Life after School

By Elise Haskell

 

The DC News Crew 2009

I have two more days of classes, and then my college experience is over. Come Monday I will be starting a seven-week internship, my first taste of real life and payoff for spending all this time and money on an education.

Five minutes ago someone asked me how I felt about all this impending reality.  Well, for the past few days I haven’t really thought about it. My mind is so focused on finishing up final projects and packing for my trip (my internship is nowhere near my house) that I haven’t really let the fact that I’m about to start a new chapter in my life sink in.

All right, I’m letting it sink in… and suddenly my chest feels a little constricted. Thinking about the uncertainty of what comes next… it’s making me feel a little scared to be honest.

I have no idea how well prepared I am for this internship and all that comes after. The logic side of my brain knows that I’ve learned so much in college that I shouldn’t be worried, but the irrational side keeps imagining me showing up on Monday, becoming completely overwhelmed and having some sort of breakdown.  To be honest, I’ve been in school so long I didn’t really think it would ever end. I know a lot of people feel like this when they get to the end of college or university, so I don’t feel like I’m crazy or anything.

This is natural. This will pass… Oh god, this will pass, right?  Saturday morning I’m not going to go on the lamb just to avoid reality, right?  Surely once I get all my schoolwork done on Friday I’ll have two days to gather my thoughts and go into this internship ready to face whatever challenge they throw at me. It’ll probably be better than school, I’ll probably have a lot more fun doing it – because it’ll be real.  The unfortunate truth of the fact is it doesn’t matter how scared or confident I feel about Monday, I won’t know how things will go until I walk into that newsroom and start working.

So I might as well stop being scared of it, I should just finished my projects, pack my bags, take a deep breath and get to work.

(Disclaimer: I’m not trying to argue that school isn’t real, but I think we all need to admit that it’s not real life.)

Filed under: Campus Wide, Durham College , durham, internship, journalism, last day, media, students

Time to step up is now for Canadian justice system

By Mike Stathopoulos

With the conviction of 17 year-old “MT” in the Stephanie Rengel murder case, the Canadian justice system has been handed a golden opportunity to set a standard and raise the punishment for young offenders who commit murder.

We’re not talking about a petty theft case here, we’re are talking about a girl – not yet 16 at the time – who withheld sex from her boyfriend until Rengel was out of the picture, with whom she had a grudge against, yet had never met. Under the current law, “MT” would only be required to serve six years of jail time and four years of supervision in public as a young offender.

I’m sorry but it’s just not enough. Taking the life of a an innocent girl demands more punishment than this. Surely the people in charge of our justice system can recognize that. The murder of Rengel was planned and the convicted knew full well what she was doing when she demanded her boyfriend (who will stand trial later this year) to kill. Some may chalk it up to immaturity and adolescent ignorance but all that is absolutely ridiculous.

“MT” commited a crime and took the life of a young girl who will never have a second chance at her life.  Consequently she should have that same second chance taken away from her. If she thought she was big enough to plan such a crime, she should serve the maximum time allotted to any other person found guilty of murder – life behind bars.

Too often in our society we coddle young adults, make excuses for them and allow them to get away with doing something wrong with nothing more than a slap on the wrist instead of punishing them accordingly. The crime of murder should be punished to the fullest extent.

Is there anyone in their right mind who thinks in six years from now when she would be scheduled for release that “MT’s” thoughts and mindset will be that much different? The extreme jealously that is alleged to be the driving force behind her actions is a personality trait that won’t disappear with a couple of years in custody.

The best thing for society and for the family of Stephanie Rengel is to have her behind bars for life so she is no longer a threat to society. There is nothing that will bring their daughter back to them and it is the responsibility of the Canadian justice system to do what they have been put in place to do – make this country and our communities a better place to live.

The only way for that to happen is to have “MT” off the streets for life.

Filed under: Campus Wide, Durham College, Uncategorized , Courts, Justice System, Law, Rengel, Young offender

The Fox News Debate

By Chris Jones

 

My hatred for Americans has been slowly increasing. First it was the housing issue, where American banks were giving massive loans to anyone with a pulse which resulted in many bankruptcies.  Then there was the auto sector issue – the threat of taking all operations out of Canada which is leaving many Canadian auto workers in fear of losing their jobs  To put the icing on the cake, we have these late night asses not only saying negative things about our country but also our brave troops fighting in Afghanistan.

