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Social Service Worker program grad saves a life with classroom knowledge

Twenty-seven-year-old Durham College (DC) graduate Ryan Doyle has acted so courageously that he was honoured with the City of Oshawa Heroism Award on Monday, June 8, at Oshawa City Hall.

Ryan, who graduated in 2010 from DC’s Social Service Worker program, saved his mother’s life this past March after she went into cardiac arrest at home and was showing no vital signs. Calling on the CPR training he received as part of the program, along with a background of volunteering with COPE Mental Health Services, he was able to resuscitate his mother and keep her awake before paramedics arrived.

“Ryan’s story is an amazing one,” said Dr. Judeline Innocent, dean, School of Health & Community Services. “CPR training is a key element in many of our health and community-focused programs for this very reason. You never know when you might need to call on those skills but we want to make sure our students are prepared should they be required. Ryan took all the appropriate steps which resulted in a life being saved.”

By working incredibly hard, Ryan overcame learning disabilities, autism and depression to earn his diploma as a social service worker. The entire college community is incredibly proud of his act of heroism.

Professor Susan Campbell’s art challenges concrete space

A professor of the Fine Arts – Advanced, Digital Photography and Digital Video Production programs at Durham College (DC) has the privilege of being featured in The Art Gallery of Mississauga (AGM).

Susan Campbell’s project, Tracing Ambiguity, will be featured at the AGM until Sunday, June 21. The art interprets and reflects upon the design dynamics found within the urban setting; development sites, parking lots and public sidewalks in particular. Susan challenges the city’s developers by tracing a floor plan with fluorescent construction tape around pieces of abandoned furniture littering the streets.

The project started as a cheeky way for Susan to challenge the growing number of open house signs across the city, placing her own signs beside them. She has an art piece where she buys five to six, 128 square feet parking spaces at the daily rate, accumulating roughly 720 square feet, or the floor space of a medium-sized condo. Surrounded by cars, she uses yellow construction tape to map out the floor plan of a condo, to reinforce that this may be a parking lot now, but it could be something more sooner than you think.

“The underlying idea is for the audience to become aware of the fluidity between parking space and living space,” said Susan. “It may be a parking space now, but essentially its value can be increased if it’s made into a condo space, and if you multiply that by a factor of 40 floors, you’re looking at a huge efficiency there in terms of urbanization.”

Susan feels like sometimes our only relationship with urban space is to consume it. Everyone is so busy finding a parking space or getting to work and home that we cannot seem to find a place where we can stop, pause and look at what’s happening around us.

She invites people to challenge the most concrete of spaces and elicit a sense of agency into an otherwise hyper-rationalized built environment in order to perceive plausible fluidities between urban spaces, whether private or public; industrial or residential; or interior or exterior.

If you are interested in viewing the exhibit, visit the AGM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from noon until 4 p.m. from now until June 21.

Another Successful Year – Roger Anderson Charity Classic Golf Tournament

For nearly two decades, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic golf tournament has been one of the most popular and most influential annual fundraising events in Durham Region. But it is far more than just another round of golf.

On June 11, Durham Region chair and chief executive officer Roger Anderson welcomed 230 golfers to the Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility in Ajax, Ontario. Representing a wide spectrum of organizations from across the area, the golfers teed off for a chance to improve the lives of individuals living in Durham Region.

Now in its 18th year, the Roger Anderson Charity Classic has created and maintained a legacy of giving to community organizations by providing assistance to students in financial need at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and by supporting child and youth initiatives at the Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health. To-date, over $5.3 million has been raised.

“I look forward to this event every year,” said Anderson. “It’s wonderful to see the community come together to support students and youth while also enjoying a day out on the golf course.”

Representatives from each of the three recipient organizations were on hand for a cheque presentation and the chance to extend their gratitude for the ongoing and enthusiastic support of everyone involved in the tournament.

Tournament organizers would like to recognize all of the sponsors for their ongoing and generous support.

Durham College celebrates student success at 2015 spring convocation

Durham College (DC) celebrated success with more than 3,800 students graduating during Spring Convocation on Monday, June 8, Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday June 10 at the General Motors (GM) Centre in downtown Oshawa. Friends, families and college employees were on hand to honour the post-secondary accomplishments of this year’s graduating class. 

Taking place during five ceremonies over three days, graduates from DC’s Schools of Continuing Education, Health & Community Services, Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services, Media, Art & Design, Science & Engineering Technology, Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology, Business, IT & Management, School of Justice & Emergency Services and the Centre for Food received their diplomas and certificates. 

