Page 74 – Algonquin Times

Centrepointe library provides safe space for stressed students

City library branch near Algonquin College offered "exam cram" throughout January

Siobhan Rollo

Photos: Siobhan Rollo

January 31, 2024
Revised: January 31, 2024 3:14pm

Photo: Siobhan Rollo

The Centrepointe branch's Teen Zone.

High school students across the province are preparing for exams, and many students in the City of Ottawa are eager to find resources to help them develop the study skills necessary for their exams.

The Ottawa Public Library Centrepointe branch, located just west of Algonquin College, hosted an event informally dubbed the Teen Exam Cram. The event was an opportunity for high school students to come into the Teen Zone and study. The Teen Exam Cram event ran through January.

Many students in the Nepean area, as well as their parents and tutors, use the space because it helps them feel more at ease.

“It’s preferable to studying at school,” said high school student Sana Mando. “Going outside motivates me. There’s people studying here and that encourages me.”

Mando noted that the environment and proximity to other facilities in the area helped her decide to study at the public library.

“I feel the environment is relaxing. I can feel like I can skate after,” Mando said, referring to the skating rink behind the library. “The atmosphere relieves tension.”

Library resources help teens who use the space to study.

“The area helps, [so do] the different books and technology,” said high school student Judy Kasem.

Parents have provided positive feedback about the space.

The Centrepointe branch prides itself on being a space for families, with many flyers throughout the library aimed at children and teenagers.

“It’s wonderful having spaces for teens to study, it’s important”, said Renee Gauvin, mother of two.

When asked if Gauvin used similar resources when she was a student, Gauvin said, “In post-secondary, I mostly used the on-campus library. Using the public library never would’ve occurred to me”.

As the exam season comes to an end, the library states in its flyers for the event that students are always welcome to study in the Teen Zone, regardless of the time of year.

The Ottawa Public Library publishes event information on its website. Many events are open to the public.

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Toyota Canada asking 8,300 drivers to stop driving due to recall

Local CBC: A news release issued by the Canadian Armed Forces on Tuesday about their latest investigation into the 2022 Royal Military College tragedy, revealed that there was no correlation with the graduating cadets military service and that they had been off duty. Four Royal Military College cadets were found dead in Point Frederic in […]

Itel Sapozhnikov

Photos:

January 31, 2024
Revised: January 31, 2024 2:59pm

Local

CBC: A news release issued by the Canadian Armed Forces on Tuesday about their latest investigation into the 2022 Royal Military College tragedy, revealed that there was no correlation with the graduating cadets military service and that they had been off duty.

Four Royal Military College cadets were found dead in Point Frederic in Kingston on April 29, 2022 around 2 a.m.

Foul play was ruled out immediately and it was suspected that there was dangerous use of a personal vehicle that resulted in the incident.

A military officer later confirmed the four victims had drowned. The victims were identified as Andrei Honciu, Jack Hogarth, Andrés Salek and Broden Murphy.

National

CTV: Toyota Canada issued a warning to approximately 8,300 drivers to stop driving due to a recall on airbags on the morning of Jan. 30, 2024.

Around 8,300 Toyota drivers were issued a warning about a possibility that their airbag inflators that may explode.

According to a Toyota Canada spokesperson the notice includes, “certain 2003-2004 models, including approximately 5,000 Toyota Corollas, 1,600 Toyota Corolla Matrixes and 700 RAV4s.”

“The ‘stop driving’ notice is being sent to owners of vehicles who have not, after many communication attempts, had the recall procedure done on their vehicle,” said spokesperson Phillipe Crowe in an email to CTV.

International

CTV: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for revealing state secrets.

Khan had already been serving a three year sentence prior to the event with over 150 cases that are still pending against him, ranging from contempt of court, to terrorism and inciting violence.

Known as the “Cipher Case,” Khan was convicted on Tuesday for allegedly exposing confidential documents by waving them around in a rally.

According to Khan, the documents contained proof that he was being threatened and that his ouster back in 2022 was a United States conspiracy, that was executed by the military and the Pakistani government. Both American and Pakistani officials denied his claim.

The verdict was announced in a special court inside the prison of garrison city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan where Khan was being held. Some of Khan’s legal team were denied access inside and journalists were barred from covering the event.

