Winter 2008 - Durham College

eflectionsDURHAM COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINEWINTER 20 08 | VOL. 63PRESERVINGTHE PASTStudents protest the compulsorytie and blazer dress code in 1969.ALUMNI OF DISTINCTIONFive outstanding alumni recognized atconvocation ceremonies in June 2007.GETTING HER FEET WET OVERTHE PONDDurham College alumna Emma Bowie recently completed a contract atPorter Novelli in Munich, Germany.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTDear friends,As we continue tocelebrate our 40thanniversary year, Ioften reflect on whatit is that makesDurham College oneof Ontario’s premiercolleges.No doubt our high-quality programs,exceptional faculty, first-rate studentservices, diverse campus and wonderfulstudent-life opportunities are all key reasonsfor our well-deserved reputation for postsecondaryexcellence. I believe anotherstrength is the overwhelming commitmentof our people to be active and engagedcitizens in the communities in which theylive and work.You will find amazing examples of suchcommitment in this edition of Reflections.There is a touching story about DurhamCollege professor Margaret Rodgers andher gift in memory of Lucille Broadbent,the wife of former national NDP leader EdBroadbent. There’s a story about longtimeprofessor John Green and the use of hisimmense talents in the penning of hisplay, You Can’t Dance to Mozart. You’ll alsoread about recent graduate John Draper, anAlumnus of Distinction, and a staunch ally inthe fight to create barrier-free communities.What strikes me about these stories isthat they exemplify how members of ourDurham College family give so much oftheir time, talents and hearts towardsmaking our communities better.To be sure, the Durham College spirit andsense of community doesn’t stop there.All of us at Durham College are lookingforward to the end of May when the bestof the province’s special athletes arrive oncampus for the Special Olympics Ontario2008 Spring Games. Countless volunteerswill give their time to ensure the athletesand their coaches are comfortable duringtheir stay, at their peak performance andready to compete.I am also extremely proud of the resultsof our 2007-2008 United Way campuscampaign. When all the counting wasdone, faculty, staff and students donatedalmost $33,000 to the United Way. To putthat figure in context, we raised a combined$41,000 in the previous two years!Of course, our alumni continue to be asgenerous as ever. Jeffrey and Julia Boyce,both 1980 graduates from the GeneralBusiness-Marketing program, announced a$125,000 gift to establish five annual awardsthat will provide students in need withfinancial assistance to pursue their studies.Wow! What a wonderful record of givingin just a few short months.As you read through these pages, you’llsee this side of Durham College’s spirit;the side that is alive and thriving incommunities everywhere.Sincerely,Leah Myers,President, Durham CollegeA MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTOF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONGreetings!With the wintersemester quicklymoving along, I havetaken a moment toreflect on the yearlong40th anniversarycelebrations we havehosted and theimmense pleasure I have had with myDurham College family throughout theacademic year.Whether it was the unveiling of theAlumni Wall of Distinction, the AlumniAssociation comedy night or last September18 when we welcomed alumni and otherguests to campus for a big anniversarycelebration, I am proud such a vast numberof alumni have turned out to celebrate thetremendous achievements of DurhamCollege, the successes of fellow alumniand to spend time with former classmates.The number of graduates who have foundtheir way back to join us in our celebrationsonly proves how amazing our alumni are. Ihave thoroughly enjoyed each and everyevent.Looking ahead, I invite you all to join usMay 2 to 4 for Homecoming Weekend tohelp continue this wonderful year of celebratingDurham College’s 40th anniversaryand our tremendous history. Come outand take part in the festivities, sharememories, reconnect with old classmatesand professors and help make it a weekendto remember! I promise, you will not bedisappointed.This past year is one we can truly beproud of and I look forward to celebratingmore wonderful milestones with all ofyou, our incredible alumni. I hope to seeyou soon!Cheers,Lillian JacobyPresident, Durham CollegeAlumni Association2REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

WINTER 20 08 CONTENTSCAMPUS RECREATION ANDWELLNESS CENTRE OPENEDITS DOORS ON JUNE 29, 2007.4 A PRESIDENT’S LEGACY5 PRESERVINGTHE PAST6 THE ANIMATED LIFE OF A FILMMAKING PROFESSOR7 EDUCATION EQUALITY FOR ALL8 IN REMEMBRANCE OF BERT DEJEET9 HALETOTHE EXHIBIT10 THE ART OF GIVING11 JOHN OF ALLTRADES12 ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION14 CAMPUS RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTRETAKES SHAPE15 NEW WOMEN’S CENTRE16 LEARNING: A LIFELONG AFFAIR17 GETTING HER FEET WET OVERTHE POND18 E-LEARNINGTAKES NURSINGTO A CRITICAL LEVEL19 SONGBIRDS INTHE HALLS19 NEW PROGRAM BOOSTS FIRST-YEAR MORALE20 HOMECOMING WEEKEND MAY 2TO 4, 200821 ALUMNI UPDATE23 ALUMNI RECORDPUBLISHED BY THE DURHAM COLLEGEALUMNI OFFICESOUTH VILLAGE RESIDENCE, 2ND FLOOR2000 SIMCOE STREETOSHAWA, ONTARIO L1H 7K4T: 905.721.3035F: 905.721.3134CIRCULATION: 26,000ABOUTTHIS ISSUEPUBLISHER: DONNA MCFARLANEEDITOR-IN-CHIEF: GINNY COLLINGCOPY EDITORS: ERIN BOSHART, ANDREA BRAZIL,ANGELA BROWN, ROSANNE CANNELLA, AMANDACHAMBERS, CHRISTINA DUCEY, YOENEL ESTERINE-PRIETO, ZOE FITT, ERIN HAGEN, REBECCA KAY,DANIELLE LEE, ALYSSA MCCAULEY, TERESAMCKENNA, MICHELLE MCTEAGUE, GORDONROBERTSON, CAITLIN SHAUGHNESSY, DEBBIESLINN, AND STACY WILKINSON.REFLECTIONS IS WRITTEN AND EDITED BYDURHAM COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENTSPUBLICATION AGREEMENT NO. 40064655RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSEESTO:DURHAM COLLEGE2000 SIMCOE STREETOSHAWA, ONTARIO L1H 7K4E: ALUMNI@DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAWWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CA/ALUMNIWWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CA REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 3

