Chronicle 15 16 Issue 15

Volume XLIII, Issue 15

chronicle.durhamcollege.ca

April 12 - 18, 2016

Our message that we want people to take away from this is ‘great reads come from small places.’

page 3

Canada's shared history

page 3 Photograph by Jared Williams

International students at DC

Giving blood might be discriminatory

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Photograph by Canadian Blood Services

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page 13 Photograph by Devarsh Oza

Only yes means yes page 22 Photograph by Frank Katradis

2016-04-08 5:10 PM

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The Chronicle

April 12 - 18, 2016

KCAB FRONT

Campus

of the

DC journalism students look at Durham College and UOIT, and beyond, by the numbers and with their cameras

Voices inside this issue of The Chronicle Any sort of ban in place that is based on an immutable characteristic, something someone cannot change about themselves, is

discriminatory.

Dr. Miles Bowman See page 8

Photograph by Michael Fletcher

From Durham College to the ACC in just a few days Second year Durham College journalism student Michael Fletcher has joined The Hockey News for his field placement this spring. Fletcher worked as sports editor and news editor of the Chronicle during his time in the program. One of his first assignments on placement was covering the Toronto Maple LeafsColumbus Blue Jackets NHL game at the ACC April 6.

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I’ve met some absolutely amazing people from all walks of life. Addiction doesn’t know race, doesn’t know religion [and] doesn’t know socioeconomic status.

Beth Whalen See page 15

People might be getting a false view of just how happy other people are.

David Clarke See page 19

Most people would look and say it is a bad kid choosing to run away, as opposed to it’s a homeless kid who really has got nowhere to go.

Kelda Lesly See page 17

2016-04-08 3:03 PM

Campus

April 12 - April 16, 2016

The Chronicle

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Durham’s Little Library makes big impression Miniature book exchange appears on campus Tyler Hodgkinson The Chronicle Tucked away in a corner on the second floor of the South Wing, just outside of room 214, is a new addition to the school that is as mysterious as it is momentous.

A look behind the large red lounge seats reveals a recently added wooden cabinet lined with books of all sizes and genres, including novels, joke books, and nearly half a row of Qur’ans.

Engraved upon the top arch are the words “Durham College Little Library.” Whoever built the piece has the intention of getting people to become excited about reading again.

The amount of buzz surrounding the makeshift container of old and new literary tales should be a good indication of its early success.

Examination of the box reveals no creator. There is, however, a note left behind that relays a familiar system.

Readers are encouraged to take a book, and leave a book. Also printed on the palm sized card left behind is a message about literacy: “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”

Students have, in fact, been using it. Brandon Remani, a first year Police Foundations student, swapped out a John Grisham novel for something he had never read before.

“Muslim intolerance is such a huge issue in society today,” said Remani. “I figured it might be an interesting to educate myself and read the Qur’an.”

Little libraries are not exclusive to the Durham College campus.

The township of Uxbridge installed two little libraries in 2013.

Additionally, the Rotary Club of

Photograph by Tyler Hodgkinson

Rachel Brough, a dental hygiene student, checks out the new Little Library at Durham College, Oshawa campus.

Peterborough-Kawartha installed 25 little libraries around the area in celebration of the club’s 25th anniversary last June.

Peterborough residents reacted positively to the initiative. Twitter user Carling Stephen took to social media and said, “How cool is #Ptbo?…I love these cute book boxes!”

The response to the cabinet at Durham College and UOIT has been similar.

Campus general reference librarian Trish Johns-Wilson was unaware of the school’s book cubby, but was thrilled to hear someone went to the lengths they did to promote literacy.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Johns-Wilson said with a smile.

“Anything that gets people read-

ing.”

She also said it encourages those who do not want to make the trek to the main library to read more.

Other initiatives have even developed around campus to build a literacy community.

The DC/UOIT Reading Club has garnered the attention of students through promotion posters and social media since its founding in September. The Facebook page currently has 95 members.

Additionally, “Caught Reading” posters are plastered around the school as part of the Library and Information Technician Program literacy initiative. The program is designed to teach students certain skills in technical and public services areas such as libraries, and

promotes literacy around Durham College through a variety of different ways.

This is where the mystery of the little library ends.

Haley Letch and Stephanie Merchant, both students in the Library and Information Technician Program, dreamt the idea of the book box and made it a reality.

“I remembered reading about little libraries and thought it was a great idea that we could bring to Durham College,” Letch said.

“Our message that we want people to take away from this is ‘Great reads come from small places’ and we really just want students to read more and to keep on reading.”

How people read books have

changed over the years with the introduction of eBooks, and tablet readers like the Kobo, Kindle, and iPad, but according to a study by Book Net Canada, physical print is still the most popular method of reading. The census reveals 93 per cent of respondents read print, and 58 per cent read an eBook in 2014.

There are no USB drives or digital download codes at the little library in the South Wing. Only old school text is displayed behind the crystal clear glass, and physical conditions of the books widely vary.

Letch and Merchant have succeeded in what their little note said they wished to accomplish. Literacy has become a conversation around campus, and the little library is a big contributor.

DC celebrates First Nations heritage Jared Williams The Chronicle

Ask your average Canadian who exactly is a treaty holder in this country, odds are few may actually know.

Julie Pigeon, Durham College aboriginal Student Advisor, says Canadians have a lack of awareness about indigenous people in this country. But she says DC is trying to change that. In fact, you may have seen some of the posters around the campus that attempt to raise awareness.

Schools such as the University of Winnipeg are also making steps forward in assuring Canada’s shared history is maintained.

Last year, the university’s senate unanimously approved the motion requiring all students to take at least one indigenous studies class to graduate. This includes any course

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that focuses on the rights, history, and traditions of indigenous culture.

More recently, the University of Guelph announced plans to hire five professors of aboriginal descent.

The university also intends to boost graduate scholarships to students who identify as aboriginal.

On campus, the DC Aboriginal Student Centre is here to lend a hand to students who identify as indigenous, to encourage the best college experience possible. As the centre enters the second phase of its self-identification campaign, it also looks to help educate non-aboriginal students on campus.

In addition to hiring more indigenous faculty at all different levels, the Centre’s lead focus is to indigenize the campus in every sense, including the medical world as well, by offering traditional Inuit and native remedies.

Earlier this year, the college held

an Aboriginal Awareness Day. The event included dancers wearing beaded garments, traditional art, music and foods.

Pigeon says Canada did not become a country independently, but with the support of the British colony and in partnership with the native tribes of the land.

She says aboriginal history is embedded in this country as much, if not more, than that brought by early European settlers.

“The history of Canada [began] before the settlers arrived,” says Pigeon. “It’s about acknowledgement of the true history of Canada.”

Meri-Kim Oliver, vice-president of Student Affairs at DC, says the school has gone online to further raise awareness. The school has made of an effort to be more relevant on Facebook.

Oliver said the University of Winnipeg has a much larger aboriginal

Photograph by Jared Williams

First Nations elders gather at Aboriginal Awareness Day.

population than DC, making the process of indigenizing the campus here slightly different.

The University of Winnipeg is taking the first plunge to open more doors for aboriginal heritage to find

its way into post secondary classrooms.

Canada is a nation built on shared history. It is our responsibility to educate future generations on the roots of this country.

2016-04-08 3:04 PM

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The Chronicle

April 12 - 18, 2016

Editorial

PUBLISHER: Greg Murphy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Brian Legree AD MANAGER: Dawn Salter

CONTACT US

NEWSROOM: brian.legree@durhamcollege.ca ADVERTISING: dawn.salter@durhamcollege.ca

No one is above the law The recent high profile trial of Toronto police officer Const. James Forcillo was a controversial affair, especially regarding the mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines. On Jan. 25, 2016 Forcillo was found guilty of attempted murder for the 2013 shooting of Sammy Yatim on a Toronto streetcar. The jury found Forcillo not guilty of the two other charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The charge of attempted murder has a mandatory minimum sentence of four to five years. Forcillo is now on bail awaiting sentencing.

According to Christie Blatchford of The National Post, this may be seen as a compromise. Be that as it may, compromise or not, there should be no special terms for police officers. The mandatory minimum sentences must prevail.

According to the RCMP website, the role of a police officer means, “enforcing the law and investigating crime. Police officers play an important role in ensuring the safety and security of those in the

community they serve.” Having so much responsibility on one’s shoulder, and being in a position to react quickly in life-threatening situations, can put a police officer in a tough place.

With regard to this, people may have only positive experiences with law enforcement professionals. In the same way, these citizens respect, trust and rely on those wearing the badge. They argue police officers are to be trusted as they are gatekeepers for society’s protection and order.

When an officer breaks the law, they are not living up to the high standard society expects of them. There are rules and regulations police officers need to follow while on duty. Such as keeping the peace, preventing crime and protecting life and property in accordance with the Police Services Act. – sec.42 (1). If these procedures are not followed properly, the officer must answer for the crime(s) committed.

According to the Law En-

EDITORS: Jenn Amaro, James Bauman, Rebecca Calzavara, Nathan Chow, Sharena Clendening, Bryce Cunning, Dean Daley, Alexander Debets, Nicole Dupuis, Travis Fortnum, Kailey Haskell, Tyler Hodgkinson, Barbara Howe, Noor Ibrahim, James Jackson, Christopher Jones, Frank Katradis, Daniel Koehler, Tyler Mcmurter, Laura Metcalfe, Tommy Morais, Joshua Nelson, Nicole O'Brien, Samuel Odrowski, Devarsh Oza, Trusha Patel, Matthew Pellerin, Asim Pervez, Joshua Platanitis, Evan Ritchey, Robert Rock, Laurie Rudder, Tyler Searle, Paul Shanker, Kevin Steinbach, Jessica Stoiku, Megan Storey, Euvilla Thomas, Toby Vanweston, Kayano Waite, Brandi Washington, Michael Welsh, Erin Williams, Jared Williams, Ocean Woods

forcement Agency Resource Network, many regulations in the Forcillo case were not followed.

Forcillo did not abide by officer safety regulations, such as verbal identifiers and conflict defusing techniques. Therefore, Constable Forcillo did not live up to the expected standards.

Those arguing for a reduced sentence may cite the Criminal Code of Canada. Even though the code states, “everyone who commits an offence… is guilty of an offence punishable on a summary conviction,” the code exempts police officers of guilt if the crime committed was in the execution of the officer’s duties.

Although the killing of Sammy Yatim seems clear cut, the prosecution thought of every scenario when they charged Forcillo with multiple offences. Despite the jury acquitting the officer of second-degree murder and manslaughter, the jury did find him guilty of the third charge of attempted murder. More import-

and so is the respect for the law and its enforcers.

Police officers are under more scrutiny as incidents such as this continue to come to light. Not only because of the use of CCTV cameras on the streets, but also because of the ubiquitous use of cell phones by the general public who can record and upload video and photographs immediately to the media. Those who carry the badge must not be above the law, and their sentences should reflect that. Law enforcers must be held to a higher standard because of their role in protecting society.

Officers like Forcillo are civil servants, and must be held accountable to the general public for any crime committed, while on duty or not. If Sammy Yatim was your friend, or your child, you would demand nothing less.

Bryce Cunning, Barbara Howe, Matthew Pellerin,Jessica Stoiku and Erin Williams

ADVERTISING SALES: Sharik Aga, Christina Alexiou, Kendra Allin, Evan Blair, Rebecca Broderick, Courtney Brown, Malik Burke, Garbrielle Charrois, Deanna Colomvakos, Shannon Darroch, Taylor Ellis, Francesco Ferrara, Kaitlin Francis, Brittany Gatlin, Lauren Givelas, Zara Impelido, Chayanika Kar, Zack Leveque-Wilson, Dominique Libbert, Tyler Macdonald, Anabella Macdondal-Pearce, Courtney Mccormick, Cameron Mckinnon, Stephani Michaud, Heather Moran, Karen Prozak, Justin Rojas, Justin Sagolili, Nicole Scholtz, Jacob Skiffington, Taylor Smith.

The Chronicle is published by the Durham College School of Media, Art and Design, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7L7, 7212000 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.

Publisher: Greg Murphy

Editor-In-Chief: Brian Legree

Advertising Production Manager: Kevan F. Drinkwalter

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antly, the victim, Sammy Yatim, was already dead on the floor of the streetcar. He posed no threat to the police officers on the street.

Forcillo was not using his gun to serve or protect any member of the public at the time. Consequently, a punishment reflecting such a crime must be applied.

Supporters of reduced sentences for the police may reference the fact that officers are civil servants. They are government workers protecting and serving the public. These supporters may rationalize a reduced sentence by arguing such a position merits leeway. They believe there should be flexibility in punishing an officer for actions committed on duty because they are civil servants.

The reality is police officers are civil servants, and as such, the taxpayers pay their salaries. This warrants direct accountability to taxpayers. If a police officer is seen to receive a reduced sentence for a crime, the accountability is lost

Features editor: Teresa Goff

Photography Editor: Al Fournier

ADVERTISING DESIGN: Darian Alphonso, Adrian Blake, Surya Brehm, Quinn Ciceri, Amy Dewey, Charlotte Dockerty Watters, Nicole Eder-Doucette, Aaron Esmaquel, Graham Hart, Alysha Jacovou, Okeen James, Jessica Lalonde, Jesse Mendell, Joel Mitchell, Julianna Moffatt, Jacob Moss, Kimberly Nickerson, Hasaan Osensi, Also Perri, Karlee Pafford, Alexander Pecchia, Aldo Perri, Madison Reesor, Caitlyn Swinerd, Paige Towell, Philip Trapp.

Ad Manager: Dawn Salter

Technical Production: Darren Fisher

2016-04-08 3:05 PM

April 12 - 18, 2016

Opinion

Too many, too soon

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anada has taken in 25,000 Syrian refugees as of February 27, 2016. On March 8, 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister, John McCallum announced that by the end of this year we would take in another 60,000. While it is important to help other countries in need, this initiative was done in haste and has been costly.

Canada should not have taken so many Syrian refugees in such a short amount of time because of the cost, housing limitations, job availability, and risk of potential security threats. The Canadian government has already spent $32 million alone on charter flights bringing Syrian refugees into Canada. That does not include the cost of getting the refugees to their final living destination where they will receive extensive support, including immediate financial and educational assistance. Minster McCallum believes the resettlement program will stay under the six-year $678 million budget but it is still a costly effort.

Besides cost, another issue in bringing in so many refugees is a lack of jobs available in Canada right now.

Canada’s unemployment rate has been steadily increasing over the last year. It has risen from 6.8 per cent in April, 2015, to 7.2 per cent

Logan Caswell in January, 2016. We simply do not have enough work for the existing Canadian population, let alone an additional 60,000 people.

Although there are some places in Canada, su that are eager to replenish an aging workforce and would benefit from a largely youthful crop of workers, many larger cities such as Toronto and Ottawa are not in such a predicament. In those cities, unemployment is an issue, but is not as big an issue as finding an available and affordable place for new arrivals to live.

Government Canada very good.

But here, slow, slow,” Tebawi told Gloria Galloway of The Globe and Mail. Tebawi hopes to find residence in the Mississauga/Toronto area but can’t find anything cheaper than $1700 per month.

Eyad Tebawi, came to Toronto from Syria with his family 25 days ago. They have been living in a hotel ever since and are looking for affordable housing. Eyad Tebawi, who is grateful for the opportunity

to come to Canada, has found the process of finding a suitable housing sluggish.

Having an affordable place to live for refugees is important, but ensuring the safety of others while doing so is paramount.

With recent terrorist attacks like the ones in Paris and Boston, the importance of safety cannot be overstated. Toronto immigration lawyer, Guidy Mamann was at a Senate committee hearing in Washington, D.C. in February and said that the rate at which we emigrated such a vast quantity of refugees is concerning. He also suggests Syria is a country particularly prone to committing terrorist acts. In an article written by cbcnews.ca, Guidy Mamann said compared to other groups of refugees, Syria is a relatively high risk demographic and is widely considered a hot bed of international terror. Canada should take in refugees, but we also need to ensure we don’t put ourselves at risk of being without a job, home or worse. Because of the expected cost of the Canada’s refugee program, the lack of affordable housing and jobs for those we emigrate, and a risk of potential security threats, Canada should not have taken so many refugees in a short amount time.

Black men victimized

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any police officers within the United States are killing unarmed black men. Officers are abusing their power and doing more harm than good.

In 2015, over 1,000 black men were killed by police officers according to a study by The Guardian. The three highest profile cases of police brutality were the most controversial stories. And these took place in 2014. White officers got acquitted of all charges after killing Eric Garner, Mike Brown, and Tamir Rice.

On July 17, 2014 Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, was standing outside of a convenience store. Officer Daniel Pantaleo approached Garner and questioned him about selling illegal cigarettes.

Garner yelled for his puffer and said, “I can’t breathe” several times in a video shot by bystander Ramsey Orta. Garner died after being held in the chokehold by Pantaleo.

This video went viral and afterwards people of all races and ages wore shirts and made signs at protest events with “I can’t breathe” on them.

In the video, five officers hold Garner down. The only person arrested for this crime was Orta, the person who shot the video for “interfering with an arrest.” The officer who killed Garner was not charged.

Another case of injustice was the killing of Mike Brown. Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Brown

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Brandi Washington as he was walking down the street of his neighbourhood in Ferguson, Missouri.

Brown graduated from high school two months before he died.

He was not committing a crime. He was unarmed and had his hands up.

The officer claimed self-defence.

Again, the officer was not charged.

Three months later, Tamir Rice who was only 12-years-old was also shot by an officer. Rice was in a park playing with a toy gun. Officer Timothy Loehmann assumed it was real and shot him.

This officer was not charged or arrested and the death was ruled a homicide. This case was widely covered because of the age of Tamir Rice as well as the number of black men who were all killed by police officers before him.

Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice received no justice.

None of them were armed with a weapon or committing a crime.

Two years before these black men died, #BlackLivesMatter started a movement to discuss police brutality and racism.

The case which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement was the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012.

Seventeen-year-old Martin was walking home in Miami Gardens,

Florida after going to the store at night to get Skittles and iced tea. He was killed by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty for the murder.

Although Martin was not murdered by an officer, this was still a case which did not receive justice.

What links this case to other cases is the racism and brutality.

Activist groups like Black Lives Matter are making sure these stories are heard. More importantly, this movement is working towards freedom and justice.

A case closer to home was 45-year-old Andrew Loku, a black man killed by an officer last summer. He was murdered in his Toronto apartment building by an officer whose name will not be released to the public.

Black Lives Matter protesters want Toronto police to release the name of the officer so Loku and his family can receive justice.

Toronto, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne addressed a group of protesters at Queens Park in early April and said she believes there is racism in society.

However, our society has come a long way and what is setting us back 100 years is the prejudice in the world we thought ended many decades ago.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” At the end of the day, all lives matter. This includes the lives of black men.

The Chronicle

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Taxing sugary drinks won't fix obesity problem

Negative approach isn't sweet

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Senate Committee recently asked the Canadian government to tax sugary drinks to address childhood obesity. While attempting to fight childhood obesity may be a noble cause, this is not the way to fix the problem. A tax on sugary drinks is the wrong approach when trying to address childhood obesity because it is not proven to work and it suggests that we are not capable of making informed decisions by ourselves.

Proponents of a sugary drink tax suggest the government should intervene in matters of health tax sugary drinks. This would be similar to how the government taxes tobacco. In regards to this tax taking place in Canada, famous chef Jamie Oliver was quoted as saying “It’s about time your government got on this.” The rationale behind this is one that says ‘if you won’t make healthy decisions, we will force you to.’

Fighting childhood obesity can certainly be a noble cause for taxing sugary drinks. At the same time a tax is a method of addressing the problem which assumes Canadians are unable to make informed and positive choices when it comes to their diet. Instead of punishing negative decisions, the government should inspire positive decisions.

Providing financial incentives to eat healthier may have as much of an effect on healthy eating as taxing unhealthy decisions would.

The difference is that one assumes Canadians cannot make informed choices, while the other encourages them to do so.

Supporters of taxing sugary drinks may also suggest that it is the only way to fix childhood obesity.

These supporters suggest that if a government does not tax sugary drink consumption, that it is doing their citizens a disservice.

A tax is most certainly not the only way to fix childhood obesity, much like how taxing tobacco isn’t the only reason some smokers quit.

As of 2012, the Canadian government forced all tobacco companies to display warning labels on their products. These labels show the negative health effects behind smoking and encourage healthy living.

Attempting something similar to smoking’s warning labels may be the right approach to sugary drinks.

At the very least, educating the pub-

Matthew Pellerin

lic’s knowledge on healthy living, more than we presently are, could fix the problem. Addressing the nutritional benefits of healthy living, as opposed to taxing unhealthy living, is most certainly the more positive approach.

Some people may believe that if you have to pay more for pop, you would buy those products less.

These supporters see this as being true considering how we are already seeing increases in nearly every food product over the past decade. Supporters of a pop tax suggest that raising the price will put financial strain on Canadians and make them rethink their habits.

Addressing health-related issues through a price increase is not necessarily a proven, guaranteed approach. The Journal, an Irish newspaper, pointed out in an article from October of last year that a tax on cigarettes did nothing to deter smokers from quitting in the long run.

A tax on sugary drinks will not necessarily put enough financial strain on Canadians to successfully eliminate all sugary drink spending in the long run. Cornell University conducted a study in 2012 where one half of a small town was taxed 10 per cent on sugary drinks, while the rest of the town paid regular prices. The tax reduced spending on sugary drinks for the first month, and then the taxed half of the town returned to their regular spending on these products. This study shows the flaws in suggesting that financial strain can force people to rethink unhealthy actions. Given enough time, people will eventually return to their unhealthy ways by finding ways to come up with the money to equal the rise in price.

A tax on sugary drinks assumes that Canadians can’t make positive choices, and is a method that has been proven wrong by credible studies. The issue could be remedied through nutritional education and by reinforcing positive choices instead of punishing negative ones.

Some may consider a sugary drink tax noble for tackling the issue of childhood obesity, it is the wrong way to fix the problem. It is one that belittles people instead of motivating them. In the end, we deserve to be able to make choices, for better or worse, out of our own free will and not because a tax forced us to.

2016-04-08 3:06 PM

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The Chronicle

April 12 - 18, 2016

Durham’s Who’s future Future students faces check out Sharena Clendening

campus

The Oshawa campus of Durham College opened it doors to attract soon-to-be high school graduates and mature students on April 2.

The school’s president Don Lovisa was present throughout the event, to answer questions and meet new students and their parents.

“I do this because it is great fun.

It is also something that is unique in most open houses. Most presidents won’t stand all day and talk to people,” said Lovisa. “ People are curious about the college, I love to promote the college. It’s my opportunity to talk to parents and students.”

The open house is all about feedback, from students, faculty, parents and prospective students.

The recruitment team sits down and debriefs after the last open house, then talks about next year and new ideas. It then tries to get them implemented, said Lisa White, director of Strategic Enrolment Services.

All 140 programs were put on display throughout the Oshawa campus.

Second and first year students in the programs were available talk to families, to answer questions about what to expect in first year and what experience students will gain during their years at Durham College.

“The open house is a fabulous idea. It allows people to get a sense of who we are as Durham College,” said Lovisa.

Michael Bromby, who has been accepted to Journalism-Broadcast and Electronic Media program, stopped by the Chronicle room to sit down and talk to his future teachers.

He also met a couple of current first-year students to get insight on what to expect.

“I heard a bunch of friends came here and they really enjoyed the school. I was looking into it and it looked really nice,” said Bromby.

Bromby won’t be walking into the program next year without experience. He has volunteered at a Rogers TV studio. He enjoyed lining up people to go on the show. Bromby is interested in a producer position in the future.

“I did a lot of research and finding people to come on TV shows, and so I really enjoyed that aspect,” said Bromby. “So I looked into this program and it was really nice.”

Families also got tours of the residence, the gym, the health services, and the library. Future students got to spend the morning experiencing what the campus is like and got to meet students.

They also learned about all about the different services they can access while they are students at Durham.

They got a taste of what they shouyld expect as a DC student coming into school in the fall.

Kayano Waite

The Chronicle

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Campus

at Durham College

The Chronicle

Potential Durham College students saw the many ways they could be taught during the spring Open House.

“We’ve had lots of people preregister,” said director of Student Recruitment and Admissions, Lisa White. “More than last year.”

Several classrooms were set up across the campus for programs.

First-year Broadcasting student Phil La Rosa volunteered during the event.

“I thought it would be a good experience for new students who want to come in and know what the program is that they’re signing up for,” La Rosa said. “I feel like a student’s perspective is always good rather than have a professor tell them what they might expect.”

He had no idea what to expect himself. “I attended the orientation but not an open house,” he said.

“I think it’s pretty helpful for the students,” La Rosa said. “I wish I did it when I signed up for Durham College. It would have given

Makayla and Breanna Williamson with DC President Don Lovisa. me a good perspective on what to expect on the coming year.”

Victoria Kelly from Whitby is interested in Public Relations, offered by the School of Media Art & Design.

“I was here two years ago for General Arts and Science just because I didn’t know what to do straight out of high school,” she said.

Kelly is interested in the variety of opportunities the program offers. “I like how there’s a lot you can do with it,” Kelly said. “It’s not just one thing. Like you were to be in Nursing, you’re a nurse.”

Kelly likes photography and writing, interests suitable for the program. “The people in the

Photograph by Kayano Waite

public relations program really helped me with my questions.”

Sisters Brianne and Michaela Hogarth are hoping to attend DC for Nursing and Pre-Health, respectively.

Brianne hopes to branch off to UOIT, while Michaela wants to move to the Nursing program after Pre-Health.

Michaela found the campus environment welcoming.

“They care about how our education is, they care about our success,” she said.

While some who attended were already sure of their program of choice, other were looking for what piqued their interests.

“I’m kind of indecisive on

what I want to do,” said Jenn Brown from Whitby. “But I have my mind on Architecture.”

While many visitors were looking at the campus classes, others spoke to students about part-time and online studies.

Nancy Martin, director of the School Continuing Education, was there to answer questions about distance learning. “Many people don’t know what an online course looks like,” she said.

“It’s important that the staff hear what the students have to say about the courses they are interested in,” Martin said parents were there to help with their children, but they, too, showed interest in DC. “What’s interesting is parents are here to get their kids into their full-time programs,” she said, “and then they come to us to say, ‘But what about about me? What about part time?’’’

Martin also spoke on what she sees as setting DC apart.

“That feeling of community, that we’re here to help our students, that’s why you see the huge number of volunteers from all range of the college here to help.”

There was also the opportunity to meet and DC president Don Lovisa.

“Get connected to the campus, to your programs,” he said. “Get comfortable. Show up, do your work and have fun”.

Welcome to the Whitby campus Open house sees new faces on campus Brandi Washington The Chronicle

People at Whitby campus had a chance to accept their offers to become a DC student at the open house this month. There were three held, at Whitby, Oshawa, and the Pickering learning site.

The open house is one of two held every year with the first being held in November.

Faculty and staff provided information and answered questions, along with tours around the campus.

Lisa White, director of student recruitment and admissions, said planning the open house happens a year in advance. White and the DC team look at survey responses from people who attended the previous event. She said the results help make the open house better for next time.

White said the fall and spring open houses are very different.

“The fall open house is more students investigating what programs they might be interested in, having a look at the campus seeing where the location is,” she said. “Spring open house we find is more for applicants, so people who have already applied but they’re maybe not sure between what college they want to go to.”

White also said people can find information about DC online but nothing compares to the open hous-

es because it is all about the feel.

“When you come onto the campus how do you feel?” said White. “How does the culture feel to you? How do the people treat you? How do you feel when you’re in the building? Do you feel like it is somewhere comfortable when you’re walking around?”

For some students, open houses can help them answer these questions and help with their decision.

Katrina Gray attended the Whitby campus open house as part of the DC crew welcoming visitors.

She said the search engine on the open house website helped people who may have been confused about the campus locations. After entering a program, the search engine would tell people which campus to attend.

Gray said open houses are beneficial for students.

“Come to the open houses, look at what your options are.

They have so much information here, even the people at the welcome desk,” she said. “I have so much information that I can give, and so much that we can share.”

Gray said staff provided information on business and trade fundamentals at the open house in Whitby. Future students could also ask questions and find out if a program was right for them.

“Being able to come to open house and see people from your courses, people who are graduat-

Photograph by Brandi Washington

Kiara and Racquel, with Lord Durham and his feathery friend.

ing, people who know what they’re doing, teachers from the programs, it’s so interesting,” said Gray.

