Calling on their best practical and analytical skills and a healthy dose of creativity, thirty teams of marketing students from all over Canada will aim to win a medal in the 2012 Vanier College BDC Case Challenge, set for February 11-12, 2012.  This is the seventh year Vanier College hosts this event which is biggest and most prestigious, bilingual collegiate marketing competition in Canada.

What is a case competition?
During a case competition students, in teams of three, have three hours to analyze a marketing problem they have never seen before, conceive a realistic marketing strategy and present their plan of action to a panel of judges.  It’s a high pressure competition where they need cool heads and clear thinking to produce solutions that are both valuable and practical, and present them in a professional manner, in either English or in French before the judges.

Where is the competition taking place?
The 2012 competition will take place at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel (Montreal Airport), 7000 Place Robert-Joncas, (514-339-5333). Presentations begin at 11:30 AM and run until 4:00 PM on Saturday.  Because of the large number of participants, there will be three theatres of ten presentations on Saturday.  That evening, the top two teams from each theatre will be announced at a gala dinner at 7:00 PM.  These six teams will then go on to compete Sunday morning, following which, an awards luncheon will take place.

Experts from education and business will judge the contestants
Judges this year include: Steven Abrams, Partner IT Venture Fund, BDC Venture Capital; Bryan Barbieri, Professor, Marketing, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University; Dave Bussiere, Assistant Provost-Admissions and Recruiting and Associate Professor Marketing, University of Windsor; Bruno Delorme, Professor Marianopolis College; Carolyn Di Murro, Partner, Eptix Electronics; Barb Gardner, School of Business, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology; Leigh-Anne Graham, Pearson Canada; Wendy Keller, Lecturer, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University; Constantina Ioannou, District Manager Small Business Development, Scotiabank; Michael Madore, Faculty of Management-Marketing, University of Lethbridge; Robert Palmer, Assistant Professor Marketing, Williams School of Business, Bishop’s University; Joanne Photiades, Senior Account Manager, Acquisition, BDC; and Annie Potvin, Director of Product Management and Marketing, Insight Canada;  Simon Restall, Director, Small Business Development, Scotiabank.

Check out the complete list of colleges and cegeps participating in the 2012 Case Challenge.

About BDC
BDC is Canada’s business development bank. From more than 100 business centers across the country, BDC promotes entrepreneurship by providing highly tailored financing, venture capital and consulting services to entrepreneurs.

BDC Vanier College Case Challenge 2012 Judges Named

BDC Vanier College Case Challenge 2012 Judges Named FR 2

Authors
Award-winning author, Lawrence Hill, who pre-launched the month-long festival on January 27 when he spoke to students on Black identity and belonging, was the first of a distinguished list of guest speakers.  Other authors who will speak include Samuel Pierre, author of Ces Québécois venus d’Haïti, who will talk about his life and describe the contributions of Haitians to Quebec society through education, health, science, culture, engineering and politics.  Author Rodney Saint-Éloi will add another Literary Haitian voice to the festival.

New Canadian Kid
With moments of comedy, heartache, longing and hope, the drama and pitfalls of a young man and his family starting a new life in Canada will come to life when the Black Theatre Workshop puts on the play, New Canadian Kid, on February 8, in the Auditorium (A-103).

A film festival
The film program features The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306, a powerful account of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, as told by the man who was standing next to Dr. King when he was assassinated.  Other films to run include: Race to Execution – about racism in the judicial system, The Pathology of White Privilege, Prom Night in Mississippi, and Black Heritage in Canada a look at the history of slaves and freed Blacks in Canada. 

Contests and quizzes
Contests will give students a chance to show off their knowledge or their creative talents.  A Black History quiz will test what they know; the Black History Month Essay Writing Contest will challenge them to write about an important Black history event; and the Black History Month Poster Contest will given them the chance to illustrate the beauty and culture of Black history.

Discrimination in the workplace
On February 15, at noon, Vanier students will join Fo Niemi, Executive Director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), to explore racism and racial profiling in employment and the workplace and how to recognize and work to eliminate it.  Under the microscope: recruitment and selection discrimination, CVs with non-western names, background checks, racial jokes and slurs in the workplace, inappropriate interview questions on religion etc.

