Durham College (DC) Interactive Media Design students Christopher Chai and Zachary Weaver are the proud winners of the Interaction Design category in the Best of the Best Student Showcase at Digifest, Toronto’s three-day international festival celebrating digital creativity. The students’ winning design, the fully interactive Unreal Museum Showcase, was an engaging way for participants to experience history and learning.

The unique Best of the Best Student Showcase brought together exciting work from the brightest student minds across Ontario, and at the forefront of it all was the Unreal Museum Showcase. Powered by the Unreal Engine and Leap Motion Gesture Control, users had the opportunity to explore and interact with the museum displays in an immersive, fully 3D environment.

Taking a new, extremely hands-on approach to learning, guests were encouraged to touch, manipulate and control exhibition objects at their own pace. From ancient Roman history to the fine arts, the Unreal Museum Showcase made learning a very real, very fun experience.

Requiring a partnership to operate, one user controls a pair of 3D hands with a gesture sensing device, while the other navigates the museum with an ordinary video game controller. The hands can touch and hold on to fully rendered models of sculptures, ancient weapons and other pieces, or activate media such as sound clips or videos by pressing virtual buttons within the application.

“Digifest was the first time I was able to show off something I was really proud of,” said Chai. “It was great seeing all the visitors playing about with the project, they all seemed so engaged – especially the smaller kids.”

Chai and Weaver’s Unreal Museum Showcase was one of 30 student projects from 10 institutions across Ontario, spanning categories such as graphic communication, interactive gaming, mobile app development, visual and interactive art, and web design. Hundreds of the most renowned Canadian and international designers attend the Student Showcase every year, making it an incredible opportunity for students to expose their creativity to the biggest names in their industries.

Creating and presenting the Unreal Museum Showcase was a serious challenge, but the two winners came prepared. The Interactive Media Design program gives students all the tools and skills needed to become masters in the world of animated and digital design.

In 2015, Durham College (DC) Horticulture – Food and Farming first-year student Alisha Kingsley found a job on Kijiji. Hoping to earn some experience in her chosen field before starting at DC, she connected with Jason Atkins and Brenda Brown, two Whitby residents who wanted to grow and enjoy home-grown food with friends and family throughout the year. The duo planned to build a greenhouse that utilized a 760-gallon aquaponics system to feed crops placed in raised beds, and Kingsley was brought in to ensure its success.

She was appointed to supervise every aspect of the project including construction operations and material, installation of the water and feeding systems and daily maintenance and care of each crop. It was a task she happily accepted and one that has proven to be an ongoing challenge, making it the perfect way for her to hone her skills and master her trade. Kingsley has faced a number of setbacks that only a project like this could present – excavating the pit where the greenhouse now stands took 100 hours alone – but she views every one of these experiences as an opportunity to learn.

“My DC education has run parallel with the practical experience from the ‘mini farm’, and my main goal in both is to learn,” said Kingsley. “I’ve learned about the families of crops, their needs, and what I need to do to grow delicious food.”

Construction of the greenhouse was completed some time ago, but Kingsley’s work hasn’t finished. Troubleshooting occupies a large portion of her time as she cares for each individual crop, monitoring its needs and special nutrition requirements and maintaining the aquaponics system that feeds the greenhouse. As the warm weather begins to arrive, Kingsley must be on the lookout for pests and disease that could damage the crops, while her upcoming summer project with Atkins and Brown will shortly bring the added challenge of leaving the greenhouse and growing plants outdoors.

“Alisha was the best thing that could have happened to this project. We all underestimated what it would take to build a greenhouse,” remarked Brown. “One scoop of dirt, one piece of wood, one pane of glass at a time, it came together. Alisha’s ability to problem solve has proven to be invaluable in the flexibility required to get it done.”

Using all the knowledge she gained through this project and her first year of studies, Kingsley is working with Atkins and Brown to create a permaculture garden complete with fruit trees and perennial crops, doing so in such a way that ensures the plants grow harmoniously and no materials are wasted.

“After finishing my first year I now understand all aspects of my due diligence as a farmer and I can make educated decisions building a business of my own. Making the decision to attend DC has set my farming plans in motion,” she said.

Students enrolled in Durham College’s (DC) art programs prepared a glowing display for the ninth annual DC student work exhibit at the Whitby Station Gallery. The exhibition ran until May 22, with a special reception and awards presentation on May 19. Admission to the Station Gallery is free and open to all lovers of art in the community.

This year’s display featured more than 200 stunning works across a variety of mediums, spanning all three years of DC’s Fine Arts – Advanced program, and the one-year Foundations in Art and Design program. Student volunteers joined Fine Arts program co-ordinator Sean McQuay and gallery curator Olexander Wlasenko in greeting nearly 250 guests during the opening weekend and hundreds more over the course of the show.

Shows from previous years have been very popular with the public, making the student gallery a fantastic way for DC students to show their creativity and talent to the community. Every year, the event proves to be one of the best retention and recruitment tools available to each of the participating programs by showing students just how far their ability and enthusiasm will take them.

