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Celebration of cultures brings dancing and music to the Student Commons

Free food and great music brought Algonquin College students of all cultures together

Ben Fleguel

Photos: Ben Fleguel

April 9, 2024
Revised: April 9, 2024 10:42am

Photo: Ben Fleguel

The Los Paisanos sing out their rendition of Despacito, which prompted several audience members to start dancing.

A lion was spotted dancing through the Student Commons on Thursday, April 4, led across the room by heads of lettuce on sticks and followed by drums and cymbals.

The lion, which had two people hidden inside, was part of the celebration of cultures event. It aimed to give students an opportunity to learn something new.

“It’s an annual event we do every year, and it’s really an opportunity for students to learn about different cultures,” said Samantha Therrien, an events officer with the Students’ Association.

This is the 26th year the SA has run the event and Therrien says it’s as essential as ever.

“We have a very diverse culture of students on campus, so a lot of them actually get to see their own culture,” said Therrien. “It’s an opportunity for them to show other students about their own culture.”

There were 20 booths at the event, with Ghana, Turkey and Indonesia among the countries represented. Each booth had various cultural items to educate college students on their significance and origin. The Indonesian embassy brought along a wall of different fabrics representing different tribes.

Most representatives also brought food native to their countries for students, which quickly had hands full of plates.

As the lion appeared, a balancing act began with students trying to hold their food and record the show.

The Chinese Lion dance crew makes their entrance into the event, already drawing a large semi-circled crowd. Photo credit: Ben Fleguel

“It’s kind of weird, seeing that there were two people in the lion. I wonder how they communicate,” said Mohammad Salaudeen, a computer programming student.

Salaudeen said he had seen this lion before, at the Algonquin College Lunar New Year celebration. He was glad the lion made another appearance as more students got to experience the dance.

Salaudeen said that his favourite part was the drumming and that the lion appeared to eat the heads of lettuce it was following. Usually in a lion dance the lettuce would be hung on doors along the street. It would eat and spit out the lettuce in a blessing of prosperity. In this case the lettuce was hung on sticks and held by people around the edges of the event.

Shortly after the lion took its leave, a Mariachi band appeared and marched into the middle of the event.

The Los Paisanos leave nothing on the table during their salsa finale. — The Los Paisanos leave nothing on the table during their salsa finale on April 4. Photo credit: Ben Fleguel

The band Mariachi Los Paisanos, an Ottawa-based musical group, entertained and provided Algonquin College students with some insight into Mexican culture. Their voices have been heard all across Ottawa, doing performances for the governor general, prestigious hotels, various embassies and even donating performances for CHEO and the United Way, according to their website.

They performed popular songs like Despacito and mashups that had the crowd dancing and clapping along. Some couldn’t choose a favourite.

“How can you choose just one song?” said Mitchell Fong, a radio and broadcasting student.

He had never seen a Mariachi band in person before the celebration of cultures and said it did not disappoint.

“It lived up to everything I’ve ever heard,” said Fong.

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Big Apple trip has students looking for sweet returns in thrift shop fundraiser

Marketing students will be travelling to New York this fall

Laiyiady Lam

Photos: Laiyiady Lam

April 9, 2024
Revised: April 9, 2024 10:35am

Photo: Laiyiady Lam

Makenna Warwick, Luka Kova, Bonnie Chan and Mehdi Sossey Alaoui helped organize a thrift shop on March 27. Ben Akongo (not shown) also provided help with the event.

Marketing students organized a thrift shop in the N-building on March 27 to support a trip to New York City, which will let them to get a taste of the Big Apple for the first time after the pandemic.

As soon as the doors of the event opened, students and professors were drawn to room N204 to make their selections. Inside the room, lots of colourful clothes were neatly arranged on tables. The organizers greeted everyone with smiles as they entered

The proceeds from the event will help fund a trip in the fall. Their goal was to raise $250.

“It’s organized by the students for the students,” Alaoui Mehdi Sossey, the executive of the African Student Association, said in a written response.

The price of clothes ranged from one dollar to $20. The thrift shop allowed college students to help marketing students raise donations while finding clothes they like at an affordable price.

The work is not as simple as it seems. Alaoui said it requires careful checking to ensure the received clothes are clean and prepared for sale.

“We make sure the clothes that came here were clean. They didn’t have a tear or something,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to buy something here and then realize when they get home that they can’t wear it.”

