By SHANE BUCKINGHAMStaff Writer

Student Administrative Council (SAC) approved a motion to seek legal counsel on a matter in which Ontario Student Rentals (OSR) has ceased payments owing to SAC.

“We have not received any reve-nue from Ontario Student Rentals as of April 1,” said Cindy Blanchard, general manager, during the SAC board of directors meeting on Jan. 16, which includes Wellandʼs and Niagara-on-the-Lakeʼs SACs.

The boardʼs motion is subse-quent to a previous motion passed on Sept. 24, 2007, stating SAC would dissolve the agreement with Ontario Student Rentals (OSR) at the request of OSR owner Bill Whiteman.

After sending a registered letter to Whiteman for clarifi cation on the matter, Blanchard said she has yet to receive a response on the cancel-lation. The board passed a motion for Blanchard to look into the mat-ter and to seek “legal advice” on how to handle the situation.

Whiteman had an agreement with SAC in which SAC would refer students to OSR for housing and in return OSR would pay SAC a referral fee.

NIAGARA NEWSTHE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF NIAGARA COLLEGE

By LAUREN JONESStaff Writer

Itʼs cold, thereʼs wind and snow, and it always seems dark outside.

Many people get the “winter blahs,” but for some, those feelings of sadness may be caused by a more serious problem. These people may be trying to cope with a type of de-pression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

According to the Canadian Men-tal Health Association (CMHA), awareness of SAD has been present for more than 150 years, but has only been recognized as a disorder since the 1980s.

There is no confi rmed cause for SAD, but the CMHA says it could

be related to seasonal differences in light. Every person has a “biologi-cal clock,” which responds to the changes in seasons and to differ-ences in the length of the day. The CMHA says research indicates that chemical messengers in the brain that help regulate mood, sleep and appetite may be disrupted in SAD. Those messengers are known as neurotransmitters.

The symptoms of SAD make it diffi cult to diagnose because they are similar to the symptoms of bipolar disorder and other types of depression. The CMHA says symptoms recurring for two con-secutive winters or more, without other explanations for changes in

mood and behaviour, will denote the presence of SAD.

Some of the symptoms of this disorder may include a change in appetite, cravings for sweet or starchy foods, weight gain, de-creased energy, fatigue, tendency to oversleep, diffi culty concentrat-ing, irritability, avoidance of social situations, and feelings of anxiety or despair.

The CMHA says symptoms of SAD usually dissipate when spring arrives. For some, this may be a sudden disappearance, and for oth-ers, it may take a while longer.

The association says the disorder may affect children and teenagers,

January 25, 2008

Kim Koop gets a relaxing dose of acupuncture at The Healing Vine in St. Catharines. For more on the story, see pages 8 and 9.Photo by Maryanne Firth

Continued on Page 2

GOOD HEALTH, NATURALLY

Beating the cold winter blues

SAC, housing agency clash

By MONICA KEYESStaff Writer

If you were offered the cure for cancer, would you accept it?

Sexual education is a regular part of the curriculum in both elementa-ry and high school. However, most of us are too embarrassed or too cool to pay close attention at the time. Basic information is gathered between awkward fi ts of giggles, but out of class, how much do you really know?

Earlier this year I watched a friend go through a sexually trans-mitted infection (STI) scare. A few weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend, he contacted her to let

her know about the genital warts he had developed. Terrifi ed, she made an appointment with her gynaeco-logist.

Upon telling her doctor what had happened, he told her about Gardasil, a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. She knew roughly what HPV was from sex ed class. in high school, but not what it re-ally was. What she found out was shocking.

Known as a quiet infection, HPV can present no signs or symptoms and usually clears up on its own. Transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, this highly contagious

Continued on Page 2

Give it a shot

Vol. 38 • Issue 8

Spring Break preview Page 5 • Sports Page 10-11 • Niagara Noise Page 12-13 • Entertainment Page 14

INSIDE THIS WEEK

Continued on Page 2

Free

Facing defeat - Page 11 Media Hype - Page 14

2 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

Continued from page 1but mostly begins in people aged 20 and older. It is more common in women than in men, and the risk of SAD decreases with age.

Donna Putman, a counsellor at Niagara Collegeʼs Welland cam-pus, says students do come to see her and talk about SAD.

“It gets more press now, itʼs more common, so students recog-nize some of the symptoms more [often],” says Putman, “Even some of the counsellors say, ʻIʼm so af-fected by the lack of light.ʼ”

Putman says students identify a lack of energy, a mild depression, a lack of motivation and a general disconnection with their normal selves.

“In Canada, we lack light and aromas [in the winter], and I think our senses are deprived.”

Putman says SAD can affect a studentʼs academic performance.

“The person sitting in that class-room is a person fi rst and a student second, and mild depression affects concentration.”

Putman says ways to combat the lack of concentration is to get a study partner who can help one stay focused or to study in groups.

“You have to accept it and try new strategies. You have to work with it.”

Depending on the severity of a personʼs SAD, there are a variety of things one can do to help al-leviate the feelings of depression. The CMHA says people with mild symptoms can benefi t from spend-ing more time outside during the day. Arranging oneʼs environment so that they get a maximum of sun-light exposure can also help.

The CMHA also says that exer-cise is a good way to prevent SAD symptoms because it relieves stress, builds energy and increases mental as well as physical well-being.

The association says many people with SAD respond well to “phototherapy,” or light therapy. This is a procedure in which a person is exposed to bright artifi -cial light. The person sits under a special fl uorescent light box once or twice a day.

The CMHA says severe cases of SAD may need professional help, medication, counselling or therapy.

Putman says exercise is impor-tant in fi ghting off the symptoms of the disorder.

“We need to get our bodies back in motion. Those who are severely affected should see a doctor.”

She says it helps to get outside as much as possible during daylight hours.

“We need to balance with as much exercise and nutrition as pos-sible. There isnʼt one answer.”

Counselling is available at the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses and is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and evening hours until 7:30 on Tuesdays at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Wednes-days in Welland.

Continued from page 1infection will affect eight out of 10 people before the age of 50.

Www.hpvinfo.ca, The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canadaʼs website, states more than 100 strands of HPV have been discovered, more than 30 of which are transmitted sexually.

“Low risk” strands can cause genital and anal warts. “High risk” strands can cause pre-cancerous lesions, cervical cancer anal cancer and other genital cancers.

In women, the most effective way of fi nding early signs of abnormali-ties that can cause pre-cancerous cells is through a Pap test.

Her Pap smear and blood tests came back clear, giving her the peace of mind she was in desperate need of. What she did get, as did some of her friends – including me – was the HPV vaccine.

Although not a cure for cancer, this recent advancement in modern medicine is giving women ages nine to 26 a fi ghting chance against cervical cancer.

According to Statistics Canada, approximately 1,400 diagnoses and 400 deaths occur annually from cervical cancer. Second to breast cancer, it is the most common type of cancer affecting women in Canada. Given in three doses, the vaccine protects you from four types of HPV: strands 6 and 11, which can cause genital warts and

sores, and strands 16 and 18, which can cause cancer of the cervix.

Approved by the Government of Canada after clinical trials and studies proved it was safe, the HPV vaccine has been available for the past fi ve years in Canada. Over the past year, growing media attention has focused on HPV. “Spread the word … not the disease” can be heard in commercials and found on posters and pamphlets put out by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

“Our job is to educate and pro-tect individuals into making their own choices – smart choices,” said Niagara College nurse Carolyn Gould.

At the Welland campus Health Centre, pamphlets on HPV are available to anyone thinking of getting the vaccine. Promoting the vaccine within the clinic, Gould said anyone who is planning on getting the needle can have it given to them there if they set up an ap-pointment.

“You need a prescription to get it. Then bring the needle in, and weʼll give it.”

The vaccine comes in three scheduled doses and costs $404.85 for the full regimen. Some drug plans partially cover the cost, in-cluding the Niagara College medi-cal plan, which pays for 80 per cent of the cost.

Continued from page 1The deal originated and was fi -

nalized in 2004. As agreed, SAC would allow

OSR to assume all student-hous-ing listings posted by landlords at the SAC offi ce. OSR then posted them on its website for a monthly fee of $55 per listing. In the agreement, OSR paid $40 to SAC from each $55 monthly fee and kept $15 as long as both parties followed certain require-ments, such as SAC directing all landlords and students to OSRʼs website and posting OSR listings in its offi ce.

SAC collected $11,789 in rev-enue last year from the partnership. Blanchard said, “Itʼs fair to say he owes us anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000.”

Blanchard said she spoke with Whiteman last year and he told her he had sent the payments “as usual.”

Still, Blanchard said at the meet-ing, “We have not received a penny from Ontario Student Rentals.”

Whiteman says there is money owed and he will “gladly” pay it, but only for June through October 2007, equaling $2,396.

“We owe the college that money, no doubt about it.”

The college cashed its cheques in April and May, he said, but didnʼt cash the cheques he sent for June, July and August of 2007. He then called Blanchard to ask if she was going to cash the cheques, he said in a phone interview.

Blanchard said she had not received the cheques as of April 1. Whiteman said he could prove with bank records that cheques for April and May were cashed.

“The fact that we got fi ve months behind should tell you, or whoever, they didnʼt care about it,” said Whiteman.

Conversely, he said if it were as the college is saying, that he didnʼt send the cheques, why did it take them so long to contact him?

“For three years straight they always got their cheque and then all of a sudden for fi ve months they donʼt get the cheque and they donʼt even call me. I contacted them to tell them they werenʼt cashing the cheques. They didnʼt contact me to tell me they werenʼt getting the cheques.”

Not only was SAC not cashing his cheques, he said, but also they werenʼt posting his housing list-ings on the bulletin board in the SAC offi ce.

“We had landlords that were furious, who were paying their money, but they werenʼt getting posted at the college. So we said if theyʼre not posting them at the college, theyʼre not cashing the cheques and theyʼre not really working with us, then why are we doing it?”

He then contacted Blanchard, he said, to dissolve their agreement by which each party must agree to dis-solve the contract within a period of 90 days.

He said he did not reach Blanchard so he left a voicemail.

“She contacted me and said, ʻYou know what? We can end this quicker. Send me off a letter. ̓And I did that. ”

He said he has saved the faxed letter he sent and a voicemail from Blanchard instructing him to do so.

Whiteman said after sending the letter, “They said they didnʼt get it,

so she called back and said, ʻDonʼt worry. We can end it at the starting of November. ̓”

SAC moved to dissolve the agreement on Sept. 24, 2007. The agreement would have been valid until late December without other arrangements.

However, he said, on Nov. 1, SAC went into “complete breach” of the agreement they.

