` ` campus news - Digilog at UOIT and DC - DC-UOIT
Transcription
` ` campus news - Digilog at UOIT and DC - DC-UOIT
VOLUME XXXIV, Issue 1 September , Photo by Mike Stathopoulos LOOKING WELL: UOIT President Dr. Ronald Bordessa and Durham College President Leah Myers welcomed MPPs, alumni, students and faculty to the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at the Wellness Centre located on the Avenue of Champions, just south of the library. Students, you made this happen By Heather Abrey Chronicle Staff The new Recreation and Wellness Centre, which has been under construction for the last two years, had its official opening ceremony Sept. 12. Durham College and UOIT celebrated the completion of the new Wellness Centre with a ribbon cutting ceremony in the triple gym, with many current and former staff and students present, as well as others, including MPPs. The ceremony featured several speeches, tours of the facility, a 13person pipe and drum band, and of course, the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. Leah Myers, president of Durham College, praised the student initiative that brought the centre to fruition, “To the students, congratulations. You did it, you made it happen.” UOIT president Dr. Ronald Bordessa agreed with Myers. “The advocacy of students and the support that they gave made this wonderful dream a reality.” The new facility will be shared by the two schools, as well as being open to the public, improving the facilities available in Durham Region, and adding to the cur- rent tennis and ice centre located across the street. Varsity teams will be receiving a boost, now having access to firstrate facilities, care and physiotherapy. The change rooms in the old fitness centre will also be used for See Recreation page 31 Trying times on the first day Evictions looming? By Alistair Lowe By Amy England The morning sun, clear and bright, beamed across a quiet campus in the early morning hours of Sept. 4, a peaceful moment giving no hint of what was to come. Two hours later Simcoe Street and Conlin Road were backed up as about 5,000 new DC and UOIT students attempted to navigate their way to a parking Photo by Alistair Lowe space. The first day of school had arrived. Security guards di- LAST-MINUTE CLUB: The line to buy a parking pass. rected traffic as best they could. Wearing boldly coloured vests, early as you can – as soon as you the information booth as the questions came fast and furipointing this way and that, they get the invoice.” However, after sorting out ous: “Where is the commons? stood before the onslaught and maintained order. Hampered his finances Opydo had to buy a Where is room B221? How do I by malfunctioning parking cards parking permit. “I’ll do that anoth- change my schedule? Where’s and students going to the wrong er day,” he said. Surrounded by a the barbecue?”Even with all the sea of shuffling, bumping people, first-day confusion, DC/UOIT lots, they stood their ground. The flood of people broke Cathy Cordell and Deanne Tripp left a good impression with Karupon the parking desk and ac- looked overworked and stressed en Lowe. She came from Smiths counting office, where lines of at the parking desk. They, too, Falls, Ont. with her son Chris. students waited up to an hour- held their ground, working for “Everybody is helpful, calm and and-a-half to complete a task hours to thin the crowd. One by one students left the kind. It’s a lovely campus,” she which would have taken five desk with parking pass in hand, said. minutes a month earlier. Fear not, for the chaos will fade. “I left things to the last min- some cradling them like a hardIn 2008, however, during the won trophy. But there, amidst ute,” first-year Business student the mass of humanity, stood early morning hours of the first Chris Opydo said outside the fiMatthew Waite. He manned day of classes, it will return. nance office. His advice: “Pay as Students might have trouble finding affordable and convenient off-campus housing if the city of Oshawa implements a new bylaw for the area.The public meeting scheduled for Sept. 9, to debate this controversial topic had to be cancelled. Hundreds of students, residents and landlords could not be accommodated at city hall. Councillor Louise Parkes, officially cancelled the meeting. She wanted it rescheduled so that all parties involved could participate. “This is unprecedented,” Parkes said. The issue of off-campus housing has been growing since UOIT first arrived four years ago. Area residents are upset because garbage, parking and noise violations have increased since students moved in to their community. “The fact that we all live side by side, makes the pure number of renters overwhelming” said Michelle Bray, a representative from the Windfields Farms Community Association. The bylaw will require all landlords to register with the city and obtain a licence when renting Chronicle Staff Chronicle Staff a room in the area surrounding the college and university.“I think licensing is a positive approach and I hope it will give the city a bit more control over the landlords,” Bray said. “It will make landlords more responsible.” The bylaw will require properties to meet building codes and improve property standards. Paul Vrana ,a member of the newly formed Homeowners of North Oshawa group, feels the bylaw will reduce the property values of homes in the area. The Student Association has begun a poster campaign to inform students of the issues surrounding the bylaw. “Students were not formally consulted for this bylaw.” Said Fraser McArthur, president of the SA. The poster campaign is meant to send the city a message that students have a unified voice on the issue. “We need a joint task force, that includes students, to work on this issue,” he added. McArthur would like to see an approach that considers factors like private bedroom square footage and common area density. Also what the impact on the community is in regards to waste and parking. All parties involved will have a chance to debate at the next public meeting on Oct. 9. 2 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Liberals show us the money School receives extra $10 million By Colin Boucher Chronicle Staff Durham College and UOIT are about to get a whole lot richer. The provincial Liberals announced an additional $10 million in funding on Sept. 5 to benefit the entire campus. Wayne Arthurs, MPP for Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge, said the Liberals announced a $50 million pot of money for capital enhancements of post-secondary schools in the 2007, 08 provincial budget. Arthurs emphasized in an electionstyle speech that since Durham College and UOIT are receiving 20 per cent of that money, it goes to show how much the McGuinty government cares about this campus. “The funding is important, it’s critical…we get it at Queen’s Park,” he said. Other speakers at the announcement included Durham College President Leah Myers, UOIT President Ronald Bordessa, and Student Association President Fraser McArthur. Myers said the massive growth Durham College has experienced since its inception 40 years ago, when it opened its doors to only 260 students, was phenomenal. She also thanked the provincial government for the money. Bordessa said the campus really needs new buildings, mention- ing the 1,600 new UOIT students on campus this year. He assured the MPP that, “Money spent here is money well spent.” He also said how happy he was to meet new students on orientation week and how they came here knowing UOIT was different. After the announcement, Myers said that deciding what to do with the money will take some time. “The government’s decision to give us this $10 million was really something we hadn’t planned for, so we were thrilled when we got the news,” she said. “We know we’ve got lots of needs for new space on this campus, both in the university and in the college and in our student space, and of course we could spend so much more than $10 million easily, so it’s going to take us a bit of time to figure out the best way to spend this money to have it go the farthest against all the needs we have.” Myers explained that in order to initiate capital expansions, the administration has to propose a plan and have it approved by the board of governors, who have to approve the school’s budgets and strategic plans. “I expect that we’ll be doing a more significant capital plan this year that we’ll take forward to our board in the springtime.” The last significant capital expansion Durham College had was in the year 2000, when it invested in the south (SW) wing. “In the intervening years we’ve received capital monies for maintenance, but not for new build,” she said. While the administration figures out what to spend the extra funding on, some students have suggestions of their own. “I think they should invest more in the food services, and they Photo by Colin Boucher DELIVERING THE GOOD NEWS: Liberal MPP Wayne Arthurs, who is running for reelection, announced additional school funding Sept. 5 in the library reading room. should be open longer,” said firstyear Criminology student Sarah Houssan Eddine. Other suggestions included a swimming pool, more physical resources at the library, and additional lab space. However, the number one request was for better quality lecture and classroom space. Many students complained about the UP pavilion, referring to it as “the circus tent.” “It smells like a petting zoo,” said one first-year Concurrent Education student. Campus Growth •Durham College has experienced a 14 per cent growth since 2001, compared to an overall growth of 8 per cent in the overall Ontario college system. •Durham’s population is about 6,000 this year, 5.9 per cent higher than last year. •Durham’s first year enrolment is about 3,600, which is up 10 per cent from last year. •UOIT’s population this year is about 5,000 students •First-year enrollment at UOIT is about 1,800, only a 1 per cent increase from last year. New drug dealer now on campus By Jennifer Hopf and Greg Snow Chronicle Staff Students no longer have to travel off campus to fill prescriptions or other pharmacy needs since the arrival of Lovell Drugs at the Health Centre’s new location in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre. Lovell Drugs is one of Ontario’s oldest and largest independent drug store chains. With the opening of its 11th location on campus this past summer, students are now able to receive benefits not previously offered by the college. “People involved in the health area decided this would be a good fit for the college,” said Rita Winn, general manager of Lovell Drugs. “Now students can get their medication right away.” Aside from prescriptions, the pharmacy offers vaccinations and special counselling, as well as compliance packaging (putting all prescriptions together), free delivery and e-refills of medication. There is also a wide variety of overthe-counter medication, from pain relievers to allergy pills. Lovell Drugs honours the stu- Photo by Greg Snow DRUGS, DRUGS, DRUGS: Vijay Pandya, the pharmacist manager, is on hand to assist with prescriptions and any other issues or questions students and faculty may have. dent insurance policy and if that’s not enough, they will also cater to any outside health plans. The pharmacy handles all administration work as well. This includes submitting any necessary forms on behalf of the patient if the case merits it, and upon completion of a credit check, charges may be covered so there is no upfront cost. Those who deal with other pharmacies can have existing pre- scriptions transferred to Lovell Drugs. “We also offer one-on-one consultations for those with any questions,” said Vijay Pandya, the pharmacist manager. However, the pharmacy always charges a dispensing fee of $10.99 for all prescriptions, excluding contraceptives, which have a capped dispensing fee of $7. Additional costs of drugs depend on individual policies. Furthermore, a variety of monthly Clinic Days will be held. Nursing staff will be available to administer services such as checking blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and cholesterol. Pamphlets with information relating to smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, asthma, osteoporosis, blood pressure, heart health, emergency contraception and medication safety are available. The addition of the pharmacy has no effect on the price of the student insurance plan as Lovell Drugs pays rent to the college like any other business “There is no cost to students for us being here,” Winn confirmed. The drugstore is open to all Durham College, UOIT and Trent students, as well as staff and the general public. It is located on the Avenue of Champions, just south of the library. More information is available on the pharmacy website, www.lovelldrugs.com. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 3 CAMPUS NEWS 40 years of history for DC By Amy England Chronicle Staff The past and present united together as Durham College celebrated its 40th anniversary on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The history of DC began in 1967, when the doors were opened for the first time. Starting with only 16 portables to house a few hundred students and 14 faculty members, Durham College has come a long way from its modest beginnings. Leah Myers, current president of DC, offered some inspiring words about her look at the college since she became the first female president in February 2006. “We have made the student experience our number one priority and we have been supported by strong community partnerships through our development.” One of those developments was in the ‘90s when the college transformed the Cadbury chocolate factory into the Whitby campus. During that time, DC offered a new guarantee for future employers of graduates of the college. The employment guarantee ensures that all graduates of the college would have the knowledge, training and skills that they needed to excel in the workforce. “But perhaps the most telling has been our enrolment growth,” Myers said. DC has gone from 205 students when it first opened to now serving over 6,100 students. “The numbers say it all in terms of the growth and success of Durham College and we are here today to pay tribute to it.” There are now more than 80 Photo by Amy England STUDENTS CELEBRATE WITH THE LORD: Second-year Bachelor of Information and Technology students hang out with the DC mascot. From the left: Stephanie Bajot, Andrew Pearce, and Dave Aldwinckle were taking advantage of the food and music. full-time programs, and with the opening of University of Ontario Institute of Techology, DC is making a lasting impact on the community, the province and the world. One of these lasting impressions came when Mayor John Gray announced at the ceremony that from now on in the city of Oshawa and in region of Durham, including Scugog, this day will be marked as Durham College Day. The recently retired Dr. Gary Polonsky served as the president of the college for two decades from 1988 until Myers took over in 2006. “Right from day one, Durham College got that this place had to be all about the students, and all about quality and all about caring,” Polonsky said. Polonsky’s tenure at the college has seen some of the most dra- matic changes, from the addition of the Whitby campus, to the new university. “I simply inherited that from previous generations and I have tried my best to keep it going,” he said. One of the first generations of college students and co-chair of the 40th anniversary committee, Ron Backwell graduated in 1969. He has fond memories of his time spent at DC. Backwell recalled a racing contest that was held on campus. Students had turned a bed into something that they could race. And another year they had to transform bathtubs for racing. He painted a vivid picture of beds and bathtubs racing down Simcoe Street, laughing at the prize for best bathtub, which was a toilet seat. The history surrounding the college has been shaped by fond memories and commitment of all of its faulty, staff, and students. But a few years before DC was established there was a decision that made the history and future of DC successful. In 1965, Minister of Education Bill Davis introduced a piece of legislation that would establish colleges of applied arts and science. It was the first of its kind for the area, a community-based postsecondary intuition that offered students a chance to experience a more practical education. “No matter what your personal connection to the college, no matter what it means to you, I truly believe that what is the heart of the college’s success and the heart of the relationships that we all have is the values and the sense of community that has been built over the last 40 years,” said Myers. The past and present of DC have made a lasting impact. “No matter how we have grown and change, we all hold dear the sense of family, of team of community that is Durham College,” Myers said Alumni take a tour of campus Yearbook memories By: Rory Wilson Chronicle Staff Photo by Amy England THE YEARBOOK SAYS IT ALL: Durham College President Leah Myers looks at a piece of the past with Ron Backwell, part of the first graduating class in 1969. Students, teachers, and alumni were among the many representatives of the community celebrating 40 years of DC on Sept. 18. Crowds gathered in the south courtyard and were treated to a variety of food complements of DC cafeteria staff. Practically Hip, a tribute to The Tragically Hip, provided live entertainment. The barbecue and music provided alumni with a warm welcoming back to the college that was once their own. Tours were offered throughout the afternoon that gave alumni insight to the additions to the campus. “We want to make graduates aware of the changes,” said tour guide Sue Hawkins. A group of seven DC graduates followed Hawkins through the campus observing the changes it has undergone. “It’s grown in every area,” said Business Admin. graduate David Thom. 4 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 EDITORIAL Durham College-UOIT Chronicle Publisher: Robin Pereira Editor-in-Chief: Gerald Rose Ad Manager: Dawn Salter TO CONTACT US Newsroom: Room L-223; Ext. 3068 Advertising: Room L-220; Ext. 3069 E-mail: Chronicle.News@dc-uoit.ca Chronicle.Advertising@dc-uoit.ca Band-aid bylaw not solution Oshawa’s housing bylaw hurts more than helps Students living off campus might have a hard time finding affordable housing if the City of Oshawa passes a proposed bylaw. One of the main goals of this bylaw, is to limit the number of rooms to a maximum of four per house that a landlord can rent to. But because of poor planning by key parties involved, it’s no wonder this bylaw seems to be indirectly targeting students. The city’s weak attempt to fix the current student housing problems with this bylaw is like placing a band-aid on a gunshot wound. It ignores the bigger issue, and it only focuses on a small portion of the problem, instead of directly addressing the issues that have been brewing around campus since UOIT first arrived four years ago. Local residents are upset that noise levels, parking violations and an increase in a transient population has decreased the value of their homes. Landlords are upset because homes that have been purchased as an investment to rent to students will no longer be a viable source of income. Students are upset because they feel they are being unfairly targeted. Anyone involved in the situation can see that the current method of dealing with this issue is clearly not working. The City of Oshawa claims the bylaw will protect all students and residents involved. And yes, some of the issues that are addressed will no doubt keep students safe, and residents happy. One of those is to require landlords to register with the City and obtain a licence in order to rent out rooms. This will allow the City to ensure fire codes and other safety concerns are being met. The fact is this, some of the problems local residents have regarding renting to students in the area surrounding UOIT and DC are noise, garbage and parking. There are already bylaws in place that would effectively alleviate some of those concerns. Another factor that should be considered is the fact that students, the largest group that will be affected by this proposed bylaw, were not consulted prior to its first draft. The bylaw is only proposed for areas surrounding the campus. If this was not meant to target student renters, why isn’t this bylaw proposed for all areas, since renters are not limited to only the area around the college and university? A meeting was planned on September 10, but was cancelled because of the City could not accommodate the amount of people who showed up to debate this heated topic. It seems that every party involved did not fully research or anticipate the problems that occur from becoming a university town. There have been talks about building a student village near campus that would accommodate students, and give them an option to live outside of residence. The problem is what you do with the number of offcampus students in the meantime. The bylaw has not been approved yet, and the city says it will not affect students this year, and a new meeting is set for October 9. But the issue is this; there is nothing in place at the moment to effectively address all the concerns of the residents, students and landlords. The fact that hundreds of students, landlords and residents showed up for this heated debate means that the current bylaw is not the answer. As long as the bargaining table stays open for discussion, there might be an option that will appeal to all parties involved. Oshawa is now a university town and it has changed the identity of the city. It has naturally shaped the areas around the universities in to an informal living space for students. Forgetting that fact or trying to force students to live elsewhere will only further drive the wedge between students and the City of Oshawa. And will not effectively solve the problems at hand. Amy England Letter to the editor A warm goodbye to former president Mel Garland To the Editor: Perhaps your readers, especially Durham students, may appreciate a few facts about their College’s second president, Mel Garland, who died this month. For a starter, Mel was a distinguished WW ll airman, including being a prisoner of war. When I once asked him how that went, he paused and shrugged humbly and matter-of-factly, “It was war.” Mel’s post-war career also had plenty of highlights, of which he felt his presidency here was the pinnacle. I’ll close, however, with 2 personal loves. One was the envi- Editors: Heather Abrey, Courtney Born, Stephanie Bossence, Colin Boucher, Allison Bryan, Dave Butt, Chris Buttonshaw, Andrew Capps, Ryan Chalmers, Craig Clark, Andrew Dalrymple, Jenner Domroes, Amy England, Mike Flynn, Amy Gohr, Alyshia Higgins, Jennifer Hopf, Jaspinder Kaur Jassal, Chris Jones, Svea Keegan, Sean Kent, Eric Laganis, Karen LeBlanc, Alistair Lowe, Jenna-Lee Mainse, Kenny Mayhew, Rob McNab, Mark Milner, Tyler Ohlew, Emily Palonen, Chelayne Pascoe, Alex Reid, Jenn Reid, Vanessa Reidt, Ingrid Saravia, Rachelle Savoie, Greg Snow, Mike Stathopoulos, Courtney Ste-Croix, Samantha Stewart, Katie Strachan, Brandon Terry, Rory Wilson, Dwayne Wynter ronment, for which he was ahead of his time. For example, he was a fierce proponent that sport fishers should return every caught fish to the water. The second was his family - married to Margarite for SIXTY years, producing 6 outstanding kids and a ton of equally outstanding grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Our college, country and planet are better off for the life of Mel Garland. Dr. Gary Polonsky Successor of Mel Garland dvertising sales: A he Chronicle is published by the School of Communication Arts of Durham College, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7L7, 721-2000 Ext. 3068, as a training vehicle for students enrolled in Journalism and Advertising courses and as a campus news medium. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the college administration or the Board of Governors. The Chronicle is a member of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association. T PUBLISHER: Robin Pereira EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Gerald Rose ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kevan F. Drinkwalter FEATURES EDITOR: Virginia Colling PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Al Fournier Logan Adams, Natalie Alaqua, John Alward, Josh Balsillie, Matt Burling, Nick Castellano, Johnathan Cayugen, Ashley Coe, Amanda Costanzi, Kyle Costello, Arizona Cranney, Trevor Delpippo, Beth Donnelly, Emily-Anne Dorie, Lisa Gazeas, Ali Ghasemloo, Chad Goodmurphy, Andrew Graham, Denean Graham , Julia Hamill, Kourtney Harrison, Amanda Houghland, Jennifer Kennedy, Alexandra Kolar, Katrina Laszczynski, Amber Leblanc, Rebecca Lowery, Kevin Maguire, Sarah Manning, Jamie Matusiak, Tiffany Mcfadden, Brandon Mcfarlane, Kellie Mclean, Kristina Mogensen, Leah Molloy, Nicole Munch, Erin Napier, Alex O’hara, Scott Ovenden, Dylan Parkes, Particia Pepers, Erica Principe, Amber Rowe, Sarah Rucska, Lindy Sandhu, Nick Schembri, Alysia Scott, Kevin Stephen, Ashley Winters, Lindsay Yarmoluk, Addison Yates AD MANAGER: Dawn Salter TECHNICAL PRODUCTION: Darren Fisher The Chronicle September 25, 2007 5 OPINION New aloofness towards 9/11 Americans’ sensationalism is now creating apathy among our students We all know 9/11 well. Even today, Fox News flashes the same twin tower and penthouse clips while providing the tacky proBush propaganda to the on-going war in the Middle East. The White House flies its flag at half-mast, taking some sort of brief moment of silence to pay tribute to the 3,000 people who were killed six years ago. Bush looks off in a mournful tone and gives his old speech about how this war is feel not directly affected by the war anyfor the greater good for the people in Iraq more. and how they are just one step closer to One can recall in grave detail the type of achieving their goal. youth panic that our country first encounHere in Canada, September 11 is a day tered after the events of 9/11. There was viewer alarm as live footage of we will not forget. Most post-secondary stuAmericans flooding the dents like myself were eiNew York streets posed ther public or high school the question to Canadian students in morning Chelayne viewers, are we next? classes when announceIn the weeks that folments first came through Pascoe lowed news reports deabout the attack in 2001. tailed places in Canada However, looking forthat could be targets of ward, the anxiety and vulbombing. nerability that Canada first faced about our However, today a mere glance at TV safety as a country after 9/11 is now finally Guide programs during the week of Septhrough for students. tember 11 is proof enough that the fear our Although our generation may feel symcountry has with the war is merely Ameripathy for those Canadian troops still in the war, it is through overuse of American sen- canized propaganda. Programs such as sationalism, desensitizing students with Toxic-Dust, and movies such as The World overplayed videos, and blurring war per- Trade Center, and Fahrenheit 9/11 simspectives that makes our youth in Canada ply portray the message about the heroic Americans either for or against the war as students yawn over another Americanized media message about the war. As well as showing Canadians the thousands of red, white and blue programs, our generation is also becoming largely desensitized to the war with video footage everyday of what is going on in the country. With more gore and less censored graphics of war and 9/11 events, seeing a person get shot in the Middle East is nothing more then a shrug to students now. Another reason is the overly blurred perspectives of the war. With one source crying oil, another declaring it was for the peace of citizens in the Middle East or protecting us from the terror of the weapons of mass destruction, it can be easy for one not to believe a word of it. No matter the reason, there is really no direct connection to students as Canadians to the war and events of 9/11. We may never forget, but in retrospect, we have moved on. Society’s new obsession with size zero Does my bum look big in this? This is a common phrase used by many women in our society, but what’s hard to understand is half the women using this phrase have no bum in the first place yet they believe their bodies are distorted. Society believes a woman has to look a certain way - stick thin. That’s because everywhere you turn there are adverts, products and movies promoting thinner celebrities, such as Nicole Richie. Younger women look up to these celebrities as role models, so when a girl sees her favourite celebrity lose weight, she believes she has to as well. She’ll do anything it takes. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 70 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 25 have eating disorders because of the preoccupation of society on body image, and 10 to 20 per cent of those die due to this illness. One example of society badmouthing a women’s size is the time former super model Tyra Banks was pictured in a bikini plump is more important. looking less fit than she used to Oh yes, I forgot, size is more be. important in this world. Dove played a huge part in So What? showcasSo, Tyra ing so-called gained a little Real women, weight, and it’s when it went Jaspinder published in in-depth and every paper focused on Kaur Jassal that’s pathetic. real beauty. Not to menDove has also tion we have released the young people advertisement Evolution Movie suffering, or even worse dying on its website www.campaignfrom anorexia, yet publishing forrealbeauty.com. It captures a woman being a photo of Tyra looking a little made over, but then Photoshopped just to resemble what society believes a women should look like. Society needs to focus more on what really matters, things such as war, the environment and the less fortunate. “Women deserve to feel beautiful just the way they are,” says the Dove campaign, and it’s a strong statement that should be honoured in society. At the end of the day women and men are both equal and society needs to portray this instead of revolving around the size zero. Car has evolved from gasoline to air Warnings are everywhere: from the news to shocking documentaries, we’re reaching a global oil production peak and we’re struggling to come up with alternatives. While this problem can’t be solved overnight, there have been many advances in the realm of transportation. We’ve developed vehicles that run on solar, electric and hydrogen power, as well as a variety of hybrids. There is even a car in existence that runs on Kool-Aid. However, what could be the greatest innovation to date is the air-powered car. According to Sebastien Braud, a representative for Moteur Developpement International (MDI), the air-powered car currently in development is “safe, doesn’t pollute, doesn’t explode, it’s not poisonous and it’s not expensive.” Merely a concept for going on 15 years now, MDI has begun producing cars in Europe using compressed air technology (CAT): the three-seated MiniCAT for local commuting and the six-seated CityCAT for longer distance. The MiniCAT is about the size of a Smart Car, and can reach a maximum speed of 220 km/h and travel about 200 to 300 kilometres before needing to refill the air tank, making it perfect for inner city commuting. The CityCAT is slightly less impressive, According to the book Deep Economy reaching up to 110 km/h with a driving dis- by Bill McKibben, if people in China owned tance of 200 km. Refilling the tanks with cars at the same rate as Americans, the compressed air takes about four minutes at number of cars in the world would immea station; the car also has a built-in air com- diately double. pressor that can plug into any standard elecIf everyone in the world owned cars at trical outlet to refill the tank in four hours. this rate, the number of cars would be nearly According to MDI, air cars are powered five times greater than now; our atmosphere by engines fuelled by compressed air stored couldn’t handle that much carbon dioxide. in a tank under high presIn very short order, husure. Instead of mixing man life would become fuel with air and burning impossible. UnfortunateAmy it to drive pistons with ly, it does not seem as hot expanding gases, air though air-powered cars Gohr cars use the expansion of will come to North Amercompressed air to drive ica for a long time. the pistons. Safety standards proThe manufacturers developing CAT cars hibit the introduction of these CAT vehicles have designed safety features into their con- until all regulations are met. Comprised of tainers. The air tanks are comprised of car- fibre and injected foam, CAT vehicles are bon fibre and have passed explosion and safer than cars made of steel, easier to repair puncture tests to ensure the compressed air and don’t rust. However, in a collision test, does not pose a threat to passengers in the it’s unlikely that passengers would come out event of a collision. totally unscathed considering the car’s lightAir cars are also emission-free, and with- weight building material. out a catalyst, air is non-flammable. In addition to safety protocols, we live So why doesn’t everybody have an air- in a society whose mindset is that bigger powered car? Most people would agree that means better. We want Hummers, we want the time to act is now; we are in dire need of Jeeps, we want SUVs and other gas-guzzling an alternative to burning fuel. monstrosities. Sure, the MiniCAT and CityCAT would be perfect to help reduce gas emissions and decrease oil demands. However, not everybody wants to drive tiny Smart Cars that wouldn’t stand a chance against a Hummer. Ignorant, wealthy people don’t care about emissions or oil reserves – they want bigger, faster and more expensive vehicles. Another hurdle for the air car is profitability. Air is everywhere. It’s free. There is comparatively little profit in producing cars that run on air. Couple this with the popular belief – or myth – that oil companies don’t want any alternative resources to succeed, the future of the CAT cars in North America seems pretty grim. However, MDI remains hopeful that the first cars will be available on the market next summer, beginning in France, India and Spain. McKibben is right: we’re past the point of turning off lights and hoping for the best. If we want to survive the storm, we need to make big changes now. The air-powered car seems to be a great alternative to fuelbased cars. Now is the time to take action if we want our planet and society to withstand the coming changes we’re about to face. 6 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Assistance a shade of orange By Colin Boucher Chronicle Staff A lone first-year student wanders through the corridors of the Gordon Willey building on the first day of school, lost and confused. A student clutches his schedule, he frequently glances up to compare the numbers on it to the numbers on the doors he passes. Suddenly, he sees the friendly face of one of the many volunteers of the newly expanded orientation program, Ask Me I’m Orange. The program, which began last year and only pertained to UOIT students, was hailed as a success by the Student Development Coordinator Sarah King and thirdyear Commerce student Angela Piggott, who helped organize the volunteers. About 60 of them showed up on for their assigned posts around the campus. Their duties included answering questions like where to find classes, or which offices to seek out for specific services, such as buying a meal plan or a parking pass. Some of the more senior volunteers, who were student ambassadors during the past school year, also offered tours to groups of students and parents. The program is still experiencing growing pains, but the co-ordinators were open to suggestions from volunteers on how to improve it in the future. For example, faculty were allowed to participate in the program this year but they suggested their time slots be hourly rather than every hour and a half, so they would be able to do it between classes. King and Piggott praised the leadership the volunteers showed, such as moving to busier areas when they had no one around to ask them questions. “They took their own initiative, which is also really quite convenient. I appreciated that a lot,” said Piggott. “We really appreciate what they (the volunteers) do, and their services are really appreciated by the students who use their services,” said King. But, she said, one area of improvement would be their recruiting process. “It was really difficult to find volunteers, and I think next year we would try to recruit the volunteers earlier,” she said. King explained that the colour orange was used because it was the only bold colour that isn’t used by any of the UOIT faculties or Durham College schools. Ask Me I’m Orange volunteer Matt Waite said he enjoyed his experience as a volunteer and would do it again next year. “The most common question was ‘how do I get to the F wing?’ because it was not labelled clearly, it’s in such an obscure part of the school, and apparently there were either a lot of classes or the orientations for programs in those rooms,” he said. “Another common question was ‘where do I go to get my student ID?’ There were actually printed directions for that though, made up by the very clever people at the reception desk.” Overall, Waite enjoyed his experience being a volunteer and would encourage others to join up next year. “Being a volunteer was fun, I met a bunch of people, and made some friends,” he said. The program ran Aug. 29-30, as well as the first week of school in September. King said volunteers who are still open to being approached throughout the rest of the year will have golf tags or buttons on their backpacks bearing the Ask Me I’m Orange logo. Safe haven for women in need MATT WAITE: Ask Me I’m Orange volunteer ready to assist new students. Tuition covers health expenses By Jennifer Hopf Chronicle Staff Whether students need glasses or an artificial arm, the new and improved insurance plan has it covered. At a $36 increase to the cost of the health plan portion of tuition, a number of extended health benefits are now offered. These include emergency transportation, equipment rentals, medical supplies, prosthetic appliances and orthopedic supplies. Also covered are services by paramedical practitioners such as nutritionists and chiropractors. If recommended by a doctor, clinical psychologists, speech and massage therapists and physiotherapists are included as well. Physicians in all these fields are on staff here on campus. In accordance with the plan, ClaimSecure pays for 80 per cent of most prescriptions, immunizations and services up to a maximum of $3,000 for the policy year of Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. Students are not limited to the By Amy England Chronicle Staff The Women’s Centre is a new safe haven on campus that will offer abuse counselling and information opened on Sept 14. It will provide support and help for women in need, and is located by the library. The focus of the centre is to have a safe and private place where women can seek advice in a wide variety of situations, including date rape and spousal abuse. The new centre also shares space with some club offices, which including P.R.I.D.E. and SHARE, to name a few. It also offers a fully stocked and completely confidential food bank for students in need. Allison Hector-Alexander, director of the centre, hopes to raise awareness surrounding these issues. “If you know of a woman who might be afraid to access services, we can provide them with support,” she said. But students don’t need a specific reason to stop by the centre. It will have a quiet area dedicated to studying and a television for those who need an escape from the pressures of life and school. The centre has also teamed up with the Student Health Centre Photo by Colin Boucher Photo by Amy England IAN NEILSON AND ALLISON HECTOR-ALEXANDER: The two celebrate the opening of The Women’s Centre. Legacy gala a sold-out event By Karen Le Blanc Chronicle staff and local law enforcement, to assist any student who may need help with counselling and support. This is the first time that all of these resources have been available in one area on campus. “We have thousands of women here that have needs, and to be able to focus on them and support them is critical,” said Margaret Greenley, vice-president of Student Affairs. The Women’s Resource Centre also plans to be involved in campaigns that will help raise awareness and money for women’s issues. services offered by the school or the on-site pharmacy; they are free to take advantage of the benefits at any health facility, with any practitioner of their choice. “This is the Cadillac of plans for students,” said Kathryn Bremner, SA services co-ordinator. “For only $36 in additional costs, it’s certainly worth it.” Vision care has also been added to the benefit package at the continued request of students, since the government no longer covers eye exams. One eye examination per 24 months will be fully covered and partial coverage will be offered for lenses, frames and contacts to a maximum of $80. Students are also provided the opportunity for one dental examination, consultation, cleaning and polishing per policy year at no charge. All Durham College and UOIT students are automatically enrolled in the plan, but Trent students must opt in. A co-ordination of benefits is available for those students also covered under alternate plans, enabling them to receive optimum coverage. If you were planning to attend the 2007 Legacy Gala you’re out of luck, it’s sold out. The Moroccan-themed evening will feature exotic attractions including traditional music, belly dancing, fire-eating, sword-swallowing and acrobats. The gala held each September is designed to raise awareness about students’ need for financial assistance, raising funds for the scholarship and bursary program. Dr. Peter Zakarow and his wife Marianne will serve as honorary co-chairs of the evening. The Legacy Gala has proven to be one of the most successful fundraising events, raising more than $1 million to date, with last year’s event netting close to $470,000. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 7 CAMPUS NEWS Mel Garland’s DC legacy Family mourns after the loss of college’s second president to Alzheimer’s By Karen Le Blanc Chronicle staff The Canadian flag flew somberly over the campus at halfmast the first week of September, acknowledging the passing of Melvin Lloyd Garland, Durham College’s second president. Garland, 84, succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in Ancaster on Sept. 3. He served as president from 1980 until his retirement in 1988. The celebrated life Garland led was full and adventuresome by all accounts, and education would prove to be a common thread throughout his life. Jennifer Garland, his daughter, told of his heroic experience during the Second World War, in which he served as a Spitfire pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He was shot down, captured and was missing in action for a period of time before escaping the German troops. Dr. Gary Polonsky, who succeeded Garland as Durham College’s third president, described Garland as a private man of few words who had a fantastic family. “He and Marguerite were married 60 years in March, they had six kids,” said Polonsky. He affirms how happy and tight Garland and his family were. Polonsky recounts his most telling moment with Garland, the first time he met him. He had learned that Garland had been a prisoner of war and asked him, “What was it like?” Garland paused at length and replied, “It was war.” Following the war, the implementation of the Veterans Rehabilitation Act afforded Garland what he had always wanted, an opportunity to attend Queen’s University. There he earned a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering. He went on to Harvard University, obtaining his MEL GARLAND: The president of Durham College from Masters in Business Administra- 1980 to 1988 died Sept. 3 of Alzheimer’s. tion. Throughout Garland’s illustrious career, he held senior posi- to serving on the Windsor Indus- executive director. In this capacity tions, gracing many prominent trial Commission as vice-chair he travelled extensively, leaving boardrooms, including General and the University of Windsor Re- his wife at home to manage their six children. His daughter Jane Electric, Ford, Kimball Systems search Institute as director. In 1974, the Ontario Ministry of Garland attributes his success Ltd., General Bakeries and International Tool Limited, in addition Tourism and Trade appointed him in part to her mother. “He had a Downloadable outlines allow teachers to teach DC/UOIT is saving paper, students told to download By Sean Kent Chronicle Staff As students began classes this year, they noticed that it is now their responsibility to download and print out their course outlines. Charlotte Hale, associate dean for the Schools of Design and Communication Arts at Durham College, says that like downloading timetables and accessing students’ marks, downloading outlines is “part of a greater initiative by the college to make the best and most efficient use of technology as well as being environmentally responsible.” “We were concerned about the students’ personal ability to print course outlines,” said Hale, “but so far it’s been going was successful. Although some students may become frustrated at first, it really doesn’t take much time once they get used to it. “I have no problems downloading the outlines,” says second-year Paralegal/Court Tribunal student Heather O’Reilly. “I think the teachers have more important things to take care of for their students.” O’Reilly said that school is about learning to be responsible and believes this is why students are now being asked to download their outlines. She says that some students don’t bother to do it, but she finds the outlines useful to know Photo by Sean Kent what’s happening in class each week. In case she is absent she’ll CHARLOTTE HALE: Associ- know what readings are expectate dean for Schools of De- ed for classes missed. sign and Communication O’Reilly said for her program it is expected that each student Arts at Durham College. download their outlines. Hale said it’s the same for most prosmoothly.” Hale said that communica- grams. She said the school did ensure tion to students concerning the downloading of outlines began there were some backup outlines early by sending out letters and printed for courses in which stue-mails to students ahead of dents don’t use laptops. “Next year,” said Hale, “it time to make them aware of the change. She said the School of should be easier, since students Justice did a pilot last year, which will be used to it.” rock behind him: my mom.” She reminisces about her childhood, explaining that she was born with a cleft palate, requiring speech therapy lessons that her father faithfully took her to. “Dad spent hours practising exercises with me. He was a very busy man, he always took time,” she recalls. Both Jennifer and Jane clearly said that their father instilled in his children how crucial a good education was. “Education was key. It was imperative we all got a good education,” said Jane. During Garland’s service on the Ontario Chamber of Commerce education committee, the Ontario community college system was established, prompting him to set his sights on becoming a college president, and in 1980 his vision became a reality. Throughout Garland’s eightyear term at the college, he proved to be pivotal in the implementation of the apprenticeship programs, as well as the construction of a new state -of-the-art robotics lab. Jennifer attended Durham College in the Public Relations Program during her father’s presidency, saying that the highlight was, “having my Dad present my diploma to me.” “It was always a dream of his to be a college president; it was fitting that he wrapped up his formal career in that role,” said Jane. “He loved Durham College. He loved what he did.” Library makes changes to accommodate students By Eric Laganis Chronicle Staff When you first returned to school this year, you may have noticed a number of changes around campus, such as the red wall outside the L Wing and the addition of a bookstore to the UA building. You may have also noticed the new gatehouses added to the Simcoe Building and Commencement parking lots. The library has also made changes, though some are not as noticeable. Library staff have been working on a vigourous campaign to enhance their services during the summer in an effort to make it a more enjoyable place for students and staff, said chief librarian Pamela Drayson. For one, the library will be open longer. The new hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday. The library was open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday last year. “We are now open more hours per week than any other college in Ontario,” she said. Changes to the study areas include adding more soundproofing to the group study rooms on the third floor in an effort to make them as quiet as possible for students, Drayson said. Another new feature is that rings have been installed at each seat so students can lock up their laptops and can leave them unattended without the fear of them being stolen. About 100 chairs have also been replaced because they were broken. “Students are staying in the library longer than they used to, so they need more comfortable chairs,” Drayson said. The library is introducing an annual guest lecture. This year’s guest speaker is Bob McDonald, host of the CBC radio show Quirks & Quarks, and the topic is energy consumption. McDonald will be visiting the campus on Oct. 2. Aside from all these new changes, the library is also working hard to continue to fulfill students’ requests for new books. “If there is a book the library doesn’t have, students can make a request and we’ll buy it,” she said. Drayson said the library has added more than 10,000 print books since last year, bringing the total to 80,000. The library has also added 40,000 e-books since they introduced it in May, 2006. In addition to library improvements, the staff is looking at ideas to help improve the campus, she said. For example, in conjunction with the Student Association, they want to come up with ideas to support the new Women’s Centre as well as working with the Student Support Centre on ways to better aid ESL students. 