A paper sign written $20 table was placed on a black t-shirt. — Lots of clean clothes are placed on the table in the $20 section, waiting for students to pick through. Photo credit: Laiyiady Lam

According to Liz Babiak, the program coordinator of advertising and marketing communication management, the trip is scheduled to take place around September to October.

The trip will be attended primarily by students from the digital marketing communications and advertising and marketing communications programs. Around 35 students will go to New York to attend advertising conferences.

It is an industry conference related to marketing, communications and digital innovation. It will provide students the opportunity to communicate with experienced industry professionals.

Baiak said she is very excited about the upcoming trip.

“This is our first return back since the beginning of the pandemic and we’re so excited to be bringing these students to NYC,” she said.

Further details of the trip are still under discussion and planning.

“We don’t have any conference information yet. But it is a long-standing conference, and the program has gotten to New York for a number of years,” she said.

Alaoui said they will host similar events before September to raise funds.

“We are going to get as much money as we can right now,” he said. “For the clothes we have left, we are going to organize another thrift shop like this.”

Emeric Wall, a student of advertising and marketing who had finished shopping, expressed his intention to donate clothes at the next thrift shop.

He hoped that his donation would assist his friends, who organized the event, in completing the fundraising as quickly as possible.

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Laiyiady Lam

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Student honours culture through teaching henna

Soon-to-be grad Shelina Syed hosted a henna workshop for the AC community

Korbin Amaya

Photos: Supplied by source

April 9, 2024
Revised: April 9, 2024 9:48am

Photo: Supplied by source

Three different designs of henna done by Shelina Syed.

An exciting event displaying henna art to raise awareness about its cultural importance took place in the E-Building Test Centre on March 26. It was organized by Shelina Syed, a fourth-year student in the early learning and community development program.

To Syed, henna is a unique admiration she can connect with.

“Henna, to me, is a form of meditation. It is a form of art,” she said. “I am part Pakistani, part First Nations and it’s my way of being able to connect with my Pakistani roots.”

She discussed her 13 years of experience working with henna. Syed noted that henna originally came from Egypt as a natural plant with leaves that produce a staining paste when combined with water, sugar, lemon juice and essential oils. This paste is traditionally used for decorative designs on the skin, providing cooling properties that rulers in hot regions typically enjoy.

Syed’s event was about practising the artistic aspect of henna and building community and cultural awareness among the student body.

“I think the benefit is to bring awareness to a different art form of a different culture, and it’s acknowledging different cultures for what they have to offer,” she said. “It’s an overall community building.”

Syed’s workshop offers henna application methods and delves deep into the cultural aspect. Her passion for henna does not lie only in workshops. She also facilitates a drop-in group called Glitter and Gab at the Student Health and Wellness Zone every Thursday from noon to 1 p.m., during which students engage in various art activities.

While reflecting on her henna journey, Syed pointed out the need for everyone to be involved, saying, “just because you might not be the culture that henna originates from doesn’t mean that you can’t learn about it.”

Her promotion of cultural appreciation and artistic freedom strikes a chord with students at Algonquin College, who find value in attending her workshops and events. Syed uses the handle @hennabyshanna on Instagram to display her henna art and form relationships with like-minded individuals fascinated by this age-old craft. As she will soon complete her studies at Algonquin College, she highlighted her work organizing workshops on henna that have left an impression on the culture and the mind.

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New book sheds light on untold stories from deadly 1942 Almonte train wreck

Algonquin College staff member researches history of historic disaster impacting the Ottawa Valley

Korbin Amaya

Photos: Korbin Amaya

April 9, 2024
Revised: April 9, 2024 9:38am

Photo: Korbin Amaya

Author and Algonquin College staff member Jamie Bramburger holds his newly released book.

A book by an Algonquin College staff member has uncovered new and poignant details surrounding the tragic events of the 1942 Almonte train wreck, shedding light on previously untold stories of the passengers involved.

Jamie Bramburger, a historian of Eastern Ontario and the college’s manager of community and student affairs at the Pembroke campus, has investigated this historic disaster, which affected numerous households throughout the Ottawa Valley, in his book Sudden Impact—The Almonte Train Wreck of 1942.

“This is a very tragic piece of Ottawa Valley history,” he said in an interview. ⁤⁤“Even though it happened over 80 years ago, its impact still resonates with the families of those affected by the crash.”

According to Bramburger, during his four years of research and writing, he found that until his publication, no book had been written that included the entire story of the passengers and the investigation into the reason for the collision.

