voting strategically, not idealistically........................7 Strategic voting offers the option to vote collectively rather than according to personal preference to make voting more effective
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PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS
Shakespeare with a twist
OCTOBER 8, 2015 • VOL. 48 NO. 1 • VANCOUVER, B.C.
JOURNALISM
line at s out on m u k c e h o C avoice.c ecial langar r sp o f k o eek lo SU This w n the L ntent o and o c o e vid forum election d reactions. ss Car Compa
New voter bill poses problems Stricter identification rules present roadblocks for students planning to vote in federal election By BEN BENGTSON
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DAVID COOPER photo
Camille Legg and Adelleh Furseth star as a same-sex couple in the modernized production of Romeo + Juliet, set in the year Studio 58 was founded.
Warholesque Romeo + Juliet pays homage to Studio 58’s beginnings By RUMANA DSOUZA
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illiam Shakespeare’s global audience has witnessed his plays re-imagined in different settings and themes. Langara College’s Studio 58 chose a setting in accordance with its 50 year anniversary. Studio 58, in association with the Chop Theatre, presents Romeo + Ju-
liet, set in 1965 in Andy Warhol’s famed New York City studio, the Factory. The anniversary also coincided with the passing of Studio 58’s founder, theatre legend Antony Holland. Anita Rochon, the director, said the milestone was the inspiration to set one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays in 1965. “I began researching the era and it revealed interesting things in society
during a period of societal upheaval, parallels that I also witnessed in Romeo + Juliet,” she said. Audiences might assume that setting this tale of star-crossed lovers in 1965 may lead to drastic alterations of the orginal play, but Rochon said there were few changes.
See STUDIO 58, page 4
How are you liking the new Compass Card system? Are you remembering to tap in and out? INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY JULIA WICKHAM
Printed on recycled paper
DIRECTOR ANITA ROCHON
GLOBAL
COMPASS CARDS Electronic Compass Cards have now officially replaced paper U-Passes across BC campuses this fall. Now that the system has been fully intergrated, students are forced to adjust to the change. The Voice asked Langara students:
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The era revealed interesting things in society
fare cards FLEXUS Olso, Norway
FRANCES MCDONALD Fine arts student
“I find [the Compass Card] a little odd. I thought that the U-Pass was really easy to use, and honestly, I feel like I’m being tracked when I use the Compass Card. I feel like they know what bus I’m on, which kind of freaks me out, so I tend not to tap out of the bus because I don’t want them to know where I am.”
OCTOPUS CARD
AUSTIN DO Kinesiology student
“It’s pretty useful, I can go wherever I want without using any coins. I always tap in, but I never remember to tap it out. It’s very convenient and I’ve never had a problem with it.”
TYLER GAUDET General sciences student
“I really like the Compass Card, because going [for] free everywhere is awesome. I always tap it in, because the bus drivers are always kind of looking at you, but I always forget to tap it out. I try to, but I always worry that my wallet is going to fall and it’s not mandatory, so who cares?”
JUSTIN LUI Computer science student
“The Compass Card is alright, compared to what I already know that exists. In Hong Kong, they have the Octopus Card, and the system is way better. I remember to tap in and out about 90 per cent of the time.On the bus there’s way too many people [getting off] to tap out.”