On March 17, at 3 in the morning, a panel of four people on the show Red Eye, carried on Fox News, started to criticize the remark made by Canadian Lt. Gen. Andrew Leslie that his troops might take a year off after the mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011. This eventually led to the comments seen below.

First of all, Greg Gutfeld, the ignorant host, said “that’s an unusual name for a man.” referring to the last name of the Canadian Lt. General.  I don’t know what you describe unusual, but Andrew is his first name, which seems pretty masculine to me. Who cares what his last name is?  Your last name’s unusual but you don’t see me broadcasting that garbage.

Then they discussed the break that the Canadian army wants to take after the mission ends in 2011, so they can “do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants.” First of all dude, you don’t know what it’s like to be in the middle of a desert, wondering when you’re going to see your loved ones next, waiting for another road side bomb to kill one of your fellow brothers.  So what if they want to do those things?  Even if they want to take up knitting when they get back into Canada, who cares? My point is, they deserve to do whatever they wish (that’s legal) when they get back to Canada. 

Doug Benson was the next idiot to talk. He was unaware Canadians were even in a war. He’s still living in the Sixties when the draft dodgers evacuated north of the border. In case you haven’t noticed, four Canadian soldiers just died in Afghanistan, 116 altogether.  Pick up a newspaper buddy, Fox News broadcasts in New York, you guys are pretty close to Canada so I’m sure the news is circulating.

Bill Schulz was the next to talk and he rattled me the most. He said “we have police officers and they have Mounties.” We have officers too Schulz.   Mounties are the highest ranked police officers in the country. We also have regional officers and provincial officers.

He also said while the American officers have armored cars, we have horses. You tool, I make the Impalas that your officers drive and they’re the same our officers drive. You’re right about one thing though, they are heavily armored. The remark about the horses, Dean Blundell from The Edge’s morning radio show looked into that. American officers have more horses then we do.

Geez, these guys are dumb. Did they do any homework before attacking this subject? I can’t believe Fox News, a well-known media broadcaster, allowed something like this air.
My impression on Americans has changed drastically after seeing this. Do all of them think like that? Whatever the answer may be, these idiots ruined every American’s creditability in my books.

Support our Canadian troops. Obviously the citizens below the 49th parallel don’t.

Filed under: Campus Wide, Durham College, Uncategorized , Canada, canadian army, canadians, Fox news, Greg Gutfeld

Students and residents and the city oh my

By Chris Buttonshaw

Students vs. residents vs. the city vs. student vs… around and around we go. When will this issue stop? No one knows.

The issue of student housing in Oshawa has been an on-going source of discussion (or argument), worry, and debate for over a year now.

Durham College and UOIT do offer on-campus residences but the schools can’t keep up with the enrollment increase to house all the students. Also, not all students want to live on campus.

The issue of students living off campus heated up in September 2007 when residents began lodging numerous complaints against students.

Complaints included loud, wild parties, cars parked on the road at all times, property maintenance, and even having garbage out on the wrong day.

Some of the complaints are understandable because who wants a wild house party going on beside them all night? Also having a house with overgrown grass or garbage on the lawn is ugly and isn’t nice.

However, the car issue is kind of pointless. If you have three or four students living in a house and they all have cars, of course, there’s going to be cars on the street. Driveways are only made for two cars nowadays if you’re lucky. Yes, it impedes the snowplows but  same problem exists on streets that have no students.

Also, let’s be honest, we’re talking students here. This probably means 18 to 24 year olds who are out on their own for the first time in their lives; of course there are going to be some mistakes.

The issue between students and residents probably could have been easily handled with a simple discussion between them. If that didn’t work, then the residents could have complained to the city. That’s what should have happened. Instead the city passed a strange and prejudiced by-law.

The by-law limits the number of students to four per house.  Understandable but some of the houses have eight rooms so landlords now had to charge students twice the rent, which is hell if you’re a struggling student trying to pay for school. By-law officers even started searching students’ houses for by-law infractions.

To students it looked like the City of Oshawa had turned on them and wanted them out of the city. Did it matter that the college was there long before the new subdivisions? That the people who moved in knew the school was there so should have expected this kind of thing? No and no.

