COLLEGE VOICE - Colleges Ontario

Summer 2009
COLLEGE VOICE
Unique photo captures prize
Janie Bériault Therrien’s unique
perspective on her college
life has won first prize in a
provincewide photo contest.
Bériault Therrien, who graduated this spring
from the photography program at La Cité
collégiale in Ottawa, won the “You Are Here:
A College Experience” photo contest that was
open to college students from across Ontario.
Her submission was a beautifully shot blackand-white photograph of a woman peering
through a hole in a map.
“Because of the words ‘you are here,’ the
idea just popped into my head,” said Bériault
Therrien. “I made a hole in the map to represent the place where I am in the world.
“I like to do different things and I don’t really
like traditional pictures.”
The photo contest was initiated last fall by
Colleges Ontario. Students were invited to
submit photos related to the ‘you are here’
theme and a panel of experts from the visual
arts industry and the college sector chose the
top 12 photos from the 103 entries.
skills Janie has developed while studying at
contest are a 16 GB iPod Touch and a $100
The top photos were displayed at the
La Cité collégiale and her own creative insight.
iTunes certificate. Her winning photo will be
Colleges Ontario annual conference in
It is a great photo and we are very pleased it
included in Colleges Ontario’s 2010 desktop
February and delegates voted for their favou-
won the contest.”
calendar and as the cover art for Colleges
rite.
The leading entries in the contest came from
Ontario’s holiday card in December.
“Creativity is one of the characteristics we
students in a range of programs, from aviation
The other 11 photos showcased at the con-
value in our students,” said Andrée Lortie,
flight management to floral design and digital
ference will also be included in the desktop
president of La Cité collégiale. “Janie’s photo
arts.
calendar. All 12 photos can be viewed at www.
is an excellent example of both the technical
Bériault Therrien’s prizes for winning the
co-youarehere.org.
Applications to colleges jump
Ontario’s colleges have clearly
become a postsecondary destination of choice as applications
to first-year full-time programs
have increased 10 per cent this
year.
Application Service (OCAS) had received
grams, which vary from college to college.
155,642 applications for first-year programs
However, programs such as nursing, para-
in fall 2009, compared with 141,671 applica-
medics, dental hygiene and early childhood
tions at the same time last year. People can
education are generally considered highly
continue to apply to college programs over
competitive programs.
Franklin said college graduates continue to
Higher education is increasingly
a necessity these days
- Linda Franklin,
president and CEO,
Colleges Ontario
succeed in all sectors of the economy. About
Ontario. “There is a growing awareness that
the summer and final enrolment counts will
sity for people entering the workforce these
colleges prepare people for long-term suc-
be determined in the fall.
days,” Franklin said. “Colleges provide people
“Greater numbers of people are recognizing the value of higher education, particularly in this difficult economy,” said Linda
Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges
cess in their careers.”
As of July 20, the Ontario College
90 per cent of college graduates find jobs
within six months of graduation and more
than 93 per cent of employers are satisfied
with the college graduates they have hired.
“Higher education is increasingly a neces-
The most popular programs continue to
be those considered highly competitive pro-
with the education and training they need to
fulfil their potential and get good jobs.”
COLLEGE VOICE
A journalist for a new age
Barrie gets honorary degree
Photo by Shannon Boodram
As a quickly emerging household name in
stant information via blogs, text messaging,
Toronto, TV news reporter Kris Reyes is also a
and social media, etc., the world still needs
believer in the age-old power of stories, even
journalists to help transform raw data into
in these modern times.
meaningful information.
“I liked to tell stories,” says Reyes, a graduate
“I think most people understand complicat-
of Centennial College’s Journalism Fast-Track
ed theories, multi-layered world events, and
program and regular on Citytv News, of her
complex characters through the stories we
career choice.
tell each other,” Reyes says.
“If you break down all the complicated
definitions of journalism, I think at the heart
of it all you’ll find that it’s really just about
telling stories.”
Briefs
Reyes credits her time at Centennial College
as being an important step in her career.
“Centennial was a great place for me to
connect with people in the industry. My
Reyes says she always wanted to be an
teachers at Centennial helped me get my first
observer of world events and views the
internship at CTV and also to land an
profession of journalism and storytelling
internship in Washington, D.C.,” Reyes says.
as a means to help people understand the
“They were always supportive of my
world around them. Even with the advent
enthusiasm, which is all you can really ask for
of new technologies that provide almost in-
in a program.”
Stroller designs win honours
Some stylish baby strollers created by fourthyear students from Humber’s Bachelor of
Applied Technology - Industrial Design degree
program recently received top honours in a
national stroller-design competition.
Kevin Idzerda won first place for his innova-
Andy Barrie, the host of CBC Radio’s Metro
Morning show in Toronto, received an honorary degree from Humber College in June in
recognition of his career in broadcasting.
Dr. Rick Tobias, the president and CEO of
the Yonge Street Mission, also received an
honorary degree for his commitment to
social justice and his advocacy on behalf of
low-income and marginalized people.
Renowned sculptor teaches his craft
George Pratt, a renowned sculptor known
for works such as the Terry Fox Memorial in
Port Coquitlam, B.C., was recently teaching
advanced carving to summer students at
Fleming College. Pratt was teaching at the
college’s Haliburton School of the Arts.
Chefs face the heat
Pressure Cooker, a reality TV series shot on
location at Niagara College’s Niagara Culinary
Institute, has returned to the airwaves this
summer on SUN TV.
The show, which features 16 aspiring ‘rockstar’ Canadian chefs competing for top
culinary honours, airs Sundays at 6 p.m.
Philanthropist honoured
Sonja Bata, a veteran of the fashion industry
known for her philanthropic efforts, was presented with an honorary Bachelor of Applied
Studies degree in June at Seneca College’s
convocation.
Bata, the founding chairperson of the Bata
Shoe Museum, has been active in many
volunteer organizations in the educational,
health and environmental fields. She is an
officer of the Order of Canada.
tive design, entitled Spur (pictured, right), while
Mike Vecchiarelli and Andrew Houston placed
Literacy training expanded
third for their creation, called Eclipse. The national competition was sponsored by the Design Exchange and by Safety 1st Inc., a developer of child-care products.
price of about $250.
The industrial design degree program is
“We are very proud of these creative and
a cross between engineering and design.
innovative students,” said Humber president
Students design products such as cars, chairs
John Davies. “They have demonstrated that
and computers in 3-D.
Humber’s degree program delivers an educa-
The program at Humber is the first in Canada
tion that provides job-ready skills and prepares
to offer a unique blend of liberal arts, applied
students for the competitive world of busi-
science courses and practical experience. Sus-
ness.”
tainability is a key aspect of the program as stu-
The competition challenged students in
dents are encouraged to develop innovative
postsecondary industrial design programs
ways to solve social and environmental issues.
across the country to create stylish strollers
The program has been recognized by
that would be relevant to today’s market. The
Corporate Knights Inc., an independent
strollers had to offer all the comfort, features
Canadian-based media company that focuses
and style of a high-end stroller at a mid-point
on corporate responsibility.
The Ontario government is expanding
literacy and essential skills training to help
13,000 more people train for high-skill jobs.
The province is investing $25 million in colleges, school boards and community literacy
organizations in the Employment Ontario
network to help laid-off workers and other
adult learners train for highly skilled jobs.
College Voice
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