The Douglas College Newsletter

mw New Westminster Campus, David Lam Campus & Thomas Haney Campus

IN

Douglas College

Event magazine enters new era

Writer Tom Wayman knows that
making it to the age of 30 is a big
deal in literary terms.

Preparing to host the upcoming
launch of the 30-year
retrospective issue of Event
magazine, Wayman discussed
how the support of the College
helps keep a magazine like Event
alive, while bringing a special
kind of creative resource to the
community.

“The commitment to offering
education doesn’t stop in the
classroom,” says Wayman.
“Having a magazine like Event at
Douglas College is another form
of education that the College
offers to the community. When
you support a magazine you offer
the community an up-to-the-
minute look at what’s happening
in contemporary literature in

Canada. Without that support,

 

Event may have fallen by the
wayside.”

Being around for 30 years, Event
is a relative old-timer in the world
of Canadian literary magazines.
The magazine has published
many notable writers over the
years, such as Charles Bukowski,
Carol Shields, Nino Ricci, Alistair
McLeod and Susan Musgrave. It
has also been the recipient of
many awards, the most recent
being the 2002 Journey Prize for
The Cane Field by Vancouver

writer Kevin Armstrong.

“Event represents both the
history and the future of
Canadian literature,” says current
editor Cathy Stonehouse. “It’s a
long-standing magazine with a
good reputation. For writers it’s a
big deal to be published in
Event, and for readers it’s a way
of tapping into what's happening
right now in Canadian
literature.”

What's happening right now for
Eventis something new. Post-

secondary institutions in BC are
entering the first year of a three-

 

Event editor Cathy
Stonehouse (right) and
assistant editor lan
Cockfield find themselves
(happily) surrounded by the
College's award-winning
literary magazine.

year budget freeze, while facing
increasing costs and expectations
to increase student spaces. At
Douglas College, this means
program and service reductions.
For Event staff, who published
the magazine with College dollars
and external grants, it’s a period
of economic uncertainty that has
pushed them into the unfamiliar
territory of soliciting donations.
The magazine now sports a
donors page acknowledging
private sponsors.

So what does the future hold for
Event magazine, and others like
it? Calvin Wharton, creative
writing instructor and Event
editor from 1996-2001, offers a
glimmer of hope.

“There will always be literary
magazines, “ says Wharton.
“There's such a strong writing
world in this country, and it will
keep on producing literary
magazines. A number of literary
magazines have disappeared, but
lots of Web magazines have
sprung up to replace them. There
are countless little magazines,
probably more now than ever.”

“Event has always had its own
nature,” he adds. “Any magazine
that lasts for a long time has it’s
own personality. It’s carved out a
spot called ‘Event,’ and it belongs
there. People don’t try to change

»

it.

 

Languages at Work program provides bilingual employees to local businesses

If you think you're noticing more bilingual employees at your favourite local business in the summer months, you're not imagining things.

The Languages at Work program, offered through Douglas College, provides French-Canadian exchange students with valuable work experience
in their second official language. The College has been offering the program for five years.

“The program starts with five weeks of intensive English courses at the College,” says Languages at Work Project Officer Jessica Hiebert. “The
students sign a contract stating that they will be all-English speaking during the five weeks, even outside of the classroom. By the time they are
done with their classes, they are pretty comfortable conversing in English.”

Once the language portion of the program is complete, students are available for full-time employment from July 2 to August 28. Employers
who are part of the program get more than a bilingual employee. The federal government covers 60 percent of the minimum wage for the
students, giving employers a full-time employee at a cost of less than four dollars an hour.

“Last summer we placed all 20 students,” says Hiebert. “Three of last year’s employers, Zip Code Hawaiian Boutique and Samson Maritime
Museum in New Westminster and Maldovano’s Restaurant in Vancouver are very excited about being part of the program again this year, and are

taking two students each.”

For more information about the Languages at Work program, contact Jessica Hiebert at 604-527-5175, ext. 2, or 604-779-4801 or by e-mail at

hiebertj@groupwise.douglas.bc.ca.

    

527-JOBS
gets the
job done

Patti Roos believes in looking at
people's successes, not their
limitations. And that kind of can-
do ethic, backed by lots of hard
work, is translating into major
successes for Adult Special
Education grads in Douglas
College's 527-JOBS program.

The program, which provides
employment services for students
with disabilities, has enjoyed an
80 percent hiring rate over the
past five months, placing 24
College grads into jobs (including
one-third hired directly from
practicum placements).

“We emphasize the student’s
motivations, practicum success,
skills and good work habits rather
than the disability,” says Roos,
the program’s Employment
Specialist. “We also strongly
advocate on the student's behalf
regarding employment, and
educate employers about
student’s skills. I believe all the
work done in Douglas College
Adult Special Education
programs has given us a good
reputation in the business
community due to our consistent
effort to build partnerships based
on the employers needs.”

The program works with Adult
Special Education grads, people
with a wide range of disabilities
from hearing or visual
impairments to those with
learning disabilities. “What most
of our graduates have in
common,” Roos adds, “is that
they are very hard working and
determined to succeed.

“It’s exciting and rewarding to
witness people overcoming
obstacles and benefitting from
the high-quality educational
programs. I observe personal
growth on an ongoing basis. It’s
fulfilling when a good job match

is made.”

For more information on
527-JOBS call 604-527-JOBS
(5627).

 

Quote of the Month

“Event represents both the history and the future of Canadian literature. ”

Cathy Stonehouse, Event magazine editor