The Voice • March 12, 2020 • Volume 53 • Issue 3

Strength training

People of all ages have joined a a Marpole gym to train in the sport of powerlifting. P8

B.C. Student Outcome Survey results show a drop in Langara student satisfaction. P3

Movement can counteract what some experts call sitting disease. langaravoice.ca

Langara prepares COVID plan

The disease is now a pandemic, according to the WHO

 By LINA CHUNG, KRISTEN HOLLIDAY

As the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the international outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic Wednesday, Langara College confirmed it is preparing a contingency plan.

On March 10, Seth Abramson, an American attorney and Newsweek columnist, tweeted a list of over 100 American universities and colleges that are heading to online-only instruction immediately or imminently because of the virus. The list included Harvard, Stanford, and MIT, among others.

“The College has convened its Emergency Operations Centre and is preparing for any eventuality,” a Langara College spokesperson said in a written statement to The Voice “We’re reviewing all events to be held on campus in the coming weeks and conducting risk assessments as required.”

In a statement to media, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said as of March 11, there were over 118,000 cases of COVID-19 in 114 countries, with more than 4,000 deaths.

Please see COVID UPDATE, page 2

COVID-19 NUMBERS

CURRENT AS OF MARCH 11

B.C. cases

7 new cases were diagnosed as of Wed. March 11, bringing the total to 46 in the province.

Vancouver Coastal Health cases

22 cases of COVID-19 are within Vancouver Coastal Health's boundaries.

Acute care

Only one patient is in acute care at this time.

SOURCE: B.C. MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Walk-out highlights need for education

Wet'suwet'en supporter says Canadians must inform themselves on Indigenous rights

By LUCAS JORNITZ

The media and educational institutions need to do a better job of informing the public about the reasons why people are demonstrating in support of the Wet’suwet’en, said student organizer Tanis Wilson.

Wilson was an organizer for the March 4 walk-out demonstration on the Langara campus, part of a national movement in which students from post-secondary campuses like SFU, UBC and the University of Victoria left their classes to walk in support of the Wet’suwet’en.

Ahigh price to pay

MSP coverage would remove barriers faced by students when accessing contraceptives

 By SAFOURA RIGI-LADIZ

The recent motion put forward by Vancouver City Council to have prescription contraceptives covered through MSP could impact young people and students by removing emotional and financial barriers.

Mairi Mallett, a nurse practitioner at Langara, said if contraceptives were covered through MSP, it would create fewer barriers for young people to have access to healthcare.

“Young people sometimes find it difficult to access health services. They may not feel comfortable going to their family doctor, so having birth control covered would give people more options,” Mallett said. “If they could go to any healthcare provider they

feel comfortable with, it would create less barriers for accessing services.”

Marina Adshade, a UBC professor specializing in economics of sex, gender and fertility, said she has been lobbying the provincial government to cover contraceptives for years.

Adshade said the most effective types of contraceptives, such as IUDs, have high upfront costs and can be quite expensive for students.

“The most important change that could happen here is people switching from less reliable, intermittent contraceptives to more longer acting, more expensive contraceptives that are more reliable,” Adshade said.

Teale Phelps Bondaroff is the chair and co-founder of AccessBC, a campaign that advocates for contraceptive coverage in B.C.

Bondaroff said the issue of equality is central to fair coverage.

“Just because someone has a uterus, they incur more costs in order to exercise choices over their body,” Bondaroff said. “That’s a matter of equality.”

Coun. Christine Boyle, who pushed for the motion alongside councillor Jean Swanson, said contraceptive coverage would give people choice over their own bodies, regardless of age or income.

“It’s a fundamental piece of reproductive choice that you should really have regardless of income or other barriers,” she said.

Boyle said students who are vocal about their support for contraceptive coverage can really make a difference.

“Students can get involved in that way and tell their provincial MLA why this would make a real difference for them in their life.”

Speaking at last week’s Langara protest, which attracted some 60 demonstrators, Wilson told fellow activists not to talk to the media. In an interview with The Voice, Wilson said Canadians should use resources available to teach themselves about the rights of Indigenous people.

“It’s Canadians’ responsibility to take the time to learn the truth,” Wilson said. “Indigenous people can’t keep constantly trying to teach you guys about this.”

Rima Wilkes, a UBC professor who specializes in the media and First Nations, felt media coverage of the Wet’suwet’en protests has improved on past coverage. However, Wilkes, who has researched Oka, said there are still contentious issues around how reporting on the conflict has been handled. She said while the protests are in the public interest, upholding one’s rights shouldn’t be questioned.

