May 31, 2010

Three gold and two silver medals won by Durham College students include national gold medal

OSHAWA, ON.– For the second time in the college’s history, a Durham College student has claimed the national title at the annual Skills Canada competition held May 20 to 23 in Waterloo, Ontario. Peter Coughlin, a student in the advanced Plumber Apprenticeship program, displayed his prowess with the pipes, winning the gold medal in the Plumbing division and giving the college its second-ever national title and third national medal in three years.

Prior to claiming the national title, Coughlin also won gold in the same category at the Ontario Technology Skills Competition (Skills Ontario) held in Waterloo from May 17 to 19. In addition, he received the prestigious honour of being named the Highest Placed Individual at the provincial event, marking the first time a Durham College student has received the distinction.

A number of other Durham College students also participated at Skills Ontario with outstanding results. Riley Andrusiak, a third-year student in the Computer Systems Technology program took home a gold medal at the provincial competition in the IT and Network Support division and finished just out of the medals at Skills Canada, placing fourth in the same category. Reuben Baker and Brittany Pap, both third-year Animation – Digital Production students, finished second in the 3-D Character Animation Team category and Christopher McFarlane, an intermediate Machinist Apprenticeship student, won silver in the CNC Machining division.

“Once again, our students have achieved exceptional results on the national and provincial stage,” said Don Lovisa, president of Durham College. “Their accomplishments are a direct reflection of the hard work and commitment they put into their studies and receive from their professors and re-affirms that the skills and programs taught at Durham College will prepare them for success in their professional careers. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of them on their performance at these highly regarded competitions.”

Both annual competitions promote and showcase skilled trades and technology careers to youth across the province and country. In total, 17 students from Durham College took part in the provincial event with 14 individuals/teams placing in the top five in their respective categories.

-30-

About Durham College 
At Durham College, the student experience comes first, an approach it has taken for more than 40 years. Through a vast range of market-driven programs that are taught by exceptional professors with real-world experience, students develop the skills required to meet the ever-changing needs of employers and the job market. Moving forward, Durham College’s expansion plans will see its Whitby campus grow by 40,000 square feet. Phase 1 of the construction features an energy-neutral living laboratory for new technologies and education that will serve the growing needs of the emerging energy sector. Phase 2 will increase the size of the Skills Training Centre to create classroom and laboratory space to support new program development, and Phase 3 will be a Food Centre designed to house culinary arts programs; a food and agricultural component; a food processing centre and agriculture and science laboratories. Durham College has more than 7,000 full-time students, thousands of part-time students and more than 1,400 apprentices. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.

Media contact: 
Michelle Roebuck
Communications, Marketing and External Relations
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca

 

Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications, Marketing and External Relations.

School of Media, Art & Design (MAD) Professor Matt Grabinksy, left, teaches a group of Pickering High School students how to use Maya animation software. The students came to Durham College on May 4 as part of a two-day workshop on MAD’s programs.

Durham College turned into a testing ground for 240 secondary school students on May 4 and 5 when the School of Media, Art & Design (MAD) hosted a two-day workshop to showcase its film and animation courses.

After meeting Durham College President Don Lovisa and Charlotte Hale, associate dean of the School of Media, Art & Design, the students were then sent off to four workshops on topics including film compositing, animation sequences, animation collaboration and music video.

In addition to listening to lectures from college professors, the students also used Durham College’s computers to get a feel for the work done by MAD students. According to Hale, this kind of interaction helps them adjust to the reality of college.

“So many students want to get into gaming and animation and the perception is that they’re cool and easy programs,” said Hale. “In fact it’s a lot of work and a lot of students coming out of high school hit the wall during their first year. Not because of a lack of creativity or ability, but because they need to quickly develop a strong work ethic and time management skills. These workshops will help them realize how much work they’ll be doing in college.”

The students received a compressed version of what students learn in two to three years, and were impressed by the experience.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Lindsay Rusaw, a Pickering High School student who attended the Film and Animation Collaboration workshop, which focused on learning to use Maya 3-D animation software. “The campus looks nice and this is an exciting medium to get into.”

The day was organized by the School of MAD in conjunction with the Building Future Connections program, part of the provincial government’s School-College-Work Initiative to provide students with a clear pathway from high school to college.

Paramedic students Adam Sellors, left, and Andrew Bright, right, celebrate with Kevin Griffin, centre, a professor with the School of Health & Community Services, after they won the College division of the 2010 National Paramedic Competition. Sellors and Bright competed against students and professional paramedics from across Canada in a series of emergency situation simulations during the event held on April 10 at Durham College.

A team of Paramedic students came out on top at the 2010 National Paramedic Competition on April 10, winning the College division and placing third in the Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) division, giving Durham College its first win since the competition began in 2003.