Hong Kong
OPUL CARD Sydney, Australia
OYSTER CARD London, UK
RABBIT CARD Bangkok, Thailand
T-MONEY Seoul, Korea Source: wikipedia
he upcoming federal election will be the first time the Fair Elections Act is put to the test and the controversial act has already caused confusion about the voting process. The act, officially called Bill C-23, was passed last year by the Conservative government. The bill raised concerns from students and special interest groups that say the bill would make voting more difficult for them. The bill attempts to decrease voter fraud by reforming voter identification rules. In past elections, students could verify their voting address by using a government issued card that contained their current address or the address of their parents. Under the new rules, the card is no longer valid. Changes to voter identification could mean students whose living situations are temporary are not eligible to vote. “Contained within this law is a notso-thinly veiled attempt to depress voter turnout,” said Paul Prosperi, department chair of history, Latin and political science at Langara College. “I’m concerned that there may be instances in which people will either be unable or they will be put off the PAUL PROSPERI prospect of going Political science down there to department chair vote.” Roberta LaQuaglia, who operates a Vote PopUp as a volunteer for Samara Canada, a nonpartisan group that encourages civic engagement, agreed that the new rules are unclear. “The perception out there is that voting is more confusing,” she said of the bill, adding that many students are unsure about what identification they need or where they can cast a ballot. Some students are unaware of the new act all together. “No, I haven’t heard of [the Fair Elections Act],” said Victoria Chernyaeva, a computer science student at Langara. Dorothy Sitek, a spokesperson for Elections Canada, argued that students who wish to vote have “every opportunity to.” She added that it’s important for Langara students to make sure they are registered to vote on Oct. 19, and encouraged visiting the elections.ca website for more information.
Check out our web exclusives at http://langaravoice.com/
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THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 2015
EDITOR ETHAN REYES
At large
Pupils lose app-etite Still some bugs in a new app design program at Langara say students By JAKE COSTELLO
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he first term of Langara College’s new app design program is experiencing some glitches of it’s
own. Web and mobile app design and development is a two-year post-degree diploma program that began teaching computer code and marketing at Langara College this fall. It’s a collaboration between the department of computing sciences & information systems and the department of publishing, which has received funding from the President’s Innovation Fund at the college to develop the new curriculum. Brian Koehler, who has been working on the program since 2014, said that local demand for tech jobs got this project off the ground. “The industry is really exciting,” Koehler said, “We know the jobs are there, and I think a lot of people will find them really rewarding.” Not all of the students feel they are getting what they signed up for however. One student, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, raised concerns about an unbalanced schedule that has students at school for 11 hours each Monday. Students also raised questions about the course’s design. Vikram Rana, a student from Delhi, said that with the pace of the courses “people without a programming background can feel secluded.”
JAMES SMITH photo
Vancouver-South political candidates address Langara Students on Tuesday. The Conservative candidate, however, did not attend.
And then there were four...
Langara’s lecture hall became a political battleground on Tuesday By SCOTT DRAKE
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he Conservative candidate’s absence at a Vancouver-South allcandidates meeting on Tuesday didn’t dampen a charged debate about the country’s future. The riding, in which threehundredeight.com projects a Liberal victory, has historically swung between the Conservatives and the Liberals. Harjit Sajjan, the Liberal candidate, lamented the divisive nature of politics under the Harper government. Speaking to the Liberal support of Bill C-51, which he called a “wedge issue,” Sajjan said it was “our job as responsible opposition to make this bill better for all Canadians.” NDP candidate, Amandeep Nijjar,
who had to be reminded by an audience member that the Green Party also voted against Bill C-51, criticized the Liberal leadership for its support of the bill. “We should not have to choose between our rights and security,” she said. The meeting featured 45 minutes of audience questions and provided a “good opportunity to start a dialogue,” said Hari Sun, a political science student. Sun added that the absence of the Conservatives shows that in some ways they are ”not on the same level as us regular people.” Charles Boylan, the Maxsist-Leninist candidate, received the loudest applause. He said that his presence con-
tributes to a political discourse that wouldn’t otherwise make its way into federal politics. “I can guarantee you that a single Marxist-Leninist, like myself, in the House of Commons would really bring about serious discourse in this country about what direction it should take.” Elain Ng, who was unable to participate because of an eye problem, watched as Green Party candidate for Vancouver-Granville, Michael Barkusky echoed earlier statements about the need to alter political dialogue in Ottawa. “The key thing we need to do” he said, “is change the conversation about what economic prosperity is all about.”
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We should not have to choose between our rights and security Amandeep Nijjar Vancouver-SouthNDP Candidate
OPENS TOMORROW! IT’S OUR FAVOURITE TIME OF FEAR.
