OCNA BNC GE08: Honourable Mention - Algonquin College - Algonquin Times, November edition

algonquintimes.com

November 15, 2018

algonquin times YOUR COLLEGE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

WHERE THE HEART IS Hometown Hockey brings Nepean together Pages 22-25

KAVAN YOUNG PHOTO

Pages 11-16

Above: 2-year-old Madrid Huet practices her puck-handling with her father at Rogers Hometown Hockey on Nov. 4.

Page 19

Left: Technology, music and the TV show Bones were the primary topics of conversation at TEDxOttawa: Changing the Narrative on Oct. 23 in the Algonquin Commons Theatre.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KEVIN DALY

Right: Puddles Pity Party pours himself a cup of coffee during his performance at the Algonquin Commons Theatre on Nov.7.

TREVOR OATTES PHOTO

2 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Smoking ban opposed

H

ello! Welcome to the President’s column; a space where I get to speak to you!

I hope that midterms went well and in case you need a little boost of motivation there’s only a month left before the holiday break!

Today I’d like to talk about Algonquin’s Smoke Free Campus Interim Policy.

In my last column, stressed the importance of speaking about your views and values regarding this new policy.

Being as this is still a very topical issue.

I’d like to give you a bit of insight that the Board has discovered with the progression of this policy.

The SA’s Board of Directors, holds monthly class rep meetings on all three of Algonquin’s campuses.

I was only able to attend the Woodroffe class rep meeting last month due to my last schedule, however, of the over 100 Woodroffe class reps (record attendance!!), only 6 were smokers.

Yet the message received was that there wasn’t an

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR SA PRESIDENT appetite to support a smoke free campus. The main topics included having better enforcement of designated smoking areas and speaking to the value of respect.

The Board and I are continuing to link to get as much feedback as possible in order to best advocate for students.

So again, I stress the importance of making your views known.

A survey was put out by the college requesting feedback in an effort to consult with the general public about what the new policy in January will look like and implementation and resource ideas.

If you didn’t have a chance to participate in the survey, reach out to your class reps and/or the Board (in person or online); the conversation is still well underway and we want to hear from you.

There will be a Smoke Free Campus forum on the 22nd of November in the Indigenous Commons in DARE at 2pm.

If you can make it, it would be a perfect venue for you to express your opinions and ideas around the Smoke Free Campus. Seeing a room full of non-smokers supporting their peers was an incredible statement to Algonquin and the strength of our community.

To see so many students stand up and speak to their concerns and views in the name of respect for one another was humbling and I

truly am so proud to be able to represent such an incredible membership.

With that being said, I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for taking the time to read my column.

I hope you have a fantastic day.

Deijanelle Simon President Algonquin Student’s Association

Sexual offense case under Ottawa Police Services received a call for “indecent acts” in progress at 1400 Woodroffe Ave. at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 24.

When contacted by the Times, OPS media relations officer Cost. Amy Gagnon reported that no arrests have been made yet. As of Oct. 8 investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

Physical assault on campus

A student reported witnessing physical assault taking place on campus grounds on Oct. 16. Security personnel reacted immediately and the suspect was arrested.

SECURITY BRIEFS Student reports Items stolen from on harassment lockers A student reported being harassed on Oct. 19. Security services reminds students that all allegations are taken seriously and urges students to always report such incidents.

A student reported their items had been stolen from an unlocked locker on Oct. 22.

Security would like to remind students to be diligent when securing their property and to use good quality locks.

Student fainting Scammer ejected on campus A student collapsed in class from campus on Oct. 11. Security was notified and EMS arrived and assessed the student’s condition, which seems to have been the result of physical exhaustion and lack of nutrition that day.

An individual believed to be involved in fraud was observed on campus on Oct. 11 and was subsequently removed by security and issued a notice prohibiting entry.

Help prevent crime The Algonquin Times has partnered with Ottawa Crime Stoppers to assist on unsolved campus-area crimes. If you have information of any criminal activity call Crime Stoppers.

You don’t need to identify yourself, your call will not be recorded and you are not required to testify in court. If your information leads to an identify or arrest, you qualify for a cash reward of up to $2,000. You can follow Crime Stoppers on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

If you have information on any crimes, please contact Security Services at 613-7274723 ext. 5508 or visit the Security Services office on the first floor of C-building, room C128, or for Ottawa Police enquiries call 613-236-1222 @illhavelikeasal

algonquin times 3

November 15, 2018

I know people that should have used it, didn't use it and ended up overdosing.

news

Cylo Enos Child and youth care student

Sexual assault suspect arrested TREVOR OATTES

Charges have been laid against the alleged perpetrator of the sexual assault that happened on Algonquin’s Ottawa campus on Oct. 14.

Brandon Radtke, 36, has been charged with the sexual assault of a woman in her mid-20s. The woman had been sleeping in a college lounge at

3:40 a.m when the assault took place.

Radtke was also charged with possession of a scheduled substance and five breeches of his parole conditions.

Police released surveillance camera photos of a man wandering through the halls of the Ottawa campus, leading to a major response from the public that assisted them in identifying the suspect.

Const. Amy Gagnon of the Ottawa Police Service said that the suspect was arrested on Oct. 26.

He appeared in court on Oct. 27.

OPS and Algonquin security have both said they cannot answer questions on the exact location of the assault or the condition of the victim. @trevoroattes613

PHOTO COURTESY OF OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES

Ninth night of Navaratri LACY HORWOOD

ERIN JACKSON PHOTO

Algonquin students Robert Craig and Cyle Enos and Umbrella Project harm reduction consultant Amanda Neilson distributed naloxone kits and talked to students about prevention and the risks of opioid use.

Umbrella Project workshop takes aim at opioid crisis ERIN JACKSON Algonquin students gathered at the Mamidosewin Centre on Oct. 22 to receive free naloxone training and kits.

The harm reduction workshop was presented by the AC Umbrella Project in partnership with the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre.

Robert Craig, an Algonquin student working with the Umbrella Project, said that naloxone is something “not a lot of people know about” even though they know what fentanyl is.

Naloxone is a medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. In Ontario, injectable and nasal spray naloxone kits are available for free at pharmacies with a valid health card, shelters, outreach or withdrawal programs and community agencies like the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre.

“I know people that should have used it, didn’t use it and ended up overdosing,” says

Cyle Enos, a third-year student studying child and youth care completing a placement with the Umbrella Project.

Opioid use is at an all-time high with fentanyl-related deaths sky-rocketing above other opiates. According to Public Health Ontario, the number of opioid-related deaths has increased by 246 per cent since 2003.

This translates to over 1250 Ontarians who died from opioid-related causes in 2017; 64 of these deaths occurred in Ottawa, 46 of which were caused by fentanyl.

Heather Jones, an addictions counsellor with Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre, encouraged students to seek out the naloxone training and kits.

“Anybody who knows another human being on this planet should have a kit,” Jones said.

Denis Manirarora, a student at the college, participated in the training simply because he is going to be working out in the community.

“I’m in social service work

and I’m interested in helping.”

Participants learned to recognize the symptoms of an opioid overdose, which include little movement, slow to no breathing, cold and clammy skin, blue nails and lips, tiny pupils, choking and restricted breathing causing a sound similar to snoring.

Naloxone can be used without any harm to the overdosing individual even if the substance taken is unknown.

However, it will only reverse the effects if the overdose is caused by an opioid.

“It’s cut into anything,” said Enos explaining how people intending to use cocaine or other ‘party-drugs’ are accidentally consuming fentanyl.

Amanda Neilson, a harm reduction consultant with the AC Umbrella Project, says that harm reduction “is the idea of being able to decrease the risks around using without necessarily needed to stop all use.”

She uses driving a car as a metaphor explaining that although driving is a very high-risk activity, people are

not discouraged from getting a license. Instead, there are rules and guidelines in place to make driving safer -- like seat belts, speed limits and so on. “It’s the same thing when it comes to substances in college and university environments,” said Neilson.

The OATC encourages people to bring substances to the Sandy Hill OATC for testing before using There is also a supervised injection site located at the Sandy Hill OATC. Recently, the OATC’s drug testing has found Levamisole, an animal de-wormer, in cocaine in the Ottawa area. The antibiotic causes abscesses in the body and can lead to body parts falling off. More information regarding drug testing results can be found posted at OATC locations.

Information on upcoming naloxone training at the college and the locations of kits kept on campus can be found online through the AC Umbrella Project. @erinjacksonn

Algonquin’s T-building was filled with music, dance and prayer on Oct. 26 when the Indian Cultural Diversity club hosted their own Garba Night, a celebration of Sharad Navaratri.

Navaratri is a Hindu festival that begins on the first day of the lunar month of Ashvin every year. The festival is observed all over India for nine days around the autumnal equinox, usually falling between September and October.

Dipak Vaghasiya, co-founder of the Indian Cultural Diversity club at Algonquin, hoped to bring one of the biggest festivals in India to Ottawa and embrace student differences.

“We started this group to celebrate Indian festivals and involve others and make them familiar with Indian culture,” said Vaghasiya.

The club currently has 50 members, comprising mostly of international students, and continues to grow.

The Hindu Goddess Durga is praised during this festival.

Durga is a warrior goddess that combats evil and promotes purity, liberation and creation. In its essence, Navaratri is a celebration of good triumphing over evil.

Every day of the festival represents one of Durga’s nine manifestations, each with their own name and mythology. Offerings made to please specific forms include ghee for Goddess Shailputri, sugar and fruit for Goddess Brahmacharini or honey for Goddess Katyayani.

“At the end of the nine days, we have a garba night,” said Dikshita Razdan, a first-year international student. “We dance then we pray to the god-

LACY HORWOOD PHOTO

International student Shivani Pandye dances the Garba. dess and worship, and then we do the Aarti.”

The Aarti is the culminating song dedicated to the goddess, wrapping up the night’s celebrations.

Algonquin’s Garba Night centered around a picture and tribute to Durga, with everyone dancing in parallel circles around it to upbeat Hindu music. The dance, or Garba, was fast and rhythmic and allowed guests who were unfamiliar with the tradition to learn quickly with a little help.

With over 200 guests, the event brought people from all over the city together to honour their culture.

“It’s a spiritual celebration for all the folks,” said Vaghasiya. “Which allows you to forget all your differences and gather for prayers and dance full of energy and enthusiasm.” @lacyhorwood

4 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Fall grads celebrate accomplishments at convocation

Graduates were celebrated at the convocation ceremony

HAIQA KHATTAK

Aniela Cockburn helped the college kick off its first of three days of ceremonies for 2018 fall graduates in the Students Commons Theatre on Oct. 24.

“It doesn’t matter which course you took. The decision to go to school and educate yourself has brought you one step closer to where you want

HAIQA KHATTAK PHOTO

VP of academic services Claude Brule congratulates 2018 graduates at the Oct. 24 Algonquin College fall convocation cermony. to be.”

Those were the words of the Algonquin public relations graduate, who shared her inspiration with about 1,000 fall graduates with their families and friends.

