Toonie Tuesday collects $1,261 in two hours

by Mike Dominell,
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The Semester 6 Bachelor of Science in Nursing Students (BSN) would like to thank everyone who donated money on Toonie Tuesday on February 2 at both Douglas College campuses.

We are pleased to announce that we collected $1261.12 in two hours with your
help, which the Federal government will be matching. The donations collected have been sent to the Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. The faculty member from the BSN program who helped us organize this was Roberta Mercier.

Thank you all once again for your donations!

From the Douglas College BSN Semester 6 Nursing Students Read more...

Douglas Olympic torch bearer thanks instructor

BBA student draws inspiration from Terry Fox for her walk

by Lori Kittelberg,
doug editor

Without the encouragement of one of her instructors at Douglas College, Anna Solnickova would never have applied to be the College Olympic torch bearer.

“George Fisher urged me to apply – I really owe this to him,” says Anna, now in her final semester of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) - Accounting program.

When an email went around the College asking for nominees for a torch bearer, George says he immediately thought of Anna.

“I see a lot of really good qualities in Anna both inside and outside of the classroom that exemplify the Olympic spirit, namely determination and courage,” says George.

Anna is walking her segment of the New Westminster torch bearer route on Tuesday, February 9. She starts at 12:22pm at 3rd Street and Royal Avenue, walking along Royal to 4th Street where she’ll turn left and head downhill to Agnes. (editor’s note: route subject to change – we’ll let you know if there’s any change)

The Terry Fox connection
Anna plans to draw inspiration from Terry Fox. At 17, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right knee. Having immigrated to Canada from the Czech Republic at age 13, she had learned about Terry Fox in an ESL class, but hadn’t quite grasped his importance in Canadian history. When she was diagnosed with the same cancer as Terry, her boyfriend (now her husband) told her more about him.

“Terry Fox was my main motivation to get through it. It was scary how identical our stories were. I was 17 when I was diagnosed, he was 18. It was the same cancer in the same location. His selflessness saved my leg and saved my life. Without his work, I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you today,” says Anna.

In 2005, she was diagnosed with sarcoma in her lungs – the same cancer that Terry Fox died from. It was at that point that she contacted Terry’s brother, Darryl, and got involved with the Terry Fox Foundation.

After treatment, which included removing half of one of her lungs and chemotherapy, Anna says it was time to decide what she wanted to do with her life. Her mother is an accountant, so she chose the Accounting Program at Douglas, then transferred to the BBA Program.

Friends and mentors
She says the instructors make all the difference in the program. George Fisher, Don Valeri and Bill Archibald “really care about their students’ success in and out of the classroom,” Anna notes, adding that she counts them all as friends and mentors.

Anna recalls the first time she told George she was involved with the Terry Fox Run, he immediately opened his wallet and handed her $100. “Each year he increases his donation. This year, he may be up to $1,000,” she laughs.

With the encouragement of her friends at Douglas and with Terry Fox’s determination in mind, Anna is ecstatic to play a role in the 2010 Olympic Games.

“Terry Fox’s approach was to meet life’s challenges head on, which is what the Olympics are all about. I try to take this approach too. You can do whatever you put your mind to.”

It will be Colour Douglas Red Day at the New West Campus on Tuesday, February 9 – Anna will join the celebrations shortly after her walk. The party hits the David Lam Campus on Thursday, February 11. Get all the details at douglascollege.ca/olympic-torch-bearer Read more...

A message from the DSU

Haiti relief update

My name is Priscilla and I am the External Relations Coordinator for the Douglas Students' Union. I had initially sent an email about our match funding groups who wanted to fundraise for the relief efforts for Haiti.

I was not clear with my messaging and there has been miscommunication since. I would like to say that this was not the DSU as a whole that has made this error, it was myself. When requested I mistakenly did not send the following message:

"The DSU is committed to making every effort to raise funds for Haiti. Our primary fundraiser will be a bake sale held in the concourse on January 28. DSU will match funds collected by DSU though direct fund raising or clubs to a total maximum of $500before January 29, 2009 and requires the funds to be sent though DSU to a legitimate aid organization. DSU will also be making an up front contribution of $500 to Haiti aid."

The DSU believes in supporting the efforts put forward for this cause and are doing their best to rectify any problems because of this error.

