Dig out your ball and glove and come out for a fun and friendly competition at the 8^th annual Red River College’s Staff Co-ed Slow-Pitch Community Event!

You can register as a team or register as an individual and be placed on a team.  Teams consist of at least TEN players and must have a minimum of FOUR females playing in each inning.  Every team can play up to three games.

The event takes place on June 11th from 9 am to 4 pm at the Little Mountain Park ball diamonds, just 10 minutes north of the Notre Dame Campus.  Registration are available from the RRC Wellness Portal page or by contacting “Super” Mario De Negri (mdenegri@rrc.ca).

Each player must contribute $15.00, which covers park fees, use of equipment, and a lunch that includes one main dish and two side dishes and a drink. Please state if you are a vegetarian in your registration. This will also get you one raffle ticket to win one of many prizes through out the day. Make cheques payable to Red River College Slow-pitch event.

You can also register to play one of our many Low Organized Games such as bocce and ladder toss or bring a musical instrument to jam if slow pitch isn’t your forte but would like to be a part of the event. $15.00 will also include a lunch and raffle ticket.

If you feel you would just like to come out for the day or even a few hours please feel welcome at no cost. Food can be purchased on site from the clubhouse.

This is an eco-friendly event so please minimize all waste. Bring reusable water bottles or jugs as water is not supplied at the diamonds but refilling can be done in the clubhouse. Pack out what you pack in. Bring your own gloves, sun lotion, and hat.

Registration deadline is May 16 ^TH 2014

Location of the tournament is Little Mountain Park at 64-128 Klimpke Road. Every registered player will be forwarded game rules and a game schedule.

Directions to Little Mountain Sports plex from NDC is north bound on King Edward St, then west bound on Inkster Blvd. Turn North on Klimpke. The Sports plex will be on the left.

Red River College is pleased to be holding our 4th annual State of Sustainability. This is a great way to check out what mother nature has to offer and get rid of some of those “winter blues.” This annual event is an opportunity for students, staff and the community to celebrate Earth Day, recognize RRC’s sustainability accomplishments, learn a little and have a bit of fun.

Here’s the line-up…

Pipe Ceremony, Mother Earth Teachings & Feast –Tuesday, April 22, 10:00am – 2:00pm, Aboriginal Student Support Centre, F209 (NDC).                                           

RRC Elder May Louise will lead a pipe ceremony and will share her personal experiences and observations on how Mother Earth is changing and its impacts. Participants will be invited to share their experiences too.

This event will help participants to learn how the Aboriginal worldview and sustainability are inextricably linked. All are welcome. **Traditionally, women wear long skirts for ceremonies. ** Times may vary.

E-waste Drop Off (from work and home) Tuesday, April 22 – Thursday April 24, 11:00am – 1:00pm daily, Library Hallway (NDC) & William Building near Print Services (EDC)    

Time for Spring cleaning! Get rid of that broken Nintendo in your basement, the old calculator on your desk, or the old microwave in the lunch room. All materials will be sent to a licensed recycling facility.

Sustainability Office Year-in-Review Wednesday, April 23, 12:05pm – 12:55pm, eTV Studio B, GM33 (live and streamed)

Learn about how we’ve advanced our sustainability journey this year. In addition to the Sustainability Office, hear from Food Services, Applied Research & Commercialization  & the Bookstore.

Lunch will be served. Registration is limited to 40 people, so don’t delay! Read More →

Although there is a vaccine for influenza, there is no vaccine for the nasty stomach flu or norovirus as it may be called. It causes serious illness, can incapatitate for a number of days and is contagious (you can shed the virus and spread it). Children and elderly are high risk for complictions but everyone is susceptible and anyone can spread it.

It is the one that causes nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea to the point where you want to be in bed, curled up in a ball and as close as possible to a toilet. It hits quickly and hard.

Did you know that just using alcohol santizer instead of washing your hands does not protect you  the same as with some flu and cold strains?  Why? This type of virus does not have the same cover or “envelope” around it which is what the alcohol santizers help destroy in some cold and flu strains, so it is not that affected by the alcohol. It is however, senstive to bleach.

Can I prevent it? Yes and with a basic and easy routine.

Wash your hands with soap and water! Often. When cleaning hard surfaces use a bleach based product following manufacturer directions. Many such wipes are on the market now.

