Find out what you missed while you were gone this summer. Pages 22 - 36 NIAGARATHE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF NIAGARA NEW COLLEGE S FREE Sept. 25, 2009 Vol 40 • Issue 1 We’reWe’re back...back... With arms raised high, students screamed as they waited to meet USS, one of the many performing bands at the Niagara College Welland campus in the early evening of Sept. 9. The concert was part of Orientation 2009 celebrations. For full coverage, please see pages 18-19. Photo by Rachel Privett 63805870 Page 2 NIAGARA NEWS Sept. 25, 2009 ON CAMPUS NIAGARA NEWS Students drive NEC club Music wasn’t the focus of this Green Day at NOTL campus 7 By SYLVIE BERRY Staff Writer Releasing Butterfl iesies Going Green has been a common theme throughout Canada this past decade. INDEX Whether it’s investing in hybrid vehicles or biodegradable prod- 2...................On Campus ucts, this has become a choice for 4........................Editorial quality living. Niagara Environmental Corps 8......................Lifestyles (NEC) hosted its third Annual 9...........................Sports Green Day event Sept. 16 at the 13................Off Campus Niagara-on-the-Lake campus. Although fall was quickly ap- proaching with its chilling breeze and cool sun, the NEC welcomed students and faculty to listen to an afternoon full of educational speeches and the opportunity to visit kiosks promoting environ- mentally friendly lifestyle choices. 9 With more than 30 environmental organizations, such as turtle and wetland preservation projects Albert Cipryk participating in the event, students came and went, while mingling at tables, snacking at the barbecue or sneaking in a quick glance at the Birds of Prey exhibit. “Green Day really helps us launch the NEC into full swing,” says Martin Smith, NEC founder and chair of the Environmental Technician Field and Lab program. 11 Niagara Environmental Corps is a student-led organization dat- Golf Tournament ing back to 2006. Its goal is to bring students together, from all programs, who share common interests in the environment. Smith chose to create opprtunities so stu- dents could volunteer and work on long-term research projects. “It was very low key at fi rst, with One of the most popular exhibits was the Dave Gibson with an owl at the Birds of Prey during Green Day at few members,” adds Smith. the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus. In 2007 the club grew into the Photo by Stephanie Couture powerful and passionate group it is 18 - 19 today. Niagara Research Manager, outside the School of Environmen- research project co-ordinator. In Natalee Tokar, was introduced to tal Studies are highly encouraged the coming eight months Kennedy NEC because she is also very inter- to participate and can bring a lot of hopes for “students to take the ini- Orientation ested in generating similar research different skills to the group. ‘She had money. She tiative to move projects forward.” Niagara News is a practical lab for Journalism-Print projects for faculty and students. “Business and marketing stu- was organized. I had the With three years under its belt, program students at Niagara College. Opinions “It was love at fi rst sight,” Smith dents who take part in projects can NEC and its creator, Smith, have expressed in editorials and columns are not those idea and the students.’ of Niagara College management or administration. joked. “She had money. She was help from a promotional stand- gained recognition from the Ni- Columns, identified as such, reflect only the writer’s organized. I had the idea and the point, or Journalism-Print students — Martin Smith agara region. They were awarded opinion. students, so it was a very good can help with writing newsletters,” the Volunteer Award this past June Readers are welcome to respond to columnists marriage right off the bat.” says Tokar. and the Innovation Award from by email at [email protected] With the push of Niagara Re- Second-year Environmental Colleges Ontario. Advertising rules: The advertiser agrees that the search, NEC hit the ground run- Technician Field and Lab co-op to the recession, my volunteer “I think the main reason why the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount ning. That year the club received student, Brooke Davidson, has hours count as my co-op,” said NEC works so well is because it’s a paid for the space actually occupied by the portion $25,000 from the Friends of the been with NEC for two years Davidson. forum for students to work together of the advertisement in which the error occurred. All Green Belt Foundation and Ontario working her way up to senior NEC Besides the new volunteers join- on real projects in the industry,” advertisers are asked to check their advertisements Centres of Excellence. representative. Through