He said Niagara College allowed a kiosk, owned by The Genie Pages in Niagara Falls, to be set up in the hallway of both the Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses.

On Nov. 1, he received 24 phone calls from his customers asking why a kiosk owner at Niagara Col-lege called them inquiring if they would like to post their listing at the kiosk for $25 a month.

He said he even had one client have her lawyer contact him be-cause she thought that he sold the client list.

“After Nov. 1, I called Cindy, I called Glen [Murray, 47, SAC of-fi ce administrator] and said, ʻGuys, there s̓ a kiosk in the college con-tacting all my customers, ̓” he said.

“SAC was telling me that they didnʼt know anything about it and I didnʼt buy that. I donʼt believe that a kiosk was located right outside their offi ce and they didnʼt realize it was for housing.”

On Nov. 2, he got a lawyer in-volved, he said.

“We were done our contract the second that kiosk went in.”

He said he was “legally allowed to leave” the agreement once the ki-osk was “soliciting” his customers.

“I have a case against them if I choose to do it, but itʼs not worth my time. Itʼs a college. The money

goes to the students, and at the end of the day nobodyʼs probably go-ing to win,” he said. “Weʼre not going to pursue this unless we come out looking negative. Then weʼre going to go the full nine yards.”

Blanchard says she does not deal with the kiosk and referred Niagara News to Sandy Fox, the collegeʼs director of ancillary services.

Fox is responsible for any-thing located in the hallways of all Niagara College campuses. Steve Hudson, vice-president of corporate services, must approve anything that is put in the hallways, she said.

Matt Brown is the representa-tive from The Genie Pages who is responsible for the kiosk, Fox said. Everything on display at it must be approved by her, including housing listings, Fox said.

“If he [Brown] were to do some-thing like that he would have to approach me for approval.”

Fox said she has not been ap-proached and she personally has not seen any listings posted at the kiosk.

Blanchard told Niagara News Jan. 18, she had spoken with Whiteman and believes she and Whiteman “will work it out.”

“As far as I know itʼs going to be settled in February.”

She said she will no longer be seeking legal counsel.

Whiteman told Niagara News he would “gladly” have a meeting to get “ the bottom of this.”

However, “I will not pay them a penny past Nov. 1 because I wonʼt pay an institution that we had a deal with that has another company contacting my customers.”

HPV comes in dozens of strands

The Niagara Region’s Public Health Department will be hosting four information sessions.

• Jan. 29 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grimsby High School• Jan. 30 from 7 to 8 p.m. at A.N. Meyer High School• Feb. 5 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Denis Morris High School• Feb. 6 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Welland Centennial High School

Please call 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6064 ext. 7372 for more info.

SAC clashes with Ontario Student Rentals

Grumpy,grouchyand SAD

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Jan. 25, 2008 NIAGARA NEWS 3

By JORDAN BAKERStaff Writer

An academic institutionʼs most prized commodity is its students.

The recruitment process is there-fore one of the most important pro-cesses in a collegeʼs life. Attracting people with the snap and jazz of the college has to happen some-how, and showcasing prestigious programs is a must.

How is Niagara getting the word out and informing prospective students what the new hotness is in the post-secondary world?

The college is conducting a new approach at adding “that personal touch,” says Phil Hayes, associate registrar.

The Calling Campaign launches on March 4. Administration, fac-ulty and students will participate to “make a connection” with prospec-tive students. Hayes says they will be contacted if they have applied to a program that actively recruits students.

“Students can share experi-ences.”

Hayes explains there will be a lot of thought put into who is con-tacted by whom. He says if there is an applicant from, for example Mississauga, then a current stu-dent, also from Mississauga, would be the prime candidate to call that

student.He says that current student can

explain the differences of pace in Welland and the Niagara region as a slower, more “laid back” atmo-sphere.

He advises applicants to visit the campus before making any fi nal decisions. “Itʼs a place where youʼll be spending a lot of time. You want to make sure itʼs a place you want to be.”

V.I.P. Days, April 5 and 6, are a chance for admitted applicants to come and experience the college and the facilities it offers.

Meet a Niagara College Student was a program in which volunteer students could host and update a blog, and applying students could network on these student blogs and get questions answered and, at the same time, get a realistic sense of college-student life.

Hayes says the job of recruit-ment, after sending out accep-tances, is to help students in their decision-making process and help prospective students make the right choice for their education.

Hayesʼs pitch to prospective students is that the college is a “personable school.

“I like to say itʼs a ʻmid-sized college with small-college attitude, small-college personality.ʼ”

By SHANE BUCKINGHAMStaff Writer

The Student Administrative Council (SAC) is now pursu-ing a stronger relationship with Brock University Students ̓Union (BUSU).

The two groups have been work-ing together informally through BUSU President James OʼBrien and SAC President Heather Minow on common concerns. However, SAC decided at its Jan. 16 board of directors meeting to “formal-ize” the relationship by forming a committee. The meeting includes both Wellandʼs and Niagara-on the-Lakeʼs SAC.

“The committee would meet to discuss any issue, political or community,” said Minow. She says together Brock and Niagara will work to lobby the provincial gov-ernment for funding and policies that benefi t each institution.

“Itʼs always a good idea to work with them because they have a bigger voice than us,” Kat Drum-melsmith, Wellandʼs executive vice-president, said during the deliberations.

Minow said that the commit-tee would be created not just for BUSUʼs size and recognition, but because Brock and Niagara are the only post-secondary institutions in the region.

“Together we have all the post-secondary students in the region. Itʼs kind of hard to ignore that.”

SAC is part of the Canadian Student Alliance (CSA). SAC pays $4 annually for each student to be a member. CSA is used by 16 colleges in Ontario as a mediator between the colleges and the gov-ernment.

BUSU is part of the Cana-dian Alliance Student Associations (CASA), another lobbying orga-nization. CASA and CSA already “work together,” said Minow, so that partnership will help in the creation of the committee.

Drummelsmith moved the for-malization of the committee. The board will decide what further ac-tion to take at its next meeting on Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. The location is to be announced.

By SHANE BUCKINGHAMStaff Writer

Getting your computer fi xed may soon be as easy as dropping it off at the Student Administra-tive Council (SAC) offi ce.

During the board of direc-tors meeting, which includes Wellandʼs and Niagara-on-the-Lakeʼs (NOTL) SAC, on Jan. 16, the board moved to support a proposal creating a multi-campus Computer Support Centre.

John Levay, director of Informa-tion Technology Services (ITS) at Niagara Collegeʼs Welland cam-pus, delivered the proposal to the board, saying he was not prepared to discuss “logistics” at the meet-ing, but was ready to submit the basic proposal because “itʼs only in the developmental stage.”

He suggested a “pilot project” could be initiated by the end of Reading Week through (Feb. 25-29) to the end of the academic year to see how the centre would function.

In essence, the project would require students who have al-ready completed their four-month ITS co-op to work on both cam-puses, to provide the service says Levay.

Each employed student would be paid $15 an hour, with vaca-tion pay. They would, however, be employees of SAC and not the college and, thus, not be limited to the 12-hour maximum requirement for part-time college employees.

Levay said if the proposal is implemented, students could bring their computers to the SAC offi ce on either campus for refor-matting, removing viruses and/or

spyware, installing new hardware or even rebuilding the computer from scratch.

Students would pay a fl at fee of $40 for up to two hours of servic-ing, although “that number [$40] can be set at any number that is reasonable,” said Levay.

The computers would be inven-toried and tagged at each SAC of-fi ce and then shipped back to the basement of the West Wing at the

NOTL campus.Sandy Fox, the collegeʼs direc-

tor of ancillary services, raised some concerns with the trans-portation of the computers and liability of the service.

Levay responded by referring to Brock University, which has a similar program, saying the uni-versity has not had any problems with theft or damage to students ̓computers.

Nonetheless, Levay said, to pro-tect the college, students would sign a liability form absolving the college from any problems that might occur in the handling of the studentsʼs computers.

The proposal was approved by the board and will be discussed at its next meeting on Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. The location is to be an-nounced.

Computer fi x for only $40

From left, Sandy Fox, Niagara College director of ancillary services; Darrick Langbroek, Student Administrative Council (SAC) vice-president student aff airs at Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) campus; Josh Skura, SAC vice-president of programming at NOTL campus, discuss issues at the board of directors meeting on Jan. 16.

Photo by Shane Buckingham

Niagara edging out the competition

From left, Jon Ogryzlo, dean of environmental horticulture in agribusiness division, Peter Blakeman, acting chair of hospitality and tourism, and Phil Hayes, associate registrar, meet to go over plans such as the college’s new Calling Campaign.

Photo by Jesse Dostal

Student council OK’s ties with Brock counterpart

Help EveryoneRecycle this paper

4 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

Editorial & Opinion We welcome your opinion

E-mail: news@niagarac.on.ca • Mail: V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd., Welland,Ont. L3C 7L3In Person: Room V10, Welland campus. • Policy: All letters must be signed

and include a day and evening phone contact number for verification purposes.

Niagara News is a practical lab for Journalism-Print program students studying at Niagara College. Opinions expressed in editorials and columns are not those of Niagara News management or the college administration. Columns, identi-fied as such, reflect only the writerʼs opinion.

Readers are welcome to respond to columnists by e-mail at news@niagarac.on.ca

Advertising rules: The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occured. This applies whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise. There shall be no liability for non-insertions of any adver-tisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. All advertisers are asked to check their advertisements after first insertion. We accept responsibil-ity for only one incorrect insertion unless notified immediately after publication. Errors, which do not lessen the value of the advertisement, are not eligible for corrections by a make-good advertisement. There shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, revise, classify or reject any advertisement.

V10, 300 Woodlawn Rd.,Welland, Ont., L3C 7L3

Telephone: (905) 735-2211Fax: (905) 736-6003

Editorial E-mail: gduma@niagarac.on.caAdvertising E-mail: ltait@wellandtribune.caPublisherʼs E-mail: ltiberi@niagarac.on.ca

NIAGARA NEWSEditor: Deidra Lunardon

Associate Editor: Maryanne FirthAssistant Editor: Sarah Johnson

Photo Editor: Jesse Dostal

Publisher: Leo TiberiManaging Editor: George Duma

Associate Managing Editor: Phyllis BarnattDesign/Layout Consultant: Peter Conradi

Editorial Consultant: Nancy GeddiePhotography Consultant: Dave Hanuschuk

Technology Support: Kevin Romyn

2006 WINNER

Governments put money into provincial health-care systems, hoping youʼll never need it, but when you do, everything changes.

As Canadians, we rely on our health-care system, a black hole of a system, as more and more money is funneled into it. Yet it continues to let us down.