DC’s Foundations in Art and Design program acts as a stepping stone for students, introducing them to basic techniques and principles of aesthetic appeal, allowing the choice to branch into any aspect of visual art. Similarly, the Fine Arts – Advanced program offers a wide range of knowledge in visual arts by encouraging students to experiment with a variety of mediums, materials and techniques, giving budding artists the confidence and skills required to lead a successful career in arts and visual communication.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) recently selected June MacDonald-Jenkins, a Nursing program faculty member, to help develop its standardized licensing exams for entry-level registered and practical nurses (RN and PN).The Nursing program is offered collaboratively by Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

MacDonald-Jenkins participated in the NCSBN’s National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) item (exam question) writing panel March 7 through 10 in Chicago, Illinois.

“It was an honour to take part in the NCLEX Item Writing panel,” said MacDonald-Jenkins. “This was a wonderful opportunity to network with other nursing professionals on a national and international level, and to demonstrate the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s and Durham College’s commitment to preparing students for the NCLEX exam.”

Nursing boards in the U.S. and Canada use the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN to determine whether a candidate is prepared to enter the nursing field after graduating from an accredited nursing program.

Each year, hundreds of nurse educators, clinicians and managers help create the exam by participating in development panels. The NCSBN selects qualified volunteer applicants based on experience working with entry-level nurses, clinical specialty and nursing expertise to fill the following positions:

• Item writers: Create the questions administered in the exams.
• Item reviewers: Examine the questions the item writers create.

Canadian nurses represent 20 per cent of the volunteers invited to participate.

Volunteers are approved by their provincial/territorial regulatory body. The panels take place throughout the year in Chicago.

Durham College’s (DC) student newspaper, The Chronicle, was awarded second place in the General Excellence category for college and university newspapers at the annual Better Newspapers Awards gala, sponsored by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA).

“We are thrilled our students have been honoured for the high quality of their journalism,” said Brian Legree, professor and co-ordinator of the Journalism – Web Print and Journalism – Broadcast and Electronic Media programs at DC.

 The gala, held on April 22 in Vaughan, Ont., marks the 17^th time since 1986 that The Chronicle has been recognized by the OCNA with a General Excellence award. A variety of categories were used to critique each newspaper including overall design, front page, quality of content and diversity. Competition judge Patricia Lonegran credited The Chronicle’s students and employee advisors for producing an excellent newspaper.

“Readers receive a mix of relevant news, features and profiles,” wrote Lonegran. “The paper is well laid out with a clean design and good use of space. The Chronicle also includes well thought out editorials, with reasoned local opinion relevant to the reader, something that seems lacking in many of the entries.”

The Chronicle has been a source of information and entertainment for the campus community for the past 43 years, and continues to spread the news to students and employees.

For more information on The Chronicle or to read the latest stories, visit http://chronicle.durhamcollege.ca/.

And the best place in Canada to find a job is…Oshawa!

That’s the latest news from the Bank of Montreal, which ranked Canada’s major cities for its annual Regional Labour Market Report Card and placed Oshawa at the top of the list in terms of job creation; a jump of 27 spots compared to its 2015 ranking. Although historically known as an automotive city, Oshawa has blossomed into an education and health science hub in recent years, with Durham College (DC) making a significant contribution to the city’s improved economic climate.

DC is proud to be a part of the Oshawa community and to be playing a major role in the city’s continued growth and development. As home to the college’s largest campus and with more than 1,700 full- and part-time employees, Durham College is one of the largest employers in Oshawa and Durham Region.

At the same time, DC brings much more than just direct economic benefits to the communities where it operates. The college serves as focal point for new ideas, entrepreneurship and skills training. As a result, Oshawa and its neighbouring communities get the benefits of DC’s job-ready graduates, trained by industry leaders to take on the challenges of today’s new economy.

Economic activity in Oshawa and the surrounding area continues to grow. The upcoming refurbishment of the Darlington nuclear reactor, the expansion of highway 407 and the growing numbers of small and medium-sized businesses taking advantage of lower operating costs all provide opportunities for DC’s graduates to settle in Oshawa once their education is complete.

As well, DC will be making its own contribution to Oshawa’s growth in the coming months with the construction of the new Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE), which will replace the Simcoe building on the college’s Oshawa campus. With funding from the Government of Ontario and private sources, the new centre will feature state-of-the-art classrooms and learning environments, while housing DC’s Aboriginal Student Centre and the Entrepreneurship Centre, including the Spark Centre.

As it prepares to celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 2017, Durham College looks back with pride at its contributions to the communities it serves and looks forward confidently to a prosperous future for Oshawa and Durham Region.

Durham College (DC) announced today that four of its students were among the big winners at this week’s Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC), picking up two gold medals, a silver and a bronze in the Horticulture, Computer/IT and Carpentry categories. The event, which was held in Waterloo, Ontario, is sponsored by Skills Ontario, a non-profit organization that promotes the skilled trades as a first-choice career option for the province’s young people.