A CDC study in health facilities found those who mostly used hand sanitizers instead of washing with soap and water were 6 times more likely to have stomach flu (gastro) outbreaks  in their long term care facility over facilities whose staff washed with soap and water.

Tips

• Food preparation areas need constant cleaning and if handling food, washing hands often is a must.
• If you have a dishwasher use it even for small loads as it has higher temperatures then can be tolerated by hand washing.
• If you must hand wash, put on rubber lined gloves and use as high a heat as possible.
• Don’t share. If you have a person in the house who has the stomach flu, isolate that person and what they use.
• Wash affected laundry on high heat. You can also run the machine on its own with some bleach to keep cross contamination at a minimum.
• Clean clean clean any surfaces a person who is ill may or could touch. A bleach based product whether liquid or wipe is best.
• Do a routine wipe down of things like keyboards, phones, remote controls and any other items that people share.
• To prevent a bout of stomach flu going around the office, class, meeting rooms, lunch rooms or coffee areas; Institute a routine of wiping down hard surfaces. Wash hands with soap and water even if you wore gloves while cleaning.
• The virus sheds from an infected person 1-2 days  before that person even knows they are sick.
• The virus can live for days on hard surfaces happily waiting for someone to pick them up.
• Drinks lots of fluids- water, milk white or chocolate and real fruit juices. It keeps you hydrated which allows your body to function at its best.

• Eat foods that replenish your system needs, protein, vegetables, grains and reduce those that put stress on the body such as energy drinks and sugars.

From Health Services

Indoor air, VOCs and our Health

Welcome back.  Our first post in this series about VOCs provided a glance at what VOCs are and where they come from. (VOCs are organic compounds / chemicals that easily become vapors or gases.) This second post will relate VOCs to our health.

VOCs in the outdoor air influence our quality of life (e.g., smog affects our breathing and exercise tolerance) and also negatively impact plant growth, including crops.   Though related;  indoor and outdoor VOCs are usually discussed separately.  This series focuses on indoor VOCs.  Indoor VOC concentrations are much greater than outdoor concentrations and in some cases, they behave differently (chemically).  Concentrations are estimated, on average, to be two to five times outdoor concentrations; but up to 1000 times outdoor concentrations when something such as painting or stripping paint is occurring. (Have no fear. Again, healthier home solutions will be the subject of future posts.)

Some VOCs change our cells! (…Can that be healthy?)     The Environmental Protection Agency¹ (EPA)  says indoor VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some … can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer such as leukemia, in humans. Other signs or symptoms include allergic skin reaction, difficulty breathing, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, vomiting, nosebleeds, fatigue and dizziness. Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are risk factors for asthma and wheezing.  We also know children are more likely than adults to experience toxicities. The Children’s Environmental Health Centre at Mount Sinai (Toronto) has produced a fact sheet about VOCs.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Processes involved in the development of sensitivities are not understood; but there is increasing agreement that some people become ‘sensitized’ to some chemicals including some VOCs. These changes in our bodies can involve the immune system and once they occur; future exposures to the particular chemicals will trigger allergic or sensitivity reactions.  It is important therefore to reduce exposures to VOCs both to prevent illness but also to reduce symptoms for those where illness has developed.

For more information on “Multiple Chemical Sensitivities”;  Oregon Public Health, the government of Australia and the government of
Massachusetts provide excellent fact sheets.

Reflection:

Wow… VOCs can cause people to feel acute symptoms like headache and can also cause cell or organ damage that might even – in time – cause cancer! That paint I stored has got to go…but what should I do with it? I’ll find out and let you know in the next post.

This second post in our series about VOCs in the home has pointed to the kinds of health effects people face as a consequence of VOC exposure. Our next post will give practical suggestions on reducing VOC exposure at home.

References

1. The Environmental Protection Agency¹ (EPA)  

From Health Services

We’ve all been caught in the rush of the world in its quest to be going somewhere. This constant pressure has had us staring at a screen until out eyes are pounding , sitting on our butts until our back hurts…..what’s up with that, and going for hours without eating except for those few cups of coffee….that’s kind of like food right?

