the dialog orientation issue aug 25-sept 14 2014

WELCOME!The Dialog welcomes students, new and old.

GBC Student Newspaper • Founded 1982

Aug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

GBC support staff get wage hike in tentative agreement P.2

Trans Inclusion Working Group at GBC P.4

Hot hook-up apps P.10

Apartment hunting hell P.10

2 The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca

NEWS Aug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

THE DIALOG IS...

Advertise with us. Managing EditorMick Sweetman

Assistant EditorTina Todaro

Art Director/IllustratorSamantha Bullis

Photo/Video EditorMichael Nguyen

Staff ReportersMaverick SmithBrittany BarberDora Liu

Follow us on Social Media!Facebook.com/thedialogonlineTwitter: @dialogGBC

Drop by or contact The Dialog at:Room E122 - Casa Loma142 Kendal AvenueToronto, ON M5R 1M3www.dialog.studentassociation.caTel: 416-415-5000 ext. 2764Fax: [email protected]

The Dialog newspaper is published by The Dialog Collective under the auspices of the Student Asso-ciation of George Brown College. The collective is responsible for the overall vision and direc-tion of The Dialog newspaper, as it coincides with the larger vision of mission of the Student Association. The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by the Student Association. Occasionally, some adver-tisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the Student Association. Opinions expressed in The Dialog are not necessarily those of The Dialog Collective, the Stu-dent Association of George Brown College, or its editorial staff. The Dialog will not publish any material that attempts to in-cite violence or hatred against in-dividuals or groups, particularly based on race, national origin, ethnicity, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. Contributions to The Dialog are always welcome. We request that articles be submitted as digital

copies in plain-text (TXT) or rich- text (RTF) format. Letters to the editor can be sent in an email message to [email protected]. Images should be in EPS for-mat for vector files or in TIFF for-mat at 300 dpi for raster files.

The Dialog is a member of CUP, the Canadian University Press

The Dialog is published by the Student Association of George Brown College

The Dialog is a free, biweekly newspaper available to 24,000 students at George Brown College’s four campuses. To place an ad in our next issue, contact us at [email protected] or call us at: (416) 415-5000 (ext. 2764). Colour ads and a variety of sizes are available.

GBC support staff get wage hike in tentative agreementMICK SWEETMANMANAGING EDITOR

Over 220,000 students won’t have to wor-ry about chaos in Ontario colleges or face crossing noisy picket lines when school starts in September. The union representing 8,000 support staff have reached a tentative agreement with Ontario’s 24 colleges. The agreement comes one day before the College Employ-er Council could have initiated a forced ratification vote. The current contract for the support staff expires on Aug. 31. According to Marilou Martin, presi-dent of Ontario Public Service Employ-ees Union (OPSEU) local 557 at George Brown College, the tentative agreement is a four-year deal with wage increases of one per cent in the first year and second years with 0.5 per cent hikes in the third and fourth years. There will also be one per cent lump-sum payments in the third and fourth year of the contract. Florry Foster, chair of the bargaining team for college support staff workers, said that the lump-sum payments are pension-able earnings meaning they will count to-wards workers’ pensions. Martin said one bereavement day for

staff was also added, but there were no major changes to the collective agreement. “The students know who we are. We’re not just janitors and tradesmen, we’re skilled technologists in a variety of roles that support their education,” said Foster, who has worked as a chemical engineer technologist at St. Clair College for 15 years. “We’re really looking forward to rati-fying this deal and continuing to provide support for the students.” Foster says that the OPSEU bargaining team will be touring the 24 colleges in the province and recommending the agree-ment to their members. While Martin is still waiting to receive the agreement in writing she says she will be also recommending the deal to George Brown staff based on what she’s heard. “You have to look at the big picture, nobody’s going to go on strike at this time. If you vote it down, you are looking at a strike,” said Martin. “In reality, are you go-ing to get anything for striking at this time? Absolutely not, it wouldn’t be worth it.” In 2011, support staff were on strike for 18 days which saw students facing long lines trying to use understaffed services. According to a joint press release from OPSEU and the College Employers Coun-

cil, the full details of the tentative agree-ment won’t be released until the workers ratify the agreement. The ratification vote could happen as early as mid-September. “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement well ahead of the contract expiry of August 31,” said Gerry Barker, Chair of the Colleges’ Bargaining Team in the press release. “Reaching the agree-ment now provides certainty for our sup-port staff, for our colleges and most im-portantly for the hundreds of thousands of students looking forward to starting their studies this September.” In the initial round of bargaining, OP-SEU made 25 specific proposals to changes to the collective agreement on issues such as benefits, health & safety, job postings & secu-rity, leaves, wages and working conditions. The College Employer Council had sought to enhance operational flexibility and productivity, as well as implement green initiatives. “It’s good news for the students because they have one less set of negotiations to worry about—the faculty is still out there,” said Martin. College faculty, who are also represent-ed by OPSEU, are still in bargaining and have set a strike vote for Sept. 25.