Vanier Soul Call
Finally on February 29^th the Vanier Soul Call will present Gumboots for a wonderful celebration of Black roots and pride, in the Student Mall, at noon.  Food, entertainment, music, drumming and dancing will all bring the month to an energetic close.

Black History Month 2012 at Vanier College

Black History Month 2012 x FR

For young people who get a thrill out of science, being able to share that passion with other like-minded young people is rare.

 A novel idea from RIM
Established in 1999 by Mike Lazaridis, the founder of Research In Motion (RIM) – maker of the Blackberry, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is a basic research centre dedicated to exploring the world at its most fundamental level.

Making physics and quantum mechanics real
“It was an amazing experience,” states David Berardo.  “It made physics more real for me and opened up the possibilities of physics.  It also showed me what it means to be a physicist.”  While at PI, David participated in research projects led by international theoretical physicists, attended presentations on hot topics such as superstring theory, quantum computing and dark matter, took physics courses to deepen insight into Einstein’s ideas and quantum theory and made friends with the brightest young physics minds from around the world.  

Two thousand meters under the Earth
“We even visited SNOLAB – the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Lab,” exclaims David.  “We went down two kilometers under the earth through a working mine to reach the lab, then through a super clean room.  It was impressive:  all the rooms are white and are filled with cutting edge sophisticated equipment.  Later, in class, we analyzed some of the data that is collected in the lab.”

Discovering potential as a researcher
Helping young people The ultimate aim of the summer school is to make young people aware of their own potential as future researchers in theoretical physics.  Given David’s ultimate goal of studying theoretical physics at university, his stay at the Perimeter Institute was truly inspiring. 

The experience of a lifetime
“It’s an experience I won’t forget.  I love physics.  The sense of understanding the world we live in captivates me.  I’m fascinated by how much we’ve learned and how much there is to learn,” concludes David.

David Berardo at the Perimeter Institute summer 2011

David Berardo at the Perimeter Institute summer 2011 FR

Who says philosophy is only for academics?  Certainly not world-renowned philosopher, Dr. Simon Blackburn, who has worked hard to make philosophy accessible to a wider audience and who will launch Humanities, Truth and Lies – the first Vanier College Humanities Symposium with his Opening Keynote address on February 1 at 1:30 in the Vanier College Auditorium.

Teaching, debating and promoting philosophy
Dr. Simon Blackburn, professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, England, and UNC, Chapel Hill, has debated with scientists and theologians and been a frequent guest on BBC radio and television in England. He is well-known for using humour and simple language to discuss philosophy. He is the author of several books including Lust: The Seven Deadly Sins; Truth: A Guide, Think, and Plato’s Republic: A Biography. His principal work focuses on the field of philosophical ethics. 

How the humanities can help us live more fulfilling lives
Dr. Blackburn’s Vanier College Humanities Symposium keynote address, entitled, The Humanities in a Scientific Age, will focus on how the humanities can help people live more fulfilling lives by providing an understanding of how our histories and cultures shape us.

A broad range of topics
Scheduled events during the three-day Symposium include speakers who will cover areas such as music, theatre, film, art, medicine, sustainability, language, religion, politics and ethics.  The focus will be on topics that are central to the Humanities including the sources and meaning of artistic creation and expression, ideas about self, the nature and limits of truth and certainty, and the status of the real and the imaginary.

Going to the heart of what it means to be human
The Symposium which is open to the pubic promises to be a provocative and stimulating exploration of ideas that engage us across disciplinary lines and that go to the heart of what it means to be human. 

Where and when
The Humanities Symposium will run February 1-3, 2012.  Events will take place in the Vanier College Auditorium (A-103). Check the schedule for details.

Humanities Symposium 2012

Humanities Symposium 2012 3 FR

The room crackled laughter and buzzed with high spirits when a group of exchange students from France gathered for a farewell party at Vanier College in December.

300 exchange students since 2006
Since 2006 Vanier’s Business Administration program has welcomed over 300 students from various regions of France including Belfort, Vannes, Troyes, Grenoble, Paris, Nice, Reims, Montbeliard, Chamberry and Rambouillett. From all accounts these teacher-driven exchange programs have enriched the classroom.