Cockburn had raised $8,000 for Ottawa’s Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health. That night, she was nominated for the 2018 national Cision Student Award of Excellence.

The ceremony opened with First nation’s song of encour-

agement by David Charette.

Everyone stood for the graduates’ procession and Sydney Coombs, a performing arts student, sung the Canadian anthem.

After the procession, President Cheryl Jensen was invited to say a few words of wisdom to the students whom she was meeting for the last time that night.

“I want to thank each and every one of you for choosing us,” she said. “I will say with confi-

dence that you chose well and that you can show your degree with a great deal of pride.

“You worked so hard to be where you are today. I know,” Jensen said. “I have been told your stories by your faculties.”

Her advice for each one of them was to be filled with wonder.

“Wonder like my daughter who always wondered how she can help people; now she is a doctor,” she said.

“You can change the world.

effective way of improving the college environment, then that’s important.”

Instead of the college dictating the new direction, it is determining priorities based on student and faculty feedback, said Mei.

questions are like what would be the most helpful inside the classroom, outside the classroom and what about technology,” said Vice President of Student Services and Project Manager of the plan Laura Stanbra. “So it’s sort of those three buckets asking those questions to guide the discussion.“ An example would be to give students with previous education easier access to bridge more easily into Algonquin programs so they are not wasting their money or time in taking classes they have already taken.

“For example, we have prior learning assessment. If a student comes here and took courses elsewhere they would have initiate with the college the fact that they’ve had course before,” said Stanbra. “So in order to personalize and be proactive when students apply here then we should ask that question and do the leg work on behalf of the student so that gives them a more personalized experience. That shows that one, we care about you and two, we don’t want you

wasting money on courses you’ve already taken.”

The plan hopes to survey a total of 4,000 students or 20 per cent of the student population and 70 per cent of the 2,883 faculty members. While this may seem daunting, the point of the plan is not to take into account the hundreds of things students suggest but instead to look at overarching themes and concepts that are brought up numerous times in the data.

“We don’t want the plan to be a hundred things,” said Stanbra. “What we want to do is have a meaningful transformation. What that means is we pick a few things, and ...see what resonates with most people to be able to do it. Then it’s viable. “ The viability of a college is dependent on its ability to stay current and equip its students with proper skills to go forward into the workforce. This can mean numerous things, but an important priority in the minds of those spearheading the plan is technology.

“If you could go to an insti-

I believe it is our obligation to give to the community. I urge you to think passionately about those with lack of hope, share your talents and gifts with others. You play an important role in the future of our country.”

She distributed the certificates after ending with Margaret Maed’s quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Patrick Devey, dean of the

Centre for Continuing and Online Learning, told the grads that he believes immensely in them, attesting that “these individuals are ready to make a mark in their fields.”

It took their willingness and courage to keep going on to achieve their goals; no matter what the situations were, he said. About 3,000 students graduated during the three days of the ceremonies. @aich_khey

Learner Driven Plan to establish more personalized education JORDAN GOWLING As the student demographics of the college and economic needs change, Algonquin is looking to implement new changes to how students learn.

The “Learner Driven Plan” plan is in the process of being created through an ongoing series of college community consultations with students and staff. The college hopes to gather enough feedback to make policy changes that support a more personalized educational experience.

It is expected to be unveiled to the college’s Board of Governors in April of 2019.

“The combination of modern technology, changes in post secondary demographics and goals means this is an exciting opportunity to delve into personalized education,” said Student Association Director and student representative of the plan Madeleine Mei. “If we can harness all the resources that Algonquin already has and bring them into a direction that students see as the most

The way we’re asking asking the questions are like what would be most helpful inside and outside the classroom

Laura Stanbra VP of student services

“I am a huge fan of collecting the student opinion because the crux of this initiative is working to effectively harness our resources,” said Mei. “Oftentimes colleges hire an academic consultant from somewhere else, those people may have theoretical insights in other situations, but may not grasp what Algonquin needs and requires moving forward.

“The way we’re asking the

JORDAN GOWLING PHOTO

Students’ Association Director Madeleine Mei sat down with Algonquin Times to discuss the Learner Driven Plan. tution with better technology, why would you go to an institution that is still lagging?” said Mei. The emerging plan doesn’t promises the fulfillment of all needs of all students. However some form of intuitive model that tests what students and faculty are thinking about in terms of the state of their college seems like a good first step towards adapting to the

future of post-secondary education.

“Our demographics are changing, our economy is changing, so we need to change too,” said Stanbra, “So how can we best do that? Any organization needs to stay current and relevant so the plan is a part of making sure we’re doing that as well.” @GowlingJordan

algonquin times 5

November 15, 2018

Language instruction cut MORGANE THERY-LEGRIX Algonquin’s decision to terminate its contract effective Dec. 7 with the Canadian government will put an end to 20 years of teaching Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) on the Woodroffe campus.

The announcement was made public on Oct. 19 by Doug Wotherspoon, Innovation and Strategy vice-president at Algonquin. In a statement published on the college’s website, Wotherspoon attributed the decision to end the LINC contract to the college’s financial position.

“In reviewing the LINC contract’s current and future financial position, we have concluded that we are no longer able to guarantee the positive net contribution required to operate,” wrote Wotherspoon.

In a phone interview with the Algonquin Times, the vice-president of Innovation and Strategy explained the college’s reasoning in the decision-making process.

“We take a look at the current and future financial positions and programs and have to make a call as to whether or not the program or contract can return the required positive net contribution that we need,” said Wotherspoon. “Traditionally

MORGANE THERY-LEGRIX PHOTO

Teacher Shawn Max says this termination will affect the students. Algonquin’s language training will take a big hit as a result of the college’s termination of the LINC program, funded by the federal government. we are looking for ideally 30 per cent return and we don’t foresee that we are able to get anywhere near that, so we made the decision that it was in the best interest to actually use the space that we have for other programs or studies that do actually have that return.”

According to Ernest Mulvey, director of International Education at Algonquin, the college’s decision to cease delivering the LINC contract comes from a combination of factors.

In addition to financial

realities, there are also considerations related to the effective use of the space, what the college’s core business is, versus what can be delivered by other entities within Ottawa.

“If you have the notion that we are at max capacity for our core business -which is programs of study for physical space -- and we are offering a service that can be provided by other providers in Ottawa, it makes a lot of sense for us to focus more on our core business and that was really, in the end, the

driving factor in the decision,” said Mulvey in an interview with the Times.

The LINC contract has offered language instruction to help newcomers to the country with language training to facilitate social and economic integration into Canadian society. Part of the numerous programs offered by Algonquin’s Language Institute, the LINC contract however is not recognized as a regular program of studies.

“Programs of studies have a very set curriculum; they focus learning outcomes and

tuition, some of them receive support from the Government of Ontario,” explained Mulvey.

“The LINC contract is 100 per cent funded by the Government of Canada through IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) and its mandate is to provide integration for recently arrived immigrants and refugees who can take this type of programming in many different places.”

The LINC program is coordinated locally by the YMCA. Newcomers to Can-

Smoking continues on campus in spite of interim ban SARAH SUHR Students and faculty alike continue to smoke on campus even after the smoking ban took effect on Oct. 15.

There has been confusion between the students regarding the ban, the main one being that students don’t know that it is an interim policy, which was put in place for students and faculty to transition, seek out resources if they need to and educate themselves on the new policy. This policy prevents any ticketing or consequences happening on campus if you are caught smoking.

In a previous interview with the Times on Oct. 11 Cheryl Jensen said “When the Premier announced you could smoke cannabis wherever you smoke tobacco, that changed the rules for us,” she said. “That changed the whole landscape of where we were going.” The college was looking into having a smoke-free campus before the province made it legal but did not have anything in place.

After the interim policy period, Deijanelle Simon president of Student Association, said “They [the college] do plan on hiring enforce-

SARAH SUHR PHOTO

Students and faculty continue to smoke on campus after President Cheryl Jensen announced the smoking ban on Oct. 15. ment and security just not for the interim policy. They are coming up with a policy right now and what that will entail will come January 1st.

Once that happens the ban is

for real, you can’t smoke on campus.”

Although some students are happy about the smoking ban due to the legalization of cannabis, there are still ques-

tions of why they are banning cigarettes.

Lane Oyeyipo, a student in the practical nursing program, said.

“Cigarettes we know are

ada who feel like they need language support would go to the YMCA and register in the LINC program, after which the centre would put them on a waiting list of their choice or the one closer to their habitation.

In Ottawa there are eight LINC providers -- both private and public -- excluding Algonquin College.

As of today, about 160 students are benefiting from the LINC program offered at Algonquin.

Teacher Shawn Max, LINC Level 7 -- the highest level taught at Algonquin -- says this termination will affect the students.

“It affects the class of my current students, however less than other classes because we are at a level where they got all the bench marks already,” said Max. Come Dec. 7 and the termination of the contract between the college and the federal government, the 160 students will be placed on LINC partners’ waiting lists.

“It is regretful that we had to exit a contract that was serving clientele well.

For the students themselves, again they will have seats they just won’t have Algonquin College as one of their choices of location,” said Mulvey. @MorganeThery necessarily good for our health and I have seen some posters and signs and stuff around campus saying like ‘quit smoking’ and support lines.

“I guess in a way it can be a bit unfair that they did [ban smoking cigarettes ]; I mean it feels sort of convenient that just when marijuana got legalized they enforced it.”

After the interim policy is done and the full policy starts, students and faculty can be disciplined which can include being asked to leave the premises or be removed from the premises, depending on the circumstances and if they do not comply with the regulations.

There hasn’t been much advertising for this new policy other than an odd poster here and there and an email sent out to students on Oct. 5

by Jensen. @suhr_sarah

6 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Pride Centre event enables new students to branch out JENNA DROVER

Leaving the confines of a hometown or a group of friends for the next step in school can pose a problem for more mature students.

To combat this problem, Quinn Blue, coordinator of the Pride Centre, decided to assist students in the process of making friends with a game called “speed friending” on Nov. 1 as a part of Campus Pride Week.

Speed friending works very much in the same way as speed dating. Each person speaks to one another with only a few minutes to answer a specific question given. They are to first state their name and pronoun and then get to the nitty-gritty of hitting it off.

Blue lets everyone know when to move along to the next person until eventually, everyone had a chance to talk.

“At the end of it, they can choose to say ‘yes I want to continue talking to this person in the future’, and if they say that then I will exchange contact info on behalf of all those who’ve mutually accepted,” said Blue.

The process is made to be

fully mutual and creates an environment with no pressure to have a conversation with people in the same community.

Lexxi Dafoe, a first-year early childhood education student, thought it’d be a good chance for her to get in contact with people from the college and start making friends.

“I don’t have a lot of friends in school yet,” said Dafoe. “It’s my first year living on my own and I wanted to make more friends because this seemed like an after class event, so I’d think more people live in residence so I would make more residence friends.”

Blue stated that the busiest time for these events are at the beginning of the year when first-year students are trying to expand their social group.

