The Secret of Kells was nominated for anOscar for best animated feature.

PHOTO BYCARTOON

SALOON

THE ARTS

Animators from the EmeraldIsle export their style to theStatesBy Robin Phillips

Students in Canada looking to study animation neednot look far, but they may want to. Ireland mayseem an unlikely place to go for animation, but whatis offered goes beyond an animation education.

"Certainly they'd gain lots from coming to Ireland asa country," said Gareth Lee, program leader for theBA Honours Animation program at the Irish Schoolof Animation at Ballyfermot College. "We have agreat tradition in Ireland, not just for animation butfor storytelling in general.

"We're kind of internationally renowned for the calibre of our writers and our storytelling prowess.That's something we're very keen on promoting and delivering at the Irish School of Animation," Leesaid.

"We have a great tradition in Ireland, not just for animation but for storytellingin general."

The Irish School of AnimationThe Irish School of Animation (ISA), located in Dublin, has been operating since December 2005. Itwas the first to offer an honours degree program in animation in Ireland, according to the ISA website.

The ISA grew from the old animation department at the Ballyfermot College of Further Education. Itwas established in the mid '90s and was the first in Ireland.

Ireland at the OscarsGraduates of these animation programs and their work are recognized around the world. Mostrecently at the 82nd Academy Awards in America. The Secret of Kells by Cartoon Saloon wasnominated for best animated feature. Ballyfermot animation graduate Nora Twomey co-directed thefilm with Tomm Moore.

Another Irish presence at the awards was in the best animated short category, Granny O'Grimm'sSleeping Beauty, from director Nicky Phelan.

Although these two films didn't take home any Oscar gold that night, their presence showed the worldthat Irish animation houses can compete with American companies like Pixar.

With three animation schools and 13 animation production companies, Ireland's animation scene is notto be overlooked.

For more information on the ISA visit www.isa-bcfe.ie and for more information on productioncompanies, visit www.animationireland.com/companies.htm.

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Natasha Loy Son, in the white t-shirt, at theElephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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BYNATASHALOY SON

STUDENT LIFE

International volunteering letsstudents see the world whilemaking a differenceBy Robin Phillips

University and college students who want to seethe world but don't want to be tourists haveanother option.

International volunteering.

Organizations like Projects Abroad andInternational Student Volunteers (ISV) sendstudents around the world to volunteer.

"We send volunteers overseas to do worthwhilework," said Allison Kean, a program advisor with Projects Abroad.

It is a different way to travel, said Kean, "Gets their hands dirty."

Last year Projects Abroad had 4,000 volunteers sign-up globally. ISV has had tens of thousands ofstudents sign-up over the past 27 years, according to its website.

ISV's programs are a month long and vary in cost. With ISV, students can travel to countries likeThailand, Dominican Republic or Ecuador and help make a difference.

"You go in one way and you leave and you're different, inevitably."

Three Ontario university students who volunteered abroad last year through ISV agree that theexperience is life-changing.

Kate Sweetman - New Zealand"We get caught up in our own little world," said Kate Sweetman, an animal biology student at theUniversity of Guelph. "When you travel you meet different cultures [and] you meet different people.You just realize that there's so much more out there."

Sweetman spent May 2009 in New Zealand on a conservation project.

"It was two weeks volunteer and two weeks travelling," Sweetman said. "I can honestly say I don'tknow which I thought was more fun."

With seven other students she spent two weeks planting trees, working in the nursery and learningabout the wildlife in New Zealand.

"We were just a great bunch of people. We connected so well," Sweetman said.

Natasha Loy Son - ThailandStudents don't only bond with each other, they also bond with those they are helping. Natasha LoySon, a biological science student at the University of Guelph, spent May 2009 volunteering inThailand. She spent two weeks in a small fishing village that was working to re-establish its economyafter the tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004 made fishing scarce.

"When we went down there we were trying to help them sustain their economic situation," Loy Sonsaid. "We were doing a lot of teaching English and at schools around the village we did a lot ofstructural work. We built pathways for them. We became very close with all the villagers that were

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Amy Brohman, featured right in the blue shirt, onher last day in Australia. She and the group loadedinto the trailer to go see a rare Australian wildlife,an echidna.

PHOTOSUPPLIEDBY AMYBROHMAN

structural work. We built pathways for them. We became very close with all the villagers that werethere, that took care of us."

Loy Son also learned about animal rights on her trip and how to be environmentally conscious.

"We learnt a lot about the country and ways to be a tourist in a country that didn't have negativeimpacts both on the people and the animals," Loy Son said. "It will definitely affect the way that I travelin the future. It definitely helps you to open your mind a little bit more when going to a foreign countryand respecting their values."

Amy Brohman - AustraliaAmy Brohman also found her experience life-affecting. Brohman, a history student at theUniversity of Waterloo, spent a month in thesummer of 2009 in Australia. With her volunteergroup she worked on conservation projects likeplanting trees and building a forest trail.

"I haven't found anything negative from theexperience," Brohman said. "I really noticed adifference in myself, positive changes. You reallylearn a lot about different perspectives, especiallywhen you're just put in a group with a bunch ofpeople you don't know."

"I definitely recommend it at least once," said LoySon of volunteering. "It was amazing and it willchange the way that you think of travelling."

"My grandpa likes to use the term 'a broadeningexperience,'" Brohman said of her trip to Australia. "You go in one way and you leave and you'redifferent, inevitably."