News

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Wolves men’s volleyball team take the win in close game

Wolves beat Durham 3-2 after difficult first two sets in Jan. 26 match

Kaitlyn Lemay

Photos: Kaitlyn Lemay

January 31, 2024
Revised: January 31, 2024 1:52pm

Photo: Kaitlyn Lemay

Pres Jeyapalasingham hitting a kill.

The Algonquin Wolves men’s volleyball team played the Durham Lords in a tight game at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre on Jan. 26, emerging with a 3-2 victory.

The Wolves had a slow start to the first set but kept the score tight. The Wolves fought to catch up but ended up losing 25-21.

Durham tried to take the lead, but the Wolves pushed back with a 5-5 start to the second set. The Wolves seemed low on energy in the second set and it showed in the score with a 25-19 loss.

“It’s clear that the beginning did not go the way we wanted but I’m really proud of the team,” said head coach Jelle Kooijman

The team’s burning desire to win finally emerged in the third set. The energy in the crowd fired up the team and the Wolves pushed against Durham until a few kills from outside hitter Gavin Hassell and outside Jeff Commerford stole the show and ended the set with a 28-26 win.

Going into the fourth set, the team kept Durham in check up to a 14-14 tie.

Connor Finnie, Jeff Commerford, Gavin Hessell, Malcom Spence and Matin Janega huddled after a play — Connor Finnie, Jeff Commerford, Gavin Hessell, Malcom Spence and Matin Janega huddle after a play. Photo credit: Kaitlyn Lemay

Once the Wolves took hold of the serve again, they came through with a couple of great kills by middle Pres Jeyapalasingham. The Wolves claimed another set win with a score of 25-21.

“I think we need to start stronger in general, but we fought back hard so I commend the team for that,” said Hassell. “We want to get first in this division so yeah, we are really trying to fight for it.”

The Wolves delivered their final blows on Durham and closed the match with a 15-9 win in the fifth set, giving them the 3-2 victory for the match.

The Wolves were led in kills by Commerford, Jeyapalasingham, and outside Liam Arnold-Paquette. However, it was teamwork that led them to victory.

“Everyone coming off the bench really played an important role today. It’s a tough job to have a very specific task coming in, and you’re not playing the full game. I was really impressed with everyone that was coming off the bench, they did a really good job and [Hassell] was the example of that,” Kooijman said.

Hassell was selected player of the game after the team discussed their performance and planned to, in Hassell’s words, “rest, recover, get back at it again.”

The team is getting ready for two away games coming up at Georgian on Feb. 2 and at Seneca on Feb. 3.

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Kaitlyn Lemay

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‘That Hypnotist Guy’ brings students into the spotlight with audience participation

When he was 12 years old, Richard Cole saw a hypnotist show at the college where his dad worked. Once he graduated from psychology at Carleton University, he saw another show with the same hypnotist in Peterborough. That’s when he decided to go into that field. Cole performed a hypnosis show in the Observatory during […]

Ben Seabrook

Photos: Ben Seabrook

January 31, 2024
Revised: January 31, 2024 11:23am

Photo: Ben Seabrook

Richard Cole hypnotizes, from left to right, students Brady Fleming, Vivek Jaiswal and Owen Sloan in the Observatory.

Cole performed a hypnosis show in the Observatory during the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 29.

Owen Sloan and Brady Fleming, level 2 electrical students, and Vivek Jaiswal, a level 2 project management student, volunteered to be the stars of the show. Cole used his powers to put them to sleep and send them into a state of relaxation for a trip to the beach.

“Hypnosis is the vehicle to let the people on stage become comedy stars themselves,” Cole said. “I’m not the comedy star, they’re the stars, I just give them the ideas.”

Cole’s goal was to showcase the comedy side of hypnosis in a clean manner, with nothing embarrassing or X-rated. The closest he got was a joke about naked senior citizens, which made the audience laugh.

According to Amanda Logan, the events programmer for the Students’ Association, the SA was pleased with the turnout, with more students in the Observatory than usual for a laugh-filled lunch period. Cole got the audience in on the action with some activities to keep them engaged.

According to Sloan, the three participants did not feel like they were truly hypnotized, but the experience helped them feel relaxed in the moment.

“I could definitely visualize what he was saying when he was saying it, and it was very relaxing,” Sloan said.

Sloan didn’t know the show was happening beforehand. He went to the Observatory to get drinks and saw Cole performing, which got him interested.

