January 20, 2006

Transcription

January 20, 2006

http://www.newsatniagara.com
Jan. 20, 2006
Volume 36, Issue 7
Basketball action. See page 20
The Best Way To Connect With Niagara We vote Monday. See page 11
Glendale gets new
student president
By ROBIN HEALEY
Staff Writer
Elsie Vrugteveen is the new
Niagara
College
Student
Administrative Council (SAC)
president for Glendale campus
following the removal of Jon
Allan at a secret in camera session during the Dec. 8 SAC
Board of Directors meeting.
The board, which is composed of both the Niagara-onthe-Lake Glendale campus and
Welland campus branches of
SAC, originally designated Eric
Muller, SAC executive vicepresident for Glendale campus,
as Allan’s replacement.
Muller declined the position
and asked that SAC Glendale
hold an election to find a new
president. He says that he wanted “a democratic solution” to
the situation.
However, the other members
of SAC Glendale disagreed.
SAC Glendale voted Vrugteveen in as president, on Dec.
12, making her the third Glendale
SAC president in just five days.
“My removal was inappropriate,” says Allan in an e-mail. He
is a 24-year-old Business
Administration – Marketing
(Co-op) student from St.
Catharines.
“I cannot comment any fur-
ther on that matter until the confidentiality of the situation is
removed. It is unfortunate that
the council [SAC] does not
represent the wishes of the students anymore. Only one member of the council at Glendale
has even been voted in now.
“Nevertheless, because I still
believe in the cause of furthering students’ rights, I will personally assist Elsie whenever
necessary.”
The portion of the Dec. 8
meeting in which Allan was
removed was held in camera
(Latin for “in chamber”), which
means that what was discussed
will be kept secret unless the
SAC Board of Directors decides
otherwise. The minutes of the
meeting show that Allan chaired
the meeting and that the decision to go in camera and
remove him came at the meeting’s end.
“I didn’t know about what
was discussed in camera until
we went in camera,” says
Muller by phone.
SAC chose Mike Eybel, SAC
Glendale director of communications and media, to speak on
its behalf, but he says the
restrictions of the in camera session prevent him from giving
any information about Allan’s
removal.
SAC decided to operate in
camera because Allan’s removal
was a “human resource issue,”
says Eybel, 19, in a telephone
interview. He is a second-year
Tourism Marketing and Operations (Co-op) student, from
Grimsby.
“I can’t see it [the reason for
Allan’s removal] ever being
made public.”
When asked if he thinks that
as a publicly elected official he
has a duty to be more forthcoming, Eybel responded, “What I
am saying is just what the board
has authorized me to say.”
This is not the first incidence of
an in camera removal of a SAC
member. On March 6, 1995, SAC
voted in camera to remove Dawn
Swayze, who was vice-president
of internal affairs. The reason for
her removal was never made
public.
Muller, 23, from St.
Catharines, says he declined the
presidency because he was
acclaimed to his position of
executive vice-president. The
second-year Business Administration – Accounting (Academic) student says SAC Glendale
decided against an election
because it didn’t want to wait
Continued on page 2
Networking proves successful
By NATASHA MENEZES
Staff Writer
Personal and professional success through networking proved the value of the ACE Niagara’s
Networking for Success event on Nov. 29 in the
Corporate Training Centre at the Glendale campus of Niagara College.
Over 100 students, faculty and alumni from the
business, horticulture and tourism programs participated. They were encouraged to build their
personal networking skills. In addition, ACE Niagara raised and donated $500 to the Canadian
Red Cross to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the earthquakes in India and Pakistan.
During the evening, participants enjoyed a fun
quiz. Fifteen questions were asked of their peers
ranging from hobbies to companies that they
work for.
“Hopefully, it’ll put a spin on networking and
be useful to us all,” said Larry Bitner, business
counsellor from the Business Development Cen-
Checkmate
tre (BDC). A raffle draw was held toward the end
of the evening.
Robert Greene, professor in the Business and
Entrepreneurship Division, thanked the sponsors
for the event and Niagara College’s Campus Store.
The prizes included gift certificates, wine bottles,
gift baskets, T-shirts and a USB jump drive.
This event marked the second time ACE Niagara has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross
to successfully raise funds for those in need. Last
year, it worked with the Niagara Peninsula Children’s Centre as its way of giving back to the
community.
“We’d like to pick a sponsor and help them out.
You can only donate so much for an event like
this, and we’d like to see a big donation given
over the course of our year,” said 21-year-old former ACE Niagara President Anthony McEachern.
Nancy Twerdohlib, a community service
co-ordinator at the Canadian Red Cross based in
Continued on page 2
Niagara College students Cam Staffen, left, and Nick Chantziantoniou consider their next moves during a Nov. 28 game of chess at the
Student Administrative Council (SAC) office at the Glendale campus in
Niagara-on-the-Lake. The SAC chessboard is open to all students.
This game ended in stalemate.
Photo by Robin Healey
On Jan. 23, all Canadians 18 years of age and older should
exercise their right and vote.
Read our editorial on Page 6 and a column about trusting
politicians on Page 8. Our local election news
coverage is on Pages 10, 11, 12 and 13.
Page 2, news@niagara, Jan. 20, 2006
U-pass possible <RXUYRLFH
Continued from page 1
until March to have a president.
Muller was the only SAC Glendale member at the Dec. 12 meeting to vote against the
appointment of Vrugteveen as president.
Vrugteveen, 19, is a Business Administration – Accounting (Co-op) student from
Beamsville, Ont. She says the leadership
courses she took during the fall and her SAC
experience as a student ambassador in 2004
and a student representative 2005 have prepared her for her new position.
“We’ll take things one step at a time,” says
Vrugteveen. She plans to continue the main
items of Allan’s agenda, such as helping
Muller create student awareness for the fed-
eral election, assisting Niagara College with
recruitment tours, and holding the NC’s
annual fashion show from April 12 to April
13. She will also introduce a referendum that
would allow students to adopt or reject a universal bus pass.
“Feel free to drop by the SAC office,” says
Vrugteveen, who says she looks forward to
meeting the students she now represents.
SAC Glendale held a meeting on Jan. 16
and chose Abbi Manderla, Gregory Arnold,
and Kate Rice as new student representatives. They fill the vacancies left by
Vrugteveen and two other student representatives, Jamie Wildman and Graeme Clark,
who resigned.
‘Ongoing’ need for relief
Continued from page 1
Thorold, said, “The need will be ongoing for
a very long time in both areas. The earthquake relief probably has the greater need
because it’s in one of the poorer areas of the
world ... We’re working up a really good
partnership with Niagara College; it’s something that I’m really happy about.”
Students from the International Business
Management (Graduate Certificate) and
Human Resources Management (Graduate
Certificate) programs contributed to the
event by preparing a diverse selection of
international dishes and “went out into the
community and asked certain places to sponsor us,” said 20-year-old Michael O’Neil,
president of ACE Niagara. The purchase of a
$5 ticket allowed people to sample various
cuisines along with two glasses of wine
donated by Niagara-based wineries Peller
Estates Winery and Andrés Wines.
The evening progressed with business
cards being exchanged and contacts being
made with various people in different departments. A number of representatives from coop programs attended this networking event.
According to Neal Vincent, of a business
administration program, developing contacts
is an advantage for the students.
“At least you get your foot in the door
so that when you go for an interview, they
know you on a personal level rather than
as just another number,” he said. “There
are a lot of opportunities within ACE to
meet the right people, to learn the right
skills, to help you get the right job. It all
adds up.”
ACE Niagara has also partnered with local
and international entrepreneurs and the Niagara College BDC to work on a project
called Fair Trade Niagara (FTN). A variety
of beaded crafts from South Africa were displayed at the event to promote awareness of
fair trade issues. The crafts were handmade
by a co-operative of women known as King
Kei Crafters from the Eastern Cape of South
Africa. ACE Niagara, through the Fair Trade
project, plans to import the crafts from South
Africa as well as Argentina and distribute
them through the Ten Thousand Villages
store in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“It all started with the International department at the Welland campus of Niagara College,” said O’Neil. “They’re the ones who
made the contact in Argentina and South
Africa.”
“We’re going to use these products as corporate Christmas gifts mainly for ACE Canada so that they can see the Fair Trade project
that we’re working on,” said 21-year-old
ACE Niagara Vice-President Robert Nagy.
ACE Niagara will be organizing another
event in January 2006 during the International Development Week when Ten Thousand
Villages will be setting up to sell Fair Trade
goods at the college to raise awareness.
To learn more or to get involved with Fair
Trade Niagara, contact O’Neil or Nagy at
[email protected] or Kyla Pennie at 905735-2211 ext. 7805.
Students wanted longer break
By MELISSA TOPP
Staff Writer
The holiday break may have been three
weeks long, but some students wished for a
longer vacation.
Michael Baxter, 20, in the Broadcasting –
Radio, Television and Film program, says he
“basically did nothing” over the winter
break. Baxter says the holiday was a much
needed and relaxing break.
The Sunderland, Ont., native says he’s “conflicted” about being back at school, saying he
wants to be back but also wants to be on holiday longer. He is in his last year and adds he
wants to “get semester done and over with.”
A student in the Dental Hygiene program,
Mindy Beaton, 19, Hamilton, Ont., she says
she worked, went to a Dallas Green concert, saw her friends and “ignored” her
schoolwork.
She says it’s “overwhelming” what she has
to be doing now that she’s back this semester
but it feels good to see her friends again.
“[I] don’t want to be getting into the
workload.”
Miranda Paolella, 24, of Thorold, Ont.,
also in the Dental Hygiene program, says she
flew to New York City with one of her
friends during the break and did a lot of
shopping while she was there. Paolella says
she worked every day she was home but she
also had time to read a “good book” called A
Million Little Pieces. She says she is “overwhelmed” about this semester, “but I’m up
for a challenge.”
Ivan Bjel, 30, of Niagara Falls, Ont., says
the break was a time for him to relax, have
dinner with family and do some shopping.
Bjel says he hung out with his younger
nephews and spent a lot of time with them.
The Photonics Engineering Technician
program student says he also worked “quite
a bit.” Bjel says he could use another week
off as he is “not as rested as I could have
hoped for,” but he says he’s also excited
about new courses to take this semester.
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news@niagara, Jan. 20, 2006, Page 3
Photo by Amanda Reynolds
By STEVE FRANCIS
Staff Writer
On the surface, Brigitte Chiki, director of student services at Niagara
College, is all business.
From her office, just a few steps
from that of Alan Davis’s, vicepresident academic, at the Welland
campus, Chiki goes about her business
in what appears to be a tidy fashion.
After finishing a telephone call,
Chiki invites me into her office, which
is purely a functional place except for
one item on the desk.
The item is a plaque Niagara’s
Student Administrative Council (SAC)
presented to her during a board of
directors meeting Dec. 8, 2005. It is
black and polished, and something
Chiki explains quite clearly that she is
proud of.
“I feel very honoured to be
recognized.”
The plaque commemorates Chiki’s
inclusion as the 12th member of SAC’s
Wall of Fame.
“It’s extra special because it comes
from the students, extra special,”
says Chiki.
BRIGITTE C H I K I
She recalls the nomination as a
surprise, which Cindy Blanchard, SAC
general manager, says was council’s
intention.
Blanchard explained the presentation normally happens at a SAC dinner,
but Chiki would have been unable to
attend. “We gave it to her at the [board
of directors] meeting to keep the
element of surprise,” said Blanchard.
Both Blanchard and Chiki spoke
proudly of the relationship SAC and
the college have built over time.
“SAC is infused in the college as a
result of building the relationship over
time,” says Chicki, adding the college
and SAC have always focused on
improving student life, very rarely
straying from that goal. “The synergy
[between SAC and the college] makes
it better.”
Chiki’s relationship with SAC
started in 1983 when she was a
full-time counsellor with the college.
She speaks with awe and pride as she
describes the way SAC has grown
from a four- or five-person executive
with a budget of $200 to the large
business entity it is today, operating at
both campuses, with student centres
and
much
larger
budgets.
The college’s Glendale campus is in
Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Chiki gives the credit for SAC’s
success to the professional staff:
Blanchard, Karen Marasco, Welland
office administrator, Glen Murray,
Glendale office administrator, and their
staffs at the student centres.
“They are key to making the SAC
office work every year.” She says they
are a “really productive team. I’m a
smaller part of it.”
Chiki called the Wall of Fame a
“very nice initiative” and said she was
surprised and honoured to be part of
such a “nice mix of individuals.”
Started in 1995, the Wall of Fame
included 11 members before Chiki.
Past honourees include people from all
walks of Niagara College life.
Wall of Fame
Inductees
2005 Brigitte Chiki
2003 Greg Nelson Darling
Dave “RAPS” Rapelje
Ray Sarkis
2001 Lou DiMattio
2000 Cindy Blanchard
1999 Bette Ferguson
1998 Mike Bainbridge
1997 Arjay Chugh
1996 D.J. Kenny “The Shim
Troll” Dickert
Eugene Maltais
1995 Fred Bassi
New chair for UW campaign Martin campaigns
By JEN GIBBONS
Staff Writer
As the 2005 United Way
College Campaign came to a
close, so ended the tenure of the
committee’s chair.
The campaign fell short of the
goal to get 100 per cent
participation and to surpass the
2004 campaign, which raised
$25,288.
Nevertheless, the campaign
managed to raise $23,510.85.
“I am proud of the total,” said
Betty Ann Chandler, chair of the
United
Way
College
Campaign, with a smile. “The
campaign went well, and our
committee worked very hard
and very well together.”
“Our main goal is to get
everyone to donate,” she said,
“and our participation level
steadily increases every year.”
“It was hard to get a sense of
where people were with
donating. We were pleased with
how the dessert auction turned
out, and the committee worked
great together,” said Carolyn
Ambrose, campaign committee
volunteer.
The Niagara College United
Way Committee Report’s wrapup meeting identified some reasons for falling short of the proposed goal. First is donor
fatigue. With an increasing number of natural disasters and the
rise of gas prices, donors are
giving money to a large number
of organizations. Also people
are unaware of and not
accessing the United Way
College
Campaign’s
new
website. Another factor was the
committee had only four people,
and they had to work extremely
hard and do a tremendous
amount of work.
Most of the events planned by
the committee went well and
raised a lot of money for the
organization, said Chandler.
This is the last year for
Chandler as the committee’s chair
as she has resigned from her post.
She had been the committee’s
chair the past four years.
Chandler has decided to stay
on the committee as a helper to
the new co-chair/chair. The
positions for the new committee
have yet to be decided.
The committee has recommended the addition of an
administrative person to sit on
the committee as a co-chair to
help to raise more funds.
“We need more administrative
support in the campaign,” said
Chandler.
“Having administration on the
committee would create really
good participation from as many
levels as possible. It would be a
good balance of representation,”
said Ambrose.
Chandler has nominated
Ambrose and Jurus to be next
year’s campaign co-chairs, but
she is unsure who will be on the
committee.
“I am nervous to be co-chair,”
said Ambrose, “but the
more I work with the United
Way, the more I realize I’m
working with the right organization.”
Ambrose said she is
unsure about any changes to
the campaign yet, but would
like the new campaign to
“focus on a way to highlight
the local community.”
“Thank you to everyone
who supported the campaign and to people who
donated prizes. Without
them, it would have been
more difficult. A special
thanks to the committee
members themselves: Carolyn Ambrose, Lorraine
Gelinas, Erica Jurus, Jennifer Pinfold and Beg
Crumm,” said Chandler.
“We had a lot of fun this
year. Thank you to
everyone who supported the
Be Prepared…Get Informed
ATTEND THESE FREE WORKSHOPS!
University Prep Workshop
• Mon. Jan. 23/06 • 12:30 - 1:30pm
• Welland Campus • Room ME104
• Mon. Jan. 30/06 • 1:30 - 2:30pm
• Glendale Campus • Room W212
Stress Management Workshop
• Mon. Jan. 30/06 • 12:30 - 1:30pm
• Welland Campus • Room ME104
Counselling Services
We’re Here To Help!
in St. Catharines
By ELISABETH BAILEY
Staff Writer
Sharing in unity was the theme Prime Minister
Paul Martin struck at Liberal MP Walt Lastewka’s
headquarters in St. Catharines on Friday, Jan. 13, in
a speech to supporters and media.
“That notion of working together, pulling together,
sharing has been part of the ethic of government
since the beginning of time. I believe this election
campaign is a very important election campaign
because for the first time that notion of the role of
government and that notion of the way we share
together is being called into question.”
Martin said he wanted to talk about what he
thought had become the “clear issue of this
campaign.”
Martin said that Canada’s beginnings were very
different from the United States. He said that Canada
began with “the notion of sharing, generosity and
compassion between us.”
“The reason I raise it now is because a number of
decisions that have been taken by [Conservation
Party leader] Stephen Harper in the last couple of
days make it very clear that there is not a new
Stephen Harper, and there is not a new Conservative
party, that this is the Stephen Harper of 10 years ago
and this is the Alliance Party of 10 years ago.”
“Stephen Harper said yesterday that his
fundamental views have not changed. He has said
that the far-right conservative movement of the
United States equally influences him. In fact, he has
said that the far-right conservative movement of the
United States is, and I quote, ‘a light and an
inspiration.’”
Martin also said he disagreed with the Harper’s
plans to not honour the Kelowna agreement for
aboriginals, his plans to withdraw from the Kyoto
Accord, and the Conservative plans regarding
national daycare.
Martin said this of Harper’s position on ballistic
missile defence: “The fact is that the Canadian
government said we are not going to participate in
ballistic missile defence. We said we will make our
own decision. We said this is not part of the foreign
policy of Canada. Stephen Harper has just said that
foreign policy is going to be made in Washington,
not in Ottawa.”
College Connection .
Brigitte Chiki surprised by SAC honour
What’s
happening
at the
college
United Way
College
Campaign
wrap-up
SAC Wall of
Fame
inductee
Brigitte Chiki
PM visits
our area
Students Hospitality and Tourism newsletter released
upset with
transit
problems
By AMANDA REYNOLDS
Staff Writer
Some college students are upset
about the poor bus connections
between Brock University in St.
Catharines and Niagara College’s
Welland campus.
One student, who asked that her
name not be published, is upset
with Niagara Transit and the
Welland-St. Catharines connection.
She is also upset that Brock University students have a U-Pass
offered to them coinciding with a
tuition increase at the university.
Having this U-Pass entitles Brock
students, with a student ID, to
unlimited usage of Niagara Transit,
Welland Transit and St. Catharines
Transit. This service runs from
September to the end of April.