Student recruitment officer Nathalie Stutt was also at the Whitby campus open house. She has been at Durham College for 20 years. She said before going into a post-secondary program students should recognize their options.

“Everything is so competitive these days, that the sooner you’re able to have a goal the better off you’re going to be,” she said.

All campuses have unique features, Stutt said. The Pickering learning site only offers grad certificates, partnered with Centennial College.

She said Whitby has a specialspot in her heart because

she spent many years there.

Skilled trades are Whitby’s specialty. She has encouraged and assisted many students to get into the college as well as trade programs.

The Whitby campus recently brought more traditional programs to the campus, such as Animal Care and Office Administration, which she said balanced the gender situation because it was mostly male dominated for many years.

“I always consider ourselves more of a technical college,” said Stutt. “Higher technical skills that employers are looking for.”

People who are still interested in booking a tour at the Oshawa and Whitby campuses can register on the Durham College website.

They run until April 29.

2016-04-08 3:07 PM

Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

The Chronicle

7

How mature do you think you are?

Kayano Waite The Chronicle

Returning to campus can be daunting for many students, but there are many places for them to go at Durham College when in need of academic or personal aid on campus.

Who is a “mature” student? The answer varies at every school in Ontario. For some schools, a mature student is one who has been away from an educational setting for more than a year.

Latonya Williams-Blake is an international student from the U.S. who took a gap year before starting Practical Nursing.

She has found help at SALS (Student Academic Learning Services).

She’s been there around four times throughout the winter semester.

“I feel SALS is helpful, the teachers I can go to there. If I’m in struggling with my Anatomy (class), I can just see my professor at SALS,” she says. “My teacher repeats it to me every time I go to class.”

SALS, located in the Student Services Building (SSB), offers coaching and writing sessions, and there is help elsewhere for aid in finances and mental health issues.

Nicky Patel, the director at SALS, says at least 30 per cent of the students who have used the services at SALS are considered mature.

“Mature students face a lot of challenges,” Patel said. “They usually have families and jobs

they’re working at.”

Patel also notes that having a profession may affect how mature students work in the classroom.

“If they’ve been in the workplace, they’re used to being their own boss,” she says.

One of the issues they might have is how they interact with the younger students. She said they may have higher expectations of their teachers, schoolmates and program.

With older student, Patel says that depending on age, challenges might come from using computers as a resource.

Another place that provides help is the Access and Support Centre (ASC) near the Computer Commons in the Gordon Willey Building.

The ASC offers services such as peer mentoring and note taking, accessibility coaching and case management for those who need it.

Leena Ahmed, a second year Social Service Work student, currently has her field placement at the center. She helps students who are transitioning to DC with their organizational skills.

“Whether you’re straight out of high school or a mature student, all the same services apply for you,” Ahmed said.

ASC also provides computer software that aids students who may have difficulties with reading and writing. These include like Kurzweil, OneNote and ZoomText.

Photograph by Kayano Waite

Latonya Williams-Blake outside the Student Services Building.

There is also help for future mature students with monthly mature student information sessions. These sessions have run monthly since September, with the last session of the semester coming up on April 27.

At the sessions, future students can get advice on long-term career planning, as well as upgrading their marks.

“Everyone’s needs are completely different depending on where they

are in their learning.” Patel said about meeting with students.

“The first thing would be to listen very carefully to what the student says and provide that for the student.”

Oshawa has plans for young workers seeking employment Tyler Searle The Chronicle

If you’re having a hard time finding a job in the Oshawa region, you’re not alone.

As of February 2016, the unemployment rate in Canada for people between the ages of 15 and 25 was 13.3 per cent. In the Oshawa region, which includes regions such as Whitby and Clarington, this number was 28.1 per cent in 2015.

In an attempt to reduce these numbers, a number of programs and organizations have been created to help train and prepare young people for the work force and help them get their first jobs. One of these groups is FastStart, a partnership of various academic institutions focused on spreading entrepreneurial awareness and skills.

“The leaders of our institutions

noticed that there wasn’t as much of an entrepreneurial presence on campus as there should be,” said Rebecca Holmes, the entrepreneur coordinator at FastStart’s Durham College branch.

FastStart was founded two years ago in a joint partnership with Durham College, UOIT, Fleming College, Spark Centre, Trent University, and the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster. They are funded by the Ontario government to help students and alumni begin their own businesses and thus make their own jobs.

“The region of Durham is a great region for starting a business,” said Holmes. “It’s not always as easy as it used to be to find a job, so people are really having to come up with really creative ways to come employed. Often this means that they’re making their own jobs and

Police vs. cameras

Michael Welsh The Chronicle

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched, like there are always eyes on you? Police know this feeling as they go through it every day on the job. In an age of technology cameras can follow police on every move they make.

Whether they are being recorded by someone’s phone, a security camera or even a camera they are wearing, police are constantly under watch. when it comes to recording police on duty, people are often unclear

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about what is within their legal rights.

David Selby has been the director of corporate communications for the Durham Regional Police Services (DRPS) for the past 15 years.

He says when it comes to recording police, the public usually has the green light.

“Anything that happens outside in public domain is recordable,” he said. “There isn’t a law against that.” This applies to most countries around the world, according to Selby.

Being recorded almost constantly is a change that all police officers

employing themselves.”

In the past, young workers could find employment with strong companies who could keep them signed on for years, such as General Motors. However, in recent years, these companies have begun to migrate to new locations, resulting in many workers being laid off. A higher emphasis on worker productivity has also spawned from this shift.

“Times have changed, and I think work ethics have changed,” said Holmes. “People, for whatever reason, want things done immediately.

We don’t want to work our way up.”

Not all of these organizations are aimed solely at the college and university level. Rick Kerr, a councillor for the city of Oshawa, has developed what he calls a Three Point Plan to help children as young as the middle school level think about their future.

“Gaining employment is such a self-esteem builder,” said Kerr.

“Many depressions and anxieties are employment related.”

The Three Point Plan is designed to help young workers in the Oshawa rejoin to get in touch with people and companies willing to teach them about work ethics, and possibly bring them on as workers.

Like FastStart, the Three Point Plan also places high emphasis on entrepreneurship. Kerr says that the reason is that entrepreneurship promotes a wider range of skills to be utilized in the job market. This, in turn, helps young workers find the jobs they are best suited for.

“If you can’t find a job in the area you graduated from, there’s still a chance of making something from your skills,” said Kerr. Though these organizations exist to help young workers find and create their

own jobs, they can’t do all the work.

For this reason, Kerr suggests young people study up on the jobs they are thinking of applying for.

“The first 30 seconds of an interview are very telling: the handshake, the smile, the eye contact,” said Kerr. “You’ve got to know what you want or it won’t come across.”

These organizations also stress to their workers the benefits of starting off small and working your way up.

Not only do jobs such as filing and organization provide experience to a young worker, they also pave the way for better jobs.

“I started doing filing, printing, and organizing when I was in university,” said Holmes. “And I think those skills are very important skills—and valuable skills.”

Both Holmes and Kerr are available to speak with anyone interested in their programs.

have had to deal with. The degree of surveillance on them would be new to police officers who have been on the force for a long time. There was not as many cameras ten or 20 years ago but police understand this is the way it is now, according to Selby.

“Officers are well aware that in 2016 a lot of people have cameras on their phones,” he said. “Anything they say or do in public could be recorded.”

These recordings can then be used by the person who took the video for any purpose.

According to Selby there are hundreds of videos online of police just doing their job. He says most of the time police are not told the video will be posted.

One of the most well-known videos of a police shooting in Canada is that of Sammy Yatim. In July, 2013 Yatim was shot eight times by police on a bus in Toronto. Cameras on the bus and another by a bystander caught the shooting and have been viewed by millions of people around the world.

Toronto Police Const. James Forcillo was found guilty of attempted murder this past January. The video proved to be a key piece of evidence in the trial.

Durham College students have mixed opinions on the idea of people recording police. Many believe that it is a good thing but not always necessary. Police Foundations students have a lot to say about

the topic, since many are headed towards a career in this field.

Arran Birch is a first year Police Foundations student and he says it’s easy to understand why police could become annoyed.

“I’ve seen so many instances where police officers are just writing down a note and people say I’m recording you, said Birch. “This is going on the internet.”

Birch’s friend Ryan White, also in the Police Foundations program, says that people recording police does a lot of good.

“Without people recording we wouldn’t see all these police brutalities and stuff like that. If no one pulled out a cell phone how would we see that,” he said.

2016-04-08 3:07 PM

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The Chronicle

Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

Gender neutral washrooms at Durham College Several gender neutral washrooms at Simcoe and other campus locations Asim Pervez The Chronicle

There are “not enough” gender neutral washrooms on campus, according to Outreach Services manager at Durham College, Shafiqullah Aziz. He says all gender washrooms are important in the transgender community.

Durham College has several neutral washrooms at the Oshawa campus, two in the Gordon Willey building, two in the Student Service building, one in the South Village residence, and three in the Simcoe Village residence. The two at the Whitby campus are both at the Centre for Food.

“We need to establish gender neutral washrooms. They need to be accessible, and they need to be in a central location,” said Aziz, adding that most gender neutral washrooms aren’t easy to locate.

He said the student association is working on getting more gender neutral washrooms on campus.

“Currently we’re going to start advocating for gender neutral washrooms in the Student Centre, because that’s the Student Association,” he says “that’s something that the executives are in agreement with.”

Aziz says the transgender community is not getting enough attention and they often face discrimination. He says here should be more transgender washrooms in public places, for instance, in places like a mall. Thousands of

people visit malls every day and some of those people are bound to be transgender. In malls, there are not enough awareness for the transgender community he said.

In fact, some malls don’t even have gender neutral washrooms.

Both Pickering Town Centre, and Oshawa Centre do not have a single gender neutral washroom.

“There needs be advocacy to address the issue of trans discrimination on our campus and the general public as well,” he adds.

They need to be accessible, and they need to be in a central location.

Students around campus have mixed opinions about gender neutral washrooms.

“I definitely think they are important for transgender

Photograph by Asim Pervez

A gender neutral washroom at Durham College in the Gordon Willey building. people, you never know who is a transgender and you never know who is among you.” said Darnell Bailey, a Mechanical Engineering Student.

Summer Walker, a Police Foundations student says gender neutral washrooms should be easier to find. “They are pretty hidden in the school” she says.

While Osama Akbar, an Information Technology student at UOIT taken a different approach.

He doesn’t see the big issue in the

lack of gender neutral washrooms.

“It’s just a washroom. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” he said.

Aziz says the transgender community is not getting enough attention and they often face discrimination on and off campus.

There should be more transgender washrooms in public places, for instance, in places like a mall.

Thousands of people visit malls every day, some of those people are bound to be transgender.

In malls, there is not enough

awareness for the transgender community, in fact, some malls don’t even have gender neutral washrooms.

Aziz said it’s important to consider the comfort of transgender people.

“I think, just like we have to recognize the fact that trans people identify, with whatever gender, that’s a right for them to identify however they choose to do so as a particular gender or not with a gender at all,” said Aziz.

UOIT prof: Blood donation practice discriminates Exploring LGBT rights when donating blood Dean Daley The Chronicle

Right now, men who have sex with other men cannot give blood unless they abstain from sex for five years. But there is a proposal in the works to change the five-year deferral to a one- year deferral.

Either way any sort of ban or deferral on donating blood is discriminatory, according to Dr. Miles Bowman bio-psychology of sexual behaviour professor at UOIT and Mark Hammann coordinator of the gay men’s outreach program at AIDS committee Durham.

According to Canadian Blood Services’ (CBS), men who have had sex with other men are at the highest risk for contracting HIV,

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which is why a lifetime ban was placed in 1977.

In 2013, however, CBS used experts to decide what would be a good deferral period compared to the lifetime ban.

Their assessment showed that reducing the lifetime ban to a five year ban was safe. But that doesn’t sit well with Bowman.

“I don’t think a five year ban is reasonable, or the right approach,” he says. Hammann agrees. “It’s kind of like a time warp, things have fundamentally changed over the last 30 years,” he says.

CBS says it now has sufficient information to justify a one-year deferral policy. In late March, CBS proposed a one-year deferral to Health Canada and is now waiting for approval, says Mindy Goldman, physician and medical director for donor and clinical services at CBS. “We did prepare a solution that we sent to Health Canada at the end of March,” says Goldman.

“It’s up to them now to assess the proposal and to get back to us in terms of whether they agree or disagree.”

After collecting blood, CBS uses something called nucleic acid

testing to screen for several things, including HIV-AIDS. But not all locations offer this service, which is faster and more sensitive than other tests.

“I don’t think (of any time) a deferral is the magic number,” says Bowman.

He believes CBS’ pre-screening questions should focus on whether a person has had unsafe sex instead of focusing on their sexual orientation. Bowman points out that biologically a woman who has unsafe anal sex is more likely to contract a STD or STI than a man, though they are not asked in the pre-screening questions whether they are engaged in anal sex in the past. Goldman says asking deeper questions might create more healthy donors, although before that can be established more research has to be done.

“If we could find a way that could lead to fewer donors and maintain safety to me that will be a better way,” she says.

Hammann says gay men are at the highest risk for contracting HIV, although Afro-Caribbean men and women are a high risk community as are indigenous men and women.

I don’t think a deferral is the magic number.

Bowman says, as a homosexual man, he feels completely discriminated against knowing that other high risk groups don’t have a deferral while gay men do.

Trent University student Daniel Ross says when he tried clinic to give blood he was told CBS wouldn’t take it from a homosexual male.

Instead of asking if he had any form of sexual contact within the last five year, he says he was told he cannot give blood and was quickly dismissed.

“Any sort of ban in place that is based on an immutable

characteristic, something someone cannot change about themselves, is discriminatory,” says Bowman.

Although the ban is not on gay men it is still on gay men who have sex, which he calls an “eye rolling threshold.”

He says the deferral or ban would never be placed on black men who have sex, despite having the second highest risk, because it is discriminatory. Yet CBS placed the deferral on homosexual men.

Goldman says in the past immigrants from Haiti had a deferral period, but after research and as time passed, the deferral was removed.

She says the original five-year deferral was just the first step, with the one-year deferral being the next. Goldman says with more research it is possible that the deferral will be abandoned but as of right now CBS is still working on the one-year deferral.

Bowman feels the ban is “discriminatory” and completely unnecessary.

He doesn’t believe the deferral will ever be completely eliminated but hopes to one day give blood again like he did before coming out as gay.

2016-04-08 3:08 PM

Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

The Chronicle

Unlearning Islamophobia Travis Fortnum The Chronicle

The burning of a mosque in Peterborough and the defacing of Muslim Student Association and Arab Student Association posters here on campus, are proof of Islamophobia close to home, according to the Student Association.

It saw these and other incidents as justification for the development of a conference centered around Islam and the media, which took place last month at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility in Ajax. Just over three hundred people attended.

This school year the SA started an advocacy campaign called Unlearn, Relearn, Challenge. Mike Guerard, vicepresident of College Affairs, had a key role in the planning process.

He says the idea to turn the campaign into an event came from the new vice-president of University Affairs, Siraj Syed.

“When he took office, he really wanted to do an Islamophobia event.” Mike said.

“We decided, let’s take Unlearn, Relearn, Challenge and make it an annual conference, with the first one being Islam and the media.”

The SA partnered with programs at both Durham College and UOIT, allowing students the opportunity to receive bonus marks for attending.

Students got to attend the event for free and made up 89 per cent of the tickets distributed. Each student was also allowed to bring one guest.

Tyler Persaud, a Durham College Film student, credited his girlfriend for bringing him. Before the speakers took the stage, Persaud said he was interested to see “how the media truly treats Islam.”

Members of communities outside of campus were offered the chance to purchase tickets. Toronto

She focused on the importance of reframing narratives when it comes to the treatment of Islamophobic issues.

“The narratives around Muslim men and women affect us all,” she said. “No Canadian should be asked to check their faith at the door.”

Several students left the event after Elghawaby’s speech.

Those who stayed got to hear from Fasil Kutty, associate professor at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana and a human rights activist.

“Maybe you could call it Muslimphobia, maybe you could call it anti-Muslim hate,” he said. Kutty referenced several misrepresentations of Muslim people by the media. He talked about the hateful words of Donald Trump, the assumptions made about Corporal Nathan Cirillo’s attacker on Parliament Hill, and even Disney’s Aladdin.

After Kutty spoke, those Photograph by Travis Fortnum in attendance were treated to lunch and entertainment.

Amira Elghawaby stands beside the Unlearn Relearn and Two entertainers took Challenge poster. the stage, first was hop-hop artist Mohammad Ali, followed by resident Ifthikar Hassen paid was first to speak. She leads the comedian Mohamed “Big Moe” just $10 for his. “I feel like I gate National Council of Canadian Saleh.

We decided, let’s take Unlearn, Relearn, and Challenge and make it an annual conference. crashed,” he said. “I would have paid fifty.”

The Unlearn, Relearn, Challenge event played host to three speakers. Amira Elghawaby

Muslims media relations, public engagement and strategic communications.

Elghawaby provided insight into the issues around Islamophobia.

Following the break, keynote speaker Reza Aslan spoke. Aslan is a frequent guest commentator on CNN, as well as an acclaimed author and religious

9

scholar.

“We’re looking for real estate in preparation for President Trump,” Aslan joked.

Aslan spoke about the importance of relationships in erasing the fear people harbour towards Muslims.

“The single most determining factor for your views about Islam,” he said, “is if you know a Muslim or not.”

Following the conference, Persaud said he thought “it was very insightful look in to how the media can twist stories to make the audience create a negative reaction towards Islamic culture.”

The SA hopes the incoming executive will pick up the idea to carry on the annual event.

“Hopefully next year it expands, and one of the things we keep talking about is, wouldn’t it be great if we could use the GM Centre,” said Guerard.

There have been a few questions raised about the decision to host the event at a banquet hall instead of on campus. Guerard says one of the SA’s goals going into the planning process was “to establish a really high-end, classy event. We have CampusFest and other events throughout the year, we wanted this one to be better.”

Critics also question the cost behind the event, especially given the star-power of Aslan, on top of the other speakers and performers, the venue, transportation and lunch. Guerard says the SA initially budgeted $29,800, with around $10,000 more coming from UOIT and DC. The event ended up costing more than $33,000.

If all goes according to plan, Guerard says, each year’s conference will have a different theme.

“We’re setting it up where hopefully they will do it, but really it’s up to the will of the execs every year.”

Embrace the diversity

Michael Welsh The Chronicle

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched, like there are always eyes on you? Police know this feeling as they go through it every day on the job. In an age of technology cameras can follow police on every move they make. Whether they are being recorded by someone’s phone, a security camera or even a camera they are wearing, police are constantly under watch.

When it comes to recording police on duty, people are often unclear about what is within their legal rights.

David Selby has been the director of corporate communications for the Durham Regional Police Services (DRPS) for the past 15 years. He says when it comes to recording police, the public usually has the green light.

“Anything that happens outside in

page_09.indd 1

Anything that happens outside in public domain is recordable. public domain is recordable,” he said.

“There isn’t a law against that.” This applies to most countries around the world, according to Selby.

Being recorded almost constantly is a change that all police officers have had to deal with. The degree of surveillance on them would be new to police officers who have been on the force for a long time. There was not as many cameras ten or 20 years ago but police understand this is the way it is now, according to Selby.

“Officers are well aware that in 2016 a lot of people have cameras on their phones,” he said. “Anything they say or do in public could be recorded.”

These recordings can then be used by the person who took the video for any purpose. According to Selby there are hundreds of videos online of police just doing their job. He says most of the time police are not told the video will be posted.

One of the most well-known vid-

eos of a police shooting in Canada is that of Sammy Yatim. In July, 2013 Yatim was shot eight times by police on a bus in Toronto. Cameras on the bus and another by a bystander caught the shooting and have been viewed by millions of people around the world. Toronto Police Const.

James Forcillo was found guilty of attempted murder this past January.

The video proved to be a key piece of evidence in the trial.

Durham College students have

mixed opinions on the idea of people recording police. Many believe that it is a good thing but not always necessary. Police Foundations students have a lot to say about the topic, since many are headed towards a career in this field.

Arran Birch is a first year Police Foundations student and he says it’s easy to understand why police could become annoyed.

“I’ve seen so many instances where police officers are just writing down a note and people say I’m recording you, said Birch. “This is going on the internet.”

Birch’s friend Ryan White, also in the Police Foundations program, says that people recording police does a lot of good.

“Without people recording we wouldn’t see all these police brutalities and stuff like that. If no one pulled out a cell phone how would we see that,” he said.

2016-04-08 3:09 PM

10

The Chronicle

Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

UOIT president Dr. Tim McTiernan.

Photograph by Alex Costa

Presidents

UOIT president Dr. Tim McTiernan and Durham College’s Don Alex Costa The Chronicle

Q: Was there some specific experience or moment that you can share with us that helped put you on a path to get to where you are today? Tell me about that…

Lovisa: Yes, there was. I would say when I started my bachelor’s degree as an adult student. I had a very good mentor, a fellow by the name of Malcolm O’Neill Fisher.

He helped me learn, he helped me enjoy education, and he helped me get to the education that I needed to progress through the college system.

I think there are lots of different experiences throughout your life, but that was definitely the pivotal point that got me on the path to where I am today.

McTiernan: Probably the fact that I was a college president in a joint campus with Nipissing University when I came to Ontario that first set the seeds for the route I took to get here as President. I was use to working collaboratively with another post-secondary institution on

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campus.

Q: What kind of student were you growing up?

like you, and meeting alumni and seeing the difference that education has on peoples lives. “We change lives through learning” is the expression, and we truly do. Whether it’s convocation or a community event, I get to talk to students, and it’s motivating and it keeps the passion alive about the important work we do at the college.

Lovisa: I was a terrible student in high school. I enjoyed high school for all the wrong reasons. Even when I went into post-secondary the first couple of times I enjoyed the experience and not the schooling.

I enjoyed the social experience, I McTiernan: I am passionate wasn’t a very good student, I finally about with what we are able to do became a better student later life. with our students between both institutions particularly. The fact that McTiernan: I was a lazy student, we provide defined pathways for bright enough to get along without students from college to university putting too much effort into things. and increasingly, opportunities for I was curious and I really enjoyed university graduates to go back to reading, but at the same time, I broaden and deepen their education enjoyed sports and I actually used is something we do well between the to be a rugby player. two of us.

That’s something that learners are Q: What would you say most really looking for, whether they’re motivates you to do what you young and starting off with their do? What are you most excited careers, or whether they’re mid-caor passionate about? What are reer and they want to come back. the goals you most want to ac- The other thing that keeps me incomplish in your work here? terested and passionate if you will, is that we engage in our community Lovisa: You can’t do the job unless in so many ways. Whether it be with you have passion for what we do. students and internships, or applied You know what drives me is students research, there are so many sectors

that we contribute in within the regional. The sense that there were community, even economically. more opportunities that I was aware of grew further into my career. It Q: Did you ever expect to be wasn’t a total surprise that I am here the President of a college/uni- now, but it wasn’t something that I versity? started out thinking I wanted to be while moving on in my career.

Lovisa: At some point in my life, I saw the job as a target to shoot for. Q: What do you do to relax?

Like others, I grew up in the college system the last 30 years. Anytime Lovisa: Well, I’m a musician, so I you get a promotion or change, you play guitar and bass. I also do some want to look at the next level, and yoga. I have three wonderful grandat some point I said, boy, I would children that I want to spent time love to be the president. So then I with. I have my interests and family had to go up the steps of the ladder, is obviously very important. But no I was a supervisor, then a manager, different then anyone else. then an associate dean, dean, and eventually became a president.

I do love the old rock and roll. I’ve Only the lucky few go from convo- been playing some Neil Young latecation and jump into these perfect ly, and specifically this weekend I jobs, but for the most part people was learning a little Jack White. I start at the bottom, you keep on have to admit though I do like playlearning and work hard. It’s a life ing acoustic far more than electric. long journey building a career.

McTiernan: Well, there are definMcTiernan: Probably not, no. Not itely fewer hobbies these days given until very late in my career where the job responsibilities. But I definI was in a senior position at the itely enjoy hiking and trail-biking.

University of Toronto and I began Now and again when my daughter to understand the range of the prompts me I do enjoy running and types of universities we have across I have done a couple half-marathe country, big or small, or even thons in the past. I have a C-Kayak

2016-04-08 5:14 PM

Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

speaking

The Chronicle

11

Durham College president Don Lovisa.

Photograph by Alex Costa

Lovisa, discuss careers, Neil Young and the future of the campus that I made with a friend of mine over a decade ago that just sits in storage and actually hasn’t been in the water yet.

and university students together. We don’t have to put ourselves in these silos. It creates that opportunity for college and university students to fully understand each other and When I lived in the Yukon, I was realize that one’s not better than a whitewater raft guide up there another, we’re just different options on weekends. One of my friends for all types of learners. who actually owned the company was middle-aged on a river with a McTiernan: Well, I think it does a bunch of 20-year olds and he want- number of things. One is we can be ed someone around his age he could efficient in our administration opactually have a conversation with. tions. We are both relatively smaller So that’s something I really enjoyed institutions and if we did our own and did for almost four summers. IT it would be relatively expensive.

Between the two of us we are like a Q: What are some of the bene- strip-mall for education. The range fits of sharing a campus with of opportunity is probably better both schools? then it could be if each of us were on our own because we wouldn’t have Lovisa: The biggest benefit is for the benefits of shared resources. you the students; many students think that only college students Q: On the contrary, what are bridge to university. Lately its been some of the challenges of two the opposite and a lot of UOIT schools sharing the same camgraduates are coming to Durham pus? for post-graduate courses.

Number two is we have shared Lovisa: It’s like any marriage, you facilities, we have a partnership got your good days, you got your with UOIT and that gives us the tough days, and you got your bad privilege to nicer facilities that we days. It’s the same way with when wouldn’t have otherwise. you bring two organizations togethI think thirdly, it brings college er. In one way we are out there mar-

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keting ourselves, and it’s a tough GQ/Vogue. To see Don in a tie-die balance of being competitors and T-shirt would be magic! being partners.

Q: Assuming you’re here long McTiernan: Well, I think there term, what’s your vision for are times when our needs and the the future of DC-UOIT? college needs are different and we have to recognize that so that we Lovisa: My vision coming into this don’t accidentally trip over each job nine years ago, was to leave the other. It involves a lot of energy college in better shape that I found needed on both sides to keep com- it. You always want to make sure munication and conversations going you improve the institution and so that we can each fulfil our own leave it in good hands for the person mandates. that takes over.

One could say that it takes a lot of Our brand is strong right now, all time to attend to good neighbour- the indicators show that people are ly relations, and it does, but when really starting to know about Durit comes together well, it comes ham College. together really, really well.

I’ve said in my town hall last year that I’m going to replace the SimQ: What piece of fashion ad- coe building before I retire. It was vice could you give one an- two buildings that were built side other? by side, and were supposed to be temporary. But since we’ve been Lovisa: Leave that plaid sports growing, any space is good space, coat at home. He’s got one that’s a so we’ve kept it. great sports coat, but I always give him a hard time when he wears it McTiernan: I think as we conbecause it’s quite bright. He’ll know tinue to look at some of the emerwhat I’m talking about! ging needs socially, like elder care and those of special needs, we have McTiernan: Let his inner hippie the ability in aligning our programfree. Don is very stylish and very ming.

Furthermore, we had a proposal with Trent University for an integrated campus that focused on health sciences and community care that would have all three institutions (Durham College, UOIT and Trent) in one facility. We got rated really really highly on the technical aspects of the proposal, but missed out on the funding. If that type of opportunity were to arise again and we found a way to integrate how to work together, that is something that we can focus more on.

Q: Out of you both, who do you think has the nicer hair?

Lovisa: Oh Tim does, he’s got more hair then I do, he has those beautiful white locks. When you get to my age it’s always about the amount of hair you have...

McTiernan: Oh, Don’s is much more elegantly cut and neater. Mine tends to go all over the place, which I’m quite conscious of and deliberately don’t do anything about. I’m not quite sure if I’ll go back to the semi-hipster cut I had over the last year but…

2016-04-08 3:12 PM

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The Chronicle

April 12 - 18, 2016

Campus

Whitby MP is Trudeau’s parliamentary secretary Photograph by Nicole O’Brien

Celina Caesar-Chavannes speaks with her staff about upcoming changes.

