Belleville ONT (May 18/13) – Rosalind Chow won a first place provincial-wide award for her design of a recreational facility at a student awards competition in Toronto.

By Greg Murphy

Unsure of what may come, Rosalind Chow left the cityscape of Toronto to study architecture in small-town Belleville.

Previously a business student at Ryerson, Chow decided to relocate to Loyalist to stay close to home and to discover other options. She decided to give it a shot.

Her decision paid off.

On May 10^th at the Ontario Association for Applied Architectural Sciences (OAAAS) student award competition in Toronto, Chow was recognized as one of Ontario’s top architecture students. She won a first place provincial-wide award for the design of her final project, a fully functional recreational complex.

“Architecture, I couldn’t tell you why, just seemed like something I’d be interested in. A little bit of math, a little bit of design, I just gave it a try to see if I liked it,” said Chow.

This was the first ever presentation of the award.

The award is meant to recognize the work of students in their final year of study. There were two separate awards, one for group work, and one for the work of an individual. Chow won first place in the individual category.

There are two levels of the competition. First, competition applicants have their projects judged at the college level. Winners of the first level move on to the provincial level.

Chow was surprised she made it to the second level.

“I didn’t know I had won the college level until I found out I won the provincial level as well,” said Chow.

Chuck Barsony, program coordinator and professor for the architecture program at Loyalist, said Chow was well fitted for study in the program.

“Ms. Chow was an extremely intense and motivated student throughout the program. She strove for a very high standard on all of her projects,” Barsony said over email.

Chow said the award gives recognition to Loyalist College.

“It is really surprising, I guess, surprising in a good way, that Loyalist can compete against bigger city colleges with greater resources,” Chow said. “It’s good for anyone who finished at Loyalist because now, its rather than ‘oh, the outside college who is from outside Toronto that doesn’t know how to do Toronto buildings,’ it sort of bumps our name up.”

The future is uncertain for Chow. Architecture students learn multiple streams of their craft including residential design and commercial design. Residential designing may include designing houses and commercial designing may include designing recreational facilities, such as the one Chow did for her final project.

“I don’t really know where to go. I think being cloistered in a school for three years; you don’t really know what the real world of residential and commercial is really like. I think a lot of people will end up trying one stream and then the other before choosing where they go,” Chow said.

The award allowed Chow access to a networking luncheon where she met industry professionals.

However, Chow said there are possibilities for work but they are elsewhere. She said Belleville has a lot to offer in the stream of residential design but she thinks there aren’t any large architecture firms here that compare to those of the bigger cities.

Some graduates of the program have gone to find work in the Kingston and Toronto areas since the school year has ended Chow said.

Chow graduates in June.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (April 10, 2013) Matt Mensen and Adam Verrecchia are spending a few hours each day to advertise the Campus Clean Up, armed with plenty of pamphlets and a screen of information. Photo by Shelby Wye

Along with April showers, comes winter garbage. But a group of students is currently making the efforts to rally a group to clean up the Loyalist College.

Christina Dewit said they started this initiative because of the trash collecting around the residences, the doors of the college, smoking areas and the forests behind the residence buildings.

Dewit said that it seems like students forget that just because they aren’t at home, that there’s still rules. Especially about where to throw out their garbage.

This campus cleanup is hosted by Loyalist’s Environmental students, the Sustainability Committee and the Respectful College Community Committee. There’s already an estimated 50 people attending, but they’re always welcoming more.

“Loyalist College is not just a campus, but a community. As part of a community, would you throw your garbage out on your own yard? No, we have more respect than that,” said Matt Mensen, who is in Dewit’s program and is helping out during the event.

Dewit said no one is directly to blame for the problem, but says that in order to fix it, there should be more direction to throw out garbage appropriately.

“A lot of comes back to the administration of the college. There should be more due diligence, where they not only encourage themselves to do it, but for everyone else to do it.”

The clean up will take place Friday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and will end when all the trash is cleared.

JJ Gascho stands in front of their not-quite-complete check list for the 4th Annual Student-Run Exhibition. The exhibition will take place April 9, at 5 p.m. and will run until April 16.

