The Courier

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  Mathieu Yuill 4:51 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: HP (15), news (36), tamil students association, thai pongal   

  Tamil students share food on Thai Pongal 

   

   

  

  Members of the Tamil Students Association serve Sri Lankan dishes while dressed in traditional clothing.

  On the third day that students returned to school from the holiday season, there was free food to be had at the HP Campus. Even though classes had resumed, the spirit of celebration was not over yet for the Tamil Students Association (TSA).

   

  Wednesday Jan. 14 was Thai Pongal, the Tamil festival of thanksgiving to the sun. Thai translates to January and Pongal refers to sweetened rice. This occasion welcomes the beginning of the harvest season in Sri Lanka and is practised by Hindu Tamils worldwide. It celebrates the sun and Tamil farmers for being part of producing food.

  During the lunch hour, the members of the TSA were dressed in sarees (traditional clothing for women in the Indian subcontinent) and vaddis (traditional men’s clothing) as they served up sweet-tasting Tamil dishes including sticky rice, vaddai (ground beans cooked in hot oil), kessari (powder-like beans) and samosas.

  “The food is sweet, so we stay sweet throughout the year,” said Tharany Kumar, a pharmacy technician student in her first year. “This is a time for us to be happy and get  together with friends.”

  In their homeland, Tamils go to each other’s houses and share food. The occasion is reserved for morning and brunch. While giving free food is part of the traditional custom of Thai Pongal, Kumar admits that it was also a strategy to introduce the TSA to the student body. It was the first event they carried out as a club.

  More than 50 students visited the table they set up in the HP foyer. The majority of students who approached their table were Tamil. Other participants familiar with the celebration included Indian and Pakistani students, but students of other ethnic backgrounds joined the festivities once they were informed about the event’s significance.

  “We want to share our culture with the school,” said Jega Kumaravelautham, a first year student in the personal support worker program. “Most importantly we want Tamil students to get to know each other and become a family on campus.”

  The TSA plans to hold a Sri Lankan awareness week, either in late January or early February, to explain the conflict between Singhalese and Tamil people.

   

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  Mathieu Yuill 4:42 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: ccc (16), inauguration, news (36), obama   

  Centennial staff and students celebrate Obama’s historic inauguration ceremony 

   

   

  

  Students and faculty stop in the halls to watch the historic inauguration speech.

  Centennial College students and staff watched live as America’s first ever African-American president prepared to take office. Barack Obama took the oath to become the next American president.

   

  The swearing-in of Obama marked a transformational moment in world history, a point not overlooked by the students watching the inauguration at the Centre for Creative Communication campus.

  “It feels good to see this happen,” College Boréal student Moubarak Bila said. “I’m happy to see history being made.”

  Considered grand even by the usually lofty standards of American presidential inaugurations, Obama’s swearing ceremony was marked by pomp and pageantry.

  As many as two million people braved the freezing conditions of Washington D.C. to witness Obama’s inauguration. A much larger worldwide television audience joined them.

  Centennial students were largely supportive of the college’s decision to show the event. 

  “I think it’s great they are showing this at the school,” Blake Harvey said as he studied the television screens displaying the inauguration. 

  Harvey, an advertising student, believed that his generation should take an interest in politics. 

  “It’s important that we as students keep up with what it going on,” he said.

  Harvey didn’t feel that coverage of the day’s events was overhyped. 

  “I don’t think the media coverage is too much,” he said. “This happens only once in a lifetime; it’s a major event.”

  Bila agreed with his fellow student.

  “It’s a historical day,” he said. “Ten years ago, no one would ever think this was possible.

  “This shows us that anything is possible.”

  Some think that Canadians have taken too much of an interest in  American politics, especially since last fall’s federal election had one of the lowest turnouts in Canadian history.

  The US presidential election, in contrast, had the highest voter turnout since the 1960 election. 

  Still, the importance of this day was not lost on many.

  “Everything that happens in America affects Canada,” Bila said. “We must pay attention to what is happening there.”

   
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  Mathieu Yuill 4:34 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: ahtonbee, news (36), patio   

  High hopes for new student-funded patio 

   

   

  

  The new patio at Ashtonbee is part of the college's goal of having outdoor, student-friendly spaces at all four campuses.

  Students at the Ashtonbee campus have one more reason to wish winter over: a new patio.

   

  The proposal for the 200 – square – foot patio came from students at the campus, who pitched it to the Transforming the Future Fund. The fun is a sum of money the college sets aside for non-academic related capital projects aimed at enhancing the student experience.

  Having outdoor space at all four campuses for students’ enjoyment is an important goal. The idea is to improve the common areas at all the campuses and to get more students involved in their school, according to the Initiative’s assistant Vishwash Amin.

  “We want to get people motivated,” Amin said. “It’s a feeling we are trying to spread and work our way through all campuses,”

  The plan is to use the patio as a source of revenue for the CCSAI by renting it to students or faculty to host events. A permanent liquor license will allow alcohol to be served. This will function similarly to the student centre at the Progress campus and will be subject to the same supervision and restrictions. Amin says the new patio will help to keep student costs down by providing a source of income for the college.

  “We plan to host more events there, like barbeques, when the weather gets better,” Amin said.   

  It may be hard to imagine barbeques and drinks on a patio with -30C weather outside, but the finished product is something to look forward to. As of now, Amin is preparing for warmer days by purchasing the outdoor furniture they will need. But other campuses need not feel jealous.