A PRESIDENT’S LEGACYMEL GARLAND LEFT HIS MARK ON DURHAM COLLEGEby Rebecca KayMEL GARLAND, PRESIDENT OFDURHAM COLLEGE FROM 1980-1988,PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2007.During his tenure as president at DurhamCollege, Mel Garland’s passion forengineering served as the driving forcefor many of his accomplishments. OnSeptember 3, 2007, the college’s secondpresident passed away at the age of 84.His interest in trade programs sprang fromhis own educational background. He hada Bachelor of Science (Honours) degreein Electrical Engineering from Queen’sUniversity. This fuelled his establishmentof apprenticeship programs for the DurhamCollege school of Applied Sciences andTechnology. Dr. Gary Polonsky, who succeededGarland as president in 1988,describes Garland’s dedication to the college.“He cared deeply about education, students,and in particular, Durham College,” saysDr. Polonsky. “The School of Technologywas dear to his heart.”Garland was an environmentalist ahead ofhis time, Dr. Polonsky added. He was veryconcerned with tree planting, water andair quality as well as wildlife habitat preservation.Dr. Polonsky recalls how Garland,who lived on a river, allowed his childrenand grandchildren to fish there under onecondition – all the fish they caught had tobe thrown back.As passionate as he was about his careerand the environment, these were not themost important things in his life. Familywas paramount to Garland.Garland’s friends and family rememberhim as not only a college president, butas a family man with a great sense ofhumour and fun. He and wife Margueritewere married for 60years and had sixchildren, playing anactive role in theirlives. JenniferGarland, his daughter,recalls her fathertaught her how toplay tennis, played baseball with her andher siblings and played golf with familyand friends. He also tried to instill theimportance of education in all of hischildren and encouraged them to pursuepost-secondary education.“My dad was a mentor and coach, someoneI could speak with about professional issues,especially since my career was beginningas his was wrapping up,” says Jennifer.Garland was a humble man, and thoughclose to his family, he did not share everythingwith them. It wasn’t until Jennifer“HE CARED ABOUT DURHAMCOLLEGE A LOT, AND NODOUBT WORKED VERY HARDFOR ITS WELL-BEING. THATWILL NEVER BE LOST.”attended Durham College during her father’spresidency that she first heard him speakcandidly about his experience as a pilot forthe Royal Canadian Air Force during theSecond World War.“While I was aware that my dad had servedin WWII, the first time I heard of his warexperience in detail was as a spectator ata Remembrance Dayservice at DurhamCollege when I wasa student,” Jenniferrecalled.With all of hisaccomplishments,along with the contributionshe made to Durham College andthe influence he had on the lives of allwho were close to him, Mel Garland willnot soon be forgotten.There have only been four presidents ofDurham College and Dr. Polonsky equatesthe loss of Garland to the loss of some ofthe school’s history.“He cared about Durham College a lot,and no doubt worked very hard for itswell-being. That will never be lost.”4 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

PRESERVINGTHE PASTby Erin HagenSTUDENTS PROTEST THE COMPULSORY TIE AND BLAZER DRESS CODE ATDURHAM COLLEGE IN 1969.PHOTO COURTESY OF DURHAM/UOIT ARCHIVEThrough the long corridors in the basementof the Campus Library at DurhamCollege and the University of OntarioInstitute of Technology(UOIT), behind alocked entry, therelies a curious timecapsule – the officialcampus archive thathouses relics andmemorabilia datingback to the creationof the college 40years ago. Access is restricted, temperaturelevels are monitored and light levelsare low to preserve documents for posterity.There, a story is being told through thepainstaking process of cataloguing items,which began a year ago.This unique archive contains items thatrelate solely to Durham College and UOIT.Photographs, building plans, yearbooks,course outlines, amongst other items, areneatly shelved and stored. Most of the“IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORMTHE ENTIRE CAMPUSCOMMUNITY ABOUT THEEXISTENCE OF THE ARCHIVEBECAUSE WE ARE STILLCOLLECTING ITEMS FROMDIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.”information and resources is availableupon request to staff, students and alumni.A couple of days notice is usually required,as library staff mustsometimes digitallyscan the documents.“It is important toinform the entirecampus communityabout the existence ofthe archive becausewe are still collectingitems from differentdepartments,” says chief librarian PamelaDrayson.In the past, departments have held ontotheir own relics. The task of digging upall of the items throughout the college hasbeen a tedious one, but who knows whattreasures lie hidden at the bottom of afiling cabinet or within a yearbook?For example, buried in a Durham Collegeyearbook from 1969 is an interestingarticle. The headline reads, Learn to Read& Riot! Students had organized a walkoutto protest the college dress code, whichstipulated that each male student must weara tie and blazer to class. The Oshawa DistrictLabour Council was involved in the disputeand vowed to support the students.In another cabinet, there is a framed pictureand the personal notes of Dr. Gordon Willey,the first president of Durham College. Thesenotes contain the first scrawls of a missionstatement and overall vision for the school.Recently, staff member Brenda Jacksoncompleted 38 years of service at the college.During her last days on staff, she wasworking on cataloguing and organizingthe archives. Jackson said that over theyears, throughout all of the administrationchanges, campus growth and technologicaladvancements, the objectives of the collegehave remained the same, with studentsuccess remaining as the primary focus.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 5

THE ANIMATED LIFE OF AFILMMAKING PROFESSORby Danielle LeePHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER GOULDPROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER GOULD ISSHOWN ON THE SET OF HIS FIRST FILM,TO BE RELEASED IN 2009.The animated series, Rolie Polie Olie, iscentred around a robotic family in Polieville.Polie’s family consists of round robots thatlive in a teapot-shaped house, next door toa family of square-shaped robots. This isone of the many cartoons edited by DurhamCollege professor, Christopher Gould.Exposed to the film industry for his entirelife, Gould brought his talents as a productionmanager and editor to the classroomfive years ago to help shape the future ofCanadian storytellers.Recently, he was hired as co-ordinator ofthe Durham College Animation-ComputerArts program. Before coming to Durham,he spent 11 years in the children’s televisionindustry as an editor and productionmanager, working on over two dozenanimated series, including the Emmyand Gemini award-winning Clone Highand Rolie Polie Olie.“Catch on fire with enthusiasm and peoplewill come from miles around to watch youburn,” Gould advises would-be animators.Upon graduating from the Ontario Collegeof Art and Design (OCAD), Gould discoveredhis love for the art of storytellingthrough the cinematic language. Duringhis years of working in Canada’s largestentertainment company, Nelvana Limited,Gould learned from some of the greatestprofessionals in the industry. They haveencouraged him to always stay strong andpassionate, noting people will genuinelyappreciate and credit his work.Gould left the filmmaking industry in Torontoto step out of the “hustle and bustle” ofthe business and moved to Durham Regionwith his family where he has been exploringhis creative ideas as a filmmaker and sharinghis passion with other future filmmakers.After years of lecturing and generating filmand animation design, he has decided tostep back into his comfort zone to take onhis first feature-length documentary. Outfrom the Cold – A Story of Survival is setto be released in 2009.Gould’s biggest hope is to help shapethe future of Canadian storytellers andencourage them to always stand behindtheir creations.6 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

EDUCATIONEQUALITYFOR ALLPHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA BROWNby Angela BrownCICE STUDENT REBECCA CONNATY IS SURROUNDED BY SUPPORTERS, LYNN CON-NATY, HER MOTHER AND CICE PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR, AS WELL AS SANDRAKOLOBUTIN AND LIZ CAMPBELL, REBECCA’S EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS.As the mother of a daughter with specialneeds, Lynn Connaty wanted to see DurhamCollege start a program that students suchas her daughter could attend.The Community Integration ThroughCo-operative Education (CICE) programhad its first intake this past Septemberand included in that list of 21 studentswas Connaty’s daughter, Rebecca. Thetwo-year, post-secondary Ontario CollegeCertificate program was designed forstudents with intellectual disabilities orother severe learning challenges.“As parents, we knew we valued the idea,and we really wanted it, so it was gratifyingto see the college get on board,” saysConnaty, who was hired as the CICEprogram co-ordinator.In mid-2003, ACCESS, a group of parentswith special-needs children, includingConnaty, started researching and collectingdata on the CICE program, which wasalready being offered at Humber, Lambton,and Sault colleges in Ontario. They thenpresented the idea to Durham College inJune 2005.“We wanted the college to service ourcommunity,” says Connaty.Connaty, along with Judy Spring, dean ofthe Durham College School of IntegratedStudies, worked together, researching andvisiting other colleges that offered CICE.From conception to implementation, andafter four years of hard work and dedication,Durham College implemented theCICE program into its curriculum in 2007,giving Rebecca and countless other studentsa chance to have a college experience.“I love the CICE program and I am happyto have the opportunity to come to collegelike everyone else,” Rebecca says.Students start out in Semester 1 takingtwo CICE classes: computer literacy andseminar skills for success. They also incorporatethree other classes from a programthat interests them. For example, Rebeccais taking Office Administration.The optional classes are modified to assistin the students’ success. Each studentworks with an educational assistant (EA),who attends class with them and alsoprovides one hour of tutoring per class. TheEAs also work with faculty and students todecide on appropriate modifications.Beginning in the second semester, studentsstart working at a placement in their fieldof interest. The second, third, and fourthsemesters are similar, as the studentscontinue to take the seminar skills forsuccess course, three optional coursesand a placement.When students graduate, they will berewarded with an Ontario CollegeCertificate in CICE and will have garneredexperience and independence to obtaina job within their chosen field.Rebecca, who also appears as the program’sspokesperson on the program descriptioncard, loves that she can now further hereducation while gaining independence,improving her vocational skills and meetingnew friends. She hopes her classes inoffice administration will ultimately lead toa career in a veterinarian’s clinic.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 7

