The dangers of an erupting volcano have a former Loyalist College student living in Japan more concerned than the nuclear crisis.

Matt Westcott lives in the city of Miyazaki located in the Southwestern part of Kyushu, Japan’s southern island, with his wife and kids. In an email interview, he said he is keeping a close eye on the nuclear crisis, but at this point he feels safe, being as far away from it as they could. But the issue of an active volcano puts him and his family most at risk.

“We are actually only about 40 kilmetres away from the volcano Mt. Shinmodake, which has been erupting since the end of January and had a major eruption last Sunday. We are probably at more risk from the volcano than anything else.”

Westcott, an English teacher, was teaching a class in Miyazaki when the 8.9 earthquake hit Japan. He said they aren’t really prepared for earthquake, as his area doesn’t experience them.

He said he was aware of the tsunami. He had plenty of time to prepare, but when he heard the first alert he had no idea how long he and his family had. They packed up the essentials in the event they had to spend the night in their car up the road at the gold course evacuation zone.

“In the end the tsunami was very little and there was no need to evacuate our neighbourhood. The neighbours around the harbour and closer to the sea were evacuated. It was nerve wracking when the tsunami sirens started going off in the distance.”

He also said the affects of the tsunami were noticed in the harbour when the water level dropped suddenly before a surge of water came back in about 1.4 meters higher then the normal sea level.

An 8.9 earthquake struck Japan’s northeastern coast last Friday, sparking a 4-metre tsunami. The death toll has reached the thousands and is expected to climb as rescue workers continue to search through rubble for possible survivors. The nuclear crisis facing Japan is the latest in the list of disasters the country has faced. A mass evacuation around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant and fears of radiation poisoning is worrying many, as residents have been advised to seal their homes.

Maichi Zhitian, a student at Temple University in Japan, told QNet News she is not affected by the nuclear crisis.

Food scarcity however, is a problem in her area. She lives in the city of Tokorozawa roughly an hour outside of Tokyo. Zhitian said the supermarkets don’t have enough, as foods like bread and instant noodles are all sold out.

“We do not have enough food around my area, seems like a few people bought a lot,” she said in a Facebook conversation.

Eating fast food and at restaurants are a few of her only options as the power cut has forced her to conserve electricity.

But the food shortage isn’t the same for all areas of Japan. Westcott said he’s not in a pinch for water and food but was notified of price increases on a few essentials.

“We have been warned that because some factories have been forced to stop production things like paper towel, toilet paper and diapers may go way up in price.”

When the earthquake began, Zhitian thought it would stop soon, as they often have small earthquakes. Soon she realized it was much bigger. She said she felt scared and did not imagine the earthquake to be that big.

“I feel more scared now because the shakings do not stop and news reports more people dead everyday,” said Zhitian.

Transportation is another issue as trains still aren’t in operation. The dean of Temple University advised students they would have no classes until March 23.

With no school and no means of transportation, Zhitian said she plans to stay home until everything calms down.“If another earthquake occurred in Tokyo, that would be a really big problem though.”

Picton Dental Centre staff were all smiles as they anticipated their trip to India this April.

PICTON, Ont. (14/02/11) – The team at Picton Dental Centre are excited to take their trip to India this April. Eight of the staff members will be in the city of Ghaziabad for two weeks providing dental care for those who cannot afford or do not have access to dentistry. Photo by Jessica Mulholland

The team of dentists, hygienists and dental assistants have been planning to go since September last year to provide free dental care to those who cannot afford or do not have access to dentistry.

The group has titled their new project Smiles on India. They will be travelling to the city of Ghaziabad, close to New Delhi.

I.T.S. Centre for Dental Studies & Research will provide its facilities and equipment to the team and will also be taking the group in mobile dental units to the more rural areas to perform dental care.

“It was actually the team’s idea to provide dental treatment somewhere and they suggested India,” said Dr. Reenu Sandhu, a dentist and part owner of the centre along with husband, Dr. Kuldeep Sandhu.

