February 18, 2005

Transcription

February 18, 2005

Friday, Feb. 18, 2005
Volume 35, Issue 11
Look for our Sex, Drugs, Alcohol
section on pages 11-19.
Check
Check out
out the
the sports
sports coverage
coverage
on
on pages
pages 24
24 and
and 25.
25.
$14.5m YMCA
opens doors Sunday
By RAY SPITERI
and CRAIG SEBERT
Staff Writers
On Feb. 20, the new $14.5-million YMCA facility will have its
long-awaited opening at Niagara
College’s Welland campus.
The 55,000-square-foot, membership-based facility, serving the
Welland and Pelham community’s
6,500 members for over 90 years,
was delayed in its, opening
because of the masons’ strike and
equipment problems.
Construction began two years
ago with hundreds of donors
contributing to the building campaign, including Niagara College,
the City of Welland and the Town
of Pelham.
Jody Kyle, YMCA vice-president of membership, says the new
state-of-the art facility, which is
expected to triple the current
membership, will benefit from
being close to the college.
“It is convenient for students at
Niagara. We are right on campus,
and there are many different
programs available to them.”
The YMCA will feature a
three-section gymnasium and two
swimming pools, one being a
25-metre, four-lane pool and the
other, a leisure pool with a sauna
beside it.
The weight room has the latest
in technological equipment as well
as a special room for beginners so
they can exercise at their own
pace.
“We have all new equipment,
and some of the machines have an
electronic personal training
partner program ability that can be
entered into our main computer.
This allows members to record
their status by swiping their ID
membership card, telling them
how well they are doing,” says
Kyle.
Continued on page 4
Learning how to fly
A snowmobiler enjoyed the warm weather on Feb. 12, by practicing his jumps in Stevensville,
Ont., until the sky started to darken.
Photo by Melissa Hunt
BRTF students perform live on Cogeco Cable
By IVAN ZATELLI
Staff Writer
Inside Niagara is a second-year
production by the Broadcasting
– Radio, Television and Film
(BRTF) students. The first live
show aired Feb. 10.
Every Thursday at noon Inside
Niagara will broadcast live on
Cogeco Cable 10. This show will
be repeated at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays
and again on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Inside Niagara will run 10 weeks
in a row but will miss the week of
Feb. 28, when the college has
Break Week.
Producer Catherine Morrissey,
19, of Scarborough, says students
plan and organize filming of local
news, sports and entertainment, in
the Niagara Peninsula.
Director Ian Girdwood, 20, of
Waterdown, Ont., says the
students built the set. The lighting
and all interpretations represent
the students’ views, says
Girdwood.
“We all work together. Everyone
In 1.3 seconds,
the oncoming driver
will veer into your
son s lane.
has their equal part.”
Studio 2 in the BRTF area of
Niagara College’s Voyageur Wing
at the Welland campus is where
the 30-minute broadcast is staged.
Girdwood says the show will
have a “local angle.”
Morrissey adds, “It’s good for
the community.”
Some new segments include
technology tips and fitness tips.
Adopt a pet, which is a regular
segment, will run weekly unless
it’s “cut out,” says Morrissey.
“We’re pretty confident that
we’re good to go.”
She says the students are on
rotation for duties and will be
taking turns doing various aspects
of production.
Girdwood says, “Everyone gets
what they put into it.”
Each show has two feature
stories that the students come up
with, says faculty member Tom
Pagonis, along with tip of
the week on technical or health
matters. Entertainment, adopt a pet
and regular news and sports are
also in the program.
Pagonis instructs students on
production behind the scenes as
directors, editors and producers.
Faculty member Tom Otto
works with the presentation students, the people in front of the
camera.
Pagonis says Inside Niagara
has had its name for eight years.
Continued on page 3
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Page 2, news@niagara, Feb. 18, 2005
Two longtime educators to be honoured
By MELISSA HUNT
Staff Writer
Feb. 21 will be a day to
remember for Richard Johnston
and Dr. Richard Hook.
Johnston and Hook will be
recognized with the Minister’s
Lifetime Achievement Award at
the annual Association of Colleges
of Applied Arts and Technology of
Ontario Award Ceremony in
Toronto.
“Our government is committed
to ensuring that we have the high
quality, accessible post-secondary
system that is essential for
Ontario’s continued prosperity,”
said Training, Colleges and
Universities Minister Mary Anne
Chambers in a recent press
release.
She adds that the first Lifetime
Achievement Award recognizes
“both recipients for their
exemplary
leadership
and
[celebrates] their long-time
contributions to our post-
secondary students and our system.”
Hook, vice-president emeritus
of Humber College, in Etobicoke,
Ont., is the former vice-president
academic at that college. He led
many international education and
development projects and also
played a role in starting the first
post-graduate college program and
some of the first applied degree
programs in Ontario.
Hook says his initial reaction to
hearing about the award was
shock and surprise.
“I was surprised because it
wasn’t expected and is certainly
an honour, and embarrassed
because, as vice-president academic of a large college for many
years, my accomplishments are
the result of the ideas, commitment and work of many, many
others.”
Recently, he had the opportunity
to lead some important academic
initiatives, he says. These include
starting an office to monitor new
college programs for title,
outcome
and
credential
consistency and standards. He also
developed a program to monitor
program quality assurance.
“While I have made a
contribution to these initiatives,
their success relates directly to the
thoughtful advice and active
support that continues to come
from every college filtered
through their fundamental concern
for student success and academic
quality.”
Hook says he feels like he is
accepting the award on behalf of
his colleagues across the system.
Johnston, who retired as
president
of
Scarborough’s
Centennial College in 2004, is
past chair of the Ontario Council
of Regents (now the College
Compensation and Appointments
Council), where he helped
establish two French colleges.
He was a student, administrator
and a member of the board of
governors at Trent University in
Peterborough, Ont., where he
also lectured and taught.
Elected
to
the
Ontario
legislature from 1979 to 1990, he
is a member of the Post-secondary
Education Review Panel.
According to http://www.acaato.on.ca, the Minister’s Lifetime
Achievement Award recognizes
lifetime achievement in advancing
the college, the community and
the Ontario college system. The
honour is reserved for “those truly
outstanding CEOs [chief executive officers] and senior officers
who have made an enduring difference to the college system.”
Chambers concluded, “Thanks
to dedicated leaders such as
Richard Johnston and Dr. Richard
Hook, our colleges have a proven
track record in providing highquality education and training that
equips students to excel in our
fast-changing world.”
Richard Hook, vice-president
emeritus of Humber College,
will receive the Minister’s
Lifetime Achievement Award
on Feb. 21.
Submitted photo
New community group aims at helping young carers
By THERESA STACH
Staff Writer
Together, 15 community agencies
in Niagara have taken the first step to
help young carers across the region.
These 15 agencies have joined
together to form a community network called the Young Carers
Initiative Niagara (YCIN).
In Canada, young carers, 18 years
old and younger, are taking on a
care-giving role because of family
circumstances that are beyond their
control and result in their taking on
the responsibilities of the family. In
Britain, where these children are
called young carers, there has beenmuch progress in providing support
for them. Unfortunately, this is not
the case in Canada.
Here, these carers have been
called “invisible caregivers” because
their needs have not been recognized
by the Canadian government nor by
the social and health-care systems.
The population of young carers in
the Niagara region is unknown
because it is a very hidden population.
Sylvia Baago, the children’s issues
co-ordinator for the Alzheimer
Society of Niagara Region, says, “In
Britain, the numbers were hugely
underestimated. For example, the
2001 census included a question
about young carers in order to identi-
fy how many there were. At that time
it was thought there would be about
30,000 to 40,000 across the country.
The census identified 175,000 children who provided a significant
amount of care for their disabled
family member.
“As far as here in Niagara, the
Alzheimer Society has tracked 75
children on its current caseload that
have a relative with dementia. Other
agencies don’t keep track of the
numbers [and] that is why they are
called ‘invisible caregivers.’”
The YCIN was established in
April 2003. “[It was established] to
create a network of community
agencies that would work together to
provide support, education and
recreational activities for young carers and their families and promote
public awareness of the issues
involved,” says Baago.
Continued on page 22
It’s Tropical
3
Mark your schedules!
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
For Niagara College’s 10th Annual
Student Appreciation Day Event
ut
Througho
l
dents wil
u
t
s
,
e
g
e
the Coll
ays, prize
w
a
e
iv
g
,
s
re
find treat
mpus sto
a
c
d
n
a
od
er
draws, fo
many oth
d
n
a
ls
ia
spec
!
surprises
Back by popular demand...
150 Tropical Eggs have
been hidden throughout
the college...find one
and win a prize!
It’s
our way
of saying
“thanks”
fo
Niagara C r choosing
ollege as
your
place to
study, wo
rk, live
and play
Staff of Niagara College wish to acknowledge with much appreciation,
your contribution to our college community.
news@niagara, Feb. 18, 2005, Page 3
Television show tradition for BRTF students
Live on-air program offers real experiences
Inside Niagara’s news anchor, Fay Philavanh, and sports anchor,
Joe Marouelli, rehearse their scripts before they go on air Feb. 10.
Photo by Ivan Zatelli
Continued from page 1
The show has been at the
college since 1980 and has had a
few different names since its
inception.
He says there are about 35
students that contribute to
the show.
The students rotate so everyone
gets a chance at the various
production jobs.
Asked about the amount of time
it takes to make the show, Pagonis
says, “The first group had more
time.”
He says the second and all other
shows have two rehearsals to get
their “elements ready.”
Behind the scenes in the Studio 2 control room are, from left, Tom Otto, Broadcasting – Radio,
Television and Film (BRTF) professor, Catherine Morrissey, Joanne Beaulieu, Ian Girdwood, Tom
Pagonis, BRTF professor, Michael Baxter, Elizabeth Brett and, in the audio control room in the
background, John Durand.
Benefit hockey game
helps a child smile
Inside Niagara’s Feb. 10 hosts are, from left, Tara McLain and Chris Barnatt, along with
entertainment host, Joe Crawford.
Bowling for Kids Sake campaign kicked off,
Big Brothers, Big Sisters holds annual event
By NADINE HORTON
Staff Writer
A gutter ball is as good as a
strike in this bowling tournament.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of
South Niagara has kicked off its
Bowling for Kids Sake campaign
in hopes of raising $30,000.
This ongoing event began on
Feb. 6 at the Agro-Midtown Bowl
on King Street in Port Colborne.
Eastside Lanes on Division
Street in Welland hosted the
second bowling tournament on
Feb. 16.
The final and main event will
take place at 968 Niagara St. N., in
Welland at Bowl-O-Rama on Feb.
19 at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Anyone can participate to help
raise money for the campaign.
Those who register form teams
of four to five people and are
expected to raise a minimum of
$50 in pledges per person.
The money raised in the
organization’s largest fundraiser
will help enlist and match
volunteer mentors with the
children
on
waiting
lists
throughout the Niagara Region.
Niagara College student Melody
Owen, 21, of Welland, is taking
part in this event for the
Big
Brothers
Big
Sisters
organization.
“I am involved in this event as a
part of my special event
management class in the Public
Relations [Graduate Certificate]
program,” says Owen.
This event will give her the
“opportunity to gain real-world
skills with an established
organization” so she can apply
what she has learned in the
program and “put it to use,”
she says.
Owen has been acting as a
fundraising assistant for the event,
calling local businesses to gain
sponsorship and confirm teams.
“I will be at the event to help
with registration and setting up the
facilities,” says Owen.
“I will also be bowling.”
Continued on page 4
By NADINE HORTON
Staff Writer
Helping a child smile will be
much easier after Feb. 20.
The Help a Child Smile
Foundation (HACS) is teaming
with Team Welland and 2004
national hockey champions, the
Toronto Aeros, for its 14th annual
benefit hockey game.
Among the national hockey
champions are 2002 Olympic
champions Sami Jo Small, Cheryl
Pounder and Jennifer Botteri.
All proceeds will benefit the
HACS
Foundation,
which
provides activities, trips and
support for children diagnosed
with cancer and their families at
the McMaster Medical Centre
Children’s Hospital in Hamilton.
The organization began in 1987
and was inspired by Kacey-Lynn
Rainville. Rainville was only six
months old when she was
diagnosed with terminal cancer
and died two months short of her
fifth birthday.
Ivan Plamondon, HACS public
relations director, says, “As a
rule, the events are very
successful, bringing a crowd of
around 1,000 to 1,500 people to
the Welland main arena. To date,
we have raised over $140,000 for
Help A Child Smile.”
Plamondon says that the event
has seen its “highs and lows,” but
during last year’s National
Hockey League (NHL) lock-out,
the event sold out the arena.
“We hope for the same this
year,” he says.
Team Welland will be offering
some “surprises” this year, says
Plamondon.
“Hall of Famer Joey Mullen
will be attending, as well as
Adam Creighton, Mark Laforest
and Roger Belanger. Once the
NHL lock-out is officially
announced, we may have a few
more NHL stars made available,”
he says.
The event will not be entirely
centred on the game as there will
be some attention focused on the
HACS foundation and reason the
benefit hockey game is raising
money.
“The event highlight includes
two Help A Child Smile families
receiving their one-week, allexpenses paid trips to Florida for
their entire family.”
Plamondon
says
raising
$12,000 to $15,000 a year at
these benefit hockey games is
what makes these trips a reality
for these families.
For the first time, St. Michael’s
Catholic High School drum line
band, from Niagara Falls, will be
attending to present a cheque at
centre ice to HACS from their
fundraising efforts.
Welland
Mayor
Damian
Goulbourne, MPP Peter Kormos
and the Welland Winter Carnival
Queen with her court will help
launch the fundraiser.
Those interested in supporting
this event may purchase tickets
for $5 at Lewis and Krall IDA on
Thorold Road in Welland,
Buckner’s Source for Sports in
Welland and Port Colborne, the
Welland Minor Hockey House on
Fourth Street in Welland,
Canadian Tire Gas Bar and
Canadian Tire Associate Store on
Niagara Street in Welland.
The fundraiser will be held at
the Welland main arena on King
Street.
The event kicks off at 1:15 p.m.
New YMCA has
many advantages
The
facility
has
two
multi-purpose rooms that will
accommodate
children’s
programs, instruction, Leaders-inTraining, Day Camp, Youth
Action and meetings.
These rooms, with play centres,
will give members with children a
chance to do their routine workout
while having the peace of mind
that their children are with them
and learning in the process.
Members will notice a two-lane
indoor track above the gym and
have access to change rooms, an
aquatic viewing area above the
two pools and a café, where
nutritious foods and drinks will be
served.
The facility will have physical
accessibility features, including
elevators for wheelchairs.
Full-time students at Niagara
College
can
purchase
a
month-long membership at a
discount price of $31 while other
adults will pay $40. Parking for
members is free.
Child and youth membership for
those 12-years-old and under is
$24.
There is a Membership Plus
program at $55, which gives
members full access to the lounge
area, with TVs, telephones and
daily newspapers as well as a
steam room and health and beauty
supplies.
For more information about the
new YMCA, including business
hours, call 905-735-9622 or visit
http://www.ymcaofniagara.org.
Construction crews are tying up loose ends at the new site of Welland YMCA in anticipation of the
Sunday, Feb. 20, opening at the Welland campus. Those with previous memberships will have their
programming transferred seamlessly, while full-time students at Niagara College can purchase a
month-long membership at a discount price of $31. Other adults will pay $40. Parking is free for
members.
Photo by Sandor Ligetfalvy
Bowling fundraiser helps match 40 children with mentors
In the Niagara region, over 100
children are on the waiting list
for a mentor. This event has the
potential of raising enough
money to match over 40 children
with a mentor.
"This is why we ask that each
person that wants to bowl should
raise a minimum of $50 in
pledges," says Sharon Svob, the
event's fundraising co-ordinator.
This event is for everyone. Not
only can individuals take pledges
and bowl, but businesses and
school groups are encouraged to
take part too.
The organization wants to
make this event as much fun as
possible to get more people
involved. They want the
participants to have a good time
while doing something good for
the children by taking part in this
year's theme, Cool Shades Crazy
Hats. Prizes will be awarded to
the "most creative, cool and
crazy team."
Svob also says, "If the bowler
raises more than [$50], we have
some great incentive prizes."
"We do expect a really good
turnout this year. The 4:30 p.m.
ECE graduate obtains job as teacher
from college program’s placement
By ERIN MACGILLIVARY
Staff Writer
You’ve seen them in the
hallway, cafeteria and outside but
do you ever wonder what happens
to college students when they
finally graduate?
Lorna Eidsforth, 22, of
Burlington, Ont., graduated from
the Welland campus’s Early
Childhood Education (ECE)
program at Niagara College in
April 2004 and now works as an
ECE teacher.
Eidsforth started her placement
as an ECE teacher at Tutor Time
in Burlington, last year, then
began working there as a supply
teacher in the summer. One month
after graduating, she got a job at
Thistleoaks Child Care Centre in
Burlington, where she now works.
“I needed the courses at the
college to be able to work in a
junior kindergarten class in a
school. All of the courses I took at
Niagara
pertained
to
the
development of young children.”
Eidsforth says she chose
Niagara because “she liked the
courses the best” of the colleges
she considered.
“I liked the idea of having a
work placement throughout the
two years there. It gave me a feel
of what it would be like to be a
teacher.”
She says that if you are looking
for a job in a daycare you do not
need a diploma, but if you want to
be head teacher, for which you are
paid more, some places will only
hire ECE graduates.
“I think I was so successful in
this program because I enjoy
doing this kind of work and I have
always enjoyed working with
children.”
Eidsforth’s mother Mary says
she is “very proud” of her
daughter.
“She worked really hard to get
where she is. She knew what she
wanted to do and went for it.
That’s why she did so well and is
now really happy with her job.”
ECE program co-ordinator
Allison Soave who has worked at
the college “on and off” since
1969 says the two-year program
balances theoretical classroom
experiences
with
practical
application opportunities in child
care settings in the Niagara
region.
“Students complete over 600
hours
of
placement
time
concurrently with class time here
at the Welland campus. Niagara is
one of the only colleges in Ontario
that uses the concurrent model for
the completion of placement
experiences in the field. This
model allows students to work
with children half the day and
spend the rest of the day in the
classroom. This gives them
ongoing support while they
implement the skills they are
learning in class.”
Soave says Niagara has a high
placement
rate
for
ECE
graduates, ranging from 75 to 90
per cent.
