The Voice • March 27, 2014 • Volume 46 • Issue 20 by Langara Journalism

GROWN-UP LEGO......................................... 4

A Vancouver club is helping adults find their inner kid through playtime with a childhood favourite

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produced by langara journalism students

oice March 27 , 2014 • Vol. 46 no. 20 • vancouver, b.c.

Tuition hike looming Current increase capped at two per cent a year; Langara wants 15 per cent over two or three years By BILL EVERITT

angara College wants to increase tuition for new students by $390 over the next two or three years - a 15 per cent increase over current rates. In a statement released by Langara’s new president Lane Trotter, Langara’s current tuition plus the two per cent annual increase already allowed means the “ability to provide high quality programming and services that lead to student success is diminished.” The proposed increase asks for a “one-time exemption from the 2% tuition fee increase cap to allow us to raise our fees by $390 for 30 credits (in addition to the annual inflationary increase), lifting our tuition to the midpoint of our peer institutions.” Thirty credits represents full-time studies over two semesters with five classes per semester. The proposal needs to be approved by the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education. The statement proposes to spread the increase over two or three years to reduce the impact on students. Under the proposal, existing students would not be affected by the increases. In an interview with The Voice last month, Trotter said, “What I’ve seen which is really cool, the good and the bad of it, is that we offer a really costeffective, efficient model. The downside to it is that because we have the second-lowest tuition in the province, that poses some challenges sometimes.” More to come in the April 1 issue of The Daily Voice.

Tyson Berrow is shown in photos from his Facebook page (left and center) and on a Langara security services poster (right).

Known thief on campus Tyson Berrow convicted of UBC theft and has been seen at Langara By MEGAN BOBETSIS

man known to police with a history of thefts has been banned from Langara College. Tyson Berrow, 28, is not a student at Langara and has not been charged with theft on the campus. Langara security site supervisor Nathan Livingston said several people reported seeing a suspicious male inside campus classrooms and labs where items were stolen. Berrow was most recently found guilty in March 2013 of theft under $5,000 at UBC, and his most recent court date was March 24 for another count of theft at UBC. Livingston said Berrow has been given verbal notice that he is not al-

Printed on recycled paper

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Very brazen, will enter occupied labs and classrooms and take phones, wallets and laptops

Langara security

Children unvaccinated against disease over parental fears of harm, despite rarity of adverse reactions

A STUART MILES/freedigitalphotos.net photo

phones, wallets, and laptops.” On his Facebook page Berrow said he worked at “being a baller” and was educated until “I think Grade 10.” He did not respond to a request for comment through Facebook. Langara student Lilly Wass said she heard from her friends there had been thefts on campus, but didn’t know anything else about it. “I definitely thought that . . . I was OK leaving my bag in a lecture hall,” she said. Wass also said she thinks it would be beneficial to have posters about Berrow displayed around the school for students’ knowledge. Student Aaron Ballena didn’t know about Berrow, and said he thinks “security is a bit lax.”

Measles spreads to Kwantlen + BCIT By Chris Slater

Students might be seeing their loans rise along with 15% of tuition.

lowed at Langara under the B.C. Trespass Act, and a letter directing Berrow not to come on campus has been written, but not delivered to him yet. Berrow will have committed an offence if he enters Langara after having been instructed not to. “The campus is also working closely with the Vancouver Police Department in order to have Mr. Berrow quickly removed if he is seen on campus,” Livingston said in an email. Security gave the journalism department a poster decribing Berrow, but Livingston said facilities and security do not feel it is necessary to display the posters around the school. The poster describes Berrow as “very brazen” and it says he “will enter occupied labs and classrooms and take

n outbreak of measles in a largely unvaccinated Fraser Valley community is linked to confirmed cases at BCIT and the Kwantlen Langley campus, and could affect Langara students. A religious group in Chilliwack believes vaccinations interfere with God’s care and don’t vaccinate their children against many common illnesses, including measles. Other parents are concerned over potential heath dangers associated

with vaccinating their children. However, Dr. Meena Dawar of Vancouver Coastal Health said adverse reactions are quite rare. The worst reactions in children are anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction occurring in about one in a million recipients) and febrile seizures (seizures brought on by fevers resulting from either a vaccination reaction or illness), which occur in about one in 2500 recipients. However, Dawar said both of these reactions are treatable. “The vast majority of parents actually accept that vaccines protect their

children,” she said. Langara marketing student Juliana Salvaterra doesn’t think people should receive vaccinations until adulthood and even then she is hesitant. “Maybe 20 years old and up, but young children, no,” she said. “I don’t think their bodies are developed enough to deal with the disease.” Student Carla Urquhart said vaccinations in children are important to stop the spread of disease. “If it spreads, it affects the health of everyone . . . I go to college, so obviously if it spreads here it could impact me.”

F.Y.I.

