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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-11-18, Page 17Over 700 visit CCAT `Feeding hungry' theme of Open House By Yvonne Reynolds Centralia College of Agricultural Technology held its annual open house on November 12. Over 700 parents, relatives, friends.. alumni, younger brothers and sisters and other interested persons strolled in and around the well -cared -for grounds and buildings viewing the many mobile and stationary ex- hibits, the well-equipped labs, the excellent, modern student facilities, and the fresh -faced, articulate, enthusiastic and genial young students of the college. This was their day. A com- mittee headed by Heather Hartman, second year food services management, had worked for months to show off their college to best ad- vantage. Heather was ap- pointed last March and by September she and her com- mittee of approximately 20 students were meeting once a week. During open house she helped with the tours conducted every half hour, talked to prospective student §,, handed out progrart4, took off two hours when her parents arrived, then went back on evening duty helping once again with tours and programs. "It's a student event. They do 90% of the work, and the staff assists with past ex- perience when asked", ex- plained Dennis McKnight, ruminant nutritionist and staff coordinator for the open house. "Heather and her com- mittee got the job done, and I never heard a complaint." The college's reputation is growing steadily. At present the 305 -member student body includes Alun Waghorn, England, Eddie Yuen, Hong Kong, Michael Odida. Uganda, and Jorge Chacon. Venezula, as well as young men and women from Michigan, Manitoba, Toron- to, Sault Ste. Marie and beautiftul downtown Kirkton. All are enrolled in one of the four two-year diploma courses: agricultural business management. animal health technology, food services management, and consumer and community studies. As the college had no special events planned for Serving South Huron, North Middlesex November 18, 1981 World Food Day on October 16, the student committee decided to base all exhibits, displays and films around the theme "Feeding a hungry world" for their open house. The noon menu in the college cafeteria offered students and staff two choices - take it or leave it. The "awareness meal" typified what a middleclass farm family in South America would eat as their main dinner. Most diners receiving a plate of the vegetarian stew containing white beans, corn, peas and bits of red pim ento topped off with a dish of bread pud- ding sweetened with syrup, silently thanked a beneficent providence for the accident of birth or the deliberate choice that made them citizens of this bountiful land. This year (unlike last when all activities took place in the rec centre) visitors were free to amble through Huron Hall, Middlesex Hall, Grey Hall, the Engineering and the Animal Health buildings, giving them a comprehen- sive impression of what it Page 1A WELL EQUIPPED LAB — Instructor Janne Petersen, Exeter, (left) and student Lisa Scott, RR 5 Bowmanville, were on duty in one of the labs in the animal health building during open house at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology. CLOTHES HORSE — First year students in the animal health course Carolyn Boersen, RR 3 Stratford, (left), Hazel Phillips, Orangeville, (centre) and Ursula Hoffman, RR 3 Lucan are on their best behaviour during Centralia's open house. They confessed that usually the horse skeleton is adorned with students' hats and coats. lS I • N SOMI OPERATION — Jan Scofield, Woodstock (left) assisted by Colleen Powell, Oshawa, have prepped Fredrika for a Caesarean. A visitor 'seems to doubt the students' announce- ment that the X-rays showed four puppiesl must be like to be a student at the agricultural college. Joanne Vink, RR 1 Kirkton and Jan McCutcheon, RR 8 Owen Sound, second year students in the Consumers and Community Studies, were available to answer questions about their course. One day a week is spent at Craigholme, a nursing home for the elderly at Ailsa Craig, another day in volunteer work with mental- ly handicapped adults at ARC Industries in Dashwood. Next semester the students will get ex- perience helping mentally handicapped children at Huron Hope, part oT JAD McCurdy School - in Huron Park. "This course has made me much more aware of others' needs", said Jan. "The men- tally handicapped have a lot of love to give. And I had never had anything to do with the elderly before." "If you're going to be there someday, you hope all the facilities will be there for you". Joanne added. Both girls dream of com- bining a course -related career with marriage to a farmer. as neither can envi- sion living anywhere else but on a farm. The animal husbandry course. accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Association, is becoming more famous each year. Jean Butcher, Toronto, enrolled because she was very impressed with a veterinarian assistant in that city who did everything but surgery - kept the clinic books. took blood, prepped animals for operations, cleaned the kennels and acted as receptionist. Fin- ding her idol had been train- ed at Centralia, Jan came to the college too. "I love it here. An awful lot of hard work, and hard to keep up. but when I get out I'll miss all the pressure. It's an excellent course", Jean said. Noreen Campbell, London, is also in the second year of the animal husbandry course. hoping for a career in cancer research after graduation. She has been in- spired by speakers from Guelph. London's University Hospital, -and a Hamilton research lab. .. - - Noreen guided visitors ;past the cages containing barkless dogs, the one feature visitors found dis- concerting at first. She ex- plained that all the animals were unadoptables from the London Humane Society. Their vocal cords hadbeen cut. as otherwise the cons- tant noise would disrupt nearby classes. Many of the dogs had behavioral problems when they first came. but the tender loving care