  “We want an outdoor space in each campus,” Amin said. “We are trying to equal things out on a project basis.”

   
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  Mathieu Yuill 4:25 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: ashtonbee (17), library, makeover, news (36)   

  Library gets an extreme makeover 

   

   

  

  Library officials hope students will benefit from the new design and policy changes at the Ashtonbee library.

  The college’s libraries have a new look.

   

  At the start of the winter semester, the library’s website and logo changed to a new design and name: Centennial College Libraries. The changes are intended to provide a cleaner look and make resources easier to locate, according to a library spokesperson.

  “The (new) website is more dynamic,” Nicole DeSouza said. “It is more organized and easier to look at.”

  DeSouza said that the remade website had been in beta testing for six months and feedback from users was taken into account during the redesign.

  “Students indicated they preferred a simpler interface,”  DeSouza said.

  Aside from the look of the site, other changes include new sections to assist first-year students and faculty.

  “It’s easier to figure out where to go for certain administrative tasks, like getting a library card,” DeSouza said. “New students and staff will be able to locate the necessary information.”

  In addition to being able to book audio/visual equipment online, students will also be able to easily locate important library services, such as tutor group availability.

  To promote the new changes to its website, each library branch held a ‘find the mug’ contest. For two days in mid-January, visitors were given the chance to win a travel mug that sports the new Libraries logo.

  Another permanent change to library policy is the decision to allow patrons to enjoy food and drink while they are in the library.

  As of January, students have been able to bring snacks like granola bars and cold beverages in sealed containers into the library.

  “Travel mugs are environmentally safe and a clean way to enjoy a beverage,” DeSouza said. “Paper or Styrofoam cups are not permitted in the library.”

  DeSouza said that most students approved of the new changes to their libraries.

  “So far, we have had no complaints,” she said.

   
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  Mathieu Yuill 4:16 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: ashtonbee (17), ccc (16), college wide (7), fund, HP (15), news (36), progress (13)   

  Fund buys students free stuff 

  If there’s something you’d like to see improved or bought for your campus, now is the time to put forward a suggestion, says Vish Amin, one of the Centennial College Student Association Incorporated (CCSAI) representatives.

  He says the CCSAI recently approved an $80,000 withdrawal from the Transforming the Future Fund (TTF). The fund is designed to give students a voice and promote a better lifestyle on campus.   (More …)

   
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  Mathieu Yuill 4:05 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: ashtonbee (17), ccc (16), college wide (7), HP (15), news (36), progress (13), registrar   

  New college registrar takes over position starting in February 

   

  

  John Curtis is now the new registrar at Centennial.

  As the second semester is well under way and students are settling into their routine, Centennial College is welcoming its new registrar.  

   

  John Curtis will slip into his new role starting Feb. 1, 2009. The journey that led him to the steps of Centennial College actually started many kilometres away in St. John’s, N. L.

  Back in 2003, his wife – who he’s been married to for 32 years – took a new job with York University, and they had to make the big move from Newfoundland to Toronto. Once in the city, he made a career change from information technology (IT) and joined Centennial College.

  “I’m working with a great team,” said Curtis. “Centennial College has made me feel as much at home, as home was. I don’t feel like a stranger, I feel like a part of the college.”

  Now that he’s stepping into the registrar’s shoes, Curtis will be responsible for the operational side of enrolment services by ensuring that all departments run smoothly.

  Those include recruitment, admissions, records, front counter operations, call centres, and student financial services.

  Essentially, the registrar’s main goals are to find better ways to meet the needs of the students and to improve their experiences.

  Most of the work is done behind the scenes, but the registrar will deal with students when necessary. Over the years, Curtis held various positions that included one-on-one interaction with students. 

  “I’m sure I’ve dealt with literally hundreds of students since I arrived here,” he said. “They all come with their unique background. They come with their own unique stories. They come with individual needs.

  “All of them collectively have been a learning experience for me,” he said. “It’s what connected me to Centennial; the student group here is quite unique.”  

  And to the students he wants to pass on the message that they should enjoy college life, but take the whole opportunity seriously.  Many opportunities are available after graduation.

  Though he could have gone back to IT, Curtis says that he’s having a lot of fun here and is planning on staying. He stressed that the registrar’s job should not be taken lightly as it is a tough role that comes with many responsibilities. He thinks you do it because you want to better serve the students and because you’re in it for the long run.

  “When you take on the role of registrar you don’t do it lightly and it’s not a quick turn-around job,” he said. “It’s something you take on to implement the goals of the college.”

  “So it’ll be for as long as they’ll have me,” he said, along with a small laugh.

   
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  Mathieu Yuill 2:14 pm on December 3, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: letter, News - All Campuses (6)   

  Letter to the Editor: Centennial admin defends global citizenship course 

  The feature/cover article in the November 20, 2008 edition of the Courier poses the provocative headline, “Is SLE 500 good for Centennial students?”  In the article, Matt Cohen interviews a number of people who think this is not the case.  The College would like to offer a response. (More …)

   
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  Mathieu Yuill 9:38 pm on October 5, 2008 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: women's soccer   

  New players, new attitude… Giddy up, Centennial! 

  

  Diarmuid O’Connor, the newly installed head coach of the women’s varsity soccer team has just witnessed the wonders of what a difference a year can make.

  “We got a much better squad this year. We have about 20 girls so far that we’ve seen compared to about eight girls who showed up for the first tryout last year,” O’Connor said. “So I think potentially much better squad, much stronger squad this year.” (More …)