“Asking people what they think about Indigenous rights is inherently problematic because what they think is irrelevant,” she said, adding the topic was difficult as the protestors are very courageous, but also that the issue raises tensions.

“If you have rights, whether the majority agrees with your rights or not is beside the point.”

Kesley Pepion, a supporter who demonstrated last week at Langara, emphasized that the demonstrations were about more than just the pipeline route, there were greater implications.

“It’s a bigger cause. It’s not just the pipelines. It’s about Indigenous rights and respecting our treaties.”

PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA

MARCH 12, 2020 • VOL. 53 NO. 03 • VANCOUVER, B.C.

Mairi Mallett, a nurse practitioner at Langara, holds various types of contraceptives. The most effective birth control can often have high up-front costs, making them less accessible for students. SAFOURA RIGI-LADIZ PHOTO

“Having birth control covered would give people more options.”

— MAIRI MALLETT, NURSE PRACTITIONER AT LANGARA COLLEGE



Mairi Mallett LANGARA NURSE PRACTITIONER

A battle with loneliness

Activists encourage support to help bolster community-feel

 By MISSY JOHNSON

In light of International Women’s Day, activists in Surrey are encouraging more people to support women who have arrived in the city from a foreign country and are vulnerable to social issues such as loneliness.

Sonia Andhi, founder of the Shakti Society, hosted an Awards Gala on March 7 to honour women in the city who are doing inspiring work.

The Shakti Society hosts wellness days and community cafes. Andhi says they want to bring women together who might otherwise be isolated and give them community.

“When women are feeling like they are a part of the community, they will contribute more,” she said.

“If they feel that what they're saying matters, of course, they'll speak up more, so for us it's really about creating those safe spaces and showing women that what you say really matters.”

Andhi knows first-hand how immigrating to a new country can cause loneliness.

“I was one of them, where you come here, you don't know anyone, you just know your husband,” she said. “It can be very intimidating.”

Neelam Sahota, CEO of DIVERSEcity Community Resources Soci-

ety, was one of the Shakti awards recipients. She said Surrey benefits from women being lifted up in many different ways.

“Once they feel like they have a sense of belonging that anchors them, that encourages them to be individuals that can contribute in many ways from their areas of strength.”

Founded more than 40 years ago, DIVERSEcity was one of the first organizations of its kind in Surrey to offer immigrant and refugee women support to become integrated members of society.

Tanweer Ebrahim, CEO of NISA Helpline, which women can call to talk about their issues and seek

support, immigrated to Canada over 10 years ago.

She says although there have been changes, women in Surrey are still facing isolation.

“We have one woman who called the helpline every day just because she's lonely,” she said. “That proves that this platform is needed.”

Between 2011 and 2016, Surrey welcomed over 36,000 immigrants and is home to 25 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s recent immigrants.

“We each have our part to play, and from the government, to the city and in our local communities, we complete each other by doing our share,” Ebrahim said.

He said over 90 per cent of these cases were in four countries, two of which have “significantly declining epidemics.”

“We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus,” Ghebreyesus said in his statement. “All countries can still change the course of this pandemic.”

As of The Voice’s publication time, there were 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia. Four individuals had recovered. One person, an 80-year-old man with existing health challenges, has died from the disease. The Lynn Valley Care Centre resident in North Vancouver died March 8.

In a March 11 press conference, Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, confirmed she has been talking to post-secondary institutions about the importance of taking “community distancing measures.” Henry said she would be having more detailed discussions with post-secondary institutions over the coming days.

“We must all at this time step up our social distancing. This is not forever, but for the coming weeks,” Henry said.

In an emailed statement to The Voice, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training said the ministry remains in close contact with post-secondary institutions to monitor the impact of the outbreak. “Institutions are advised to follow their own emergency response planning and remain in communication with their students, staff, faculty and community,” said the ministry statement.

Langara’s latest COVID-19 website update, posted March 10, advised all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to have been to Hubei, China, or Iran to stay home or selfisolate for 14 days.

During the first week of March, Langara’s Food Services began storing single-use cutlery in a box at each cashier’s workstation, only available upon request. Patrick Villarama, assistant director of food services for Chartwells, said the decision was made because of COVID-19.

As a temporary measure to prevent virus spread, Tim Hortons and Starbucks on campus have stopped accepting re-useable cups.

More cars, but city unclear when to ban

centre.”