Langara Health Services asked students with potential measles symptons to stay at home: Fever, cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes and a face/neck rash that spreads to arms, legs and chest Measles vaccines available @ campus

Check out our web exclusives at http://langaravoice.com/

Editor jesse lam

The Voice, THURSDAY, march 27, 2014

New golf app to help Langara golfers

News

Biking Friday night lights The wheels turn neon as BikeRave 2.0 races through the West End

Vancouver Park Board produces a new app with built-in score cards and tee-time booking By EDRICK DUDANG

new free smartphone app improves the golfing experience for Vancouver golfers. VanGolf, created by the Vancouver Park Board, has accumulated more than 1,500 users since its launch on March 12. The popular app has many convenient functions for golfers, including a built-in score card and GPS functionality to locate distances between different points on a game, said Alex Doucette, manager of the Langara Golf Course Pro Shop. “One of the really cool features is that it has a booking engine attached to it so people can actually use [VanGolf] to book tee times,” he said. Doucette added that it’s a lot easier than booking times on a personal computer. The app also helps golf courses efficiently broadcast their availability to their customers. “On a quiet day, if there’s a block of open times, then [VanGolf would send a notice] to all the app users letting them know that there’s some availability that they otherwise wouldn’t have known about,” Doucette said. VanGolf will be integrated to a proposed live leaderboard in the Langara Clubhouse this summer, he added. The board would broadcast the players who played the best in the week, but would only apply to VanGolf users, Doucette said. The app is available on iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry phones, but it only works on the McCleery, Fraserview and Langara golf courses. VanGolf does suffer from technical issues, one golfer said. Golfer Declan Sweeney said the app makes it difficult to transfer booking times from one course to another. He scheduled a booking time at McCleery Golf Course, but when he wanted to transfer to Langara’s course the app did not work as intended. Despite this issue, Sweeney said this is his only complaint about the new app and said he would continue to use VanGolf.

THECALENDAR.ca photo

BikeRave 2.0 participants gather around to decorate their bikes with neon lights and glow sticks on Friday, March 21.

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It’s something different. It’s something fun. Faster bikes, more lights BRANDON PARKER ORGANIZER

By Lukasz Jonca

he wheels rolled out as the second annual UBC BikeRave 2.0 took place at UBC’s Walter C. Koerner Library plaza on March 21. The event kicked off with hundreds of students on bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards and anything on wheels thundering down a planned route. The riders were decked out in bright colours, neon lights, glow sticks and were blasting loud music. The event had five stops mapped out along the route where the riders would dismount and take 20- to 30- minute breaks. During these breaks, a travel-

By MIKE HODDER

L EDRICK DUDANG photo

the event on Facebook. The plan is to create a legacy for the event at UBC and to see it grow every year. It was not only open to UBC students, but also to anyone in the public. Volunteers collected liability waivers and handed out stamps to the participants at a check-in station. There was also a decorating station for bicycles where neon glow sticks were handed out and taped onto the spokes. “Hopefully [it] integrate[s] people into the cycling culture who at first might be a little off-put by the sort of rigours of cycling around Vancouver,” said Compagna.

College massage for college price Registered massage therapy program gives discounted sessions

New golf app is free for golfers who want a digital scorecard.

ling DJ played music the cyclists danced to. A cyclist pulled the DJ in a customized wooden carriage, while volunteers dispensed Red Bull refreshments. “It’s an incredible event; we started it last year,” said Brandon Parker, one of the organizers of UBC BikeRave 2.0. “It’s something different. It’s something fun and it sort of connects that sustainability with having a ton of fun on campus. Faster bikes, more lights.” Josh Compagna, another organizer of the event, said the bike rave is meant to build campus spirit and bring students together while building a cycling culture. More than 400 people signed up for

angara’s registered massage therapy program is taking its hands-on learning approach and applying it to the backs of cash-strapped, stressed-out students. Starting in May, students in Langara’s registered massage therapy program will be offering discounted sessions every Thursday and Friday at their new campus on West Broadway. An hour-long session with a registered massage therapist, or RMT, can run upwards of $100, but Langara RMT students will be offering them at a far lower price starting May 8.

“We’re going to have the students working on the public. We’ll have about six rooms,” said RMT student Jeff Gabert. Langara students and staff pay half of $40 general public rate. The clinics could provide some relief for those on a fixed budget. “I use a standing desk at home, but my back still feels the stress during exam periods. Unfortunately, as a student the regular cost of a massage is too expensive,” said science student Breanna Messerschmidt. “A student discount would make it far more accessible.” The RMT program is offering the discount sessions as part of an in-house practicum, which program instructor Dae Backus said is one of the ways its students get the best-possible professional training. “We’re making relationships with the hospitals and health care facilities,”

said Backus. “We’ve got an agreement with Vancouver Coastal Health and we’re hoping to get the students into VGH, GF Strong [Rehabilitation Centre] and some of the other long-term care and brain and spinal institutes. “When Langara started offering this program, the massage therapy community was actually quite excited because they knew a quality program would be educating their future colleagues,” said Backus. The students hope they can take all the technical skills they are learning in the program and put them to practical use. “We’re all here because we want to help people. Some of us have a more holistic spiritual approach, some of us are more physiological, but the emphasis is on the physiology side and there’s real science behind what we’re doing,” Gabert said.

JEFF GABERT Langara RMT Student

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We’re all here because we want to help people

Campus news

Editor Tyler hooper

The Voice, THURSDAY, march 27, 2014

Langara hosts first Pride Fair Langara Health Services organizes event to raise awareness of LGBTQ By DAVID LA RIVIERE

P ALISSA CRANE photo

Students and faculty were able to catch a live stream of the Ted Talks in the library and learning commons.