Jamie Marangon and Zachary Slaughter, both in their second year of the two-year Horticulture Technician program, won gold in the Horticulture and Landscape category. Together they beat out several teams for the top prize in constructing a garden based on plans and criteria provided to them during the competition.

“Once again, Durham College students have shown that they can compete with the best and come out on top, thanks to the high-quality training they receive here at DC combined with their dedication to their studies,” said Susan Todd, executive dean of the School of Science & Engineering Technology at Durham College. “On behalf of the entire DC community, I would like to recognize all of our participating students for their hard work and congratulate Jamie and Zachary on their tremendous success.” 

Congratulations are also in order for DC students Bryan Chamberlain and Sam Phillips. Chamberlain, a graduating student in the three-year Computer Systems Technology program, won a silver medal for the second consecutive year in the IT Network and Systems Administration category.  For his part, Phillips, a second-year student in Construction Carpentry – Sustainable, picked up a bronze in the Carpentry category

“Winning two medals in two years is quite an accomplishment,” said Judy Spring, executive dean of DC’s School of Business, IT & Management. “We’re very proud of Bryan for representing DC so successfully at this competition.”

Marangon and Slaughter will now take part in the Skills Canada competition, taking place from Sunday, June 5 to Wednesday, June 8 in Moncton, New Brunswick. Overall, 16 DC students put their skills to the test in this week’s OTSC event in various categories, including auto service technology, carpentry, heating system technician, plumbing and welding. The competition gives students the chance to compete against their peers, while also demonstrating that skilled trades are an accessible, interesting and enjoyable career option.  

 

Durham College (DC) culinary student, Kristin Atwood will fly to Calabria, Italy for a week this June to participate in the Italian Culinary Exploration program at the Italian Culinary Institute.  This incredible experience is courtesy of the new Durham College (DC) Gold Medal Award, which Atwood was recently awarded in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the Culinary Management program at the Centre for Food (CFF).

The Gold Medal Award, an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to study at the institute, is offered by the college’s leadership team. All students studying in the Culinary Management program are eligible to apply with the award  presented to a student who demonstrates excellence in attendance, volunteerism, professionalism, attitude and academic standing throughout their time at DC.

“Kristin is an exemplary student with a positive attitude and strong work ethic,” said David Hawey, professor of the culinary programs at the CFF. “Not only has she gone above and beyond in her own achievements, she has provided support through volunteerism and mentoring for her fellow classmates as well. She is an absolute joy, and we couldn’t be more pleased to present her with this award.”

Hawey, who will accompany Atwood to Italy, added that the Italian Culinary Institute was chosen as the preferred school because its philosophies align with and complement DC’s field-to-fork vision.

Among her many accomplishments, Atwood has interned at Momofuku Daisho in Toronto and  shown an interest in product development, creating recipes for nut-free macarons and low carbohydrate protein bars at her current place of employment, Frantastic Events in Whitby, Ont. She has also represented DC at numerous events both on and-off of campus including the first-ever Harvest Dinner held at the CFF last fall and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. In addition, she helped with preparation and service and spoke on behalf of the college at the 2016 Summit on Talent and Skills in the New Economy, which was held at the college’s Oshawa campus in January and attended by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

“I’ve been working in restaurants and bakeries since I was 16, and my time at Durham College was so valuable in helping develop my skills and learn more about the industry,” said Atwood. “I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love every day, and I am so excited for this opportunity to visit the Italian Culinary Institute and learn even more.”

Ironically, Atwood’s post-secondary education didn’t start in the kitchen. While studying English literature at university, she worked at restaurants and bakeries to help offset the cost of her tuition. It was that work that stirred her passion for food. After graduation, she was offered a post-graduate opportunity at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England for creative writing. While overseas, her kitchen experience landed her a job working under Chef Kristin Frederick of Le Camion Qui Fume – a high-end food truck in Paris, France – and her career path forever changed.

“It was while working in Paris that I realized without formal culinary training certain doors in the industry would always remain closed to me,” said Atwood. “So I returned to school for a second time, choosing Durham College because of its excellent reputation in culinary arts. I knew after graduating from DC, those doors would begin to open.”

As she prepares to graduate this June, Atwood has already launched thebuttery.co – a culinary and travel online magazine that shares tips, tricks and recipes as well as stunning food photos guaranteed to make your mouth water. She is also in the process of developing a French version of the site.

“We are so pleased that Kristin chose Durham College to sharpen her skills and gain a competitive edge in the culinary industry,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “She has been a shining star in her program and will no doubt find success in all her endeavours. We are thrilled to present her with the first Gold Medal Award, and look forward to following this talented young woman in her new and exciting adventures.”

The Culinary Management program provides students with an opportunity to master the art of food and flavour. This includes exploring the possibilities of locally grown food, experimenting with ethnic and contemporary cuisine and developing abilities in the culinary arts. In addition, students learn valuable management skills to take their career to the next level. To learn more, please visit www.durhamcollege.ca/cmgt.