Cindy Blanchard, general manager of Niagara College Student
Administrative Council, says in
order to have the U-Pass at Niagara, SAC would have to arrange a
vote of the students.
“Because it’s a non-related tuition
fee, it has to go to protocol committee. [That committee, after giving it
a nod] hands the vote to the Niagara
College Board of Governors.”
The board of governors has the
final decision. Blanchard says SAC
has met with the transit system
management and this situation is
being worked on, but that this is a
long process.
“Meetings are being held all the
time,” says Blanchard, “but the
most we can do is when student
elections come along in March we
can put a question on the referendum regarding the U-Pass and,
hopefully, get a price so students
will be aware of how much this UPass could cost us.”
Ray Desormeaux, manager of
transportation, Niagara Transit
Commission, says that Niagara
College has not made a deal similar to what Brock has yet. Desormeaux says, “Basically we felt
if there was an increase to each
student’s tuition, we would supply a U-Pass. Niagara College
wasn’t interested in increasing
tuition for the U-Pass.”
“Brock put out a survey giving
all students the right to vote, with
the tuition increase in mind, in
order to receive the U-Pass. If Niagara College wants the same deal,
we would have to do the same
thing,” says Desormeaux.
Dollar facts for
Welland Transit
* 22 rides = $38
* Month pass = $63
* Semester Pass = $260
(January – April)
By JAYLENE POIRIER
Staff Writer
From working in six countries, hosting
and serving 21 heads of state, including
Cuban President Fidel Castro, and writing
10 books, Chandi Jayawardena is now
launching Hospitality & Tourism News.
This is a 12-page newsletter hoping to catch
the attention of residents outside of Niagara
College. In the newsletter, Dave Taylor, dean
of the Hospitality and Tourism division,
states, “In a concerted effort to inform all of
our stakeholders and various publics about the
fabulous achievements of our students, staff
and industry partners, we hope that this
newsletter will bring even greater involvement with valued industry and increased
awareness to our varied communities.”
Jayawardena is a professor in the Bachelor
of Applied Business – Hospitality Operations
Management program at Niagara College’s
Glendale campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
While the design of this newsletter was taking place, Jayawardena had to consider many
things. He says that he “wanted to do something in full colour while still staying within
their [the division’s] budget.”
This issue’s funding came from the school’s
divisional budget. Jayawardena says,
“Although someone else handles the funding,
we are looking to get sponsors.”
Inside the newsletter, readers can find information on anything from awards, to a travelling family, to field trips that the current students have taken.
Jayawardena says, “A picture is like a thousand words,” so this fully coloured newsletter
is 80 per cent coloured pictures, 10 per cent
black and white pictures and 10 per cent text.
For the next issue coming out March 1,
2006, Jayawardena says, “My vision is very
creative. We want to do the best hospitality
and tourism newsletter in this country.”
“We would also like to increase the number
of pages and focus a page of the newsletter
called, Meet Our Students. For this page, we
will choose one or two students who have
done extremely well in the industry and
maybe capture one student who has currently
done something unique, to give the students
more coverage.”
In the future, Jayawardena says they will
get the newsletter more publicity, “in an indirect way while trying to feature interesting or
odd people.”
You can look forward to three more
issues in 2006.
Green to speak to public relations students
Former Niagara College faculty member
Brian Green will be speaking to students in
the Public Relations (Graduate Certificate)
program at Niagara College on Jan. 24.
Green had a 30-year career teaching
courses including broadcast journalism,
modern history, English, theatre and computer applications.
Green’s talk, Writing for the Ear, is part of
the public relations program’s speaker series.
He will meet with the public relations students for an hour-long talk and a questionand-answer period.
As well as teaching, Green wrote and cowrote textbooks, including his Canadian
Broadcast Journalism and his and Sarah
Norton’s The Essentials writing skills
books. Since retiring, Green has continued
to write, revising his textbooks and publishing freelance articles in publications
such as the Toronto Star and Canadian Fly
Fisher.
He has also pursued interests in travelling,
outdoor sports, cooking and wine.
Recruiter juggles roles
Job seminar provides answers
for international students
By KAESHA FORAND
Staff Writer
Bhanu Vashishth’s personal digital assistant (PDA) is constantly ringing with an
incoming call or an appointment reminder.
He describes his blue PDA, a small handheld
computer as being his “best friend” and doubts
he could live without it because it keeps his life
organized.
He is a busy man as his job as an international recruiter at Niagara College’s
Welland campus requires him to stay in contact with international students, parents,
agents and Canadian high commissions
worldwide.
Vashishth, 29, was born in Bhiwani,
India, into a wealthy family. His parents
own a 500-acre farm where they grow various types of fruits and vegetables. His
mother is a housewife and his father is a
bank manager.
Vashishth received his bachelor’s degree
in business administration from Meerut
University in Uttar Pradesh, India, and his
master’s degree in business administration
from Bhopal University in Bhopal, India.
He came to Niagara College to enrol in the
Tourism Development (Graduate Certificate) program and subsequently the Human
Resource Management (Graduate Certificate) program.
“I always wanted to come to North Bhanu Vashishth, in traditional Indian attire, stands
America to study, and I knew Canada was by a mirror with the “om” symbol in his office. It siga wonderful country.”
nifies the most powerful word for Hindus. Vashishth
During his first summer in Canada, is a recruiter in the International Education and
Vashishth met a Canadian family through a Development Department.
friend. He lived in their basement apartment
Photo by Kaesha Forand
from November 2001 to November 2005.
The family of seven introduced him to Cana- four years Vashishth has travelled to Germany,
dian celebrations and customs, treated him like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Korea, Unita member of their family and provided him ed Arab Emirates and Syria to recruit potential
students at education fairs.
with support.
As a recruiter, he also creates marketing strateAs a student, Vashishth was always looking for
opportunities to help in the International Depart- gies with his manager.
Vashishth said his journey would not have been
ment. He would go to Sean Coote, manager of
International Services and Recruitment, every as successful if he hadn’t had support from
week to ask if he needed assistance with activities. Welland mayor and former teacher Damian GoulOne day Coote offered to pay Vashishth to bourne, Marcel Turpin, counsellor Donna Putman,
make three different types of salads for an Eng- Prior Learning Assessment facilitator Michelle
Pugh, Coote, and his Canadian family because
lish as a Second Language program graduation.
He accepted, despite the fact that he didn’t they were all “pillars” during his journey.
His parents and his wife’s parents arranged his
know how to make the salads. Thanks to his
quick thinking, he found a friend who knew how. marriage because their doing so is an Indian traThey worked together, split the money and six dition.
He knew his future wife as a childhood friend,
hours later Vashishth delivered salad to feed 200
was offered her hand in marriage on April 24 and
graduates.
On another occasion he was asked to cook food accepted five days later. Their parents planned
the ceremony.
on a barbecue for a student get-together.
The couple married on July 15 in India. His
Vashishth, who had never operated a barbecue, problem-solved and asked an M&M Meat wife, Viparana Vashishth, has a bachelor’s
Shop employee to give him a “crash course” on degree in commerce and plans to move to
Canada in 2006.
how to use it.
Once Vashishth’s parents also move to Canada
Laughing at the situation, he added, “Thanks to
my awesome grasping power and good memory, they will live with him because it is an Indian tradithe way I was moving on that barbecue that tion that parents live with one of their children.
“I am proud to take care of my parents.”
evening, people would not have guessed that it
He said the high point in his life was receiving
was my first time.”
When Vashishth came to Niagara College as an his Canadian immigration status. He had a party
international student, he spent many hours volun- with 145 friends, where Canadian and Indian
teering. Within his first year as a student he was food was served. A banner outside the hall read
“Bhanu CanIndian - May 20, 2004” for the day
working part time helping students.
After graduating in 2001, he was hired at Nia- he became a Canadian resident. When he
gara College as a part-time international assistant, receives his citizenship in 2006, he said, “it will
then as a part-time recruitment specialist. In 2004 be the destination to a journey, a journey of an
he began to work full time as an international international student to a Canadian citizen.”
He said his goal is to continue working as an
recruitment officer.
“Almost all international students are able to international recruiter to explore new markets
achieve their goals in some way, but I think the and to make the college’s international enrolment
way I approached everything and the little No. 1 in Ontario. Niagara College is currently
amount of time it took me to establish myself was ranked No. 6 of 24 Ontario colleges. On a personal level he hopes to “buy a lot of houses” and
remarkable.”
As an international recruitment officer, he is open a business when his father arrives.
Vashishth adds, “I’m an Indian by birth, a Canaresponsible for recruiting students and promoting
Niagara College worldwide. Throughout the last dian by achievement, and am proud of both.”
By TAKAHIDE EGUCHI
Staff Writer
Looking for a job successfully seems to be an internationally recognized
skill, so the recent International Job Seminar gave international students
tips about job search skills.
The seminar was introduced in 2002 by Larissa Strong, international
student adviser, International Recruitment and Services, and Janet Forfar,
consultant – Graduate Services The Job Centre, Workforce and Business
Development Division.
Strong says she and Forfar used to get “a lot of students” coming into
the offices asking the same questions about jobs, so they started the
seminar.
She says they decided to put the expertise of the Job Centre on employment with the International office’s “immigration and cultural awareness
of differences of finding work in different countries.”
The seminar is held once in the fall term at the Welland campus and once
in winter at the Glendale campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Strong says
although there were about 12 students at the first seminar, “the word got
out,” and over 100 students showed up at the next seminar.
About 50 students eagerly waited at 5:30 p.m. in the Secord Room at the
Welland campus on Oct. 27.
The seminar was divided into four sections: resumé writing, cover letter
writing, interviews and work permits. Topics were presented by Forfar,
Strong and Monique Morin, consultant with the Graduate Employment,
The Job Centre, Venture Division.
Strong says she had “positive feedback” from the students.
After the seminar, she encouraged students to work on their resumé and
visit The Job Centre to ask for information.
Strong suggests students start their job search now, especially if they are
looking for work after graduation or during their co-op.
“It’s a great time to ask questions and that way other students can learn
from their questions.”
Another consultant, Meghan Clark, of Niagara Falls, says the seminar
was “fantastic.”
She emphasizes that it is the partnership between the International office
and The Job Centre that “makes it so successful.”
Clark says she and her colleagues research on a yearly basis and try to
keep up with employment trends.
She points out the seminar should be a starting point for the students and
an opportunity to learn Canadian customs, to which international students
need to “be familiarized. Take lots of notes, ask lots of questions and be an
active participant with the seminar.”
She says she is looking forward to seeing more international students
coming into The Job Centre for extra help.
Miguel Lorenzo, 17, from Venezuela, an English for Academic Preparation program student, says, “It was an outstanding meeting” because he
learned some “important” things that he needs to know to get a job.
The next international student job search seminar is going to be held
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Yerich Auditorium at the Glendale campus on
Jan. 26.
There will be free transportation for students coming from the
Welland campus.
They can sign up for it in S100.
$1 million to local charities
By KATE JEFFERIES
Staff Writer
After four years of providing grants
to community groups across Niagara,
the Niagara Community Foundation
has now awarded over $1 million to
local charities.
“This is truly a milestone as we
complete our fifth year,” says BettyLou Souter, grants committee chair, in
a press release.
The Niagara Community Foundation
pools charitable donations from the
community into permanent endowment
funds and manages the income-earning
funds for organizations involved in education, health, arts, heritage, the environment, literacy, leadership training
and community development.
“What is unique about the foundation’s granting program is that it supports registered charities working in any
sector in any community,” says Andrea
Kriluck, president of the foundation.
At its November meeting, the foundation’s board approved grants
totalling $53,490 to 18 community
groups across Niagara. Many of these
projects have an impact in Niagara,
with the grants providing resources
that will enable these organizations to
meet the needs of their clients.
When it comes to young people
volunteering in the non-profit sector,
Liz Palmieri, executive director of
the foundation, says gifts of materials
such as clothing and food are always
appreciated.
“What’s really important is for
young people to get involved with
something they’re passionate about.
Once you’re hooked emotionally,
other kinds of support usually follow.”
For 2006 the foundation has four
grant programs established. Two of the
upcoming programs are for organizations working in the environment or
groups working with youth. Both have
deadlines this month.
For more information go to www.niagaracommunityfoundation.org
and
click on grants.
Editorials
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Federal election campaign costing millions
To vote, or not to vote? That is the question.
I’m sure you have seen green, red, orange and blue
election signs on front lawns in the area. The federal
general election is on Jan. 23, and Canadian citizens
over the age of 18 can vote.
I’ve never cared about voting because I’ve never
been interested in politics. I am not enthusiastic about
the thought of four men travelling throughout Canada on their private jets, with their election crew, trying to win votes.
I don’t like how they arrange photo opportunities
by serving one ice cream cone in a Dairy Queen,
playing cards in a seniors’ home or reading to children in a daycare.
Three men are vying for the title of prime minister:
Paul Martin, the Liberal leader, Stephen Harper, the
Conservative leader, and Jack Layton, the New
Democrat Party (NDP) leader. Bloc Québécois leader
Gilles Duceppe can win up to 72 seats on Parliament
Hill and could not become prime minister because he
has candidates only in Québec. Green Party leader
Jim Harris was not permitted to participate
in the televised debates with the other four
leaders, although he too aspires to be prime
minister.
To become prime minister, a leader’s
party must have the majority of the 308
seats in Parliament.
I was appalled when I learned that the
Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Green
Party are allowed to spend $18.2 million on
one election campaign. The Bloc Québécois can spend up to $4.6 million. That
$77.4 million would be better spent fulfilling their election promises.
Two English televised debates have provided some insight on what party issues are. Issue
positions, including education funding, can easily be
accessed at http://www.ctv.ca/mini/election2006/static/issues/education.html.
For more information, visit the Elections Canada
website at www.elections.ca. I have read newspapers
Everyone’s vote counts
Election Day is Monday.
Many people are probably still undecided as to whom to vote for.
There have been many chances to catch
the coverage on the federal election. Last
week Conservative leader Stephen Harper, Liberal leader Paul Martin, New
Democratic Party leader Jack Layton and
Gilles Duceppe, Bloc Québécois leader
engaged in a televised debate.
Post-debate, the polls indicated that the
Conservative party has taken a lead in
popular opinion in the election race.
It is important for us as college students
and Canadian citizens to stay informed
on political issues affecting us.
I know some people who vote just for
the people their parents do, but it is
important to stay individually informed
and make a smart choice.
It’s important to know who is running and
what they have to offer to the country.
Ontario has the most impact on elections
because we have the most seats at 106 of
the 308 seats in Parliament.
As students, we should know the issues
because they will affect how much we
pay in tuition, determine how much we
will receive for a student loan, and influence the interest rates on the loans we
need to pay back when we finish our time
at Niagara College.
It’s important to us to be able to live a
comfortable life while in college.
As Canadian citizens, we should exercise our right to vote and consider ourselves lucky to have been provided with
that freedom.
Many think politics is boring. I know
people who have the attitude, “Well, I’m
only one person. My vote doesn’t matter
anyway.”
Every vote matters. Federal, provincial and municipal politics affects our
daily lives.
We live in a free country.
Come Jan. 23, exercise your right to vote.
You can make a difference.
MELISSA MANGELSEN
and visited both websites; they have provided me
with solid information that will help me decide.
The Elections Canada website states that only 25
per cent of young voters vote. We, as students, should
vote for what we believe in. This year I will vote for
the first time in my life.
KAESHA FORAND
d
a
e
R
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Please contact Laura Tait,
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Unrealistic television
Hamilton, Ont., says, “My
girlfriend makes me watch that
model show (America’s Next
Top Model) with her. I ended
up liking it because the girls
are hot and they usually don’t
wear too much.”
There is such a wide range of
reality shows that there is something for everyone. The topics
range from surviving, to dating,
to cooking, to losing weight.
I realize there isn’t anything
insightful or deep about this
kind of programming, but is
there supposed to be? No.
These shows are purely for
entertainment purposes.
“I love Survivor and I won’t
miss it, and if I know I’m not
going to be home, I get someone to tape it for me,” says Blair
Gardner, 24, of London, Ont. “I
watch it because it’s exciting
and what else is there to do on a
Thursday night?”
It has been argued that these
poor “contestants” are exploited
for the good of the ratings and
are made to look like fools.
First, if you’re going to participate in a show, you’re not
the sharpest tool in the shed if
you don’t already know the producers are going to edit footage
to benefit the show’s popularity.
Even if you are made out to be
an idiot or a bitch, who cares?
When the program is finished
airing, you’ll end up getting
publicity like crazy and make
millions of dollars no matter
when you got voted off.
Reality television no doubt
has the potential to stay around
with huge ratings for decades.
I am not alone in my love forthis tasteless string of programming. I’m sure although many
of you would never admit it, but
you have a secret love affair for
The Biggest Loser or Survivor.
Let’s face it: reality television is
here to stay.
Saskatchewan has more
to offer us than Corner Gas
By MELISSA
province starved of electricity, cable and highMANGELSEN
speed Internet.
Staff Writer
I have been asked by other Ontarians, “Do they
The differences in people, land, culture and churn their own butter?”
expenses make Saskatchewan feel like home to me.
I found their lifestyle to be similar to ours,
The TV show Corner Gas has made except they didn’t stress about the things that we
Saskatchewan well known over the last couple do here daily.
of television seasons. I rarely watch Corner
Their pleasures in life seemed a lot simpler
Gas but was asked by people in Ontario, “Have than ours.
you been to Corner Gas yet?”
While I was there I read daily the Toronto
I did end up seeing the town that Corner Gas is news about the 15-year-old girl shot and killed
based on and the home of the show’s star, Brent on Boxing Day and how the streets of Toronto
Butt.
have taken a gradual downward spiral in the last
I had never been to Saskatchewan until the 10 years.
Christmas break and was unsure if I would like it
After reading the Toronto newspaper, I would
because I was born and raised in Ontario.
read the Saskatchewan newspaper and see chilI was misinformed about
dren playing in the snow and read
Saskatchewan until recently when I
about issues of community businesses.
decided to take a trip there.
It made me wonder what kind of
I assumed that it was all flat
impression people in western Canada
farmland. While most of it is,
were getting of Ontario, especially
the province has great cities with
with the gun violence in Toronto.
the same things that Ontario
Prices in Saskatchewan are considcities offer.
erably lower than ours. The cost for
While I was there I spent most
housing in Saskatchewan is the lowest
of my time in Nipawin, Sask., but
in Canada.
I also visited Saskatoon, Prince Melissa Mangelsen
You can build or rent a nice house
Albert and several smaller towns
for
a reasonable price. The power,
Columnist
Columist
along the way.
heating and water costs are much
Saskatchewan became a province on Sept. 1, lower too.