“Convocation is very special celebration of our graduates, their hard work, and success,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “It allows the entire college community, our alumni, parents and families to celebrate our newest graduates. Every year I am so impressed with the quality of our graduates and often reflect that our future is in good hands. We are all so proud of what our students achieve in their studies and accomplish in their lives.  It is also another reminder that the student experience does comes first at DC.”

Students weren’t the only ones honoured during the ceremonies. DC also awarded its fifth honorary credential, an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration – Leadership and Management to Diana Lovell Kirk during Monday evening’s ceremony. Lovell Kirk is vice-president and partner of Lovell Drugs and oversees the operations of another family-owned business, The Gift House in Oshawa, Ontario. Diana was also the featured guest speaker that evening.

To address the graduates on Tuesday, DC welcomed back alumna Amanda de Souza, a 2008 graduate from the Advertising program and current part-time instructor in the School of Media, Art & Design.

Amanda encouraged the graduates to “remember how powerful opportunity feels because from here on out, your mistakes are now your accomplishments. Do not be afraid of this inevitability. From these mistakes you will learn everything not only about your chosen career, but about yourself. How you recover from these failures and what you learn is what will define you, not what life throws at you. Life doesn’t happen TO you. It happens FOR you.”

Mike Arsenault, a 2008 graduate from the Sport Business Management program and current on-camera presenter and field reporter at The Weather Network, CBC (the weekend edition of The National), CBC News Network, and CBC Toronto, addressed the graduates during Wednesday’s ceremonies.

For anyone entering into the world of work Mike’s advice was, “Get your foot in the door. Even if it’s not what you want to do it can still give you answers, it’s still valuable experience and it gives you a lot of networking opportunities.”

Durham College student wins silver at national skills competition

Durham College’s (DC) Adam Leadbetter, a level-three apprentice in DC’s Industrial Mechanic – Millwright program, brought home the silver medal in the Industrial Mechanic Millwright category after competing in the three-day national Skills Canada competition in Saskatoon, Sask. at the end of May.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do so well if it weren’t for what I’ve learned at Durham College,” said Leadbetter. “Attending the national competition gave me the opportunity to see what others are doing in the industry, while showing off my skills.”

Leadbetter secured his place at nationals after winning gold in the Industrial Mechanic Millwright category at the Skills Ontario competition in early May.

“We are very pleased that Adam has done so well at both the provincial and national skills competitions,” said Pam Stoneham, associate dean of the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology (START). “Seeing our students succeed confirms that what they are learning in class is preparing them for when they head into industry. We are proud that we have been able to help facilitate Adam’s wins by offering the best possible education with the assistance and guidance of our faculty, especially professor Gary Noordstra, who coached Adam at the provincial and national competitions.”

For more information about DC and its programs visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000

Summer Shorts returns for another year of creative development

Do you know a creative teen looking for something fun to do this summer? The School of Media, Art & Design presents Summer Shorts! Creative workshops for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17. 

Throughout the month of July, several unique, week-long workshops will be available, simulating full-time college programs and will give teenagers the opportunity to work in state-of-the-art studios with the latest software. 

Through these workshops, there will be opportunities to learn how to use Adobe Creative Suite, including Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, gain working knowledge of digital SLR cameras and accessories and, with Riot Radio, learn radio broadcasting through the development of a live newscast. Teenagers will also have the opportunity to learn about other areas of media, art and design, including Digital Video, Game Development and Animation. By the end of each session, students will have great pieces to add to their portfolios.

Each workshop is $295 plus HST and each workshop category has four sessions to choose from. Teens may take as many different courses as they desire, in any order. Multi-registration and sibling rates are available if registering for more than one course or registering more than one child in the available workshops.

Summer Shorts runs Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DC’s Oshawa campus.

For more information about the available workshops or discount rates, visit the Summer Shorts website.

MAD Zumba Raises $2,000 for Nova’s Ark

On May 30, Durham College (DC) employees, students and friends shimmied, shook and danced through a variety of weather types during the MAD Climatic Zumba Fundraiser. The event was hosted by Jenzone Fitness and the School of Media, Art & Design’s (MAD) MAD – Make a Difference team.

The sold-out event was held in the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s ACE Wind Tunnel where participants had a taste of three weather types in only two short hours. Participants danced in the cold winds of snow, the unrelenting heat of the sun and finally a roaring tropical storm.

The event raised $2,000 for Nova’s Ark, a registered charity dedicated to providing social and communications opportunities for all ages and abilities through various programs and the use of therapy animals in Brooklin, Ont.

This the first event for MAD – Make a Difference, which aims to support a variety of projects throughout the community while having fun.