She says those who choose to
work as ECE teachers are deciding on a career that will have an
important impact on the children
and families with whom they
work.
“Our community can’t work
without quality child care, and
they will be the key to quality.”
time slot for 10-pin bowling at
Bowl-o-Rama on the 19th is
basically full," Owen says.
Svob says, "Last year we had
50 teams register. Our 2005 goal
is to have 70 teams. To date we
have just over 50 teams. We are
optimistic that we will reach our
participation goal."
Anyone interested in taking
part may still register. Svob says
that as long as you raise the
minimum pledge of $50 by Feb.
20, you may still participate.
To register, call Svob at
905-735-0570 or e-mail her at
sharonssvb@aol.com.
In the end, Svob states,
"This really isn't about bowling;
it's about the kids."
We have a winner
Here’s our second of four winners for the news@niagara
Dinner in 15 Seconds contest. Lindsey Saleh, 22, of Niagara
Falls, a student in the Pre-Health Sciences program at the
Welland campus, won a gift certificate for two at Eastside
Mario’s, two movie passes and other Eastside merchandise.
Our third winner will be featured in the March 18 edition of
news@niagara. The contest ends Feb. 18. We would like to
thank all participants.
Photo by Janine Westera
"It will rip your heart out and stomp on it."
"Cry Freedom", a two-hour plus movie on the life of South African anti-apartheid activist Steven Biko, will be shown in a
special presentation on Feb. 23 in the Hamilton Room at Niagara College's Welland campus. The event is being offered to
celebrate Black History Month that is marked in February. Watch for posters that will indicate the time of viewing.
By STEPHANIE DIPIETRO
Staff Writer
Niagara
College
Police
Foundations students are getting a
first-hand look into the demands of
community policing.
Frank Adamson, 55, of Pelham,
is the chair of the Pelham
Community
and
Policing
Committee (PCPC).
Bill Smith, of Pelham, is a
teacher at Niagara College. He
asked Adamson to give three
one-hour presentations to the
second-year Police Foundations
students regarding the PCPC’s
future direction.
Smith says it is important for the
students because “it is the way the
future of policing is going.”
Adamson says it was important
for the students to learn about community policing because “I don’t
know that their program actually
had any real focus on community
policing and what community
policing is all about.”
Adamson started his PowerPoint
presentation with some basic information about the committee
including its different roles.
Some
of
those
include
identifying and responding to safety
hazards, educating the public about
safety issues, providing safety
education materials and programs
and working with local schools to
identify concerns and provide
programs and solutions to address
them.
Adamson then discussed the
future direction of the committee
and the different programs they
are developing, including a Speed
Photo by Stephanie DiPietro
Students look at community policing demands
From left, Inspector Rick Lundy and Sergeant Bob Hansen of the Niagara Regional Police Service
stand outside on Haist Street in Pelham, which has recently become a community safety zone.
Photo by Stephanie DiPietro
Watch program, an offshore workers bicycle safety rodeo and programs involving Block Parents
and Neighbourhood Watch.
He says second-year Police
Foundations students will be
getting part of their 40 hours of
community service, required to
graduate, in some of the PCPC
initiatives.
In the coming weeks the
students will be involved in the
Speed Watch.
The committee has purchased
speed watch signs, which will be
placed at various schools around
the community.
The students will be in charge
of recording statistics, including
the number of cars that pass by,
the average speed and the number of people travelling over the
speed limit.
Speed Watch signs will be
Adamson says the statistics will
be discussed within the committee. posted locally.
Any further action regarding the
areas being monitored will depend many people don’t know what
on the results.
community policing is.
After the presentation, the stu“It’s problem solving within the
dents were given an opportunity to community to ensure that it’s a
question Adamson. Smith says the safer and more socially acceptable
students saw the presentation as a area to live in.”
“learning experience,” adding
16th annual Seafood Gala growing to accommodate guests
By STACY CALDER
Staff Writer
A larger venue and a new menu
are how the Seafood Gala will
accommodate its growing guest
list and provide college students
with valuable work experience.
The 16th annual Seafood Gala
will be held this year at the new
Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
in Niagara Falls on April 9.
“With the growing number of
guests, we are always looking for a
venue that can accommodate the
guests and provide a great
experience for the event,” says
Sylvia Kadlik, executive director of
the Niagara College Foundation.
Proceeds benefit the college’s
scholarship/bursary funds.
“With the casino, we could hold
up to 2,000 [people], but we are
aiming for around 600 to 700
guests,” says Chris Gushue,
co-chair for the Seafood Gala
committee.
The gala is launching a new
menu choice of chicken, which
reaches outside the seafood
theme maintained throughout the
past years.
“We found not everyone loves
seafood,” says Kadlik, explaining
this change is to encourage
non-seafood lovers to join the
event.
This year’s theme, Fire and Ice,
was inspired by the generosity of
Gordon Pryce, who gave a personal donation of a 2.38-karat diamond bracelet valued at more than
$8,000.
The “exquisite” ice bracelet will
be raffled off the night of the
event, says Gushue.
“We have exciting live and
silent auctions,” says Kadlik,
adding auctioneer Archie Katzman
will be starting the live auction,
which includes a 10-day Holland
America Lines cruise, use of
MasterCard’s luxury box at the Air
Canada
Centre
for
10
people and a dinner for eight with
limo service at the Niagara
College Culinary Institute right
after the entertainment.
“This is something we do quite
often for charity,” says Mark
Hand, corporate chef for the
Niagara Culinary Institute, at the
Glendale campus in Niagara-onthe-Lake.
“We create a really special menu
with our food and wine to give
them a culinary experience within
our walls.”
Continued on page 7
Habitat seeking Niagara volunteers
By RILEY MACDONALD
Staff Writer
Volunteers wanted.
The Job Centre and Habitat for
Humanity Niagara will be set up in
the hallway outside of the Niagara
College cafeteria at the Welland
campus on Tuesday, March 15.
Habitat for Humanity is an independent, non-profit, faith-based
housing program dedicated to
building affordable homes in
partnership with families in need.
The organization is recruiting
volunteers for building tasks in the
Niagara region, which include
construction, registration, food
services and office tasks.
This is the first year it has looked
to the Job Centre for recruiting volunteers, says Linda Harding,
receptionist of the Job Centre.
“I think there are a lot of
students who need volunteer
experience, and this is a good way
to get it.”
Habitat
for
Humanity
International was founded in 1976
in Americus, Ga. It was developed
from the concept of “partnership
housing” based on Christian
principles.
The organization has built more
than 175,000 houses in 100 countries.
Habitat for Humanity Canada,
organized in 1985, has dedicated
more than 700 homes coast to
coast since its inception. The
organization currently has 64
affiliations in all 10 provinces and
one territory.
Through volunteer labour,
efficient management and tax-
deductible donations of money
and materials, Habitat builds and
rehabilitates simple, decent houses
with the help of their partner
families.
Habitat houses are sold to
partner families at no profit and
are financed with affordable,
no-interest mortgages. The homeowner’s
monthly
mortgage
payments go into a revolving fund,
which is used to build more
houses.
Partner families are chosen on
the basis of the need for affordable
housing, ability to repay a habitat
mortgage and willingness to
partner
with
Habitat
by
contributing 500 hours of
volunteer labour, commonly called
“sweat equity,” towards the
building of their new home.
WE
D
E
L
I
V
E
R 572 Niagara Street, Welland
*
905-714-7482
Jonathan Welsh dies Safe Within offers vital tips
By AZRA MOMIN
Staff Writer
The non-profit organization Performers for Literacy lost its founder
on Jan. 27.
Jonathan Welsh, 57, died at his Belleville, Ont., home after a brief
illness. Welsh was a famous Canadian TV personality whose interest
in wine resulted in the television series The New World Wine Tour.
“Jonathan made outstanding contributions to the promotion of
Ontario’s wine industry as a TV host and author of a wine book that
featured Ontario wines,” says Darrell Neufeld, manager, corporate
communications at Niagara College.
“The college was pleased to recognize those contributions by
awarding him an honorary diploma in Hospitality,” he says.
Welsh, who was part of several Denis Morris High School variety
shows and productions as a student in St. Catharines, later gained
fame for his roles in shows like ENG and Sidestreet. He got his
theatre break with the musical Hair and acted in several Shaw and
Stratford festival plays.
Involved with various activities in and around the Niagara region,
Welsh participated in the Niagara Wine Festival events as well as a
fundraiser at Rodman Hall.
As a Canadian celebrity who chose to remain in the country instead
of going to the United States for more fame, he was committed to
Canadian events.
“Jonathan brought a great spirit to everything he did, from
professional acting to expounding on the virtues of Canadian wines.
He loved life and lived it to the fullest,” says Dan Patterson, president,
Niagara College.
“It was a great privilege to welcome him to the college in 2002 and
present him with an honorary diploma in recognition of his many
accomplishments, particularly his work in promoting Ontario’s wine
industry,” he says.
Welsh, a St. Catharines native, was introduced to the wine industry
by Donald Ziraldo, co-founder of Inniskillin Wineries, and co-wrote
the book The TV Wine Guy: Taking the Snobbery Out of Wine.
His desire to encourage children to read led him to found
Performers for Literacy, and he was part of several events where he
read books to children.
“Jonathan touched many lives through his work, his warmth, his
humour. He will be sadly missed,” says Patterson.
Possible to deter burglars by using
simple, effective measures
By BREE ELLIS
Staff Writer
Staying safe is a combination of knowledge
and planning.
Niagara College’s Joint Health and Safety
Committee cites information from the Safe Within
team about staying safe as an excellent way to
educate you.
Safe Within, found at http://www.safewithin.com,
says it’s “an ever-changing site that provides news
and information relating to you and your family’s
safety, security, health, and sense of well-being.”
Around the home there are many things you can do
to keep burglars at bay.
The simple addition of window or yard signs
indicating electronic monitoring can decrease
the chances of being burglarized by up to 75
per cent.
Placing pins through the inside of window frames
can help stop the windows from being opened, and a
window lock is a good precaution too.
It’s important to know time is critical to a burglar.
Anything that slows a potential burglar is good. An
effective time consumer is a double deadbolt lock.
Perhaps it is not a viable option, but it’s worth
considering buying a dog.
Safe Within states that a dog may protect you from
burglars but could put others in harm’s way.
However, modern technology offers simulated dog
alarms that can be set off by motion or noise vibrations.
More traditional alarms may be the way you want
to go, but it is important to consider carefully what
you purchase.
Safe Within recommends you try out alarms first
before committing to one because false alarms caused
by the wrong system can be annoying and dangerous.
They also recommend that you check with local
police for advice before purchasing.
Safe Within describes false alarms as a “national
epidemic” for police and advises you not to
contribute to the problem.
You may also have to register your system with the
police, depending on local laws.
Remember when you are buying a security system
that your homeowner’s insurance premiums may be
reduced. Consult with your insurance agent before
making a final decision as to the type of system that
you will install.
Safety matters outside the home too. Wherever you
go it’s important to take precautions.
When you are travelling and registering
somewhere, you should only use your last name and
first initial.
It is common for a woman to be robbed in locations
where she least expects it, says the website, including
bus stations, airports and crowded streets.
Thieves often use razor blades to slash purse straps.
Carry only what you need for the day in your purse,
and carry the rest of your money, cards and
information in a strapped-on, under-the-clothes
body belt.
Always walk with a purpose. Watch who’s around
you and don’t look like you’re a lost tourist.
For more information about safety measures on
Niagara College’s campuses, contact Rick Demers,
manager of health, safety and security, at
905-735-2211, ext. 7417, or Sandy Fox, director of
ancillary services, at 905-735-2211, ext. 7575.
Committee ensures safety on campus
Work placement challenge
By DAN KERNAHAN
Staff Writer
As if college isn’t stressful
enough, the prospect of finding
work placement can be equally
concerning
to
Computer
Engineering Technology (Co-op)
students here.
Students are required to
complete 12 months of real-world
work experience in their field, a
challenge some students say is
harder than it sounds.
Rumin Bhachu, 23, a third-year
student, says that she had trouble
finding a posting that was right for
her.
“There weren’t a lot of jobs that
required the skills we had,” says
Bhachu. “The job postings they
gave us weren’t for beginners.”
Bhachu, like many students,
obtained placement through her
own means.
Stuart Maclean, 21, gained his
placement at St. Catharines’
second largest employer, Sitel. “I
got the job first, then slipped my
manager the co-op papers a few
weeks later,” says Maclean.
Maclean worked as a technical
support worker on HP LaserJet
printers. Maclean says he learned
different skills working at Sitel.
“I learned a lot about drivers
and the electronics of printers,”
says Maclean. “It was more related to electronics than computers.”
Not
all
students
gained
employment, however, on their own.
Chris Schmitz, 21, of St.
Catharines,
survived
a
three-step interview process
at Priva Computers.
Schmitz worked to build
automation control systems for
greenhouses and says he learned
“a lot” from his placement.
Schmitz attributes his placement
to perseverance.
“I applied at every friggin’posting,”
says Schmitz, adding he isn’t surprised
at some of the difficulties expressed by
some technology students.
“The technology sector’s really
low right now,” he says. “There’s
just too many people in computers
right now.”
Christine Drobnich is the co-op
consultant for the program. She
says it’s important for technology
students to get a good placement.
“Each student has different needs
they want to satisfy, and we try and
help them do that,” says Drobnich.
Drobnich works with local
employers to generate job postings
for co-op students. She says that
while technology jobs are not
available in large numbers, the job
market is getting better.
“Now that things are picking up,
things should turn around.”
By BREE ELLIS
Staff Writer
They keep you safe every day.
“They” is Niagara College’s Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC). It is this committee’s job to keep
the college safe for students and staff.
Rick Demers, manager of security, health and safety, says the committee’s job includes identifying hazardous situations and making legal recommendations to improve safety for workers.
The committee also has a hand in testing equipment and workplace environments, and it obtains information from employers to identify the hazards in the workplace.
This committee is a group of faculty, support staff and administration members.
Sandy Fox, director of ancillary services and JHSC member, says Demers and Dave Thomson, a faculty
member, co-chair the committee meetings monthly from September to June. Additional meetings are scheduled as needed.
The committee receives its information about potentially hazardous areas from inspection teams who do
monthly and twice-yearly inspections.
See us
again
March 18
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Asians celebrate Year of the Rooster
By KIM POWELL
Staff Writer
This Chinese New Year is
known as the Year of the Rooster.
Each year is designated to one of
12 animals. This year is year 4702
by the Chinese calendar.
If you were born in 1921, 1933,
1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993 or
2005, you were born in the year of
the rooster. The sign of the rooster
indicates a person who is
hardworking and definite about
decisions. Roosters are not afraid
to speak their minds and can
therefore sometimes come across
as boastful.
The Chinese New Year is similar
to the Western New Year in that
it’s swathed in traditions and
rituals. It’s a time to congratulate
one another and oneself on having
passed through another year.
The Chinese New Year starts
with the New Moon on the first
day of the New Year and ends on
the full moon 15 days later with a
Lantern Festival.
This year, Feb. 9 was the first
day of the New Year. Every year it
is a different day according to the
solar calendar.
The Chinese calendar is based
on a combination of lunar and
solar movements. The lunar cycle
is about 29.5 days. To catch up
with the solar calendar, the
Chinese insert an extra month
every few years, like adding an
extra day in a leap year.
The Chinese celebrate New
Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
with family. It’s a time of reunion
and thanksgiving.
Traditionally, the celebration
was highlighted with a religious
ceremony given in honour of
Heaven and Earth, the gods of the
There were about 25 volunteers from Niagara College’s Glendale and Welland campuses that helped produce the Asian New Year
Party 2005. They were working hard to host the best party in the college for all of the students, homestay families and staff.
Photo by Priasto Probosutedjo
household and the family gods. They are extra kind to dogs
On the eighth day, Fujian people on the night of the 15th day.
ancestors. Departed relatives are and feed them well because they have another family reunion
On New Year’s Day, the Chinese
remembered with great respect. believe this day is the birthday of dinner and at midnight they pray will eat a vegetarian dish call jai
The sacrifice to the ancestors all dogs.
to Tian Gong, the god of Heaven.
and celebrate with all of the
unites the living members with
On the third and fourth days,
The ninth day is for making important people in their lives at
those who had died.
sons-in-law pay respect to their offerings to the Jade Emperor.
the Lantern Festival in the evening.
The presence of the ancestors is parents-in-law.
The 10th to the 12th day, friends
Although celebrations of the
acknowledged on New Year’s Eve
The fifth day is called Po Woo. and relatives should be invited to Chinese New Year vary, the underwith a dinner. The spirits of the People stay home to welcome the dinner.
lying message is one of peace and
ancestors and the living celebrate God of Wealth. No one visits
The 14th is a preparation day to happiness for family members and
the onset of the New Year as one because doing so will bring bad luck. celebrate the Lantern Festival held friends.
great community. The feast is
From the sixth to the 10th day,
called “surrounding the stove,” or the Chinese visit their relatives
Weilu, and symbolizes family and friends. They also visit the
unity and honours the past and temples to pray for good fortune
present generations.
and health.
The first day is the “welcoming
On the seventh day, farmers
of the gods and heavens and display their produce. They make
earth.” Many people abstain from a drink of seven types of
eating meat because they believe vegetables to celebrate. This day is
doing so will ensure long and also considered the birthday of
happy lives.
human beings. The Chinese eat
On the second day, the Chinese noodles to promote longevity and
pray to their ancestors and all the raw fish for success.
International students celebrate
2005 New Year party at After Hours
By PRIASTO
PROBOSUTEDJO
Staff Writer
Happy Asian New Year.
That’s the theme for the Asian
New Year Party 2005 with the
college’s international students
held in After Hours on Feb. 8.
This year’s Chinese New Year
party was not only for
international students, but also
Canadian students who are
studying at Niagara College’s
Glendale and Welland campuses.
Eric Madsen, who is a student
counsellor at the college, planned
to organize another New Year
party, but the students also got a
chance to work on it.
The
students
were
the
volunteers
for
decorating,
ordering food or making the food,
organizing
the
seats
and
advertising the party.
The party itself was filled with
multicultural people and students
from around the world.
Teachers
from
different
faculties were also invited to the
party and some were helping the
students. Homestay families were
also invited to join this year’s
Asian party.
The party started at 6 p.m., with
a performance by Winnie, an
elementary school girl, who
played a traditional Chinese flute,
stunning the audience with her
talent.
There was also an Asian
fashion show by three students
from the college showing how
beautiful the materials from Asian
countries can be.