Competing against teams from colleges and emergency medical service units from across Ontario, Durham College students Andrew Bright and Adam Sellors participated in a series of simulated scenarios throughout the Oshawa campus.

The scenarios, drawn from real-life emergency calls, tested their skills in dealing with crisis situations while judges looked on. Scenarios included an assault during a protest, a deaf and mute mother with a choking baby and a pair of criminals breaking into a factory and being exposed to a pesticide.

“It’s amazing to come in first, mostly because it was so unexpected,” said Bright. “We were feeling pretty good throughout the day but we still had no idea how everyone else was doing. It took a couple days for it to sink in and finally realize what we had done.”

Bright added that he plans on participating in the competition again in the future at the Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) and ACP levels, which are reserved for more advanced students and professional paramedics.

Durham College students Brock Bodashefsky and Rob Morra also did well at the competition, placing third in the ACP division and holding their own against professional ACPs with experience in the field.

“They did very well,” said Melissa Simpson, a paramedic lab technologist with the School of Health & Community Services. “They were practising as much as they physically could before the competition, which is difficult since they have a day and a half of classes per week and spend the rest of their time with their preceptor crew out on the road.”

For more information on the 2010 National Paramedic Competition and to see photos of the paramedics in action, please visit www.paramediccompetition.ca.

Barb Suen, a professor with the Durham College School of Media, Art & Design (bottom centre), poses with her Graphic Design students after they came in third at the Sustainable Packaging Design Awards on April 22. From left to right: Courtney Schouwerwou, Damon Martin, Sarah Big Canoe, Denise Arcand, Laura Tout and Adam Maryn.

Six second-year students from Durham College’s Graphic Design program recently took third place in Walmart Canada’s Student Sustainable Packaging Design Awards, earning themselves $1,000 in total.

Denise Arcand, Sarah Big Canoe, Damon Martin, Adam Maryn, Laura Tout and Courtney Schouwerwou were honoured on April 22 at the Toronto Convention Centre when they were presented with a cheque in front of more than 300 business men and women as part of the Packaging Association of Canada’s Sustainable Packaging Conference.

“We were the third out of seven schools to qualify for the finals,” said Barb Suen, the School of Media, Art & Design professor who entered the students in the contest. “With six people ours was the largest group. I think that speaks well to our team-building skills.”

Tasked with designing sustainable packaging for Windex by S.C. Johnson and Son, the students had two months to create new labels and packaging for 12 Windex bottles and a convenient, environmentally-friendly box to carry them in. Students were encouraged to minimize the space needed to transport the containers on trucks while making them easier to unload for stores like Walmart.

The students ultimately created a sleek new logo for the bottles that they printed on renewable shrink sleeves using inks made of soy. In addition, they made a small box design from environmentally friendly corrugated board.

Scheduled on Earth Day, the conference emphasises the growing desire in business to adhere to green practices. According to Suen, Durham College is following suit, altering its programs to familiarize students with changing global trends.

“Sustainability is a brand new field that graphic designers need to be aware of,” she added. “Before, graphic designers were all about the design. Now because there’s so much material regarding printing, inks and the shape of the package, there’s a lot more that our students need to know. We’re revising our curriculum with a new course to accommodate this up-and-coming information that will start in September.”

Darren Pascoe (left) and Shawn Payette, Second Career students with Durham College’s Water Quality Technician program, shake hands with Susan Todd, dean of the School of Applied Sciences, Apprenticeship, Skilled Trades & Technology – Oshawa campus. Pascoe and Payette received the Walkerton Clean Water Centre award for their program achievements.

Two Durham College Second Career students recently won the Walkerton Clean Water Centre award, earning $1,750 each in recognition of their work.

Darren Pascoe and Shawn Payette, enrolled with the college’s Water Quality Technician program, were presented their awards in acknowledgement of their accomplishments in the two-year program at the program’s annual Mix and Mingle event held earlier this year.

Payette, originally from the automotive industry, attended a Durham College information session after being laid off. The session drew him to the college’s Water Quality Technician program.

“Durham College is a great school with knowledgeable professors,” said Payette. “It has been an enjoyable experience and I have received a great education and met a lot of great people along this journey.”

Pascoe also started in the automotive sector, building seats for General Motors of Canada Ltd. through Lear Corporation. Like Payette he was laid off and the Second Career program allowed him to change fields.

Created in 2008, Second Career is a provincial government initiative created to help laid-off workers secure new jobs through the donation of grant money to help pay for their post-secondary education.

“Having a second chance through funding from the government as a Second Career student, I feel lucky to be retrained,” said Pascoe. “After I complete my exams I hope to secure a full-time job in the water or wastewater industry, hopefully in Durham Region.”

Pascoe and Payette were chosen from 25 Water Quality Technician students. They each had to complete an essay on their experiences in the program to be chosen for the award.