Making new friends can be hard, but with a fun game to encourage a platonic way to meet new people of all ages and of any study, it can make it a lot easier. Within minutes of this event, the once quiet room turned into a thunder of chatter and laughter. @JennaDrover

Students take a stab at pumpkin carving ILIYANA SHOUSHOUNOVA Students had the opportunity to show off their Halloween spirit and imagination at the AC Hub’s free pumpkin carving event on Oct. 30.

Tables were packed as students carved in groups or went solo.

The event was hosted by Leanne Jarrett, acting event assistant for the AC Hub, and a graduate of the event management program at Algonquin.

“We put on free events like this for students all the time,” explained Jarrett.

“We are doing free pumpkin carving today.”

The event ran from 12 to 2 p.m. and anyone could drop in and carve a pumpkin.

“People are at different stages of the pumpkins right now,” she explained. “We have carving tools provided and stencils but some people are drawing their own so it’s going pretty well so far.”

It’s a time where people who come from different backgrounds can come together

Jason Parent Student

ASEN ALEKSANDROV PHOTO

ProMOting Men’s Health Second-year paramedic student Basil Gardener was at Student Commons on Nov. 8 to promote the paramedic program’s Movember campaign.

Jarrett explained that the AC Hub is always hosting different events and encouraged students to drop by and study or check their Facebook page for events.

“I found [the event] through the announcements on the wall,” explained Kave Amini first-year introduction to fine arts student.

Amini explained that every day he does a new drawing so the event hosted by the AC Hub was a good and unique opportunity to practice his skills in a different way.

“Everyone was really friendly and the atmosphere was really nice,” said Amini. “It’s a good way for everyone to participate [too].”

ILIYANA SHOUSHOUNOVA PHOTO

Jason Parent, second-year police foundations student, carves his pumpkin at the AC Hub’s pumpkin carving event.

Second-year police foundations student, Jason Parent, explained that he wasn’t aware of the event but discovered it when he went to the hub to work on some assignments. “[I was] asked to enlighten [the AC Hub] with a pumpkin and put a hole in its head,” said Parent. “I

have two kids so I do this a lot so I figured by doing it freehand it might be a little quicker than trying to use a stencil.”

With everything supplied students continued to pour in even as the event was coming to an end.

“It’s a time where people who come from various

different backgrounds can come together,” explained Parent. “You don’t have to belong to a clique or a club, you just have to be willing to be a bit silly, step outside your comfort zone and I think it’s great and we should have more of it.” @the_shoushou

algonquin times 7

November 15, 2018

JADEN LEE-LINCOLN PHOTO

Many students aspire to fly commercial planes like this model that aviation management program coordinator Bruce Dwyer has on display in his office.

Aviation students face rough take off

Limited airplanes and instructors complicate on-the-field experience of learners at the college JADEN LEE-LINCOLN Aviation management students are playing catch up after a turbulent start to the school year.

“We’ve had a few problems over the summer, one was we were short a few airplanes at the Ottawa Flying Club but the other being that the other two flight schools that we work with are also short on flight instructors,” said aviation management program coordinator Bruce Dwyer.

Going to school to become a pilot is extremely expensive so oftentimes graduates are looking to reap the highest reward by taking the most well-paid jobs. In fact, Dwyer says the aviation management program is the most expensive program offered at Algonquin.

Students are facing nearly $85,000 worth of fees by the end of the program including tuition, uniform, textbooks, and flying costs.

And yet, the program still has an overwhelming number of students who are looking to take up aviation as a career.

Among them is Davede Vuckha, who says aviation has been a dream ever since he was a child.

“When I was in Grade 5 I said I wanted to be a pilot and I just stuck with it from there,” he said. For him, the feeling of being up in the air is worth every penny. “It’s

the best feeling ever, it’s so peaceful.”

The program has been running since 2006 and has been successful. “Students are thrilled. We have students that graduate every year that go direct entry with Air Canada. Their first job after graduation is flying a jet for Air Canada Jazz,” said Bruce Dwyer. “When you have five or six students a year doing that, the popularity of the program grows and I guess that’s part of the problem; we are a victim of our own success.”

The program has seen immense growth over the past decades. In early years, the college had partnered with just the Ottawa Flying Club where students would learn how to actually fly in a plane.

But as enrollment grew, they added a contract with Rockcliffe Flying Club and then Ottawa Aviation Services.

What’s more, the program decided this summer that they would push enrollment numbers from 60 to 80 students. They soon realized, however, that number was too high. But by the time they decided to scale back they had already accepted nearly that many students for this years’ classes.

“I think we got to the point this year where we had more students than we had available slots for, coupled with the fact that Ottawa Flying Club had some issues with

their maintenance provider and the maintenance provider ended up terminating their contract and leaving,” said Dwyer. So there was a scramble to try and fix the planes which caused a delay in getting airtime for over 20 students.

A student who asked to remain anonymous was one of those assigned flight lessons with the Ottawa Flying Club and he said he wasn’t able to fly for an entire month. With so many days off, he tried to think of the best ways to get himself up in the air practicing, and would go to the club in the hopes of snagging one of the few planes available.

We anticipate it’s going to impact the communities in the north first

Bruce Dwyer aviation management program coordinator

“The professor tells us sometimes you should just go to the place and wait for a cancellation, so most of the time I went there, there was nothing that really ever happened,” he said.

With the lack of planes, a hierarchy was put in place which left this aviation student without any airtime for weeks. But now with the fixes made, he plans on mak-

ing up his hours throughout his winter break and in the summer.

Though students are facing issues right here in Ottawa, the aviation industry faces a global problem.

“We have the grey-out factor so there’s a lot of retirements happening in a short period of time and for the next 10 or 15 years they’re forecasting they’re going to have a dire shortage of pilots,” said Dwyer. At a time where the industry demands thousands of new pilots every year, Canada is only producing about 1,200 graduates each year, half of which are international students who return to their country of origin.

“We anticipate it’s going to impact the communities in the north first. They’re the ones that are going to see less service in terms of flights, and getting cargo in and out of those places is going to be harder and harder when there are fewer and fewer pilots to run those flights every day,” he said.

The teaching positions and entry-level pilot jobs need to be filled, yet with the low salary they offer coming out of an expensive program, there is no incentive to fill these important positions.

Dwyer believes there are solutions to this problem that can be fixed by the government, including implementing an OSAP plan similar to

students who graduate from medical programs. They could offer graduates a loan or discount if they went to work up north or in the instructing industry for a few years, he believes.

Dwyer also suggests the federal government should produce a loan program for flight schools to buy more planes for students to train in.

Though there are theoretical solutions to this global

problem, Canada has not yet implemented a sufficient solution to the fact that we will be in dire need of pilots. As for the aviation management program at this campus, Dwyer says they may have to dial back on the enrollment if there aren’t enough instructors and airplanes but, for now, that idea is up in the air. @jadenll16

8 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Students take break at Video Games Live event CONNOR WILKIE Joseph Marchand has been playing games since before he can remember.

He even has a tattoo on his forearm from his favourite video game series the Legend of Zelda.

“One Christmas we got an N64, and since then it’s been like an obsession,” Marchand, an Algonquin bartending student, said.

He was one of many students that stopped by on their way to and from class on Nov. 5 to check out the SA’s Video Games Live event held in the student commons.

The event was put together by the SA but the equipment and setup was handled by Ontario-based company We Got Game.

David Miller, owner of We Got Game, said this is about the sixth time they have helped put on an event like this at Algonquin.

“We are responsible for setting up the entire event.

We have 20 plus TVs with a variety of games on the Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U consoles,” Miller said. “I think this is our sixth year with Algonquin. We average two to three events per year in the past, so we are very familiar with Algonquin and other schools here in Ottawa.”

The set-up that drew the most attention this year by far was the system link.

It was comprised of eight gaming chairs connected to eight TVs that were equipped with Xbox One and PS4 consoles. This year the system link had its own Wi-Fi allowing students who stopped in to play together in the same games.

Allison Barnes, event coordinator for the SA, explained how this varied from last year’s set-up.

“It’s a great event. This year we were able to bring in our own wifi system so we were able to bring in online gaming. We have

Algonquin staff and students participate in a free yoga class offered by health services.

Fortnite and the new Call of Duty set up. Last year they were just able to play games but they weren’t able to play online,” Barnes said.

“This year we’re able to incorporate some of those

more popular games that people are playing at home and we’re allowing them to play them here. You can come and go as you please, just see them and jump on.”

This new feature attracted many students. The most

popular game being played on the system link was Fortnite, a game that has skyrocketed in popularity since its release last year.

Nicholas Dolan, a police foundations student, made it into the top 10 in a round

CONNOR WILKIE PHOTO

of Fortnite on the system link set up.

“The event is pretty cool.

You meet random people, you squad up and it’s just a good time.” @conwilkienews

Yoga: Just what the doctor ordered ERIN JACKSON There is nothing better than yoga for mental health.

So says Meredith Coffin, mental health social worker at Algonquin, who started practicing yoga when she was 20 years old - when she was dealing with anxiety.

“I work in mental health and because wellness is something that I talk about all day… I haven’t come across anything that’s more effective in terms of reducing stress and releasing stress hormones or processing stress hormones.”

It seems the college’s students and staff agree.

With just under 25 people in attendance on Oct. 22, the spiritual centre was full.

“We love yoga and we love to teach it,” said Sara Jordan, director of Health Services. The free classes are being funded by health services to help staff and students manage stress.

Coffin explained the subtle process behind yoga’s stress relieving properties.

“It’s about combining your breath and your movement patterns,” she said. “Our nervous system works in a sort of tension and release way, so were trying to cultivate that physically in yoga.”

“It never ceases to amaze me,” she added, referring to the juxtaposition between her mental state before and after practice.

“We just want to be able to offer that to people.”

Together with Karen Chiarelli, business operations officer with student support services, Coffin, Jordan and Chiarelli take turns teaching yoga classes on Mondays from 12:05 p.m. to 12:50 p.m., allowing students and staff time to travel to the spiritual centre for some stress relief between classes.

Michelle Wheeler, a first-year student in the intensive massage therapy program, finds the classes beneficial and has attended twice with a couple of friends.

“We love it,” she said.

“We had a lab from 8-12 and then we have a lecture from 1-3 so it’s right in the middle of our break,

ERIN JACKSON PHOTO

Dave Miller, owner of We Got Game was on hand at the Video Game Live event on Monday, Nov. 5. which is awesome so we rush here.”

Wheeler enjoys yoga but doesn’t attend often, finding it hard to fit into her busy schedule.

“It’s nice that they have it here and that we can fit it in our day,” she said.

Louise Cowley, a teacher in the college’s architecture program, also attended on Monday and said she will definitely be back.

The classes began on

Oct. 1 and attendance has continued to increase. “I’m just so excited that there is this much demand because it means this is something that people want, so hopefully that will mean that it continues to be funded,” said Coffin.