JJ Gascho, a curator of the student-run exhibition, refers to directing her colleagues over the past few months as hard as “herding cats”.

Creating art is a personal thing for many of the art and design foundation students and it took some discipline for them to come together as a working machine, said Gascho.

The exhibition’s opening ceremonies will be held on April 9, at 5 p.m., at the second floor of the Skills Center. Other galleries can be seen in the Link Lounge, and in the art and design foundation’s studio in the Pioneer Building.

Gascho said that the experience has been stressful, exhilarating and even frightening. The exhibition is entirely run by the students of the program, with no interference from their teachers.

“They’re distant, in a way that a parent is distant when their kid is learning new things. We know they’re in the background, but as long as we’re fine, they’re good at letting us ride it out.”

The Quinte Arts Council has also been a guiding force in older shows, and although they are helping them this time, Gascho said that their past experience with the council taught them a lot.

“I think we’d be a fish out of water, if we didn’t work with them last semester,” she said.

The council taught them a lot about how to display their artwork in a creative, insightful way, so the audience can really pay attention to each piece individually, Gascho said.

She is most proud, however, of how the students came together.

“We are thriving. We are so supportive of each other, and we’re always there for one another. We’re always here to give each other constructive criticism. We’re great friends, we’ve bonded because we’re always [in the studio] so late, working.”

Every year, the students are required to work together. The most spectacular show of this collaboration is the annual art piece the students create together. They choose a famous piece of work to imitate. Each student is then given a canvas, which represents a specific portion of a painting. They complete their canvas in any style they want, and at the end of the year, the canvas is strapped together.

This year, the multi-canvas painting they chose is titled the “Assembly Line”, by famed muralist Diego Rivera.

“This piece in particular is so focused on cohesiveness, and what it means to be part of a team, since it’s a factory scene. Each piece of the canvas is so different and unique, but you put them together, and it makes it a beautiful, cohesive piece. It’s incredible, since it also really represents our class, coming to work together.”

Justin visits London, ON. Feb 6, 2013. Photo by Christina Kuefner

By Shelby Wye

Belleville’s mayor is interested in the “rock star” way the media portrays him, and wants to see if that will affect how students see him. Neil Ellis is planning on attending MP Justin Trudeau’s visit to Loyalist College.

“That’s my interest in going, is to see this star power go against the disenchanted vote. If he’s that popular in colleges and universities, and get them out to vote, he can win this election,” said Ellis.

This may prove difficult, especially considering that a sampling of around 20 students showed that not many people were aware of Trudeau’s visit to Loyalist. Joshua Vanier, a manufacturing and engineering technician student, admitted he had no idea who Trudeau even was.

“I don’t know now, but when it comes time to vote, then I will research the candidates. Right now, I’m too busy. I’ll be in class when Trudeau visits, so will a lot of people,” Vanier said, “It’s too bad, because I know he’d have some really interesting things to say.”

Victoria Detlor, a student in pre-health, said that she knows who Trudeau is, but isn’t interested in going to see him.

Trudeau will arrive at the school at around 10a.m. He has been making a sweep through Northumberland County, beginning today in Ottawa, and ending this Friday in Lindsay.

Trudeau is one of the nine candidates running for Federal Liberal leader. He is currently a member of parliament for the Montreal riding for Papineau. Currently, he is making the effort to visit schools and community centres, to answer the public’s questions along with making speeches that outline the importance of being involved in the voting process.

Ellis, like a Trudeau, also makes an effort to visit schools. However, Ellis participates directly with the class. The grade five classes of Hastings County are likely familiar to Ellis, who helps out when they are learning their ‘government’ curriculum.

The mayor also participates with the grade 10 civics classes, to help them learn more about how the government works, and how they should be involved.

“My goal with the fifth grade classes, that when I’m retired, that someone will knock on my door running for a council position and will ask ‘Do you remember me, you taught me in grade 5 about politics?’” said Ellis.

Ellis also expressed concern about the low voting turnout for Loyalist College’s student leader elections. Former research shows that the turnout stands at about 10-12%. Even at the municipal level, the turnout is only at 40%.