MONDAY WEDNESDAYTUESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

DAILY CHECK UP

3The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca

Dean’s Welcome for New First Year StudentsAug. 26–28Registration deadline Aug. 25.Varies by program. More info at georgebrown.ca/orientation

Transition to College for Students with Learning DisabilitiesAug. 25–29Career Centre, Casa Loma campus Register at [email protected]

Choose an adaptive technology workshop9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m OR 1 p.m–3:30 p.m.Career Centre, Casa Loma Campusregister at [email protected]

Fan Expo Canada begins Various times Metro Convention Centre 255 Front Street West, $25–40. fanexpocanada.com

St. James Campus Street Festival11 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Main Event Thursday5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.Kings Lounge, St. James campus Free for GBC students/$10 for a guest, limit of one guest per student.

Labour Day Waterfront Campus Street Festival11 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Fall 2014 term starts. Classes begin.

Casa Loma Campus Street Festival11 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Cabbagetown Short Film and Video Festival 8 p.m.–10 p.m. $15 Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester

KL Pub Night Series7:00 p.m.–MidnightKings Lounge, St. James campus Free for GBC students/$10 for a guest, limit of one guest per student.

SA Waterfront Day10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.Main Lobby, Waterfront campus

SA St. James Day10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.2nd Floor Patio, St. James campus

Last day to add a course to your schedule. Last day to transfer programs or sections.

SA Casa Loma Day10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.Student Centre, Casa Loma campus

Deep Fried FridaysEvery Friday Free. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W, harbourfrontcentre.com

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August 25–September 14, 2014

Aug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

Finding personal and academic support at schoolBRITTANY BARBERSTAFF REPORTER

For new and returning students, the stresses of life will eventually catch up with you. Thankfully at George Brown College (GBC), every student has the opportunity to speak to someone who will listen and care about what they have to say. “Everyone has distinct areas of inter-est. If you come with a particular area of concern, we will try our best to fit you with the right person,” said Jeremy Jacob, a new counsellor at GBC’s Casa Loma campus. For no cost at all, students who are look-ing for a confidant, whether they’re at Casa Loma, St. James, or Waterfront campus, can book an appointment with a counsellor at any time that works best with your schedule. According to the third annual Sun Life Ca-nadian Health Index compiled by Ipsos Reid in 2012, 90 per cent of 18 to 24 year-olds ex-perience excessive stress and 72 per cent of

adult Canadians are feeling overwhelmed. “The counselling service at GBC is a short-term service, on average six to eight sessions,” said Jacob. “However, If you’re still feeling like you require more support, services may be extended.” During your initial meeting with your counsellor, you get to discuss anything that may be causing you stress, worry or grief. Your counsellor is there to listen and work with you no matter the issue. According to the student affairs hand-out, counsellors are trained to work with you through personal, academic and career counselling. This includes, but is not lim-ited to, stress, addictions, eating disorders as well as support for low motivation and procrastination. “We try to provide different genders for people to connect with, some people are more comfortable with males or females,” said Jacob. Jacob is keen on making sure students are not intimidated, “We are approachable

and personable because we were also new students at one time. It’s difficult, demand-ing and challenging.” At GBC there is no judgement as our trusted counsellors are your support sys-tems, your crutch and even your anchor. “If students don’t know what is going on with them, they just know they have a prob-lem, come in and speak to a counsellor. We’re trained to start unpacking it. Lets explore and find out how we can help you,” said Jacob. Counselling services don’t stop at George Brown. Good 2 Talk is a post-secondary student helpline that is there to answer your calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This hotline is a free, profes-sional and confidential service where the callers always remain anonymous. There is no limit on what you can talk about. You can reach this helpline by calling 1-866-925-5454.