Dinner started at 7 p.m.,
featuring Asian food from
different cultures.
Madsen introduced the students
as well as the teachers
volunteering for this party and
thanked them for their hard work
that night. He also thanked the
International Department for its
support.
There were about 25 volunteers
for this year’s event.
The volunteers thanked Madsen
for his ideas and helping them.
They gave him a small souvenir to
honour him.
Madsen said, “Without the help
from the students, the party would
never be as good” as it was that night.
Niagara College’s After Hours was filled with multicultural
people during the Asian New Year Party 2005 last week.
International students from Asia showed their traditional
clothing in the fashion show, one event at the party held on the
Welland campus.
Photo by Priasto Probosutedjo
Seafood gala ‘window of opportunity’ for Niagara College students
Strictly Salsa, a Toronto dance
company, will represent the fire
element of the theme.
“They are very well known,”
says Gushue, explaining the
dancers danced in a recent Jackie
Chan movie.
The event will also highlight
showcases
from
various
departments in the college.
“Our students will be involved
in many aspects,” says Gushue. He
adds that presentations from
college programs such as
Photonics and Broadcasting –
Radio, Television and Film are just
a few of the many planned events
for the night.
“This is our way to translate this
event through the night because
this event is all about the
students,” says Kadlik.
“It becomes an opportunity to
gain experience,” says Hand,
adding, “It’s a window of
opportunity” for the culinary
students when they work with the
Fallsview Resort staff.
Reservations are $100 per
person for college staff and students and $150 per person for any-
one outside of the college. For
more information on reserving a
seat or table, contact the Niagara
College Foundation office at 905641-2252, ext. 4100.
For information on volunteer
opportunities, contact Gushue at
905-641-2252, ext. 4277.
Editorial
Publisher: Leo Tiberi
Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt
Associate Managing Editor: Gary Erb
Photography Consultant: Andrew Klapatiuk
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie
Technology Support: Kevin Romyn
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news@niagara is a practical lab for students in the Journalism-Print program, covering the college community and other areas of interest.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the management of the newspaper or the administration of Niagara College.
Stepdad’s alcoholism: now distant memory
The newspaper this week is
all about drugs, alcohol and sex.
I find it rather funny because
I am not one of those to have
“their
chance”
at
the
newspaper and want to have it
on those three topics. Hey, it’s
what students want to hear
about, right?
I am in my 20s and I love
partying with my friends, but
there is something that happens
inside me every time I have a
beer. I have memories overlap
another memory from my
childhood.
My stepdad was an alcoholic
and addicted to drugs,
marijuana to be exact. My mom
married him when I was 11
years old, in the Caribbean. We
were a perfect little family, well,
only to the people who didn’t
come over at nighttime.
Every night, around 5 p.m., he
would come home from work.
He would change and get into
his dark red SLK-230 Mercedes
Benz hardtop convertible and
take off to the bar.
My mom and I would have the
best time of our life when he was
gone. You know, motherdaughter stuff, until he came
home.
It was usually around 9 p.m.,
just in time to wake me. He
would yell at the top of his
lungs and throw anything in
arm’s reach. I can remember
walking down the stairs to call
my mom and seeing him
throwing a kitchen chair,
smashing it against the wall,
leaving a huge hole.
After that, every time I had
people over, they would ask me,
“What happened to your wall?”
I would have to lie, of course.
My entire life was a lie about
how things happened and why
things I was doing were because
I had to cover up another lie.
My mom always told me,
“This is not how I imagined my
child growing up.”
My mom divorced him last
year. He is still making our lives
hell. Yeah, I know, why did it
take so long for us to get out of
there? If only you knew the
small details.
This is only one little
memory. I still have seven years
after that one.
For everybody in the same
circumstances that I was, don’t
let it get to you. Be strong and
everything will work out. I had
to tell my mom that all the time
and look at us now. We live
together and we are happier than
we have ever been. She has her
own company and I’m
graduating from college and
going into university.
I guess this is a fairy-tale ending for my life, just not as it
would be in a Disney movie.
PAM HALLMAN
‘When is the last time you heard a man oink?’
Sex, drugs and alcohol
section page 11 to 19
When is the last time you heard
a man oink?
Grunting,
howling
and
whistling are common noises for
men to make, but I’ve never
heard a man oink.
Why is it then that so often men
are referred to as pigs?
I wonder about the origin of
this analogy.
A pig is defined as domestic
swine, a stout-bodied, shortlegged omnivorous animal.
Yes, men, on occasion, may
behave in a socially incorrect
manner, but in a man’s defence,
many women do too.
For a moment, let your mind
wander. You’re in a bar
atmosphere, and you’re slightly
intoxicated. If you are single,
you’re probably observing
attractive persons of the opposite
sex and are eager to attempt small
talk with them. If you’re in a relationship, you may be noticing
attractive persons as well, but
more than likely you are there
strictly for dancing, and to have
fun with your friends.
Imagine
the
following
scenarios.
You’re a woman in a bar
atmosphere. You’re dancing and
laughing with your friends; then
unexpectedly you are smacked
on your rearend. A moment later
the same drunken man grabs your
waist and starts grinding with
you. Your reaction is a blend of
negative condemnation and
profanity, either thought or
spoken. “What a pig,” you
mutter.
Now you’re a man in the same
atmosphere. An attractive
woman, wearing a provocative
outfit, approaches you. She sticks
her finger in her mouth, takes it
out, and then runs that same
finger down your body while
grinding down your front side.
Your reaction is slightly different
than the one of the female. You
say, “Oh, yeah,” while glancing
at your friends and smiling.
A woman is never referred to as
a pig. Instead, we are referred to
as a negatively implicated
garden tool.
I will never understand why a
man who is persistent and
successful in “picking up”
women is praised, whereas a
woman in the same scenario
would be referred to as the
“garden tool.”
Socially unacceptable behaviour, including the lowering oneself or another individual, is not
justifiable. Men aren’t the only
ones who should be held
responsible for this behaviour.
I have been at bars and have
been disgusted with things I have
seen women do. I have witnessed
socially “swinish” behaviour that
would make that woman worthy
of being called a pig.
What is it about a man’s
behaviour that results in his being
called a pig?
I have a boyfriend who is a
subscriber of Maxim magazine.
He is wonderful.
I have a male friend who
claims he has slept with 47
women. He’s of good character.
My only sibling, my brother, is
a single man who respects
women. His room is covered with
posters of half-naked women.
I also have a male friend who is
“saving” himself for marriage.
Neither of them is a pig.
Some people may think men
act similarly to “pigs.”
If all men are pigs though, then
I guess women are too.
NATALIE MICHLEWICZ
Columns
Word
of
Mouth
“You said it. We got it.”
John Gagne, 21
General Arts and
Science (GAS)
Irene Lochhad, 51,
Pharmacy Technician
“I don’t know
Michael Jackson, but
it seems suspicious
that he has a child’s
theme park in his
backyard.”
“I think it’s
ridiculous [because
of] all the media
attention, and
I think he’s guilty
as sin.”
What do you think about the Michael Jackson trial?
Mike Hedden, 20,
GAS
“I guess he should
be locked away. I
don’t think he’s
guilty. It doesn’t
matter if he is or he
isn’t, his life’s going
to be ruined
anyway.”
Samantha, 18,
Early Childhood
Education (ECE)
Stephanie, 26,
ECE
“I haven’t been
following it, but I
don’t think Michael
did it. I love him.”
“I don’t know
anything about it,
but I don’t want to
believe he did it.”
Want to have your say in a current events topic? See us at WC and GC or e-mail news@niagarac.on.ca
Interviews by Theresa Stach
Photos by Laura McIntyre
Sleepless nights, early mornings
By THERESA STACH
Staff Writer
Column
Everyone does it. You’re not
alone. Everyone lies in bed and
wonders about the world. How do
things work? Why do people do
what they do? Did you make all
the right decisions and accept
every opportunity sent your way?
It has become a routine for some
of us, a nightmare.
I dread the time when I go to
bed. My mind works as if it’s
running a marathon with no finish
line. It’s easy enough to tell me to
relax or think about something
else but unfortunately, like
everything else, it’s easier said
than done.
Whether I’m tired or not,
I
cannot
sleep.
Whether
something is bothering me or not,
or whether I have a lot to do or
not, I think and think and think
until my head hurts.
I’ve been told that I should just
create a routine but that is almost
impossible. I am a college student
with an insane schedule. I work
and have a small social life. I’m a
reporter — reporters do not have
routines. Besides, what is a routine
going to do?
When I go to bed I think about
what’s going to happen in 10 years
and why my boyfriend said what
he said. I don’t worry about what
time I have class in the morning or
how I’m going to get my
homework done beforehand. It’s
more than that.
I think about what would have
happened if my parents were still
together or if I didn’t walk away
from that rude girl in the cafeteria.
I think about washing my car and
if I remembered to put a proper
byline on my story earlier that day.
Right now, even as I’m writing
this, I cannot stop thinking about
the what ifs and the whys.
It seems that once I get one
thing straightened out, another
topic takes its place, and most of
the time that topic is not one that
really matters. What’s done is
done, right? Not in my head. I
always wonder if there is another
way I could have done what I did
or if there is something I can do
to make it better. Of course, I
think of all this while I’m trying
to fall asleep. Some nights I’m up
until 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. just thinking and I’ll have a 9:30 class in
the morning.
I would love to just shed all
these thoughts from my head, but
once I do that I find myself
wondering why I would try to forget things that are on my mind and
what if I forget something
important?
I could go to counselling, but
why pay someone to listen to my
what ifs and whys if I have
friends and family members that
listen to me for free? And I don’t
think I need counselling anyway.
I don’t lie in bed thinking that I
am at fault or that my life is
ending. I think about good things
as well, like how great it was for
my mom to pick me up those
pants I’ve been wanting for
months or how it was nice of my
brother to make my bed when I
had an earlier class than he did.
What I need is a shut-off button
for my mind.
I’m a second guesser. That’s my
problem. Is there help for a second
guesser? I suppose all I need to do
is to sort out my thoughts before I
go to bed. Again, that’s easier said
than done.
Independent women should know their cars
By KATIE VANSLACK
Staff Writer
Column
After buying a four-litre can of
Valvoline motor oil, I walk into the
Canadian Tire store’s parking lot
towards my car. After I pop the
hood, but before I pop the cap,
I feel eyes on me.
Turning to my right, I see an
older man walk past with a smirk
on his face, “Need some help?” he
says with a cocky little voice.
Wishing I could slap that grin
off his face, I sternly reply, “No
thanks.”
“What was that?” I think to
myself. “Just because I have a
vagina, doesn’t mean I can’t
pour oil.”
He must have thought he was
going to be my knight in shining
armour. Unfortunately for him,
I’m no damsel in distress. I was
lucky enough to have a dad that
showed me how to maintain a
car. I used to crawl under cars
with him, then go put makeup on
with my older sister.
I guess that’s the beauty of
being a woman today: we can do
anything. Men can too, although
they just don’t seem to take
advantage of it the way women
do. Let’s face it; you don’t see
many men in a ballet class,
although I know a few ladies
who wouldn’t mind seeing those
tights get a little masculinity
in them.
Despite the fact that anyone can
do anything now, there are still
women who act helpless when
there’s a man around.
The reason for this still boggles
me, but without those women
there wouldn’t be any macho parking lot men.
Either way, whether you’re a
damsel in distress or an independent bitch, every woman should
know her car fluids.
Journalists including those in the Journalism-Print program at Niagara College, are taught that their reporting must be balanced, fair and
as objective as possible. In columns, the feelings and opinions of reporters are welcome, but balance, fairness and objectivity must never
be disregarded. Our columns, which are clearly identified, do not reflect the opinions of feelings of the Niagara College administration or
the management of news@niagara. Columns reflect the opinion of only one person: the writer.
Students are reminded about the upcoming Student Administrative
Council (SAC) Inc. elections during the on-line voting week of March 28
to April 1. To be nominated, students should go to their campus’ s SAC
office to ask for a nomination kit, which must be returned by Feb. 25.
“A year on SAC provides an excellent opportunity for students to
experience first-hand the corporate world of finance, strategic planning,
event planning and promotion, facilities management and day-to-day
customer service issues,” says Brigitte Chiki, student services director.
Columns
Whatever reason for drinking, be responsible
By ANGELA HARDIE
Staff Writer
Column
The line that divides casual
drinking and problem drinking
is growing increasingly thinner.
I cannot count the number of
times I’ve been places where
people turn one casual drink
into seven or eight, rendering
themselves senseless and
waking up the next morning
wondering where they are and
why they still have shoes on.
Nor do I hold the title of the
immunity idol in this category.
There have been times when I
have had to rely on my friends
to fill the gaps in my memory
caused by society’s beloved
drink of choice.
I think what it all boils down
to is the reason you choose to
drink in the first place.
Some people drink to forget,
but that only works if you
never plan to wake up. Once
you open your eyes and taste
last night’s nachos on your dry
lips, everything you wanted to
forget pulses through your
head like a bad headache.
(You’ll probably have one of
those, too.) Instead of drinking away your problems, try to
resolve them.
Others
drink
because
everyone else is. Face it: no one
likes to feel left out. Don’t you
remember being in Grade 10
and choking down vodka and
warm orange juice from a pop
bottle just because it was cool?
I have news for you. You’re not
15 anymore, so make your own
choices about what you like. If
you want to drink Coke all
night, do it. There is no rule
stating that once you turn 19,
you must consume alcoholic
beverages only.
A nice, relaxing night with
friends and pitchers of beer is
always fun, until you get the
bill. Three short hours kicking
back can costs more than two
weeks’ groceries. You decide:
would you rather have a night
out with all the works and eat
soup for two weeks, or would
you like to eat chicken once in
a while? Maybe it’s time to cut
back a night of drinking to once
a month.
For whatever reason you
choose to drink, you need to be
responsible.
Drinking then driving is the
most ridiculous thing you could
do. If you wouldn’t let your
best friend do it, you shouldn’t
either.
Don’t let your friend walk
home from the bar intoxicated
either, even if he or she’s done
it 46 times before and the
street is well-lit. You’ll never
forgive yourself if something
happens.
If you can’t drive home or
walk home, call a cab. The
phone numbers for cab
companies are posted at the
entrances to most drinking
establishments, and if they
aren’t, the bartender would be
glad to call one for you.
When
you
get
your
intoxicated friend home for the
night, give that friend some
water and make sure he or she
gets into bed without crashing
into things. If you’re the intoxicated one, have someone do
the same for you.
You need to be in control.
Consuming alcohol can make
for a good time, but letting it
consume you is senseless.
Mother’s death worst life experience, but calming
By BEVERLY KNIGHT
Staff Writer
Column
In October 1991, God decided it was time for my mom to
join Him and all who went
before her. I was very angry!
Why must you take her and
leave my father, a poor excuse
for a human being to walk the
face of the earth?
Losing my mother was the
worst experience I have ever
had. I remember the call. I was
numb. Something told me,
“Not yet. You can’t go yet.” A
few hours later it was time.
We drove to the hospital,
checked in and waited. My
name was called and I was able
to see her. The nurse directed
me to where she was.
I peeked into the room and
remember saying, “That is not
my mother.” The nurse replied,
“Yes, that is your mother.”
With those words, my legs gave
out and down I went. This
woman, this frail body, the
shell of what my mother used
to be!
I was later told that my father
and sister had brought Mom
into the hospital a few days
earlier. I, however, wasn’t
notified until she was no longer
able to speak.
How dare you rob me of
hearing my mother’s voice for
the last time! She was my
mother too! I will never forget
what you’ve done, nor will I
forgive you.
The last hours of her life, I
spent doing everything I could
to make the transition as
bearable as possible for her,
unlike the two cowards at the
end of her bed.
Mom and I used to harmonize together and before I knew
it, songs were pouring out.
I remember the nurse came in
and asked if I took requests. I
apologized. I hadn’t realized I
was singing so loudly. The
nurse replied, “The other
patients are enjoying your
singing. You have a beautiful
voice.”
The physicians said Mom
was in a coma, but I didn’t
believe it then and I certainly
don’t believe it now.
I sang one particular song
and with every ounce of
strength she had left in her
body, the corner of her mouth
turned into a faint smile.
Another song brought a tear
to her eye that rolled down her
cheek. As I wiped the tear
away, I could see the pain, fear
and anguish.
I knew it was just a matter
of time.
We were asked to leave her
room for a short time. While
we were outside, my father
said, “One of us has to tell her
to let go.”
All eyes were on me, and I
knew I had been chosen.
Yes, I gave my mother
permission to let go. It was the
hardest thing I ever had to do.
A few hours later, her breathing changed and I knew this
was it.
“May the Lord guide you in
every step of your journey,”
were my last words to her.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.
Exhale. Inhale. Last breath. My
life changed forever.
My father told us there would
be no funeral. Mom chose to be
cremated with no service. We
were not to follow her procession. She thought it would be
easier on all of us. It wasn’t.
A few hours after she passed
on, I had a vision of two figures
walking towards each other. I
believe the one on the left was
my mother and her father on
the right. Her father handed her
a white lily, which she accepted, and they turned and walked
toward a mist. She stopped and
turned to me and said, “I’m
fine, I’ll be OK,” and with that
the two of them walked handin-hand into the mist.
I felt an overwhelming sense
of calmness. I was happy she
chose to say good-bye,
although no words were
spoken.
Moose and Goose similar to Amazon experience
By CAITLIN MCLACHLAN
Staff Writer
Column
The temperature is tropical as
sweating bodies sway to the
carnal rhythm of the beating bass.
Scantily clad women float and
rush past in all directions, while
men slink or lumber along behind
them. Some gawk openly, while
others gave an admiring nod from
afar.
What seems like the gathering
of an Amazon tribe is actually,
and quite similarly, a sports club
called the Moose and Goose
where college students gather to
let loose their inhibitions. I am
thrust into the scene with
nothing upon which to rely but
my rusty dance skills and a
valid ID.
The bouncer, who may as well
have been a jungle man, towers at
least three feet above my dwarfed
5’5”. His older counterpart, with
a white moustache, takes the
cover charge with grimy hands
and I am shoved inside.
As I draw closer to the pit-like
dance floor, the clothes on the
women around me seem to
shrink. Unfortunately for me, I
am wearing a cotton sweater. I
could already feel the constricting
fibres pull tighter and tighter as
sweat poured onto my temple.
The crowd becomes denser as
more people climb into the “pit”
and all thoughts of maintaining
personal space are discarded.
