Winners of the 2005 President's Circle Awards for Volunteerism

Imprint Publications
January 20, 2006
- Imprint Staff

Winners of the 2005 President's Circle Awards for Volunteerism

Established in 1997, the President's Circle Award recognizes and rewards students who demonstrate superior volunteerism throughout their community. Its 25th anniversary is celebrated by UW with 10 students who have demonstrated undying efforts in the betterment of the community. Winners of this award receive $250, largely supported by over 1,300 faculty and community members, as well as alumni and voluntary donors.

Darcy Higgins, a third-year environment and resource studies student, was nominated by the chair of his faculty.
At the university, he volunteers with the UW Campus Greens, (which is responsible for hosting a variety of events and speakers on environmental and social issues), the ERS Student Association, (a first-year oriented community-builder for academic and social events), and the University of Waterloo Sustainability Project, (which is responsible for various environmental initiatives on campus).
Campus Greens began only 18 months ago and was co-initiated by Higgins. In his home town of Sarnia, Higgins volunteered with PeaceWorks, a group that promotes peace and justice issues, alongside the Sarnia Urban Wildlife Committee, a group which preserves native wildlife habitat in the city. Like the UW Campus Greens, PeaceWorks is a newly formed organization founded three years ago by Higgins and other community members, as a response to the war in Iraq.
While the other recipients enjoyed a break from volunteering during the ceremony in their honour, Darcy was busy taking advantage of the presence of those in attendance to discuss issues of sustainability.
Higgins has spoken with UW President David Johnston as well as others at the university regarding the increasing need for sustainability on campus.
Interactions between Johnston and Higgins began when Higgins, with the support of other campus organizations, wrote a letter to Johnston. He was informed of his nomination while writing a letter to the president requesting to implement a Sustainability Co-ordinator and an Office of Sustainability for the university, which was signed by ten groups.
After showing an interest in activism and environmental issues Higgins began volunteering as a way to improve environmental integrity and hopes that sustainability can be attained on a global level, by people taking action locally. He attempts to do this by recognizing where there is a need and reacting in a positive way to fill the gap.
Higgins encourages students to get involved in the issues that they care most about and to make small lifestyle changes that will benefit the environment.

Melissa Ireland
This english rhetoric and professional writing student nominated by Renato Capuruco Costa divides her time amongst various groups. Melissa is an executive board member for Anishnabeg Outreach, an aboriginal employment and training organization serving Kitchener, Cambridge and Guelph. As well, she is a representative of the SUNDANCE Committee, a conglomeration of UW, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Guelph that is chiefly concerned with creating an Aboriginal bursary fund by promotion of cultural events, and CKMS Radio, host of the show, "The Bruised Elbow," which airs every Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m.
Additionally she's a member of the UW Aboriginal Students' Association, volunteers for Aboriginal Student Services on campus, helping UW's first and second Annual Pow Wows and Monthly Fry Bread and Soup Days, and she is a member of the Mino Ode Kwewak Nagomowak (Good Hearted Women Singer's Drum Group).
Ireland wanted to be involved with the Aboriginal community in the area and on campus. When first starting at UW she felt "there was no place to go culturally, socially or academically as an Aboriginal person." Everything changed in 2003 when Jean Becker, an Aboriginal counseller at St. Paul's College, was hired. Now there is a place for Aboriginal students to go. "We are in the process of creating a strong community of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people at UW and I love being apart of that process."
Ireland volunteers because she thinks it is important to be "helping students by creating a community, a support system and a home away from home. There are many challenges that Aboriginal students face and the services Jean Becker provides are greatly welcomed and needed." As for her plans for the future, she hopes to one day to work in Ottawa dealing with Aboriginal policy. In the spring, Ireland plans on being a mentor in the UW Firekeepers program.