Honestly,  it was like someone moving in next to an airport or train tracks and then complaining about the noise.

Since this all started DC and UOIT have built new on-campus housing and are currently building more. Is this because they decided they wanted more housing or did they do it to get students out of the neighbourhoods?

The more important question is: will this issue affect enrollment? Probably not, but will it make the city look bad in terms of student relationship? Yes.

For more info:

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20071031_184153_8504&source=srch

http://www.macleans.ca/education/universities/article.jsp?content=20080116_145448_7964

http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/121750

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbtrWgsfxUk

Filed under: Campus Wide , DC News, Durham College, Oshawa, student housing, UOIT

Reality TV: Real or Ridiculous?

By Courtney Ste-Croix

Reality television. (I can practically hear your groans from here.) But as much as you hear people complain about reality shows, you know that they wouldn’t complain about it if they didn’t watch it to have something to complain about. But is reality television really reality? Come on, if you think those girls on the Hills actually work at People’s Revolution then you are seriously smoking something. It’s time to decipher if reality television is real or ridiculous.

I’m sure everyone has seen at least one episode of Survivor. That show kicked off the current reality boom that we are in here in North America. The fact that the show started in 2000 and it is still going strong in 2009 says something about its staying power. But reality it is not. If you were really stranded on a desert island with a random group of people you aren’t going to find Jeff Probst in the jungle offering you fish and matches if you complete a challenge.

Survivor led to other gems such as Big Brother, Fear Factor, Dog Eat Dog and the powerhouse American Idol. Most of these are utterly ridiculous and have no concept of true reality at all, but does that really matter? No, because they are entertaining and in the end that’s all that really matters.

That’s how shows like Lauguna Beach and its subsequent spinoffs The Hills and The City manage to keep viewers tuning in. It doesn’t matter that we know it’s fake, it doesn’t matter that we know Heidi and Spencer call the paparazzi to let them know where they will be. (I mean seriously, when Heidi decided to become a “pop star” and her album flopped she called the paparazzi and sat outside her house crying on the sidewalk, holding her album, while sitting on a chair…a chair on the SIDEWALK!)

(Link for photos)

We get invested in shows like American Idol, so much so that when someone does something we don’t like, we actually get physically angry. Like last night for example. Adam Lambert, a contestant on American Idol, decided to sing Ring of Fire by the late Johnny Cash and changed the arrangement and added sitars and an Indian theme. Suffice it to say it didn’t go down well. Many people who commented on gossip websites and such were literally freaking out. Need I remind you it’s just a reality show? I mean, sure it pisses me off when someone who doesn’t deserve to win takes the grand prize but I don’t freak out to the extent that I wish the person “is haunted by the ghost of Johnny Cash and then dies in a horrible fire” (an actual comment on Adam Lamberts performance). If you don’t like it, don’t watch, it’s that simple.

We are entertained because it’s ridiculous, as sad as that sounds. I freely admit to being one of those people. I admit to having watched every season of Flavor of Love and being obsessed with TLC shows like Jon & Kate plus 8 and Little People Big World.

Sure I watch actual thought-provoking television, but every once in a while you need a little dose of the ridiculous and there is nothing better then relaxing after a long day of school or work and seeing who is the next to get kicked off the Rock of Love bus. I’m not ashamed and you shouldn’t be either. Just remember, you are not alone.

Filed under: Entertainment, Uncategorized , Adam Lambert, American Idol, Reality TV, Shame, Survivor

When you drink too much, who’s fault is it?

By Brandon Terry

“One bourbon, one scotch and one beer”, that may be too much for one person to drink, but who decides if that person can have it?

 In my opinion, it should always fall on the shoulders of the individual drinking it. Alcohol affects everybody differently, and everybody acts differently when they’re drunk. However there has been  a large “hoopla” recently on bars and bartenders over-serving customers. I fully understand that the bartender must operate a little understanding and awareness of the customer that they are serving.

 But ponder this: if you have ever been in a bar or a club, do you want the bartender questioning you about how many drinks you have had? No. And it’s not wrong to say that because you know how much you have had, you know what you can and can’t have. 