IN REMEMBRANCE OFBERT DEJEETPHOTO COURTESY OF LIESJE DEBURGERby Rosanne CannellaBERT DEJEET, FORMER DEAN OF THEDURHAM COLLEGE SCHOOL OF JUSTICE.Bert Dejeet will be remembered as acharming man with a sense of humour, alove for the great outdoors and his puredevotion to his community, DurhamCollege and especially its students. Sadly,he passed away on June 25, 2007 after ashort battle with cancer. A 29-year veteranof the college, Dejeet finished his careeras dean of the School of Justice, retiringin June 2005.In 1977, he began his career at Durham as adepartment head for academic and businessprograms. During his tenure, he was thefundamental force in developing the justiceprogram. When the School of Justice wascreated in 2000, he became its first dean.He also played a crucial role in spearheadingthe first Golf Management program atDurham College.After retiring, he became a consultantfor the University of Ontario Instituteof Technology (UOIT) in the Faculty ofCriminology, Justice and Policy Studies.In this new role, Dejeet orchestrated thebridging program between DurhamCollege and UOIT to further the aspirationsand goals of students who want toturn their diploma into a degree.“Bert was an extremely hard worker,” saysJohn Green, a part-time professor at thecollege. “He would work long hours, evenon weekends, in his office at DurhamCollege. His dedication was always towardsthe students. He cared so much aboutwhat his job meant for the students andwas always putting them first, above allelse. I’m convinced he single-handedlymade life better for many hundreds ofstudents at the college.”Though dedicated to his career, Dejeetwas also an outdoors enthusiast, spendingmuch of his free time at his cottage in theTwin Lakes area near Peterborough withhis wife, Durham College staff memberLiesje DeBurger. Along with a love of fishingand playing golf, he was an amateur in themaple syrup industry, supplying numerousstaff at Durham College with their fix ofhomemade syrup.Dejeet was also a permanent fixture inthe community with his dedication to theKiwanis Club of Oshawa, John HowardSociety, Scouts Canada and the DurhamRegional Police Services Board. He alsoserved as the former chair of Big Brothersand Sisters of Oshawa.“He was always a gentleman,” says BevBalenko, former academic vice-presidentof the college. “His supportive natureallowed him to really connect with somany different kinds of people, whetherthey were students at the college oradults within the community. His passionand dedication for his work is quite apparentwith the accolades presented to him,including the first dean emeritus at DurhamCollege. His dependability was somethinghe was highly respected for and he will begreatly missed.”Dejeet’s achievements within the schoolhave set a new standard for DurhamCollege as well as its students. His goalthroughout his 29-year career neverchanged: to make a difference in the livesof students. Dejeet wasn’t a man whoworked for the college, but a man whoworked for the students.In addition to his wife Liesje, he is survivedby their four children.8 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

HALE TO THE EXHIBITby Caitlin ShaughnessyPHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE HALEAs a Durham College administrator,Charlotte Hale has to focus on the bigpicture. Outside of work, her focus is stillon images, but they’re the kind found inart galleries. In fact, Hale recently co-ordinatedher second exhibit of contemporaryRussian works, Krasota.Hale’s exhibit would not have been possiblewithout the help of five incredibly talentedRussian-born artists: Ilya Gefter, SergeiFirer, Israel Broytman, Alex Shtelman, andNatalia Shapira. Each one is a master inhis or her artform and possesses anextraordinary technical skill level, saidHale. They have created sculptures, oilpaintings and etchings with vivid detail,all of which were equally representedthroughout the Krasota exhibit.Many gallery clients, friends and colleaguescame out for the September 29 openingat Sunderland, Ontario’s Magic Door ArtGallery, and through the exhibit’s run untilDecember 31. The gallery sold so manypieces in the first day that Hale realizedthe artwork would have to continuouslychange during the show. The cost for theart ranged from $350 to $3,000. Theexhibit was such a success that Hale planson curating another in the future.“It is a great opportunity for people to seeartwork that should reallybe seen in New York, andto purchase it from a greatlocal gallery,” says Hale.“You get a gift of energywith original artwork, becausethere is always astory attached to each piece.”Hale’s interest in art, specificallyphotography, beganwhen she was a student inthe Advertising program atthe college in the early1990s. A few years aftergraduating, she opened upan art gallery called VeniVidi in Port Perry, whichshe ran until it closed afew years ago. Shortly afterthe gallery closed, shebecame a part-timeteacher in the Graphic Design andFoundations in Art and Design programs.Today, Hale is the associate dean for theCHARLOTTE HALE,ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THESCHOOLS OF DESIGN ANDCOMMUNICATION ARTS, ISA CREATIVE MINDBEHIND THE DESK ANDIN THE ART GALLERY.School of Design and CommunicationArts. She still finds time to pursue herpassion for photography and has workedwith the Magic Door Art Gallery sinceclosing her own.“I like artists, I like to bearound them, I like theway they think,” says Hale.“They are a valuable assetto society because theyknow how to express themselvesin life. Artists shouldnever be undervalued.”Hale is currently continuingher education throughAthabasca University,studying for a Bachelor ofProfessional Arts with aCommunications major.She has also been takingphotography workshopsto further her knowledgeon the topic. Her goal isto continue learning andbringing the joy of art to people whileorganizing shows or exhibits.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 9