DC celebrating 29 years of summer sports camps; register now

Did you know participating in team sports can not only increase a child’s health but also boost their confidence?

This year, Durham College’s (DC’s) Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre (CRWC) is celebrating 29 years of sports camps. These programs allow children to unleash their inner Lebron James or Serena Williams while making new friends and keeping active during the summer months.

Our main goal is for children to have fun, which is why the CRWC has offered camps in a wide selection of activities designed to appeal to every athletic passion, including basketball, baseball, badminton, volleyball and soccer. If a child cannot decide, DC offers a multi-sport camp, where campers will spend the week participating in a variety of individual and organized team sports.

Camps will run Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Monday, July 6 until Friday, August 14. Registration costs $160 per week, with holiday, four-day weeks costing $128, and can be paid in person or via mail (with the accompanying form) or online.

Tennis camp and hockey development camp are offered through the Campus Tennis Centre (CTC) and Campus Ice Centre (CIC), respectively. Registration info. for these camps can be found on each respective website.

For more information, including registration, visit the CRWC website or call Michael Duggan at 905.721.2000 ext. 2255.

DC hosts Intro to College sessions for students affected by the teachers’ strike

In response to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) strike, Durham College (DC) hosted its first Intro to College session on Wednesday, June 3 and will host two more on Saturday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 10 to ensure secondary school students, and their parents, are prepared for the transition from high school to college.

“It was really helpful,” said 17-year-old Lukas Cholette who is currently attending J Clarke Richardson Collegiate in Ajax. “I got to learn more about my program, meet new people and walk around the college to learn where to go.”

Lukas has been accepted into DC’s Electrical Engineering Technician program, and said he feels more prepared as well as rejuvenated to begin college in September.

At the sessions, students can engage in a Q&A with a panel of faculty and students; participate in a financial aid workshop; meet their coach who will work with them throughout their time at DC; interact with faculty and staff; and learn about other support services dedicated to helping them succeed. Students can also confirm their offer and pay their deposit (debit/credit only), if they haven’t already done so.

There is also a special session designed for parents to provide them with information about how DC will support their kids when they begin in September, and throughout their college career.

“It was fabulous,” said Lukas’s mom, Debbie Cholette. “It helps our mindset and reduces anxiety, and we feel very reassured.”

Lukas’s dad, Rob, added that he was especially impressed by the Student Academic Learning Services (SALS) that assist students in the event they are ill or become injured, in addition to providing many other supports.

“Lukas hopes to play hockey during his time at DC, and it’s comforting to know that if he hurts himself, the college will accommodate him so he can keep on top of his schoolwork and be prepared for tests while he recovers,” said Rob. “It’s good to know students won’t be left on their own.”

The Cholettes were so impressed with the information they received that they decided to come back for the Saturday session to take in more of the services available to them through the Intro to College sessions.

Sessions are located at the Oshawa campus, 2000 Simcoe St. N., with reception at the main entrance to the Gordon Willey building. Parking is free, and refreshments will be served.

“The success of our students is priority one, and these circumstances have challenged the leadership team at DC to do everything it can so all students are able to enter college knowing how to access the tools they need to succeed,” said Meri Kim Oliver, vice-president, Student Affairs. “DC has excellent support systems and high quality services that we want to inform our students about so they feel confident about starting their college career.”

There is still time to register for the June 6 and 10 sessions. Students can learn more and register at www.durhamcollege.ca/infosessions

Epic Mac N’ Cheese winners whip up recipe for Channel 12

Future culinary students Johanna Buttle and Tamara Pantaleo returned to the kitchens of Durham College’s (DC)’s Centre for Food (CFF) to recreate their winning mac n’ cheese recipe for Channel 12 News last Thursday. 

During the first Epic Mac N’ Cheese competition in April, Buttle and Pantaleo created a spicy mac n’ cheese that made mouths water and earned the duo the top spot. 

“The competition helped decide my post-secondary path,” said Buttle who learned how to cook from her grandfather. “Winning proves that I can succeed with a future in culinary arts.” 

The segment aired Thursday, May 28 in Durham, Peterborough and the Kawarthas, highlighting Pantaleo and Buttle’s winning mac n’ cheese dish. The recipe was made with locally-sourced ingredients such as a variety of cheeses, sausage, herbs and spices. 

“I’m proud of the recipe. I love it,” said Pantaleo in her interview with Channel 12. “It’s not what I typically enjoy, but this makes me like it. The dish is not overwhelmingly spicy, but it’s enough to enjoy.” 

Pantaleo will be attending DC this fall, and Buttle in September 2016, to hone their culinary skills.