Recent Robberies at Ellesmere Rd. and Military Trail - Residents and Students Warned About Safety

Intersection at Military Trail and Ellesmere Road  (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)

A number of robberies have occured at the intersection of Military Trail and Ellesmere Road from Saturday October 16 to Sunday October 17. According to the Toronto Police Service, the victims were assaulted by a group of males. A weapon was involved in these assaults and minor injuries were resulted.

According to the Toronto Police, a 21 year old female reported that on October 17 at approximately 9:30 p.m., she was approached by a male suspect in disguise. The suspect then grabbed her arm and produced a knife. While holding the knife at the victim's waist, two other male suspects approached her. They removed her cellular telephone and pushed her against a fence, which caused her to fall to the ground. The suspects then left the scene eastbound on Ellesmere Road.

The Toronto Police is requesting the assistance of the public in identifying one heavily built male suspect and four thin male suspects who are all black with light complexions.

Residents in this community is advised by the Police to adhere to rules of safety. Pedestrians are encouraged to walk with a purpose and not to use earphones or headphones while walking as it would be hard to be aware of approaching people.

If in the most unfortunate case we become victims of a crime, we should call the police immediately to report the incident. When it is safe to do so, call the police immediately by dialing 911 in order to increase the chance of the suspect being stopped from further criminal action.

If we notice something suspicious happening such as unusual noices of a person screaming, sounds of fighting or glass breaking, we should also contact the Police.

As students of Centennial College, it is important to increase our own awareness of crime and stay safe within the College and in surrounding areas. Do not bring valuables, jewelry or large amounts of money to school if it is not necessary.

If we are working late at night on campus, try to work with a friend and let him know when we expect to leave. Also, try to park cars in well lit areas so it would be less dangerous returning to them late at night.

While walking outside, we should avoid using short cuts or paths that have dim lighting and may cause us to be obscure from the sight of other pedestrians.

We should also be aware of what is going on around us. If we suspect that we are being followed, we should indicate our suspicion by looking behind us. We could cross the street, change directions or vary our route. If possible, head to a place where there are more people.

When in suspicion, do not hesitate to go immediately to a phone and call 911.

This article was originally published in The Courier (published by the Centennial College Student Association Inc.)  on Oct. 28, 2010.

Janice Yeung reports from John Laforet’s election night HQ in Ward 43 | Centennial onDemand

UTSC's Annual Largest Arts Event: ArtSIdeOut

Oil Painting - Emma Baron  (Photo courtesy: Janice Yeung)

The event is held annually on the first Thursday of October and runs from noon to midnight. This year it was held on Oct. 7.

Students of different backgrounds and disciplines were given opportunities to showcase their work in 30 projects spread across the entire campus.

This year’s theme of ‘engagement’ brought together the works of over 40 artists, 20 performers, 12 student clubs and about 30 student volunteers.

“The fact that a lot of people came out is a good sign,” said Jakub Wasikiewicz, a first-year student volunteer.

He explained to a crowd the artistic significance of Emma Baron’s interactive sculpture, “Oil Painting.”  Situated at the Cherry Blossom Grove, the black bucket had holes pierced on the side so that the water it contains kept leaking from it.

“It is a metaphor for the limited resources of fossil fuels on earth,” Wasikiewicz said.  “This work hopes to inspire ideas on how we could reconstruct and repair our damaged planet.”

In front of Tim Hortons stood a wooden triangle with yarn knitted over it in a rainbow spectrum of colour.  This interactive piece is created by SC: OUT, a student club that pushes forth positive initiatives for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-sexual and queer students.  Passers-by were invited to add yarn to decorate the triangle, which symbolized a revitalization of the originally dead piece of wood.

“Students this year are very excited about ArtSideOut,” said Nazia Habiba, a third-year student volunteer sitting at an ArtSideOut information desk in the ARC. “They are a bit more enthusiastic than before,” she said.

Hanging There (Polaroid Gallery) by UTSC Shutterbugs  (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)

One of the projects that got participants’ attention was a Polaroid gallery titled “Hanging There” by the UTSC Shutterbugs.  Images were printed in classic Polaroid frames and hung on a clothesline.  Many students spent their time up close to the photos to look at them individually.

Other highlights of the night included a non-stop Post-It note motion video “Stick It” by Shutterbugs and a mixed media and sound installation “Trapped by Medusa” by fifth-year arts management student, Melanie Wu.

There was also a Projector Max Light Adventure Dome Amazer-Stage live music and light show at Rex’s Den, a UTSC Drama Society musical “The UTSC Follies of 2010”and “Loud Silence” by Adelaide Lo where participants were blindfolded and made to put on headphones playing sounds of footsteps from behind while walking through the Bladen Wing’s secret stairs.

(from left to right)  Volunteer Coordinator Jordan Dewit, Performer Steph Dudek, Singer Mary Bowden, Marketing Director Patricia Njovu and Music Director Chrisine Bernier  (Photo courtesy: Janice Yeung)


This article was originally published in the Underground (University of Toronto Scarborough Campus's official student news magazine) on Oct. 28, 2010.

