Roger Kabler started acting in 1989, but later, after losing himself to drug addiction, he found himself being someone new. Specifically, Robin Williams. Kabler’s recent tour of The Robin Williams […]
Mathew Dicsi
Photos: Mathew Dicsi
November 10, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Mathew Dicsi
Roger Kabler as "Old Robin Williams" after discovering a time machine during his show at Algonquin College.
Roger Kabler started acting in 1989, but later, after losing himself to drug addiction, he found himself being someone new.
Specifically, Robin Williams.
Kabler’s recent tour of The Robin Williams Tribute Show led him to the Algonquin Commons Theatre on Nov. 4 where he performed his two-act show.
Act 1 introduced his Williams impression. He bounded around the stage, imitating a cat claiming his territory with a water bottle before performing a portion of “Never Had a Friend Like Me” from the movie Aladdin.
Each bit was transitioned by a back-and-forth between Williams and Mrs. Doubtfire, bantering and bickering.
“I don’t think Mrs. Doubtfire is a great film. Not my thing,” said Kabler in a post-show interview with the Algonquin Times. “But the performance in that film was outstanding.”
The second act lowered the mask as Kabler began speaking about the hardships he experienced throughout his life.
“I had to quit show business,” said Kabler in his monologue. “I went to Hollywood, I got on the Carol Burnett Show, I got my own sitcom, then it all fell apart. I ended up on drugs, I ended up in psych wards.”
Robin Williams died in 2014 after a celebrated acting career.
“When Robin passed away, something happened to me,” he said. “I felt his presence very strongly and suddenly he was there. I felt him pulling me back to work, and I thought, who am I to say no to Robin Williams?”
But Kabler said he felt a connection long before Williams’ passing.
“I’ve felt this connection since I first saw him when I was 17,” said Kabler. “I felt like it was me. I said, that’s me. Why am I out there on TV while I’m here? It’s like you have a twin.”
The monologue was followed by audience-based suggestions fuelling Kabler’s improvisation and impressions, such as Neil Diamond creating his musical style while constipated, Al Pacino’s version of Abbot and Costello’s Who’s on First?, Michael Jackson being haunted and possessed by the elephant man and Donald Trump as the Phantom of The Opera.
The crowd busting a gut after Kabler's Neil Diamond joke where he finds his musical tone while constipated. Photo credit: Mathew Dicsi
The show ended with a standing ovation.
“(Robin Williams) is a really great comedian, so we like tribute artists,” said Diane Brier, a fan of Williams.
Brier’s love of Williams started with the 1978 sitcom Mork & Mindy.
“He was so talented, could play any character,” said Brier.
“Mrs. Doubtfire, that was a funny film,” said Diane’s husband, Paul Brier, another Williams fan. “It’s a real shame he’s gone.”
After the show, Kabler greeted fans in person, shaking hands, taking photos and giving hugs, all while managing his merchandise stand where he sold signed copies of his film about performing as Robin Williams.
Algonquin College brought the vibrant spirit of “Dia de Muertos” to life for the second year in a row, with an eye-catching celebration in the Student Commons on Nov. 2. […]
Stephen Priel
Photos: Stephen Priel
November 10, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Stephen Priel
Business marketing alumna Rebeca Feria stands in front of the altar during the Day of the Dead event at the college on Nov. 2.
Algonquin College brought the vibrant spirit of “Dia de Muertos” to life for the second year in a row, with an eye-catching celebration in the Student Commons on Nov. 2.
The Day of the Dead is important in Mexican culture as it serves as a time to commemorate and cherish the memories of family members and loved ones who have departed. In Mexican tradition it is believed that the souls of the deceased return to visit the living families in homes, cemeteries and elsewhere on this day.
Veronica Sanchez is an aesthetician student who, as a Colombian, follows similar rituals to what the Mexicans do on the Day of The Dead.
“I lost my four grandparents a few years ago and I have pictures of them around my house as a way of remembering them. I also believe they watch over me. I live by myself and I feel like feel someone is watching over me,” said Sanchez.