Lisa Mackey
After hearing about the President's Circle award from staff at Renison College, Lisa Mackey decided to nominate herself.
This fourth-year social development studies student volunteers at KidsAbility, (a school and therapy centre for children with disabilities) where she's worked in a speech and language classroom, a mixed disability classroom, swim therapy programs, a keyboarding camp and an ECE program. She also helps out with Project Read, (a program focused on aiding children in acquiring age appropriate literacy skills), and with the Renison Academic Student Council, where she holds the position of Academic council Representative and sits on the Scholarships and Awards Committee. This past summer Mackey and UW Graduate Grace Skowronski, took the initiative to co-organize a charity dinner and silent auction with all proceeds donated to KidsAbility. The event raised $24,849.
She began volunteering at a few different places as a way to help her decide what path she wanted to follow career-wise. She continued volunteering with KidsAbility after finding she enjoyed the experience so much. Hoping to be more involved on campus, she began volunteering at RASC this past year.
When asked what she gets out of volunteering Mackey replied, "I volunteer primarily because I enjoy it. I particularly love having the opportunity to work with children. Also, I feel that volunteering affords me not only the chance to give back to my community, but to develop a variety of competencies."
This social development studies student plans on attending teacher's college in the fall and eventually becoming a special education teacher. Mackey believes that "having volunteered at KidsAbility and Project Read, I am confident in this career path."

Stephen Utz
Not knowing about the President's Circle Award beforehand, Stephen Utz was honoured to be nominated by his academic advisor, Edith Cardwell.
Utz has volunteered with a number of places including Imprint, the Waterloo and UW Curling Club and with his faculty. At the Curling Club, he contributes his time to teaching others how to play the sport. He is a very dedicated member of the university, which he proved to his faculty by his work during the Graduate's orientation week. He also volunteers with the Welland Curling Club and the environmental studies coffee shop where in both cases, he proved to have a knack for finance.
He began volunteering at a young age in his hometown of Welland. While in high school, Utz, along with others, would raise $30,000 every year for the Welland Curling Club in order to reduce the cost for young curlers. More recently, he could also be credited for helping save the coffee shop when they were on the verge of bankruptcy by assisting in formulating a "profit/cost breakdown."
This student, currently working towards his masters in planning, intends to work in consulting. He also says that it is important to have a balanced lifestyle and volunteering has helped him with that.

Emma Guild was nominated by a fellow worker at Synaesthesia.
Having known about the President's Circle Award, but not the details, the joint honours science and psychology student thinks it is a wonderful award because volunteerism is not often recognized and that it is "important to recognize youth volunteers that are doing all this on top on their course load and everything else."
Being from this area, Guild volunteers at the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, which is a large endowment fund where she serves on the board of directors. Emma is a chair on the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), which is a group of youth operating within community foundations. She began with YAC in Grade 8 and got more involved as time went on. This third-year student also invests time in researching the 40-hour community service requirement in collaboration with the Ontario Network of the Canada Volunteerism Initiative (OCVI), in trying to find a better way to incorporate these hours into highschool curricula.
This volunteer wants to teach young people about endowments and granting. She also wants the youth to know that it is important that they begin to realize where the needs are in the community.
Guild enjoys doing psychology research and hopes to continue when done graduate school. Her work with the OCVI has helped her with her goal.

Jackie Lee
Before being nominated by John Heckburt, a development analyst, Jackie Lee also did not know much about the President's Circle Award.,
This honours science student volunteers at the Kitchener-Waterloo Friendship Group. Members of this group volunteer their time by visiting seniors before they move into nursing homes. Lee also volunteers as a banquet director with Impact, "a non-profit, non-political, independent organization run entirely by student volunteers from across Canada" that promotes entrepreneurship. They organize many events, one of which includes an Apprentice-like competition currently in the works.
After being heavily active in highschool, Lee admits to not being as involved as she wanted to be in her first two years of university. In her third year, she decided to attend Clubs Day where she signed up for both the KW Friendship Group and Impact.
She feels the experience was a positive one because she was able to "give back and it was great being connected to a lot of people I wouldn't have met just through classes."
In the future, Lee would like to go into sales. She feels her experience with Impact as a director has helped her in many aspects which will help her attain a career in sales.