The congested streets become more dangerous in the mornings, said resident Norbert Bisek, who lives near Lord Tweedsmuir elementary school and has noticed drivers speeding through his neighbourhood early in the day.

were to cause a hazard for drivers, it would then become a bylaw issue, said Michael Nguyen, engineering technologist in transportation for the City of New Westminster.

between cars on either side — of 24 feet for a firetruck.

 By TAESA HODEL

As the City of New Westminster encourages the construction of new laneway houses, unregulated street parking from increased density poses a threat to the safety of the alreadycrowded streets of the West End, some residents say.

They say that after regular work hours, it is common to see cars parked solidly down both sides of the residential roads, impacting visibility for drivers.

“You have to look ahead to the end of the block to see if there’s another vehicle coming because you can’t pass each other,” said Elmer Rudolph, president of the West End Residents Association.

“There’s only one lane down the

“They cut through to avoid the 30 km/h school zone,” said Bisek. “I’ve got a young son, most of this street is full of young kids … It’s scary.”

As part of an initiative to create more rental housing in the city, the laneway and carriage house program was launched in New Westminster in 2017 to encourage property owners to develop small rental homes on their lots.

According to the zoning bylaws, laneway houses must provide a parking space on the property to avoid a traffic build-up from the new renters.

But the bylaw has little to no effect in the West End where there is almost no residential permit parking. Without permits regulating which vehicles are or aren’t allowed to stay parked on the street, parking is difficult to enforce.

If unregulated street parking

“We'd have to … get a complaint in and our bylaw officer would either move it or tow it if it's blocking access.”

According to the city, 32 per cent of development permit applications for laneway houses are from the West End, the largest amount by district in the New Westminster.

It is unknown what effect this influx of residents could have on the neighbourhood, yet the city has stopped monitoring the process, stating on its website that it will be “put on hold […] until 2022.”

Without active investigations into the implementation of the new laneway houses, the city is relying on residents to send any feedback through an online survey.

Whether emergency vehicle access could also be impacted by the rows of parked cars is uncertain.

The New Westminster Building Division and Fire Protection Division require a clear access width —

Vehicles parked on either side of the roads in the West End can use up to 10 feet of that access width, taking streets from the required 24

feet down to 14 feet.

Assistant Deputy Fire Chief Rob Dick of the New Westminster Fire Department says firetrucks are 10 feet wide and can fit between parked cars.

parking in New West overflowing due to laneway houses

Neelam Sahota (left), CEO of DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, joined Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy, NISA Helpline CEO Tanweer Ebrahim and Surrey-Green Timbers NDP MLA Rachna Singh discuss the importance of lifting women up at the City Centre Branch of the Surrey Public Library

West End residents in New Westminster say their streets have become dangerously crowded thanks to laneway homes increasing density and more cars parking in unregulated areas. TAESA HODEL PHOTO

Student satisfaction dips Creating student housing takes time

Several factors are being considered before residence comes to campus

By DANAUCA DORY

The demand for student housing at Langara is being explored as a part of the college's 2025 Strategic Plan. The steps to get there are more complicated than students think.

The plan, which is currently in its draft state, is an outline for how the college intends to grow over the next five years. One of these goals is to see the feasibility of on and off campus housing for students.

Viktor Sokha, vice-president of administration and finance at Langara, said while options are being explored to bring student housing to campus in the future, it is still early to have a concrete plan.

“We recognize that housing affordability is a challenging issue in Metro Vancouver,” Sokha said in

Recent survey results show slow decline from 2016 to 2019

cial concerns are the dominant worry for him and how his tuition fees are being spent by the college.

“If the school focuses its resources on things that don’t benefit a majority of students, it’s not improving their experience,” Cartagena-Senanayake said. “You're putting in like a lot of money into the system, but you're not really getting as much out,”

Despite student satisfaction dropping, students like Poole are appreciative of the effort Langara is putting to ensure students are happy.

“It seems like the school is taking good steps from what I've noticed to work with the students and make sure they're as happy as they can be.”

SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE

2018/2019 SATISFACTION

86.8%

an emailed statement to The Voice, “We are also evaluating the feasibility of other potential housing supports for students in the future, with a range of possible partners, but it is early in that process.”

Jenelle Davies, national executive representative for the B.C. Federation of Students, said providing housing on campuses may be more complicated than students realize, as student housing doesn’t fall under the B.C. Residential Tenancy Act.

“Students aren’t actually covered under the tenancy agreements, because you’re not considered a renter,” Davies said. “You’re sort of at the whim of what the institution is doing for housing at that point in time.”