Struggling past arms and bodies I squirm my way through the
tangled sea of swaying souls,
until I find myself eye to eye
with the stern face of a tribal
warrior. Those dark eyes follow
me and anticipate my fear as his
nostrils flare.
Trapped between gyrating
women and their partners, I
blink as he turns away. The temperature is still rising, and the
current of bodies threatens to
suck me under.
At last I escape the swarm and
stumble into the women’s washroom, pulling at the cotton constrictor. If I am staying, the
sweater is going.
Once in a stall, I tear desperately at the tiny strings that bind it to
the skimpy tank top beneath.
Liberation.
I emerge, a new woman. My
eyes are wild from the frustrating
struggle with shrunken cotton
and stubborn strings. The skin on
my arms and stomach is exposed
and even the tattoo on my back,
so carefully hidden, is there for
gawking at. I hardly recognize
the woman staring back at me;
she seems wild and confused.
There is little time to contemplate
the transformation because my
guides have found me and are
pulling me back into the “pit.”
Now the throbbing bass has my
heart beating to the tune and my
body moves along with the swaying mass. The temperature still
makes my skin sweat, but it is no
longer noticeable now that I’ve
defeated the constraints of my
sweater. I look up, and the jungle
warrior smiles down at me.
And so as the saying goes: “if
you can’t beat them, join them.”
Sex,drugs and alcohol
Marijuana also called the gateway drug
By JESSICA KONKLE
Staff Writer
Government surveys indicate
that most teenagers experiment
with drugs before they graduate
from high school.
The American National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says most
drug use is experimental and the
“majority of young people get
through it unharmed,” although
there are those who fall into abusive
patterns and eventually are out-ofcontrol users.
The gateway theory suggests
that marijuana use leads to the use
of harder drugs such as cocaine
and heroin.
However, there is no credible
research evidence demonstrating
that using one drug causes the use
of another.
For example, a large survey
conducted
by
the
federal
government shows that the vast
majority of marijuana users do not
progress to use more dangerous
drugs.
The NIDA Household survey
calculated that for every 100 people who have tried marijuana, only
one is a current cocaine user.
Drew Moore, 22, of St. Anns,
Ont., a second-year student in the
Electrical Engineering Technician
program at Niagara College’s
Welland campus, says that each
person has to be able to make the
right decision.
“Drugs can suck a person in and
ruin their life and the people’s
lives close to them.”
Most teenagers know from their
own experience and observations
that smoking pot does not always,
or even usually, lead to the use of
harder drugs.
The majority of teens who try
marijuana do not use it on a
regular basis.
Mike Watson, 21, of St.
Catharines, a second-year student
in the Electrical Engineering
Technician program at Niagara
College’s Welland campus, says
that he believes marijuana is not a
gateway drug.
“I know a number of people who
tried and smoke marijuana. They
don’t do anything else.”
Cory Baranieski, 23, from St.
Catharines, a third-year student in
the
Electronic
Engineering
Technology program at Niagara
Great opportunities
make all the
difference
College’s Welland campus, says
the decision is that of the person.
“Parents should know the
importance of teaching their children
about drugs. If they know facts, then
maybe they will think twice before
trying them.”
According to the most recent
Monitoring the Future survey by
the Drug Policy Alliance, 53.9
per cent of high school seniors
experimented with illegal drugs
at some point in their lifetime,
41.4 per cent used a drug during
the past year and 25.7 per cent
used drugs in the past month.
Des possibilités
formidables font
toute la différence
Marijuana rolling (parsley used in picture) is illustrated, as young people roll the drug with Zigzag
papers. This drug is most commonly known as the gateway drug to addiction.
Photo by Pam Hallman
Marijuana grow labs not only illegal
but present safety hazard in homes
By STEPHANIE VERRI
Staff Writer
Marijuana grow operations,
besides being illegal, also pose a
danger to neighbours.
As of Feb. 4, 2005, the
Statistics Canada national survey
of persons charged by type of
offense as a rate per 100,000
population, showed that there
were 152.5 people charged for
possession of drugs.
A leading concern today is the
numbers of grow labs being raided.
Gary Jarrett, supervisor in
charge of fire investigations in
Brampton, Ont., says he is called
out to drug busts by the Peel
Regional Police.
Jarrett says he has been to 26
grow labs.
“Under the Ontario Fire Code,
the maximum penalty per violation is $25,000, one year in jail,
or both. Not being a police officer, however, I’m not aware of
the Criminal Code charges.”
Jarrett says the marijuana
found at grow houses is taken
into evidence for presentation in
court and held in a secure lockup in the police evidence
impound area.
There are many concerns
related to grow labs, specifically
that of the heath and safety of
those living in the grow house
and the neighbours surrounding
the house.
“[The dangers are] dust mites,
mold, mildew, carbon monoxide if
appliance vents are disconnected
and used to vent the grow vapour.
[Also], bypassed hydrometers to
conceal the grow operation may
cause
electrocution
hazards, and altering the
structure to make room for the
grow operation may lead to
structural issues,” says Jarrett.
The dangers to your neighbours
also include “the deterioration of
the value of your home due to lack
of maintenance.”
Your college
education can be
your ticket to an
exciting career with
a difference in the
Canadian Forces!
Vos études collégiales
pourraient vous
mener à une carrière
passionnante et
différente dans les
Forces canadiennes !
Battle of the Bands set for Feb. 25
It’s a busy week for Student Administrative Council (SAC) Inc. at Niagara College.
Sex, Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Day is set for Wednesday, Feb. 23.
SAC’s annual Battle of Bands is set for Friday, Feb. 25, at After Hours at the Welland
campus.
All bands are welcome, but bands must registrar with the SAC office at the Welland
campus or the SAC office at the Glendale campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Strong. Proud. Today’s Canadian Forces.
Découvrez vos forces dans les Forces canadiennes.
For more information visit http://www.ncsac.ca
1 800 856-8488
www.forces.gc.ca
Foreplay heightens sexual experience
By VALERIE LITTLE
Staff Writer
Column
It’s foreplay that heightens
sexual experience, not orgasm.
Having fun by awakening all
the senses with your sexual
partner is all that’s needed to
heighten your awareness of
each other’s sexual wants and
needs. Take the time to get to
know each other’s bodies from
head to toe.
Foreplay can be as simple as
sensual massage. Start by
massaging the temples of your
partner’s head and slowly move
down the body. Save highly
sensitive areas for last. When
you start working on those
areas, watch your partner
squirm with anticipation and
longing. Then back off and go
back to another area. This teasing will make your partner beg
for your touch.
Have your partner close his or
her eyes as you perform the
massage because it will heighten
the senses on a level your partner
has never reached before.
Using words to express how
much you love and want your
partner is another form of foreplay.
Talk to each other about sexual
fantasies you have and what you
would like to do to your partner
and have done to you as if you
were acting the fantasy out.
Closing your eyes and picturing
you and your partner acting out the
scenario helps.
Then, at some point in the
future, you and your partner
should act out these fantasies.
One time you can act out one of
yours and the next time, one of
your partner’s.
Flavoured body powders and
oils can be purchased and all you
need is a creative imagination to
have fun with these products. Try
to come up with new ideas every
time to avoid boredom.
Telling your partner what you
want when you are in a public
place can be fun. Ensure nobody
else hears you and tell your partner
exactly what you want to do when
you are alone. Not being able to
touch each other creates good
sexual tension.
You should know your partner’s
body as well as that person knows
his or her body and vice versa.
Take the time to explore every
inch of each other’s bodies
without intercourse.
Open up your minds, bodies and
souls. Awaken your senses to
intimacy and desire.
Emotional scars of rape can last for years
By KATIE VANSLACK
Staff Writer
Rape. It’s a horrifying assault
that has been experienced for
centuries, leaving lifelong scars on
victims’ souls.
Forty-year-old Ashley Brown,
of Wainfleet, Ont., says that she
became a rape victim at the
vulnerable age of 14.
“I was in Hamilton. It
happened two blocks away from
the cop shop in the middle of a
school yard.”
Between the months of August
and October of 1979, Brown was
assaulted by five men, between 16
and 18 years old. She says that
although there were five of them
and only she and her one
girlfriend, she still fought back.
“I tried to fight them. I was
pinned down by three. Oh, I was
kicking and fighting the whole
f***ing way.”
Immediately after the assault
she was sent to the hospital where
she met her parents. She says that
she’s glad that her father never
found the rapists, as he would now
probably be in jail for murder.
Charges were pressed, yet the
rapists received probation. “They
dropped it from rape to aggravated
assault. It was a first offence.”
Brown says that she didn’t know
her rapists at the time, but later
realized that all five of them grew
up two blocks away from where
she lived.
She explains that the four
recovery stages that she went
through were massive shock,
denial, guilt then anger, which,
Brown says, is the longest.
She says that she had anger from
the ages of 18 to 39. “I was p*ssed
off at every man who walked,
talked and said hello.”
During her life, Brown says that
she went into an abusive
relationship. “I was trying to
connect sex with love, but sex isn’t
love.” She explains that she was
subconsciously picking bad guys
to prove that there aren’t any good
men
out
there.
“I
was
sabotaging myself.”
She asserts that women go into
this pattern to prove in their minds
that hating is right. They’re trying
to justify the hate because they
haven’t dealt with their issues yet.
Brown says that she never
received counselling. “I didn’t want
to deal with reality, so I numbed
myself with drugs and alcohol.”
She suggests to anyone who has
been raped that they seek help.
“It’s a violation of your soul. If
you don’t get help, you will
wither and die inside,”
Twenty-six years later, Brown
feels that she has been able to
move on.
“I think I still have a few
emotional scars. I’ve dealt with
most of them. It’s a trust issue.
Once you realize it’s not worth the
fight anymore, you start to live.”
Brown
says
that
rape
victims must realize that it is not
their fault.
“It has nothing to do with them.
It’s not personal. Rape is about
control and domination. It’s not
about the sexual act itself. It’s
dominating someone. Rape is not
a one-time crime; it’s a lifetime
crime. Once it’s done, it imprisons
that victim’s mind for life.”
For help within the Niagara
region on dealing with a sexual
assault
go
to
http://www.niagarahealth.on.ca, or
call 905-682-7271, ext 7282.
This photo illustration shows the lonesome effects of a sexual
assault.
Photo illustration by Katie VanSlack
Kama Sutra, many ways of connecting through sex
By CAITLIN MCLACHLAN
Staff Writer
Sex is about connection. Kama
Sutra is about connecting many
different ways through sex. It
couldn’t be simpler.
The fact is, Kama Sutra is far more
complex than a naughty picture book
of nakedness and erotic positioning.
The book Kama Sutra was
written in India by Vatsyayana, a
Sanskirt sutra writer, based on the
books written by previous sutra
writers, Nandi and Babhravaya. Sir
Richard Burton translated it in 1883
with the help of F. F. Arbuthnot.
“I think it’s his way of describing
it [sex] as a metaphor,” says Emily
Marissen, 19, a student in the Office
Administration program at Niagara
College’s Welland campus.
The book has seven parts, with
chapters related to each part. The
parts include the introductory,
sexual union, acquiring a wife, about
a wife, about other people’s wives,
courtesans and how to attract others.
Before a man or woman can get
down to doing “the nasty,” they must
first be skilled in what are known as
the Sixty-Four Arts. These arts can
be generalized as social skills, homemaking skills and literacy.
“A woman versed in the above
arts obtains the name of Ganika
[public woman of high quality], ...
while a man also versed in the arts
gains very soon the hearts of
women,” writes Vatsyayana.
Once each has learned the skills,
they move on to learning methods
of sexual union. This includes
proper
and
improper
couplings based on proportions of
sexual organs, force of desire or
passion and time.
“I think once you’re married,
you can do whatever makes you
feel good,” says Marissen, “[It]
sounds like fun. I haven’t done it
or anything, but sure, why not?”
Vatsyayana classifies men and
women according to their likeness
to animals. Men are divided into
three classes according to the size
of their penis. There is a hare man,
a bull man and a horseman.
Likewise, women are compared to
a female deer, a mare or a female
elephant depending on the depth
of their vagina.
Vatsyayana then goes on to
write about nine kinds of union, of
which equal ones are the best.
Equal unions are between the hare
and deer, the bull and mare and the
horse and elephant. There are also
nine combinations of three degrees
of carnal desire. The degrees are
small, middling and intense.
“I’m open to just about
anything,” says T.J Surette, 21. He
is a student in the Motive Power
Technician – Automotive (Co-op)
program at the Welland campus
Skill Centre.
Surette says that he “couldn’t
care less” about Kama Sutra, but
he believes that it “shouldn’t
matter who you are; anyone could
news@niagara is back Friday, March 18
practice it.”
Vatsyayana also writes that there
are three kinds of men and
women: short timed, moderate
timed and long timed. This is the
length of time with which they can
endure their lover’s embrace.
Essentially, an aged Indian sage
who spent a lot of time
contemplating sex wrote the book
as an instruction manual. Dome
Moraes, who re-wrote Burton’s
translation of the Kama Sutra,
says, though Vatsyayana describes
the obvious, it is “essentially an
escapist book.”
“I think finally the best reason for
reading the Kama Sutra today is for
this sensuous, dreamlike evocation of
a corrupt paradise.”
Sex, drugs and alcohol
New law deterrent to impaired driving
By STEPHANIE VERRI
Staff Writer
Every year, Statistics Canada conducts a national survey
on drinking and driving on behalf of Health and
Welfare Canada.
As of Feb. 4, 2005 the national survey for persons
charged by type of offence as a rate per 100,000 population,
showed that the number charged for drinking and driving
was 170.3.
According to Statistics Canada, since the peak in 1981,
the rate of people charged with drinking and driving had
dropped 64 per cent by 2002.
The drop is connected to the legislation passed by
Parliament in 2000 increasing the maximum penalties for
conviction to imprisonment for life for people convicted of
drinking and driving causing death.
Gary Jarrett, supervisor in charge of fire investigations in
Brampton, Ont., says the department, Brampton Fire and
Emergency Services, is called to motor vehicle collisions to
provide medical assistance to the victims and to
extricate the victims using the Jaws of Life, if required.
“In 2004, we responded to 120 vehicle accidents.”
In 2003, Jarrett says the service responded to 135
accidents related to impaired driving.
Most of the victims or drivers involved in impaired
driving range in age from 16 years and up.
“As a front-line response organization, [we know that]
driving day-to-day is difficult. Compound the problem by
consuming alcohol and then trying to drive has in the
past been proven to be fatal,” says Jarrett.
“We have all seen vehicles after someone has been in
an accident after consuming alcohol. If that’s
not a deterrent, then spending time in prison may be.”
Impaired driver learns ‘valuable lesson’
By ALLISON SMITH
Staff Writer
For Alisa*, having drinks with
friends on New Year’s Eve 2004
turned into a nightmare when she
was caught driving with a blood
alcohol concentration over the
legal limit. This is her story, told in
an e-mail interview. The name has
been changed to protect the
identity of the person involved.
“I was out with some friends on
New Year’s Eve at a local bar, and
we had a few drinks. When I left
the bar, I was not feeling drunk, so
I felt it was okay to drive.
“I was pulled over by R.I.D.E.
[Reduce
Impaired
Driving
Everywhere program] at one of the
places they were set up that night. I
was asked for my licence,
ownership and insurance. I gave
them willingly and as promptly as
possible. I was then asked to step
out of the car and I did so, after
which time I was asked to follow
the police officer across the road to
a van that was equipped with a
Breathalyzer. He explained how it
worked and exactly what I
needed to do.
“After I blew into the
Breathalyzer, the officer showed
me the letter P on the screen,
indicating I had failed the
Breathalyzer. He then started
reading me my rights, led me to
the cruiser that was waiting nearby
and handcuffed me before
putting me in the back of the
cruiser.
“Once we arrived at the station,
the handcuffs were removed. I was
then asked to take my coat off,
take my shoes off, empty my
pockets and remove my belt. After
that was over, I was led to a
holding cell. Inside the holding
cell are a cement bed, a toilet and
a water fountain for drinking. The
doors have Plexiglas on them and
when you go pee, officers walking
by can see you.”
She says that while she was in
jail, she kept telling herself how
“stupid I was and how I could have
hurt someone. I was really scared,
too. It was the scariest experience
of my life. The entire time, I was
trying to make the best out of a bad
situation by speaking as nicely and
[as] politely as possible to
the police.”
Unless you carry a Breathalyser
in your pocket, it can be difficult
to tell if you are able to drive
legally with the amount of alcohol
you have in your bloodstream.
Symptoms of impairment may not
be obvious.
Alcohol has a tendency to cause
people to make irrational decisions.
In people who have not developed a
tolerance to alcohol, having 50
milligrams of alcohol in their bloodstream can cause their judgment to
be impaired, states the Rotary Club
of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s website,
http://www.daap.ca.
“I am not exactly sure how
much over the legal limit I was,
but I know I was only slightly
over. The police told me the legal
limit is 80 [milligrams of alcohol
in 100 millilitres of blood] and
anything in between 80 and 89
they have the choice to charge you
or not and to suspend your licence
for 12 hours or one year. I
honestly thought I was not going
to blow over the legal limit.”
“A person whose blood alcohol
content is over the legal limit
could be convicted even if the
person didn’t act drunk or seem to
be impaired. The punishment for
this criminal offence is the same as
the punishment for driving while
impaired,” states the Department
of Justice Canada’s website,
http://canada.justice.gc.ca.
“If you are not sure if you are
over the legal limit, it is safer to
call a cab and come back the next
day to get your car. The old saying,
‘It is better to be safe than sorry’
comes into play in this type of
situation,” says Alisa*.
“In Canada, the legal blood alcohol limit is .08 BAC (Blood Alcohol
Content). In other words, if the
concentration in a person’s blood
exceeds 80 milligrams of alcohol in
100 milligrams of blood, the person
is legally impaired,” states the
University of Manitoba’s website,
http://www.umanitoba.ca.
“I think that the legal limit is
definitely reasonable, and if you
stay within the legal limit, you can
still have a couple of drinks with
your friends throughout the night
while maintaining a quicker
reaction time, obeying the law and
This photo illustration depicts the possible consequences of driving while impaired.