her devo- ing NEC this year, new faculty says Tokar. after first insertion. Errors, which do not lessen the value of the advertisement, are not eligible for cor- Although the club is dedicated to tion to NEC, Davidson is working members have been introduced. “It’s more than a club. The rections by a make-good advertisement. Niagara increasing environmental aware- towards her future. Kerry Kennedy, a 2009 gradu- NEC is much more hands-on with News reserves the right to edit, revise, classify or ness, a focus of students in envi- “All of the volunteer work is ate of the Ecosystem Restoration students who are driven,” adds reject any advertisement. ronmental programs, students from helping build my resumé and, due program, has taken on the role of Smith. Sept. 25, 2009 NIAGARA NEWS Page 3 ON CAMPUS John Gittings, manager of Planning and Development with Facilities Management Services, shows what is happening with the changes coming to the Welland campus. Photo by Rachel Privett $90-million makeover to end in 2011 By RACHEL PRIVETT governments each gave Niagara posed to be awesome.” These plans are being evaluated – the total greenhouse gas emis- Staff Writer College $20 million to help fund “I imagine for people trying to in relation to the housing markets sions caused directly and indirectly Niagara College has 7,587 the new Applied Health Centre. work it [construction] would be in Welland and the surrounding by an individual, organization, students enrolled in this term, of John Gittings, manager of Plan- [inconvenient],” says Megan Dem- areas. event or product – will be as close which 4,200 are in their fi rst year. ning and Development with Fa- ers, a student in the Educational Because the building cost as- to zero per cent as possible, says With plans to expand the college’s cilities Management Services here, Assisrant Special Needs Support sociated with new residences is Gittings. capacity by 2,000 more students, said the real challenge is “building Worker program. high, the administration wants to In addition to the Applied Health it’s clear why the college is in the in the middle of student space.” Hand-in-hand with the facility fi rst determine if students can get a building construction, work is be- midst of a $90-million makeover. “[We] make sure we’re meeting expansion are plans of enlarging better price living off campus, ing done on a new Athletic Centre. Originally the Master Plan bud- an aggressive time schedule to the residences. With $80 million to $85 million The building will be fi ve storeys get was $40 million. minimize the impact on students,” “The way the res in Welland is being invested in the Welland cam- tall, with a gym that will be national Dan Patterson, the president Gittings says. structured, we built in all the in- pus alone, Patterson explains the volleyball regulation size. of Niagara College, explains ad- “The construction is inconve- frastructure, [so it is] built to take “big changes” to the Niagara-on- Since the new Athletic Centre ditional funding came two months nient at times,” says Suzie Rae, a another quad/section. That is in a the-Lake campus are also on track. is being built where the deliveries ago when the federal and provincial second-year student, “but it’s sup- readied state,” says Patterson. “We are building a $ 2.5-million for the cafeteria would normally Wine Education and Visitors Cen- arrive, another challenge has been tre. It’s an important addition. [It fi nding ways to supply power and will] highlight the very successful gas while allowing deliveries, ex- viticulture program.” plains Gittings. There are also plans to expand A new academic building is also the culinary school’s food labs to in the works with “three 70-seat deal with the increased demand for halls and one 240-person lecture the programs. hall that will be ready for Janu- Patterson confi rms that while ary,” says Gittings. This building there is a daycare centre on site for is designed for future expansion as the Welland campus, there are no well. plans to build one at Niagara-on- Another change to the Welland the-Lake. campus will be the Learning Atri- “Our assessment, so far, is that um. The plan is to have the area there is a fair number of daycares be wireless and to create a green in the St. Catharines area that are building with a living wall full of operating.” plants. The administration has plans for When asked about the construc- all of the development of the cam- tion on campus, Hanan Moussa, pus, and has ideas on what to do a fi rst-year student in the Early with the mounds of dirt surround- Childhood Education program, ing the Welland campus. says, “They did construction at my “We are keeping the dirt, and old school, so I’m good.” our goal is to plant 10,000 trees,” “The renovations on the Welland says Gittings.