student Wendy Fawcett became
familiar with fencing in her first
year at Brock, when a friend in
residence took her to a practice.
“It started with a fascination with
swords,” says the 22-year-old.
Primarily a lacrosse player,
Fawcett switched her athletic concentration to fencing this year after
the university cut funding for the
womenʼs lacrosse team.
Although she misses lacrosse,
Fawcett is happy
to spend
more time with a
sabre
in hand. When asked
what this fourth-year
student loves most about
fencing, she says she is
drawn to it for the level of
competition, the fine skill
level and the fact you need to
train really hard to get results.
Assistant foil coach Pat
OʼDea is beginning his 11th
year in fencing. While walking
around campus with a friend,
OʼDea saw a fencing practice and
decided to try the sport himself.
That evening he was taught footwork and told if he came back the
next day, heʼd get a foil put in his
hand. He returned and was asked to
join the varsity team.
Although no longer a student at
Brock, this 29-year-old Classical
Studies graduate has remained
with the sport.
“I just love it.”
Despite multiple competitions
since he began to fence, the 2007
World Cup in Montreal stands out
in his mind.
Teamed with fencers from all
over the globe, OʼDea was amazed
by their levels of skill.
“Iʼve never seen fencing like that
before. They never miss.”
Commenting on his love of the
sport, OʼDea says the diverse number of people and their personalities add to the enjoyment.
For more information on the
art of fencing, or taking lessons
through Brock University, visit
www.fencingniagara.com.
The minimum
wage is going up.
If you're an employer, here's what you need to know.
General
Minimum Wage
Students under
18 and working not
more than 28 hours
per week or during
a school holiday
Liquor Server
Hunting & Fishing
Guides: for less than
five consecutive
hours in a day
Hunting & Fishing
Guides: for five or
more hours in a day
whether or not the
hours are consecutive
Homeworkers (people
doing paid work in their
home for an employer)
Current
wage rate
$8.00/hour
$7.50/hour__
$6.95/hour
$40.00
$80.00
110% of the minimum wage
Mar. 31, 2008
wage rate
$8.75/hour
$8.20/hour__
$7.60/hour
$43.75
$87.50
110% of the minimum wage
On March 31, 2008, the general minimum wage will increase to $8.75 per hour from the current rate of $8.00 per hour.
To find out more about how the new minimum wage guidelines affect
employers and employees, call or visit the Ministry of Labour web site.
Paid for by the Government of Ontario
1-800-531-5551
www.ontario.ca/minimumwage
22
NIAGARA NEWS
March 14, 2008
Internal beauty
Photo illustrations by Rachel Sanderson
“It takes time to
love the inside
as much as the
outside.”
STOP
FAST
START
IN AT H&R BLOCK
TAX PREP
SPENDING
Students, come in for your tax preparation and get
instant cash back in just one visit.
Student
tax prep
29
$
95
get a FREE
SPC card.
come in today or call
1-800-HRBLOCK (472-5625)
www.hrblock.ca
To qualify for student pricing, student must present either (i) a T2202a documenting 4 or more months of full-time attendance at a college or university during 2007 or (ii) a valid
high school identification card. Expires July 31, 2008. Must also qualify for Instant Cash Back and Cash Back products. See office for details. Valid only at participating H&R Block
locations in Canada. SPC Card offers valid from 08/01/07 to 07/31/08 at participating locations in Canada only. For Cardholder only. Offers may vary, restrictions may apply. Usage
may be restricted when used in conjunction with any other offer or retailer loyalty card discounts. Cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards or certificates.
By JOANNA NOFTALL
Staff Writer
Beauty is only skin deep.
That may be a cliché, but it might
also be true.
If we are living in a society in
which the only beautiful attributes
are within, what are the reasons for
having tons of different makeup
brands in arrays of different shades
and textures?
Why are there hundreds of perfume brands, grooming products
and $90 haircuts and manicures.
Beauty is within. That includes
a personʼs soul, heart, intelligence,
and personality, all of which are
apparent after talking with someone and finding these qualities.
For Shelia Gould of Toronto,
beauty is on the outside.
“I know this sounds shallow, but
when you first meet someone, ideally youʼre looking at their eyes or
their body shape. not how big their
brain is or how they can laugh at
themselves. It takes time to love
the inside as much as the outside.”
Gladys Dupis of Toronto believes
beauty comes in different shapes,
sizes and colours.
“Beauty is much like anything
else. Itʼs what you make of it. When
I first met my husband, I didnʼt like
the way he looked per se. I just
loved the idea of spending my life
with someone who was beautiful
on the inside.”
Dupisʼs daughter Lisa, also of
Toronto, says, “Society makes
people beautiful. Thatʼs why there
are millions of different makeup
brands and the pressure to have
hair extensions or the newest celebrity haircut, and not necessarily
to be a size zero, but to look good
in what you chose to wear. If not,
society will have a critique waiting
for you.”
From clothes to hair, the world
around us offers suggestions on
what we should look like.
Now more than ever, there are
magazines dedicated to beauty,
talk shows that feature beauty specialists and how to-guide books
that claim you can get a makeover
in less than 15 minutes.
Just how skin deep is beauty,
though?
To answer that, you would need
to answer a few other questions:
What exactly does the term beauty
mean? Who decides what is beautiful and what is not?
The answer is beauty is in the
eye of the beholder, and everything else is individually formulated from growing up and hearing
adults, from reading magazines
and from watching infomercials.
Instead of focusing on what size
you are or what shade of red lipstick is perfect for your skin tone,
put away the notions of beauty and
look past the mirror.
The image staring back at you is
the soul, heart and brain of a human being.
March 14, 2008
NIAGARA NEWS
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March 14, 2008