1905, and just finished celebrating its centennial.
Traditionally, Saskatchewan has been known
It is very different. Strangers stop you in for its agriculture. Wheat is the most familiar
stores and start a conversation. Car drivers let crop and has been stereotypically associated
you cross the road, and I heard more “pleases with the province. However, it is also rich in
and thank-yous” in the first day there than I canola, flax, rye, oats, peas and barley. Mining
have in Ontario in quite some time.
has become a major industry in the province,
The population of Saskatchewan in 2004 was and the province is the world leader in potash
recorded at 1,018,057, while in 2005 Ontario’s exports.
population was 12,531,410.
Forestry and uranium are also important to the
The population sizes are very different, but I province.
was surprised to see how different it was
I was surprised to see the number of job opporenvironmentally and culturally.
tunities in Saskatchewan. They offer factory,
In Ontario you tend not to notice the yellow media and retail jobs and just about everything
tinge our sky has as a result of pollution.
that we offer here.
While in the west, I saw for miles. On days
My experience in Saskatchewan was so pleaswhen the sky was blue, it was a pure blue. It was ant I have decided to do my program’s work
the clearest sky I have seen.
placement there and settle there as my permanent
I admit that before travelling there I had the residence when I complete my time at Niagara
stereotypical view of Saskatchewan as a College.
‘Quality Improvement Fund’
Dear Editor:
An Open Letter Regarding Negotiations and
Quality Improvements in the Colleges to Ontario’s
College students
On Nov. 29, 2005, Premier Dalton McGuinty and
Chris Bentley, Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, announced additional funding
to the college system of $87.3 million – the “Quality
Improvement Fund.”
“Our government is committed to providing a highquality education for our students, who must compete
with the best in the world,” said Bentley. “This new
fund will make improvements that students will see
and benefit from immediately – and accountability
agreements will ensure that the extra money produces
results.”
The government’s first principle tied to the funding
is that the colleges must: “Hire more support staff and
faculty so that students have better access to their
instructors.”
When the faculty negotiating team asked college
management on how they proposed to spend the Quality Improvement Fund, they replied that some of it
would be spent on hiring new faculty – but only for
additional enrolment. None would be spent on
improving current student/teacher ratios or on reducing class size. Any quality improvements for today’s
students and faculty would be made only by a redistribution of existing work. None of the $87.3 million
would be used to hire more faculty to service current
student needs.
The faculty identified quality improvements as their
number 1 demand for the next contract. Faculty knew
that would mean hiring more teachers to serve the current students and future enrolment. The Bob Rae
Review of post-secondary education in Ontario was
unequivocal in its assessment of what was wrong in
the colleges – Rae described college management as
“the poster child for efficiency gains” and added that
the price for this focus on efficiency at the cost of
quality was “a diminished ability to deliver the educational services Ontario and Ontarians badly need.” [p.
48] Rae reported that the college system “suffers from
serious quality issues – teacher contact time, class
size, deferred maintenance.”
Faculty want a new contract that addresses the real
issues of quality in the college system. The
student/teacher ratio has increased by 33 per cent in
the last decade. The number of students has increased
by nearly 50 per cent while the number of regular
faculty has fallen by nearly 25 per cent. Management
tells us that is fine. They are content with that. They
want to spend the $87.3 million taking in more students but not changing those trends or ratios.
Faculty say enough is enough. We will not put up
any longer with the degradation of our college system.
Rae reported on the problems. The government has
heard Rae and has provided the first step in quality
improvement funding. College management refuses to
do what is obviously needed, perhaps because it would
signal the truth of Rae’s assessment of the last decade.
Faculty have learned that management now plans to
invest in a public relations firm and launch a campaign
to justify their decisions. More money wasted.
Faculty believe that our contract should be settled without a strike – should have been settled already with the
funding provided by the government to do exactly what is
needed. However, if a strike is what management
demands before it will address the quality and workload
issues, then that is what will result. In 1984, College faculty went on strike over workload and quality concerns.
The gains made then resulted in additional funding and
the hiring of 1,000 more full-time faculty. Since that time,
quality has regressed and the student teacher ratio and
class sizes have once again risen to inappropriate levels
for college programs. This time the funding is already
there for hiring additional faculty once again, for making
quality improvements, for repairing the damage of the last
decade.
To waste the recommendations of the Rae Review
of Ontario’s post-secondary system would be irresponsible. Faculty will do what is necessary - strike if
we must – to see that, in Rae’s words, Ontario students
get the post-secondary education they deserve.
Ted Montgomery,
Negotiating Team Chair, OPSEU
Paddy Musson,
College Academic Division Chair, OPSEU
Columns
By AMY ZULINIAK
Staff Writer
Column
When I tune into television
shows such as Survivor,
America’s Next Top Model or
The Bachelor, I’m not looking to
be spiritually enlightened,
motivated or moved in anyway.
I’m looking for an hour of relaxation, a cheap thrill and a quick
laugh watching these unrealistic
shows try to fake “reality.”
What is television coming to?
I’ll tell you what: a reality television era. How can millions of
North Americans tune in if it’s
apparently so unwatchable?
I do agree that the “reality”
portrayed is false. It is, however, highly entertaining. I, along
with millions of others, love
tuning in to see whose relationship falls to pieces, which
alliances break apart or who
gets voted off.
Sean Moulden, 23, of
Letter to the Editor
What we
think
Television
programs
unrealistic
entertainment
Saskatchewan
an inviting
vacation spot
Letter to the
Editor
What we
Think
Voters: Make
the right
choice
The Karla
Homolka
movie
Tom Cruise
and Katie
Holmes a.k.a.
“TomKat”
Facts are needed before voting Film portrays
killer as victim
Jeremy LaForty
Columist
Columnist
With
the
election
approaching on Jan. 23, many
folks are contemplating whom
to vote for. I will not be voting
for anyone.
I have a serious problem
trusting men of major political
power. We are all humans, and
I believe we are all innately
selfish. We all eat, sleep, die
and are controlled by our
various impulses. These men
who we feel have the right to
govern our lives are no
different, and if money is
power or vice-versa, and
power is what they are
pursuing, why should I believe
that they truly care about
anyone but their own personal
success and that of their close
friends and family?
How much do you care
about those outside your circle
of friends and family? When is
the last time that the affairs or
despairs of a stranger or large
group of strangers have
motivated you to make a
difference in their lives?
I think we selfishly vote men
into power for our personal
benefit, and those running for
power are there to benefit from
the obvious wealth that
power brings.
Terri Gibson, 39, of Port
Colborne, is in the Office
Administration — Executive
(Co-op)
program
at
Niagara College. She says she
is planning to vote for the
Conservative Party (PC).
Asked why, she said, “I believe
that the Conservatives stand
for the workers, blue-collared
people. I’ve been one of them
my whole life. I’ve been
following and voting for the
PC since I was 18, long enough
to know what they stand for.”
Steve Lamarre, 19, of
Grimsby, Ont., and a Computer
Engineering
Technician
program student at Niagara,
says, “I’ve made a point to
keep up with current events
and have a pretty good idea
how the country is run. I also
watch Parliament events on
television.”
Lamarre plans on voting PC
and says he wants to get his
“say” in politics so he can
“help influence how the
country is run.”
Tim MacDonald, 20, of
Welland, and an Electrical
Engineering
Technician
program student at Niagara,
says he will be voting for the
New Democratic Party (NDP).
MacDonald says, “If you don’t
vote, then I feel you don’t have
any right to complain about
national affairs.”
Fiona Balabykkubo, 24,
originally from Uganda,
Africa,
is
taking
the
Pre-Health Science program.
She will not be voting Jan. 23
because she says her vote will
not
make
any
difference.
“You’re gonna get screwed
regardless. The majority vote
last election felt that the
Liberal Party was the best
choice, but as a single mother I
have only seen the bad side of
Liberal ideals. But as much as I
don’t like them, all men will
make promises that they can’t
keep. No one ever does what
they say they will do
or should do, and I don’t want
to have any part in their corruption.”
Mike Maye, 32, of Niagara
Falls, does security at the
college’s bookstore. Maye says
he plans on voting but hasn’t
yet decided on who will
receive his vote.
“You need to wait until the
‘last
minute’
of
the
campaign movements to see
who’s full of it. They’re all
lying, so who’s lying the
least?”
Unless a person avidly seeks
information on all of Canada’s
affairs and how they are
handled, I don’t think
they should vote. What if
you’re voting for something
bad? Has everyone forgotten
what corruption is?
TomKat dominating news
Natalie
Ventresca
By
Natalie
Ventresca
Columnist
Columnist
Separately, he was Hollywood’s “golden boy” and she
was poised to be America’s
next sweetheart.
Together, they are as close to
a freak show as anyone has
seen in years. Let’s just say
they are the conductor and
co-conductor of the crazy train.
Some people might find Tom
Cruise and Katie Holmes’
courtship, engagement and
pregnancy cute or romantic,
yet some, like me, find it all
disturbing to the point where I
cringe every time I see them
together.
To all his critics, Cruise
stated in an interview in the
June
17
edition
of
Entertainment Weekly that,
“Some people don’t like to see
other people happy. If they
don’t like it, f*** them.”
Now, now Tom, is that any
way to talk to the same people
buying tickets to your movies?
You have to admit, though,
his behaviour over the summer
has been odd.
In Cruise’s last film, War of
the Worlds, he confronts aliens,
but lately it is his behaviour
that seems out of this world.
First, the twice-divorced
43-year-old actor stuns the
world by dating Holmes, 26.
Afterwards, Cruise and
Holmes, or TomKat, as the
media have begun to call them,
did not shy away from the public eye, as many celebrity
couples do.
Instead, TomKat chose to do
all their making out on the red
carpet instead of in the privacy
of their home.
Their public displays of
affection were so frequently in
the news that some critics
began to question the validity
of their relationship.
They both had movies being
released (Batman Begins and
War of the Worlds), so many
considered this relationship to
be simply a publicity stunt.
Then, Cruise, in an
interesting turn of events,
appears on The Oprah Winfrey
Show, to again publicly
announce his love for Holmes.
He expresses his feelings not
by talking about it, as sane people do, but does so acrobatically by jumping up and down on
Oprah’s
couch
and
falling to his knees. He then
runs backstage where an
unsuspecting Holmes was
watching the show and literally
pulls her onto the stage.
Then, the day the world was
waiting for arrives. On June
17, Cruise, in another very
public manner, a press
conference, announces his
engagement to Holmes, only
two months after they started
dating.
However, before TomKat
could walk down the aisle,
Holmes announces on Oct. 5
that she is pregnant. Holmes
then announces that she is
planning to leave her budding
Hollywood career to become a
stay-at-home mom.
To me, it seems like Holmes
is the one doing all the
major changes in this
relationship. In addition to
halting her career when she is
at a pivotal age to win many
parts, Holmes, who is a
Catholic,
is
considering
converting
to
Tom’s
controversial
religion,
Scientology.
I don’t care how persuasive
or charming Cruise is. I would
never jump on the crazy train
with him.
I suppose if they are happy
together they should be left
alone, but when they are
actually inviting all this
publicity, the public has the
right to criticize.
I just hope for the sake of
their unborn child that the
crazy gene skips a generation.
To the dismay of most Ontarians, and
other Canadians alike, the controversial
true crime film Karla will be released
today in Canadian theatres.
It isn’t the first film about a real-life
crime. There have been films about
murderers Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles
Manson and many other notorious and
Amanda Street
not-so notorious killers. What makes
Columnist
Columnist
this crime so different?
It could be that it took place right next door to most of us.
Those living in the Niagara region were touched by the crimes
in one way or another. I remember always watching for a
cream-coloured Camaro and seeing people wearing green
ribbons.
St. Catharines teenager Kristen French was a figure skater,
and my mother had met her at different skating events.
The events were close to home. That’s what separates this
film from Helter Skelter and Gacy.
Manson’s crimes were far more vicious and disturbing, but
we can sit back and watch them on the screen while we’re
eating butter-ladden popcorn in the comfort of our homes or at
the theatre.
I have read many true-crime novels and watched tons of
true-crime movies; none of them made me flinch.
I watched the trailer for Karla, on the film’s website
http://www.karlathemovie.net, and it disturbed me, not because
of any gory scene, or the exposing of the sick
sexual torture Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka forced on
their victims. What sickened me was the way they portray
Homolka. She’s always the victim.
In the law’s eyes, it’s poor Ms. Homolka, or Teale, or
whatever she is calling herself these days.
The real difference between this film and films on killers like
Dahmer and Manson is that they are portrayed as what they
are: psychopathic maniacs. They aren’t made out to be victims,
so they aren’t portrayed as innocent.
It’s an injustice that Homolka is out of prison, and it is unjust
that this movie makes her out to be a victim. What about the
real victims: the teenage girls she tortured and killed? What
about her sister, whom she was responsible for killing?
Maybe if this movie didn’t glamourize Homolka, there
wouldn’t be such a negative opinion on it.
I’ll admit that I did want to see this movie. I read the books
and I was OK with that. I was a little angry at times when I read
about Homolka’s “vacation” to prison, but I handled the
descriptions of the crimes as I did any other crime novel.
Now that I’ve seen the trailer and have seen what angle this
film has, I can say I have no desire to see it.
Maybe I will see it one day, but I feel terrible paying my $10
to watch something that inaccurately portrays one of Canada’s
most notorious crimes.
Maybe if the screenplay had been written by someone from
this area, it would portray Homolka as the sick person she is.
Upcoming
Events
Columns
Welland campus
• Texas Hold’em Night •
Doors open at 8 p.m.
Winterfest Week Begins!
• Log Saw competition • Mon. Jan. 23, at After Hours
• Snow Cone eating contest • Tues. Jan. 24, at After Hours
Glendale campus
• Niagara Idol • Every Wednesday at The Armoury
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Winterfest Events • The festival kicks off on Jan. 23 and runs
until Jan. 27. See posters for details.
Niagara salutes icewine 18 hours of CPR training
munity and has grown to attracting
over 50,000 people, becoming one of
the most popular events during the
winter season.
Kroeker says that this event is important in the Niagara area because “it is
what we do best, and winter is the best
season for icewine, no better season.”
Some of the suggestions he would
like to give to icewine lovers are to try
a variety of foods with the variety of
wine, recommending cheeses and
desserts.
Any of the wines tested at the festival can be purchased at the respective
winery.
“This is a great event to show that
Niagara is still a great place to come to
in the winter as well,” says Kroeker.
For more information on events or
ticket purchases, visit the website at
www.niagarawinefestival.com or call
905-688-0212.
Brawn, song set for Winterfest
It’s Winterfest! The Trailer Park Boys
are coming, too.
The Student Administrative Council
(SAC) at both Niagara College campuses
has a full roster of fun events Jan. 23 to
Jan. 27 to test your talent and physical
agility and to tempt your fetishes. Most
events are free of charge.
At the Welland campus, the After
Hours pub is the venue for tests of skill
and endurance.
On Monday, the log saw competition
will have sawdust flying and buzz saws
buzzing.
Tuesday, it’ll be freeze your mouth and
get painful headaches as the Sno Cone
Eating Contest gets underway.
Trailer Park Boys’ Mr. Lahey and
Randy will be at the pub at 8 p.m. Entry
to this event is by ticket sale only through
the SAC offices. Advance price is $10, at
the door is $15. The general public cost is
$12. Organizers warn “some material
may be offensive.”
On Wednesday, it’s the Obstacle
Course that challenges contestants, while
Niagara Idol caps the night from 8:30
p.m. to 11 p.m. Qualify for your chance
to win tickets to Panama Beach.
The Winterfest Grand Prize Give-away is slated for Thursday, as is the
Fetish Pub with doors opening at 9 p.m.
Capping the week is a ski trip on Friday, Jan. 27, to the Blue Mountain Resort.
Cost is $25. Sign up at the SAC office.
If that hasn’t worn you out, then get
ready for the Nintendo 64 Tourney running Jan. 30 through Feb. 3.
At the Glendale campus in Niagara-onthe-Lake on Monday, it’ll be the
Snowflake Carnival from 11:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. outside the SAC office followed on Tuesday by Open Mic in The
Armoury during the same hours.
Wednesday, Niagara Idol will see a
new star wannabe, again in The Armoury
from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Thursday is the hot, hot Bahamas BBQ
with a cold, cold ski trip on Friday to
Blue Mountain Resort.
For more details, see the posters
throughout the campuses.
Rave reviews at Rodman Hall
could save a life in seconds
By KAESHA FORAND
Staff Writer
Taking a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
course can help save lives.
A basic rescuer level C CPR course can teach lifesaving techniques and requires 16 to 18 hours of
learning time for 20 people. The course, which costs
$125 per person, is taught by Niagara Falls Fire
Department firefighters Mark Goodman and Bob
Lymberner.
Lymberner stressed the importance for everyone
to have CPR training.
“Every second that goes by without CPR increases chances of mortality ... It’s important for everyone
to know CPR, it’s simple to learn and it’s something
that everyone can do,” he said.
Lymberner, who graduated from the Paramedic
program at Niagara College, is a primary care paramedic in the region and re-certifies firefighters in
CPR, first aid and automated external defibrillation.
The next course will have three sessions: Jan. 31
from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Feb. 2 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
and Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They will be held at
the Niagara Region Children’s Safety Village on the
college’s Welland campus. They are open to students
and the public.
The basic rescuer level C CPR course teaches the
emergency medical services system, emergency
action principles, airway and breathing emergencies, cardiovascular emergencies/strokes, CPR,
automated external defibrillation, bleeding management and shock, secondary survey, preventing dis-
ease transmission, injuries to the head and spine
injuries, sudden medical conditions, poison substance abuse and misuse.
Upon completion of the course, participants
receive a certificate and a wallet certificate.
“The CPR certification will help others recognize
potential dangers; it will improve their portfolio and
provide a generous donation to a worthy cause. It’s a
win-win situation,” said Nicholas McMillan, a second-year Police Foundations student and one of the
course organizers.
Proceeds from future sessions will be donated by
Police Foundations and Fitness and Health Promotion program students to the Niagara Region Children’s Safety Village. Two previous sessions yielded
$400, which will be donated to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina victim fund.
The Student Initiative club organized the CPR
courses. The club’s members are students of Niagara
College who are all committed and dedicated to the
success of students, Niagara College programs, organizations and members of the community.
They organized the courses because it is a requirement for Fitness and Health Promotion students to
continue in the second term of their program. It is
recommended that Police Foundations program students have taken the course.
Thirty students have been certified in two
sessions to date.