All eyes are on Celina, Whitby’s new political star don’t have any politics in my background, never took a poli-sci course. In fact, the summer of 2014 my daughter was taking Grade 10 Whitby MP Celina Caesar- civics. She was bringing home her Chavannes has been the talk of notes and I was being tutored on Durham Region politics since Justin Trudeau paid a visit to her campaign during last fall’s federal election. Her popularity and the fact the pair clicked made it no surprise when Trudeau reached out to Caesar-Chavannes to offer her the position of Parliamentary Secretary on his new team in Ottawa come December. While in the new position, she continues to represent the riding of Whitby in the House of Commons with pride.

Whitby has a long history of being a Conservative riding.

The late Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty sat in office as MP from January of 2006 until his death the basic politics.” in April of 2014. In the resulting Caesar-Chavannes partly credits byelection, Caesar-Chavannes the political interest of her two came in second to Conservative Pat daughters for her involvement. “My Perkins. But in last fall’s general 16-year-old, Desiray, in particular, election, she won the Whitby seat she does model Parliament and for Trudeau’s Liberals, this time mock UN (United Nations). My topping Perkins.

11-year-old, Candice, she’s an Caesar-Chavannes knew that Earth Rangers ambassador, so of in order to resonate with the course she’s very environmentallyConservative members of the focused and so they were like ‘you community, she’d have to do things know, you got to do something a little differently. mom.’”

“Having respectful When Trudeau became the new dialogue is important to me,” she face of the Liberal party, Caesarsays. “So, I would be at the doorstep Chavannes was able to identify of someone who’s Conservative with him immediately, sensing an and they’d say ‘Oh Celina, I don’t “energy in the party” that drew her agree with this and this’, OK well in. “I thought OK, well let me just let’s talk about it. Chances are we try it out and the rest is history.” would agree to disagree but at least Growing up, she wanted to be a then they know that, if I did win, neuroscientist. She graduated from that they have someone in Ottawa the University of Toronto with who is reasonable and they could a Bachelor of Science degree in chat with.” biology. After which, she earned an It is an ideal Caesar-Chavannes MBA in health-care management has stayed true to as she has taken as well as an executive MBA. on more political responsibility in “I started my research company,” the past months. says Caesar-Chavannes, “it was Believe it or not, the political a health-care-based research world is a new scene for her. management firm. So I still “About two years ago at this time, focused in on the neuroscience April, I was just kind of figuring space, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s out how to become a candidate,” you name it.” She focused on the she says. firm, ReSolve Research Solutions, “First time ever. Hated politics, until December, 2013.

Travis Fortnum The Chronicle

Having respectful dialogue is important to me.

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“I can actually remember, I was doing my executive MBA, I was sitting at a table with the 19 women in the class and I just said to them ‘What if I ran?’ and that just sparked it.”

Having no experience in the world of politics seems like it could be a major setback, but Caeser-Chavannes wasn’t going to back down after the challenge of her first loss.

“At first, I think during the byelection it really shook my confidence,” Caesar-Chavannes says. “I didn’t know people were talking about me. My confidence was blown.”

Instead of letting the loss get to her, she decided to apply the same tactics she’s learned through her firm. “It came to the general [election] and I was like ‘look, I’m going to stick to what I know and that’s business.’ I’m not jaded by politics.”

In spite of everything, CaesarChavannes says her main goal is still to do “the best that I can for the people of Whitby. Justin is not my boss. The people of Whitby are my boss. The Parliamentary Secretary job is secondary. I feel like if I do a good job, the people of Whitby might hire me again.”

Caesar-Chavannes says the balancing of MP, Parliamentary Secretary and being a mom is something she’s asked about a lot “and so I say what I said to my daughter a couple years ago. She said ‘mommy, how do you balance everything?’ and I said ‘Desiray, when things are unbalanced how much percentage do you give each one?’ and she said ‘50/50’.

“I told her that’s not fair to you, and that’s not fair to my job.

When I’m at home, I tilt the scale so people are getting 100 per cent when I’m wherever I am.” CaesarChavannes might be too fresh on the scene to be thinking about her legacy, but she admires the style of one of her predecessors.

“I could tell that people were really loyal to Jim Flaherty. I would want to be able to work hard enough that people be loyal to me.”

Nicole O’Brien The Chronicle Just two years ago, Celina Caesar-Chavannes was a 42-year-old mother studying for her executive MBA, running a health-care management business, while raising three children with her husband. It was then around that time when she mentioned the idea of possibly running in the 2014 by-election to her other classmates at the University of Toronto.

She had no political background, had never taken a political science course, and grew up hating politics.

It was her three daughters who inspired Caesar-Chavannes to enter this whole new world.

“My daughters, very political,” said Cesar-Chavannes, whose children are seven, 11 and 16. “I would say they are the political wonks in the family.”

What also inspired her was the man leading the Liberal party, now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“I felt there was an energy in the party, a new purpose or feeling,” said Caesar-Chavannes.

“And I just thought, let me try it out.”

So she tried in 2014 when she became the Liberal candidate for then Whitby-Oshawa riding.

Caesar-Chavannes finished second, losing to Conservative candidate Pat Perkins.

Victory came just a year later for Caesar-Chavannes. In 2015 she won with 45 per cent of the vote, kicking out the 8-year long Conservative hold in the now Whitby riding. What would come next would again change her political career forever.

One day after the election, Caesar-Chavannes was taking the long drive on Highway 416 into Ottawa from Whitby, when her phone started buzzing.

It was a call from Katie Telford, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff.

Telford was calling to tell her Trudeau enjoyed the time he had with Caesar-Chavannes during the by-election.

Telford was also calling to tell Chavannes she had been chosen as one of of Prime Minister’s three parliamentary secretaries.

“The most important thing that she said was that we built a relationship. That for me, was gold,” said Caesar-Chavannes, who spends half her time in Ottawa and the other half in Whitby.

“That’s what you want to strive for, building that rapport.”

As the parliamentary secretary, Caesar-Chavannes handles routine matters in the House of Commons, and attends meetings and events on behalf of the Prime Minister.

“Myself and Justin are like a tag team,” said Caesar-Chavannes with a laugh. “I said Justin, I am your ride or die. Like, I am your girl, I got your back.”

It also means she has many opportunities to speak for the residents of Whitby to those in higher power.

Such as her March visit to the White House, where Caesar-Chavannes was knocking elbows with her tag team partner Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama. Or getting to attend Canada’s Black History Month event on Parliament Hill in February.

But Caesar-Chavannes did admit she always has Whitby on the brain.

“I am always mindful of the fact that, whether I’m in Wash-

Justin is not my boss, the people of Whitby are my boss.

ington or Ottawa, how does this connect back to Whitby?,” said Caesar-Chavannes.

“Justin is not my boss, the people of Whitby are my boss.”

She also wants to stay true to herself.

“I am the truth. I give you the truth whether you like it or you don’t,” said Caesar-Chavannes.

“And I do the same thing for the Prime Minister.”

So will we be seeing her sometime in the future running for Prime Minister of Canada?

Caesar-Chavannes said she does not take that consideration lightly.

“It’s not even something I am even pondering right now,” said the MP.

2016-04-08 5:04 PM

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April 12 - 18, 2016

The

Chronicle

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Photograph by Devarsh Oda

A group of Durham College international students celebrating Holi Festival in late March.

Lack of international students at DC Non-Canadian students are looking elsewhere in Ontario to attend post-secondary schools Devarsh Oda The Chronicle Many international students who come to Canadian colleges choose colleges around the GTA. But according to the Ontario government, most of them do not come to Durham College.

According to Ontario.ca, Durham College has fewer than 400 international students, which is only four per cent of all Durham College students. Compare that to the 41 per cent of international students at Centennial College as well as 28 per cent at Seneca, 21 per cent at Hum-

ber and George Brown and almost 20 per cent at Sheridan College.

There are many reasons for fewer international students at Durham College. According to some international students, one of the main reasons is location. The locations of Centennial, Sheridan, Humber and George Brown are more attractive to many international students.

“All of these colleges are located nearby downtown Toronto.

In that area the students can find more places to relax and they also get the better nightlife,” says Dhiren Tandel, an international student at

Durham College.

Toronto is also more diverse than Durham Region. According to Toronto.ca, 30 per cent of all Toronto residents do not speak English as their first language, compared to 10 per cent in Durham Region. More than 120 languages are spoken in Toronto area alone.

“Centennial is located in Scarborough area. This area has the people from all the areas, so the students do not feel homesick, that is why they come here,” said Omkar Joshi, an engineering student from Centennial College. Joshi also said Centennial has better places to visit.

According to many international students there are also fewer parttime jobs in Durham Region.

Many international students from Durham College go to Scarborough, Brampton or Richmond Hill for their part time jobs, including Trishala Amin, an international student from India, who goes to Richmond Hill for her part-time work. Amin said she got tired of giving out resumes and then she decided to go to Richmond Hill. “It is far but I have to do this,” said Amin.

Durham College’s policies regarding international students are also different, according to Aldo

Mendizabal, manager of International Student Recruitment at Durham College.

He says the main focus of Durham College is providing a quality education to the students.

“For Durham College the main objective is not to have thousands of international students. The main objective is to grow our numbers in a sustainable manner,” Said Mendizabal. “By growing slower than other colleges in the GTA, we make sure all of our students get the care, attention and commitment for every staff member of the DC family.

Epilepsy In Durham Region: What can be done?

Laurie Rudder The Chronicle Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder. But living with it and dealing with the stigma surrounding it in everyday life can be a challenge.

“When I was first diagnosed, I was shocked. I was able to learn from my mother who lived with it, to know what to do and a bit of what not to do,” says Michelle Cooper of Whitby, who was diagnosed two years ago.

“Living with epilepsy can make you feel alone, cut off. Getting involved in the epilepsy community really gives a feeling of support.”

Many people get involved through Epilepsy Durham Region.

“In the office we try to make sure the clients have the best pos-

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Living with epilepsy can make you feel alone, cut off. sible doctor for them. Most of them are unaware that there are epilepsy specialists. Then we try to get the ball rolling and help them set up meetings with a specialist,” says

Chelsea Kerstens, a community outreach associate at the Epilepsy Durham Region.

Students at Durham College living with epilepsy may be unaware of this center and the community. Getting to know others living with epilepsy and being involved in events like the annual walk for epilepsy and the charity golf for epilepsy are a positive way to be active in the community, according to Cooper.

“My husband and children were very supportive when I was diagnosed. They helped me when I had seizures and helped me deal with my disorder. She says, “I want to volunteer and be involved with the Epilepsy Durham Region and maybe I can do something to help someone else living with the disorder.”

Volunteering can help people

learn about epilepsy and give a chance to help other people who have just begun their journey with living with epilepsy.

“I feel lucky to have my family supporting me and learning with me about my seizures. It would have been a lot harder if I didn’t have my husband and kids,” says Cooper.

Kerstens says epilepsy is an umbrella term for the many different types of seizures: “Seizures are classified as two major types, there are focal seizures and there’s generalized seizures. Then there is a breakdown of other types in each category. Some seizures are genetic and some have no known cause,” says Kerstens.

The difference between focal and generalized seizures are excessive electrical discharge in the brain is limited to one area, that’s focal.

When it’s over the entire brain that’s generalized.

Epilepsy Durham Region does not offer a formal support group.

However, counselling is done to help the client better understand their journey with epilepsy.

“We have them develop strategies to cope with living with epilepsy, to better understand living with it. We try to match them up with other families, then they can ask a bunch of questions and learn more from their experiences,” she says.

Being on your own at a school, especially if you’re away from home, can be but even harder when having to deal with epilepsy on your own.

Learning how to ask the right questions is something you can learn by going to the Epilepsy Durham Region Center.

2016-04-08 3:19 PM

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Campus

Handling sick days at Durham How Durham students cope with sick days on campus and the fear of missing class Jenn Amaro The Chronicle

Almost every student has gone through the experience.

Their notice their throat gets a little scratchy, their nose gets stuffy. They go to bed hoping they can sleep it off by the next day.

Of course, when the alarm goes off, the exact opposite happens.

Everything is worse the next morning. The mere effort of getting out of bed feels impossible, but there’s the dread of missing class.

This is when the debate begins. Should I miss class and stay in bed? Should I go to class and infect every one there? Will I be annoying with my coughing throughout the entire lecture?

The thing that troubles a lot of students, is the fear of missing class, and being reprimanded for it.

The one thing that enters many students’ mind when they’re sick is that 10 per cent participation and professionalism mark.

And many students don’t

know what the exact protocol is for handling a sick day.

However, according to instructors around campus, as long as it is handled professionally, there should not be a reason to fear being sick.

Craig Robertson, a professor in the School of Media Art and Design, says he would grant an extension for assignments if the student notifies him in advance in a polite and respectful manner.

He understands students get sick, just as faculty do. Robertson said his rule on missing class doesn’t just apply to the student being sick.

If a student has an emergency, or work interferes with class, they should contact him and tell him.

“Life is life,” says Robertson. “People have other things to do, so I wouldn’t dock marks.”

He says his students are comfortable to approach him and he is willing to help students catch up on missed material.

Other professors around the campus agree with this protocol but say they handle it individually with each student.

If there is a problem with multiple classes being missed, it will be reflected in the participation grade.

However, a simple sick day once in a while can be a bigger concern to some students.

Christine Handscomb, a third year Law Clerk student at Durham College, does not always know what to do when she’s ill.

“It’s been drilled into my brain that you just don’t miss school,” says Handscomb. She said she sends an email to teachers about her being sick, and panics until she gets their reply.

“Normally, it’s fine and

Photograph by Jenna Amaro

Dean Daley, a Durham College journalism student, feeling under the weather in class. they let me know what I missed,” she says. “But sometimes I have a hard time catching up.”

When this situation arises, there is a source to go to. Elaine Popp, vice-president Academic, says there is a program guide for every program that outlines the protocol for that specific program.

Popp says it is too difficult for the school to have an overall protocol since each program operates differently. Some programs have more labs, and it’s difficult for a student to miss a hands-on

learning environment, where other programs are lectures and students may be able to catch up through readings and PowerPoint slides.

If the flu decides to hit during exam or test days, Popp says that particular incident will be determined through a one-onone discussion with the student and the instructor.A basic protocol, particularly from the Business, IT & Management department, is that the student has 24 hours to contact the instructor with an explanation if a test is missed, and the student

must meet with the instructor for a one-on-one discussion.

Students can locate their own program guidelines in the Program Guide on DC Connect to find the timelines that they must follow.

If a satisfactory decision cannot be made between the students and teachers, the associate dean or the dean may be involved.

“Of course, being present leads to being successful,” says Popp.

“But there are very legitimate reasons why students might have to miss class.”

Alarming use of alcohol and drugs for stress relief College students are abusing substances and alcohol at an alarming rate Joshua Nelson The Chronicle

College is stressful for students with many turning to alcohol and drugs for relief.

“The biggest stress factor is the workload, many students can’t keep up and they resort to drugs to deal with it,” said Mark Heuthe, a second year Durham college student.

According to the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse approximately 69 per

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cent of males and 58 per cent of females admit to abusing alcohol during their college tenure. These statistics have been consistent since 1989.

The Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. says binge drinking is one of the most common forms of alcohol abuse with it being twice as prevalent among men than women. It also says binge drinking in most common among young adults between the ages of 18 to 34 years of age.

According to the CDC, there’s an increased risk to health because students sometimes consume large amounts of alcohol in one sitting, which can lead to alcohol poisoning. It says binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to drive impaired, as well.

According to the website, AddictionCenter, alcohol is the most-used drug by college students.

However, Adderall, a prescription drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is on the rise with approximately 30 per cent of students using it because of its calming effect.

Adderall is known as the “study drug” because it enables students to stay awake to

study. According to the website, Drugabuse, Adderall can have lasting effects such as cardiovascular side effects as well as an increased risk of mental illness and unusual behaviours such as aggression and hostility.

As with Adderall, marijuana is on the rise as well. It is ranked the second most used drug among college students, according to AddictionCenter, with 50 per cent of students using it.

While men have a higher rate of addiction to substance abuse, women have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

CAMH says 20 per cent of people with mental illness have reoccurring substance abuse problems. Also people with substance abuse issues are three times more likely to have a mental illness.

According to Statistics Canada, 600,000 Canadians are physically dependant on alcohol, with approximately 2,000 people dying from alcoholic liver disease.

Many people who abuse alcohol also use illegal drugs.

It says treatment options

Approximately 69 per cent of males and 58 per cent of females admit to abusing alcohol during their college tenure. include Alcoholics Anonymous, a 12-step group that supports people in their journey to becoming sober and gives them a recovery program.

“I just took a drink because that’s what I would feel better with y’know,” said former alcoholic Kevin Toutant who is 14 years sober, and a member of AA in Oshawa. “If I was sad or if I was happy, I drank for any reason to get out of myself, or to block out the death or the funeral or something, I would drink y’know and get drunk and black out.”

Many colleges have resources available for students to manage school if they are feeling

overwhelmed.

“I know about SALS and SALS is a great way for people to actually just go over there and they can try to help you in anyway possible,” said Anthony Inderdeo, a first year Durham college student. “To reduce the workload or try to find strategies or ways how to manage all of your subjects so you don’t have stressful and heavy workloads.”

College life is stressful and being able to manage and organize the workload is a key factor.

“College is different from everything, you need to be organized and have time management,” said Heuthe.

2016-04-08 3:20 PM

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April 12 -18, 2016

The Chronicle

School stress leads to insomnia Trusha Patel The Chronicle

Remember those days when your parents or caretakers would say “nap time” and you would cringe and try to fight against it? Now when you think back to that time, you just pray someone would tell you to get some rest without worrying about anything.

The only problem is, with all the workload and things going on in your life, can you fall asleep?

As children, many of us never understood that sleep was one of those important resources meant to keep us healthy, mentally sharp, and help us cope with stress.

“Insomnia can lead to serious impairment in your daily life, impacting your ability to perform your best at work, maintaining relationships, and engaging in activities you used to enjoy,” said Jennifer Monforton, a psychotherapist at The Mindfulness Clinic in Toronto.

She provides training in treating

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nia is a common sleep disorder in which people have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both.

According to researchers, stress can be increased by participation in risky behaviours that are common

amongst post-secondary students.

Some of them include alcohol use, binge drinking, unprotected sex, and drug use, according to the study.

Stress affects many students at Durham College and UOIT. Remya Shenumagam, a third-year Nursing student, said she was close to dropping out of college.

“It was just too stressful, with all the course content, and my job. It was really hard to balance things out,” Shenumagam said. “I did want to drop out midway through first-year, but I guess I hoped things would get better.”

Shenumagam quit her job and is solely focusing on her studies, which leaves her more time to sleep. ]According to the Western University study, students often experience disoriented sleep patterns that leave them sleep deprived. These sleep patterns include short sleeping time, inconsistent sleep and wake schedule, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality.

“Sleep difficulties can also lead to

feelings of low mood, helplessness, and hopelessness,” said Monforton.

“I do wish I can get more sleep, but I guess post-secondary means less than five hours of sleep,” said Taylor Richards, second-year Business Management student at UOIT. “I guess less workload would help, but I’m just waiting for the summer break now.”

The National Sleep Foundation offers tips for students on how to maintain a healthy sleep schedule.

It suggests it’s better to start following a consistent sleep schedule before the school year starts and maintain it throughout the year.

Psychotherapists such as Monforton also offer help.

“My approach will teach you to alter behaviours that interfere with sleep to challenge on helpful beliefs on sleep, and to engage in mindful exercises to promote focus and relaxation,” she said.

Students can find help by visiting the Mental Health Services located in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.

venous drug users. Beth Whalen has seen people from all walks of life come through the doors of the harm reduction program at the John Howard Society of Durham.

She is the coordinator of Project X-Change, and has been working with the program exchanging clean needles to intravenous drug users for more than 18 years.

There has been controversy about safe injection sites and harm reduction programs over the years because of the fear of illegal drug use.

“There was always a bit of controversy, particularly in the beginning.

It’s gotten much better in recent years,” Whalen says. “We just did our best to educate and inform folks that this is a health perspective… needle exchange programs were initiated to try to cut back on the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C and B and other blood borne diseases.”

According to Whalen, 80 to 85 per cent of her clients are addicted to some form of an opioid, which takes the form of medications such as Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet. Out of the clients addicted to opioids, she says almost all started using them as legitimate prescriptions from their doctors.

“With such a high number of our clients using opioids, the risk of overdose, and overdose related deaths, is exceptionally high,” says Whalen. “We had nine overdose related deaths between December of 2014 and January of 2015.”

She once worked with a young woman who used to come in for support on a regular basis. She was in treatment for almost a year before she relapsed. After her relapse she went to see Whalen. She began to cry and apologize for disappointing her.

“All I kept thinking about afterwards was ‘me, she was worried about what I thought,’” says Whalen.

Harm reduction programs and safe injection sites are about more than just distributing clean supplies. “It’s letting [clients] know that somebody actually cares.

It’s letting them know that you’re there for them regardless,” she says.

“There’s somebody out there that’s willing to work with [intravenous drug users] and be completely non-judgemental.”

She sometimes gets frustrated when people don’t understand that kicking an addiction is not easy. It can hit anyone at anytime. She believes we could all potentially be one injury, one accident or one illness away from becoming addicted to something.

“I’ve met some absolutely amaz-

ing people from all walks of life. Addiction doesn’t know race, doesn’t know religion [and] doesn’t know socioeconomic status,” Whalen says.

Safe injection sites have the support of Oshawa mayor John Henry.

“First you have to recognize that people are going to inject no matter what,” he says.

“Creating a safe site means that they’ll be supervised in an environment where, if they need help, that they can get it.”These sites don’t condone the use of illegal drugs, according to Henry.

“It’s still a challenge, but what [they’re] trying to do is make sure that those who have specific needs are in a safe environment where they receive not only the care, but the necessary support that [drug users] would get from an addiction centre.”

To register their password the user will select a set of coordinates on the map: a building, an intersection, etc. then when the user uses the system the next time they select the same location on the map to log in.

The location serves as the user's password. With a plethora of possible coordinates, the number of passwords available to users is large.

“There are other systems out there that we’ve looked at that I think are a little more interesting than a regular graphical password which uses places, with a map where people are choosing locations on a digital map,” said Dr. Julie Thorpe of the Faculty of Business and formation Technology at UOIT, who was heavily involved in the research.

“That type seems to have reasonable security, better than other types of graphical passwords, also good usability. The downside is

that it takes a little longer to log in.”

Graphical passwords provide

The research done at UOIT showed 97 per cent of participants remembered their location based password after one week.

“There is some evidence to suggest that they are (more memorable), but typically it’s more that people like to use them more,” said Thorpe. “And that the recognition based ones where people choose a subset of images from a set of images that those ones are more memorable.”

Although graphical passwords are safer and more user-friendly they do have a few drawbacks. Graphical passwords take a long time to register and enter when compared to traditional alphanumeric passwords, and they require more storage space. These are bugs that still being worked out.

Although relatively new there is serious interest in the development and implementation of graphical password systems, from the public and from computer security experts

alike, and even Durham College students.

“I wouldn’t use it for banking information but I would be inclined to use it for Twitter or Facebook, just nothing that has sensitive data or information involved,” said Tristan of the Computer Programmer program at Durham College.

“I would use it for my email, it really seems handy. Having so many different locations to choose from would be a good bonus in terms of security of your information.

The whole geographical aspect seems to be easier to remember,” said Andrew of the Paralegal program at Durham College.

As more research is done, and more participant studies are done graphical passwords may be used for more than signing-on to your Android phone.

With multiple applications, the research at UOIT is a showcase of what’s to come.

individuals struggling with insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

Although stress can physically and emotionally impact people of all ages, it is particularly concerning for post-secondary students.

According to a study released by the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services, students are too busy being overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted by their academic careers.

Ahmed Rahman, a first-year Computer Science student at UOIT, said the maximum hours of sleep he gets now has shrunk by at least four hours from when he first started post-secondary.

“In the beginning of first year, things were perfectly fine, but as the year went by, the workload got heavy, and just the stress kept me awake for long periods at night,” Rahman said.

A cross-sectional study by Western University, involving 1,025 Canadian college students revealed poor quality of sleep, which is usually less than eight hours, is as-

sociated with higher level of stress.

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension from different types of circumstances. Insom-

It was just too stressful with all the course content, and my job.

Plenty of support behind harm reduction programs Jessica Stoiku The Chronicle

Toronto Public Health is pushing towards implementing safe injection sites, but the plans won’t be stretching as far as the Durham region any time soon, according to Durham’s medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Kyle.

He says regulations and costs are barriers. “You would, of course, need to not only set up a site [and] not only have a supervising nurse, you have to pay for the nurse,” he says. “You need a ready supply of whatever medication would be the most useful for the drug using population. There would need to be security measures put in place.”

Durham is, however, already home to many harm reduction programs that also work towards creating a safer environment for intra-

New graphical password comes to UOIT James Bauman The Chronicle

Research at UOIT is delving into a new type of password, one that does not require users to memorize a string of numbers, letters, and symbols.

This new password is called a graphical password, and only requires users to memorize a location on a map.

Graphical passwords come in a variety of forms. The connect-thedots passwords on your Android phone, that’s a graphical password.

They are a relatively new idea in the computer security field having first been suggested in 1996.

Although not widely adopted yet, those in the computer security field see definite potential in their use and adoption.

The type of graphical password that UOIT is working on involves the use of global positioning systems. UOIT is using Google maps.

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97 per cent of participants remembered their password. protection from traditional brute force and dictionary attacks that plague traditional alphanumeric passwords and they are easier to remember, says Thorpe.

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Online hate becoming more common Toby VanWeston The Chronicle

“F--- you bitch...” “You.. Are..

F---…UGLY!!!” “I just hope you die.” These are examples of comments made anonymously about American YouTube personality Jenna Marbles.

In terms of what people are capable of writing on the internet, these comments are somewhat tame.

She’s been subjected to comments even darker in nature: “I would f--- her but only if I can brutally murder her afterwards.”

Many experts say the web has opened a space where anonymous hate posts have gotten out of control.

4chan is a website well-known for disturbing stories of posts made by its anonymous members. The site has a random board where posters start threads with little rules and no accountability. Posts made by the online community have included child pornography,

evidence of animal abuse, death threats and cyberbullying.

Randy Uyenaka, program coordinator of the school of health and community services at Durham College, suggests group mentality plays a factor in online behaviour.

“You will be more inclined to say things or behave in certain ways when you are part of a group as a pose to just an individual,” says Uyenaka. It may be people who have these beliefs and feelings when they see other people supporting and agreeing with them, maybe then they feel more confident to go forward.”

David Clarke, coordinator of training and communications at Durham Mental Health Services, makes it clear that people who engage in hateful comments are not necessarily inclined to engage in other Internet abuse.

He does suggest that if people feel validated in certain behavior, it is more likely.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that people who are making [these

Photograph by Toby VanWeston

A hateful comment posted by an anonymous user onto a YouTube video. comments] are going to gravitate towards more extreme forms of harassment or abuse,” says Clarke.

“But I think it is a continuum.

That people can find themselves on a road to more and more outrageous behavior. Because, what are they defining as normal?

What they find amongst the group they identify as their peer group.”

Larger media outlets have also faced problems. Last November, CBC.ca shut down its comment section about stories about indigenous women. This was due

to “uncivil dialogue.”

The website wrote: “We’ve noticed over many months that these stories draw a disproportionate number of comments that cross the line and violate our guidelines.”

In December, the Toronto Star shut down the commenting system on its website. Instead, the website began to feature its readers comments only through letters mailed to the editors, and those from social media.

This was so the Star could

“highlight the most thoughtful, insightful, and provocative comments” made by readers.

But Clarke worries cultural norms are shifting in an “unhealthy” way towards continued abuse.

“I’m a pre-internet generation.

All interactions were more or less face to face,” says Clarke. “Even if you wrote into a newspaper, you had your address and name on it.

You were identifiable as specific unique individual. And that’s just gone away altogether.”

Sexual violence awareness in the spotlight Nicole O’Brien The Chronicle

UOIT has launched another phase in its attempt to spread awareness about sexual violence.

It’s a new student program called upstander training, according to special projects manger, Miles Bowman.

Sexual violence has recently been in the spotlight due to the many on-going cases in the media.