John Laforet loses to Ward 43 Incumbent Paul Ainslie Second Time in a Row

John Laforet delivering his speech after learning about his loss at the Fossil & Haggis Pub in Scarborough.  (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)

John Laforet lost to incumbent Paul Ainslie by a margin of 32 per cent in Ward 43 during the municipal election on Monday.

Laforet has been campaigning for this ward’s city councillor position since January 2010. He admitted that he was disappointed by the results, which showed Ainslie obtaining over 60% of the 8,600 votes that were cast.

Laforet spent election night at the Fossil & Haggis Pub in Scarborough with two tables of supporters and volunteers. He had booked the venue for what was originally going to be a victory party.

“We did a lot and we did it without a lot to work with,” said Laforet in a speech after his defeat.

“Everybody in this room should look forward and I am proud to continue the friendships I developed with everyone who participated in this campaign.”

The atmosphere at Laforet’s camp was quiet and peaceful. After hearing about his defeat, the candidate remained calm and composed. He stayed at the pub for an hour chatting to campaign volunteers who encouraged him and expressed their ongoing support after his loss.

“We still have a community here,” said Laforet’s campaign manager in a toast. “We know what our vision is and we will extend it even after this election.”

Laforet came second among the five candidates who were running in Scarborough East Ward 43. He gained 28.8 per cent of the votes, 4894 votes fewer than incumbent Ainslie, who secured a majority of 60.6 per cent of the voters' support. Other candidates running in this ward included Bhaskar Sharma, Benjamin Mbaegbu and Samuel Getachew.

As Ainslie's closest rival, Laforet heads the provincial coalition Wind Concerns Ontario, which opposes to industrial wind power facilities. One of the major issues of Ward 43 candidates includes a wind turbine project off the coast of the Scarborough Bluffs. With a background of fighting wind turbines for more than two years, Laforet has focused his platform on this area, claiming that the installation of wind turbines would be detrimental to the health of nearby residents and also to the natural environment of the Bluffs.

Laforet supported Rob Ford as a mayoral candidate in this election. “Since Rob Ford is from the suburban area of Etobicoke,  I believe he better understands the issues facing Scarborough residents,” he said in an interview with InsideTorontoVotes before the election.

John Laforet talking to residents in Scarborough East at a Ward 43 Candidate Meet and Greet session on Oct. 14, 2010.  (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)

Like Rob Ford, he also referred to voters as taxpayers and delivered a platform pledging that he would not waste voters' taxes if he became councillor. He referred to Scarborough as an ignored community and believed that Ward 43 should enjoy the same quality of city services as Vaughan and Richmond Hill does. “Scarborough can't allow the city of Toronto to continue to treat us like the poor cousin, we are actually a part of Toronto,” he said in an interview before the election.

“We have a bigger population density and more importantly, we pay our taxes to the city of Toronto.”

Laforet also ran for city councillor in 2006. He came in fourth among seven candidates and lost to Paul Ainslie by 3744 votes. In a speech he gave after this year's defeat, he mentioned that at first he had a hard time deciding whether he should run for city councillor.

“In the end we ran an excellent campaign and I have no regrets,” he said in an interview after the speech. “I am very proud of the people who helped and the people who voted. I am at peace because I know we did everything possible.”

Having been elected three times as the President of the Scarborough Guildwood Federal Liberal Association, he thanked the residents of Guildwood for their generous support and volunteering throughout his campaign.

“I would never have made a run for city council without your [Guildwood residents'] support,” he said after the election results were released.

He “has no idea” what his focus would be for the next four years, however he also promised that he would find other ways to stay involved and help residents in Ward 43.

When asked about whether he would run for city councillor again in four years, he said, “I am not eager to find myself on a ballot anytime soon.”

Sexual Hypnosis Makes for a Hilarious Night Out

Hypnotist Tony Lee giving directions on hypnotist tricks with students at Centennial's Progress Campus.  (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)

XXX-rated hypnotist Tony Lee performed a mind-blowing show with student participants at Centennial College's Progress Campus on October 22.

Yes, you heard right, he is a triple X-rated hypnotist. What this means is that his shows are often uncensored and involves rich sexual innuendo or even explicit sexual hints in how he leads hypnotized volunteers into behaving how they normally only would in private.

The Comic and MMA Cage fighter hypnotist Tony Lee performed a spellbinding hypnotist show at Progress Campus's Student Centre – Main Events Hall. This is the third year that the school campus has demanded for his return performance. His past appearances at Centennial has been great successes where there were large numbers of students attending the shows.

The multi-time winner of Canadian School Campus Awards in the category of Entertainer of the Year warmed the audience up with dirty jokes and bold humour. The audience was first told to stick their hands together while being hypnotised. Lee rallied his first few volunteers by offering to unstick their hands which were weirdly inseparable from each other afterwards.