“Its scary because if its only 12 per cent now, is that what the election is going to be in about 20 years from now? “ he said,  “Getting students engaged at the college level is the fist step.”

BELLEVILLE, FEBRUARY 12, 2013. David Pickett is the current Student Representative on Loyalist College’s Board of Governors. He believes it’s important for the two nominees running for his place to reach out to the students.

By Shelby Wye

This week marks the end of the election for the student representative for the Board of Governors.

The voting will begin February 13, and be completed the Friday at noon. Two nominees are running this year for the position, each planning on bringing their own perspectives to the position. However, most of these facts remain unknown to students.

Loyalist College ha a voter turnout of an average of 8-12 per cent. Past articles from QNet News have interviewed students, who come up with one common complaint: “I just didn’t know they were happening.”

The current student representative on the Board of Governors is David Pickett. He is a student graduating this year from Business Administration.

“Honestly, even when I got the position, I still didn’t really know what it was all about,” he said.

The Board of Governors is comprised of 18 members. Thirteen are from external sources and are appointed to the board. Four of them are from the college, one for each the students, the teachers, the administrative and support staff. The college president is also part of the Board.

“The idea of the board is to have a wide perspective. We’re advising the president of the college on big decisions, so having the diverse perspective helps to make the better choice,” said Pickett

The Board is split into two different committees. The academic student affairs and advocacy committee (AASAC) looks over matters directly related to the students, including new programs and student complaints. The finance, corporate services and governance committee (FCSGC) is more aware of the budgeting involved in running the school.

The board still comes together every month to discuss, debate and come to a solution over any problems that arise or any approvals that may be required for new initiatives.

“We are not a rubber stamp board; we do have discourse over many issues to come to a decision that will be the best for the school,” said Pickett. He says that their debates come to a conclusion, but there has certainly been some intense discourse over his term.

Unfortunately, those discourse remain private to the public, but Pickett assures that they came to solutions that were the best for the college.

Pickett spends about 10 to 20 hours a week serving the Board, which will include a variety of meetings and also readings of necessary paperwork to discuss in the next meeting he will attend. He also attends the student council meetings. The Board of Governor position is the only one on student council that is not paid.

“It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s awesome. When you’re a student, you generally think that it’s a stuffy organization. When you’re part of it, it’s an entirely different. It’s a really good experience to be on this end,” said Pickett.

This year, there are two nominees running for Pickett’s position. Pickett wishes the two students well, knowing them both personally. He recommends that they try their best to tell people why they are running for the position.

“It opens up a conversation, that allows you to educate the student body on what the position really is.”

Natalia Pellati poses in her favourite colour for this season. Photo by Lyndsie Baxter.

By Lyndsie Baxter

In a world where business owners and CEO’s now dress in jeans and celebrate casual Fridays the term “dress for success” doesn’t mean what it used to.

It’s hard to know how to dress for your job. While most believe image makes a major impact, others say it’s how you feel on the inside that reflects who you are and your capabilities.

Forbes magazine tells their readers “understated elegance beats flash and trash five days a week.” Office rules of thumb are usually buttoned shirts, polished shoes, slacks and a complementary jacket. These rules can be applied anywhere, this trend especially is beginning to show itself in post secondary.

Francine Short, the employment and career advisor at Loyalist College tells students to dress as they’d want to be seen.

“The biggest thing I usually ask students when we talk about this is what image are you trying to present- dress as you want to be seen! If you want to be seen as a professional than dress as a professional,” says Short.

The Career Centre at Loyalist focuses on the importance of the first impression. According to an article on CNN.com 41% of employers more often promote people who dress better.  The Centre says self-assurance is important and as a student, now is the time to start building a professional wardrobe.

As students begin to realize that as their time in class comes to an end, they must now prepare to sell themselves to the world. Natalia Pellati, a second year marketing student at Loyalist College says her program requires her to dress up anyway.

“With my program I have to dress up a lot. I usually wear dress pants with a blazer and a blouse,” says Pellati.