These include the Jian Ghomeshi trials, the allegations of over fifty women coming forward on sexual assault and or rape allegations against comedian Bill Cosby, and pop star Kesha’s injunction against her producer, Dr. Luke on sexual abuse allegations.

With UOIT’s development of future initiatives for students to get involved in, Durham College campaigns like ‘Yes Means Yes, and both currently in the process of creating a new sexual violence policy for the campus, both schools are focused on have been spreading sexual violence awareness actively this year.

Part of that awareness includes the new training program for students. It started earlier this month and was developed by UOIT’s Student Life Division.

It is still in the pilot phase, according to Bowman. The upstander training is based on similar ‘bystander training’ programs at U.S universities that help raise awareness about helping others out of unsafe situations. But it is still in the pilot phase, according to Bowman. It is called upstander training, based on U.S similar universities ‘bystander training’ programs, which help raise aware-

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Photograph by Nicole O’Brien

This year Durham College is actively spreading sexual violence awareness on campus. ness of helping behaviours and increase motivation to help others out in unsafe situations. When it is ready it will be offered to students as part of the university’s sexual assault policy changes, according to Bowman.

“The training is a style of education that can allow individuals who have experience the program to later lead other groups as they learn,” he said.

Many people are familiar with the No Means No campaign in Canada, which started 20 years ago. It was created by the Canadian Federation of Students to raise awareness around sexual assault, rape, etc.

But, Bowman said this cam-

paign is actually ineffective.

“Men are told don’t, but end up tuning it out,” he said. “We want to bring them into the conversation.” He was hired specifically to create the new sexual violence policy.

This sparked the campus to join a campaign called, Yes Means Yes. This campaign aims to create conversations about positive relationships for youth, including identifying things like consent. On campuses, the word consent needs constant clarification, according to Allison Hector-Alexander, manager of Durham College’s diversity office.

“Consent is really the essence of the conversation because it is

the absence of consent that leads to sexual violence,” said HectorAlexander, who worked at a Toronto shelter working with domestic violence survivors before coming to Durham College.

She said the slogan for the campaign is, “one saying that kind of reminds people they do have a choice around consent.”

There are 460, 000 sexual assaults in Canada per year, and out of every 1000 only 33 are reported to the police, according to the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centre.

Statistics show many incidents just don’t get reported.

Tom Lynch, director of campus safety said, “I am positive

when I say a vast majority of our students feel safe on campus.” But the statistics show many incidents just don’t get reported.

Last March, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced her government’s three-year plan to battle sexual violence in Canada. Part of this plan requires colleges and universities to adopt sexual assault policies, if one wasn’t in place, with clear complaint procedures and protocols.

The last revision of the policy implemented for both the college and university was in April 2015, but many people, including Lynch, agree it needs some refreshing.

“It was more offender based,” said Lynch. “What does that do?

That addresses only the 5 per cent of people that do come forward.”

Jarred Cacnio, student development specialist, who has already taken a look at the first drafts of the policy, said it’s a bit of a process.

“We want to make sure everyone is included, everyone’s perspectives are shared,” Cacnio said.

The Wynne government’s deadline for institutions to refresh their sexual violence policies is September of this year, but Bowman is hoping to have it in place before then.

As much as we can change policies and laws, it is the conversations about sexual violence that ultimately make the difference, according to Bowman.

It’s also important to remind students is that the school is a community and a place to grow, according to Lynch.

“Campus safety is everyone’s business,” he said. “We have 40,000 student eyes watching.”

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Photograph by Sam Odrowski

Joanne’s House is located in Ajax, Ontario. It is the only youth homeless shelter in Durham Region.

Homeless youth in Durham Sam Odrowski The Chronicle

Being a teenager isn’t easy. The pressure to fit in and be accepted by your peers on top of the stresses of school and family life can be tough. It is even tougher on people when they or their parents have mental health issues and are living in a dysfunctional household where they endure emotional, sexual, and physical abuse.

Yet, that’s the reality for many young people in Durham Region. It is estimated there are a little less than 1,200 people who are homeless, according to Durham Region’s Five Year Summary Report of Homelessness Service Statistics.

Youth homelessness is a real issue that too many people are unaware of, according to Julien LeBourdais, the executive director of Joanne’s House, a youth homeless shelter, in Ajax.

“The average person probably has little awareness of homelessness,” he says, “They think of it as

the guy who sits on the street corner downtown Toronto and that doesn’t happen out here.”

Many of the teens faced with these issues are temporarily residing at Joanne’s House, which is the only youth homeless shelter in Durham Region.

“They’re still dealing with what teenagers are dealing with plus the fact that their father beats them or their mother is a hooker,” says LeBourdais. “You don’t necessarily know their upbringing. They have been subjected to bad things for years.”

What surprises LeBourdais the most are the number of problems these kids have when coming to Joanne’s House.

Kelda Lesly knows this. She was homeless during her youth. “The reasons are as individual as the individuals themselves,” she says.

When Lesly was homeless some of her friends were too.

“Most were couch surfers,” she says, “where if you were to ask them if they were homeless they

would say no. But if you said ‘where did you sleep last night?’ they would say something along the lines of one friend’s house the last two weeks and at another friend’s house, their parents let me stay for a month and a half.”

At the end of the day, Lesly says, these kids still have no home.

No one is there to help them buy essential things like toothpaste, deodorant, or paper for school.

So, how can the 13 beds at Joanne’s House be enough to cover the entire Durham Region?

Youth homelessness is an invisible issue, according to Lesly and LeBourdais. It is similar to not being able to see families that go hungry.

“How can you be aware of families where parents eat less so their kids have enough to eat?”

LeBourdais says. “How would you know that isn’t happening in a house down the street?”

Lesly agrees. “Youth homelessness frequently has little to do with money, meaning mental illness

doesn’t judge between income level, abuse doesn’t judge between income level, so you might have someone with no money or a lot of money and it’s the exact same thing going on behind closed doors,” says Lesly.

Joanne’s House and other shelters like it provide kids with the chance of getting their high school diploma.

Joanne’s House offers courses for kids who want to graduate and otherwise would not be able to because they were kicked out of school. LeBourdais says two students recently completed courses with the support of Joanne’s House and received their high school diplomas. One of them is registered to go to Durham College next year.

LeBourdais believes every kid deserves an equal chance at an education. What some of these youth need is the opportunity and someone to believe in them, he says.

When these kids are exposed to a toxic environment long enough, many of them feel worthless and like they’ll never amount to anything, LeBourdais says.

“If you tell a kid often enough that they’re no good, then why are you surprised that they begin to believe it after a while?” he asks.

Lesly says people don’t always understand. “Most people would look and say it is a bad kid choosing to run away, as opposed to it’s a homeless kid who really has got nowhere to go,” she says.

According to Lesly, society is great at judging homeless youth and telling them they need to get their life back on track. People look at kids that have runaway from home and think they are “obviously making the wrong choices, as if the choices existed,” says Lesly, adding a lot of homeless youth are just trying to survive day to day and stay away from the abusive homes where they were raised.

For some, Joanne’s House may be a temporary safe haven for youth that left abusive households.

For others, it is a chance to make something of themselves, get an education, and have a second chance at life.

tion and water quality.

Data from the program paints the picture of the overall health of the coastal wetlands that are important ecologically for Durham.

“We monitor them every single year, and those results now that we have 15 plus years of monitoring information is allowing us to assess the health of those wetlands and to establish what needs to be restored because different wetlands need different things,” said Heather Brooks, director of Watershed Planning and Natural Heritage at the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA).

CLOCA not only monitors the coastal wetlands and other conservation areas within Durham but also works on the restoration of damaged wetlands, and on the maintenance of wetlands in good health.

In September of 1999, Cranberry Marsh in the Lynde Shores Conservation Area was identified as one of the coastal wetlands in poor health. Thanks to the efforts of the CLOCA, the marsh is now in much better ecological health, according to Brooks.

Many migratory birds use the coastal wetlands as transition home on their journeys. Having a healthy wetland ecology is important if the migratory birds are to continue returning,says Brooks.

“The coastal wetlands are significant migratory passovers where the birds come over Lake Ontario and they drop into these areas.

They provide them the refuge to hide, to get the reserves back up, to eat and drink again before they take off for their northern extremes or southern extremes, so it’s providing that habitat that is so

essential to those migratory birds,” said Brooks.

Working with CLOCA, Ducks Unlimited also has a hand in the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of wetlands in Durham.

Every year there are new projects, ranging from small endeavours to larger scale efforts.

“We have about 40 existing projects in Durham Region, and they range from large water management (projects), coastal wetlands like Oshawa’s Second Marsh… to small projects inland, and up to Lake Simcoe,” said Erling Armson, Ducks Unlimited biologist and Head of Invasives and Northern Programs.

In addition wetlands also face another serious threat to their continued health and existence, invasive species.

One of the familiar invasive

species you may be aware of is phragmites, also known as common reed. A tall grassy plant with plumes of seeds at the top, it can be seen growing in ditches along highways in Southern Ontario, but it has also made its home in wetlands throughout Durham, according to Armson.

“It’s impacting wetlands significantly, especially coastal wetlands along southern Ontario, so we’re looking at better ways to control and eradicate phragmites… in large patches it’s virtually impossible to remove manually,” said Armson.

The health of Durham wetlands depends on the work of groups like CLOCA and Ducks Unlimited.

Species of both plants and animals depend on them, and conservancy groups are on the front lines restoring and defending them.

At the heart of Durham Region, wetlands ecology James Bauman The Chronicle

Nature doesn’t heal itself and conservation groups such as Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and Ducks Unlimited are working to undo the effects of a constantly changing ecology and invasive species on wetlands in Durham Region.

From Second Marsh in southeastern Oshawa to the Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby to Bowmanville Marsh, coastal wetland environments are a significant part of the ecological makeup of Durham.

The Durham Wetland Coastal Monitoring Program is now more than 15 years old. The project monitors the health of wetlands in Durham, focusing on amphibians, birds, submerged aquatic vegeta-

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Steep hill to climb for cyclists in Durham Region Tommy Morais The Chronitcle

A year ago, the president of the Durham Region Cycling Coalition was hit and killed by a car while riding his bike.

Twelve months later, his group says little has been done to make roads safer. Cyclists in Durham Region feel shorthanded by several new highway developments. Areas along the 407, 412 and 418 highway bridges are particularly worrying for local cyclists.

“We feel boxed in by the bridges.

We feel left out,” says Durham Region Cycling Coalition spokesperson Bruce MacDonald. “All we’re asking for is paved shoulder, we’re not asking for the world.”

“I’d love to ask for more, don’t get me wrong, but if I can’t get some very simple ideas in place how in the world can I expect something better than that?”

The Whitby resident says he began cycling at the recommendation of a doctor during one of his routine health check-ups.

“The doctor told me my cholesterol

was high and asked me if I had ever considered taking up cycling.” But he often fears for his safety when he’s on his bike. The coalition has more than 1,500 members from Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering.

The group’s initiative and efforts are primarily aimed towards educating drivers and cyclists alike on road safety. For MacDonald, the loss of his friend was a catalyst in him becoming a spokesperson for the coalition.

He has now been involved in this position for over a year and actively represents the coalition in meetings to make the roads safer.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to reduce traffic by just five per cent?” says MacDonald. “Imagine what it would do for the region, health and commutes.”

The DRCC wants the region to know that it’s not demanding new infrastructures and systems be put in place.

The coalition is asking for minimal space and pavement, an acknowledgement of their existence.

Cyclists such as MacDonald are hopeful a compromise can be reached between offering the necessary means of transporta-

tion to cars and giving cyclists the space they need to practice their sport in a safe manner.

Principal transportation planner of Durham Region, Chris Leitch, says cyclists have been heard. According to Leitch, Durham Region is currently undergoing a nine-year plan in efforts to boost cycle tourism and improve transportation.

The plan would also cover roads that aren’t currently part of the planning stages such as off-roads.The Transportation Planning Committee has had several contacts with the Durham Region Cycling Coalition thus far.

“We’ll be reviewing their requests in terms of how they can potentially fit in with our plans,” says Leitch.

“From a commuting point of view, there’s a lot of trips for shopping and commuting that are under five kilometres and we think lot of those trips could be switched from car to bike.

Supporting these kind of trips through cycling is a big part of our plan.”

Deputy mayor Nester Pidwrebecki says the region has been cooperative and

Photograph by Tommy Morais

Cyclists in Durham Region hope to see more of these signs in the next few years. understanding of cyclist’s needs but funding is a major obstacle.

“It’s not because the region is against [developing roads],” says Pidwerbecki. “We’ve been trying desperately, but we don’t always have the final on things that the province runs under their final policy.”

He is hopeful the province of Ontario can provide more funding.

“We haven’t had the co-operation that I think we should have had from the province

with regard to many of the areas in regards to cycling,” stresses Pidwerbecki. “We should make every attempt to do it now. That’s what we’ve been fighting for and trying to get across to the province. That’s where we are.” For now, local cyclists will have to hold their breath.

“I think the province should step in and take a better look at the situation,” says Pidwerbecki. “Do it now, not tomorrow where it will be costlier.”

What is Durham doing to help students navigate post-secondary?

Christopher Jones The Chronicle

Lower income students will soon be getting more financial help from the provincial government, but some people say it’s not enough.

When provincial finance minister Charles Sousa announced the Ontario budget in March, part of the announcement was that students from lower income families would receive larger grants to essentially pay off their tuition.

Nicky Patel, director of First Generation at Durham College, says the fact tuition will essentially be free for lower income families will help them, but there needs to be clarification on what free tuition means.

“Free tuition is not necessarily free housing, free transportation, free everything,” she says. “Students still have to pay for a certain number of services and things.”

Like many others, Patel says to say “free tuition” is misleading due to the other expenses students will incur during their time in post-secondary.

“They will need to have their own sustainable life outside of the just the tuition,” she says. “So even though tuition might be free, not all of your study is going to be free.”

When Sousa announced the budget, he said students who come from families who make less than $50,000 per year would be eligible to receive grants that would pay their tuition if

they choose to attend post-secondary. The new plan will begin during the 2017-18 school year.

The government expects that increase will significantly help lower income families. However, while that may help students pay for tuition at most colleges, tuition at universities is more expensive and may not be completely paid off.

Durham College and UOIT both have programs called First Generation, while what the programs do differs between each school, they are both a government-funded initiative where students who attend Durham or UOIT, as well as other schools, and are the first in their family to attend post-secondary can receive the support that they need.

“Those students have special needs that other students may not have, says Patel. “They may not know how to navigate the system, get assistance when they need it, have access to services.

There are a lot of different challenges that they face.”

Janice Storgaard is an Oshawa mother of three.

Neither she nor her husband went to post-secondary, making it more difficult for her to help her children along the way.

Her family lives on one income, making a post-secondary education for her children difficult to pay for as well. Storgaard’s son, Christian Storgaard, is in Grade 11 at Eastdale C.V.I.

She’s sceptical about what the province’s initiative will offer her son. He wants more information.

“I think they should start [helping] at the start of Grade 11 because that’s when you start planning stuff out,” he says.

When the government announced its tuition plan, many people rejoiced.

Patel says it wasn’t made clear the increase in grants are not going to pay for the lifestyle that these students will lead. They will have to find a way to do so on their own.

However, with programs like First Generation, she says there is someone there to help those who are not able to navigate the post-secondary lifestyle on their own.

Summer memories are waiting to be made for DC faculty Brandi Washington The Chronicle

With the fourth-month summer break approaching, it’s time for students to get away from school.

However, that isn’t always the case with the professors at Durham College and UOIT. Exams and evaluations finish towards the end of April for most faculty members. However, DC offers three courses for six hours a week in May and June and again in July and August for first year students, as well as graduate certificate programs for students who already have a degree or diploma. One-third of faculty would teach these course in the spring or summer.

“Faculty like to travel in May and June so they prefer to teach in July and August because it’s less expen-

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sive and not so busy,” said Judy Spring, executive dean at the School of Business, IT & Management at Durham College.

She said faculty get a nine-week break with the exception of Reading Week, most take their vacation towards the end of June and return back a week prior to the end of August.

Faculty members are given an outline which summarize their expectations over the spring. They are expected to do a majority of things on this list.

This can include anything from professional development to the organization of student success activities, including student orientation.

Some faculty members return to industry for a period of time in the spring.

They also have formal program

reviews, done every five years.

They are required to review their course outlines, pick books for the next year, review KPIs and other feedback to refresh the program curriculum and program renewal.

Under the collective agreement, faculty can have up to ten days of professional development. May and June is when they may take a course, do online or face to face training, or attend a conference.

“I think a lot of people think come June none of us have any work to do, but were extremely busy preparing for September. It’s a very busy time,” said Spring.

Other than keeping a close eye on enrollment, hiring, and reviewing course outlines, she likes to golf in the summer and spend time at the cottage.

Jane Bowen is an accounting profes-

sor who, like many others at UOIT, spends most of her summer working. When she is not at UOIT, she is teaching at York University.

In June and July, Bowen teaches a designated program aimed at professional accounting students who are finished with their undergraduate degree.

UOIT is also running its first summer graduate diploma this year, according to Bowen. This means that she no longer has free months in the summer and will be teaching year-round. If she is lucky, she gets to squeeze in four weeks of free time for herself.

This lifestyle isn’t new to Bowen, since she worked in the summer throughout her college years.

Despite working year-round, she tries to fit in a trip to Scotland every August. Even though teaching in

the summer takes away from her free time, Bowen sees the upside of the situation.

“I think I still do it because I see the change it can make in a young person,” she said, “so I think it’s a personal reward.”

Daniel Hoornweg teaches fourth year engineering and is the research chair in Natural Gas as a Transportation Fuel.

Because of his position, Hoornweg doesn’t get the summer off.

However, that doesn’t stop him from planning a perfect vacation in his head.

“I have to do research so I don’t really get the summer off,” he said.

“All I get is an hour or two off a week.”

He dreams of going on a canoe trip, dining in Italy or France, or just doing nothing at his cottage.

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Social media sickness Nathan Chow The Chronicle

Rates of suicide, depression and eating disorders have increased over the past decade in Canada and many experts are pointing to social media as a contributing factor.

Several studies on the impact of social media on mental health have all found the same thing: the higher the use of social media, the higher the rate of depression and anxiety.

“People need to keep in mind that often on things like Facebook there’s a tendency for people to post all their highlights,” says Melissa Bosomworth, lead coach at the Durham College Coaching and Support Centre. “And they need to remember that nobody has a life filled with highlights.”

A University of Pittsburgh study of almost 1,800 people found social media use is a significantly associated with increased depression.

Staying off social media may improve your life, according to The Happiness Institute in Denmark.

A study by the organization found reported that, “social media is a non-stop great news channel. A constant flow of edited lives which distorts our perception of reality ”Researchers followed the social media habits of 1,095 people.

Almost all of them, 94 per cent, visited Facebook daily. The group were divided into a control group, that continued regular Facebook

A student stressed out by social media.

use, and a treatment group that was told not to use it for a week.

After the week was finished, participants were asked to report and evaluate their ‘life satisfaction’ on a scale of one to ten.

The control group started at 7.67 and finished at 7.56, a negligible variation according to researchers. The treatment group started at 7.75 and finished

at 8.12, a significant change.

The treatment group had a 4.8 per cent increase in life satisfaction.

“People might be getting a false view of just how happy other people are,” says David Clarke, coordinator, Durham Mental Health Services. “If people are comparing themselves to these artificially created personas, then they may end up looking at their own life and

Photograph by Nathan Chow

wondering what’s wrong with me.”

Clarke says it is a positive thing to have mental health issues destigmatized but social media may not be the right place to find help. He says this leads to a scenario of ‘affiliative bonding.’

“It’s not a coincidence who we end up spending our time with,” he says. “People who are there are like drowning people reaching on

to other drowning people in order to life themselves up. Everyone in there is kind of hopeless. Trying to find hope in a group of people who all lost hope may be a difficult task.”

In Sweden, researchers looked at a thousand Swedish Facebook users.

The study found low income and low educated groups report feeling unhappy and less content with their lives more than the general population.

Body image can also be affected by social media. “It really seems like the wild west beyond policing,” says Clarke. “None of their peers (look like) like the bodies portrayed in those sites. People can be happy in a whole variety of body types and body sizes.”

Bosomworth says once something catches on and begins trending, pressure can build up. She says it could be any group that starts a trend on social media.

Which demographic it’s marketed to is a different story.

The increasing rates of mental health issues have physicians and support workers concerned and social media is not going away any time soon.

The Durham College Coaching Centre is here to support students’ wellness and personal growth.

Bosomworth says they will assist students are having feelings of sadness, loneliness and any of the potential negative effects of social media.

The best way to start your day is with brain food Rebecca Calzavara The Chronicle

Starting the day, many students get up, check their cellphone, shower, find something to wear and maybe even sleep as long as they can until they need to get up. Then they rush out the door to make class in time.

But experts say they’re missing the most important meal of the day, the one that has the most effect on their learning.

Many people have been told in school that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be the first meal of the day.

Yet seven out of ten students asked at Durham College said they don’t eat breakfast.

Hailey Davidson-Oliver, a first year Health Preparation student, said she does not have time.

I’m too lazy to make something in the mornings,” said Davidson-Oliver. “I on occasion eat breakfast but I don’t see a difference when I do compare to when I don’t.”

Brandan Lemos, a first year Digital Video Production student, said he doesn’t eat a lot of breakfast. “When I wake up I just don’t feel like eating something right away, I’m not instantly hungry.”

But Savannah Rumford, a first year Early Childhood Education student, said she can’t start the day without this meal.

“I eat breakfast because if I don’t I get a really bad stomach ache and my stomach makes really weird noises in class,” she said, “so I just eat a piece of toast or cereal to start my day.”

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Many studies have found having breakfast has a positive effect on learning. It helps with behaviour, lifestyle factors and school performance.

But many students say it’s difficult to eat something for breakfast when they are rushing and don’t have time. Others say they can’t afford breakfast.

Sylvia Emmorey, the Durham College nutritionist, said people should drink a glass of water getting up because they are dehydrated when they wake up.

“Students in particular aren’t always aware of what they are drinking and how much water,” Emmorey said.

She encourages her students attending three-hour classes to have a water bottle with them, especially when it’s an 8 a.m. class, so they are present mentally and physically.

Having breakfast doesn’t mean it needs to be a big meal. It can be small but it should be something healthy. Emmorey says an apple or a banana or even a cracker is OK to eat in the morning.

Breakfast helps keep blood sugar regulated which helps energy and keeps the metabolism going.

“It’s like the old saying, your body is like an automobile and the food is the fuel you put it in and if you’re driving on empty you’re not going to get very far,” Emmorey said.

Emmorey says breakfast helps people focus and keeps them going throughout the day and concentrated. When someone is hungry all they think about is food and lose concentration.

Things some Durham College students eat for breakfast.

According to the University of Alberta only 12 per cent of Canadians eat a balanced breakfast in the morning. The university’s Health Centre says eating a balanced breakfast can boost your brain power so you can stay alert in class and concentrate when studying. It will also help you feel satisfied during the morning and can prevent snacking on junk food.

Emmorey says there are a lot of healthy choices at Durham Col-

lege for students when it comes to eating breakfast. Many people just go to Tim Hortons and get a bagel with cream cheese when there are fruit cups and other types of fruit in the cafeteria that would be much healthier and give you way more energy.Durham Region Health Department has provided some examples on ways to get a healthy breakfast. Easy breakfast ideas for students include: banana or berries, yogurt or a whole grain

Photograph by Rebecca Calzavara

bagel with low fat cheese.

Breakfast ideas on the go include leftovers from the night before, pre-cut fruits in a container so it’s easy to grab out the door or pre make something else easy to grab and go and eat on the way. For most students this could be helpful, especially if it involves taking an hour ride bus to the school.

Rise and shine Durham College students. It’s time to make breakfast a thing.

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Starved: Exploring drunkorexia Drunkorexia is a dangerous trend affecting teens Trusha Patel The Chronicle

Many people have heard of the terms anorexic and bulimic, but what about the non-medical term, drunkorexia?

Drunkorexia is a slang term used to describe anorexia and bulimia combined with alcohol abuse.

According to the study from Simon Fraser University in B.C., drunkorexia is skipping out on a healthy, balanced meal to binge drink on alcohol and not gain weight.

“This practice is bad, it’s unhealthy. The main concern would be the level of intoxication. The higher it is, the worse the outcome,” said Rupal Patel, a nurse in the psychiatric department at Rouge Valley Health System in Scarborough.

A 2007 U.S. survey of university students found 13. 5 per cent of women and 3.6 per cent of men practicing drunkorexia. The SFU study found not only women at risk of being pressured by social media, but men also receive a message telling them they need to look a certain way.

“I have never heard of that term, but I can definitely say that it’s probably very common among teenagers, because of peer pressure and stress,” said Hafsa Ishaq, a second year Management student.

Anshika Narang, a second year Health Science student, said alcohol played a major role in her life.

“I first started drinking out of

depression due to things going on in my family, but it got worse after I entered high school,” Narang said.

“I was bullied about my weight, and alcohol was what I turned to as usual.”

While students such as Narang were affected by alcohol, others have overcome certain urges.

Arushaa Nithiananthan, a second year Management student, said she has been peer pressured about drinking.

“My friends would make plans to go out and party, and they would ask me to tag along,” Niathiananthan said. “But after the first two times of them constantly pestering me to drink, I would always refuse.”

The SFU study followed 227 students ages 17 to 21 at York University. It found young people who practiced drunkorexia to show more risky behaviours, including unprotected sex and alcohol overdose, which often led people hospitalized.

The motivation according to the

The main concern would be the level of intoxication. study, is wanting to stay slim and have the ideal weight.

“There was one time where I got so drunk, I didn’t remember a single thing the next day, and the worst part was that the next day I had an exam, which by the way, I failed,” said Nikesh Kadawathage, a third year Co-op Management student.

Athiya Rastogi, a fourth year Statistics – Quantitative Finance Specialist student said teenagers don’t always understand the consequences of certain actions they take.

“Being a teenager myself, I can

tell that many people want to do all these rebellious stuff with their friends, but what they tend to forget are the consequences that occur after their actions,” Rastogi said.

Patel said the consequences can be high.

“There are possibilities of blacking out, getting injured, and maybe even sexual assault if the person’s highly intoxicated,” she said.

If you’re looking for help, you can visit The Campus Health Centre in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.

DC, UOIT students

celebrate Holi

Devarsh Oza The Chronicle

The grass field besides the Student Services Building at Durham College got colourful on March 31.

The Indian Students Association celebrated Holi, a Hindu festival of colours, celebrated after the name of lord Vishnu, a Hindu god.

The event was arranged with the support of the Student Association.

Many Hindu and non-Hindu students had fun, by colouring each other with organic powder colours.

Michael Guerard, a member of SA at Durham College, said this festival is a fun moment. Guerard said playing with colours is a good thing to do and he liked it.

“I had a fun. It is something, which we need to celebrate, ” said Guerard. Students also had fun dancing to Hindi, Gujarati and Punjabi music. The free dinner was also arranged for the students. Students including Kuldeep Bhavsar had a lot of fun.

“It is a fun, I’m feeling the joy that I never felt after coming here, it feels like being back at home,” said Bhavsar.

He also said they do not have many events on Whitby campus, and he liked to attend this event.

Many Pakistani students from UOIT enjoyed the Indian festival and forgot the feelings of nationalism.

“It is a really good event and a good chance to get above the governmental stupidities,” said Zeenat Tariq, a Canadian Pakistani student.

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Healing through art therapy LivingRoom Community art studio’s yard sale Jessica Stoiku The Chronicle

If you were to take a walk through downtown Oshawa, you may walk right past The L i v i n g R o o m Community Art Studio. It hasn’t been there long, but it has already had the power to bring members of the community together through the creation of art.

The LivingRoom is a non-profit, open door studio that allows people to walk in off the street and create art for free or to pay what they can.

Mary Krohnert is the founder and executive director of the LivingRoom Community Art Studio, and is a practicing art therapist.

“I really believe that people, if given a safe space, the materials, the time and the permission to be with themselves [and] to make and create [art]…they can do their own healing.”

Krohnert says art is generally therapeutic.

“For me personally art was a very important part of healing and growth in my life. It was the one place I found that I could express… and be myself,” she says.

“I want to serve the community and create that place where we can offer people the same opportunities

Photograph by Jessica Stoiku

Mary Krohnert, founder and executive director of the Living Room Community Art Studio.

that I had when I was younger,” Krohnert says.