The Students’ Association plans to do more lunchtime programming in the Observatory, including more staged shows. They are monitoring what students are interested in for ideas on future events.

“We want to entice students to come to the Observatory and check it out especially if they’ve never been here before,” said Logan. “You don’t have to be buying food or drinks to be at the Observatory, you can just come and watch a show for free.”

At the end of the show, Cole left everyone with some positive messages to make them feel better about who they are.

“Remember, every time you see your favourite colour, it will be more bright and more vibrant,” said Cole. “Just like you.”

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Disheartening 3-1 loss for Wolves women’s volleyball against Durham Lords

"We competed really, really well," said Coach Everton Senior, of team's second-to-last home game on Friday.

Nathalia Lencioni

Photos: Nathalia Lencioni

January 31, 2024
Revised: January 31, 2024 10:33am

Photo: Nathalia Lencioni

Wolves player Isabella Tourangeau blocks an attack.

The Algonquin Wolves women’s volleyball team faced the Durham Lords on Friday Jan. 26, ending a close game in an unfortunate 3-1 loss.

The match began with the Wolves dominating a majority of the first period, and although the Lords got up to 21 points towards the second half, the Wolves took the first set four points ahead at 25 points.

“We had ups and downs, but overall I think we had good service, good offence, good side outs,” said Faith Billaney, left side for the Wolves. “We just had a few stumps in the middle.”

The Lords took the second and third sets, ending the second period with a two-point advantage over the Wolves at 28 and the third period with a five-point advantage at 25 points.

“We gave it our all, we did what we could,” said Emilie Menard, libero for the Wolves. “Tomorrow is our graduation, so it’s going to be a very emotional day for a lot of people on the team, but it should be a fun game.”

The Wolves’ upcoming match on Jan. 27, will be the last home game played by eight of the Wolves players, who will be graduating from the team.

“I think we played well in spurts,” said Coach Everton Senior. “We had a couple of pockets that we let the game get away from us. But we competed really, really well and we were just steady for most of the match.”

For the duration of the fourth and final period, the rivalling teams’ scores were split by no more than two points. But despite all efforts, the Lords took the set and with it the game, with one point over the Wolves at 25 points.

“It’s going to be a tough day tomorrow,” said Senior. “It’s graduation day for eight of our girls, so there’s probably going to be some tears shed. Maybe some from me too, I’ve really gotten close to these girls and I really love this group, so it’s going to be a tough day.”

The Wolves women’s volleyball team is set to return to the Athletics and Recreation Centre court on Jan. 27, where they will be playing against the Fleming Phoenix.

For more information on upcoming games, visit the Algonquin Wolves portal.

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Nathalia Lencioni

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Midweek Memes

Take a break from the midweek stress and enjoy these silly memes.

Emma Stronge

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January 31, 2024
Revised: January 31, 2024 9:43am

Fun Stuff

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Students’ Association calls for smoking areas to keep the campus clean

College stands by smoke-free policy launched in 2019

Laiyiady Lam

Photos: Laiyiady Lam

January 30, 2024
Revised: January 30, 2024 10:14pm

Photo: Laiyiady Lam

A small pile of cigarette butts was scattered in front of a "no smoking" sign.

As the Students’ Association continues to call for smoking areas on campus, the college administration is sticking with its blanket “smoke-free” policy for the college property.

Algonquin College’s non-smoking policy started on Jan. 1, 2019. However, many students continue to smoke in smoke-free areas on campus.

Ato Yankson, a cyber security analysis student, said he usually sees people smoke outside the entrance of the ACCE building to Baseline Station.

There were students and construction workers gathered outside the ACCE building to smoke or vape on Tuesday afternoon last week. The entrance to Baseline Station looked very dirty due to the large volume of cigarette butts nearby.

A large number of cigarette butts were scattered in the corner of the ACCE building near the Baseline entrance. Photo credit: Laiyiady Lam

“While we do not encourage smoking,” the president of the Algonquin Students’ Association, Abigail Soto Carvajal, said, “we think designated areas to smoke would help keep our campus cleaner and ensure high-traffic areas are smoke-free.”

According to Carvajal, the SA acknowledges that Algonquin College is a smoke-free environment. However, given the current situation, the SA believes there should be proper disposal options and designated smoking areas on the Ottawa, Pembroke, and Perth campuses.