Andres Fuentes Martinez
Second year political science and Latin american studies student Martinez first found out about the award when he was nominated by Linda Snyder, assistant professor of social work at Renison College.
One of his accomplishments as a volunteer was organizing a trip for youths between the ages of 16-20 to Guatemala, where they built a community centre. On a Kitchener-Waterloo council, he brings a multicultural approach to different organizations that provide services to the public. Martinez also volunteers as St. Jerome's University's treasurer and at the Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre where he assists with Spanish-English translations. Andre believes that if his skills can aid others, use them.
This second-year student started volunteering at the Multicultural Centre with a little push from his mother who works there. Although his interest in volunteering at the centre began with his mother, the trip to Central America was completely self-initiated. Andres believed it would be a win-win situation - the people in Guatemala would gain a new community centre and the youth would benefit from the experience of visiting a remote village. "[The people there] live without electricity and all the amenities that we have and somehow they get through life."
When Andres is done school, he hopes to have a career in international law or obtain a PhD in foreign affairs.

Ashley Honsberger
After looking through the classified ads in Imprint, Ashley Honsberger knew she was a good candidate for the President's Circle Award even though it was the first time she had heard about it
Honsberger volunteers through the Friends program, which is a division of the Canadian Mental Health Association where she is partnered one-on-one with a younger student. The program teams up volunteers with students who may be having trouble in the classroom environment, making them a sort of "peer supporter." Honsberger, a fourth-year honours english student, began working with Friends in her first year at UW. Since then, she has committed to an hour per week with her youths.
Honsberger has been thinking of attending teacher's college in the future. She enjoys working with kids and feels her experience as a volunteer will help her in the future.
She encourages everyone to get out and perform some community service. "There's schools nearby people can walk to if they want volunteer experience, - volunteers [for the Friends program] are always needed."

Astha Ramaiya
A health studies international student, Astha Ramaiya found out about the President's Circle Award for the first time when she read about it in the Daily Bulletin, found on the University's official website.
When asked about her self-nomination, Ramaiya stated, "I thought I should apply because I'm doing so many things."
This third-year student is the president of the Hindu Students Association where she organizes various Hindu events, such as Navaratri, a cultural dance incorporating the dandiya, a stick-like prop. She also volunteers as a fundraising director for University of Waterloo International Heath Development Association (UWIHDA), as well as the University of Waterloo Food bank, a local temple, and by providing international information for humanitarian relief. Also, she has worked at a leprosy village in Tanzania and at Health Services where she speaks to frosh about alcohol and drug use.
Ramaiya began volunteering as a way to "improve the lives of people that are not as fortunate as you are. It's self-satisfaction - you know you're doing the right thing and for a good cause."
After receiving a degree in health studies, this volunteer is determined to work with a non-government organization. She plans to join the World Health Organization or the United Nations in Tanzania. One problem Astha hopes to fight, is AIDS, a predominant issue in our society today. Astha's interest in aiding the community extends from her local environment.

Pandora Yee, a psychology student, was nominated by Estelle Sun. She found out about the President's Circle Award by "stumbl[ing] upon the link by a quirk of fate the weekend before the due date."
Yee volunteers at the Kitchener Waterloo Sexual Assault Support Centre (KWSASC) ¬- a non-profit, feminist based organization that provides numerous services for sexual assault and sexual violence support. They also offer public education and counseling through a 24-hour Crisis and Support Line. She also volunteered at Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region (PPWR), another non-profit organization which provides sexual health information and referrals, and was the treasurer for the Undergraduate Psychology Society in 2004.
She began volunteering with the help of her sister in Vancouver, British Columbia. Having always expressed an interest in public service provisions, Pandora was given another chance to volunteer again when KWSASC was brought to her attention by a grad student. After getting started, she says she was "unable to stop, I just kept on signing up for more!"
When asked what she has gotten out of her volunteering experience, Yee replied, "Everyone I've met along the way has given me endless wisdom and support. My main inspiration and encouragement stems from the priceless hands on experiences and pleasure I get from the ability to help others."
Still not sure what her future holds, Yee's strongest interest currently remains in the bereavement counseling for children.