She tries her best to keep it professional but isn’t afraid to accessorize or change with the trends.

“Skinny jeans with a pair of high boots and blazers with a sheer blouse are my favourite things to wear right now. I like to accessorize too. I wear a lot of long necklaces and I also wear bangles,” Pellati says.

On the other hand, some students associate success with confidence and in some instances confidence comes from comfort. Taylor McCrae is a second year Police Foundations student.  She describes her ideal outfit as a pair of lulu lemon track pants and a long sleeve shirt or sweater.

“My personality is pretty outgoing and athletic,” says McCrae, “I feel I can achieve more in this outfit because I feel like it flatters my body and makes me feel good about myself and I have more self confidence.”

Evan Campbell also says comfort is key. The photojournalism scholar says when he’s comfortable it makes him feel better about himself that he looks good.

“When you look good you play good,” says Campbell, “I think I’m a pretty funny, good person to be around.”

You can guarantee that alongside his skater tees and a pair of jeans, Campbell never leaves the house without a baseball hat.

Aside from deciding what to wear that best reflects you as a person the colours you choose also say something about you. A study done by Harvard University in 1998 showed that the brain reacts to all it sees and processes, including colours.  Colours are personal. Particular colours stimulate thoughts and emotion, whether it be the memory of your first car or the dress you worn to your prom. We have and wear favourite colours because we like the way those colours make us feel. Because colours stimulate feelings, colours can be used on purpose to encourage a certain response.

A student who is no stranger to creating responses is Josh Edwards, a second year architect.

“I don’t like to dress for success because I am success. But definitely dressing a certain way brings that successful look out of me. I already know I got it so the way I dress just enhances that” says Edwards.

He says his style varies by day.

“My style can be a lot of different things. One day could be a nerd style or another day could be something like ‘throwback Thursdays,’ a little bit more relaxed, chill, but swag at the same time.

Although his favourite colour is green, red is the colour he likes to wear.

“I’m an outgoing person so my favourite colour to wear is red. Red is something that pops and I like to stand out,” says Edwards.

So whether you choose to rock a blazer and some pumps, or sweatpants and a ball cap, as long as you feel confident in what you’re wearing that is all that should matter.

[Show as slideshow]

(15/01/2013) Michael Perry Jr. and his mother Julie Thomas sit on a mat made from discarded milk bags. Michaels Milk Bags weaves the mats from bags to create beddings for disaster victims.

They say don’t cry over spilled milk, and last night at the cafeteria the mood was anything but sad.

Michael’s Milk Bags, a project started by five-year-old Michael Perry Jr., came to Loyalist last night as part of a partnership with Enactus Loyalist, a student organization that helps develop community outreach programs, to show how to weave old milk bags into beds for disaster victims.

According to Michaels mother, it all started at Sunday school in 2011.

Michael was attending a presentation at St. Peter’s Church. Parish nurse Karen Li told her students how milk bags could be woven to create beddings for disaster victims. Michael immediately took an interest, and the project grew quickly.

“Michael said ‘Mom, I want to do that.” and that’s how it started,” said mother Julie Thomas. “We started just by collecting milk bags. He went to his day care and asked them to collect, he went to his uncle’s work, and his aunt’s work, and his dad’s work. Then he started making boxes.”

Michael’s Milk Bags has several drop boxes placed around the Northumberland area where people can drop off unwanted milk bags. To date, mare than 10,000 bags have been collected for the project.

It takes about 257 bags to make a full 61×41 inch mat, and the process is quit time consuming. Certain bags are better than others for crocheting according to Michael. For instance, the elasticity of Reids Dairy bags makes them easier to work with.

The beddings are great for disaster victims because the plastic gives off a smell that deters insects and snakes, while being surprisingly comfortable.

The project has since become partnered with Enactus, an international organization that works to develop community outreach projects that increase quality of life.

The Green Implementation Department is a sub-group of Enactus that developed environmentally friendly outreach projects. They invited Michaels Milk bags to come and make a presentation at the college.

Timmy Frost poses with “Time is Nonsense”. The piece is inspired by the perception of time. Phot by Sam Normand.