The event featured the main centrepiece of a table with an alter. This alter has various components such as sugar skulls, which symbolize death and the afterlife, and candles to welcome back the spirits.
The traditional “pan de muerto” (bread of the dead) and hot chocolate were also served at the event. In addition, there were colouring sheets with Day of The Dead designs.
“This event lets me see how they celebrate certain events and how they celebrate their culture. I believe overall the Day of The Dead is a great way to commemorate people who have family that are not with them anymore, ” said business student Joshua Ansaldo.
Business marketing alumna and host of this event, Rebeca Feria, shared a similar sentiment. As someone of Mexican descent, she believes having this celebration is a perfect way to teach students about Latin culture.
“I believe through traditions they help you connect with that culture. In our case as international students we need to maintain all these kinds of traditions that keep us connected with our culture, our families and our friends,” said Feria.
“It’s wonderful that the college offers this kind of space to show other students the different cultures and how they can learn about those cultures,” added Feria.
Featured Story | News
2023 | Campus life | Culture | Day of the dead | Mexico
After a fierce campaign between four potential candidates, the voters have spoken and Algonquin College has a new member of the Board of Governors. Robert Harvey received 118 votes and […]
Brandon Plant
Photos: Brandon Plant
November 10, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Brandon Plant
Robert Harvey is the newly elected member of the Board of Governors.
After a fierce campaign between four potential candidates, the voters have spoken and Algonquin College has a new member of the Board of Governors.
Robert Harvey received 118 votes and was elected as the staff representative for the Board of Governors with 41.9 per cent of the popular vote. He was appointed officially to the role on Oct. 12.
Ala Qadi, Sudhir Tawar, and Sheila Grantham were the other hopeful candidates on the ballot.
Qadi received the second most votes out of the 281 total ballots cast in the election, with 91 total votes, worth 32.8 per cent of the vote.
Harvey, an accounting professor at the college for over 30 years, brings a slew of experience to the role.
“During my term, I hope to ensure that there are adequate funds for faculty professional development. The world of education is rapidly changing and the faculty needs to be current in both their subject matters of teaching and learning,” Harvey said.
As the founder of his own public accounting firm, Harvey has experience in providing financial advice to companies and individuals who are experiencing financial instability, which will be a pivotal part of his goals this term.
“Over the years, I have been a vocal advocate for faculty and students,” Harvey said.
The newly elected representative of the Board of Governors has been active with academic committees and emphasizes this experience as a key strength for his role.
“While the governor’s role focuses on the overall strategy of the college, I intend to remain an advocate for them. Not only do I feel that I represent the faculty, but one can never lose sight of the reason why the college exists. That is the students, and I will try to do what’s best for them as well,” Harvey said.
“I am honoured to have been elected. This role provides me with the opportunity to grow professionally. It also gives me the opportunity to provide input into the strategic direction of the college,” Harvey added.
The four members vying to be the Ontario Liberal Party’s new leader faced off at Algonquin College on Nov. 8 in their fourth official debate, three weeks before party members […]
Roxanne Lamarche
Photos: Roxanne Lamarche-Silmser
November 10, 2023 Revised: May 15, 2024 2:44pm
Photo: Roxanne Lamarche-Silmser
Ontario Liberal Party leadership candidates faced off in their fourth debate in the D-building at Algonquin College. From left to right; Bonnie Crombie, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Yasir Naqvi and Ted Hsu.
The four members vying to be the Ontario Liberal Party’s new leader faced off at Algonquin College on Nov. 8 in their fourth official debate, three weeks before party members vote.
Over the two-hour debate in the D-building, candidates discussed electability, francophone public services, Ottawa’s LRT and the “freedom convoy.”
They also discussed the need to give the party a new life.
Despite the party’s struggles, four candidates want to lead the charge and revive the party: Bonnie Crombie, the mayor of Mississauga, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, MP for Beaches-East York, Yasir Naqvi, MP for Ottawa Centre, and Ted Hsu, MPP for Kingston and the Islands.