PHOTO: BRITTANY BARBER/THE DIALOG

Right: The front desk of the counselling centre


New Trans Inclusion Working GroupTINA TODAROASSISTANT EDITOR

“As a trans student, I have struggled to ad-vocate for myself in many of my classes when trans-related issues arose,” said Euan Hwang, 24, a student in the social worker program. Hwang said he often felt alone in this battle, which made it hard to advocate for himself and educate others. He’s is now fighting for equality as member of a new Trans Inclusion Working Group at George Brown College (GBC) “I do not want other trans students to ex-perience the same barriers that I’ve faced so I decided to be involved in making the changes to get rid of the barriers,” said Hwang. The Trans Inclusion Working Group’s mandate is to create and implement policies that are trans inclusive, which includes but is not limited to terms such as transgender, transsexual, two-spirited and gender-queer, for the Student Association (SA) of GBC. “We are trying to develop new services

for students who belong to different mar-ginalized groups,” said Colin Druhan, manager of equity for the SA. “We also started thinking about barriers to our cur-rent programs and services.” According to the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario’s website, discrimina-tion and oppression against queer and trans people are barriers to education and when students, faculty and staff work or study in unsafe spaces, their access to, or ability to provide quality education is compromised. “Even though George Brown College strives to be inclusive of everyone, there are many systematic barriers for trans students that make it difficult for the trans students to feel safe and welcome in the campus,” said Hwang. “Some of the barriers include the college infrastructure such as the wash-rooms and the athletic centre being strictly segregated by the two biological genders and lacking gender neutral options.” According to Hwang students will be also able to unlearn transphobia and ultimately advocate for systematic changes that are

more inclusive of trans students. The Trans Inclusion Working Group is hoping to implement policy change to en-sure that the voices of trans students are heard, and that their needs are met by the SA’s staff and board. “We wanted to get some feedback from students who are trans-identified, so they can look at our policies and the way that we do things in the Student Association, to make things more accessible and remove barriers,” said Druhan. “Often, the targets of trans-awareness campaigns are external gatekeepers or insti-tutions, but the spirit of this group includes looking at ourselves and our organization first and then modelling the way,” said Mi-chelle Pettis, the SA’s Community Action Centre co-ordinator. Aiming to support all students in the struggle, Pettis says they also see this group bringing trans students into the SA’s decision making.

NEWS Aug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

Official IELTS test centre launched on campus

DORA LIUSTAFF REPORTER

For local students who want to further their studies abroad, or international students who need to meet the admission requirements of a college or university, an International Eng-lish Language Testing System (IELTS) test result is always indispensable. An IELTS is an English-language profi-ciency test for higher education and global migration, widely recognized by colleges and universities around the world. As a professional English as a second lan-guage (ESL) program provider, George Brown College (GBC) announced on their website that it was authorized to launch an official IELTS test centre at the St. James campus ESL Building at 341 King Street East. “IELTS is a high-stakes test,” said Chris Hall, George Brown’s IELTS manager, on the GBC website. “It is a critically-important part of many candidates’ college, university, or immigration applications.” This is convenient for students, espe-cially those in the English for academic purposes (EAP) program, most of whom need an IELTS test to apply to college or university programs. The centre gives general and academic tests three times a month on Saturdays, and once a month on Thursdays. Students can register online or in-person at the centre, but if they register online they can get 30 hours of free online test preparation. After the test, all the candidates are able to check their results online. The test costs $299 and there is no dis-count for GBC students. For more details and registration contact the IELTS at 416-415-5000 ext. 2564 or by email at [email protected]. More information can be found on the GBC website, www.georgebrown.ca/ielts

PHOTO: DORA LIU/THE DIALOG


SPORTS

Star player Frankie Gyamfi dies of cancer

BRITTANY BARBERSTAFF REPORTER

This summer, George Brown College (GBC) students, staff and friends commemorated the life of Frankie (Gamz) Gyamfi who died on June 21, after a long battle with cancer. Gyamfi would have been 24 years old this September. “The limitations you assume yourself to have, are yours only because you continue to believe, support and defend those assump-tions #GAMZHOUR” Gyamfi tweeted on October 10, 2011. Gyamfi was a basketball point-guard for the George Brown Huskies who was voted Most Valuable Player in 2011. In an article published on the GBC ath-letics website, David Grossman wrote that Gyamfi worked with youth as a mentor in a “tough Toronto neighbourhood,” before deciding to continue his education at GBC in the business administration and human resources program. Gyamfi often tweeted, “Another day an-other blessing #Blessed #Thankful” in his times of struggle while also updating his fol-lowers on his toughest times tweeting, “Bed rest” twice in April. Touching the hearts of many, Gyamfi kept a positive attitude during his battle with cancer. On his twitter account @Frank_Gizzle, Gyamfi posted motivational thoughts and believed patience was a virtue.