One factor listed in the plan is Langara’s plan is to consult with Musqueam, as the college sits on unceded Musqueam territory.

An estimated 23,000 students attend Langara annually, according to the school website.

Nursing student Tahlia VelayMah said she knows housing on campus won’t happen any time soon, but thinks it will be a promising option for students.

“There’s gonna be a lot of red tape to get through. But I think that it would be beneficial longterm to kind of get the ball rolling.”

Other factors being considered in Langara's plan include consulting with the City of Vancouver and other potential partners.

According to the plan, the college is aiming to have a feasibility assessment complete by 2025.

 By RUI YANG XU

Joshua Poole went to college in Alberta before transferring to Langara. He finds that it’s been a better experience here than he’s had in other schools.

Poole, a second-year computer science student, said other colleges and universities had class sizes that were too large and intimidating.

“So many people, so many classes, and Langara is nice for that —that it's just smaller,” Poole said.

While Poole has been satisfied with his time at Langara, recent reports from the school have shown that while the college still has a relatively high level of satisfied students,

the level has declined over the last year.

Over the past few years, overall student satisfaction has been slowly dipping to 86.8 per cent in 2019 from 93.8 per cent in 2016, according to Langara’s 2020 Strategic Plan.

The latest B.C. Student Outcome Survey shows that 96 per cent of students were satisfied with the quality of instruction at Langara College, 92 per cent with their education and 91 per cent felt prepared for further studies, according to the Langara website.

In comparison, in the 2018/2019 school year, UBC had a 94 per cent student satisfaction rate. In 2019, SFU sat at 82 per cent.

According to Langara’s 2020 strategic plan, the college has a target of 100 per cent student satisfaction.

Ben Cecil, Langara’s provost and vice-president of academics and students, said in order to make sure the college continues to provide relevant programs, the survey results are vital.

“We use the metrics of student satisfaction, transfer rates, and graduate satisfaction to measure our performance annually,” he said. “The overwhelming majority of our students are satisfied with the services, supports and education they receive at Langara.”

For Arjun Cartagena-Senanayake, a first-year biology student, finan-

Langara student satisfaction in 2019

94%

UBC Vancouver student satisfaction in 2018/19

82%

SFU student satisfaction in 2019

SOURCES: LANGARA.CA, UBC.CA, SFU.CA

Businessnews

Investing in emergency supplies

Sales for virus products soar while earthquake kits ignored

 By JESSICA A. FROUD

Vancouverites are rushing out to buy COVID-19 emergency supplies — much more than earthquakes kits despite being the high ongoing risk of the “big one” hitting the West Coast.

Businesses across Metro Vancouver have been sold out of surgical face masks, hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol for weeks. Many don’t have a date for when they will be back in stock.

Cheryl Petkau, owner of Krasicki & Ward, an emergency preparedness store in Vancouver, said emergencies like earthquakes should be the focus. These days, products that customers believe will help them fight off COVID-19 are in high demand.

“We will be bringing in boxes of masks from the back door and people will be waiting for us saying they will buy them all,” Petkau said.

“Once COVID-19 is finished it will have taken out about half a dozen

people. But if an earthquake hits, it will be a heck of a lot more people than that.”

As of publication, B.C. has 46 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and one death, according to Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer.

According to PreparedBC, there is a one in three chance of a damaging earthquake occurring within the province over the next 50 years.

Steven Taylor, an expert in the psychology of pandemics at UBC, said people shouldn’t buy items because they think they have to.

“The risk of earthquakes in Vancouver is fairly low in comparison to getting COVID19,” Taylor said. “It will be a self-fulfilling prophecy if the stores run out of inventory and I believe most already have. The worst thing we can do right now is act out of panic.”

Isabel Wood, a staff worker at Krasicki & Ward, said people

purchase items based on current concerns.

“People tend to put earthquake fears on the back burner because it isn’t in the news as much as things like COVID-19,” Wood said. “When there was an earthquake in Haida Gwaii, we were running out of earthquake kits because it was on people’s minds.”

First-year professional photography student Sarah Flemming said her family has been trying to find hand sanitizers with no success.

“My mom was trying to find hand sanitizer here in Vancouver but it was totally sold out,” Flemming said. “Our family went to Victoria over the weekend and couldn’t find any there either.”

A person waits at the Registrar & Enrolment Services office at Langara. RUI YANG XU PHOTO

A Superstore on Marine Drive is sold out of face masks. Many stores across Metro Vancouver have been sold out for weeks. JESSICA A. FROUD PHOTO

"The worst thing we can do right now is act out of panic.”