Approximately 400 Second Career students currently attend Durham College.

Students clean up in front of the Student Centre on April 25 as part of a community cleanup effort to beautify the Oshawa campus and surrounding neighbourhood.

From left to right: Brad Bartlett and Ian Bloomfield, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) students; Anthony Boland, president, The Student Association (SA); Nicole Robichaud, former vice-president, Internal, The SA; and Amy England, former president, The SA.

The Student Association (SA) and students from across campus rolled up their sleeves and got to work on April 24, picking up trash from around the campus as part of a community cleanup to beautify Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), as well as the surrounding neighbourhood.

Organized by The Student Association, the event targeted the campus as well as areas near Dalhousie Crescent, Niagara Drive and Walreg Drive. Faculty and students managed to fill more than a dozen bags with garbage.

“The weather was nice and the sun was shining, and we had a barbeque once it was over,” said Anthony Boland, president, The SA. “Members of the community were genuinely happy to see us in their neighbourhoods. It was great to see students interacting with homeowners.”

Boland noted that the day out, despite the fun, was as much a goodwill mission as it was good for the environment.

“It’s important to show we have a commitment to sustainability and the environment,” said Boland. “We truly believe that contributing to the community cleanup shows we value our citizenship here. It’s all about being a good neighbour.”

As an incentive to gather volunteers, The SA offered an extra $200 to any student club that brought out at least five members. There are more than 70 on-campus clubs composed of students from Durham College, UOIT and Trent in Oshawa.

Though the cleanup is an annual event held by The SA, this year’s garbage pickup coincided with a larger week-long initiative in the City of Oshawa as part of Pitch-In Canada. The city provided free garbage bags and gloves to volunteers and anyone else looking to tidy the community.

May 11, 2010

Automaker’s gift of 91 engines to provide comprehensive hands-on experience

OSHAWA, ON.– Durham College and its exceptional skilled trades programs has become the beneficiary of a major donation of 91 new automotive engines by General Motors Canada. The contribution, announced today, is worth more than $200,000 and will provide additional high-quality training opportunities for current and future students studying in one of the college’s post-secondary and apprenticeship automotive, energy and power engineering programs.

“This donation of these first-rate engines will give our students a valuable tool in gaining experience with the latest in industry technology,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We are thrilled and grateful to receive such a wonderful contribution from a highly regarded industry partner like GM Canada. These engines will play a key role in training the future experts of the skilled-trades sector.”

The gift, comprised of 62 six-litre V8 engines and 29 V6 engines will be used as learning tools in the college’s Mechanical Engineering Technician – Non-Destructive Evaluation; Renewable Energy Technician; Power Engineering Technician; and Motive Power Technician – Service and Management two-year diploma programs as well as the Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship program, all of which are based at the college’s Whitby campus.

As part of the state-of-the-art automotive labs within the innovative Skills Training Centre, the engines will become an essential component of the students’ hands-on training curriculum, providing practical and theoretical experience including the latest troubleshooting techniques.

GM Canada’s donation not only helps to reinforce the transitional link from school to the workplace by allowing students to stay current with industry standards but also reflects the company’s commitment to community and youth outreach.

“As a leader in innovation and technology, GM Canada has always strongly supported education and investment in students,” said Tom Odell, technology planning manager, GM Canada. “Giving students the chance to research and understand current vehicle and engine technology using a hands-on approach clearly provides a rich learning opportunity.”

Durham College offers high-quality skilled trades programs and apprenticeships focused on providing the market-ready skills and applied experience demanded by today’s workplace. Graduates of these programs will be qualified for a variety of careers in the transportation and automotive fields. Mechanical Engineering Technician – Non-Destructive Evaluation graduates are also eligible for membership in the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists

About Durham College 
At Durham College, the student experience comes first, an approach it has taken for more than 40 years. Through a vast range of market-driven programs that are taught by exceptional professors with real-world experience, students develop the skills required to meet the ever-changing needs of employers and the job market. Moving forward, Durham College’s expansion plans will see its Whitby campus grow by 40,000 square feet. Phase 1 of the construction features an energy-neutral living laboratory for new technologies and education that will serve the growing needs of the emerging energy sector. Phase 2 will increase the size of the Skills Training Centre to create classroom and laboratory space to support new program development, and Phase 3 will be a Food Centre designed to house culinary arts programs; a food and agricultural component; a food processing centre and agriculture and science laboratories. Durham College has more than 7,000 full-time students, thousands of part-time students and more than 1,400 apprentices. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.caor call 905.721.2000.

Media contact: 
Michelle Roebuck
Communications, Marketing and External Relations
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca

 

Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications, Marketing and External Relations.

Matt Hack, a University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) student (left) and Nicole Mastnak, a learning skills advisor with Durham College, pose together after placing first in the male and female categories respectively at the Campus Charity Walk and Run. Money raised by the walk/run will support the Eastview Boys and Girls Club in Oshawa, Ontario.