When I was younger I had a mentor tell me there was an on/off button on my backside. Anytime I was sitting down the button would be pressed to off and anytime I would stand up it would be released to the on position. This didn’t make a lot of sense hearing it but was something to be understood by applying it. It makes sense now, as I sit I am sedentary, there is little flow. As I stand I am in more motion as little as standing would be compared to sitting. Once some motion has been started it can grow into more and lead to many places. It’s like water, stagnant water has little life, can be dangerous to drink or play in. Whereas water that is flowing has vibrant energy with all sorts of life and purity, and this flowing water can be anything from a small creek to the Iguazu falls in South America.

Your life is that water. However you choose to live will reflect what kind water you manifest. There are times in our lives when we need to be slow moving like a creek to gather thoughts, have gratitude for the things we have now and there are times we need to move fast like giving time to our heart to challenge it and strengthen it cause it beats for us ALL THE TIME.

Here are 5 tips to be like water and disengage that button.

1. Stand up right now! Read the rest of this standing. Stand up and keep standing. From here after you read this make a decision to take a step forward.  What do you want to do? What can you do? Do something small as that will lead into something else and you can use momentum to keep going.
2. Set an alarm app on your phone or computer. Have it set for every hour. When the alarm goes off, stand up. Being in the office chair all day is no good for anyone. Make that once an hour commitment to do a back extension, stretch your pecs, or walk a flight of stairs. This does not have to take a long time. It can take less time than waiting in line for your morning coffee and results will come.
3. Be mindful of what your present actions are. If you are going to stand in line how are you standing? Try standing on one foot to work on balance. Try doing calf raises or just moving your body in general. I know… what if someone sees me right? Get over it. Yes people will see you so be one of the aware ones to use your time to your advantage. I bet you if more than half the people in that line were doing movements you’d do some small ones to just fit in and not be the minority. Start that movement to allow other to follow.
4. Build a ladder. Every day during your one hour self-check bell do a ladder activity. Start with one push up at 9am, then 2 at 10am and keep going until your done your day. If my math is correct in one day you will do 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8=36 pushups. That’s a lot of pushups! Next day, do squats, steps ups, ab crunch and change it. Remember to challenge yourself so maybe you need to start with 5 squats for example.
5. Commit to a club, group, games, and organization once a week. This has to be a you time thing that can include your family, or partner or just yourself but needs to be a regular commitment. I know for one of my groups we have game night every Tuesday where we play board games all winter to keep people moving out of the house and not get too nested. These change in the spring to more outdoor type activities. This has been one of the most positive additions to my life as I get to be with friends when I’m feeling worked over by winter, as well as it gives me something to look forward to each week.

Ultimately as long as you can focus on your back side button and check it often to see if it is on or off you can begin to see what the future has in store for you. The more often you can leave it on, the happier, healthier and fulfilled you will be. Once you develop the pattern, the way the river has its path it will just flow naturally and you can enjoy the ride.

Mario De Negri

Fitness Coordinator

Life style Design

Many students struggle with budgeting and managing their finances while going to school. It’s a normal part of student life as not many students can pay for their education without taking out a loan or line of credit, or working at least part-time during the school year.

This can be a significant source of stress for students and certainly does nothing for our focus and concentration!

If you’re worried about your finances, here are some ideas for helping you take control of the situation so you can feel less stressed (preferably sooner than later!):

• Create a plan. 

When it comes to finances, information is power. So take avoidance off the table as a coping strategy. Make a date with yourself to sit down and go over what you spent in the last month and plan a budget going forward. Force yourself to look at the hard numbers and keep in mind that money comes and goes. You will (presumably) be working and making money eventually so you can worry about the details of paying back any money you owe then. For now, you need to think about how much money you have to work with for the remainder of school.
• Enlist the help of an expert. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed going through your finances (or even just thinking about starting to), see if you can make an appointment with a financial advisor where you do your banking. Don’t be nervous — they meet with clients all day, every day so this is hardly something new for them! Just be honest about your concerns. You will likely feel much better after talking with them and coming up with a plan.
• Look into student-specific resources

. Red River College’s Student Awards and Financial Aid office offers a number of scholarships and bursaries that you may qualify for. If you don’t have a student loan already, it could be worth looking into Manitoba Student Aid (you can apply for a student loan throughout the year). Manitoba Student Aid also offers grants and loans that don’t require immediate repayment while you are a full-time student.
• De-stress. 