Sarnia Road Runners Club

This was a funny one, with some made up quotes..

The Observer
John Lawton
August 18, 2003

Sarnia Road Runners Club returned to action, Saturday morning, to the delight of club president Noelle Nelson.
"We have runners running 10 km in some very adverse conditions," said Nelson. "The humidity is a real factor and yet there continues to be new faces at these Canatara Park races. The soothing cherry Popsicles were welcomed by all after the races."
Theo De Jong, a grade seven pupil at Sarnia Christian School, won the one km race with a 4:28 time for his age group. " I love the competition. It makes me want to perform at a higher level," said the cross country and track runner. De Jong credits his father with getting him involved with the Road Runners and gives special credit to his gym teacher, Miss DeVries, for her encouragement.
Chris d'Esterre ran the 10 km run. He likes the format of the Road Runners program. The University of Western Ontario student participates in a number of their events as well as cross-country and track at UWO. His personal best for a 10 km cross-country race is 34:19. The future science teacher trains daily and runs over 100 km a week. His father who is a physical education teacher and marathon runner inspired him to run.
"Running is special. It gives me an opportunity to set goals and test myself . It is freedom from the routines of the day and is very challenging. I recommend it for everyone," said d'Esterre.
Nelson said that there is an army of regular volunteers who help faithfully at various events. Darcy Higgins is one of many assistants. The University of Waterloo freshman runs the five km race and volunteers as well. It was his assignment to take photographs of entrees as they crossed the finish line. Higgins said, " I like to help out because I believe in the cause. There are plenty of jobs that may not be as exciting as others but are just as important." The U of W student will study Environmental Studies this fall.
Frank Higgins, past president of the club, is 20-year member. He placed third in the 10 km event and makes all the Road Runner events. He has participated in over 450 races and has the expertise and offers these suggestions to young people:
1. Eat low fat foods.
2. Eat low quantities of meat.
3. Enrich your diet with high fiber fruits and vegetables.
4. Read the labels and be aware of the contents.
5. Trans fatty acids are a major problem for people today.
6. See a doctor before any major changes in athletic activity.
Running is a major cardio-vascular activity. You may think that you are in good condition but without a minimum of one and one half hours per week of cardio workout you can be at risk. Join a club, any club, to motivate you to stay fit. Above all, listen to your body. It will give you direction.
Maria Varsava runs for a variety of reasons. " Running gives you energy that lasts through the day. It makes a person feel good and healthy," said the mother of two children.
Kent Hollingworth picked up his red ribbon for the three km event. Hollingsworth is a permanent fixture at the finish line and on Sarnia streets and avenues during training sessions.
Hollingsworth encourages others to join running clubs and keep journals of their races and training sessions. Road Runner Club information can be attained by phoning (519) 336 8636.

[Illustration]
Photo: Darcy Higgins submitted photo / Sue Williams crosses the finish line.

Observer panel reacts to television election debate

Leaders' debate a draw

Observer panel reacts to television election debate
________________________________________
By JACK POIRIER
of The Observer
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
________________________________________