Inquiries about current or future sessions can be
made to [email protected] or contact McMillan
at 905-685-3178.
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CRICOS Provider Code: 00233E
By NATALIE CLEWLEY
Staff Writer
For 10 days in January, the Niagara area celebrates the 11th annual
Niagara Icewine Festival.
Brian Kroeker, marketing co-ordinator of the Niagara Wine Festival, says
that this winter event has been expanding since it began.
Many events are planned until Jan.
22, including the Icewine Gala, where
wine can be tasted and tried with different foods from the menu.
One of Canada’s largest icewine bars
carved from ice is being presented.
Admission is free.
The Icewine Classic is a two-day,
three-nights package for $525, which
includes many events such as winning
a chance to stay at the classic Prince of
Wales hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The initial Icewine Festival started
by attracting 100 people in the com-
The Race by William McElcheran is displayed outside the Rodman
Hall Arts Centre in St. Catharines. See the Jan. 27 edition of
news@niagara for a review on the Persona Volare exhibit at Rodman
Hall.
Photo by Jennifer Gibbons
Niagara 131 7mmx177 8mm indd 1
3/1/06 11:33:53 AM
Welland campus welcomes
registration booth for students
By PATRICIA RODRIGUEZ
and BAILLIE ADCOCK
Staff Writers
For the first time in college history, a federal election registration booth was set up on Jan. 10
at the Welland campus to help
students register for Monday’s
election.
Manned from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30
a.m., the site also provided a way to
raise student awareness of the election. There was no similar booth set
up at the Glendale campus.
Registration was open to all eligible voters. Students living on campus will be able to use the booth as
a voting site on Jan. 23.
Volunteers Linda Anderson and
Robert Boiter carried out this registration day after one at Brock
University in St. Catharines. Boiter said students at the university
had been “really enthusiastic”;
however, he says the short notice
and the holidays have affected the
awareness overall.
“If we had had another week, the
word would have been getting out,”
says Anderson.
The registration form and guide
for special ballots, designed for people residing away from their electoral districts, were also provided.
Students were responsible to
send this form to Election Canada
in Ottawa by 6 p.m. on Jan. 17
before the polling day, or they
could deliver it in person by the
same deadline to the office of the
returning officer in any electoral
district. The completed ballot
must arrive at Elections Canada
by 6 p.m., Ottawa time, on polling
day. Nevertheless, students will be
allowed to vote for the Welland
riding if they wish.
On Election Day, the college will
have a polling booth in the cafeteria
foyer from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.,
said Sandy Reinhart, special events
co-ordinator of Niagara College’s
Ancillary Services.
“It’s a good idea. It will encourage them [students] to vote.”
For additional information on the
election, visit www.elections.ca.
Linda Anderson and Robert Boiter, both of Port Colborne, were
at Niagara College’s Welland campus on Jan. 10 registering
voters for the Jan. 23 federal election.
Photo by Baillie Adcock
Parties bicker over how to fund education
By ROBIN HEALEY
Staff Writer
The Liberals, the Conservatives, the New Democrats
(NDP) and the Green Party are proposing changes to federal funding of post-secondary education in an attempt to
court young voters.
Under the Liberal 50/50 plan, the “federal government
pays 50 per cent of the cost of first- and graduating-year
studies for all students,” says Marc Roy, a Liberal party
spokesperson, in a telephone interview from Ottawa.
“The timeline is not set for the 50/50 plan yet,” says Roy,
noting his party will seek an agreement with all the
provinces and territories “similar to health care” that will
include an “opt-out clause” for provinces and territories that
don’t want to join.
The Liberal 50/50 plan is “hard to believe,” quips Peter Van
Loan, Conservative MP for York-Simcoe and the party’s education critic. Speaking by phone from Bradford, Ont., Van
Loan says the 50/50 plan is “ironic because it comes so late”
and considers it a “last-minute attempt to grab votes.”
“Tuition has tripled since the Liberals were in power.”
He says his party will make the first $10,000 of scholarships and bursaries tax-free and will give a $500 tax credit
to students or their parents for textbooks.
“If you win the lottery, you don’t have to pay taxes on
that. If you win a scholarship, you do. We want to change
that,” says Van Loan.
The Conservatives will give a $1,000 grant for each of the
first two years of an apprenticeship and a $500 tax credit on
tools purchased by certified trades people, which, he says,
will help those who are newly certified and “have to spend
a lot of money on equipment at first.”
Van Loan says the Tories will institute a preferred interest
rate for Canada Student Loans (CSL) to replace the current
interest rates that “are two to five per cent above prime.”
He says the Liberals have “resisted dedicated [post-secondary education] transfer payments and lowering the student loan interest rates for 13 years.”
“The kind of transfer we’re looking at is what we had
before those cuts,” says Van Loan, referencing the Liberal
cuts to federal education transfer payments in 1995.
“Nobody really knows how much money is going into
education.” Van Loan says the education transfer is “bundled with other money in the Canadian Health and Social
Transfer,” adding the Tory education policy will make government “accountable.”
“What Tory policy? I haven’t seen one,” says Roy. He is
dismissive of the Conservative tax credits, saying, “If you
can’t afford to go to school, you can’t use textbook credits.”
“Students, as a young generation of Canadians, feel more
than any other generation the benefits of Liberal government.” Roy says the Liberals will expand the Canada Access
Grant program for low-income students.
“The young generation coming out of colleges and universities have hope,” says Roy, citing “a low unemployment
rate, strong economy and availability of jobs at graduation”
as reasons for students to vote Liberal.
The NDP will put aside $4 billion to reduce tuition “for all
years of school,” says Ian Capstick, NDP press secretary to
the campaign, in a telephone interview from Ottawa.
He calls the Liberal 50/50 plan “too little, too late.” He
says “fees keep going up” under the Liberal government,
adding, “Mr. Martin is using a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants
policy program.”
“Money transferred to the provinces is not always used for
its intended purpose,” notes Capstick. He says the NDP will
use a “strings-attached approach” to funding to ensure that
money allocated for education is used for that purpose.
The NDP will immediately reduce tuition and continue to do
so as money becomes available until “tuition is at an appropriate level,” which, Capstick says, is similar to what students
paid when the Liberals took office in 1993. He expects the
restoration of funding to take “four to five years.”
The NDP plans to overhaul the CSL program by giving
grants instead of loans to low-income students and “access
to loans regardless of parental ability to pay,” says Capstick.
He explains the changes are necessary because “too many
students have to work long hours” to pay for their education
as a result of being excluded from the loan system based on
parental income.
“You can’t force parents to pay loans.”
“A lot of people are disqualified from student loans based
on parental income; we would base loans on student
income,” adds Van Loan, whose party also sees a need to
improve CSL access.
“The NDP has proven we get results for students,” says
Capstick, noting that the NDP rewrote the Liberal budget of
2005 to set aside $1.5 billion for tuition relief.
“The fact remains that the Liberal government passed it
[the 2005 budget],” says Roy, rebuking the NDP for taking
credit for the budget’s inclusion of tuition relief.
A representative for the Green Party was unavailable for
comment by press time; however, the Green Party of Canada 2006 Election Platform promises to freeze tuition across
the country immediately and reduce fees “as well as [create]
needs-based grants to address the student debt crisis.”
The platform says, “Accountability, accessibility and adequate funding are what Canada’s education system demands,”
adding, “Education is not an expense; it’s an investment.
“I haven’t seen anything that I disagree with,” says
Phillippe Ouellette, national director of the Canadian
Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), about the party
platforms on education, but he hastens to add, “That’s not to
say I’m super-impressed.”
“The federal government can’t just say, ‘I’ll give you $4
billion and it will be for education,” cautions Ouellette, in a
telephone interview from Ottawa. He would like to see an
education accord on federal transfers emerge from a first
ministers’ meeting to make funding post-secondary education “clear, reliable and accountable.”
“Right now there is nobody to blame,” jokes Ouellette,
who sees “political passing of the buck” to avoid responsibility as the biggest problem facing education.
He says the major political parties, with the exception of
the Bloc Québécois, have indicated they want to “bring the
funding formula back to the levels of 1992 and 1993.”
“I’ve been around student politics for a while, and I’ve
never seen anything like the 50/50 plan before.”
He says the opt-out clause is “promising for Quebec”
and thinks Quebec likely wouldn’t join the 50/50 plan,
since it doesn’t participate in the current education transfer agreement. “[The Quebec government] does a lot more
for tuition.”
Ouellette says education is “a very high priority, the second or third priority, for each leader.” He had hoped the
leaders would provide “more explanation of the issues
instead of just saying they will give money to education.”
He says students should visit www.thinkeducation.ca for more
information about the education policies of the major parties.
Ouellette says high tuition, financial debt and limited
access to loans “are not realities you have to live with.”
“Think education when you go vote.”
Views differ
Staff Writer
After 10 Great Canadian Election Debates throughout the community, Niagara College’s Hamilton Room at the Welland campus
served as the closing location for Welland riding’s six federal party
candidates to sway the electorate.
With four days left before Election Monday, an all-candidates debate for the Welland riding was held at
On Jan. 18, candidates Liberal MP John Maloney, Conservative
Niagara College’s Welland campus in the Hamilton Room Wednesday night. Stating their parties’ platMel Grunstein, New Democratic Party Jody DiBartolomeo, Green
forms and answering audience questions were, from left, Ron Walker, Marxist-Leninist Party; Brian
Party Brian Simpson, Christian Heritage Party Irma D. Ruiter and
Marxist-Leninist Party Ron Walker discussed issues such as health
Simpson, Green Party; Irma Ruiter, Christian Heritage Party; John Maloney, Liberals; Mel Grunstein,
care, post-secondary education, violence, victims’ rights, unemploy- Conservatives; and Jody DiBartolomeo, New Democratic Party.
ment and the budget deficit.
During the two-hour debate, the candidates fielded nine questions
from audience members through the debate’s moderator Judy Willems,
He added his party should have more representation in Parliament.
the college’s marketing director. About 75 people attended. The Pelham-Welland Chamber
DiBartolomeo, on the other hand, explained he would address the issue of education
of Commerce and The Tribune, Welland’s daily newspaper, co-sponsored the event.
affordability and the need for more skilled, trained people.
The debate began with a three-minute opening statement from each candidate.
Ruiter says her party is strong on family issues citing the importance of providing women
Topics included the not withstanding clause of the Canadian Constitution, the need for
with more support options, so they are able to spend more time with their children.
skilled tradespeople, same-sex marriage and what issues, if electorally successful, they
“We have to get more female candidates involved in government,” was the issue Simpson
would propose in the House of Commons.
said he hopes to champion. Increasing Canada’s “blueprint,” was Simpson’s second proposal.
If re-elected as MP, MalWalker said he would address the Canadian judicial process evaluation and HIV medoney said he would address
ication production and distribution.
the living situation of the
Dan Patterson, Niagara College’s president, said, “We were delighted to host an all
aboriginal people. He would Canadian Election Debate. Our Hamilton Room provided a wonderful forum for commualso pursue further assisnity members to participate and ask questions to all candidates. I personally found the
By AMBER BEARDWOOD
tance to post-secondary edu- debate helpful and informative.”
Special to news@niagara
cation and help the disabled.
“I applaud people who put their names forward for public office. We need more people
1. How many seats are there in the House of
Grunstein said he would
to get involved if we are to maintain our democratic society.”
Commons?
“want to see more democraConservative Party Leader Stephen Harper rallied supporters in St. Catharines last night
(A) 204
(B) 298
(C) 308
(D) 367
cy” with various forms of
at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Ontario Street. The 6 p.m. event was
proportional representation.
after news@niagara’s press time.
2. How many political parties are currently
registered to run in a general federal election?
(A) 11
(B) 7
(C) 12
(D) 8
Election quiz
3. How old do you have to be to run in as a candidate
in a general election?
(A) 18
(B) 21
(C) 20
(D) 19
4. What Canadian organization tries to encourage
young people to vote?
(A) Push the Vote
(B) Rush the Vote
(C) Rock the Vote
(D) Roll the Vote
5. About what per cent did the Liberals receive in
the 2004 election?
(A) 25 per cent
(B) 42 per cent
(C) 49 per cent
(D) 37 per cent
6. When did women gain the right to vote in
Canadian elections?
(A) 1919 (B) 1923
(C) 1914
(D) 1926
7. What is the most popular season to hold a federal
general election in Canada?
(A) Winter
(B) Spring
(C) Summer
(D) Fall
8. Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister?
(A) Sir John A. MacDonald (B) John Diefenbaker
(C) Richard B. Bennett
(D) Alexander Mackenzie
9. Which three provinces have chosen fixed election
dates?
(A) British Columbia, Ontario, Newfoundland and
Labrador
(B) Ontario, Alberta, Quebec
(C) Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Ontario
(D) Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and
Labrador
10. Prior to this government, when was the last
minority government in Canada?
(A) 1970 (B) 1984
(C) 1979
(D) 1987
Media blitz keeps Martin on toes
By JEFF FORAN
Staff Writer
When the prime minister comes to
your town, it is a big deal.
It’s an even bigger deal if you are
10 days away from a national election
and that prime minister is fighting for
his political life.
This is what happened in St.
Catharines last Friday at Walt
Lastewka’s local Liberal headquarters.
You may have seen his speech on
television or heard it on the radio, but
you would probably not understand the
hurricane in which such an important
head of state lives 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The police were circling the parking
lot of the plaza prior to Prime Minister
Paul Martin’s arrival.
Men in suits with Liberal badges and
earpieces prepped the public who had
come to see the man speak, identified
the press and told them “the rules”
about where they were allowed to stand.
As more and more Liberal supporters were ushered into the small,
cramped room filled with seniors and
children who were put in the front row,
the men with the badges and earpieces
kept the crowd under control.
With the majority of the public
now assembled inside, a team of the
prime minister’s security detail
arrived, quickly scanning the scene
and making mental notes of every
person in the building.
The only way one can tell the difference between security and the men with
the badges are the security service’s
long trench coats and the fact that none
of them speak a word, not one.
Amidst the growing anticipation, the
men with the badges clear a walkway
for the soon-to-arrive prime minister.
Shortly after this, a huge Greyhound
bus arrives, followed by another, and
that one followed by another. The first
two saw media and press, while the last
one is painted in the Liberal Party’s
colour of red with “Paul Martin” written
in huge letters along the side followed
by a picture of the man.
A minute after the buses have
come to a stop, a horde of men and
women holding massive cameras
enter and set up their tripods. Right
behind them is another group of
media, this time photographers.
When they are all settled and readied, the soundman begins to play
U2’s Elevation, and in walks Prime
Minister Paul Martin.
He enters just as Bono himself
would, with people trying to shake his
hand or get a word with him as his
eight bodyguards surround him. Others
further away from the aisle are taking
pictures and filming him with their
hand-held cameras. The press are taking thousands of photographs and the
strobes of lights going off from the
flashes are the perfect equal to the roar
from the people inside. Unlike U2, the
music has been drowned out.
As Martin makes his way up to the
podium and throughout his entire
speech, a member of his security detail
stands to his right, facing the crowd,
whom he never takes his eyes off.
Other members of his detail are randomly placed throughout the audience.
You can tell who they are because
when you make eye contact with them
they will outstare you until you look
away. When you look back, they are
still staring at you.
One of the men with the badges
stands at the back of the room. Every
time the prime minister finishes saying something, he claps and gets the
whole crowd to start applauding.
When the prime minister is finished
his speech, everything that began when
he walked in happens all over again in
the reverse. His bodyguards surround
him and escort him out.
U2 is drowned out again.
Outside, police have formed two walls
that allow Martin to walk out with ease.
Protesters are pushed away while
well-wishers are allowed to get close
enough to shake Martin’s hand.
The security detail struggles to keep
them at bay.
After a brief photo-op at a local
school across the street, Martin steps
onto his bus and waves goodbye.
The media quickly scramble to
their buses and follow Martin to his
next destination.
answers - 1 C, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 D, 6 A, 7 D, 8 D, 9 A, 10 C
Campaign
nears end
Staff Writer
The Canadian Alliance of Student Association’s (CASA) latest campaign is raising
students’ awareness of the importance of education during the Jan. 23 federal election.
CASA’s National Voter Education Campaign was launched on Jan. 9 with the objective of engaging and educating students about all political parties’ key post-secondary
education positions.
An interactive website, www.thinkeducation.ca, and a series of all-candidates
debates held on university and college campuses across the nation were the two components of this campaign.
The campaign’s objectives were to indicate to students “when, where and how to
vote” and to fully inform them about what the key post-secondary education issues are
and how the candidates are tackling them.
“They can think about education when they vote,” Phillippe Ouellette, national
director of the CASA, said.
“We are doing a pretty good job advocating the campaign,” considering the lack of
time the CASA had to promote it, he added.
The website provides students and public with complete election coverage about
polling station locations and key election information, candidates’ overall views on
major issues, particularly on post-secondary education, and the parties’ proposed
plans, in addition to many other links.
“Our website is very interactive. It’s unique,” said Ouellette.
In previous years, this website had been designed for the general public. After last
month’s federal election announcement, CASA redirected its focus to educate students,
said Caen Suni, CASA public relations and communications officer.
Through this website and the debates, CASA intended “to reach indecisive students”
and guide them in making the choice, said Suni.
“Our message is very clear: we want students to think education when they vote. We
want to stimulate a dialogue,” said Ouellette.
The series of Great Canadian Election Debates held across Canada provided students with a direct political involvement by allowing them to question the candidates.
“We are trying to bring politics right to their front doors to get students more
involved, interested and informed,” said Suni. He added that the debates provided students with “a great opportunity” to see it “first-hand.”
Ouellette said the debates gave students a chance to hear how each party intends to
change or improve the current educational system.
“At the moment, students are not happy with post-secondary education. They need
an avenue to hear who offers the best alternative,” added Ouellette.
“We all feel that they [politicians] don’t give enough importance to the issue of education,” said Suni.
Although politicians say education is their “top priority,” it “usually” ends up being
“a one-day announcement,” he added.
“They haven’t backed it up effectively.”
Among the student community, education places at the top, added Ouellette. For
politicians, on the other hand, education is a second or third priority, “which is fantastic,” if it were actually prioritized as “number 2 or 3,” he said.
“They need to make education a larger component. Unfortunately, Canadians
haven’t made education a priority [either],” said Ouellette.
He said CASA is trying to make this federal election easy for students by facilitating them with on-campus polling stations as well as detailed information to eliminate
confusion.
“The main objectives of this campaign [are] to get students to vote, to get them
engaged and to eliminate confusion,” said Suni.
Suni said planning and promoting the campaign was a “challenging” task, yet he
believes they have managed to promote and organize it to its “max.”
