Social media has acted as a hotspot for misinformation during the U.S presidential election. P2
Virtual athletes often endure a variety of physical injuries from playing Esports. P2
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Recent assaults near campus doesn't leave students feeling unsafe
By NORMAN GALIMSKIThere have been two sexual assaults within blocks of Langara College, yet students feel safe being on college campus. The majority of students at Langara say they feel safe on campus, even those who were unaware of the safety programs and services that college security provides. Since the college has moved largely to remote learning, there have been fewer people on campus.
Second-year art student Ysabelle Santa Ana said she thought campus security was doing a pretty good job overall. “It’s good. I’ve never felt unsafe on campus,” she said.
Daniel Ghoukassain has been charged with a sexual assault that occurred Oct. 19 on Main St. & 41 Ave. Ghoukassain is known to the police.Police said there was a similar sexual assault nearby a few days prior nearby. The investigation is still ongoing.
Mario Kalinowski, the manager of security and emergency management, said the Langara campus security desk and security guards have been “busier in terms of giving access” on campus.
“Things have definitely changed,” he said. In the event of a safety emergency on campus, Langara security partner Paladin Security would act as the first responders to the situation, Kalinowski said.Kalinowski said incidents that take place on campus and that affect the Langara community are “shared accordingly.”
Some students, though satisfied with the level of safety on campus, still had suggestions on what they would like to see more of from campus security. Polina Tannenbaum, a secondyear health science student, said she’d like to see a security text service on campus.
“If you’re not feeling safe and you didn’t want to pick up the phone to let them know,” she said, suggesting someone could instead text security. “Hey, I’m not feeling safe … I’m walking here.’”
Langara campus security offers the Safe Walk service, where anyone can call security to escort to where you need to go. This can be done by contacting campus security, or using the blue emergency towers or yellow call stations.
Timothy Seow, a second-year biology student, feels there should be more security features on campus, such as more cameras.
Langara College is currently solidifying its 2025 Strategic Plan, which will aim to provide “effective emotional, physical, and mental well-being supports” for students and employees.
The college has said it is currently in the consultation mode, leaving few details.
Langara’s counselling chair Kerri Janota said the department would like to see continued “robust” support for the current counselling services staff, “to avoid any disruption or reduction in mental health support and programming for students.”
Counselling department see’s noticeable differences amongst students since COVID-19
Though always highly solicited, the counselling department has been particularly stretched since the start of the pandemic, Janota said.
“We have experienced an increase in appointments over the past few months,” she said in an email to
The Voice, adding that November is typically the busiest time of year so students can expect to wait up to three weeks for an appointment. Janota said the student body has been “noticeably affected” by COVID-19.
“Some of the issues that some of our students are struggling with are isolation, financial insecurity, concerns about their health or the health of friends and family, transition to online learning,” she said. “And in some cases onset or exacerbation of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.”
With no certainty when the global pandemic might end, the college may need to adapt its 2025 Strategic Plan to accommodate the current additional strain.
As Langara College shut most services on campus due to COVID, the counselling department must now offer consultations over the phone. It
is also providing extra access to online support groups.
Experts say support for students is needed in campuses and beyond
Cheung said it is an institution’s responsibility to provide sufficient support to students. He added the number of counselling appointments students make “is vastly dwarfed” by the number of students who actually need assistance.
“At the very bare minimum, there needs to be a sufficient ratio of mental health support providers and students,” he said. “It’s all band-aid solutions before this point.”
UBC psychology professor Benjamin Cheung said he has seen a similar increase in requests for support at the university.
“I certainly have seen, at least subjectively, an uptick in the number of students who are needing support and who are expressing and experiencing distress.”
Tanysha Klassen, the British Columbia Federation of Students chairperson, said, “There’s a balance that has to be struck with counselling services that happen on campuses.”
However, Klassen noted counselling services are not meant to be an ongoing, wraparound mental health service. “Because, in an ideal world, we would have those more publicly accessible for people in their day to day lives,” they said.
“In an ideal world, we would have (counselling services) more publicly accessible.”
— TANYSHA KLASSEN, B.C. FEDERATION OF STUDENTS CHAIRPERSONSUBMITTED PHOTO
Langara second-year business management student Kordan Do tries to avoid social media when it comes to the news.
