Chronicle Issue 09 all-pages-1-28

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6 The Chronicle March 20 - 26, 2018 chronicle.durhamcollege.ca Campus Plans for geothermal ‘heat up’ John Cook The Chronicle Durham College is set to get a little greener next year as the aging Simcoe Building is demolished and a renewable energy centre is set up in its place. Durham MPP Granville Anderson was on campus March 12 to announce the provincial government will give $14.7 million toward upgrades to DC’s existing green technology and to begin the first phase of the construction of a geothermal energy centre. Geothermal energy is a form of renewable energy that deals mainly with heating and cooling of buildings. This type of green energy originates deep underground and is tapped into by way of drilling. Doug Crossman, manager of Mechanical Systems and Energy for DC, says the college’s plans for a geothermal system are known as a borehole thermal energy storage system (BTESS). The system involves drilling deep “boreholes” into the earth and installing piping through the holes. “Once we bore about 500 feet into the ground the temperature remains fairly constant,” says Crossman. “We pull some of that temperature out of the ground [in colder months] and through refrigerant we use it to heat buildings.” Crossman says during the summer months the centre will pump heat underground through the same holes for storage until the warm weather ends. Geothermal energy does not produce greenhouse gasses, but the heat pumps and refrigerant systems use external power. This means geothermal, when used alongside other renewable forms of electricity generation, is a zero-emission system. Photograph by John Cook Durham College president Don Lovisa speaking at the geothermal field project announcement. “Ideally you are able to obtain the maximum amount of emission reduction through a combination of emissions-free generating systems and geothermal BTESStype systems,” says Crossman. “Those are the most effective types of systems.” The geothermal field will be located on the current site of the Simcoe Building, which is scheduled for closure and demolition later this year. The project will be completed in several phases, with the first phase to be completed over the course of this year and next. Durham College president Don Lovisa says the field will provide more benefits to the school beyond emissions reduction. He says the site will be used as a “working classroom” space for students. “The Simcoe Geothermal Field, along with a connected heat-pump plant will become a living lab on-campus that will be incorporated into the curricula of numerous programs to address new green energy technologies and careers,” says Lovisa. The bulk of the investment, more than $9 million, will be used for the construction of the BTESS system. The remainder will be allocated to upgrading DC’s “green technology,” such as automated lights, as well as an interest-free loan to fund projects which are yet-to-be-determined. In his announcement, Anderson called the geothermal project “exciting and wonderful.” “I am extremely proud that [geothermal energy production] will be implemented in our community,” he said. Global Class discusses racial discrimination Cassidy McMullen The Chronicle “What can we do as one great human civilization…to eliminate racial discrimination?” That’s the question Lon Appleby asked of students in the Global Class on March 14. The global class is a general education course (GNED) available at DC. Using advanced technology, the class can video chat with people from around the world allowing students to discuss international issues and hear different perspectives. DC’s Global Class hosted Centennial College, a group from Luskia, Zambia and two Israel colleges for a discussion on racial discrimination just ahead of the United Nations (UN) International Day of Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed March 21 annually. The day was proclaimed in 1966, six years after 69 people were shot by police after a peaceful demonstration against racist laws in Sharpeville, South Africa. In the class, students shared struggles their countries are facing with racial discrimination and personal experiences. In Luskia, Zambia, racial discrimination branches into economic inequality. Ireen Silweya, who organizes groups of people in her community to join in on Global Class discussions, explained how since a lot of property is owned by white Zambians, it’s hard to buy land. “White sells to white,” Silweya said. A student of hers explained how his family was denied the opportunity to buy land from a white land owner who wouldn’t sell it, preferring to let a white Zambian to buy the land instead. “It was a black-white issue,” Silweya said. “And it ended like that.” Derrick Reinsma, a nursing student in his last semester, was looking for another GNED to take when he stumbled upon the global class. Based on the video Appleby made, he thought the course looked interesting so he signed up. Now taking the course, Reinsma especially likes how they touch on “big picture thinking” rather than “everyday small stuff.” “It just connects us to different world perspectives that we wouldn’t experience in our everyday lives,” Reinsma said. Reinsma suggested in the global class racial discrimination comes from intolerance and a fundamental hatred of not only other people but yourself. “Today’s class gave us a new perspective to see how people felt racism in different cultures and it helped us get down to the fundamentals of what we should change in our lives to change racism on a global scale,” Reinsma said. Appleby guided the conversation, focusing on the world’s development and failure since the UN’s creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 70 years ago after World War II, which Appleby described as “the worst war in human kind.” Section one of the Declaration of Human rights was specifically discussed: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit Photograph by Cassidy McMullen The Global Class, led by Lon Appleby (centre), participates in an international discussion about racial discrimination over video chat. of brotherhood.” “It shouldn’t be a day of celebration,” Silweya said. It should be a day to look at implementing change and finding ways to make it sustainable, he said. The theme for this year’s International Day of Elimination of Racial Discrimination is tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating racial discrimination with a focus on migrants and people of African descent.