The idea started with a popular mainstream song known as Wavin’ Flag by hip hop artist K’naan. The song was a remix of the original version called Young Artists for Haiti – Wavin’ Flag. The lyrics are slightly adjusted as a tribute to Haiti after the disastrous earthquake.

Amanda Downey, a dental hygienist at the centre, heard the later version coming to work one day. After listening to the lyrics, Downey had the thought, ‘Hey, I think I’d like to do something like that!’

“It was just like that,” said Downey.

“I thought we could go into a country that needs help and do dentistry. So I came in and asked a couple of the girls and they said ‘yes, we definitely want to do this.’”

Downey and the team pitched their new idea to Sandhu and without hesitation his response was ‘Sure, I’ll take you to India.’

Since then, the team has been planning their travels and accepting donations to their cause. Donations are going to Smiles on India by people in the community as well as dental patients. The team has raffled off gift baskets and a donation jar sits at the reception desk.

Downey added one of the most generous donations was $500, coming from a patient.

The community has been very supportive to their project, said Downey.

Donations will contribute to visas and flight funds. The travel will take at least 15 hours before they arriving in Ghaziabad.

The team thought India would be the perfect place to start their new quest to help those in need. The two dentists are both from India. The couple got their dental license there and decided to take their team practice to North America. Reenu moved to Canada eight years ago and Kuldeep, 11 years ago. The couple still travel back to India to visit their families.

“This will make it a little bit easier because they know where things are and have contacts there. The first trip should be a little bit smoother and then from there we will be able to travel to other places,” said Downey.

The team plans to leave April 22 and stay approximately two weeks. They will be travelling in the mobile units to different villages.

Anybody who is in the village in need of care can be looked at. The team will be completing dental care such as check-ups, extractions, fillings, polishings and, most importantly, providing proper dental hygiene treatments.

Sandhu adds another major project for the team will be providing free complete dentures to people in need. The dentures will be produced at the Narinder Mohan Hospital close to the I.T.S College.

Sandhu explained funds for the denture treatments would be supplied by the hospital. Kuldeep’s mother is also a dentist and is associated with the hospital. Sandhu said she and Kuldeep would add to the funds, if needed.

If the project proves to be successful, Sandhu said she and her team are sure they will be doing this again for as long as possible.

“Everybody has volunteered their time and we are closing our office for two weeks. It’s very exciting. It’s only just over two months until we leave so we are thrilled.” said Downey.

Belleville, Ont. (10.02.11) - International students at Loyalist College and Jodie Russett of Loyalist College International Centre(middle) watch an Indian music video on a laptop during an international students dinner meeting at staff lounge in Loyalist College on February 10, 2011 in Belleville, Ontario. - Photo by Seung-Chul Baik

International students at Loyalist College gathered for a dinner at the staff lounge last Thursday to welcome newly-arrived students.

Last January, nine new students from India joined the small international community at Loyalist.

While the majority of international students are from India, current international students came from as far away as South Africa, Germany, Italy, China and Saint Martin, studying in a variety of programs at the college.

About 20 international students also attended the dinner and got a chance to bring their cultures and share their experiences throughout the evening.

“This meeting tonight is to bring the current international students and students who arrived January together for some social activities, and everybody to share their experiences,” said Jodie Russett of the Loyalist College International Centre.

One of the new students from India, Umang Patel, said it’s good to see other international students all together.

“We are here, away from family, and sometimes we feel homesick. At a dinner like this, I can talk to other international students, and we help each other.”

Following the dinner, everyone shared their experiences in Canada and at the college with the new students, and a few students from India shared their traditional dancing and music to the group.

“It’s fun getting to know everybody better and see the different cultures,” said Lina Hirschmann, an early childhood education student from Germany.

Beena Sukumaran from India, currently enrolled in the biotechnology technician program, said, “It’s really nice to have such a meeting. We get to know other students from different countries and have some social activities with people who are in the same boat.”