Last year, wait times between doctor diagnosis and treatment were the highest theyʼve ever been, leaving patients twiddling their thumbs. A study from the Fraser Institute shows the average Canadian can look forward to an 18.3 week wait, up from 17.8 in 2006, before obtaining treatment.

Fully-accessible free health care is considered part of our national identity, our universal right. However, the government has decided what does and doesnʼt need to be cared for. Rather than taking preventative measures and encouraging good upkeep, the system encourages you to fi x only whatʼs broken. Weʼve let them decide what defi nes “care” in terms of health, as OHIP only covers that which is “medically necessary.”

Physiotherapy is often recommended to patients, but being only partially or not covered at all by OHIP, how

can we determine its level of importance? Itʼs obviously important enough for the doctor to recommend, yet not important enough for the government to cover the costs. They say they have our backs, but only so much so as to make sure we foot the bill when recoveryʼs involved.

With all the technological and scientifi c advances weʼve made, youʼd think weʼd still consider what lies outside Western medicineʼs practice.

Conventional medicine isnʼt the only option. Naturopathic and chiropractic doctors are visited by millions of people every year, and yet the health-care system chooses not to acknowledge them as a source of “successful” treatment.

Can it all be in the patients ̓heads, or is there a method to maintain and achieve health that may cost the pharmaceutical industry billions of dollars? Only those untold success stories know.

The one thing we can be sure of is that even if it works for only some people, those odds are just as good as a traditional medical treatment. Shouldnʼt the option be available to those who donʼt have a wad of cash sitting in their pocket? Non-traditional

treatments arenʼt covered by universal government-funded programs like OHIP.

Students donʼt have a lot of money to dish out, but many are diagnosed with depression and other life-altering ailments. Everyone has the right to be skeptical, but if visiting a different kind of doctor is the difference between monthly treatments and a lifelong reliance on anti-depressants, weʼre willing to take our chances.

Canadians have begun to rely on certainties — false certainties. Thereʼs no guaranteeing how anyoneʼs treatment, conventional or unconventional, will end, so whoʼs to say which is better?

The government has labeled that which is “medically necessary” just as it has labeled anything outside of its distinct guidelines as unsuccessful merely by not allowing patients access to a possible treatment.

Maybe when youʼre waiting 18 weeks to get some much-needed surgery, you can slip into a naturopathʼs offi ce and see what happens. It may be the best money youʼve ever spent.

MARYANNE FIRTH

As your alarm clock beeps loudly at a time too early for most, your eyes slowly adjust to the rising dawn. The problem: itʼs still dark.

With winter in its peak months, people are waking up to dreary, pitch-black scenery instead of warm, glowing skylines to which we are accustomed.

The lack of sunlight makes many feel groggy and irritated as sleep deprivation runs rampant when winter skies turn Canada into a country of continuous night.

This is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression. It affects a personʼs mood and attitude. Many experience severe depression as mood variations are related to the lack of light.

Getting up when itʼs dark can make a person feel as if it is still bedtime and not time to start their day. This change not only affects a person physically, but emotionally. Having to change sleeping, eating and functioning hours of the day can throw the

body off rhythm, creating an outcome nobody enjoys: a regular Oscar the Grouch.

The scarcity of daylight doesnʼt give a person time to play sports into the wee hours of the night or spend time outdoors sitting on a back patio. With the elimination of these pastimes, life can be depressing.

An immediate reaction for many would be to grab an energy drink or bar, but by stuffi ng yourself with calories and caffeine, the trip back to cold winter reality is worsened.

To get out of the ice-ridden blues, try taking up a winter sport like snowboarding. It will allow time for socializing and getting exercise and give you a better view than your sand- and salt-covered snowy front yard.

To beat the winter blahs, put down the Red Bull and PowerBar and make do with what a Canadian winter has to offer. Really, what other season allows for hats with earfl aps and pom-poms?

DEIDRA LUNARDON

Darkness of winter leaves students SAD

Non-conventional medicine could save OHIP’s life

By SCOTT VAN DE LAARStaff Writer

Why are so many students not continuing education after high school? This is one of the questions a new study hopes to answer when completed. Ontarioʼs

24 colleges have c o m m i s s i o n e d the most comprehensive research study ever conducted into the attitudes of high school students who wonʼt be pursuing any post-secondary education after high school, says a college media release.

“The more we understand the barriers and perceive barriers, the better we can react with c h a n g e s , ” says Gordon

Hunchak, director of marketing and communications at Niagara College.

It is a fi rst-of-its -kind study commissioned by Colleges Ontario, an advocacy association for the 24 colleges across Ontario. The study began in November 2007 and will be completed by fall 2008.

“Itʼs important they do pursue post secondary,” says Darrell Neufeld, 45, senior communications offi cer for Colleges Ontario.

The data will be collected from every high school in the province and then will be analyzed to develop a series of recommendations and an action plan for students.

“The study is not designed to change students ̓minds. It is designed to inform them,” says Neufeld.

“At a time when 70 per cent of all new jobs require a college or university credential, one-third of Ontarians between 25 and 34 have only a high school diploma or less. The study will help Ontario determine what to do to meet this challenge,” says Niagara College President Dan Patterson, in a college media release.

By BRITTANY STEWARTStaff Writer

Reading Week is rapidly ap-proaching, and vacation ideas are starting to brew. Many students are thinking about grabbing a last-min-ute all-inclusive trip and enjoying a stress-free week of fun in the sun.

For most students, however, last-minute vacations may not be the way to go.

Miriam Morabito, a travel agent with Globe Travel Service, says planning ahead is the best option. For times and desti-nations in high demand, she says students would have more luck booking a vacation ahead of time and planning the trip thoroughly.

She says last-minute vaca-tions are good for people who have the luxury of time. Students with a one-week win-dow could end up disappointed if they donʼt think ahead.

“If you wait until the last min-ute, youʼre either not going to fi nd exactly what youʼre looking for or youʼre not going to fi nd anything.”

Morabito says you should

be able to fi nd what youʼre look-ing for if you book by the end of January.

Karen Plante, with Rose City Travel, in Welland, says already the packages are going fast. “Space is very tight and there isnʼt a lot of availability left,” adding, there is still some time if you act fast.

Popular destinations for students are Puerto Plata,

Dominican Republic and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Plante says these are hot-spots because of the variety of three-star accommodations and the active night-life.

Lower star resorts offer decreased costs, which are a very important factor for students on a budget.

Plante says booking ahead of time to somewhere such as Puerto

Plata, fl ying out of Toronto, would cost about $750 plus

taxes. All together, she says the trip

with fl ight

included shouldnʼt cost more than $1,000 dollars for one week, all inclusive.

Itʼs important when travelling out of country to take into consid-eration all the documentation and information you will need to get there.

Voyage.gc.ca is a good website to get you started. The site states a “Canadian passport is the only reliable and universally accepted travel and identifi cation document for the purpose of international travel.”

If you are fl ying out of the US, it is mandatory to have one. If you are crossing into the US by land you are required to have a valid government-issued identifi cation as well as a birth certifi cate. By

2009, you will need a passport to drive across the border. Obtaining one soon would be benefi cial for

anyone who plans on doing any traveling or just venturing across the

border. It is also important to

check travel information before you leave. Informa-

tion about what you will need when traveling, what you should watch for and what travel reports and warn-ings have been posted is avail-

able at voyage.gc.ca.

Jan. 25, 2008 NIAGARA NEWS 5

Early bird gets the plane

By BRAD KENNEDYStaff Writer

Wet, muddy, dark and frightening —these are some of the terms used to describe the path behind the Mackenzie building leading towards Rice Road at Niagara Collegeʼs Welland campus.

Students walk to school every day from many directions, but those who come to school from behind the Mackenzie building donʼt have a real path to follow. Instead they are left with an often wet and muddy fi eld that is poorly lit during early morning and night hours.

Alex Brewer, 19, a second-year Police Foundations student, has gym class at the Mackenzie building and doesnʼt feel he should bring an extra pair of shoes because of his three-minute walk.

“I think itʼs ridiculous that I need to bring an extra pair of shoes for my gym class. My shoes should not get muddy from a three-minute walk to class.”

Kyle Wrigglesworth, 18, is a fi rst-year Law and Security Administration student who lives in the residential area behind the Mackenzie building. He canʼt understand why the college doesnʼt spend some cash on a path.

“With the amount of students living in this area, I canʼt understand why nothing is being done to better accommodate us,” says Wrigglesworth.

Students are not the only ones

being affected by this neglected area. Alisa DʼAngelo, a landlord of student houses in this area, says she canʼt understand why the college doesnʼt recognize the “significant” number of students in this area, the popular streets being Eastwood, Poplar, Northwood, Briarsdale and Larchwood.

“During the wintertime itʼs especially dangerous to cross over the ditch when there is snow and ice. In the spring it doesnʼt get any better when students have to cope with the water in the ditch and mud along the pathway.”

She says residents and students use that shortcut to access the YMCA and the track.

“Our family of five with three young kids has a difficult time crossing onto the campus property from Eastwood Drive when we take our bikes to the track during the warm weather.”

“The lack of attention given to this busy crossing is an inconvenience for the students as well as residents who must cope with jumping over a ditch, walking on an uneven path and trying to avoid natural elements such as water, snow, ice, tree branches and mud.”

DʼAngelo also pointed out that the school has yet to replace the Niagara College sign previously located at the corner of Rice and Woodlawn Road.

Dangerous path causing concerns

Study takesa look at

why studentsdon’t pursue

higher learning

Thanks to luck and some snow, the Mackenzie path is a little easier to deal with, but come warm weather things will truly turn south.

Photo by Rachel Sanderson

When will the problem be fi xed?

“Th e study is not designed

to change students’

minds. It is designed to

inform them.” —Darrell Neufeld

Photo illustration by Jesse Dostal

“Th e more we understand the barriers and perceive barriers, the better we can

react with changes.”—Gordon Hunchak

6 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

By EMILY PEARSONStaff Writer

If you are a rat, you are aggressive, ambitious, suspicious, power-hungry and generous.

A quick glance at various websites will show the Chinese New Year begins the fi rst day of the new moon and comes to a close 15 days later with the celebration of the Lantern Festival. This means the celebra-tion of the New Year could be anywhere during January and February. This year, the New Year fell on Jan. 22.

Traditionally in China during the festi-val, lanterns are lit and on display to ward off evil spirits. The lanterns are delicately decorated with paintings of birds or histori-cal fi gures and landscapes.