8 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS U-Pass: Save cash Safety procedures and take transit written to help in Jenna-Lee Mainse Chronicle Staff The Universal Transit Pass has undergone some changes this school year to make it more useful and cost-efficient for students. The U-Pass is available to all full-time Durham College and UOIT students. September 2006 was the first year for the UPass after a majority of students voted in favour of the service through a referendum. “We have a transit system that never existed in Durham two years ago,” said Margaret Greenley, vice-president of Student Affairs. Currently, a high number of buses pass through the school daily to transport students from across Durham region. According to the Durham College website, full-time students receive unlimited transportation throughout Durham Region. The U-Pass has advantages to students travelling from outside the region - they can buy GO tickets at a reduced rate. There is also hourly bus service along Highway 407, new heated bus shelters and bus service improvements around Oshawa. Student Association President Fraser McArthur said the U-Pass expiration date has been extended into late May, catering to students who attend longer-running programs on Durham College’s Whitby capus. Each full-time student pays $50 per semester for the service, which is included in tuition fees. While many students who take the bus are happily paying the $100 a year, those who drive cars to school may not be as pleased. “Since it was a general referendum, it was meant to act like a mandatory fee,” said McArthur. Meaning that every full-time student must pay for the service, whether they take the bus or not. Gary Polonsky, the recently retired president of Durham College and UOIT, was still in the position when the U-Pass referendum was passed. “I think that every decision I made, and I made thousands in my 18 years of serving the school, every decision was fabulous for a bunch of students, and not so fabulous for another, and in between for another,” said Polonsky. “That’s the bell curve of life.” Greenley said the students who take the bus daily are experiencing a huge savings compared to what they would be paying without the U-Pass. Students were given the opportunity to vote in favour of, or against, the universal bus pass from Feb. 7-9 last year. Up to 75 per cent of students voted in favour. “This was not originally my idea,” said Polonsky. “It was the students’.” minimizing risk Students are given booklets to aid them in times of need By Brandon Terry Chronicle Staff Emergency situations can happen anytime and anywhere, there’s more to it then stop, drop and roll or remain calm. Now students and faculty can have a better idea of what to do, thanks to the Emergency Procedures and Information Handbook. This is the first year that a booklet has been written on what to do in case of emergencies to help minimize risks to students and faculty. Kim Carr, public safety manager for DC/UOIT, and other safety experts including Durham Regional Police, EMS and fire services, wrote the pamphlet . “This is not something you just write and put on the shelf,” says Carr. The pamphlet is being distributed to all classes to ensure students understand the basic responses to certain threats. Students are advised to keep the pamphlet on hand at all times. If students or faculty do not have the booklet, it can be found on the Durham College website under Emergency Procedures and Information Handbook. The pamphlet has many dos and don’ts in the event of situations like fires, hostage situations and even psychological crisis, which in Carr’s opinion is an emergency situation that is often over-looked. Carr believes that early intervention is the best way to prevent student crisis on campus. The pamphlet helps students learn to observe crisis behaviour before it erupts into an emergency. Drastic changes in behaviour, such as violent writings and conversations involving violence, can be an early warning sign of troubled students. “The school has a team of specialists on staff to handle these things,” says Carr. The school is equipped with emergency counsellors in the health and wellness centre next to the new Lovell Drugs if such needs arise. Instead of sending students home, Carr wants to “get them well and back into class where they belong.” In the event of a hostage situation, an important tip is to try not to use cell phones. Carr advises everyone to turn phones to silent mode and not try to text message, make calls or attempt to take pictures of the active threat. If an emergency was to erupt, the school and police need to use the communication towers to co-ordinate a response. However, if everybody is using their mobile devices, it could slow response times. In the future, Carr plans on having a computer system that allows messages to be transmitted to all desktop and laptop computers throughout the campus simultaneously to help with emergency situations. Also, in the event of a lockdown or hostage situation, if the school has a mobile device number on file, the school will be able to send a text message to the device. That’s why the handbook asks that cell phones be silent so the ringer or alert does not give away the student’s position. Carr urges students and faculty to remain calm and listen to authority figures during threats. Shagwells holds huge promotional BBQ for students By Chris Jones Chronicle Staff Free food and cheap beer. The free food was a barbecue and Shag wells hosted it Sept. 6. “We’re trying to get people to know that we are here,” said Russel Chef, one of the cooks. Shagwells, the bar on top of the Campus Ice Centre that opened halfway through last year, was having a huge promotion to get students to come check out the bar. The barbecue was from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. and as the classic rock blared out of the speakers, students lined up around the patio, sipping their discounted pints of beer and having a good time. Chef and the other cook Gord McCaugherty brought out platter after platter of hot dogs and hamburgers. Many students were there for the free food, but stayed for the atmosphere and the overall look of Shagwells. “We love you guys,” said Chef as he was placing a hot patty on a bun. Students received the notice about the free barbecue on their campus emails and told their friends about the event. “I heard it from a buddy, and all he had to say was free food and I was there,” said Adam Lipchitz, a fifth-year Engineering Management student. “I like the atmosphere here. I’ll have to come back.” The Chronicle September 25, 2007 9 CAMPUS NEWS Business grads going on film Video will use Business grads to recruit new students into program ditional business clothes. It also includes having them Chronicle Staff read the questions beforehand so they can be familiar with the maThe Business program is reach- terial. ing out to future students in a creSome of the questions include: ative way. what aspects of your learning exJackie Bathe, the associate dean perience at Durham College have of Business, is in the process of you found the most beneficial to making a video designed to show your job? future students what kinds of jobs And what kinds of advice they can get when they graduate would you give to students on infrom the program.The video will terviews? outline the careers of eight recent Aside from the CIP, the ComBusiness graduates in an effort to munications and Marketing proshow students the gram is working on success of the pro(A graduation/ putting the video on gram, Bathe said. the Business webThe success vid- recruitment video) site as another way eo will cover all ar- lets people know students can access eas of the program, it, she said. such as Marketing, what they’re getMany students Accounting and In- ting themselves like the concept of formation Systems, a graduation video into she said. for prospective stu“Students come Student Phil Cairns dents. in not knowing “It lets people what the end prodknow what they’re uct will be,” Bathe said. getting themselves into,” said The idea behind interviewing third-year Info Systems student recent graduates is that students Phil Cairns. can relate more to graduates their Brandon Williamson, a secown age than a graduate who is ond-year Mechanical Engineer30, she said. ing Technician student, also likes Along with Justin Christie, the the idea of a graduation video for web specialist for Communica- future students because he says tions and Marketing, Bathe will be a video is more memorable than filming the video Sept. 25 and 26. photos. He would also like to be The target release date is Nov. 1, a part of a video for his program the same date as the College Infor- when he graduates, if he is apmation Program (CIP). proached. The event is where high school “It’s better to be a part of somestudents from around the region thing than not,” he said. come to the campus to learn about Once the video is made, Bathe the various programs, Bathe said. is hoping to have it updated every The video making process will two to three years. have the graduates wear their tra- By Eric Laganis ‘ ’ Unique UOIT program gets accreditation By Samantha Stewart Chronicle Staff Founded in 2002, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) received word this past July that both their Nuclear Engineering program and Manufacturing Engineering program were accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board and the Ontario College of Teachers. The news came after a lengthy process that started back in 2005 when a group from the OCT came to do an on-site review of the programs and the level of education offered at UOIT. After the review, the information collected was sent away to be looked at by the OCT Accreditation Committee. For the next five years the university can prepare teachers for this program. UOIT’s Nuclear Engineering program stands alone as the only accredited program of its kind in all of Canada. The manufacturing Engineering program is the only accredited program in Eastern Canada. Photo by Eric Laganis FILMING FOR THE FUTURE: Jackie Bathe, the associate dean of Business, is in the process of creating a grad video to interview students who have recently graduated and become employed in hopes of informing and recruiting prospective students. College now offering an activities transcript By Sean Kent Chronicle Staff Students can now gain the recognition they deserve for non-academic activities at school. Durham College initiated the Co-Curricular Recognition Program last January. It offers students the chance to obtain a non-academic transcript that outlines leadership skills and different activities they have been involved in while attending college. “It’s a really exciting program and not a lot of schools offer it,” said Lucy Romano Vandepol, FirstYear Experience co-ordinator at Durham College. Vandepol said students are able to gain access through My Campus, where they can update their profile based on what they have done throughout the school year. Activities submitted to the program must focus on the enhancement of student life or the image of the institution, engage students in student life or provide a service to other students that would not otherwise exist, be associated with a Student Association ratified club, college department, school or service. Students must participate in at least 75 per cent of the meetings, events, training or games as pre-determined by the staff coordinator, they must be an active member of a non-academic group that meets at least four times during an academic term. The activities must also not receive academic recognition, such as co-op or internship. “All activities,” says Vandepol, “are validated, which makes them a bit more official and employees can gain access to them.” There are also leadership points, which students can gain in the program to make them eligible for different awards. The highest award is te Founder’s Cup. Winners of this award will have their name added to the Founder’s Cup, which is permanently displayed at the college. They will also be presented with a replica of the cup, an honouraria and will receive acknowledgement of the award on their co-curriculum record. To gain points students must play a leadership role in the activity and must have contributed a certain number of hours each semester per activity. Students can gain up to four points per activity. One point is awarded after 10 hours is spent during a semester.Students who are eligible for four points must spend 150 hours with their activity during the school year. They must also be elected by students to represent the institution or group of students with which they are involved, offer a significant contribution to the improvement of the campus environment or institution reputation, spread information throughout the entire student body, co-ordinate, chair and attend regular meetings, plan events on campus for students in order to increase student involvement and must have a minimum commitment of two semesters for their activity. Based on the number of points each student has gained they will be eligible for the awards. The students with the highest points will win the highest award. 10 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 11 CAMPUS NEWS Capturing the moment in time Student opens business By Brandon Terry Chronicle Staff With a Canon in her left hand and coffee in the right, Kristina Mogensen stands ready to shoot the day, and capture what she was hired to do, the moment. Mogensen began her photo journey at Sinclair Secondary School where she first picked up a camera. The moment the shutter closed and the quiet click came from the camera, stealing a moment from time, she was hooked.In January of 2006 Mogensen enrolled in a night school photography class at Durham College. Every Tuesday night for three hours, she learned the principles and elements of photography. She also is currently enrolled in second-year Advertising at Durham College. With combined knowledge from Durham’s photography and advertising courses Mogensen opened her own photography business, Timeless Photography, with her partner Jackie Wilford Photo by Brandon Terry SAY CHEESE: Photographer Kristina Mogensen talks about her love of photography, her business and her schooling. from Sheridan College in June 2006. They were able to get their busi- ness off the ground with the assistance of Summer Company, an organization run by the Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship that awards grants to young entrepreneurs. First-year students talk about their views on starting college By Jaspinder K Jassal Chronicle Staff Adapting to a different lifestyle can be extremely hard for some, but full of fun for others, especially first-year students. Most first year college and university students are full of energy, whether it was getting drunk during Frosh week or out partying until 3 in the morning. But when it comes to the first day of school many are confused, lost and completely stressed. Many of the first-year students attending DC/UOIT are fresh out of high school, and for them coming to a bigger place can be a complete shock, especially when they are used to having all their classes located in the same corridor. A question asked to select firstyear students; what was the biggest change you faced? “Being more organized,” said Joselyn McFadden, A ECE student at DC. “ Getting used to longer breaks,” added Katrina Brennan, also an ECE student at DC. Many students had the same insights when it came to the changes they were facing. Compared to high school, colleges and universities have longer classes that are split into lectures and tutorials. Within the day students can have up to three hours of spares between classes. Although most first years find it easy to get around the campus, some find it hard to understand the different buildings. “It is difficult finding your way around campus when everything is so spread out For Example, you have A wing, then B wing is in a whole different direction,” says Kirk Plummer, a student in Law and Security. “ I agree it’s really confusing,” adds Eric Fullerton, also taking Law and Security. Students were asked what they most enjoyed about their first week at school. Many responded by adding that the orientation was one of the most enjoyable experiences. Even though they found it enjoyable, some students felt staff could have added more information to make it even better. “They should add more activities, and have even more people to have our questions answered,” said Maeghan Whitlock, a Business Admin student at DC. A lot of students had trouble understanding Mycampus, and felt that they should be given more information on how to use it. “Our course isn’t laptop-based, Mogensen’s first paying customer was a student she attended Sinclair with. She was hired to take professional head shots so her client could have updated photos of herself for family and friends. Timeless Photography doesn’t shy away from a challenge. They do weddings, personal shots, family portraits and any other special occasion. “The first year is basically grundge work, where you will get doors slammed in your face,” says Mogensen. “ But this is just for fun and a little pocket money.” Her primary concern is making her clients happy. “It’s about making a picture, not just taking a picture,” she said, so she encourages clients to view her on-line portfolio at kristinamogensen.smugmug.com to see how flexible and customized their pictures can be. Business is picking up for Mogensen. Calls from families for seasonal cards are becoming more frequent and with holidays such as Halloween and Christmas around the corner her life will only become more hectic. Small businesses have also been speaking with Timeless Photography to jazz up some merchandise for online photos. Mogensen will continue to learn as many different techniques as she can until her business has a solid reputation at the top of the business food chain. SPC offers students discounts and more By Jenna-Lee Mainse Chronicle Staff Photo by Jaspinder K Jassal NEW FACES: First-year Nursing students Nicole Poirier and Christine Tulloch spend some time in the computer commons. so I think that there should be a session within our orientations to better understand my campus,” added McFadden. Just show your Student Price Card to the cashier at a clothing store, restaurant or hotel receive significant savings to help with your already tight budgets. The SPC Card entitles students to discounts and special offers at thousands of retail, food, travel and hospitality venues across Canada. The card, which costs $8, can be purchased online or at stores such as Bentley, Campus Crew, Foot Locker and Jean Machine. According to the SPC website, some benefits to the card include: 25 per cent off bus trips with Greyhound, $2 off a medium pizza from Pizza Pizza, 10 per cent off Guess retailers and much more. To order and obtain more information on the SPC Card and participating retailers, visit www.spccard.ca. 12 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Photo by Greg Snow READY TO SERVE: Jeff Foxall, the manager of the new food service at the Student Centre, waits for students to place orders. The food service now offers a wide variety of food, from pizza and burgers to more healthy choices of wraps and salads. All food is reasonably priced. Place order here: SA now offers food By Greg Snow Chronicle Staff When you enter the door, music assaults your ears and the smell of delicious food hits you in the face. Welcome to the Student Centre. Will Ellis is the Student Centre manager and is looking forward to what is being offered at the centre this year. “Our goal is to support all student academics with social and affordable programs to help them relax and enjoy campus life,” he said. The centre has a lot to offer. It is home to many services that are geared to students’ needs. On the first floor, E.P. Taylor’s pub hosts a wide variety of events including poker nights, pub nights, live shows and special events. Also on the first floor is the food service, which was previously run by Chartwells but is now being run by the student centre. “I am excited about the new food service located here. I believe it caters to all students needs with a wide variety of food for everyone,” Ellis said. Students who get the munchies well past closing time for other food services on campus can head to the student centre because it is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., which is longer than other food services on campus, offering new and healthy choices with less of a time constraint. “Being that the food service is new not only for the Student Centre but for the students, we are currently working on pricing and are open for suggestions regarding the menu,” said Ellis. Currently the menu consists of items such as wraps, pizza, fries, wings, poutine and burgers both meat and veggie. On the second floor there is the Tuck Shop, which acts as a convenience store selling a variety of snacks as well as GO service passes and used books. Students can also sign out free video game systems to be played on one of the three big-screen televisions located just outside the tuck shop. While passing time between classes, students can play pool, foosball, video games and watch television. There’s also a quiet lounge for students who are looking for time to study or hold meetings. For those who need the services of a print shop, the Artist Den owned and operated by Robert Pellegrino is available for all printing needs. “We do all kinds of printing; black and white, colour, business cards, banners as well as large format printing,” said Pellegrino. He is also available for special appointments if students cannot get in during office hours. An important area of the Student Centre is the Student Association office. Naheed Dosani is the vice-president, Internal and Operations. “Students should know we are here for them. It is not our money we are dealing with, it is theirs and we are not the Student Association we are your Student Association,” Dosani said. The SA acts as the voice of the students, fighting for tuition freezes and currently using their voice to fight against the recent housing by-law facing students. “Most people don’t understand that we are a $1.2 million corporation and we represent our students the best we can,” Dosani said. For those wishing to get involved with the SA there are options. Elections are quickly approaching and will take place on Sept. 26 to the 28, allowing students to have a say in who is representing them. You can also start or join one of the many Student Association clubs on campus. “We have over 60 clubs currently ongoing. It’s probably the best way to get involved with us,” Dosani said. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 13 CAMPUS NEWS Library changes for the better New hours, seats and books equal better quality for students By Eric Laganis Chronicle Staff When you first returned to school this year, you may have noticed a number of changes around campus, such as the red wall outside the L Wing and the addition of a bookstore to the UA building. You may have also noticed the new gatehouses added to the Simcoe Building and Commencement parking lots. The library has also made changes, though some are not as noticeable. Library staff have been working on a vigourous campaign to enhance their services during the summer in an effort to make it a more enjoyable place for students and staff, said chief librarian Pamela Drayson. For one, the library will be open longer. The new hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday. The library was open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday last Photo by Eric Laganis READ A BOOK WHY DON’T YOU: Pamela Drayson, the chief librarian, says the library is open more hours per week than any other college in Ontario. year. “We are now open more hours per week than any other college in Ontario,” she said. Changes to the study areas include adding more soundproofing to the group study rooms on the third floor in an effort to make them as quiet as possible for stu- dents, Drayson said. Another new feature is that rings have been installed at each seat so students can lock up their laptops and can leave them unattended without the fear of them being stolen. About 100 chairs have also been replaced because they were broken. “Students are staying in the library longer than they used to, so they need more comfortable chairs,” Drayson said. The library is introducing an annual guest lecture. This year’s guest speaker is Bob McDonald, host of the CBC radio show Quirks Enrolment rate soaring By Mark Milner Chronicle News Enrolment at Durham College and UOIT has increased for the 2007-08 semester, surpassing the goals set by both schools. Durham College’s enrolment has increased to just over 6,300 students, said Paul Bishop, registrar for Durham College, an increase of six per cent over last year. “We’re exceeding our goals,” said Bishop. “We’re very pleased with the numbers.” For a school of Durham’s size, the enrolment increase is above average. In fact, Durham’s enrolment rate is about five per cent higher than that of similar sized schools. However, UOIT’s enrolment increase is much larger. This fall, the university’s population increased by almost 1,000 full-time students and now exceeds 5,000, putting it in the same class as Trent and Lakehead. “It’s a planned rise,” said UOIT associate registrar Leslie Becskei, “so we’re not totally unprepared.” He added that the recent certification of the university’s Nuclear Engineering program has been a factor in the rise of enrolment as well. Durham’s growth is not confined to any one school within the college. “It’s pretty evenly distributed & Quarks, and the topic is energy consumption. McDonald will be visiting the campus on Oct. 2. Aside from all these new changes, the library is also working hard to continue to fulfill students’ requests for new books. “If there is a book the library doesn’t have, students can make a request and we’ll buy it,” she said. Drayson said the library has added more than 10,000 print books since last year, bringing the total to 80,000. The library has also added 40,000 e-books since they introduced it in May, 2006. In addition to library improvements, the staff is looking at ideas to help improve the campus, she said. For example, in conjunctionwith the Student Association, they want to come up with ideas to support the new Women’s Centre as well as working with the Student Support Centre on ways to better aid ESL students. The goal of all these changes at the library is to try to accommodate the needs of students, Drayson said. Tyncel Hasan, a first-year Graphics student, said the changes would encourage her to use the library more because it’s a good place for students to study since there are many things happening on campus and it’s easy to get distracted. For more information on the library and the changes they are going through, visit their website at www.durhamcollege.ca/EN/library/library.php. Fourth annual Go Abroad Fair a success By Samantha Stewart Chronicle Staff Photo by Mark Milner THE KING REGISTRAR: Leslie Becskei is the associate registrar for UOIT. He says the rise in enrolment does not come as a shocker. across the schools,” said Bishop. While some programs, such as Water Quality Technician and Environmental Sciences, are more popular than others, Bishop added, “generally speaking, we’re pretty consistent across the board”. The growth is mostly even across all faculties. While such programs as Nursing and Business have seen gains this year, all of the university’s programs remain pop- ular. Unlike the college, enrolment at UOIT is coming in two ways, from both new students and an expanded graduate program. This fall, the university has more than doubled its number of graduate students. Most new students are not travelling far to attend Durham. “We actually have a large portion of our students come from the Durham Region,” said Bishop. The university’s range is a bit wider, but most come from Durham Region and the eastern GTA. The increased numbers should not have any effect on program content, said Bishop. “Everything was healthy enough that we were able to continue,” he said. The university is the same way. “We can’t get too large,” said Becskei. The fourth annual Go Abroad fair was held Sept. 15 and 16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Hundreds attended the event hoping to learn about the opportunities open to them if they want go abroad. With 95 exhibitors this year, a number that has grown over the past four years, students have many advantages. There were seminars detailing what to expect when students are travelling abroad, including a special seminar from JeanMarc Hachey, the author of The Big Guide To Living And Working Overseas. The fair held a photo exhibit, showcasing pictures taken by students who have travelled or worked abroad over the past year. 14 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Gaming: are you obsessed? By Heather Abrey Chronicle Staff Lots of students pass their free time playing an assortment of video and online games, and sure, some of them play a lot, but can such behaviour really be classified as an addiction? Many American doctors and researchers are at odds as to whether obsessive gaming behaviour can be classified as an addiction or merely a habit. According to an American Medical Association (AMA) report, 90 per cent of American young people play some variety of video game, and up to 15 per cent show some sign of addiction. Many doctors, such as Dr. Louis Kraus of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, agree that while many kids show signs of obsessive video game use, this could be a symptom of something larger, such as depression or social anxiety, rather than an addiction in itself. The AMA attempted to get the habit classified as an addiction to raise awareness and potentially have treatment covered by insurance plans, but backed off, saying in a report, “… there is currently insufficient research to definitively conclude that video game overuse is an addiction.” It’s true that such games, particularly online games, can be se- Heather Abrey ductive and a search on YouTube can come up with several videos of people documenting the deletion of their gaming accounts in hopes of quitting their habit, as well as other videos expanding on game addiction. There is nothing particularly wrong with gaming itself, but it has the potential to spiral out of control for many who may have underlying issues. The AMA reports that, “…current data suggests (those most susceptible to heavy gaming) are somewhat marginalized socially, perhaps experiencing high levels of emotional loneliness and/or difficulty with real life social interactions.” This combination is when gaming can get out of control, becoming an issue when it interferes with one’s life. Parents who are concerned by excessive gaming in their children should have them checked for things such as depression, a root cause of this problem, rather than blaming only the games themselves. Of course, the format of such games doesn’t help matters. Many are set up in a fashion that it takes long stretches of continuous play to achieve a goal in a game that really has no end. Gaming in moderation is a pastime no different than watching television, but gaming obsessively is a serious problem. Whether or not it is a true addiction, awareness should be raised. Everything in moderation. ‘Invincible’ skater dies New Durham after being hit by truck public alerting Skater system created missed by friends and family By Chris Jones Chronicle Staff Bowmanville lost an inspirational skateboarder after he was struck by a transport truck while walking home on the 401 from a party Aug. 19. He was 23. Rob Piontek, who was recently added to the first Adidas skate team for Canada, was known around Bowmanville for his ability to skate and his positive attitude. “He had a positive way of skating,” said Chris Kerr, a fellow skater and good friend of Piontek. “Whenever he bailed (fell off his skateboard) he wouldn’t freak out. He would shake his head, laugh, go over to the side pull his hoody over his head and smoke a cigarette.” Piontek has been skating since the age of 10. “He was an interesting individual growing up,” said Kara Atkinson one of his aunts. “Rob’s ability to skate was a gift, not a talent.” At his memorial, Aug. 24 at the Clarington Older Adults Centre in Bowmanville, many gathered to pay tribute to the lost skater. “I didn’t know my son was this special, I’m surprised about the (number) of people who showed up,” said Kim Piontek. Many of Piontek’s good friends were trying to hold everything in, especially his good buddy Samuel James. James and Piontek have been friends for 12 years, and they’ve skated ever since, including skating in Spain. “Rob could skate anywhere. He used to do stuff I had no nerve to try,” said James. “I’ll have many memories of Rob, all good ones too.” James wasn’t at the party Piontek was at before he died, but Outdoors we will have sirens, and indoors, residents will be Chronicle Staff given a tone alert radio that will alert them,” Reidt explained. A new public alerting system Also, those with hearing disis being installed to warn citi- abilities will be provided with a zens in the unlikely event that special tone alert radio that is an emergency should occur at equipped with a strobe light. either the Darlington or PickerThese devices will be given to ing nuclear generating station. residents within the three- kiloThe new system is currently metre zone free of charge. installed and will hopefully be So, what actions should be operational by the end of the taken if the need arises? year. If the public alerting system It consists of 18 sirens, 14 in is activated it will be done by orClarington and 4 in Pickering der of the province and switched that when be triggered must on by the Durham Regional Powarn practically lice Service. 100 per cent Residents are We have good encouraged of those in the not three-kilometre reliable technolo- to panic, but to contiguous zone gy backed up by a go immediately of the plants inside and switch within 15 min- good public com- on their televiutes. munication plan. sion or radio for Gordon Reidt, appropriate inforemergency manmation from the agement co-orGordon Reidt province on what dinator for Durto do. ham Region, is proud of the new In case of a power failure system. people will still be notified. The “We have good reliable tech- sirens are equipped with a batnology backed up by a good tery pack as well as solar panels, public communication plan,” making the new alert system said Reidt. not only efficient but also enviCurrently residents of the ronmentally friendly. area are warned by telephone, Since Ontario Power Genbut that was inefficient and eration operates the Darlington does not meet the provincial and Pickering plants, they will standard. be picking up the bill for the serThe sirens themselves will vice. be mounted on poles approxiThe new alerting system mately 50 feet in the air. They could also be accessible for will be loud enough to be heard, other emergencies should they but not so loud that any damage happen. Also, the sirens are cato hearing will occur. pable of delivering voice comThe siren locations were de- mands. termined once information on “The sirens have voice capapopulation density, land use, bility but that may be something terrain, background noise and we can look at in the future,” acoustic surveys was gathered. Reidt said. Based on that information, “Hopefully, the new public appropriate locations were cho- alerting system will be up and sen. running as soon as possible and “There is an indoor and out- providing residents in the area door system being put in place. with a safe and reliable system.” By Greg Snow ‘ ’ DAREDEVIL: Friends and family of skater Rob Piontek say he was a postive and gifted skater. Piontek passed away Aug. 19 after being struck by a transport truck. he wishes he had been. “I could’ve made a difference,” he said. His sister, Rachel was devastated as well about the death of Piontek. “He was someone to look up to. He was the kind of guy that whenever he skated or did anything, everyone would watch,” she said. “He was invincible. You wouldn’t think anything would happen to him.” Instead of flowers, Piontek’s family started up a charity called the Rob Piontek Skate Memorial Fund. Donations can be sent to the Piontek family, the Morris Funeral Chapel located at 4 Division St. in Bowmanville, or dropped off at the Alcatraz skate shops located on 15 King St. E in Bowmanville and on 22 Stevenson Rd. S in Oshawa. The money will be used for two things, the Rob Piontek Send a Kid to Skateboard Camp program and to fund skate parks in Durham Region. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 15 CAMPUS NEWS Rez is secure: Management By Mark Milner Chronicle Staff Despite the recent attacks at York University’s dorms, most students at Durham College and UOIT’s residence feel safe. “I think security’s pretty good,” said UOIT student Adam Drysdale. “They sign everyone in and they take your licence.” However, there is a plan in place, says South Village manager Chris Haze, to help prevent anything happening. To keep intruders out of the residence, all students entering either have to show their room card or have someone with a card sign them in. “There are two types of key cards,” says Haze, “one for each residence.” This way, security staff can immediately tell if a student is trying to sneak in. Should any doubts arise, staff can swipe the stu- dents card, thus getting their name and room number, and ask to see additional ID. There are also the many security devices in the building itself. The building has cameras that cover all the floors. The main door to get into the residence from the lobby requires a valid key card to open, and each room is equipped with a door that automatically locks when closed. Additionally, if a student feels that there is a problem, they can report it to the front desk or to the security guards from their room. However, despite all of these precautions, altercations can still happen. “From time to time students try to circumvent the policy,” said Haze. When a resident is caught, there are escalating forms of punishment, ranging from losing guest sign-in privileges to having a behavioural contract to eviction from the residence. “We never want to evict students,” said Haze, “but we have to follow the procedures.” However, some students feel that more could done with the residence security. “We could have a monitor,” said UOIT student Nick Soldera, “one person, who’s always circling the floors, making sure everything’s fine.” Another measure of security is two resident advisers (RAs) who patrol the hall from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. If they see anything suspicious, they’re trained to approach the person and to make a note of it in their log. And should any incident arise, they are equipped with walkie-talkies to contact the front desk, where they can call for security. One student feels that there’s too much security in the residence already. “I don’t think that cops should walk around,” said UOIT student Jeff Munro. “I think the RAs do a good enough job of keeping the place under control… I don’t think it needs to be improved.” “Security was good for the first two weeks,” said Durham student Nicki Lamont. “They used to be here 24/7, sitting at the front, asking for people’s IDs.” “Our job is to keep the students in residence safe,” said Anna Taylor, an RA for the South Village residence. While there haven’t been any problems so far this year, it could happen, she said, adding that the visible security system would act as a deterrent. “We’re just here to advise,” says resident academic leader Satwant Sidhu about her role and that of the RAs (they’re trained together over the summer). How to make your dorm fabulous Decorating made easy by designer By Allison Bryan Chronicle Staff The dorm rooms are small, the spaces are tight and yet you have to share it with one other person. What to do? Perhaps the wisdom of an interior decorator is what you need. Inspired by colours, fabric, good design and swanky furnishing, freelance interior decorator Sharon Grey teaches how to decorate a dorm on a shoe-string budget. Enjoying a décor that is a mixture of contemporary, traditional and a hint of neo-classics, Grey wants to get the point across on how to de-clutter. “Each roommate should have a basket to put everyday stuff in, like books, binders and keys. If possible, keep baskets under beds, if not, the foot of the bed is just fine. Make an effort to put away clothes and dump trash like pizza boxes. If you clear the clutter, the space automatically is maximized.” Living in a dorm while decorating does not have to be expensive. Shopping at hip, yet inexpensive stores, such as Ikea, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Canadian Tire and thrift stores is manageable on a student budget. No room is too small, Grey says. “When decorating a small space, keep in mind that mirrors give the illusion of a bigger space. Also, it would be best to have a monochromatic room, preferably in a muted colour.” Grey, whose credits include cleaning and decorating homes before they go on the market, enjoys talking decorating styles with young people. She says a key element in decorating is to add pieces you can take with you to your first grown-up apartment upon gradu- ation. Always remember to compromise styles if you’re sharing with a roommate. Find that common ground, regardless of what it is, whether it be a band, colour, or a particular ethnic flare, and make them the focal point of the room. If the dorm allows you to paint, then paint! Paint is essential. Grey concurs that paint is the cheapest decorating item. Along with paint, Grey says don’t forget about social aspects of dorm living. “Invest in a good love seat, or comfortable chair. Always remember you can get slightly damaged pieces, or if you are not the damaged goods type, you may resort to a floor model piece of furniture.” Most importantly, don’t forget your roots. If your interest is in an- imation, Bon Jovi or travelling, put up significant memoirs to remind you of who you are and where you are from. If you’re the type who loves a well-made bed, then fill your bed with comforters, shams and pillows. One last tip: Grey says is less is more. Do not become too loud with your styles for a small dorm room. “In order to create an environment for studying, colours that are calming are best used. Loud colours will make the statement: this is a party room.” With these tips it’s easier to make your home away from home, homey. Take pride in where you live. Decorate, decorate, decorate! UOIT holds child porn conference By Jennifer Hopf Chronicle Staff As part of a global endeavour against Internet trading of child pornography,representatives from a number of organizations assembled for a series of meetings on the UOIT campus in late August. Chilean law enforcement officials were among those in attendance at the conference, sponsored by the Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance, to discuss initiatives for abolishing the sexual exploitation of children online with officers from the National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre. “UOIT is extremely pleased to be wel- coming the Chilean delegation as it is providing everyone involved with an important opportunity to share information and collaborate about this most critical and important battle,” said Paul Gillespie, cybercrime director of UOIT and vice-chair of KINSA, in a recent news release. The goal of the meetings was to inform Chilean officials of innovative investigative methods. This included a demonstration of the Child Exploitation Tracking System, a software program used by law enforcers in several countries, at UOIT’s Hacker Research Lab. Topics included the interviewsing children, image analysis and legal issues. Durham College Fall Convocation Class of 2007 16 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Photo by Andrew Dalrymple FUN WITH TOYS: Displays inside the sexpert office, located in room G1035, which is in the first floor of the new athletic complex. Sexpert office ready to help By Andrew Dalrymple Chronicle Staff The Sexual Health Resource Centre is looking for Sexperts. The centre provides information and awareness about safer sex, healthy relationships, sexually transmitted infections and other sexually related topics. A second-year student-run service, being a Sexpert also offers benefits such as training and experience in sexual health and education, a co-curricular credit and a great amount of social experience. “Anyone can be a Sexpert,” says Sexpert Jessica Hause. “Just pick up an application and apply. You also have to write a one- to twopage paper on why you want to be a Sexpert.” After the application process, if the centre is interested, they will request an interview. Work hours are reasonable for students – two hours a week in the office and four hours a month outside the office. Located in room G1035, the resource centre offers all contact information and referrals for such specialized areas as abortion, adoption, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection testing. “It’s more convenient and much easier for students to get research here (Durham College/UOIT). It’s more accessible for students on campus,” says Hause. The centre also sells sex products such as lubricants, male and female condoms, pregnancy