I thank you for the moment of your time, I wanted to apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Priscilla Bartleman
External Relations Coordinator
Douglas Students' Union Read more...

Get Accounting info - and free food

By Allyn Edwards
DCBA Accounting Representative

Hey future accountants: get some great career advice and a bite to eat. The Douglas College Business Association (DCBA) is hosting a free Accounting Information Session on Wednesday, February 10.

There will be presentations by CA, CGA and CMA representatives explaining what each designation involves, why you should choose the designation, and the best way to pursue each designation.

This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about a future in accounting, what direction you want to take and how to go about it, and to network with representatives from the designations. So stop by, enjoy some pizza and learn about the opportunities of becoming an accountant.

Where: Room 1812/1814, New Westminster Campus
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Time: 5-6pm, doors open 4:45pm
Price: Free! Please register. In the event of a full house, priority will be given to registered individuals.

Free pizza and pop will be offered Read more...

Win Canucks tickets at Health Fair

By Britta Peterson
Student Wellness Awareness Team

Think you’re healthy? The Douglas College SWAT (Student Wellness Awareness Team) wants you to come out to the Health and Wellness Fair on Tuesday, February 2 in the David Lam atrium and Wednesday, February 3 in the New West concourse, from 10:00am-2:00pm both days.

As a student at Douglas College, you have access to tons of free services to promote your health and well being including:
• sport science health and fitness assessments
• chiropractor
• recreation, fitness centre and gym access
• naturopathic doctor
• and many more

Make your way through several interactive booths at the Health and Wellness Fair, including a massage therapist, chiropractor, a naturopathic doctor, the Sport Science, Nursing and Therapeutic Recreation departments, DC Recreation, and many more!

Sample some free snacks and enter to win Canucks tickets and other awesome student health and wellness-related prizes!

The fair will also include a fundraising booth organized by Health Sciences students for the Canadian Red Cross's disaster relief in Haiti. Donations over $10.00 will receive a tax receipt.

Stop trying to make an excuse; it’s too good to miss! Read more...

New TESL Program starts in May

by Lori Kittelberg, doug editor

Combine zero teaching skills with teaching a new language to students whose mother-tongue and culture you may not be familiar with and it’s a recipe for disaster.

ESL instructor Janice Penner (second from right in the above photo) knows from experience. In the summer of 1979, she was a volunteer teacher in Japan. She was mystified about how to engage her students and the textbook she was given only had grammar drills.

Years later, she was in Taiwan, studying Mandarin while also teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).

“I had my degree and experience, and the difference was incredible in how much more effectively the students were learning. I was less stressed out and much more confident in my teaching ability,” Janice says.

“People without training are often overwhelmed with the errors their students make – are they because of language barriers, cultural communication issues or because the student has learned something incorrectly?” she explains.

As the coordinator of the new Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Citation at Douglas, Janice hopes to prevent this type of scenario in Canada as well as abroad.

The new, one-semester TESL Program is being offered at the New Westminster Campus starting in May. It is open to those who want to teach ESL locally and internationally. How is it unique? It includes a course specifically on tutoring, plus a 30-hour practicum (many similar programs offer the minimum requirement of 20 hours).

Canada, along with countries like Taiwan, Korea and China are now setting higher standards for foreign English-language teachers. Anyone planning to teach in Canada or abroad would be well-advised to get a credential. And with more people earning money on the side as ESL tutors, it never hurts to have a leg up on the competition.

The program is well-suited to anyone who is looking for a career shift, those who want to pay their way as they travel abroad, ESL tutors and anyone with an interest in other cultures. Applicants do not have to be native-English speakers.

For more information, contact Janice Penner at pennerj@douglas.bc.ca or 604-527-5175. Read more...

Students fundraise for Haiti

Douglas students are working together to raise money for Haiti relief efforts. Take your pick of baked goods, Toonie Tuesday or a birthday bash.

Bake sale
The Douglas College Students' Union (DSU) is hosting a bake sale this Thursday, January 28 in the concourse at the New West Campus.

Basic Musicianship student Stephanie Fornell, who is a member of a young mom’s group at Stepping Stones, pitched the bake sale idea to the DSU after brainstorming fundraising ideas with a Stepping Stones worker.