Red garments are worn, symbolizing fi re, and are said to bring good luck. People fl ock to the streets to take part in parades lit by lanterns under the full moon. This is when the trademark silk dragon, which stretches a number of feet and is controlled by a number of people under the costume,

dances down the street.Zhongjie Ba, 20, is taking the English as

a Second language program (ESL) here and says families always get together to cel-ebrate. They set off fi reworks and watch a special show about the Chinese New Year on television.

Jane Wong, 20, also taking ESL, says while her family celebrates the New Year they eat traditional foods such as dumplings and noodles.

This is the year of the rat, according to the Chinese zodiac. The 12 animals or signs in the Chinese zodiac cycle carry differ-ent meanings and represent the Chinese cyclical concept of time.

Once 12 years have gone by, the cycle starts again with the fi rst animal reappear-ing. The whole process takes 60 years to cycle through.

According to legend, the animal representing your birth year has great infl uences.

The fi ve elements that correspond with the Chinese zodiac are said to make up

all matter. These elements – metal, wood, fi re, water and earth – also infl uence your zodiac animal. These elements correspond with birth date and cycle every two years and take 10 years to repeat.

Wong says there are customs that should be avoided to bring good luck.

“Never buy new shoes. This is bad luck – something about the noise they make,” she says. However, repaying a debt is good luck.

Shawna Luey, an international student adviser, is planning this yearʼs Chinese New Year party.

Although the details are still being worked out, the event will be held on Feb. 6 at the After Hours pub at the Welland campus. The party falls on a Wednesday, so students of all ages are able to attend because Wednesday is all-ages night at the pub.

Gung hay fat choy, or, in English, have a prosperous and good year.

OX, born in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009: A born leader, you inspire confi dence from all around you. You are conservative, methodical and

good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your

own way. The Ox would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general or hairdresser.

TIGER, born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010: You are sensitive, emotional and capable of great love. How-ever, you have a tendency to get carried away and be stubborn about what you think

is right. You are often seen as a “hothead” or rebel. Your sign shows you would be excel-

lent as a boss, explorer, racecar driver or matador.

RABBIT, born in 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011: You are the

kind of person that people like to be around. You are affectionate, obliging and always pleasant. You have a tendency, though, to

get too sentimental and seem superfi cial. Being cautious and conservative, you are

successful in business but would also make a good lawyer, diplomat or actor.

DRAGON, born in 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012: Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of being foolhardy and a “big mouth” at times. You are intelligent and gifted and

are a perfectionist, but these qualities make you demanding on others. You would be well suited to be an artist, priest or politician.

SNAKE, born in 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013: Rich in wisdom and charm, you are romantic and deep thinking, and your intuition guides you strongly. Avoid procrastination

and a stingy attitude towards money. Keep your sense of humour about life. The Snake

would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer, psychiatrist or fortuneteller.

HORSE, born in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014: Your capacity for hard work is amazing. You are

your own person and are very independent. While intelligent and friendly, you have a strong streak of selfi shness and sharp cunning and should guard against being

egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet or politician.

RAM, born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015: Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Ram can be charming company. Youʼre elegant and artistic but the fi rst to complain about

things. Put aside your pessimism and worry and try to be less dependent on material comforts. You would be best as an actor, gardener or beachcomber.

MONKEY, born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016: You are very intelligent and very clever wit. Because of your extraordinary nature and magnetic personality, you are always well

liked. The Monkey, however, must guard against being an opportunist and distrustful of

other people. Your sign promises success in any fi eld you try.

ROOSTER, born in 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017: The Rooster is a hard worker,

shrewd and defi nite in decision-making. You often speak your mind. Because of this, you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer and a fl ashy dresser

and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign, you should be happy as a restaurant

owner, publicist, soldier or world traveller.

DOG, born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018: The Dog will never let you down. You

are honest and faithful to those you love. You are plagued by constant worry and a sharp tongue and have a tendency to be a fault fi nder. However, you would make an

excellent businessman, activist, teacher or secret agent.

PIG, born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019: You are a splendid companion and an intellec-

tual with a very strong need to set diffi cult goals and carry them out. You are sincere, tolerant and honest but by expecting the same from others, you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your

downfall. The Pig would be best in the arts as an entertainer or possibly a lawyer.

RATIf you are born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008: You are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the person you love. However, you have a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You are also inclined to be somewhat of an opportunist. Born under this sign, you should be happy in sales or as a writer, critic or publicist.

HappyChinese New Year

Discover your inner animal

Source: http://www.chinatoday.com/culture/zodiac/zodiac.htm

By ERIC FANJOYStaff Writer

A Niagara College graduate is opening a mom and pop pizza shop in Welland.

Adrien Vachon, 36, and his wife Kelly, 27, are renovating the old R. J.ʼs Pizzeria at the corner of Wood-lawn Road and First Avenue to make way for Fat Catʼs restaurant.

Vachon worked as an apprentice at the Niagara-on-the-Lake cam-pus under chef Ron Harvy. After completing the apprenticeship, he began his culinary career.

Working at the Gatehouse Hotel restaurant, in Niagara Falls, Vachon says, taught him a lot.

As his specialty is pizza, he put pizza on the restaurantʼs menu and there it stayed. “Everyone said I had the best pie in town.”

With 10 years experience under his belt, Vachon plans to have a full menu at Fat Catʼs, including pizza, wings, paninis and pastas. Fresh focaccia bread will be made on site.

“We will have a quality product and not a cardboard-crust pizza.”

The two say their prices will be reasonable and “defi nitely cheaper than Pizza Pizza.”

Fat Catʼs will have a special offer: buy one large, three-topping pizza and receive a bianco or white pizza free. A bianco pizza consists of an oil-based crust with artichokes and

mushrooms, topped with feta and asiago cheeses.

“To survive in a college town, they [Fat Catʼs restaurant] need to stay open late and they need to stay cheap,” says Jaclyn Ashton, 20, at the Laurier-Nipissing campus in Brantford, Ont., “where mom and pop restaurants run the town,” she added.

Fat Catʼs plans to be open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and hopes to remain open until around 2 a.m. on weekends, say the Vachons.

A former Broadcasting — Ra-dio, Television and Film student, Codi Maki, 20, who remembers the R.J.ʼs Pizzeria, said, “Good luck, Fat Catʼs. The panzerottis at R.Jʼs were the best and cheap too.”

The couple has asked for college students to drop off resumés, as positions will be available.

Fat Catʼs will open on Feb. 1.

Jan 25, 2008 NIAGARA NEWS 7

By KATALINA MPOYStaff Writer

Niagara College took education to another level as it celebrated the collegeʼs diversity during International Week, organized by the International Department last month.

Through cultural events and in-formative presentations, students were encouraged to learn new concepts about one anotherʼs cul-ture in an enthusiastic and friendly environment.

Cultural Sharing Day took place Nov. 12 in front of the cafeteria. At the Welland campus captur-ing many students ̓ eyes was the campus fl ag sale organized by a man willing to talk about his tem-porary job.

Michael Fellows is his own boss and has been selling fl ags for six years in 16 schools.

Some of them include universi-ties such as Waterloo, Western On-tario, Guelph, Laurier, McMaster, Windsor, Ottawa and Brock and colleges including Algonquin, St. Clair and Sheridan.

As a career, selling fl ags can be a challenge.

“Itʼs a lot of work, a lot of travel,” says Fellows, who is from Uxbridge, Ont.

Although travelling may be a challenge, he still enjoys his job.

“Itʼs fun. Iʼm my own boss. I canʼt get fi red and if Iʼm having a bad day at a location, I know I donʼt have to be there the next day. You can create your own market. Everythingʼs new — new custom-ers, new locations, new sites, new

cities. The nicest thing is that you get the power to make the decisions about schedules, stocks, travel and accommodations.”

He enjoys his work, for he does not have to convince customers to buy his product and he has the power to refuse to sell.

“I donʼt reach across and grab people to my table. They see it and they either approach or donʼt ap-proach. If they approach, they buy. If they donʼt approach, they donʼt buy.”

Regarding his product line, Fel-lows says he generally has fl ags from about 195 countries and about 60 non-country fl ags such as provincial ones, the United Nations, pirates and Bob Marley, which is probably the best, ac-cording to him.

He says he gets the fl ags from an importer and knows the busi-ness market.

Additionally, he sells his fl ags for $20 except for sport fl ags, which cost $35.

The dimensions of the fl ags are three feet by three feet, and 36 by 60 inches. Fellows explains one of the reasons many people like buying fl ags.

“Itʼs a hard item to get. Itʼs a dif-fi cult item to acquire, and people are proud of their heritage. Most of the fl ags the students purchase end up as decorations on their walls or as cheap curtains.”

He sees diversity positively.“Diversity is a great thing for my

business. Itʼs a built-in selling tool. In Canada, diversity works as best as it can. People come here from

different countries where they have no rights. They come here and they have a better life than where they left, more freedom.

“They have rights they never dreamed they could have.

“Diversity is a great thing because you get tired of ʻroast beef, Yorkshire pudding. ̓ There are so many ethnic things go-ing on, things you love or not. It gives you a choice, itʼs different,

like nice restaurants: Thai, Carib-bean, Ethiopian cuisine and the St. Patrickʼs Parade.”

As for his academic background, Fellows is a 1985 Journalism-Print graduate from Sheridan College, Oakville.

“In 1985, there were not a lot of opportunities in [news]papers and magazines. You had a job, you kept it. Instead of writing stories, now I write proposals and invoices.

“Invoices pay a lot more than stories, thatʼs the correct context,” says Fellows.

He is very ambitious about his business and has learned some im-portant and valuable life lessons throughout the years.

“Iʼd like to build this into a company. I want to get involved in wholesale importing. Donʼt judge a person by what he does or how he dresses.”

Flags of the world land at Niagara College

Michael Fellows is an entrepreneur who sells fl ags from more than 195 countries.Photo by Katalina Mpoy

Fat Cat’s aims for the college crowdBy JOE FOWLER

Staff WriterAfter silence, that which comes

nearest to expressing the inexpress-ible is music. — Aldous Huxley.

Students of the Niagara Collegeʼs Public Relations (PR) Graduate Certifi cate program at the Welland campus, are busy working on the special events course in their pro-gram.

Dara Goulet, 22, of Port Colborne, Sarah Hogg, 22, of Hagersville, and Joe Wilburn, 28, of Stoney Creek, are helping Port Colborne High School (PCHS) with its Adopt-An-Instrument campaign. The music project is hoping to repair, replace and tune many instruments for the students.

“The marketing team assisted with sponsors, bookings and ad-vertising – the nuts and bolts,” said Goulet, a PR student.