Wei Li, a construction engineering student, supports the idea of having a smoking area on campus to minimize the impact on non-smokers. “It provides a place for smokers to release,” she said.

Eyerinmene Benedict Martins, from the project management graduate certificate program, has the opposite opinion.

“I think what Algonquin has in terms of people smoking outside of campus is good,” said Martins. “I think it’s out of respect, there’s somebody who can’t really stand the smell of when someone’s smoking.”

A student is smoking outside the ACCE-building. — A student smokes outside the ACCE-building. Photo credit: Laiyiady Lam

Some students who spoke with the Algonquin Times said there should be three or four smoking areas with trash cans and signs. In the students’ opinion, the location should be in an open area with good air circulation

In addition, some students suggested specific policies should be formed for smoking areas.

“There should be some policy in there,” Yankson said. “We have people who are underage that need to be managed.”

But there are also concerns about having smoking areas on campus.

Yankson acknowledges students have the freedom to make their choices, but he emphasizes the health risks associated with smoking. He is concerned having smoking areas could encourage more students to take up smoking.

When asked what the college is doing to create designated smoking areas, Algonquin College said in a written statement: “The College continues to support and promote safe and healthy smoke-free environments at all campuses for our learners and employees.”

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Laiyiady Lam

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Job fair helps Indigenous students build connections

Initially a daunting event to some, job fair becomes a valuable resource for Indigenous students

Ben Fleguel

Photos: Ben Fleguel

January 30, 2024
Revised: January 30, 2024 9:59pm

Photo: Ben Fleguel

Shayna Shawongonabe (centre) and her friends Mack Bodnar (left) and Ally Freedman (right) at the Canadian Museum for Natural History booth.

The Mamidosewin Centre helped organize a job fair for Indigenous students and alumni at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health on Jan. 25, in collaboration with Carleton University, University of Ottawa and La Cité College

Forty Algonquin College students pre-registered for the event, with 32 attending the day of, according to Summer Wabasse, the events and communications officer at the Mamidosewin Centre.

“I think the event was a great success. This is the third annual event and it’s definitely the biggest one we’ve held by far, both in terms of employers and student turnout,” said Wabasse.

Though Algonquin students and Wabasse herself attended previous iterations of the event, this is the first year Algonquin College was an official partner.

“I find that the people that come to the Mamidosewin Centre are really shy but they’re always willing to learn, and they want to open up, so I feel like this is the perfect event for the students of Algonquin,” said Shayna Shawongonabe, a second-year student taking applied museum studies and student navigator for the Mamidosewin Centre.

Shawongonabe said she gravitated towards the Canadian Museum of Natural History booth, having previous experience as an intern there last summer. She connected with her friends and colleagues Ally Freedman and Mack Bodnar, coordinator for the Indigenous Internship Program and Indigenous relations officer, respectively, for the Canadian Museum of Natural History.

Shawongonabe said they are trying to invite people into the Mamidosewin Centre and help them to branch out.

“That’s something that we face in Indigenous communities is isolation. So it’s really hard for us to be personable, and be outgoing and energetic and seek that connection,” said Shawongonabe.

“I mean, I think a lot of our students are shy. I hate to say, I feel like a part of that is because of racism. I meet students at our centre who don’t self-identify as Indigenous when they apply for jobs,” said Wabasse.

“I do think that a lot of that does come from fear of discrimination,” she continued.

“I told everyone coming today, these are all employers that have reached out to either me or one of the representatives from the other institutions to be like, hey, we really want to hire Indigenous students,” said Wabasse.

“I think having that reassurance that these employers all really value diversity and value hiring Indigenous people can help mitigate the shyness,” said Wabasse.

The job fair worked for Delbert Budge, a second-year computer systems technician networking student. He said that though the event was initially overwhelming, he talked to several companies.

“I’ve talked to Nokia, I’ve talked to Justice Department of Canada, Shared Services Canada, I’ve talked with DCC, I’ve talked to almost everyone here. Getting around,” said Budge.

Students who missed out still have opportunities to network as the Mamidosewin Centre said they plan to rerun the job fair next year. They also host employers at the centre year-round and have a job board on site and in their virtual classroom.