LOW TURNOUT FOR TED Despite being streamed for free, little interest given to TED Talks said. “I’m happy that we can provide our students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to participate without cost.” However, the low student turnout, said Langara criminology student Melissa Malano, could have been caused by lack of advertising on campus. Melissa Malano “There really Criminology isn’t an easy way student to see who is going to be speaking,” Malano said. “I don’t know what the schedule is, and I haven’t seen any posters about it.” Coby Friesen, currently in the Studio 58 program at Langara, said students

By ALI CRANE

espite TED Talks being streamed live at Langara last week, few students attended. TED Talks is an annual conference where live speakers come together to talk about innovative ideas and inspiring topics. This year the 30th annual meeting of TED was held in Vancouver with tickets being sold at $7,500 and higher. The talks were streamed for free for students and employees in the Langara library. Langara vice-president Brad O’Hara said he was excited to have the college selected to serve as a screening venue, enabling students to view them without the high price. “There has been quite a buzz around the city for weeks about TED,” O’Hara

did not get enough information on what the talks were about and that he was too busy with school to attend. “I heard about it one time, but then it just slipped my mind,” he said. “I think TED Talks appeals to me, but I’m also so busy in my program.” Lindsay Tripp, a copyright librarian at Langara, attributed the poor turnout to the time of year. “It’s such a busy time for students, everyone is immersed in studying for exams and preparing final papers,” she said. As for lack of advertising, Tripp said TED has restrictions on how widely you can advertise for the live stream and that Langara was confirmed to stream the talks only a few days before the conference started, giving the college little time to spread the word.

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I think TED Talks appeals to me, but I’m also so busy in my program Coby Friesen

ride flags adorned the halls for the first Langara Pride Fair on March 20. The fair was organized by Langara Health Services and nursing students as a way to raise LGBTQ awareness on campus. Twelve different organizations from around Vancouver, such as Qmunity and Vancouver Pride Society, as well as some Langara departments, set up booths to provide students with information on subjects ranging from LGBTQ rights to safe-sex practices. Eva Snyder, Langara’s sexual and gender diversity advisor, hopes that the momentum gained from the success of the fair will continue into the next school year. The fair has already helped Langara’s queer community make themselves known to LQBTQ committees in other colleges. A future meeting between LGBTQ representatives from other college committees in the Lower Mainland is currently in the works. The idea for the fair came from Langara’s community health nurse, Susan Kensett. Kensett works with term-seven nursing students who hold healththemed events as part of their community health practicum. Kensett said she thought about ways to make Langara more LGBTQ friendly for quite some time and since nursing students needed to organize a community health event this semester, she figured a pride fair would be a good way to accomplish both. “My hope is to increase awareness among the general Langara populace,” Kensett said. Langara student Tehseen Ahmed, who is a representative of the Rainbow Refugee Committee, said it was programs like Rainbow Refugee that helped him flee Pakistan where homosexuality is illegal.

LSU accepted into B.C. student organization The LSU joins seven other members as the largest student organization in B.C.: the Alliance of British Columbia Students

ABCS

MEMBERS l Alma Mater Society of UBC

l Graduate Student Society of UBC

l University of Victoria Students’ Society

l Capilano Students’ Union

l University of the Fraser Valley Student Union Society

l Kwantlen Student Association

l BCIT Student Association

l The Langara Students’ Union

By ASH KELLY

he Langara Students’ Union is now positioned to help shape the direction of B.C.’s largest student organization. Early in March, the LSU was accepted into the Alliance of British Columbia Students (ABCS), joining seven other postsecondary student groups that collectively represent more than 140,000 students, according to the ABCS website. “Ultimately the whole idea is that we believe and the student associations within us believe, that together we’re better able to advocate on behalf of our students as a unified voice,” said ABCS chairman Colùm Connolly. The ABCS held its inaugural meeting in November. While they are actively lobbying on issues, Connolly said they are in the developmental stage and the LSU will play an active role in developing the direction of the alliance. The member-driven advocacy group currently focuses on long-term affordability and accessibility to education, but also advocates for a range of issues in-

cluding campus childcare, facility improvements, and public transit. Chairman of the LSU students’ issues action committee (SIAC), Ameer Mohammad, is working with the ABCS to develop the organization’s focus. SIAC’s mandate is similar to that of the ABCS: to lobby for affordable and accessible education. Mohammad said the provincial government should take the requests of the ABCS seriously because they represent the voices of many post-secondary students. “ABCS right now is the only platform that brings so many colleges and universities of this province together to have a common voice . . . we [students] are the guiding voice and this is the loudest voice we have in this province,” said Mohammad. Mohammad also wants to work with the ABCS to develop minimum standards for campus sports and recreation facilities to find a better balance between recreation, sports and academics.

ASH KELLY photo

Childcare support for students is one of the many topics the ABCS lobbies for. Ameer Mohammad stands outside Langara’s child care facility.

The DAILY Voice, THURSDAY, March 27, 2014

Editor tricia lo

Entertainment On stage: Awkward families

Studio 58 grad’s first work as a playwright explores sexuality and culture By megan bobetsis

eing at Langara grad Minh Ly’s first-ever play was like being a fly on the wall at an awkward first

ASHLEY LEGASSIC photo

Vancouver Lego Club member Paul Hetherington’s structure, titled “Firetruck Hotrod,” is displayed at Oakridge Centre’s Lego store.

Big kids with little toys

Adults unite to play with Lego and embrace their inner children By ASHLEY LEGASSIC

ego isn’t just for kids, and the Vancouver Lego Club (VLC) has shown that a strong community can be built using tiny blocks. The adults-only club has grown from a handful of friends in a basement to a team of 25 consistent members with an online base of 600 people in just 10 years, according to Oakridge resident and club publicist Pierre Chum. The VLC exhibits its Lego art in many shows, which requires the efforts of each member, and sometimes more than a year of planning. In the past, their creative structures have been showcased at places such as the Oakridge Centre Lego store and the VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights.