The PCHS band was joined by seasoned band More Bad News and the Horns from Hell for a practice session in the music room on Jan. 17. “The problem is that instru-ments are expensive. The one I have in my hand is $6,000,” said Martin, 32, of Fort Erie. “Iʼve got a pro model. The baritone saxophone PCHS just bought is about $5,000 or $6,000. I get mine overhauled about once a year just to get it touched up. Itʼs $180 to $200 a year. They [PCHS] have got very little, and a lot of the in-struments are broken or have been stolen over the years before music teacher Elaine Carlson got here.”

“Sheʼs tried to get funding. Itʼs real expensive. Itʼs hard for the school board to pay for all this stuff.”“Sheʼs gone above and beyond the call of duty and she talked to us this summer, so we said we could do a little concert, a fundraiser to raise money for instruments,” said Martin.“We sent all the instru-ments we could afford to send to be refurbished,” said Elaine Carlson of PCHS. “They take them all apart, re-solder what can be re-soldered, they clean them out, change all the pads.

“We were joking around with the kids that it was like plastic surgery

for old retired instruments that are close to imminent death. Itʼs like a second opportunity at life.

“The kids are excited about the concert. They have been working very hard. They practically have been living in this music room at lunch, practicing at home. Theyʼve committed a ton of time. It s̓ a great opportunity for them to play with musicians in the industry.” More Bad News and the Horns from Hell will play with PCHS on Feb. 2, at the Sounds of Celebration fund-raiser at 7 p.m. at the Roselawn Centre, 296 Fielden Ave. in Port ColborneFor further information, contact www.dsbnedu.on.caSchools/Pchs/in-dex.html

Th e sound of success is costly

The wind section of PCHS band prepare for its Feb. 2 “Sounds of Celebration” performance.

Photo by Adam Bowslaugh

The pizza box design of Welland’s Fat Cat restaurant.

Photo by Eric Fanjoy

NIAGARA NEWS • Jan. 25, 20088 9

By MARYANNE FIRTHStaff Writer

Think outside the pillbox.Many people are skeptical about natural

medicine, but for those who have made a career out of it and for the clients they have treated, it couldnʼt be more real.

“The body has remarkable healing pow-ers,” says Dr. Lindy Harb, naturopathic doctor (ND).

Harb practises naturopathic medicine in St. Catharines, using special methods to assist the bodyʼs natural healing process without the use of traditional surgery or medication.

Kim Koop, of St. Catharines, a client of Harbʼs, says she visits The Healing Vine because she “wanted to find a cure, not just a treatment.”

Koop says she went in for an ultra-sound at a traditional doctorʼs office and was informed she had ovarian cysts. She says the doctors wanted to operate, but she went the naturopathic route instead, and in six weeks the cysts were “com-pletely gone.”

“Iʼd call those very radical results,”

says Koop.She says she recommends anyone

skeptical of the practice should “defi-nitely try it.”

“The health-care system is failing,” says Harb, “and quick fixes donʼt gener-ally work.

“Treating something symptomatically is generally not healing without treating the root of the cause.”

Harb says the main difference between naturopathic and allopathic (conventional) medicine is “you get better.”

“Youʼre not just putting a Band-Aid on something. You donʼt become dependent on medication. We find the cause and we remove it.”

However, she does say itʼs important to know “when medication is needed and when itʼs not,” as well as “when to see a traditional doctor or a naturopath.”

“Allopathic and naturopathic medicine can work together. We need to bridge that gap.”

Becoming an ND, she says, can be “very hard work and intense at times,” but “worth the schooling and the money you

spend to get there.“If you apply yourself, it can be very

rewarding.”The Canadian College of Naturopathic

Medicine (CCNM), of which Harb is a graduate, requires an undergraduate degree before acceptance, as well as a slew of prerequisite classes such as biology, bio-chemistry and organic chemistry.

When she was younger, Harb says, she had skin problems and was sensitive to drug treatments. She says she would con-tinually try to find the root of the problem and it led her down this path.

Dr. Michael A. Prytula, ND, also a CCNM grad practising in St. Catharines, says itʼs important to “go spend some time with naturopathic doctors,” if itʼs a career choice you think you might want to make.

“Itʼs a huge financial commitment,” he says, costing “$15,000 to $16,000 every year in tuition alone.”

CCNMʼs website shows prices for the 2007/2008 year have since increased to $17,580 for Canadian students and $21,060 for international students.

Prytula, who has been practising for 20 years, says itʼs rewarding “seeing people get healthy who otherwise wouldnʼt.”

“Weʼre improving their quality of life and finding a resolution of symptoms.”

He says he enjoys his job because theyʼre constantly “expanding the scope of the practice, so I never get bored. Itʼs more fun that way.”

Prytula says he knew his career path by age 19 because he was once critically ill and was helped by a naturopath.

“Itʼs a very unique profession,” says Harb, and “can be challenging at times.

“Youʼre the only person who can really fix it. When the pressure is on you and youʼre getting results, thereʼs nothing like it.”

Harb says itʼs important to recognize the difference between someone whoʼs certi-fied as a holistic practitioner and a regis-tered naturopathic doctor.

“All you need is a seminar to become a practitioner, so itʼs important to do your homework and make sure youʼre getting professional care before going to see any-one with your problems.”

A natural path to good health

Large Intestine

Heart

Liver

Small Intestine

Gall Bladder

Stomach

Spleen

Kidney

Lung

Acupuncture points that aff ect energy fl ow to diff erent parts of the body

Acupuncture – The ancient Chinese art of applying stimulation to the neural pathways in the skin, called meridians, and allowing energy to flow freely. Consisting of over 1,000 points, these tiny proteins ensure health is maintained, but if energy flow is interrupted, it can cause pain and

illness within the body.

Botanical medicine – A traditional method of treatment using the natural healing abilities of plants and plant extracts.

Homeopathic medicine – An 18th century met hod of healing using a small dose of a substance that caused the illness to treat the symptoms.

Hydrotheraphy – The use of water, internally or externally, to balance the circulation of blood, reducing pain and healing illnesses.

Massage therapy – The application of various techniques to the bodyʼs soft tissues and muscular structure. Meant to increase circula-

tion, relax contracted muscles and induce pain relief.

Naturopathic medicine – An individualized treatment addressing causes of diseases, focusing on prevention, while facilitating the bodyʼs natural ability to heal itself.

Types of treatments

Photos by Maryanne Firth

By ANDREW RAMOSStaff Writer

Only in intramural ice hockey will one fi nd the main objective enjoyment of the sport rather than winning it.

“I decided I wanted to sign up for intramurals because itʼs a fun way to still get to play the sport I wanted to, hockey, but not in a competitive league that needs [too much] dedication than I am unable to give because of school,” said Caillie West, 19, who returns for her second year of intramural ice hockey.

“Itʼs a great way to play hockey at a friendly level with a bunch of my friends,” said Chris Dolson, who served as a back-up player during last yearʼs intramural season after missing signups.

“Winning would be nice, but isnʼt the reason why Iʼm playing.”

Intramural ice hockeyʼs schedule allows participants a greater focus on their studies than the sport.

“Since [games are] only once a week, I donʼt think it will hinder my schoolwork at all,” said West.

He added that intramurals may act as an incentive to fi nishing her work sooner rather than later.

“Iʼm a pretty solid student, and any after-school activities I par-ticipate in rarely affect my school work,” said Dolson.

“Playing one night a week re-ally doesnʼt offer much distraction from my studies.”

Deciding to sign up for intramu-ral hockey because she “wanted to keep [herself] busy and active do-ing something [she loves],” Denise Cruickshank, 20, said intramurals would be a good release of “all the pressures and stresses from school.”

Signing up oneʼs own team with oneʼs own friends adds to the re-laxed feeling intramurals provide.

“I love the people I play with,” said Cruickshank. “Theyʼre all re-ally good friends of mine.”

“Iʼm so jacked to be playing the games,” said Dolson, adding that the people heʼll “be playing with and against are also a big bonus.”

“Iʼm happy just to get to play hockey, and itʼs intramurals so Iʼm not as concerned with winning because I know itʼs not the main purpose of the program,” said West.

Whether youʼre a 10-year vet-eran of the sport, as West is, or if you have no experience at all, intramurals provide students an enjoyable way of getting exercise.

“Itʼs been a great challenge learn-ing to play on ice,” said Dolson, who is transitioning his lifetime of road hockey experience to his two-game experience on the frozen rink. “Intramurals has given me a chance to do something new.”

Participants pay $40 a person.

By MICHAEL BRIGHTStaff Writer

The Big Kahuna tournament hosted by the Niagara College Knights womenʼs volleyball team was won by the No. 2 ranked 9-1 Humber Hawks of Toronto.

The Hawks defeated the Durham Lords of Oshawa in three straight games, 25-16, 25-22 and 25-20 respectively, to win the match.

The tournament, which began on Friday, saw the host team win its pool and advance to the semi-fi nals.

Kristy Goodearle of Humber was named tournament MVP.

All-star players were Landis Doyle of Humber, Cheryl Silva and Kristen Conner of Durham, Kerissa Van Amersfort and Leah Duke of Niagara, and Whytney Hooker-Burt from the Seneca Sting of Toronto.

The tournament began on a high note as the Knights won their fi rst set 25-16 against the 5-5 Sheridan Bruins of Oakville.

They then dropped the next two sets to the Bruins 25-23 and 25-17 respectively.

“We dropped down to their lev-el,” said Kerissa Van Amersfort, Niagara Knights No. 14.

Itʼs the “same thing over and over,” she said. “Itʼs inconsis-tency.”

Kerby Bentley, Niagara Knights head coach, said, “Itʼs frustrating,” of the Bruins ̓ability to shut down the Niagara offence in the second and third matches of the first game.”

“Itʼs tough to motivate,” play-ers in that sort of game situation, said Bentley, adding “although some leadership skill turned up” in the fourth and fifth match.

The Knights were able to rally back, winning the fourth and fi fth sets 25-23 and 15-13 respectively.

“It was good,” said Leah Duke, Niagara Knights No. 1, admitting “it wasnʼt the best game” Niagara has played.

Niagara played “pretty fl at, even in the fi rst [match],” said Duke.

“We didnʼt seem to be into the game that much.”

Niagara struggled with serving in the fi rst game against Sheridan.

“It probably killed us.” The Knights are used to “jump

serves and deep fl oats” into the opposition court, but they soon found themselves without a lot of room on the tournament courts in the Mackenzie Athletic building at the Welland campus of Niagara College.

Sheridan was “a good team at scrambles and dump plays,” said Van Amersfort.

“We have to set-up against Loy-alist. Give ourselves a chance,” said Van Amersfort prior to their second round robin game against the Loyalist Lions of Belleville.