⁤⁤“I wanted to ensure that the history of this tragic event, which affected so many people in the Ottawa Valley, was accurately recorded,” he said. ⁤

The crash happened on Dec. 27, 1942, amidst the chaos of the Second World War and the festive Christmas season. A military train headed for Halifax collided with a passenger train at Almonte station, killing 38 people and injuring more than 150 others. Bramburger’s meticulous research and interviews of surviving family members brought to light previously unreported personal stories and various documents that offer a new understanding of the events following the crash.⁤

One poignant story Bramburger uncovered was that of Thomas Lynn, whose aspirations to serve in the military were shattered by the crash.

“Lynn had come home to Renfrew for the holiday season to be with his family, but he desperately wanted to join Canada’s military during World War II. A month before the accident, on Nov. 27, 1942, Lynn had received a letter confirming that he was being admitted into the Royal Canadian Air Force as a firefighter, and he was excited about that. Then he was involved in the crash,” said Bramburger.

Bramburger’s book even explores the mechanical implications of the crash using access-to-information laws, thus providing an insider perspective of the crew, their statements after the crash and the questions they answered as part of the investigation. Bramburger combines personal stories with objective reporting to ensure that the history and strength of the victims and survivors are not forgotten.

The book has been well-received, with tremendous interest and overwhelming support from the Almonte community and the broader Ottawa Valley region. Bramburger noted that the book’s success signifies the importance of remembering historical events, especially those that profoundly shaped local communities.

Even after the book launched on Feb. 25, Bramburger remains committed to ensuring these stories are not forgotten.

“History is a great teacher,” he said. “Preserving these narratives not only honours the lives lost but also imparts valuable lessons to future generations about safety, resilience, and community solidarity.”

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Solar eclipse 2024: Here’s what you need to know ahead of the big show

The SA says it will provide viewing glasses for the total solar eclipse on April 8

Itel Sapozhnikov

Photos: Itel Sapozhnikov

April 5, 2024
Revised: April 5, 2024 10:01pm

Photo: Itel Sapozhnikov

A pair of the ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewing glasses.

Space writer and Algonquin College professor Elizabeth Howell will be travelling in hopes of seeing for the first time the total solar eclipse, which is expected to cross over North America on April 8.

“My husband and I will be heading out to the Toronto region by train to try and catch totality out there,” said Howell.

Howell is a staff writer of spaceflight at Space.com and also teaches in the applied sciences and engineering technology department at Algonquin College.

She found her passion for space when she saw Apollo 13 for the first time as a young teenager.

“I was thinking that’s really amazing, this team coming together and rescuing these people. I want to learn more,” said Howell.

The Algonquin College campus will remain open during the day of the event.

The Algonquin Students’ Association will be hosting an event where it will hand out certified solar eclipse viewing glasses in the E-building at 10 a.m.

“We’ll be giving away glasses on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last,” said Alain Cyr-Russo, the senior manager of student life at the SA.

Perth and Pembroke campuses will also provide solar glasses for students to pick up on the day of the eclipse.

Paul Gardner, the director of Risk Management at the college, sent a memo to the college community on March 28 about the eclipse.

“While the eclipse promises to be a spectacular event, our concern is that the college community takes precautions to keep themselves safe,” said Gardner in the memo.

The memo states that ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewing glasses are recommended in order to observe the eclipse safely.

“It is never safe to look directly at the sun without certified eye protection, especially during a solar eclipse,” Gardner said in the memo. “Viewing the eclipse without protection can result in severe eye damage or permanent blindness.”

The memo sent by Risk Management included a link to instructions of how to build your own solar eclipse projector box.

According to Ottawa Public Health, the eclipse in Ottawa will not be a total eclipse due to the fact that the maximum coverage will be around 99 per cent.

“Because the moon’s shadow is so, so narrow, only a tiny part of the Earth gets to experience it,” said Howell. “So clearly at Algonquin College, that location, unfortunately, is not completely in the shadow of the moon.”

Ottawa Public Library branches across the city handed out free solar eclipse glasses starting March 28.

“We as a branch had almost 6,000 glasses, and they were gone in 25 minutes,” said Dave Froome from the Nepean Centerpointe library branch.

Dave Froome from the Centerpointe branch of the Ottawa Public Library — Dave Froome from the Nepean Centrepointe branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Photo credit: Itel Sapozhnikov

Froome said all library branches in Ottawa experienced the same result.

“It was a really, really cool initiative. Obviously I wish we could have done more,” said Froome. “It was a really cool thing that we were able to do to help the community.”

Froome said the giveaway especially helps parents give their children a chance to participate safely. Ottawa schools are closed on the day of the eclipse.