THE ART OF GIVINGPROFESSOR MARGARET RODGERS’PAINTING OF OSHAWA ARTIST ALEXAN-DRA LUKE WAS DONATED TO THE R.S.MCLAUGHLIN DURHAM REGIONAL CAN-CER CENTRE IN MEMORY OF LUCILLEBROADBENT.by Michelle McTeagueArtist and part-time Durham Collegeprofessor Margaret Rodgers raised herchildren in the same house that one-timeNDP leader Ed Broadbent grew up in.When she was in university, Rodgersfocused her master’s thesis on AlexandraLuke, a famous Canadian painter.Recently, these two parts of her lifemerged when Rodgers’ art was soughtafter to commemorate the late LucilleBroadbent, Ed Broadbent’s wife.Lucille Broadbent died on Nov. 17, 2006 atthe age of 71, after a year-long battle withbreast cancer. Rodgers said she was honouredwhen the R.S. McLaughlin DurhamRegional Cancer Centre decided thatLucille should be memorialized as a strongwoman who continued to support herhusband’s political efforts, even throughouther illness. A pair of Rodgers’ portraits,The Luke Twins, were donated in Lucille’smemory, making the ceremony extraspecial. The local NDP organizationapproached Rodgers to buy one of herworks. She donated the painting and officialsin turn gave it to the cancer centre.“The painting is absolutely wonderful anddefinitely commemorates Lucille perfectly,”says Sid Ryan, president of CUPE,who attended the donation.As a part-time teacher in the schools ofDesign and Communication Arts, Rodgershas coached students in such classes asfoundations in art and design, art history,pop culture, painting and oral narratives.Rodgers has also organized special eventsat Durham College, including two speakers’series and Durham Goes Downtown,where Foundations in Art and Designstudents were able to showcase theirwork in downtown Oshawa.In addition to her teaching career, Rodgersis the founder of the Iris group, consistingof 12 women who share ideas, mutualsupport and develop projects for womenin the arts. Rodgers credits the successof her art activities to the group.Her art has been on display at severallocations around the Durham Region. Inaddition to her donation to the cancercentre,her work has also been displayedat the Grocery Tape Project, the BaghdadMuseum (Clarington, Stouffville, andToronto), Big Girls, The Shwa - a downtownproject, and Renewal at the Red HeadGallery.In Rodgers’ school years, art was unfortunatelynot widely available in post-secondaryeducation and she instead opted to studyEnglish and Cultural Studies at TrentUniversity. She finished an undergraduatedegree and continued on to do a masterof arts in Canadian Studies, finishing withher thesis about the Oshawa-born Luke.Rodgers’ thesis was later published byECW Press.“I never felt that specific goals, five yearplans, held any meaning for me. I wasmuch more interested in allowing directionsto go where they might. I know this fliesin the face of current career theoriesand that maybe I should have been morefocused, but nevertheless I think I havehad a rich and varied series of careersanyway,” says Rodgers.She continued enhancing her artisticabilities by taking advantage of all theworkshops in local galleries, particularlylife drawing classes with James Paget,which she used to develop not only skills,but also a sense of commitment to art.“I painted and drew constantly; my sleepingchildren, yoga classes at the YMCA,Extendicare, wherever people would letme draw them,” she says.10 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA CHAMBERSJOHN OFALL TRADESby Amanda ChambersYou may not be able to dance to Mozart,but you can share a laugh. Local playwrightJohn Green wrote and directed the comedyYou Can’t Dance to Mozart, about Barneyand Kate, two retired neighbours withopposite personalities, living in a rundown,apartment building, who find love andconcoct a real estate scheme designed tobring their unethical landlord to his knees.Actor, producer, businessman, and author– these are just a few of the additionalroles Green has held during his eventfulcareer as a professor at Durham College.A man of many talents, he has always hada passion for the dramatic arts and has neverbeen one to shy away from a challenge.His most recent job title – playwright –sprang from a lifelong interest in the theatrearts. He’s been involved in live theatresince the age of seven and spent a shorttime in professional theatre as an actor.“I have always had a love for linguistics,”Green says with a smile. “I have writtenquite a range of material for the theatre,although not all of it has been good.”While he has seen several plays producedin amateur theatre, last July was the debutof his first professional production, YouCan’t Dance to Mozart. The play, which hewrote and directed, turned out to be thehighest grossing box office productionshowcased by The Class Act DinnerTheatre in Whitby during that season.Despite his busy schedule, the Englishprofessor of 25 years continues to teachcommunication courses at the collegethree days a week. He has many memoriesfrom working with students over the years.“Although it is hard to mention just onething, knowing that I have passed criticalinformation on to students – particularly inthe media law courses I have taught – is arewarding feeling all by itself,” he says.Long before Green tried his hand at writingplays, he was writing children’s literature.Eight of his stories have been printed andare currently being sold worldwide. Somehave been named bestsellers.His upbringing was chock full of books.“I had a very early love of books,” Greenremembers. “I would even make upexcuses to plead with my parents not tosend me to school so I could stay homeand read all day long.”Not only have his books been bestsellers,but they have also won many awards.Three have won the Canadian Children’sBook Centre Gold Seal Award, includingAlice and the Birthday Giant, which was alsoshort-listed for a Governor General’s Award.“Writing children’s books was an incredibleexperience,” says Green. “Something Ialways got a kick out of was visiting aclassroom of children whose teacher hadread the entire story to the students withthe exception of the last chapter and I wouldfinish reading the book to the children.Watching their faces as we approachedthe endings of the stories was alwayssomething I found most rewarding fromwriting children’s books.”Green is also the founder of his own editingbusiness, KMG Corporate Learning Inc.“I had always wanted the opportunity torun my own business and I wanted tofind out if I could handle it. I wanted to bechallenged,” he says.He launched KMG as a freelance editor,writer and corporate language trainer.Although Green has put his companyinvolvement on hold since Aug. 31, 2007,he fully intends to pursue it again in thefuture. For now, he wants the time towork on a number of writing and theatricalprojects.Following the recent success of You Can’tDance To Mozart, Green is in the processof writing a second play, another dramaticcomedy.“Too many things to do,” he says. “I amin the process of trying to lessen thingsin life and to make space. I want to actagain, however it takes a lot of commitmentand you have to dedicate largeblocks of time to the production.”Although Green has not committed to anyparticular roles for this year, he does wantto concentrate his talent on character parts.“The only roles I won’t play anymore areleads, too many lines,” he says. “I loveacting out character roles, something thatrequires a lot of makeup, a lot of costumingand a lot of physical quirks, so I can becomesomebody else entirely.”WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 11

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTIONDURHAM COLLEGE RECOGNIZED OUTSTANDING ALUMNIPHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN DRAPERJOHN DRAPERby Andrea BrazilJohn Draper, entrepreneur and 2005graduate of Durham College’s Journalismprogram, has been receiving awards for hisefforts since his high school years. As anindividual with a disability, Draper uses hisexperiences and communication expertiseto inspire others to foster communitiesthat are open to people of all abilities. Heis currently running his own business,Together We Rock!, where Draper and histeam travel to schools, conferences andmeetings to promote equality, inclusionand accessibility.“Together We Rock! supports citizens intheir effort to build communities that areaccessible to and inclusive of people withdisabilities,” says Draper.Since obtaining his Journalism diploma,Draper has gained experience in thecommunications and writing fields. He hasworked with the Canadian Imperial Bankof Commerce, the Innovation Centre atDurham College and the Oshawa ThisWeek community newspaper. He is alsoa member of the Canadian Association ofJournalists, the International Society forAugmentative and Alternative Communicationand the Writers’ Circle of Durham Region.As a volunteer, he sat on the CanadianCommittee for the United Nations on theRights of the Child with the CanadianInstitute of Child Health. He also organizesan annual neighbourhood food drive.PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA BRAZILDraper has received several awards for hisoutstanding efforts, including the JoublinScholarship from the Toronto CommunityFoundation, the Words + Scholarshipfrom the International Society forAugmentative Communication, theGlenn Crombie Memorial Award fromthe College Committee on DisabilityIssues and most recently, the DurhamCollege Alumnus of Distinction award.GARY CHRISTIANby Andrea BrazilGary Christian, chief maintenance operatorfor the Regional Municipality of Durham, hasstarted his way up the managerial ladder bygaining many qualifications along the way.The two-time Durham College graduate isalso a member of the college’s advisorycommittee for the Water Quality Technicianprogram, which won the Ontario PublicWorks Award in collaboration with theRegional Municipality of Durham. Usinghis knowledge and expertise of the field,Christian helps students to understand theimportance and the responsibility that thisparticular line of work entails. On site andoff, he works hard to help anyone he can.“Whenever you have a chance to giveback, do it,” says Christian. “Anything I canhelp with, show whoever what I know andthe things I can do, I will. I am very opento helping people who need assistance.”Christian graduated in 1986 from theIndustrial Maintenance Techniques program,and completed academic upgrading beforehe decided to enrol in the IndustrialMechanic Millwright program in 1990. Hesaid upgrading gave him the confidenceand self-esteem to start his career, helpinghim to acquire licences as an OperatingEngineer Class 4, Water TreatmentOperator Class 3, Water Distribution andSupply Subsystem Class 2 and WastewaterTreatment Operator Class 2. Durham Collegerecognized his efforts by awarding himwith a 2007 Alumnus of Distinction award.“I would not be in the position I am if ithad not been for the opportunities fromDurham College,” says Christian. “Anyopportunities you have to learn, takethem. Try not to specialize, because thatlimits you. Keep your visions open, youhave nothing to lose. The idea is alwaysto move forwards or sideways, neverbackwards.”When he is not at work or on call, Christianloves being with his family, traveling,working outdoors and, whenever possible,helping his elderly neighbours.GAIL ELLIOTTby Stacy WilkinsonA former teacher, school principal, Meals onWheels volunteer and volunteer member ofthe Youth Justice Committee, it’s clear thateducation and volunteering have been majorthemes of Gail Elliott’s life since shegraduated from Durham College’s Public12REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