On one fateful election day in 2018, the Ontario Liberal Party went from holding 55 seats in the legislature down to just seven. The provincial election in 2022 wasn’t so kind to the party either, only gaining one seat.
“There’s a spark back in our party,” said Crombie during the debate at the college.
“We need to be back at the grassroots level and we need to energize voters and inspire them.”
Mayor Bonnie Crombie of Mississauga sets herself as a hopeful alternative to current Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo credit: Roxanne Lamarche-Silmser
Among other attendees, John Fraser, the Ontario Liberals’ interim leader, was present at the debate with MPPs Mary-Margaret McMahon of Beaches-East York, Karen McCrimmon of Kanata-Carleton and Stephen Blais of Orleans.
Mary-Margaret McMahon, the MPP for Beaches-East York, was in town on business and came to campus to watch the fourth debate. Photo credit: Roxanne Lamarche-Silmser
The Algonquin Times had exclusive interviews with each of the leadership candidates.
Here are three issues that could be on the minds of Algonquin College students, along with each candidates’ positions.
Ottawa LRT
Naqvi pointed out flaws in the procurement process and suggested that more time be taken to read the process very carefully and ensure accountability. He also believes that the car-dependent infrastructure Ottawa has grown accustomed to has made the city lose expertise on train development.
“There was a time when Ottawa used to have street cars, and we ripped it all out,” said Naqvi. “Then, there was 30 to 40 years of building more roads and getting more cars on the road…what happened in that period is that we lost expertise.
“I think the province can play a really important role in being the catalyst in orchestrating, building public transit across the province and making sure we get it right,” said Naqvi.
Crombie said the province needs a regional transit authority, which would be a department where experts on train engineering would create the plan for LRT in Ottawa and other cities in Ontario.
Erskine-Smith listed five things that should be expected for good public transit: clean transportation, long-term regional transit planning, making sure the provincial government supports operations and maintenance, making sure housing and transit are well-integrated and getting value for what’s being purchased.
Hsu said he believes the construction of Ottawa’s LRT could be helped by focusing on the project, section by section, rather than having portions built all at once.
“We build the infrastructure step by step,” said Hsu. “You have a crew, they learn how to build it, and they get even better for the next segment.”
“It also applies to the suppliers. If they know they’re going to get steady business for years and years, they will invest in improvements in efficiency.”
He also thinks that keeping Premier Doug Ford’s current policy towards LRT as a second-best plan is wise to do as it would be a waste of money to entirely scrap it.
Ted Hsu, the MPP from Kingston and the Islands, brought forward new ideas to help Ontarians while acknowledging some current policies are “second-best plans”. Photo credit: Roxanne Lamarche-Silmser
OSAP Interest Rates
The interest rates for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) loans climbed from 4.7 per cent in 2018 to 7.95 per cent in 2023, according to the CBC.
The Times asked candidates how they plan to help students with this surmounting amount of debt.
Naqvi’s education policy includes scrapping interest rates on OSAP entirely and not obligating students who make less than $50,000 per year to pay the loans back until they have more. Moving forward, he said he’d work towards bringing free tuition to students who make less than $90,000 per year.
Erskine-Smith wants to make tuition free for low-income students. He’d also like to restore grants for middle-income students and promote more flexible repayment plans for those with lower incomes.
Crombie wants to increase grants through OSAP and to increase the amount of time a student has to pay back the loans based on their income.
Hsu said he likes the federal government’s program where payment amount depends on one’s ability to pay. So, those with higher income pay back more in loans, while those with lower income pay much less.
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, MP for Beaches-East York, is vying to be seen as the progressive candidate in the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race. Photo credit: Roxanne Lamarche-Silmser
Student Housing
The Times also asked each candidate how they plan to address the current student housing shortage.