After trying one or all of the above, it’s a good idea to do something fun or relaxing to help reduce your stress levels. There are lots of things that you can do that don’t cost money. It can be as simple as getting some fresh air with a friend or using the fitness facilities at RRC. You can also check out the free entertainment and events happening downtown or in your area.
• Talk about it

. Don’t ignore the stress you’re feeling. The problem and your uncomfortable feelings won’t go away until you work through them. If you need some help figuring out what steps you should take first, the Counselling and Accessibilities Services can help. To book an appointment, fill out the online intake form and someone will contact you to set up an appointment.

63% of Canadians struggle with making healthier food choices in the grocery store at least half the time they shop; more than one third struggle at least 75% of the time according to an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for Dietitians of Canada in the Spring of 2012. [1]

National Nutrition Month is brought to you by the Dietitians of Canada every March. National Nutrition Month 2014 is designed to inspire Canadians to get back to cooking basics and to involve children and youth in food preparation. The campaign is ‘Simply Cook and Enjoy’ as there are concerns about the lack of home cooking and loss of cooking skills.

10 Steps to a Healthier You[2]

1. Variety adds enjoyment – eat the foods you enjoy balanced with healthy choices and size-wise portions
2. Fibre is filling – fuel up with high-fibre foods for your meals and snacks
3. Surround yourself with healthy snacks – bring healthy “to-go” snacks for smart snacking wherever you are
4. Add a dash of creativity – try a new recipe or experiment with spices
5. One small step at a time – make one small change to eating habits this week
6. Feed the need – if you feel your stomach grumbling, reach for a healthy snack
7. Listen to your body cues – you may need other nourishment such as sleep, fresh air, cool water or change of pace
8. The 20-minute message – it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full
9. Health is a life-long experience – focus on long-term health, not a quick fix
10. Fast food doesn’t have to be “fat” food – look for healthy alternatives

For additional details on Nutrition Month including eating tips and recipes, visit the ‘Simply Cook and Enjoy’ website at www.nutritionmonth.ca.

Did you know that in Manitoba, we have a ‘Dial-a-Dietitian’ service?

If you are looking for free nutrition information for anyone, you can call to speak to a Registered Dietitian and get answers about food and nutrition.

World Water Day

Worldwide, 13 billion people cannot access electricity, 768 million people lack access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation. Water and energy have crucial impacts on poverty alleviation.[3]

World Water Day on March 22, 2014 is to bring awareness to the inter-linkages between water and energy and promote sustainable practices. Key Messages[4] include:

1. Water requires energy and energy requires water.
2. Supplies are limited and demand is increasing.
3. Saving energy is saving water. Saving water is saving energy.
4. The ‘bottom billion’ urgently needs access to both water and sanitation services, and electricity.
5. Improving water and energy efficiency is imperative as are coordinated, coherent and concerted policies.

For more information on World Water Day, visit http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/home/en/.

You’re coughing and sneezing but your exercise routine has achieved a nice rhythm and you don’t want to lose momentum. There are two voices in your head—one encouraging you to rest—the other urging you to get up and go. Now what do you do?

It’s the toughest call and it’s and it’s usually made under duress.

Fear of prolonging the illness holds you back; the desire to work up a sweat spurs you on. What should you do, heed the advice of others to rest and wait it out, or follow your instincts, and soldier on despite the congestion?

Conflicting reports about the consequences of exercising when sick only add to your dilemma. You’ve read that it’s a good move, but other evidence points to it being bad. And feeling crummy isn’t making your decision any easier.  Being active helps you alleviate some of the stress from exams and holidays yet do you conserve your energy for that all-nighter you are sure to pull for your final exam.

Well, you can take comfort knowing that every person who enjoys exercise has, at one time or another, shared in your agony. It’s about risk-taking. The risk of increasing the severity and duration of the cold, spreading the infection to other organs, leading to injury due to weakness and coordination issues, etc., are increased while exercising with a lower respiratory illness.

Your first consideration should be the people around you.  Do the other members in the Loft, at the EDC Fitness Facility or your teammates want to be around you while you are sneezing, and coughing.  They won’t appreciate you too much if you pass your bug onto them.  So if you think you are infectious, stay home.

Assuming you are not contagious do the following quick check to help you decide whether to exercise or not.  If symptoms are above the neck (and you don’t have a fever), such as runny nose, sore throat and sneezing, continue training. Go slow at first, and if you feel energized continue, increasing the pace.  Complaints below the neck, namely chest cold, fever, muscle soreness, and aching joints, provide ample reason to stay in bed.