“We need to be consistent.”“From what Iʼve heard, weʼre

the better team.”“Theyʼre better than Sheridan,

but they rely on luck,” said Cassan-dra Musungayi, Niagara Knights, No. 9, about the Loyalist Lions

after the game against the Bruins.The Lions came into the tourna-

ment 7-1 and are in a three-way tie for fourth in the province with the No. 1 ranked Mohawk Moun-taineers of Hamilton and the No. 4 ranked Algonquin Thunder of Ottawa.

Niagara dispatched Loyalist in three quick sets, going 25-16, 25-14 and 25-20.

“We realized we needed power-ful plays,” said Duke.

The No. 6 ranked (9-1) Durham Lords proved to be more than a match for the Knights.

Niagara eventually forced a game fi ve, which they lost 15-13.

“We came out really fl at,” said Bentley.

In the fi rst set against Durham, Niagara was dominated early giving up a score of 7-15. At this

point in the game, Bentley decided to replace four of his players with fresh ones from the bench.

The bench players put up 14 to Durhamʼs 10 points in the remain-der of the set. Durham would go on to win 25-21.

Bentley said the change was supposed to put “anger in the belly” of the starters and show them the bench players can and “want to play.”

“Durham played well.” “We play better when weʼre

down,” said Jaclyn (Big Dutch) Van Leerzem, Niagara Knights No. 4. Bentley said the team suffered from “little mental breakdowns.” “The bench girls played awe-some,” said Big Dutch, adding the greatest thing the team learned from playing Sheridan and Loyal-ist was how to pick up on “dump

plays.” “Itʼs nice to play teams that

arenʼt big hitting teams.”“Weʼre ready for dumps after

playing Sheridan and Loyalist.”“Iʼm just concentrating on im-

proving,” added Big Dutch when asked if she thought she would win Rookie of the Year honours.

The tournament was also a strong step for rookie Musun-gayi, who has seen her court time increase dramatically since the beginning of the season.

“All the work I put in from the beginning of the year showed,” she said.

Musungayi said her main role on the team is to block, “and to intimidate other teams. “Once they see my height, they start tipping [the volleyball in-stead of spiking].”

Hawks’ No. 11 Kristy Goodearle spikes the ball during the Big Kahuna tournament.Photo by Mike Bright

Intramural sports

off er more fun, less

stress

Sports10 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

Knights dismounted

SportsJan. 25, 2008 NIAGARA NEWS 11

By MATT DAYStaff Writer

As a Knights fan, you want the buzzer-beater shot to go in.

In last Wednesdayʼs menʼs bas-ketball game, the No. 2 ranked Sheridan Bruins beat the No. 3 ranked Niagara Knights at home 74-73 in a nail-biter of a game. The atmosphere of the game couldnʼt have been any more electric, and the sighs from the home crowd could not have been any louder.

“A tight game at home you al-ways want to win,” said Knights head coach Mike Beccaria. “But on a positive note, I think we proved we belong at the top of this league.”

Niagara jumped out to a quick 21-11 lead midway through the fi rst half, but the Sheridan Bru-ins, of Oakville, were able to claw back and hold a 41-35 lead at the half. The teams then exchanged leads throughout the entire sec-ond half.

With the score 66-62 and about

three minutes left, the Knights seemed in control and poised to upset the second-best team in the West Division. The Bru-ins scored seven unanswered points, including a three-ball by Nebosjo Bratic, to swing the momentum back to the Bruins for good.

The Bruins wouldnʼt give up their lead and went on to win the game when the Knights couldnʼt convert on two last-second shots.

“[The last few seconds] were hectic and we stuck together as a team,” said Bruins ̓ forward Jemeel Brown, No. 21, describing what he saw the last few seconds from the bench.

“We came out hard in the fi rst half. We were up and they fought back until the end,” said Knights forward Brendan Cato. “At the end, there just happened to be a bad shot. We took a gamble and happened to miss it.”

Cato contributed 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, but also

went only one for fi ve from the line. Two of those failed free-throw attempts came late in the game.

Coach Beccaria said he was proud of his team for playing hard, even in a losing effort.

“I told the guys we were knock-ing at the door and next time weʼve got to kick it in.”

Bruins ̓ Head Coach Jim Flack said he was happy with the win on the road but pointed out the game could have gone either way.

“Letʼs be honest here. A one-point game is a win and you take it, but one point can go either way. It counts for a ʻW ̓in the standings, but thereʼs really not too much to pick between the two teams.”

Niagara beat Redeemer, of An-caster, 86-46 on the road on Jan. 18 and now holds a record of 8-3, third in the West Division behind Sheridan. The Knights travel to Northern Ontario to face Sault College and Algoma University College on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 re-spectively.

By JESSE DOSTALStaff Writer

The Niagara Knights womenʼs basketball team battled hard last Wednesday on home turf, but in the end the size and physicality of a tough Sheridan Bruins team was too much for them to handle.

The game had a good tempo, and the score was close midway through the fi rst half. The Bruins, who entered the game at 6-1, had not lost a game since Oct. 31. They gained a fi ve-point advan-tage and were up 22-17 with 5:28 left in the frame.

The more physical Bruins team members started to assert them-selves on the offensive glass. This resulted in a lot of easy buckets for the Bruins ̓ Donisha Young, who fi nished the game with 21 points on eight of 11 shooting, while bring-ing down six offensive rebounds.

The moments before half-time proved to be very costly for the Knights, and they went into the locker room down 39-25.

“The biggest thing for us was staying together as a team,” said No. 6, guard Jessica James, who fi nished with four points.

The Knights came out of the half looking sharp and were able

to keep up with the Bruins through the second half.

Kaitlyn McKenna, No. 10, for-ward, played an exceptional game for the Knights, scoring 14 points, registering four assists to just one turnover and knocking down all four of her freethrows.

The Bruins continued to play well though, running the fl oor hard and scoring a lot of fast-break points.

“The thing for us was getting back on ʻD ̓ [defence],” said the Knights ̓Natalie Campeau, No. 9, forward.

In the end the Bruins came out on top, winning 72-54, but the Knights saw a lot of positives in the home loss.

“We played much better tonight compared to last time down there when they beat us by 35 ... every-body got in there and played hard,” said Knights head coach Ron Lem-on. “[The Bruins] are a good team. They run like crazy, and youʼve got to stop it, and when you donʼt, that really hurts you.”

The Knights wonʼt get another shot at the Bruins in the regular sea-son, but both James and Campeau say they are looking forward to “revenge” in the playoffs.

Bruins claw win over Knights

Niagara Knights point guard Brittany Norris handles the ball during a home loss on Wednesday, Jan. 16 against the Sheridan College Bruins.

Photo by Jesse Dostal

Knights mauled by Sheridan’s paws in grizzly defeat

Knights’ Assistant Coach Randy Conlon reacts after a heartbreaking loss on Jan. 16. The Knights lost to the Sheridan Bruins 74-73 after a fi nal attempt to win the game, with seconds left, failed.

Photo by Matt Day

OCAA West top fi ve basketball standings

Men1. Humber Hawks2. Sheridan Bruins3. Fanshawe Falcons 4. Niagara Knights5. Mohawk Mountaineers

Women1. Fanshawe Falcons2. Sheridan Bruins3. Niagara Knights4. St. Clair Saints5. Humber Hawks

By RYAN KELPINNoise Staff

Theyʼre not from Tokyo, theyʼre not the police, and they arenʼt really a club, but one thing is certain: they are back.

Since the release of their fi rst album, A Lesson In Crime EP, Tokyo Police Club (TPC) has been taking a break from the massive critical acclaim and their renowned live shows.

A lot has happened in that time, including the recording of a highly anticipated new full-length album. Graham Wright, keyboardist as well as backup vocalist, says the band has been working on the songs for a while.

“Itʼs funny because a lot of the new songs weʼve been playing, in one way or another, for a year or so,” explained Wright.

“But weʼve honed in on what we want from the songs, so much that it feels like we are going in with entirely new music. Weʼre really excited to get the new songs out for the fans to hear.”

The recording process differed from the past, according to Wright.

“With the EP, we only had three days to record it, so we made sure we knew our songs inside and out before we went in,” says Wright.

“But on this album, we went into the studio, by and large, with mostly unfi nished songs in September. We thought since we had three weeks instead of three days, we could work it all out in the studio ... turns out thatʼs not our forte. When we went into the studio, we realized that some of the songs were lacking the energy and spark that we were used to and we needed to play them live to recapture that spark.”

In the midst of recovering the “spark” that eluded them on the new material, bassist and lead singer Dave Monks also matured with his songwriting. Wright doesnʼt want to put words in Monks ̓mouth, but he says that he has noticed that the lyrics are more down to earth.

“On the EP, a lot of the songs were written as little, weird stories that he was just making up, and you would end up with science fi ction songs and fun, bizarre songs about nothing,” jokes Wright.

“With the new record, heʼs defi nitely become more comfortable writing songs about things that are more personal to him, and because of that the songs are a little bit more rooted in reality. But there are still probably some weird fantasies in there that donʼt

really make any sense.”Donʼt be afraid of changes to the sound

or the songwriting, Wright assures fans. He says the band will retain most of its trademark traits and characteristics.

“There are still handclaps in the music.” “Now when I go back and listen to the

EP, I notice that the handclaps are so blatant, there would only be handclaps for that part of the song and it would stand out. Same with the shouting. It would just be shouting and screaming. On the new album, it got more mixed and they fi t a little more. Now you will have clapping, but itʼs not the whole song. Itʼs there as an accent. Same with the shouting. Itʼs there to add to the song.”

The album, which is oddly called Elephant Shell features 11 songs, including some school inspired names, Your English is Good and Listen to the Math. The question that has been bothering them, is what single to choose to hype the album. Itʼs something Wright and the band are still debating.

“Weʼre bad at choosing singles,” laughs Wright.

“I always want to pick my favourite song, and itʼs slow and has weird keyboards on it. But thereʼs a song called Tessellate that

I think is our catchiest song, but catchy in a way that isnʼt the same as our older material.”

The decision on which song to pick as a single may be out of their hands now. In the last six months, TPC signed a record deal with critically acclaimed indie label Saddle-Creek Records, of Omaha, Neb.

The label is home to award-winning indie bands such as Cursive, Maria Taylor, and its most infamous band, Bright Eyes. TPC is also the fi rst and only Canadian band to sign to Saddle-Creek, making it a proverbial fi sh out of water.

“It was a long process leading up to that day, and we knew that we were going to be signing to Saddle-Creek,” confi rms Wright.