Naqvi said the provincial government needs to partner with colleges and universities to build more student housing, look at provincial land as potential spots for developing them and to redesign empty commercial and office buildings into housing.
Crombie referred to the current Progressive Conservative government’s cut of $1,200 per student to the sector and a sharp rise in costs for international students staying in Canada. To fix this, she said her government would invest more in public housing.
The Times reached out to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario’s office for comment, but didn’t hear back by deadline.
Erskine-Smith said there needs to be significant baseline funding for colleges and universities to run their operations better. He also would like to see more collaboration between the federal and provincial governments to develop student housing on college land. Outside of it, though, he believes there should be less government involvement in housing developments.
“We need to make sure governments get out of the way to make sure we end restrictive zoning, NIMBYism and to remove all barriers,” said Erskine-Smith.
Hsu believes that there should be more dense residential buildings near college campuses and transit hubs. If he were premier, he would want to legislate the right to build more high-density housing and eliminate single-detached zoning to encourage four-plexes, townhouses and mixed neighbourhoods.
The Algonquin Wolves women’s volleyball team faced off against the Canadore Panthers on Nov. 4, ending in an unfortunate loss for Algonquin. The game started with Canadore scoring the first […]
Kit Gervais
Photos: Kit Gervais
November 10, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Kit Gervais
Chloe Rodgers (number 4) and Natasha Lauzon (number 16) attempt to block the ball from Canadore, with Gabrielle Paquette (number 13) ready to receive.
The Algonquin Wolves women’s volleyball team faced off against the Canadore Panthers on Nov. 4, ending in an unfortunate loss for Algonquin.
The game started with Canadore scoring the first point and setting the tone for the next three sets. Though they were always close in score, the Wolves couldn’t catch up in time. Algonquin lost the match 3-1.
“I feel we started really slow and every set we were fighting to play catch up, which is not a good thing when you play a team like that. They’re a strong offensive team and we were just trying to catch up every set,” said coach Everton Senior. “It just didn’t fall in our favour, but the girls fought really hard.”
Despite the loss, the Wolves’ players were in good spirits.
“I feel like me and everybody on our side played really well. Our energy was high. We have a lot of people in the stands today, so it was good in that sense, but we just couldn’t finish the points. So, we took the loss unfortunately today,” said Maddy Nadeau, the team’s left side.
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Canadore took the first set with 28 points, two more than Algonquin. The Wolves then won the second set, but not without incident.
The team’s setter, Gabrielle Paquette, took a nasty fall during the first half of the game.
“I’m all good. I did just wind myself. I’m sure I’ll have a gnarly bruise on my hip. But other than that, I’m all good,” she said. “One of our players caught me by the foot. It was a full-on, like, hockey trip. We’re just glad nothing worse happened.”
Ashley Adams, a setter on the team, quickly subbed in for Paquette to let her recover.
“Ashley, our rookie, did an amazing job coming in just on the fly like that. Her progression over the last couple of weeks especially, has just been outstanding and amazing, you know?” said Paquette.
She returned to the court within a few minutes, back and ready to play.
Canadore took the third and fourth sets with a three-point difference in each one.
The Wolves’ next game is against the George Brown Huskies on Nov. 10 on the Huskies’ home turf.
Dulce Tapp left Mexico and came to Canada in 1992 and stayed to marry the man she fell in love with. Studying architecture at the time, Tapp attended a conference […]
Kate Playfair
Photos: Kate Playfair
November 10, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Kate Playfair
Dulce Tapp has been displaying her art at the NOIR Art Festival for four years.
Dulce Tapp left Mexico and came to Canada in 1992 and stayed to marry the man she fell in love with. Studying architecture at the time, Tapp attended a conference and discovered the country she would soon call home.
Thirty-two years later, Tapp celebrates her heritage through art. She has been painting for 13 years and has focused specifically on Catrina collages — a series of colourful paintings depicting a popular costume in Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico — for the last five years.
“I took a few courses, and I was passionate for collages so that’s what I do,” said Tapp.