Aug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

PHOTOS: GBC ATHLETICS

Huskies tryoutschedule Badminton:Sun, Sept. 28, 8 p.m.–10 p.m.Tues, Sept. 30, 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m.Sat, Oct. 4, 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Alex Barbier Gym

Cross Country:Tues, Sept. 9, 6 p.m. Thu, Sept. 11, 6 p.m.Sat, Sept. 13, 12 p.m.Mon, Sept. 15, 6 p.m.Thu, Sept. 18, 6 p.m.Riverdale Park East

Women’s Basketball:Mon, Sept. 8, 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.Tues, Sept. 9, 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Wed, Sept. 10, 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.Thu, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m.Sun, Sept. 14, 1 p.m.–3 p.m.Alex Barbier Gym

Baseball:Tues, Aug. 26, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.Wed, Aug. 27, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.Thu, Aug. 28, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.Tues, Sept. 2, 6 p.m.–9 p.m.Wishing Well Park

Women’s Soccer:Fri, Aug. 15, 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Wed, Aug. 20, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.Sun, Aug. 24, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. Wed, Aug. 27, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. Mon, Sept. 1, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. Tues, Sept. 2, 5 p.m.–7 p.m.Wed, Sept. 3, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.Cherry Beach Field East

Men’s Soccer:Fri, Aug. 15 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Wed, Aug. 20, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.Sun, Aug. 24, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.Wed, Aug. 27, 4 p.m.–6 p.m.Mon, Sept. 1, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Tues, Sept. 2, 5 p.m.–7 p.m.Wed, Sept. 3, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. Cherry Beach Field East

Women’s Volleyball:Mon, Sept. 8, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Tues, Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.Wed, Sept. 10, 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m.Sun, Sept. 14, 10 p.m.–1 p.m.Mon, Sept. 15, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m.Tues, Sept. 16 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.Wed, Sept. 17, 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m.Alex Barbier Gym

Men’s Volleyball:Mon, Sept. 8, 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Wed, Sept 10, 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Alex Barbier Gym

Men’s Basketball:Fri, Sept. 5, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.Sat, Sept. 6, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Sun, Sept. 7, 6 p.m.–8 p.m. Alex Barbier Gym

The hashtag #GAMZHOUR began back in 2011 when Gamz started clearing time in his day to post motivational tweets to anyone following him. Through feedback from Gyamfi’s friends, #GAMZHOUR had a positive boost on others’ timelines. Gyamfi also sent “Monday Motivations” and “Work Hard Wednesdays” text messages directly to people. Now #GAMZHOUR has been used by his friends and teammates to remember him. Always trying to help his teammates in times of need, Gyamfi was well respected and was referred to as unselfish and a posi-tive person. Ed Mark, GBC’s manager of athletics and recreation says that the college will be naming an award after Gyamfi. An event was put on in honour of Gyamfi on July 4 where there was live music, raffles and a suggested donation fee of $20, along with shirts that were made in his honour, with all proceeds also going directly to Gyamfi’s family. The front of the shirt read, “Calls are cool, texts are alright, tweets are chill, Face-book messages are okay but nothing beats seeing that someone in person #GamzHour.” Gyamfi tweeted it on January 13, 2013. The back reads, “Gone but never forgotten R.I.P Frankie Gyamfi.” Gyamfi will remain in the hearts of every-one as #GAMZHOUR continues to spread through social media.

Above, Below: #4 Frankie Gyamfi was an invaluable part of the GBC basketball team

Check your George Brown College email. You’ve accepted your offer of admission—con-gratulations! You now have an email address with George Brown. All of your communica-tion from the college will automatically be sent to this address. Your GBC email is your link to the college and your program. This infor-mation is vital to your success as a student, so check this email daily.

Textbooks are expensive. After looking at your tuition fees, you may be smiling over the fact that they are lower than universities, savour that moment. Once you walk into the bookstore you’ll see that college textbooks are no less expensive than their uni-versity counterparts. So, to succeed in your courses be sure to account for all textbook costs.

Register for your classes early. Find the course code for your program, look up your registration time and pick your classes the second your time slot opens. Following these steps can mean the difference between having classes five days a week starting at 8 a.m. or having classes three days a week starting at noon.

Schedule time to find your classrooms. The various GBC campuses are like mazes–they are rabbit tunnels composed of class-rooms, computer labs and offices. You may need a map to help you navigate through them. Plan campus travelling time into your schedule.

Check your time table before classes start. Once you’ve registered for classes, know who your professors are, your class times and class locations, it’s time to print out your timetable and relax, right? Wrong. Your time table can change right before classes begin, so check STU-VIEW constantly to keep up-to-date with any schedule changes.

