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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connor Pringle has barely scratched the surface of his career, but in his two years in Durham College’s (DC)’s Journalism – Print and Broadcast program, he has already achieved more than he thought with only two more semesters left to go.

During his placement at the Sudbury Star in Sudbury, Ont., Pringle’s work made the front page of the city’s newspaper when he documented the awakening of bears after their long winter hibernation.

“I just happened to be outside when I noticed a bear climbing a tree,” said Pringle. “I ran to get my camera and took a lot of shots before I settled on the one that made front page. The bear was looking right at me, claws out.”

The journalism program at DC has provided Pringle with the skills to tackle all kinds of different news stories, and his success has opened many doors – both on and off campus.

“I had the opportunity to photograph OneRepublic – a major American pop band, and interview other bands as well as local actors and actresses,” said Pringle. “About five years ago, I started writing screenplays. I stopped because I didn’t think my writing was good enough. But with the skills my professors have taught me, I plan on writing them once again and hopefully sell one.”

Pringle’s hard work in journalism has not gone unnoticed. At the beginning of the school year, all students were informed of the Journalism Awards, intended to recognize students for their accomplishments. Pringle, through his hard work, walked away with two awards – Best Second-Year Photo and Best Second-Year Broadcast story for two hard news stories he covered for DC’s student-run newspaper – The Durham College Chronicle.

“I was at placement when they held the awards ceremony, and my friends let me know I won the awards through Facebook,” said Pringle. “You know, it’s funny. One day you’re just doing your job, and the next thing you know, you’re winning awards. It’s unexpected, but it feels great to be recognized for your hard work.”

Pringle plans to return to DC his third and final year to complete the three-year journalism program, which was recently consolidated into the two-year Journalism – Web and Print and Journalism – Broadcast and Electronic Media programs.

Durham College (DC) announced today it is serving up more Jamie Kennedy through an expanded partnership with the celebrity chef and Centre for Food (CFF) ambassador, in support of student success.

With this commitment Kennedy will interact with students in the classroom, labs and fields; work with staff and faculty; and participate in student special events. The community will have the opportunity to taste the chef’s talents through a special Jamie Kennedy menu offered on Thursdays at Bistro ’67 – the CFF’s green-certified teaching-inspired restaurant.

“As the ambassador for the Centre for Food we have seen Chef Kennedy’s work in action first-hand,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “We are very excited that we’ll see more of Jamie on campus and with our students, offering them more opportunities to explore the field-to-fork philosophy and enhancing DC’s best-in-class education across culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, agricultural and horticultural programs.”

Kennedy is a pioneer in ‘farm to table’ practices, and recipient of the Order of Canada for his promotion of Canadian cuisine and the use of organic, sustainable and locally-sourced foods. His expertise will enhance DC’s leadership in the field-to-fork food movement – a vision at the heart of the CFF, and a concept that is shaping the future of local food and farming industries to help maintain Ontario’s strong agricultural tradition.

“Canada is becoming a real hub for creating culinary uniqueness using fresh ingredients from local farms, and Durham College is a leader in this movement,” said Kennedy. “Students are learning to draw inspiration by following the field-to-fork philosophy, and I have reached a point in my career where sharing of knowledge is key. It’s important to instill this ideology in younger cooks, and I’m looking for practical ways to get involved.”

He added that with programs like DC’s, both students and the Ontario food industry have a bright future ahead of them, and he’s excited to be a part of it.

Kennedy, who owns and runs a farm and vineyard in Prince Edward County, has applied the slow food philosophy in every aspect of his business. His seasonal methods of cooking continue to inspire progress in agricultural and gastronomical communities nationwide.

With the capacity to accommodate 900 students, the CFF is Durham Regions first-ever post-secondary presence focused on field-to-fork. In addition to Bistro ’67, the CFF houses Pantry, a retail store featuring fresh-baked items, meals-to-go, preserved foods and ready-to-cook meals created by students in the college’s culinary programs. The grounds feature an apple orchard, farm fields and greenhouses that support academic applied-learning and research while growing fruits, vegetables and other produce for use in its kitchens, laboratories and Bistro ‘67.

Does chopping an onion bring a tear to your eye? Culinary students and employees at Durham College’s (DC) Centre for Food (CFF) can help you better survive dinner prep with handy kitchen tricks, which were recently featured on a segment of the Daily Planet’s Seriously?! hosted by Jay Ingram and filmed at the CFF.

The segment, which aired on the Discovery Channel on Thursday, May 21, followed Chef Dave Hawey, professor and program coordinator for the Culinary Skills program, along with culinary students as they walked Ingram through a series of “kitchen hacks” that are sure to make cooking a little easier.

“This was a fun way to share tricks that we, as chefs, have learned along the way that can help everyone in the kitchen,” Hawey said. “It was also a good opportunity for our students to do something a little different, while sharing the skills they have acquired during their studies.”

 

A total of eight kitchen hacks were displayed during the segment, some of which included:

• Preventing tears while cutting an onion
• Sharpening knives on a cup
• Separating egg yolks
• Cutting cake to avoid dry edges

The CFF is Durham Region’s first-ever post-secondary presence focused on the field-to-fork concept, which is based on the harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of food – in particular the production of local food for local consumers.