Administration program in 1970 with thetop marks in her class.A year later, Elliott graduated from teachers’college at a time when one could teachwithout a degree. She later received herbachelor’s degree from the University ofToronto in 1977 and her master’s in 1981.After teaching for nine years, she spenteight years as a principal, first in Claremontand later at an Ajax school. In 1992, shewas named Educator of the Year and wenton to work as an administrative officer andsupervisory officer for the Durham DistrictSchool Board.Currently, Elliott is president of DurhamDistrict 28 - Retired Teachers of Ontario.She also volunteers in several capacitieswith her church, including helping with itsfood bank.Over the years she’s been recognized forher career and volunteer work includingbeing named an honorary member of theOntario Public School Teachers’ Federationof Durham District and most recentlybeing named a Durham College Alumnaof Distinction.“I was recently awarded the big one,”says Elliott about receiving the one of thecollege’s most prestigious awards.CAROLYN LUSCOMBEby Stacy Wilkinsonshe and her company, Eclectic EventsInternational, have received more than 25international nominations for their work.Luscombe founded the company, of whichshe is president, in 2000 after earning herCertified Special Events Manager certificate.She was the first Canadian event plannerto receive the certification.Luscombe passes on her award-winningknowledge to her fundraising studentsat George Brown College, who werenominated for an award for planning afundraiser for the September 11th Fund.Luscombe also speaks across Canadaand the United States numerous timeseach year on current event and meetingmanagement topics. She has presentedat Canadian and international eventconferences for many years, from Torontoto Vancouver and Honolulu.Luscombe has sat on several collegeadvisory boards, including for DurhamCollege’s Entertainment Administrationprogram.CONNIE WOODby Christina Duceyresulted in 500 patient referrals within aperiod of two years.When she was director of OrganizationalDevelopment for Haliburton HighlandsHealth Services, Wood introduced patientsafety programs that led to 28-per centdecrease in falls in the long-term care facilityand a 50-per cent decrease in acute care.Her leadership in developing a corporatecontinuous quality improvement program ledto successes in meeting Ministry of Health,Ministry of Environment and CanadianCouncil of Accreditation standards.Her passion for community health care issuesgoes beyond the workplace. Wood sharedher expertise as a part-time instructor atFleming College, as well as a communitynurse at Haliburton Kawartha Pine RidgeHealth Unit and with the Victorian Order ofNurses. She volunteers her time with manyorganizations, including the HaliburtonHighlands Health Services, the HaliburtonFriends Network Committee at FlemingCollege and the Registered NursesAssociation of Ontario.Currently pursuing her master’s degreein nursing, Wood has been secondedas the lead registered nurse for qualitymanagement collaboratives for familyhealth teams, which is working towardscreating an infrastructure to supportquality improvement approaches.NOMINATE ANOUTSTANDINGGRADUATECarolyn Luscombe, a 1995 graduate of theEntertainment Administration program, hasrecently added Durham College Alumna ofDistinction to the long list of awards shehas received over the years.Other awards Luscombe has won areCanadian Event Industry awards forProducer of the Year (2007), MostOutstanding Event (2005 and 2006) andan international award for Best SocialEvent Planning for a Corporation. In all,Connie Wood has devoted 31 years toimproving health-care services in hercommunity. She was recently recognizedfor her outstanding work as the recipientof a 2007 Durham College Alumna ofDistinction Award.Over the years, the 1976 Nursing graduatehas focused her career on long-term care,acute care, and community nursing.Wood currently works as a Healthy LivingCo-ordinator with the Haliburton HighlandsFamily Health Team promoting strategiesfor disease prevention and healthy living.As a diabetes educator her success hasDo you know an outstandingDurham College graduate whoshould be nominated for the2008 Alumnus of DistinctionAward?We are accepting nominationsuntil April 18.For more details, please visitwww.durhamcollege.ca/alumni.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CA REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 13

CAMPUS RECREATIONAND WELLNESS CENTRETAKES SHAPEby Debbie SlinnPHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE SLINNPHOTO COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETINGGleaming hardwood floors, rows and rowsof retractable seating, skyscraping ceilingswith shining spotlights and an elevatedrunning track – it’s not the typical smelly,old gym you might find on a post-secondarycampus. But then again, this isn’tany old gym.On June 29, after more than three yearsof research, planning and construction,the doors to the Campus Recreation andWellness Centre expansion opened tostudents, staff, graduates and the community.The 90,000-square-foot facility ismore than five times the size of the originalathletic centre and houses a massive fitnesscentre, the Flex, featuring state-of-the-artcardio and weight equipment, two dancestudios and dual rooms dedicated to sportstraining and fitness-related classes. Thespacious area also offers separate staffand student locker rooms, complete withtowel services and saunas. In addition, theelevated 200-metre indoor jogging trackoverlooks the massive triple gym.In the unfortunate event of an injury, thefacility now houses the Campus HealthCentre, home to doctors, massage therapistsand other health professionals, as wellas an on-site pharmacy. A wide variety ofservices, such as a sexual health resourcecentre, nutritionists, counselling servicesand an athletic therapy clinic have beenadded to the ever-growing list of supportfor students.“Our dream of providing our students andstaff members with a superior health facilityhas become a reality,” says Kathy Lazenby,director of Campus Health Services. “Weare finally able to offer complimentaryhealth services for all of our students forgenerations to come.”Lazenby joined Durham College PresidentLeah Myers, UOIT President Dr. RonaldBordessa, former college and UOIT presidentGary Polonsky, director of athleticsand recreation Ken Babcock for the officialopening Sept. 12 of the$17-million facility, alongwith a number of communityrepresentatives. Thenew Campus Recreationand Wellness Centre hasbeen the pride and joy ofmany faculty, staff andstudents. So much so thata student referendum onwhether to construct the building had oneof the highest turnouts in Canadian postsecondaryhistory. More than 24 per centof the studentpopulation voted and 86 per cent were infavour of an additional $145 per year fee tohelp pay for the facility. Because of theircommitment, the centre was built on timeand on budget.“This new facility was built on the hopesand dreams of many,” says Myers. “Ourdedication is for those of you who saw this“THERE IS DEFINITELYA CONNECTIONBETWEEN A HEALTHYMIND AND A HEALTHYBODY.” - PRESIDENTLEAH MYERSidea through. We will always rememberyour contributions.”That involvement, along with the increasedcapacity, will allow all varsity sports at thecollege and university to compete on alevel playing field with other major schoolsand accommodate high-profile sportingevents and concerts. The centre will alsobe hosting the Special Olympics OntarioDurham Region 2008 Spring Games openingand closing ceremonies and is bookedwith additional events through 2009.Recent graduates fromboth Durham College andUOIT will receive a freeone-year membership forevery year they contributedto the development ofthe facility. Discount ratesare also available for allalumni. In addition, residentsin the surrounding community will beable to benefit from the many services thecentre has to offer.“There is definitely a connection betweena healthy mind and a healthy body,” saysMyers. “The role that health and wellnessplays in our lives is an important one to allof our futures.”For more information on membershipsand the Campus Recreation andWellness Centre, visit the website atwww.campusrecreationcentre.com.14 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