She says the LivingRoom provides a safe space for people in the community to connect with one another.

They are given the opportunity to meet people they would have never otherwise met. They are able to

connect through a common passion as well as the experiences they’ve faced in their lives.

“Instead of hiding things or pretending things don’t exist, this is a place where hopefully we learn to not be so embarrassed or uncomfortable,” she says. This positive

space allows people in the community to accept the things they may be struggling with by the support of those around them.

She says the sense of community at the studio acts as a mirror for those who are having hard feelings about themselves, and reflects back the

amazing things they see within each other.

Mary Rykov, a music therapist based in Toronto, believes in the same idea, that healing happens in relationships with other people. “I think there’s medicine, and there’s therapy and there’s healing. And I think healing always happens in relationships. We gain our self concept through relations with others,” she says.

Rykov says expression through art is not the only step when coping with physical, emotional and mental health. She says a good therapist will enable someone to move through his or her painful experiences too.

“Therapy is very painful and [it] involves a lot of courage,” she says.

“The only way past it is through it.

You have to have the courage and the fortitude to stick with it and actually go through the muck.”

According to the Canadian Institute for Mental Health, one in 12 young people from the ages 15 to 24 across Canada were given anxiety or antipsychotic medication in 2013–2014.

“There can be people who have been so winded by their life experiences that they need some medicinal help to even look at what happened to them.”

She says some drugs may be necessary, but doesn’t believe in solely prescribing them without therapy to accompany it.

There are counselling services available for students on campus at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.

Youth science fair comes to campus Future scientists pay a visit to UOIT Nicole Dupuis The Chronicle

If anyone has ever wondered about acid rain or the best kind of glue to use, one only needs to look as far as the UB building. UOIT was recently home to the annual Durham Regional Science Fair (DRSF) for the tenth time.

Students from Grades 4 to 12 lined the lobby with displays with a total of 45 projects competing.

Winners Kevin Zheng and Marvin Giang from O’Neill C.V.I. in Oshawa will go on to the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Montreal with their project “Headphones: A Catalyst or Scapegoat for youth hearing loss.”

These senior students will have the opportunity to compete not only for first place, but also the opportunity for scholarships at five universities across Canada.

Mary Olaveson, a senior lecturer at UOIT in Sciences and the DRSF coordinator, says science fairs are not only about the prize, but also

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the experience.

“If you’re passionate about something, it’s a chance it get it out there,” Olaveson says. “It gives the kids a chance to talk about what they’ve been doing.”

Olaveson also says it is a positive experience for the university. Many science sairs are hosted by organizations of higher learning. It gives the Universities a chance to see what students are talking about.

“It’s partly a recruitment of sorts and it gets people on campus,” Olaveson says. “Who better to talk about science than the faculty of science?”

Nicolette Christodoulakis, a Grade 7 student from Roland Michener Public School in Ajax, adds she was excited to be part of the competition.

“We were very curious if hand soap worked better than hand sanitizer, or if hand sanitizer even worked at all,” Christodoulakis says.

Judges awarded her and her partner, Rumesha Khan, second place out of the Grade 7 and Grade 8 students.

Judge Paulette Hebert is a volunteer for Let’s Talk Science. Her entire group was recruited to judge, along with instructions about what to look for.

“We’re looking for innovation,” Hebert says. “We’re looking at the scientific method, looking for the

Photograph by Nicole Dupuis

Nicolette Christodoulakis (left) and Rumesha Khan with their second place project. methodology that leads to sound findings.”

Other things such as presentation and communication skills, as well as the knowledge of the subject matter, come into consideration when Herbert is judging.

Students are awarded points on

their efficient use of white space in their posters, or whether the main points are easily understood.

She says students lose marks for incorrect conclusions, a lack of understanding, failing to explain their point, or from inconsistencies.

They also take off marks for any er-

rors, or inconsistencies in their data, Hebert says.

Overall, the day represented what UOIT and Durham College strive to achieve.

It was a day of innovation, success and a lot of hard work by participants.

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This picture is of a condom with a “yes means yes” sticker on it.

Photograph by Frank Katradis

Only yes means yes Protecting students from sexual assault

culture.

“We are living in a culture where everything is sexualized but no one is talking about it,” says Parastoo Sadeghein. Sadeghein, 27, is a Student Diversity assistant for Durham College’s Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Transitions.

She is also the head of the “Yes Means Yes” campaign on campus.

Frank Katradis The campaign started last year The Chronicle but didn’t host many events until If you’ve walked past the Comput- the following year.

The goal is to help spread the er Learning Commons anytime word of consent and help students this year, there’s a chance you might have seen people at a booth realise the dangers of rape culture.

According to SexAssult.ca, six giving out free condoms and flyers advocating for safe sex. It’s not just out of every 100 sexual assaults are a place for free condoms. reported to police.

This is the Yes Means Yes camOver 80 per cent of victims are paign. women and 11 per cent of women who have been sexually assaulted It’s goal is to spread awarehave a physical injury from it. The ness of sexual consent and rape

most disturbing fact is that 80 per cent of the victims know their assailant personally.

“Consent is key,” says Sadeghein. Protecting students from potentially being sexually assaulted is very important.

Sadeghein goes on to say that there is a fine line between yes and no. Consent can be giving and taken away within a matter of seconds. She says the important thing is to respect other people’s boundaries.

This is where the campaign comes in. Sadeghein says every time there is a booth, students ask questions: “Does this happen at Durham College?” “Are rape jokes part of rape culture?” “Where is the line drawn?”

Sexual assaults do happen on campuses. Yes Means Yes aims to give students the incentive not to do so and to learn that seeming-

ly harmless actions can be considered sexual assault, such as giving someone an unwanted hug.

The campaign has recently been working on a mural. Students were asked to write down what consent means to them.

So far more than 50 students have taken part.

When students were asked if they knew what the true intent of Yes Means Yes was, most said they’ve heard of it and many believe it is to learn consent and get free condoms.

“There is no acceptable answer, except if they say yes,” says Jessica Benoit,19.

When there was clarification on the intent of the campaign the students said it was a good idea.

“I definitely think that they’ve impacted the students here at Durham College,” says Jesse Ross, 20, a student at Durham College.

There has been a bit of backlash associated with the campaign, according to Sadeghein she admits some students have said that by giving out condoms, the college is promoting sexual activities.

“We aren’t forcing students to do anything,” says Sadeghein.

“We know that students engage in sexual activity, we just want to make sure that if they do, they do it safely.”

Yes Means Yes is closely connect to various resources for students including the Durham Rape Crisis Center, the Sexual Health Clinic and the Office of Student Diversity.

Students can go to these places if they have been sexually assaulted. For help, contact the Oshawa Durham Rape Crisis Center at 905 688 9200 or the Durham Regional Sexual Health Clinic at 905 420 8781.

facilitator (LF).

In Smith’s case, note-taking is essential since Smith cannot do it herself. Moore and other learning facilitators review class material to make sure students understand what is being taught and to answer any questions that might come up through the course review.

Moore has been worked with CICE for nine years.

Her role as an LF varies depending on the abilities and needs of the student.

Moore says even though these students have some degree of disability they do need to function at a level that allows them to be independent enough for complete assignments, as well as doing work placement.

“There’s an interview process and a job description and students need to be able to be independ-

ent when they come into the program,” says Moore.

Courses are modified so students can understand assignments but they still need to keep up with course.

Moore says there are 20 first year and 20 second year students in the CICE program but she hopes more students will come to learn there in the future.

Students are made aware of the CICE program many ways, such as through high school counsellors who recommend the program. This was the case for Smith, who had a counsellor tell her about CICE after seeing her art.

Moore is proud of the program and the success that the students have had with placements.

For second year, Smith was able to get a placement as an instructor at an art studio, one of the options she was hoping for.

Going from picture to painting Laura Metcalfe The Chronicle

Renee Smith has been painting from a young age. Her mother told her she would be an artist early on because she was gripping pencils even as a toddler.

Today her artwork is on display at the Community Integration through Co-operation Education (CICE) office at Durham College.

She is a second year student taking art classes through CICE. Her preference is colour and preferably bright colours. “It has to be pleasing to the eye,” says Smith when describing the kind of art she does.

She has done people as well as landscapes. “Bringing the outdoors to the inside,” says Smith about the landscape paintings within the walls of the CICE of-

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Photograph by Laura Metcalfe.

Picture is of artist Renee Smith posing next to her art.

fice. Smith also says her art classes have made her think about art in a different way.

One of her classes did something called ‘guerilla art,’ where are is placed in secret in unusual places such as bathrooms and windows. People do not expect to see art in these areas, she says, which mean it is surprising as well as pleasing to the eye.

Tucked away on the second floor of the I-Wing, the CICE program enables students who have disabilities to be successful within the Durham College community.

CICE works with students so that they can succeed in lectures through with modifications,as well as weekly meetings to help students complete assignments.

Shauna Moore is a learning

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The Ontario Regiment - serving for 150 years Barbara Howe The Chronicle

Ask many residents of Oshawa to describe their city’s claim to fame, and their answer will probably include something about car manufacturing. However, long before General Motors made its home in the city, the Ontario Regiment had its regimental headquarters deeply rooted in the community.

This year, the regiment is celebrating its 150th anniversary and Oshawa has declared 2016 “The Year of the Ontarios.”

Mayor John Henry is keen to point out the regiment’s significance in the city.

“The regiment brings employment to Oshawa. All of the soldiers that are there are paid to attend,” said the mayor. “It provides opportunities for young people who are going to school, and people who have finished school, who go on and want to live in the Durham Region and raise their families and want to serve their country at the same time.”

Henry added the men and women who serve in the unit come from all over Durham Region.

The Ontario Regiment was formed in 1866 after nine independent companies returned to the area from the Fenian Raids in Niagara.

It was given the name the 34th Battalion of Infantry. The name was subsequently changed to the 34th Ontario Regiment in 1900.

The battalion fought in the First World War in Europe in battles at the Somme, Arras, Vimy, Ypres and Passchendaele amongst others, where their commanding officer Lt.-Col. George Pearkes won the Victoria Cross.

Photograph by Barbara Howe

A delegation from the Ontario Regiment makes a presentation to Mayor John Henry (centre) at Oshawa City Hall.

As the Second World War began, the Regiment took on a new role as an armoured unit and was renamed the 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment. The Ontarios fought throughout Italy, and tracked north through Europe. Finally, they helped in the fighting to liberate Holland.

During the Cold War years, the Ontarios continued as a tank regiment, and served alongside the Canadian regular army in Germany.

Additionally, they were given the Freedom of the City of Oshawa in 1966, followed by the Freedom of the Region of Durham in 1979.

More recently, soldiers from the Regiment served on active duty

for NATO and the UN in Cyprus, Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia. The Regiment was also deployed in Afghanistan for ten years until 2013.

Earl Wotton is the curator of the Ontario Regiment Museum, which houses the largest operational collection of military vehicles in the country. Wotton said the museum has some “tremendously dedicated volunteers” who come to the museum almost every day to work on restoring the vehicles.

However, there is no need for a military background to be involved.

“We welcome people from all walks of life,” said Wotton. “All you really need is an interest and a passion

for restoring, maintaining, and presenting the military history of Canada.”

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, the regiment has organized key events throughout the year. One of the highlights will be the publication of an updated regimental history, ‘Fidelis Et Paratus: The History of The Ontario Regiment RCAC’ by retired sergeant Rod Henderson. The title is the regiment’s motto which translates as, “Faithful and Ready.” This limited edition book will be launched at Col. R.S. McLaughlin Armoury on Apr. 30. Some other celebratory highlights: Jun. 19 42nd Annual Fiesta Parade

Sep. 10 Tank Saturday at the Ontario Regiment Museum Sep. 14 Birthday B-B-Q Sep. 17 150th Parade and Change of Command, from Oshawa to the GM Centre Sep. 23 Oshawa Generals Hockey Game at the GM Centre, where the City of Oshawa and the Generals will honour the Ontario Regiment “This regiment is your regiment,” said Mayor Henry. “This is your friends in your community who are trained to help in times of need. It is important to understand and say thank you.”

For more information of the 150th celebrations, go to www.ontrmuseum.ca.

Drone event takes flight on DC, UOIT campus Matthew Pellerin The Chronicle

UOIT & DC students recently had an opportunity to see, pilot and get a new appreciation for drones.

The Drone Intro Day was an event at Durham College in mid-March that was organized through the collaboration of UOIT’s ACE Center for UAV Research, the UOIT & DC UAV Union as well as Clarion Drone Academy.

Drone is another name for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which come in all shapes and sizes.

UAVs range from the MQ-9 Reaper, a larger drone that has gained notoriety through use in the American military, to the Litehawk Neon, which is a cheap, lightweight drone that is available at any hobby shop and resembles old-school RC Helicopters more than the Reaper.

Drones, or UAVs, aren’t just something for the military to play around with, there are many reasons for people in college to be interested as well. At the Drone Intro Day, dozens of people took part in both a learning experience involving drones, as well as an opportunity to pilot one.

Bruce McPherson, the president of Clarion Drone Academy, is knee-deep in the industry and was

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Photograph by Matthew Pellerin

Florentine von Frankenberg’s Omnicopter on display at the Drone Intro Day event on campus. a speaker at the Drone Intro Day event. McPherson uses his industry knowledge to conduct seminars which DC & UOIT students were able to experience for the $20 admission price.

Bruce touched on everything from Google paying $100,000 a year for experienced drone pilots, to what is known in the industry as the Quadcopter Revolution.

Quadcopter is a name for any drone with four propellers, and

they are quickly becoming the goto model for drone enthusiasts.

According to Bruce, birds, which is industry slang for drones, aren’t just for hobbyists. “The commercial arena for drones right now is huge,” says Bruce.

However, with any new industry comes many new regulations.

Transport Canada has established so many rules for commercial drone pilots, that it’s difficult to understand how they can do business at

all.

Most commercial pilots have to fill out an SFOC (Special Flight Operation Certificate) to do any commercial flying. In the end they are limited to where they can fly based on population buildup and proximity to any airports. The DC campus falls under these limitations.

Drones are being applied in a wide range of tasks. From crop inspection for farmers to residential photography for real estate agents, drones

are being used in more ways than you may think.

Florentin von Frankenberg, a UOIT grad student and speaker at Drone Intro Day, had his creation, the Omnicopter, on display.

“To be truly useful, drones need to be able to physically interact with their environment,” says Florentin.

This is already taking shape, as some drones are being used from everything to delivering coffee, to using a ‘follow me’ feature that calculates a person based on their pixels within a camera, and is trained to follow them from a great distance.

Drone Intro Day was a kick-off event to discuss all of these advances in the industry, through the guest speakers, as well as giving students the opportunity to get their hands on a drone to pilot.

“This is something that we want to offer at least once a year to students,” says James McDonald, a UOIT Business student and member of the DC/UOIT UAV Union.

The UAV Union helped organize Drone Intro Day and is already working on a UAV Industry Day follow-up to the event which will take place on April 11.

Similar drone-related events will likely take place on campus throughout the school year.

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Heritage house stands tall through urban sprawl Alex Debets The Chronicle

Some Ajax residents are concerned about the future of heritage property on Westney Road.

Tribute Communities has submitted a draft plan to the Town of Ajax to develop a farm at 1733 Westney Road into a 19-home subdivision.

The site has five buildings, including the larger farm house.

Locals are concerned for the property and they have started a Facebook page and Twitter profile to raise awareness about this piece of Ajax history. The Facebook group has 116 active members, while the Twitter page has about 500 followers.

Sherri MacIver runs the group ‘Westney Heritage’ and has done a lot of research about the property.

She also started the ‘Save Westney Farm’ petition, which has collected over 500 signatures.

“To me, there is a unique heritage aspect to this property,” MacIver said. “I don’t think we have enough in our town that shows our true history.”

The farm, known as ‘Westglen’ was designated as a heritage site in 1985. Quantum falls, which owns Tribute Communities, bought the land in 2011 and immediately started construction on the property, tearing down three buildings. The company was fined $2,000 by the Town of Ajax for the destruction of the two sheds and chicken coop.

Paul Allore, the director of plan-

Photograph by Alex Debets

Sherri MacIver, head of the group Westney Heritage, pictured in front on the Westney Farm.

ning and development for the town has the job of looking through the draft, and deciding whether to push it through to city council.

“The process of a draft plan for a subdivision can take some time, eight months to a year, so we are still at the early stages,” Allore said.

Westglen was named by the Westney family and had been in the family since 1892. The property was bought by Quantum Falls in 2011 following the death of Dorothy Westney, who was married to Westney’s son. Westney was involved with local government, first elected to Pickering Township Council in

Government can always

expropriate the land, but rarely do because they don’t have the money.

1941. He was also elected as warden of Ontario County Council in 1949.

Westney received the Confederation of Canada Centennial medal in 1967 for his valuable service to the nation. He continued farming until

the age of 90. Westney also had one of Ajax’s main roads named after him, which is where Westglen sits.

Now his history is the thing MacIver’s group wants to preserve as urbanization pushes forward in

Ajax.

The issue of urbanization can be complex with a lot of strings attached, especially in Durham region which has seen a 16 per cent increase in population in the last ten years, according to a report released by the region in 2014.

There are social and economic factors at play that can influence the fate of a piece of land, said Daniel Hoornweg the former lead urban specialist for the World Bank’s Urban Advisory Unit and UOIT professor. He has worked with developing sustainable communities around the world.

“It’s a shade of grey. There’s good things and there’s bad things,” said Hoornweg.

There are not many possibilities for Westglen. If Tribute is legally allowed to develop on the land, the town can take the land away but would have to pay Tribute.

“Government can always expropriate the land, but rarely do because they don’t have the money,” Hoornweg said.

That is not what MacIver’s group wants to hear.

“There are all kind of communities all throughout Ontario with unique and valuable heritage, and when a city or town goes through the trouble of designating as a heritage property, it is a serious commitment,” MacIver said.

The decisions on Westglen in the coming months will have an effect on Ajax history just as William Westney did all those years ago.

Animals take over the International Centre in Mississauga From puppies to tarantulas the Pet Expo had something for everyone Dan Koehler The Chronicle

Pets of all shapes and sizes, such as kangaroos and boa constrictors, were at the 2016 Spring Canadian Pet Expo at the International Centre in Mississauga.

The expo, which is the largest consumer pet show in Canada, took place on March 25-27. The expo offers pet owners and pet enthusiasts a chance to broaden their knowledge and show off their pets.

“It’s a pet friendly family event that is promoting responsible pet ownership from a commercial and hobbyist level,” said Grant Crossman, owner and operator of the expo.

Responsibility was a common theme at the show with vendors and guest speeches dedicated to responsible animal ownership.

“Just to show people that caring for a pet is a lifetime commitment

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Caring for a pet is a lifetime commitment. and a lot of times you essentially have to think outside the box and the diversity of the pet world,” Crossman said.

The expo offered something for everybody with dog agility shows, breeders, an-imal societies, and even exotic pets such as tarantulas.

Bruce Recluse, the owner of Arachnophiliacs, a specialty arachnid breeder, has been to the show before and is used to getting a mixed reaction.

“People are just completely baffled as to why anyone would own spiders, centi-pedes, or all these creepy bugs,” he said.

Recluse also does his best to educate people and help them get rid of their fears.

“We see people who are afraid of spiders,” he said. “Most of the time we can convince them to actually try holding one, most of those times they walk away feeling a lot less scared.”

On the other side of the expo in the bird section, Denise Antler, Director of the Budgerigar and

Foreign Bird Society strives to educate people about responsible bird ownership.

“I can provide some of the information that I know of already and if they can learn one little thing I’m happy,” she said.

Antler wants to teach people about the different type of birds so they don’t end up in the wrong hands or possibly up for adoption.

“Don’t just go out and get yourself a macaw,” she said. “You get bitten, you’ll get broken bones.”

The expo also offered some non-animal vendors. Andria Andros, owner of Uniquely Gifted, sees the expo as a unique opportunity for her melting bead business.

“Here we kind of stand out as something different as everybody else, its gone really well for us,” she said.

Police and OSPCA officers were on hand to make sure everything went smooth-ly and pets were being taken care of responsibly.

Derek Cullen, a volunteer with the Etobicoke Humane Society, was amazed by how all the animals were getting along.

“I see people are really enjoying showing off their pets, I think it’s a great venue for that,” he said. “The staff around here are doing a great job of keeping the area clean, I’m pretty impressed.”

The next pet show is the 2016 Fall Canadian Pet Expo which will take place on September 10-11 at the International Centre.

Photograph by Dan Koehle

Cooper Seldon of Arachnophiliacs handles hog island boa.

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Students forget the freshman 15 Nicole Dupuis The Chronicle

It is a story that has been told a hundred times. A student moves away to school, changes his or her diet, and gains weight. It is so common there is a name for it, the Freshman Fifteen.

Andrea Miller is a professor at UOIT with a degree in nutrition and a Masters of Health Science.

She is a consulting dietitian, a national media spokesperson for Dietitians of Canada, and the provincial representative for the Consulting Dietitians Network.

She started watching what impact different foods have on a body from a young age.

She credits weight gain to a number of reasons including a change in environment and having access to new kinds of food.

As a dietitian, Miller suggests students pay attention to the reasons they are eating. Students need to be eating because they are hungry, not because it is a social event.

Going out for a late night beer with friends can easily lead to a few beers and appetizers, she says.

Another culprit behind these

extra pounds is the quantity of what people are eating.

“We don’t eat off plates anymore, we eat off platters,” Miller says. “If the plates are big, we fill them. We have this perception that if there is white space on our plate, that’s not enough food.”

If people are more aware of their portions, they are less likely to over eat, she says.

Miller admits it is tough for

I lived in residence so it was a buffet style. students to eat healthily on a meal plan. There are many healthy choices in school cafeterias, but these are dwarfed by unhealthy choices.

She says there could be more of an effort made to promote not only healthy meal choices, but also healthy dessert options.

The worst food for a student to eat is desserts, baked goods, alcohol, or fast foods.

Bevan Rudanycz is a student of criminology and justice at UOIT and remembers eating unhealthily when he first came to school.

“I definitely gained weight. I lived in residence so it was a buffet style,” Rudanycz says. “It took me a while to notice that you just eat crap all the time.”

Since first year he has been a member of the rowing team, choosing to stay active and eat healthily.

Many students credit their unhealthy eating to low budgets.

While unhealthy food is often cheaper, it is possible to find inexpensive good options as well. Miller says students need to learn to find substitutes for their unhealthy foods, and this is entirely possible on a budget.

Students can buy foods such as beans or lentils, and make a stir-fry with frozen vegetables. There are many recipe options online that

only involve a few ingredients that are good for you.

Miller explains most of the battle is reconnecting with their food supply.

“I’ve talked to people who don’t know what a mango is, or a cauliflower,” she says. “I’ve talked to people who think fish comes in a box.”

She says if a student grows up being fed only frozen, boxed food they may not realize there are healthier ways to eat that food.

Switching to healthy eating has many positive impacts on the body, she says.

It’s good for the brain and students could notice an improvement in their concentration and their focus. She says they could find it easier to study as well as being more alert. Healthy eating can also help a student sleep better, improving their mood and performance.

She’s not telling people to completely abandon all the food they love, but rather to eat it in moderation. Eat regularly but don’t eat past fullness. Stay connected to your hunger and don’t skip meals. Make the Freshman Fifteen a myth, not the inevitable.

earned originally went to charities, such as Simcoe Hall Settlement House in downtown Oshawa.

But, since the event grew in size, the money goes to sustaining LAN War. At LAN War, anyone can play anything. Some people bring desktop computers, console gaming systems, board games, and decks of cards. Anything that can be played is welcomed.

16 official tournaments. These tournaments were for games such as League of Legends, Hearthstone, and Super Smash Bros. The tournaments ran through the night to make sure there was always something going on.

The final tournament was known as “The King of Games.” In this tournament, the participants were not told which

Video gamers gather for UOIT’s LAN War Students and alumni come together for a weekend of gaming at the bi-semester LAN War

James Jackson The Chronicle

Playing video games is generally considered a hobby someone does in their own home, but events like LAN War plan to change that.

“They (the creators) wanted to put a spin on an anti-social hobby and host an event at UOIT,” says Sarah Wagg, the president of LAN War. LAN War is an event held once a semester, where students who attend or have attended UOIT or Durham College spend a weekend playing games. These game vary from card games to board games to video games. The first semester LAN War has an annual attendance of more than 2000 people, from different schools.

The second semester LAN War is smaller, and is restricted to UOIT and Durham college students and graduates.

The difference between LAN War and more recognised eSport tournaments is the casual

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atmosphere.

Michael Comlekci, a member of the Durham College UOIT eSports team said LAN War is more of a local community event than the larger tournaments with millions of dollars put behind them.

At LAN War, no one is required to take part in a tournament. It can serve as a place to just play games and hang out.

At LAN War X there was also a raffle with rewards such as a mechanical keyboard, an optic mouse, and other gaming supplies and souvenirs.

LAN War started five years ago when two UOIT students decided to add a social aspect to gaming.

“LAN War used to be more of a local community event, and as the club has grown the event has become more broad. And you even see people coming from all over Canada and some parts of the United States to compete in LAN War,” said Comlekci.

The money LAN War raised

You even see people coming from all over Canada.

The tenth LAN War, happened in March. With more than 200 attendees, the building was packed.

People flooded in with their computers and consoles. LAN War went for 24 hours during the weekend. It is common for people to bring pillows to take a quick nap. Or, more commonly, drinking untold amounts of caffeine.

At LAN War X, there were

game they were going to play until their turn was up. The participants were then given a special set of rules independent of the game by the staff. In Kirby Air Ride for example, the players were not able to use their special abilities midrace.

Now for next year, where schools from all over can come to find out who is the gaming king.

The Chronicle

25

Oshawa homes heat up Josh Platanitis

The Chronicle

For students looking to buy their first homes in Durham Region, the market is nearly impossible, according to some real estate agents.

As of February, there has been a 16 per cent increase in the average housing market in Canada since last year. The typical cost for a home sits at approximately $500, 000.

Oshawa real estate agent Joseph Murkl said buying a home is best done at the end of the year, whereas selling is more successful during the spring season.

“When I say spring, I mean February, March, May, possibly even June,” he said.

He said the market is active now. “We had a listing that was listed for $340, 000,” Murkl said.

“Just a one and a half story, brick.

No garage. It’s listed for $340,000 and sold for $420,000.”

As such, he says any buyer who had a $350,000 budget would have been quickly ignored because of the rising prices.

The most common price range in Oshawa is somewhere between $300,000 and $350,000. Murkl says this is a significant increase from 2015.

He said the market has gone up because of how disproportionately high home sales are in Toronto and Vancouver as opposed to the rest of the country.

“The Oshawa market is actually one of the hottest markets right now in Canada,” he said.

“From February of last year to February of this year, the average house in Durham has increased to $490,000. Last year, I think it was $435,000.”

He predicts Oshawa’s market to continue to rise, namely because of the ongoing Highway 407 expansion. He also warns this will be “very difficult” for young and inexperienced buyers.

For example, one of his younger clients, who had saved $20,000 for a down payment could not find an affordable home in Oshawa.

Murkl often reminds his younger buyers to “make sure that you have thought about the numbers, the monthly payments, the taxes. There’s more than just a mortgage.”

Jen Ballinger, a CIBC financial advisor who also has experience working with students, said the housing market’s 16 per cent growth will pose challenges for them.

Ballinger has also found Oshawa to be more difficult to break into compared to other locations.

“People are having to go particularly further east in order to try to find a home that’s affordable,” she said.

The minimum down payment for a home in Oshawa is five per cent, though a 10 per cent down payment is far more common.

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Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

Keeping 20,000 students safe at all hours Campus security keep students safe through many initiatives Noor Ibrahim The Chronicle There are a lot of things at play to keep the DC and UOIT campus safe. There is everything from security guards to code blue stations to medical emergency teams to protect students.

With a population of about 20,000 students, DC and UOIT have non-sworn security guards that are hired and licensed under the security guard provincial statutes.

The guards perform duties on the behalf of the Office of Campus Security (OCS) on or in relation to DC and UOIT property. Most of them are Police Foundations students, according to administrator of security services John Neil, but he says anyone can become a guard.

Their general duty is to observe and report, but they are trained and qualified in law. So even if they cannot perform the same duties as police officers, they can write tickets for parking in fire-routes and unlawful parking.

forest.

Lynch says it is necessary to have sworn constables replace security guards.

“I really don’t think that this college community presents itself as a community that needs to be policed by police officers,” he said.

He says students get up to mischief occasionally and that should not always be met with the formal attitude of real police.

“I’d be disappointed if there wasn’t mischief,” he said.

“If we look at the path through university or college life as being train tracks, you know every now and then that train might slip off the tracks a little bit. And what our focus should be is the teachable moment.”

DC and UOIT campuses are kept secure through several security mechanisms located indoors and outdoors. CCTV cameras monitor the campus 24-7.

Code blue stations, which are test-

And our focus should be is the teachable moment. ed monthly, can be found outdoors.

They are emergency red poles with a blue light and a button that co tacts the security desk.

Campus Security also does vehicle patrols and random foot patrols of the premises.

A Campus Walk service is available for students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This gives students an escort to walk them to their car or bus.

The campus also has CIRENS, a mass emergency communication tool which notifies students and staff

in the case of an emergency.

The Student Association provides CERT, a team of trained students who respond to medical emergencies.

LEAA, a lockdown alarm that can only be heard outside the campus, was integrated by Lynch last fall.

Security guard training is also updated every year to meet the changing industry, according to Neil.

Campus Security also receives information from its peers in colleges and universities across the province.

The directors of campus security inform each other of the loopholes in their security systems that had to be fixed to prevent incidents. Security guards are then alerted through advisories if they need to be on the lookout.

Neil has been on campus since 2005. He started as a security guard and worked his way up to becoming a supervisor and now the manager.

He is part of Paragon Security, which employs the security guards.

He has not once doubted the security of UOIT and DC. “[I am] 100 per cent confident from the time I started ‘til now,” said Neil.

Lynch, however, says some of the buildings need improvement.

“One of the challenges that we have as a security infrastructure is the age of our buildings,” he said.

It is very difficult and expensive, Lynch says, to integrate such mechanisms into already existing buildingss, like Simcoe building.

“[I am] 100 per cent confident from the time I started ‘til now.”

According to director of campus safety Tom Lynch, guards have a notebook, a pen, and handcuffs.

They cannot use force except for “soft verbal commands” and handcuffing an individual under certain legal circumstances.

Any disturbance on campus requires the guards to watch, take notes, ask the person to identify themselves, and to cease and desist.

If the person refuses, a manager of public safety is contacted.

The person might then be asked to leave the property. If they still refuse, they can be arrested by a guard.

Police are then called to investigate and either complete the arrest or release the individual.

If security receive information about a serious threat, such as a firearm, Durham Regional Police are contacted immediately.

Campus properties include the main buildings, sidewalks, parking lots, and the footpath down by the

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April 12 - 18, 2016

The Chronicle

Entrepreneur musicians

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Josh Platanitis The Chronicle

While many people think they have to go to Toronto to work in the music industry, there are opportunities available in Oshawa, according to those in the business.

From corporate franchises such as Long & McQuade to private lesson services to Durham College’s own Music Business Management (MBM) and Music Business Administration (MBA) programs, the potential for new music-based enterprises are here.

When it comes to the MBM program, learning from working musicians provides a realistic guide, while the field placements in third year allow students to experience real competitiveness, says Jonathon Benschop, a program graduate whose education has helped him with his career goals.

Benschop took to the program with the intention of furthering himself in the music world.

“I was just interested in finding out how to make money in the music industry,” he said. “I stumbled across the Durham College Music Business Management program.”

One of Benschop’s fondest memories came from his field placement. For seven weeks, he worked as an intern at Universal Music in Toronto, where his desk was next to the president of the company.

His placement in Universal gave him the opportunity to develop relationships with key executives, collaborate with musicians and help the company sign new artists.

“I got to do the sales department,” he said. “Just being able to connect with different people in the industry.”

Benschop says Universal Music showed him the true competitiveness of the business.

“It helped me understand what area of the industry I wanted to go

Photograph by Josh Plantanitis

Musicians are artists, using their instruments as the medium for creativity; but for entrepreneurs they are also a business tool. into,” he explained. “It gave me insight as to which area I feel I’m better at.”

He is currently developing an EP entitled “Beautiful Rhythm,” hoping for a release before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, on local music scene, Oshawa is home to a number of teachers and company owners. Larry Chown has been offering lessons and workshops since 1976.

At the age of 16, Chown began an illustrious career as a working musician in the Durham Region and Toronto areas. His back-

ground in jazz, blues, classical and Latin music allowed him to perform in a number of reputable venues, including Massey Hall, the Roy Thompson Hall, Ontario Place, Casa Loma and the Royal York Hotel.

His business, Strings & Fingers, Guitarists’ Workshop, stands as a culmination of Chown’s musical skill and his knowledge as a businessman. He also offers a guitar workshop on the college campus in the Continuing Education Department.

Chown said with today’s economy, music business is competi-

tive.

“I think people can get as many students as they really want to get. There’s no shortage of students,” he said. “Teachers all offer different levels of experience or background or passion for what they do.”

His advice for up and coming teachers? “It doesn’t take that much to send people on their way to a lifetime of music. Often, it’s just a few little things, a caring remark, an encouraging word. I always tell my students and the parents that I’m just along for the ride,” he said.

Both Benschop and Chown say making a living in music takes a combination of a business skillset and strong musicianship.

“Honestly, I think that both of those have to work together,” Benschop says. “An artist… they just want to make music. Whereas when you get the business person in there, they’re able to help you with all that.”

Chown agrees. “You have to bring a skillset that enables you to be productive in all areas. Not everybody gravitates to what it takes to be a self-employed entrepreneur,” he said.

law banning underweight models In 2006, Fashion Week Madrid informed models that looked unhealthy and thin that they would not be able to walk the the runway for the annual event. This decision was quickly followed by Italy, which announced that models with a body mass index of 18.5 would not be able to walk the runway show in Milan.

Eating disorders have become such a huge problem that these countries say these measures are made in an effort to stop a growing trend.

The Danish Fashion Institute in Denmark has also collaborated to produce the Danish Fashion Ethical Charter. This charter contains four rules including models must be served “nutritious and healthy food” at every job lasting longer than two hours.

“I feel like models today tend to portray an unrealistic body image, one that’s impossible for the average human being to achieve,”

says Estelle Theodore, a student of the Durham College.

She also says lately plus size models have hit the industry proving to women everywhere that plus size can be beautiful too.

It’s just a start and a lot more can be done to improve such vain beauty standards, she said. Yet not everyone thinks that this is an issue.

“Everyone is born thin,” says Jessica Clattenburg, a model from Milton. She says that people’s size is related to how they live their lifestyle. But not everyone agrees, according to Packer everyone is born differently, beautiful in their own way. It’s negatie thinking that causes people to think that way, he said.

When asked what message he thinks plus size models sends to youth Packer said plus-size and average models are healthier.

He also said silence on the issues of body image is what’s most destructive to young people.

The modern evolution of body image on a global scale Euvilla Thomas The Chronicle

Ashley Graham, a popular plussize model in the U.S recently made history by landing one of the biggest marketing covers, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Graham became the first plus- size model to ever land this coveted edition. Some people say this sends the right message.

“The media has changed the way we think,” says Jeff Packer, a licensed therapist and counsellor in Oshawa. According to Packer, body image wasn’t an issue until it was commercialized by the media. “Negative thinking is what causes body obsessions says Packer, it’s a cognitive issue.”

According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, 1.5 per cent of Canadian women aged 15–24 years have had an eating disorder. Campaigns like the Dove Self Esteem project, and the NYC Girls Project, exist to

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Photograph by Euvilla Thomas

Jessica Clattenburg poses at Fitness, Etc. in Milton, Ontario. help young girls overcome body issues. Though they are not directly related to Graham, these campaigns say they are starting the basic foundation for young girls to be able to feel better about themselves and to combat mental health issues.

Recently the U.K. made headlines when the Advertising Standards Authority pulled an Yves Saint Laurent advertisement off

the air, claiming the model looked unhealthy and underweight even for the industry. The U.K. agency said it was sending a negative message to young people.

France has also passed a law against unhealthy models being used. Fashion houses failing to adhere to the law will be fined up to 75,000 euros. France is not the only country to place these measures. In 2012, Israel also passed a

2016-04-08 3:36 PM

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April 12 - 18, 2016

Campus

How to file your taxes Kevin Steinbach The Chronicle

Students at DC and UOIT face many responsibilities: succeed in a program, work towards a career and file taxes or, more precisely, tax returns. Every Canadian files tax returns and students are no exception.

However, many students may be unaware of what is involved.

Some may even be intimidated by idea of it.

At UOIT, the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program hosts a tax help event on six different days in March. Students in Durham Region can get help with their taxes, according to Lucas Morgan of the UOIT Accounting Association. Third and fourth year accounting students and volunteers help file taxes for free.

“The event is meant to help people with financial needs,” says Morgan.

Some students may want to file themselves.

According to professional accountant, Cynthia Koehler of H&R Block, it sounds difficult but it doesn’t require too much besides preparation and a collection of all T slips and receipts.

“What’s most important is to have all the information available,” she says.

For students, that means having both the T4 slip and the T2202A slip.

Employed students get a T4 slip from their employer. It provides most of the information needed to file the return. It mostly contains information regarding the SIN, payment received and taxes paid.

DC and UOIT students can use their T2202A to get tax refunds even if they’re unemployed. They can get an education claim for their books and tuition. Koehler says those who had to move to another city or residence to attend school can claim moving expenses or even public transit costs. The T2202A can be found in mycampus.ca in the Helpful Link section under student records. Full-time students can get $400 for each month and part-time students get $120.

Another method to help file taxes is to access online filing software, such as H&R Block’s software or the Canadian Revenue Agency’s NETFILE program.

There are many myths surrounding taxes and tax returns.

Fortunately, H&R Block has a list on its site. Some of these myths?

Having your refund approved doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) can request more paperwork and file a tax bill if a claim is unqualified. Also, pet food can’t be claimed and cash tips are considered income and should be recorded.

For first time tax filers, Koehler recommends asking someone with experience for help. “They know what they’re doing. I’ve done this so often it’s second nature,” she says.

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Capes and castles in Casa Loma Children’s Wish hosts magical evening Toby VanWeston The Chronicle

An Oshawa girl who is battling cancer recently got one of two wishes fulfilled.

“Brave” Braydy Abbott, 6, underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in 2014. Two years earlier, she was diagnosed with a rare disorder called Emberger, which causes Mylodisplatic Syndrome, a cancer in the bone. The Abbott family was able to raise enough awareness to find a donor for a transplant, which is the only cure.

Recently, she got to attend a princess event at Casa Loma in downtown Toronto. For weeks, Braydy anticipated the event.

“She was over the moon. We were honestly counting down the days for like two weeks, she was so excited,” says Danielle Abbott, her mother. On this evening, Braydy was not focused on her health issues. She was simply excited to be Elsa for the evening.

The Princess and Superhero Ball is one of many Children’s Wish Foundation fundraisers held each year to support the foundation.

Horse drawn carriages awaited the guests at the front door. The ceiling of the entrance hall was projected to look like an open night sky with planets and shooting stars.

The walls of the garden room were lit in pink and purple light. Each

A close look at the Children’s Wish Princess and Superhero Ball in Casa Loma. new room was decorated to look as magical as possible for the guests of the evening. Dozens of little Cinderellas danced and played with tiny Spidermen and Batmen.

The Children’s Wish Foundation has been granting wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses for more than thirty years.

They have granted more than 23,000 wishes in that time. They hope to grant 1,000 new wishes this year in Canada, which equals to about three wishes a day. Wishes granted range from trips to Disney World or sporting events, to a family puppy or computer. The average wish cost is $10,000.

Braydy’s other wish is to visit Hawaii with her entire family. The

Money goes a long way, but the awareness is just as important. proceeds of the dance will go towards realizing that wish.

Braydy is currently enjoying going to school and is responding positively to her transplant. Dani-

elle is thankful her daughter is back to her normal activities. However, she stresses there is always a need for donations to help sick children.

“I would love to see everybody and anybody who is between 17 and 35 to donate blood or do a cheek swab because it saves lives.

Literally. And you don’t realize until it hits close to home,” says Abbott. “It’s so selfless, and it’s the best gift anyone can give.”

James MacQueen, chairperson of the Ontario Chapter Advisory Board (CAB) for Children’s Wish, says it is possible for students to get involved in many ways. Donations can be made to the foundation at any time, in any amount. Attention and time is also a big part of grant-

Photograph by Toby VanWeston

ing wishes.

“Money goes a long way, but the awareness is just as important,” says MacQueen. “Being able to bring awareness within the campus and the community will allow others that didn’t know they could refer a child learn about that, to other events and ways they can bring fundraising. But just as important, people who want to volunteer.”

Hundreds of young superheroes and princesses enjoyed the party in Casa Loma. Children’s Wish hopes to bring similar happiness to many others.

For those interested in The Children’s Wish Foundation, more information can be found at childrenswish.ca.

Brain injuries: The silent epidemic in Durham Sam Odrowski The Chronicle

Durham Region has a lot of work to do in helping people recognize the frequency of brain injuries and how to prevent them, according to the founder of Heads Up! Durham.

Linda Lowery started the grassroots organization out of her Oshawa home, hoping to make a direct impact with the community.

“I think the important thing is that the community owns this. It doesn’t belong to any agency. It started around my kitchen table,” she says.

Lowery became determined to help spread awareness and prevention after her only son had a long boarding accident and suffered a catastrophic brain injury.

He was hit from behind by a van and thrown 45 feet through the air.

“I almost lost him. He was 48 days in ICU at St. Michaels Hospital in the trauma unit,” Lowery says.

After she knew he was going to be fine, what followed was five and a half years of intense rehab as her son learned to walk and talk and do everything all over again.

Brain injuries are a silent epidemic, according to Lowery. In Canada, one person suffers a traumatic brain injury every three minutes, adding up to 452 people a day, according to the Northern Brain Injury Association (NBIA). This amounts

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Photograph by Sam Odrowski

The Durham Brain Injury Association helps illustrate the reality of brain injury. to about 165,000 brain injuries every year.

Acquired brain injury is the number one cause of death and disability among children, according to the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA).

It happens 30 times more often than breast cancer and is 400 times more common than HIV/AIDS, according to OBIA Impact Report, 2012. Yet, it gets a fraction of the funding that breast cancer or HIV/ AIDS awareness/research receives.

Matthew Godfrey, who worked as a mechanic, knows all too well the impact of a brain injury.

He suffered a devastating traumatic brain injury after a forklift accident.

He spent two months in the hospital and went through seven years of intense recovery afterwards, as he learned to walk, talk, and remember things again.

Due to experiencing short-term memory, he says he doesn’t remember any previous relationships. He says this has caused problems with friends, family and work.

Many of the side effects from the brain injury live on, such as damaged eyesight, partial deafness, and excruciating headaches.

Many of the health complications from the accident changed Godfrey’s life completely, he says.

After someone has a brain injury “it’s never a rest period. You’re always learning something new or remembering something,” he says.

According to Lowery, her main goal for Heads Up! Durham is getting people to recognize how common brain injuries are.

“We want people to know the major causes of brain injury and what they can personally do,” she says.

Godfrey says the biggest thing people can do right now involve common sense, such as wearing

helmets and seatbelts.

Durham Region specifically has a high rate of brain injuries. According to Dr. Robert Kyle, the region’s medical officer of health, 19 per cent of Durham’s elementary students and 31 per cent of high school students say they had experienced a brain injury at some point in their lives. Young people ages 14-19 have the largest number of emergency room visits for concussion related injuries, according to Durham’s Injuries at a Glance 2013 report.

It also says concussion-related emergency room visits are on the rise since 2008. “The awareness part of it is helping people realize just how serious brain injury is,” she says. After hockey player Sidney Crosby had his brain injury, Lowery says it shone a light on the devastating impacts of brain injuries.

“People stopped saying ‘I just had my bell rung’ and realized when somebody falls or when somebody is hit in a car accident were talking brain injury,” she says. “So it’s helping people to recognize how common it is and how many people are actually suffering from brain injury and often not knowing it.”

She is always looking for more people to become community champions or apply to join the Steering Committee and Advisory Panel. To find out more, visit headsupdurham.ca.

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Here’s how to get a job after graduation Career centre is here to help

Chris Jones The Chronicle

Some college and university students may feel unprepared for the real world when they graduate.

However, at Durham College that isn’t always the case.

Nicholas Buffet was a student at Brock University where he studied history. He did eventually get his bachelor’s degree, but he had no idea what to do with it. His solution was to attend Durham College and study to be a paralegal instead.

Just now reaching the end of his first year at Durham, Buffet already feels more comfortable with his future career than he ever did at Brock.

“The professors and course coordinator are fairly vocal on our options for careers and how we should go about finding a job as well as any volunteer or summer opportunities that they find,” he says.

Buffet said compared to university, the professors at Durham College are more interested in helping the students along their future career path.

He added if he felt he needs help making a decision about his future he would visit the Career Development Centre.

“I feel that, especially with college, just the way the education is, it’s much more hands on. They’d be much more useful [than a university],” he said.

The Career Development Centre

Campus

April 12 - 18, 2016

is located in the Student Services Building. Louise Stiles, the current development outreach coordinator at the Career Development Centre, is one of the people who works with students to help them feel prepared when they graduate and move on to the real world.

“What we do in a nutshell is everything and anything career related,” she said. “So it could be something as simple as a student needs a resume for summer employment, it could be that their needing assistance with a job search, creating a LinkedIn profile, it could be that a student comes to us through upgrading and has no idea what program to choose as they move further toward their career. So really, it’s everything and anything related to careers.”

Stiles said the reason students from Durham College seem so prepared to graduate is because of the hands-on training they receive.

This helps to feel more prepared because they actually have a sense of what they will be doing during their career.

Stiles said it’s very easy to make an appointment for assistance.

You need only go to the Career Development website and sign in using the same information used to sign into DC Connect.

Buffet is just one of many students who feel that they will be ready to graduate and enter their chosen career path. And while there are those who do not feel the same, they can get the help they need at Durham College’s Career Development Centre.

The professors and course co-ordinator are fairly vocal on our options for careers and how we should go about finding a job as well as any volunteer or summer opportunities that they find.

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Photograph by Asim Pervez

Helpful ways to stay out of debt during college years.

How college students can end up not drowning in debt Asim Pervez The Chronicle

Spending money is one of the biggest temptations as a college student. So it is essential that students know how to manage it, says Student Awards officer, Elaine Catell.

“It’s very important so they can plan for their academic year, their breaks within school. If you’re not going to work through the summer, it relieves stress if you’re worrying about money and trying to work hard at school,” says Catell. She says sometimes students are hesitant to keep a budget because they look at as more of restriction

to spend, rather than something they will benefit from. She adds that budgets tell you how much you have left. Catell says one of the main reasons students get into financial problems is the misuse of money. A lot of the time students are not aware how much money they are actually spending.

“If you ask somebody what they spend, they’re not going to be able to tell you.” The way the money gets misused is the “over spending,” she says, What students don’t realize is that $2 coffee at Tim Hortons twice a day really adds up at the end of month.”Managing money is on the minds of many students.“I think it’s really important because you don’t want to fall into a lot of debt

in the future, and as soon as you’re done your program you want to be able to pay it off,” said Jasmine Hassanali, a Nursing Prep student “I think the main reason we fall into debt is that we use too much money towards other things.”Brittney Brooks, a Science and Engineering student who lives on campus, says students have to know how to manage their money.

“If you’re paying rent like I am, you live off campus, and it’s kind of annoying having to buy groceries and that kind of thing,” she says, “When you live on your own, it’s a little more different than having money to spend every single day on whatever you want.”Justin Painter, another Science and Engineering

The Chronicle’s cellphone survival guide

The choice between iPhone and other phone models Matthew Pellerin The Chronicle

Have you had the same phone for ages now? Have you lost or broke your phone recently? It might be time to think about getting a new phone. Here’s a breakdown of the major phonet. Apple has quickly become popular among people of all ages.

The iPhone 6s and 6s plus, come packed with fresh features that range from a sophisticated operating system to the new 3g touch screens. These screens measure the force you use, which allows you to do different commands depending on how hard you touch the screen.

“This opens up a whole new world for software designers,” according to CTV Tech Analyst Carmi Levy.

Apple has recently released the SE, which is one of its smallest phones to date. It has essentially the same camera and processor as the 6S, but with a smaller 4-inch screen.

“Right now the 5s is the sweet spot in terms of the most bang for your buck,” says Levy. “For students or anyone else on a budget it’s probably the most cost-effective Apple product out there.” If Apple isn’t what you’re looking for, there are lots of great phones under the Android umbrella.

“We sell Apple the most, because of their marketing, but it’s usually

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people who have done their research that go with Blackberry or Android,” says Braydon West of Bell Canada. Levy says Android is a much more customizable userconfigurable type of technology “If you’re like my mom and just want to turn it on and get to work, Android may not be your cup of tea.” While Samsung may lead the pack in sales, the diamond in the rough may be coming from Google.

The Google Nexus 6p is its newest phone and offers many great features. While it’s smaller than its predecessor, the Nexus 6, it’s still larger than the industry average and crammed into there are a lot of reasons to own one.

“The Android software on a Nexus device is raw,” says Levy.

“It will always be the first to get updates from Google. If you are a real power user you will get a Google device instead of one from Samsung or LG,” However, if you are a loyal Samsung user, the Galaxy S7 is the company’s newest product and improves upon its older models.

The S7 has a better camera, a faster processor and comes packed with the latest Android software.

Who says you have to pay a ton for a great Android?

If you’re on a budget, there are options waiting for you.

For example, the Moto E is a small, pint-sized phone that is

more than suitable for webbrowsing, gaming or whatever else you may use your phone for. Blackberry has dropped in relevance over the years but it’s back with a bang when it comes to the Priv.

“The Priv innovates with a suite of highly secure software additions, as well as a slide-out physical keyboard,” says Levy.

The Priv boasts exceptional privacy and allows you to control your device’s security on many levels. Blackberry’s trademark features are combined with countless apps, as the Priv is the first Blackberry device to use Android software and the Google Play store.

For budgeting Blackberry fans, Levy suggests the Passport. “It’s extra-wide screen is especially useful for road warriors who do a lot of content creation and editing on their handhelds,” he says.

“Its large keyboard and wide screen, have proven ideal for business users who do a lot of document consumption and production while on the go.”

What matters is what you’re looking for in your phone.

“Make sure the technology fits the way you intend to use it,” says Levy. “It’s not a case of Apple being better than Google, it’s a case of understanding what your needs are.”

student, says the reason why students go in debt “is the misuse of money.”Another way students end up going in debt is signing up for credit cards, according to Catell.

“Beware of those,” she says. Banks will often pitch advertisements to students and offer an award or scholarships, but will make the student get a Visa card. “You get the Visa and sometimes its $500 (on the card) but most of the times it’s $1,000, which isn’t a lot of money for a bank, but it’s a lot of money for a student.” Students sometimes use this as an opportunity to spend money, but often find themselves in trouble, and can take students “years and years” just to pay off, she says.

Students at Durham College can visit the Financial Aid and Awards office located in the Student Service Building if they need financial assistance.

They can come to the office in person where a financial aid officer is available from Monday to Friday at the Oshawa campus, and Monday to Thursday at the Whitby campus for quick appointments. Students can book long appointments in My Campus in the DC Financial Aid tab.

The Financial Aid office also offers financial literacy workshops for students that need help with money, as well as an Online Budget Calculator that calculates your income and expenses for you.

Kevin Steinbach

was meant to represent the Looney Tunes.

“Looney Tunes is our main theme. Hopefully with our dance, with our attitude hopefully, people can see the characters come to life,” he said. Every student at event got a passport stamped at the food courts, one for each culture. The passport also served as a lottery ticket for one of the four prizes.

Representing their home country, the Bangladesh Student Association and their two dance groups performed a pop performance. Another highlight of the show, and a change of pace for the audience, was the African Student Association’s traditional African clothing fashion show.

Going with music, several students walked up the aisle just like real life.

Other dance performances represented Africa, the Caribbean and Canada.

After a couple of performances, three students received travel bags. After the final performance, one lucky winner got to walk away with a travel card worth $1000.

Of course, many students came for one reason: free food. The SA’s goal is to improve the experience for Pangea with every coming year, with the main goal focusing more and more on specific cultures, especially since Africa alone covers a lot of cultures, according to Verge.

A modern view into international cultures The Chronicle

As is nears its decade anniversary, Pangea has stepped up its game by focusing on more specific cultures this year. “In previous years the food booths were a little broader, we would have Africa or Asia,” said coordinator Jessica Verge.

“This year we tried to focus on more specific cultures.”

This annual event, hosted by the SA, invited students to take part in worldly culture. Students attending had the chance to fill their bellies, watch performers on stage and be a part of DC and UOIT’s multicultural crowd. There were dishes from Poland, Mexico, Italy, Ethiopia, the Caribbean, Iran, the Mediterranean and Hakka.

Students got to enjoy more than just free fine cooking. They had the chance to get involved in what Canada, DC and UOIT stand for: diversity. “I love the diversity this event brings together, I love how many different cultures can get together and share and everybody gets to experience everything,” said veteran dancer Tanraj Lidder of the Nacs. The Nacs, a dance group representing South Asia, performed a mixed dance with four combined styles: Bhangra, hip-hop, Indian classical and Bollywood. Lidder said the dance

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DNA evidence is improving Oshawa criminal court system Experts in the field of forensics and law say the use of DNA in criminal court can determine who’s at the scene of a crime Laura Metcalfe The Chronicle

DNA as evidence is changing the court system for the better, according to experts in the field in Oshawa.

Tom Balka is a criminal lawyer at the local firm O’Brien, Balka & Elrick. He has tried many criminal cases involving DNA evidence and he says he is “always thinking about DNA.” When defending his client where there is evidence of fluids being collected, he thinks about how it could help his case or how it can be discredited.

The Centre for Forensic Science (CFS) has the responsibility of taking samples and analyzing them for traces of DNA. This DNA can eliminate a suspect, which can be helpful for both the police as well as the defence.

But DNA does not tell the whole story of what happened and does not place blame on anyone, according to Cecilia Hageman. She is a professor at UOIT and worked for the CFS for 22 years.

“DNA is not a test of guilt or innocence,” says Hageman. She is quick to point out that DNA can only place someone at the scene of a crime.

She says results from a DNA sample can only belong to one person.

DNA experts can say with confidence there is a one in a trillion chance of it belonging to someone else.

“There is no scientific test for guilt or innocence,” says Hageman. She says when people think that DNA will solve a case that isn’t true because many factors need to be considered. It is up to the Crown and defence to determine the reasons DNA could be found at the scene.

In the past, before DNA, labs would be able to test for blood types but that was limiting in building a profile of a suspect. Hair analysis was also used in court but often resulted in wrongful convictions, according to Balka.

Balka points out that although DNA might be found at a scene, there could be a reasonable explanation for it being there. For example, if a son is accused of killing his father and his DNA is found at the scene, then there is a reason for that DNA to be there because they live together.

Balka also looks at the way police collected DNA to ensure there was not improper transfer of DNA from one piece of clothing to another in the process.

According to Balka, police are more aware of the importance of forensic evidence in court cases today so they are careful to collect evidence. Part of that is collecting

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When labs open older case files, the DNA samples are often improperly stored because law enforcement didn’t know the importance it would have in the future. There are cases of samples being used up in previous tests or lost altogether, says Balka.

Although DNA evidence has evolved to become more helpful in eliminating suspects, it is at the mercy of the CFS backlog. According to Balka, a DNA sample can still enough to send to labs. There needs a DNA profile. This can be an issue take months to return if there is a to be enough blood or fluid to create with cold cases, according to Balka. backlog at the lab itself.

There is no scientific test for guilt or innocence.

Labs have protocols as to how much sample is sufficient to produce a valid DNA profile, according to Hageman, to make sure they have enough of the sample available for testing in the future.

Balka says, although DNA doesn’t prove guilt or innocence it can change the way the defence strategizes for court. At times, the defence will claim that the defendant wasn’t at the crime scene. If DNA is found, the defence will change to the defendant being at the scene but not involved in the crime.

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Entertainment

From acting on Degrassi to DC A familiar face is walking the halls of Durham College Travis Fortnum The Chronicle

Students at Durham College may have noticed a familiar face in the halls this year. Fan favourite Degrassi star Jessica Tyler is now enrolled in the two year Public Relations program, in the homestretch of her first year. The Ajax native is best known for her role as Jenna Middleton on the show but is also an accomplished singer-songwriter, having toured with Nelly Furtado. “I have some time off, I figure school’s never a bad thing,” Tyler explains.

Tyler wrapped her six-year stint on Degrassi last year, with her character’s graduation airing in July. “Life as a Canadian actress,” she says. “One day you’re on a TV show and the next day you’re thrown back into your life. Instead of dwelling in the off-period I wanted to make something of it.”

With a 118-episode run, Tyler says her real passion is songwriting.

“When I was growing up I always wanted to do music first,” she says.

“That was my initial thing. When I was about 11-years-old I started writing all these random lyrics down.”

It was at this age Tyler performed in front of a large crowd for the first time, singing the national anthem at the Air Canada Centre before a Toronto Rock lacrosse game. From there, Jessica began churning out pop tunes using her guitar and her natural songwriting ability.

Her dad, Rob Tyler Morin had been in the industry for years.

Morin performs to this day in local musical comedy duo Two For the Show. Morin introduced his

daughter to entertainment lawyer Steven Stone, who began the process of getting Tyler heard as a musician.

While Degrassi has proven to be a jumping off point for many Canadian stars since its debut in 1979, including Nina Dobrev of Vampire Diaries and Drake, things worked the other way around for Tyler.

Stone introduced her to the production team as a singer. “It kind of came through the back door,” she says, adding she had never really watched the show. “The only reason I really knew about it was my best friend, she was crazy for the show.”

The initial discussion with producers resulted in something unique. “They were looking for some new characters so they kind of created Jenna after meeting with me,” she says.

The team at Degrassi developed Jenna Middleton, a bubbly singersongwriter with a knack for guitar.

This meant Tyler got to enter the acting world as well as showcase some of her songs. “All of the songs that my character performed – with the exception of maybe two I think – all of them I wrote,” Tyler says.

As Middleton, Tyler performed around ten songs. Seven of them were released on iTunes.

Her father has been a big influence on her musicality, having played 230 shows in the past 30 years. “She always came to my shows,” Morin says. “It almost came through osmosis.

“Whenever anybody came to the house, she’d always want to sing for them. She’d say ’Dad can I sing now? Can I sing now?’”

These days, Tyler lives the true student life. Living at home in Ajax with her parents and two sisters, she commutes to school every day.

“I would move out,” she says. “I just don’t want to pay rent. It’s just a realistic issue.” She also works part-time at a restaurant close to home.

Tyler’s dad thinks the public relations program is a natural fit for her. “She gravitates towards the interaction with people,” Morin says.

Photograph by Travis Fortnum

Jessica Tyler is attending Durham College for the Public Relations program.

“She was their go-to whenever they needed someone to interact with the fans. Jessica just got more comfortable as it got bigger.”

Tyler has a similar explanation for her venture into PR. “What I did find being on Degrassi,” she says, “was as much as the acting was amazing and I loved being in

front of the camera and playing the role of Jenna. My real passion was almost more at the events that we had to go to and seeing the hustle and the press pits and everything, which led me to PR.” While she studies her way through the program, music still remains her true passion. Tyler

thinks she’s moved past her initial pop songs and onto country.

“I haven’t written in a while,” she says.

“Last time I wrote I was a lot younger. So I’m trying to re-create something I feel like I’ll feel now. I just want to find a sound that I just really feel.”

The fashion industry and inclusion

The fashion and beauty industry is notorious for glorifying one body type as ideal. Most of the models strutting down the runway are at least 5’8” and 115 pounds.

While some designers just see the models as walking mannequins who display their creations, what the models look like can have a big impact on the audience.

The fashion industry has taken note of criticism and in response have been trying to change their image by being more inclusive of different body types and people.

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Megan Storey

But it seems to be inconsistent and perhaps is only window dressing.

Despite the fashion industry’s attempt to be perceived as inclusive, the industry continues to perpetuate unrealistic and unachievable ideals.

In the recent February 2016

New York Fashion Week, model Madeline Stuart walked the runway at the FTL Moda’s fashion show. Madeline was born with down syndrome and has been making a breakthrough in the industry. She is currently the only professional adult model with a disability. But it is not clear if she is taken seriously. While this does seem like a positive step, time will tell if this gesture is only act of appeasement. Hopefully we’ll see other models who have disabilities.

Stereotypes of beauty also per-

Notorious for glorifying one body type as ideal.

meate the marketing of beauty products. Dove recently launched a Self-Esteem Project for women.

The majority of the women featured in the campaign are abledbodied, skinny white women. Sure there are a few “plus-sized” models and two black women, but the majority of models in the campaign are conventionally attractive younger white women. Dove is trying to give the appearance of caring about a woman’s self- esteem.

But really, they just want to sell more products.

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Durham bitten by the comic book bug Tommy Morais The Chronicle

Comic books. These simple words evoke thoughts of spandexclad superheroes and a string of blockbuster Marvel movies.

If local fans are any indication, the love of comics is contagious in Durham Region. The Comic Book Addiction comic book store recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary with packed events at both its Whitby location and Oshawa warehouse.

Gabriel Chiasson, 24, is one of many who learned to read through comic book.

“With comics it was easy to develop an interest in reading,” says Chiasson.

Chiasson was one of many adults at Comic Book Addiction who still enjoys comics.

The devout fan studied translation at Montreal’s McGill University and hopes his passion can evolve into a job doing translation work in comic books one day.

He describes the appeal of the art as limitless, pointing out that comics offer plenty of diversity for all ages and tastes. Chiasson explains that many enjoys comic books because of their art and storytelling.

Comic Book Addiction’s Oshawa warehouse sale was attended almost solely by serious collectors looking through stacks of comics in hopes of finding that one rare pearl to complete their collection.

It was seasoned collectors, mostly males in their mid-30s to late fifties who showed up for the warehouse sale.

However, it would be a mistake to assume comic books are strictly for teenage boys and middleaged men. When it came time to visit Comic Book Addiction’s Whitby location, the customer demographic expanded to become much more diverse.

All of a sudden families were walking into the store, dads were sharing their love of superheroes with their sons, and children purchasing their very first comic books. Some customers and their children even dressed up in colourful superhero attire for occasion.

For Victoria Miguel, 24, the comic bug began when she started reading her older brother’s SpiderMan collection.

Soon enough she was buying comics with her own money, making the jump from Spider-Man to characters such as Deadpool.

Miguel, a Comic Book Addiction employee, dressed up as Harley Quinn from the Batman universe.

She says more girls are drawn to comic books than when she began working at the store. Miguel attributes the growing interest from females to the portrayal of courageous female characters, inspiring girls of all ages to reach for a comic book.

“I know a lot of women like to see strong women in their comics.

They are drawn to that,” says

Photograph by Tommy Morais

Marvel illustrator Geof Isherwood at the artist table.

Miguel.

Geof Isherwood is one of the lucky few able to make a living from his passion for comic books “When I was 16 my family took a trip to Manhattan,” he says. “I went to Marvel’s offices and met with artists who pointed out things

I should work on.”

Isherwood ran with their advice and later cut his teeth working for Marvel writing and illustrating stories for well-known titles such as Web of Spider-Man, Thor, Silver Surfer and Conan the Barbarian.

The appreciation of the art he developed at a young age has clearly paid off. The artist was brought in all the way from Ottawa by the owners of Comic Book Addiction to be a part of the celebrations.

The festivities at Comic Book Addiction included a sale on instore items, free baked goods, an artist doing caricatures, and a for Marvel comics illustrator. Some of the store employees were disguised and a man dressed as Darth Vader greeted customers.

Comics books span generations of fans with their universal appeal, unique storytelling and art. “With comics, there is something for everyone young and old, male or female,” says comics enthusiast Gabriel Chiasson.

With the torch being passed on from parents to kids, the future of comic books in Durham Region appears to be in good hands.

Video game makes leap to big screen

Tyler Searle The Chronicle

On June 10, one of the most influential video game franchises of all time will debut on the silver screen.

That game is Warcraft, the popular real time strategy (RTS) game series by Blizzard entertainment first released back in 1994.

The movie version will be based on the first game in the series, Warcraft: Orcs vs. Humans.

It is just one of the many examples of video games that have managed to find their way outside of just a gaming console and into other media platforms.

“When you get the right writers and directors behind it, I think that is the glue that will hold it all together,” said John Goodwin, the program coordinator for Durham College’s Videogame Design program.

Video games as we know them were first created during the 1970s as large arcade machines.

Since then, video games have adapted and changed to cover a wide spectrum of devices, including personal computers, home consoles, and apps that can be downloaded onto Smartphones.

This transition has also made games more accessible to a wider audience.

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Warcraft is the latest video game franchise to make the leap to the big screen.

“The average age of a (modern) gamer is 32 years old,” said Goodwin. “It’s had such an impact that you can’t remove it from popular culture... It’s not just one way. Video games change based on the culture they come from.”

And video games have

changed more than a bit since their original release.

Many modern video games have shifted towards having well developed storylines alongside enjoyable game play and graphics.

It has gotten to a point where many games nowadays are more akin to interactive movies, according to

the people who play them.

“I think it’s really good that it’s branching into movies because it’s getting more game play for games that might not be as popular until there’s a movie made about them, but at the same time it’s starting to take away from original movie plots,” said Emma Bruneau, a Durham College student studying fitness and health promotion.

The first movie based on a video game was the Super Mario Bros movie released in 1993.

The film barely followed the plot to the Super Mario games, and was universally panned by critics and fans alike. The rest of the 1990s were filled with similarly panned films based on games including Mortal Combat, Double Dragon, and Wing Commander.

“In most cases of video game to film, it tends to be poorly done because it’s not made with love for the franchise. It’s made with the idea of, ‘this is a franchise that makes money,’” said Alex Waddell, a Durham College student in computer programming. “You end up with something that just misses the mark or doesn’t seem to know the point of what it is doing.”

Occasionally, there has been a movie released that is influenced by video games, but not directly based on them. The 1982 film Tron is based on the idea of humans traveling inside a

computer, and the 2012 hit Wreck it Ralph is an homage to the entire video game culture.

However, these films are far and few between when compared to the larger number of movies based on existing video game franchises, and don’t always turn up a good film, such as 2015’s box office bomb, Pixels.

Outside of the movie industry, video games found a strong following through novels and comics based on their settings.

Nintendo Power, a monthly Nintendo magazine, used to run a Super Mario comic that became an instant hit with readers.

In recent years, franchises, such as Halo, Starcraft, and Warcraft have all had successful novels written that expand upon their mythos and universe, to the point where characters and events from the novels are actually included in newer games in the franchises.

“I think at the heart of it all is good storytelling,” said Goodwin. “We are predisposed— possibly genetically—to tell stories.”

Along with the Warcraft movie, 2016 will have three more movies based on video games.

The first is the Ratchet and Clank movie on April 28, followed by the Angry Birds film on May 20, and the Assassin’s Creed film on Dec 21.

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Folk singer Hillary Dumoulin wins Songs Revealed winner get recording time, cash and a photo shoot Tyler Hodgkinson The Chronicle

By day, a venue of greasy food and enticing aromas. By night, a concert hall occupied by cheering family, friends, fans, and wideeyed, young artists looking to make their mark.

The 15th annual Songs Revealed competition, part of the Reel Music Festival in early April, took place at the Marketplace in Durham College.

Among six eager competitors, Lakefield singer-songwriter Hillary Dumoulin was the artist walking out of the event the first place winner.

The top prize consisted of recording time, a photo shoot, Durham College swag, and cash.

Dumoulin did not enter the competition with the sole intention of winning, but said it was an “awesome surprise.”

“I was just so excited to have been chosen to be a part of such a cool event, and get to share my songs with an audience and professionals who could give me advice,” said Dumoulin.

“I’ve been recognized before for my voice and performances but this was a first for songwriting.”

Dumoulin faced strong competition from artists of all genres, including rap, rock, country, and spoken word.

Her folk stylings were enough to wow an industry judges panel, consisting of producer Gabe Gallucci, USS manager Liam Killeen, and singer-songwriter David Leask.

The experts praised Dumoulin for her attractive voice, and authenticity.

Leask, who has won multiple awards including first place in the International Songwriting Competition, said he picked Dumoulin because she had the “best songs.”

“She had a strong sense of songcraft, an original turn of phrase, and a great marriage of beautiful melodies and lyrics,” Leask said.

The judges’ comments varied between acts, and were often constructive. They relayed their expert advice in hopes of developing the artists’ performances, songwriting, and overall confidence.

Acts such as second place winners Jess and Tay, and third runner-up 17-year old Tie Bonds took the positive remarks about their performances, and negative comments about their song structures in stride. All performers left the stage thanking the judges for their opinion and criticism.

Songs Revealed is put on by the students in Durham College’s Music Business Man-agement program, and has been an avenue for musicians to receive this type of guidance for the last 15 years.

The event had a ticket price of $5, with all the proceeds going to The SickKids Founda-tion.

A sense of positivity flowed between artists and audience. Those in attendance had smiles plastered on their faces, and bobbed to not only the acts they came to see, but other per-formers as well.

For Dumoulin, support she received from her peers and advice from the industry profes-sionals was the real prize.

“No matter how much you know, you don’t know everything, and

Photograph by Tyler Hodgkinson

Hillary Dumoulin on stage at Songs Revealed.

it’s great to gain insight from in- judges said to me I will carry fordustry professionals,” said Du- ward into my songwriting from moulin. now on.

“I know some of the things the “Songs Revealed and events like

it give you the chance to network with other artists and sharpen up your live performance which is also very important.”

Country band Runaway Angel visits Durham College Prescription 2 Rock music conference at E.P. Taylor’s Jared Williams The Chronicle For up and coming artists trying to break into today’s music scene, it can be as tough as finding a needle in a haystack. Luckily for Durham College students, there’s a prescription for that, no pun intended.

Student from the Music Business Management program hosted Prescription 2 Rock at E.P. Taylor’s on March 31.

The Prescription 2 Rock music conference was held to emphasize

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the business side if the industry. The workshop gave guests a chance to have firsthand interaction with professional artists, producers, and broadcasters in the music industry.

The even showcased the careers of Canadian country trio, Runaway Angel, and producer and R&B artist, Jay Evans.

Ann Chaplin, Cadence Grace and Stacey Zegers compose the three voices of Runaway Angel.

Each were navigating solo careers when, in late 2013, through a series of events, they formed the group.

Their chemistry clicked instantly. Individually, they have toured Canada, the United States, and Europe, opening for major acts like One More Girl, Aaron Lines, and Doc Walker.

Joining forces, the group became familiar on festival stages opening for acts such as Jason Blaine, Dallas Smith, and Tim Hicks.

After the artists were formally introduced at Prescription 2 Rock, each spent about 15 minutes in an

open discussion with guests.

During the round table discussion, Chaplin explained some of the biggest challenge of the less glamorous side of the music business, describing what life on the road really looks like.

From the dingy hotel rooms to the cramped transportation accommodations, especially when you’re still up and coming in the industry, they said touring is hard work. Music is a 24/7 job.

Chaplin also talked about the self-doubt she had, denying knowing that doing what she truly loved doesn’t always pay the best, yet alone pay the bills.

But the unconditional reinforcement that she receives from her parents keeps her going when times are low. “ It would be pretty much impossible to do this without their support,” says Chaplin.

When Zegers spoke with the table, she was adamant about being a music sponge, soaking up and learn-

ing everything she could when it comes to the industry.

Zegers said getting a mentor was one of the best things she did when she finally decided to take her music career to the next level.

When striding to become a musician, Zegers says it is essential to make opportunities for yourself.

“Don’t be scared to start your own business,” Zegers says. “If no one is going to hire you start your own.”

Jay Evans was born in Toronto, but at age of three, his family packed up and moved to Los Angeles. Evans credited his love for music to his mother, who while living in L.A., sung background vocals for music producer Quincy Jones.

Evans also briefly spent time in Detroit. He said that this added to his creative growing process, where he experimented with hip-hop and the likes of artist such as Reakwon, Naughty By Nature, and R&B singer, Mario.

When he turned 22, Evans traveled back to L.A. where he sharp-

ened his recording and engineering talents.

Now based out of Toronto, Evans spends his time committed to community youth group.

When he’s not with the kids you can find him composing instrumentals for independent films.

During the round table discussion, Evans got in-depth about the ‘beast’ called the music industry from his perspective.

“If you have a bunch of ‘yes’ guys all the time it’s not going to work. You’ve got to have a balance,” Evans says, “Be patient, and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.”

At the Prescription 2 Rock conference the purpose was to not only further educate guests on the business side of the industry, but to celebrate the power in which this form of art possesses. In the words of Quincy Jones, “Every country can be defined through their food, music and language. That’s the soul of a country.”

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Comic-con characters come to life on canvas Courtney Laverty sells her artwork for the first time Bryce Cunning The Chronicle

Many people are used to seeing characters in costumes at ComicCon, but Courtney Laverty brings them to life on her canvas.

Laverty is from Courtice and a young aspiring artist from Courtice

Secondary High School. She attended the Oshawa Comic-Con to sell some of her most recent art pieces. She had her canvases set up at a booth in the center of the venue which everyone gravitated around.

Laverty said that she has been creating art for as long as she can remember. But she began making her own artwork a few years ago when she was a senior in high school. She began doing her own versions of famous artwork and doing her own renditions of them in her own style before she began coming up with her own ideas and unique pieces.

Her favourite artist and biggest inspiration is, Ralph Steadman. She said his work is “carefree, loosely

planned artwork.”

“His loosely planned artwork made me feel like the art told him what his next brush stroke was, or where this color wen,” she said.

When she spoke about her vision of her future, she said she wanted to remain an “underground” artist.

She said “In all honesty, the underground sounds better, the industry is very cut throat, lots of competition. I’m just more about doing pieces and letting the public see what I have,” she said. Once Laverty decided to sell some of her artwork at ComicCon, she spent the first few months of this year creating her pieces for the event. “It felt really good to see people appreciate my work as much

as I do,” she said. “Since each piece takes so long to make, I try to make the textures and detail as life-like as possible.

This was her first time selling her artwork in public and she described it as “a little rocky” at first but once she made her first sale she became more comfortable.

The venue was small but swarms of people would come in at a time.

Although there were no more than 50 people at a time. The booths sold things from comics to video games, and there were even some antique booths and a video game contest.

The Oshawa Comic-Con had things for Wizards and Warlocks alike.

People came from neighbouring

towns came to share their love for their favourite super heroes.

Robbie Boyle of Courtice heard about the event from a friend and decided to see what it was like for himself. He described it as “small but a good idea for smaller towns,” he also said that the video game contest was a “cool idea.”

Oshawa has held the ComicCon annually since July of 2013 at the Harmony Creek Community Center. It’s run by Pop Culture Canada.

It’s a chance for young artists to come out of their shells and it’s a chance for people to see the talent and potential of underground artists in the local community like Laverty.

fun way for our graduating students to reflect on their happy memories of being here at Durham College,” said Hillis. “But it’s also a way for

students to be indirectly giving back to another student and they can give back by simply participating.”

Participating students

were also included in a draw. Prizes included a $500 cash prize, Toronto Maple Leaf tickets, a Fit Bit and a few other gifts donated from various

local companies.

There were approximately 450 student participants in this year’s SCC.

Sharing memories at School Cup Challenge Jenn Amaro

The Chronicle

Memories can go a long way and for graduating students, those memories became a way to give back to the school. Durham College hosted its School Cup Challenge (SCC) this March for its third year.

Students were drawn into the Pit by the smell of popcorn and were encouraged to fill out a survey if they wanted to indulge in the buttery treat.

The survey asked graduating students to fill out a memory they had during their time at Durham College and to include one of their favourite staff members or faculty.

“It’s a friendly competition between the seven academic schools,” said Sally Hillis, Durham College’s annual development and alumni operation administrator.

The SCC winner is the academic school with the most participants. This year, the Centre For Food (CFF) came in first place for the second year in a row with one-fifth of the entries from the CFF.

The prize for the CFF is a $1,000 bursary for the school to give to a student in the following year, and the ultimate prize of bragging rights on the School Cup trophy.

Tricia Wiseman, a faculty member from the CFF says the close relationship the school has with its students is a part of their success.

“It’s a healthy competition that allows the students to participate in something that they can do together on behalf of their school,” says Wiseman. “It contributes to their school pride.”

Nevertheless, winning is the big part of the challenge. “We wanted to win the bursary for the students because it helps our students directly,” says Wiseman.

The second place prize went to the School of Science & Engineering Technology.

They were awarded a $500 bursary for the amount of participating students.

Hillis has coordinated the event for the last three years. “It’s a

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Durham crowns top athletes Michael Welsh The Chronicle

Durham College had a tough decision on its hands when awarding female athlete of the year for the 2015-1016 season. Durham has many great athletes but this year there were two women who stood out above the rest.

Ken Babcock, director of athletics, said it was an “unbreakable tie” between star volleyball player Jessica Broad and basketball player Lindsay Panchan.

Broad set Durham’s all-time record for kills and led the team to their second straight final four appearance. Meanwhile, Panchan was named an All-Canadian for a second year in a row and led in league in scoring at over 26 points per game.

They were both honoured at the 46th annual athletic banquet on April 7.

For both women, it was their final season as a Lord. For Panchan, it was her second consecutive athlete of the year award and she says she is proud of her playing career at Durham.

“It was a pretty cool opportunity and experience, we’ve just worked hard all year,” said Panchan speaking about both of their seasons.

Photograph by Michael Welsh

(From left) Lindsay Panchan, Craig Conroy and Jessica Broad were honoured by Durham College for their athletic success.

The award is usually given to just one athlete but the women were happy to share the honour “Honestly, I’m just so taken back,” said Broad. “I was like, Lindsay’s got this all the way. It’s amazing.”

On the men’s side, golfer Craig Conroy took home male athlete of year award. The marketing student

had a top five ranking at provincials and led Durham to nationals.

Conroy’s play also earned him a spot on the All-Ontario team.

Other big winners from the night included male and female freshman of the year. Baseball player Jake Legros took home the male honours, while softball’s

The banquet has grown since the university’s inception.

The Ridgebacks’ first season as a member of the Ontario University Athletics, back in 2006 featured just a tennis team, rowing team and fewer than 50 athletes.

The March 31 show featured 13 teams and more than 100 athletes.

Hosted by Scott Barker, the manager and coordinator of UOIT Athletics, the banquet featured awards in categories such as leadership, male and female freshman of the year, team of the year and female and male athlete of the year.

Krantz won the Queens’ Invitational in September, shooting a five-under 65.

He added four more top 12 finishes and helped the Ridgebacks to an eight place, plus43 at their first ever appearance in the OUA Golf Championship.

The Engineering major put away the clubs for now to focus on his career next year, he said.

Kylie Bordeleau took home the big prize on the female side, winning female athlete of the year.

Bordeleau became the first Ridgeback soccer player to be

a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) all-star.

She added the third OUA all-star appearance of her career at UOIT. Anchoring the Ridgeback defense, Bordeleau held her opponents to just seven goals in 16 regular season games. The Health Science major will be returning for her fifth and final season in the fall.

Team MVPs on the male side included Brendan O’Niell (hockey), Nik Vantfoort (rowing), and Trushar Gaur (tennis).

O’Neill manned the net for the Ridgebacks’ hockey team, leading them to the program’s first ever series win against Queen’s. O’Neill posted a 3.18 goals against average and a .899 save percentage during the regular season.

“Obviously it’s a good feeling, we had a good year, the guys in front of me helped me a lot,” he said. O’Neill will return to UOIT in the fall.

MVPs on the female side included rower Daria Ruginis (rowing), Jessica Cohan (dance) and Mikaeli Cavell (hockey).

Ruginis finished second in the C Finals at the Canadian University Rowing Association (CURA)

Krantz, Bordeleau win UOIT top athlete awards Golf, soccer stars recognized for stellar seasons Evan Ritchey The Chronicle

In his final year of eligibility, James Krantz took home the big prize for the male side at the tenth annual UOIT Athletics banquet. The golfer, won male athlete of the year, after his fifth season as a Ridgeback.

Krantz was honoured with the recognition. “My last year to cap it off as athlete of the year, its pretty special,” he said.

The banquet was a hit amongst the full crowd at the Oshawa Regent Theatre.

A routine performed by the school’s dance team to “Uptown Funk” with a light show and confetti kicked off the evening to celebrate the accomplishments of the student athletes of UOIT.

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Rebecca Ropp earned the female honours.

Ropp played a big role in helping the women’s softball team win the team of the year award. They were the first Durham team to win an OCAA championship since 2011.

It was the seventeenth OCAA championship for women’s softball

at Durham.

Durham also hands out a fiveyear award each year. It honours athletes who have spent the past five seasons playing for the green and yellow. This year, the award was given to Duncan Mitchell of the men’s soccer team.

Mitchell was named the captain of the soccer team half-way through his first season with the team and has kept that role ever since.

He says these past five years have helped him earn valuable skills he will keep with him in the future.

“It made me gain leadership skills. It made me gain person skills and the friends I’ve made through school I still talk to today,” said Mitchell.

Although his playing career with Durham is over, he intends to stay involved with the team he has dedicated so much of his last five years to.

“Hopefully I’ll keep coming out and get a few coaching sessions in,” he said. Mitchell is well liked and respected by his fellow Durham athletes.

When he was called up to receive his award, there was a standing ovation from his peers and coaches. For a full list of the evening’s winners, visit our website at chronicle.durhamcollege.ca

Photograph by Evan Ritchey

Kylie Bordeleau and James Krantz are UOIT’s top athletes. national championship, as well as sixth at the OUA National Championships.

The show also featured a video tribute to soccer head coach Vaso Vujanovic. Vujanovic started coaching the Durham Lords in 1973.

He racked up 12 Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association (OCAA) medals while with the Lords. Vujanovic was named OCAA head coach of the year in 1988. In 1999, Vujanovic returned

to Durham, coaching the women’s team where he won five provincial titles. Vujanovic has been coaching the UOIT soccer programs for the past six years.

The banquet was a success in the eyes of Barker.

“Being able to sit back and enjoy the accomplishments and hard work they put in throughout the year, it’s a really special night,” he said. The UOIT athletics program continues to grow from where it began in 2006.

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UOIT athletes can keep a high GPA

Noor Ibrahim The Chronicle

Whoever said balancing university and sports is impossible clearly has never met UOIT athletes Cherlene Cheung and Riley Therrien.

They were honoured at UOIT’s seventh annual academic luncheon on March 28. The award ceremony celebrates the academic success of UOIT students rather than their performance on the field.

The luncheon recognized 45 students in total, including Cheung and Therrien. Both were the recipients of the UOIT scholastic award and Bob Baun scholarship, a $3,000 fund presented by the Toronto Maple Leafs legend himself. It rewards one male and female athlete with a perfect GPA of 4.30. They also won the allacademic award and top team GPA award.

The key to their success? Time management and sacrifice. But that doesn’t mean their experiences were anything close to easy.

Cheung, who joined the Ridgebacks’ rowing team in September, found herself juggling practices, regattas, classes, and two part-time jobs.

“You have to be on a very strict and disciplined schedule,” said Cheung. Her average schedule in-season required her to wake up at 4:30 a.m. for rowing practice at the docks. This lasted until around 7 a.m., where she might attend another training session at Elite Training Systems. She then commuted downtown to attend class at 8 a.m. Six hours later, she left for work until 4 p.m. The rest of

Photograph by UOIT Ridgebacks

Riley Therrien (left) and Charlene Cheung (second from right) are presented with their scholarship award by Toronto Maple Leafs legend Bobby Baun (second from left) and UOIT President Dr. Tim McTiernan. the day was dedicated to studying, where she had to be in bed by 9 p.m. On weekends, she occasion ally brought her homework to tournaments.

This isn’t exactly the most relaxing schedule, and Cheung found herself having to quit her piano-teaching job teaching to accommodate her sport.

“Thank goodness I actually got in [the team],” she said. She now does freelance piano lessons instead, where she gets to choose her hours.

Therrien, a third year

Criminology and Justice Studies major, has been on UOIT’s tennis team for the past three years. He has won the Bob Baun award twice, with last year being his first one. He lives an hour away from school and manages his time accordingly.

“You just need to capitalize on any free time that you get,” said Therrien. He scheduled his classes for three days a week, leaving the remaining days for studying and practice.

His average schedule in season was waking up at 6 a.m. and

with a reminder to the award winners, “without coaching, mentorship and leadership you wouldn’t succeed.”

After the meal, Babcock began to call out the award winners. Students walked up to received their award and then made their way down a line of coaches and other teammates.

Cailey Giori, a midfield on the women’s soccer team and a student in the Police Foundations program, won the award for the highest overall GPA in the women’s category.

“It’s just good to feel accomplished from being able to be a varsity athlete, it is such a privilege as well as being able to keep my academics up and get recognized for it with these awards,” she said.

Other award winners included Alessio Del Gobbo, who won the highest overall GPA among male athletes, Nicholas Axhorn who won the CCAA Academic All Canadian award and the women’s softball team, which won Top Team.

The average GPA among all awards was 4.28. The GPAs for the students were not released publically.

“They were high though,” Babcock, said with a laugh.

The event was about recognizing achievement and celebrating successes that are important no matter what they might be.

“We really celebrate successes and find that important, whatever that success is. I think it is good advice to also remember to celebrate successes, birthdays, graduations, achievements, marks,” said Babcock. “This is just another great opportunity for our college to recognize those student who achieve provincial and national level honours.”

He says it’s important to recognize student achievement.

“I think any student at a campus it enriches their experience by getting involved in things whether it’s student clubs, it’s campus recreation, intramurals or an interest of any kind. This happens to be varsity athletics, it really enriches your experience to be involved into something extra,” said Babcock.

“Students have to do all this and get good marks and represent the school.”

The award luncheon ended with the winners posing for one final picture to commemorate their achievements over the past year, with the students taking a great sense of pride in the way they performed.

commuting downtown for class at 8 a.m. Three hours later, Therrien got off with four hours before practice, which he spent on break or studying.

His practice then started at 3 p.m. and ended two hours later. By the time Therrien drove home, it was already 6 p.m. The rest of his day was dedicated to homework and studying.

Although he feels lucky tennis is a short-season sport that makes academics easier, Therrien still thinks he would have done the same had tennis been around for

the whole year.

“I would’ve obviously put in more effort and more time into school if the season would’ve been longer,” he said, “but I think I would’ve been just fine.”

Such a schedule was demanding of their social lives. With Cheung, being in bed early made it hard to go out for a late dinner with a friend or a party. As for Therrien, socializing with his friends and girlfriend became limited. There was an upside, however.

“Your team becomes like your social life,” said Cheung, who found hanging out with her teammates at practices and gatherings compensated for time lost with other friends.

Both athletes also had no plan or knowledge on how to adjust to their lifestyles once they got into sports.

“It obviously takes a great deal of commitment,” said Therrien.

“When I first started playing tennis, I had no idea how I was gonna work it in with my academics.”

To them, it was more of a learning process along the way. Cheung tried to go the allacademics all-the-time route in her first year of university.

She started rowing this year and now wishes she would have started rowing sooner.

However, neither regrets their full dedication either. “It was a 100 per cent worth it,” said Cheung. “I would do it all over again.”

Cheung and Therrien also said their professors were accommodating of their situations, whether it be arriving late to class or dealing with midterms tied with tournaments.

To see a full list of winners, visit www.uoitridgebacks.com.

Durham College athletes show academic excellence Joshua Nelson The Chronicle

Durham College recognized the ability of athletes to balance academics and sports at the fifth annual athletic academic award luncheon.

“This luncheon has been put in place to recognize all student athletes who are not only successful in their sport but also in the classroom,” said Ken Babcock, director of athletics. “It is important for these athletes to be recognized as they will be role models for current and future DC Lords.”

The luncheon took place on Tuesday, April 5 and honoured our athletes, commemorating their academic achievements.

The ceremony started with a lunch and then the students heard who had won within each category.

Some of the awards included the top GPA per sport, which included 23 students who won the OCAA All Academic award, the CCAA Academic All Canadian, Top Team and highest overall GPA. Don Lovisa, president of Durham College, was invited up to the podium to say a few words before the ceremony. He ended his speech

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Photograph by Josh Nelson

Cailey Giorgi won the award for the highest overall GPA.

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Lords hope for baseball bounce back Evan Ritchey The Chronicle

The Durham Lords men’s baseball team looks to rebound from its disappointing 201516 campaign. Their young and inexperienced team was a huge reason for their lack success last year, said Lords’ first-baseman Dylan Harkness. Expectations are much higher for next season, with a lot of players returning. Their expectations are a gold medal.

When the Lords walked off Labatt Park in London, they had suffered their twelfth loss in the last game of the season. A record of eight and 12, was not the way head coach Sam Dempster hoped the season would go. Having won silver in both 2014-15 and 2013-14 expectations were much higher.

“We have to get better physically and mentally,” Dempster said. With more experience this year, the team will be in a much better position to win, added Harkness.

It was a young team that took the field for the Lords last year, with 16-first year students.

One standout was first-year pitcher, Jake Legros, who posted a team best 1.94 earned runs average over 18-innings and took the league’s Rookie of the Year honour.

Jordan D’Amico, the Lords’ first-year second-baseman was a standout defensively, according to Harkness, who said D’Amico’s glove makes him special.

“He was really good

Photograph by Evan Ritchey

Kinsmen Stadium, home of the Durham Lords, men’s baseball team. defensively,” Harkness said. “He just kept getting better and better, making highlight reel plays.”

Dempster thought the team hit well last year. A number of players had at least a .300 battingaverage. Jack Lang, the team’s catcher and a second-year player, was a strong for the Lords. He was third in the league in hits last year with 24 in 66 plate appearances, while driving in 12-runs. “He was always the go-to guy, who always has that clutch hit,” Harkness said.

Dempster doesn’t think their record reflected their performance. “We were in a lot

of games last year. Our record could’ve easily been 12 and eight,” he said, adding they didn’t always get the clutch-hitting, needed to win games.

Dempster has already started the scouting process. He said everyone returning player has a chance to make next years’ team, especially with the departure of some key players, such as pitcher/ outfielder, Jordan Edmonds.

Dempster made it clear winning is above everything else and if guys aren’t coming into the season in shape and ready to go, there are “options.” He added

international racing series to its facility.

This year, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, Canadian Touring Car Championship, all seven classes of the Pirelli World Challenge, and Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge are all scheduled to race on Victoria Day weekend.

Tens of thousands of people attend the Victoria Day Speedfest event every year. Race fans have the option of camping only metres away from the track.

Chalmers says the track is one of a kind.

“The track is one of the real old school tracks,” he says. “They certainly don’t build them like this anymore. The drivers absolutely love coming here. The fans are always going to be treated to very fast, tight racing.”

Turn 5, also known as Moss Corner, is the favourite viewpoint of many fans at CTMP. A long, downhill straightaway after Turn 4 allows drivers to reach 225 km/h.

But Turn 5 is a sharp right turn that forces drivers to coast at slow speeds. Cars entering Turn 5 sideby-side sometimes do not make it out.

The cars in the Pinty’s Series can generate up to 550 horsepower.

More than 20 cars are expected to

compete in a 200 kilometre, 51-lap, race.

According to Chalmers, the excitement produced from the races is a result of the track’s design.

“It’s a mix of everything,” Chalmers says. “The fact that you got two or three blind corners that are literally ‘flat out’ for the drivers.

I don’t think anybody, if you’ve never been on the track, can really get a true appreciation for the elevation changes that really take place… so, the sheer speeds that drivers are able to get here. Really, it’s one of those rare spots where a driver can really find out what they’re made of.”

NASCAR driver Joey McColm and his race team are working hard to be prepared for CTMP. “It’s exciting,” he says. “We obviously have a lot of work left to do in the shop. But time is ticking and, you know, we’ve been racing in the U.S. and now we want to come and race on home soil. And it’s the first race of the season. So, it’s going to be a big weekend.”

McColm really enjoys racing on a familiar track.

“It’s so much fun,” he says. “I mean, it’s right in our backyard.

That is a track we’ve raced at for so many years and it’s always fun just going up the road and racing at

the team still gets together every Monday for training sessions, leading up to the end of the school year.

Harkness, in particular, is making sure he comes into next season prepared. He took last summer off from baseball and focused on work. However, he regrets it.

“I feel like I didn’t play as well as I should’ve,” he said.

Harkness had a .200 batting average with two home runs and eightruns batted in. He’ll be playing senior baseball in Bowmanville throughout the summer.

The team has a very close relationship with one another.

Dempster said they are always out for dinner together while on the road and everybody looks out for each other. Harkness agrees, although it took the team some time to get to know each other.

“As the year went on we got to know each other, we became a lot closer and it was almost like a big family,” he said.

The players having an established relationship going into next season will benefit them greatly, according to Harkness.

A close dugout was not there at the start of last season and was a reason for the lack of success, said Harkness, attributing the “cliques” to some guys knowing each other before the season started.

The team that poses the biggest obstacle for the Lords is St. Claire. Winners of the last three gold medals, Harkness says they are a team of well-rounded baseball players and if one player has an off game, someone is there to pick him up. The mistake the Lords made last year was thinking about them too much, leading up to playing St. Claire, according to Harkness.

“We got in our own heads a little bit,” he said. To beat them, Durham has to stick to its own game and not worry too much about them, Harkness added.

Last season is behind the Lords and all focus from now until opening day in 2016 is making sure they are prepared for a deep playoff run.

Speedfest is a highly anticipated event Tyler McMurter The Chronicle

About 25,000 race fans are expected to witness Corvette, Cadillac, BMW, and more battle for gold and glory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on the May long weekend.

On May 20, the 2016 season for many Canadian auto racing series begin at Victoria Day Speedfest at CTMP. The weekend, filled with fireworks in the sky and on the race track, has many Canadian racing fans excited. Drivers from four different series will battle for trophies and glory on the 3.96 kilometre road course in Bowmanville.

Ryan Chalmers, CTMP communications and promotions manager, says two national series will headline the event, including the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.

“It will be a duel-headline event again this year,” Chalmers says.

“There’s a lot of excitement around the series. Pinty’s has done a lot of activation, a lot in their partnership with NASCAR. You’ve seen them on TSN and we’re really excited to see what they’re bringing to the table.”

The track was founded in 1961.

Since then, it has welcomed many

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Photograph by Tyler McMurter

NASCAR’s Pinty Series cars racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. your home track.”

McColm thinks very highly of the track.

“The facility is world class,” he says.

“The track is known worldwide.

So, any time you get a chance to go to CTMP, it’s a huge deal.”

For some people, the May long weekend is their first chance to spend time at the cottage. For others, it is their first chance to

spend time at the track.

Chalmers says the Victoria Day event is becoming more popular.

“Victoria Day has always been a popular, traditional race event here at the track,” he says. “Since 2012, when Canadian Tire came on board as our primary sponsor, they really amped up their marketing efforts and got behind Victoria Day.”

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Would Durham College benefit from football?

What is preventing Durham from having a team?

Tyler McMurter The Chronicle

It is unlikely there will be a Durham or UOIT football team any time soon, according to UOIT sports officials.

The OCAA does not have a football league.

The Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) offers several sports to over a hundred schools across the country, but football has never been one of them.There are 11 universities in Canada that have football programs, but UOIT is not among them.

Durham College athletic director Ken Babcock says the fees for maintaining a football program are

“sky high.”

“I think the number one thing that prohibits football [in Canada] is cost,” said Babcock. “The cost of fielding teams, equipment, delivering the program, and insurance is the biggest thing. It’s down to cost.

There aren’t many revenuegenerating sports in Canada at the post-secondary level.”

Colleges and universities in the United States generate millions of dollars in revenue from their athletic programs.

In Canada, post-secondary schools do not make this type of profit, Babcock says. Canadians like their hockey and Americans like their football, but even Canadian college hockey does not generate the same level of attention.

Babcock says American four-year, universities are often the schools

Photograph by Tyler McMurter

Jon Devries dreams of playing football for Durham College some day. with football programs.“Football is big in the States. It’s big in high school,” he says. “It’s modestly come back at the high school level in Ontario, but it’s not any where near what’s happening in the States where football is.

They’re football crazy in the States.”He says to keep in mind American colleges with similar budgets as Durham do not have football teams. Post-secondary schools in the U.S. tend to earn more total revenue than schools in Canada, according to Babcock, making it easier for American schools to launch athletic teams.

But Babcock has not ruled out the possibility of a football team for

UOIT in the future.

“I think it’s a great, engaging sport for school spirit on campus and in a school,” Babcock says.

“So, one day maybe UOIT could have football, but their enrolment would have to be pushing 25,000 to 30,000 students for it to be able

to be funded for football. That’s kind of where its at.”He says there could be many positives to having a

college football team.

With a football team, about 45 more students would be added to the enrolment every year. That is more total revenue for Durham,

according to Babcock.

He says having a football team might lead to additional athletic teams launching. Cheerleading and touch-football are two examples.

At one point, the OCAA launched a touch football program for Canadian colleges.

Durham was one of the final teams to stay in the league. In 2006, the league was closed. Four teams were not enough to keep a Scott league functioning.

Dennis, Durham College sports information and marketing coordinator, says Durham College is not the only post-secondary school to show interest in launching a football program.“Sheridan

College was talking about forming Lots has to be done before any kind a 7-on-7 football league, but that of system can be formed. Teams sport really didn’t generate enough need stadiums and equipment, while the schools would need more sponsors and donations, says Dennis. Health insurance is another big hurdle in between DC students and a football program.

Even football athletes at the professional level have issues with broken bones and concussions. It would be impossible to guarantee the safety of Durham’s players, according to Dennis. He says launching a football program at Durham College would not benefit the school.

“Well, definitely football is a fanfriendly sport in the fall. Even with the universities in Ontario, you see that would be their most attended interest to develop a league,” said events, homecomings based Dennis. around that. So, definitely it would “Tackle football, there has been generate some positive income for talk about it in the past, but really the college, but do nothing that enough teams haven’t been formed would come even close for the cost to come together to form a league.” of running the program.”

I think it’s a great, engaging sport for school spirit on campus and in a school.

The rise of gaming and the evolution of eSports James Jackson

1980. The tournament featured the game Space Invader and got The Chronicle more than 10,000 participants.

Video games have become more Other tournaments where held by popular over time. Now, playing video games for a living has also become a possibility. “I love how it has become an acceptable sport within the community and there is no negative stigma attached to the game anymore,” says Sarah Wagg, the president of LAN War at Durham College and UOIT. An eSport is a competition centered on video games. Any video game played competitively can be considered an eSport. This covers games anywhere between League of Legends and Super Nintendo and Blockbuster. But it Smash Bros.

ESports doesn’t even need wasn’t until the rise of PC gaming to be multiplayer. Players can and the internet that eSports took compete to see who can finish flight. Michael Comlekci, a a single player game faster. member of the Durham College ESports started in the early 80s and UOIT eSports team, says and 90s. The first organized eSports that what really attracts people tournament was held by Atari in to eSports is its competitive

In many people’s minds (eSports) is the community.

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nature, much the same as more traditional sports.

The PC brought to the world of eSports the competitive nature in the game Quake developed by Id Software.

Quake brought multiplayer with many players playing at once.

Quake made its eSport debut in the Red Annihilation tournament in 1997.

In 1998 StarCraft, by Blizzard Entertainment was released, and the world of eSports was introduced to its most influential, the real time strategy game. It was hugely popular, but it lead to an even bigger genre.

The Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, or MOBA, genre was made popular by the mod Defense of the Ancients, or DOTA for Warcraft III also made by Blizzard Interactive. The biggest change in eSports has been the tournaments, says Comlekci. There are many eSports tournaments that happen frequently.

At Durham College and UOIT,

there is the LAN War tournament once a semester. Some of the largest tournaments are The International, for Dota 2, and LCS, for League of Legends.

ESports tournaments started out as more casual events, like LAN War. Comlekci says tournaments such as The International are much bigger and have a larger production value than tournaments did originally.

The thing that stands out about eSports in many people’s minds is the community. Comlekci said the community is generally young men from ages 14 to 25.

Wagg describes the community as toxic.

Comlekci says is can get “so bad” is because of the range in ages of the players. The largest prize pool for an eSports tournament is The International 2015, for Dota 2, where the prize pool reached $18 million. The second largest was the same tournament in 2014 with a prize pool of $10 million. Even with such a large prize pool, the

players don’t get all of the money.

A team of Dota players consists of five people. They also have to pay for all of their expenses sponsors don’t cover. They may also need other staff, such as a coach, to help them get better.

However, even with the expenses, Peter “ppd” Dager is the highest earner in eSports history with a total of just over $2 million in just four years.

Both Wagg and Comlekci agreed that becoming a professional at eSports in difficult. Comlekci says “Everyone wants to become a professional athlete, whether its eSports or regular sports. The actual capability is pretty slim.”

The popularity of eSports has grown considerably since the turn of the century. The change has come due to the wide availably of eSports and their ability to connect people to together through the internet and according to Sarah Wagg, the world of eSports is only going to get bigger.

2016-04-08 4:05 PM

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The Chronicle

Sports

April 12 - 18, 2016

Time to put education back in front of sports

Photograph by Michael Welsh

UOIT’s men’s and women’s soccer teams smile for their victory in the fifth annual Charity Cup.

Fifth annual Charity Cup Michael Welsh The Chronicle

Durham College and UOIT’s men’s and women’s soccer teams used their talents in the recent Charity Cup to help give kids the same opportunity to play sports they had.

The Charity Cup supports Their Opportunity, a local nonfor-profit charity that helps less fortunate families put their kids in organized sports and recreational activities.

The event is a spin-off of the annual Campus Cup, which has been played since 2009. The Campus Cup features a two game miniseries between the Durham and UOIT soccer teams.

Five years ago the schools decided to add a second event. Today, the Charity Cup is still going strong.

Duncan Mitchell is the captain of the Durham men’s soccer team and also works as an intern at Their Opportunity. He was part of the group which came up with

the idea for the Charity Cup five years ago.

“It was all the captains of the teams. I, myself, was included,” says Mitchell. “We tried to re-create the Campus Cup but indoors and we just added a charity into it.”

Former UOIT goalie Mike Heinrich discovered Their Opportunity and the captains decided it would be good to support a charity that works in the local area.

There are lots of different charities this event could support, but the thing that makes Their Opportunity stand out compared to other organizations is their pay it forward program, according to Mitchell.

“When we enroll a kid, from the day they are funded they have three months to give back to the community,” Mitchell said. “They can do any community service like soup kitchen or cleaning up garbage. If they do, that child is able to be funded again if they want to.”

This creates a cycle of charity

work in the community.

The Charity Cup was free for fans. Proceeds from popcorn sales and a raffle for a signed Toronto FC soccer ball also went to Their Opportunity.

UOIT won both of the evening’s games. The women won 6-5 and the men topped the Lords 8-6.

The two wins meant a clean sweep of this year’s Charity Cup for the Ridgebacks. The rivalries will be renewed in September when the teams kick off the 2016 season will the Campus Cup. Despite the losses for Durham, players on all of the teams were excited to play a game for a good cause. Mackenzie Neal is a second year player on the Durham women’s team. She was happy to use her soccer skills to help other kids.

“Most of us were able play in organized sports as kids so we want to be able to give other kids those same opportunities,” says Neal.

The evening raised $300. To learn more about Their Opportunity and what they do, go to theiropportunity.com

Cristiano Ronaldo is the best soccer player in the world Dan Koehler In the world of sports, nothing is bigger than soccer, otherwise known as football. It is loved by fans around the globe, many who cheer for specific football clubs or countries. In recent years, two superstars have emerged. Lionel Messi, an Argentinian forward who plays for Barcelona FC, and Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese forward who plays for Real Madrid. Although they are both known as the best football players in the world, by comparing Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi it becomes clear that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better football player.

The most important thing in soccer is scoring goals. Both Ronaldo and Messi are known for their impressive goal scoring abilities. Ronaldo has 463 club goals and 55 international goals, totaling 518 career goals. Messi has 432 club goals and 49 international goals, totaling 481 career goals. Although Messi has played fewer games, and his goals

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per game average is higher than Ronaldo’s, he still has a lower total. Ronaldo has not played in Spain’s soccer league La Liga his entire career. He played in England’s Premier League, which is known to be a league where scoring can be more difficult due to an increased physical play in the game. Messi has only played in La Liga for his professional career.

As popular as club football is, nothing tops the FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo has been a vital part of Portugal’s success in its two most successful international appearances in recent years; the 2004 Euro Cup final, and the 2006 World Cup semi-final. He averaged 0.42 goals per game in 2006, while Messi averaged 0.28 goals per game. The same cannot be said about Messi who is often criticized for not bringing the same level of game play he presents with Barcelona FC to the Argentinian international team.

Although Messi was a part of the 2014 Argentinian team that made it to the World Cup finals, he was a part of a much stronger team than Portugal was during the tournament. The Argentinian team was made up of superstars such as Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Javier Mascherano, and Sergio

Aguero, all of whom play for very successful European clubs. Ronaldo was the sole superstar for Portugal alongside a small number of top level players, such as Pepe and Fabio Coentrao, but still managed a 0.55 goals per game average in nine appearances during the 2014 World Cup. Messi averaged 0.57 goals per game in 14 appearances.

Soccer has grown to be much more than a game involving a ball played on a grassy field.

Players are featured in video games, product endorsements, have their own award ceremonies, and of course, there is the fame of it all. Although Messi has won five Ballon d’Or awards, the most prestigious award in soccer, and Ronaldo has only won three, Ronaldo is still a more recognizable superstar. Ronaldo is the only player to ever win the European Golden Shoe award with two different clubs and is the only player to win it four times.

Even with Messi’s impressive goals per game average, he does not have the amount of goals Ronaldo does, or the same consistency during international play. When comparing the two players it is clear to see that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better football player than Lionel Messi.

The NCAA continues to allow too many athletic programs and student athletes to put sports ahead of education. The low standards for education and the constant schemes of academic fraud in the NCAA are making the future of the association look bleak. A recent New York Times article highlights how major U.S. colleges are willing to manipulate the grades of player’s to ensure athletic success.

Every year thousands of the top amateur athletes from around the world, including hundreds of Canadians, attend colleges in the United States to showcase their skills. The NCAA produces more professional athletes than any other amateur sports program in the world. On top of being in the best position to succeed athletically, many of these athletes are given a free education.

A growing concern is education is often put behind athletics. The demands sports put on student athletes is intense. Many sports require five days of practice a week along with individual or team workout sessions and games. The travel schedules on players often interfere with school.

According to current NCAA regulations, athletic teams are required to have only 50 per cent of their players graduate. Should that number fall below 50 they risk losing scholarships. The message that sends is that the NCAA only cares that you have half of your players graduate from college. That sends the wrong message to athletes and schools.

Despite the low standard set by the NCAA, College athletes have a nearly 70 per cent federal graduation rate. That figure may look nice on paper but when you dig deeper there are bigger problems.

The leading program most college athletes graduate from is general studies. This does not even qualify as a major and has one of the lowest job success rates in the United States. According to Columbia University, 70 per cent of general studies graduates return to school to further their education. The NCAA will not cover these costs.

The minimum grade point average (GPA) required for Division I NCAA athletes to maintain eligibility is 2.0, according to the NCAA’s information centre. This is the general regulation of the NCAA but it can be raised by the individual school.

A 2.0 GPA is certainly high enough to graduate but is not a high enough standard to hold players accountable. They are called student athletes. That means they are students before athletes. Not everyone who plays in the NCAA will go on to have a professional sporting career so the NCAA needs to ensure that these young men and women are getting a top level education. The minimum grade level should be raised so that athletes can graduate near the top of their class and be given a better opportunity at a career in their field of study.

Even more troubling than the low academic standards the

Michael Welsh NCAA holds is the fact that schools are willing to cheat and change grades in order to make players eligible. In recent years multiple high profile schools have been caught for academic fraud.

Schools such as Michigan, Florida State and North Carolina have all been caught for violating academic regulations.

Schools have been caught in the past for covering up for failed classes as well as making up grades altogether. The NCAA has been reluctant to hand down tough penalties to these programs. CNN recently analyzed 39 separate academic fraud cases since 1990 and said they found a lack of consistency in the way the NCAA handles the cases.

The investigation by CNN discovered not only that there were some high profile cases the NCAA did not pursue at all; there were also cases in which the punishment was not enough for the wrongs committed.

According to CNN, former University of Oklahoma athleticsacademic director, Gerald Gurney, said obvious cases of academic fraud were discovered during the investigation. These cases were completely ignored by the NCAA. “We are scratching our heads wondering why,” said Gurney in his interview with CNN.

We are scratching our heads wondering why.

At the end of the day, it will be up to the NCAA to tighten up academic guidelines. If the NCAA continues to give schools free passes for academic fraud or poor grades then schools will continue to do so. Tougher penalties need to be put in place for violating academic regulations and the minimum grade levels need to be raised for student athletes.

According to the NCAA’s website, it says the purpose of the organization is to govern athletics in a sportsmanlike and fair manner while integrating a high level of education. The higher education is falling short for student athletes.

Until the NCAA tightens its standards and regulations for education, schools and athletes will continue to come up short.

2016-04-08 4:05 PM

Sports

April 12 - 18, 2016

The Chronicle

43

Dirt biker’s paradise has become controversial Dan Koehler The Chronicle

In a secluded area north of Oshawa, a dirt biker’s paradise awaits.

The Raglan pits as they are called, are a collection of large sand pits and forest trails. The area is located east of Simcoe Street on the unassumed Boundary Road.

On a Saturday afternoon you can find bikers and other vehicles enjoying the pits, but that fun can come with a price.

The Raglan pits are owned by Lafarge Aggregate and Concrete.

Although the site sits vacant, Lafarge does not permit the use of the area and the police can issue users a ticket under the Trespass to Property Act of Ontario.

Police regularly patrol the area and look for riders in the pits, or riders on Boundary Road without proper insurance and licensing.

“We enforce existing laws and receive complaints from the public and the property owners on a regular basis about trespassing,” said David Selby of the DRPS Corporate Communications Unit. “We do enforcement there periodically, with more activity in the warmer months than in the winter.”

Aside from off road vehicles, the pits have also become a popular spot for partying. According

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Photograph by Dan Koehler

The pits in Raglan are empty and flooded with water due to local law enforcement and rain. to local resident Amy McQuaid, drug use, drinking and driving, and vandalism have all occurred in and around the pits.

McQuaid, the owner of Summerlea Golf Course located just west of the pits, has experienced firsthand the problems that can result from the areas use.

“When we first bought this we had a lot of trouble with people destroying the property,” she said.

“At one point we had somebody steal a bunch of stuff from here.”

Even with the issues she has experienced, McQuaid doesn’t have

a problem with the pits and says most of the riders are good people.

“We put the word out and some of the kids that came up, they were in four wheel drive jeeps, pit bandits as we call them, and anonymously reported who it was. A lot of the kids that are out there, aren’t bad kids really,” she said. “It was kind of cool that they stood up for us.”

McQuaid hasn’t seen the number of people drop, even with the consistent police ticketing. She wishes the police would target people who use the pits illegally at

night, rather than riders during the day.

“The ticketing is not doing anything, I don’t think,” she said.

“The majority of the time that they’re out there is during the day, and that’s not when the illegal activity is generally going on.”

McQuaid and her family have been using the pits for their entire lives. She supports the idea of people using the area as long as they are responsible, and she would like to see the area turned into a legitimate park, similar to the snowmobile club.

Snowmobilers obtain a license and a permit, and police patrol to make sure people are riding legally.

McQuaid isn’t the only one who supports the area being turned into a legitimate park. Nicolas Listoria, a new rider to the pits, agrees with the idea.

“If it was like eighty bucks, or a hundred bucks for the day pass, I would definitely come here,” he said. “It’s just really everything. If you want to go on jumps you can do jumps, if you want to go in the sand there’s sand, if you want to go trail riding there’s trails.”

Listoria has made the trip from Markham to the pits twice.

He enjoys the privacy of the location and the community of riders.

“It’s away from everybody really. You’re not going to have neighbours complaining and stuff like that, that’s a big thing for me. I don’t ever want to disturb the peace.” he said. “Everybody here’s awesome. Everybody helps out.”

Lafarge has not made any future plans for the site but local riders say they have talked about fencing the area in the past.

For now the future of the pits is unclear, but one thing is certain.

Police will continue to enforce laws in the area, and riders will keep coming for the love of the ride.

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April 12 - 18, 2016

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