and constant attention they had received had made them much more manageable. None of the ex- periments is fatal, and most of the dogs are adopted after ward by the students. "Animal experiments are a big conflict in class", Noreen admitted. "Some feel it's OK for mice and rats, wrong for bigger animals. If it's for a good cause in human medicine, it's kind of sad but better than experimenting with humans." (We might never have had insulin if doctors Banting and Best had not ex- perimented first with dogs.) "You couldn't work here if you didn't love animals", Noreen concluded. Jan Scofield, Woodstock, and Colleen Powell, Oshawa, demonstrated operating room procedures. All precautions to prevent infec- tion from unsterile con- ditions are observed; the same care is taken as if the patient was human. After gowning up "the worst thing with the mask on is an itchy nose and you're not allowed to scratch" according to Jan. The curriculum at Cen- tralia college of Agricultural Technology is not "all work and no play". Ex- tracurricular activities in- clude broomball, volleyball, hockey. the school choir and country dancing. One of the students taking part in tile square dancing demonstra- tion seemed'a.bit older than the rest of the student body. He was. After 18 years in the Royal Navy, Alun Waghorn became an employee of the huge British conglomerate Ocean Inchcape Ltd., (OIL). Headed by Lord Inchcape, OIL supplies manpower and various services to BP, Shell, Amoco, etc. Waghorn is still an OIL employee while taking the food ser- vices management course. Although he used to plan 8,000 meals six months in ad- vance during his naval ser- vice, and is still involved in the catering arm of OIL, he wants Canadian Qualifications to allow him to work in Canada; he will pick up his Canadian citizenship the day after he graduates in January 1983. Waghorn wished to learn the Canadian way, especial- ly in food processing and handling, and purchase and supply. He thinks "the Cana- dian pork marketing board Is fantastic, an example for the rest of the world to follow". "This college has a lot to offer the student and in- dustry". Waghorn said. "I would personally recom- mend it very highly. It gives the younger element a far bigger insight into manage- ment. They y are learning both the hows and the whys." Waghorn is adapting to schooldays after a 20 -year absence. He was "moaned" when he appeared in shirt,. tie and dress pants for his first class. He had to go out and buy the first pair of jeans he had ever owned. Keith Anger, London, and Rick Rock, RR 4 Ripley, manned a water flume tank in the agricultural engineer- ing building, depicting the effects of wind around physical structures on a farm. Both men are in the second year of the agricultural business management course. study- ing everything from basic welding to woodlot manage- ment. Keith farmed near Zurich until he lost his right arm in an accident. He would advise any young man to take the course before starting to farm. "Without business skills, you •can't operate. no matter how good you are at actual farming", he said. College principal Doug Jamieson was very satisfied with the open house. With the college from its incep- tion in 1967. and the second staff member hired, he has watched Centralia College grow from 75 students and two courses to its present size. Courses have evolved and changed. An initial course in fashion was dropped. "No problem getting students. but jobs were hard to find. Huron Park is not the mecca of the fashion world". Jamieson remarked dryly. The Huron county native was appointed to the position of principal in 1979. "From a personal as well as professional aspect, I en- joy working with young peo- ple in the educational field", he said. "They keep you young". In a post mortem the day after the open house, Jamieson said all those in- volved were pleased with the day - the weather, the tur- nout. the amazing number of young .people with applica- tion forms in hand wishing to sign up for the following year, and the complimen- tary remarks from alumni returning to admire im- provements in buildings and grounds. "Our philosophy is to allow the students to do as much preparation, planning and operation of the open house program and the operation of the college as possible with staff guidance. Students gain practical ex= perience in real work situations. We encourage them to do as much as they can and we, the staff, are there for support or help", he said. "We've had a worthwhile day. The students have benefited by planning, preparing and put- ting the day together.... students from all courses had an opportunity to work together on a common pro- ject." By any criteria, the staff and students of Centralia College of Agricultural Technology were successful in giving the public a very favourable impression of their school and themselves. BACK TO SCHOOL — Alun Waghorn, England, is enrolled in Centralia's food service management course. Already well qualified by European sfandards, he wants to earn his Cana- dian diploma. AN INSIDE LOOK — Becky Bannerman, Seaforth, a first year student in Centralia's food service management course, puts a lung bock in place in the physiology display at the college's open house. TESTING -- First year animal health students Pamela McIn- tosh, RR 3 Lucknow (left) and. Colleen Marshall, Toronto, demonstrate the mastitis test to visitors at Centralia College's , open house. A This is the year of the PRACTICAL GIFT and right now you'll save more at Gerrards ZO ALL 0 F F STYLE MERCHANDISE in all departments Mens Style Suits Sports Jackets Blazers Winter Coats & Jackets Winter Vests Sweaters Velours Housecoats P.J.'s Jeans & Cords Sweatshirts & Track Pants Ski -Doo Suits Ski Pants Gloves Toques Mitts Ladies Styles Blouses Sweaters Skirts Dress Slacks Jeans, Cords Blazers Jumpsuits Dresses Pant Suits Knickers Winter Jackets Coats Ski Suits Boys Style Suits, Sports jackets Blazers Winter Coats & Jackets Winter Vests Sweaters Velours Housecoats P. 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