 All over Canada now people are holding bars responsible for people who drink too much and get into trouble. People are getting too drunk at bars and either dying at home from alcohol poisoning or they go driving home and get into a collision. I know people are mad and upset about their friends and family dying, who wouldn’t be? I know I would, and maybe I would feel differently if it happened to me, but is it really the bar’s fault?

 Let’s look at it in a different way. What would happen if  people who are at home and drink a bottle of Bacardi 151, which is 75 per cent alcohol, and die? Would  the liquor stores be sued? The same alcohol is being served and in larger quantities. Why are they not being charged with manslaughter?  Is it because it is all government regulated in Ontario? Is it too much of a taxable drug? Or is it because the responsibility of drinking falls on the individual?

Charging the bartender in my opinion is wrong. People go to a bar for a reason: meet people, go dancing with friends and drink. That’s what they are for.

In September, a newspaper reported a story where a bar and one of  its bartenders were being charged with manslaughter for allegedly over-serving a woman who was out drinking with her friend and got “hammered” by doing shots. The woman fell asleep, and when her friends couldn’t wake her up in the morning they called the police. She had died.  Now as tragic as that is, why is the bartender being charged with it? Because he should know that when a group of friends orders shots, they should know how many each have had?  Well, if that’s the case why are the woman’s friends not being charged with negligence? 

People are drinking everywhere:  Check out Greg Snow’s slideshow of Durham College/UOIT students having alcohol right here on campus.

 

Filed under: Campus Wide

Don’t Expect Change Next Year

By Craig Clark

This year’s SA elections haven’t taken place yet but we shouldn’t expect much change because the 2008-09 representatives are already filling many of the executive positions.

President Amy England will stay president because no one is running against her. Pending the approval of the SA 2008-09 Board of Directors, lots of positions have been filled.

All the remaining positions will be appointed through an interview. Students are to send a resume and fill out a nominations package that you can find on www.your-sa.ca.  Positions still available at Durham College are Vice President and Vice President of Satellite Campus.

So what are the reasons no one ran against England?  Could it be fear or was it  lack of effort from other students?

Who’s  afraid of Amy?  She only did an alright job as president and if  people complained during the year about opt-out cheques, and other things, why wouldn’t someone stand up and run for the job?  Obviously not enough people care about their school and the politics behind it. Students come to  school to learn and a good amount of them don’t get involved in school activities.

The positions in the SA should be made more public. The president’s job is a full-time, 35-hour a week, paid position. Maybe if more students knew that it’s a paid position they  might get involved and earn some extra cash in the process.  Many of the positions are paid. It’s a lot of responsibility to be a part of the SA but it should be worth the pay.  Not a lot of people know what the jobs are all about and how important they actually are. It should be made more public.

Being a part of the SA is not a popular choice for many students and no one really cares. People probably assume that events and things will get done no matter who’s in charge. It’s not a big deal to some people and it should be put more in front of their eyes so that change is possible.

Filed under: Durham College, News, Uncategorized , Amy England, elections, Paid, Predient, SA, student

DC students denied Ice Caps too long!

By Colin Boucher

 

Chartwell’s, our campus food provider, is evil. They charge ridiculously high prices for food, if you’d like some barbeque sauce on your burger, they charge you 50 cents and if you need a plastic fork to eat your salad you brought for lunch, Chartwells will gladly sell you one for 12 cents. If you have leftover Flex dollars on your account at the end of the year, there’s no way in hell you’re getting your money back. Evil.

But they’ve stooped to a new low this year, committing the worst assault on student morale they could possibly think of:  leaving the Iced Cappuccino machine in the Gordon Willey building perpetually broken.  Sure, they say they’ve tried to have it fixed, but that different parts keep breaking down. But, like with an old car on its last legs, it comes to a point that you’re spending more money keeping it going then you would to just buy a new one.

 

The infamous sign in the Gordon Wiley Tim Hortons

Let’s do a little math. A medium ice cap costs $2.49. A well-seasoned Chartwells employee told me that on a slow day they’ll sell about 75, so we’ll go with that conservative number. 75 X $2.49 = $186, or about $1000 a week. Let’s also assume one of these machines costs a lot, like $3000 or something. That would mean in less than a month Chartwells is losing the cost of buying a whole new machine. But it’s been down for months. It doesn’t take somebody with an MBA to figure out they’re either poorly managing their business, or just trying to spite us.