If you need help, seek out student services. George Brown has countless services to help stu-dents deal with issues ranging from coursework to counselling. The Student Association also has a number of offices set up specifically to deal with the needs and concerns of students that may be overlooked by the college.

Start looking for placements early. Completing placements is often manda-tory to graduate, so start your placement hunt as soon as you begin your program. Submit your police background check as early as possible as it may take months to process. Doing these things means you will have the first pick of placement options.

Have a life outside of classes because school isn’t everything. Obviously learning is important to you, oth-erwise you wouldn’t be enrolled in college. But there is more to life then getting that of-ficial piece of paper. Take time to engage in activities unrelated to academics. Balancing your social life and education will help you to succeed as a student.

ILLUSTRATION: SAMANTHA BULLIS/THE DIALOG

8 things I wish I knew in first yearMAVERICK SMITHSTAFF REPORTER


Student advice: finding work on campusDORA LIUSTAFF REPORTER

Safe, convenient and relatively well paid! Noth-ing is better than working on campus if you are a student and want a job. There are a lot of favorable part-time positions hiding in our campus. Two students, local and international, shared how they got their jobs and what they believe is important when job hunting. “f-ju-əl, not f-ul. Okay, try again. f-ju--əl.” Ashlee Chatten, a second-year student in the assaulted women’s and children’s coun-sellor/advocate program, is genially using her lips to shape ‘ju’ and ‘u’ to teach the word ‘fuel’, not ‘fool’, to her Chinese student in the tutoring and learning centre (TLC). Chatten is a part-time English tutor in TLC at George Brown College’s (GBC) St. James campus. Working one-on-one as an English tutor, as well as in English conversa-tion circles, she earns $12.50 an hour. For Chatten this is a good job with comfortable pay. Other than having a GPA of 3.0 or high-er and an A grade in college English, the English tutor position requires candidates to successfully complete an interview and a practical skills assessment test, according the TLC website. “The interview is very casual and the test was not extremely difficult,” said Chatten. “It was a role play where I helped some-body edit a paragraph and the test was just basically grammar.” Ashlee found this job directly on TLC’s

BUSINESS & TECHAug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

Top 5 desirable part-time jobs on campus 1. Tutor (English or Math)

Department: TLC Wages per hour: $12.25-$15 Requirements: GPA 3.0 or higher, A grade for English or math.

2. Blogger Department: International Centre

Wages per hour: $12-$14 Requirements: Proficient in writing

one required foreign language, e.g. Korean, Japanese or Chinese.

3. Ad Sales (The Dialog) Department: Student Association

Wages per hour: $13.75 base pay Requirements: Sales & marketing experience.

4. Staff Reporter (The Dialog) Department: Student Association Wages: $0.13/word + $13.75/hr

for story meetings Requirements: Good at writing and editing.

5. Support Staff Department: Student Association

Wages per hour: $13.75 Requirements: Superior customer service skills.

Other places to find work on campus • Library learning commons• Open access computer labs• ESL library (casa loma)• Bookstore• Cafeteria• ESL department• Student Association• Continuing education office• Individual faculty offices• Career centre• Peer tutoring desk• Athletics• Student service centre

For details: Career Centre Website www.gbcareers.georgebrown.ca

PHOTO: DORA LIU/THE DIALOG

Ashlee Chatten (left) works on pronunciation with a student at the St. James TLC.

Jerry Gou on the job at Tim Hortons.

website. She was told by a friend that there was a job suitable for her there. Chatten’s tips for finding a good job is to spread your job-hunting message as much as you can. Let your friends know and put it on all your social media. International student Jerry Gou, a sec-ond-year student in the marketing program, has no friends or relatives in Canada. Luckily, Gou knew how to get help from career services at GBC. “They taught me how to write a North American style application letter and re-sume, explained the interview skills and showed me the job openings list,” said Gou. He found career services had given him the help he need to prepare, “but that is not enough!” Gou emphasized. “You have to realize every single position’s

key points,” said Gou, who holds a part-time job at Tim Hortons’ St. James campus loca-tion. “As a big chain restaurant, Tim Hor-tons requires its attendants to be friendly, respectful and courteous. So I approached the manager directly, and did not just leave my application letter with any staff.” After approaching the manager with his friendly, respectful and courteous character, he got the job. Gou said he has already gotten used to the different accents of George Brown students. “I have (enough) confidence, to face any-body and any requests. I am so happy with this job,” said Gou with a smile. So, next time you’re grabbing a double-double, why not say hi to Jerry and other workers on campus?