Photo Illustration by Ashley Campbell
not becoming a danger to yourself drink and drive. I suggest that you licence for a year, then you can’t
and others,” says Alisa*.
do as you are told [or] asked. Do get to your job or anywhere else
When asked how she came to the not refuse to take a Breathalyser. and your insurance will be affected
decision to drive after drinking, she Do not resist arrest. Do not act like by your sheer lack of judgment.”
says, “I obviously was not thinking an a** and do not treat the police
She says her feelings after the
at all ... if I was, I would not have like they are doing something situation was resolved were that
[driven] after drinking.”
wrong. You are the one that broke she was “very relieved” she had
Asked what she did to keep the the law ... they are just doing received a 12-hour suspension of
situation between her and the their job.”
her licence and not something
police calm, she replies, “I was
She was in a holding cell for 20 “more serious.”
calm. I did what I was told, minutes, “the time they make you
“I think it taught me a valuable
answered all of the questions that wait until you have to blow into lesson about life ... and I will
were asked of me, didn’t resist the machine at the station. They let definitely not drink and drive like
arrest overall and was trying to me go because they decided not to that ever again. If I am drinking, I
make the police know that I knew I charge me or fine me. They did, will choose not to drive.
had broken the law and understood however, suspend my licence for I will call a cab, a friend or a
they were just doing their job.”
12 hours.”
family member to come pick me
Her advice for drivers dealing
She says she learned that up and have someone bring me
with police under similar “driving after drinking is incredi- back to my car the next day. I
circumstances is to “not drive after bly stupid and it can cost you a lot would definitely do my best to
you have been drinking, but since more than just a licence suspen- stop someone else from drinking
we do not live in a perfect world, I sion, because if your car gets and driving. [I would] take
know there will always be impounded, then you have to pay a their keys, call a cab for them,
individuals that will choose to fee to get it back. If you lose your whatever is necessary.”
news@niagara, Jan. 18, 2005, Page 15
American Whiskey – a.k.a. Bourbon
Making friends, influencing people since 1789
By MATTHEW RUSSO
Staff Writer
This article is the third
installment in a five-part series
exploring and explaining the
history and the mystery of the
wonderful world of whiskey.
Some purists say bourbon
isn’t real whiskey, but, like it or
not, the American-made cornbased product uses a similar
distillation process as Scotch,
Irish or Canadian rye whiskies,
and deserves the same moniker.
Bourbon received its strange
name from the county it was
originally made in — Bourbon
County, Ky. In 1789 in
Georgetown, Ky., a Baptist
minister named Elijah Craig,
established a still and began
producing whiskey from a base
of corn.
As with all whiskie,s the rules
governing
the
distillation
process are strict and must be
labeled as such.
For example, at least 51 per
cent, with a maximum of 80 per
cent, of the grain used in the
making of whiskey must be
corn. Bourbon must be aged for
a minimum of two years in new,
white oak barrels that have been
charred on the inside.
“The charring of the inside of
the oak barrel accelerates the
colouring of the whiskey and
lends a subtle sweetness and a
faint vanilla flavour, which is
found about a half an inch into
the wood of the barrel. Adding a
dash of Galliano or Bols Vanilla
liqueur to two ounces of
bourbon on the rocks helps to
release that vanilla and offers
the drinker an incredibly
smooth finish,” says Dean
Serneels, master bartender and
founder of Flairco, and a devout
bourbon
fan.
The
St.
Catharines-based
Flairco
Bartending Institute “educates
consumers and trains modern
bartenders to entertain their
guests with skill, knowledge
and flair,” says Matt Jones,
Flairco’s director of training
and special events.
The real story of bourbon is
in the men who created it and
how
they
survived
the
American Prohibition.
Colonel James Beauregard
Beam, or as we know him today
Jim Beam, was a fourth generation Kentucky distiller. At the
age of 18 Jim joined the family
business and a few years later
built The Beam and Hart
Distillery, makers of the famous
Old Tub whiskey. The distillery
was closed during Prohibition
and didn’t reopen until Beam
was 70 years old. The descendants of Beam have made
whiskey in over a dozen
different Kentucky distilleries,
including the ones that carry
Beam’s name today.
Elijah Craig, made famous as
the creator of bourbon, is also
famous for being fined $140 on
Sept. 26, 1798, for making
whiskey without a license along
with 177 of his neighbours.
Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniels
(1846) was introduced to
whiskey making as a young boy
by a farmer named Dan Call. He
bought Call’s still as a teenager
and moved it to Cave Spring,
Continued on Page 17
Squeeze the orange peel firmly over a lit match. See Page 17 for
the result of this garnish technique.
Photo by Matthew Russo
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Alcoholics Anonymous can help society
By JANINE WESTERA
Staff Writer
Alcohol can destroy lives, but
there is a program that can help
save them.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
was begun in 1935 by Dr. Robert
Holebrook Smith. Smith’s alcoholism progressed steadily
throughout his life; however, he
was still able to function and was
an active member in the
community.
When he was in his early 30s,
Smith attended meetings with the
Oxford Group. The Oxford
Group’s biblical roots, beliefs and
practises had an influence on the
early works of AA. In May 1935,
Smith met with another alcoholic,
Bill Wilson, a meeting that led him
to a permanent sobriety and the
formation of AA.
“The whole purpose of AA was
one alcoholic identified with
another alcoholic and started a
process for change,” say a male
AA member.
“Without AA, thousands of
people would die or go to jail or
institutions,” says a female
member of AA.
There are four types of AA
meetings: open speaker, closed
speaker, open discussion and
closed discussion. An open
meeting, be it speaker or
discussion, is for anyone wanting
to attend an AA meeting. A closed
meeting is for those who have
admitted they are alcoholic and
believe they may have a problem
with alcohol. News reporters are
unable to attend closed meetings.
A closed discussion is for people
who have admitted they are
alcoholics and have begun the
recovering process. An AA meeting commences with a moment of
silence and then the members
recite the serenity prayer: “God
give me the serenity to accept
things I cannot change, courage to
change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
Alcoholism is a progressive
illness that can never be cured.
Some AA members believe the
illness represents a physical
sensitivity and mental obsession
with alcohol that will lead a person
to alcoholism.
“It’s the most destroying disease
because it affects you physically,
mentally and emotionally, “ says
another female AA member.
Most members of AA say they
didn’t know they were alcoholics
until they went to a meeting and
talked with other alcoholics.
During early sobriety, new
members of AA will receive
chips to mark as early as one-day
sobriety, and up to nine
months.
On your one-year anniversary,
as well as following years, the
group that you’re a member of will
hold a celebratory meeting where
you receive recognition for your
hard work.
“It’s one thing to stay sober for
three months, but it’s another thing
to stay sober 30 years,” says
another male member.
AA is a program that allows
people to begin a new way of life
without alcohol. It has been
working successfully for hundreds
of thousands of men and women.
“Most AA meetings are held in
church basements, and there is no
fee to join,” says a female
member.
Meetings happen all over the
Niagara region and range from 10
to 17 meetings every day.
AA is not a religion-based
program; it is a spiritual program
that speaks of a higher power that
can help an individual who is
searching for an inner strength.
AA uses the 12 steps program to
aid an individual to a path of
sobriety.
For more information about AA,
call 905-685-7426.
Bourbon still lives
near Lynchburg, Tenn. Daniels understood that if his customers
remembered him they would also remember his whiskey. To ensure
his fame he cultivated a distinctive image for himself. He always
wore a knee-length frock coat and a planter’s hat, and grew an
elaborate moustache and goatee.
Daniels being the most famous of the American whiskey men, his
home and distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn., have been preserved in his
honour and tours and tastings are available to all bourbon lovers.
Famous and fabulous bourbon drinks include:
Manhattan — one and a half ounces of bourbon, three-quarters of
an ounce of sweet (red) vermouth, one dash of Angostura bitters and
garnish with a maraschino cherry. Stir the ingredients together in a
mixing glass over ice and strain into the cocktail glass.
Lynchburg Lemonade — one and a half ounces of bourbon,
three-quarters of an ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice, with
bitter lemon to top. Garnish with an orange slice. Build ingredients
over ice in a Collins glass. Stir before serving.
Godfather — one and three-quarter ounces of bourbon and
three-quarters of an ounce of amaretto. No garnish. Build the
ingredients over ice in a rocks glass and serve with a stirrer.
Recipes taken from Peter Bohrmann’s The Bartender’s Guide.
For more information on bourbon visit the websites of any of the
distilleries or simply type bourbon into your search engine and get
ready for a wealth of history about and admiration of the American
legend that is bourbon.
Welland
Transit
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Matt Jones ignites the zest from the orange. Doing this accentuates the smoky flavour of the
bourbon and adds a hint of orange to the cocktail.
Photo by Matthew Russo
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Is AA for you?
Is AA for you? asks 12 questions to determine if you could be an
alcoholic.
1. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but
only lasted for a couple days?
2. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your
drinking and stop telling you what to do?
3. Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the
hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
4. Have you had an eye-opener upon awakening during the past
year?
5. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
6. Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past
year?
7. Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
8. Do you ever try to get “extra” drinks at a party because you do
not get enough?
9. Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to,
even though you keep getting drunk when you don’t mean to?
10. Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?
11. Do you have “blackouts”?
12. Have you ever felt that you life would be better if you did not
drink?
AA members choose to remain anonymous to protect their reputation and their careers.
Photo by Janine Westera
Invisible caregivers part of Canada’s hidden population
Young carers act as the adult of
the family. They cook, clean
house, run errands and do banking,
and some provide physical care for
the relatives, which can include
bathing, dressing, helping with
mobility
and
sometimes
administering medication.
In families new to Canada,
carers act as translators, helping
their parents understand the many
complications and complex
situations of the health-care and
immigration systems.
Because of their continuous
efforts to help their family
members by taking on adult
responsibilities, carers often put
their schooling and own social
life aside.
Through its lead agency, the
Alzheimer Society of Niagara
Region, the YCIN received a
$133,500 grant over two years
from the Ontario Trillium
Foundation. Some of the grant
money is being used to conduct
a survey titled Hear Me Now.
The survey is designed to gain
an insight into the needs of
young carers, as well as their
experiences as a caregiver. It
will target young carers from
ages eight to 18.
“The Hear Me Now survey is in
the final stage of development. It
will soon be presented to the
Brock
University
Ethics
Committee for approval,” says
Baago. “It will be distributed as
soon as the Brock Committee
approves it, hopefully by the end
of March 2005.”
Continued on page 22
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‘Furries’ more common than you thought
Graphic By Siead; Base By www.bunnystick.com
perhaps ears and a tail.
fan, a person who is a fan of anthro the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The common anthro is usually or furry cartoons and characters. and even Big Bird from Sesame
an upright-walking animal, Furry cartoons are not as uncom- Street can be described as
occasionally with hands instead mon as you think.
anthro-furries of varying degrees.
of paws.
Characters like Mickey Mouse,
Nyssa, from Canada, is an
Many people consider their
online role-playing character.
furries to be personal characShe says that role-playing as a
ters, representing aspects of
fur “looked like fun” and she
themselves that they perhaps
finds it a “nice change of pace”
cannot show in the real world.
sometimes.
Others simply enjoy drawing
Nyssa also engages as a furry
or writing about a particular
in the real world, though she has
character and have no deeper
never gone to a convention.
connection than that.
Birds and reptiles are consid“Think about it,” says
ered furries as well, since the
Knight Shayde, a wolf furry
term means any animal, not just
from the United States. “It is a
a mammal. Some people make
better way than reality, it
furs from insects and fish. The
being such a rat race.
type
of
Being a beastly creature with
animal doesn’t matter to many.
no mankind thoughts or worries
Whether they like a fur or not
is a release of things.”
depends on their attitude.
Shade says he is spiritually
If you want to enter the world
connected to wolves, a common
of online role-playing, there are
thought throughout the fur
several furs that gather in usercommunity between people and
created rooms in Yahoo Chat
their preferred furs.
Character
animals
can
be (http://www.yahoo.com).
“An elder tribal Pawnee once realistic, such as bear or cats, or
Bankero, from the United
said I have the spirit of the wolf mythological creatures, such as drag- States, is an anthro, a Native
in me,” he says.
American wolf.
ons, minotaurs or griffins.
Furry can also define a furHe has been a furry for a few
By ALICIA ANN JANSEN
Staff Writer
Furry conventions, although
more common in the United
States, are available in Canada
for furry fans. Here are three
large conventions happening in
2005 in Canada.
C-ACE
June 3 to June 5, in Ottawa,
Ont., C-ACE runs in the Best
Western Victoria Suites Hotel.
It will have the usual convention activities, such as artists and
dealers selling various merchandise, as well as contests, parties
and a chocolate social.
The art and dealers’ room is
limited admission, however, to
ages 14 and up, because of some
of the content.
Pre-registration runs until
March 4 at $35 each and
afterwards it is $40 at the door.
Furries of all shapes and
species gather at furry conventions to display artwork, show
off their costumes and socialize
within the community.
For more details, go to C-ACE’s
website at http://www.c-ace.org/.
Feral!
Feral! is held annually in
Camp
Arowhon,
within
Algonquin Park, Ont. This year it
will run from Saturday, Aug. 27,
to the following Wednesday.
Many games, comedy sketches, water-gun fights, and workshops, such as ear and collarmaking, occur throughout the
five-day camp. The most popular
game is predator/prey, where
they pit the wolves against the
rabbits and everyone against natural elements and disease.
The cost to attend varies
depending on how far in advance
you pay. Until July 15, the price
is $275; after that it is $295.
Also, specialty items can be
bought for an additional price,
such as special meals or camp
merchandise.
Registration
is
at
http://www.campferal.com.
Howloween
On the night of Friday, Oct. 29,
in Coquitlam, B.C., furries in the
western areas of Canada and the
U.S. gather and celebrate the holiday with a convention of artwork.
It begins at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29
and ends at 1 a.m. the following
Sunday.
It will offer costuming and performing along with artwork and
dealing. Since it is near
Halloween, it provides a chance
to go public in fur-suits.
Online registration costs vary
between $20 and $40 depending
on when you register and if you
wish additional items such as a Tshirt.
For more information, visit
http://www.howloween.org.
Creating fursuits easy, fun
Make mascot creatures or personal creations
Staff Writer
2005 furry conventions
months but prefers to chat with
people who are well formed in
their characters.
James, a man from Greece who
plays as a husky, says he hung
around in furry chats for a while
just “idling” [not typing] until he
decided to try it.
“I like furries because I figured
I am getting more adult and
explicit RP [role-play] with a
furry character than with a human
one,” says James.
Yes, it is true that people enjoy
gathering, online or in real life,
pretending to be animals and
“yiffing,” or engaging in sexual
activities.
Considered by many to be
perverted, furries generally do
not understand why people have
such a negative attitude towards
their behaviour.
“It is such an experience
communicating through body
language and little grunts and
growls and murring. Words can’t
express what is felt with emanated
sounds and movement like an
animal,” says Shade.
“It’s an escape.”
Fursuits are often made as an
animal with which the wearer
identifies, but sometimes the
person will choose a fursuit
just for the fun of it and to try
something different.
Hours spent on the floor, surrounded in fake fur and foam
sheets,
but
finally,
the
masterpiece is complete! A
full-body fursuit!
The body of a fursuit is often
taken from a Halloween costume
pattern, though it can be built
from scratch. With some
tailoring and customization, it
looks less like baggy clothes and
more like flesh. Some people
make them into bodysuits, while
others make them large and use
carved foam to create the effect
of bulging muscles.
Soft, flexible foam creates the
muscle texture and still allows
for freedom of movement. Soft
foams can be carved and shaped
with scissors. To begin, make a
bodysuit in a plain fabric, and
then build foam and fur on top of
that frame to make sure one can
still comfortably move.
On http://www.truewolf.com/
there are good examples of
several stages in the creation of a
werewolf suit. It became a
well-designed, poseable and
detailed suit.
The heads for a furry costume
are generally carved from a large
block of foam. The only
disadvantage is that if you make a
mistake, it gets smaller and
smaller until you cannot wear it.
Depending on the density,
carving foam can be hard.
Usually the more dense the
foam, the longer it will last.
Using scissors is difficult and
opting for a saw or carving knife
works better.
Some designers choose to
make a wire frame and cover it
with fabric, though it tends to
look less realistic without the
solid details that can be made
with foam. Wire can also be
combined with foam to make
hinged jaws for a headpiece that
allows the wearer to “talk.”
Fake fur is then sliced into
coloured bands, based on animal
type, and placed on the frame.
See-through fabric is coloured to
look like the eyes and create a
place to see out of the mask.
Fake fur can be purchased from
many stores, but it is good to
check the pile, or length of the
fur, to see how well seams can be
hidden. Generally, the longer the
pile, the less likely a seam will be
visible. Also, shaving the pile
where you plan to stitch it can
help prevent fur from being
caught in the stitching and
making the seams more obvious.
http://www.nicodemus.org/fur
suit/ contains links to other
fursuit sites and a wide array of
information for beginners, as
well as the opportunity to buy a
book, written by the site-owner,
Nicodemus.
Some places also offer to build a
suit for you for a fee. Sites like this
include http://www.timberwolf.org/
hosted by a fur named Brokken or
http://lacy.timduru.org/fursuiting.
html hosted by Lacy.
Staff Writer
Perhaps you have seen that
episode of CSI Vegas, in which a
guy in a raccoon suit is killed.
Did you wonder whether
groups of people who dress in
animal costumes and engage in
fur piles really exist?
Well, they do. Known under the
broad term “furries,” these groups
exist everywhere, including
Ontario.
Kahn, a male anthro tiger from
Ontario, has been involved in furries since he was quite young.
“As a teenager I was always
curious about different sexualities
and eventually that led to studying
furries,” he says.
He found the idea of being able
to tap into the primal side “intriguing” and decided to try it out
through online role-playing.
A “furry” can be defined as
many different things. An
anthromorphic, or anthro-furry, is
an animal given human attributes.
This can vary from an animal with
the ability to speak to having no
animal
resemblance
except
Large masks are worn as a
way to change the identity of
a furry, either to help the furry
adapt to a persona or
because the person is more
comfortable in costume.
Entertainment
Canadian Idol begins cross-country tour
By CHELSEY SPINOSA
Staff Writer
Canadian Idol makes dreams come true.
That statement is true for at least one
Canadian man. Kalan Porter, 19, of
Medicine Hat, Alta., was crowned Canadian
Idol last year and since then his life has
changed.
His debut album, 219 Days, is climbing
the Canadian charts, and on Feb. 3 he
embarked on his first cross-Canada tour.
Porter says he has been into music since
he was five or six years old, playing the violin, piano and guitar.