Sam Normand

Timmy Frost has turned a simple canoe paddle into much more. She created a piece she calls Time is Nonsense.

“I’m obsessed with time, so anything with gears, clockwork, anything to do with that, I love it,” says Frost. “That piece has to do with how we perceive time, and how humans are actually the reasons why we have set time, but time doesn’t actually exist.”

Frost says she spent a few days on the piece, first sanding down the paddle by hand and then coating it with several layers of gold and silver paint. She finished by covering it with gears and clock handles.

Timmy’s piece, and others, will be on display in the Link Lounge and throughout the college until December 11 as part of the second annual Art & Design Exhibit.

For the exhibit, students of the art & design foundation Ontario college certificate program were given a canoe paddle and told to take whatever creative license they wanted with it. Results ranged from Canadian flags to lizards to wax covered Dia De Los Muerte-esque bones.

The opening for the exhibit was held Monday in the Link Lounge.

Olivia St-Marie’s piece is called Canoeing Through Space. She says the starry canopy was inspired by a presentation by one of her peers.

“We’ve been doing a lot of presentations, and one of them was mostly on UFO’s and space, so I was kind of intrigued by those,” says St-Marie. “I thought it would be fun to

JJ Gascho poses with her unnamed artwork depicting a woman floating in water. She says the lack of clarity in the situation provides the viewer with a blank slate for the imagination. Photo by Sam Normand.

do some sort of galaxy.”

JJ Gascho’s piece is unnamed. It depicts a woman with flowing brown hair floating in a pool of water. Gascho says that the lack of clarity leaves room for the viewer’s

imagination.

“She could be drowning, she could be swimming, she could be daydreaming and it’s all in her head,” says Gascho. “It’s one of those things where it can be just about anything, and I like that.”

Gascho’s preferred medium is acrylic paint. She says the combination of lack of mess, quick drying time, and low cost make it perfect for students.

The exhibition is done in conjunction with the Quinte Arts Council, and includes several pieces from local artists not attending Loyalist.

Carol Bauer is a member of the Quinte Arts Council. She says that this year’s exhibition was more challenging due to timing.

“We of course have connection to visual artists in the area. Our main role with this show was to connect with the artists and let them know what was happening, why it was happening, where, and how they could be involved,” said Bauer. “That was the main thing. It took some work this year, since it was so close to Christmas.”

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (12/11/12) Denver Gooderham sits in the Shark Tank pun nursing a beer. Gooderham, like many others in his age group, enjoys partakes in pre-drinking before heading out for a night on the town. Photo by John Boldrick.

Denver Gooderham slowly rises from his bed. He lets out a big yawn, evidence that last night had ended only a few short hours ago.

For some, the effects of the big night would be evident: lack of sleep, an uneasy stomach, and headaches. Simple aliments that are accepted consequences of a night out, but not for Gooderham, as he has found a way to prevent feeling the effects of the booze long after the last drop has touched his lips.

“It’s definitely a lot better for a hangover, if you can prevent it, it’s always best,” he said.

No, it isn’t some kind of miracle cure or magic powder that turns hangovers into a hoax. It’s pre-drinking.

Pre-drinking is the act of having a couple of drinks, getting a buzz, before going out to the bar for the night.

Gooderham may be an exception to the rule.

Recently, a Swiss based study was released, outlining the dangers of the practice. In the study, it showed that those who have a couple of cocktails before bar hopping tended to drink twice as much as they normally would had they skipped the pre fiesta festivities.

The extra drinks often lead to unfortunate consequences. Among the horrors included are unplanned drug use, and blackouts. It also showed tendencies towards vandalism, property damage and unintended sexual intercourse.

Obviously, drinking large quantities throughout a night out can have rather immediate negative effects on your health.

Loyalist College’s on-campus nurse Lauren Deans said that memory loss, injuries and lacerations are among the most common injuries after a long night out.

If your night out becomes a common practice, the list of health risks begins to grow longer and far more severe. Damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver quickly become a reality.