OPINION

TINA TODARO

Wake up George Brown students! Mental health and the surrounding stigma is ongoing issue, and students are not as aware as they should be. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), “de-spite being so common, mental illness continues to be met with widespread stigma in hospitals, workplaces and schools, as well as in rural and urban communities; occurring around the world, unconfined by demographics or national boundaries.” “There certainly is still stigma,” said Sebastian Sannes, 23, a business admin-istration student at George Brown Col-lege (GBC), who says stigma is a barrier for students. According to the MHCC, reducing stigma requires changes in behaviours and attitudes in terms of acceptance, respect and equal treatment of people suffering with mental health issues. “I think that within certain programs we are definitely made more aware like the transition to post-secondary educa-tion program at George Brown where the teachers discuss mental health as well as coping methods,” said Daniella, 25, a student in the program who prefers not to disclose her last name due to stigma. Culture, defined as the values, beliefs and attitudes held, learned and shared by social groups, plays a big role in how mental health is perceived at GBC. With students from a variety of cul-

QUIZ: How can you best manage your time and money?DORA LIUSTAFF REPORTER

I would like you to do two simple tests. According to the results, you will find the best suggestion for managing your time and money. Okay, let’s start!

Results: Mix your answers from group A and group B to find out what your time and money management suggestions are.

Group A1. Do you need to pay for your housing?

a. Yes b. No

2. Do you need to pay your tuition fees by yourself ?

a. Yes b. No

3. Do you have RESP support?

a. Yes b. No

4. Do you have OSAP support?

a. Yes b. No

5. Are you a local student?

a. Yes b. No

If you have three or more “a”, you are DRY. If you have less than three “a”, you are DAMP.

Group B 1. Do you live in downtown Toronto?

a. Yes b. No

2. Do you have a car?

a. Yes b. No

3. Are you in a relationship?

a. Yes b. No

4. Do you have eight or more classes this semester?

a. Yes b. No

5. Do you need to work?

a. Yes b. No

If you have three or more “b”, you are a LAKE. If you have less than three “b”, you are a RIVER.

Dry River: Worst case! You don’t have enough money or time. 1. Try to find more roommates to live with.2. Buy used textbooks. 3. Manage your meals or pack a lunch.4. Give up the data plan for your mobile.

GBC provides free Wi-Fi.5. Buy only what you need, not what you want.

Dry Lake: You have time but no money. Our suggestions are:1. Work! Work! Work!2. Walk, bicycle, car-pool or ride public

transit only.3. Use second-hand textbooks or lease them.4. Buy $5 meals from Chef on the Run in

the atrium of the hospitality building at St. James campus.

5. Spend more time studying. Apply for as many scholarships you can.

Full River: You have money but no time. Our suggestions are:1. Move to downtown near your campus. 2. Minimize your school days.3. Diminish your texting hours, facebook

hours or net browsing hours.4. Plan your daily and weekly schedule.5. Having a smartphone helps. This time

you need a data plan.

Full Lake: You are lucky to have enough time and money. 1. Spend some extra time studying. 2. Try volunteering or join a student club!

Add to the work experience that’s al-ready on your resume.

3. Start a tax-free savings account.4. Make time to exercise or play a sport.5. Go on vacation!

GBC students are not as aware of mental health as they should be

tures, we need to help create a place where all students can feel comfortable with each other and where everyone is treated equally regardless of mental health issues. Are students helping students? “I want it to happen,” said Sannes. He suggests “peer groups where students can support each other through shar-ing of experiences, without resulting in backlash from others.” Students are in denial that mental health issues can happen to anyone. “They like to neglect or deny the pos-sibility that something bad can happen to them or their close ones, and lie to them-selves until it hits them,” said Gustavo Möller, 21, a marketing student at GBC. “You have to learn what’s going on with you first and then once you get past that and figure out, well this isn’t who I am but rather a part of me, you develop self-acceptance,” said Sannes. “Others will realize this and become more aware and accepting.” We as students need to realize that ev-eryone is unique in their own way, and be accepting of each other for who we are.