Although these shows make up the largest chunk of the group’s activities, Chum said the club has also laid the building blocks for a young boy’s dream through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “We managed to help a little kid with his Make-A-Wish, which was to go down to Legoland. Since he relapsed we were able to bring him into our exhibit and have him [see] the show beforehand, before anybody was there. Just watching the expression on his face was just priceless,” said Chum. The Surrey Museum’s bi-annual Lego show requires some of the longest planning. The most recent one, Lego: Myths and Muses, clocked in at a yearand-a-half’s worth of work. The collaborative effort from each member resulted in a landscape that highlighted goddesses, monsters and

heroes from across the ancient Mediterranean. “For me personally, I think the biggest thing we’ve ever done . . . was the Surrey Museum. I think that stands as the biggest show we still do,” said VLC member Keith Reed. “I joined the club just when they started the planning for that so I was thrown right into the mixing pot.” Anyone is welcome to join the VLC to get in touch with their inner child, Chum said. “People are big kids at heart. That’s always what we’re saying. “We’re always looking to re-connect with our youth . . . That’s what we aim to do with the [VLC], to show people that Lego is still cool and very relevant, and you can build amazing things with it.”

VLC LEGO Past events science world after dark Brick and drink mixer, Feb. 21, 2014

Museum of vancouver DIY Daniel: Lego build day, Dec. 14, 2013 Source: www.vlc.ca

Collision grad show hits Langara “

The exhibit is completely conceived and produced by [students], and that gives them the confidence that they can do it MARCELA NORIEGA

A final exhibit showcases 2D and 3D objects created by Langara students By HANNAH MYRBERG

hat does it look like when a 2D object meets a 3D one? You can find out at the Langara’s design formation grad show, Collision, which will show at Langara starting April 3. The title Collision hints at the multidisciplinary format of the program, in which students create pieces that run the gamut from 2D prints to 3D sculptures. Design formation program head Marcela Noriega said the show draws inspiration from the cube. “You can see [the cube] as a 2D form or you can see it in perspective, inside or out. The idea behind it is the collision of these two worlds, 2D and 3D.” The show will be held in Langara’s Pop gallery, a temporary gallery that will be in the main foyer of Building A until the end of May. These kinds of pop-up galleries are the industry standard for accommodating travel and dwindling gallery spaces, said Tomo Tanaka, chair of creative arts. Collision is the final school exhibit

date. Ga Ting, which is Cantonese for family, is Ly’s debut as a playwright. It explores the story of a Chinese couple forced to accept their son’s death and true identity after a confrontational dinner with his Caucasian boyfriend. The character trio grappled with issues of culture and sexuality in what was a strikingly realistic story. But more real than that was the dialogue between the characters. Throughout the play, the characters’ verbal exchanges artfully escalated the tension between the Minh Ly traditional Asian Studio 58 grad father and his dead and playwright son’s young boyfriend. Observing their interaction was an uncomfortable experience, but it was difficult to tear your eyes away from what was happening on stage. It was easy to identify with the father’s reluctance to accept his son, who was living in a world his father couldn’t understand. At the same time, you can’t help but empathize with the boyfriend as he is forced to defend himself and his love with frustration. Powerful flashback scenes gave insight into each character’s relationship with the deceased son as they spoke into the audience as if he were there. The single dining room set made the play unique, as well as the English and Chinese subtitles displayed on projection screens during the show, emphasizing even more the theme of communication. “The core of the piece is about communicating – communication among parents and their child, and children’s responsibilities in sharing themselves with their parents,” said Ly, who graduated from Studio 58 in 2006. Ga Ting, which is co-presented by the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and The Frank Theatre Company, is Ly’s first work as a playwright. “I strive for diversity onstage, so when I had an opportunity to write a show, I thought it’d be interesting to have a . . . middle-aged Asian couple with a white dude sitting beside them. “I’d like people in any family dynamic to walk away wanting to share themselves more with their loved ones,” Ly said. Ga Ting is playing at the Richmond Cultural Centre until March 30.

HANNAH MYRBERG photo

A design formation student walks by works designed and created in the program. for these students before graduation. “The idea is that [it’s an opportunity for] people from the industry get to know the grads, and some of them get contacts later and get to go for jobs,” Noriega said. Mostly though, Collision bridges the gap between study and practice, Noriega said. Students show their work in a professional gallery setting that is stu-

dent-driven from concept to fruition. Everything from the theme of the show to the works included – right down to the curtains and carpets used on opening night – is a culmination of planning and design by the students themselves, said Noriega. “The exhibit is completely conceived and produced by them and that gives them the confidence that they can do it.”

Submitted photo

Ga Ting, a play about culture, identity and family shows until March 30.