Tapp visited Algonquin College in November 2022 with the Mexican Embassy for the first Day of the Dead celebration at the Ottawa campus. Tapp decorated and curated the alter for that event.
Now, Tapp’s colourful array of collaged Catrina pieces are on full display along with the work of 55 other professional artists on the second day of the NOIR Art Festival. The festival is a four-day event and this year’s theme was Day of the Dead, featuring many unique activities each day, allowing artists to showcase their creations.
“Day of the Dead is a Mexican festival that we have every year to commemorate the people that have passed away,” said Tapp. “It is a tradition that comes back when we have the Indigenous people living in Mexico.”
The NOIR Art Festival opened with a gala and a fundraiser for the Queensway Carleton Hospital, followed by three days of fine art exhibitions from over 50 diverse artists. The Day of the Dead exhibition was curated in collaboration with the Mexican Embassy and Ottawa’s ByWard Market Day of the Dead Festival. This event ran from Nov. 2-5 at the Horticulture Building in Lansdowne Park.
The building was decorated with orange paper flowers, sugar skulls and NOIR banners. An altar decorated with candles, food, flowers and pictures was set up to showcase altars often found in Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico.
“It’s a good representation in a way of honouring those who have passed and doing it in a very culturally sensitive way,” said Christie Baker, one of the artists at the festival.
The building was packed with displays of hundreds of art pieces, from paintings to pottery mugs. Each display showcased the artists’ unique work, truly representing how different each artist is.
Clara Kim, standing proud next to her paintings of colourful animals, finds inspiration in “everything” and seeks to “break expectations” through her art.
Clara Kim takes information from "everywhere". From Mythology and folktales to close friends, Kim uses her work to "break expectations." Photo credit: Kate Playfair
“It comes from everywhere. Mythology, folktale, a story, or from a documentary,” said Kim. “My bear (painting) comes from my friend. She had three kids, gave birth to three kids, and she was really depressed and she started hating herself. I want to tell all the moms that they are special and no matter how you look, your kids think you’re special, and you’re the one who forgets you are special.”
Baker finds tranquility in painting beautiful multi-framed portraits of landscapes. She found her love for painting during COVID-19 and draws inspiration from the Canadian landscape.
Christie Baker paints from memory of the beautiful Canadian landscape. Photo credit: Kate Playfair
“One of the things I’m very fascinated by is light. When I paint it’s the thing I focus on the most, a painting isn’t really finished for me until I see how the light has been captured,” said Baker. “I think the Canadian landscape is just in my mind and it’s so beautiful. I don’t paint from images I just paint from inspiration, it’s all in my head. It’s memories and it’s light and it’s Canada.”
Cor Beattie, one of the organizers and an alumni from the advertising and marketing communications management program, paints commissioned portraits of celebrities and sells a smaller print of the original project to make some extra money.
Cor Beattie paints commissioned portraits and sells a smaller print of the original portrait to generate more income. Photo credit: Kate Playfair
“I like being creative, it puts my mind at ease and gives me something to do,” said Beattie. “But I’m close to retirement — I work for the government — so this supplements my income.”
Tapp draws her inspiration from her heritage, but sometimes an artist’s inspiration follows its own course.
“My inspiration for these past years has been the Catrina, the Day of the Dead,” said Tapp. “But sometimes it’s just funny things, like I put the head of a fox or a dog on a person just to have a little bit of fun in my life, not to take it serious.”
“Writing a story and putting stuff on a canvas is the same,” said Kim. “It’s up to you how you express yourself.”
Tapp also offered a hands-on collage workshop where participants could create their own work inspired by the “Mictlán Journey,” an Aztec mythology that shaped the Mexican Day of the Dead traditions.
“The native people didn’t see dead as if you were gone,” said Tapp. “To die is to start life.”
To celebrate the spookiest time of the year, Algonquin College students, staff and alumni gathered at the Student Commons on Oct. 31 for The Great Pumpkin Party and Costume Contest […]
Sahlym Florestal
Photos: Sahlym Florestal
November 9, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Sahlym Florestal
Costume party winner Grace Thompson doing the catwalk.