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Scriptwriting student receives $14,000 grant for short film

Aftab Abbasi's film is one of three to receive prestigious award from International Film Festival of South Asia

John Hopper

Photos: Supplied

January 30, 2024
Revised: January 30, 2024 9:26pm

Photo: Supplied

Photo of Aftab Abbasi

Second-year Algonquin College scriptwriting student Aftab Abbasi has received a $14,000 grant from the International Film Festival of South Asia to fund his upcoming short film.

The script for Abbasi’s short film The Heart Smiles was submitted to the International Film Festival of South Asia’s Bright Lights Program, where it was placed among the 10 finalists.

The proposals of the 10 films were evaluated by a board of established filmmakers from both Canada and the international community. The Heart Smiles was one of three short films to win this prestigious award.

Abbasi discovered the Bright Lights Program when he was looking for opportunities to fund his film.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity that the IFFSA has given me. I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while. About three years,” Abbasi said.

The IFFSA is a film festival located in Toronto that celebrates films by South Asian filmmakers. The Bright Lights Program supports upcoming South Asian filmmakers by providing funding as well as assistance from their board of established filmmakers.

Celebrating its 13th anniversary this October, the IFFSA has continued to provide a large platform for South Asian filmmakers. “The IFFSA is the biggest film festival for South Asians in North America,” Abbasi said.

Abbasi has studied many fields related to filmmaking, including visual effects. He has studied visual effects and editing at Fanshawe College in London, Ont.

In addition to studying in Canada, Abbasi has studied filmmaking internationally. He received a bachelor’s in filmmaking from the National College of Arts in Pakistan and has also studied in Germany.

“I have studied in three continents pursuing the dream of becoming a filmmaker,” Abbasi said.

The Heart Smiles is a romantic comedy about an elderly couple who undertake a journey of love and self-discovery.

The short film is set to premiere at the next IFFSA, which will occur from Oct. 10 to Oct. 20, 2024. A screening of the film at Algonquin College at a later date has been discussed.

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Midday Picnic vintage clothing sale returns to campus

Midday Picnic is a sustainable and vintage pop-up event where small businesses sell clothing and accessories. The event returned to Algonquin College on Jan. 17. The event is hosted once a month in the Student Commons Building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. Prequalified vendors bring unique and inclusive inventories, from hoodies and […]

Isabella Disley

Photos:

January 30, 2024
Revised: January 30, 2024 5:02pm

Midday Picnic is a sustainable and vintage pop-up event where small businesses sell clothing and accessories. The event returned to Algonquin College on Jan. 17.

The event is hosted once a month in the Student Commons Building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Prequalified vendors bring unique and inclusive inventories, from hoodies and shirts to pants and accessories.

Some of the popular brands seen at this event include Carhartt, Patagonia, Nike and Arc’teryx.

With the recent winter storms that have hit the city, students were looking for cozy and comfortable items.

Courtney Todd, a first-year veterinary technician student, found and purchased a brown Dickies jacket from Thrift Sola.

First-year business fundamentals students Aggiu Dimitruk and Mackenzie Rafter enjoyed browsing the vintage pieces.

“We’re just looking for old vintage, lots of jeans,” Dimitruk said.

“Kind of like graphic tees, hoodies,” Rafter said.

Library and information technician students Katrina McNabb and Rosalie Gagnon were also window shopping.

“I’m just kind of looking around. I love sweaters, so any vintage sweater is a good find for me,” said McNabb.

Gagnon said, “I love a good vintage jacket or a cool pair of trousers, so that’s kind of what I’m looking for.”

Since this event is in the Student Commons, students found it convenient to stop by between classes.

Architectural technician student Ilana Roy said, “Yeah, I really like the music here. I like that people are having fun. Everything looks so cute and some fashion that I never seen before.”

Mark Sola, owner of Thrift Sola, has a strategic plan when sourcing inventory. Sola sticks to what he would wear and what stands out to him.

Sola said that they mainly focus on what is trending “because I’ve tried selling stuff that I’m not really into and doesn’t really hit the same.”

Sola is one of the three organizers of Midday Picnic. The Midday Picnic team includes Brady Warnock from Thrifting With Brady and Red from Royal 22 Thrifts.

Sola said that this event requires a lot of collaboration, organization and planning.

“It’s a lot of discussion. Well, Algonquin is locked in, but it was a lot of work to get into Algonquin,” said Sola. “So it’s a lot of discussion of like, ‘Oh, what are our goals, what do we want to accomplish in the next year or what are our short-term/long-term plans?’ But it’s between Red, Brady and I.”