— STEVEN TAYLOR, UBC PROFESSOR, PSYCHIATRY DEPT.

“We recognize that housing affordability is a challenging issue in Metro Vancouver.”

— VIKTOR SOKHA, VICE-PRESIDENT OF ADMINSTATION AND FINANCE AT LANGARA

Create Reuse Recycle Set decorator turns left-over set pieces into abstract works

By MAX LECKIE

At Metro Theatre, a few materials go a long way thanks to a set decorator who uses the left-over set pieces of past plays to create abstract paintings.

Tracy-Lynn Chernaske created the Artful Theatre collection to help fund the theatre after she noticed how much material was thrown out.

“I thought that’s such a shame because there are beautiful things that can be made out of those things,” Chernaske said.

Metro Theatre, which is located at 1370 Southwest Marine Dr., has been in operation since the early 1960s and has faced many financial struggles in its half century of operations.

The theatre supports itself mainly through ticket sales and donations from patrons, Alison Schamberger president of the board of directors said, but those revenues aren’t enough.

“It does make it extremely hard to maintain two buildings,” she said.

Besides the building on Marine Drive, the theatre company also has

a second building, the Oak Street Scene Shop at 8690 Oak St., where most of the sets for Metro’s productions are created and stored. That’s also where Chernaske’s main base of operations was set up for creating the artworks made entirely using reclaimed materials from the sets of former Metro Theatre productions.

The materials range from leftover paint and extra lengths of plywood to moulding, and even sawdust.

“A lot of the inspiration kind of came from the colors or the shape of the offcuts, looking at those pieces and seeing something that wasn’t there yet,” Chernaske said.

In many theatre companies, re-using materials is common practice, said Debra Danny, whose incharge of digital media at Metro.

“If we have leftover wood, we use it for the next project,” said Danny.

“If we have leftover paint, we find a way of mixing it with something else so that it works for a project, perhaps even a year down the line.”

Because the work done at the theatre is broad in scope, everyone juggles a few different jobs at once, Chernaske said. She’s a prime example: painting and decorating sets, working in the box office and

helping the publicity team.

“Everybody who does work here kind of is willing to put in and do a lot of work, which is awesome.”

In order to stay afloat, the theatre also has a range of fundraisers like the occasional garage sale to sell old props and costumes, as

do, including the actors and directors, are also a big part of the cogs that keep Metro running, Danny said, putting in hours before and after to get their productions going.

“They put in so many hours into the show. You know, they start rehearsing literally months before and the rehearsal schedule is at least three days a week.” Artists tend to be pretty thrifty, and have been reusing materials for ages, Chernaske said, and the theatre is no excep-

Volunteers who love what they

“[You take] something that already has character and you’re just making it a little bit better or tailoring it or highlighting it,” she said, “That’s what I love to do.”

CLOCKWISE: Chernaske and her dog Hudson in the River which she created using paints and setpieces from paints and materials from the play by the same Yard. SUBMITTED BY TRACY-LYNN CHERNASKE

BELOW: close-up of the set of The Gazebo. MAX

ABOVE: Full Moon by Tracy-Lynn Chernaske. SUBMITTED BY TRACY-LYNN CHERNASKE BELOW: The set of Metro Theatre's most recent play, The Gazebo. MAX LECKIE PHOTO

Recycle works of art

The abstract art of creation

Paintings open to interpritation make for bold expressions

 By MAX LECKIE

Abstract art is sometimes a divisive subject, but for Tracy-Lynn Chernaske, it’s the openness to interpretation that excites her.

“Not everybody looks at River and sees a river, right? Not everybody looks at treeline and goes it’s the Northern Lights, right? And I love that. I love hearing what people have to say about it.”

She of course has her own meaning put into each piece.

River was created using setpieces from Hilda’s Yard, a story about a family changing over time as children become adults.

The way that rivers ebb and flow, and tributaries break off and recon-

nect reminds her of family ties, Chernaske said. “When I look at River I always think of ... how a family could grow together but also could grow apart”

That connection to nature is common in her work, and Treeline is no exception.

One of Chernaske’s favourite interpretations was very personal to one spectator, who saw it as the ridge near her farm.

“I was like, ‘I’ve never been to that part of B.C. But I love that you identify with it,’” Chernaske said. “It’s not a crazy out there interpretation, But she literally saw a very specific place.”

the Oak Street Scene Shop with her painting setpieces from Hilda's Yard. Persuasion, created same name.Trekking, 2019. The set of Hilda's

LECKIE PHOTO

Can't get no satisfaction

Langara needs to provide more information on the outcome of their strategic plan for 2020.