“It worked out well,” said Suni.
Having the election during school time has also provided a “good opportunity to create effective discussions between the students,” said Ouellette.
“This [has made] it easier to reach students.
“Students just need to make the contribution of voting, and the sooner they make a
decision, the better it will be for them,” said Suni.
CASA, a non-profit national organization celebrating it 10th anniversary, represents
19 student governments and over 250,000 students. This member-driven organization
focuses on post-secondary education issues by addressing the challenges these students face within federal jurisdiction.
“Students have become more intentional of how they want issues to be discussed
and what issues they want to discuss,” Ouellette added.
Universities and colleges have started to create an “avenue” to discuss youth and
educational related issues,” said Ouellette.
“This is fantastic. It has demonstrated how important this issue is to students.”
Prime Minister Paul Martin meets local school children at St. Denis Catholic School in St. Catharines on Jan. 13. Local Liberal candidate Walt Lastewka walks behind the prime minister.
Photo by Jeff Foran
Liberals promise lower tuition rates
By BAILLIE ADCOCK
Staff Writer
Students will do almost anything if someone else pays for 50 per cent of it.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has outlined a new plan with that same appeal ensuring easier access to post-secondary education.
All students will have 50 per cent of their first-year tuition paid and 50 per cent
of their final-year tuition paid under this new platform commitment.
“This is a progressive and radical position,” says President of the Ontario Young
Liberals, Andrew Teliszewsky, 24, of Ottawa.
Teliszewsky is working towards his master’s degree in public administration with
a focus on science and policy at Carleton University in Ottawa.
The Ontario Young Liberals (OYL) represents members of the Liberal Party of
Canada between the ages of 14 and 26.
Not only will this plan provide assistance to students, but it will also ensure that
Canada remains competitive and dynamic in the world’s economy by widely providing education to its youth, Liberals say.
“The plan is a very real, very dramatic difference for students. It’s a tangible way
to increase access and alleviate tension.”
OYL has launched a print advertising campaign that will make students aware of
the implications that come with choosing not to vote.
On Jan. 23, students across Canada will be able to vote in the riding where they
live during the eight-month student calendar year. OYL hopes this option for students will “empower the voting block and mobilize students to vote.”
Postcards with voting incentives and information are being distributed to Ontario
students.
“This is a very important election for students … It forces youth issues onto the
political map,” said Jen Beckerman, OYL student director and Carleton University
Youth Liberal president in a press release.
For more information on how to vote in your local riding or on the election in general, visit www.oyl.org or www.elections.ca.
Decision to vote a personal choice
By TAKAHIDE EGUCHI
Staff Writer
Every person has a right to vote or not.
Voters in Ontario will give their final
opinions on Monday in the federal election.
A recent on-the-street survey shows how the
tally may go.
Zerg Tareen, 30, manager at The Record
Shop in Toronto, says he votes every time.
Whether the government will stay the
same or change, he says, “if you like the
country, voting is important.”
Although he believes no government is
“perfect,” Tareen says he is going to vote
Liberal.
The “good things” they did surpass the
“bad things,” says Tareen.
Trevor Vanek, 25, from North Sydney,
N.S., is in the third year of the Pharmacy
program at the University of Toronto. Vanek
says he is not going to vote because he is not
too familiar with events and the different
parties in Ontario.
He points out he would not go to vote
“just for the sake of voting” and needs to
know what the platforms are.
Carol Maxted, 67, from Mississauga,
Ont., a mall representative, says the government has positions on “lots of issues” such
as youth crimes and tax breaks for elderly
people.
“They should be more lenient to the older
people.”
Don Fiske, 65, of St. Catharines, a businessman in sales and marketing, says he is
going to vote for the Conservatives.
“I find (party leader Stephen) Harper a
very honest man.”
Prime Minister Paul Martin is trying to
make Harper “a bad guy,” says Fiske,
adding that the Liberal is “too dishonest”
and that made up his mind.
Fifty-seven-year-old Carol Hodges, of
Toronto, a supervisor in horticultural interior landscaping, says she “traditionally”
votes for the New Democratic Party
(NDP). She says the Conservatives will
win; however, the NDP will be the “swing”
party, meaning the Conservatives will need
the NDP’s help to pass some bills and the
NDP can ask them to do what they want to
do, which is “more people oriented than
business oriented.”
She thinks going to vote is an “obligation”
Strumming a tune
Doc MacLean, a musician for more than 30 years, plays a guitar on a street
in Toronto Nov. 12.
Photo by Takahide Eguchi
Falls more than casino
By JAYLENE POIRIER
Staff Writer
Niagara Falls is a travel destination for
many tourists. Every day thousands of people visit the “strip,” more commonly known
as the Gateway, home to restaurants, haunted houses, rides, the casino and the falls.
The Niagara Gateway Project is Niagara’s
attempt to attract people to the city. The idea
was to build the city’s reputation as the best
place to enjoy a travel experience, and, as a
result, bring in more tourists.
In 2001, construction of the Fallsview
Casino began, at a cost of $800 million.
Plans to make the region a destination
began long before the casino opened its
doors, however.
David Veres, director of the Hospitality
and Tourism Division at the Glendale campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, says, “We are
looking to bring cross-border attractions to
the Niagara region. Most of our students
here at Niagara College end up working in
hotels and restaurants. We are always
encouraging a higher population of international students to help further our knowledge
of other cross-border destinations.”
In January the students in the Tourism and
Marketing program’s courses will experience a “cruise course” offered by the college. This year the students will travel to the
Caribbean to experience the local foods and
get to know the tourist markets by researching their stops along the way, thereby gaining knowledge of the surrounding areas.
While most people coming to the falls are
looking to experience the surroundings,
there is usually that “one thing” that catches
their eye in the first place.
Leo, 70, and Pat Pitre, 71, of Stroud, Ont.,
say that they “love to come for the casino.”
For a while now, the Pitres have been taking a tour bus from their hometown to enjoy
a day at Niagara Falls. While they both “love
to gamble,” they say that they enjoy the
scenery.
“It’s nice to come up here for the day. Niagara Falls is so beautiful, but we mostly
come to enjoy the casino,” says Mrs. Pitre.
Laura Davis, 34, says, “I just come here to
visit friends, but they always take me to the
falls for the day. I find it interesting to look
at all the different people and shops and get
a kick out of the haunted houses. I enjoy the
casino, but we spend most of our time walking alongside all of the shops.”
for everyone, adding, “This is what makes
our country.”
Melody Lapointe, a 23-year-old assistant
manager of retail operations, considers herself a “fairly” up-to-date person, as she has
an idea about what’s going on in the federal
government through newspapers and TV.
Lapointe, of Fonthill, says she is not going
to vote because the politicians don’t “always
follow through on what they say. I don’t
think there is anyone worth voting for.”
Richard Newman, of Toronto, says the NDP
is the “only well-meaning political party,”
compared with the Liberals and Conservatives, who he thinks want to help themselves,
not the people of Canada.
Newman, 23, who works at a bookstore in
Toronto, recognizes Jack Layton, NDP
leader, as “an excellent, smart man” and
likes his leadership, whereas Martin, the
Liberal leader, is “very out of touch with
Canadians” and has not kept the Red Book
promises of the last election.
Alexandra Giordano, 18, a high school
student in Toronto, says she is not interested
in politics, explaining she does not have
time to follow it.
Giordano says she would vote for the Liberal party, as she has not had any issues with
what they have been doing now.
Ray Safar, a shopkeeper, has been living in
Toronto for 15 years. Safar, 45, emphasizes
no government can do anything for people.
Although Safar does not believe in any
parties, he says he would vote for the NDP
when “I don’t have any choices.”
He says that is because the NDP is “a
little bit” talking about people and the
environment.
Ian, (who refused to give his last name), of
Toronto, a horticulturalist for 18 years, says he
is not voting for any of the parties. His decision
to not vote is “my democratic right.”
He says to be told “I’m not allowed not to
vote is to infringe on my democratic rights.
It’s an expression of your freedoms.”
Cathy Simon, a public service assistant at
the Welland Public Library, says she has
not decided which party she is going to
vote for but says it is a privilege and
responsibility to vote.
“Living in a democratic society, we have
the responsibilities to uphold the society by
exercising the right to vote,” says Simon.
Bullying not cool
By AMANDA REYNOLDS
Staff Writer
Bullying in schools is not going away.
According to the website www.canadianhealth-network.ca, bullying is a conscious,
wilful and deliberate, hostile activity
intended to harm. It is a serious concern that
can have lasting effects on a child being
bullied.
Forms of bullying can include verbal,
social and physical abuse. The impact can
cause low self-esteem, depression, suicide
and guilt.
Courtney McLellan, 8, of Kitchener, Ont.,
is a Grade 3 student and has experienced
many forms of bullying on the school
grounds during recess. She says that there is
a boy at school who teases her every day.
“There was one time he and his friends
picked me up and threw me on the ground
and started to kick my stomach.”
When Tammy McLellan, 28, of Kitchener,
Ont., says she approached the school about
this issue and staff told her because “it happened during recess, there is nothing we can
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do about it.”
It was because of the constant teasing,
McLellan says, “my daughter thinks she is
fat. She refused to eat because she is being
made fun of. She also stopped playing with
toys she usually always did and started physical fights with her three-year-old sister.”
Common signs that a child is being bullied at school, as well as signs of depression, are loss of appetite, violent actions
and loss of interest in things that normally
interested them.
There are many groups and websites to go
to for information if your child or you are
being bullied. Recently, television has aired
many Stop The Violence campaigns.
The excellent website www.bullying.org
shares ideas of what people can do and provides additional information with links. It
also gives people the opportunity to become
a partner and to become an online mentor.
“I want to go on the website to do everything I can to help my daughter and the possible other children who are also experiencing bullying at school,” says McLellan.
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AIDS/HIV
The Niagara Perspective
By ELISABETH BAILEY
Staff Writer
The office is tucked away in
the corner of the Normandy
Resource Centre on Church Street
in St. Catharines. The small, narrow reception area is lit up by
colourful pamphlets, by plaques
commemorating achievement and
by a large fish tank. It almost
doesn’t feel like an office at all,
but the knick-knack cluttered living room of an eccentric, yet loveable relative. This little reception
area is the first indication of the
friendly and accepting atmosphere of AIDS Niagara.
“We have social events here for
clients,” says Jody Yurchuk. “I
had one of our clients say one
time that she was so thankful to be
able to come into that because it
was a safe environment for her to
be involved in. Our volunteers
react the same way. It’s a safe
place to come and hang out. It’s
support.” Yurchuck is the support
and education co-ordinator at
AIDS Niagara.
“HIV can be a very isolating
disease,” says Rhonda Thompson,
co-ordinator of AIDS Niagara’s
Street Works needle exchange program. “We’ll bring people in and
bring people together who otherwise might not get a chance to
meet each other.”
AIDS Niagara was started in
1987 as an advisory committee to
the Niagara Regional Public
Health Services to find out more
about the growing problem of
HIV and AIDS in the Niagara
area. It received a Trillium grant
in 1989. In 1990 it obtained core
funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health. In 1991 AIDS
Niagara became fully operational
and moved its base from Niagara
Falls to St. Catharines.
“I think [AIDS Niagara] was
accepted pretty well [when it first
started],” said Ed Eldred, resource
development and communications
co-ordinator for AIDS Niagara.
“People were a little shocked to
realize [AIDS] was actually in
their community, like any new disease, but I think people got to
understand that pretty quickly, that
it was here and something needed
to be done to help people.”
“I mean, in those days people
did not live long once they were
diagnosed with the disease.”
AIDS Niagara provides services to people infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS, meaning those living with the diseases
and the family members, significant others and friends of people
infected with HIV and AIDS.
General counselling is done by
support workers in the home of
clients or at the AIDS Niagara
office to help them deal with the
emotional effects of living with
their disease.
The organization also helps
people deal with the physical
effects of HIV and AIDS. Eldred
says because the HIV medication
makes clients feel nauseated, they
find it difficult to eat. AIDS Niagara supplies them with diet supplements, such as Ensure and
Boost, and vitamins. Local businesses donate some vitamins and
diet supplements, but Yurchuk still
says they are in “desperate” need
of more. “That’s where we need
our fundraising dollars to go into,”
says Eldred. Since government
funding doesn’t cover the purchase
of vitamins or diet supplements,
they especially need vitamins now
that the cold weather has begun.
Eldred points out there are no
medical specialists in Niagara
dealing with HIV, so AIDS Niagara has a volunteer driver program in place to take clients to
Hamilton or Toronto for specialist
appointments. Eldred said that the
organization is in great need of
volunteer drivers.
“It’s something that’s hard to
come by. [Drivers] will quite often
spend the better part of a day on
the road with one client.”
Another service of AIDS Niagara is the Street Works needle
exchange program.
“The concept behind the needle
exchange program is that it’s a
harm-reduction program,” says
Eldred. To minimize the spread of
HIV, hepatitis C and other bloodborne diseases, people can get sterile syringes, exchange used ones
and receive information about
safer needle use. The needle
exchange is done at the AIDS Niagara office and in a van that travels
the region four nights a week.
“If people at least keep themselves as healthy as possible
while they’re using drugs intravenously, then at least when and if
they decide to give up that habit,
at least they won’t have a fatal
disease,” says Eldred. “And people do give up the habit and are
looking for a new life at some
time in the future.”
Thompson says that Street
Works clients appreciate having
people from the program be
respectful and non-judgmental
with them.
“You’re walking into their
world and treating people with
respect. Certainly it’s the beginning of developing a rapport with
people where they begin to trust
you and want to start talking about
things that maybe previous to that
they’ve never shared with any kind
of service provider before.”
“Outreach is a fantastic way of
really engaging people and getting
them the opportunity to be educated and modify or change their
behaviours,” she says.
Education in the community
about HIV and AIDS is another
aspect of the work AIDS Niagara
does. Thompson says, “I think one
of the greatest contributions that
this agency has made and continues to make is its efforts in education, which is really the key to getting a handle on this disease. To
me that is one of the biggest contributions we’ve given to this
region as far as the work that’s
being done here.”
AIDS Niagara gives talks at
schools and other organizations,
educating people about HIV and
AIDS. Eldred says that though
some people don’t feel vulnerable
to them, “everybody has to be
concerned about AIDS because it
knows no boundaries: male,
female, gay, straight, black, yellow, white, it doesn’t matter. It
knows no boundaries whatsoev-
er.” Thompson said that she and
Yurchuk spoke to a group of
Grade 11 and 12 students, but
“they sure don’t seem to know a
lot about it.”
“Somehow we’re losing the
message out there,” says Eldred.
“It just goes back to making sure
people understand that this is still
a fatal disease.”
One last look at the small, cluttered reception area and more can
be noticed than just a sense of
quirky friendliness. There is a
sense of underdog pride. AIDS
Niagara is one organization armed
with passionate people, an unwavering commitment and a driving
sense of purpose. Those assets
may be enough to take arms up
against the formidable foes of
HIV and AIDS.
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AIDS STATISTICS
38,000,000
Adults infected worldwide
14,000,000
Children orphaned by AIDS
2,300,000
Children infected worldwide
3,100,000
AIDS deaths annually
50,000
Canadian residents with AIDS
4,200
Canadians infected annually
28,000
Ontario residents with AIDS
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Hello, Niagara hardcore
By ARIEL ELLIOTT
Staff Writer
This Time Goodbye is known in the area
because of an event they deemed "hallway
hardcore."
Last Dec. 6, the band, scheduled to play a
charity show at Welland Centennial High School,
were bumped off the bill after a fire alarm delayed
the show's start.
They set up in the hallway and played there
between the other bands' sets.
This Time Goodbye has been together for "about
three months," says Kurtis Wolek, 19, who
plays drums.
For those three months they've played three
shows, the one in the hallway, a keg party and one
on Jan. 5 at Red Square in St. Catharines.
Vocalist Matt Dell, 20, says, "We don't expect
[our shows] to be perfect. It's about experiences.
"We don't really call [what we play] anything."
"[We call it] music," says Duncan Minor, 16,
one of the band's guitarists. "The best part of
playing is rocking out."
In the near future, the band says they would like
to record a CD and make a video in a hallway.
As a word of advice to any band starting out,
Dell says, "Always remember to keep it up and
try hard."
"And keep your butts to the wall," says Corey
Hamilton, 19, the bassist.
This Time Goodbye says they don't have a
typical audience.
"We invented the baby mosh," says Jeremy
Leclair, 19, who is the keyboardist.
They say they've formed from kicking people
out of other bands and getting kicked out of bands
themselves.
"We were a fresh start," says Leclair.
Hamilton says, "Yes, we are an incestuous band,
incest being the key word here."
Noise organizes second food drive
By ARIEL ELLIOTT
Staff Writer
On Jan. 13 noise@niagara held its second
charity concert.
Held at Red Square in St. Catharines, it
featured four bands from the area: A Primetime
Tragedy, When Words Fail, The Definition of
Collapse and Sever the Nile.
"It was our first show, and we were by far
happier with this show than most of the others
I've played in the past with other bands," says
Bryan Mason, the guitarist from Sever the Nile.
The show was meant to bring in canned food
for St. Catharines and Thorold Community Care.
A few boxfuls of food were collected.
"I am so impressed at the amount of people
who showed up to donate to charity," says Jesse
Webb, the former singer of When Words Fail.
That band played its last show with Webb and
their old drummer, Mark Whipple.
"I would like to add a big thanks on behalf of
Mark Whipple and myself to those who came out
to our last show with When Words Fail,"
says Webb.
Russ Wood, When Words Fail's guitarist, says,
"I enjoyed seeing the people that the music is
influencing rocking hard and supporting."
Ty DuPuis, A Primetime Tragedy's singer, says,
"Thanks goes out to [noise@niagara] for putting
something on like this. It's really a positive force
in the Niagara region and a great place for local
kids to come together for a good time without
Photo by Ariel Elliott
In print, on line, on air
Noise@niagara has found its stride,
occupying three forms of media: a
page in news@niagara, a college radio
broadcast and a web magazine.
Noise began as a local music
compilation and has evolved into a
project designed to introduce potential
fans to local bands by providing their
music and information in a central
location, available online.
The weekly broadcast, Noise on Air,
co-hosted by Andrew Zuber and
Sandor Ligetfalvy, broadcasts live on
90.1 FM (Welland) Tuesdays from 4
p.m. to 5 p.m.
Zuber is a second-year student in the
Broadcasting – Radio, Television and
Film (BRTF) program. Ligetfalvy is a
student in the Interactive Multimedia
(Graduate Certificate) program and a
graduate of the Journalism-Print (J-P)
program.