Although Ottawa will not be able to see totality, Howell said people travelling further south have a better chance to view the full effect of the eclipse.

Howell said Cornwall, Kingston, part of the greater Toronto, Niagara Falls and many places along the Highway 401 will be able to experience the total solar eclipse.

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Massive project transforming college’s student systems by 2026 expected to cost up to $71M

The Thesis system will replace ACSIS and GeneSIS as part of the multi-year R3 Project

Nathalia Lencioni

Photos: Nathalia Lencioni

April 5, 2024
Revised: April 5, 2024 4:23pm

Photo: Nathalia Lencioni

The college is transforming its student systems, which include ACSIS and GeneSIS, through a $71-million project.

A project costing up to $71 million and aiming to revolutionize Algonquin College’s student information systems will be completed in 2026, according to Lois Pollock, one of the R3 Project’s business leads.

“In May 2023, the budget range for this multi-year project for fiscal years 2019-2020 to 2025-2026 was adjusted to reflect a total projected spend of $65 million to $71 million,” said Pollock during a budget update at a Board of Governors meeting on Feb. 26.

The current student information system for the college, GeneSIS, was developed decades ago, using a programming language that was common from the 1970s to the 1990s. It serves as a database on all students across the college and is used by faculty.

GeneSIS interacts with ACSIS, which is a website that integrates the college’s existing data systems, allowing students to access information and resources, such as their timetables, tuition fees and elective classes.

Kenny Ratcliffe, a student in the computer engineering technology program, said he’s thought about the ACSIS’s shortcomings for some time and is excited about the prospect of a new system.

“In my opinion, ACSIS is a poor piece of software,” said Ratcliffe. “It’s really showing its age, I think. I think a redesign of the software and a new implementation of it would be very good.”

The R3 Project is currently on its second of five phases and will replace GeneSIS and ACSIS with the Thesis Student Management System.

Alain Paradis, coordinator of the graphic design program, said his main hope for the new Thesis system is that it will streamline and automate managing off-cycle students — students who, for any reason, did not complete a class at the program’s expected time.

“I’m looking forward to seeing it,” said Paradis. “Because right now, at the end of the semester, and at the start of the new semester, there’s a ton of work to go look at all the students who didn’t pass a course for any reason, or didn’t complete a course, and keep track. They automatically get registered. Someone has to manually manage these students.”

Alain Paradis, coordinator and professor of the graphic design program, smiling outside of his office in N-building on April 4. — Alain Paradis, coordinator and professor of the graphic design program, poses outside of his office in N-building on April 4. Photo credit: Nathalia Lencioni

Paradis keeps spreadsheets individually designed for each off-cycle student, in order to make sure an email is sent to the registrar’s office so those students are in the right classes and not automatically enrolled in the next class for that course.

“At the end of every semester, we have to say, okay, these students didn’t pass, and send an email to the registrar saying, ‘don’t register them in part two of that course, because they didn’t pass part one’,” said Paradis. “Hopefully, it’ll just be easier to manage that. There won’t be so much emailing back and forth between students and the faculty or the coordinators and the registrar’s office.”

Krista Pearson, the R3 Project executive business lead, provided the Algonquin Times with a statement about student and faculty involvement in the new system’s development.

“Student feedback on the Student Portal has been an important part of the project for years,” said Pearson. “From the beginning of the project, there have been co-operative education student placements, which provides regular opportunities for students to access and understand the project while also contributing to the project outcomes and providing real-time feedback.”

“In preparation for future stages, as a part of the current project, there was an extensive learner-focused research effort in winter 2023 involving the human-centred design graduate certificate program,” she added.

The Thesis student portal will allow students to access information and complete tasks similar to ACSIS. It will not require a daily shutdown period as the current portal does, and in some cases, there will be close to real-time information exchange between systems, meaning that students will have more timely updates and access, according to Pearson.

Paradis says he is hopeful that with the implementation of this new system, faculty members and coordinators will have more time to dispense with other responsibilities, and that students will have more agency.

“A new software is overdue,” said Paradis. “A computer should be doing this. Because I can make a mistake too. Imagine how much time all the coordinators across the college are taking to manage this, and how many mistakes are falling through the cracks.”

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Taiwan struck by massive earthquake, killing nine and injuring hundreds

Local Global News: Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he only wants to see Ontario citizens in the province’s colleges and universities. Ford claims he’s been told approximately 18 per cent of students attending Ontario’s post-secondary institutions are international. “In my opinion, and we will continue working with the ministry, get rid of the 18 per […]

Ben Seabrook

Photos:

April 5, 2024
Revised: April 5, 2024 3:43pm

Local

Global News: Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he only wants to see Ontario citizens in the province’s colleges and universities.