Russett said she plans to have more activities for international students in the future.

They include a series of workshops and English club to help with their academics and careers and a trip to Niagara Falls and a Belleville Bulls hockey game for true Canadian experience before they return home.

Ashliegh Gehl will be travelling south to rural Mexico to find out just what Mexico culture is all about.

Like many other students, second-year Loyalist College journalism student Ashliegh Gehl is heading south this winter.

But unlike other sun-seekers, Gehl will be working with fellow students in Cuernavaca to learn about another culture.

“I’m not going to be going anywhere near a resort,” said Gehl. “I’m not going to drink a Corona, I’m not going to wear a cute little sunhat and be on the beach. I’m going into rural Mexico, to be a part of the culture.”

During the two-week trip, Gehl will provide daily snapshots of Mexican life for QNet News.

“It will give readers an insight into that particular part of the world and the troubles that they are facing, and the interesting people that I’m going to be meeting,” said Gehl.

With the goal to one day become an international correspondent, Gehl said she is thrilled to be part of an opportunity that will allow her to be immersed in Mexican culture.

“What a better way to get that experience, when you’re at school, and going to do this. It’s going to be an amazing experience, because I will come back and have learned so much.”

She hopes her accounts will be both educational and engaging.

“It is kind of like wine tasting in a sense,” said Gehl. “I’m hoping that every article will give a little flavor of the area. It depends on what is engaging that day, what speaks to me. I’ll have to exercise news judgment, I’ll have to keep in mind what readers want to read, but also keep in mind what is relevant.”

Gehl will be working with limited Internet access, but readers can expect regular updates as she learns about topics such as social justice issues, farming practices, and women’s rights.

Through her writing, she hopes to achieve a well-rounded understanding of Cuernavaca’s culture.

Part of the learning experience will include grocery shopping for a local family in one of the area’s biggest markets.

“There is a huge element of the unknown,” said Gehl. “I don’t know what I’m expecting, and I don’t know what I’m stepping in to, and I don’t want to have any expectations before I go. What happens, happens. I’m just going to take it one step at a time.”

Canadians take voting for granted.

It’s a different story in Abyei, a region twice the size of the Greater Toronto Area, straddling the border of north and south Sudan. It’s also Sudan’s most contentious area.

Abyei is a hotspot for oil, conflict and is currently Sudan’s most watched area due to recent clashes between rebels and southern forces where 30 people were killed.

Voters put their lives on the line to cast ballots in conflict areas.

Canada, voting is business as usual. There’s nothing to brace for. No looking over the shoulder, hoping another clash doesn’t break out. Voting is organized, orchestrated and safe.

When voting, Canadians don’t risk their lives like the Sudanese. They’re different countries with different politics at different stages in development. This is not to say Canada’s vote history is without its dark period.

The suffrage movement in 1878 kick-started equal electoral voting rights for women. It took almost 40 years for Canadian women to start voting. And that was just in Manitoba.

Compared to other countries, Canada’s suffrage movement was peaceful. That’s something to be grateful for.

Granted, the vote in Sudan will literally rip the country in two. A 60-per-cent voter turnout rate is needed to divide Africa’s largest country. It’s not an issue to take lightly, and the conflict stirring in Abyei is a reminder of the power a single vote.

Just look at last year’s municipal election turnout in Ontario. In Belleville, the voter it was roughly 43-per-cent. Low voter turnout for municipal elections isn’t new, nor is it shocking. It’s a disgusting reality municipal politicians try to eradicate every election.

Small town politics may seem minor in comparison to Canada’s federal circus, but those elected to mayoral and city council positions are the people who make significant changes in a city; they chalk the blueprint of a cities growth. They make potentially crippling choices, rejecting and accepting new business into the community.

Voting is making a choice. Those in Sudan casting ballots are playing a significant role in their country’s history, granting independence to the Sudanese in the south. The vote reflects the voice of the people.

The violence is a reminder voting is not a luxury, it’s a right and a risk.