Lifestyles Cheapest gown in the town

Editor nadim roberts

The Voice, THURSDAY, March 27, 2014

H&M’s newly released wedding gown is only $129 By EDMOND LU

weden-based clothing retailer H&M released a $129 wedding gown to little fanfare at their Pacific Centre location on March 17. Vancouver is one of three Canadian cities to carry the dress. There was little signage at the store indicating the dress was available for sale. It was displayed on a rack along with other dresses of a similar style, and nothing indicated that the dress was a wedding gown rather than just another white dress. “Their dress is just a simple cotton dress that they wanted to make a marketing splash about,” said Patty Nayel, a wedding dress designer from North Vancouver. “It is not something that will be bought to be worn as a wedding dress any more than the other white dresses that they sell.” This is not the first time H&M has participated in the bridal market, having released a US$349 gown back in 2006 with fashion design firm Viktor & Rolf. Online wedding magazine TheKnot. com conducted a survey in 2012 of 18,000 brides and found the average cost of a dress in the United States was US$1,121. Price, however, may not be the most important factor when brides-to-be are picking the wardrobe to say “I do” in. “Another thing that came up, surprisingly, was if it was wedding-y enough” said Tammy Tsang, who is currently planning for her wedding in August. “My mom was very concerned about the fact that it looked just like a regular dress and not enough like a wedding dress.” According to Tsang, other factors that were important when choosing her wedding dress were the fit, whether the dress suited her wedding venue, how representative it was of her personality, and the price.

YOUTUBE photo

Henri le Chat Noire, whose videos have been viewed online more than 15 million times, will be featured at the Just for Cats film festival.

Feline film fest to hit Van The internet’s most famous cats make it to the big screen By RENEE SUTTON

he Just for Cats film festival, featuring famous cats from the Internet, will be pouncing into Vancouver this August. The festival will be playing at the PNE this summer and will be included in the admission price. The reel will feature about 70 minutes of short films, six-second Vine clips, and well-known cats from the web including Grumpy Cat and Henri le Chat Noir. The Just for Cats film reel was created by the Walker Art Centre in Minneapolis, and has been the centre of fundraisers for cat health and shelter programs across North America.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) is presenting the film, which will tour across Canada after its premier at the Toronto International Film Festival on April 17. Gisele Baxter, an expert in pop culture and sessional lecturer at UBC, said part of the attraction of cat videos is that people anthropomorphize cats. “When you think of the sorts of cats who’ve become famous, it’s usually for . . . some sort of human characteristic in them,” she said. Baxter said advancements in photographic technology and social media have led to an increase in self-publishing and the popularity of cat videos. This will be the first national tour for

the film reel. Kim Elmslie, communications and advocacy manager for CFHS, said it’s an exciting way to spread an important message about the welfare of cats. According to the BC SPCA website, three times more dogs than cats were reunited with their families in 2013. “We found that cats just weren’t doing so well in Canada… we wanted to do something in the public realm and we wanted to do something fun,” Elmslie said. Langara student Patrick Bull said he didn’t know if he could sit through an hour of cat videos. “It’d be hard to pay for something that you pretty much get for free,” Bull said.

Viral cats 1 Nyan Cat 2 Grumpy Cat 3 Mom cat hugs kitten 4 Keyboard cat 5 Surprised kitten 6 The OMG cat 7 Two talking cats 8 Standing cat 9 Maru 10 Stalking cat

Source: The Telegraph

No make-up selfie stirs debate A new kind of selfie intended to raise money for cancer research has met with widespread controversy By MADELYN FORSYTH

H&M photo

H&M’s new $129 wedding dress.

new “selfie” campaign that has women posting self-portraits of themselves wearing no makeup has been flooding across social media. This new social media craze has seen a rising number of women posting pictures of themselves wearing no makeup and then nominating their friends to do the same. Cancer Research UK, which did not start the campaign, said the #nomakeupselfie trend had resulted in an unprecedented increase in donations. The spike in donations for cancer research has also been noticed in Canada. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, online donations to the charity have risen by over 240 per cent since no-makeup selfies started. David Tindall, a UBC associate professor of sociology, recently published an essay regarding activism in relation to social media and says that human social networks have always instigated trends or fads. “[The Internet] just speeds things up. So instead of taking days or weeks it takes minutes or hours, [for a trend to get rolling],” Tindall said. “The jury’s still out in some ways, in regards to social media.”

Although the no-makup selfies have spread worldwide, not everyone is aware of the true message behind the campaign. SFU student Jessica Pridmore, who posted a no makeup selfie on Facebook, said more should be done for breast cancer. “It’s pretty pointless because not everyone donates before or after they take and post the photo,” Pridmore said. Langara student Carly Kaiser, who hasn’t taken part in the no-makeup challenge, said the challenge could be a good way to raise breast cancer awareness but posting a selfie isn’t enough. Writing in the Independent, UK blogger Yomi Adegoke believes that the nomakeup selfie trend is simply “narcissism masked as charity” and that “despite good intentions it’s coming across as smug and self congratulatory.” “You can’t help but wince at the fact uploading a picture of what you actually look like is now being deemed ‘brave,’ especially when being held up against cancer,” Adegoke said. “Why not raise genuine awareness through posting admittedly less-sexy cancer stats and symptoms, as opposed to a slightly blurred picture of your best au naturel benevolent pout?”

TWITTER photo

Actress Michelle Keegan (photo flipped horizontally)

Editor Bill Everitt

The Voice, THURSDAY, March 27, 2014

viewpoints

Cat film Keep your eyes peeled fest: One for the ‘laptop bandit’ small T paw for cat-kind OPINION C

ats have finally succeeded in world domination. After storming the web with their cute videos, you would think cats would be satisfied with just establishing complete control over the Internet. But now, they are coming to a theatre near you. The Just for Cats: Internet Cat Video Festival is heading to selected Canadian cities including VancouLeslie kam ver - starting in April, and it plans to screen popular online cat videos to live audiences. I hold Yes, it does sound totally ab- mixed surd. Just the idea feelings of a festival where for cats, cat lovers can come together to watch because videos easily acthey’re cessible online would make our probably ancestors roll over evil in their graves, but it’s all for charity. The festival teamed up with The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies and proceeds will go to improving cat welfare in Canada. While I hold mixed feelings for cats because they are probably evil, I can’t oppose a good cause. It is crazy to think charging people to watch homemade videos on a larger screen could actually help real cats. I can’t really imagine it myself, but this group has found a way to harness the power of the Internet for a good cause. I grew up as part of the generation that has fully embraced the Internet and can’t imagine life without it. I can’t speak for everyone, but many of us have found an online community that we belong to and support both online and in real life. Heed this warning: cat videos may seem like harmless fun, but before you know it, it’s three in the morning, your eyes are bloodshot, and the word document you opened four hours ago remains blank. Just be careful.