An international perspective
“When we discuss material there is a conscious effort to examine the French perspective and compare it to Canadian practices,” states Business Administration teacher George Dracopoulos, the Business Exchange Coordinator who spearheaded the exchange program since its inception.  “This leads to interesting discussions and thought-provoking debates. However, this is more than a Canadian-French cultural exchange because Vanier has a truly multicultural environment.”

The world in a classroom
“When I surveyed one of my business classes that included 20 Vanier College students and 13 IUT French students, I found individuals from both groups who spoke common languages other than English and French such as Polish, Italian, and Arabic, and shared a common heritage.  As a group these 33 students have lived in 25 different countries other than Canada and France. They bring a global perspective with them to class every day.”

Benefits of exchanges
For the French students, the experience of living in Montreal has been unique.  “The multi-cultural atmosphere in Montreal and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and experience various cultures at Vanier was amazing,” states Charlene Renard from IUT Belfort-Montbeliard.  Gloria Leussi from IUT Cergy Saint Christophe adds, “I had a great experience at Vanier. I improved my English language skills, learned to live without my family and met a lot of interesting people.”

It works both ways
Vanier students also appreciated the visiting students.  “When we worked in teams they brought up new perspectives and taught me to look at things in a whole new manner,” says Izabella Kirejczyk. “I am now interested in going abroad.”  Another Vanier student, Gian Karlo Rossler also appreciated the French visitors, “It is great to have international students in class because it gives us the opportunity to make connections in other nations.”

“It’s an amazing experience,” concludes Rajko Stojic from UT Belfort. “It was my first time on North American soil.   I learned a lot and I became completely independent thanks to this experience.”

Good for teachers as well
Bruce Norton, OST: MicroMedia Exchange Coordinator believes the exchange programs have benefitted both students and teachers.  “Faculty have enjoyed the new challenge and the sense of rejuvenation that the FCTP French Exchange Program has brought to their classes.”

Business Administration- Exchange 2011 FINAL

Business Administration- Exchange 2011 FR

As a warm-up and pre-taste of Black History Month at Vanier College, Laurence Hill, author of The Book of Negroes, an award-winning book that examines the history of slavery in Canada, will speak at Vanier on January 27, 2012. 

 Award-winning novel
The Book of Negroes, published in the United States under the title of Someone Knows my Name and in French as Aminata, has received literary acclaim and won several awards including CBC Radio’s 2009 Canada Reads, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.  It was also a finalist for the Hurston/Wright LEGACY Award and long listed for both the Giller Prize and the IMPAC Award.

The Book of Negroes
The Book of Negroes describes the atrocities of slavery and focuses on the desire of former slaves to maintain their dignity and preserve their heritage in spite of all the difficulties they had to contend with.

Identity and a sense of belonging
Much of Lawrence Hill’s writing touches on issues of identity and belonging.  He is the son of a black father and a white mother who immigrated to Canada in 1953 from the United States.  Growing up in Don Mills, Ontario in the sixties, Hill was influenced by his parents’ work in the human rights movement.

Former reporter
Mr. Hill has worked as a reporter with The Globe and Mail and parliamentary correspondent for The Winnipeg Free Press.  He has lived and worked across Canada, in Baltimore, and in Spain and France.

Education
Mr. Hill has a B.A. in Economics from Laval University in Quebec City and an M.A. in writing from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.  Hill lives in Hamilton, Ontario.

Lawrence Hill will speak at 11:30am-12:45pm in the Amphitheatre, Room B-223.

Lawrence Hill at Vanier Jan. 27 2012

Lawrence Hill at Vanier Jan. 27 2012 FR

Gone is bottled water from vending machines at Vanier College.  Single-use disposable plastic water bottles are now a thing of the past on campus. 

Information booth and free metal water bottles
Water Week aims to raise awareness about the links between global sustainability and water as well as zero in on the problem of plastics.  Throughout the week, an information booth in the Student Mall will conduct a water taste test and provide students with information on issues related to water.  The VCSA will also give away 2000 free reusable metal water bottles to students who pledge to stop buying single-use disposable bottles of water.