Tony Lee explained to the audience that he has never believed in hypnotism before. He started out with this mysterious act by “accidentally getting [his] girlfriend hypnotised”. He asked her to do things she never would have normally done, which worked in the end. This was twenty-one years ago, now he is a renowned professional hypnotist performance artist.

The Chinese Canadian hypnotist then proceeded to invite other members of the audience to go on stage and sit in a circle to be mesmerized by a hypnotizing spell he cast on all of them. The show then went on an exhilirating journey which took the hypnotized participants and the audience from a Jurassic Park trip where a raptor approaches to a situation where the participants took the chairs they were sitting on as mating partners.

Allowing your favorite sexual position or scenes of yourself going homo to be presented in public might not be the best thing to have happened to you. After leaving the stage as a hypnotized participant, International Exchange Student Dominik Landberg said, “I don't really know how the show went, I haven't seen Tony Lee anywhere.” As Lee instructed, he “felt a huge orgasm” whenever someone shaked his left hand that night.

“I couldn't get out of it the last time I volunteered to be hypnotised by Tony Lee,” said Eric, an Environmental Protection student at the Morningside campus. He could not remember if he was involved in the filming of a Hollywood porn video as some male participants in the show was instructed to.

“I loved it, it was great how Tony Lee interacted with the audience, I will definitely come again next year,” said Monica Gautheir, a first year Graphic Design student. Looks like it is time for the CCSAI (Centennial College Student Association Inc.) to look into inviting Tony Lee to come perform at Centennial for his fourth year in a row.

This article was originally published in The Courier (published by the Centennial College Student Association Inc.)  on Oct. 28, 2010.

Destress After Class at the Spa

Massage therapy clinic at Centennial College  (Photo courtesy: Janice Yeung)

“Are you stressed?” might have already become a rhetorical question for college students. Endless deadlines, mounds of textbooks to read, pages and pages of papers to write are only a few examples of how stressful college life can be. But don't sweat, there is an alternative to watching television, going on Facebook or shopping when you need to 'de-stress' after school. There is a Massage Therapy Public Clinic situated right on Centennial College's Morningside campus in Room 224 at the Centennial Science and Technology Centre. It is managed by students yet provides high quality professional massage therapy services without the costly price tags.

According to Lori Copeland, Massage Therapy programme instructor, this discipline of study has been established at Centennial College since 1995. Students learn to treat sports injuries, back pains, stress related symptoms and other physical conditions with medical and clinical knowledge. The Public Clinic on campus allows students in this programme to perform their field placement terms which is included in the package of their course requirements. Students also participate in other programmes such as the annual free massage therapy sessions provided to infants and expectant mothers. On October 17, they will also be volunteering at the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon to provide therapy services to runners after the race. “These outreach events allow our students to gain experiences of on-site therapy while also promoting Centennial's Massage Therapy Programme,' said Copeland.

The Massage Therapy Public Clinic provides services to both students on campus and visitors from outside. Student therapists are supervised by Registered Massage Therapists while they ask customers questions about their health conditions and design individualized treatments that focus on the person's specific needs. Different types of massage therapy are practiced at the clinic, including hot stone massage, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy massage, shiatsu and more. Other services such as manicures, pedicures and facials are also provided to offer a complete pampering experience for the customer. The price of a 70 minute massage therapy session is $7 for Massage Therapy students and $35 for Centennial students from other programmes and visitors from outside.

Third year Massage Therapy student Micheala Williams attends to customers at the receptionist desk of the Massage Therapy Public Clinic as part of her field placement. She describes the course as being “challenging, with a lot of critical thinking”, yet also feels that the practice she recieves is valuable and would aid her in becoming a Registered Massage Therapist in the future. She also says that it is by “word of mouth that students come to this Clinic”. Hopefully with this article, these 'words in print' may be able to lure you to try out this convenient facility on campus. Spare an hour after class and allow on-site student therapists to massage your tension and worries away.

This article was originally published in The Courier (published by the Centennial College Student Association Inc.)  on Sept. 30, 2010.

Ward 43 Profile

Ward 43 (Scarborough East) is a vibrant and diverse area that runs between Markham Road and Morningside Avenue from the east to the west and from Highway 401 to Lake Ontario shoreline. In the previous census period, the population of this area has dropped 4.3%. 60% of the area's residents are identified as visible minorities, higher than the city's average percentage. A few of the key issues in this area include transit expansion, social housing units for low-income families and controversies on building wind farms in Guildwood Village. The voter turnout in the 2006 municipal election was 36%. Candidates running for councillor in this area include Paul Ainslie (incumbent), Samuel Getachew, John Laforet, Benjamin Mbaegbu and Bhaskar Sharma. John Laforet, member of the Toronto Party for a Better City is said to have a good chance of taking Ainslie's seat. Meanwhile, Bhaskar Sharma has also gained media's attention by reputedly growing his giant squash plant to six feet tall by serenading it.