Despite some early dark clouds the sun was shining for the fourth annual Campus Charity Walk and Run for the Eastview Boys and Girls Club on April 15.

The five-kilometre event took donors on a wide circuit around Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) twice. The 80 runners and walkers included staff, faculty and students from Durham College, UOIT and G. L. Roberts Collegiate & Vocational Institute.

Participation cost a minimum of $20, though many donors chipped in more. “Typically we take in $1,5000 to $2,000,” said Carla Cesaroni, an assistant professor with UOIT’s Faculty of Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies, who organized the event.

The money is going toward funding for the Eastview Boys and Girls Club, which offers after-school activities, camps and a youth justice program for youth ages 5 to 18 in Oshawa, Ontario.

“Every year we have people who don’t even run but just donate money because they think it’s a good cause, and we really appreciate that,” said Cesaroni. “We hope some day we can make it a community run and get everyone involved.”

First place for the men went to Matt Hack, a UOIT Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies student who crossed the finish line behind the college’s pavilion in just over 16 minutes.

“I found out about it through Carla since she’s one of my professors,” said Hack. “And when she mentioned the Eastview Boys and Girls Club were the beneficiaries I decided to make some time between my exams and come out. It’s a good cause.”

First place for the women went to Nicole Mastnak, a learning skills advisor for Durham College, who ran the course in 19 minutes.

“I like to be involved in as many charity events as possible and I’m pleased so many people contributed in this,” said Mastnak. “Personally I’m training for a marathon in September and that was my best time for five kilometres.”

For more information on the Eastview Boys and Girls Club, please visit its website.

May 10, 2010

Two-day event will offer exciting workshops for Grade 7 and 8 students

OSHAWA, ON. – In an effort to give local elementary students a sample of what a college education can offer, Durham College will welcome more than 250 students in grades 7 and 8 to its Oshawa campus next week as part of a two-day Building Future Connections event.

Students from the Durham District; Durham Catholic District ; Kawartha Pine Ridge District; and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District school boards will take part in a variety of workshops on Wednesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 19 that allow them to explore first-hand the exciting careers available to them through a post-secondary education.

Building Future Connections is a component of the provincial government’s School-College-Work Initiative, which helps provide young students with a clear pathway from secondary school to college. The workshops are hosted and developed by college faculty members and the Durham Industry Education Committee for the Advancement of Science and Technology.

Workshop topics/visuals include:

• A day in the life of a television reporter;
• Bandaging techniques for animals;
• Computer networking;
• Environmental awareness; and
• Math puzzles.

When:
May 12 and 19
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where:
Durham College Oshawa campus
Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC) Gyms 1 and 2

Parking:
Enter from Conlin Road and proceed to the parking lot at the south side of the CRWC.

For more information, please contact:

Michelle Roebuck
Communications, Marketing and External Relations
Durham College
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca

 

Disclaimer: The contact information provided in archived news releases was current at the release date. For current information please contact Communications, Marketing and External Relations.

Visitors to the reception for the eighth annual Juried Art Show admire the paintings on display. The showcase of artwork done by Foundations in Art and Design students took place in Vendor’s Alley in the Gordon Willey building.

The eighth annual Juried Art Show hit the halls of Durham College on April 13, showcasing the best creations from the college’s Foundations in Art and Design (FAD) program.

Comprised of art pieces – photographs, sculptures, paintings and more – created by FAD students, the show covered Vendor’s Alley in a collage of eccentric yet brilliant offerings that consistently stopped passers-by in their tracks to have a look.

“The exhibit functions primarily as an important collective culmination of all the creative processes that each individual student experiences throughout their academic year,” said Sean McQuay, the Durham College FAD professor who organizes the display. “It gives them a chance to show off any acquired skills and works like a kind of testing ground for developing new visual ideas and concepts.”

The show also included a contest judged by Greg Murphy, dean of the School of Media, Art & Design and Gabrielle Peacock, chief executive officer of the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario. The winners of the contest will be on display at the Station Gallery in Whitby, Ontario during the month of May, giving art aficionados beyond the college an opportunity to appreciate the work done by its students.

“This show makes it more serious for them,” said Herb Klassen, a professor with the School of Media, Art & Design who works with McQuay on the show. “It gives them a sense that their work is at a professional level.”

The winning piece, The Bay Harbour Butcher by Jessica Wallace, will ultimately be bought by the School of Media, Art & Design and displayed in its office.

Klassen noted that with more manpower to help, they’d like to expand the showing to other parts of the year. “We’d like to see if we can get more things like this happening other than just at the end of the year and in other parts of the school,” he added. “We really appreciate the Station Gallery giving us the chance to display the works in a more public setting.”