tests and spermicidal sponges. Along with condoms and lubricants, the centre also sells sex toys, some with names like Tush Toy, Tickle Me Dolphin and the Rabbit. “All of our products are ordered and purchased at cost price from the manufacturer,” says secondyear Sexpert Sayeida Jaweriye. If you’re interested in being a Sexpert, pick up an application form at the Campus Health Centre between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Completed forms should be dropped off at the Sexual Health Resource Centre office no later than September 21. Any questions or concerns, visit the SHRC website at SHRC@ dc-uoit.ca or call ext. 2854. Part-time job fair gets students hired By Courtney Born Chronicle Staff It’s that time of year, beginning a new lifestyle full of books, lectures, new friends… and collecting receipts from the bank machine that read Insufficient Funds. In need of some extra cash or learning new job skills students across campus came to see what employment opportunities were awaiting them at this years job fair. Hired Career Services annual part time job fair in the University’s Science building, a great opportunity for students to learn teamwork and customer service skills while earning a few extra bucks between classes. Helping students living on and off campus find employment, Hired Career Services decided to bring the employers to the students for the third year. With over a dozen organizations, students are given the opportunity to talk one on one with potential employers and fill out applications. College and university students took their time exploring the booths and carefully filling out applications throughout the day. Hired Career Services, the co-ordinator for the event, has provided students, graduates, employers and faculty with job search and career development services for over three years. Putting on four career and education fairs a year gives students multiple opportunities to find that perfect career choice. “The turnout this year is better than it has ever been,” said Angie Paisley, from Hired Career Services. “It’s not limited to just first-years; the fair is open for all students who are looking to earn some extra cash.” Some companies were hiring for either seasonal work or jobs with very few hours. This made the job search a little harder for students who were looking for more hours. However, most employers are managing to work around busy class schedules. Hiring anywhere from six to 100 students, each company had something different to offer stu- dents interested in a part-time job. “We are looking for students with strong customer service and team management skills,” said Karli Coulter, a representative of Rona Home and Garden centre. “It is … important that an employee can work independently just as well as they do in a group situation.” Strong leadership skills, enthusiasm and an energetic personality are also listed in the top five skills employers were looking for. Some students didn’t seem to find what they were looking for at this year’s job fair. Not enough retail jobs or co-op opportunities seemed to be the main concern from students. “I was expecting a lot more in- ternship opportunities, or at least more local jobs,” said Justyna Przboroswka , a second-year Paralegal student at Durham College. A job fair puts you in a comfort zone of knowing there are career opportunities available and Hired Career Services are trying to help you get them. However, some students felt that the main objective was not present. With a lack of jobs located directly in Oshawa, students were not able to rely on unpredictable bus schedules to get from work and back. Overall, this year’s job fair seemed to be a success, with many students filling out handfuls of applications, hoping to hear back from potential employers. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 18 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 20 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 To advertise in the Durham College Chronicle contact 905 721 3069 or Dawn.Salter@ durhamcollege.ca The Chronicle September 25, 2007 21 CAMPUS NEWS A day in the life of a president By Amy England Chronicle Staff He looked at home in his office, dressed in a corduroy black blazer, t-shirt, and jeans. Casual and comfortable, Fraser McArthur makes the job of Student Association president look effortless. With the sound of his BlackBerry buzzing, and the phone ringing, he seemed relaxed among the chaos. His political involvement began in 2004 when he was the SA UOIT Vice- President. Later he served as a representative on the UOIT Board of Governors. Eric Dillane, VP of campus life, who became friends with McArthur during the summer working on campus said, “He is a nerd in president’s clothing.” Now as president of SA, McArthur has plans to improve areas in services and communications. One of these improvements is the new Women’s Centre that opened on Sept 14. Also, the SA Photo by Amy England has added new sports to the intramural program. Another focus McArthur DON’T CALL HIM JOHN: Looking dapper in his blazer, Fraser has big plans for the wants to build on this year is the Student Association and wants to reach out to students all across the campus. use of Facebook as a tool to reach more students. One of the groups He joked about how people try the East Coast and in the Atlantic the SA set up is called Your Stu- students, he said. Born in Tennessee, his given and call him John, but he never Provinces. The sound of his voice dent Association-Durahm College, UOIT & Trent in Oshawa. name was John Alexander Fraser responds, remembering the first does not give that fact away, but The group already has over 1,000 McArthur. Three days after he was day of Grade 9 when he didn’t an- the words of car and bar bring out members since it started at the born his mother’s maiden name, swer his name when attendance the Newfoundlander accent. He moved to Ajax in the last beginning of September, and is a Fraser, became the name that was called. Most of his life was spent on two years of high school and he great method to connect to more everyone knows him by today. planned to go to school in the states, after he graduated. But his plans changed and McArthur’s life on campus began with a last minute decision not to return to Tennessee for school. “When I came back here to pack up my stuff, I woke up one morning and said I have to go to school here. I don’t want to go to the ‘ He (Fraser) is a nerd in president’s clothing. Eric Dillane ’ states,” said McArthur. McArthur, who is taking chemistry at UOIT, has plans to one day work on the business side of pharmaceuticals. Until then his days will be filled with long hours and the commitment of being the SA president. It is a fine dance to balance his personal life and SA commitments. “I am not afraid to turn off the BlackBerry,” he said. “I really like the position, it’s frustrating sometimes, but it is definitely worth it,” he added. And with that the momentary silence in his office was filled once again with the buzzing of his BlackBerry filling up with emails. And the ringing sound of a phone that needed to be answered. An extravagant time on campus By Amy England Chronicle Staff Photos by Amy England and Alistair Lowe FUN ALL AROUND: SA president Fraser McArthur dethrones Evan MullerCheng while playing Get ‘Em Off.(Above) Evan Muller-Cheng, (right) former SA president smacked down face first into the mats. Leslie Lewis, a first-year Paralegal student, ate a hamburger while Sherman watched. (Far right) Orientation week kicked off with an exciting event filled with concerts, food and games. The Campus Extravaganza was a major hit for new students, offering a fun and eventful day on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Students could walk around the grounds by the university and take advantage of free food, including burgers, hotdogs, pizza and drinks. And students filled the lines up. The event, hosted by Student Life, offered things like Sumo wrestling, and a large venue of clubs and services to help students get to know what is offered on campus. It also featured a booth that promoted the new Women’s Centre that opened on Sept.14. There were tons of buttons and free pamphlets that students could take home. Students who might have missed this event can visit the SA website for more details about all the clubs that are offered on campus. “It was good, I found out everything I needed to know about campus, and with the information stands. Plus I got free stuff,” said Anna Iwinski, a first-year dental assistant student. “In order to benefit in the full experience of coming to school, it isn’t just about academics. You need a lot more to enjoy yourself” said Fraser McArthur, Student Association president. “It’s very important to get out and see what is offered.” McArthur took his own advice and played a game of “Get’em off ” with former SA president Evan Muller-Cheng. In a heated fight, Muller-Cheng was knocked off his podium, face first into the air-filled cushions that surrounded them. The final band of the day, MicLordz and Sauce Funky, played a few tunes. Their unique sound brought together elements of funk, hip-hop and added a nice soundtrack to end the day’s events. 22 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Oshawa Centre gets new look and new stores By Emily Palonen Chronicle Staff Good news for mall rats, shopaholics, sports fans and yoga gurus: The Oshawa Centre is currently undergoing several renovation projects to revamp the shopping mall, with fresh new stores including a brand new Sport Chek and lululemon athletica. “There are a lot of exciting things happening,” said Bri-Ann Stuart, the marketing director of the Oshawa Centre. “We’re updating our retail mix to serve all of our customers better.” Town Shoes, Dynamite and Yves Rocher are among the new concept stores that Stuart lists as the latest additions to the OC. Shoppers can also expect to see two new escalators installed at the south end by the Bay. First built in 1956 in the heart of one of the fastest growing regions in Canada, the Oshawa Centre has proved to be one of the nation’s top sales performers, with 11 million annual shoppers, according to Ivanhoe Cambridge, the managing company of the Oshawa Centre. The reopening of Sport Chek in its new location below the food court is the biggest renovation project being taken on at the Oshawa Centre. John Taylor, the hard goods department manager of Sport Chek, said the new store location is going to be much larger, 20,000 sq. ft. larger, to be exact. The size will increase to 43,000 sq. ft. from 23,000. “We are going to have all new display boxes,” said Taylor, who described the new store as, “brighter, with more product and bigger.” With the updated concept and new location, Taylor said customers can expect their future shopping experience at Sport Chek to be a good one. “They’re going to see more choices in each department… more brands that our high end stores carry,” said Taylor. The current location is scheduled to close the first week of December, as the goal for the new location opening is Dec.12. This date has been pushed back from mid-November due to the construction process. As for the vacant space that will By Alistair Lowe Chronicle Staff Police were in the zone throughout Durham Region during the first week of school, issuing 1,091 tickets. Officers from the Durham Regional Police Service conducted a safety and speeding blitz called “In the Zone,” between Tuesday, Sept. 4 and Friday, Sept. 7. The targets of the one-week safety initiative were dangerous and aggressive drivers in or near school zones. Police issued 796 tickets for speeding, 80 for disobeying or not stopping at stop signs, eight for aggressive driving, six for driving while unlicensed, 15 for driving under suspension, and 65 for other document-related offences. One driver was arrested and charged with impaired driving and exceeding the bloodalcohol level of .08. Photo by Emily Palonen NEW LOOK: Sara Lack and friend stand in front of the Oshawa Centre. Both girls are ecstatic about the changes the mall is undergoing. be left over, firm plans have not yet been made. However, Dollarama, Tonic Salon spa and Okaïdi, a youth clothing store, have been confirmed as additions to the Oshawa Centre to be expected soon. Sara Lack, a second-year Busi- ness Administration student at Durham College and an employee at Jacob Boutique in the Oshawa Centre, is excited about the mall renovations. “All of the new stores will attract new customers to the entire mall,” said Lack. “It will be good for busi- ness for all stores.” Lack is mostly looking forward to lululemon athletica, set to open in early November. However, if she had things her way, Urban Behavior would reopen. It closed down this past year and was replaced with Costa Blanca. Making our streets safer By Jenn Reid Chronicle Staff Durham Region has launched a child pedestrian safety campaign, just in time for back-toschool. “Kill The Speed – Not A Child” is focused on encouraging parents to teach their children the importance of road safety, as well Police target speeders as kids return to school as increasing public awareness. Safe Kids Canada reports that an average of 80 child pedestrians are involved in a motor vehicle collision every week in Canada. Ten will sustain major injuries and one will die. Children don’t develop the ability to judge safe or unsafe traffic situations until somewhere between age eight and nine. Until that time, they can’t pro- cess multiple pieces of information, such as how fast a car is going or whether the driver can see them properly in the rain. “They just assume drivers will stop,” Lynne Gray, a public health nurse with the Health Department, said in a press release. It is important for drivers to use caution at all times, especially when driving by schools and parks. Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit organization for the prevention of child injury, reports that two thirds of drivers will speed in school zones during the 30 minute period before and after school. Unintentional injuries, such as those caused during vehicle accidents, are the leading cause of death and disability for children in Canada. Highway named for fallen soldiers By Katie Strachan Chronicle Staff Due to an online petition for a 172-km stretch along highway 401, signs reading Highway of Heroes can be seen to commemorate the bravery and sacrifices Canadian soldiers have made. Since 2002, as the bodies of our fallen soldiers come home, local citizens and emergency personnel can be seen on crowded overpasses waving national flags, saluting and wearing red. After 14,000 people signed their name on the petition, the provincial government made the decision to rename the stretch Highway of Heroes after our fallen troops. The stretch of road from the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton to Toronto will not lose its official title of MacDonald-Cartier Freeway. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 23 CAMPUS NEWS Longhorn facing lawsuit Local tattoo studio used non-sterile equipment By Rachelle Savoie Chronicle Staff When a patron enters a piercing or tattoo parlour, they are asked to sign a waiver stating that all equipment is sterilized and that the piercing or tattoo is the patron’s responsibility after the fact. But what happens when the sterilization has been compromised? Since August, two parlours in Durham Region have been found to be using non-sterile equipment during routine inspections. Longhorn Body Art Studio, a well-known studio located in downtown Oshawa, was closed early August after a routine inspection showed that their autoclave, a machine that heats solutions above their boiling point to achieve sterilization, was malfunctioning. The machine had received three failed spore tests within a 10month period. The health department used Longhorn’s waiver forms to contact anyone who used their services between Nov. 17, 2006 and Aug. 1, 2007, urging clients to get tested for diseases transmittable by blood, such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV. They re-opened about a week later after passing the required tests. The studio now faces a $10-million class action suit, which was filed mid-August., $3 million of which is for “compensatory damages for negligence and breach of Photo by Rachelle Savoie NEVER GOING BACK: Computer Technology student Mike Schnurfeil said he feels betrayed by Longhorn Body Art when they used non-sterile equipment on him. contract”, and $7 million for ““punitive, exemplary or aggravated damages.”The action has not yet been heard in court. Longhorn was not the only studio to have issues with sterilization recently. 68 Degree Nail in Ajax was also found to have a possible malfunction with their autoclave between April 30 and June 24 of this year. Though mainly a nail salon, the studio also provides services for some body piercing. The investigation does not include ear piercings done with a piercing gun, as the equipment used for that is single use and is replaced after each piercing. Students who frequented the parlour had mixed feelings about the possible contamination of equipment. “I got my tongue done (pierced) during that timeframe,” said Mike Schnurfeil, a Computer Technology student at the college. “It pissed me off when I found that out. I felt like my trust was betrayed because you sign an agreement with them where they say that they use that stuff only if it’s sterile.” His trust in the parlour has left as well. “I would never go back and I tell everyone to never go there.” Schnurfeil is not the only person shocked by the sudden closure. Dayna George, an Animation student at the college, was pierced at Longhorn in January. “I was really nervous, just because it wasn’t expected,” said George, who made sure she got tested right away. “I was very shocked, but also nervous for all those people.” Unlike Schnurfeil, George claims she would return to Longhorn in the future, claiming that it was accidental and blown out of proportion. There is still the question in everyone’s minds: will Longhorn be able to make it through not only the lingering doubts in everyone’s minds about their integrity, as well as the impending $10-million class action suit against them? Anyone wanting more information about getting tested or on the can do so at www.region.durham. on.ca Flash student card for discount From mall to taxis, students can save By Emily Palonen Chronicle Staff Flash a Little… Save a Lot. No, this statement is not referring to any provocative or illegal activity. It is, however, referring to a program that is designed to help students save their pennies while shopping at the Oshawa Centre. The Flash a Little… Save a Lot program began three years ago exclusively for Durham College and UOIT students offering special discounts at a wide variety of retail and food vendors. The Oshawa Centre gives students a break with discounts at more than 35 participating stores throughout the mall. From a Blueline Taxi ride at $12 flat rate, to 15 per cent off dinner with friends at East Side Mario’s or 10 per cent off Casey’s Bar & Grill, students can plan an entire shopping trip around this savings program. New bill to tackle street racers Some feel new law will lead to harassment By Katie Strachan Chronicle Staff From movies to video games, the need for speed is a passion that race car drivers share. However, drivers on Ontario’s roads are feeling the same passion and it’s becoming lethal. Bill 203 was recently passed in an effort to prevent any more deaths on Ontario roads as a result of high speed. The bill ensures that any driver caught “street racing” will feel the effects under the Criminal Code. Before the law was passed, drivers caught driving dangerously were fined anywhere from $200 to $1,000. The law now gives authorities the right to fine racers up to $10,000. Ontario now has the highest fines for street racing in all of Canada. According to the Ministry of Justice, drivers caught for exceeding the speed limit while racing can be jailed for up to 14 years if a person is injured. If charged with dangerous driving causing death a person can receive a punishment of life in jail. This is a significant difference from the previous 14-year jail sentence. The amount of time a person’s licence is suspended after being charged with street racing or dangerous driving has increased as well. Fined drivers can expect to lose their licences for up to three years longer than previously. Drivers caught street racing could even face the crushing of their cars. It has happened in Ontario before in an effort to scare racers. Durham Regional Police Constable Glen Brown feels there are too many car accidents and deaths are occurring because of speed. “I think that this racing law will really crack down on it. These racers can lose their licences, their cars or ‘ I really think this racing law will really crack down on it. These racers can lose their licences, their cars or their lives. ’ Durham Regional Police Constable Glen Brown their lives.” According to the Specialty Vehicle Association of Ontario’s (SVAO) website, the law also allows law enforcement officers who believe you are driving or have driven a vehicle that has been involved in racing to seize your ve- hicle and suspend your licence for up to a week. The police officer can also charge a driver for up to six months following the incident. It also means there is no right to appeal the grounds of the suspension or impounding of your vehicle under any circumstances. The SVAO also states that even if a “racing” charge can be successfully defended in court the driver receives no compensation for the impounded vehicle or suspended driver’s licence. The law prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle that has been equipped with specified performance enhancing equipment. While a great number of accidents are due to speed, the blame should not be placed on car enthusiasts who enjoy modifying their vehicles simply for looks. “I don’t feel that people, young guys in particular, should be targeted for having a nice car,” added Daryl Richard, an avid car enthusiast. “I do think going 50 km/h over the speed limit is crazy but a lot of times I get blamed or questioned even before I’ve even done anything wrong.” Some import car fans feel that Bill 203 will lead to further harassment of specialty vehicle owners. They argue that a performance part in a person’s vehicle does not automatically make that person a street racer. The SVAO charges that Bill 203 will unreasonably limit the peaceful possession and lawful enjoyment of (modified) vehicles. “I feel like we shouldn’t all be grouped together. It’s getting a little out of hand.” Richard stated. Ryan Bailey, manager at Auto Accessory Zone, a car modification shop in Whitby, says. “I think it’s crap. The cops seem to be totally biased towards modified imports.” “I have been harassed numerous times for driving a modified car. Almost every day in fact.” Bailey also added that it has affected sales within the industry drastically. 