@ New Westminster Campus, David Lam Campus & Thomas Haney Campus N ’ S ( e September 2001 The Douglas College Newsletter IN Douglas College Language partner program offers fun and friendship If you're looking for a great volunteer opportunity this Fall, the Language Partner Program may be for you. “We look for volunteers who are eager to help someone practice English and who have an interest in other cultures,” says Kristen Conboy, Language and Cultural Facilitator. “They really have to want to help someone else and be willing to share their Canadian experiences. ” Volunteers, who must have a native or native-like proficiency in English, receive a two-hour training session covering working with people from different cultures, communication skills and working with ESL students. “Tr’s a one hour commitment once a week if you are only speaking English; two hours a week if you want to learn their language,” says Conboy. “Partners will meet for lunch or coffee during the week, and quite often they become friends, spending time at each others homes cooking meals together and having fun together.” Dave Seaweed, First Nations Student Services Coordinator at the College, has been a Language Partner off and on for seven years, spending tow or three hours a week with his partner. “Last year, we played ping-pong and basketball, went for walks and went over homework assignments,” he says. The Program provides lots of social activities for partners, such as semester end and holiday Goodbye TeleReg, hello WebReg Systems & Computing Database Programmer Shony Bar-Elan and daughter Sasha officially shut down the Telephone Registration machine August 29 as the College changed over to Web Registration. Another new service, Web Applications (Web Apps) is now available to students, allowing them to apply to the College over the Internet. “We hope that it will prove more convenient for applicants and allow us to process applications more quickly," says Registrar Trish Angus. Seeking green friends Is your department making an effort to reduce waste? Are you doing something good for the environment? If you or your department isa friend of the environment, the Green Team wants to know. Send details c/o Wendy Waidson, Douglas Development, e-mail waidsonw@douglas.bc.ca or call 604-527-5503. celebrations, an annual ice skating party in March, grab-a-java conversation and coffee time once a week, and carving pumpkins in October. So what’s in it for the volunteers? Aside from meeting people from other cultures and the possibility to practice a second language, there’s the good feeling they get from helping students adapt to life at the College and in Canada. “Two years ago, my partner was from Iran,” says Seaweed. “He'd been an engineer, but after moving here he had to learn English and get recertified. It was tough for him to go from being a professional to being a student. Half way through the semester he landed a phenomenal Language Partners enjoy the annual skating party held at Moody Park Arena. The Program provides ice time and skate rental; you provide the fun. engineering job, and he called and apologized to me for not being able to continue as a partner. We met again, and he brought For more information on the Language Partner Program, contact Kristen Conboy at 604-527-5569. a friend with him to be my new partner. It was a great feeling to be recommended as a language partner by my language partner!” Endowment funds pass $6 million mark It’s good news for students in financial need — the Foundation-managed endowment funds have passed the $6 million dollar mark. “Tt’s been our largest year ever for growth of endowment funds with an increase of $637,570,” says Executive Director Myrna Popove. She credits College employees for much of the growth, citing an increase in internal giving that went from $15,000 per year to over $34,000. “T’m really excited about the level of internal awareness Sail away for an educational afternoon on the Fraser Looking for a fun, educational afternoon? Join Jacqueline Gresko, College history instructor, for Women of the Fraser, a three- hour presentation-cruise on the Paddlewheeler Riverboat. Gresko will read from letters and diaries of women who travelled by steamboat on the river, such as Amelia Douglas and Mary Moody, and tell stories of women who worked along the river in canneries and plywood plants in the 20th century. Women’s historical sites will be pointed out and the history behind places named for women will be explained. The cruise, which costs $10 and includes lunch, takes place Thursday September 27, 12-3pm starting at the New Westminster Quay. For tickets and info, call Wendy Waidson at 604-527-5503. and the willingness of employees to participate in supporting the success of our students,” she says. Employee donations are matched by the College and the provincial government, making one dollar equal three. An endowment is basically a trust fund that is invested and managed by the Douglas College Foundation. The interest, less a small percentage that is reinvested, is awarded on an annual basis to needy students. For more information, call Karen Esau at 604-527-5876. Annual Wine Fest benefits students Come to the Douglas College Foundation’s annual Wine Fest, A Class Act, Thursday November 15, 7-9:30pm at the Executive Plaza Hotel, 405 North Road, Coquitlam. The evening includes a sampling of food and wine from around the world, live and silent auctions and music. Tickets are $40 per person (includes GST) and can be purchased from the Foundation by calling 604-527-5876. Proceeds will go to the endowments to benefit students of the Athletics and Hotel and Restaurant Management Programs. Quote of the Month Politeness and consideration for others is like investing pennies and getting dollars back. Thomas Sowell, Creators Syndicate