OPINION

yson Lamar Berrow, Langara’s “laptop bandit” according to Langara security posters, is a comically terrible crook. I don’t mean to say that crooks are bad and that he is a bad person. Although I’m not denying that, what I’m getting at is that he is really bad at being a crook. He must not have gone to crook school, or, if he did, failed out. In reality, his Facebook profile said he worked at “being a baller” and was educated to “i think grade 10.” Whatever that means. Berrows, who turned 28 on March 24, has a long criminal record that started in 2006 and continues today. Through this career of thievery, he has been charged more than 30 times with offences including impersonation, being in possession of break-in tools, multiple counts of possession of stolen property, theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000 and possession and use of stolen credit cards. 2011 seems to have been a particularly unsuccessful year for Berrow, with more than 10 charges and four

convictions in that year alone. He has appeared in court all over the Lower Mainland, with offences logged in Surrey, New Westminster, in Vancouver and at UBC. It’s unclear how much time he has spent in jail, if any. As I read through his court documents, I kept wondering to myself, “How has this guy not learned? How, after eight years and 30 charges, has he never gotten better at stealing other people’s stuff?” One would think that after getting caught the first 10 times with stolen property, he would at least dream up a new hiding spot for all this loot. When something goes missing, is there a trail of expensive bread crumbs leading from the poor student who lost all their work – not to mention possibly the most expensive item they own - to the foolish guy who doesn’t seem to understand that if you’re going to steal something, you need to get rid of it, quick. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 15 and you can guess what the charge is - possession of sto-

len property under $5,000, at UBC, late last year. In response to this, Langara security has banned Berrow from the campus, sent out warning posters and is trying to catch him hanging around. But after 30-plus charges in criminal court, I’m not bill everitt sure that a stern lecture from a security guard, or a judge, is going to carry much weight with Berrow. A further complication: it’s completely possible that if he were sent to jail, it would be the crook school he always needed, and he might come out better at his chosen craft, and perhaps having learned new ones. So, pack up your gear and bring everything with you. It’s unclear what will stop this guy; obviously the justice system hasn’t.

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the oice The Voice is published by Langara College’s journalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must be signed. They may be edited for brevity. Names may be withheld in special cases, but your letter must include your name and phone number.

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EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE: MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Bill Everitt

PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Vanessa Szpurko

PAGE 2 Jesse Lam

PAGE 3 Tyler Hooper

PAGE 4 Tricia Lo

PAGE 5 Nadim Roberts

PAGE 7 Gavin Fisher

PAGE 8 Amy Jones

WEB EDITORS Nick Eagland Kendra Wong

COPY EDITORS

$99 dress: high style, low grade H

&M, the affordable high-fashion retailer, is known for its designer collaborations, but don’t expect great quality because you get what you pay for. Not everything in the store is horrible, though. Last fall, H&M and French designer Isabel Marant released an affordable clothing line, but H&M’s website shut down before the release because of shoppers’ excitement. Recently, H&M released an inexpensive wedding dress. It’s called the ‘$99 wedding dress,’ but in Canada, it’s actually the ‘$129 wedding dress.’ Although the gowns on ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ are enviable, a dress from a high-end brand such as Kleinfeld is unnecessary. So, if you’re on a budget or you’d rather put the money toward a down payment, then this could be the dress for you; but there are better op-

tions. In pictures, it looks like a delicate and flowy Grecian-style dress, but up close the detailing is poorly done and the material is cheap. It’s too busy, with the beading along the neckline, the sheer top and the gathering of fabric on the upper half of the dress. H&M managed to get the media’s attention, despite the dress not being on their website. In the Pacific Centre store, the dress is hidden from view and covered in wrinkles. It’s hard to say if people will go out of their way to look for the dress, and it’s even harder to tell if they will buy it if it’s badly presented. The store’s first attempt with wedding dresses was back in 2006 when Viktor & Rolf designed a US$349 gown for H&M. Not quite as cheap as H&M’s

newest venture, but it’s still significantly cheaper than most wedding gowns out there. It’s no secret wedding costs are rising. Last year, We d d i n g b e l l s Magazine said the average wedding cost about $30,000. If you want to save money, there are plenty of other places to look, such as BCBG or Lauren collins the Bay. They may not be as affordable, but they do sell better-quality dresses for under $500. And one day if you do end up spending more than you bargained for, you can always just shorten it and wear it again.