NEW WOMEN’S CENTREHELP FOR THE HURTING AND HUNGRYby Erin BoshartWith classes to attend, papers to write,tests to pass and assignments to complete,most students will tell you their lives arehectic and sometimes stressful. But forsome, studies are the least of their worries.Some struggle with financial problems orare in need of basic necessities such asfood, shelter or legal assistance. For AllisonHector-Alexander, co-ordinator of the newWomen’s Centre on campus, running intostudents with more woes than mere classattendance is a daily occurrence.Members of the 2006-2007 StudentAssociation at Durham College, UOIT andTrent in Oshawa became aware that manystudents were coming to class hungry,hurting and dealing with issues far too bigto conquer on their own. Their solutionwas The Service Centre, which opened inSeptember in portables behind the Library.In addition to the Women’s Centre, theService Centre contains a campus foodcentre that provides students with foodsupplies as a means of short-term assistance,a career boutique with gently-used,professional-looking outfits for studentsto borrow for job interviews and officesfor various campus clubs.The Women’s Centre offers a safe placefor women on campus and advertisesresources, advocacy, crisis managementand conversation groups, along with assistancewhen a student is facing financial,child-care-related or abuse problems. If astudent wants to find out what her optionsare, the Women’s Centre can do the homeworkso that she can make educatedchoices concerning her specific situationand her schoolwork doesn’t have to suffer.There are many reasons a student mightcome to the Women’s Centre.“It could be a legal situation where theyneed to go through the process of findinga lawyer. But where do they start? Howdo they apply for legal aid? Would theybe eligible for legal aid? These are someof the questions we can help with,” saysHector-Alexander. “If someone just neededsome space, or to grab a cup of coffee, acup of tea, use the microwave, people cancome in and chill between classes.“We sort of act as a bridge. If someonecomes to us and needs some support butthey don’t know where to go for it, thenwe can refer them.”In its first semester of operation, theWomen’s Centre and food bank werehelping 15 to 20 students weekly, but theirgoal is to reach every student who needssupport. To do that, the staff wants tomake the Women’s Centre more visibleon campus and in the community.In November, it held the Clothesline Projectas part of the Violence Against WomenAwareness campaign. The event, a two-daymeeting meant to mimic a time whenwomen would gather around the localclotheslines, was a major stepping stone forthe Women’s Centre in raising awarenessabout domestic violence against women.It is looking to hold similar events in orderto create a strong presence on campus.PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN BOSHARTWWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 15

LEARNING:A LIFELONG AFFAIRby Teresa McKennaPHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE MARSHALLDURHAM COLLEGE PRESIDENT LEAHMYERS (LEFT) MAKES HER INAUGURALVISIT TO DURHAM LIFELONG LEARNING(DLL), MEETING WITH DLL CHAIR BILLSHEPHERD, AND CO-FOUNDER JOYCEMARSHALL.It could be a story told by a friend, abrochure in the mail or perhaps a magazineat the doctor’s office. No matter whatyou heard or where you heard it, the factremains, in the past week, you havelearned something new.Contrary to popular belief, learning is notjust for students – it’s a lifelong affair. Andthanks to the Durham Lifelong Learning(DLL) association, currently celebratingits 10th anniversary, hundreds of adultsfrom around Durham Region have learnedabout everything from French Cultureand Language to the History of Medicine.The Lifelong Learning program is designedfor adults who have the desire to continuelearning while enriching their lives in theprocess. Participants can attend an eightlectureseries in the spring and again in thefall for only $30 per series. Each lecture ispresented by a different speaker and eachseries covers a variety of topics. Additionally,participants may sign up for a four-weekseminar for $30. These more interactiveevents occur several times a year andfocus on one particular topic. There areno tests, deadlines or anxieties, onlyopportunities for reflection, sharing andsocial contact.“To be exposed to a range of speakers,on a variety of topics, and then be ableto reflect on the various themes and todiscuss them with family and friends, helpsus maintain, if not improve, intellectualfunctioning,” says Bill Shepherd, chair ofDurham Lifelong Learning. “It actually helpsus all to become more effective citizens.Moreover, it resonates with the basichuman instinct to continually learn.”And there is certainly no lack of participants.From an original group of 30 people in1997 the program had grown to more than500 participants in 2007. DLL has had atremendous impact on the communityover the past decade, thanks to the insightof the program’s founders, Joyce Marshalland Sally Elliott.Marshall, a Durham College graduate andformer chair of the Durham College Boardof Governors, said when she heard Elliott’sproposal for a lifelong learning series,she realized it fit perfectly with DurhamCollege’s mission and values. Together,they pitched the idea to Gary Polonsky,president of Durham College at the time,who happily donated the space and parkingfor the program. While Polonsky is modestabout the contribution, Marshall says itplayed a key role.“Lifelong Learning has been a real success,”says Marshall. “It filled a need in thecommunity. Mr. Polonsky was instrumentalin giving us the go-ahead and support tomake it happen.”That support has not been forgotten asit continues today with current collegepresident, Leah Myers.For the past decade, Durham LifelongLearning has annually presented the collegewith $2,500 towards a bursary andscholarship, showing not only its gratitude,but also allowing two students to continueon their own paths of lifelong learning.16 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

GETTING HER FEET WETOVER THE PONDby Gordon RobertsonIt wasn’t long ago that Emma Bowiemoved into the student residence atDurham College. It was her first time awayfrom home and she felt uneasy about thechange. Today, just over a year after graduatingfrom the Public Relations program atDurham College, she’s completed a contractwith international public relations firm PorterNovelli in Munich, Germany.At Porter Novelli, Bowie worked with bothlifestyle and sport IT teams as a translator.Both sectors have major international clientsthat need English translation and proofreading.Her duties involved writing weeklyhighlights, summary reports, and newsreleases; collecting press clippings; workingin media relations; and pitching ideas.“I’ve gotten to do a bit of media relations.I don’t think there is a country in Europe Ihaven’t called. It’s great to be able to haverelationships with journalists from all overthe world,” Bowie says in an interviewfrom Germany.When she originally applied for the job,her German wasn’t fluent enough to writeor communicate in a business manner.During the interview, the administrationliked her so much they agreed to hireher if she took more extensive Germanlessons. Part of the reason why she washired was because of her job experiencein the workplace, acquired while fulfillingher internships.While at Durham, she landed her non-profitinternship with the Ottawa 67s OntarioHockey League club. After graduation,she decided that she would fulfil personalaspirations to travel to Europe. The formerDurham varsity soccer star found a caretakingposition with a family in Germanyand landed a roster spot on the semi-prosoccer team, FSV Hohenrain. She not onlyPUBLIC RELATIONS GRADUATE EMMA BOWIE ENJOYS THE SUN IN STOCKHOLMSWEDEN. SHE RECENTLY SPENT A YEAR WORKING FOR INTERNATIONAL FIRMPORTER NOVELLI IN MUNICH, GERMANY.met new friends, but also helped guideher team to an undefeated season and atrip to the national championships. Whilethe transition seemed easy, she found thechange in culture most challenging.“Culture in Germany is different. They’revery by the rules and never break them.But I love the culture. They enjoy the sun,and people walk and bike everywhere.It’s a much more active way of life, but Iguess you need to be with all the breadand beer,” she says.Along with working and playing soccer,Bowie still found time to take Germanlanguage lessons twice a week. Sherealized she was becoming more valuable,so when she found out through a friendabout the job at F&H Porter Novelli inMunich, she applied.Durham College’s Public Relations programreally helped Bowie understand thatcommunications can be challenging. Shebenefited from the program’s two internships,one non-profit and one corporate.They provided her with experience and acredible resume, she said.Before Christmas, Bowie decided not torenew her contract at Porter Novelli. Herplans were to come home and return toschool to further her education.“I’m happy coming home on a positivenote, having one year of international workunder my belt,” she says.PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA BOWIEWWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 17