The DSU is encouraging students who want to donate baking for the sale to drop by its office – the second floor of the DSU building in New West or room A1190 at the David Lam Campus – to get college bake sale rules. The DSU Representative Committee is matching funding of up to $500 total for groups that fundraise for Haiti relief efforts through DSU.

The DSU is also offering the use of its space and resources, such as photocopying, to college fundraisers. In addition to any funds the DSU matches, it will also make an additional donation of $500 from the DSU Donation Fund.

“If anyone has any other ideas about how to fundraise and would like to do so through DSU to have us match the funding, we encourage ideas,” says DSU External Relations Coordinator Priscilla Bartleman.

Toonie Tuesday
Meanwhile, semester-six Bachelor of Science in Nursing students are holding a Toonie Tuesday fundraiser on Tuesday, February 2, with collection points in the New West concourse and the atriums of both buildings at the David Lam Campus. All funds will go to the Red Cross of Canada.

DCBA bash
On Saturday, January 30, the Douglas College Business Association (DCBA) celebrates its 1st birthday bash off campus. The DCBA will be donating 10% of net proceeds from ticket sales to Haiti relief efforts. DCBA President Aleem Jinnah is hopeful that the DSU will match its funds. See the DCBA website for details on its event.

For more information on having funds raised for Haiti relief matched by the DSU, contact Priscilla at 604-527-5114 or 604-777-6257. Read more...

Learn about stocks and investments

image from Lucid Markets

Want to invest your dollars but unsure of where to start? The Student Investment Club is offering an Investment Orientation Session next Wednesday, January 27 from 4:30-6:30pm in room 1614 at the New West Campus. It’s open to all Douglas students. To learn more, read on for details, courtesy of its founder.

By Aiko Yao

I first came up with the idea of starting a Student Investment Club during the Summer semester. I was working on New Student Orientation with Kyle Baillie, Eric Glanville and Melody McKiernan from the Office for New Students. I was inspired to make a change on campus – in particular, I wanted to offer more student clubs to Douglas College students. I was in the Financial Services Management Program (I recently shifted to Accounting) and came up with the idea of combining finance and event planning.

I talked to William Archibald, coordinator of the BBA-Finance Program, about the idea. He encouraged me to start on it and helped me in every way. Joe Ilsever agreed to be the club’s faculty advisor and has been really great in giving me advice and information to better develop the club. And I couldn’t have pulled it off without the help of Student Investment Club officers Sonika Jhajj, Kyle Kozma, Andrei Tchourakov, Arthur Messakh, Christopher Paik and Sophia Han – they are major contributors to the club and a big reason for its successful launch.

The first part of the Investment Orientation next Wednesday will include an introduction and an explanation of investment terminology. The second part will be a presentation on portfolio management by Business instructors Joe Ilsever and George Stroppa. After the orientation, we will have monthly meetings starting in March, where we’ll get into more detailed topics relating to the field. We are planning to get some outside speakers from banks or investment companies.

If you have any questions, you can contact me at info@dcinvestmentclub.ca or call 778-318-9308. Read more...

Haiti earthquake

By Michael Wilson, Ed Frey and Dave Waddington
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences has put up a large, detailed poster about the geology of the Haitian earthquake. The poster is in the hallway across from the Geology lab (3805) at the New Westminster Campus, and a copy will be posted at the David Lam Campus this week. Alongside the poster, we have indicated links for additional information.

The poster was prepared by the US Geological Survey only hours after the earthquake and was printed here on campus.

We hope that people on campus will find this information interesting and useful and, of course, that everyone will contribute in their own way to the relief effort. Here is a link to Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade describing Canada's relief efforts.

For information on earthquakes, both local and international, go to the Earthquakes Canada website, which also has links concerning the Haitian earthquake.

For anyone wanting to contribute to the relief effort in Haiti, visit the Canadian Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders – doug editor
Read more...

EVENT 2010 Non-Fiction Contest

Have a knack with the written word? EVENT, the Douglas College literary journal, is holding its annual creative non-fiction writing contest. There are three $500 prizes to be had, plus payment for publication!

Entries may be up to 5,000 words, double-spaced. Previously published stories or stories already accepted elsewhere for publication will not be accepted. Douglas College employees are not eligible to enter. For full details, rules and regulations, visit EVENT online. Read more...