The online compilation features
nearly 40 bands from the Niagara
region or who have members who go
to Niagara College.
Members from bands featured on
noise@niagara will be interviewed
live in the studio and on the telephone.
Second-year J-P program student
Ariel Elliott and first-year J-P program
student
Cody
McGraw
provide the Scene Report to inform listeners of the concerts happening
and
bands
playing
in
the
Niagara region.
Listeners outside of the broadcast
range can download the show's
previous episodes from the Radio
section of the Noise website.
The website already features more
than 25 band articles, with that number
expanding quickly as more bands are
being interviewed by students from the
J-P program. Students from the BRTF
program are also invited to interview
bands for Noise on Air.
Log into the online portal for
interviews an music at this address:
http://www.newsatniagara.com/noise.
Club connects bands, reporters
Noise@niagara is booming, so why not join the club? Noise is in the process
of registering with Student Administrative Council Inc. to be an official Niagara
College club.
Membership in the Niagara College Noise Club (NCNC) is open to all Niagara
College students.
The club's purpose is to organize members to support Noise's goals: organize
interviews for web, print and radio from a list of 45 local bands; maintain the
multimedia content on the website; and plan and organize community-focused
charity concerts such as the food drives on Dec. 11 at Patrick Sheehan's Irish Pub
and Jan. 13 at Red Square in St. Catharines.
Members of the NCNC should have the ability to contribute to print, radio
broadcast or web production. Students studying other disciplines are also
encouraged to join to provide their point of view to noise@niagara.
The executive structure has been selected. President is Sandor Ligetfalvy, a
Journalism-Print program graduate and a student in the Interactive Multimedia
(Graduate Certificate) program. Vice-president is Ariel Elliott. Secretary/treasurer is Kate Jefferies. Both are second-year students in the Journalism-Print
program.
The next NCNC meeting is on Monday, Jan. 30. Check next Friday's edition of
news@niagara for room location.
NOISE on college station 90.1 FM the New Heat
Ty DuPuis, of A Primetime Tragedy, screams at
Noise’s food drive concert at Red Square on
Jan. 13.
Photo by Ariel Elliott
getting into a ton of trouble."
Noise@niagara is planning a third charity
show for the first week of February. Check the
next edition of news@niagara for more
information.
Noise on Air made its debut broadcast Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Hosted by Niagara College students Andrew Zuber and Sandor Ligetfalvy,
this week’s broadcast featured “Get Well Soon” wishes for The Marantz
Project’s keyboardist Craig Meuser and a live-in-studio interview with Steve
and James from Groovy Food.
Every week Noise correspondents bring the Scene Report at 20 minutes past
the hour.
Next week: St. Catharines rapper Anubis 5 will be on the telephone to discuss
his upcoming shows.
The show airs Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Official website re-launched as web magazine
Noise’s official website was re-launched on Sunday, Jan. 15.
Designed by Sandor Ligetfalvy, 22, Interactive Multimedia (Graduate Certificate) program student after learning a few new tricks in the post-graduate
program, the new website makes it easier for visitors to be introduced to the bands.
news@niagara, Jan. 20, 2006 Page 17
Million Little Pieces, looking from inside the bottle
By AMANDA STREET
Staff Writer
Book Review
Imagine waking up on a plane one day, not knowing how
you got there or what occurred in the days before. There’s a
hole in your cheek, your teeth are smashed in and you feel
incredibly sick.
This is what happened to James Frey, the author of A
Million Little Pieces. The book starts here and then follows
his painful stay in rehab.
Frey was addicted to alcohol and pretty much any form of
drug he could come across. He started drinking at the age of
10 until, at the age of 23, he was faced with the choice of
either dying or staying sober.
The way Frey writes his memoir is captivating. It is simple
but effective.
His grammar is terrible, but that isn’t the point of this
memoir. He breaks every grammar rule at least twice, but
still creates something so beautiful it was hard to put down.
It is also hard to read at times, because his pain is very real.
Although I have never been a drug addict or an alcoholic,
this book touched me and rang real for me. It is about overcoming something that controls you and having the courage
to choose yourself.
Frey has now been sober for over 10 years, and his recovery
was on his own terms. He chose not to let it control him any
longer.
A Million Little Pieces has gripped and changed the lives
Simply unravelling
By AMANDA STREET
Staff Writer
Book Review
A true Geisha can stop a man in
his tracks with just one stare.
This is a lesson Sayuri must learn
in order to become a Geisha, in the
novel Memoirs of a Geisha by
Arthur Golden.
Stripped from her home and sold
by her ailing father, Sayuri must
grow up quickly. The first half of the
book covers her training and schooling. You feel for this poor young
girl, stripped of everything she
knows and forced into terrible
chores.
She has her ups and her downs, just
like any other fictional heroine, but her
story is told beautifully, from the way
Sayuri’s sensational grey eyes are
described to the colours and patterns on
the kimonos.
Golden does an incredible job telling
the story of how a vulnerable young
girl blossoms into an incredible
woman. For a man to be able to jump
inside the head of a Geisha in training
and tell her story with such sensitivity
amazes me.
Geisha have been thought of as
prostitutes, but that perception is a
myth. Geisha are artists, dancers and
singers. There are some aspects to
them that can lead one to think of them
as prostitutes, but they are sold only to
one man.
The novel opened my eyes to the
world of the Geisha and what Japan
was like during the world war eras.
This historical fiction work is written with so much imagery you feel
as if you are in Japan, living the
same world as Sayuri.
You feel her pain, her joy, her love
and her losses.
‘06 looking good for gala
By JENNIFER GIBBONS
Staff Writer
A new season begins for the
largest classical repertory theatre in
North America.
Great repertory theater is upon us
as the Stratford Festival of Canada
is back for another round with the
release of its 2006 calendar guide.
A repertory theatre is one that
plays more than one show daily at
different times, said Kelley Teahen,
media manager for the Stratford
Festival of Canada.
“The actors have a chance to play
more than one role. It can be
demanding for the actor. It’s also
challenging way to run a theatre.”
The advantage of this festival and
the way it’s run is there is a better
opportunity to see more than one
play, said Teahen.
The festival places an emphasis on
theatre, classical and contemporary
repertoire, with a special emphasis on
William Shakespeare, according to
the mandate outlined on www.stratfordfestival.ca.
The festival runs from mid-April
to early November.
The 2005 season just finished, and
the revenue will not be announced
until later this year, said Teahen.
A new trend of when people buy
tickets appeared this past season. In
prior years, tickets were bought in
advance, but this year the tickets
were purchased closer to the show’s
performance date, said Teahen.
“Sales were down but picked up
during the summer. It was a great
success.”
Teahen said the decision about
which plays are scheduled at which
theaters is up to the artistic director, as
he has the final decision about the
playbill. The artistic director consults
many people, including directors, on
which venue is best suited to the
plays.
“We’re excited for the 2006 season, as
Colm Feore is returning to the festival
and we are looking forward to his
return,” said Teahen.
Seasonally, 1,000 people are
employed at the festival with contracts
of varying lengths. These jobs include
anyone from ushers to bartenders, she
explained.
All works at the festival are original.
Costumes and sets are built in Stratford.
There are four theatres in Stratford, which will all be staging different plays:
The Festival Theatre will present
Much Ado About Nothing and Oliver!;
The Avon Theatre will be hosting Don
Juan and The Glass Menagerie; The
Tom Patterson Theater will be presenting Henry IV, Part 1 and Ghosts;
and the Studio Theatre will be the
venue for The Liar and The Blonde,
the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead.
These are just a few of the plays
being presented at the four theatres.
Tom Patterson, a journalist born
in Stratford, started the festival in
1953.
The festival, according to the
website, generates a $170-million
annual economic impact on the
community.
of many people who have read this book. Television talkshow host Oprah Winfrey made it part of her book club after
claiming that it kept her up for two nights. The book made
its way to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.
If you’re not a fan of cursing and vulgarity, I suggest you
leave the book on the shelf, but if they doesn’t bother, you
this book is well worth a read.
It is a love story, a hate story, a tragic story and a story of
someone struggling to live.
The book was real for me because, in a way, we all have
something controlling us. In order to really live, we must
first conquer what traps us. Frey motivates the reader to take
control and do whatever is needed to keep that something
from getting control again.
Pull my finger: Bowser and Blue
By ELISABETH BAILEY
Staff Writer
Review
Many have to endure the specific brand of
humour called “dad-humour.” People witness
theirs fathers telling awkward, lame jokes and
have to suffer the embarrassment. It may be
corny puns, inappropriate allusions to subject
matter that you’d rather pretend a man that age
doesn’t even know about, or the extension of
that middle-aged finger, ripe for the pulling, to
an unsuspecting victim.
Now imagine all that done by two men, for
two hours and put to music.
Bowser and Blue took the stage at the Sean
O’Sullivan theatre on Nov. 30 at Brock University in St. Catharines. They are George
Bowser and Rick Blue, a musical comedy duo
who have been performing together since
1978.
According
to
their
website,
http://www.bowserandblue.com, they are
Prime Minister Paul Martin’s favourite band.
I wasn’t too swayed by the high recommendation.
It was apparent, though it should have
already been with a sea of white-haired
heads filling the seats, by the time they
started singing about the beauty of malepattern baldness, that this was not a show
intended to tickle the funny bone of my age
demographic.
The audience favourites were likely “Top
Ten Things Your Wife Would Never Say” and
“Top Ten Things Your Husband Would Never
Say,” although the most-recognized number by
the audience was Working Where The Sun
Don’t Shine (The Colorectal Surgeon’s Song).
There was some irony in how the mature
audience was entertained by the heavy
Bowser and Blue, a musical comedy duo,
have been performing since 1978.
Photo by Elisabeth Bailey
presence of fart jokes and sounds in the
show far more than I was.
My lips may have barely twitched into a
smile during the show, but that was not the
case with the predominantly older audience.
An almost completely sustained howling
laugher filled the theatre, interrupted only by
thunderous applause. What I thought were
old, tired jokes, the audience found
absolutely outrageous and hilarious.
I do recommend seeing Bowser and Blue if
you’re planning a night out with a parent or
grandparent. I’m sure that they, especially the
finger-pulling dads, will be entertained, and
you will not be too bored. Even if the jokes are
not your cup of tea, you can enjoy the vocal
and musical delivery, which is outstanding.
There is no disputing the excellent musicianship of these performers.
Bald may be beautiful, but Bowser and
Blue are in no danger of replacing of rock
bands with their luscious, asymmetrically cut
hair as the preferred live entertainment of
college students.
At Niagara College, we’re all a great big happy family!
ACE Niagara members are shown along with alumni, faculty advisers and staff from the
International Department of Niagara College. See related story on page 1.
Photo by Natasha Menezes
Page 18, news@niagara, Jan., 20, 2006
Give cult classics second chance
By NATALIE VENTRESCA
viewers to decide whether or not they like fans where they have established a
Staff Writer
them.
platform to discuss the film in detail.
Movie Review
These films are not the victims of hype
Unfortunately, over the years, the
Everybody deserves a second generated by the movie industry, so when cult film has been appropriated by
chance, even movies. Not every Holly- viewers finds them in video stores, the mainstream media.
wood movie is a box-office smash movies are their own discovery. With
Henderson says he finds that “many
grossing millions of dollars worldwide. quotable lines and a cast of memorable char- companies now attempt to market films
Some movies are released, receive lit- acters, cult films become much more than a as instant cult classics, as so often cult
tle success or lukewarm reviews and movie. They become a passion for fans.
films have a lower-than-average budget,
quietly enter video store oblivion.
Although mainstream Hollywood so a cult audience can mean a higher
These movies typically don’t succeed has turned its back on these films, they profit margin.”
upon their initial release because they are have the ability to overcome this
“Blockbuster films may have huge
anti-establishment, unusual, quirky, out- exclusion and ignite in fans what audience numbers, but as they cost so
rageous, particularly not mainstream and, www.filmsite.org describes as a “fiery much to make and market, they can still
in some cases, so bad that they are good. intense passion in devoted fans.” Many be unprofitable.”
Some movies get a second life in cult films cause fans to enthusiasticalHenderson also states that “the era
video store rentals or sales and take on ly champion them, leading to midnight of DVD and video has really changed
a life of their own with a dedicated fan screenings, audience participation, fan the nature of cult film as well.”
base. These are cult movies.
clubs and repetitive viewings.
He explains that many films, such as
Scott Henderson, 39, a communicaPerhaps the most well-known cult film Napoleon Dynamite, do not need a major
tions, popular culture and film lecturer at is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which theatrical release, “but gain notoriety and
Brock University in St. Catharines, adds Henderson identifies as “one of the all- earn money based on word-of-mouth and
that a cult movie is “a film whose reputa- time greats,” exemplifying the “older style DVD sales and rentals.”
tion grows via word of mouth, often in of cult film by having a lousy first run
There are an astonishing number of
ways counter to its initial intended before going onto great success in second- cult films today. Just to pick 10 is a chalmarketing.”
run theatres and midnight screenings.”
lenging and stressing task, but those choCult films are particularly interestIt is an excellent example of how far sen here are significant as they touch
ing because they are defined by their cult fans will go for their favourite upon many genres and fan bases.
audience.
movie. Fans dress up as characters of
The term “cult” might have negative
They encompass various genres such the film for midnight screenings, connotations, as it implies some kind
as science fiction, horror, comedy, where they bring props such as water of strange religious worship, but there
melodrama and action. They also have guns, rice and glow sticks. In addition, is nothing strange or remotely negative
special appeal because it is up to the there are numerous websites created by about being a cult film enthusiast.
Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino)
This stylish, funny and violent debut film from director Quentin Tarantino tells the
story of a robbery gone wrong through such cinematic elements as flashbacks and individual
sequences that fully explore the film’s characters. With an incredible cast, including
Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi, in addition to an amazing soundtrack, Reservoir
Dogs is unlike any other film. Who knew a violent film about robbery could be
made so stylishly?
Dazed and Confused (1993, Richard Linklater)
With such memorable characters as Randal “Pink” Floyd and Slater and dialogue like “George Washington was in a cult, and the cult was into aliens, man,”
Dazed and Confused, about the last day of school in 1976, still resonates as it deals
with relatable adolescent issues. Partying, stressing about the future and friendships are issues
humourously explored, making this film unforgettable.
Empire Records (1995, Allan Moyle)
“Damn the Man. Save the Empire.” When a large music chain attempts to buy Empire
Records, a small independent music store, its employees will stop at nothing to save it, and, in
the process, learn a lot more about each other.
A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
Visually stunning but at the same time quite graphic for its time, A Clockwork Orange, is,
as writer Steven Paul Davies suggests, a “celluloid celebration of adrenaline and testosterone.”
Alex, an individual who participates in violence and rapes, finds himself in the state’s hands as a
subject in a brainwashing experiment designed to remove violent offenders from the streets.
Look past the violence and see that this film also explores ideas of freedom of the individual
and the role of the establishment.
Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)
A bleak vision of the future, Blade Runner tells the story of a blade runner (Harrison Ford),
who is forced out of retirement to destroy four escaped replicants (androids). Hunting for the replicants, he falls in love with Rachel (Sean Young), who happens to be a replicant herself.
Mixing sci-fi, film noir, action and drama, this film was ahead of its time upon its release and is
now one of the most influential sci-fi films of all time.
Mad Max (1979, George Miller)
Nothing says cult film more than a futuristic revenge movie. With fast-paced and experimental editing, this obviously low-budget film distinguishes itself from other action films of
this era by creating a chaotic world by utilizing elements from a variety of film genres such
as the horror, sci-fi, road and cop movies.
Clerks (1994, Kevin Smith)
Shot in black and white, this film looks at a day in the life of a convenience store clerk
and his best friend, who works next door, and the bizarre assortment of customers they
encounter. Also don’t hesitate to check out other Kevin Smith cult films such as Chasing Amy
and Mallrats. Then you will understand why Smith is regarded as a cult figure.
Swingers (1996, Doug Limann)
“You’re so money.” When Mike (Vince Vaughn) can’t get over his breakup with his girlfriend, his friends, including Trent (writer Jon Favreau), an “expert” on the Los Angeles dating scene, try to make him forget her by getting him back on the L.A. social scene. There are
no explosions, no car chases and yet this film works because of its charisma and witty repartee.
Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly)
A disturbingly dark tale about Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a boy who is plagued by
visions of a rabbit named Frank, who orders him to commit acts of violence that will change
his destiny and those of others around him. A very complex film, for some, Donnie Darko
might need multiple viewings to comprehend everything that is happening.
Evil Dead (1982, Sam Raimi)
Five friends spending the weekend in a remote cabin encounter unspeakable evil when
they discover The Book of the Dead. Mix humour with gore and add a pinch of suspense and
you get an originally creative film that has spawned numerous sequels.
10
Dukes of Hazzard
promotes Jessica
Simpson instead
of remake
Staff Writer
Movie Review
Poor Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville!
You can’t help but feel sorry for them in The Dukes
of Hazzard, new in video stores, because this movie acts
simply as a vehicle for Jessica Simpson, a mediocre
pop/reality star at best, and a car, an orange Dodge
Charger called the General Lee.
Scott and Knoxville have successful careers in Hollywood and are recognized as comedic actors, yet all the
publicity and the majority of the film itself rests with
Simpson and the General Lee. Scott and Knoxville are
accessories, when it should really be the other way around.
When there are not sequences of Simpson shamelessly
flaunting her body in clothing that would fit a 12-year old
girl or what seems like endless sequences of the General
Lee weaving through traffic, flying off bridges or being
chased by the police, the dialogue between Knoxville and
Scott is hilarious. This witty repartee is what holds this
film together.
For those not interested in extended car chase
sequences or Simpson, Scott and Knoxville, as Bo and
Luke Duke, save the movie from being dull. The plot
— the Duke cousins trying to save Hazzard County
from being taken over by the local bad guy, Boss Hogg
(Burt Reynolds) — is one that is not only familiar, but
weak.
However, the plot does not matter. Viewers have to
understand that they are not going to see Oscar-worthy
performances or be moved by the characters.
This movie simply entertains. It’s just a movie with an
attractive cast, dirty humour, fast cars and a cool soundtrack.
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
905-788-9474
Staff Writer
Movie Review
Fact: A single woman at a wedding is extremely
susceptible to male guests’ advances as a result of the
romance in the air.
Fact: Men, understanding this and typically motivated by alcohol, take advantage of the previous fact.
Wedding Crashers, new to video stores, takes these
two facts and creates a memorable and hilarious
movie that keeps the audience laughing long after the
credits have appeared and keeps them talking about it
long afterwards.