E-LEARNING TAKES NURSINGTO A CRITICAL LEVELby Zoe FittIn a critical care unit, there’s no room formistakes. When an ambulance arrives atthe emergency doors delivering a burnvictim, or when major brain surgery istaking place in neuro-intensive care,nurses are always at the scene, maskson, and prepared for the worst.For over 30 years, Durham College has beenproviding nursing education and preparingits students for these real-world situations.Based on new standards for critical care inOntario, nurses today are being encouragedto have as much education and experienceas possible.“There is a very serious shortage of nurses,especially in specialized areas such as criticalcare nursing,” says program co-ordinatorand professor Sandra Goldsworthy. “Whenthe SARS epidemic broke out, our healthcaresystem almost collapsed becausethere were not enough nurses who hadspecialized in critical care nursing.”Durham College was chosen from a fieldof other colleges and universities tooffer the new post-graduate Critical CareE-learning Graduate Certificate, andreceived a $1-million grant from theOntario Ministry of Health and Long-TermCare to create this innovative program.The program features a series of six onlinetheory-based courses, followed by hands-onsimulation training at the college’s stateof-the-artlab or at one of the 10 affiliatecolleges and universities that have beentrained at Durham for this program.To complete the certificate, students mustgain 120 hours of on-the-job experience ina critical care setting under the supervisionof a preceptor. The last two componentsof the course provide training in a safe,high-tech, environment, helping studentsbuild the confidence they will need towork in such an intense area of nursing.“Working in critical care requires highlyspecialized skills and you’re dealing withSTUDENTS PRACTISE NURSING PROCEDURES IN DURHAM’S SIMULATION LAB.THESE LABS ARE ALSO USED BY CRITICAL CARE E-LEARNING STUDENTS.life-and-death scenarios every day,” saysGoldsworthy. “It’s pretty intimidating goingout there as a new nurse without extensivetraining, so it’s our goal to provide thestudents with the critical care nursingeducation and practice they need.”When it was launched in September 2007,the online program had attracted almost80 applicants. Another intake began inJanuary and another is due to start in May.Although the program is currently onlyoffered in Ontario, enrolment is expectedto increase and it may eventually becomeavailable nationally and internationally.“That’s the beauty of being online,” saysGoldsworthy. “It doesn’t matter where youare – whether you’re in London, Englandor in Sydney, Australia, as long as studentshave access to the Internet and havea similar health-care system, then it’sdefinitely possible.”The program is available to all nurses inOntario, including new and experiencedcritical care nurses. For more information,please visitwww.durhamcollege.ca/criticalcare.18REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

SONGBIRDSIN THE HALLSby Yoenel Esteirine-PrietoThe hills may be alive with the sound ofmusic but now so are the halls of DurhamCollege, with the sound of the DurhamCommunity Choir members.These gifted songbirds are making animpact on audiences in Durham Region.The Durham Community Choir, made up of80 singers, are conducted by J.C. Coolen.A professional freelance musician, Coolenhas worked as a church musician, choraland hand bell director and vocal andinstrumental accompanist for 15 years.“I provide musical leadership and directionfor the choir,” says Coolen. “I conduct thechoir in rehearsal and performances, and Ilove what I do.”The choir, which does not require auditions,has been together since the fall of 1994.In 1998-1999, the group participated ina special CD recording celebrating theRegion of Durham’s 25th anniversary.“Handel’s Messiah is a staple of our fallconcert, but we have also sung Vivaldi’sGloria and J.S. Bach’s Magnificat at our fallconcert,” says Coolen. “Our spring concerthas featured an eclectic variety of music,from African-American to pop to musicalsto choral music of the world.”Upcoming performances include a secularconcert in Oshawa in April and a performanceconcert in Oshawa in November.The choir rehearses on Monday eveningsin C113 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Potentialchoristers can register through ContinuousLearning at Durham College.“I hope that the choir conveys the emotionalCONDUCTOR J.C. COOLEN LEADS THEDURHAM COMMUNITY CHOIR IN VOCALEXERCISES ON MONDAY NIGHTS IN THEDURHAM COLLEGE C WING.core of the music we sing, involving theaudience in a shared experience of theessence of our common humanity,”says Coolen.For more information on joining the choir,call: (905) 683-3197.NEW PROGRAM BOOSTSFIRST-YEAR MORALEby Alyssa McCauleyNew friends, new teachers, new schooland a new life. These are just some of thestresses that affect the first-year experiencefor students new to college life. With all ofthese changes, it can be hard not to panic.However, Durham College has come upwith a solution.The new Staff to Student Mentoring programeases the academic and social transitionfor new college students. In 2003-2004,59.9 per cent of students graduated fromtheir programs at Durham College. This isa typical figure for the college system. Thehope is that this new program will help toincrease that number by helping first-yearstudents through the adjustment process.Under the mentoring program, first-yearstudents are matched with a DurhamCollege staff member who is familiar withcampus activities and services. Thesevolunteers help students to have a successfuland enjoyable first-year experienceby focusing on problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. They also encourage thestudents to participate in campus activitiesand make use of student services. In itsfirst term, the program had about 40 staffand students enrolled.“I am very excited about being a part ofthis pilot project as I feel that this is awonderful program,” says Lucy RomaoVandepol, first-year experience co-ordinator.“The Staff to Student Mentoring programprovides first-year Durham College studentswith a link to the campus, and an opportunityto connect with a staff member who hasinside knowledge of the workings of theLUCY ROMAO-VANDEPOL, DURHAMCOLLEGE’S FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCECO-ORDINATOR.campus. It also provides staff who maynot work directly with students with anopportunity to do so.”The main goal of the program is to givefirst-year students a positive outlook oncollege life, eventually leaving Durhamas successful graduates.Any student interested in joining thementoring program can visitwww.durhamcollege.ca/firstyear.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CA REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 19

HOMECOMING WEEKENDMAY 2 AND 3, 20 08AGENDAFRIDAY, MAY 28 P.M.Suds and Feathers(beer and wings) at E.P. Taylor’sSATURDAY, MAY 311 A.M. – 4 P.M.Complimentary Barbecue lunch;Campus tours;Children’s activities;Varsity Alumni games; andDecade rooms/program roomsfor reconnecting with old friends.SATURDAY, MAY 3COCKTAILS, 6 P.M., DINNER 7 P.M.Dinner/Dance at General Sikorski Hall:$60/ticket, $110/coupleVisit the website for registrationand ticket information.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CA/40THANNIVERSARYCLASS OF ‘82 /‘83 – MARKETING/PERSONNELServingDurhamRegionSince1985CONTACT METODAY!905-728-1600www.MichaelBaird.caMICHAEL BAIRD SALES REPRESENTATIVE20 REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