Students and staff can attend yoga classes for a fee at Algonquin’s fitness zone but Coffin and her colleagues intended to offer a more accessible op-

tion at the spiritual centre.

“I’m really big on things being accessible and [non] intimidating and I would imagine there’s lots of people who probably would not consider going to the gym, because that might be, you know, sort of intimidating,” she said.

“It’s just a way to perhaps open it up to other people too.” @erinjacksonn

algonquin times 9

November 15, 2018

College has yet to ban plastic bottles ERIN JACKSON Algonquin is selling plastic water bottles on campus nearly 10 years after Canadian universities began implementing bans.

Currently, there are 30 refrigerated bottle filling stations at the Woodroffe campus, after the Algonquin Students’ Association funded a drinking fountain replacement project to update older fountains.

More recently, the Algonquin SA has taken steps to address the growing issue of plastic pollution by removing plastic straws from the SAowned Starbucks.

Dejanelle Simon, current SA president, said she would stand behind a plastic water bottle ban “if this is what the students want.” She explains that the SA exists to better represent students and SA policies and priorities come directly from student feedback.

Over the last 12 months Algonquin’s Woodroffe campus sold over 13,000 water bottles in vending machines and nearly 10,000 bottles at Woodroffe’s food service locations,

according to Mary Baxter, general manager of food services. This does not include any of the water bottles sold at Algonquin’s Perth and Pembroke campuses.

When asked about the decision to continue selling plastic water bottles, Baxter provided a statement on behalf of food services.

“Algonquin College Food Services has reviewed the option of discontinuing the sale of plastic water bottles.

We continually review our sustainable practices, and are committed to reducing the impact we have on the environment through providing options. Our Food Service locations offer alternative packaged water. There are also a number of water bottle filling stations across campus. Food Services encourages those that choose any plastic container to recycle in the appropriate way.”

Meanwhile, Canadian colleges and universities are banning the bottle in order to lower carbon footprints and reduce the amount of single-use plastics polluting the planet.

The University of Winni-

Algonquin adds Lynda LinkedIn ambassador program HAIQA KHATTAK The college has introduced the Lynda LinkedIn Ambassador Program which gives an opportunity to students to connect with world professionals that have excelled in their fields.

Lynda is a joint program in partnership with the Ministry of Advanced Education and eCampus Ontario aiming to help students develop skills that will guide them to career success.

“Having the support of your college with dual support from the LinkedIn organization is helpful to people in a certain program having different skills and confidence,” said Reggie Hanson, a customer success manager for the Lynda LinkedIn Program.

Since 2017 the Ontario government provides Lynda.com to students in the 44 colleges and universities around Ontario.

“Our goal is to help students find their confidence, build

their portfolios, their careers and enhance their academic excellence,” said Hanson.

“Ambassador Program is a partner of the student - being one more resource to work with - showing new paths and a new way of developing their selves.”

That’s also a goal of Gabriela Castro, who, as one of the 62 student ambassadors, hopes to help students build a local network and find a good job.

She got her job through LinkedIn; She is a project manager at Brookfield Renewable now.

She wants her colleagues and students to explore how Lynda. com can help them find a good job, how they can research the skills employers are looking for and how they can build a local network and take advantage of that.

“As a project manager I know how important it is to connect with people and to make everybody understand the goals of the project,” said Castro. “I truly believe that the

ERIN JACKSON PHOTO

Algonquin has been lagging behind other post-secondary institutions in banning bottled water sales on campus. peg became the first Canadian university to ban the bottle in 2009. The decision came after a referendum resulted in the majority of students and the students’ association voting in favour of the ban.

The University of Ottawa joined the movement the fol-

lowing year, removing single-use plastic water bottles from vending machines, food service providers and school events.

In 2010, a water bottle survey was posted on Algonquin’s website in order to understand purchasing habits

and opinions surrounding the sale of bottled water at the college. Unfortunately, the results of this survey could not be located by the college.

This year, McGill joined the nearly 15 other Canadian schools banning the bottle.

After several years of student advocacy, McGill’s undergraduate, post graduate and MacDonald campus student societies accomplished their common goal to ban the bottle.

By May 2019, the school will not be selling non-carbonated water in retail or vending machine locations on its campuses with plans to reduce the use of bottled water at its events.

Dasani and Glacéau Smartwater make up most of the bottles currently being sold at Algonquin, and though they are recyclable and made of up to 30 per cent renewable materials, they will only stay out of landfills and waterways if the bottles are recycled properly.

Yet, according to data obtained by The Guardian, less than half of the million plastic bottles purchased globally every minute were collected for recycling in 2016 and a mere

seven per cent of those collected were turned into new bottles.

Coca-Cola, parent company of Dasani and Glacéau Smartwater, was recently named the greatest plastic polluter globally by the 2018 Global Brand Audit Report published

by Break Free From Plastic.

The report was published after nearly 10,000 volunteers for Break Free From Plastic participated in 239 cleanups across 42 countries in an effort to hold corporations accountable for plastic pollution.

Algonquin’s Five-Year Master Development Plan for the Woodroffe campus, published in 2015, outlines the college’s stance on current issues and opportunities for evolution with a focus on sustainability and design.

Feedback from students and staff showed that “sustainability is important” and thought there was a need to “improve recycling and composting.”

However, the sale of single-use plastic water bottles was not mentioned in the 80page document. @erinjacksonn

HAIQA KHATTAK PHOTO

Brittney Worrall is a LinkedIn Student Learning Ambassador liaison who help students at the college having problem with the LinkedIn program and supporting them with accessing library services and arranging rooms for their presentations.

LinkedIn Ambassador program helped me to develop these skills by connecting with the people around.”

Brittney Worrall helps students to manage the ambassador program. She is a LinkedIn

Student Learning Ambassador who would search the library archives for helping students with research: she helps students to book rooms for presentations, and if they need other learning support, she can pro-

vide that.

“We made sure there should be someone on campus for students if they want any support or services,” she said.

“I’d like to see it extended, and see students work on

transferable skills that we like to tell students in employment support centre; because, it gives you an edge when you graduate.” @aich_khey

10 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Dia de Muertos celebrates ancestors Mexican students pay respects, honour their relatives with food, music KEENAN SMITH-SORO

The International Education Centre was home to a Mexican event known as the Day of the Dead -- a traditional week-long celebration to honour and pay respects to their deceased loved ones.

With approximately 40 people in attendance, the event took place on Nov. 6 and ran from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and was more of a sneak peek into the traditional holiday that occurs all over Mexico.

It was organized by a firstyear business management entrepreneurship student, Yazmin Gonzalez Palacio.

“This is a very traditional day in Mexico because we are celebrating and honouring our dead people,” said Palacios.

At the event there was traditional bread which was accompanied by hot chocolate. In Mexico it is customary to eat what is called “pan de muerto,” which directly translates to, dead bread. The bread itself -- which is only served during the week-long period of the festival -- is very sweet and topped with sugar, and is only served specifically during the weeklong period.

The actual holiday begins on Oct. 28 and lasts until Nov. 2, in which a variety of different festivities will occur.

“We start with a lighting a candle. That candle is for the people that passed away without any family or friends,” said Palacios. A few days after is when people will generally build an altar in their house, with seven levels traditionally. For each level, there is a significant meaning.

The first level bears a white cross, to signify the four cardinal points corresponding to the four elements. The cross is surrounded by flowers known as cempasuchil which have a very strong smell. As well as the candles around the cross, both of these as-

KEENAN SMITH-SORO PHOTO

Gaby Saucedo, Giselle Abdullah, and Sofia Vega took part in the Day of the Dead festivities on Nov. 6 in the International Education Centre. The event included tradional food, dress and activities. Day of the Dead is a week-long celebration to honour and pay respect to deceased relatives. pects are there to help guide spirits of loved ones to find the altar.

The second level consists of skulls and other decorations. The skulls are a representation of the deceased and are generally made out of chocolate or candy for the spirits to enjoy. Hence the more common term, “sugar skulls.”

The third level consists of offerings. For example, if you had a deceased grandfather who loved to drink wine and smoke cigarettes, you would leave a bottle of wine and a pack of cigarettes for their spirit to enjoy. Food is also very common.

The fourth level has water and salts. The water is there to quench the thirst of the spirits and strengthen them

for their journey back to the other world. The salts are placed on this level in a small bowl in order to ensure no spirits become corrupted.

It is a celebration when someone dies because they are moving on to heaven.

Sofia Vega Student

The fifth level is where incense is placed, as a method of purifying the souls of the dead to ward off any evil spirits that may be attempting to come into our world. There are also cempasuchil flowers

placed on this level for the same reason as the first level; the white flowers represent the sky while the purple flowers are the traditional color of mourning in Mexico.

The sixth level has paper ornaments which are typically purple and yellow. Made into very intricate designs, they are made to represent the union between life and death.

Level seven is where more candles are placed because the fire symbolizes love and guiding lights for the spirits.

Of the students and teachers that attended there were also several members of the Mexican-Canadian Cultural Association of Ottawa Gatineau. The members in attendance included their president, Hugo Crespo, as well as Gaby Saucedo who works

out logistics, her daughter Giselle Abdulla and Sofia Vega a member of the organization. They were dressed as traditional Catrina’s and Catrin’s for the event, which is wearing calaveras (skull) make-up and traditional Mexican garments.

Gaby Saucedo was more than happy to share some interesting facts about their cultural practices.

“This is something we have practiced for centuries.”

When questioned about the importance of the holiday, she stated, “I think it is one of the most important holidays in Mexico. We are very religious in general, so this totally tied to our religion and the family of course.”

Another interesting aspect was later brought up by So-

fia Vega. “In North America, at most funerals, people are dressed in black, but in Mexico, we dress very colourful, because it is a celebration when someone dies because they are moving on to heaven.”

There are in fact other traditions that remain somewhat exclusive to certain families.

Of the several Mexican exchange students that were there one described what she and her family do together.

Marketing student Lily Gomez explained, “Well my family and I, we always get together and we talk about the people that are already passed away, we also buy pan de muerto and eat it while we share the stories.” @SoroSmith

algonquin times 11

November 15, 2018

We are standing on the threshold of another industrial revolution, one of ubiquitous technology.

focus

Robin Grosset Mindbridge AI chief technology officer

AI to be embraced, not feared Speaker at TEDxOttawa believes future of finance lies in artificial intelligence ASEN ALEKSANDROV Robin Grosset, chief technology officer at Mindbridge AI, was among the speakers invited to this year’s TEDxOttawa event which took place on Oct. 23 at the Algonquin Commons Theatre.

“We are standing on the threshold of another industrial revolution,” he said at the top of his speech, addressing the hushed crowd. “One of ubiquitous technology.”

Grosset’s work is informed by what he sees on the horizon: a change in the way we do things, a change in the way we learn, and the impactful ways in which AIs will be a part of this future.

“Human beings are very bad at being detail-oriented.

Studies show that if a human audience is presented with two conflicting bits of information, they often wouldn’t even realize that’s the case,” he said, going on to stress the costs of this imperfection.