“They approached us early on; actually, they did when we started playing our fi rst American shows. Rob [Walters] caught our set at Pop Montréal- not the fi rst time we played when Paperbag Records signed us, but the second time. Eventually we heard from Saddle-Creek that they were interested in us, and I was, like, ʻWhat! Saddle-Creek? Thatʼs weird. ̓ Thatʼs just not one of the labels youʼd think would be interested in us.”

TPC wasnʼt forced to sign to the label

because they did have other offers on the table. Wright says the band went with the record company that had the best intentions for its music.

“At the end of the day, we had all kinds of offers from labels that ran the gamut from major labels to tiny independent labels, and Saddle-Creek has the best of both worlds,” claims Wright.

“They are a small establishment; I think Iʼve met everybody that works there. But at the same time, look at the success they have had with Bright Eyes, who have proven that they can sell a large amount of albums and be a success. We want to have that potential – not that we are going to be as big as Bright Eyes – but now we have the ability to do that.”

With the album recorded and undergoing the mixing process, the only thing left to do is tour. Where better to kick it off than in St. Catharines, where the band played Isaacʼs Pub last Saturday night.

“We havenʼt been on tour for a while, obviously. Itʼs always scary to go back on tour to kick it back off and get used to it again,” describes Wright.

“Itʼs kind of intimidating, and we wanted to kick it off in a small town. We had only played St. Catharines once, and it was a great

show. We got good vibes from it.”The band uses the small shows

and the visits to their hometown of Newmarket, Ont., to keep everything in perspective and down to earth. Wright admits that every now and then, he realizes how well life is actually going for him and his friends.

“Every once in a while, you know weʼll be doing something, like sitting in the basement of the [David] Letterman show, waiting to play our set, and you just shake yourself,” says Wright.

“Youʼre like, ʻAm I dreaming? Is this real? ̓I should be in my second year of university right now.”

The only thing the band has to do now is wait. However, with the mass following they have assembled, as well as hordes of love and respect from critics, TPC will not be able to wait in peace.

“Itʼs a double-edged sword,” says Wright.

“Itʼs great to know that thereʼs going to be an audience there when the album is released but at the same time, it means there are all these people that we could disappoint. Weʼve made a record weʼre happy with, so even if nobody likes it, weʼll still be proud of it.”

From left, Josh Hook, Greg Alsop, Graham Wright and Dave Monks.

Submitted Photos

Tokyo

Police

C l u b :

12 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

By RYAN KELPINNoise Staff

Already having a renowned music scene, Niagara fi nally has a music awards show to go with it.

CapitalM Productions and Gi-ant FM released its categories and opened the competition to local area bands on Jan. 16, for the fi rst Niagara Music Awards on March 25.

This is the perfect venue for smaller, Niagara area bands to at-tempt to make their name in the region, possibly attracting label interest. Various bands from the Niagara area have gone on to sign record deals in the last few years, most notably Alexisonfi re with Dis-tort Entertainment, Dallas Green

(City and Colour) and Wellandʼs own favourite son, Attack in Black, both with Dine Alone Records.

Niagara Noise would hope to see bands such as From Man in Ghost, Attack in Black and Casey Baker and the Buffalo Sinners in the con-fi rmed nominations list. To ignore bands like these, or their styles of music, would destroy the credibil-ity of the awards. Niagara is known as one of the most recognized punk music scenes in Canada.

Morgan Whelan from CapitalM Productions raises a valid point though.

“We cannot consider the ʻNi-agara music scene ̓ as a whole to be completely revitalized after bands like Alexisonfi re and Attack and Black are making a name for themselves,” explains Whelan.

“We have many other types of musicians that are going out of this area just to get a gig. Where are our jazz players, our country singers and our ethnic perform-ers going to go to perform when Niagara is known for punk rock?

When I think of the Niagara mu-sic scene, I think about our musi-cians in all genres playing here full time for a living, and people coming to Niagara from all over just to see them.”

The awards show has been built to refl ect this diversity and some of the lesser-known genres in the Niagara area. It features over 20 awards, varying from Album of the Year to Best Jazz Band to Best Blues Band. The best part is there is only one requirement: the band must have at least one resident with a permanent address in the Niagara area. The range of genres accepted is just as long as the awards list, making virtually every type of music from the area eligible for entry.

Whelan says one of the goals is to establish a larger, broader mu-sic scene, so people come from out of town to see the concerts.

“How many musicians move to Toronto, or even New York to pur-sue a career in the music industry?” asks Whelan.

“Have you ever heard of a band moving to Niagara for that reason? Musicians strive to create a name for themselves, enough of a name to fi ll up say, the Air Canada Cen-tre. We donʼt have any venues like that.”

“I think downtown St. Catharines is wonderful and a great place for local musicians to get their feet wet and compile their fan base. How-ever, I donʼt believe that it is every musicianʼs dream, to be playing in a sports bar or a dance club.”

To submit your band go to son-icbids.com/nma, and pay the $10 submission fee. There is no limit on how many times or categories you submit.

Deadline is Friday, Feb. 29, roughly a month before the actual event, which takes place at the Niagara Centre for the Perform-ing Arts in Niagara Falls, on March 25. Tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster.ca on March 3, and will cost $30.

At presstime, the awards show had four performers, including Bob Egan formerly of darling critics Wilco, and now of Ca-nadian country favourites, Blue Rodeo.

The show also futures such sponsors as Pulse, Canadian Mu-sician and the Niagara Institute of Music and the Arts.

Niagara Noise Jan. 25, 2008 NIAGARA NEWS 13

DALLAS GREEN

From Man, in Ghost from left is Pat MacLean, Andy Park, Mike Aslop and Pat Murphy. They will be playing a show at Niagara College’s After Hours pub on Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Submitted photo by Brent Goldsmith

By DEIDRA LUNARDONNoise Staff

Playing nearly 100 shows and selling almost 1,000 CDs, St. Cath-arines ̓ From Man, in Ghost has become a lot more than a hobby for its members.

It formed out of the ashes of pre-vious bands. Bassist and vocalist Pat Murphy says some “additions and subtractions” have taken the band to what it is now: a four-piece rock band.

Citing previous infl uences as Mogwai and Glassjaw, Murphy says the band listens to “everything in terms of infl uences,” but itʼs hard to choose only a few.

“We just try to write music we like to listen to, and not restrict ourselves to any particular infl u-ence,” says Murphy.

From Man, in Ghost is Murphy, Mike Alsop on guitar, Andy Park on percussion and Pat MacLean on guitar and vocals.

Although the band is unsigned to a record label at this time, Murphy says the members would “love” to sign to one “if the right offer came up.”

“Weʼve been talking to a few [record labels] but want to make sure weʼre ready as a band before taking that step. I donʼt think a ma-jor label would be a smart idea for us as weʼre more of a developing

band right now.” Murphy says he is a “strong

believer” in do-it-yourself ethics and to “book your own tours, book your own shows, do everything yourself, at least in the beginning

stages.”“The more you prove what you

can do as a band, the more you are worth to a label. Donʼt just sit and wait for things to happen.”

Trying not to write all the time

about standard subjects such as girls, Murphy, the bandʼs lyricist, says he likes to “mix it up.”

“Ultimately, I just aim for some-thing simple enough the audience can connect with, but intelligent

enough that it doesnʼt cheapen the music.”

Planning to release a second EP this spring, Murphy says eight tracks are completed and the band wants to distribute immediately.

He says the EP is “going to be a gateway record in terms of sound,” and the songs the band plays now will not be the same as the full length to be released.

Hoping to bring a fresh sound to the music, Murphy says he feels From Man, in Ghost has something differ-ent to offer the underground music scene, but notes it is still pleasing to the mainstream music audience.

“We like appealing to different crowds. Diversity within our fans makes us really happy. We just try to write songs that we would like to listen to and hope that people are into what we like.”

Recognizing the band has made a lot of progress in less than a year, Murphy says if the “band broke up today, Iʼd be content with what weʼve accomplished.”

“We are all serious musicians, and music is a big part of our lives. Itʼd be amazing to be able to do this as a full-time career, though realistically that would be a hard thing to accomplish.”

From Man, in Ghost will be play-ing Niagara Collegeʼs After Hours pub on Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Do-it-yourself mentalityFrom Man, in Ghost appeals to all audiences

Niagara region set to host diverse inaugural music award ceremony

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14 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

Heat Ad

By HEATHER GILESStaff Writer

Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan – what do these people have in com-mon? They are all rich, famous and seem to be in the news every day. Stars these days are

making it into the headlines more

than politics, sports and

w o r l d news.

Recent studies show people are more interested in watching news with celebrities than any other types of news and, really, who could blame them? You have got to admit that lately these stars ̓lives have been pretty eventful.

“I am not going to lie. I pick up a People magazine at least once a week, but that is just adding to the problem,” says Alison Melber, 20, of Toronto, who attends the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus. She says that most of the stars pull stunts strictly for media attention.

“People like us buy-ing these magazines and listening to the entertainment news are only encouraging them.”

“It is funny because right when you think

that a star has taken a break from

their crazy l i f e s t y l e s ,

theyʼre all over the headlines doing something more crazy than ever,” says Brandon Sanders, 22, of Welland.

“That is what it is all about. It is about who can get the

most attention and be on the cover of the most magazines.”

He thinks the recent Jessica Simpson and Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo romance is all about publicity.

“Jessica was lacking attention, and the perfect way to get it was to date a football

star. And that sure doesnʼt hurt Romo one bit, except when he is playing

football apparently.” “I think the problem is that stars

these days just have too much money,” says Talia Davis, 19, of Burlington, Ont.

“They can have absolutely anything they want. Once they

have everything, what else is there to do with

their money than spend it

on drugs and alco-hol? To be honest

with you, I think they are

all just bored and resort to us-

ing substances that lead them to their break-downs.”

M e a g h a n Ringwood, 24, of Markham, Ont., is the manager of a Chapters bookstore.

“Ce lebr i ty magazines top

our lists of most-sold items. Each week over 50 per cent of our income comes from maga-zines like Star, Ok! and People magazine.” Ringwood says that they are one of the best sellers in the store.

“It is sad really, and I donʼt condone the things celebrities do and how much money and fame they get from doing these things. It is just really unnecessary.”

The point is that ev-eryone wants to know the life of the rich and famous and chances are that will never change.

By ANDREW RAMOSStaff Writer

During the Writers ̓ Guild of America strike, many students at the Niagara College Welland cam-pus have decided against taking the time without their favourite televi-sion shows to become more active.

“I just watch re-runs,” said one student, Matt, 20.

His friend, James, also 20, agreed. “I just donʼt see the point in, like, doing more sports or whatever, just because some shows wonʼt have new episodes for a bit.”

Neither student wanted his last name printed.