OPINION

Andrea Anthony Jenny Peng

REPORTERS Karly Blats Megan Bobetsis Erin Boe Lauren Collins Alissa Crane Edrick Dudang Madelyn Forsyth Lukasz Jonca Mike Hodder Leslie Kam Ash Kelly David LaRiviere Ashley Legassic Hannah Myrberg Christoher Slater Renee Sutton Ben Zutter

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Issues & ideas

The Voice, THURSDAY, March 27, 2014

Editor Gavin Fisher

Langara prepares for summer Travel, summer jobs and co-op on the table for students after school comes to an end

Benefits of co-op appealing Langara’s co-op program offers students paid work in their field of study By EDRICK DUDANG

CHRIS SLATER and SUBMITTED photos

Clockwise from above: Science student Lesley Miller is considering traveling this summer; Langara students on exchange in Italy (photo courtesy of Bruce Hanbury); Bruce Hanbury, coordinator for Langara’s Europe, Italy and London study abroad programs.

Summer offers time to travel Langara instructors and students agree traveling gives life experience and benefits one’s education By CHRIS SLATER

espite the weaker Canadian dollar, Langara students are making plans to travel this summer, gaining life and cultural experiences that can be hard to replicate in the classroom. Whether it is independently or through one of the college’s many study abroad programs, Langara staff and students agree that traveling presents learning benefits that can’t be found at home. Bruce Hanbury, program coordinator for Langara’s Europe, Italy and London study abroad programs, said there are many benefits for students who partake in study abroad programs. Hanbury has been involved with such programs at Langara since 1974, and also runs art tours to New York

and Europe. He believes that through travel students are able to experience history and culture which a young city like Vancouver simply cannot offer. “For example, (a student) studying theatre. We have a minimal amount of theatre here. But we have theatre in London. We have theatre in New York. To take a student and immerse them in that theatre environment is spectacular . . . it is much more impressive than it is to study it by a reduced image in a classroom space.” As for the weakened Canadian dollar, Hanbury believes it will have a small impact on the study abroad programs. “Some subtle changes may be made, but that’s based on the administration of the program. I don’t think it’ll affect the students as much.” English instructor Debra Scott, who

coordinates Langara’s gothic field studies trip to the U.K., believes traveling is beneficial to student learning. “I think travel is a great education . . . it’s a really great life experience and learning experience.” Science student Lesley Miller has thought about visiting New York this summer. She recommends that students take advantage of their time off and experience a new place. “It’s something everybody should do, especially if you’ve been in one place a while. You should just get up and go. I think it makes your education a full package.” Student Esinu Gbolonyo is planning to spend two weeks studying African music and dance in Ghana. “You get to learn about other people’s culture. It’s life experience.” she said.

JUNE

travel destinations Reykjavik, Iceland Waterfalls, natural geysers, volcanoes and glaciers are all on offer.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY Enjoy the city’s warm, sunny weather, rich history and culture

sacsayhuaman, cuzco, peru Visit these stone ruins on June 24 for a celebration marking a day devoted to the Peruvian sun god. Source: Huffington Post Canada

Langara’s co-operative education department held an open house during National Co-op Week March 17 to 19, giving students the opportunity to learn about co-op. Co-op is a program in which students enter the profession in their field of study while still enrolled in their curriculum. Students who participate in co-op work full-time in a company or institution and are paid. Laura McNaught, who is doing a co-op with Langara’s human resource department, said the purpose of the co-op program is to equip students with job experience in their field so they can easily transition from post-secondary to the labour market. Co-op also helps employers scout for potential employees. Co-op is currently only available to business, computer science and bioinformatics students. McNaught said she loves working for the college because it gives her relevant experience for her future. “I want to be involved in human resources and a lot of projects they involved me [in] are working with people.” She also said Langara made her the volunteer coordinator for Student Employment Day and the Ready, Set, Hire! Business Career Expo. Marketing student Eyren Uggenti is planning to do co-op this summer. He said he has never done co-op before and has already applied to five industries for this summer. He also appreciates that co-op is paid. “I really don’t have that many forms of income,” Uggenti said. “I think getting a co-op is the right thing to do because I need a stable income for a couple of months so I could start paying my school [fees]. Uggenti praised Langara’s co-op program for its wide range of industries he can apply to.

Jobs and money on the minds of students as summer approaches Many students planning to work this summer to gain experience, pay back debt, and pay for tuition By LUKASZ JONCA

s summertime approaches, some students are trying to make money for next year’s tuition while others are trying to get back above the debt line. Whatever the reasons may be, many students are updating their resumes and preparing for interviews with possible employers. Scott Peters, a geography student at Langara is hoping to transfer to SFU

next January. He is planning on taking three courses at Langara during the summer semester. During his time off he wants to find a part-time job to help pay the bills and keep everything in check. “I’m going to try and get something . . . in the tourist industry,” Peters said. “I’ve had some money saved aside from my last job, but it’s never nice to go close to zero in the bank account.” Student Aidan Royea is planning on taking a few courses this summer to have a head start for the fall semester. His advice to other students is to consider tree planting as a summer job. “Tree planting is a really good summer job for students because there’s a few [companies] that are really open to hiring new employees and you can

make about 10 grand in the summer,” Royea said. Royea said he had previously applied for tree-planting work through Heritage Reforestation Inc. According to Royea, they give great feedback on resumes and tips about getting hired. He also received a list of websites that review resumes and send them to different tree-planting companies looking for seasonal workers. Jamie Noakes, instructor at Langara in the department of co-operative education said getting a summer job gives students several benefits. “Work experience is a great opportunity to connect with employers in the community during the summer time, have some fun, because there’s a lot of fun summer jobs that are out there.”

GAVIN FISHER photo

Students are looking to fill empty pockets this summer.