“You certainly can’t replace the brain. They’re having a little bit of luck with the liver, but still it’s not good,” she said.

If that isn’t enough to scare you into a panic, it get’s worse for those who drink too much.

“If the too much is above and beyond alcohol poisoning, it can even cause death,” said Deans.

It all may seem like a lot. We’ve all heard cautionary tales involving someone who drank too much and then paid dearly for their actions. Whether it be injuries, arrests, liver damage or death, it’s clear that drinking in excess is a dangerous practice, but no one is saying you have to put down the bottle for good.

There are still ways to enjoy the barley ale or whatever you drink you prefer, while being able to keep your mind, body and liver intact.

While the study told of the potential horrors of pre-drinking, there are ways to perfect the practice so that it isn’t all bad.

The study says that people would routinely have between four and five drinks per night at the bar. If they drank beforehand, their total number of drinks in the night climbed by almost double.

Gooderham doesn’t agree with the assessment. He said that while there is a risk of drinking too much, if you pre-drink, there are benefits to be had.

“By the time I’m at the bar, I’m already at a healthy buzz level and I don’t feel the need to drink as much as I would if I didn’t pre drink,” he said.

Gooderham usually has between five and six pre-drinks before going out. It’s a part of his evening that he has no problems with.

“I don’t see an issue with it. Most students are going to pre-drink because it’s going to cut down on their bill because most students are on a tight budget, they’re going to spend, if they can, only about $20-$40 on drinks at the bar, as opposed to if they don’t pre-drink, then they have a better chance of spending $100-$150 depending on how much they are willing to spend and drink,” he said.

Gooderham said pre-partying saves wear and tear on his body.

“If I’m having that, my amount at the bar is cut in half, so I’ll only have about 2-3 drinks as opposed to not pre-drinking I’ll have about 6-10 drinks,” he said.

Having dealt with drunks for 32 years, Deans has certainly seen her fair share of circumstances. She offers her own words of advice to those planning a big night out.

“If you’re going to have some drinks, have dinner or certainly have some food with it,” she said, “If you’ve already had dinner and you want to do the pre-drinking certainly pull out some snacks. Things that are good for you but things that are going to hold a balance between the alcohol and your poor system.”

BELLEVILLE (06/11/12) Cardboard still covers A window on Tuesday that was broken during an incident on residence almost 2 weeks ago. Photo by Matt Blair.

Mary-Ellen Morris says some nights she’s afraid to go outside Loyalist Residence after 8p.m.

“I’ve been up until 3a.m some nights listening to people screaming outside and banging on my dorm door. I hate being out after 8 because of it.”

She is one of a number of residence students who have an issue with on going problems that started earlier this year. In September, there were other issues with damages to residence buildings, fights, hospital trips and even students being assaulted.

Another incident happened when students were on reading week during the nights of October 26 and 27.

A student who asked not to be identified said he witnessed the events. He said about five guys came to party Friday night, which resulted in a tree being uprooted from the ground. The next night they returned to party at the same unit, but when the occupants didn’t answer they kicked in a window.

Security was informed and searched the area, but the group had already fled, the student said.

“People need to learn to keep themselves in control. There’s a line of respect and people are passing it,” said Meaghan Martindale. Her residence window was also broken during the September incidents.

Residence Manager Chris Carson said he doesn’t believe there are any issues.

“From who I’ve talked to, and to my understanding I don’t believe there’s any safety concerns. What we know is it was an off campus student but it was a friend of the owner of the apartment.”

Carson said the student was knocking on the window to try and get the residents attention and accidentally broke it.

in an informal survey about 30 residence students were asked about safety, but most wouldn’t talk about the situation.

Kaylin Murphy, who lives in residence, said some people won’t talk because they’re afraid they might get hurt.

“I’m not worried about my safety, but I do think there is a problem for other students.”

Martindale said although there’s a problem, she believes it’s not a cause for concern.

“I don’t think it would be a concern for safety. It is most likely because they are friends and probably don’t want friends to get in trouble.”

Residence officials said they will continue to monitor the situation and do their best to keep things from getting out of control.