FRIGHT NIGHTS WESTERN CANADA’S SCARIEST HAUNT
upgrade to a RAPID PASS to get into the Houses and 5 Rides
OCT 9-NOV 1
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SAVE ON FRIGHTPASSES AT: Monsters of Schlock will not be performing Oct 9-11
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Campus news
EDITOR DUSTIN GODFREY
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THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT 8, 2015
BRIEFLY on campus
Campus voting vanishes from main foyer Election page on website apparently defunct, as voting booths missing from Building A main foyer Student democracy was missing in action Wednesday at Langara College, with no voting booth in Building A. Similarly, clicking on the ‘Elections’ tab on the Langara Students’ Union website yielded little help, redirecting users to the home page. The four-day voting period was scheduled from Oct. 5 until Oct. 8. Students conducted regular checks for a voting booth all day Wednesday afternoon without any luck. Ballot counting for the LSU election was scheduled to begin on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the LSU’s boardroom, immediately following the voting period. Sixteen candidates vying over 10 councillor positions in the LSU. The LSU was unable to comment by deadline. Tatum MacLean, psychology student and councillor candidate spoke to students at a candidates’ forum. “We are the ones that make up the community,” she said.
Headway made with flooded rooms One room open, with two more, including Mac lab set to open next week
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estoration services have got one Langara College classroom back in working order, after several rooms were damaged when a sprinkler went off on the second floor of Building A last month. Two more rooms are expected to be back in use next week. Room A211 was returned to service on Monday. Room A212 and the A110 Mac lab will be in use next week, director of facilities Wendy Lannard said. Despite water pouring into the computer lab on Sept. 22, no computers were damaged, said associate director of information technology Justin Yau. Design formation instructor Marcela Noriega, who teaches a class in the lab, noted the rapid set up of a temporary lab in the library with the same computers following the incident. “Students were really pleased and happy, since they had to finish a project that week,” Noriega said. Lannard said the flood affected 10 faculty offices, two classrooms, a computer room and two additional rooms. “We’re not sure how it exactly happened, but (the sprinkler) most likely was accidently hit,” she said. — Compiled by Julia Wickham
JULIA WICKHAM photo
The affected hallway was cleared out as restoration crews worked on repairing the office rooms.
SAYEDMOSTAFA RAZIEI photo
Maggie Stewart said she was informing students of the new program during Langara College’s volunteer fair.
VOLT puts ‘C’ in community C-Change to offer broader community volunteering opportunities By SEYEDMOSTAFA RAZIEI
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s a way to expand Langara College’s volunteer program, VOLT is piloting a new project this semester to bring student volunteers beyond school grounds. VOLT volunteer program coordinator Maggie Stewart said that C-Change has been in the works for the past year, and aims to bring volunteers more opportunities to work in the communities of Vancouver. She said that students indicated desire for a greater role in community volunteering. “The C in C-Change stands for community; the tag line is: ‘Do you want to C Change?’” Stewart said. “We know a lot of students are coming to our office to volunteer and be able to have an im-
pact in their community.” C-Change will kick off by taking Langara volunteers tree planting in Pacific Spirit Regional Park on Oct. 17, with the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Ecological Restoration Team and their EcoBlitz campaign. In November, C-Change will launch a clean-up event in the community surrounding the college and in December, C-Change will launch Christmas Hampers 2015 in collaboration with Marpole Oakridge Family Place. Alisha Samnani, health science student, said she spends most of her free time at The Hub, which houses the VOLT program. “I am participating in C-Change,” Samnani said. “We are going to plant trees in a park and it will be beautify-
ing our community.” Ivy Han, psychology student, said volunteering both at the college an in the community hold value. “If you do it in Langara, you are more engaged on campus, but outside the campus your engagement is with bigger community,” Han said. “You get engaged with the community and you get experience.” Stewart said she sees community volunteering as a way to apply the skills students learn in class to work outside the college. “The indirect goal of C-Change is to send students to the community,” Stewart said. “So they have some sense of stewardship of our community and through that process, develop some social awareness skills.”