The results for Langara’s strategic plan for 2020 are in, and it shows a seven percent drop in overall student satisfaction.

The four year plan was started in 2016 and wrapped up at the end of 2019, and is meant to outline strategies and benchmarks for success and improved student experience.

OPINION

The full report can be found on Langara’s website and gives statistics. The 95 per cent baseline is an aspirational “internal target” set by the college, according to Courtney Fabri, Langara’s manager of institutional research.

The problem is that the 2020 report doesn’t provide any information on why there has been a dip in satisfaction year over year. And, from 2016 to 2019 although student satisfaction is relatively high, there has been a dip of seven per cent in satisfaction among Langara students.

The survey outlines the satisfaction levels of recently graduated students approximately nine to 20 months after graduating.

Fabri states that roughly 40-50 per cent of recently graduated students reply to the survey. This is a good response rate and higher than what I would have expected.

It’s unfortunate that more information is not included on Langara’s website about why there has been a decrease in satisfaction.

Based on what I’ve heard amongst students, financial strain is one of the main factors.

Langara is already one of the more affordable post-secondary schools in B.C., but the increase in cost of living in Vancouver and the addition of student fees, like the student union fee, to tuition fees adds up fast for students.

At the very least, a more comprehensive representation of the data should be provided to us all in order to better understand and work together towards the 95-100 per cent target that Langara says they wish to achieve.

Keep calm. Wash hands.

Despite cases of COVID19 reaching double digits in British Columbia recently, panic buying is unjustified.

While most believe that the bulk buying of everyday products like toilet paper is due to fears of an incoming lockdown in parts of China, like Wuhan, there are other considerations that people should think about.

The B.C government is providing a strong, almost daily public update and action plan on the virus situation from increasing the number of testing sites, businesses and other health facilities. So, the fear of a

total lockdown of borders, lockdown of public transit or a scenario where the virus spreads out of control is definitely unwarranted.

However, many haven’t considered a more likely and realistic fear which is that someone gets the virus and needs to quarantine themselves for two weeks. In such a situation, the lack of proper planning and resources

would be a legitimately terrifying situation. Having two weeks-worth of necessities in advance would be a great idea.

But instead of focusing on what might happen, the public should be focusing harder on preventing the potential of being infected in the first place.

From constantly washing your hands or using hand sanitizer to resisting the desire to touch your face, making sure you practise good hygiene to prevent being potentially infected is important.

Through good hygiene practises, the need for panic buying in bulk would become unnecessary. Then,

those who are actually in need of resources, like masks, are able to purchase what they need. This also erases the fear of missing out from other buyers who are simply worried about not being able to buy what they need.

At the end of the day, the public will need to work together to ensure our day-to-day lives are still normal. That means helping educate others on COVID-19 while avoiding false information from various social media like Wechat.

Most importantly, people need to avoid the desire to panic buy in bulk and to simply practise better hygiene.

Universal, free contraceptives needed in Canada

All provinces should provide free contraceptives to youth.

all be affected by an unwanted pregnancy.

injections, and IUDs tend to be more costly.

OPINION

The Canadian Paediatric Society estimates that in 2014, there were approximately 59,000 unintended pregnancies in Canada among those under the age of 25.

Unwanted pregnancies can derail young lives.

Educational and career plans, financial plans, mental and emotional health, and families can

Advocates for universal free contraceptives argue that providing free, confidential contraception, including condoms, decreases teen pregnancies.

According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, youth are more likely to use condoms when they are free.

In February, Vancouver city council passed a motion to request B.C. to cover the cost of prescription contraceptives under the Medical Services Plan (MSP).

Their argument is a good one. Male contraceptive methods like condoms are low cost, but other methods for people with uteruses like birth control pills, hormone

Although contraceptive pills are a popular method, it is not the preferred one for everybody. Allowing people options when choosing birth control to find one that works for them will help ensure that they will be used.

Ontario had free coverage for a variety of prescription drugs, including birth control pills, for youth under the age of 25. Unfortunately, this was curtailed in the summer of 2018, by Doug Ford’s government.

Youth were excluded from the free coverage if they had extended health care benefits through a parent’s private health care plan. Unfortunately, this change forces a young

person to talk to their parent about contraception in order to access their parent’s plan. Because some youth may not feel comfortable doing this, they don’t seek out contraception.