In fact, out of 75 students asked by Niagara News, 54 of them said they had not been any more active than usual since the writers went on strike on Nov. 5 of last year. Of the 28 per cent who said they had become more active, all of them said they had been planning on choosing a new lifestyle and the strike had no bearing on it.

What current primetime options do students have if they wish to watch something new?

On Mondays, new episodes of programs theyʼre able to see include American Gladiators and Prison Break, both at 8 p.m., with

four episodes left; and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chonicles at 9 p.m. with seven episodes remain-ing and at 10 p.m.

On Tuesdays, students can turn to One Tree Hill at 9 p.m. with nine episodes remaining; Nip/Tuck at 10 p.m. with fi ve episodes remain-ing; and Boston Legal at 10 p.m. with three episodes left.

On Wednesdays, thereʼs Myth-busters at 9 p.m. with an indefi nite number of episodes remaining; Law and Order at 10 p.m. also with an indefi nite number of epi-sodes remaining; and Reno 911 at 10:30 p.m. with 16 episodes re-maining.

On Thursdays, new episodes can be seen of Smallville at 8 p.m. with six remaining episodes; Lost at 9 p.m. (although premiering at 8 p.m. next week) with eight episodes remaining; Supernatural at 9 p.m. with four episodes left; and Eli Stone at 10 p.m. with 13 remaining episodes.

These are in addition to the sev-eral late night talk shows, including Late Night with Conan OʼBrien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, which have returned and air several times throughout the week.

Media feeding frenzyPublic’s appetite for celebrities adds to the feast

Writer strike halts newTV show production

Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan are three stars who have become fi xtures on the pop culture scene.Submitted

photos

Jan. 25, 2008 NIAGARA NEWS 15

By TERRI GILESStaff Writer

Icewine lovers from near and far gathered in Jordan, Ont. Saturday to celebrate the Niagara Icewine Festivalʼs 13th year.

Below freezing temperatures didnʼt deter the hundreds who came to enjoy this yearʼs fi rst out-door icewine tasting and sample the village of Jordanʼs shops, art gallery and restaurants.

The quaint village of Jordan, nestled in the escarpment, was bustling with visitors from all over North America and overseas to celebrate Canadaʼs world famous Niagara icewine. The scene was complete with an icewine bar made of large blocks of ice, displaying some of Niagaraʼs best Riesling, Vidal, Cabernet Franc, icewine martinis and an assortment of unique fl avours such as chocolate and chili pepper icewine.

The cold weather was warmly welcomed after a warm period in early January delayed the har-vesting of the frozen grapes. As soon as the thermometer reached the magic number of minus 10 degrees Celsius, pickers from lo-cal wineries set out into the grape fi elds to collect their gold.

The fi rst few weeks of the month were unseasonable to many but experts say this hap-pens every year.

“There is a warm period ev-ery January, but you are always guaranteed cold temperatures for icewine,” says Jennifer Bosnjak, in charge of restaurant sales at Fielding Estates Winery in Beamsville, Ont.

Fielding Estates Winery has been participating in the Niagara Icewine Festival since the fam-ily- run business opened in May 2005. Bosnjak says the festival welcomes more and more people each year and about 400 people have walked through the winery doors this past weekend.

According to the Niagara Icew-ine Festival website, last year the festival brought 150,000 people to the Niagara region. The majority of the people who attend the fes-tival are passport holders from the United States and overseas.

“Americans really enjoy the ice-wine,” she says, “maybe because it is a little different.” Icewine is made in the United States and other parts of the world but in smaller quantity. Germany and Niagara are the largest producers.

Icewine is sold year round in liquor stores across Canada. The most popular are Riesling, Vidal and Cabernet Franc.

Bosnjak says icewine is usu-ally paired with chocolate or blue cheese, but this year Fielding Estates served its icewine with a beef stew.

“It was out of the ordinary, but very well received,” she says of the unique combination.

The Niagara Icewine Festival is the place where wineries un-veil new ideas and products in icewine, and every year it gets bigger and better.

For more information on dates, times and events, visit www.ni-agaraicewinefestival.com.

The ice sculptures at the 13th Niagara Icewine Festival were made by Mike Gingerich, 21, and Mike Heddington, 21, of Ice Culture Inc. in Hensall, Ont.

Photo by Terri Giles

Icewine fest one cool event

Check it out...•The Icewine Festival runs from Jan. 18 to Feb. 3.

•Created in 1952, its now part of a three part showcase of wine-festivals with the Niagara Wine Festival, held in early fall and Niagara New Vintage Wine Festival held each June.

•Hailed as one of the top 100 events in North America.

•Niagara’s icewine never received international recognition as world-class wine until 1995.

•Numbers of visitors to the festival are growing each year. Last year, it attracted half a million people, most of them from the Greater Toronto Area.

•Visit the festival to learn about Niagara region’s famous icewine by speaking one on one with winemakers from the area and tasting wines on outdoor tours.

•Enjoy black tie dinners and educational luncheons.

Source: www.niagaraicewinefestival.com

Convenience not always best16 NIAGARA NEWS Jan. 25, 2008

By JOANNA NOFTALL Staff Writer

Bigger snacks may mean bigger slacks.

If you look at the calories on food labels, wait at the Tim Hortons drive-thru or drive past a billboard sign reading, “Arbyʼs two for one cheese melts – only a limited time at participating locations,” whatever it is, the temptation is everywhere.

As someone who is trying to learn a new healthful lifestyle, Iʼve made some observations.

Most people know not to shop when theyʼre hungry or when theyʼre emotional. Because it simply leads to purchasing un-necessary foods. When a romantic breakup comes along or you have an argument with someone signifi -cant, youʼre tempted to go for an Aero bar.

How about the convenience factor?

With variety stores on every corner and Toonie Tuesdays at Kentucky Fried Chicken, fast food is everywhere.

Every day there are new rec-ommendations about which diet is right for you, whether itʼs the grapefruit diet, or Slim Fast, or maybe not eating at all.

Dieting is not the solution to making a difference in your weight. A change of lifestyle is key.

Like anything else, realizing the problem is step one. Second, itʼs fi nding what is right for you, whether it is 10 pounds youʼre try-ing to lose or 210 pounds.

Http://weightloss.suite101.com offers useful tips on how to change your lifestyle and why you should stop calling it a diet.

Put down the can of Slim Fast, hide the Ultimate Weight Solution book by Dr. Phil and think about more than losing pounds.

Maybe the car seatbelt doesnʼt fi t or perhaps your favourite pair of jeans is straining at the seams. Whatever your reasoning, the steps to getting healthy or losing weight

are available. How badly do you want to be healthy?

Finding the “why factor” will get you started. By defi ning your goals, the manner of how to lose weight effi ciently and healthfully so the excess weight stays off and doesnʼt come back like a boomerang will become apparent.

The weight jokes will always ex-ist, but cellulite wonʼt.

“Iʼm on a seafood diet ... I see food and I eat it.”

Maybe it s̓ a coincidence that “des-serts” is “stressed” spelled backwards.

For some people just taking away fast food and drinking more water may be the solution.

Http://nutrition.about.com says the human body is estimated to be 60 to 70 per cent water; the body needs water to regulate body tem-perature, providing the formula for nutrients to get to all the important organs. Water transports oxygen to cells, removes the toxic waste and protects your body. That leads to essentially being healthier.

For others, it may be a decrease in empty calories and a higher in-

take of protein.With weight loss comes attitude

adjustment and changing your thinking.

Stop saying the word “diet” and use the term “lifestyle.” When you lose excess weight, you will for-ever eat differently and think about food differently.

Ask your doctor about sensible goals, ones that are realistic to maintain your health.

Doctors base their recommen-dations on your current weight, health, build and age.

Http://www.fda.gov.com says, “Men and very active women may need up to 2,500 calories daily. Other women and inactive men need only about 2,000 calories daily. A safe plan is to eat 300 to 500 fewer calories a day to lose one to two pounds a week.”

Eventually you may not be long-ingly staring at Cheetos and you will drive by the famous golden arches without pondering if you should go for the Big Mac or not.

Dieting is just wishful shrinking. Think lifestyle instead.

By AMANDA PAIEMENT Staff Writer

When people think of theatre in Niagara, Niagara-on-the-Lakeʼs Shaw Festival usu-ally comes to mind fi rst.

However, the Port Colborne Operatic So-ciety (PCOS) is thriving too. People from all over the region and beyond come to see its production every year.

Lauryn Klucach, 23, of Port Colborne, a four-year member of PCOS, is a graduate of Niagara Collegeʼs Recreation and Leisure Services program.

“With PCOS, I had always been an avid attendee of their shows, but it wasnʼt until about four years back that I got myself really involved with this amazing society,” she said.

Klucach added she worked as a directorʼs assistant for the musical Calamity Jane for her job placement at Niagara College.

“After seeing the process of making a show, I knew I had to be a part of it soon,” she said.

Klucach has also acted in Grease and Mary

Poppins and has appeared as a chorus singer in Kiss Me Kate.

Before each play, Klucach goes through the entire audition process. All auditions are held in the auditorium of Lakeshore Catholic High School, on Janet Street.

Theatre has been an important part of Klucachʼs family for generations. Her uncle was a soundman for “big-time musicals” in Toronto and throughout the United States.

She says her parents also took her and her sisters as children to plays and musicals. Her most vivid memory is seeing The Wiz-ard of Oz.

Since receiving her diploma, she worked a variety of life-guarding positions until land-ing a job at the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls as an aquatic supervisor.

She says she is now considering return-ing to Niagara College to pursue a career in public relations, but will never turn her back on theatre.

“I feel if there was only one goal I have for theatre, it would be to keep it in my life and

to always be developing my acting, dancing and singing skills ... even though theatre is an amazing hobby of mine.”

The Melody Lingers On is the focus of all her energy now. It will feature classic songs by Irving Berlin such as There s̓ No Busi-ness Like Show Business, White Christmas and God Bless America.

The musical runs through February and will be covered by Niagara News.

Klucach adds it is the people she works with who make a huge difference in the experience.

The PCOS was established in 1945 and has always played an integral part in sup-porting the community through donations, most notably to the Port Colborne General Hospital, Santa s̓ helpers and Toronto s̓ Sick Children s̓ Hospital.

Klucach says she would “love” to play a lead role one day, but for now she is very happy with her part in the current musical.

“As they say, there are no small roles, just small actors,” she giggled.

Lauryn Klucach has travelled extensively in pursuit of her dream as an actress. Her most recent trip was to New York City.

Submitted photo

Ryan Jones, 21, of the Computer Engineering program, debates between a greasy, high fat lunch and a healthful lunch. Photo by Jesse Dostal

Niagara grad has Broadway ambitions