“Every year we find about $200 billion worth of errors and mistakes and fraud in financial data,” he said, citing information released by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

“They also estimate how much we are not finding at all by any method, and that’s $3 trillion every year. That’s a little under $500 for every person on the planet. Every year [we lose that amount] to poor accounting practices or fraud. Think of the societal change it could cause if you could return $3 trillion to the economy.”

Mindbridge AI helps certified public accountants reduce such losses by detecting fraud potential and preventing mistakes. Grosset believes that every penny saved this way has powerful real-world implications.

“People don’t rob banks anymore. That’s too risky.

They do something else,” he said on the subject of financial

fraud specifically. “I think we are going to change significantly how people think about exploiting financial systems.

Whether we will eradicate it altogether, I think there’s a possibility that will happen.

I think the combination of AI and blockchain could be a great candidate for that.”

Grosset believes that the key to achieving these goals is not by simply creating and exploiting AI, but by working alongside it and learning from it, a concept known as intelligence augmentation or IA. “As human beings we have biases,” he said. “As we grow up we develop expectations of the world. One of the nice things about AI is that it’s a blank slate. When you give them data, they often find novel and interesting approaches.”

This process not only benefits both parties – human and AI – in the short term by helping solve immediate problems, but also furthers each party’s capabilities. In his talk, Grosset provided examples of AI furthering the strategic possibilities of the ancient game Go, which had become decidedly monolithic in competitive play.

A Google DeepMind-made AI called AlphaGo defeated two of the world’s best Go players - Fan Hui in 2015 and Lee Sedol in 2016 - and in doing so, it also inadvertently taught them new ways to play the game. Fan Hui’s position in the world Go rankings soared in the months following his loss to AlphaGo. When playing Go, AIs employ surprising and at times seemingly illogical strategies.

Yet professional players analyzing them have come to see the the validity and - in Fan Hui’s words - “beauty” of their moves.

“We are talking about augmenting the human intelligence with AI,” said Grosset.

“While we can use information from people to make AI smarter, intelligence augmen-

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN DALY

Mindbridge AI chief technology officer Robin Grosset spoke at TEDxOttawa on the subject of artificial intelligence, it’s rapidly growing role in the world of finance and how it can solve issues of human error. tation is all about leveraging artificial intelligence so that it can help and advise humans.”

Many of the developmental advances Grosset works on with Mindbridge AI are based around this “human-centric” approach. One method he described consists of giving AIs nondescript data without a set goal and asking them to analyze it to determine its future importance. “[We would ask it to] tell us the more important things about this data,” he said about using the AI. “You ask it to predict the thing you care about.”

Grosset stressed that artificial intelligence is not “to be feared,” but embraced as a catalyst to human development.

Embracing it takes getting to know it, and he believes that could potentially take a lifetime of learning.

“I think the way that we learn is going to change. I think that going forward we are going to have to consider lifelong learning. Particularly with the disruption that is coming with AI,” Grosset said.

“It is going to impact all kinds of professions in the next 20 years. People have to be ready for this kind of disruption, and the best defense would be lifelong learning, thinking about acquiring new skills.”

@illhavelikeasal

12 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Beyond the bottle at TEDx

Former Great Big Sea front man Séan McCann spoke about overcoming addiction, healing through music

TREVOR OATTES “A secret can kill you, but a song can save your life.”

Séan McCann’s fingers gently strummed the strings of his old acoustic guitar as he spoke to the crowd that had gathered in the Algonquin Commons Theatre.

The final speaker for the Ottawa TEDx, he played a simple melody to give a rhythm for his words as he talked about the events that led him to where he is today.

The former Great Big Sea front man spoke of the rock and roll lifestyle that saw him travel the world with a sea of empty bottles at his back. The childhood trauma that drove him to a 20-year bender that nearly cost him all that was good in his life.

And the decision to leave it all behind, the fame and the addiction, for the sake of his family and his sanity.

“My love of music and my love of whiskey combined in my life, and we ended up forming Canada’s biggest party band,” said McCann during the presentation. “And every night for us, whether it was Tuesday in Saskatoon or Wednesday in Winnipeg, every single night for us was a Saturday night. And every day I went to work, on my desk there was a bottle of whiskey or rum, four bottles of wine – two white, two red – and 48 beer.

“For an alcoholic hiding from the truth, I felt like I’d won the lottery. And that’s where I hid, hidden in plain view for 20 years.”

McCann founded the band back in 1993 with friends Allan Doyle, Darrell Power and Bob Hallett. The heavy partying Newfoundlanders spent two decades near the top of the Canadian music industry, travelling from city to city in a drunken haze. And while McCann

flourished in the buzz of the crowd and the buzz of the liquor, he kept a painful secret hidden deep below the surface.

“When I was 15 years old, a new priest came to our parish,” McCann told the crowd, his fingers continuing to dance across the fretboard of his guitar. “He was younger than the older fellas we were used to.

He was very charismatic and became very popular.

And every Friday, we were strongly encouraged to go to confession.”

Music is my medicine, and when things were too difficult to deal with and too difficult to say, it was a song that let me say it.

Séan McCann TEDx speaker

As McCann began to shine the light on his dark story, his voice became quieter. The crowd drew silent, with only his voice and the notes of his guitar spreading through the theatre.

“One Friday, I found myself over to the right in church, and I ended up in his box. And as I was confessing my 15-year-old sins, he stopped me, interrupted me, and asked me my name,” said McCann.

“He asked me if I played any sports, what I was reading, what my dad did for a living, where I lived. In retrospect, that’s a bit of a red flag, because confession is supposed to be anonymous.

But I was 15. Instead of being careful or cautious, I just felt special.

“I remember going home and telling my parents that

I’d met the new priest. They said ‘you should invite him over for supper’. And I did.

He came up about a week later for supper. And we all felt special. Then he became like one of the family, he endeared himself to us all. Before the year was over, he asked if he could take me to Rome. He said I could go to Rome, and I could meet the Pope.”

McCann told his parents about his plan to travel with the priest. He begged his parents to let him go on the trip, and they said that he would be able to go if he could work hard and save up enough money to buy the plane ticket. And so he did.

“On that trip, he poured me my first drink, bought me my first cigarettes. And then he began to sexually abuse me,” said McCann.

“And I felt betrayed, and ashamed, and angry. But I didn’t know who to tell.

And I kept that secret buried in alcohol for 30 years, until I finally faced the truth with a song.”

Without missing a beat, McCann broke into a rendition of his song, Hold me Mother, which was the outlet for his pain. His voice echoed off of the walls of the ACT, leading to thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the crowd. Awash in the stage lights, McCann basked in the show of support, thanking the crowd profusely.

“Music is my medicine, and when things were too difficult to deal with and too difficult to say, it was a song that let me say it,” said McCann.

After the show ended, McCann and the other TEDx speakers participated in a meet-and-greet inside the Algonquin Student Commons. He posed for pictures and laughed alongside fans old and new be-

TREVOR OATTES PHOTO

Séan McCann opened up about addiction, recovery and the healing power of music during his TEDxOttawa talk on Oct.23 in the Algonquin Commons Theatre. fore stepping off to the side for an interview with the Times.

“I quit drinking because my wife gave me an ultimatum,” he said. “I was in a spiral, a loss of control, and I was going to lose everything. [After] I was sober for about a year I started working on what was really important. I realized that I had to face the truth, or I would drink again. And that’s why I decided to come public and be open about it.

It’s the hardest thing to do but it had to be done.”

McCann left Great Big Sea in 2013, after two years of sobriety left him disillusioned with the rock and roll lifestyle. While the decision drew the ire of fans

and bandmates alike, he knew it was what he needed to do to heal. Now a solo artist, he has written five albums about the long road he has taken to get to where he is today.

“The songs that I’ve been writing over the last five years have been about recovery, have been about power, about overcoming big challenges and big changes,” said McCann.

“It’s been an uphill battle, but I’ll never give that up.

Music saved me. There’s power in it.”

And while McCann has had to go through hell to find his peace, he knows that there are still many others that struggle with the issues he once struggled

with. He knows what it is like to be in pain and feel hopeless.

When asked what he would say to anyone going through the things that he had experienced, he didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Don’t give up,” said McCann. “I’m not successful because I’m smart or gifted, I’m successful because I didn’t give up. We’re stronger than we think. The hardest thing is facing the truth, and that’s what we all seem to be avoiding. If we face it, though, we can move forward, we can un-stick ourselves. That’s the key to it, to do that work and help ourselves.”

@TrevorOattes613

algonquin times 13

November 15, 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN DALY

From the lab to the small screen Anthropologist inspiration for TV hit Bones does post-mortem on work KARINE BEAULIEU She is only one of 100 forensic anthropologists certified with the American board of anthropology in the country.

Dr. Kathy Reichs could, in fact, be called so much more: an author, professor and the 12-season producer on the hit television show Bones, which is based on her life’s work.

That work was also the main topic of her TEDx talk which took place on Oct. 23 in the Algonquin Commons Theatre.

The theme of the evening was Changing the Narrative which for Reich means “taking off in a new or different direction.”

Reichs’ fiction books are based on her real-life cases.

“In each of the books I try and take the reader into a different area that forensic anthropologist work,” she said.

Her first book Deja Dead is based on the work she did in a large medical-legal lab in Montreal called “Le laboratories de science judiciaries et de medicine legal. The story was based on a serial killer that hunted in Montreal.

The elements in which she testified in his trial had to do with his dismemberment of the victims, the type of tool that was used but more importantly, the pattern of said dismemberment can say a lot about the behavioral profile of the perpetrator.

Her book Death Du Jour is another example of a field that forensic anthropologists work in. Reichs was hired by a private context the Catholic Church Archdioceses of Mon-

treal to exhume and analyze the remains of a woman that had died in 1714 and who at that time had been proposed for sainthood.

“So, the step in that process if there are remains is to verify that they are in fact the correct remains,” she said. “So in this book, we learn how forensic anthropology works in a private context.”

Another one of her books, Fatal Voyage takes the reader into the world of disaster recovery.

“I for many years was part of the disaster mortuary operational response team system in the United States,” she said.

“It’s a network that is activated in situations of mass disaster.”

Reichs was part of the team that helped sort out the victims of Hurricane Katrina. They also worked on a case in Georgia in 2002 concerning a mortuary operator who dumped bodies behind his property instead of cremating them. But for the most part, the team responds to commercial airline disasters cases which are explored in that specific book.

“One month after the release of Fatal Voyage I ended up going to the twin towers and doing exactly what I had been reading and researching about for the previous two years.”

Another one of Reichs’ books titled Grave Secrets takes the reader into the world of human rights violations. Reichs testified at the United Nation’s tribunal on the genocide in Rwanda and also helped the forensic anthropologist of Rwanda exhume a mass grave.

In 2005 she was approached by two men who wanted to take Temperance Brennan, the lead character in her books, and bring her to the small screen in a TV show that would turn into the 12-season phenomenon known as Bones.

This TV show follows forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and FBI agent Seely Booth as they work together to solve crimes for the FBI. Booth’s nickname for Brennan in the show was “Bones” from which the show’s title comes from.

Reichs had a big hand in the whole process as a producer and making sure that everything was as scientifically accurate as possible.

“I did work with our props people to make sure our cadavers were authentic.”

She would later go on to change the narrative again and write four screenplays for the show with her daughter, one of which is titled The witch in the wardrobe.

It was recently announced

by Dateline Hollywood that Reichs and executive producer and co-show runner Michael Petterson, have come up with a new TV show concept that has been picked up by ABC. Wolfe, written by Pettersons, centers on veterinarian Dr. Charles Wolfe, who has a unique perspective on homicide, believing that murder is a primal, animalistic act and that killers are animals.

After getting elected coroner of Boulder, Colorado, Wolfe partners with his mirror opposite, FBI profiler Kristin

Faulk, who is confident Wolfe is dead wrong and that it is nurture, not nature, that leads a person to murder.

Reichs would once again change her focus to write a young adult series with her

son about Tory Brennan, Temperance Brennan’s 14-yearold great niece. In the books, her and her friends undergo a change and acquire special perceptive abilities, which they use along with their love

of science to solve cold cases.

“We created this because we wanted young kids to think science was cool, especially young girls.” @KarineLBeaulieu

14 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Blockchain will change the world as we know it

TYLER KIDD

When it first emerged, Bitcoin proved to be a disruptive financial opportunity.

Anne Connelly had a different thought, and her epiphany came while working in the Central African Republic.

While working off the grid, Connelly realized that the some most vulnerable people in the world could be among the greatest beneficiaries of this new technology. Due to their situations, they may have had property seized, rendering them unable to go home.

At the same time many of they do not have access to their identification paperwork or medical records making it nearly impossible to be relocated.

For Connelly, Bitcoin’s blockchain technology provides the solution.

Blockchain technology provides a secure logging system.

Crypto-currencies like Bitcoin store the financial data but beyond that a citizen could store medical records,

government identification and citizenship documents, as well as land ownership titles.

“When working in the Central African Republic you would often see people with cellphones,” said Connelly during the TedX conference hosted by Algonquin Oct. 23. She admits that there are still barriers in getting smartphones to these remote areas, but her example shows that there are misconceptions about the access to technology in many developing countries.

Such a possibility could re-shape the world and human beings’ abilities to move around it.

“Digital currencies have become increasingly popular,”explained Connelly, adding they have also been incredibly disruptive to the financial system. Their popularity is due to their decentralized ledgers, known as blockchains.

“Blockchain will be significantly more impactful than the internet,” she claimed.

Since blockchains create de-

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN DALY

Anne Connelly realized, while working in the Central African Republic, the potential for blockchain technology to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable — allowing people to access their medical records, government identification and even property records anywhere, limited only by internet access. centralized logs that can’t be altered and can be stored online, it creates a unique level of trust in the digital world.

Connelly used the example

of refugees from the Syrian civil war. Many fled their homes taking few possessions. In the chaos of a civil war many people, for a variety of reasons, don’t have the proper identification documents needed for resettlement, leaving them stuck in refugee camps.

Twenty per cent of refugees lack the proper documentation required for resettlement, Connelly told the TedX audience. With the United Nations estimating the Syrian conflict has produced 13.5 million refugees, this would mean that 2.7 million could not be resettled in other countries even if the opportunities existed because they cannot prove they are who they say they are.

Blockchains are recorded in multiple locations, creating a network that is nearly impenetrable - allowing for incredibly safe storage of information online. While the use of blockchain is most commonly associated with crypto-currencies, this is just the initial application for this new technology, as blockchain can be applied to industry outside of finance.

If those same Syrian refugees were able to store their identification documents even medical records and property titles - via blockchain, then all of this information would be instantly accessible as long as having access to an internet connection. With a blockchain’s ability to keep information secure

online, the accuracy of sensitive information is assured.

Further, she explained, Canada has the opportunity to be a leader in blockchain innovation, as it ranks in the top 10 of the least corrupt countries according to Transparency International, a non-profit organization based in Germany that combats corruption.

So in many cases Canadians don’t see the need to decentralize the storage of this information.

Blockchain will be significantly more impactful than the internet.

Anne Connelly Faculty - Blockchain, Singular University

There is no doubt that blockchain and the decentralized model it brings with it challenges the norm for what the developed world has come to accept, explained Connelly. Barriers exist, for instance, Bitcoin the most popular crypto-currency, is still difficult to access. Trying to scale these innovations to allow easy access to developing countries will certainly pose challenges.

Connelly downplayed the difficulties though.

With a more streamlined access, more readily available internet connections and blockchain providing a more accessible and trusted digital

network, the world is about to witness a significant change to the narrative of how we store our information and wealth.

After each of the six TEDx presentations was complete, audience members and presenters mingled in the lobby of the Algonquin Commons Theater.

Among them was Trevor Duncan, a local teacher with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, and part of an initiative called Kinect Hub. It is trying to harness the exact technology Connelly spoke about.

Kinect Hub is working throughout Africa to harness blockchain for medical and financial purposes.

“I attended to speak with her [Connelly] after,” said Duncan, hoping to get some feedback from an industry expert. Duncan was able to meet with Connelly and shared with her a folder with info on Kinect Hub. Connelly had earlier explained that aid organizations around the world are regularly travelling through jungles and war zones with large sums of cash to keep their operations running. Kinect Hub is doing exactly what Connelly envisioned when she had her epiphany about blockchain.

They are finding solutions related to maintain accurate medical records and safely transfer funds to keep operating in the field. @kiddt90

algonquin times 15

November 15, 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN DALY

Sharon John, left, recounted her heart-breaking story of being a victim of human trafficking. John shared her story with the help of Jodi Mosley who provided the hard statistics. Together their TedX Talk was powerful and inspiring.

Human trafficking hits close to home TRICIA SURETTE The hard truth that Jodi Mosley and Sharon John were at TedX Ottawa 2018 to share was that human trafficking is a real problem — and it’s a real problem right here in Ottawa.

Both Algonquin graduates, Mosley has worked with high risk youth for 35 years while John is a survivor of human trafficking now working as a peer counsellor and a mentor for other young women trapped by human trafficking.

John shared her own story of how she got lured into the human trafficking world and how she found her way out, while Mosley detailed the information, the facts and the hard message at key pauses in John’s story.

John was young and thought she was in love with an amazing man she trusted with all she was until he turned on her and began selling her to cover his needs.

“He would sell me for drugs,” said John, “He would sell me for food, he would sell me for rent, he would sell me for whatever he wanted.” John was reliant on him for her drugs and her safety.

It was what Mosley called the trauma bond and while John felt it was her choice to work, the choices she was being given were both terrible: work or be beaten. John became even more dependent on the man she thought she loved. “Human trafficking is horrific and it violates every right that every individual has,” said Mosley. “These people are deprived of their basic

needs, they are threatened, they are beaten and they are repeatedly raped.” Eventually John got away but she went from a bad situation to one even worse. “(The new man) would make me kneel in the corner,” said John, “And pray out loud and beg for forgiveness because he said I was a dirty filthy whore. I spent a lot of hours in the corner.

God must have been listening to me. I managed to escape when he brought me here to Ottawa.”

He would sell me for drugs, he would sell me for food, he would sell me for rent, he would sell me for whatever he wanted

Jodi Mosely Speaker

Mosley shared the statistics.“Victims can be anyone,” said Mosley, “95 per cent of victims are female. 70 per cent are under the age of 25 and 25per cent are under the age of 18.”

Not all victims come from highrisk backgrounds such as being indigenous, LGBQT or being in the foster system. The victims can literally be any person that accidentally falls into the wrong relationship. So many young people are not taught the warning signs to watch for so they can get out or ask for help before it’s too late.

Some stories, like John’s,

have happy endings.

When she began listing her achievements, including being 15 years sober and having graduated from high school at the age of 32, the crowd roared and came to its feet. It brought John to tears. “Something here tonight should make us angry,” said Mosley, That’s Sharon’s story. Buying sex fuels human trafficking. “Every young woman that I’ve worked with, they told me that they were forced to work as an escort, they were forced to work as a dancer, they were forced to work in private clubs. So, frequenting these establishments, purchasing their services, fuels human trafficking.” And Mosley wants everyone who hears their talk to remember they have a choice: just say no to the exploitation of people through sex work.

Don’t go to strips clubs, use escorts or watch pornography.

She believes that bringing more awareness to what happens to the victims of human trafficking can help stop the practices that enable it. It’s a big hill to climb as sex trafficking is the second largest illegal trade worldwide, according to Mosley. It’s exceeded only by the drug trade.

Mosley believes that “hope starts with awareness and education.” The day of the Tedx Talks was John’s 49th birthday and at the end of her and Mosley’s talk, the entire audience and the emcee, Stefan Keyes, CTV News anchor, serenaded John with a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday. “It really is (hard to tell her story),” said

John, “because going over it you relive it.”

But she has no regrets. John added she has an amazing support system and was really hap-

py to do Tedx Talks Ottawa with Mosley. “In addition to Séan McCann,” said Jasmine Brown, an audience member waiting to speak with John and Mosley af-

ter the show, “I’d say they were the two most personal and most moving stories.” @TRSurrette77

16 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

Innovation, empathy go hand-in-hand: speaker SAIRA QURESHI Earlier this year Nilufer Erdebil was in Vancouver and came across a shower in her hotel room that lacked something she specializes in - design thinking.

“I was pulling and pushing on whatever was there trying to turn on the shower,” she said at the TEDxOttawa event that took place on Oct. 23. “It was about two minutes in before I realized that they actually had instructions on the shower.”

Erdebil, who is the CEO of Spring2 Innovation, went on to explain the odd instructions which even included a telephone number in case one needed extra help.

“Not only did it have written instructions for a shower but they also had third line support,” she said as laughter resonated through Algonquin Commons Theatre. “Had the shower designers thought about using design thinking, they might have foreseen that people would have had problems after a long flight or early in the morning.”

Her speech focused on two concepts of design thinking: empathy and reframing. While emphasizing means to look at problems from an end user perspective, reframing is re-examining problems at a human level perspective.

“If you are starting out, make sure you are doing something well for a particular audience and know that audience extremely well,” she said. “Bring them through (the process) and get them to help you design it or at least test it out and see what they think about it.”

This is in fact what her company aims to achieve when they train and coach organizations.

“We combine technology and design thinking. So helping other people understand technologies and then helping them understand design thinking so they are actually developing products and services that people are going to end up buying instead of just developing products because they are cool technology,” she explained during a private interview.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN DALY

Nilufer Erdebil, CEO of Spring2 Innovation, talks about design thinking at the TEDxOttawa event in the Algonquin Commons Theatre. Erdebil wants to see more product design with users in mind, this is the essence of design thinking.

According to her bio, she has experience in innovation in various fields such as telecommunications, application development, program management and IT Management.

She’s a professional engineer and holds a degree in electrical engineering as well as a MBA. Although she said she was good in math and sciences, she always knew that she wanted to run her own business.

When asked to give advice to students in the STEM field or students aiming to start a company someday, she said: “I

think if they are creating their own products, definitely look at who their target audience is and their end user is.”

After her speech, food and beverages were served during the half-hour intermission as people socialized on the main floor of the Student Commons building.

A couple – Lois Brown and Joe Budgell – drove about six hours from Orangeville specifically for the night’s event.

“I enjoyed Kathy Reichs’ because I’ve pretty much read all her books,” said Brown. In re-

gards to Erdebil’s topic, Brown said that it involved a bit more thinking in order to truly grasp the message.

“She’s really worth more than just half an hour,” she praised.

Jennifer Wright also attended the event. She said that she also came for Kathy Reichs as she and her kids are big fans of her show Bones.

“This is the first TEDx event I’ve come to so really, I’ve been enjoying it. It’s been really interesting. I like the diversity of the speakers,” said Wright.

She also thought that it was interesting that Erdebil’s company, Spring2 Innovation trained people to determine a process from an end user’s perspective.

“It’s interesting the way that she posed end user because I didn’t realize it wasn’t intuitive to most businesses,” she added.

Sekou Kaba, a speaker from last year’s TEDxOttawa was invited to this year’s event to see how the other speakers do.

“It was great,” he said in regards to Erdebil’s topic. “It’s quite important for consumers to be taken into account before things go into production. I find if more companies do that, then they could do that much better.”

In the near future, Erdebil wants to incorporate training and consulting in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain to organizations in order to “shift businesses to take into account that there is technology that can do some of the stuff better, faster and more completely.” @therealsairaq

Biggest costume contest yet: animation program coordinator ASEN ALEKSANDROV Monsters and TV characters walked around Algonquin’s hallways on Oct. 31, chatting amongst themselves and occasionally stopping to pose for a photograph. Most of them were headed to the Centre for Construction Excellence where the Algonquin animation program held their annual Halloween costume contest.

Every Halloween students from every level of the program gather in room C105.

“We used to do it at N100, but the program has grown so much,” said animation program coordinator Neil Hunter.

“We had to come down here.

My guess is about a 160 people [are in attendance], which isn’t everybody in the program.” This year’s contest had the biggest turnout to date.

“I don’t know [whose idea it was], we started it about ten years ago. It just grew and grew and grew,” said Paul West, who is also an animation program coordinator. He spoke against the backdrop of excited chatter and laughter that filled the room. The contest had just ended, but people were still filing into the room to take a peek at the menagerie

ASEN ALEKSANDROV PHOTO

The costume contest, hosted by the animation program, had a wide range of costumes. Pictured are winners of the third year category Josh Ivans, Natasha Belovich and Katie Brown. or characters.

“We had a Jessica Rabbit one time. That was really good,” Hunter said, recalling some of the wilder costumes from the contest’s past. “We had one guy build a Bumblebee transformer outfit, it was awesome. He built it from scratch.”

Among the crowd could be spotted two princesses Mononoke and at least four Bob Ross-es.

The animation program’s faculty seemed to be having lots of fun judging the const-

est.

First place went to Steve Harrington of Stranger Things.

In the third-year category first place went to a gang of meddling kids: Daphne, Velma and Shaggy from the classic Scooby-Doo cartoon.

Disney and Pixar teamed up for this memorable collaboration, presented by first-years Nina Contreras and Nicholas McDaniel: Merinda from Brave and Elsa from Frozen. @illhavelikeasal

algonquin times 17

November 15, 2018

If there is a major problem, radio will be there. When we had the tornado here, how did we get updates? Radio.

careers

Kayla Whiteduck Radio host

JORDAN GOWLING PHOTO

Algonquin radio broadcasting graduates Kayla Whiteduck and Aiden Wolf host a radio show for 95.7 Elemnt FM, a radio station dedicated to local programming.

Broadcast radio graduates staff brand new APTN station

JORDAN GOWLING Radio is always there for the communities it serves.

Kayla Whiteduck, a 2017 Algonquin graduate of the radio broadcasting program, thinks this is an essential point of pride for her as a radio host at the newly-unveiled indigenous radio station 95.7 elemnt FM. “Honestly, the idea of getting indigenous content out there, because a lot of us aboriginal people don’t have a lot of media to do that, is really important,” said Whiteduck. “There is so much talent out there. I am so proud to work for a station where I can actually represent my people. To get their music out there and their voices, and to talk about issues in our community.”

Ottawa’s 95.7 elemnt FM was launched by First People’s Radio (FPR) Inc. on Oct. 24.

FPR also launched 106.5

elemnt FM in Toronto as a part of a three-year long project headed by parent company Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), who wanted to move into radio. According to a media statement issued by APTN, the stations are tailored to Indigenous people, and will consist of local and national news. Additionally, 25 per cent of all music aired will be devoted to Indigenous artists, and 60 per cent of airtime will be promised to local programming.

“A good radio station represents the area it’s in,” said Algonquin radio broadcasting graduate Aiden Wolf. “Aside from the fun content, it’s the only thing that, if there is a major problem, radio will be there.

When we had the tornado here, how did we get updates? Radio.” While both Whiteduck and Wolf take the role radio plays in the community seriously, their programming

remains light and humorous for their listeners to enjoy. Whiteduck runs the midday show from noon until 3 p.m.

A good radio station represents the area it’s in.

Aiden Wolf Algonquin radio broadcast graduate “I like to look at things not so much on a serious note,” said Whiteduck. “I like to talk about random funny stuff happening because that’s how I’ve always been growing up.”

Wolf runs the weekday morning shows at 5:30 a.m.

“My only claim to fame is that I am funny,” said Wolf. “I am not insightful, I am not going to change the world with what I say but I am going to make you laugh in the

morning.”

The pair do contribute a lot of their success to the Algonquin radio broadcasting program.

“I think Algonquin College has one of the best programs in Canada,” said Whiteduck.

“Our teacher Dan Mellon has so many connections from working in radio all his life.

“If you listen to a lot of what they tell you, you’ll realize that if this is something you really want to do and you have the passion, then you will work in this industry.” Despite recent disruption that has constrained resources for local media, Wolf is convinced that radio will continue to endure, despite the changing media landscape. “The strength of radio lies in its locality,” said Wolf. “Google isn’t local. Radio is now, it’s local and it serves you. Most importantly, it’s free.” @GowlingJordan

18 algonquin times

November 15, 2018

I love hearing stories and meeting all different kinds of people, from students to all different kinds of careers.

life

Meg Shaw Hairstyling student

ERIN JACKSON PHOTO

Students join John Muldoon, right, Algonquin counsellor for a ‘Mood Walk’ -- a province-wide initiative to improve physical and mental health.

Algonquin does the Mood Walk ERIN JACKSON Maybe a bath in the park is exactly what you need. No, not the bubbly candlelit kind, but the Japanese forest kind.

It’s called shinrin-yoku - or forest bathing. The Japanese practice involves immersing yourself in the natural world to reap the physical and psychological benefits.

John Muldoon, counsellor at Algonquin College, says forest bathing inspired the creation of Mood Walks, a province-wide initiative led by the Canadian Mental Health Association to improve physical and mental health on campuses by walking in nature.

Students meet at 12:50 p.m. every Wednesday at the biowall on the first-floor of the

ACCE building before walking one of five routes directly from campus. The walks generally last one to two hours.

“It’s such a natural way of boosting our overall mood,” he said, referring to how disconnected people have become from our natural environment.

Andrea Prazmowski, a certified Forest Therapy Guide in Ottawa, agrees.

“Indigenous people have been telling us that for a long time and now science is showing that when you do walk like this that the cortisol levels – so levels of the stress hormone – they drop,” she said. “Our blood pressure drops to a healthier level. Our heart and circulatory system are supported. Our immune

systems are boosted.

“Even things like thought patterns that are connected with depression – there’s a thought pattern called rumination – those thought patterns decrease when spending time out in nature. So, it helps with anxiety and depression and is an overall mood booster.”

Muldoon tries to pick a different route each time so that returning walkers can have a new experience. He plans to travel with walkers via OC Transpo to a nearby forest where participants can feed Chickadees in the winter months.

The variety also allows students to explore surrounding areas, particularly new students or those living in residence.

“I love to be outside,” said Josée Leclair, a new student in creative writing who lives on campus but hadn’t been to Centrepointe Park across the road.

Muldoon finds that students have been very appreciative of the walks, which began the first week of school. He has students fill in a wellness card before and after the hour-long walk to gauge the effectiveness; finding students generally feel calmer and more content after participating in a walk.

Rachael Bennett, a firstyear student in the library technician program and member of the Algonquin health promotions team, finds that the walks clear her head and increase her productivity.

“I’m never going to say no to some time outside,” Bennett said. “I’m thinking about my French midterm right now but I know after I’m going to feel a lot calmer about it.”

Brad Lavoie, another Algonquin student, was looking forward to the walk after learning about the program in his environmental citizenship class. He reported feeling “energized” after walking through the first snowfall of the year, a sign that hockey season was fast-approaching.

Muldoon educates students throughout the walk and suggests they try to avoid worrying about the future or ruminating on things in the past, which cannot be controlled, focusing instead on the present moment and natural sur-

roundings.

It’s called mindfulness and it is a key component of a Mood Walk with Muldoon.

He describes it as, “the ability to be so connected in your here and now moment in a non-judgmental way.”

Connected being the keyword, and not to Wi-Fi. Muldoon offers participants a quick mindfulness exercise to deepen their connection with nature. He says to stop and tune in to your senses; slowly noticing what you see, hear, feel or smell.

According to Muldoon, every little bit helps. He says just one minute of mindfulness a day is enough to cause brain function changes. @erinjacksonn

Salon and spa set roots for success JENNA DROVER

JENNA DROVER PHOTO

Hair styling student Trevor Toth gives John Buchanan a haircut while the salon is open for business.

Your favourite cosmetic services - such as hair-care and getting your nails done - have been located on campus to not only offer students more affordable services but to mainly give the students running the salon and spa a chance to grow.

Since 2015 a variety of different programs such as hairstyling, massage therapy and esthetics banded together to give students on campus the services they desire, for a third of the price - according to their prices on their website.

Anyone can go get their hair done, facials, massages and many more pampering treatments without stressing to break the bank since these programs require students to get practice in their fields.

“It’s really busy. Each group has about 10 to 13 stylists, all

with clients coming in for the 5 hours the salon is open,” said Deanna Douglas, a teacher with the hair-styling program Before the college’s salon was built a back in 2015, the hair-styling program ran off-campus - with only one lab - but with so many clients and a lack of practice space, they needed an upgrade. With the on-campus salon and spa, students are able to serve more and receive more hands-on practice.

The students get to combine their program with specific duties provided, such as by being managers and stylists, while others do inventory when they don’t have any clients. This replicates the different positions the students will experience while in a workplace.

Trevor Toth, a second-year hairstyling student who works

in the salon, can’t get enough.

“I’ve voiced my opinion about how I want it to be more than once a week,” he said. “It’s really hands-on and is the greatest and most beneficial part of [the program].”

Another hairstyling student, Meg Shaw, loves the chatter of it all.

“I love hearing stories and meeting all different kinds of people, from students to all different kinds of careers,” she said.

With students needing to find their own people and market themselves for their practicals, it can come in handy knowing a lot of people, especially those who trust you to do a good service.

All of the hair-styling students are prepared with three semesters that they need to complete with a variety of theory and practicals that they first need to pass before

working with clients. This guarantees clients will get the quality cut they want.

“The idea of [the salon] is not to make a profit, it’s to pay for the colour usage and towels,” Douglas said. “The only service 100 per cent provided by the clients is the Green Circle.”

The Green Service salon organization guarantees that anything that can be used again, even for another unrelated purpose, will be recycled. This includes any outdated mannequin heads to be used as an OPP target practice, as well as any hair dye to be used again as cement mix.

Having the salon and spa in place allows all members involved to gain what they want.

For the students it’s experience, and for those getting the services it’s pampering. @JennaDrover

algonquin times 19

November 15, 2018

entertainment

I wasn’t nervous, I was just terrified that he’d make me sing with him. I love to sing, I just don’t think people like to hear me sing.

So thanks for the good evening, Puddles, and for the fun times.

Lauren Hart Puddles’ unwitting assistant

Puddles Pity Party performs for ACT patrons TREVOR OATTES Renowned entertainer and America’s Got Talent alumni Puddles Pity Party brought his blend of costumed comedy and baritone vocals to the Algonquin Commons Theatre on Nov. 7.

Standing at six-foot-eight and dressed in a frilly white costume, the mute clown cut an imposing figure as he walked outside of the ACT. Despite his stature and the sombreness of his painted-on frown, he was happy to meet with audience members, shaking hands and doling out massive hugs before making his way downto the stage.

Everyone got shocked, it was quite a fun thing. He was singing the song and he was moving through the crowd with my phone.

Lei Wang Victim of clown shenanigans

The pessimistic Pagliacci began his show with morose exuberance, wordlessly scooting around the stage on a wooden stool as the audience, which filled the ACT to about 70 per cent (roughly 500 people), began to smile and chuckle. By the time he began the musical aspect of his performance, he had already managed to break the crowd into roaring laughter several times.

The crying clown’s rich baritone voice poured over his interpretations of Bowie’s Space Oddity, Queen’s Under Pressure, a mashup of Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues and The Who’s Pinball Wizard and a hard-rock cover of Adele’s Hello.

Puddles also allowed one

unlucky member of the audience the chance to attempt to sing a song that he did not – in any way, shape or form – know the words to.

Indeed, in many ways, the depressed jester – Deprester? – centred his show upon his audience.

Puddles frequently stumbled into the crowd, taking onlookers by the hand and pulling them on the stage to play a part in his pity party.

Lauren Hart, a graduate of Algonquin’s theatre arts program, was the first lucky soul to be chosen for Puddles’ festival of sadness. She laughed on the stage as he struggled to pour himself a cup of steaming hot coffee, most of which he poured on himself.

“I got pulled up on stage

by Puddles to participate in his show, which was a lot of fun,” Hart said after the show. “I had been offered tickets to move down to the floor, so I thought we were maybe being set up for something. He pulled me up on stage right away and I was just like, ‘oh no, they think we’re late. We’re not late, we didn’t interrupt your show, I promise!’”

Though Hart enjoyed the experience, she admitted to initially having some reservations toward going on stage.

“I wasn’t nervous, I was just terrified that he’d make me sing with him. I love to sing, I just don’t think people like to hear me sing,” Hart said with a grin. “So thanks for the good evening, Puddles, and for the fun times.”

Six other audience unwitting members went on stage during the event. One played the part of a confused rocket scientist, another was made to eat a meal by the clown during his rendition of Under Pressure and another was made to repeatedly whisper the phrase “If you build it, he will come” for some surreal reason.

Puddles biggest feat of

TREVOR OATTES PHOTO

America’s Got Talent alumni Puddles Pity Party serenades the Algonquin Commons Theatre on Nov. 7 with his blend of comedic clown buffoonary and a rich baritone singing voice. audience interaction came midway through the show.

During a song, he plucked a cellphone from a crowd member’s hand for a selfie, only to hand the phone back to a different crowd member, evoking a huge laugh from the audience.

He passed phones between audience members until close to a dozen people had to pass their tech around the room until their phones

were safe in hand. When the playful Pennywise turned back to the crowd and saw that order had returned to his subjects, he actually seemed disappointed, a deflated sigh sagging through his body.

“Everyone got shocked, it was quite a fun thing,” said Lei Wang, a visitor at Algonquin who had her smartphone commandeered by Puddles. “He was singing

the song and he was moving through the crowd with my phone, I have some videos from when it was moving around. It’s definitely been a good night.”

After playing through his set and receiving a standing ovation from the audience, Puddles returned to the stage for an encore performance of Lorde’s Royals, which is the song that brought him into the mainstream with

24 million YouTube views.

With only the audiences’ stamping feet and clapping hands as instrumentation, he gave an intimate cover of the song that made him famous, receiving yet another standing ovation.

Puddles was unable to comment on his performance after the show ended.

He doesn’t speak, after all. @TrevorOattes613

20 algonquin times

Novermber 15, 2018

Bon voyage to the USS Bonavista Tour STUART BENSON Ubiquitous Synergy Seekers brought the noise to an over 600 strong Algonquin Commons Theatre crowd on Oct. 22, kicking off the first stop on their 10year anniversary Bonavista Tour.

The Canadian alt-rock and hip-hop duo-vocalist and guitarist Ashley “Ash” Buchholz and turntablist and hype man Jason “Human Kebab” Parsons are a blended milkshake of drum and bass beats, a healthy serving of grunge-like guitar riffs, and fresh-chopped two-step rhythms.

A decade into their career and USS seems to have perfected their live show recipe.

One thing USS seems to understand very well is the importance of a band opening act, or in this case: opening acts.

Joining the band as opening acts for most of the tour was Manchester battle-rap legend SHOTTY HORROH, and the dapper indie band The Elwins.

First on stage was Shotty Horroh, fresh off the release of his newest album Salt of the Earth Oct. 12. Obviously used to winning over hostile Mancunian battle-rap crowds, Horroh had the crowd warmed and ready to go before he had finished his second song.

While Shotty Horroh no doubt appealed to the band’s hip-hop fanbase, The Elwins

STUART BENSON PHOTO

Jason “Human Kebab” Parsons and Ashley “Ash” Buchholz of Ubiquitous Synergy Seekers perform at the ACT on Oct. 23. were there for the fan that enjoys USS’s alt-indie side.

Not only are the Keswick, Ontario natives a group of talented and well-dressed hipsters, they are also an incredibly versatile band. There are very few

Matthew Angus and the new Fast Romantics STUART BENSON

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “A man never crosses the same river twice because it’s not the same river and he is not the same man.”

The same can be said for the Toronto-based indie band Fast Romantics when they perform at the Algonquin Observatory Nov. 30.

Other than its name, the only thing Fast Romantics has in common with the band that formed in 2009 is the lead vocalist Matthew Angus and bass player Jeffrey Lewis.

“I feel like since the last record we’re a new band,” Angus said in a recent interview with the Algonquin Times. “We almost gave up after two different versions didn’t work out.”

Their last album, American Love, released in 2017, was the

first album of the current sixpiece band.

“If you’re into pop songs and high energy, Julie is the track that everyone seems to love,” Angus said about the records lead single. “Plus it’s a blast to play.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the band, Angus suggests one of the “deeper cuts” from the previous album.

“My favourite song on the last record is Heavens Alright,” he said, “but I don’t know how many people listened to it because it’s at the end.”

The band’s current roster includes four new members alongside Angus and Lewis.

“Kirty was the first new addition before American Love, she’s an awesome songwriter,” Angus said. “She started to infiltrate my process a little bit, in a really great way.”

bands where the lead guitarist has vocal chops on par with the lead singer, and where the conquistador-bearded keyboardist can shred multiple guitar solos.

Finally, USS took the stage to Flux Pavillion’s International

Anthem like a pair of tag team wrestlers, a metaphor that only grew stronger when Parsons started dropping elbows on his own turntable.

If there is one way to describe a live USS show it’s this: high

energy. Parsons and Buchholz refused to stand still during their performance dance, darting around the stage like they are trying to dodge a sniper in the upper rafters.

The band delved into their

entire repertoire of music for the show, playing hits from all of their albums, as well as from their original EP Welding the C:/.

Songs like Shipwreck, Hollowpoint Sniper Hyperbole, and Stationary Robbery went off like gangbusters with a crowd that seemed to know all the words to whatever song the band played next.

When Buchholz slowed things down for an acoustic 2 15/16-Gimme Sympathy mashup the crowd became the “campfire afterparty” that he likes to describe their live-shows as so much.

Fortunately, fans can expect more from the band in the near future according to Buchholz.

“We’re definitely looking to do another album,” he said.

“We’ve got a bunch of new music we’re working on.”

The band’s next stop on the tour is the AleHouse in Kingston, Ont. Oct. 24, and then on to St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, Mich. on the 25, and the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls, NY and runs all the way until the final stop at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alta. on Nov. 16.

Check out the Times interview with Jason “Human Kebab” Parsons who sat down to talk about the band and the new tour in last months issue. @LeftStu

PHOTO COURTESY OF FAST ROMANTICS

Matthew Angus(second left) spoke to the Algonquin Times about his bandmates ahead of their performance in the Observatory on Nov. 30.

Kevin Black, formerly of Toronto band Hands and Teeth, joined on guitar and vocals.

“Kevin brings such a super-deep well of amazing ideas on the guitar,” said Angus.

“He’s our guitar-scientist.”

Nick McKinlay was added on drums in 2014 as the fifth member.

“Nick is a wealth of musical information,” he said. “He probably knows every band that’s ever existed.”

Even at five members, in 2015 there was still something missing.

“A lot of bands use tracks and we’ve always been against doing it for a few different reasons,” Angus said. “There came a time for us as a five-piece band that there were parts that we can’t play” So the band had to decide whether or not to use a backing track or add yet another member.

They chose keyboardist Lisa Lorenz.

“She can just instantly play something on a keyboard,” said Angus. “She can just hear it and do it.”

If you’re already a fan of the Fast Romantics and are hoping for some new music, you are in luck.

“This tour we’re doing is the start of something fresh for us,” Angus said. “Half the set is new songs that no one has really

heard yet.”

The set list will include the bands newest single Mexico, released Nov. 2, co-written

by Angus and Kirty, and the first song the band completely self-produced and recorded.

Check out Fast Romantics when they perform at the Algonquin Observatory on Nov. 30, and look out for event coverage after the show. @LeftStu