The Canadian Medical Association estimates that free contraception coverage for all Canadians would cost $157 million per year, but it would be outweighed by $320 million per year saved in direct medical costs related to unwanted pregnancies.

The savings are even greater when one thinks about the social support programs in Canada that would not have to be relied upon.

The business case for free contraceptives for all Canadians, especially youth, is clear.

“Financial strain is one of the main factors.”

Some stores across Metro Vancouver have seen shoppers bulk-buying bottled water, toilet paper, masks, hand sanitizer and various food products in response to the developing COVID-19 situation. CRISTINA DOMMER ILLUSTRATION

Small press realizes big dreams

Erica Wilk of Moniker Press gets creative with local risograph printing

By JACOB HOHEISEL

Emily Carr grad Erica Wilk is using what was once a popular household, church, and office staple in Japan to print unique works of art.

She has a Risograph printer, 1980s Japanese technology, used in the production of original works and publications with local artists and volunteers through her Moniker Press, based in a studio space in Vancouver.

Risographs are printers that use a stencil made from a digital scan, which is then wrapped around an ink drum. As the paper runs through the machine, the soy-based ink is imprinted directly onto the paper. It’s this ink on paper aesthetic that risoprinting is known for.

About six years ago, Wilk was working on book project called Duality with other artists and writers when she had the idea that it would be cheaper to print and do everything herself in her own studio.

“It ended up not being cheaper … I had to make 400 books by hand, but that’s how it started.” Wilk said she found a RZ220 riso-

graph printer in Washington, but upgraded to a larger version with less restrictions.

The new MZ790 printer wasn’t tied down while being shipped from Edmonton, so Wilk repaired it and learned how to work with the damage restrictions over four years.

Moniker Press offers local artists the accessibility to publish and print their materials with volunteer help. Wilk consults on projects, as well.

“Erica is the monopoly for good reason. She knows more about risograph printing than most people,” close collaborator and fellow publisher Christian Hernandez said.

Hernandez said independent publishing and risograph printing are growing niches.

Anna Firth, who runs Swampcone Magazine, said “I feel like Moniker Press is a staple in the community. All of us have probably printed something there or participated in her projects.”

Firth

co-organized a publishing fair called Book Drop last Saturday for printed matter and small press. The fair featured local talent, including Moniker Press.

Wilk recommends anyone interested in starting a business in a creative or artistic field or pursuing art as a career to get out to events, talk to people, network or volunteer to showcase their work.

“It’s OK to start small,” she said.

UBC seed libraries cultivate connections

Saving seeds for community gardens at the university allow education program to blossom

By DANAUCA DORY

Seed libraries have taken root in UBC, growing into educational resources as seed saving becomes popular in Vancouver.

UBC has one of the few seed libraries located in Vancouver, with many students, faculty and residents using them for their own use, including personal and scholarly.

According to UBC’s website, librarians Helen Brown and Wendy Traas started the seed libraries in 2017. A year later, the library reported a 240 per cent increase in borrowing and an influx of seed donations. The vegetable and other seeds are available at two locations on the Vancouver campus.

Wendy Traas, an education librarian at UBC, said one of the main focuses for the seed gardens is for the Faculty of Education to have additional resources for outdoor education.

"We really wanted to support wellness and community connections," Traas said.

Teacher education student WenLing Liao has been using the seed library to help with her elementary school practicum. Liao believes that

the seed saving will help children learn about their community impact.

“They can have this sort of exposure to be part of the community and then recognizing that their little action can have consequences, really positive consequences on the community,” Liao said.

Liao said she enjoys using the seed library and wants more people to know about the resource.

UBC is not the only seed library in Vancouver, as the Vancouver Public Library also has a few seed libraries at some of its locations. VanDusen Botanical Garden has a for purchase seed collection store.

Gillian Drake, director of education at VanDusen Botanical Garden, believes more people are saving seeds.

“I think as people are becoming more active gardeners and more active in terms of their own personal efforts for environmental activism, I think there is an uptake in seed saving in general,” Drake said.

UBC seed libraries are open to the public and Vancouver has 110 community gardens — including one at City Hall — with some plots going to waste and in need of planting.

UBC seed libraries carry easy-to-cultivate varieties of vegetables and herbs, and the campus libraries which house them have collections of reference materials for growers. PHOTO BY DANAUCA DORY



“Erica is the monopoly for good reason. She knows more about risograph printing than most people.”