“At that age it was definitely kind of
pushing me and it wasn’t until I was
maybe 13 that it really became my own
thing,”
Knowing he wanted a career in music, he
says he was not sure if it was going to be in
classical music or another genre, but he
always wanted to pursue that path.
“Last year I was taking part-time commerce and part-time music and wasn’t really liking the commerce thing at all, so I was
going to take five or 10 years and give
music a shot. However, it worked out a little
faster.”
He says he has “a lot” of musical influences that include anything from classical,
to rock, and country.
Asked how he went about choosing
songs to perform on the show, Porter
says, “I wanted to do something different
on the show, and I think the music that I
eventually want to do has a little bit more
of a rock edge to it, but still keeping the
pop melody and that kind of thing. So
that’s how I went about choosing songs
for the show.”
Thousands of individuals auditioned for
the second season of Canadian Idol, all for
their own reasons. Porter says he decided to
audition because he knows how hard it is to
jump-start a career in this industry: “It’s so
hard to get your foot in the door. You need to
take every opportunity that’s out there.”
Kalan Porter holds his electric violin
that he plays throughout the show.
Photo by Chelsey Spinosa
“At the same time my parents really
encouraged me to do it too because they
thought the exact same way, so they were
very encouraging and wanted me to get
into it.”
The 19-year-old says he “definitely”
thinks he will have a lot to prove coming
out of a show like Canadian Idol, adding
he hopes people will give him the chance
to prove himself and earn credibility
over time.
“I wasn’t sure if the whole Canadian
Idol thing was for me at first, but I just
thought you have to take every opportunity that’s out there, and so that’s exactly
what I did.”
Porter’s album, 219 Days, debuting at
No. 4 in Canada, allowed him the chance
to do some writing, which he says, “was
huge for me.”
Asked what his favourite song on the
album is, the Alberta native says After All
because he got to write it and it’s meaningful to him.
“The story behind the song actually is I
was sitting at home one day watching the
news and there was all the stuff with the war
in Iraq and all the chaos and stuff that’s
going on in the world and at the exact same
time it just happened that a complete
stranger in downtown Toronto had found
my wallet and was returning it for me. So it
was kind of one of those hair on the back of
your neck moments, just because amidst all
the evil and chaos in the world, there really
is good here after all.”
His first single of the album is titled
Single. He says he chose this song because
he wanted to do something a little more rock
and little more him, adding, “I felt it’s something that surprises people.”
Another track on the album that draws
attention is the remake of the Phil Collins hit
True Colours, a duet with Theresa Sokyrka,
the Canadian Idol runner-up.
Porter says it was his choice to put this
song on the album.
“I just wanted to include Theresa because
she had been there until the very end with
me and she was a part of it, so I wanted to
include her on the album and the song just
had such an emotional connection between
us and with the people watching it that I
wanted to include it.”
He says he has stayed in touch with
“pretty much everyone” from the show
although it’s been hard with all of their
busy schedules.
Porter kicked off his Canada-wide tour on
Feb. 3 and says the fans can “expect some
songs from Canadian Idol, stuff from the
album and some new stuff too.”
“I am going to be playing a lot of electric
violin and that kind of thing. Hopefully,
there’s something for everyone, some rock
and some ballads.”
Asked how he feels knowing that almost
all of the concerts he is playing are sold out,
Porter says, “It’s pretty cool because it’s one
thing for people to turn on their TV and
watch you, but it’s a whole other thing to
have them reach into their pockets and want
to come out and see you. It also puts a lot of
pressure and is definitely nerve-wracking,
but I’m looking forward to it and I look forward to giving back to all the people who
have supported me.”
The Canadian Idol says he has had “the
odd fan” follow him home, a situation that
was “pretty strange,” but mostly people are
“really cool and I think it’s a Canadian
thing. People are very polite and they just
come up and say congratulations, then head
on their way.”
Porter says if this all ended tomorrow he
could look back with no regrets.
Kalan Porter performs to a sold out crowd at the O’Sullivan Theatre at Brock
University in St. Catharines.
“Whatever happens in the next five
His advice to the new contestants on
years or so, I just have to be really thank- Canadian Idol is to “just go for it.
“Take this opportunity that’s out there and
ful that I was given the opportunity
because so many artists and musicians make the best of it, and that’s kind of what
never get the shot. I’m just going to take I’ve done or tried to do, and I just encourage
this opportunity and run with it and make other people who are out there to take this
opportunity and really see what happens.”
the best of it.”
Kalan Porter and his bandmates played a 75-minute set.
Entertainment
Movie like 33 rpm record played at 72 rpms
By BEVERLEY J. KNIGHT
Staff Writer
Video/DVD Review
Living in peace and harmony,
these people live in a gentle world.
Deep in the Kalahari Desert
where no rain falls for nine months,
the African Bushmen have survived
for 20,000 years.
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
stars N!xau, an actual bushman, and
his family, who have no contact
with the outside world, until a Coke
bottle is thrown from an
airplane.
Not knowing what this strange
object is, they assume it’s a gift
from the gods. They find different
uses for the newfound item, from
curing snakeskin to making music,
but soon unfamiliar feelings of
anger, jealousy, hate and violence
surface.
N!xau throws it back to whence it
came, but the gods won’t take it
back. He buries what he calls “the
evil thing,” but the smell of blood
prompts a hyena to dig it up and
violence erupts once again.
“I will take it to the end of the
earth and throw it off,” says N!xau
and sets out the next morning on his
long journey.
Along the way, he encounters a
curious baboon that snatches the
bottle. To the primate, N!xau says,
“It is a very evil thing. It will bring
grief to you and your family.”
With what appears to be an understanding of the bushmen’s words,
the primate drops the bottle as the
little bushmen says, “You have done
a wise thing.”
He runs into the white man.
Thinking they’re gods, he tries to
return the bottle but they are rude
and tell him they don’t want it.
N!xau gets hungry and spots
some strange animals grazing. He
shoots a goat but a boy watching
over the animals says something to
him that he can’t comprehend.
When the boy leaves on a strange
contraption, N!xau thinks he’s
going to get his family to join in the
feast so he starts a fire, but when the
Super Bowl had
students split on picks
By KEVIN MCNAUGHTON
Staff Writer
According to www.playfootball.com, nine of the 10 mostwatched television programs of
all time are Super Bowls.
Jacksonville, Fla., played host
to Super Bowl XXXIX, where the
New
England
Patriots
finished their Super Bowl
Dynasty with a 24-21 victory over
the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sean Bell, a Computer
Engineering Technician program
student at Niagara College, said
the game on Feb. 6 was “very
entertaining.”
“It was nice and close,” said the
23-year-old, adding, “I noticed,
without hockey, football is the
only sport on TV that’s entertaining.”
Bell said he “loves” New
England’s quarterback, Tom
Brady, and thinks he was
“earning his money” during the
game.
Another reason Brady was a
star during the game, Bell said, is
because he was the “underdog”
going into the game.
“McNabb [the Eagles’ quarterback] is a known name. For Brady
to play calm and relaxed against
him shows he is a clutch
performer,” said Bell.
Second-year Broadcasting –
Radio, Television and Film
(BRTF) program student Devin
Walters said he was not surprised
about the outcome of the game
because “New England wins
every Super Bowl,” although he
would have liked the Eagles to
win.
Walters said he thinks Terrell
Owens, a wide receiver for the
Eagles, lived up to all the hype he
was getting from the media before
the game. Owens was questionable for the lineup when he
severely damaged his ankle,
underwent surgery and then
played most of the Super Bowl
game.
“He made a lot of big plays and
kept the team fired up,” Walters
said.
William Mazachowaky, 20, a
BRTF program student, said
although he has no favourite team,
he was cheering for Philadelphia.
“All I can say is as long as they
made it to the end of the playoffs,
they are a good team,” said the St.
Catharines resident.
Some people, such as Nathalie
Haj-Ahmed, a student in Niagara
College’s Social Service Worker
program, were unable to watch
the game.
“I was working,” said the
23-year-old, although she said
she’s not sure if she would have
watched the game if she home.
“It takes too long. You have to
wait 30 minutes for a surprising
moment,” said Haj-Ahmed
explaining why she doesn’t watch
football.
“The Super Bowl is over-exaggerated,” she said, adding,
“People should be watching more
important stuff, like the news.”
boy returns with the police, the
animal is seized and he is promptly
arrested and sentenced to three
months in jail.
A mechanic who also serves as
interpreter at the trial (Michael
Thys) and a zoologist (Marius
Weyers) convince the authorities to
release N!xau into their custody,
where he will serve out the rest of
his sentence.
It’s during this time N!xau gets a
real taste of the civilized world.
A terrorist group headed by Sam
Boga (Louw Wervey) takes a
teacher (Sandra Prinsloo) and the
school children hostage. N!xau
assists in the rescue by
tranquilizing the terrorists and all
turns out well.
His 11 weeks are up and he bids
adieu to his newfound friends,
heading in the direction of the evil
thing to complete his mission that
took him away from his humble
abode.
He finds what he thinks is the
end of the world, throws the bottle
away and returns to his family with
strange tales of the white man.
N!xau’s undeniable innocence of
our world and his comic adventures
and antics will keep you laughing
throughout the entire movie.
Expect to laugh when N!xau picks
up a rifle he sees leaning against a
tree. While he waves it around, the
owner is standing with his hands
up. As the bushman continues to
wave the gun around, the man runs
away in fear. N!xau, thinking
something is horribly wrong, runs
too, but soon realizes there’s no
need to. He’s confused as to why
the man is running, then realizes
he’s holding the evil thing.
The movie is like a 33 rpm
(rotations per minute) record being
played at 78 rpms.
This 109-minute feature is
terrific, not only for today’s youth
but all mankind. It shows people
can and do actually live in peace.
Our world is full of hate, greed
and violence, yet we’re civilized?
Fabolous hit St. Kitts
on quick Canadian tour
By JANINE WESTERA
Staff Writer
The words, “We want Fab. We
want Fab,” echoed throughout
the hall.
Fabolous hit the stage at the
CAW Banquet Hall in St.
Catharines on Feb. 5. The doors
opened at 7 p.m. to the all-ages
event.
“It was part of a quick
Canadian tour that started in
Toronto, then St. Catharines and
then Kingston,” says Jennifer
Densteadt, 22, of Toronto.
Densteadt was the publicist for
the event.
Errol St. Clair, 32, of St.
Catharines, says he was working
with another promoter from
Toronto to make the Niagara
region a better urban market.
St. Clair is a promoter with the
nxtup entertainment group
(NEG). Wild 101.1 FM and NEG
were the sponsors for the
Fabolous concert.
“Hip-hop is hot right now and
people are looking for something
new,” says Densteadt.
Fabolous is a Brooklyn rapper
whose latest single Breathe has
been the number 1 most-played
video and most-requested clip
on the BET 106 and Park
countdown.
With an audience of more than
1,500 people chanting his name,
Fabolous entered the stage after a
slight delay. The crowd became
“rowdy”
when
Fabolous
appeared on stage about 45 minutes late. The “boo’s” quickly
turned into cheers as the
entertainer began his first song.
Fabolous, whose real name is
John Jackson, is 23 years old and
was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., in
the Brevoort Projects. He is
single and owns a house in Los
Angeles, Calif.
Entertainment
Artist gains insight through pain
By AZRA MOMIN
Staff Writer
The dancers look selfabsorbed, content and oblivious
to pain.
Yet pain is the reason they
exist.
Hillie Bakker, an artist for
almost three decades, found a
new direction and consequently
a new hope as a direct result of
pain. Ill and depressed from a
serious head injury a year and
half ago, Bakker found that her
life was no longer as she had
known it to be.
A successful wool and fabric
artist running a prominent wool
farm, she discovered that the
accident had forced upon her
more challenges than just
the resulting physical and
psychological trauma.
“I had slipped into deep
depression,” she says.
“Then I got some crayons, and
I started doodling.”
In order to “release the
demons,” Bakker started to
paint.
After spinning, dyeing and
weaving her own fabrics for
many years, canvas seemed to be
the next step, but the accident
became a catalyst.
“I had been doing fabric for
more than 27 years, but
somehow it had turned into just a
job. I didn’t feel very creatively
challenged with it.”
And so the paintings came into
being.
“Art heals,” says Bakker, and
that’s what she calls the
collection.
“All I have to do is look at the
new work and I know that I am
better.”
You can see the distinct stages
of her emotional recovery in the
exhibition, which opened Feb.
13, at the Niagara Gallery.
“Some of my earlier paintings
are very dark,” she says.
“My husband had left me, and
I was still depressed with the
injury. I was at an emotional
stage where my feelings had to
come out.”
She says her feelings went up
and down as she started to put
them on canvas.
What came out of the dark
period?
“I just got better and better,”
she says, “and the paintings got
lighter and brighter.”
The earliest piece, called
Leaving, is a depiction of the
collapse of her marriage, and the
paintings that followed are
similarly dark and violent.
Some
of
them
have
mysterious shapes struggling
through a mass of beeswax
doused in a colour so dark that it
ceases to be colour.
“There is a lot of emotion
going on in your head, and that
has to come out in some way be
it music or dance.”
Or paint.
Bakker says through painting
she was trying to get in touch
with who she is, and eventually
she found herself making pieces
lighter in colour and texture.
“I’m at a stage now where I
use a lot of colour. The
paintings are calmer, more
peaceful.”
As a note tagged to the wall
reads: It is the unlikely and
difficult aspects of a person’s
life that fuel creation.
From the violence of The Big
Storm and Garden Path, to the
harmonious, floating dancers of
Moment In Time and Somatic
Fusion, you can be a part of
Bakker’s journey to health and
self-discovery.
Bakker plans to show her work
this summer at the Agora Gallery
in New York, but meanwhile you
can view her art at the Niagara
Gallery. The gallery can
be reached by telephone at
9 0 5 - 8 9 2 - 3 111 . T h e
exhibition runs until Feb. 27.
Highly refined musicians rekindle passion in rock
By CHRIS MCNAMEE
Staff Writer
Band Review
“Let’s get a bottle and drink
alone tonight.”
In all my experience and
diverse attraction to music, Minus
the Bear is the first group of
musicians to actually move me. I
remember the first track I heard
took my breath away. When I was
finally able to recapture it, I could
only gasp just enough air to
mutter the simplistic phrase
“that’s f**king beautiful.”
Highly Refined Pirates is the
first full-length album released by
Minus the Bear. Following the
debut EP, This Is What I Know
About Being Gigantic, recorded
before the band had ever played a
single show together, and the
second EP entitled Bands Like It
When You Yell ‘Yar’ at Them,
Highly Refined Pirates takes
music into a realm of beauty, lust
and positivism.
Aaron Gurman has been
passionately following Minus the
Bear since the band’s creation in
2001. The self-proclaimed biggest
fan has more than his fair share to
say about why we should all dabble into the bliss of Minus the
Bear.
“With the quote, ‘We all bought
yachts and raced them to the
islands,’ the album takes you to a
tropical location right from the
initial start of the first track,” says
Gurman.
The record blends both
instruments
and
electronic
sounds, a blend that makes for
some unique and abstract sound.
“This direction of music has
been overlooked for far too long,”
says Gurman. The beats are
mellow [and] smooth, setting the
stage and mood for romance.
The transition from one track
to another is smooth and
uninterrupted with instrumentals
featuring some of the most bizarre
and cunning guitar riffs and finger
taps imaginable.”
“The album is full with bursts
of sonic atmospheric rifts,
layered to a pure masterpiece,”
says Gurman, with sheer
amazement in his eyes.
It’s hard to determine the
essence of the album but even if I
knew what it was, words couldn’t
describe it. The majority of the
lyrical content focuses around a
bottle of drink, your favourite girl
and the most perfect of
intimate moments. It makes you
want to just love someone.
The line in the song Let’s Play
Guitar in a Five Guitar Band is
a good example of the lyrical
mentality that can be found in
Minus the Bear. “A few summers ago we spent weeks in her
room just having sex and listening to jazz, and that was the
life.”
For anyone who has gazed into
the eyes of passion or carelessly
lost himself or herself in the
beauty of another, this record was
made for you. It is nothing shy of
brilliant. Most important, the
group doesn’t focus itself on
stardom, just on having a good
time. If there is any hope for the
existence of genuine truth,
passion, soul, heart or love left in
music, it will be found in Minus
the Bear, music’s saving grace.
For more information, check
out http://www.minusthebear.com
for full downloadable audio
and video clips or the band’s
record lable at http://www.suicidesqueeze.net.
Invisible caregivers
gaining support in
Niagara communities
The department of Child and
Youth Studies at Brock
University is developing the
research for the survey.
“Once
the
survey
is
completed, the data will be
analyzed and the findings will
be published in a report that
will be distributed throughout
the Niagara region to relevant
community
agencies,
the
government and beyond,” says
Baago.
The grant money will also
fund a conference on resilience,
being planned for May 2006.
Jenny Frank, a leading expert
on young carers from the
Children’s Society in Britain,
will
be
one
of
the
keynote speakers during that
conference.
The Alzheimer Society is
doing its part in raising
awareness and helping to aid
the young carers in the region.
“We have several programs
that we run during the year:
Dr. Igor’s Brain Institute,
Knowledge is Power March
Break camp, The Okay
Corral (summer equestrian
camp), A Child’s Gingerbread
Christmas, A Circle of Friends
(support group for young
carers eight to 12),” says
Baago.
The Alzheimer Society sent
out an open invitation to all the
community agencies involved
in providing services to either
adults or children, and
14 agencies accepted the
invitation.
“We [YCIN] hope to build on
the British model and improve
the lives of young carers and
their families by providing support, education, information
and recreational opportunities.
Our goal is to use a holistic
approach and support the whole
family,” says Baago.
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Entertainment
Black Talon penetrates non-believers’ hearts
By FAITH SIBTHORPE
Staff Writer
Vibrations of creativity and a
love for God pulsated from the
band Black Talon at Calvary
Pentecostal Church in Simcoe,
Ont., on Jan. 28.
Youth from all over Norfolk
County gave their Friday night to
the soulful, intense sounds that
rocked the sanctuary. Those
inspired lyrics from the heart were
sung with equal emotion by the
strong lead singer Travis
Blackmore, 24, of Kingston, Ont.
The night was choreographed
beautifully to arrange an alternate social activity for all young
people. The church’s foyer was
arranged in a café-style lounging area with free coffee and a
snack bar.