Supported by ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy, the CFF can accommodate 900 students studying in culinary, hospitality, event management, food science, and agricultural and horticultural programs, completing the full cycle of farming to the preparation, serving and celebration of food.

For more information about DC’s Centre for Food, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/cff

Durham College (DC) students owned the podium at Skills Ontario, Canada’s largest skilled trades’ competition. Our students outshined the competition, earning them gold and silver medals in multiple categories.

Adam Leadbetter, a level-three apprentice in DC’s Industrial Mechanic – Millwright program, won gold in the Industrial Mechanic Millwright category.

“The competition was intense,” said Leadbetter. “You put in your ear plugs, drown the world out and use all your concentration. I’m pretty ecstatic to be going to nationals and look forward to putting my skills to the test.”

Leadbetter’s win means he will be representing DC and Ontario against the best and brightest millwrights in Canada, when he participates in the Skills Canada national competition held in Saskatoon, Sask., from Wednesday, May 27 to Saturday, May 30. 

DC’s Mike Bachand, a second year Mechanical Technician – Mechanical Maintenance and Control student took home the silver in the same category as Leadbetter; Bryan Chamberlain, a Computer Systems Technology student, won silver in the IT Network Systems Administration category; and Blake Jessup, a level-three welding apprentice in the Welding program, also won silver in the Welding category. 

Overall, 13 DC students competed in various categories including Auto Service Technology, Baking, Culinary Arts, Heating Systems Technology and Plumbing. Congratulations to our students!

Congratulations to Durham College’s (DC) Dr. Lynne Kennette, Professor of Psychology, School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services, who will receive the Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award – an award given to people who teach at the two-year college level.

The award will be presented at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) Convention held in Toronto this August. Criteria included the use of innovative teaching methods, developing interest and awareness of psychology, and developing a professional identity off campus.

“I am so grateful to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology for recognizing my teaching efforts with the Wayne Weiten Teaching Excellence Award,” said Kennette.

Kennette’s teaching methods may be unconventional, using TV programs like Big Bang theory and Family Guy to better relate psychological concepts to her students; however, it’s this unconventional method that engages her students and drives their interest in psychology.

“Teaching well requires a lot of planning, and it can be a very challenging profession at times, but I love it,” she explained. “I have so much fun designing learning activities for my students. Witnessing their ‘aha moments’ when the concepts we discuss in class come to life in classroom experiments or demonstrations makes all the planning and hours of preparation worth it.”

Kennette is DC’s only full-time psychology instructor, but her work in mentoring students has encouraged some to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the university level. She also shares her lessons with, and helps guide, part-time staff on campus to provide the best psychology education the college can offer even though it’s a general education course rather than a dedicated program.

But what means the most to Kennette is being a professor that students are genuinely excited to see on and off campus. She has also made such a difference in the lives of her students, that she often sees their friends sign up for her class in following years.

The award process consisted of a self-nomination form and letters of support required from students, faculty and peers.

“It is truly humbling to have my peers, who are typically previous award recipients, review my application materials and deem me worthy of such an honour,” she said.

The award comes with a plaque and $1,500 as well as a mention in the fall issue of one of the APA’s journals, Teaching of Psychology.

Teresa Engelage and Lindsey Thomas, nurses at Durham College’s Campus Health Centre are now chair and co-chair of the Ontario Campus Health Nursing Association (OCHNA), a newly-created Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) special interest group. OCHNA represents nurses who work in post-secondary institutions all over Ontario with a goal of working with other RNAO groups to spread knowledge as well as discuss issues concerning campus health, policies and nursing.

“We know how a student’s health often affects their academics and we support and counsel our students with mental health needs,” Engelage said. “We can speak out and advocate for our consumer population as well as our members to address emerging issues that impact health on our campuses.”

Building momentum for the group took about a year and contacting more than 40 campuses across Ontario. The group garnered enough interest to become a Provincial Special Interest Group in March, 2015.

“I am very proud to be able to have a strong lead in this movement,” Thomas said. “There is a lot of positive work that we see coming from our vision, and I am excited to help lead the way in accomplishing what we are setting out to do. It is demonstrating the strong leadership that comes from Durham College’s nursing staff as well as our passion to achieve the best care for our student populations.”

Working with students on campus to help develop services concerning both physical and mental health as well as providing students with tools to help prevent and treat disease is an important aspect of their work, however they are also developing a voice for nurses who work on school campuses across the province.

“Our executive has decided as a group to start writing a proposal to the RNAO executive group to lobby the provincial government about the importance of student health on campuses,” Engelage said.

This ability to advocate is a key factor for colleges and universities since it allows campus nurses to promote students and their health issues and requirements to the provincial government.

“It’s important to let the government know about the important work that goes on at this level,” Engelage explained. “We teach young adults about their health, how to make healthy choices in life; educate them early about physical and mental health; work to keep students healthy and in school; and graduate to become a functioning, resilient and healthy adult in society.”