Taking Action
“Water bottles exist because of a manufactured need,” says Vanier Sustainability Officer, Richard Dugas.  “The fact is our municipal water is excellent. But the sale of disposable water bottles promotes the privatization and commercialization of water and undermines our right to clean and accessible water. Disposable plastic water bottles pollute the environment, fill garbage dumps and require large amounts of fossil fuel for their production and transport.  CEGEP students are old enough to understand they can protect the environment rather than remain passive thinking they cannot change things.  Water Week aims to show them how to take action.”

Games, talks and films
A full line-up of events and activities will entertain, educate and inform students throughout the week.

• On Monday morning, at 10 a.m., everyone is invited to call on their artistic talents to help build a “plastic bottle sculpture”.
• In the afternoon, Engineers without borders will lead an interactive game about global water resources aimed at exposing the inequality of global water distribution and uses.
• On Tuesday morning, Vanier students who participated in the Malawi project, Water: Action for Access, organized by the Vanier College International Education Office last summer, will present some of their findings on safe access to water and sanitation in that country.
• At 2:30 p.m., engineer Laurent Laroche, the head of Technical Expertise with the City of Montreal’s water filtration plant, will make a presentation on how Montreal purifies its water.
• During Universal Break on Wednesday, at noon students will be able to jump in the swimming pool to play innovative games that illustrate global water issues.  These interactive water games were especially conceived to demonstrate, in an active and fun way, the dynamic of ocean pollution, the large-scale uses of water and global distribution and accessibility to water.
• Later that day, climatologist René Brunet from the Biosphere will give a talk on water in its global context.
• Thursday is Water Movie Festival day with a screening of the award-winning documentary film “Flow” at noon, and National Film Board short films on water from 4 pm to 6 pm.
• Finally, the week’s activities will end Friday afternoon with a visit to Montreal’s Jean-R. Marcotte water filtration plant at the east end of the island.  Every day, this water treatment facility purifies enough water to fill the interior of the Olympic Stadium.

Water Week at Vanier College 2012

Water Week at Vanier College 2012 FR

What better birthday present for a budding journalist than to win a journalism prize.  It was on his birthday that Vanier graduate Akiva Levitas received a cheque for winning the 2011-2012 Don McGillivray Memorial Prize in Explanatory Journalism from Concordia University where he is currently studying.

 His winning article “Everything’s changing,” published in the Cree magazine “The Nation” reported on a project that studied how climate change in the James Bay area is transforming the environment and how hunters, trappers and communities must adapt.

Getting a start with an internship
Akiva, who graduated in June 2011 from the Vanier Communications: Arts, Media and Theatre Program, didn’t hesitate last summer when Martin Siberok, the Coordinator of the Communications program at Vanier and the Copy Editor of “The Nation”, suggested he apply for a three-week internship on the publication.  “I got accepted and started writing for the magazine immediately,” Akiva says.  “I’ve continued writing for them and in all I’ve written twenty to thirty articles for them since July.”

A passion for nature and writing
The internship was a remarkable opportunity for Akiva.  Not only did he travel to Quebec’s northern Cree territories, but he also met interesting people.  “I’ve interviewed former Prime Minister Paul Martin and Quebec Premier Jean Charest,” he confides.  Akiva is also lucky to be writing about a subject that interests him.  “I’ve always been interested in nature programs and the Discovery Channel.  I’m interested in how nature relates to communities, especially those in the North; so it’s great to be writing about these topics.”

Who was Don McGillivray?
The Don McGillivray Prize in Explanatory Journalism aims to encourage journalistic writing that explains a complicated story in easy-to-understand terms.  Don McGillivray was a national reporter, editor and columnist for over forty years, and a professor of journalism at Concordia and Carleton universities.  He covered public affairs, politics and economics in Ottawa and aimed to make sure his readers understood the business and economics of government.

