ARTS & LIFE
Talking circle
Going beyond studying Indigenous culture, group allows all to participate. P3
ONLINE SPECIAL
SPORTS
Queer Skate
Skateboarding group continues providing safe, inclusive space through pandemic. P4
PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA
Farewell, Kathryn Studio 58 artistic director retires after 46 years with the program. langaravoice.ca
MARCH 11, 2021 • VOL. 54 NO. 05 • VANCOUVER, B.C.
Daylight debate: morning or evening sun B.C. might soon shift to permanent Daylight Savings Time, and an hour of sunlight will be added to our evenings — but experts say this might not be healthy for our sleep cycles. SUBMITTED PHOTO.
Time change may end; not everyone agrees with sole option offered By LEXA ANTROBUS
W
ith Premier John Horgan hinting this spring will mark the last time B.C. observes Daylight Savings Time, British Columbians will need to revisit an issue that experts are divided on: whether our mornings or evenings should receive more light. When the B.C. government conducted a province-wide survey in 2019, Horgan offered only one alternative to the practice of time change: permanent DST, which was selected by 93 per cent of participants. Perma-
nent Standard Time, which adds an hour of morning sunlight, was never an option offered. But while proponents of DST have cited economic benefits, health experts favour Standard Time, emphasizing the importance of our sleep cycles. Dr. Raymond Lam, a UBC psychiatry professor specializing in mood disorders and mental health, is one of such experts. He, along with five others, signed an open letter to the B.C. government in October 2019. In it, they argued that DST reduces exposure to morning sunlight throughout the year, which can lead to “sleep deprivation and
social jetlag.” “If we use Daylight Savings Time throughout the year,” Lam said, “there’s more of a disconnect between our internal clock and the available daylight, which is kind of the natural clock.” UBC economics professor Werner Antweiler, who advocates for permanent Daylight Savings Time, has cited energy savings in the past as a reason to stick with permanent DST, but now points to broad popularity as the primary reason for his position. Energy conservation was the original main reason for DST. The argument was that with more daylight,
people would be using less lighting and therefore less energy. “Of course, that has become a completely obsolete issue now that they have eff icient lighting,” said Antweiler. “Especially now that we have all moved to LED in the last sort of decade.” Horgan said last October that if the United States didn’t get its act together, he would suggest “this is the last season of falling back and springing forward.” But Horgan may have been hinting at a change that won’t happen as soon as he’d hoped, said Antweiler. For economics’ sake, Antweiler
believes it is likely the change will be delayed until Washington, Oregon and California pass their legislation first, allowing for easier collaboration with cross-border business partnerships. “For British Columbia, the big question is when will the United States move, because the argument is that we shouldn’t be moving towards a different time schedule (without them),” Antweiler said. “It has always been tradition that we are in sync with the United States and their time zones.” See langaravoice.ca for full story
Post-secondary schools back to campus this fall Langara's plans to be ready for June registration By TYSON BURROWS
T
he B.C. government on Monday told post-secondary institutions to prepare for a fall return to campus. Anne Kang, minister for advanced education and skills training, issued a
statement Monday afternoon saying that the provincial health officer had advised the presidents of the province’s public colleges and universities. “I’m encouraged by Dr. (Bonnie) Henry’s advice that a return to in-person instruction can be done safely for this fall for all students, staff and faculty,” Kang said. Soon after, Langara president Lane Trotter announced to students that with this new information, “planning will be refined and finalized for fall registration to open on June 21.” The announcements come almost a
full year after post-secondary institutions were abruptly forced to shift to online teaching, a move that presented enormous challenges to students, instructors, administration and staff. Over the past few semesters, a hybridized form of learning was born. Certain hands-on classes were allowed a limited return to campus, while all others remained solely web based. The change was welcomed by some students who saw benefits in distanced learning, and students abroad were able to continue working toward their education without
hiatus. Other students found online education difficult due to new technologies, equipment required and distance from supports. “We will not lose sight of those students who may have discovered an appreciation for Lane Trotter the flexibility of PRESIDENT, LANGARA COLLEGE online learning, or those who may not be able to arrive in Vancouver by
September to start their studies in person,” Trotter said. Trotter said that Langara, along with other post-secondary institutions across B.C., will be working with Dr. Henry to ensure a safe return to on-campus education. Guidelines will be developed in partnership with the BC Centre for Disease Control, WorkSafeBC, the Provincial Health Office, student associations, labour representatives, Indigenous partners and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training.