FALL
at VOLT 1 2 3
Position: Youth workshop Facilitators. Organization: West Coast LEAF. When: Oct. 12 Position: Volunteer Tutor. Organization: Frontier College. When: Nov. 25 Position: Graphic Designer Organization: What’s Your Impact When: Dec. 12 Source: langara.ca
Aboriginal transfer program cemented Langara, UBC hopeful program will expand aboriginal enrolment By ANNE-SOPHIE RODET
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rganizers of aboriginal student transfer program between Langara College and UBC hope its implementation will boost enrolment from the aboriginal community. The UBC-Langara Aboriginal Transfer Program, which was formalized on Sept. 25, aims to support aboriginal students in their transition to UBC through mentorship and financial aid. The announcement comes after a three-year pilot, which took 12 Langara students through the program. Linc Kesler, director of the UBC First Nations House of Learning, said there is an “underrepresentation of aboriginal students in higher education.” However, Langara dean of student services and registrar Clayton Munro said he expects the new program will
increase aboriginal representation in both schools. “We are very optimistic that this will have a significant impact on enrolment of aboriginal learners at Langara and significantly increase the number of aboriginal learners transferring to UBC,” Munro said. As long as the students meet the requirements of the participating departments, admission is guaranteed “regardless of the amount of competition,” UBC director of undergraduate admissions Andrew Arida said. Although some students hadn’t yet heard of the program, it has been well received. “It definitely opens possibilities for us,” first-year health sciences student Angeline Day said. “Why not access my opportunities?” first year psychology student Jeana Poorman said. In an effort to inform students, eight UBC advisers came to an Aboriginal Feast on Tuesday at the Gathering Space, a dedicated place for aboriginals at Langara.
ANNE-SOPHIE RODET photo
Gail Sparrow (left), Elder-in-Residence at Langara College, said she was pleased to see a large attendance at this year’s Aboriginal Feast.
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Entertainment Romeo + Juliet
THE DAILY VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 2015
EDITOR ALEX HOEGLER
Romeo + Juliet, continued from p.1
DAVID COOPER photo
Capulets & Montagues (Left to right):Tybalt (Kamyar Pazandeh), Abraham (Braiden Houle), Samson (Arash Ghorbani) and Nance (Samantha Pawliuk) By RUMANA DSOUZA
S STACEY SHERBACK photo
Kurtis Maguire (left as Dracula,) is co-starring with Kathryn Stewart (right, as Anna Van Helsing.) Stewart’s character is traditionally a male character, but it underwent changes as a female Anna Van Helsing
tudio 58’s Romeo + Juliet begins at a party at Warhol’s Factory, attended by the Montagues and the Capulets. The enmity between the two families remains at the heart of the play. In Rochon’s production, the two lovers were casted as women. Rochon said that the Shakespearean language from the original script was mainly kept in place, without adding any significant changes. ChoreographerTara Cheyenne Friedenberg talked about what makes the play so unique. “We’ve never seen Romeo + Juliet like this before. Andy Warhol’s Factory is a fantastic setting, and there’s great music. It’s really fun to watch,” said Friedenberg. Studio 58’s production of Romeo + Juliet runs from Oct.118.
Van Helsing gender swap The Metro Theatre’s version of Dracula is bringing more than just entertainment to the play. But also the element of surprises By TESSA VIKANDER
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bold dynamic is being added to the tale of Dracula. The play is marked by gender roles, with a female being casted a leading male character. In the production of Dracula, that plays at the Metro Theatre from Oct. 14 to 24, King recasted Dracula’s rival, as a woman, and renamed the character to Anna Van Helsing. Ellie King, director of the Royal Canadian Theatre Company, said she looked for a chance to give the play a unique storyline. “I wanted to explore what it might bring to the plot if Dracula’s nemesis were a woman, and we’ve discovered that it adds a wonderful texture,”she
said. King’s decision to make Van Helsing female responds to the lack of lead female roles in theatre. She added that even though there are more women than men that are involved in community theatre, males still occupy most of the lead roles. King’s actors also notice the inequality. Kurtis Maguire, who plays Dracula, said that playwrights often portray women as young, helpless maidens, and older women are often left out of scripts entirely. “It’s just not fair because [it means the actors] cannot play to the truth of what each story is or could be,” he said. Kathryn Stewart said that she has noticed variety in roles throughout her acting career.
“As you get older you start looking for more complex characters,” she said. “This is the biggest role I’ve ever played in terms of dialogue,” she said. When asked how the inequality can change, Stewart says that playwrights need to find more expressive ways of portraying women. “It might take having more women playwrights, accompanied by more funding for the arts,” she said. Maguire said he looks forward to more plays involving more women of all ages, but thinks that gender bending can be done in any play. “[We should] turn off the automatic programming that society sometimes gives us, and think outside of the box. Which of course is what theatre is all about,” he said.
DAVID COOPER photo
Juliet and Mrs. Capulet – Juliet (Adelleh Furseth) kneeling and her Mother, Mrs. Capulet (Lucy McNulty).
Garden-inspired artists go crafty VanDusen Botanical Garden and Craft Council of British Columbia are working together to come up with earth-friendly crafts for fundraising and allowing artists to show their finest works By MURRAY B. HUNT
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MURRAY HUNT photo
Dawn Russell poses with her coat, that is made completely of compost. A portion of the proceeds from the sold coat will go to VanDusen Botanical Garden
anDusen Botanical Garden is known for its plants and flowers. This month, from a composted coat to silk scarves, they’ll be displaying earth friendly works to celebrate Craft Year 2015, Canada’s largest year-long craft festival. The Craft Council of British Columbia (CCBC) has teamed up with VanDusen, to give 33 B.C. artists an opportunity to sell their works for art admirers. Marina Georgiadis, a silk scarves crafter in the exhibition, is selling some of her crafts which are aimed at being earth friendly. “White silk is an easy fabric to dye. Natural products like leaves and lavender are put on the scarves, then rolled up tightly and boiled in water for about an hour, then they are ready,” she said. Dawn Russell, a fellow artist at the exhibition, is also the director of development and fundraiser for VanDusen. Russell contributed the composted coat
to th exhibit for sale, with some of the profits going to VanDusen. “The coat which is white denim was compost died or ferment died, meaning it was buried in the ground for four months, it get its dark colour from the iron and was inspired by lichen on a tree,” Russell said. “I have two passions, the first is VanDusen and the other is craft and textile design,” she said. Raine McKay, executive director for the CCBC has worked with VanDusen for three shows, and teamed up with them again this year. “Every year we try to have a member’s exhibition where our people get to show off their work and we usually have a theme,” she said. “This year’s theme, Botanically Inspired, tied in with our work at VanDusen,“ she said. The Botanically Inspired exhibition is free to visit at the Discovery Room, VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5151 Oak Street, between 10 a.m. and five p.m. until Nov. 1.
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White silk is an easy fabric to dye. Natural products like leaves and lavender are put on the scarves, then rolled up tightly and boiled in water Marine Georgiadis, silked scarves crafter
Lifestyles
EDITOR BRYAN MC GOVERN
THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 2015
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‘Don’t call it a comeback’ The fashion cycle brings the ’90s back to students’ closets
By SERENA PATTAR
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hile fashion week may be happening in Paris, a quick look around campus will reveal the revival of ’90s
trends. A variety of trends have been spotted on Langara College, including crop tops, loose plaid shirts and Doc Martens boots. Image and style instructor Katherine Lazaruk, from the continuing studies department at Langara College attributes the return to the edginess of the decade. “There’s definitely an edge to it, and I think too a comfort factor with the ’90s clothing. It’s a slouchy jean rather than a skinny jean,” Lazaruk said. “Comfort is key. The ’90s don’t need to be tight to be fashionable,” said Pa-
moves faster due to the rise of affordable clothing stores like Forever 21 and H&M, which quickly replicate looks from the runway and deliver it to the consumers’ hands right away. Manveer Sanghera, a second year general studies Langara student, seen wearing a loose green plaid shirt, said it was easy to follow the trends since she shops at the clothing store Forever 21. The ’90s revival doesn’t only include clothing and accessories. According to Lazaruk there is a strong emphasis on make-up. She said glitter and shimmer are making a comeback, but are applied in a more refined way to parallel the edginess of the decade. Lazaruk said ’90s fashions are tailored to the female fashionistas rather than the male ones.
mela Lee, a third year social sciences student at Langara, seen wearing a mot o r cyc l e jacket. Lazar u k s a i d t h e fashi o n cycle
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Comfort is key. The ’90s don’t need to be tight to be fashionable
From left to right: Arash Khosravi first year English student said men’s outfits from the ’90s have loud prints. Manveer Sanghera, second year general studies student and Rachael Franz, second year general science student show off their ’90s fashion style. SERENA PATTAR photos
PAMELA LEE SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDENT AT LANGARA
Gala helps women facing effects of cancer Cosmetics store at Oakridge Centre supports international program By NANCY PLECHATY
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One hundred per cent of the proceeds will go to the LGFB program Submitted photo
A Thanksgiving dinner with a Canadian family hosting international students from a previous year
Turkey tradition for the first time International students invited to join Canadian families in feasting festivities By JASON HAMILTON he holidays can be a lonely time for international students who may not be familiar with Canadian traditions. Every year, the international department at Langara College pairs students with families from around the Metro Vancouver area to take part in a traditional Canadian Thanksgiving environment. In addition to Thanksgiving the students can attend Christmas, Easter and summer barbeque events. Yangchun Ye, second year international student at Langara College, has attended two summer barbeques.
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“It was my first time [getting] to know a Canadian family,” Ye said. She recommended the events to her friends as an opportunity to connect with Canadians and make new friends in a different country. Celine Huang, international student coordinator at Langara, said families around Metro Vancouver have been providing this opportunity for international students for 12 years. This year, 25 Langara students are attending the Thanksgiving dinners. According to Huang these events provide international students with a chance to spend the holidays with a Ca-
nadian family. “All of them are away from home and likely missing [it] during that time,” Huang said. Tara Morgan and her family have been hosting one-to-four dinner events a year since 2007. She said they talk about the backgrounds of American and Canadian Thanksgiving since her husband is American. “So many students come to Canada and never step foot in a Canadians house. I love to give opportunity for international students to have a taste of Canadian culture,” Morgan said. The dinner will be on Oct. 10.
CONNIE MCNICOL MURALE MANAGER
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lose your eyes and imagine a huge walk-in closet – brightly lit rows of make-up and mirrors, pampering stations with expert beauticians at your beck and call upbeat music with a live DJ and a few of your friends to share the excitement. Murale, a specialized cosmetics division of Shoppers Drug Mart, celebrated its sixth anniversary on Oct. 1 by hosting the Hope is Beautiful gala, a fundraiser for the Look Good Feel Better program. Tanya Slingsby, regional manager in B.C. for the LGFB program said the proceeds of the event go towards helping women who have been diagnosed with cancer. Through workshops with information and skills to combat the effects of the disease on their appareance. “It’s a very empowering workshop,” Slingsby said. There are 13 locations across B.C. where these free workshops are offered. LGFB is a program from the foundation arm of the Canadian cosmetic, toiletry and fragrance association.
NANCY PLECHATY photo
There were beauty stations provided by Murale with expert beauticians for attendees to give makeovers.