If you do make the decision to exercise start at lower intensity.  If you feel fine, increase the intensity but considering shortening your workout.

If you feel the need to workout and are sick remember these important tips

• Eat a well-balanced diet.
•  Avoid rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss have been shown to impair immune function.
• Try and get a good nights rest. Lack of sleep can reduce immune functioning
• Avoid over-training and chronic fatigue. Space workouts or activities as far apart as possible. Keep “within yourself” and don’t push beyond your ability to recover.
• Drink more water.
• Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol can be dehydrating which, in turn, may decrease your resistance to bacteria.
• Finally, listen to your body. If you are really sick you will feel better and recover faster if you let yourself rest.  The sooner you get better the sooner we can see you back in your yoga class or on the ice with your teammates.

The College’s fourth annual Chili Cup has come and gone, with two rookies from the Athletics and Recreation department (Shane Ray and Cole Skinner) taking the top prize for their “Ring of Fire” chili.

This marks the second time that a Rebels team has won the Cup, as that competitive spirit (honed on the courts) has apparently been translated into the culinary martial arts octagon.

Also making the podium were the Mamasitas, who took second place in the People’s Choice voting for their “Not Your Mama’s Chili”. The Mamasitas were also selected by the President’s Choice committee for their team spirit (and for bringing along some TP to the event).

Rounding out the winners were members of the RRC Students’ Association, with their SA’WEET N’ SA’PICY” Chili. They bravely represented the student body, but came up just shy of top place.

Shane Ray and Cole Skinner accept the Chili Cup from RRC President Stephanie Forsyth.

The event raised $264 for the RRCSA Food Bank, which provides services to RRC students in need.

Next up is the Chili Day in March (Thursday, March 20), where the winning chili will be served up at the Voyageur Cafeteria (NDC).  Chili and a bun can be had for $3.95 and there will be drop off bin for the RRCSA Food Bank on site – so please bring a tin for the bin. The Food Bank typically helps about 120 students and their families from the NDC and EDC campuses every two weeks.

Read More →

Lauren MacLean is president of the Red River College Students’ Association. She is completing her second year of Business Administration with an accounting major. After receiving her RRC diploma she plans to continue her studies towards a Commerce degree. 

When Lauren MacLean, president of the Red River College Students’ Association (RRCSA) started feeling stressed out, she didn’t hesitate to do something about it. She called her friends and talked to them about what was going on in her life. When that didn’t translate into her feeling much better, she made an appointment with a counsellor.

“At one point, talking to my friends was actually making things worse for me because I was feeling guilty about going on and on about the same things, said Lauren. “It was a relief to talk to a counsellor because there were no expectations and I didn’t feel like I was burdening anyone.”

Reaching out for help

Lauren started seeing a counsellor in Counselling and Accessibility Services once a week. After working through her feelings and coming up with a plan for minimizing stress and other negative feelings, she didn’t need to visit as often. Now, she simply checks in when she feels she needs to — about once a month.

“I’m in a good place now. It’s not often that I have intense feelings of anger or frustration or lots of stress that I need to work through like I did when I first started going,” said Lauren. “What I get out of sessions now is mostly feedback about whether I’m on the right track with something or that my goals are realistic.”

Sometimes a fresh perspective from someone we aren’t close to is exactly what we need to move forward. It was, and still is, something Lauren finds helpful.

“When I talk to my counsellor, Chad, he asks questions and points things out that I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of on my own,” said Lauren. “This is great because in my role with the RRCSA, I need to examine issues and decisions from many angles and think about how they affect different people. This kind of thinking also comes in handy when I’m working with other students on group projects.”

A great resource for students

For Lauren, Counselling and Accessibility Services is a vital resource that more students should take advantage of.

“I don’t want any student to feel ashamed or weird about seeing a counsellor. The counsellors at RRC are free and honestly, they’re awesome. There is no one solution to coping with mental health issues — some people will find solace in drawing or spending time with their dog — but counsellors are one great resource that I highly recommend.”

Interested in scheduling an appointment?

If you’d like to make an appointment with a counsellor, complete the online intake form. Someone will be in contact with you to schedule an appointment.