Seen as a crucial forum to sway votes, Tuesday's make-or-break provincial leaders' debate ended in a draw.
At least that was the general opinion of a panel of five local residents, asked by The Observer to dissect the performances of Liberal Dalton McGuinty, Tory Ernie Eves and New Democrat Howard Hampton during the televised provincial election leaders' debate.
There was no knockout punch delivered by McGuinty and no decisive win by Eves, to close the widening gap in the polls separating his trailing Tories from the Liberals.
The latest polls leading into the debate showed the Liberals with close to 50 per cent support, the Tories at 33 per cent and the NDP at 14 per cent.
"I really think there were no definite blows struck during the entire debate," said longtime Tory supporter Vic Dudek, who was once the local president of the PC association and a campaign manager for Tory MPP Andy Brandt.
Dudek said McGuinty scored well on health care, one of the key issues in the election.
"No matter what Eves said, McGuinty could always come back that Ontario ranked at the bottom in (Canada) in health care."
He also said Eves likely touched a positive nerve with voters with his pledge to ban teacher strikes, while Hampton was hammering home the point of public power.
"Several times (Hampton) said, 'This is where I stand' and that resonates with people."
Current president of the Sarnia-Lambton Federal Liberal Association and retired teacher Larry Scully also found all three leaders performed reasonably well, considering the pressure cooker atmosphere.
Scully found Hampton the most relaxed, understandably with the least to lose, of the three.
"He had a good presence and had his facts pretty well mastered."
Scully said McGuinty did a good job erasing his past fumbling and wooden-like image, which cost him dearly in the last provincial election, while Eves managed to defend the Tory record pretty well.
"I don't think Eves grabbed the bull by the horns and McGuinty didn't screw up."
Ken Glassco's political affiliations run left of centre as former president of CEP Local 914 and past campaigner for NDP candidate Glenn Sonier.
He said while Hampton scored some points during the debate, so too did Eves and McGuinty. And all three showed some weaknesses.
"They all dodged the questions from the media (panel)," Glassco said.
Glassco said, "If the polls are correct, (this debate) will favour Dalton the most."
Admittedly a Tory supporter who worked in the past for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Marcel Beaubien's campaign, local businessman Marty Raaymakers said all three candidates came across as "very smart guys."
While Raaymakers, chairperson of the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce, personally finds the Tory platform most realistic, he thought Eves looked a little stressed at times last night, "but he is the man running the province.
"I thought Howard Hampton looked the most confident."
He said all three leaders showed some weakness on their stance on education, but he thought all three stuck to the big issues, health care and education.
Former St. Patrick student and political activist Darcy Higgins was glued to his television set last night, following his Environment and Resources Studies classes at the University of Waterloo.
Higgins, who has been active with the Green Party and helped create the local Teens for Our Education activist group, said he doesn't foresee the debate having much impact on the polls as all three party leaders rolled with the punches during last night's verbal brawl.
"I think McGunity maintained his lead. Eves was fairly weak on health care and education," he said.
"I think Hampton appealed to student voters with his promise to lower tuition fees."

The Green Party -- saving tomorrow, today

The Green Party -- saving tomorrow, today
Rebecca Temmer - Imprint staff


Green politics have been a long time in the making but it's starting to come into its own these days. The federal Green Party began in 1984 at Carleton University in Ottawa with just 52 candidates running in the election. By 2004 they had a member running in all 308 ridings in the country.

The UW Green Party Club was started in September 2004 by Darcy Higgins and Jeff Guthrie, an idea that came together while they campaigned for the party in the Sarnia riding during last summer's federal election.

The Campus Greens, as they're known, had their first major event on Tuesday, bringing Canadian activist and former politician David Orchard to speak at the university about his new campaign to keep Canada as a sovereign nation.

The Greens are different from other political clubs like the Young Liberals in that they co-operate and support the provincial, national and international Green Parties but they are not affiliated with them directly.

The reason for this comes from the 10 Green Principles, two of which are decentralization and grassroots democracy. These ten principles, which include sustainability, diversity, gender equality and social justice, are topped off by my favourite principle � that of ecological wisdom: Whatever we do to the earth, we do to ourselves.

The club also works with other UW clubs and organizations to promote sustainability. Last fall they helped the University of Waterloo Sustainability Project (UWSP) orchestrate a waste awareness demonstration in the SLC.

Like most of the other people I've spoken to for my column, Darcy Higgins, the president of the UW Green Party Club believes that campus should be a showcase of sustainability.