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Casting women in in lead roles long overdue
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omen in theatre and film are getting screwed; and I don’t mean on the casting couch, but by a serious lack of lead roles to be cast in. An April 2015 report by Equity in Theatre revealed women get less than 35 per cent of key roles on the Canadian stage. The statistics for film and television are pretty depressing too. According to a study by Martha Lauzen at the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women played a pathetic 12 per cent of protagonists in the top 100 grossing films of 2014. So I say go girl to Kathryn Stewart who was cast as vigilante BRIDGETTE vampire slayer WATSON Anna Van Helsing in the Royal Canadian Theatre Company’s October production of Dracula. Adapting male roles for women has been trending lately. Think Lucy Liu as Dr. Watson in CBS’s Elementary and the all-female Ghostbusters squad in the upcoming remake. But is it enough to just rework male roles for women? Equity in Theatre says women constitute over half of theatre school students and that women are more likely to actually go to the theatre. Women deserve some creative new female roles rather than remixed male ones. The statistics on male roles don’t sound that great either. Lauzen’s study shows male characters are more likely to be identified solely by their professions and to be cast as criminals. No offence guys, but you can keep your boring workaholic and bad guy roles. As much as I’m stoked to see a female Van Helsing, it is once again an old role adapted to a woman and not created for one. It’s time to write some new female characters because parts are paycheques and that matters.
viewpoints
EDITOR OWEN MUNRO
THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 2015
The irony of strategic voting W hen I cast my vote at a ballot box on Oct. 19, it will be one cast with my head and not my heart. I’m wary that a strategic vote to bring down Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party of Canada will do anything but that. Voting for the principles you stand for is a strategic vote in itself. Believing in our democratic system and taking a pragmatic view of party platforms and electoral projections is what it comes down to. Although strategic voting campaigns are more popular for those who take an “anyone but Harper” approach to the election, they haven’t proven to be effective in the past where disorganization is the biggest downfall. Leadnow.ca, an independent advocacy group, encourages voting for the constituent that has the greatest
chance of defeating the Conservative candidate in a riding. Yet, they have not come out with candidates they back in potential swing ridings. In fact, Joseph Wasylycia-Leis, the Winnipeg field organizer for Leadnow, admits “there isn’t much evidence that it has worked in the past.” This is because polling and projections swing with regularity. The reliability of local polling has decreased as more people switch to cellphones, which creates poorly selected samples. On Monday, Oct. 5, CBC’s Poll Tracker showed the Liberal Party of Canada lead the national ballot with 32.4 per cent of support, but the Tories winning 122 seats. Bryan Breguet, an electoral forecaster who runs the political projection site www.tooclosetocall.ca, projects the Tories to win
134 seats. Breguet wrote in 2011 that as many as 60 per cent of Liberal and New Democratic Party supporters would have to switch to the “best progressive option in their riding” in order for strategic voting to make a difference. It’s encouraging to see that many are united coast-to-coast to bring down a regime of fear mongering and OWEN MUNRO tyranny. To do it in the veil of strategic voting defeats the purpose. Take a principled stand in what you believe in, and let democracy run its course.
OPINION
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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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Tapping out will be a cause of frustration W hen the struggle to tap out makes you want to flip out, you can thank TransLink’s new Compass Card system. The post-secondary U-Pass system was upgraded from paper passes to Compass Cards earlier this year in May. For four months, students practiced tapping in and out of inoperative Canada Line fare gates while TransLink phased out the older system. Starting on Oct. 5, one gate at each station will close in order to test out the system, but here’s the problem: there are simply not enough gates at each station. The Langara-49th Avenue Station, for example, has only three fare gates. In fall of 2011, TransLink did a station count and found that on a
typical random weekday, there were 7,437 people boarding and 9,263 people alighting at the Langara-49th Station alone. Now imagine those 16,700 people being funnelled through three gates. This goes back to the issue that the Canada Line infrastructure was designed too small to accommodate the large and growing Vancouver commuter population. The 49 KATHRYN WU bus transports not only Langara students, but also large numbers of UBC and high school students. The 49 bus route was listed in a 2014 Trans-
OPINION
Link Performance Report as Vancouver’s second busiest bus route and during operating hours, 45 per cent of buses were overcrowded. According to the 2011 TransLink Annual Report, the reason for implementing gates is to decrease fare evasion, but fare evasion can occur with or without gates. If the gates are slow enough to allow mothers with children through, they will be slow enough for two or three people to slip through with one tap-in. Electronic fare cards are supposed to make commuting easier and faster. The London Underground utilizes the Oyster card system because their stations can accommodate numerous exit gates. TransLink’s design, on the other hand, will only cause chaos and delays during peak hours.