The Voice, THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014

Editor amy jones

sports

Rizzardo v. UBC

Langara’s men’s soccer coach files human rights complaint of gender discrimination against UBC By GRAHAM McFIE

oach Mark Rizzardo is pushing his sex discrimination claim against UBC through to a second hearing. Rizzardo says in his BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint that UBC passed him over as women’s soccer coach in favour of a female applicant. “It is a clear case of gender discrimination,” Rizzardo, a UBC alumnus, said in an email. Rizzardo was offered and accepted the position of head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds women’s soccer team on Dec. 4, 2012. 0Three days later, UBC notified Rizzardo that the hiring process had been deemed unfair and rescinded the job offer. A second interview process was scheduled for January and Rizzardo was guaranteed an interview. Andrea Neil was then hired for the job. Rizzardo noted that he had seen letters on blogs complaining of his appointment as head coach of the women’s team, saying it was a missed opportunity to hire a female coach. “In one of the letters, the writer explicitly named Andrea Neil as the person that should have been given the job,” Rizzardo said. UBC added that there was controversy around how they offered the job to Rizzardo, on Dec. 4, 2012, before the job posting was closed to applicants. UBC received complaints that this deprived some candidates of the opportunity to apply. “I was disappointed to see how unprofessional they were in dealing with it,” Rizzardo said. In the first hearing, UBC moved to dismiss Rizzardo’s complaint but was denied. A second hearing is scheduled for October 2014. Randy Schmidt, a spokesman from UBC, said the university would not provide further comment on the matter, aside from a press release issued Feb. 28, because the case will be going before the tribunal in October. “UBC denies that sex was a factor in the hiring process for the women’s soccer head coach position,” the UBC statement said. Tribunal member Enid Marion said the tribunal needs more information on the case.

KARLY BLATS photo (LEFT) Photo courtesy of DEEPCOVERAGE.COM (RIGHT)

Third year nursing student Caitlin Sanford is focusing solely on her studies now after two years on the BC Lions Felions Dance Team.

Nursing student and Felion BC Lions dancer gives advice on how to balance hobbies with school By KARLY BLATS

or the last two years, nursing student Caitlin Sanford balanced a full-time class schedule with being a Felion for the BC Lions. Sanford, 24, is in her third year of nursing at Langara and said being on the Felions Dance Team kept her sane and gave her a hobby away from the classroom. “I honestly have no idea how I managed to schedule everything in but I did it,” she said. “The Felions was sort of a distraction, just having that time to socialize too was almost helpful in a way.” The Felions Dance Team consists of 35 women who practice every Sunday

during the football season. Alexandra Severyn, Felions coordinator, said in an email she advises Felions on how to juggle an academic timetable while being on the team. “Every young women is different and priorities differ,” she said. Before trying out for the Felions, Sanford said she never thought seriously about being on the team and was “baffled” when a co-worker of hers suggested she audition. Sanford let the idea of being a Felion linger for a year while she worked out and practiced her dance moves. The death of her father in the winter of 2011 got Sanford serious about becoming a Felion. “I just needed a distraction and to

have something positive in my life,” she said. Severyn said Sanford was a dedicated Felion with an easygoing attitude who always seemed to enjoy herself. Unfortunately this year’s tryouts didn’t go in Sanford’s favour but she said not making the team is a relief in a way. “It’s nice to be able to focus on my future more, on nursing and family,” she said. Sanford’s guidance to anyone balancing a packed schedule is not to let stress manage their life and try to remain positive. “The biggest thing is not to be too hard on yourself. You can’t impress everyone and it’s just important to do what you love.”

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I just needed a distraction and to have something positive in my life CAITLIN SANFORD

Wheelchair curlers head to Nationals Provincial champions Team Neighbour practice at the Marpole and Richmond curling clubs in preparation for the Canadian championships coming next month in Quebec By BEN ZUTTER

fter bringing home their fourth provincial championship title in January, a local curling team is looking to add to their national medal count at the 2014 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship in Quebec next month. Vancouver- and Richmond-based Team Neighbour, including skip Darryl Neighbour, second Vince Miele, third Frank LaBounty, alternate Gary Cormack and lead Alison Duddy, have been playing together for nearly a decade. Their chemistry has earned them championships at both the provincial and national levels. Neighbour, the founder of the team, has a 2010 Paralympic gold to his name,

as well as a number of World Wheelchair Curling Championship titles. After suffering a blood infection in 2012, he said he is ready to get back to competing on the Canadian and world stages. “It’s hard to describe,” he said about competing in the 2010 Paralympics. “It’s a once in a lifetime thing, especially playing at home.” Vince Miele said he is excited about the nationals in Quebec, where they will be facing off against nine other teams competing for Canadian dominance. “We’re looking forward to it,” Miele said. “We ended up with a silver medal last year and the team is just a little bit different this year.” LaBounty and Duddy live outside of Metro Vancouver. According to Miele,

that can make getting together for practices both time-consuming and costly. It’s alleviated in part by sponsorships and the generosity of local businesses. “We’ve been very lucky because one of the local hotel managers has given us some room nights,” Miele said. “So that’s helped a lot.” Cormack also has Paralympic experience, having won gold with Team Canada in 2006. Cormack, Neighbour and Miele all play in local Vancouver and Richmond leagues, quite often against able-bodied opponents or on mixed teams. The 2014 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship takes place in Quebec from April 28 to May 4 and will be available to stream online.

BEN ZUTTER photo

Skip Darryl Neighbour practices for upcoming Nationals.