Music festivities began with
D.J. Ruckus and continued later
with the music hungry band,
Black Talon. It was an opportunity
for young people to enjoy a Friday
night with innocence and joy, giving the choice to accept an alternative lifestyle rather than one that
inevitably leads to pain.
Their effortless stage presence
was impressive and the Black
Talon frenzy was catching with
each confident note they played. I
was awed as Blackmore straddled
a second drum kit and played with
the band’s drummer, Will
Culleton, 19, of Simcoe, Ont. It
was synchronized beauty and a
rare sight to see. Their percussion
duet stole the show, as all eyes
were fixated on this musically
transforming experience.
The band has a refreshing outlook on life. Most young guys
their age are out on a Friday night
so intoxicated their depth of perception fails them and every step
seems like falling off a small
mountain. Honour and commitment to serving the Lord comes
first in their hearts, and so do their
actions. However, they have
humility in trying to live a Christlike life. Blackmore says, “We still
slip up all the time. We swear by
accident. We’re not perfect.”
Blackmore says the name Black
Talon is derived from their desire
to break into the mainstream of
music and to have the ability to
reach all people, not just
Christians. Black talon bullets
were banned because gangs would
use them to shoot police officers,
as they were the only bullets that
could pierce a bulletproof vest.
This name gives the band an
advantage, it’s members say. There
isn’t that nauseating, obvious
Christian name that can be pegged
a mile away. A non-Christian
could buy the CD not even realizing whom the band is singing for.
Blackmore says being a
Christian is all about finding a different reason to live.
“If you are a Christian, you are
called to be different,” he says.
However, they are creating
music that, like a real Black
Talon bullet, can penetrate a bulletproof vest. With God, their
music will penetrate the hearts
of the non-believer.
It’s time to unwind after the show for Travis Blackmore, vocals/drums, Cory Pritchard, on bass, Brock
Woodland, on rhythm guitars, keyboardist Paul Montaigne, drummer Will Culleton, and Mike Kidd,
on lead guitars.
Photo by Faith Sibthorpe
Brock Woodland, 19, of young men, inside and out. Cory the general public a new impresKingston, Ont., is a guitarist for Pritchard, 19, plays the bass and sion of Christian music by
the band. He says he strongly gives the band a solid foundation. defeating that old reputation of
believes that their ministry is for Mike Kidd, 18, is young but is the being less than talented and
the non-believer. “It makes more lead guitarist for the up-and-com- more than boring. Their offstage
sense to get it to people who really ing band. Both are from presence is just as inebriating.
need it.”
Kingston, Ont.
Their down-to-earth conversaThe band is an amalgamation of
Their stage presence is wel- tion and respect for life and
equally enchanting and handsome coming and energetic. It gives music are captivating.
Creating own identity can be difficult task
By VALERIE LITTLE
Staff Writer
Creating your own identity can
be difficult when you are the sibling of a movie star.
Rita
Fournier,
44,
of
Kitchener, Ont., is the big sister
of Jim Carrey, the Canadian
comedian-actor known for his
role as Ace Ventura in the movie
of the same name.
Fournier is a morning host at
local radio station 91.7 Giant FM,
with her co-host, Brian Salmon.
She says she has worked at the
radio station for about two years.
“I did not go to school for radio
or anything else.”
Sitting in Fournier’s booth during her show, one can see how
amusing and entertaining she is.
She reads through the written
material she has been given and
makes any necessary changes to
make it more personal. She is very
quick and comes up with jokes
spontaneously.
“Usually he (Brian) says some-
Rita Fournier is shown working in her booth at 91.7 Giant FM.
Photo by Valerie Little
thing I can jump all over. It just
comes natural.”
She says she also performs in
a band with her three sons. Matt,
19, is on bass, Mike, 21, plays
the drums and Marty, 25, plays
guitar. Their band is called
TranZit. She says they formed it
because “they challenged me
and I can never turn down a
challenge.”
She says all she wanted to do
when she was growing up was “be
a mom.”
“When the teacher asked what
we wanted to be when we grew up,
I said, ‘A mom.’ She said, ‘That’s
not a career,’ and I said, ‘That’s all
I want to do.’”
She has been married to Allan
Fournier for 26 years. She says he
tests thoroughbred racehorses for
illegal drugs.
“I call him a horse narc.”
When asked if she wants to do
her radio show until she retires,
she says, “God only knows. I’d
love to do TV, too, and I’d love to
write books.”
She says she wants to have her
own television show and call it
“Just Crap.”
“[It will be] a talk show with
artists so they can talk about all the
articles that were written about
them that was pure crap.”
She says she wants to write a
“true-life book about being the sis-
ter of a big star and the crap that
comes with it.”
Being the sister of Carrey
means she meets a lot of big
Hollywood stars. She says the
most interesting person she ever
met, “other than Jim, would have
to be Clint Eastwood. He is so
incredibly charming, the coolest
person I have ever met.”
Five semesters to a university honours degree.
Now you can do it!
Are you graduating this spring with a two- or three-year college diploma?
Are you considering going on to get a university degree?
Two new one-semester Bridge programs at the University of Ontario
Institute of Technology in Oshawa may be just what you’re looking for.
One leads to the third year of a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
program, the other leads to the third year of a Bachelor of Arts
(Honours) in Criminology and Justice.
Both programs start in May 2005. For more information visit,
https://futureinmind.uoit.ca/, e-mail admissions@uoit.ca, or call
toll-free at 1.866.844.UOIT (8648).
Sports
College athletes honoured with top awards
Brown College 3-1, lost 2-1 to Toronto’s
Centennial College and then outscored
Peterborough’s Sir Sandford Fleming
College 7-0 to end the round robin. In the
medal round, Niagara downed Kingston’s
St. Lawrence College 1-0 on penalty kicks
and then defeated Centennial 3-2, also on
penalty kicks.
The team’s coach is Anthony Ventresca.
It was tough tournament for the women’s
indoor soccer team.
Niagara opened with a 1-1 tie against
North York’s Seneca College, then lost 3-1
to George Brown College and lost to Sir
Sandford Fleming 3-0.
Niagara dropped a 2-0 decision to
Centennial in the playoff round. Melissa
Roberts and Jennifer Janitz scored goals for
Niagara.
The college’s basketball team — once
ranked No. 1 in the province — had a
mixed week.
The team dropped its second straight
game to Sault College 90-82. Chris Keith
had 24 points, while Craig Bauslaugh added
23 points in a losing cause.
The basketball team rebounded the next
day to defeat Algoma University College at
66-63.
Anderson St. Valle and Bauslaugh led the
team with 15 points
each. Mike Muir
added 11 points in
the victory.
The men’s basketball team returns
home
Saturday
when
it
hosts
Sarnia’s Lambton
College (four wins,
six defeats) at 2
p.m. If Niagara
finishes first or
second in the West
Division, it will
receive a bye to the
provincial championships to be held
in Oshawa in
ANTHONY STRANGES
KELLY FREMLIN
early March.
Niagara plays Ancaster’s Redeemer
The men’s basketball team plays home on
Wednesday, Feb. 23, against Fanshawe here at the Mackenzie Athletic Centre on
Wednesday. If the women’s volleyball
College at 8 p.m.
The women’s basketball teams also plays team wins in four sets or less, it will finhome on Feb. 23 against Fanshawe College ish first in the West Division and earn a
trip to the provincial championship in
at 6 p.m.
The women’s volleyball team lost a North Bay. If the women’s volleyball
heart-breaking five-set game against No. team loses or wins in five sets, it willfin1 Fanshawe College, of London, 26-24, ish second in the West and will host playoff game.
18-25, 26-24-23-25 and 19-17.
Submitted photos
A volleyball player and an indoor soccer
player are this week’s Niagara College’s
Athletes of the Week.
Kelly Fremlin, of Chatham, gets the nod
as the female athlete for the second time
this year.
Anthony Stranges, of the men’s indoor
soccer team, wins the male honours for the
first time this year.
Fremlin, a first-year Pre-Health Science
program student, scored 19 points in a
five-set loss to London’s Fanshawe College
and had 14 points in a win over Sault Ste.
Marie’s Sault College.
Fremlin is 14th in Ontario Collegiate
Athletic Association (OCAA) scoring,
averaging 3.5 points a game.
Stranges, a second-year Law and Security
Administration program student, was
named the Most Valuable Player for leading
Niagara to a gold medal at the George
Brown indoor soccer tournament last week.
Stranges tied for the team lead with three
goals at the one-day event.
The men’s indoor soccer team won gold
in the team’s second tournament of the year.
Besides Stranges, Dama Heimbecker,
John Frank Fortino and Nathan Bisson each
scored three goals for Niagara.
Niagara defeated Toronto’s George
Niagara defeats first place Fanshawe in volleyball
By STEVE SIMON
Staff Writer
You can call it an upset, as the Niagara Knights dominated against the first place
Fanshawe Falcons of London in men’s volleyball on Feb. 8.
The Knights are in fourth place of the West division, while Fanshawe is
ranked No. 1.
The last time these two teams faced each other, on Nov. 26, Niagara lost in three
straight sets.
Last week, the first set saw Niagara going down early trailing 7-3. Niagara fought its
way back, tying the score at 13. For the first set, the teams kept it close as neither could
take more than a two-point lead. Then Fanshawe scored the final three points to take the
first set 26-24.
In the second set, Niagara jumped to an early lead, although Fanshawe was able to
rebound. It was the closest Fanshawe came to taking the lead, as Niagara stretched the
lead by 10 points, with the help of No. 11, captain Ryan Stone. Niagara was in full control of the second set, winning 25-14.
Niagara controlled play early in the third set. Fanshawe was able to tie the score at
eight, but Niagara pulled away. The Knights went on a 12-5 scoring run, winning the
set 25-18.
During the third set, the Fanshawe coach argued a referee’s decision call contending
the ball was deflected out of the court off a Niagara defender.
The decision stood.
The fourth set saw Fanshawe grabbing the early lead, but Niagara tied the score at
seven. Fanshawe never regained top spot as Niagara extended its lead by four points
winning the final set 25-19.
Kerby Bentley, the Niagara Knights head coach, says the team is “playing to the best
of their ability ... their record doesn’t show what they can do.”
“We expected a little more out of them (Fanshawe),” says Bentley.
He added Niagara realized that they could defeat Fanshawe after the first set.
“We capitalized on their mistakes,” says Bentley.
This victory was important as Niagara was battling for the last playoff spot against
Redeemer College of Ancaster.
Redeemer has two games in hand as they played against St. Clair College of Windsor
on Feb. 12. Niagara was host to Redeemer on Wednesday.
College to host men’s volleyball championships
It will be championship weekend at Niagara College on Feb. 24 to Feb. 26.
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) will play its 12-team men’s
provincial championship volleyball tournament at the college’s Welland campus
beginning Thursday night. The bronze medal game will be played on Saturday,
Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. with the gold and silver medal games set for 6:30 p.m. at the
Mackenzie gym. Tickets can be obtained by telephoning 905-735-2211, ext. 7583 or
7681. More information can be obtained at the website http://www.niagarac.on.ca/ocaavb.
Niagara is fourth in the OCAA West Region. The top three teams make the
playoffs. The tournament begins Thursday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m., followed by matches
at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The tournament’s major sponsor is sportswear company
Killer Instinct Corporation of Scarborough.
Sports
Canadians win scrappy Jr. B season finale
By RAY SPITERI
Staff Writer
The Highway 58 battle was just
that, a battle.
The Welland Jr. Canadians and
Port Colborne Sailors combined
for 11 goals, three fights and 88
shots on net in a thrilling finale to
the Junior B hockey season with
Welland winning 6-5 on Feb. 13.
With both clubs resting some
players and playing backup
goaltenders, the Canadians and
Sailors threw caution to the wind
and played feisty pond hockey.
The game’s outcome meant nothing to Golden Horseshoe League
standings.
Welland forward Jacob Kisac
opened the scoring at 8:50 of the
first period when his weak wrist
shot from the point bounced off
the post and Port Colborne
netminder Nathan Sinasac’s foot
pushed it into the goal.
The visiting Sailors responded
four minutes later, through Dan
Minor, setting up an eventful
second period.
In the middle frame, Canadians’
all-star
Chase
Langenraap
benefited from some poor Port
Colborne defending as he was left
alone in front of Sinasac, burying
his 22nd goal of the season and
starting an offensive flurry for the
home side. Welland scored three
goals in two minutes.
Scoring 53 seconds apart, Joe
Aiken and Jesse Bedard followed
Langenraap’s marker, their 17th
and 15th goals of the season. This
gave the Canadians a commanding
4-1 lead.
In the third period, tempers
reached a fevered pitch as Jordan
Atkinson of the Canadians and
Port Colborne’s Steve Schaeffer
went toe to toe in the first of three
consecutive fights.
Bedard and Sailors’ forward
Steve White excited the boisterous
Welland Arena crowd with Jason
Hill, of Welland, and Gary Welsh,
of Port Colborne, capping it off
after Langenraap scored his
second on the night, opening up a
Canadians’ 5-1 lead.
Following the fisticuffs, it was
the Sailors who benefited as they
stormed back with three goals
from forwards Matt Fox, Julian
Strazzella and Brendan Mater.
The
lead
proved
too
mountainous as the Sailors’ efforts
fell short when John Patrito scored
his 20th goal of the campaign into
an empty net.
Matt Fuerth managed to get a
consolation goal for the visitors
with one second remaining on the
clock. Time ran out for the
boatmen, who will play the Stoney
Creek Warriors in the playoffs’
opening round.
After the game, the Welland
dressing room’s focus turned to
the upcoming playoff series with
the St. Catharines Falcons, who
won six of seven regular season
games against the Canadians.
“It is going to be a tough and
rough series,” said rugged
Canadians’
forward
Jason
Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
Standings:
GP
W
L
T
OTL
PTS
Thorold
Niagara Falls
Port Colborne
St. Catharines
Stoney Creek
Welland
Fort Erie
48
48
48
48
48
48
48
37
26
26
20
15
17
10
6
16
18
20
22
25
35
5
5
3
6
9
4
2
0
1
1
2
2
2
1
79
58
56
48
41
40
23
Teams are awarded one point for an overtime loss. Overtime losses are not counted
in the loss column. (As of Feb. 16)
Tonight’s Games Games
Fort Erie @ Niagara Falls 7:30 p.m.
Welland @ St. Catharines, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 19, Games
Stoney Creek @ Port Colborne, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 20, Games
St. Catharines @Welland 7:15 p.m.
OCCA Men’s Basketball
Niagara Falls @ Fort Erie, 7:45 p.m.
West Division
OCCA Men’s Volleyball
West Division
Standings:
W
L
Fanshawe
10
Redeemer
7
St. Clair
6
Niagara
5
George Brown 2
3
5
6
7
11
OCCA Women’s Volleyball
Standings:
W
L
Pct.
Sault
Niagara
Fanshawe
St. Clair
Lambton
Algoma
Redeemer
9
8
6
7
4
1
1
2
2
2
4
6
10
10
.820
.800
.750
.640
.400
.091
.091
OCCA Women’s Basketball
West Division
West Division
Standings:
W
L
Standings:
W
L
Pct.
Fanshawe
Niagara
Redeemer
Sault
Lambton
St. Clair
12
11
8
5
3
1
3
3
6
10
12
13
Fanshawe
St. Clair
Niagara
Redeemer
Mohawk
Algoma
6
7
4
4
2
2
1
2
4
5
6
7
.860
.780
.500
.445
.333
.222
Port Colborne Sailors’ forward Gary Welsh and Welland Jr. Canadians’ superstar Jason Hill eye
each other in a fight filled Jr. B hockey game on Feb. 13. Welland won 6-5.
Photo by Ray Spiteri
Sardella.
team, and we will have to play like be successful against the stingy
“We have to bear down and play that starting in game 1.”
Falcons.
as a collective unit if we want to
Canadians’ right-winger Joe
“We have four solid lines. We
beat St. Catharines.”
Aiken said the transition game will don’t depend on one or two guys
Welland sniper Bedard said the be an important factor in the series to do all of the scoring. The guys
team needs to continue their run of against the Falcons.
here know their role, and we all
good
games
in
their
“St. Catharines cover the ice have to chip in to win the series.”
opening-round,
best-of-seven really well and they don’t give you
Welland’s victory over the
series. Bedard was named the too many chances, so we have to Sailors means that the Canadians
Canadians’ player of the month in capitalize when they do make win the season series against their
the last home game against the mistakes and move the puck rivals with five wins and three
Thorold Blackhawks.
often.”
losses.
“We have come together the last
Steve Chappell, who ended the
The Canadians’ next home game
couple of months, and it has a lot season with 20 goals, said the is Sunday in game two of the
to do with healthy bodies. depth of the team will be playoff series against St.
Everyone is committed to the important if the Canadians are to Catharines at the Welland Arena.
Thorold on roll going into playoffs
By STACY CALDER
and BRIAN COLLINS
Staff Writers
The league-leading Thorold
Blackhawks ended their season
with a 6-3 victory over the Niagara
Falls Canucks on Feb. 10.
Canucks’
forward
Matt
Maccarone opened the scoring at
6:21 of the first period.
Thorold would rebound and
take the lead into the second
period, with goals from Chris
McLean and Chris Hunneault
coming with less than two minutes
to play in the opening frame.
Fifty-nine
total
penalty
minutes were handed out,
including three fights, seven game
misconducts, two penalties for
unsportsmanlike conduct and two
gross misconducts.
The game’s first star was
Thorold’s Mike Hedden, who
scored his 33rd and 34th goals of
the season.
Chad McCaffrey added two
goals, 40 seconds apart in the
third, to bring the Canucks within
striking distance.
Josh Francis chipped in on both
of McCaffrey’s goals. Steve
Ludzik and Corey Eastman also
had helpers on McCaffrey’s pair,
which earned him second star
honours.
Blackhawks’ Brett Howden
rounded out the three star
selections.
Not to be outdone, Blackhawks’
forward Chris Risi, who was
named January Player of the
Month before the game started,
added his 25th goal of the year.
The unassisted marker turned out
to be the game winner.
Thorold’s Steve Zmudczynski
added his sixth goal of the year,
Niagara
College
with assists from Hedden and J.J.
Martin.
“I’ve played one on one with J.J.
for 15 years in my driveway. We
know each other’s styles,” he said.
Up next, Thorold has a bye
through the first round of the
playoffs. The Canucks will play
the Fort Erie Meteors.