Tina Todaro is the assistant editor for The Dialog and a student in George Brown Col-lege’s (GBC) continuing education journalism program. She has been involved with the GBC More Than Me project, Mad Pride Toronto, volunteered at CAMH and has a Mental Health First Aid certificate from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

BUSINESS & TECHAug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

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ARTS & LIFEAug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

Savour the student life: enjoy your time at schoolDEVON GREENETHE XAVERIAN WEEKLY

ANTIGONISH (CUP) — They say that college or university will be the best years of our lives — the years that will define us and shape us into the person we will become. That is a lot of pressure put on already stressful years. What is it about this experience that is so pivotal? The truth is that these years don’t define you because they are more important, but because there are more options. There are more paths you can take and a single choice can alter the course of the rest of your life in amazing ways. When I was in high school I hated hear-ing this, but as a fourth-year student I think it’s true. Looking back, I was a different person altogether. It may sound cliché, but these are the years when you will be pre-sented with incredible opportunities that aren’t possible when you have a career, a mortgage or a family. Student housing is a unique experience. You have the rest of your life to live in a de-

cent house or apartment. You can live in a run-down student house now and not feel bad about it. You can live with complete strangers and know that you will at least have your school in common, if nothing else. It is also probably the only time that your home will be so temporary. Student leases are easy come, easy go; if you don’t like the people you are living with, move next year. You can live in a different place every year if you want to. Finding a great group of people to live with early in your program is amazing, but finding people you hate living with can be a valuable experi-ence as well. It’s a great way to find out what type of people you can live with, and what things drive you crazy. When you move to a strange new city to find a job, you won’t have the option to move around year-to-year. So experiment with accommodation. Live on a busy street, try a quiet area, have a couple roommates or 10. You’ll have a better idea of what to look for when you move on. Universities and colleges are unique places made up of people from all different

walks of life. Your friends will be from dif-ferent places, be enrolled in different pro-grams and have different hobbies than you. When you’re older, the majority of your friends will be people from work or people you met through common hobbies. At no other time will you be exposed to such a variety of lifestyles simultaneously. Joining clubs is a great way to expand this exposure even further. Whether through classes or associations, there are amazing opportunities open to all students. Clubs receive funding and do fundraising throughout the year to make these opportunities accessible for everyone. I was completely new to almost everything I tried and I never felt like I was out of place or too inexperienced to be there. Open-minded people created a safe, judgement-free environment to explore. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that it’s okay to be dirt-poor. I can’t stress this enough; student living is hard—for everyone. Some people are bet-ter off than others, but for the most part we are all struggling. Embrace it.

Being a student is a great excuse to be poor so don’t be afraid to be cheap. You’re not going to look any cooler blowing all your money at the bar; you’ll just regret it later. Take advantage of student discounts. There are some really great deals out there for students. Don’t be afraid to use the food bank on campus, that’s what it’s there for. People don’t judge students for being broke, they expect it. There is no need to be embarrassed. You have the rest of your life to make money and stress about it. Wear a sweater and turn down the heat, look up some cheap recipe ideas or live off cereal for a while. Things will get better, but for now there isn’t a lot you can do about your financial situation. The things you do and the people who you surround yourself with will be the dif-ference between an amazing experience and one that is sub-par. So be bold, be brave, be broke if you have to, but most importantly, embrace your student lifestyle because it won’t last forever.

PHOTO: FLICKR USER TULANE PUBLIC RELATIONS/CC BY 2.0


ARTS & LIFEAug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

Apartment hunting hell:Avoiding sketchy landlords and questionable scamsBRITTANY BARBERSTAFF REPORTER

It’s that time of the year again—meeting with landlords, filling out applications, asking for loans and hoping you don’t get screwed. We’re talking about apartment hunting. “The first apartment my boyfriend and I looked at seemed great until the landlord, who had scheduled a time to meet, asked us to wait an hour more once we had already got-ten there,” said Janet McDonald, 24, a student in the architectural technology program. “We grabbed a beer, wasted some time and headed back to see the unit until the landlord pushed the meeting back again and hung up on us, resulting in us quickly losing interest,” said McDonald. According to the George Brown housing services website, students can usually find a place to live within two to three weeks. Make sure you’re prepared and know exactly what you’re looking for. Before your search, get familiar with your rights on the Landlord and Tenant Board’s website (www.ltb.gov.on.ca) to avoid any questionable scams. According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Toronto has a vacancy rate of 1.9 per cent. What does this mean? A vacancy rate is calculated as the percentage of all available units that are vacant at any given time. No matter the vacancy rate, students look-ing for an apartment must keep their eyes peeled. Often, apartments are put up for rent and taken down on the same day. You must act fast if you’re passionate about cutting down on commute costs and being closer to the heart of the city. “The next apartment we looked at

