A Foreign Area of Interest

Over the process of two years and currently as a 3rd year student, I find myself in this changing and alien state of existence from what I was two years prior. The reason for this..... Is God.

Wow, wow, wow, now don’t take the wrong idea here. This is not a conversion story. Not that a conversion story would be wrong or anything, but instead it would be wrong for me to give the impression that I did believe in god, because the reality of the story is... I don’t. However, I still stand by my statement in recognizing that at least the notion of ‘God’ has made a direct impact on me over the last few years. And looking back on it now...I think it’s the Coolest Thing Ever!

Bon Temps Weekend 2011 - post by Mairi "McGee" Mcguire

Let us set the stage- a mild February afternoon, the snow still drifting after the storm, a slight wind, ruffling strands of hair and the fringes of scarves, dozens of Champlain Students, some still dazed from the night before, gloved hands gripped on the wooden sticks, crouched over the smooth palette of ice, prepared for what will happen next. N-H-L, they chant, hitting their sticks against one another, before swiping at the small, brightly colored rubber ball.

The End of Poverty (TGLC)

The End Of Poverty? Trailer from Cinema Libre Studio on Vimeo.

Entertainment Review

Hey CC

So as many people like myself spend countless hours procrastinating, doing various things, I thought I would Blog about my personal favorite form of procrastination, Movies!

So I'll pretty much review 1 or 2 movies and give you my recommendations. :)

After a lovely chat with our College Head Dr. Mike, our amazing Aramark Head Chef Paul Foster (who is sadly leaving us on FRIDAY), and Aramark Catering Manager Edward Rama I was recommended the movie Julie&Julia.

Julie&Julia

So here are the Basics about the film; (Found from IMDb - Link at the bottom)
Year: 2009
Approximate Running Time: 123 minutes (Just over 2 hours)
Starring: Merly Streep as Julia Child, Amy Adams as Julie Powell and Stanley Tucci as Paul Child.
My Summary: Julie&Julia follows 2 women, who I would say are in mid-life crisis. Both are lost in what they want in life, and are trying to find themselves. They both discovery their love of cooking and food and face challenges to over come. The modern day Julie Powell is in a depressing job attempting to deal with the aftermath of 9/11 and takes on the task of cooking 524 recipes of Julia Child's in 1 year. Julia Child, in the 1950's is based in Paris and attempts to write a French cookbook for Americans, and faces the task of not only learning to cook, but writing a cookbook and trying to get it published.
In my Opinion: Julie&Julia is definitely a great movie for a Girls-Night-In, just to curl up on the sofa with a glass of wine (or fruit juice - I prefer Apple), and just relax. The movie itself is semi-long, so make sure you have snacks as watching all the food being made, made me hungry.
Side Note: Stanley Tucci and Merly Streep worked together in The Devils Wears Prada, and I in the beginning it was hard for me to see that relationship, and disconnect them from being a crazy editor and gay fashion director. However none-the-less I worked through it and enjoyed the film.
Over all rating (out of 5): 3

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/

Writing With a Paddle; Guest post by Mairi McGuire

Pictured here: Dr. Mike, Canadian Canoe Museum Executive Director James Raffan, Canadian Author Nicolas Dickner, Lakefield College School former Headmaster Terry Guest

This Wednesday, I was awarded the opportunity to attend a reading by award winning author, Nicolas Dicker. Dickner’s book, Nikolski, tells the story of three characters, completely unaware of their relation with one another, as they traverse separately through life. The book was the winner of CBC Canada Reads 2010 and also won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation in 2008. The reading was hosted at the beautiful Canadian Canoe Museum in downtown Peterborough. I was fascinated by its ornate features, the fantastical canoes which dotted the museum floor and the pillars of ancient wood which decorated the room. Nicolas Dickner was introduced by the head of Champlain College, Dr. Mike Allcott. In his introduction, Dr. Allcott described Dickner as one who “lives in the extraordinary milieu of the imagination,”, and it was right there, within the beautiful walls of the Canoe museum, that we were invited into the majestic imagination of this wonderful writer.

Welcoming Nicolas Dickner to Champlain

The 2011 Jack Matthews Fellow, Nicolas Dickner was welcomed to Champlain with a luncheon in the Living Learning Commons today. Trent students, students of Lakefield College School as well as VIPs from the Canadian Canoe Museum and our community.
Kate Ramsay and Dr. Mike co-hosted, and Champlainer Constance Dupuis offered welcoming remarks on behalf of Trent students.

Photos included here feature, Trent President Steven Franklin welcoming the collaborating institutions; Nicolas Dickner, Canadian Author, Dr. Mike en francais, the tourtiere main, and the sugar pie dessert.

Dean of U of T Faculty of Law Meets with Trent Students

Professor Mayo Moran, Dean of the U of T's Faculty of Law, met with 20 engaging students in the Champlain College Living Learning Commons on January 20. Her leadership and success inspired Trent students from departments across the university; many of whom aspire to attend law school in the future. Likewise, her perspective diminished some myths about the study of law, and the University of Toronto.

Dean Moran taught secondary school in northern British Columbia after completing her BA in English and Philosophy, as well as a B.Ed at UBC. The challenges of being a young teacher in an impoverished rural school set the path of her life: she found deep meaning in the ability to change people's lives through education, and she found a deep dedication to social justice. It was only after teaching for several years that she undertook and completed her LLB at McGill, LLM at Michigan, and S.J.D. at the University of Toronto.

Her path from humble roots in northern BC to the leadership of Canada's most prestigious law school surprised students, and offered encouragement to those from backgrounds as varied as Business/Philosophy joint majors, to Fleming College transfer students. Dean Moran's comments emphasized the value of studying English and Philosophy--areas of study that build critical thinking, reading, and writing abilities--but also emphasized that no law background is necessary to study the law.

Her main advice to students was to "Do what you love, as there isn't anything more important than to be able to pursue your passions". For her, this has meant a life of learning. When she set out to do her doctoral degree in the law, the prospects for employment after graduation were slim. But the calling to study and write about the legal concept of "the reasonable person", her love of justice, and "the legal puzzle of the law" won out. And she believes her career success is testament to her belief in that principle.

Students were interested to learn that the U of T's law curriculum is actually very broad. There are many dual degree options, including a new joint J.D. and Master's of Global Affairs, as well as many avenues for studying Human Rights law, and Animal Rights--a program introduced by Dean Moran herself. Students were also interested to learn that U of T law's admissions are entirely merit-based, while their scholarships/bursaries are entirely need-based. This ensures that knowledge and ability, not economic privilege determine the quality of the 700 students in the School of Law.

Trent students enjoyed discussing a variety of topics with Dean Moran, ranging from the gender dynamics of law school and university leadership, to the ways that Canadian Law-particularly in the areas of aboriginal rights and human rights--has had global influence.



Dean Moran's visit was sponsored by Champlain College.