To celebrate the spookiest time of the year, Algonquin College students, staff and alumni gathered at the Student Commons on Oct. 31 for The Great Pumpkin Party and Costume Contest organized by the AC Hub and the Students’ Association.
A Halloween celebration complete with face painting, jack-o’-lanterns, trick-or-treating, a photo booth and other activities were part of the event.
The Halloween celebration drew enthusiastic responses from crowd members, such as Andrew Eijike, a Carleton University student who came to support his friend.
Eijike shared his thoughts on The Great Pumpkin Party and Costume Contest.
“They really brought their best, and honestly, I enjoyed it,” Eijike said.
The highlight of the day was the costume contest where students gathered to show their creativity and talents for disguises. With diverse costumes and designs, the participants showcased a wide range of outfits.
Among the standout costumes were many inspired by anime figures such as Chainsaw Man and characters from the popular anime TV show Naruto, including Obito and Minato. Inspired by other universes, the contest featured the DC Hero, Batman and his arch-nemesis, The Joker.
With many outstanding costumes on display, the competition was fierce. After careful deliberation over a 30-minute break, the judges announced the winners of the contest.
Noland White, a first-year illustration and concept art student, secured the second-place prize for his creative costume of Freddy Fazbear from Five Nights at Freddy’s.
White expressed his unexpected joy about taking second place.
“I feel pretty good about winning, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. There were a lot of good costumes, and there was a lot of good effort,” said White.
Grace Thompson, also a first-year student from the illustration concept art program, took home the first-place prize. Thompson’s victory earned her a $100 gift card, a well-deserved reward for her outstanding costume.
Her costume, an infected inspired by the video game The Last of Us, impressed the judges with its detailed and eye-catching design.
After collecting her prize, Thompson expressed her joy and passion for the video game.
“I’m happy about winning the contest. I didn’t know there was a prize. I just wanted to do the catwalk,” said Thompson.
The Wolves secured a 3-0 sweep against the Loyalist Lancers on Nov. 3 to improve their undefeated season record to 3-0. The first set was very close, with both teams […]
Marco Ghosn
Photos: Marco Ghosn
November 9, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Marco Ghosn
Conor Finnie (right) jumps high to block the ball against Loyalist at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre on Nov.3
The Wolves secured a 3-0 sweep against the Loyalist Lancers on Nov. 3 to improve their undefeated season record to 3-0.
The first set was very close, with both teams trading points until the last serve. The score was tied 24-24 with the set looking like it could go either way. The Wolves scored two back-to-back points to edge out the set 26-24.
In the second set, it was more of the same with both teams looking evenly matched. The Wolves won the set 25-23, taking a 2-0 lead.
In the third and final set, the Wolves didn’t let it get as close, winning 25-17.
Scores per set in the Algonquin Wolves vs. Loyalist Lancers men's volleyball game Photo credit: Marco Ghosn
“It’s a game where we did enough to get the win that we deserved and the win that was on the scoreboard. I think there’s still some aggression that we can make and I’m looking forward to that,” said Jelle Kooijman, head coach of the Wolves.
Loyalist came into this game with a record of 0-3.
“I think their current position in the league is not really representative. That being said, every team in this league is going to be very competitive, if you don’t play well (you can lose),” added Kooijman.
Outside player, Jeff Commerford, thought the team played well but needs to make some improvements for the upcoming games.
“It was a solid win, we worked together as a team pretty well. We’re focusing on getting serves better. Serving still needs a little bit more work, but it’s definitely getting better. Getting to run everyone on our offence gives us a bigger chance of winning,” said Commerford.
For 50 years, the Christmas Craft Show at the Nepean Sportsplex has brought shoppers from all over the greater Ottawa area to buy special gifts around Christmas time. This year […]
Andrew Sorokan
Photos: Andrew Sorokan
November 9, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Andrew Sorokan
Owner of Apiverte Inc., Sandra Bornn, stands in front of her collection of products at the Christmas Craft Show on Nov. 4.