24 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 CAMPUS NEWS Photo by Vanessa Reidt STICKY FINGERS ABOUND: George Kefalidis (inset) shows off his grilling skills at the seventh annual Rotary Rib Fest held in Lakeview Park. The event, held on Sept. 6, drew over 30,000 people from across the province to sample ribs cooked by barbecue enthusiasts nationwide. Mounds of meat to mow on By Vanessa Reidt Chronicle Staff Mmm mmm ribs… The robust scent of barbecued ribs overpowered Lakeview Park in Oshawa Sept. 6 at the seventh annual Rotary Rib Fest. The festival travelled all over southern Ontario with Oshawa as the last stop. The three-day event started on Sept. 7 to Sept. 9 with a variety of events each day. More than 30,000 people attended last year. Organizers expected a 20 per cent increase for this year’s festival, said Katherine Hewins, a member of the Oshawa Rotary Club. Approximately $50,000 was raised from the festival, going to a variety of charity organizations, said Hewins. Rib Fest featured barbecued ribs by 10 of the best cooks from Canada and the United States. Live bands, carnival rides, corn booths, free massages and more were what Rib Fest had to offer this year. Tribute bands for Shania Twain, Cher, Elvis Presley, and Bon Jovi highlighted the festival, bringing many adults and children to the lake. “We’ve had great business this year, better than I’d ever expect,” said James Gibson, a 20-year-old employee at the Texas Ranger Rib booth. The Texas Ranger Rib brought Oshawa their specialty ribs that originated from the heart of Waco, Texas. Student Association President Fraser McArthur enjoyed his visit to Rib Fest this year. “Rib Fest was awesome,” he said. “They were absolutely succulent. There was an amazing offering of ribs, chicken, and pulled pork to take home. There was no way you couldn’t stuff yourself.” Proceeds from Rib Fest went to the Rotary Club of Oshawa and activities in the community. “This year’s Rib Fest was an overwhelming success,” said Joan Skelton, president of the Rotary Club of Oshawa. “We expect it to be bigger and better in 2008. Thank you to the community, Durham College and UOIT students who contributed.” Cinefest supports local library By Greg Snow Chronicle Staff Cinefest Durham is back and is supporting the Oshawa public library system by showing Canadian and international films at Famous Players in the Oshawa Centre. Starting in September and running until May, Cinefest Durham will be hosting shows on the last Thursday of every month, with the exception of December. Cinefest Durham has been around for 12 years and has an average of 150 to 200 people per showing. Rick Ficek is among the many that organize this event. “We usually have a pretty good turnout for the event and it has been well received by the community,” Ficek said. Working in conjunction with the Toronto film festival, Cinefest Durham receives a variety of films that would not usually be shown in a regular theater. Cinefest’s first showing will ‘ We usually have a good turnout for the event and it has been well received by the community. ’ Rick Ficek be a movie called Amazing Grace. The movie is directed by Michael Apted and takes place in 1784 when a 21-year-old man named William Wilberforce is elected to the British House of Commons. Wilberforce is unique because he is a politician with a conscience. He attempts to rid Britain of slavery, but his proposal is defeated. Then after leaving politics due to health problems, Wilberforce meets Barbara Spooner, who encourages him to follow his dreams. He then launches another campaign to end the slave trade in Britain. A monthly event like this requires help. “We are always looking for volunteers,” Ficek said. “You can get involved with Cinefest by contacting myself at 905-579-6111 ext. 5220.” The first showing is on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. Those looking to attend must buy tickets at the table located beside the box office. “Many people go to the box office to purchase their tickets but they have to come to the little table beside it,” Ficek explained. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 25 ENTERTAINMENT Durham College-UOIT Chronicle Relaunching the Riot Radio Riot Radio is now live-to-air By Rory Wilson Chronicle Staff The rocking sound of college radio went live to air Sept. 12 when The Riot held its pre-launch celebration. The weekly Wednesday night pub show at E.P. Taylor’s supplies the rocking sound of The Riot college radio. Listeners indulged in a variety of mixed music as DJ Jay Almeida and partners kept tunes pumping through the speakers all night long. Almeida updates his set list on a regular basis – he feels it’s crucial to keep a fresh sound. “I’m always looking for songs people haven’t heard in a while.” Entertainment began early in the night with DJ Bixx working to warm up the crowd. Bixx made way for Almeida and his partner at roughly 11 p.m. The two took Photo by Rory Wilson I PREDICT A RIOT: DJ Trixx, DJ Jay Almeida and DJ Bixx are just some of the people responsible for the Riot Radio’s music. The Riot can be heard at EP Taylor’s and the Marketplace cafeteria, as well as other locations throughout the campus. control of the soundboard and were ready to rock the night away. Almeida has a selection of songs he uses to get the crowd pumped. “They’re called club bangers,” he said. He describes them as any song appealing to pure party animals. Aside from acting as a DJ, Yuk Yuk’s comedians bring the laughs to EP Taylor’s By Amy England Chronicle Staff UOIT was on the hit list of topics and hilarious rants from comedians at the Yuk Yuk’s comedy night. On Thursday, Sept. 8, EP Taylor’s was filled with people all wanting a good laugh, and Yuk Yuk’s did not disappoint the eager crowd. Sabrina Jalees, who is known for her witty commentaries on Much Music’s Video on Trial, kicked off the night. Her routine was filled with jokes that poked fun at herself, her family and even the audience. At one point, she even pulled up first-year UOIT Science student Deanna Williams, who was celebrating her birthday on the following night. The crowd echoed in wishing her a happy birthday at Jalees’s request. “Oh my God, it was so funny I was actually crying,” Williams said, even after she had been made fun of by all of the comedians that night. Local comedian Kevin Herod added his unique perspective of moving from the big city of Toronto to Bowmanville. Painting a humorous picture of the mayor of Bowmanville, with a white board and marker standing at the border of the city, frantically adding and erasing people to the population count as cars drive in and out of Bowmanville’s city lim- Almeida lends a hand whenever possible to The Riot, as it’s a volunteer-oriented station. “We’re going to be looking for a lot more volunteers,” says live-toair producer Lee Clifford. The station plans to be heavily involved with sporting events this year. Station manager Kris Dickerson intends mass coverage of UOIT Ridgebacks hockey, Durham Lords and any sports in relation to students. Dickerson works hard to make campus radio appeal to all students by covering sports and playing a wide variety of music. The station has many shows devoted to independent music. Dickerson keeps the station open to any bands looking for advertisement or radio play. “We get a lot of music from local indie labels,” he says. Mainstream music is called for at times in order to attract listeners. “Being in the cafeteria, we have to play some mainstream music,” says Dickerson. The Riot throws parties weekly at E.P. Taylor’s and encourages students to come out and have a good time. “Come out on a Wednesday night. Good-looking people. Good party,” says Almeida. Ron Jeremy returns to Shwa By Svea Keegan Chronicle Staff Photo by Amy England GOOD SPORT: Ron Josol, Sabrina Jalees, Durham student (and punchline) Deanna Williams and Kevin Herod pose together at EP Taylor’s after the show. its. Herod even sparked interest and controversy by touching on the topic of UOIT versus Durham College. The crowd of students laughed together but UOIT was the biggest brunt of the joke. Herod’s twist on the issue of two school co-existing on the same campus brought laughs too everyone in the crowd. Headliner Ron Josol brought a Philippine flair to the night, with jokes about how his father pronounces certain letters, mixing up the sounds of F and P for the sound B or V. Making a reference to how his dad would give directions using the Don Valley Park way, but he would call it the Don Bally Fark Way. “As for the comedians, they were solid,” Andrew Prill, a Graphic Design student said. The Big Sexy Nightclub on King Street is hosting another Playboy-Palooza night where Ron Jeremy and Playboy SE Cover Girl Amy Lynn Grover will make an appearance on Sept. 29. Jeremy, the retired but legendary adult film star, visited the Durham College and UOIT campus last fall for one of the stops on his Porn Debate Tour with XXX Church anti-porn website founder, Craig Gross. As a star in over 1,500 X-rated films, Jeremy will certainly be a hit among fans of the nightclub on Saturday night. Accompanying him will be Ontario native Amy Lynn Grover, who modelled on the cover of Playboy’s December 2006/January 2007 Special Edition Lingerie issue, has made it onto the cover of three fitness magazines and is featured in another two. There is going to also be music by Michael Mayhem and McStubbs. The Big Sexy Nightclub is located at 39 King Street East. 26 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS A tattoo you’ll always love By Jenna-Lee Mainse Chronicle Staff Late at night, in a small transformed classroom of the old Cedardale School in South Oshawa, you can find four musicians— working towards a dream come true. The members of Lower Back Tatti have filled the small rehearsal space with the necessities: two guitars, one bass, a drum set, amps, microphones and a couch. And they have plastered the walls with posters of their mentors, artists they idolize and pin-up girls. The band’s practising has paid off. They’ve opened for 80s super group, Glass Tiger, and headlined their own show at E.P Taylor’s on Sept. 14 (hosted by 24KEntertainment). Members of the group include Andrew Creelman, 25, lead vocalist, who carries enough emotion behind the microphone to immerse the audience into the music. Eoin McGuirk, 24, the laid-back lead guitarist, whose talent with the cords brings an original sound to the group. Chris Meringer, 22, the tattooed drummer who wears his heart on his sleeve (literally) and, with the help of his drumsticks, brings a raw intensity and beat to the table. Finally, there’s Johnny Gregson, 25, the bearded bass player, whose skill behind the bass works in unison with the individual sounds of the other band members. The band name, Lower Back Tatti, came into play when Creelman and McGuirk were talking about tattoos on females. “One of us just said how much we admired lower back tattoos on girls, and then it was just like ‘yeah, the lower back tatti,’” said McGuirk. Ironically enough, Meringer is Photo by Jenna-Lee Mainse WELL DECORATED: Lower Back Tatti’s members (clockwise from top left: Andrew Creelman, Eoin McGuirk and Chris Meringer) prepare for their next big show. Greats like Beck and Queen adorn the walls of their rehearsal room. the only band member with any tattoos—one of which happens to be on his lower back. He also has a heart-shaped locket tattooed on his upper right arm. “Some girl out there has the key tattoo, and I just have to find her,” joked Meringer. Lower Back Tatti describes their sound as alternative and un- Lower Back Tatti leave their mark Band wows the crowd at E.P. Taylor’s show By Jenna-Lee Mainse Chronicle Staff As a dry ice haze fell over the almost sold-out crowd on Sept. 14 at E.P. Taylor’s, Lower Back Tatti took the stage. When the first note left lead singer Andrew Creelman’s lips, the attention of the crowd turned from the bar to the band. The opening number, Focus on the Pain, had fans jumping with their hands in the air. Creelman’s vocal cords never once seemed to falter as he belted out the original lyrics of Lower Back Tatti. Eoin McGuirk, lead guitar, and Johnny Gregson, bass, worked in unison to bring sound and energy to the band’s already flawless performance. Although tucked away at the back of the stage, it became impossible to ignore the beat that drummer Chris Meringer set for the rest of the band. A combination of raw talent and over-the-top showmanship is what put Meringer’s individual performance over the edge. Lower Back Tatti’s latest hit, So Amazing, sent a romantic hush over the hazy crowd. “That song is about you and everyone you love,” said Creelman during an interview earlier that week. The relatable lyrics about saving loved ones from themselves are enough to make a fan fall headover-heels for the original single. As the band finished its set and stepped off stage, the audience refused to let the show end. “One more song, one more song!” chanted the mass of fans while pumping their fists in the air. definable. They use their personal love and life experiences for lyric inspiration, which they write with their producer Maladen (he goes by just one name). “Our style is mainstream alternative. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel,” said Gregson. “We are trying to write music that will appeal to the masses.” Lower Back Tatti’s latest song, So Amazing, was written with the help of Maladen and artist Andy Stochansky. According to Creelman, the song is about the ones you love. Although all four band members have come together to create Lower Back Tatti’s style, they all became involved with music in different ways. Meringer walked into his Grade 7 music class, saw a drum set, and has been playing ever since. Gregson worked backstage at the Canadian Juno Awards and for Glass Tiger—earning most of his music mentoring this way. McGuirk was hooked on music when his uncle started taking him to David Bowie, Treble Charger and Nine Inch Nails concerts. Creelman stumbled onto his talent after singing a few notes while drinking a few beers with his friends one night. “[Andrew] has the voice of an angel,” laughed Meringer. From an outsider’s point of view, it is the individuality and chemistry of the band members that makes Lower Back Tatti so appealing to its fans. They plan to release a full album by early December. Fans can listen to their music at www.myspace.com/lowerbacktattiband. Overall, the members of Lower Back Tatti share a dream to make it big while doing something that’s real. “It’s all for the good of the music,” said Creelman. Band’s album sales are far from dead By Rory Wilson Chronicle Staff Photo by Jenna-Lee Mainse GIVING THEM WHAT THEY WANT: Andrew Creelman and Eoin McGuirk of Lower Back Tatti. And so, Meringer, McGuirk, Gregson and Creelman took the stage one last time and fulfilled the crowd’s rquest. As I Lay Dying conquers North America’s metal scene. The Californian thrash band’s latest album An Ocean Between Us has seen great success since it’s release on Aug. 21. The album sold 3, 358 copies in Canada within a week of its debut putting it at number 19 on Canada’s Top 200 album chart. It also rose to number 2 on the Canadian Hard Rock album chart and number 3 on the Independent album chart. An Ocean Between Us saw greater success in the US selling 34, 490 copies in its first week. It landed at number 1 on the US Top 200 album chart and became the Top Hard Rock album. The bands new video “Nothing Left” has been playing regularly on Much Music and Musique Plus. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Tony Lee visits E.P. Taylor’s 27 By Heather Abrey Chronicle Staff You’re getting sleepy, very sleepy. Now, on the count of three, you will strip down to your underwear. One, two, three. Or does that only work for Tony Lee? Durham College and UOIT students good-naturedly submitted to the power of X-rated hypnotist Tony Lee, on Sept. 10 in E.P. Taylor’s. The evening started off with a performance by the Sleddogs, a band that will soon be featured in a new television show by the creator of the Trailer Park Boys, and continued into a night full of cursing and debauchery. Lee had the audience roaring with laughter as his victims performed embarrassing, often sexual stunts while hypnotized. Men were told they were beautiful women and performed exotic dances for other men, chairs and imaginary pigs were molested, and, of course, men stripped down to their underwear. Lee graciously allowed the women he hypnotized to remain fully clothed, though they did not escape without a few of their own embarrassing stunts. The audience particularly enjoyed a stunt that involved a member of the E.P. Taylor’s door staff, leaping out of their seats and craning their necks to get the best view possible. Every time Lee visits, a member of the door staff is victimized in this humorous way, but the nature of what they’re submitting to is apparently shrouded in secrecy, keeping those who are new in the dark until they get to find out for themselves. This seems to be a tradition best left intact. The element of surprise, and all that. Durham College was Lee’s first school gig and he says he loves performing here because students, “drink more alcohol per capita than anywhere else.” He has been hypnotizing people for about 21 years and says that originally he didn’t believe in hypnotism. It was while fooling around with his girlfriend of the time, spending about 20 minutes doing the old “you’re getting sleepy” routine, that he found it could actually be done. Lee’s shows are not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, and certainly if you can’t take the embarrassment with a good-natured smile, you shouldn’t volunteer to be hypnotized. Still, those brave souls who volunteered put on X-RATED HYPNOTIST VISITS SCHOOL PUB: Hypnotist Tony Lee visits E.P. Taylor’s Sept. 10, leaving the audience roaring with laughter and victims embarrassed. The band Sleddogs opened up the show. a very well-received show. Lee himself is quite the showman, downing shots and beers between stints of wandering through the audience. While some may have wandered away feeling vaguely disturbed, the majority of the audience were grinning and Four days of concerts featuring Dallas Green played Day Old Hate and another song that’s going to be on a charitable album coming out this month. Playing alone seemed to give Green an intimate vibe with fans who would yell things such as “I love Four days worth of Dallas Green is what fans of his you Dallas,” and “Marry me,” between songs while he side project City and Colour got earlier this month. tuned his guitar. The more serenading side of Canadian rock band Green acknowledged the crowd the whole time Alexisonfire played four soldout shows at the Danand humourously responded “I think you should get forth Music Hall. to know someone before you marry them,” then addOnly three shows were lined up, but ed “especially with divorce rates being after selling out quickly, a fourth show I think you so high.” was added which also packed another Fans got to hear a few new songs should get to know soldout crowd of 1200 fans. that will be on an album planned for Along for the ride was Welland, someone before early next year, as well as a cover of Ontario’s own Attack In Black, which Boiled Frogs, off of Alexisonfire’s hit alopened and generously thanked those you marry them. bum Crisis. in the crowd who came early to see The second single Comin’ Home them. started typically with Green playing After playing for only 40 minutes and letting the audience realize how Dallas Green alone then was spiced up with the band entering halfway through to finclear and crisp the sound was in the ish it with a full sound. theatrical music hall they cleared the His last song before the encore was Somestage. times (I wish), which included a Justin Timberlake Clearing the stage usually means everything but verse thrown in from his hit single My Love. The monitors and a couple amps for Green who plays crowd seemed to love it. alone with a guitar or piano, but a drum set and bass A standing ovation brought Green out for the enamp were still present. core to sing the overplayed single Save Your Scissors. With a live album released at the end of March last After thanking the crowd for coming out he said he’d year that included a DVD, something different was “breathe life” into the song and did so by playing it needed and Green delivered by coming on with a with a more up-tempo rhythm that got the audience bassist and drummer and introducing them after the clapping. second song. It didn’t last for long though when Green told them Not only did it give a unique twist on Green’s sound jokingly that it wasn’t helping him, and encouraged to instrumentally, but also vocally when both members singing instead. of the band would join in for choruses and an a capelWhat was thought to be another solo acoustic act la for the ending of Hello I’m in Delaware. turned out to be the opposite and left the crowd wonAfter playing four acoustic songs the band left the dering all night about what else he had up his sleeve. stage and Green played sitting center stage with his By Dave Butt Chronicle Staff ‘ ’ laughing the whole night through, and more than a few were downing beers themselves. Overall it was a solid night of entertainment for a mere $5. Oh, and if you received any strange phone calls that Monday night, blame Tony Lee. 28 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Hopesfalls in Dungeon Seconds To Go was next on the lineup. This rock band impressed people at the beginning of their set with their energy and heavier songs. But, eventually they slipped into a repetitive motion where, eventually, all of their songs sounded the same. The biggest surprise of the night was Whitby natives Carousel. Carousel set a new bar for all local bands with a breathtaking performance from start to finish. They were the softest and only pop rock band of the night but had the biggest audience and reaction with their unforgettable hooks, melodies and some of the catchiest choruses around. With a short quick set, Daggermouth ripped the venue in half. They may have had the fewest people watching and the shortest set but their aggressive pop-punk sound threw three die-hard fans into a miniature mosh pit. The show was probably the equivalent of a band practice to them but they seemed to have fun on stage and gained a handful of fans. Finally the highly anticipated screamo-headlining act Hopesfall hit the stage, bringing in some older fans who broke into a bigger mosh pit and seemed really into their set. Despite the nearly empty venue Hopesfall still played a solid set and were tight in all aspects of their performance. Each band on the lineup gave everything they had. Shows like this should not be missed. Band line-up gives solid performances despite near empty venue By Craig Clark Chronicle Staff Hang your heads low, Oshawa music scene despite the unmistakable talent of the veteran screamo band Hopesfall and Canadian poppunk heavyweights Daggermouth, The Dungeon stayed nearly vacant the whole concert in Oshawa on September 17, maybe packing 40 people into the venue. Although the lack of an audience all the bands gave all their effort and solid performances all around. The night started off with young local hardcore band Champ City. Despite their best efforts they failed to get a reaction from the crowd. Most of their songs showed why they didn’t have many fans, considering the repetitiveness in the guitar work and breakdowns. London, Ontario-based band Students McLovin this Superbad film By Jenn Reid Chronicle Staff Monday da - Fri y 1/2 Price App izers et 4:00 pm -7:00 m p This summer’s box office battle was bigger than ever, with sequels and new blockbusters coming out almost every weekend. Well-known franchises such as Spiderman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, and Harry Potter were up against heavily hyped films like Transformers and the first ever Simpsons movie. But to many students, there was only one winner at the box office. It wasn’t a pirate or a wizard, a superhero or a robot or even a yellow cartoon family. It was McLovin. Superbad was this summer’s break-out hit, a comedy about awkward high school boys trying to drink and party and get the girl before going away to college. It opened on August 17 at the number one spot in Canada and the United States. In the opening weekend alone, the film managed to make over $33 million in the U.S. This was the third highest opening weekend for an R-rated film this year, trailing only behind spring’s epic 300 and the other Judd Apatow directed comedy, Knocked Up. Even now, over one month since its release, Superbad is still in the top five at the box office, and has made over $110 million worldwide. The film starred Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the scenestealing McLovin. “The existence of McLovin is what made this movie so awesome,” said UOIT student Mike Baldassi. McLovin’s character spent most of the movie hanging out with a pair of wild cops, while his friends tried to buy alcohol. The outrageous, raunchy humour was an instant attraction for students. “I couldn’t stop laughing. There were so many things done in that movie that no one would say or do in real life,” Ed Singleton, a Business student, said. “It’s my favourite comedy of all time.” Although students agreed that it was their favourite of the summer, they differed on what their favourite scene was. “I was laughing too hard to remember much,” Singleton admitted. Baldassi found it much easier to pinpoint what he enjoyed the most: “There was only one movie this summer that confirmed the comedic qualities of spermicidal lube.” Steve Tyler still rocking after 37 years By Courtney Born Chronicle Staff Over three decades of music, over two dozen albums and millions sold worldwide, these five Boston musicians prove there’s no slowing down. Aerosmith put on an electrifying show last Tuesday night at the Molson ampitheatre, showing that after 37 years, Steven Tyler and his Boston bandmates can still rock harder and louder than ever. Kicking off the night, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts had no problem getting the crowd of over 16,000 fans upbeat and energized for the night ahead of them. Tyler, 59, was strutting his stuff, all decked out with his usual over-the-top style, wearing a leopard print hat, sunglasses and oversized overcoat, while Joe Perry looked chic in black leather pants and a red silk shirt. Starting the night off with an ear-popping, jaw-dropping performance of Love in an Elevator, the thousands of rocking out fans were out of their seats singing along to classic and more recent hits. Intense solo after solo, Perry pulled off amazing guitar riffs one after another. The Boston guitarist showed no signs of slowing down while pulling off a crowd-pleasing double-neck guitar solo to Living on the Edge as Tyler got up close and personal, singing to a few lucky fans. The band played for over two hours playing an assortment of songs from 1973’s classic Walkin’ the Dog to more recent Baby, Please from their latest album Honkin’ on Bobo. Other standouts were Tyler’s singing of Last Child, which he claimed they hadn’t played in Toronto since a 1976 concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. Along with such classic hits as Dream On, Cryin’ and Walk This Way, fans couldn’t sit still for long. Leaving their fans standing and wanting more, these classic rock icons proved no matter the age, no matter the time, these five extraordinary musicians won’t miss a beat while finishing up their World Tour. Next stop Uncasville, Connecticut. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 29 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Graduation Day for Mr. West In what he describes as the best song he’s ever made, Big Brother Chronicle Staff offers a glimpse into his life with September 11 was graduation his idol. However, another side is shown day for hip-hop fans. as well. In a time where commercial Ego in hip-hop is essential. hip-hop music is repetitive and The powerful and declarative lacking true creativity, the man lead single, Can’t Tell Me Nothing, known as Mr. West, the Louis Vuitvoices what many seem to think of ton don or Kanye West, delivered him already. with his third studio album, GradWith lines such as, “Yeah that uation. tuxedo might have been a little From the start, gweedo/ but West has you feelwith my ego/ I ing like it’s a new can stand there day. Sampled from with a Speedo/ Elton John’s Someand still be one Saved My Life looked at like a Tonight, the heavy fucking hero,” in •Big Brother drum base line acthe song titled •Can’t Tell Me companied with Glory, West’s Nothing piano and harego becomes monic background •Stronger humorously arvocals is appropri- •Good Morning rogant. ately titled, Good •Everything I Am Speaking of Morning. humour, West’s •Good Life Through clevclever skits er lines such as: •4.5/5 from his first “Scared to face the two albums are world complacent not present on Graduation. Th e recareer student/some people gradsult is that listeners will have to do uate, but we still stupid/they tell more thinking than just laughing. you read this, eat this, don’t look around/Just peep this, preach us, However, he does lighten things teach us, Jesus,” West gives listen- up with Drunk and Hot Girls. Depending on your preference ers insight into what he sees as a with skits, the only other drawback faulty system. might be the number of songs. What makes this album more Th ere are only 14 compared to 20 important than most in this genre on each of his first two albums. is that he appears sincere in his Backed primarily by his own beliefs and isn’t afraid to share his production and only six featured feelings or insecurities. guests, West is able to incorporate Willingly admitting to listeners all sides of his personality: Good, that he’ll never look as picture perbad, funny, intelligent and insightfect as a Beyoncé, West isn’t afraid ful all at the same time. Mr. West to say what makes him different graduates at the top of his class. from the rest. By Dwayne Wynter Must-have tracks: Big names at The Dungeon next month By Craig Clark Chronicle Staff The Rolling Stones, Tragically Hip and Tom Jones are just a handful of very successful musicians to have played concerts in Oshawa, but William Neville, owner of The Dungeon and WRNent promotions, hopes to make big concerts a regular thing. With Boys Night Out, Mariana’s Trench and I Hate Sally all appearing at The Dungeon next month, Neville has been building relationships with labels and bands to hopefully bring the biggest musical acts to Oshawa. “That is what I’ve been trying to do for the past year, build real good relationships with bands, labels and agents. So, as of right now the relationships we have built are real strong,” said Neville. Bands with big Canadian success are also booked at the venue for shows this year. “We will have Ill Scarlett again and GOB and I am working on some real big stuff here at my venue and some larger venues in Oshawa,” said Neville. “That is our goal at WRNent and The Dungeon - bring the biggest possible shows here to Oshawa” Neville is not only interested in popular bands smaller bands can also put on their own shows. “I have an online booking form on www.thedungeon.ca that bands can request a booking at the Dungeon,” said Neville. “But for most of the bigger bands I or a promoter that works with me get a hold of the band directly or through their agent.” Neville has spent endless hours and lots of money to give the Oshawa music scene a new, better reputation. “We have put a lot of money into cleaning the place up and trying to change the reputation of The Dungeon and now that has happened,” said Neville. “So we are able to book the big bands and they are calling to play here.” Photo by Dwayne Wynter KANYE WEST’S GRADUATION: The famous Mr. West’s third album titled Graduation was relased last week with great response from loyal fans worldwide. Hey, Springsteen’s back By Andrew Dalrymple Chronicle Staff Born to Run. Badlands. Dancing in the Dark. Sound familiar? That’s because they’re the music titles of none other than Bruce Springsteen. The Boss and his E Street Band are hitting the road together for the first time in four years. Rolling Stone leaked out the information about Springsteen’s next album Magic, which he will be playing and promoting over the course of three months. It’s set for release on Oct. 2. Coincidently or not, the international tour also starts on Oct. 2 in Hartford, Connecticut and wraps up just before Christmas on Dec. 19 in London, England. Although Springsteen has 31 concert dates for his tour, two of which are on back-to-back nights in his home state of New Jersey, he’s only coming to Canada for two nights. On Oct. 14 he’ll be playing at the Civic Centre in Ottawa and the following night, Oct.15, Springsteen will be blow- ing the roof off the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. “I’ve seen Bruce live a few times and he keeps on getting better and better with age,” smiles Shane MacInnis, an avid Springsteen fan. “He goes on stage for like 2 ½ hours and he puts on one hell of a show. You definitely get your money’s worth.” Tickets for some U.S. shows go on sale starting Sept. 8, Sept.17 for Toronto. Ticket prices vary depending on which website you go on, but according to Ticketmaster, the cheapest price for an individual ticket is $67.50 with tax. “If you have the money and are a Boss fan, you have to go. You’ll regret it if you don’t,” gushes MacInnis. The E Street Band is the backing band for Bruce Springsteen. They’ve been together on and off since 1972. Some members of the E Street Band have left, some have stayed. Here’s a description of who’s in the band currently and what they do: Danny Federici – organ, electronic glockenspiel, accordion and other keyboards Garry Tallent – bass guitar and tuba Clarence “Big Man” Clemons – saxophone, percussion and backing vocal Max Weinberg – drums and percussion (joined September 1974) Roy Bittan – piano and synthesizer (joined September 1974) Steven van Zandt – guitars, mandolin and backing vocals (officially joined July 1975; left in 1984; rejoined in 1995) Nils Lofgren – guitars, pedal steel guitar and backing vocals (replaced Steven van Zandt in 1984; remained in the band when van Zandt returned) Patti Scialfa – backing and duet vocals and guitar (joined June 1984; married Springsteen in 1991; they have a daughter and two sons) Soozie Tyrell – violin, percussion and backing vocals. Zeppelin reunion show By Chris Jones Chronicle Staff The Led is being let out. Led Zeppelin, that is. The great rock band will be performing a one-time come back concert in memory of Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Led Zeppelin and Atlantic Records. The band will play together for the first time in 19 years on Nov. 26 at The O2 venue in London. Led Zeppelin’s remaining members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitarist), and John Paul Jones (bassist) will headline the concert. Drums will be played by John Bonham’s (original drummer) son Jason. Other acts that are attending include The Who’s Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman, Foreigner and young Scotish singer Paolo Nutini. 30 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Another classic Woody By Sean Kent Chronicle Staff “Kierkegaard was right,” thus ate Zarathustra. Nonsense? Gibberish? Or downright genius? Depends on the reader. This past summer, writer, filmmaker and comedian Woody Allen released two sets of essays and short stories, The Insanity Defense and Mere Anarchy. For those who love him the books are a must have. For those who aren’t that fond of him, they are an acquired taste such as a fine glass of Scotch, once the ice sets in the taste buds start swirling. Most of what appears in the works has previously appeared in the New Yorker and other news- papers and journals, dating from 1966 to the present. Allen’s usual wry sense of humour is ever so present in the pages as topics range from Socrates to former Disney president Michael Ovitz’s trial. “I am fat. I am disgustingly fat. I am the fattest human I know,” begins The Insanity Defense’s Notes of the Overfed, Allen’s parody of Dostoyevsky’s Notes From the Underground. He claims to have written the section after reading Dostoyevsky and a Weight Watcher’s magazine on the same plane trip. Other memorable works from The Insanity Defense include The Schmeed Memoirs about Hitler’s barber during wartime Germany. “As I told the trial at Nurem- berg,” claims Schmeed, “ I did not know that Hitler was a Nazi. The truth was that for years I thought he worked at the phone company.” Then Schmeed goes on to recount how Hitler once contemplated growing sideburns and became furious when word came through that Churchill was growing them. Then there’s Selections from the Allen Notebooks, compiled of short paragraphs in which Allen takes on his usual paranoid delusional role. “Getting through the night is becoming harder and harder,” it begins, “Last evening, I had the uneasy feeling that some men were trying to break into my room to shampoo me. But why?” In Mere Anarchy’s Thus Ate Zarathustra, Allen claims that Frie- derich Nietzsche’s diet book was discovered following his death, “No philosopher came close to solving the problem of guilt and weight until Descartes divided mind and body in two, so that the body could gorge itself while the mind thought, who cares? It’s not me.” Some of the selections from Mere Anarchy were inspired by absurd stories Allen had read in the New York Times and elsewhere. How Deadly Your Taste Buds, My Sweet came from a story in which a 2.6 lb white truffle was sold at an auction in London for $110,000. Then there’s Glory Hallelujah, Sold! Which Allen wrote after finding out there was a “self-style Prayer Guy,” who sells personalized prayers to people on e-bay. “The proposition read,” writes Allen, “Bard wanted to write special material good pay no atheists please.” Near the end of the book there’s Surprise Rocks Disney Trial, which brings one final witness to the stand for former Disney president Michael Ovitz’s trial. “Counsel: Will the witness please state his name. “Witness: Mickey Mouse.” From beginning to end The Insanity Defense and Mere Anarchy are bound to bring forth a chuckle or two. For those new to Allen just let the ice settle and remember Kierkegaard was right. Fall into fashion Cowabunga! Trends: sweaters, legwarmers, and neutral colours Classic ‘80s cartoons turn blockbuster By Amy Gohr Chronicle Staff By Vanessa Reidt Chronicle Staff Keep cool, stay warm. With the fall season right around the corner, it’s time to get fashion savvy with the new trends that will keep you warm and looking good. “People this year are obsessed with sweaters!” said Paula Florence, an employee at Bluenotes in the Oshawa Centre. Plaid coats, jackets with fur on the hood, print sweaters, polo shirts, leg warmers and low rise jeans are some of the styles of this season, said Florence. Kandice Stanley, manager at the new store Town Shoes that opened recently at the OC, said ankle boots are the number one shoe this fall. Pointy shoes and round shoes are most popular with animal prints on them. Silver, metallic and patent shoes are all in style this season with brown, red and burgundy leather purses. “A fashion must is ankle boots with skinny jeans. Also, tuck your jeans into your boots,” said Stanley. Legwarmers have come back from the early ‘80s and have become a big fashion statement. Town Shoes ankle boots range from $150 to $180. The ‘70s flare jean has also made a comeback this fall at Guess in the OC. “The flare jean, with a blouse and vest over top has become a big hit,” said Carly Boyes, an employee at Guess. White, red, grey and black are all colours of the season, Photo by Vanessa Reidt AUTUMN TRENDS: Tianna Hamel models fall fashions from GARAGE clothing in the Oshawa Centre. she said. Men’s fall fashion has a similar trend. “Guys don’t like the looser fit any more. Fitted shirts and pants are popular, with mainly neutral dark colours as their choice,” said Majoire Santos, an employee at Guess. Blazers, pinstripes, leather jackets and hoodies are all popular for men, said Santos. More fashion styles this fall, like knit wears, sweater dresses with leggings, leggings with shorts, capris, and flat shoes are all carried from summer to fall said assistant manager Kathryn Bombino at Le Chateau. “There is a big ‘40s influence in this year’s fall fashion, like the pencil skirts, satin, tweed and wool,” she said. “Lucite jewelry that is thick clear plastic to wear on your wrists and neck are a big hit this season as well.” Bombino suggested a sweater dress this fall is a must, with skinny jeans and ankle boots. All of the new fall fashion trends will give everyone a new look to keep cool and stay warm for the season. What do talking chipmunks, robots that turn into cars, little blue people and super-humans have in common? They’re all popular ‘80s cartoons, and they’re the new breed of blockbuster movies. The movie industry follows certain genre trends, among them fantasy, horror and comic books. The most recent of these trends is ‘80s cartoons being formatted for the big screen. “The ‘80s is totally retro right now,” said Travis Wood, an independent filmmaker and producer for CTV/MTV. “You have to remember the remake itself has been cycling through the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and now we’ve hit the ‘80s. Once filmmakers can milk everything possible, they will move on to the ‘90s with things like Saved By the Bell or a liveaction Doug.” It started with the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, followed by the liveaction Transformers, this summer’s biggest blockbuster movie, which grossed $155.4 million in its opening week, according to Variety Entertainment News. Because Transformers was met with such praise, it appears film companies are optioning these old favourites to cash in on childhood nostalgia. Now we’re seeing previews for Alvin and the Chipmunks, as well as online confirmation for the cartoons The Smurfs, GI Joe, Voltron, ThunderCats, and He-Man to be made into films within the next three years. “It seems like the safe buffer zone is 20 years or so before you go back and touch a movie,” said Wood. “Sometimes we’re lucky and movies like Transformers turn out to be pretty good. Now, I’m not sure how much can be said for Garfield and Alvin.” Wood feels that the resurgence of ‘80s favourites comes as a combination of both a lack of original movie ideas and the movie industry responding to what viewers want. “In cases like this it’s always what viewers want,” said Wood. “It’s so hard to be original today in film. You have to go to great lengths and do some pretty genius stuff to make a real impact on audiences. “Yet there will always be fresh original stuff coming out,” Wood added, “and there will be remakes and rip-offs too. What it really comes down to is money for production houses. If Transformers flopped, there might not be a Voltron on the way.” According to Variety, Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver are working with Mattel to turn cult favourite He-Man and the Masters of the Universe into a live-action movie in the style of director Zack Snyder’s 300. Unlike many cartoons of the ‘80s, He-Man was born as a Mattel action figure; the cartoon was created in hopes of selling the dolls. Brad Pitt, among others, has been rumoured to play He-Man. It was also announced in June that Warner Bros. has optioned the rights to make a CGI animated feature film based on the ThunderCats cartoon. The script has been written by Paul Sopocy and will be produced by Spring Creek Productions. “It is a smart move in the sense of a built-in fan base from all the kids who have now grown up and are paying adults, bringing their own kids to see it (the remake). “What I’m waiting for is when we start remaking the remakes of movies,” said Wood. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 31 S PORTS Rec centre creating a buzz Durham College-UOIT Chronicle By Michael Stathopoulos Chronicle Staff Athletics at Durham College and UOIT received a major boost with the official grand opening of the new Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre. A press conference was held in the new 28,500-square-foot triple gymnasium on Sept. 12. It was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony that included key figures in the development of the centre – Durham president Leah Myers, UOIT president Dr. Ronald Bordessa, athletic director Ken Babcock and SA president Fraser McArthur. The centre, located on the west side of the campus is sure to impress anyone entering it for the first time. “ It’s got the wow effect,” said Mike Vandenberg, facility attendant at the recreation centre. “For first-year students, they don’t know what to expect so they just accept it and go away with the thought, ‘this is great’ but for returning students who have seen the old complex, it’s like ‘whoa’, did this just happen?” Naheed Dosani, vice-president of Internal and Operations feels the centre has come a long way and created an excitement on campus. “The facility is amazing,” he said. “We saw when it was fourfifths done what it was going to be. We knew right away when we walked in it was going to be amazing. I think the buzz on campus is Photo by Mike Stathopoulos HOOPIN IT UP: Craig Edwards, a first-year student at UOIT, enjoys some drop-in basketball in the new triple gymnasium at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre. unbelievable.” The massive facility comes in at a whopping total area of 97,000 square feet. It will house everything from a new workout facility to a pharmacy, as well as several examination rooms available to all students. The recent completion of the new Campus Ice Centre, coupled with the Recreation and Wellness Centre, will allow all varsity sports at the college and university to compete on a level playing field Consistency the key to success for Lords golf By Robert McNab Chronicle Staff The Lords men’s golf team will be in tough this year, but coach Mike Duggan is confident that if his group stays consistent, they will be able to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Last season the team went to their seventh straight Ping CCAA national championship and captured their second straight silver medal in the team competition. Any coach will tell you that the ultimate goal is to win a gold medal or a national championship, but Duggan, who is entering his tenth season as head coach, isn’t making any bold statements and he readily admits that things are a bit different this year. “The goal is to win, but realistically, I’d like to win any kind of medal,” he said. The team will miss departed players such as Tyler Martin and Will Mitchell, and while they can’t be replaced, Duggan is optimistic the new arrivals can do the job. With only two holdovers from last year’s team third-year Professional Golf Management student Matt St. Thomas and second-year Professional Golf Management student Ryan Morissette – the rest of the group will be counted on heavily to pick up the slack.