ALUMNI UPDATE1969KATHLEEN ROSE (Medical Secretary), residesin Oshawa, Ontario with her husband Frederick.Rose currently works at Medex Nursing Homesas a secretary and receptionist.1984CAROL CHERRY (nee Judd) (Nursing), residesin Cobourg, Ontario with her husband Shawnand their three daughters, Victoria, 16, Olivia, 14,and Mariah, 12.1987JOHN GALE (Advertising) resides in Oshawa,Ontario where he owns and operates Gale Design.Gale has been involved in graphic design andadvertising since 1988 and services clients locallyand in the Greater Toronto Area. Gale recentlyreceived a national design award from AppliedArts Magazine for art direction of a direct mailpiece that competed in an international photographyproposal competition for Lowe’s Companies,Inc., in the United States. This work will bepart of Applied Arts Awards issue in November.1989SCOTT MACINALLY (Electronic EngineeringTechnology) resides in Huntsville, Ontario withhis wife Jane, four-year-old daughter Caitlin andtwo-year-old son Jack. MacInally currently worksas a firefighter for the Oshawa Fire Service.1990JOHN VESTERGAARD (Business Administration– Marketing), resides in Mount Albert,Ontario with his wife Michelle, four-year-olddaughter Elise and two-year-old son Erik. Vestergaardis currently an operations supervisor forEnbridge Inc. in Richmond Hill.1991TERESA LOVE (nee Van Grootheest) (EntertainmentAdministration) resides in Coldwater,Ontario with her husband Rob and their sons,two-year-old Cody and three-month-old Calvin.1992DEREK GORDANIER (Journalism) resides inSpencerville, Ontario with his wife Carolineand their four children, Drake, Veronica, Victoriaand Calvin. After a career in weekly and dailyjournalism as both a reporter and an editor forMetro Ottawa, Gordanier was named thefounding managing editor of the newspaper.1994DAWN CARNEGIE (nee Ward) (Interior Design),resides in Oshawa, Ontario with her husbandMike, five-year-old son Brenden, three-year-oldson Matthew, and 10-month-old daughter Jessica.Carnegie currently works as the lead designer atShikatani Lacroix Design Inc. in Toronto.1995KEVIN WEATHERDON (Mechanical EngineeringTechnician), resides in Oshawa, Ontario withhis wife Shannon, three-year-old daughterJosephine Violet, and three-month-old daughterCharlotte Francis. Weatherdon currently worksas a Mechanical Maintainer at Ontario PowerGeneration’s Darlington facility.1996ADRIANASEDORE(nee Emons)(DentalAssisting)resides inOrillia,Ontario withher husbandChristopher and their three sons, Gavan, 6,Ayden, 4, and their newest addition, ninemonth-oldNolan. Sedore has worked asa Level 2 Certified Dental Assistant at Dr. V.G.Skobe’s Dental Office in Brechin, Ontario sinceshe graduated in 1996.1997CHRISTINE JERVIS (nee Shaw) (InteriorDesign) resides in Oshawa, Ontario andcurrently works as a Design Draftsperson atthe Region of Durham.MICHELLE FERGUSON (Human ServicesCounsellor), resides in Oshawa, Ontario withher 16-year-old daughter Charity.1999CHERYL BERRY (nee Lenner) (LegalAdministration), resides in Severn Bridge,Ontario, with her 13-year-old daughter Jessica,five-year-old son Zachary, and three-year-olddaughter Neleh.SCOTT CRAWFORD (Sports Administration),resides in St. Mary’s, Ontario with his wifeSamantha, two-year-old son Toby and threemonth-oldson Noah, Scott currently worksas the director of operations at the CanadianBaseball Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Mary’s.2002JOSHUATOUTANT (Business Administration –Accounting), resides in Whitby, Ontario with hiswife Jennifer and their three-year-old daughter,Rebecca. Toutant currently works as a productionplanner at Latham Splash in Ajax, Ontario.HEATHER WINDSOR (Graphic Design) residesin Oshawa, Ontario with her five-year-old sonKaeden. She is the proud owner of HeatherWindsor Photography where she works as thehead photographer.2003MARTHA PETTERSEN (nee McLaughlin) (RNdiploma) resides in Bailieboro, Ontario withher husband Stephen and their four daughters;Alexis, 3, Serena, 21 months, and twins Paigeand Peyton, 15 weeks. Martha also graduatedfrom the Dental Assisting program in 1997. She iscurrently working at the Hospital for Sick Childrenin Toronto, Ontario as a Registered Nurse.2004KAREN EMMERSON (nee Marconi) (BusinessAdministration – Human Resources) resides inStouffville, Ontario with her husband, Derek.ANTHONY SAUVE (Sports Administration)resides in Ottawa, Ontario, and currently worksat the Aboriginal Sport Circle as the nationalco-ordinator for Coaching and LeadershipDevelopment.CHRISTOPHER RUZSA (Motive Power – Partsand Counter Personnel) resides in Pickering,Ontario, and currently works as an automotiveservice advisor at Canadian Tire in Ajax, Ontario.WWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CAREFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 21

2005NICHOLE PRICE (Human Services Counsellor)resides in Whitby, Ontario with her twodaughters, Emma, 5, and Arianna, 1. Nicholecurrently works as a customer servicerepresentative at TD Canada Trust.2006DONNA PRUST (nee Allinson) (Mechtronics),resides in Sunderland, Ontario with her husbandEric, 12-year-old daughter Taylor, three-year-olddaughter Katherine and two-year-old son Michael.Prust currently works at General Motors as aproduction supervisor in Oshawa, Ontario.2007SEANA DEPAEPE (Office Administration –Legal) resides in Port Hope, Ontario. Shecurrently works as a legal assistant at McCarthyTetrault LLP in Toronto, Ontario.CHRIS MAEDER (Business Administration –Operations Management) resides in Whitby,Ontario, and currently works as a vinyl schedulerfor a pool manufacturer.MARK MARTIRE (Music Business Management)resides in Toronto, Ontario where he foundedTambourine Magazine. Martire currently worksas an editor and writer for the music magazine.DURHAM COLLEGEMARKETING ALUMNISPEEDMINGLING!Join us for a funevening with FREEfinger foods, FREEprizes along withSpeed Mingling!Friday April 25, 2008 | 7:30 p.m.Shagwells on the Ridge in the new campus ice centre.RVSP required by email to;jeff.schissler@durhamcollege.caYou’re graduating and nowlooking for more educationOur Graduate Certificate programs offer you anadded edge to take your education to the next level.• Addictions Counselling• Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations• Communicative Disorders Assistant• Court and Tribunal Agent• Critical Care Nursing (e-learning)• Emergency Management• Human Resources• Paramedic - Advanced Care• Penology and Youth• Sport Business ManagementFor more information, call 905.721.3033 or visit www.durhamcollege.ca.22REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008

Keep the alumni associationup-to-date on where youare living and working.www.durhamcollege.ca/alumni/registerReasons to celebrate this year!2007 marks the 40th Anniversary of Durham College and also the beginning ofa new partnership between your Alumni Association and Manulife Financial.This is significant because, now, you and your family can have the best combinationof products and value in the market today!• Term Life• Child Life & Accident• Income Protection Disability• Health & Dental• Major Accident Protection• Critical IllnessCheck out the Needs Calculator and your Alumni rates atmanulife.com/durhamcollegeor call 1 888 913-6333You may also contact your Agent of Record, Anthony Colangelo, CGA,at 905 479-9880 or a.colangelo@rogers.comUnderwritten by:The Manufacturers Life Insurance CompanyWWW.DURHAMCOLLEGE.CA REFLECTIONS | WINTER 2008 23