The film centres on two friends, John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn), who, guided by
their “rules,” crash weddings with the intention of
picking up single women.
The plot is deceiving and might turn off some
female viewers, but it’s far from being simply a “guy
movie.” Interestingly, this film cannot be simply
labeled a “comedy” because it incorporates numerous
genres. Although it is a “raunchy comedy,” it is also
part “buddy movie” and surprisingly a “chick flick.”
It caters to both a male and a female audience, a feat
that not many comedies of this nature do.
In the new release aisles filled with mediocre
remakes and biographies, this film sticks out as being
a superior comedy in an otherwise dull selection.
Crashing 101
1
2
3
4
Put yourself in a picture that proves you’re some
type of hero. This site provides you with the
choice of an adventurer, a soldier or a sports
hero. Ladies love a hero!
Say a few words at the reception so no one
knows you are a crasher. This site offers tips for
all brave enough to attempt a speech.
Crasher Rule No. 8 : “You love animals and children,” and children love balloon animals. This
site offers a step-by-step explanation of how to
make a balloon animal. Once a woman sees this,
she’ll be putty in your hands.
This site reminds first-time crashers to never
improvise while crashing a wedding. It offers a
look into Chazz Reingold’s book, How to Crash
Weddings, to learn the secret rules of wedding
crashing, including Rule No. 63: No chicken
dancing. No exceptions.
From www.weddingcrashersmovie.com
New in theatres
What’s opening
this weekend
Staff Writer
Movie Review
Heart, determination, drive,
discipline, teamwork and an
intensive will to succeed - these
are extraordinary characteristics
for one to have, but they are especially more relevant when all the
odds are stacked against you.
Walt Disney Pictures, in association with Jerry Bruckheimer
Films, brings to the screen the
inspirational real-life story of Don
Haskins (played by Josh Lucas,
Stealth, Sweet Home Alabama), a
college basketball coach who
made history when he was the
first to have an all African-American starting lineup who became
champions of the 1966 NCAA
tournament title.
Glory Road is not simply a
basketball film. It explores
the challenges that were faced
this story to the screen, as few
are familiar with it.
“I think this is an especially
important story to tell today
because a lot of kids no longer
realize how hard the players and
coaches in the 60s had to fight
to bring them the incredible
opportunities that exists now.”
Telling this inspirational
story with the combination of
authenticity, humour and
heart, Glory Road introduces
a wider audience to Haskins
and his team’s incredible
actions, which changed the
game of basketball forever. As
director James Gartner states,
“Just as Jackie Robinson
broke the colour barrier in
baseball, in many ways Don
Haskins and his team did the
same for basketball.”
Glory Road opened in theatres Jan. 13.
Newest horror movie Hostel a joke, not a scream
By AMY ZULINIAK
Staff Writer
Movie Review
For all moviegoers anticipating
Hostel to be another scarefest like
Saw, sorry, guys.
It’s undeniable that this
movie had the potential to be
terrifying. How could you
think otherwise? Written and
directed by Eli Roth (Cabin
Fever) and presented by
Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill),
this movie would still have
been great if people weren’t
expecting a scary horror flick.
This film unfortunately left
audiences confused.
Two American college buddies
backpack through Europe eager
to experience what the country
has to offer with new friend Oli,
an Icelander they meet along the
way. A fellow traveller brings
them to a hostel in an out-of-theway town. The two friends arrive
and soon meet two exotic beauties. Their very American attitudes towards women will prove
disastrous.
“I went into the movie expecting to get scared, but on the contrary I spent the entire movie
choking on popcorn from laughing so hard. This movie was hysterical,” says Matt Feeney, 22 of
St. Catharines.
It was by no means star studded, but some familiar faces
graced the screen. Jay Hernandez
(Crazy/Beautiful) and Derek
Richardson (Dumb and Dumberer) starred, while Eythor Gudjonsson and Barbara Nedeljakova
made their feature film debuts.
Karen Bristol, 32, of Welland,
says, “I was impressed with the
acting. It was almost believable.
Usually they get beautiful idiots
to play in horror movies.”
The majority of the movie is set
in the hostel, with a lone chair in
the centre of the room. Without
giving too much away, instruments capable of inflicting
unimaginable amounts of pain
hang on the walls. Yada, yada,
yada. It’s very bloody and violent
with lots of gore as well as sex
and nudity. This is a film not for
the young nor the squeamish.
“It wasn’t fantastic, but I
enjoyed it. There were by far
some of the grossest scenes I have
ever seen in a movie,” says Tania
Williams, 20, of Hamilton, Ont.
I expected a horror flick, but
got a comedy. Nonetheless, it was
enjoyable.
TUNE in... and TURN it up!
Underworld: Evolution
(Len Wiseman)
The war between vampires
and werewolves continues in
this second instalment starring
Kate Bekinsale. The legacy of
both are revealed, in addition to
the characters’ personal histories.
If you’re a fan of action,
drama, fantasy and horror, this
film has you covered.
Hostage
–a
laughing
matter
Match Point (Woody Allen)
If vampires are not your style,
try this Woody Allen film on for
size.
About a former tennis pro
who falls for his rival’s girlfriend, this movie oozes drama.
Going to the movies?
Check out The Reel Deal
next week for more movie
reviews to see if they’re
worth your while.
by these men on and off the
basketball court. Set in the
racially tense 1960s, this film
explores the segregation and
inequality that many individuals faced and how they were
overcome.
As was stated in a press
release, Haskins’ decision to
play an all African-American
starting lineup and the team’s
ultimate success “helped shift
national
perception
of
African-American athletes
and bring about the widespread desegregation of college sports.” In addition, this
desegregation
of
sports
“helped to spread greater
equality throughout American
society.”
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
(Pirates of the Caribbean, Pearl
Harbor) stated in a press release
that he was “thrilled” to bring
Entertainment - The Reel Deal.
Bridesmaids, beware Real-life story full of heart, basketball
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What’s
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Niagara
Knights
Men’s
basketball
team preview
Another loss for Niagara’s Knights
Welland Canadians fighting for top spot
Team showed ‘lack of discipline’
By JEFF FORAN
Staff Writer
The Welland Jr. Canadians skated to
their ninth loss of the season, losing
4-1 to the sixth place Port Colborne
Sailors Sunday night in Welland.
The game had a slow start in the first
period, which was equally filled by
penalties by the Port Colborne
Sailors and Welland Jr. Canadians and
peaked with Sailors captain Mike
Armstrong receiving a gross misconduct and being ejected from the game.
Welland’s Jesse Bedard says
Armstrong’s outburst and subsequent
restraint by a linesman was “more of a
laugh. It was stupidity on his part.”
The Sailors came out to play in the
second period popping home a goal 12
minutes into the frame while
shorthanded.
Daniel Hannigan-Daley broke in on
the Welland goal on a two on one and
scored a beautiful snap shot
that found the top right corner of the
net.
Port Colborne would double their
lead late in the second.
Hannigan-Daley fought the puck
away from a Jr. Canadian along the
boards at centre ice, skated down the
right
wing
and
made
a
great pass to Jason Aucoin, who then
deked out Welland goaltender Mike
Pribanich and slid the puck into the
right corner.
The score could have been
significantly greater for the Sailors,
however.
Kerry Barchan was robbed on a
breakaway
by
Pribanich,
Hannigan-Daley hit the crossbar with a
rocket of a shot and the Sailors also
had a goal disallowed as the referee
ruled the puck had not entirely crossed
the goal line.
The Jr. Canadians came out in the
third with a greater intensity and
were rewarded just over three minutes
into the third.
Joe Aitken banged in his eighth of
the year on a rebound that David
Bentley put off the right post, and the
game was back on.
The optimism that Welland was on
its way to pull a comeback win
evaporated when Kerry Barchan, left
alone in the slot, put a one-timer past
Pribanich from a Gary Welsh pass
from behind the net.
The goal would kill off the game and
send the fans home early.
Aucoin would add his second of the
night on an empty-net goal with a
minute remaining in the match.
It was the first loss for Bedard since
he took over as captain of the Jr.
Canadians two games ago.
Bedard says they had a “lack of
discipline” in the 4-1 loss. “They
(Sailors) played a better game all
around.”
Former captain and Niagara College
student Trevor Willis left the team and
now plays for the Grimsby Peach
Kings in Jr. C.
“It was a mutual agreement,” says
Marc Tardiff, general manager of
Welland.
The team made no big deals at the
trade deadline, with Adam Shoof, of
the Oakville Blades, being their only
new signing.
“It’s hard to get new players,” says
Tardiff. “We have a good team now.
There’s nothing better than what we
already had.”
Bedard says he was “very surprised”
to be named the new captain.
“We have a ton of leaders on the
team. Everyone leads the team.
We[’ve] got a good core. We[’ve] got a
good team here.”
The Jr. Canadians are back in action
tonight in Niagara Falls to play the
Canucks.
Welland Jr.
Canadians
lose 4 – 1
Welland Jr. Canadians forward Steve Wong fights off Port Colborne
Sailors defenceman Paul Sotola in front of goaltender Andrew Duncan.
The Sailors came away with a 4-1 victory in Welland Sunday night.
Photo by Takahide Eguchi
New Niagara Knights point guard Steven Chan, a Fanshawe College
graduate, shares a laugh with strength coach Tony Ferrussi at team practice.
Photo by Michael McClymont
By MICHAEL McCLYMONT
Staff Writer
The Niagara College men’s
basketball team is second in its
division of the Ontario Collegiate
Athletic Association (OCAA).
Niagara has a record of six wins and
three defeats.
However, it appears it will be a
four-horse race until the end of the
season, with the Niagara Knights in
the thick of the race.
Niagara began the second half of the
season defeating St. Clair College in
Windsor on Jan. 13.
The Knights lead the OCAA West
Division. The problem is that two other
teams are right behind them. The
Fanshawe Falcons, of London,
and the Sault Cougars, of Sault Ste.
Marie, are 5-2, and the St. Clair Saints
of Windsor own a 5-1 record.
Niagara leads with 12 points.
The West Division has always been
competitive, with four different
champions in five years.
Sault College took the division last
year. St. Clair won in the 2003-2004
season. Niagara’s most recent
division championship was in
2002-2003, and Fanshawe was
victorious in the 2000-2001 season.
Niagara resumed league play last
week with a few more weapons in their
arsenal. Former Brock University
basketball
players
Dustin
Bianchin and Ryan Walker joined the
Knights during the Christmas break.
So did Steven Chan, a transfer from
London’s Fanshawe College.
Bianchin, from Niagara Falls,
played 22 games in his second year
with the Brock Badgers and
averaged 15 minutes a game and
3.7 rebounds. Walker, from
Hamilton, played in 21 games in
his second year and averaged
nearly four points a game in his
11.5 minutes of averaged floor time
at the interuniversity level. Chan,
the Fanshawe graduate, gives
Niagara
the
point
guard
presence they’ve desperately been
seeking.
“The biggest addition was getting
Steven Chan at the point,” says
Head Coach Ralph Nero. “He’s a
three-year pro and was with
Fanshawe when they won the
championship.”
All the weapons are there, but don’t
award Niagara the division title just
yet. Along
with
having
to
incorporate three new, yet rusty,
players that have but a few practices
under their belt, the Knights’ three
leading scorers are recovering
from injuries suffered before the break.
With Chris Bauslaugh, Michael
Muir and Anderson St. Valle as close to
100 per cent as they may get, the
potential is there.
“The biggest problem is chemistry.
The reality is we don’t practice
hard enough,” said Nero in an effort to
get through to his troops. “In each
phase of the game, there’s gonna be
one group that’s gonna click
and it may be a different group every
game.”
Niagara began their post-break
home schedule with an exhibition
game against Genesee Community
College
of
Batavia,
N.Y.
The
exhibition
gave
the
Knights roster a chance to mesh in an
otherwise meaningless game.
Muir led the Knights with 20
points in the contest, and Walker
added 16 in a hard-fought 88-76 loss.
Niagara remains winless against
New York teams in exhibitions;
however, if the Knights continue
to have a winning record in
league games, they’ll more than
take it.
“We’re gonna do nice. We got
Dustin, Walker and we got a point
guard now,” said an excited Bauslaugh
after the exhibition game. Coach Nero
shared Bauslaugh’s sentiments.
“We’re gonna be a very, very deep
basketball team. You just need a little
luck.
‘I think that the thrill of winning makes people want to gamble’
By PAUL FROSINA
Staff Writer
Gambling has blown up
around the world like an
atomic bomb, and with the
release of the movie Two for
the Money, people are beginning to ask how many people
wager money on sporting
events every week.
There can obviously be no
exact number when it comes
to calculating exactly how
much money is spent on
sports gambling a year. However, best estimates show that
$200 billion changes hands
each year. It raises the question of how many people in
the Niagara region and surrounding areas gamble on
sports events.
A random survey taken
around the campus by 112
people shows 67 per cent of
those people polled have at
one time or another placed a
bet either on Pro Line, Point
Spread or Pro Picks or
through a bookie. However,
out of that 67 per cent, only
32 per cent say they gamble
on a regular basis.
“I think that the thrill of
winning makes people want
to gamble. There is always a
chance that you are going to
win,” says Steve Boscariol,
19, from Kitchener, Ont.
When asked what sport
they usually bet on, 73 per
cent of people polled said
football, with hockey coming
in second at 13 per cent.
“Most people find football
more entertaining when there
is money on the game.
“You want a team to win by
a certain amount to cover the
point spread, but not score
too many points to mess up
your over/under,” says Pat
Hall, 21, of Hamilton, Ont.
That brings us to one of the
bigger issues: Why do people
gamble on sporting events
when there is a good chance
that they are going to lose?
“The rush that you get
when watching a game that
you have money on is amazing. You are into every play,
goal, touchdown, field goal
or basket. It’s just an unbelievable
feeling,”
says
Boscariol.
With so much money going
to sports gambling, some
people say that it is not good
for society.
Many people are so caught
up in it that they don’t care
how much money they lose
each week or each day and
can’t stop.
There is always the belief
that you could win on any
game at any time, but the
harsh reality is that you could
lose everything.
Some people have lost their
homes and all possessions.
Wives have taken children
and left their husbands
because they have literally
bet everything to try to get
out of debt. Should the government allow legalized
sports gambling such as the
types you find at the local
convenience store?
“I don’t think that it is a big
deal. It’s like drinking alcohol. You have to control how
much you consume because it
could take over your life if
you’re not careful,” says
Anouchka Milliat, 17, from
Antigua Island.
Sports
gambling
has
grown over the past decade
and is becoming as much a
part of sports as the game
itself, and it looks as though
it is here to stay.
Sports.
Sports gambling is a booming business
UPCOMING GAMES
Men’s Volleyball Games
Jan. 20
Jan. 21
Jan. 22
Jan. 25
Men’s Volleyball
Team
Gp
W
L
GW
Men’s Basketball
GL
+/-
Pts
Team
Gp
Central East
Durham
Seneca
Georgian
Cambrian
Boreal
Central West Division
Mohawk
Nipissing
Humber
Canadore
Sheridan
East Division
Loyalist
Algonquin
Trent
La Cite
Fleming P
West Division
Fanshawe
Niagara
St/Clair
Redeemer
G/ Brown
Gp
W
L
GW
GL
Humber
Sheridan
George Brown
Georgian
Centennial
Seneca
Algonquin
Durham
St/ Lawrence
Fleming P
Loyalist
La Cite
Cambrian
Team
Seneca
Humber
Algonquin
Durham
Georgian
George Brown St/ Lawrence Loyalist
Fleming P
East Division
Algonquin
Trent
Loyalist
La Cite
Fleming P
West Division
Niagara
Fanshawe Redeemer St/Clair
Sault
Lambton
+/-
Pts
Gp
W
L
Pf
Pa
+/-
Pts
East Division
West Division
Niagara
St/Clair
Fanshawe
Mohawk
Sheridan
Algoma
Redeemer
What’s
going on in
the World
of Sports
Men’s Basketball Games
Women’s Basketball
Pts
Pa
Jan. 20
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 25
Jan. 27
West Division
St/Clair
Sault
Niagara
Fanshawe
Mohawk
Lambton
Redeemer
Algoma
+/-
Central West Division
Nipissing
Humber
Mohawk
Sheridan
Canadore
Pf
East Division
Central East Division
Seneca
Durham
Cambrian
Georgian
Boreal
L
Central Division
Women’s Volleyball
Team
W
Algonquin at Georgian, 9 p.m.
Canadore at George Brown, 8 p.m.
La Cite at Georgian, 8 p.m.
Algonquin at Loyalist, 6 p.m.
Canadore at Mohawk, 2 p.m.
La Cite at Loyalist, 5 p.m.
Durham at Trent, 8 p.m.
Georgian at Seneca, 8 p.m.
Humber at Fanshawe, 8 p.m.
Mohawk at Niagara, 8 p.m.
news@niagara publishes
next on Jan. 27, 2006
Humber at Sheridan, 7:30 p.m.
Loyalist at St. Lawrence K, 7:30 p.m.
Niagara at Redeemer, 8 p.m.
Cambrian at Fleming P, 2 p.m.
George Brown at Sheridan, 7:30 p.m.
Seneca at Georgian, 8 p.m.
Centennial at Humber, 8 p.m.
Fanshawe at Redeemer, 8 p.m.
Georgian at Centennial, 8 p.m.
Seneca at Georger Brown, 8 p.m.
St. Lawrence K at Durham, 8 p.m.
Fanshawe at Lambton, 8 p.m
Women’s Basketball Games
Jan. 20
Jan. 24
Jan. 25
Jan. 27
Jan. 28
Loyalist at St. Lawrence K, 5:30 p.m.
Humber at Durham, 6 p.m.
Niagara at Redeemer, 6 p.m.
Humber at Loyalist, 6 p.m.
Seneca at Georgian, 6 p.m.
Fanshawe at Redeemer, 6 p.m.
St. Lawrence K at Durham, 6 p.m.
St. Clair at Sheridan, 7:30 p.m.
St. Lawrence K at Fleming P, 1 p.m.
St. Clair at Mohawk, 2 p.m.
Algoma at Sheridan, 7:30 p.m.
Women’s Volleyball Games
Jan. 20
Jan. 21
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 25
Jan. 26
Jan. 27
Algonquin at Georgian, 7 p.m.
Canadore at Mohawk, noon
Algonquin at Loyalist, 4 p.m.
La Cite at Georgian, 6 p.m.
Canadore at Sault, 6 p.m.
Humber at Fanshawe, 6 p.m.
Mohawk at Niagara, 6 p.m.