"It's important so that young people have a chance to see sustainability working," said Higgins. The entire green movement is gaining momentum and presence here at the University of Waterloo.

Perhaps this new Green club will lobby for environmentally sustainable measures on campus. Like Gregory Richardson who is urging for greener buildings at UW. There are many students interested in making the campus more environmentally friendly.

There are even courses dedicated to the topic � ERS 250: Greening the Campus requires students to form groups and undertake some kind of sustainability initiative on campus. Most of the projects don't get past the report stage but they're all kept on file in the WATGreen office and are a fantastic resource for future action.

The Campus Greens are an exciting new voice at the university. They have the ability to bring like-minded students together to address environmental issues from a political standpoint. This is another important front of the crusade to bring sustainability concerns to the forefront of public perception.

When I asked him what his one message to students would be, Darcy gave a practical and tactical response: "People should select at least two items of organic food when they go grocery shopping." Every little bit helps; you should do your part, too.

The Greens have come a long way from their roots 20 years ago and they have a long way to go to see their mandate completed. May the Force be with them.

http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/legacy/story.php?f=2&t=6812&i=&v=f&story=6812&

No Kyoto progress under Tories, Telegdi warns

No Kyoto progress under Tories, Telegdi warns
Friday January 20, 2006
BOB BURTT
RECORD STAFF

University of Waterloo student Darcy Higgins (left) led a protest yesterday outside an all-candidates meeting at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex to remind participants about environmental concerns.
WATERLOO -- Outside of the Waterloo Recreation Complex, protesters brandished signs that urged politicians of all stripes to make a commitment to Kyoto as the first step towards stemming the tide of greenhouse gas emissions.
Darcy Higgins, a University of Waterloo student and an organizer of the small but polite protest, described climate change as one of the most important issues facing young people.
And as a young person concerned about the future, Higgins said he is frightened by the prospect of a Conservative government because the Conservatives are opposed to Kyoto.
But if the protesters hoped to send a message to Ajmer Mandur, the Conservative candidate in Kitchener-Waterloo riding, they missed their target.
Not only did Mandur manage to evade protesters, he opted out of the candidates' debate on climate change and environmental issues as well.
Moderator Ian Rowlands said all five candidates had accepted invitations and no one from Mandur's campaign said he wouldn't be there.
Ashley Page, one of the students behind the protest, said they organized the demonstration because they wanted to raise awareness about how important the Kyoto protocol is.
Page said she thought it was important for people to know where candidates stand on Kyoto and its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Kyoto provides the only path forward to reduce emissions, she said.
"It just has to happen."
Page said it is future generations who are most at risk if action isn't taken now to reduce emissions.
Left unchecked, climate change will lead to an increase in extreme weather events, storms, floods, hurricanes; melting of the Polar ice cap, loss of species diversity and an increase in the already high number of smog days experienced in southern Ontario.
Inside the meeting room, Liberal incumbent Andy Telegdi told a standing- room-only crowd that if Canada elects a Conservative government Monday, there will be no Kyoto.
"Make no mistake about that."
Telegdi said that Liberal governments since 1993 spent $5.4 billion on research, encouraging green businesses and climate-change programs, but added that's all at risk now.
NDP candidate Edwin Laryea challenged the Liberal record and pointed out that even as the government boasted about its commitment to Kyoto, greenhouse gas emissions continued to increase in Canada even faster than in the United States, which isn't a party to the agreement.
The Green party's Pauline Richards agreed the Liberal government "failed miserably on promises to live up to climate-change commitments."
Richards said Kyoto is just the beginning of what needs to be done to combat climate change.
Marxist-Leninist candidate Julian Ichim said our system of government doesn't care about people or the environment. That's not about to change, Ichim said, because government isn't accountable.
Candidates generally agreed on the need for light-rail transit, incentives for people to use public transit and to encourage energy conservation.
http://www.therecord.com/fed_election2006/fed_election2006_0601218478.html

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