Ford claims he’s been told approximately 18 per cent of students attending Ontario’s post-secondary institutions are international.

“In my opinion, and we will continue working with the ministry, get rid of the 18 per cent,” Ford said at an event Wednesday regarding a new medical school at York University. “I’m not being mean, but I’m taking care of our students, our kids first.”

The premier’s office later clarified that Ford was referring specifically to medical schools and not colleges and universities overall.

According to Ford, he’s heard many Ontario students are struggling to get into local schools, therefore being forced to study abroad.

Ontario’s latest budget showed colleges are projected to lose about $3 billion over the next two years due to a decrease of international students allowed.

National

CTV News: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised a $15-billion top-up to the federal government’s Apartment Construction Loan Program, bringing the total up to $55 billion.

This announcement relates to the new “Canada Builds” program which aims to help provinces and territories build affordable rental units across Canada.

“It’s not fair that young people who have a good job, can’t afford a place to live, and can’t even imagine being able to buy a home one day. That’s what we’re trying to change around,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Toronto on Wednesday.

Trudeau’s government will hold daily press conferences to make announcements related to its campaign until the 2024 federal budget is tabled on April 16.

International

CBC News: Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in over 25 years hit the country around 8 a.m. on April 3, killing nine people and injuring over 900.

According to Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency, the earthquake was 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey said it was 7.4.

“It was very strong. It felt as if the house was going to topple,” said Chang Yu-lin, a 60-year-old worker for a hospital in Taipei.

Fifty people went missing in minibuses on the way to a national park after the earthquake downed phone networks, causing authorities to lose contact with them.

A tsunami warning was triggered for southern Japan and the Philippines as a result of the earthquake, but later lifted.

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Tropical Fusion event supports Audrey’s Star fundraiser

The event in the Observatory raised funds and awareness for the Roger Neilson House

Korbin Amaya

Photos: Korbin Amaya

April 5, 2024
Revised: April 5, 2024 9:38am

Photo: Korbin Amaya

In the middle of a song, guests move to the rhythm of the music on the dance floor.

The atmosphere at a Tropical Fusion fundraiser had a sense of purpose beyond dancing and socializing.

The event supporting the Audrey’s Star campaign was held at the Observatory on March 22, raising money for Roger Neilson House.

Despite facing a rare form of mitochondrial disease, Audrey, at the age of three, touched the lives of many individuals and became the main inspiration for the evening’s charity festivities. This year, the Algonquin College public relations program’s annual campaign took on added significance as students raised funds to pay tribute to Audrey’s legacy and the resilience of families supported by Roger Neilson House.

The lively dance floor, filled with music, represented unity and community support. When the event kicked off at 8 p.m., D.J. UPN’GONE and D.J. MULL3R filled the Observatory with a mix of reggaetón, soca and Afro-beats, setting the stage for a night of dancing. Occasionally, flags representing Jamaica, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic waved proudly in the air, showcasing the backgrounds and unity among guests in the room.

After guests danced to the music, they took breaks to try the options from the $10 buffet. The aroma of elote corn with a squeeze of lime, the crispy fried puff puff (a delight from Nigeria), and the warm Jamaican patties filled the air, satisfying everyone’s taste buds.

Dancers went between bites and dance steps without losing their enthusiasm. Meanwhile, onlookers ate their meals from their seats or booths, creating a unique moment in the Observatory.

Joëlle Benoit, a team member and Level 2 student in public relations, curated a backdrop for photos that captured joyful moments as attendees beamed for snapshots.

Two devoted Algonquin College Latino Club members participated in the event, showcasing the community’s welcoming spirit. Their involvement added energy to the gathering, offering a platform to highlight the club’s projects and attract participants, building connections and cultural exchange for the guests who checked them out.

Throughout the night, laughter, music and shared memories intertwined, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie, joy and memorable moments.

As the evening drew to a close, dancing, singing and feasting in honour of Audrey’s Star warmed the hearts of all who came together to support Roger Neilson House.

Arts & Entertainment

Jon Willing

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Top 10’s

Reading is one of the most beneficial hobbies you can take up. It can be very daunting though. As tempting as it is to hop right into a 800-page Stephen King novel after not reading for a couple of years, a short and sweet read is the best way to get back into the hobby. […]

Emma Stronge

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April 5, 2024
Revised: April 5, 2024 9:00am