Georgian at Seneca, 6 p.m.
Durham at Trent, 6 p.m.
Loyalist at Fleming P, 6 p.m.
Fanshawe at Lambton, 6 p.m.
Nipissing at Mohawk, 6 p.m.
St. Clair at Redeemer, 6 p.m.
Boreal at Algonquin, 7 p.m.
Sault at Humber, 8 p.m.
Sports
gambling
OCAA
Standings
Upcoming
games
Bowl for Kids’ Sake Bowl-a-thon
Bailey supports Big Brothers Big Sisters
By KATHERINE GRIGGS
Staff Writer
Tim Hortons is joining the list of sponsors
for the Bowl for Kids’ Sake Bowl-a-thon,
2006 helping to shape a great year for Big
Brothers Big Sisters (BBS) of the
Niagara Region.
Tim Hortons, with fellow sponsor Meridian
Credit Union, presented BBS with $10,000
toward this year’s goal of $250,000.
TV Cogeco, Channel 10, is lending its support by encouraging people to participate. It
will run a series of vignettes explaining the
various programs that Big Brothers Big Sisters offer.
This year, athlete sprinter Donovan Bailey
will be joining Big Brothers Big Sisters as the
national spokesperson. This is the first time a
celebrity is involved with the event.
On hand for the event launch on Jan. 12 in
St. Catharines was Bruce MacDonald, president and chief executive officer of Big
Brothers Big Sisters, as the honorary host of
the morning.
“The need (for big brothers and sisters) has
never been more prevalent,” said
MacDonald. He stressed the importance of
community support and that “positive adults
in the lives of our youths can make a world of
difference.”
Jim Bradley, MPP St. Catharines, remarked,
“It is a privilege to be at an event of this kind.”
He stressed the importance of everything that
Big Brothers Big Sisters does across Canada.
“These children are
literally our future” he
added.
Mayors of Niagara
Falls
and
St.
Catharines are lending their support and challenging other regional mayors to get involved.
During the next six weeks, people are being
encouraged to get involved and support the
organization. There are still over 450 children
waiting for a mentor in their lives.
MacDonald says, “When you’re a big
brother or sister, it’s not about buying their
affection or taking them to extraordinary
places. It’s about just giving them someone to
look up to and to count on.
Food, fun and entertainment during Winterfest week
Randy and Mr. Lahey
from Trailer Park Boys
Photo credit by http://www.livetourartists.com/mr-lahey-and-randy/press_photo.htm
By LESLEY KERR
Staff Writer
It’s time for Winterfest, so get out
your calendars as the Student Administrative Council (SAC) and the Glendale pub, The Armoury, have a fine
slate of events organized.
Snow or no snow, the Snowflake
Carnival is on Monday, Jan. 23, at the
Glendale campus in front of the SAC
office.
There will be carnival games such as
Jeopardy and prizes like gift certificates to the Keg or the Pen Centre.
“It’s an incentive to come out and
enjoy the afternoon,” says Heather
Minow, director for programming and
student events at the Glendale SAC
office.
Cotton candy and carnival food will
be supplied, says Minow.
“It’s meant to be fun in the non-existent snow,” she says, laughing.
That’s not the only excitement for
that week.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, there is an
Open Mic event from 11:30 a.m. to
1:30 p.m. in The Armoury pub, for
those who want to practice for the Niagara Idol being held on Jan. 26 during
the same time slot in The Armoury.
Minow says last week’s Niagara
Idol was “awesome. People who
weren’t competing got up to sing.”
The night of Jan. 24, Randy and Mr.
Lahey from the Trailer Park Boys –
yes, the goofballs the you see on the
TV sitcom Trailer Park Boys – are
coming to the After Hours Pub on the
Welland campus at 8 p.m.
There will be one bus making one
trip there and back from Glendale to
Welland, but when the bus is full, it’s
full. Be at the pick up spot at 7:15 p.m.
Minow says if you’re planning on
going and have a car, please drive.
Wednesday night, following an afternoon of Niagara Idol, there is a pub
night at The Armoury organized by a
student group participating in the organize a pub night apprenticeship event.
Don’t stay out too late because on
Jan. 26 there is the Bahamas BBQ.
Bring your Hawaiian shirt and do your
stretching. There will be limbo and
hula hoop contests with free food,
compliments of SAC.
There are much more upcoming
events, so check the next edition of
news@niagara for details.
High school
students and
college life
By SHERI WEBBER
Staff Writer
We’re reaching out to our prospective students with information and
help in financing their college tuition.
Niagara region high schools’ students will be exposed to college life,
through news@niagara.
News@niagara will publish seven
editions over 10 weeks as the Journalism-Print program reporters work hard
to give you the news, events, sports
and entertainment coverage of events
at Niagara College and in the
community.
For high school students, decisions
on career paths and educational pursuits will affect the rest of their lives.
By Grade 12, many have some idea
of their goals.
Informing them about what the college has to offer may encourage them
to enrol here.
The choice now is college or university and which one.
If a student has not already chosen a
path, speaking to a counsellor either at
the high school or here could help in
the decision-making process.
Reading about and seeing what happens at Niagara College will be an
effective way to make students feel
comfortable about attending Niagara
College.
In addition to getting exposure to the
newspaper’s contents, high school students will also have the opportunity to
earn a bursary/award towards their
college tuition at Niagara College by
becoming one of the three winners of a
writing contest.
For more information e-mail
[email protected].
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
$7.45/hour
$6.95/hour
$6.50/hour
$37.25
$74.50
110% of the minimum wage
Feb.1, 2006
wage rate
$7.75/hour
$7.25/hour
$6.75/hour
$38.75
$77.50
110% of the minimum wage
On February 1, 2006, the general minimum wage will increase to $7.75 per hour from the current rate of $7.45 per hour. Another
increase will follow bringing the general minimum wage to $8.00 per hour on February 1, 2007.
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
Randy and Mr. Lahey at After
Hours Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets
available at the SAC Office.
1-800-531-5551
www.labour.gov.on.ca/info/minimumwage
Help after assault important
By CHERIE BORHO
Staff Writer
According to the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault Centers, one in five women claims to have been sexually
assaulted.
About 42,000 phone calls to the Assaulted Women’s
Helpline are made each year.
If you are, or someone you know is, living in either of
these situations, the Niagara Health System has a program to
help. The Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment
program is located at the St. Catharines General Hospital.
The service is confidential and the facility is open 24
hours a day. You make the choices as to what you want to
do. Your family doctor doesn’t have to know about it if that
is the decision chosen.
“Treatment is based on what they want, not what we
want,” says Auggie McGloin, 58, of Niagara Falls. McGloin
is a registered nurse doing public education and program
promotion.
The program will provide transportation to its facilities if
needed.
If the client is domestically abused, treatment for injuries
is available, as are safety planning and resource awareness.
Documentation and photographs of injuries are taken in case
the client wishes to press criminal charges.
“[I’m] trying to bring awareness to young people who are
just getting into the dating scene. If he says to you, ‘I care
about you so much I want to see you all the time’ and he
doesn’t give you the freedom to see your friends and family, then it’s not a love. It’s a control issue,” says McGloin.
“It’s never your fault.”
If the client is sexually assaulted, the client must get to the
facility within 72 hours of the assault. The centre can provide medical treatment, such as testing for sexually transmitted infections, the morning-after pill and HIV prevention, as well as free counselling to help with the emotional
effects. There is also an evidence kit and the client is able to
make a report to the police, if desired.
If the client does not wish to press charges, the evidence
kit is kept in the freezer for six months in case the client
changes his or her mind during that time.
The treatment area is brightly decorated and has three
rooms: a family room, a child-friendly middle room and an
examination room. There is also a bathroom with showers.
“I would like to encourage anyone that has experienced a
sexual assault or domestic violence to tell someone that they
trust about it. It can be a friend, relative, teacher, counsellor,
nurse, doctor or rape crisis or sexual assault centre,” says
Penny McKee, the Niagara College nurse.
Julia, 17, of Thorold, was a victim of sexual assault last
August. The assault happened at her friend’s house when
two older boys gave her alcohol. She fell asleep and when
she woke up, one of the boys was on top of her, sexually
assaulting her. She screamed and then pushed him off.
“Nobody thinks it will happen to you. I didn’t, and then it
did,” says Julia.
Julia told her sister, Alyssa, 48 hours after the assault.
[The names of Julia and Alyssa have been changed to protect their privacy.]
Her sister took her to the St. Catharines General Hospital.
They told the emergency nurse what happened.
“[The] emergency ward was especially great,” says
Alyssa.
Julia and Alyssa were put in their own room, so they
didn’t have to wait in the emergency ward. Within half an
hour, they were taken to the basement where the Sexual
Assault and Domestic Violence program is located.
“It’s very comfortable, like home,” says Alyssa. “It makes
the whole process so much easier.”
The process took four hours to complete and there were
lots of “options and decisions,” says Alyssa.
“I did feel very safe. They were very comforting,” says
Julia. “They know exactly what to do. They were very well
trained.”
She says they provided much help, medically and emotionally. They are there for their clients more than just the
night. They call back to see how you are doing and offer
counselling.
NuvaRing an
alternative to the
birth control pill
By NATALIE
CLEWLEY
Staff Writer
A once-a-month contraception ring offers
women another alternative birth control method.
Maxine Evens is a specialist on birth control
and other health-related
topics with Organon
Canada.
She specializes in
information
on
the
NuvaRing released in
Canada in January.
She says this method
of contraception can benefit students because “it’s
a once-a-month use, not
something you have to
worry about taking every
day.” It’s also good for
students who are travelling and have to adjust to
different time zones.
NuvaRing is basically a
pill in a ring, as effective as
any other birth control pills
on the Canadian market,
but the difference is you
only have to insert it once a
month for three weeks
instead of taking other pills
on a daily basis.
The NuvaRing also can
benefit women by making their period cycles
lighter and more regular.
It can also help teens with
acne and skin problems
to help take away or
improve their skin and
prevent ovarian and
endometrial
cancers,
Evens explains.
For prescribed users
there is also a NuvaTime download so
patients can know when
to insert the ring and
remove it without missing days.
Evens recommends that
any students who try this
method of contraceptive
and have
problems
should see their doctor
immediately.
For more information
call 1-888-290-6061 ext.
2218
or
e-mail
[email protected].
For more specific information on the NuvaRing visit
www.mybirthcontrol.ca,
www.sexualityandu.ca or
the nuvaring.ca website.
Other forms
of birth
control:
• Cervical cap
A small latex cup that a
woman inserts into her vagina
before sexual intercourse.
• Contraceptive patch
(“The Patch”)
A thin plastic patch worn on
the skin to prevent pregnancy.
It contains hormones just like
the ones in most birth control
pills.
• Oral contraceptives
(“The Pill”)
Are pills taken daily to prevent pregnancy. Made of hormones similar to those found
naturally in a woman’s body.
Trust Your
Christmas Packages
to the Shipping Experts!
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Tel: 788-9993
Fax: 788-1947
Email: [email protected]
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• Depo Provera (“The Shot”)
A shot that a woman gets four
times a year. It contains medicine that is like progesterone.
• Diaphragm
A soft latex dome that a
woman inserts into her vagina
before sexual intercourse.
“They call to see how you are doing with the drugs andemotionally,” says Alyssa. “[The] after-care is more important than the night even.”
“The counselling gets rid of the thoughts of the assault itself.
It just affects your self-esteem,” says Julia. “You have to learn to
deal with it, but you don’t have to do it by yourself.”
“Definitely tell someone you trust right away, and get help
because they know what to do,” says Julia.
“They’re just great,” says Alyssa. “I never knew what
great service we had in Niagara.”
Elaine Cybula, 45, of Niagara Falls, a sexual assault
nurse examiner, advises people should “seek immediate
treatment. There may be injuries that are not yet apparent and communicable disease that can be prevented if
medications are
prescribed within
HARD TIMES PASS
a 72-hour time
period.”
ABORTION IS FOREVER
If you have any
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treatment centre Your complete resource Centre on abortion and euthanasia
at 905-684-7271
St. Catharines Right to Life
ext. 45300 from 8
3 King St., Suite 2, St. Catharines
a.m. until 4 p.m.
weekdays.
905-684-7505
[email protected]
50
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Columnist enjoys
Ottawa’s sites
Drew Lougheed
Columist
Columnist
Over the winter holidays, I had the chance to
travel to see a friend who lives in Ottawa. I’ve
been there more than a couple of times and have
seen all the museums, galleries and everything
else touristy, but it’s always a great time while
I’m there.
For those who have never been, it’s a city with
practically everything to offer, even if you’re not
a photo snappy kind of person and just want to
get away for a few days to relax.
For starters, I would suggest taking the train,
which will whisk you along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario.
After a brief stop in Kingston, your train will
veer off to the north and rush through the Ottawa
Valley, where you can see the vast remains of all
the pines that the Great Ice Storm of 1998 had
badly damaged.
Once you arrive, I recommend taking the bus to
your hotel. The Transitway, a bus-only lane that
connects all parts of this bilingual city to this
widespread system of buses, is your easiest and
fastest way to get around town.
Where to go, what to do? There, of course, is
Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, and the
Museum of Civilization across the Ottawa River
in Quebec, all 10 minutes away from one another
on foot.
The photo opportunities are superb. The Peace
Tower atop Parliament’s centre-block will give
you a 360-degree panorama of the entire
National Capital Region as well as the Outaouais
(the Quebec side of the Ottawa River), which
includes the city of Gatineau, Ottawa’s French
counterpart.
Any time of season is great to visit but if it is
during winter you choose to come, you won’t be
disappointed. The famous Winterlude festival
runs from Feb. 3 until Feb. 19 and gives you at
least a day of activities throughout the downtown
and along the Rideau Canal.
In the Guinness Book of World Records, you
will actually find the Rideau Canal as the world’s
longest skateway – 7.8 kilometres to be exact. Go
for a skate on the canal and buy yourself a beavertail, a deep-fried pastry with a selection of toppings such as icing sugar, jam and a hazelnut
spread.
You can also find body-warming beverages at
hot chocolate huts along the skateway, take a
peek at some pretty amazing ice sculptures made
by artists from around the world or simply watch
a live ice-sculpting show at night with some great
music.
Jane Barber, 20, of Ottawa, says that she’s
proud to call the city her home.
“Winterlude is a great chance to get out of the
house, but it also shows that Ottawa isn’t only
about red tape and politics.”
If you want to head indoors and do some shopping and you’re already downtown, check out the
Rideau Centre.
Located a block away from the ByWard Market, this three-floor mall has shops galore, as well
as a Sears and a Chapters across the street, and is
connected to the Transitway, which connects to
all other major malls in the city.
The food and entertainment choices are endless. There is Hooters and Hard Rock Café in the
ByWard Market, but for a different taste you can
find many Shwarma shops on Bank Street or
cross the Ottawa River into Gatineau for some
French cuisine.
Athletic entertainment in the capital is high calibre too.
Hike through the greenbelt that surrounds the
city. Ski, snowboard and toboggan among the
winding Gatineau Hills in Quebec, hills that can
be clearly seen from Ontario. There are a dozen
bars such as The Vox in Kanata, Le Scratch in
Ottawa’s West End and On Tap downtown in the
ByWard market, to name only a few.
And, of course, there is the good old hockey
game. The National Hockey League’s Ottawa
Senators play at Scotiabank Place, formerly the
Corel Centre in suburban Kanata. If Ontario
Hockey League hockey is your game, the Ottawa
67s face-off at the Civic Centre in Lansdowne
Park in the spacious Glebe district.
Paul LaPierre, 31, of Gatineau, Que., says his
Senators are defiant about winning the cup this
year.
“Oh, you’re from Toronto, eh? We’ll be seeing
you guys on the golf course in May,” LaPierre
joked.
If you’re thinking of a getaway sometime during this winter season, I highly recommend taking a trip up to Canada’s Capital Region.
You’ll want to go back season after season.
SAC Awareness
Student Administrative Council (SAC) representatives Mandi Miller (left) and Julia Forster
held a draw on Jan. 10 for tickets to Panama Beach for SAC Awareness Day.
The Centre Block and Peace Tower, the face of Canada’s Parliament Hill,
is one of the most recognized buildings in Canadian culture.
Photo by Drew Lougheed
College helps
others in more
than 30 nations
By AMANDA STREET
Staff Writer
Niagara College is reaching abroad
to help other countries in their development.
The International Education Development Department (IEDD) at the college has helped fund international projects in over 30 countries.
In April and May of 2005, projects
were launched in Argentina and Peru.
The Argentinean project is a threeyear bilateral project in the province
of Misior. The innovative project is
named Modelo Argentino para Turismo y Tourism and Employment Model
(MATE). The Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) largely
finances the project.
The project is focused on developing the tourism industry and incorporating disadvantaged members of the
community into employment opportunities.
Organizers work with historically
marginized groups, such as at-risk
youth, women and aboriginals. People
who are unable to attend post-secondary training can participate and
seek employment, using skills they
already have.
Kyla Pennie, an international project specialist in IEDD, will be heading to Argentina on Feb. 4 to join the
four young professionals.
She says the project is helpful
because people who are usually
unable to obtain a higher level of education are given the opportunity to
“develop skills they already have but
are unaware of how to use them.”
The Argentina project is unique in
the aspect that it is helping the Mbya
Guarani, a group of aboriginals, set up
its own tourism industry. The building
of a Hilton hotel next to their village
will bring tourists to their location.
Instead of having the Hilton charge for
tourist attractions, the money will go
to the Guarani people.
They want to keep their village as it
is and maintain their lifestyle, but they
have learned that they can maximize
their income by developing their own
tourism plans. People visiting the area
will be curious about their village and
want to visit. By setting up their own
industry, the Guarani will benefit.
The focus is on entrepreneurship,
says Pennie, in developing a tourism
based on their history. The programs
CIDA will provide are still in development, but, Pennie says, she thinks it
will focus on teaching their history as
well as developing an industry based
on the environment, resources and
culture.
The Peru project is set in Arequipa,
a city with a population close to one
million and Peru’s second largest city.
The programs are centred on the
hospitality and tourism industry, giving youth and women the opportunity
to work in emerging hotels and restaurants.
It consists of three-to-four week
short-term modules that teach entrylevel tourism skills. They also work
with companies to encourage them to
hire participants and show them that
the locals are employable.
A three-week bar server session was
completed at the end of December. A
two-week session will begin sometime
this month on getting and keeping a job.
Pennie says that, depending on
funding, the sessions will run once or
twice a year.
The goal of the five-year program is
to reduce poverty in the Arequipa
community through training.

January 20, 2006

Transcription

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