Don McGillivray Memorial Prize 2011-2012 awarded to Vanier grad

Don McGillivray Memorial Prize 2011-2012 awarded to Vanier grad FR

What’s a case competition
The Case Challenge is an intense two-day event that brings together the best of the best among students in technical business programs across Canada.  The challenge is to analyze a never-seen before business problem in three hours, draw up a viable marketing plan, and prepare a Power Point presentation to give before a jury panel of experts from business, industry and education.  Competitors need to be top notch shape if they are to maintain a clear head and put their creativity to work to come up with a plan that addresses the needs of the problem under study.

The benefits of particpating in the Vanier College BDC Case Challenge
“The Vanier BDC Case Challenge is a great example of how Vanier offers its students a first class opportunity to put their knowledge and marketing skills into practice,” states David Moscovitz, Case Challenge organizer.  “Pitting their abilities against those of students coming from every province in the country inspires students and drives them to work hard and adopt a professional attitude.  Normally, case competitions only take place at baccalaureate and graduate levels, so the Vanier contest that is the only national marketing case competition at the college level attracts very serious students.  They come to Montreal wanting to do well, to meet other competitors, and to network and learn from each other and the judges.”

Teams from 30 community colleges and cegeps
The two-day competition in February will include teams from Cégep André-Laurendeau, Collège Lionel-Groulx, Cégep régional de Lanaudière à Joliette, Champlain College, St-Lambert, Collège de Rosemont, Collège de Valleyfield, Collège Édouard-Montpetit, Dawson College, John Abbott College and Vanier College, from Québec; Algonquin College, Centennial College, Durham College, George Brown College, Humber College, Mohawk College, Seneca College, Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, St. Lawrence College, Cornwall and St. Lawrence College, Kingston, from Ontario; J.R. Shaw School of Business, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, from Edmonton, Alberta; Langara College, Okanagan College and Sprott-Shaw Community College, from British Columbia; Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, from Saskatchewan; Red River College, from Manitoba; New Brunswick Community College, from St. John, New Brunswick; Nova Scotia Community College from Nova Scotia; Holland College, from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and College of the North Atlantic, from Newfoundland.

Details of the competition
The 2012 competition will take place once again at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel (Montreal Airport).  Because of the large number of participants, there will be three theatres of 10 presentations on Saturday.  That evening, the top two teams from each theatre will be announced at a gala dinner.  These six teams will then go on to compete with a new case to analyze in the medal round on Sunday morning.  Following the final presentations, an awards luncheon will take place.

The Business Development Bank of Canada
BDC is Canada’s business development bank. From more than 100 business centers across the country, BDC promotes entrepreneurship by providing highly tailored financing, venture capital and consulting services to entrepreneurs.

BDC Vanier College Case Challenge 2012 announcement

BDC Vanier College Case Challenge 2012 announcement FR

Michael Noonan, a 2007 Science graduate of Vanier College, is one of two Quebec winners of this year’s Rhodes Scholarships, widely considered the most prestigious scholarships in the world

From Ecology at Concordia to Zoology at Oxford University
Michael is currently completing a Bachelor of Science in Honours Ecology at Concordia University.  While pursuing his undergraduate degree Michael has carried out research focused on fish behaviour and conservation and plans to continue his research while pursuing his doctorate degree in zoology at the University of Oxford.  Remarkably, the 24-year-old native of Chateauguay has already published a research article as a first author in Fish and Fisheries, an internationally top-ranked fisheries journal.

In addition to academic excellence, the Rhodes Scholarship requires scholars to demonstrate “evidence of physical vitality, leadership, and service, whether in sports, theatre, music or other pursuits.”  Michael certainly meets this requirement. 

A wrestling champion
While at Vanier, he wrestled for the College in 2006 and 2007.  During that time he won a Silver Medal for Vanier at the Guelph University Open of January 2007 and prior to that, he won a Gold Medal at the London Ontario Junior Invitational in November 2006.  As an elite Quebec athlete Michael has also competed for Canada at several international wrestling tournaments.

A well-rounded student
As a truly well-rounded individual, Michael’s interests extend beyond science and sports, and he has also worked with the 78th Fraser Highlanders at the Stewart Museum demonstrating military tactics and explaining the regiment’s history to the visiting public.

Vanier College is proud to congratulate Michael Noonan for receiving this outstanding award.

Michael Noonan 2011 Rhodes Scholar

Michael Noonan 2011 Rhodes Scholar FR