Social media websites like Twitter has begun marking claims of election fraud as disputed in an attempt to caution against the spread of disinformation. Despite the concern, many students still turn to social media to inform themselves.
“There are tons of misleading statements and misinformation [on social media],” said Do. “[It] drive[s] me crazy.”
Paul Prosperi, a political science instructor at Langara College, encourages students to go beyond Twitter and Facebook feeds when looking for information regarding the news.
“They’re just using social media as a way of finding out about […] the election and the counting,” Prosperi said. “I would encourage people to check out some of the news sites, dive a little deeper, beyond their social media feeds.”
Prosperi highlighted news and analysis site FiveThirtyEight as a “great resource” and alternative for “some fantastic analysis that is being done in real time.”
Langara second-year environmental studies student Emily Crowley has “been following the U.S. election pretty closely.” Despite trying to balance her sources of information, she finds that she still spends more time on social media than on news websites.
Crowley thinks that social media
makes news more easily accessible but understands that it comes with problems.
“On the whole, I know that I’m getting most of my news from the
student Lindsay Stone feels as if social media narrows the scope of the information she receives.
“I don’t even expose myself to what anyone on the polar end of scale reads,” Stone said. “I don’t even know what their point of view is.”
Both Crowley and Stone said that they tend to trust the sources that they follow and that they are more likely to fact-check information that doesn’t necessarily agree with their positions.
FAKE NEWS IN CANADA MAJORITY ARE WORRIED
sources I want to follow,” Crowley said. “I tend to follow more liberal, left-wing people, so that’s the opinion of everything that I’m getting.” Similarly, Langara second-year library and information technology
But in the case of the 2020 U.S. election, Crowley said she was surprised by the results.
“I was like is this real? Is it actually going well? So even the news that was giving me what I wanted to hear, I was still not one hundred per cent trusting of it right away.”
65% 87%
...of Canadians have falsely believed fake news.
...of Canadians are not confident in their ability to identify fake news.
SOURCE: STATISTA.COM
has dealt with carpal tunnel, back and neck problems as a competitive player.
“Carpal, I feel like, is the more important one, since some people overlook the importance of proper hand and wrist placement, as well as how long you're playing per session,” Chow said.
apist at Metrotown Physiotherapy Clinic and coach of Langara’s men’s soccer team, said he sees esports play-
to get up and move every day to help maintain their physical health. The most common types of issues are backrelated injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Rizzardo said mental health is also important and emphasizes this with the athletes he works with.
ByPlaying video games for hours on end can be a great form of entertainment during a pandemic, but sitting down for extended periods of time comes at a physical cost.
The former president of SFU Esports Association, Derian Chow,
Other things like appropriate desk heights and adjustable monitors are beneficial as well.
Staying physically active can help players rehabilitate and provide stress relief, but taking preventative measures is the best way to help players perform and stay in good shape.
Marc Rizzardo, a sports physiother-
ers come in for treatment all the time.
“I see them in my office because of their posture and their back,” Rizzardo said.
He said it’s important for people
"I think the mental aspect is a huge component for us every year. I try and make sure I’m aware [of their mental health].”
Maung Maung Than, a third-year biology student at Langara and competitive esports player, said he likes to balance his life with video games and physical activity.
“The main thing is sitting here for
14 hours, not moving my legs. Just posture and probably exercising would help,” Than said.
Aside from competing in League of Legends, Than also participates in rock-climbing and ultimate Frisbee. He said being physical and getting outside helps his performance in League of Legends.
With all the reasons to stay inside, gaming and other forms of indoor entertainment can prove to be a release. With that, however, it is important to remember to go out and get some exercise, especially in these stressful times.
“If you're stressed out and you go for a run, all of a sudden, you're feeling better.” Rizzardo said. "I think most people get that especially the people that do it."
Esports players can face similar health concerns as traditional sport athletes
CAROLINE EGAN
TYSON BURROWS
“I would encourage people to check out some of the news sites, dive a little deeper, beyond their social media feeds.”
— PAUL PROSPERI POLITICAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR
SUBMITTED PHOTO
“If you're stressed out and you go for a run, all of a sudden, you're feeling better.”—
MARCRIZZARDO PHYSIOTHERAPIST AND LANGARA MENS SOCCER COACH SUBMITTED PHOTO