Of course, some really desperate Durham College students may make the trek all the way to UB to buy them there, but that’s an awfully long walk!  So please, Chartwells, for the good of student morale and the good of your balance sheet, buy a new machine, ASAP!

Filed under: Durham College, Uncategorized , chartwells, Durham College, Iced Cappuccino, Tim Hortons

100th Season Woes

By Eric Laganis

The most-decorated team in hockey, the Montreal Canadiens, fired head coach Guy Carbonneau in a desperate attempt to salvage their season.

General Manager Bob Gainey will take over the reigns of head coach for the remainder of the season.

The move comes as no surprise as the Habs, who finished first in the Eastern Conference last year, have been struggling over the last several weeks, having lost 10 of 13 games at one point, and are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.

In the short-term, Gainey is the best choice for the job since he has had moderate success as a coach and GM for the Dallas/Minnesota franchise in the mid-1990s, culminating in a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1991. He was even the coach of the Canadiens for a brief stint before hiring Carbonneau three seasons ago.

If anyone can lead the Habs to a playoff berth, it’s Gainey.

But in the long run, a suitable replacement for head coach would be Don Lever.

Lever, the former head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens’ American Hockey League affiliate, was recently named an assistant coach of the Canadiens following the Carbonneau firing.

Lever, who was also an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres for many years, would be a good fit as head coach because he already has a working relationship with many of the players from his days in the Hamilton organization and the club would instantly gel to his coaching techniques.

Another viable candidate for head coach is former Sabres and Islanders bench boss Ted Nolan.

Nolan is no stranger to success as he led Buffalo to the division title in 1997 and was also honoured with the Jack Adams Award as the top coach of the league.

Nolan’s NHL success would translate well to a Canadiens organization that is known for winning.

No matter who is named as the next Montreal head coach, action must be taken now if the Canadiens want to avoid having their 100th season remembered as one of the biggest sporting collapses in recent memory.

Filed under: Sports , Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Hockey, Montreal Canadiens, NHL

Kiss me, I’m drunk!

By:  Jennifer Hopf

What began as a religious holiday over a thousand years ago in Ireland is now widely recognized as an international excuse to party. 

When March 17 rolls around every year, the Irish and the Irish at heart, break out the shamrocks, corned beef and green beer in honour of St. Patrick’s Day.

Back in the mid-nineteenth century, when Irish Catholics immigrated to North America to escape the potato famine, they were originally portrayed as violent, crazy drunks in the media when they gathered to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day.

However, now everyone pretends to be Irish on this occasion:  “Oh yeah, my mother’s uncle’s sister-in-law’s maid is of Irish descent, so I got a little Irish in me for sure!”  You might hear such phrases along these lines uttered as an attempt to justify one’s wild behaviour on this day.

But it’s a safe bet many wannabe Irish probably don’t even realize the history behind why they are drinking themselves silly on this day.  This celebratory holiday is in honour of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick.  March 17 is a religious day of feast for the Irish, and marks the anniversary of the saint’s death.  Ironically, it is still traditionally a religious occasion among the Irish, and up until 1970, it was against the law for pubs across Ireland to be open on March 17.

So put those stereotypes aside, for it’s our North American version of the holiday that brings out the rowdy drunken excursions.  In fact, the first St. Patrick’s Day parades were held on this side of the ocean.

Now people of all backgrounds, in several countries from Australia to Japan, gather to celebrate along with the Irish and get their drink on.  No matter the reason, people all over the world will be turning green – some, quite literally depending on the amount of beer they consume – in honour of St. Paddy’s. 

There are hundreds of parades and festivals all across North America; drunken individuals run rampant through the streets proclaiming to be leprechauns, the Guinness overflows from the kegs of every pub, and Tylenol sales are at an all-time high the morning after.

This brings up a good point.  How many businesses suffer on March 18 with the majority of their employees calling in sick with a hangover?  How many teachers stand at the front of the classroom, staring at the empty seats before them while their students pray to the porcelain gods at home?

St. Patrick’s Day is not an official holiday here, but perhaps they should consider making the next day Official Hangover Day.

Filed under: Entertainment , beer, drunk, holiday, Irish, March 17, St. Paddy's Day, St. Patrick's Day