quickly had us questioning if it was worth it as we noticed there was only a shutter separating us from our neighbours’ chil-dren,” said McDonald. Luckily enough, their search ended on a positive note, finding a place within walking distance of Casa Loma campus, with no curi-ous children. George Brown’s housing services website is informative and includes a link to Ontario Student Housing, a website that helps match tenants with renters. The Student Association’s website has more housing resources, including a housing registry that has local housing listings for students as part of a national housing registry operated by the Canadian Federation of Students. While George Brown College is not open-ing their own residence in the Canary District until 2016, after it’s used as part of the athletes village for the Pan Am Games, there are private student residences such as the Primrose Hotel. Being at the right place at the right time could make all the difference. If you’re finding that listings online are getting you nowhere, it never hurts to explore your desired area to spot “for rent” signs post-ed in windows. Always walk around the neighbourhood at night with a friend to ensure that you’re comfortable living in the area. Be aware of children living in the same building with you as well because the last thing you need is the pitter patter of footsteps waking you up at 7 a.m. after a long night of studying. The apartment hunting process may seem extensive and sometimes endless. But, if you dedicate your time and don’t settle for any-thing less than you deserve, you’ll be hosting your own dinner parties in no time.

LOVE & SEX

SAM BULLIS

OKCupid QuickmatchOKCupid seems to be the standard go-to dating/hookup tool for students. While it’s ostensibly a dating site, the relatively new “quickmatch” function operates much like Tinder and facilitates similar casual inter-action. However, it differs in that it also provides a match score and generally fea-tures more fleshed-out written profiles.

Use it if you’re:Interested in a more information-based ap-proach. You can learn a little more about your matches via the available connection to their full profiles if you’re interested.

Avoid if:You find the idea of potentially seeing the personality traits and sexual proclivi-ties your friends/colleagues laid out in a handy bar graph format awkward. Com-ing across the profile of an acquaintance is an inevitability—I probably had 10 ac-quaintances recommended to me in the first couple of weeks alone.

TinderBased almost entirely on photos and brief self-descriptions, Tinder abandons any pretense of being about dating and ro-mance. Users “swipe” potential matches they like and are notified if the mojo is mutual. While its primary function is unabashedly for casual sex, stories of ro-mantic relationships started there aren’t unheard of.

Use it if:You’re curious what percentage of To-ronto men describe themselves as artists, comedians, or musicians (Hint: it’s almost everyone).

Avoid if:You have limited interest in women who describe themselves primarily with Mari-lyn Monroe quotes.

GrindrGrindr is an enormously popular hookup app for queer-identified men. It has some-thing of a reputation for an aggressively forward and explicit culture, but is the big-gest app of its kind around and encom-passes a very broad range of users.

Use it if:You’re a queer man looking for a large va-riety of potential matches.

Avoid if:Potentially aggressive come-ons are some-thing you prefer to avoid at all costs.

Find your ideal hook-up app for dating, flirting, quickies and growls

Floundering love life? Spice it up using a hool

PHOTO: BRITTANY BARBER/THE DIALOG

Though to be fair, this is always some-thing of a risk for anyone on any hookup or dating app.

GrowlrAccording to George Brown College (GBC) student Albert, who did not want to disclose his last name for privacy reasons, “the thing that differentiates Growlr from most gay social apps is the demographic target. For people that are unaware, the bear community is a gay subculture that embraces many things that would be con-sidered undesirable. Things like body hair, facial hair, being above average size, people that don’t fit the typical gay stereotype. It’s for bigger guys and their admirers.” He also considers it a more welcoming community than the alternatives. “Some guys may feel attacked when using social apps such as Grindr, Scruff, or OKCupid because they don’t fit the description of being a young, skinny, hairless guy,” said Albert. “Growlr is a gay social app that allows someone who just doesn’t fit into that description to be more comfortable.”

Use it if:You are a bigger, hairy queer dude or an admirer of the same.

Avoid if:You’re a bear of the snarling, teeth-and-claws ursine variety.

Wing Ma’amWing Ma’am offers essentially the same functionality as Tinder, but caters exclu-sively to queer women. “Wing Ma’am’s major flaw is its poor user integration,” says Sarah, a GBC alumnus who prefers to use only her first name as she isn’t com-pletely out. “It relies heavily on user-gen-erated or posted events which are scant un-less it’s around Pride. The other 11 months of the year, it’s a ghost town.”

Use it if:You’re a queer woman who prefers an online space designed with your needs in mind.

Avoid if:You’re a queer woman who prefers an on-line space where there are other women present with whom you can interact.

One of innumerable options for renters to choose from.

PUZZLES & FUNAug. 25–Sept. 14, 2014

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