STUDENTS
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128 Division Street • Welland • 905-735-3041
Page 26, news@niagara, Feb.18, 2005
Letters to the Editor
Mother of three voices opinion about mothering skills
Dear Editor:
I just read [Valerie Little’s] article [news@niagara, page
16, Feb. 11, 2005] “Opinions divided on breastfeeding in
public.”
I was very surprised to see that only 48 per cent of the
students in your survey thought it was okay to breastfeed in
public. In this day and age of showing off bellies and
different piercings, etc., [I’m surprised] that they would be
as uptight on something as natural as breastfeeding in public.
I’m a mother of three wonderfully healthy breast-fed
children, now ages 10, 15 and 23, and, yes, I breastfed all of
them in public if they were hungry until they were at least
nine months old. This could have been at the mall, a
restaurant or at a friend’s home.
Nursing your child gives them the healthiest start to their
lives. My mother-in-law, back in 1980 (the dark ages in my
mind), while we were out as a family at a local restaurant,
told me that I should go into the washroom to nurse my first
child. My response to her was, and still would be today,
“Are you planning to take your dinner into the washroom to
eat tonight?”
I think if you are being discreet you can nurse your baby
anywhere. Oh, and sometimes, it’s just too hot to put a
blanket over your shoulder.
Lindsay, and others like her, should keep up the
wonderful mothering skills that are in all of us.
Yours truly,
Tami Foster
41-year-old mother of three
Congratulations to the SAC Charity Ball volunteers
Dear Editor:
I have just attended the 4th Annual [Student
Administrative Council] SAC Charity Ball and I want to
applaud SAC and all of the volunteers involved for putting
on a first-class event.
I have attended the three previous Balls, and have always
been moved to see the commitment and desire to help those
who need assistance during their time at
college.
I hope that this event continues as it is so worthwhile. My
only wish is that more students would attend, not
only to support SAC and the volunteers, but to support
this worthwhile endeavour.
Believe me, it is, always has been, a fun night.
Congratulations again.
Saundra Patterson
Your voice or opinion is welcome in our Letters to the Editor section. Our policy regarding letter submissions is this: All letters must be
received on the Friday one week prior to publication. Each letter must include a day and evening telephone number for verification use only.
All letters can be mailed or brought to the news@niagara newsroom, Room V10, Voyageur Wing, Welland campus.
Letters can be e-mailed to news@niagarac.on.ca
View our archive online at
http://www.niagara-news.com
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Welland
Indoor
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Club
Welland Indoor Tennis Club
1100 Niagara Street, Welland
905-735-4530
Versatile dish gardens ‘breathe of spring’
By AZRA MOMIN
Staff Writer
Winter is not quite over yet. We
still have the sometimes-swirling,
sometimes-still whiteness of snow
around us. Though not all people
find this dreary, certainly
everybody enjoys the small
explosions of colour that signal the
arrival of spring, and what better
way to start than getting a little
garden in a dish for yourself?
“The dish gardens are very
popular all year round,” says Jim
Thomson, manager of the greenhouse at Niagara College’s
picturesque Glendale campus in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, “but this
time of the year they’re like a
breath of spring.”
The students of the two-year
Horticultural Technician (Co-op)
and Greenhouse Technician
(Co-op) programs use the excellent facilities of the 18,000-squarefoot greenhouse to practice their
plant-growing skills. In doing so,
they cultivate a variety of plants
that not only are available to the
public but also help beautify the
campus.
The students grow all plants,
and there are seasonal specials
throughout the year.
“Right now we’re doing a lot of
dish gardens with tropical plants
and some with herbs,” says
Thomson, “but we also have a lot
of hanging baskets.”
“The tropical plants dish
gardens are combined with
flowers for an instant splash of
colour.”
Ferns, English ivy and spider
plants adorn the hanging baskets,
which are versatile, he says,
because they can also be used as
table plants.
Teri
Sherwood
is
the
horticultural technician at the
greenhouse, along with Gary
Mason, and she helps students put
together the dish gardens.
“That’s kinda my baby,” she
Menu demos cooking at Maid of the Mist
Budda boom, budda bing!
Prime Restaurants will be using
the Maid of the Mist campus
kitchens for their East Side
Mario’s Menu Demonstration
from Feb. 22 to Feb. 24.
Cindy Andrews is the project
manager at the Tourism Industry
Development Centre on Dunn
Street in Niagara Falls.
She says, “Things will be
heating up in our kitchen as East
Side Mario chefs prepare new
menu items and serve them up to
the franchisees from across
Southern Ontario. “[There will
be] Demonstrations, presentations
and plenty of pasta for 90 people
every day.”
“Niagara College’s culinary
programs have moved to the
Glendale campus in Niagara-on-
the-Lake but we still have a huge
production kitchen and dining
room here at the Maid of the Mist
campus.”
“It’s important that people in
the college community know that
our campus is still open for
business, although our focus is
now short-term training for the
hospitality and tourism industry.”
Students learn value of product branding
By BREE ELLIS
Staff Writer
Public Relations Graduate
Certificate students are constantly
being given a taste of the real
world.
On Jan. 26, Gord Hunchak, the
senior brand manager of Niagara
Credit Union (NCU), gave a
presentation in Al Lutchin’s PR
strategies and tactics class at
Niagara
College’s
Welland
campus.
Hunchak has been with the
NCU for about seven years.
Before that he worked with
Canadian Tire Financial Services,
in Welland.
Hunchak, a Welland resident,
works at the head office of the
NCU in St. Catharines.
As senior brand manager,
Hunchak is responsible for marketing,
public
relations,
community involvement and
product management.
He says that the “brand is the
most valuable asset of the
organization.”
“All forms of communication,
including public relations, play a
key role in the building of the
brand’s values.”
Hunchak says he spoke to the
students
about
real-world
experiences, and those examples
wqere the reason Lutchin invited
him for the lecture.
Lutchin says the talk was
“excellent.”
Lutchin often brings in
specialists in the public relations
field.
This, he says, is to give the
students a good opportunity to be
“completely equipped with the
best knowledge possible.”
Hunchak has been coming in to
speak to public relations students
for three years and says “it gets
better each year.”
“It was a great class. Each year I
get more questions.”
Hunchak also finds that the
students have a “desire to work in
that field.”
Overall, Lutchin says, that the
students really enjoy these lectures
by professionals in the field,”but
the lecturers enjoy it as well.”
After the visit, Lutchin gives
assignments based on the lecture
subject.
In this case, the students did a
case scenario to develop a brand
for a company.
says, “but right now we are also
doing a lot of arrangements of cut
flowers in vases.”
The flower arrangements were
available only for the Valentine’s
Day holiday, she says, and were
done with freesias, carnations,
greenery and pussy willow.
“The freesias are very fragrant,
and the arrangements make a
beautiful gift,” she says.
Sherwood says she is pleased by
the public response.
“The greenhouse is unique
because it’s a learning institute but
it’s also a business. The students
are doing all the work, and the
people who come here to buy love
to support the college. They also
love our variety. We have just so
much to offer.”
Vaseem Shaikh, from Fonthill,
has a somewhat different opinion.
“I thought there wasn’t as much
variety as I’m used to with the
other greenhouses,” he says.
“March is probably the time I
will visit again because they will
have more plants at that time and
are going to have a big sale too.”
The greenhouse is open seven
days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and event listings as well as tips
and other plant information can be
viewed at http://www.niagaracollegegreenhouse.com.
SAC election kits available
The Student Administrative
Council wants you.
Until Feb. 25, election kits are
available to be picked up by any
students interested in running for
an elected position on SAC at the
Glendale and Welland campus or
for the board of governors.
Kits can be picked up in the
SAC offices from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
weekdays.
Completed nomination forms
must be submitted by noon on
Feb. 25.
There are eight SAC positions
available at each campus. There is
one position for a student
representative to the board of
governors.
All candidacy requirements,
campaigning
and
election
information are available in the
kits or at the SAC offices.
SAC invites students to
information meetings
By CRAIG SEBERT
Staff writer
The Student Administrative
Council (SAC) will hold monthly
meetings on March 18, and April
8 at 3 p.m. to discuss what’s
happening on campus.
Any
interested
full-time
students will be given a chance to
express their ideas or opinions
during an open forum at each
meeting. The sessions are held in
the conference room at the After
Hours pub at the Welland campus
of Niagara College.
As a bonus, all student
ambassadors will also be given
recognition for their involve-
ment, which is beneficial on
résumés.
“Anyone can join,” says Todd
Graves, 21, a Public Relations
Graduate Certificate student and
SAC student representative.
The post that was once called
class representative and is now
known as student ambassadors
provides a liaison between the
class and SAC.
“It’s usually been a starting
point for students who eventually
run for SAC,” says Graves.
Students
interested
in
becoming a student ambassador
can contact Graves by e-mail at
sac-sr-wc@niagarac.on.ca.
Candy grams assist Red Cross tsunami relief efforts
By IVAN ZATELLI
Staff Writer
Niagara College’s radio station
The New Heat at 90.1 FM made
Valentine’s Day a little hotter.
Prior to Valentine’s Day, the
second-year student department
heads in radio and television of the
Broadcasting — Radio, Television
and Film (BRTF) program, sold
candy grams that had assorted
heart-shaped candy inside. People
interested in sending a candy gram
to a friend or loved one could
make their request last week in
front of the radio station beside the
security office in the Welland
campus.
The candy gram contained the
name of the sender, the recipient
and a short message that was
delivered to students in class or
other college employees on Feb.
14.
The radio department heads
delivered the valentine treats and
messages personally.
All the proceeds from the sale
will go to the Red Cross in care of
tsunami relief.
Tara McLain, 20, of Chatham, a
second-year
BRTF
student
department head in radio and
television, says, “People can
always call into the radio station
and get yourself on the air.” Call
905-735-2211, ext. 7444.
McLain says, “We’re trying to
get more college students involved
and even get the other campus
involved as well because they are
probably not aware that there is a
college radio station.”
Dana Huffman, 20, of Port
Colborne, a second-year BRTF
department head student in radio
and television, says people should
realize the college radio station is
“just like any other radio station
out there.”
“We want people to liste and
have conversations with us on the
air.”
When asked about station power
and its ability to reach
neighbouring
communities,
Huffman says, “We’re in the midst
of trying to expand the area you
can listen to.”
Huffman and McLain add
people can listen on-line at
h t t p / / w w w. b r o a d c a s t i n g .
niagarac.on.ca 24 hours a day
seven days a week.
McLain says, “We always have
music playing,” but adds,
“Glitches happen.” If they do,
students are trained to be
professional and not to call
attention to the problem.
Watch Inside Niagara on Cogeco Cable Channel 10 live each Thursday at
noon and repeated each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 p.m.
Niagara College grad tells us what it’s like to be a
FAST-LANE JOURNALIST
By SANDOR LIGETFALVY
Staff Writer
Photo by Sandor Ligetfalvy
thought it was unlikely that he
could be an automotive journalist
because the conventional logic is
that former racers and technicians
write for automotive magazines.
He said he defied that logic
because he has “a ton of knowledge,” which has taken him to
Detroit, Mich., Atlanta, Ga., and
the United Kingdom in 2004
alone. While working with
PistonHeads.com he also spent six
months last year with the Toronto
Sun doing exotic car reviews,
saying he is “pretty happy” where
he is now.
“It really doesn’t get much better than this,” he says, even
though “[automotive magazines]
know your job is way too much
fun to get paid much.”
In the next three years he is
diversifying beyond the journalism job.
“When [writing] becomes a
chore, you want to slow down and
let the passion build up.”
Since 2002, he has been building a special-event photography
and
videography
company,
Vantage Intermedia Productions.
He says he will be expanding into
TV promos and ads in the near
future.
Farooq is a graduate of Niagara
College’s
Journalism-Print
program, but also spent two
semesters at Fanshawe College, in
London, Ont., in General Arts and
Science and went to college in
Saudi Arabia. He says he chose
Niagara College’s journalism
program because he liked the way
the instructors spoke to him,
saying, “You want to be at a place
where you like your professors.”
He met his business partner Ron
Robichaud, a graduate of the
Broadcasting – Radio, Television,
and Film program, while at
Niagara College.
Farooq said when students
finish the journalism program
they find it “tough to get a break”
because newspapers make young
journalists do “the worst jobs for
the least money.” He says young
journalists should try to get their
work in non-college publications
to build their professional
portfolio.
“Don’t be a sell-out,” he says,
because “you lose credibility. You
begin to sound like a brochure.”
Canadian Idol Kalan Porter’s performance
‘amazing’ at live show at O’Sullivan Theatre
Photo by Mark Brennan
Spank you, spank you very much
“Threesomes, sex toys and spankings.” On Wednesday, The
Wet Spots, a musical sex comedy duo, will perform songs about
those topics and more “hot” ones at After Hours at 9:30 p.m. The
duo is rated by Georgia Strait as, “Vancouver’s best adult
entertainers.” The event will have no cover charge. Information
posters will be up at all Niagara College campuses. For more
about The Wet Spots visit http://www.wetspotsmusic.com.
By CHELSEY SPINOSA
Staff Writer
Who says a big voice needs a
big body?
The reigning Canadian Idol,
Kalan Porter proves that theory
wrong. The 19-year-old singing
sensation with the trademark
blonde, curly locks played to a
sold-out crowd of 537 people at
the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre at
Brock University in St. Catharines
on Feb. 14.
It wasn’t only swooning adolescents who filled the auditorium
anxious to spend Valentine’s Day
with the teen heartthrob, it was a
mixed crowd of young and old,
each one excited to see Porter for
their own reasons.
Porter took the stage at about
8:25 p.m. and began his energetic
75-minute set with the song She’s
So Dangerous from his debut
album 219 Days.
Dangerous is a good way to
describe Porter, as he is not your
typical pop star. The electric violin
he plays throughout the show
compliments his edgy rock sound.
His violin skills were displayed
prominently in covers of Charlie
Daniels Band’s The Devil Went
Down to Georgia and Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild. Porter’s
rendition of Peter Gabriel’s In
Your Eyes was also a fan favourite.
Porter did not spend the entire
‘Most important women’s health event of the year’
By ANGELA HARDIE
Staff Writer
The ninth annual Women’s
Health Matters Forum and Expo
welcomed women and men of all
ages to its two-day interactive
event last month at the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre.
The forum provided new facts
and perspectives on issues in
women’s health. Patrons had the
opportunity to attend more than
40 interactive forum presentations
and speak personally with medical
professionals. The expo hall was
filled with 150 exhibits that
demonstrated health-related services, products and valuable information.
General Motors (GM) of
Canada Ltd. has sponsored the
He says journalists walk a fine
line, and negative commentary
should be paired with positive
attributes, a tactic which he calls
“constructive criticism.”
He advised soon-to-graduate
journalism students not to take the
first opportunity.
Instead, he suggests, take the
best opportunity.
event since 1997, calling it “the
most important women’s health
event of the year.”
Michael Grimaldi, president of
GM Canada, says the event
“brings awareness to some very
serious health issues that women
face in this country and all over
the world,” adding, “We believe
that supporting such initiatives is
important as we work to improve
the quality of life of both our
employees and customers.”
This year, the event broadened
its program to include topics
affecting all age groups, ranging
from sex and dating to postpartum
depression and keeping the heart
healthy.
Stephen Lewis, United Nations
Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in
Africa, presented an address on
gender and HIV/AIDS.
Lewis, an activist and former
politician, spoke with a sense of
urgency about the growing issue
of the disease on the African
continent and said the world has
been “terribly delinquent” in its
awareness of HIV/AIDS.
Elaine Todres, a renowned
women’s advocate, addressed her
personal and professional commitment to women’s health,
economic issues and her belief
that “society and the health-care
system have to be accountable for
the optimal health of all women.”
Globe and Mail columnist
Margaret Wente delivered a
presentation on the health scares,
myths and misinformation in the
media. Wente has won awards for
her column writing for taking on
the leading issues in today’s society and getting the public to react.
Various
doctors
from
Sunnybrook
and
Women’s
College Health Sciences Centre,
in Toronto, delivered presentations about diabetes, breast cancer
and contraception.
Sunnybrook and Women’s have
developed a website where
women can find reliable and
current information about health
needs. The site allows women to
ask health-related questions to
professionals, read women’s
health news and use a research
database for women’s health
resources.
http://womenshealthmatters.ca.
Flying down Highway 400 in a
2004 Porsche Carrera GT,
Nauman Farooq decides to test the
ferocious power of the $70,000sports car. He floors the throttle in
third gear, redlines it, snatches
fourth gear, and suddenly the rear
wheels light up, doing burnout
from an “unprintable” speed.
“It’s the only car that actually
scared me. It’s too much car, even
for me,” he says.
Nauman Farooq started his
career as an automotive journalist
in 2001 when British automotive
web-magazine PistonHeads.com
gave him a six-month chance to
be its North American correspondent. He began by attending press
launches for new cars and soon
was driving cars in weeklong test
drives.
He started “from the bottom”
with a Dodge Neon. Within a year
he was saying “wow” to the
Ferrari F355-F1, and the 27-yearold now shrugs at an Aston
Martin.
Farooq is native to Karachi,
Pakistan, and lived in Saudi
Arabia for eight years before coming to Canada in 1997.
His interest in cars began at the
age of four. He bought his first car
magazine at 10 years old. The
youngster crammed all that
knowledge into his brain, and as a
teen, he was inspired by BBC’s
car program, Top Gear.
He felt it would be a distant
dream to make enough money to
own expensive cars, “but if I can
drive every car, I can be happy.”
He says family and friends
night playing other people’s
music, but filled the show with
songs from his album. Single and
After All got the crowd on its feet,
while ballad I Don’t Wanna Miss
You and the smash hit Awake in a
Dream captivated the audience’s
attention.
Porter’s voice was powerful and
flawless, proving just why he won
the title of Canadian Idol.
Jen Ellis, 18, of Hamilton, says
Porter is “amazing” live.
“I met him back in the Canadian
Idol days and he has grown up
since then as a performer. I’m
really proud of him.”
The maturity of the Medicine
Hat, Alta., native was evident in
his stage presence and mannerisms. He also knew how to work
the audience and had them eating
out of the palm of his hand.
Melissa Gunn, 20, of Oakville,
says he can put on a rock show.
“He looks so innocent and then
just rocks out and your jaw drops.
Seeing Kalan live is an amazing
experience. It’s a thrill you’ll
never forget. There are basically
no words to describe it.”
Porter is on tour until March 31,
when he wraps up at Toronto’s
Massey Hall.

February 18, 2005

Transcription

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