For many people, it's easy to forget about Remembrance Day. Although for veterans of the Second World War, it is anything but easy.

This proved true on Nov. 11 this year, when Centennial College had its annual Remembrance Day observance in the Centre of Creative Communication’s Learning Resource Centre.

Guests included a division of the Royal Canadian Legion No. 617 Dambusters Branch, as well as members of the Royal Canadian Artillery and the II Polish Corps.

Jack Rhind, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Artillery, spoke about fighting at the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944 about 80 miles southeast of Rome, Italy. The battle, in which the Allies struggled to expel Nazi forces from Italy, was one of the most costly conflicts, dubbed by some as "the first D-Day."

Rhind reminisced on how he felt when the Allies finally attained success, after four long and hard engagements that resulted in the liberation of Monte Cassino.

"[It was] an unforgettable part of that campaign for those who participated," Rhind said.

"Can you picture going into a village, where people had been suppressed brutally for at least three years, and all of a sudden at that very moment you are going and freeing them?"

It was clear it would be a long time before Rhind would forget the impact the war had on him.
"You can't imagine the emotion," Rhind exclaimed. "You can't imagine the excitement, the tremendous relief, the enthusiasm and the almost undeserved credit that we received in doing this."

Rhind shared an anecdote with the audience about returning 15 years after the war to the battleground of Monte Cassino, at the insistence of his wife.

Upon arrival, Rhind found that although some painful memories will always linger, they can often be replaced.

"When we got there, what had been in my memory was a scene of total devastation: houses in ruins, shell holes everywhere," he said. "I go there [and think] 'this can't be the same place...I must be wrong.'"

"I wasn't wrong," Rhind added.

He talked about how he found a scene of tranquility and beauty, a stark contrast from his memory of the battle.

"The field was green, the trees were in blossom," he said. "The birds were singing, the sky was blue…unbelievable."

"I thought to myself… 'This is the way God meant it to be.’"

While Rhind’s story was evidence that he certainly won’t forget the war, Centennial professor Ted Barris reminded the audience of why it is important no one else does either.

"He's a modest man," Barris said, referring to Rhind as he stepped down from the podium.

"But I think it was he and his comrades that brought back the blue sky and green grass."

I see it everywhere I go.

On television, on the bus, on the computer and in our homes. It’s hard to comprehend the undeniable effect technology has had on how we communicate with each other.

For some, it has been difficult to adapt to change – for others, near impossible. But for a whole generation, technology has utterly and inexorably become a fundamental part of how we communicate. It’s impossible to deny that technology has permanently shaped the way we speak with one another, but to what end? For good or for bad?

There is no doubt technology such as cell phones, BlackBerrys and the Internet have some very positive aspects. We can communicate faster than ever before, to anywhere in the world.

Mothers no longer have to worry about reaching their children, and bosses need not worry about contacting their employees. Businesses are more efficient, and people more social. It would seem that technology only offers solutions to our problems.

Or so it would seem. Despite how far we’ve progressed due to technology, we are also regressing.

I realized this while walking through the subway the other day. I saw an elderly musician – known as a busker – playing a flute and hoping for donations. I also realized that his change box was nearly empty. As I looked around him, I noticed the demographic he was facing – each person walked by texting away on their BlackBerry, listening to their iPod or yapping on their phone.

They were all completely oblivious to the man playing the instrument, some because they could not hear his music, others who simply didn’t care. It’s obvious the poor fellow had no idea what generation he was dealing with.

It struck me then – despite how much we’ve progressed due to technological innovation, we have also moved backwards. With all the technology that is being utilized to make us connect more easily as a community, we are actually becoming more disconnected from each other on a personal level.

Think about it. When is the last time you sent someone a text message or an e-mail instead of calling because you didn’t want to hear their voice and make small talk? Or put on your headphones after saying hello to an acquaintance on the bus, to avoid awkward conversation?

You can see it everywhere you go. People use their electronic devices as an excuse for not noticing the buskers. It’s as if being wrapped in our own technological lives diminishes the importance of the world around us. Sorry, but your headphones aren’t fooling anyone - we know you can see the busker; you’re just too absorbed in your own world to care about him.

The media world is rapidly changing, and those not ready to adapt will be left behind, says veteran journalist Norris McDonald.

McDonald, of the Toronto Star, was at Centennial College on Oct. 30 to speak with aspiring student journalists about the career they hope to pursue.

One of the many themes that McDonald touched upon was how the media landscape is quickly changing, and that the new breed of journalists need to embrace change if they hope to survive.

"Be open to change," McDonald said. "Don't graduate from here and get a job wherever, and say 'great, this is where I’m gonna spend the next 15 or 20 years of my life,’ because it’s not gonna happen."

McDonald said new journalists should take advantage of the industry’s ever-changing nature.

He talked about how being capable of utilizing technology is an excellent asset in the new media world, a skill that many in the old generation lack.

"One of the problems we have at the Star is that we have an aging staff," McDonald said.

"We have people who have worked here for 25 or 30 years, and are not even interested in getting involved with the Internet and learning new skills."

According to McDonald, his definition of a journalist is someone "interchangeable in the media."

For Norris, the ability to quickly switch between different jobs and positions is a fundamental part of being successful in the media industry of 2008.

Ted Barris, Professor at Centennial College and former colleague of Norris McDonald, seemed to agree, when he talked about Mcdonald's ability to adapt even in the most awkward situations.

"He could simply change tracks," Barris said. "From the reporting rooms and the editorial rooms at the Whig Standard, and then in his underwear from his kitchen, he'd deliver the news that was relevant and pertinent to people"

While McDonald emphasized the importance of adjusting to change especially in media, he also noted that it's necessary to be able to do so in any industry.

"It doesn't matter whether it’s journalism or whatever else you do in your life, we're heading down a mountain and the snowball is getting bigger and bigger," McDonald said. "The whole world is changing, not just the journalism world, everything is changing."