“The most important thing for the new guys this year is consistency,” Duggan said. “If we can consistently shoot in the low 70s and stay away from shooting a lot of 80s, we should be okay”. Duggan sees Humber College as a team that his players can learn from. “Their top two players give them a chance to win every time because they’re always consistent,” he said. If the Lords want a medal of any kind, they’ll have to adjust to some of the courses that might not be the easiest to play. Some give them more trouble than others. “Our players prefer the old style courses such as Oshawa, as opposed to a links-style course like Lakeridge, which has really fast greens,” he said. This year, Duggan would like to see a more fundamental approach to the game. “I’m really stressing course management this year, which means thinking a lot more about taking smarter shots and not going to certain clubs just because everyone else is. All that comes with experience,” he said. The Lords season got underway on Sept. 24 at the DC Invitational at Lakeridge Links Golf Club. Results not available at press time. with other major schools in terms of facilities and recruiting. Teams will now have access to numerous services located that will aid in their development both on and off the playing surface. One of the primary services is the new workout facility, The Flex, located on the second floor. Carly McGhie, a former member of the women’s basketball team at Durham and current Flex employee, feels it will only benefit the varsity teams of the college and university and provide an upgrade from the old facility. “It’s going to be a lot better for the teams in terms of recovery. Having the option for the health centre downstairs is going to be great and being able to come up here and use all the machines offered including the free motion machines will be a lot better for the athletes.” Also available to the athletes is a brand new physiotherapy room, massage therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic services. Having these services all under one roof will allow for quicker care, which in turn will result in quicker recovery and a return to game action. One of the biggest positives of the recreation and wellness centre is the ability for varsity coaches to use it in the recruiting process. “Our tour for student-athletes is we take them to residence first, we take them to the library and then we bring them here,” said Ken Babcock. “Students want to see what’s happening on campus. Where am I going to sleep, where am I going to eat, where am I going to hang out? It’s just a great recruiting trip and by the time they leave, they’ve pretty much signed.” Recreation and Wellness Centre built for the future continued from page 1 varsity teams and the main offices can be used as a varsity operating centre. Students have made a big commitment to paying for this 97,000square-foot centre, committing to payment of $14 million. Students will pay $145 per year for the next 25 years. Those who put in payments for the space, but graduated before completion will receive a free year’s pass for every payment made. Alumni of both schools will also be receiving special rates. Athletic director Ken Babcock points out that St. Lawrence College recently built a new recreation centre that is only 8,000 square feet and students there will be paying $190 per year for 25 years. The total cost of the facility is $17 million. The administration will be pitching in the last $3 million required. The existing centre has lasted for about 30 years and has a student capacity of 3,000, while the new centre has a capacity of between 16,000 and 17,000 students. At the 11 a.m. opening cer- emonies students could be seen through the glass windows, walking back and forth, using the new centre. Sarah Murray, a secondyear bachelor of science student, thinks the yearly fee is worth it. “A regular year gym membership is closer to $300 and it offers a variety of top-of-the-line equipment.” She has already used the gym, also taking part in some of the free classes that were running during the trial week, and loved it. Murray is going to sign up for classes. “Hopefully it will encourage students to take part in physical education.” The only downside she can see is that the change rooms are a bit on the small side. When it came down to a referendum on whether to invest in building a new athletic centre, 24 per cent of the student population turned out to vote, a relatively high turnout for this type of referendum. Colleges and universities usually get about 10 per cent turnout. When all the votes were tallied 86 per cent were in favour of building a new facility. 32 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 SPORTS NEWS UOIT’s women set for battle By Kenny Mayhew Chronicle Staff UOIT’s women’s varsity hockey program is looking to embark on a journey this year that will give its student athletes a chance to prove to university campuses that they have the character and skill required to form a successful hockey team. Known as the UOIT Ridgebacks, the team will look to build on specific assets and character traits that will in turn shape them into a winning team. Respect, passion and commitment will be among the traits needed for the team to develop a chemistry that will translate into a successful season. The coaching staff, head coach Gary Pitcher and assistant Scott Barker, will focus on building a team that will thrive on player development, competitiveness and experience. These qualities will be essential to establishing a contending team in a competitive division. Photo by Kenny Mayhew DROP THE PUCK: UOIT Ridgebacks defenceman Leigh Simpson (above) shows off the team’s jersey as the girls prepare for upcoming home opener against Western. “We’ve been building this program for a couple years now,” said Barker. “We spent last year recruiting six or seven players. We tried to focus on bringing in a group of girls that we can add to the core.” A large factor in the team’s success this year is team chemistry. The coaching staff organized activities such as a “stick and ball” tournament to help the players get to know each other. “A lot of the girls have played with each other or against each other,” Barker said. “Come Sep- tember the girls were comfortable with themselves and each other.” The Ridgebacks will enter a league featuring nine other schools. The league will also feature Laurier, Western, Windsor, Waterloo, Guelph, Brock, York, Queen’s and U of Toronto. Entering this division as a new team, the outlook is positive. “The other schools don’t know our chemistry and what were about,” said Barker. “They don’t know what expectations to have about us.” Coaching staff announced the full team roster at the Brian McFarlane Theatre inside the Total Hockey Museum in Bowmanville on Sept. 17. The team will play an exhibition game Sept. 23 against the University of Ottawa to celebrate “Total Hockey Day in Bowmanville.” The team will then travel to St. Catharines to face Brock, Guelph and Concordia universities before their regular season debut against Western University on Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Expectations Durham Lords begin season on a strong note high for last year’s champs By Mark Milner Chronicle Staff Team to defend gold with honour By Rob McNab Chronicle Staff The 2007-2008 version of the Lords women’s fastball team can be summed up in one word: hardworking. And although that word can be overused at times, don’t tell that to head coach Jim Nemish. Nemish, who is entering his 19th season as head coach, has high hopes for a club that won a gold medal last season. “Our expectations are always high and our goal is always to win a national championship. We’d be happy with any kind of medal, but our goal is always a gold medal,” Nemish said. The coach believes this year he has the team to do it. He noted that there are some areas of concern, however. “Our bench is weaker, but everyone’s working hard and I’m really happy about the effort that everyone’s showing,” he said. There are seven players returning this season, but one player who won’t be around is former rookie of the year, three time all-star and last year’s OCAA batting champion, Karen McWilliams, who cannot return because she in enrolled at Trent University. “Karen was the player who really got us going last year, she was our leadoff hitter and really set the tone for everyone on the team. She was our catalyst and she will be missed,” he said. Nemish will be counting instead on several other veteran players to fill the void and set an example for some of the younger ones. Catcher Vanessa Chaborek is someone that Nemish thinks highly of and he’s looking for her to step up and provide some leadership. Other players expected to make an impact are Amanda Ellison, Danielle Smith and Jenn Landry, who Nemish credits for her dedication to the game. “Jenn had an ankle injury, she’s got seven screws in there and still she comes to the park every day and gives one hundred per cent,” he said. That competitive nature is something that needs to rub off on everyone else as well. With teams like St. Clair College, Seneca and Mohawk, the competition is fierce. In his previous 18 seasons as head coach, Nemish owns an .819 winning percentage. “The coaching staff, great support from the college and the effort I see from the girls every day is what drives me to continue doing this,” he said. Baseball season started off right, if a little late, for the Durham Lords, with four straight conference wins to start the season. However, the Lords did lose two exhibition games to the St. Clair College Saints, as well as two more while visiting Jefferson College in New York. On Sept. 15, the Lords won two games against Queen’s University Golden Gaels, by scores of 8-0 and 7-6. Gary Rose pitched a three-hit shutout in his first start of the year in the first game for the Lords, while relief pitcher Riley Whelan got the win in the second. However, the next day against St. Clair, the Lords lost both games by scores of 11-6 and 9-1. Getting the losses were Derek Howe and Mike Arsenault. “We came out flat,” said right fielder Chris Jones. “We made a lot of errors… it was just a bad day.” The second game of that doubleheader was especially bad for the Lords, as a Durham error in the top of the sixth led to a St. Clair comeback. Those two games will not count towards the conference standings, which remain 4-0, as of press time. Earlier, on Sept. 12, the Lords beat the York University Lions in both games of a doubleheader, 7-3 and 7-0. The winning pitchers were Howe and Arsenault, respectively. The season started off with two exhibition losses to the Jefferson College Cannoners in New York, by scores of 11-1 and 5-3 on Sept. 8. Like the St. Clair games, those losses have no impact on the Lords’ conference record. So despite any losses, the Lords are looking at the bright side of things: they’re 4-0 and leading their conference. And they seem to be learning their lessons, as well: “I think we needed Sunday to get our heads straight,” said Jones, “to bring us back down to Earth… I think the season’s going well.” UOIT student looks to balance work and play By Jenner Domroes Chronicle Staff The first time you walk through the doors to the strange, crowded halls you may feel overwhelmed with emotions. Fear. You’re not sure what to expect or where to go from there. Sadness. The life you know and are comfortable with is just outside those doors. Excitement. While the comfortable part of your life is on the other side of those doors, a new life is now beginning for you. Pride. You made it here. Accomplished everything before this moment to get here. These are just some of the feelings running through your body as you begin your first day of college or university. First-year UOIT Business Commerce student, Morgan Mitchell, can relate to some of these feelings. While she may feel unsure of university life right now, Mitchell is sure about what she wants to do with her life. “Ideally, I want to run some kind of business. Right now it’s landscaping.” Mitchell is a person with many passions: art, photography, landscaping, writing and sports. But her biggest passion, which is clear from the way her eyes light up and her quiet voice becomes animated when speaking of it, is hockey. Mitchell, who plays defense for the women’s UOIT Ridgebacks hockey team, has been playing since the age of 10. Before joining the Ridgebacks she played for Whitby Junior Wolf AA. With five practices and two games a week, Mitchell only has time for four classes per semester right now, so graduating may take longer than expected. But this doesn’t bother Mitchell. Instead, she smiles and gives a small shrug, saying there are other options like summer school and online courses. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 33 SPORTS NEWS Leafs take to ice at GM Centre By Dave Butt Chronicle Staff More than 5,000 screaming fans came out to welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to their first visit at the General Motors Centre, where they held their annual Blue and White Game last Sunday. Some of the stars taking to the ice on the Blue team were captain Mats Sundin, Thomas Kaberle and the new highly-anticipated forward, Jason Blake. The White team had in its lineup tough guy Darcy Tucker, power forward Kyle Wellwood and Bryan McCabe backing up on defence. Last year the game was held at the Air Canada Centre, but Leaf fan James Beden doesn’t mind taking the trip from Toronto. He attends about one game a month because of high ticket prices, as do many Leaf fans. “You’re around real hockey fans here,” said Beden, “not guys in business suits who got tickets for free.” The Leafs’ new jerseys were seen on the team for the first time, too. Beden fells they’re probably better for the players, but just don’t look as cool. Corey Komopka from Port Hope, could be seen with his friend Sam Wilson, from anywhere in the arena with their blue and white faces, hair, and clothing. Komopka said he was happy not to have to go into Toronto to see NHL hockey. Also taking to the ice was the Oshawa Generals’ own Dale Mitchell, who was drafted 74th by the Leafs last June. Mitchell had a huge season Photo by David Butt BLUE AND WHITE: Mats Sundin (right) and Ben Ondrus battle for the puck at the Blue and White game in Oshawa. last year with the Gens, scoring 43 goals and finishing off the season with a total of 80 points. “It was exciting to line up against guys you watch all your life, like Sundin and Kaberle,” said Mitchell, when asked about the Get fit this month By Amy Gohr Chronicle Staff Looking to get in shape? Fitness classes are now available at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre. Classes began Sept. 17, and are being held in the new aerobic studios and training room. Initial classes include abs and back, kickboxing and spin. Sept. 12 to 15, students and staff had the opportunity to test all classes for free. Student and staff classes are offered at a discounted rate – $60 per semester; you can take as many classes as you like during that time. To register, see the main desk at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre and pick up a weekly schedule. experience. The skill level is a drastic improvement when comparing to the OHL said Mitchell. Gens fans will see him again this season after announcing last week that he will be returning to the team. Oshawa-born Jay Harrison, who was part of the Leafs line-up, said it was great to come back home to Durham Region, where he both watched and played hockey. “It was my first time in the new building. It’s a beautiful facility,” Harrison added. All proceeds from the event went to the Ronald McDonald Charity, which received a cheque before the game for $50,000. B-ball try-outs begin By Dwayne Wynter Chronicle Staff There were sore limbs, aching bones, cries of agony and bodies lying on the floor in pain. Though it may sound like someone’s favourite horror movie or the battlefield in Iraq, those words describe the start of a new year for the Durham Lords basketball team. Under the bright lights of the Campus Athletic Centre’s basketball court, 25-30 hopefuls tried out for this year’s team. Working hard and sweating profusely, players played against one another trying to prove their worth to the coaching staff, headed by Peter Gordon. “This is one of the better teams that I’ve had,” Gordon commented while watching from the sidePhoto by Dwayne Wynter lines. “We are more athletic.” DETERMINATION: It’s all or nothing for the men who Players trying to impress want to make a spot on this year’s team. showed off creative moves and hustled for loose balls. Displaying good hands for Other key players to watch for However, according to Gor- the basketball and a soft shoot- are Tyler Pelley and super-quick don, it will take a positive atti- ing touch around the basket, he returning point guard Michael tude and good defense to make shouldn’t be limited to just a de- Savage. the team. fensive role either. Although the Lords won’t “That’s our goal (defence). OfNot everyone will be new. be the biggest team in terms of fence has never been our prob- Looking to carry a 15-to-16-man height and size, Gordon believes lem.” roster, the Lords will have four or they will be exciting. Liam McMorrow, a six-foot- five returning players, including “It should be a sexy year,” he eleven newcomer, will help that OCAA league scoring champion said. defensive goal. and all-star Anthony Batchelor. 34 The Chronicle September 25, 2007 SPORTS NEWS Ridgebacks have golden weekend By Mark Milner Chronicle Staff Gold. It’s what’s on the mind of the UOIT rowing teams after their multiple gold medal-winning weekend. In their first regattas, UOIT’s rowing crews won gold in three different races, a tally that includes the first-ever gold medal for the women’s rowing crew, and one silver medal. “Overall, I’m very pleased,” said rowing coach Rob Millikin. “They gave it their all… we went against some of the best schools in that conference.” The women’s novice cox four crew won a gold medal at the Western Invitational Regatta on Sept. 16, finishing with a time of 19:43:4. Rowing were Valerie Naylor, Jessica Bosse, Laurie Moote, Melissa Szabo and Jennifer Ouellette. Also winning gold at was the men’s novice eight, winning with a time of 22:56:7. Rowing on this crew were Colin Jeffery, Michael Orram, Mark Heinen, Rob Nayor, Adrian Baker, Alex Sabo, Kevin Van Rooy, Rob De Vries and Jo Liang. Photo by Mark Milner EARLY MORNING ON THE LAKE: The UOIT Ridgebacks rowing team training on Lake Scugog in preparation for the Head of the Thames and Western Invitational regattas. The Ridgebacks rowing team won three gold medals. The day before, at the Head of the Thames regatta, the nov- ice men’s eight crew finished in 15:27:4 for UOIT’s first gold medal of the weekend. The varsity heavy women’s crew won a silver medal, finishing with a time of 5:49:3. Ridgebacks ready to row Gens new owner ready for season By Mark Milner Chronicle News Morning comes early for the UOIT rowing team, usually with a 4 a.m. wake-up call. The carpool comes at 5, meeting these students and taking them up to Port Perry. It’s here, on the shores of Lake Scugog, where they train, five days a week from September until early November. It’s here, in what looks like a large garage, where they meet, where they unload the boats, oars, lifejackets, all well before 6, well before sunrise. “I just wanted the exercise,” says Alex Sabo, one of the newest members of the rowing team. “I thought it’d be good to try. I’d never done it before.” Others say they wanted something to get them up early or that they were looking for a challenge. At least one says she’s stayed because she likes watching the sunrise from out on the lake. Once at the lake though, the students break up into their crews, getting ready and loading the boats into the water as a team, each person lifting their own share of the load – just like they will once they’re in the water. Together, the rowing crew carries their boat down to the dock (there’s often a lineup, too. A passerby of this scene could well see four long boats lined up in single file, all waiting their turn). When they get down to the lake, after the boat is in the water, they all take off their shoes, then another jacket – it gets cold out on the water this early - and get in the boat. Usually two full boats can take off at once – 16 rowers – but if they’re using smaller boats, up to four may take off. This morning, though, after a quick shove to move the boat away from the dock, and a yell from the boat’s coxswain, 16 rowers take off into the darkness on the lake. Robin Millikin is the head of UOIT’s rowing program and was one of the founding members of the Durham Rowing Club back in 1989. And he rowed crew years ago, in his own college days, during the 1950s. “It’s not a sport,” he says of rowing. “It’s an addiction.” Last year was the first year for UOIT’s rowing team, and nobody expected the small, scrappy team from a new university to compete, especially against established schools like Queens, McGill or Brock. However, their novice men’s eight team finished fifth at their first regatta, the Western Invitational, then fifth again at the Trent Regatta. At the Brock University Invitational, they finished first . Bring those hands out low,” yells Millikin from his boat, as it slowly drifts alongside an eight-person crew, “I don’t want to see any skipping!” Once all the rowers have gotten out onto the lake, the coaches get into their own boats and motor out after them. From those vantage points that they direct the rowers and time their strokes. The key for a rowing crew to win a race is to have at least 20 strokes a minute for the duration of the race - which is least 240 strokes for each rower. “Each rower is expected to dead lift their own weight,” says Millkin. “240 strokes is like 240 dead lifts in eight minutes.” He compares rowing to putting a stake in the ground. The rower lifts his or her oar and drives it into the water, using it to push the boat along. Then they lift the oar out of the water and do it again, 240 times. Thus, the training program for the rowers focuses on free weights more than anything else. They do exercises with truck tires or with heavy bags for an hour a day during the off-season. Their mandate isn’t just to win, says Millikin, but to also turn out a well-conditioned athlete. So far, this dedication to fitness has been the key to UOIT’s success. The Head of the Thames regatta in London, Ont., on Sept. 15, is the start of rowing season for the Ridgebacks. Competing in a tight field that included schools such as Western, Trent and Brock, the Ridgebacks managed to pull out a win in the novice eight men’s crew and a silver medal in the Varsity heavy women’s crew. The next day at the Western Invitational Regatta, they struck gold again, winning in two different events: the women’s novice cox four and the men’s novice eight. “Nobody expected us to be competitive,” said Millkin. “Those kids rose to the challenge… This year, they’ll be watching for us.” By Kenny Mayhew and Chris Jones Chronicle Staff The Generals finally got a new owner. Well not exactly. Owner John Davies decided to split ownership with a new up and comer. Roco Tulliois is his name, and both him and Davies are optimistic about the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Generals. Over that period, the Generals have won 12 OHL Championships and four Memorial cups. “I’m delighted to have Rocco on board as a partner of the Oshawa Generals and looking forward to his involvement with the Generals family,” said Davies. “Rocco brings great passion and drive to our organization and real values as well, with his many business contacts.” It wasn’t an easy thing to get Davies to sell over half his franchise though. “As soon as I heard there could be an opportunity for co-ownership I called (Davies),” said Tullio. It took Tullio approximately 60 hours to convince him to sell, but eventually he got through to him. “Which just goes to show you. If you aim for something don’t listen to negative comments. You can do whatever you want.” Tullio said. Both Tullio and Davies decided not to tell the public how much money was offered. Tullio is excited to be part of this organization and emphasizes the player’s talents and goals. “All these kids are overwhelmed with talent. I can’t wait to see these kids in the NHL,” said Tullio Tullio can’t wait to show his style of managing this upcoming season. “I’m looking to be a good partner with the city of Oshawa and helping out in the community any way I can. You always dream about playing for or owning a hockey team when you’re a kid and I’m delighted to be able to be a part of the Generals in this way.” John Tavares is back from the Canada and Russia Super Series, or as head coach Brad Selwood likes to put it “the pooper series,” due to the whipping team Canada layed on Russia. “It was a good experience. I played a different role in this series, I played the assist role.” Tavares said. “I just can’t wait for the upcoming season so I can put the puck in the net.” Tavares’ draft eligibility for the 2008/2009 NHL season was kept confidential because he’s keeping the Generals his main priority. “I just want to focus on the team and help win,” he said. Head coach Selwood is doing everything he can to prepare for the season opener against Sudbury, “You don’t have enough paper”, he said about his strategies. Then he went on to suggest that the team holds practices every day at 4 p.m. and works on special teams, conditioning, systems and everything else possible to bring the team to where it needs to be. The team holds its season opener at the GM Centre at 7:35 pm where they will host the Sudbury Wolves, last year’s Memorial Cup winners. After the conclusion of the game, they will head to Belleville to face the Bulls. The Chronicle September 25, 2007 36 The Chronicle September 25, 2007