— CHRISTIAN HERNANDEZ, DD00GG

Erica Wilk

OWNER/OPERATOR MONIKER PRESS

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Powerlifting for young and old

A good alternative to other forms of weightlifting without the same injury risks and technical challenges

 By CHRISTOPHER  MACMILLAN

Over the five years since opening, a South Vancouver weightlifting gym has cemented the city’s powerlifting culture among athletes of all ages — from six to 86.

Powerlifting attracts competitive athletes from a broad age range, said the owner of the club, because is it less technical than competitive weightlifting and has remarkably good health benefits such as building muscle mass and bone density.

“We have high-level lifters … and then we have a mom and grandma,” said Shawn Adair, who is the CEO and co-founder of The Bar Strength and Conditioning. “Even age isn’t an issue.”

Dominic Lu, a trainer at the gym

who practises weightlifting, believes powerlifting is a good alternative to other forms of weightlifting as it builds muscles and improves body coordination, without the same injury risks and technical challenges.

Powerlifting focuses more on three heavy lifts known as the squat, bench press, and deadlift and is less technical than Olympic weightlifting, which requires athletes to perform two overhead lifts called the clean and jerk and the snatch.

Steve Pritula, a 31-year-old former bodybuilder, said he started powerlifting because he went to see a coach’s competition and was intrigued by the atmosphere.

Over five years, the weight he can lift has more than doubled from under 100 kilograms to over 200 kilograms.

“Everyone in the gym is goaloriented. Not only are you pushing yourself, you are also helping others to push themselves,” Pritula said.

Pritula said anyone new to the sport should consider working with a professional trainer.

“It’s beneficial to work with someone to develop that motor pattern and learning to do the movement efficiently.”

Starting off, Adair cautioned, the first goal is getting a client used to moving their own weight before

trying to lift hundreds of pounds or break records.

Most importantly, for beginners, is “not to rush to the big weights,” he said.

Lu explained to The Voice in Mandarin that even an 86-year-old person is also capable of powerlifting over time because it “increases muscle mass, endurance and explosive power.”

“It could increase people’s cardiovascular system, bone mineral density and body coordination,” he added.

Since they’ve been operating, the gym remains the only one in South Vancouver dedicated to powerlifting with faithful members from across the city. The fitness centre celebrated its five-year anniversary last Sunday with a party for its members.

POWERLIFTING FACTS

World championship

In 1973, the first world championship was held in Harrisburg, Pa., United States.

The squat

Originated in Austria 130 years ago.

Contests

There are 11 weight classes for men, 10 for women.

SOURCE: BC-POWERLIFTING.COM

New start for women's soccer team

Falcons' new head coach ready for PacWest season in fall

By RYAN NG

This coming fall, the Langara women’s soccer team will be playing under a new head coach, who brings his extensive experience to the women’s soccer team.

Mark Eckerle, a Chicago native, will try to bring winning formula

back to the Falcons who finished last in PacWest standings last year, with a 1-11 record.

“I think anyone in the game has a passion for being a head coach,” Eckerle said. “Hopefully I can support the program and lead the program to provincial and national successes.”

On Feb. 24, Langara announced the arrival of Eckerle, who soon began training the women’s soccer team for the 2020 PacWest season taking place next fall.

At the same time, he also works as

an assistant coach for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U19 Development Squad.

Originating from Chicago, Illinois, Eckerle has spent over a decade gaining coaching experience from time spent in Ghana, the United States and now Canada. After moving to Vancouver nearly eight years ago, he started as an assistant coach for UBC’s women’s soccer program.

“I want to believe that I’ve learned valuable lessons along the way,” Eckerle said. “I’m ready to take that

growth and experience to Langara.”

Team captain Carly Dhanda, a midfielder, said their new coach offers knowledge and new ideas. She said he has “changed the tempo and intensity” of the practices.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do,” Dhanda said. “I think we got a good coach to lead us.”

Kayleigh Beaubien, a forward, is a third-year player who is also excited about the changes and insight that Eckerle brings.

“His coaching style is a lot of fun,”

Beaubien said. “We’re having fun in all the drills while also keeping our intensity up and work ethic levels high.”

Along with his vast coaching background, Eckerle has athletic experience competing in the NCAA Division I in both soccer and track and field.

Beaubien said that having their coach play with them during a few drills makes him a lot more involved in the practices.

“It’s a lot of fun having our coach playing with us,” she said.

Steve Pritula practises powerlifting at The Bar Strength and Conditioning in South Vancouver. ANITA ZHU PHOTO

“Age isn’t an issue.”

— SHAWN ADAIR, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE BAR STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING