THE TH HE C COMMUNITY OMMUNIT Y N NEWSPAPER E WSPAPER O OFF N NIAGARA IAGARA COLLEGE CO L L E G E FREE

Vol 39 • Issue 6

December 5, 2008

Coping at Christmas Dealing with death of a parent harder during holidays

Sean Gedney, 22, whose father died of a rare form of colon cancer is still coping with the death. This year is the first Christmas he and his family will spend without his dad. Photo by Camille Hollett

By CAMILLE HOLLETT Staff Writer The luminance of Heather’s heart shines through her eyes. It’s no wonder they are as bright and blue as a sky that has never seen a cloud. Forever-blue skies don’t exist, though, and neither do untainted hearts. That isn’t to say, however, the sun won’t shine again. Nine days before Heather French’s 12th birthday, her mom died of cancer. Nearly nine years later, there are small pieces of the memory of losing her mom she is only sharing now, she says. “I don’t think I can get through this part.” She looks up and fans her face to dry her eyes. She covers her mouth with her hand. Her throat tightens around the words as they share space with the lump she tries to force down. “The last time I saw my mom, we were in the hospital visiting her, and hospitals just scared me. I don’t know why. My dad told me to go hold her hand, but I was afraid, so I didn’t.” Through tears, Heather says she wishes she had hugged her mom one last time. Then the bubbly humour for which she is known reemerges when she apologizes for crying and says, “I think I’m just emotional today. I watched Armageddon earlier.” Some sort of regret is inevitable in most cases of a parent passing away. It takes Sean Gedney, 22, of Brampton, Ont., a moment to answer the question. Then he nods his head and softly says, “Yes” to whether he felt regret for going on a 27-day trip to Europe during the last days of his dad ’s life. Two weeks after Sean’s return, Brian Gedney died at the age of 50 of a rare form of cancer, melanoma of the colon. See Gone Page 2

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NIAGARA NEWS

Dec. 5, 2008

on campus

NIAGARA NEWS

Day in the Life Pages 15 - 26 See our snapshot of Niagara College, taken Nov. 12.

INDEX 4................Editorial & Opinion 5........................January Start 6..............$10-Million Upgrade 13.................................Sports

Above: Kristine Shirley, 20, General Arts and Science program student in her dorm room wearing her dad’s favourite necklace. Kristine has one photo-sized snapshot, on the wall behind her, of her and her father when she was a child. Left: Heather French, 22, a Broadcasting — Radio, Television and Film program student, sits in her bedroom decorated with photos of her family. Surrounding herself with reminders of her mom helps keep the memory alive. Sue Plummer died in 1999 of cancer. Below: Heather French in her mom’s arms in the delivery room.

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Photos by Camille Hollett

Gone but not forgotten 10

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32 Niagara News is a practical lab for Journalism-Print program students at Niagara College. Opinions expressed in editorials and columns are not those of Niagara College management or administration. Columns, identified as such, reflect only the writer’s opinion. Readers are welcome to respond to columnists by e-mail at [email protected] Advertising rules: The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. All advertisers are asked to check their advertisements after first insertion. Errors, which do not lessen the value of the advertisement, are not eligible for corrections by a make-good advertisement. Niagara News reserves the right to edit, revise, classify or reject any advertisement.

Correction

There was an editorial error in Volume 39, Issue 4 of Niagara News. On page 16, the $10-million student contribution to the master plan was wrongly reported as part of the college’s saved funds. It is part of the community contribution to the master plan. It is the policy of Niagara News to correct errors of fact.

Continued from Page 1 It was “very uncomfortable” for Sean to see his dad in the hospital for the first time after nearly a month. “He was about my size; he was a very stalky build but I came back and he looked like a Holocaust victim. He looked like a skeleton-like form of himself.” Sean’s dad, however, didn’t want him to be held back from living his life. He wanted him to go. It was difficult for Kristine Shirley, 20, General Arts and Science program student, to see her dad as often as she would have liked because her parents were divorced. After her dad died, she felt guilty about not having spent more time with him. Her dad died when he was 82, less than four years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 17 at the time and living in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Three years later, Kristine sits across the table in her residence kitchen and appears to be a petite tower of indestruction. “[If] somebody gave me a joke and I found myself smiling ... or I found myself too happy, I’d say, why am I so happy, my dad died yesterday and I started to feel guilty within myself ...” She admits she cried when her “daddy” died, and she still does on special occasions, but not once does her voice waiver as she tells her story of recovery. She speaks through smiles and talks about the pain as one would state facts. “I guess it’s that father-daughter connection. Just having him around was like an additional security and you feel more stable and, yeah, there are more shoulders to lean on.” Despite reminders the holiday season brings, it is not the most dif-

ficult time to cope. It is more difficult during a parent’s birthday and special occasions like graduation. Getting married is an occasion that will be difficult for Kristine because her dad would have had the duty of walking her down the aisle. Heather knows she will miss her mom’s help on her wedding day. In one precise moment on the way home from the hospital, Heather realized her mom was gone. “I was looking at the car behind us. It was a mom and a daughter driving together. I saw that and I remember thinking ‘I’m never going to see my mom again.’” Although Heather says she would rather have a completely different life if she could have her mom back, she considers herself to be content. Seldom is she caught without a smile on her face. She admits, however, that constant laughter is a product of losing her mother. It’s a coping mechanism. After having cried for a few moments, she laughs for a few more. Then she reveals her method of coming to terms with her mother’s death. “Everyone deals with their own things in their own way. Find your own way to deal with it.” Grief counsellor at Morgan Funeral Homes in the Niagara region, Marny Atkinson, says to “learn as much as possible about the grief journey through books, DVDs, responsible websites, death educators or school counsellors.” Heather’s father dealt with his wife’s death in his own way. He put Heather in a modelling and acting school shortly after her mom died, something he would never have done beforehand. The holidays also changed for the French family. “The first Christmas, my dad made it all about the presents. I think to take our minds off it.

This Christmas will be the first says Kristine. She speaks to her since it happened that will be mother in Jamaica “every single day.” about family.” When Kristine has “down days,” Heather is relieved to be getting back to the family aspect of the she finds a way to lift herself out of the “slump.” She considers herself holidays. For Sean, this will be the first a positive person and attributes Christmas without his dad, but he that to her faith as a Christian. “I try to deliberately take mythinks his “close-knit” family will self out of it. I try something to be all right. “It’s nothing that we can’t handle. do. I play some songs that will We’ve dealt with a lot of stuff. It’s probably cheer me up. I just do something we can definitely work whatever it takes to get myself out of the situation. Anything I can around.” find to do.” Family can help For all three, their parents’ a lot. Heather deaths have made suggests finding them stronger. someone specific Kristine is who can help more inyou cope. dependent, “You don’t need to be especially open with financially. everyone in Heather looks your famat life more ily, but if optimistically you can and doesn’t get f i n d upset very easily. o n e “I don’t let the person you little things get me Sub can talk to, then you’ll down because worse mit ted be OK.” things can happen.” pho to Atkinson says having such a Sean doesn’t stay “safe” person to speak with will create a sense of community as a form of support. For Heather, that person is her older brother, Matt. He too has found his own way to deal. Heather and Matt used to be much more alike in personality, but she thinks since her mom passed away, her brother has become closed off and less social. “He is kind of a pessimist. He is very quiet and very intellectual.” Heather’s brother is always available, though, for her to lean on. Kristine’s support system is her mother. “I don’t know what I would do without my mother,”

upset very long if something bothers him. “Even when people piss me off, like five minutes later I’m happy,” he says. To cope with losing a parent is a difficult task, but ways to do it exist. When choosing someone to confide in or listening to music don’t work, there is still hope. “It’s not always going to be like how it is right away,” Heather says. Those looking for support in the Niagara area can contact Atkinson at [email protected] or the Bereavement Resource Council of Niagara at (905) 680- 6400.

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NIAGARA NEWS

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on campus

CSI: Class Scene Investigation New course offers insight into an often-misunderstood science By ASHLEE KIVELL Staff Writer Students from any career path can take advantage of the new Forensic Science course at Niagara College, if they can stomach it. When the students in the course are not flinging blood or collecting evidence, they can be found in a dark classroom at the Welland campus looking at slides of dead bodies and listening to professionals from the forensic field. Gillian Eckhardt, a Forensic Science course professor, explains how anyone in the science field can contribute to forensics. “An engineer can contribute to forensic science by determining what caused a bridge collapse. A chemist can contribute by determining what drugs were present in someone’s blood. An entomologist can help determine the time of death for a person … you can see how diverse the field is.” Before coming to Niagara College to teach, Eckhardt worked at the Owl Foundation in Vineland, while tackling a double major in biology and chemistry at Brock University in St. Catharines. She continued her education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., completing her masters of science degree in biology and behavioural ecology. “I studied polar bear behaviour in the Arctic, so I guess you could say I was a behaviourist before teaching at Niagara College. Actually, I think I have been a behaviourist my entire life,” Eckhardt said.

Professor Gillian Eckhardt demonstrates fingerprint dusting for her Forensic Science class. Photo by Ashlee Kivell Forensics has always appealed to forensic science is, as opposed to many scientific techniques used in Eckhardt “because of the diversity what they see on TV… I pitched criminal investigations. The class of science involved” and “because [it] to my colleagues and manager has learned how to analyze blood it uses science to solve a puzzle.” Doug Rapley. Doug was on board patterns, dust for fingerprints, colThe Forensic Science course, immediately and saw the potential lect and photograph evidence and new to the college this year, began for the class,” Eckhardt said. “My differentiate between human and as a simple idea Eckhardt devel- role was complete creative control animal hair. In the last few months, in designing the class, so for better retired detectives, firearms examoped and ran with. iners and the regional supervising “I knew that students would be or worse, it is my baby.” The class exposes students to coroner for Southern Ontario have interested in learning what real

visited the students and spoken in depth about their jobs. “I think it’s really interesting, having someone in the forensic field come in and teach us and mould us into something,” said Becky Ruttan, of the Pre-Media program. The dynamic appeal of the class has attracted people from many programs including Police Foundations, Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film and General Arts and Sciences. One characteristic many in the course have in common is their habit of watching TV shows such as CSI and Dexter. Though entertaining, these shows, they now know, can mislead the audience about forensic investigations. “Real forensic science isn’t nearly as glamorous as on TV,” Eckhardt explains. “This semester we had a world-renowned blood spatter analyst come and speak to the class. He was quick to pull out a pint of sheep’s blood and put it on the table. He said, ‘On CSI they would use ten times this amount to set up a scene.’ In the near future, Eckhardt hopes to develop the class into a year-long certificate course or a two-year program. “We are in the initial stages of researching a potential biotechnology or forensic science program. There are only a few colleges in Ontario that offer programs or certificates in this area,” said Eckhardt. “I think it is forward thinking and exciting to take it to the next level.”

For cash-strapped students, Christmas is about more than gifts By AMBER GIONET Staff Writer It’s that time of year again. Stores start holding midnight madness sales, mall parking is impossible, and holiday melodies are playing everywhere. Christmas means different things to different people. For those not celebrating the holiday, it’s just another day. For those who do, however, what does it all mean? It’s the time of year when most people are excited about snowfalls, do their Christmas shopping, sing Christmas carols, sit by the fire drinking hot chocolate, and so on. It’s a time for family and friends to gather and make new memories. For students, however, the holiday can mean digging deep into their already half-empty pockets to buy gifts for family members and closest friends. While most students have a part-time job, some have too heavy a workload to have time for a job and must rely solely on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The old adage of being a “poor college student” still holds some truth. With rent and food to pay for, some students barely have the funds to support themselves, let

alone buy gifts. For them, Christmas might mean going without McDonald’s for a few weeks to save extra cash for gifts or for the ride back to their homes to be with family. For most students, however, Christmas means a break from school, a chance to get away from residence or student houses and to go back home to enjoy homemade meals and spend some quality time doing nothing and being with family members. Pat Powers, a first-year student in the Recreation and Leisure Services program, lives in residence. “It means coming together for the only time in one year that everyone sees each other, shares meals, gifts and just basically spending time with loved ones.” He is one of many students returning home for the holidays. For Liz Russell, a first-year student in the Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program, Christmas is a time to spend with family. She says, “It’s the one day out of the year that we can all sit down and have a cordial conversation. We all just feel so connected and it’s like common ground.” Similarly, Emily Cummings, a first-year Early Childhood Educa-

tion program student, also plans to go home for the Christmas break. “Christmas is a very happy and joyous time. I get to see my family and share lots of memories with them. All the lights, singing and fun times with people I love is the best part of Christmas.” While some people hate the Christmas season because the stores are packed with shoppers from mid-November until Christmas Day, most people get into the holiday spirit by decorating their houses, watching Christmas cartoons and singing along to Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Even for students who live in the area, like Justin Rempel, a first-year student in General Arts and Science, Christmas is still a special time to spend with family. “It’s a time to reunite with who is important to you and a time of family gatherings. It shows care and generosity,” he says. Christmas is a time of cheer, family and, of course, feasts. It’s a time of celebrating and sharing gifts with your loved ones. To students, it may mean a break from school to get away from college life for a while, and for others, just a holiday. Whatever the case may be, the holidays are a time for fun.

A common symbol for Christmas, a shining star, decorates a Christmas tree. Photo by Steve Dyell

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NIAGARA NEWS

Dec. 5, 2008

editorial & opinion Merry XXXmas Everyone

NIAGARA NEWS

So, you see Your Honour, I now understand that mistletoe was inappropriate for the workplace.

Editor: Laura Wikston Associate Editor: Amber Gionet Assistant Editor: Michael Owen Photo Editor: Stephen Dyell

I’d also like to apologize to my friend Sprinkles the Elf. I was out of place.

Acting Publisher: Kim Walker Managing Editor: George Duma Associate Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt Design/Layout Consultant: Peter Conradi Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie, Gary Erb Photography Consultant: Dave Hanuschuk Technology Support: Kevin Romyn

You don’t get to kiss me ...

B2, 300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3 Telephone: (905) 735-2211 Fax: (905) 736-6003 Editorial email: [email protected] Advertising email: [email protected] Acting Publisher’s email: [email protected]

2006 WINNER

Government restricting young drivers lacks reason If you’re a young driver, you can forget about that fun road trip you had planned for the winter break. On Nov. 16, the Ontario government announced proposed legislation prohibiting anyone under the age of 21, even with a class G license, from having a blood alcohol level of any kind, as well as receiving a 30-day license suspension if they are caught speeding. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 will be limited to having one teenager in the vehicle, meaning no more movie nights for you and your friends. While the government already has a graduated licensing system in place, the extra rules and restrictions seem to be the government’s last resort to put a stop to the casualties caused by drinking and driving. Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory has concerns about the new legislation. “We want to protect public safety and have stricter conditions under which young people can drive cars, but we have to be careful of the practicalities of living.” Does anyone else wonder what they were thinking? Is this legislation going to end drinking and driving, or is it simply causing more people to drink and drive themselves home because they aren’t “allowed”

NIAGARA NEWS We want to hear from you Letters to the editor can be directed to:

Editorial

to have a designated driver for numerous people in one car? This new legislation will cause complications for drivers who have gone through the process of getting their G2 and G licenses, and who are now having more restrictions placed on them. The government has been hammering “save the environment” campaigns for some time now, but now carpooling is not allowed. Which is it? If the government passes the legislation, it will have a hard time enforcing it. There have been numerous Facebook groups for youth protesting the legislation. Young Drivers Against New Ontario Laws has about 128, 941 members in its group already. It has various articles, forums, links and descriptions of which laws will be enforced. There are also petitions and links to sending an email to the Premier. While the government has begun to take notice of youth’s action towards stopping the legislation, will protests and groups be enough to stop it from an act of stupidity simply to regain what control they feel they’ve lost? AMBER GIONET [email protected] or Niagara News Room B2 300 Woodlawm Rd. Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3

Christmas packaging going green Consumers and manufacturers must reduce plastic use The Christmas season is one of excess. By the first days of January, even the jolliest souls have hit their limits of goodies, goodwill and family gatherings. Most can’t bear to hear another carol or commercial jingle. However, one obvious excess often goes unnoticed, at least by adults. Children are aware but don’t define it as excessive. The smaller the child, the more involved the child is. The best gift of all for them usually is the wrappings and boxes. The old adage a child will play more with the box the toy came in than the toy itself is based in truth. Anyone who has ever given a gift to a child has jokingly made that observation. Who can blame a kid? No matter how many presents the child receives, there is always more wrapping than toy. Excess packaging is an environmental issue that rarely seems to be addressed. People will cut back on gasoline and water consumption. They’ll turn down the heat and the lights in their homes. Some pointedly shop for local products in an attempt to make a difference.

Editorial

In this current recession they may even cut back on how many gifts they buy. But few stop and look at the mounds of paper, plastic and cardboard that remains when the presentopening frenzy is over. These wrappings do, sometimes, hit recycle bins. People like to do the right thing. What an awful lot of extra waste the packaging creates, though. Most products are overpackaged. They often come with cardboard backing, hard clear plastic covers and cellophane wrapping. Then people wrap all this in Christmas paper. The worst type of gift-wrap is the shiny stuff called Mylar, a plastic product. It delights the eye and spirit when the Christmas tree lights reflect off its metallic colours, but there’s not much beauty in a landfill site where it will remain for many, many years. People should put as much thought into the packaging of the gifts they give as they do to the selection of them.

If all shoppers removed the excess packaging from all the toys and gadgets they buy and left it with the cashier, they would send a clear message to the store manager and manufacturers. Managers would soon grow tired of having to deal with it and the absorbing the expense of discarding it. Ideally, they would send the excess packaging back to the manufacturers. If manufacturers had to deal with the tonnages of excessive packaging returned, perhaps they would stop producing so much. Write, email or call the product manufacturers and tell them to repackage their products in an earth-friendly way. Money talks, and in this “technical” recession, it talks loudly. Manufacturers want your money – they’ll listen. Christmas is a time of goodwill and gift giving. This year, when you’re shopping, don’t forget to put our poor old planet on your list. Give Mother Nature the gift of forethought in the choices you make while shopping for and wrapping presents. LAURA WIKSTON

Letter to the editor Dear Editors: It’s been a few years’ hiatus before now finishing my Mechanical Engineering Technologist’s diploma. Back in 2005, I enjoyed reading the Niagara College newspaper and recently I picked up your Veterans Day (Nov. 7, 2008,

Volume 39, Issue 4) edition. What a terrific read! Many of the articles could easily be found in any regular daily newspaper or major magazine — they’re that good. Years ago when I was at Fanshawe (College in London), that

college newspaper was an embarrassment to the word journalism. At Niagara, everyone can hold their head high on presenting a first-rate college newspaper. Keep it coming. Henry Van Weeren, Hamilton, Ont.

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NIAGARA NEWS

Dec. 5, 2008

on campus

College offers new January start opportunities BY LYNSEY KITCHING Staff Writer A new year offers the opportunity for change. Al Vaughan, director of enrolment and registration here, explained why January Start programs are important for students. “Sometimes, for students who realize halfway through the term that it wasn’t a good fit for them, there are some opportunities to re-start in January.” Eric Silvestri, manager, financial aid and scholarships enrolment and registration services, elaborated. He said that some high school entry-level students who did not make a decision where to attend post-secondary in the fall have the opportunity to start in January. This opportunity also “benefits the school,” he says, adding, “The more students we have the better.” Programs beginning in January run until the end of July, split in two terms. Vaughan explained there are four new programs starting in January: Dental Technician, Occupational Therapist, Civil Engineering and Physiotherapist Assistant. The college is hosting Orientation 2009, with information sessions running Jan. 5 at the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses. Vaughan said the college is expecting to enrol about 600 term one students in January. The college has admitted 55 students who applied as a response to the Ontario government’s new Second Career initiative. Vaughan said, “Although some Second Career students have selected technical programs, many are choosing to take a different direction. In fact, the 55 students have been admitted to 20 different programs covering virtually all areas of study.” Vaughan said that January starts tend to attract an older demographic and a higher proportion are from the Niagara region than fall starts. This is the first year that a February start is offered to students in one program, General Arts and Science. Vaughan said, “This is targeted at students who finish high school at the end of January and want to get a head start on their college education.” The Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program, which fits in with the Winery Technician program, was scheduled to begin in January but the opening has been postponed. “That one we had to delay because the equipment and facilities won’t be ready,” Vaughan explained. It is now scheduled to begin in September 2010. Niagara College is offering 41 programs in January, and five are wait-listed: Early Childhood, Educational Assistant, Law and Security Administration, Police Foundation and Social Service Worker. For more information, visit the college website at www.niagaracollege.ca.

Swirskimite or Encarsia Formosa wasps, a type of biological, are only one milimetre in length. Photo by Michael Owen

Fighting nature with nature By MICHAEL OWEN Staff Writer If you’ve ever thought parasites were nothing but bad for your plants, think again. Biologicals are predatory parasites that eat, kill or otherwise eradicate insects and other parasites that harm crops. Niagara College’s greenhouse is no stranger to this technology, making use of three types of biologicals, the most effective of which is Swirskimite, according to Gary Mason, senior technician. Swirskimite, a brand name for

Encarsia Formosa wasps sold by Koppert Biologicals, are only around one millimetre in length, or just smaller than “half the size of a mosquito,” said Mason. The wasps rid the greenhouse of whitefly by laying eggs in the fly’s larva. Whitefly, or Trialeurodes Vaporariorum, “suck the juices out of leafs, causing them to pucker. They carry viruses that are passed on to plants and will breed out of control,” said Mason. New biologicals can survive in a greenhouse even without insects

to feed on by surviving on plant pollen. This means growers can save not only time that would be spent checking to see if the whiteflies have returned but also money that would be spent on more biologicals. Even new biologicals need replacing as ones inhabiting the greenhouse are removed with the crops or escape out the vents. Although biologicals are not more effective or more cost effective than pesticides, they do reduce the amount of pesticides needed, according to Mason.

This gives them the potential to be an environmentally friendly technology. Koppert Biologicals, the company Niagara College’s greenhouse deals with, is based in the Netherlands and has been in business for 35 years, according to its website. The company was founded by a “pioneer” of biological technology, Jan Koppert, a Dutch cucumber grower. Koppert first began experimenting with predatory mites to control red spider mites in 1967.

Niagara finishes second in marketing competition By JEROD ELLIOTT Staff Writer Niagara College clinched the second place spot for the third year running in the 29th annual Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition (OCMC) 2008 in Niagara Falls on Nov. 17. This was the college’s first chance to host the OCMC, showing colleges from across Ontario the first-class facilities available here. “It was a great privilege to host OCMC this year,” said Beth Pett, coordinator of the Business Administration – Marketing (Co-op) program and “OCMC Planning Diva.” She then said, “Our team did an outstanding job, in spite of the fact that we were so busy planning and hosting that the students did most of their training on their own.” Each of the 15 teams was given marks based on individual presentations involving an introduction, identification of the problem and the strategies to solve the problems. Dan Liska and Paul Gelinas, representing Niagara College, won a gold medal in the Market-

ing Case presentation. The OCMC opened with the traditional Quiz Bowl, hosted by Niagara College Professor Tom Otto, co-ordinator of the Broadcasting – Radio, Television, Film program. Although there was not a representative from Niagara College on the team that won the Quiz Bowl, fourth-place team member and Niagara College Sales and Marketing student Mel Smith set a new points record for one round. Smith not only answered nine out of 10 questions for 90 points but also stole the final question when the other team answered incorrectly for an additional five points. This won an extra point for Niagara College to add to the final tally at the end of the competition. Smith studied for the quiz bowl for one weekend. “There were about 594 definitions. It was a long weekend,” she said. Pett also mentioned the student involvement in the event: “They were a remarkable group of students on the Niagara team, and we are very proud of each and every

Ontario College’s Marketing Competition Awards 1 point in Quiz Bowl: Melanie Smith Gold Medal in Marketing Case: Dan Liska, Paul Gelinas Silver Medal: Marketing Research Case: Lisa Busch, Cassidy Fenton 5th Place in Retail Case: Graham Walker, Cassidy Fenton Silver Medal in Entrepreneurship: Graham Walker, Justin Larsen Bronze Medal for Direct Marketing Case: Dan Liska, Paul Gelinas 5th Place in Integrated Marketing Communications Case: Dan Liska, Justin Larse 2nd Place for Sales Management Case: Graham Walker, Justin Larsen 5th Place, Sales Presentation: Justin Larsen one of them. In fact, all of the 300 student participants from 15 colleges were businesslike and outstanding competitors.” The meet also had help from over 150 volunteers from Niagara Col-

lege and $50,000 in sponsorships from companies such as Yahoo. Niagara College finished second with 47 points, behind Conestoga College with 54 and edging out St. Lawrence with 45 points.

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on campus

Building for the future By MICHAEL OWEN Staff Writer Students are paying $10 million, but they’re not alone. On Nov. 20, Niagara College officially unveiled its master plan to the community and announced the two community cochairs of the Building Futures Campaign. The campaign is meant to raise the $16.5-million community portion of the $50-million master plan, of which the student body has already committed $10 million. “The Building Futures Campaign presents an opportunity for businesses, groups and individuals in our community to join us in an investment in the future prosperity of Niagara,” said Niagara College President Dan Patterson. The campaign will be led by co-chairs Anna Olson and Mark Basciano. Olson is a Welland television star and author. She has several shows on the Food Network, wrote three cookbooks and co-authored two more with her husband Michael Olson, Niagara College chef/professor. They own Olson Food and Bakery in Port Dalhousie and Olson Foods at Ravine in St. David’s. Students, she says, “are faced with big decisions.” “As the economic landscape of Niagara Region changes, Niagara College changes.” Basciano is the owner and

The new design for the front entrance of the Welland campus is represented here in this concept art. The plan was officially unveiled on Nov. 20. Submitted photo president of the Mountainview Each co-chair will be making learning commons and athletic group of companies, which in- individual monetary contributions centre. cludes Mountainview Homes, to the campaign of currently undeThe learning commons will be Mountainview Custom Homes, termined amounts. “like having a family room,” said Mountainview Construction and Neither co-chair has any specific Brekelmans. Mountainview Properties. The targets in the community, but both “It’s important to build and creaward-winning Thorold com- invite all to contribute. ate things, but it’s better to build pany, formed in 1979, is the largStudents will be paying $50 a people,” said Basciano. est homebuilder in the Niagara term for the next five years. “We believe building human region. Heather Brekelmans, Niagara capital is as important as building Basciano said leadership is College Student Administrative financial capital,” said Sean Kenneeded everywhere in these bad Council president, said the $10 nedy, vice-president of student and times, adding, “I want to be a part million given by students will community relations at Niagara of something like that.” fund the learning resource centre, College.

Dental hygiene goes high-tech By CHRIS CARR Staff Writer Out of necessity comes invention. Hence, Schroed-Cam was born. In 2006, dental hygiene professors here needed a more efficient way of showing their students how to give proper dental care. With the human mouth being only so big, students used to have to crowd around the teacher three or four at a time. This process, being very time consuming, wasn’t working. Dental professors needed a solution. Enter Dave Schroeder. Schroeder, 54, is one of two multi-media technicians employed by Niagara College. Two years ago, faced with this problem, dental professors and co-ordinators alike came to Schroeder for a solution. “They needed all the students to see what was going on. They came to me and asked me for a way to project it,” Schroeder says. “[The Schroed-Cam] has been a great asset in our clinical teachings,” says Irene Sebastianelli, Dental Hygiene program co-ordinator. “It’s an essential learning tool, it allows a large number of people to view one demo. It saves time and is very efficient,” says Felicia Tisi, a second-year Dental Hygiene program student. A camera mounted on an old dentist’s chair for mobility, Schroed-Cam was made so profes-

Struggling economy affects OSAP By CORY WILKINS Staff Writer Niagara College students are feeling the pinch. In a time of global economic uncertainty, an economic recession has also affected students of Niagara College. The value of the Canadian dollar has plummeted. Worth US$0.96 in early September, the dollar is now worth about US$0.78, according to Yahoo Inc. Finance. The Canadian dollar had surpassed the U.S. dollar earlier in the year. How do these numbers affect Canadian citizens and, more specifically, Niagara College students? Reports have indicated that fewer students will be receiving Ontario Students Assistance Program (OSAP) next year. Students are reminded to take advantage of available financial opportunities, like bursaries. David Ferguson, 19, a student of the Construction Engineering Technology – Architecture program, says he is feeling the economic pinch. “I am spending less than last year because I have other expenses this year, like living in residence,” said Ferguson. “I have no income right now, either.” The economy’s recession is based on a declining gross domestic product (GDP), consumer spending, the exchange rate and import and export rates. The GDP is the value of all goods produced in a country, in terms of defining total market value. In the past year, Canada’s GDP has decreased, as has consumer spending, among other factors. The rates of inflation and unemployment have both climbed (see factbox). In the United States, the George W. Bush administration signed a $700-billion bailout bill amidst a stock market catastrophe in September. With the holiday season just around corner, it is believed that many consumers will cut back on spending.

ECONOMY FACTBOX Schroed Cam 2.0 helps design teachers project their work on a screen so more students can see. Photo by Chris Carr sors could easily access and use it to teach their students. “I had to do some serious Internet searching for parts … I had to make it versatile,” Schroeder says. When asked how much maintenance is needed on the apparatus since building it Schroeder replied, “Haven’t touched it … My design philosophy is to make it as robust as possible.” Using a Sony Mini-DVD camera, Schroeder designed the camera to record as well as stream over the server to show future students. Utilizing this unique invention, other programs in the college wanted a Schroed-Cam.

The Production - Art and Design Fundamentals program is now the proud owner of Schroed-Cam 2.0. This version is complete with audio hookups so students could hear the teacher without actually being in the same room. Used for capturing the teacher while drawing, Schroed-Cam 2.0 is used on an almost daily basis. Having too many people in a welding booth can be dangerous. With this in mind, Schroeder came up with Schroed-Cam Rev B, a small helmet-mounted camera that welding instructors can wear to show students exactly what they are doing.

“We discussed putting the cam inside the welding booth,” Schroeder says. “However, with the camera in the helmet, there’s no need to adjust the camera in any way. What the teacher sees the students see.” Realizing the potential of these cameras, Niagara College’s marketing and recruitment department has also jumped on board. “They’ve started using them as a selling device for programs,” Schroeder say. These cameras, for their myriad uses, are actually pretty cheap to make. The dental camera took under $1,000 to manufacture.

October 2007 Real GDP: 0.2% (August 2007) Consumer Spending: 0.4% Exchange rate: 1.025% Import rate: 1.2% (2nd quarter) Export rate: 0.6% (2nd quarter) Inflation: 2.4% Interest rates: 6.25% Unemployment: 5.8% October 2008 Real GDP: -0.3% (August 2007) Consumer Spending: -0.3% Exchange rate: 0.844% Import rate: 0.6% (2nd quarter) Export rate: -1.5% (2nd quarter) Inflation: 2.6% Interest rates: 4.0% Unemployment: 6.2% Source: www.canadianeconomy.gc.ca

Dec. 5, 2008

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on campus

Welding joins tech department By MIKE SHEELER Staff Writer The first stage in the college’s plan is underway now that the welding program and its equipment have been moved. The plan relocates the welding program from the Mackenzie building to the technologies building, positioned close to the After Hours pub at the Welland campus. “Overall, this facility will be the premier welding training lab in the province of Ontario,” said Don Gemmell, co-ordinator for the Mechanical and Welding Skills programs. Two large pieces of equipment were slated to be moved Nov. 12, but this move was delayed because of construction complications with the technologies building. A trench for the drainage piping was laid and filled a few days prior to the move, leaving the ground too soft for the lifting equipment to safely pass over. The repositioning of the two units took place Nov. 18. The units are integral to the welding program. The first is a 130-ton capacity hydraulic brake press used in the metal working trades to form various materials to custom shapes. The second is a one half-inch thick by 10-foot long capacity plate shear for straight cutting of various materials. “These two units were purchased in 1983 and previously were used

Welding’s new site

The first step in the process of upgrading the welding program was moving machinery from Mackenzie to the tech building last week. Photo by Mike Sheeler at the Wellandvale campus weld- split between the Technology and ing shop before being transferred Mackenzie buildings until the tranto the Welland campus,” said sition is complete. Gemmell. The moved units will The total cost is unknown. be joined by some new equipment Dollar amounts were not added as well. to the report handed down to the Classes for the program will be department. All this is being done

Map of Niagara College Welland campus depicting the future home of the welding program. Submitted graphic in anticipation of the demolition technology, improved overall lab of the Mackenzie building in the design with flexible training areas, coming years. ability for our students to learn all When all is said and done, the stu- of our main welding processes in dents will have “a superior facility.” one location, as well as separately “Our new facility offers the lat- enclosed grinding and gouging est state-of-the-art air handling rooms,” added Gemmell.

Courtney Sloan, director of student events, and Tyler Hore, director of student life, wrap gifts for the Children’s Christmas party Dec. 6. Photo by Kristin Kaye

Wrapping for the children By KRISTIN KAYE Staff Writer “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?” Those are no longer just words to a popular Christmas song. They are music to a child’s ears. Dec. 6 marks the Student Administrative Council’s (SAC) annual Children’s Christmas party. Held at the Welland campus Student Centre from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., it is open to all Niagara College students from both campuses with children aged 11 and under. Registration was at the SAC offices until Nov. 24, but it was cut short on Nov. 21 because of a maximum capacity. One hundred and ninety-two guests are registered to attend, including parents. This is the first year organizers have had to turn children away. Children’s activities include an hour-long horse-drawn sleigh ride at 11:30, a ring toss, face painting, cookie decorating, colouring, make-your-own rein-

deer candy canes, a visit and a gift from Santa and much more. Jennifer Marasco, Student Centres manager, took her son last year. “I think this is something they should do every year. My son enjoyed the cookies, colouring and sleigh ride the most, and he was comfortable because he knew some of the kids from the daycare centre here.” Kat Drummelsmith, 21, a Social Service Worker program student and former SAC council member, is enthusiastic about the plans. “It’s so much fun for both the staff and the students. Parents get to bring their kids to school, which makes it fun for them, and otherwise some families may not really get a Christmas.” Karen Marasco, administrative co-ordinator for SAC, oversees the whole event. She is pleased with this year’s turnout. “I am so happy with this because, after all, Christmas is for the kids.”

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off campus

Food drive filled all the bags and the bus By LAURA WIKSTON Staff Writer The current recession may have slowed the economy, but it didn’t slow the goodwill shown by a handful of Niagara College students toward local communities. They answered a call for volunteers by helping at the annual Fill the Bus food drive at the Real Canadian Superstore, 411 Louth and Fourth Avenue, in St. Catharines from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 22. Armed with 500 paper bags, the students asked shoppers entering the store to help fill a St. Catharines Transit Commission (SCTC) bus with non-perishable goods by donating a single bag of groceries. The event is organized by Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold in conjunction with SCTC. All the food donated goes to local families in need. Second-year Culinary Management (Co-op) (CM) program student Corey Bourton volunteered his time because “it gets me out in the community and I can see what’s happening,” he said. Mass Noordeen, 21, a third-year Bachelor of Applied Business — Hospitality Operations Management program student, said he volunteered because the drive was for a good cause. “There are lots of needy people. The public loves that we’re doing it. Most of the people who give donate regularly.” Volunteer Brettney Burrell, 19, a first-year Hospitality Management — Hotel and Restaurant program student, agreed. “The public has been happy to help,” she said. Volunteer Steve Persia, 34, a second-year CM program student, said he was impressed with the thought put into the donations. “Some people are using themes when they fill the bags. If they buy pancake mix, they buy the right

Steve Persia, 34, a second-year Culinary Management student, and Corey Bourton, 19, a first-year Culinary Management student, helped with the Fill the Bus food drive held at the Real Canadian Superstore in St. Catharines Nov. 22. Photo by Laura Wikston amount of syrup to go with it. If they buy baby stuff, it’s not just one thing. There is Pablum and formula and diapers.” The response from the public was so positive the original 500 bags

were filled by 1 p.m. The students rounded up more bags to continue the drive. Penny, a shopper who would give only her first name, said it was great to see such a good pub-

lic response. She said she once needed to rely on public goodwill while living in northern Ontario. “It’s not fun having to resort to going to a food bank,” she admitted.

Dave Finn has been a SCTC bus driver for 20 years. He donated a full shift to manning the bus for the third year in a row. “I like to see the bus get filled with food because it makes me feel like we’ve all accomplished something. Even though we’re in a recession, this year’s donations are the most I’ve ever seen,” Finn said. Phil Porter, the marketing and customer service supervisor for SCTC, helped organize the event. He said the SCTC had a bus parked at Zehrs at Fairview Mall with student volunteers from Brock University and another parked at Sobeys at Niagara and Scott streets with volunteers from Holy Cross School in St. Catharines. “Niagara College is the No. 1 bus this year, though,” put in Persia as he loaded more bags onto the bus. “So far we’ve gotten the most donations.” Nancy McIntosh appreciates the many donations. She is the fund development officer for Community Care. “Last year at Christmas we had 6,900 families in need registered at Community Care. Because of the recession, we expect the numbers to be much higher this year,” McIntosh said. Another Fill the Bus food drive will be held Dec. 12 in conjunction with local radio station CKTB. It will be broadcasting live in front of the building at 12 Yates St., in St. Catharines. Donations can be dropped off there during the day of the drive. Donations can also be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at Community Care at 12 North St. in St. Catharines and at 19 Albert St. in Thorold. Community Care also accepts cash donations.

Comedians raise money for kidney dialysis centre The new centre being built in Niagara Falls will benefit 10,000 Ontarians suffering from kidney failure By STEPHEN DYELL Staff Writer Many say laughter is the best medicine. In this case, it is. The Niagara Falls Comedy Fest held a Komedy for Kidneys Benefit Show at the Greg Frewin Theatre Nov. 20. “The evening was a great success! Over 500 people attended some from as far as Moncton, NB. While we don’t have a firm number yet, we can safely say that the Niagara Falls Comedy Fest raised over $6,000 towards the construction of a new kidney dialysis centre in Niagara Falls,” organizer Dino Fazio stated. The centre in Niagara Falls will benefit the 10,000 Ontarians affected by kidney failure. That total is increasing between 10 and 15 per cent every year, making this centre very important to the Niagara region. “Just as important, we raised awareness of the issue, got people to sign their organ donor

Submitted photo cards, and made people laugh at a time when we can all use a good laugh,” Fazio said. It even affects those who performed. Funny man Mark Matthews, who has performed with such names as comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Gilbert Gottfried and

Jimmy Walker, recently had a kidney transplant. Matthews is one of the lucky ones; currently 1,100 Ontarians are on a waiting list for a new kidney. Matthews is not unfamiliar to charity fundraising efforts as he is a spokesperson for the Jim Hughes Charity, a local organization that has raised almost $100,000 to help people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. East Coast native Rodney Pentland has been featured on The Comedy Network, Comedy at Club 54, Kenny vs. Spenny, Brave New Waves and the Buzz. He was born in New Brunswick but moved to Niagara Falls as a child. Though he’s a comedian most nights, he spends four days a week receiving kidney dialysis treatment. Nikki Payne is a three-time Canadian Comedy Awards winner, has been nominated for two Gemini Awards and is a regular

on Much Music’s Video on Trial. Payne is also familiar with the effects of the condition because her father was diagnosed with kidney failure. Known for her speech impediment, Payne proved she is generous, donating a kidney to her father. The show also featured Marc Sinodinos, who has won such awards as the 2005 Canadian College Comedy Award and the 2006 CBC Radio Comedy Champion. All four helped in a battle that people are consistently losing but this centre brings hope to those just finding out about their kidney failure. Causes of kidney failure are diabetes, glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the tiny filters in the kidney) and high blood pressure. For more information on kidney disease and how you can help in the battle, visit http:// www.kidney.on.ca/english.html.

Did you know? At present there are over 10,000 Ontarians being treated for chronic kidney failure. • 20% of dialysis patients are awaiting transplantation. • 40% have had a transplant. • The average cost for one year of dialysis is $60,000 per person. • Left untreated, kidney failure inevitably leads to death within days or weeks. • The number of new patients increases by 10% to15% per year. • Over half of new patients starting dialysis are 65 years of age or older. • Kidney transplants were performed in Ontario in 2006; 221 were living donations. • Over 1,100 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in Ontario. Courtesy of http://www.kidney.on.ca/english.html

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off campus

Soy, you’re going vegetarian this year By AMBER GIONET Staff Writer Going green is a choice some people live by. Vegetarians live without eating any meat. Some, called vegans, don’t eat any animal byproducts. Vegetarians and vegans must take care of themselves carefully to stay healthy. Most suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency (responsible for metabolism and formation of blood cells) and are advised by health experts to take supplements. They also usually take iron and protein supplements because their bodies don’t get these vitamins through meat, as most people do. Tyler Stockton, a first-year student in the Child and Youth Worker program, has been a vegetarian for almost nine years. He became one after a Christmas dinner and believes most people waste meat during this holiday. “I saw no reason in the turkey having to die for us if we weren’t going to eat all of it.” While he says that his doctor was surprised at his lifestyle choice, he explains the only worry was supplying him with enough protein. He does not take supplements. Being a vegetarian isn’t always easy, especially when your friends don’t follow the same food choices. Stockton explains that it occasionally has a negative effect in his social life. “When everyone wanted to go

‘I decided it’s

wrong for us to eat these creatures that have feelings and create families.’ — Jasmine Gaundrealut

Fresh vegetables available for the public can be found at most grocery stores. Photo by Amber Gionet out for wings, I’d have to skip dinner.” He says that, aside from some social problems, being a vegetarian is easy for him. Unlike Stockton, Jasmine Gaudreault, a second-year student in

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the Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program, became a vegetarian after watching an informational video from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “There weren’t too many moments where I wasn’t crying. I decided it’s wrong for us to eat these creatures that have feelings and create families,” she explains. She adds that being a vegetarian was one of the most “eye-opening” experiences of her life, and she has changed to stay away from products that test on animals or are made from animals. Gaudreault is an active PETA member and made a stand here about a year ago with a friend handing out stickers and leaflets to try to bring awareness to the students. Like Stockton, she does not take supplements. Many vegetarians and vegans choose this lifestyle because they feel animals should be treated as living creatures should be treated. Most believe that animals should not be tortured and killed for our beauty products, food, clothing and human entertainment. Some students, such as Megan Demers, a former General Arts and Science student and a vegan for seven years, started off as a vegetarian, and then made the gradual step towards becoming a vegan. She believes being a vegetarian or vegan can ultimately be healthier if it is done properly. “You are able to get proper nutrients with the diet and not have to worry about the things that are injected into animals.” She also says her allergies and asthma have improved since she became a vegan. Demers attends rallies and green events and tries to make other people aware of animal rights. She does not buy clothes made with fur, leather or silk and does not purchase anything that’s been

tested on animals. Jennifer Stewart, a student in the Culinary Management Apprenticeship program (CMAP) at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus, has been a vegetarian for four years, and believes it is “morally” wrong to kill animals just for food. She says, “If I’d die from not eating them, I’d at least think about it.” Stewart also believes that if done properly, being a vegetarian or vegan can be a more healthful lifestyle, although she doesn’t take supplements. She says she doesn’t find it hard to shop for items because grocery stores now carry artificial meats regularly. “They taste really good, are loaded with vitamins and add a lot of new ideas to the menu.” While being in CMAP allows her to gain

new menu ideas, she finds it has changed her outlook on how she cooks things and how she tastes her food. Both Stewart and Demers said they felt safer in their choice not to eat meat during and after the Maple Leaf scare occurred. They both feel that they are safe from any diseases or infections that meat has caused over the years, such as listeriosis with Maple Leaf and mad cow disease with beef. According to a pamphlet by Vegan Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing animal suffering by promoting informed, ethical eating given out at the beginning of the school year, most animals are still alive after they go through many of the slaughter processes. The pamphlet shows graphic images and statistics on how animals are treated before they are served on dinner plates. These are the reasons most people turn to a lifestyle of vegetables, artificial meats and soy products. The pamphlet also shows photos and ideas of what sorts of foods vegans/vegetarians can eat. Any recipe can be converted into one suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Both the pamphlet and the website give examples of menu ideas. The Vegan Outreach website has more information and links to becoming vegan or vegetarian and can be found at www.veganoutreach.org.

Zehrs offers a selection of vegetarian friendly products. Photo by Amber Gionet

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OFF CAMPUS

First native in cabinet raises many questions By RACHEL SCAPILLATI Staff Writer The appointment of Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has been raising questions about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s motives in his 2008 cabinet shuffle. “Aglukkaq in the cabinet might be a way Harper is trying to keep the native people quiet, and only time will tell if Leona actually gets to have a voice,” said Karen Piccirillo, student adviser in the First Nations Student Services office, at the Welland campus. Criticism from many media outlets asserts Harper is appointing inexperienced cabinet ministers, who are members of minorities, for the sake of being “politically correct.” This same tactic was used in the U.S. election after Senator John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Others argue the appointment of Aglukkaq, the first Inuk in Canadian history to be invited to the cabinet, may buffer the relations between government and Aboriginal Peoples. “I think that if Harper has decided to put an aboriginal into cabinet with the intent to solve some of the disputes … native people would be more at ease,” Piccirillo said. “I hope it helps with aboriginalgovernment relations, but I am not sure what one aboriginal is going to be able to do.” Walt Goffin, co-ordinator of the Child and Youth Worker program at the college’s Welland campus, concurred. “I think it was absolutely a positive move,” Goffin said. “The native issues in Canada are a more global problem, though. We can’t hold one person responsible for fixing relations between the government and aboriginals.” Lately, relations between the federal government and aboriginal people have been tense as a result of the conflicts in Caledonia and nearby native reserve areas. Century-old land disputes have been creating turmoil with the government and certain native reserves. “Harper’s appointing a female native into cabinet is, of course, a strategic move,” Piccirillo said. “Everything in politics is.” Goffin also held a similar attitude towards Harper’s politics. “It is interesting to note that by 2008 [Canada] has never had a native in that position yet,” he said. “She’s going to have to prove herself.” While many of the media’s speculations revolve around Harper appointing MPs with small portfolios, Piccirillo stated Aglukkaq’s “inexperience” is “trivial.” “You gain experience by getting experience,” Piccirillo said. “She’s young and that’s getting a great fresh outlook on the problems we’re facing every day. Being an aboriginal female seems to be the only thing the media can complain about.”

A Noah’s Ark display at the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls.

Photo by Phillip Boldt

Lights sparkle in the Falls The Winter Festival of Lights take over Niagara Falls annually from 1983 to today BY LYNSEY KITCHING Staff Writer It’s the holiday season, especially with the colourful glow radiating from the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls. This year the festival opened with a bang Nov. 8 in an elaborate fireworks display exploding over one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Winter Festival of Lights was created in 1983 and continues to draw visitors with its enchanting displays, concerts and events. It has grown tremendously in attendance, drawing about 1.3 million visitors and about 1,000 motor coaches travelling to the falls from far and wide. The 2007 statistics given by the

festival’s website explain that 41 per cent of visitors are from the Niagara region, 33 per cent are from the greater Toronto area and 12 per cent are international visitors. Kevin Malarek, 28, from Burlington, Ont., made the trek to Niagara Falls to attend the festival for the first time. “The drive along the Niagara Parkway was a sheer delight. I look forward to getting back to see what new illuminations will light the street next year.” According to the Dufferin Island 2007 Visitors Exit Survey, 97 per cent of visitors said they would return to the festival and 67 per cent were already repeat light gazers. A large contributor to the festival’s success was the agreement

between the Festival of Lights and Disney Canada, in 1992. The Enchantment of Disney display in Queen Victoria Park quickly became the most recognized and visited of displays. The festival has a major economic impact on Niagara Falls, extending the tourist season into the winter months and creating employment for many local residents. According to the 2003 Festivals and Events Ontario Economic Impact Survey, the Winter Festival of Lights had the most significant economic impact of all the festivals in Ontario, grossing more than $60 million. There is no admission fee, but donations are accepted. The new additions to the festival

this year are the Disney’s Fairies Display and the Pilgrimage to Mecca display. Jennifer Booth, 26, from Niagara Falls, said, “I come every year. My grandma used to bring me when I was a little girl. The displays haven’t changed much from when I was younger, but they’re still pretty cool, and visiting is more about the tradition for me.” With 78 per cent of the visitors being between the ages of 25 and 59, those who visited the festival as a child or parent continue the winter tradition of cruising through the mist along the falls at 10 kilometres per hour, eyes aglow with the glitter from more than three million sparkling trees and ground lights and more than 120 lighting displays.

In the Soil celebrates homegrown artists By CARLY SNIDER Staff Writer Lots of things grow in Niagara, including art. In the Soil will run April 17 to April 24, featuring Niagara’s homegrown artists and artwork. “We want to celebrate the art in Niagara with the people who create it and are inspired by it as well,” said Joe Lapinski, co-founder of the festival. Brock University’s Centre for the Arts in St. Catharines used to host a music-based festival called Niagara Weave, which Lapinski and In the Soil co-founders Annie Wilson, Sara Palmieri and Jordy Yack are hoping to restart. Lapinski and Wilson planted the

idea of the revival with Palmieri. “Originally, it was going to be music-based, but it quickly grew to all the arts,” said Lapinski. The festival will showcase artists from Niagara and those whose works feature the region. There will be a different event every day over the course of In the Soil, and events will take place in several venues in downtown St. Catharines. Brock University will host the main event at the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. “We really want to focus on the community,” said Lapinski, “and we want to do this by featuring these establishments and organizations.” A call for submission went out Nov. 11 requesting applications

from artists of all types, including performance and visual. A jury will judge and select the applicants based on a specific set of criteria. “[The criteria puts us] in a position that we can make it different each year,” said Lapinski. “It’s exciting in that we don’t know what’s going to happen.” There have been about 200 downloads of the application so far, according to Lapinski. Jury results will be announced March 6. In the Soil is gaining public support through the social networking website Facebook. Meaghan Calder, 24, of St. Catharines, and Jacqueline Stevenson, 23, formerly of St. Catharines and now living in Guelph, both learned about the festival this way. “What captured my interest in In the Soil is the fact that it is a festival showcasing local Niagara talent,” Calder said. “I don’t think a lot of people realize how much our region has to offer, and I really think this will be a great opportu-

JOE LAPINSKI nity to bring all these very talented people together.” For Stevenson, it is a chance to see her home featured in a new way. “I would like to go this event to discover the works of artists who are new to me,” Stevenson said. “An event like this seems like a good way to encourage new and young artists in Niagara as well as bring back people who were born in Niagara but left some time ago.” The deadline for submissions for In the Soil is Jan. 30. Applications and more information can be found at www.inthesoil.on.ca.

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Dec. 5, 2008

arts & entertainment

By CHRIS CARR Staff Writer I feel it’s unfair of me to review Guns N’ Roses’ (GnR) album Chinese Democracy in today’s social climate. If the album had been released in 1998, this review would be completely different. However, much to the chagrin of many GnR fans like me, it hit shelves Nov. 28, 15 years after the band’s last album. In an effort to bridge the time gap between when the album should have come out and when it did, I’m going to review the album not only in the present day’s musical melting pot of 2008 but also in the post-grunge pop-cycle of 1998. 1998: With a Democrat in the Oval Office, North America is smack dab in an era of pop music and the rise of boy bands. The Backstreet Boys are huge right now, and N*Sync and even Boys 2 Men have chart toppers. Life is good in the magical, carefree, ditzy world of pop music. As someone who hates pop music I am having a bad time. I’m sick of boy bands, and teen queens ruling the airwaves. If I have to hear another song by Aqua, I’m afraid of what I’ll do. My salvation comes in a man named Axl Rose and his new (Slash-free) Guns N’ Roses. However, this new album seems to be an uphill battle for Rose. It’s as if Justin Timberlake split from N*sync and went solo. Some things are just not meant to be. 2008: With a Democrat soon to be in the Oval Office, North America is experiencing a resurgence in rock. Well, kind of. At the beginning of the millennium, music listeners were recovering from the pop bubble bursting (I think it happened when Britney stopped being a virgin) and now, in 2008, it seems as though rock ‘n’ roll is in full swing again. With bands like Nickelback, Hinder and The Killers, their brand of generic rock ‘n’ roll is the industry standard that, I for one, am sick of. What happened to the rock stars? I am in need of a healthy dose of some kick-ass arena rock ‘n’ roll.

My salvation comes in a man named Axl Rose and his old (Slashfree) Guns N’ Roses. 1998: The first track, Chinese Democracy, is the title track of the album and it is siiiick. The song starts off with some very cool ambient noises until it is rudely interrupted with lead guitarist Buckethead launching a riff that wakes you up and gets you ready to rock. Rose’s signature scream brings in a chorus that is one of GnR’s catchiest to date. The guitar solo in the song is quite good. It’s not Slash but it’s still very good. 2008: The title track of the album, Chinese Democracy, is actually very short when you take out all the ambient noise and get down to the music. Buckethead, lead guitarist for most of the songs on this album, gives you a taste of what he’s made of with some great riffs and a great guitar solo. Immediately my reaction to his work is that it’s impressive but not good. Slash’s secret to guitar royalty was that he was both good and impressive. I miss Slash. 1998: Shackler’s Revenge is the next song on the album. In this you can tell Axl is trying to get away from anything remotely like 1993’s The Spaghetti Incident. With poppy drums and some industrial guitar work, this song seems to signify the future of the band. 2008: Shackler’s Revenge (first released on Rock Band 2) is a mix of Marilyn Manson, Franz Ferdinand and crap. With monster-like guitar tones and danceable drum lines, Rose shows us what we have already seen. It seems he is trying to be current, but current three years ago. 1998: Rose really stretched his songwriting skills on the disc’s fourth song, Street of Dreams. It showcases some great piano work and Rose’s signature timbre. It’s an uplifting song, a lot like this year’s chart topper, My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, but if she were on amphetamines. 2008: This song sounds like a rock opera, but not a good rock opera. It sounds as though all the

Submitted album art

Guns N’ Roses’ democracy 10 years too late

GUNS N’ ROSES 1998

GUNS N’ ROSES 2008

leads would be played by Muppets. Seriously. It’s like they were written by The Count from Sesame Street, but only if he listened to Bob Seger and loved the book Twilight (I’d imagine the Count would). 1998: The fifth song on the album, If the World, brings you out of the comfort zone of conventional GnR rock ‘n’ roll. It starts with a little Spanish guitar mixed with a simple hip-hop beat. With a soaring string section, some slight wah-wah work from guitarist Robin Finck and cool new bass sounds, this song is pretty original. The addition of hip-hop elements really shows that Rose is staying current. Although a little ballady at times, the song is pretty good. However, asking Rose not to write ballads is like asking Blink 180 not to write songs about their genitals. 2008: So when did Santana join GnR? However, Santana will play with anyone these days

(Chad Krueger and that guy from Matchbox 20), even he wouldn’t touch this train wreck called If the World. This song has a weird kind of sexy Spanish hip-hop feel that I call “Black Magic woman turning tricks.” And on drums? A blinking red light, or a least, it sounds like a drum machine. The addition of hip-hop style drums would have been cool when hip-hop itself was cool, oh I don’t know, maybe 10 years ago? 1998: Scraped, the eighth song on the album, starts with Rose showing off his … uh … gift? Endless tracks of the patented Rose roar over each other start this song. Great, dirty guitar work accent lyrics that reflect Rose’s station in life as a very rich man. Sometimes I think Rose could be cooler, but only if he got corn-rows. 2008: In true GnR fashion, the first time I heard the song Scraped, I had my stereo already up to 11

when Rose’s unrelenting vocals stormed my living room like the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. Chaos, anarchy and Satan himself came out of those speakers for the first 16 of the song seconds before the band kicks in. The rest of the song? More of the same, really. 1998: The 13th song on the album, This Is Love, is one of the most heart-felt songs since 1993’s Patience, of the Lies album. You can hear the pain in Rose’s voice as he combines, in true Rose form, piano and wailing electric guitar in a very orchestral way. 2008: Also read: Street of Dreams (Reprise). This would be the song that opens the third act of the Muppet play, with The Count at the keys, weeping. 1998: All-in-all, Chinese Democracy is a great album. I consider it like U2’s POP, which came out last year. It’s the band doing something new that some die-hard fans might not like. When I remember GnR’s past offerings, this album really shows Rose’s growth as a songwriter and his willingness to stay current. So often bands go on past their time and their sound can’t stand the test of time. I’m interested to see what Rose does in the future. I hope he goes back to his heavier roots. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. 2008: A mere 15 years later and Chinese Democracy has been released to the planet (except China, they banned it, funny enough) and I sit brokenhearted. In today’s music world, with bands like Weezer considered past their prime, is there any room for an old rocker’s new beginning? In short, no. In long, nooooooooooooooo. From the first to the last track, every song sounds as if it’s trying to stay current and ring true to the GnR army of fans. Rose should have gone with one or the other and not split the difference because they have ended up with something that isn’t relatable to current and past fans alike. Chinese Democracy should have stayed folklore instead of becoming a punchline. I give it 1 out of 5 stars.

Childhood rock-star dreams really can come true By AMBER BLUE Staff Writer For some people, the rock-star dream ends around the same time as those of becoming a ballerina or astronaut. For Rachelle (who prefers to go only by her first name, as it is her stage name), 22, of St. Catharines, it’s just getting started. Performing from an early age, Rachelle says she has always known she wanted to be a musician. Early performances with her father in church sparked her interest early, and eventually she began singing on her own. She started playing her own shows in high school and has been doing so ever since. “I was singing straight outta the womb,” she says. “We have tapes of me singing before I could really talk.”

Her first performance outside of church, was at a coffee house with a group of people she knew. “I was nervous,” she says. “But it was a new experience and I learned a lot.” The same goes for the first time she recorded in a studio, around her 18th birthday. “I look back on it and I really learned a lot from the whole experience,” she says. “What kid in high school didn’t want to be a rock star?” she says. “For some people it ends there, but when your music starts getting you somewhere you have to take the opportunity to see where it takes you.” Music has always been Rachelle’s career of choice, and she thinks of herself as a musician more than a performer. “Ever since I was a kid, it’s been

Submitted photo something I have had on my heart and that feeling has never left me,” she says. She says that she is not just a performer, because she also writes her own music and says that song-

writing is a great career, that she has already had some success in. Relying heavily on her family as her support system, especially her dad, Rachelle says she plans to take her music career as far as it will go. “It’s not something I want to look back on and wonder ‘what if?’ I’m giving it my best shot, and it’s turning out pretty good so far. We’ll see how far it can take me.” Alanis Morrisette and Michael Buble are two of her biggest influences, and she says that even at the young age of 10, she was “blown away” by Morrisette’s release Jagged Little Pill and still counts it as one of her favourite albums to this day. Among her favourite songs to sing are Lisa Loeb’s Do You Sleep? and emo act Saves The Day’s At Your Funeral, as well as “anything

by Rufus Wainright.” Among her own songs, she favours Unlucky In Love. Rachelle’s music is gaining momentum, and her reach is going beyond the Niagara region. This past summer she played a show at L3 night club in St. Catharines, opening for the Hush Sound and the Cab on the Dance Across the Country tour. Her song Lakeside Drive is being used in an upcoming episode of CityTV show Less Than Kind, and Everything I Know was in an MTV show, Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour, which is available on DVD. She is also filming a show for BiteTV, will have live performances coming soon and an EP to be released “most likely at the very beginning of the new year.” For more information, visit her MySpace page at www.myspace.

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arts & entertainment

All Time Low, all time high By AMBER BLUE Staff Writer With big name producers, major labels and MTV nipping at the members’ heels, All Time Low is poised to become pop-punk’s next big thing. The band, made up of singerguitarist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick and drummer Rian Dawson, all 20, is based out of the suburbs of Baltimore, MD. Although they graduated high school two years ago, they have been touring steadily since the members were able to drive. As they told Alternative Press magazine, they were able to enrol in a work/study program in high school that allowed them to leave school early to rehearse and did their required community service by playing charity shows over the course of four years. By the time graduation came in 2006, they had recorded an EP and a full-length album and inked a deal with Hopeless Records. Tours with label mates Amber Pacific, and other up-and-coming bands in their scene –Cute is What We Aim For, Cobra Starship and Boys Like Girls – had All Time Low’s fan base growing quickly the following two years. They had slots on the Vans Warped Tour and co-headlined the 2008 Alternative Press Tour, a gig that earned them their own cover of the magazine. In a blog posted on the band’s MySpace page in January, Barakat wrote, “The magazine has graced our heroes on the cover

Guitarist Jack Barakat plays at the Kool Haus in Toronto Nov. 23, during one of the last shows of All Time Low’s first full headlining tour. Photo by Amber Blue and, come this spring, we’ll actually be able to have our own.” They appeared on MTV’s nowdefunct video countdown show, Total Request Live, and onFN’MTV, to premier their videos for Dear Maria, Count Me In and Poppin’. In fall of this year, they embarked on their first headlining tour on a national level, bringing friends Mayday Parade, Every Avenue and The Maine along for the ride. “It’s been amazing, very, very cool,” Gaskarth says of the tour. “It’s cool that kids actually hang around for us.” If the band members are at all fazed by such a quick rise in

popularity, they don’t let it show through. Perched on the edge of the couch on the band’s tour bus, with drummer Dawson stretched out next to him, Gaskarth, who jokes that he gets on average 17 marriage proposals a day (tour manager Matt Flyzik is quick to add that 16 of those come from Dawson) appears just like any other 20-year-old man. His reality is just a little bit more fantastic than most. He says his necessities on tour are his laptop and his iPod (which was stolen during the tour). He is unashamed to admit that his playlist includes the entire Hilary

Duff catalogue and the one song he could listen to over and over is Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. After the appearances on MTV and most recently the release of vinyl toys in the band members’ likenesses, fans on their message boards and online community LiveJournal cried “sell outs” and Gaskarth turned to video blogging to question the actual meaning of the term. At the start of this tour, aptly named the Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour, he posted a video on his MySpace page of a young fan in near hysterics that she couldn’t attend one of the band’s

shows. When it’s brought up, Gaskarth laughs and says, “That pretty much sums up this tour and how we want people to view us.” Putting joking aside, Gaskarth says the toys were something pitched by their label and points out that a large portion of the proceeds will be donated to Toys for Tots. The blogs he posts on MySpace, he says, are a way of giving people a look into his life without actually giving a play-by-play of his day, likening it to voyeurism. “I’m an attention whore,” he says, apparently only half kidding. Later, during a meet-and-greet with VIP fan club members, it is almost hard to distinguish who is in the band and who the fans are (aside from the obvious fact that 20 or so of the people in the room are girls and young women). This is largely because the members of All Time Low have made talking to fans a job requirement. Posing for pictures, signing tickets and giving hugs to virtual strangers is their way of life now, although, Gaskarth says, being in the industry for the past two years has made them all a little more jaded. “It’s just like any [other job],” he explains. “Your expectations change with time. You want to get a raise or a promotion.” Following this tour, the band will get some time off, and then they plan to go into the studio to release the follow-up to their first full-length album for Hopeless, So Wrong It’s Right. The album is expected to drop in summer 2009.

Consumer Alert: Welland music scene is fine By JESSICA MOYSE Staff Writer Various players in the scene called them the hope for the Welland music scene. That was until they broke up in late October. Consumer Alert, formed in late 2006, consisted of Justis Trembley, 18, vocals and guitar, and Ross Miller, 18, formerly on the drums. Changes ensued. Gillian Thomas played bass in the band until late 2007. When she left, Ross replaced her on bass. Ben Pokol, 18, and Jordan Ruttledge, 18, joined the band on guitar and drums respectively. All of the members had early exposure to music. “When I was 13, my stepsister took me to S.C.E.N.E. (Music Festival, in St. Catharines), and that was pretty much what started it because I realized there was a local scene happening,” says Miller. “Watching them play made me want to play, so I started playing guitar. I met these guys in high school and we started trying it together.” When the band formed in 2006, the music was different from what it was when the band ended. “[It started as] really punk rock, really fast, just simple songs about like Glenn Close, just dumb songs that we wrote,” says Trembley. “We had a song about Ross,

and then we just kinda found out that we could actually do something, and not just be a joke. And it kept going from there. Our topics became more relevant to ourselves.” “We kind of started off singing about how we hated school with a more aggressive approach to everything at the beginning, and then at the end we got more [mature],” says Miller. Although Consumer Alert has broken up, the band has re-formed under two new names. Hunters and Anglers consists of Trembley, Miller and Ruttledge. Elk has Trembley on drums and Pokol on bass and has added two new members, Mike Price and Kyle Connelly, both from St. Catharines. When asked why the band chose to break up and reform under new names, Trembley gives a matterof-fact response. “It’s just not Consumer Alert anymore. We wanted to go in a different direction. We were kind of held back by it a little. People saw us as a two-piece punk band and it was hard to get out of that rut while keeping the same name.” Ryan Guay of the Welland band The Street Pharmacy, had positive things to say about Consumer Alert: “It’s unfortunate they broke up. They were the hope for the Welland music scene.”

These four musicians from Welland have a lot of opinions on the Welland music scene, considering they were in it officially for only two years. “For a while, it was awesome. Then it kind of sucked for a bit, and now it’s getting awesome again,” says Pokol. “It’s always been awesome. It just hasn’t always been able to be shown that it was. Like when we had the Lion’s Club, there were always shows happening, there were always people playing every time you would go. After a while, though, it all went away. People were still doing it [making music], but you couldn’t see it because there was nowhere to play. Now it’s slowly getting better again.” “The [music] venues kind of got fed up with kids causing trouble, so one venue would shut down. Drinking has something to do with it because people get out of hand. Venues don’t really want 400 kids running around in the same place they also hold wedding parties, right? So they probably just weren’t the most comfortable with it,” says Trembley, on the reasons for venue closures. The band is grateful to other bands in the scene that helped them get their starts. “We knew the [other musicians] just from growing up here, and by going to shows we just

got to know them [better],” says Trembley. “As we were playing, they started to notice us, and then we just got involved. It was really awesome of them – these people that we look up to – to help us out, bands like Attack in Black and The [Ceremonial] Snips.” “Before [we started playing in a band] there was such a mystery to the whole music scene. How did they manage to do this? How are they writing songs? How are they getting shows? There was just such a mystery that captured our minds. Now, we’re at a point where we know we can just do it, and we know we can get our music out there, and people will enjoy it.” Consumer Alert is well aware of the sense of community in the Welland scene. “The bands that are coming out [in Welland] now, we’re all the same age, and we’re all friends. Bands like Desperate Times, Street Legal, we all just know each other. It’s perfect,” says Trembley. He has had a large hand in promoting shows at the newest Welland music venue, The Rex Hotel on King Street. “There’s been two shows at The Rex now, and they’ve both been to capacity,” says Miller. “It’s just so cool because [The Rex Hotel] is such a big part of

Welland’s history. Anyone’s parents or grandparents know what The Rex is. When I told my grandfather we were playing there, he said, ‘What? Where are you going to play? Where are you going to stand?’ It’s the most unlikely place, and that’s what makes it great,” says Trembley. Overall, Consumer Alert contends the Welland scene isn’t in the shambles people think it is. “It’s not in the best condition, but what’s there is really good,” says Trembley. Are you hungry for more local music news? Check out “Rose City Sounds,” a special Niagara News insert in the mid-January issue of Niagara News.

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sports

Niagara feeds Lambton to the lions Knights put on an impressive offensive show By JOSEPH CASSIDY Staff Writer The Niagara Knights went on a safari for some big game Nov. 28. Their trophy catch? Lambton Lions. The Knights men’s basketball team slaughtered the Lambton Lions of Sarnia, 99-73, in an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) west division match-up at the Welland campus in the Mackenzie building athletic centre. The final score highlighted an impressive performance by the whole team. “I am really relieved,” said Knights head coach Michael Beccaria. “Lambton is a good team and can score lots of points. We really defended well, and that was our goal. All credit for the kids tonight. They really kept their focus. I would give the team a nine out of 10 for their performance.” Niagara was led by centre Anderson St. Valle, the big man was dominant in the low post and led all scorers with 20 points in the game. “We hit the offensive glass really well and attacked [Lambton] with numbers,” said Knights assistant coach Steve Atkin. “Offensively, we played a high-low game, and they couldn’t stop it. Our defensive intensity was phenomenal, and I am really excited about that.” Only five minutes into the game, the Knights took an early lead of 17-4. The Lions fought back to make the score 20-17 with three straight three-point jumpers from guard Farah Mohamed, but that was as

Knights centre Anderson St. Valle, #23, fights for a rebound against Lambton Lions forward Rob Pierce on Nov. 28 in the Mackenzie building in Welland. Photo by Joseph Cassidy close as they would get, and the “Anderson [St. Valle] was playing [Lambton] and beating them to the played hard, and we wanted to Knights rolled to a 56-33 lead by really strong, and they couldn’t boards. Overall, we were just the bury [Lambton] team quick. halftime. stop him.” better team.” That’s what we did, and it was a “We blew them out with good “We were pounding the ball down Knights forward Jeremy Set- great team effort.” defence,” said Knights guard and low,” said Knights forward Anthony timi set the tone with 14 first-half The Knights are 8-1 and sit in defensive specialist Lamar Grant. Douglas. “We were outhustling points. He said, “The team just first place in the OCAA West.

Optimism and motivation key to success for Lady Knights By JOSEPH CASSIDY Staff Writer The Niagara Knights women’s volleyball team beat the Lambton Lions on Nov. 28 in an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) west division match-up at the Mackenzie building athletic centre on the Welland campus. The final scores were 25-12, 25-18 and 25-20. The win is a step in the right direction for a Knights team that endured some early season setbacks. “It felt good to have our first real win,” said Knights forward Sarah Kupsch. “We have had some problems [Knights forfeited three wins because of a former player’s inelibility issue], so it felt good to come together as a team. We are starting to jell as a team and staying motivated.” “It’s great to get a ‘W’ up there, and the girls have worked hard, so they deserve this win. It was a great team effort,” said Knights

head coach Kerby Bentley. “Basically, we are working on a new defence, and the girls blocking was outstanding today. We have to maintain everything because we have some big games coming up.” Knights forward Kerissa Van Amersfoort was the dominant player on the court with eight kills, five digs, four blocks and two aces. “It was awesome and great to win,” said Van Amersfoort. “We played great defence and had a lot of fun.” The Knights have a big game against the Mohawk Mountaineers tonight at 6 p.m. in the Mackenzie building athletic centre.

Women’s Volleyball

Men’s Basketball Fleming Algonquin St. Law. Cambrian Seneca Loyalist La Cite Centennial Georgian Niagara Humber Fanshawe Lambton St. Clair Mohawk Sheridan Algoma Redeemer Sault

Wins 8 8 6 5 4 2 1 1 1 8 7 7 5 5 3 3 2 1 0

Loses 2 1 1 4 6 5 9 7 7 1 2 0 4 4 6 3 6 7 8

Ties 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Algonquin Loyalist Seneca Georgian Durham Trent Cambrian La Cite G.B. Boreal Fleming Humber St.Clair Nipissing Mohawk Fanshawe Redeemer Sault Sheridan Canadore Niagara Lambton

Wins 9 9 7 6 6 5 4 4 3 1 0 10 9 8 6 6 5 4 3 2 1 1

Losses 2 1 3 5 4 4 6 6 6 8 9 0 2 1 3 4 6 5 7 8 10 9

Ties 18 18 14 12 12 10 8 8 6 2 0 20 18 16 12 12 10 8 6 4 2 2

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 Are you finding that your first-term hasn’t gone as well as planned, or your current program doesn’t seem to fit with your latest career goals? If so, you may want to consider

a January “re-start”.

Don’t “power-off” your Niagara College experience without considering all your options. Stop by the Admissions office to explore your opportunities for a successful “re-start” to your career plans.

niagaracollege.ca

A Day in the Life of Niagara College Presented by

NIAGARA NEWS THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF NIAGARA COLLEGE

Niagara College students board the bus in downtown St. Catharines early in the morning, Nov. 12. Photo by Lynsey Kitching

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Welcome to our Day in the Life at Niagara College special pages. Year 2 students in the JournalismPrint program spent Wednesday, Nov. 12, taking photographs at Niagara College, including the campuses in Welland, Niagaraon-the-Lake, Maid of the Mist Centre in Niagara Falls and the Ontario Street facility in St. Catharines. As the title implies, photographers spent from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. capturing the wide variety of activities. Although we included cutlines, we hope the photographs tell the story, in part, of what happens here. We appreciate those who cooperated with us to finish this first-ofits-kind project. As the adage says, a picture is worth a thousand words.

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7 a.m. - 9 a.m. 1. 8: 56 Pat Villella, a maintenance worker, examines one of several boilers in the depths of the Welland campus maintenance department. Photo by Jason Schryer

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2. 8:51 Photonics researcher Curtis Laplant holds up a piece of laser-cut metal. Photo by Jordan Nunziato 3. 7:36 Student Admininstrative Council (SAC) general manager Cindy Blanchard opens the SAC office for the day. Photo by Kristin Kaye 4. 7:49 A maintenance worker saws a pipe for a fitting for one of the bathrooms at the Welland campus. Photo by Jason Schryer

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1. 8:56 First-year Culinary Management students Trevor Shannon, 21, and Chris Comeau, 19, chop vegetables. Photo by Laura Wikston

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2. 8:48 Third-year BRTF student Nate Schmidt books out film equipment. Photo by Jessica Moyse 3. 8:37 Tanya Harvey, a first-year student in the General Arts Exploration program, does homework in the Welland campus cafeteria. Photo by Amber Gionet 4. 8:36 Curtis Laplant chooses equipment in the photonics lab in V12A. Photo by Jordan Nunziato 5. 8:58 Josh Huntly, a second-year Viticulture student, leads the morning meeting with his colleagues behind barrels, at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus. Photo by Michael Owen

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6. 8:43 Fran Moar, who works in the print centre at the Welland campus, looks over her orders in front of a massive expensive printer. Photo by Jason Schryer

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9 a.m. – 10 a.m. 1. 9:01 Kali Alcorn, 21, of the Landscape Technician program warms up her bobcat while Brian Wormald, 19, double-checks her tires. Photo by Mallory Bresolin 2. 9:51 Thomas Summers, first-year Graphic Design Production – Art and Design Fundementals student, works on a design for a class project. Photo By Rachel Scapillati 3. 9:01 Curtis Laplant studies an LCD panel through the microscope Photo By Jordan Nunziato 4. 9:30 Sarah, a second-year Early Childhood Education program student, helps a young lad wash his hands. Photo by Hayley Kennedy 5. 9:56 First-year Hairstyling Techniques program student K.K. Douangmala practices her pin curl techniques on a dummy head. Photo by Carly Snider

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9 a.m. – 10 a.m. 1. 9:40 First-year Viticulture Technician student Amy Dickenson, 19, tests the student-made red wine for clarity. Photo by Michael Owen 2. 9:37 Nick Morocco, 19, a Business Adminisration – Proffesional Golf Management co-op student, takes a swing using the Dead Solid Golf Simulator. Photo By Steve Dyell 3. 9:45 Ashley Rogalsley, a second-year Practical Nursing student, idles during a break from class time at the Ontario Street campus. Photo By Phillip Boldt 4: 9:17 Mike Donnelly, 21, in his first year of the Culinary Management program, sautees some rice, apricots and prunes in the kitchen at the NOTL campus. Photo by Laura Wikston 5: 9 Second-year Fitness and Health Promotion student Marie-Claude Albert rides a stationary bike during a personal fitness test in room M20 of the Mackenzie building at the Welland campus. Photo by Joseph Cassidy

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10 a.m. - 11 a.m. 1. 10:45 Kristy Montgomery, a second-year Early Childhood Education student, plays with children outside. Photo by Hayley Kennedy 2. 10:50 Sean O’Grady, a Horticultural Technician student, and a classmate carry out an experiment in the Greenhouse at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus. Photo by Lynsey Kitching 3. 10:32 Yoni Gaundland of Campus Discs, signs off a purchase in front of the plethora of CDs he has in hopes to sell in his rounds of colleges and universities. (NOTL campus) Photo by Jason Schryer 4. 10:20 Second- year Wine and Viticulture Technician student Chelsey Andrady preps filters for processing red wine at the NOTL campus. Photo by Michael Owen 5. 10:50 Esthetician student Dani Bonin does an interview with BRTF student Mitch Corbett. Photo by Jessica Moyse

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6. 10:12 William Grebenk and Brandon Collison, both of the Police Foundations program, play a round of pool before class. Photo by Kristin Kaye

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11 a.m. - Noon 1. 11:17 View of the NOTL Campus from Taylor Road. Photo by Mallory Bresolin 2. 11:38 Nicole Clement, Hairstyling Techniques student, shows off her new hairstyle. Photo by Carly Snider 3. 11:23 Todd Miller, a second-year Computer Engineering student, chows down on some of the nutritious breakfast the cafeteria offers. Photo by Amber Gionet 4. 11 Emily Hendrikx laughs with group members in the Greenhouse at the campus. Photo by Lynsey Kitching 5. 11:46 Jodie Greaves, Dental Assisting student, works on Stephanie Graveline, also a dental assisting student Photo by Chris Carr 6. 11:35 Students learn on a dummy in the Ontario Street Nursing Lab. Photo by Phillip Boldt 7. 11:45 Public Relations (Graduate Certificate) students, Michael Bright and Nick Macaro prepare a presentation for the next day. Photo by Jerod Elliott

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Noon - 1 p.m. 1. 12:54 Alyssa Micucci, 19, Culinary Management student, checks her Chicken Cordon Bleu. Photo by Laura Wikston 2. 12 Jordan Wakulich, Electrical Engineering Technician student, works out in the weight room at the Mackenzie building at the Welland campus. Photo by Joseph Cassidy 3. 12:02 Hairstyling Techniques students (from left) KK Douangmala, Yu Nakano and Zsanett Szambo use their spare time to practice styling techniques. Photo by Carly Snider 4. 12:15 Landscape Technician student, Alexandra Johnson, 28, tags nameplates on trees outside the greenhouse at the NOTL campus. Photo by Mallory Bresolin

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1 p.m. - 2 p.m. 1. 1:50 Felicia Tisi, first-year Dental Hygiene student at the Welland campus, gets her teeth cleaned by a classmate. Photo by Chris Carr 2. 1:09 Zac Sara, 22, second-year student in the Culinary Management program at NOTL, just finished class for the day. Photo by Laura Wikston 3. 1:49 Corey Murray points the camera on set for The Chance at Merritt Island in Welland. Photo by Jessica Moyse 4. 1 Jessica Burns and Katie Lapointe enjoy their pizza lunch at the NOTL campus. Photo by Lynsey Kitching 5. 1:11 Victoria Brosseau, 19, first-year Culinary Management student at NOTL, cleans up after class. Photo by Laura Wikston 6. 1:40 Pregnancy is demonstrated in the Registered Practical Nursing class at the Ontario Street Campus in St. Catharines. Photo by Phillip Boldt

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2 p.m. - 3 p.m. 1. 2:30 Cody Forest, a first-year Pre-Media and Design student, works out in the weight room in the Mackenzie building on the Welland campus. Photo by Joseph Cassidy 2. 2:39 Caitlin Petti, a first-year Dental Hygiene student, smiles for the camera. Photo by Chris Carr 3. 2:02 Tim Symons directs actors for The Chance. Photo by Jessica Moyse 4. 2:28 Hairstyling Techniques student Natasha Avramovic practises a scalp massage on fellow student Brittany Trommelen. Photo by Carly Snider 5. 2:11 The final Baco grape delivery arrives at the NOTL campus Photo by Michael Owen

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3 p.m. - 4 p.m. 1. 3:05 Hairstyling Techniques Program Co-ordinator Pat Spano styles Instructor Patricia Dobbs’s hair after a scalp massage. Photo By Carly Snider 2. 3:15 Law and Security Program student Scott Spence, 22, and Vice President Communications Curtis Blanchard hang out at After Hours. Photo by Kristin Kaye 3. 3:15 Practising dummies await from the Registered Practical Nursing course. Photo by Philip Boldt 4. 3:20 Eve Mezzavilla, a Hairstyling Techniques program student, takes out pin curls at the end of the day. Photo by Carly Snider 5. 3:51 Calla Dewdney chooses to ride her bike to and from the campus ... sometimes wondering why, especially when it’s cold. Photo by Lynsey Kitching

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5 p.m. -10 p.m. 1. 9:03 Niagara Knights men’s volleyball players Nathan Beach (7) and T.J. Braithwaite (8) grimace as they go up for a block against Fanshawe College. Photo by Joseph Cassidy 2. 7:59 Niagara Knights women’s volleyball forward Cassandra Musungayi spikes the volleyball past the Fanshawe College opponents. Photo by Joseph Cassidy 3. 7:40 Rebecca Knoll, 24, Stephanie Morrison, 22, Abbie Lymburner, 20, in a continuing education Sign Language class. Photo by Jerod Elliott 4. 5 Ashley Rogalsky and Nicole West rush back to their class. Photo by Phillip Boldt 5. 6:40 Jeremy Kiers, 25, and Susan LaPlante, 28, take photos for their continuing education Introduction to Photography class. Photo by Jerod Elliott

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sports

Players tested by new policy By CORY WILKINS Staff Writer The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) completed the final phase of its new drug policy last month. Random tests have been conducted by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, in Ottawa. Eric Wellwood, 18, of the Windsor Spitfires, spoke about the new policy. “I think it is a good idea for the league to enforce it, but I don’t know if it is necessary.” Like the National Hockey League’s anti-doping policy, no testing will take place during the off-season. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) created the policy in the hope it would work for all three of its leagues: the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Western Hockey League (WHL) and the OHL. David Branch, CHL president and OHL commissioner, said the policy was implemented to educate league players about performanceenhancing drugs. “We’re not doing this to try and catch young men,” said Branch. League players also completed anti-doping online training. “I would never touch performance-enhancing drugs, but maybe it would have other players change how they thought about it,” said Wellwood. The QMJHL implemented a drug plan four years ago and has had one of 150 tests returned as positive. Any player testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs will face an eight-game suspension for the first offence, 25-game suspension for the second offence and a two-year ban for the third offence. The CHL would like to have its three leagues playing under the same drug policy when the leagues meet at the Memorial Cup in May. There are about 1,200 players on 60 teams in the three CHL leagues.

Travelling football extravaganza By STEPHEN DYELL Staff Writer History is being made in Canada and the United States as the National Football League (NFL) plays its first game north of the border. It’s between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins Sunday. Both teams have surprised fans this year, and both are looking to move into playoff contention for the first time in many years. The NFL has played games in Mexico City in 2005 and in London, England in 2007, which featured the Dolphins, and again 2008. Canadian media mogul Ted Rogers bought the game from the Bills for a large $9.75 million. That came to a total of $78 million for five regular season games and three pre-season games. Because of the high price for the rights, ticket prices for the Toronto contest were through the roof. Home game ticket prices in Buffalo, N.Y., range from $38 to $300 while tickets in Toronto are going from $55 way up in the back to a nice $300 by the end zone. On eBay, prices have doubled because of the limited ticket sales to the general public and a total of only 54,000 seats. Some people are spending over $1,000. Fans are on the fence when it comes to the game in Toronto because many see it as historic while others see it as a huge moneymaking scheme. “I would love to go see the Bills in Toronto. It is a great opportunity to be in attendance of the first NFL game to take place on Canadian soil, and I would get to be a part of the already-rich NFL history,” said Ben Kuzmaski, a first-year Bachelor of Applied Business — International Commerce student. “I am not going to the game, and the only way I will is if I get free tickets,” Matt Spencer, a graduate of the Broadcasting — Radio, TV and Film program stated. “I am entirely against the Bills playing in Toronto because, much like any Toronto sports franchise, the tickets are entirely overpriced and aimed at the corporate dollar. Ted

The Rogers Centre will host the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins in the first National Football League game played in Canada. Submitted Photo Rogers is a smart businessman proud to represent his country. Trent Edwards, who had a great and is simply doing this to make “Just being a part of this team start to the year but suffered a money. There is no interest for him is an accomplishment, but being concussion. His production has to benefit the common sports fan, a Canadian playing in Canada is noticeably dropped. On defence, which is what a real Bills fan is.” definitely an added bonus for me,” linebacker Paul Posluszny has Besides the high ticket prices, the Mace said. been leading the team in tackles in experience is a once-in-a-lifetime Many see this game as a step just his second year. He looks to opportunity. toward bringing an NFL team to stop running back Ronnie Brown, “We had the pre-season game up Canada permanently as Toronto who is having a career year under there, which was a good turnout,” is showcasing it has the facility Coach Tony Sparano. said defensive lineman Corey and fan capability to carry an Pre-game celebrations will take Mace, of the Buffalo Bills. “It was NFL franchise. However, with the place all over Toronto, but there an accomplishment for myself, and current financial crisis, the hor- will be only one tailgate party bethe same thing now that it’s in the rible American dollar value and the cause of Ontario’s ban on tailgating. regular season. It’s an important thousands of fans who wouldn’t The Budweiser Tailgate Party will game for us. I mean, a lot of games want the Bills to leave Buffalo, it feature musical acts such as Flutie are important now, with our record, seems like a long shot. Brothers Band, Otis Day and the but especially being a division and The Bills played in Toronto this Knights and the Syracuse Univera conference game.” year in a pre-season game against sity Marching Band. Mace, who was born and raised Hines Ward and the Pittsburgh Other events include the Ontario in Port Moody, B.C., stands 6’3” Steelers on Aug. 14. Buffalo came Federation of Secondary School and weighs nearly 300 pounds. out on top 24-21. Athletics bowl games, in which high Mace went to Wyoming and is one “The Bills in Toronto games schools all over Ontario compete for of the few Canadians from either are just for glorified ‘fair-weather’ a championship. The two best high team playing in Toronto. He also football fans who jump on the schools in Niagara will compete for has a connection to the Canadian bandwagon, but where are they the Golden Horseshoe Bowl. Football League as his rights are when the team goes 3-13?” SpenIf you are a fan of the Bills, or held by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats cer asked. “This season I went to just a fan of Canadian history, the although he has never played a Miami to see the Bills. I will not go Rogers Centre will be rocking with game for them. Mace also won’t to Toronto, even though it’s in my fans whose pockets will be lighter be on the field Dec. 7 as he is on backyard.” but enjoying an American pastime the Bills practise squad, but he is The Bills are led by quarterback in Canada’s backyard.

Top male athlete plans for future carpentry career Farmboy’s flourishes on court could lead his team to victory this year

Regier launches himself into the air to bury a spike. Photo by Joseph Cassidy

By JOSEPH CASSIDY Staff Writer In a few years, Stephen Regier will be hammering spikes into wood, but for now he is spiking volleyballs in the gym at Niagara College. Regier, 20, is a second-year General Arts and Science program student and power-hitter on the Niagara Knights men’s volleyball team. He is also the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) rookie of the year in volleyball and the Niagara College Male Athlete of the Year for 2007-2008. Regier’s choice of which college to attend was a no-brainer. “My older brother Rick played here two years ago, and I came to a few practices. The coach said, ‘I

want you on the team,’ so I just followed my brother’s footsteps.” Regier comes from a farming background and a big family. He has six siblings who grew up with him on the family’s 61-hectare farm in Zurich, Ont., and volleyball has been part of his life since he was young. “I have been playing volleyball a long time,” said Regier. “I started back in grade school and always played with my older brothers.” Why volleyball, when there are so many sports for a young athlete? “Volleyball is so intense. I love the head game part. If you screw up once, you can’t screw up twice or you will lose the game.” The Knights’ games are played in the Mackenzie building gymnasium

in Welland, and Regier’s teammates are all game competitors. “This year my teammates are really friendly. We all get along and have fun but we practice hard. If there is no practice, we go out and have a casual drink.” “Steve is a great leader on and off the court,” said teammate Joel Dykstra. The team has a goal to “put a banner on the wall.” This refers to winning the West Region (OCAA) championship. “Steve is a great guy and is one of our emotional leaders,” said Knights coach Joel Mrak. “He is always fired up and trying to make everyone around him better.” “Regier is just an outstanding team player,” said Niagara College

Athletic Director Ray Sarkis. “He has grown into the role of a captain and works very hard on and off the court.” “The coaches are great and know what they are doing,” said Regier. “They push us and make sure our heads are in the right places.” What do hammering spikes into wood and Regier have in common? “After I am finished playing volleyball, I want to take over my dad’s carpenter business. I will be doing that in hopefully two or three years.” Regier shares a house – about five minutes from the college – with five other roommates. He likes this area and the college. “I love the scenery and everyone is really friendly. This is a really tight community.”

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The mask-art master By STEPHEN DYELL Staff Writer Goaltenders are the brave ones on a hockey team. They stand in a 72 inch by 48 inch mesh home against an opposition who can rifle the puck up to and over 100 kilometres per hour. While the job is dangerous, they might as well look good while doing it. Steve Nash, 40, owner of Eyecandyair, creates and renders the art and designs you see on ice hockey goalie masks. Painted goalie masks are not new to the hockey world. Players began painting them as soon as masks became m a n d a t o r y. From Montreal Canadiens Ken Dryden’s target facemask to Gerry Cheevers’ stitches mask, art has joined hockey in an interesting way. It is a way for a goalie to show off what he or she likes, ranging from tributes to their favourite band, to flag-related masks representing their home country. Masks are like tattoos of the hockey world because they illustrate the personality of a goalie on his face. Nash, who grew up in Shelburne, Ont., had an interest in painting his masks and a love for the arts. Despite having no formal training in airbrushing other than a few high school art classes, he wanted a neat goalie mask for himself, so he gave it a try. “[I] taught myself how to use the

airbrush because I wanted to paint a unique design on my own personal goalie mask,” Nash stated. “It was the first thing I ever airbrushed and it turned out pretty cool. I really enjoyed it, so I kept painting.” That was in 1998, but it wasn’t until 2003 when he opened his Eyecandyair shop to the public. His customers aren’t your average Joes either as he’s done masks for Martin Biron, of the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars’ Stephan Tobias and St. Louis Blues’ Chris Mason. He has also done ones for Conn Smythe Trophy winner Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes and for 2008 All-Star Tim Thomas, of the Boston Bruins. His future National Hockey League list is completed with Minnesota Wild-owned Nolan Schaefer, Fresno Falcons’ Mike Ouzas, Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect James Reimer and Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Jonathan Quick. Nash is humble when it comes to his work. He says he still finds it exciting every time he watches one of his works make it to the pros. “It’s very exciting to get the opportunity to work with these goalies,” Nash said. “It gives me great pride being able to paint on a professional athlete’s mask because they can choose any artist they want to. There are painters all over the world, so I consider myself very lucky.” Stephanie Pasquariello, 34, helps him run the shop in Woodbridge

Goaltender Martin Biron of the National Hockey League’s Philidelphia Flyers wears an Eyecandyair mask. Submitted photo from Daylife.com and feels the same way. “It’s still very surreal, and I get excited every time I see work Steve has done on TV or in magazines. A lot of hard work has gone into this business, so it’s very rewarding to have these goalies come to us and ask us to do work for them. I tend to cheer for the goalies we paint for, so I’m currently supporting Carolina, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas and St. Louis.” Although his work is worn by professionals, Nash is like most artists and never truly happy with his work. “I look at a finished mask and there is always something I think I could have done differently,” Added Nash,“I am my own worst

critic.” Pasquariello, a native of Toronto, vouches for the hard work he puts into his art explaining how he spends “hours upon hours” on one piece of work, then paints over it if he does not feel the mask was up to par. Nash’s favourite masks are ones that included Metallica, Rush and Jimi Hendrix but believes the best ones are those he makes for children because they “light up” once they see the finished product. His work is much like a fingerprint, so you will never find two masks looking the same. Every mask is a custom design. Nash never uses stock patterns. The masks can range in price

from $500 up depending on the difficulty of the design. Each mask is painted using automotive paint and takes up to a week to be completed. Nash enjoys every minute of his work but really he takes nothing for granted. “I realized that I could actually combine my passion for the things I really loved: art and hockey. “I never expected to make a full-time career out of painting masks or that I would one day see my work worn by professional athletes.” The next time you watch a hockey game, keep an eye out fo Nash’s designs because it’s truly the definition of art on ice.

Welland playing host to Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic flame Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay facts •

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The Olympic Torch Relay will visit every province and territory, through more than 1,000 communities. The route is 45,000 kilometres long and will be the longest national Olympic Torch Relay. A total of 12,000 torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame. Each torchbearer will carry it with an individual torch. Each torchbearer will run or walk for approximately 300 metres. Close to 200 community celebrations are planned over the duration of the relay meant to showcase the unique culture and geographic diversity of Canada. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay runs for 106 days. The Olympic Flame will have passed within one hour of more than 90 per cent of the entire Canadian population.

By MIKE SHEELER Staff Writer Share the flame! Welland has been chosen as one of 200 cities to host the Olympic torch on its route to the Vancouver 2010 games. Mayor Damian Goulbourne made the official announcement Nov. 21. “This is a significant honour for the city,” said Goulbourne. The torch passes through Welland, the city where rails and water meet, on Dec. 21, 2009, and brings the eyes of the nation and the world along with it. “As a host city, we will receive national and international exposure as the Olympic Torch makes its way across the country enroute to Vancouver, B.C. This sort of thing only happens once in a lifetime, and I hope it will be an inspiring and memorable moment for our young people,” said Goulbourne.

The mayor was accompanied by representatives of the Niagara Regional Métis Council when he later announced the creation of a task force to plan the torch relay event. The task force will be chaired by Mike Seguin, 2009 president of Club Richelieu, a French-based community club. A contest for children was also announced. The contest involves designing a banner on what the Olympics means to them, as youth. A video from the Vancouver Olympic Committee was played for guests and school children from Empire School after the mayor’s announcements. Coca-Cola and Royal Bank of Canada have signed on as sponsors for the cross-country torch relay and have exclusive rights to the torch bearer program that decides who carries the flame for a portion of the tour.

The partner sponsors will make the selections of torch bearers based on health, community involvement, volunteering and environmental efforts. The opportunity to apply began on Nov. 21, 2008, through the task force. “I encourage local residents, particularly our young people, to submit their name to become an official torchbearer when the Olympic Flame visits our city. This is a once-in-lifetime opportunity that shouldn’t be missed,” said Goulbourne. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay goes for 106 days starting on Oct. 30, 2009, and ends its tour on Feb. 12, 2010 when the flame is lit during the opening ceremonies. For information contact Christine Mintoff, communications assistant for the City of Welland. Call 905 735-1700 ext. 2280 or email Christine.mintoff@welland.

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My sincere best wishes to all students and staff for a safe and joyous holiday season, spent in the warmth of family and friends. I look forward to seeing you in the new year, re-energized and ready for continued success.

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Pat “Rif Raf” Gillet, lead guitar and vocals for the Toronto hip-hop band Down with Webster, gets the crowd going at L3 nightclub in St. Catharines Nov. 27. Photo by Phillip Boldt

Drive Sober campaign begins It’s the season again for the arrive alive DRIVE SOBER® campaign to be working with businesses to “shut out impaired driving.” The Ontario Community Council on Impaired Driving (OCCID) has recruited Toronto Maple Leaf Coach Ron Wilson. Together, they are reminding hosts to “party smart.” During the holiday season, OC-

CID will be distributing about 20,000 home hosting kits across the province with information about the current penalties and prevention strategies. They will also be hosting numerous awareness days and events. Consequences for impaired driving in Ontario include a suspended licence for up to 90 days, loss of regular driving privileges for more

than two years and a conviction cost of $20,000. Both the OCCID and the arrive alive campaign have given out tips on attending and hosting parties over the holiday season. Hosts should be aware that they are responsible for their guest’s actions and behaviour, and party go-ers should be aware that there will be RIDE programs in the city.

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Sports

Women’s volleyball captain a true leader

Niagara Knights women’s volleyball forward Kerissa Van Amersfoort serves the volleyball during a game at the Mackenzie building athletic centre Nov. 12. Photo by Joseph Cassidy

By SARAH WARD Staff Writer Teamwork is key to being successful. Mix it with experience, and victory is inevitable. That is what captain Kerissa Van Amersfoort believes is key to the Niagara Knights women’s volleyball team’s success. “We have an older team with more veterans. The experience is there along with execution. Then we should be successful,” Van Amersfoort says. The team has achievable goals. She is hopeful, as captain, she can lead her team to a national title. “Of course, we want to win nationals. Every team wants to win nationals.” In the end, all Van Amersfoort wants is to do well and keep team spirit up. Leadership skills are key to maintaining effective play and winning. “Always have a positive outlook. Shake off the bad points and always be there for the girls, not only as a captain but as a person they can talk to about anything. That is key to being a good leader and captain,” Van Amersfoort explains.

The Knights are 2-2. “We, of course, want to win and go into every game with that mentality. We have huge potential, so winning shouldn’t be too hard,” Van Amersfoort says. A lot of responsibility has fallen into her lap now. If the team has any problems, it’s Van Amersfoort’s job to help them out and bring back any lost confidence. “The girls know each other very well. We all get along very well.” With the Knights, winning isn’t everything, but it’s what the girls expect to do every game. With Van Amersfoort, expectations to bring home a victory are high. “We shake off the bad points and remember the good ones. That’s one key we use to win,” Van Amersfoort says. Frustration is one word that Van Amersfoort is not familiar with. “We’re never overly disappointed and we easily get rid of frustration.” Also, as a captain, she thinks she should never show her frustration. “It brings down the team momentum.” Van Amersfoort adds, “You’re only as good as your worst player.”

To keep up her players’ momentum, she always encourages them. For home games Van Amersfoort says, “There’s more excitement, more competition and winning.” “Getting the crowd worked up and into the game helps us keep up our level of play. We want to win in front of our home crowd,” Van Amersfoort says. With strength, skills and leadership, Van Amersfoort goes into every game hoping to come out with a victory. As a captain she hopes that her team will listen to her, follow her and learn from her. “All you can do as a captain is be the best you can be. That’s what you hope for your team as well,” Van Amersfoort adds. The team will finish off the year with a home game against Mohawk College Dec. 5 in the Mackenzie building. Early 2009 will bring the Niagara College Big Kahuna Classic, which is Jan. 3-4. Then for the weekend of Jan. 9-10, the Knights will head to Durham College in Oshawa for an invitational tournament.

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Rose City hockey star stays close to roots Daniel Paille carrying a physical presence with Sabres By SARAH WARD Staff Writer The temperature is just above freezing. The huge empty space is silent. Business is as usual in this place, but not to the curious threesome wandering the halls. It’s anything but ordinary today. Out of Canada and into the unfamiliar streets of Buffalo, N.Y., this up-and-coming journalist has never felt like this before. There’s more to pay attention to. The mood here is calm. The seats are empty. It’s like Las Vegas with the huge monitor draping down the centre of the arena, the bright lights illuminating every corner of the HSBC Arena. The priorities are that of routine business for the Buffalo Sabres. Goalies Patrick Lalime and Ryan Miller are warming up before their teammates bomb them with pucks. Slowly but surely players make their way to the ice, each line wearing a different colour signifying the positions. Surprisingly, the players hardly communicate with each other. You can tell the work ethic here is strong. With the Sabres coming off a Nov. 8 loss to the Boston Bruins and a day off Sunday, practice goes a bit longer so the team can take on the St. Louis Blues Nov.12. Welland, Ont. native Daniel Paille is out on the ice in the yellow jersey alongside teammates Maxim Afinogenov and Clarke MacArthur. He glides up and down the ice, pushing past his teammates who, for now, are the opposition. It’s almost second nature to him as he handles the puck like the pro he is. Once the pace of the practice picks up, so does everything else. The players are getting into it more, starting to joke around,

Daniel Paille, No. 20, of the Buffalo Sabres, practises with his teammates at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Nov. 10. Photo by Steve Dyell smile and laugh. Another Niagara boy, Andrew Peters, of St. Catharines, seems to be lightening up, tapping his teammate on the butt with his stick and laughing. We’re finally seeing a team mix business with fun. You can feel the pride of being a Canadian when you see Paille and Peters occasionally skate beside each other. Seeing them here brings out the hometown pride. These Niagara boys have truly made it. Before his National Hockey League (NHL) career began, Paille played for the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League, all the while remembering where he came from. Paille grew up on the east side of Welland. He began high school at Confederation High School, but graduated in Guelph.

Paille recalls his favourite moment of his junior hockey days: “The one I really remember is winning the OHL division championship and making it to the Memorial Cup. We lost, but it was still an awesome experience. Winning felt huge.” “With the Sabres, it’s when I first played against the Florida Panthers and Gary Roberts. That was a memorable moment in my career,” Paille adds. This was Paille’s first NHL game. Paille added that being captain of the Canadian World Juniors was also memorable for him. Paille lives in downtown Buffalo but visits his family home in Welland every chance he gets. “I can go anytime – it’s close – but mainly I try to go on my days off if I’m not tired. I try for once a week, maybe twice a week,”

Daniel Paille, No. 20, of the Buffalo Sabres, observes his fellow teammates. Photo by Steve Dyell

Paille says. “One of the things I like to do is spend time with my nephews and the rest of my family.” Peters, known to be tough on the ice, seems quite sociable during practice. Peters is noticeably the physical presence on the ice. With his tall frame and broad shoulders, Peters

laid on the intimidation with the occasional goofy moment with team members on the ice. Being such a physical presence on the team, Peters wears a figurative target when facing opposing tough guys. Paille commented on the recent string of major hits that have taken place: “There are a lot of cheap shots. Like Chris Neal’s, of the Ottawa Senators, hit on Chris Drury, of the Buffalo Sabres, a while ago. I wasn’t on the team when that happened, but it was definitely a cheap shot. The league needs to crack down and protect players better.” He is one of the few players who do their best to avoid situations in which something dirty can result. “I just try to finish my check. I don’t think any players intentionally try to injure. They just go in too hard, or the other player turns into the hit. It’s always an unfortunate situation when someone gets injured.” “It’s part of the game. Players should always be aware and know when to protect yourself.” The dream of a Welland boy going from the junior league to the NHL came true for Paille. Playing against big name veterans, playing in front of sell-out crowds and making the highlight reel are all accomplishments this local boy is proud of.

Daniel Paille, No. 20, and Andrew Peters, No. 76, of the Buffalo Sabres take a little break from practice. Photo by Steve Dyell

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Overcoming animals’ fears with TEARS By PHILLIP BOLDT Staff Writer When they’re injured or handicapped, and no one else can care for them. Then the tears will come. Then TEARS will be there. The Exotic Animal Rescue Service (TEARS) has been offering its care and love to animals for the past 12 years. It takes in animals that can no longer be cared for by their owners, whether private owners or zoos. TEARS’ only care is that the animals are well looked after and, of course, happy. Baja, a four-year-old female jaguar, lost her leg when she was introduced to a male jaguar. In comes TEARS, offering Baja love and the combined expertise of its personnel. “We take every step possible to make sure our animals are happy. For Baja, we reached out to the Niagara Amputee Society to find out the trials they went through with losing a limb so we could help her more,” said Chris, whose last name will not be revealed because of privacy concerns for the animals. Chris says that Baja is a gorgeous and well-tempered animal, however, she proved that herself. In her public appearance, Baja was greeted by many curious on-lookers. She remained calm, lazing about in her cage and curiously looking around. TEARS looks after two dozen animals and

has placed more than 100 animals in settings where they can enjoy as close to a normal life as possible. Tessa, a diabetic monkey, is another animal TEARS has in its care. Tessa raises awareness for the other animals in the organization’s care. She, like the other animals, cannot be released back into the wild or she will die. In the care of this organization, though, her day-to-day needs will be met and a normal life will be mimicked to keep Tessa happy. Roy, who has been volunteering with TEARS for over a year now, brings his expertise from southern Africa. “You can have a crappy day and go spend time with the animals and it makes you feel like you’re a millionaire, being in the presence of these animals,” said Roy about his interactions with the animals. Melissa, the founder of TEARS and daughter of Chris, is the real backbone and driving force behind this group of volunteers. She has degrees in biology, zoology, veterinarian science, animal health care and wildlife conservation. “We’ve been doing shows for 10 years now,” said Melissa, explaining how they raise awareness and publicize the need for donations.

TEARS is not a government-funded organization, and it runs solely from donations from ordinary people as well as its volunteers. Of all donations, “100 per cent of it goes to food, enclosures or any other needs that need to be met for the animals,” said Melissa. “People mustn’t be led on to believe [Baja’s] a big pussy cat. She’s still a wild animal,” said Roy, trying to re-establish that although these animals aren’t in the wild and seem very tame, they can still be dangerous. “The moment she gets food, [we] leave her alone.” TEARS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a normal, happy life to animals that would otherwise be abused, malnourished or euthanized. For more information, please call 905-934-8880 (Editor’s Note: Last names have been omitted because of the privacy needs of this organization.) All photos by Philip Boldt