For 50 years, the Christmas Craft Show at the Nepean Sportsplex has brought shoppers from all over the greater Ottawa area to buy special gifts around Christmas time.
This year was the same, welcoming 2,227 visitors by mid-afternoon on Nov. 4. The event hosted 117 vendors selling their merchandise. Of those 117 vendors, 33 were first-time sellers at the event.
Eighty-four returning vendors made up over 70 per cent of vendors at the Nepean Sportsplex Christmas Craft Show. Photo credit: Andrew Sorokan
The craft show started on Nov. 2. and closed its doors for the weekend at 4 p.m. on Nov. 5.
One of the first-time vendors was Sandra Bornn, who is the owner and founder of Apiverte Inc. which sells raw honey sourced from the Gatineau hills.
Bornn observed a nice atmosphere at the event and expressed interest in returning the following year.
“Absolutely. It’s a nice vibe here,” Bornn said when asked about returning to next year’s craft show.
Other vendors returned to the Sportsplex for what has become a yearly trip.
“My grandfather has come here for the past 10-15 years,” said Hayden Carmichael from Carmichael Meats Inc.
“It’s been great,” said Carmichael. “Busier than I thought.”
Mario Laurin from De L’arbre À Votre Table was at the Sportsplex for the sixth time. De L’arbre À Votre Table has created handmade cutting boards, charcuterie boards, cheese boards and cribbage boards since 2013.
“It’s a good year. Lots of sales. We are very happy,” Laurin said.
Mario Laurin at his booth at the Nepean Sportsplex on Nov.4. Photo credit: Andrew Sorokan
There was a wide range of products at the Sportsplex, from food and beverage companies to paintings and everything in between. The event started in 1973 and has been a staple in the community.
The college’s new artificial intelligence software development program celebrated its first anniversary in the spring. Launched in 2022, the program’s purposes is to handle the growing need for artificial intelligence […]
Zaynab Safa
Photos: Zaynab Safa
November 9, 2023 Revised: November 14, 2023 11:17am
Photo: Zaynab Safa
Michael Voytinsky and Krunal Upadhyay are students the artificial intelligence software development program.
The college’s new artificial intelligence software development program celebrated its first anniversary in the spring. Launched in 2022, the program’s purposes is to handle the growing need for artificial intelligence software development knowledge in the market.
Importantly, AI developers must have a solid grasp of the ethical issues the application raises.
“We are learning new procedures, new tasks as well as how and what kind of preparations we would need for software development and the logical ethical stuff that will connect us with social and technology aspects,” said Krunal Upadhyay, a student in the Artificial Intelligence Software Development program.
Graduates of this one-year graduate certificate program with a co-op option will be prepared to handle the increasing need for AI software development skills in the job market.
Why do students take this program?
Students learn how to solve real-world AI problems in an organized setting through the course of study, which will prepare them to graduate and pursue their love of solving real-world AI challenges for a job.
“I started thinking about this program when I came across ChatGPT, I wanted to get back into programming and saw this program as a good opportunity,” said Michael Voytinsky a first-year artificial intelligence software development student.
Software engineers are expected to face this kind of challenge as artificial intelligence and related software approaches have become more and more common in recent years. The needs of such software developers are met by this program.
Who makes up this program’s community?
Voytinsky says the students in his class are a very diverse group.
“There are some who have many years of experience in the industry and everything in between and none are really expecting the same thing,” he said. “It wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It’s a lot more demanding then I was expecting but its been interesting and hopefully it will continue to be interesting.”
Todd Kelley, the coordinator of the program and professor keeps the program curriculum relevant and up to date in collaboration with the program advisory committee which is made up of experts currently working in industry.
“I also organize student orientation and attend program council meetings where students have a voice in the future direction of the program,” he said.
