News briefs: WestShore English, Young fitness, more
Young fitness centre.
Go west, young man!
Camosun’s English department is feeling finer than a frog’s hair split three ways over an English course soon to be offered at the WestShore Centre for Learning and Training Annex. English 150-English Composition will be running on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30–8:20 pm from Feb. 11 to April 22. “English 150 was very well received in the West Shore last year and that’s why we’re running the class again,” says Maureen Niwa-Heinen, chair of Camosun’s English department. To register for the WestShore’s English 150 class, contact Camosun’s Enrolment Services at 250-370–3550. Sharpen your pencils and get ready to hone some mad writing skills.
You’re as young as you feel
As many Camosun students are aware, the Young building has seen better days. With renovations in the works and a major refit to occur, the Young Building Fitness Centre project group recently held an open house to clear the air on the winds of change soon to be blowing through these hallowed halls. On Thursday, Jan. 28, in the Young’s Gibson Auditorium, architectural drawings, colour, lighting schematics, and lots of lip service helped clearly define the upcoming upheaval. There were plenty of snacks and food for thought as various ideas were volleyed about. While many of the ideas discussed are still on the drawing board, visit the Camosun website (camosun.ca) for updates on this development. It might take a little spit and polish, but soon the upgrades and upkeep will commence en masse.
Students get involved in Haiti relief
Several sympathetic students from the School of Business at the Interurban campus put together a Haitian fundraiser on Tuesday, Jan. 26 and Wednesday, Jan. 27. The event raised $750 and saw members of the community, local media, and students mingling and commiserating for this most noble relief effort. Kudos and distinction deserve to go out to Marina Jaffey, marketing and public administration instructor, and her students for this most big-hearted gesture. Way to go, gang!
Who’s got talent?
Are you really good at guessing people’s weight? Can you bust a move like it’s going out of style, or yodel like nobody’s business? Maybe you could be the next Franzl Lang (the famous Bavarian yodeler)! Students from Camosun College’s International Peer Connections are looking for participants in their Cultural Talent Show on March 15. Last year’s talent show was a huge success and featured Coast Salish Aboriginal drumming, German opera, and cultural dancing from Iran and Sudan, to name a few. If you want to sign up and take a shot at fame and prizes, email peerconnections@camosun.bc.ca before Feb. 15. Don’t keep your talents bottled up inside—share them with the world!
Teen Connector battles cancer
When Lauren Donnelly of Georgetown, Ontario, was 15 years old she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. That was four years ago; Donnelly’s cancer, thankfully, has since gone into remission. Rather than play the role of helpless victim, Donnelly, aided by the Childhood Cancer Foundation, has launched a new and necessary social networking site called Teen Connector. Modeled similarly to Facebook, Teen Connector has a lot to offer, from photo sharing to mentoring, games, discussions, and oodles more. As site coordinator, Donnelly can support teens that may feel alone in their struggle against cancer and help empower and strengthen their resolve in the already trying times of adolescence. If you know any young adults dealing with this dreadful disease send them to teenconnector.ca and let them know they’re not alone.
Ice ice baby
All right, stop, grab your skates, and listen! The Mayfair Shopping Centre has a rooftop ice rink that needs your attention. The public is welcome to grab their skates and tie them up tightly, and glide on the ice both daily and nightly. Under the moniker “Skate under the Stars” this free event runs until Feb. 7 daily (except for Mondays and Tuesdays) from 4–8 pm Wednesday to Friday and noon until 4 pm on weekends. You can bring your own skates or rent a pair for $5, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Victoria SPCA and the Land Conservancy (TLC). And for those who have mad skills on the rink, the TLC, the Q, and the Zone (also providing tunes during the skating sessions) will be offering up some sweet weekly prizes. Start your Charlotte spirals and your cherry-flips now! Word to your mother.
Don’t worry, read happy
The Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is a highly regarded and highly vulnerable charity that needs our help. CNIB has a 90-year history as Canada’s largest producer of books, magazines, and newspapers in accessible audio, Braille, and large print formats. The CNIB Library circulates a hefty two-million hard-copy and digital items for the blind and partially sighted. With a staggering $10 million annual operating fee, CNIB is appealing to the public for some much-needed funds. The Right to Read campaign allows for British Columbians to weigh in and shed some light on this potentially gloomy predicament. By visiting cnib.ca/righttoread you can send a letter to Premier Campbell and Prime Minister Harper letting them know that Canadians want to support this charity. So be glib for CNIB and let the powers that be know that reading should be a right, not a privilege.
Baby, we were born to run
You don’t have to go to Boston to run a marathon, but you will have to wait until April 25 for the 2010 Times Colonist 10K. That said, now’s the time to prepare for it. If you’re a student, assemble a team of 10 or more and enter in University/College Corporate Team Category in this year’s TC10K. The early-bird deadline is Feb. 14 ($30 per person), the regular deadline is March 23 ($35 per person), and www.tc10k.ca will give you all the deets. Get ready to beat your feet and hit the street!
Mmm… good toast!
The Lieutenant Governor of BC has proclaimed Feb. 1–7 Toastmaster’s International Week. This has Camosun’s Toastmaster Clubs tickled pink and all a-quiver with excitement. Both clubs will be greeting visitors with open houses on Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 5–6:30 pm in Campus Centre 320, Interurban, and Thursday Feb. 4, 6:45–8:15 pm in Paul 216, Lansdowne. To find out more of the oral pleasure the Toastmasters are to be unleashing, visit victoriatoastmasters.com, bang a gong, and get it on.
CCSS Nexus promo