Community chronicle.durhamcollege.ca March 20 - 26, 2018 The Chronicle 7 Girls will take flight in Oshawa Aly Beach The Chronicle Women and girls have a chance to take to the skies at Girls Take Flight Oshawa, a free aviation event meant to encourage girls and women to go into aviation. Presented by The First Canadian 99s and Durham Flight Centre, the event will feature information and education sessions, aviation and aerospace professionals, aircraft displays and discussion panels. There will be booths and exhibitioners including air cadets, and representatives from Seneca College and Georgian College, which both offer aviation programs. Girls Take Flight Oshawa will be hosting female guest speakers including an airline pilot, a mechanic and a military pilot. “We have speakers and they’re going to be able to inspire the girls by sharing their stories and telling them a little bit about what it’s like in their particular career,” says Lesley Page, pilot, event founder and main organizer. Girls and women are being offered 200 free flights at this year’s event, which takes place April 21 at the Oshawa airport. Last year, Girls Take Flight was able to provide 188 free flights. Registration starts April 1 at girlstakeflight.ca. “We have usually 12 to 15 pilots who fly and they fly their own aircraft and they donate their time, fuel and aircraft to make sure we fly as many women and girls as possible,” says Page. Page says it’s important to introduce more women to aviation for two reasons: Only six per cent of pilots are women and that number is even lower among airline pilots. Photograph courtesy of Girls Take Flight Oshawa A young girl participating in one of the free flights offered at 2017's Girls Take Flight Oshawa Page thinks everybody does better when there are more women involved. The second reason is the untapped demographic that can help with the current pilot shortage, something that has become more apparent recently. “An obvious way to combat the pilot shortage is to target women to fit in the industry,” she says. Page is a private pilot who got her licence in 2007 at the age of 52. She was inspired when her husband took her on her first small airplane flight in 2005. “It was love at first flight, so I decided life was too short to be a passenger so I quit my job to learn how to fly,” says Page. She is also a member of the Canadian 99s, the largest chapter of the largest organization of female aviators. It was founded in 1929, and according to Page, Amelia Earhart was the organization’s first president. Page describes flying as a freeing, empowering experience. She says there is a sense of pride in becoming a pilot. “There is a sense of accomplishment once you’ve obtained that licence, that is not everybody in the world has the capacity and the… dexterity to become a pilot,” says Page. Page says the event is about breaking perceptions and stereotypes. “We want them to spark an interest and we want them to know aviation and aerospace are an option for girls. There’s a perception that aviation and aerospace is for boys, for men,” says Page. Girls Inc.: Helping build confidence Tracy Wright The Chronicle Self-harming, low self-esteem, poor body image -these are just a few examples of issues girls who attend Girls Inc. might have. Brianna Thorne, 18, is an alumnus of the Girls Inc. program. She started out when it was suggested by her principal and teacher at Gandatsetiagon Public School Pickering in Grade 8. She was hesitant to join the group as she was a tomboy and did not hang out with girls. “I was scared to be in a room with other girls,” she says, adding, “I eventually warmed up.” “Before Girls Inc. I was very self-conscious. I didn’t have any friends and I had low self-esteem.” She says she learned to accept herself for who she is. Thorne went on to become a volunteer and then later a camp counsellor at Girls Inc. She currently attends York University and is studying psychology. Girls Inc. is a non-profit U.S.- based organization which started in 1864. Its mission is to empower girls and their motto encourages girls to be strong, smart and bold. The group was originally part of the Big Sister movement, which was a program pairing women in a mentor-style relationship with younger girls. After operating as a program within Big Sisters, Girls Inc. Durham was created in 2002 following the amalgamation of Big Sisters with Big Brothers. The plan was to continue programming specifically for girls. A grant was received from Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2004. Girls Inc. used that funding to open two other locations in Durham – south Oshawa and Pickering. They also put additional programs in place, such as the Girls Inc. Operation SMART program. In 2005, they started the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) otherwise known as Food 4 Thought. Then in 2006, Girls Inc. day camp was initiated for girls aged six to 12. This camp covers all eight programs provided by Girls Inc. Tracey McCanell, director of programming says, “everyday, Young girls and women who participate with Girls Inc., a non-profit organization. Girls Inc. puts our mission into practice through the Girls Inc. Experience, which equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated, and independent adults.” Girls Inc. was one of the first affiliates in Canada to receive the Standard of Excellence Award. This international award recognizes an organization that goes beyond standard practices and achieves excellence in programming, marketing, governance, advocacy and fund development. “We want our girls to have a positive experience,” says Emma Conner, former Girls Inc. community development manager. “Learn and grow. And become the best version of themselves.” They cater to a lot of girls and young women from age six to 18. “We are trying to empower our girls and help to change society so when girls go out into the world they’re met with opportunities instead of barriers. Also, met with support instead of judgment, there’s a lot of work left to be done,” says Conner. Not all girls who come to Girls Inc. want to hear what is being said. Some come at their parents’ suggestion. However, they do provide mentor role models to work with them. “We genuinely believe that if you Photograph by Tracy Wright have someone is in your corner telling you that you are worth it. You deserve to be heard. You are smart, you’re strong and you are bold. You deserve opportunities. Then you’re going to start to believe it yourself,” says Conner. “The essential elements and the foundational Girls Inc. Experience have been developed to impact girls, their families and society,” says McCannell. Thorne says the encounter has helped her build herself up and have healthier relationships. “[Girls Inc.] had a really, really big impact on my life” says Thorne. “It will change you and help you grow in so many ways.”
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