REPORTERS Ben Bengtson Jake Costello Scott Drake Rumana Dsouza Jason Hamilton Murray Hunt Sean Lee Vincent Matak Rosemary Newton Serena Pattar Nancy Plechaty Mostafa Raziei Kate Richardson Anne-Sophie Rodet Mark Stuart Kevin Underhill Tessa Vikander Bridgette Watson Julia Wickham Kathryn Wu
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Issues & ideas
THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 8 , 2015
EDITOR BAILEY NICHOLSON
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Different votes for different folks
Students voting in the federal election have many choices and sources at their disposal
Putting your best vote forward Strategic voting may make young voters feel like their input makes a difference By KATE RICHARDSON
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ROSEMARY NEWTON photo illustration
Langara students look to online versions of newspapers among a variety of outlets for political news and information
Students stray from tradition when seeking politcal news and information Many of Langara’s young voters have a broader spectrum of sources than their parents when it comes to trusted election coverage By ROSEMARY NEWTON
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tudents at Langara College are reaching for a wider variety of political news sources than the generation of voters before
them. STEVEN PHILLIPS Langara political science instructor
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[The news] may be selective in terms of which elements ... they cover
Top picks for information on the Oct. 19 federal election among Langara students included digital editions of CBC, the Globe and Mail, and the Vancouver Sun, along with 24 Hours, Metro, Vancity Buzz, Huffington Post and Facebook. Those more skeptical of bias looked to Reddit and sites 350.org, leadnow.ca and the satirical Syrup Trap. General arts student Ben Anderson said his parents’ choices are much more traditional.
Mandatory voting up for debate at Langara Upcoming Philosophers’ Jam will weigh the pros and cons of mandatory voting in Canada By MARK STUART
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andatory voting will be explored as a solution to voter apathy at a Langara College
“They definitely don’t use Facebook,” he said, and listed their go-to sources. “Print, newspaper articles, magazine journals, CBC, and they would definitely tune in to watch the debates.” TV broadcasts have high reach, but low viewership among young Canadians, according to Stephen Phillips, political science instructor at Langara. He suggests voters pay attention to party websites in addition to their news outlet of choice. “The news will provide a summary of party positions but may be selective in terms of which elements of the party’s platform they cover,” Phillips said. General arts student Reece Howey agrees that news has the ability to impact voter behaviour. “Very few people
Philosophers’ Jam on Oct. 8. Murray Mollard, host of the event and executive director of the North Shore Community Resources Society, acknowledged the lack of young Canadians voting, and said he plans to discuss and encourage debate among students about whether making voting mandatory is the best resolution. “Many young people don’t vote,” said Mollard. “That has an outcome on elections, and who gets elected. For the younger age demographic it’s an important issue in terms of their ability to influence policy and law.” There are currently 22 countries in the world where mandatory voting is law, with an estimated 744 million people worldwide living in nations with mandated voting laws, according
have time or resources to actually first hand investigate,” he said. Howey said he chooses Facebook for more diverse political viewpoints. Rukie Karov, Langara general arts student, turns to Tumblr for her election coverage. “They have a cool composition of the 2015 federal elections with really well sourced information,” she said. Regardless of preferred news source, voters should seek background information to better understand what they’re reading, according to Peter Prontzoz, Langara political science instructor. “The more they can be informed about the system, the more they can be informed about patterns and can see why people are saying certain things.”
to PBS NewsHour. One of those countries is Brazil, where Langara marketing management student Jessica Rebonatto is from. “I’m actually for it,” she said.” I think it would increase voter turnout, for sure.” However, student’s sentiments on the subject aren’t all the same. Diego Rondon, also a Langara marketing management student and native of Brazil, said he feels differently. “I personally don’t like it,” he said, “because when its mandatory, people don’t think before voting – they have to vote, they must vote – so they go there and just vote for any person.” Mollard said he plans to run his presentation in an interactive fashion. “You learn by listening, but you also
oters may be forced to choose between the “lesser of two evils” to make their vote count on Oct.19, according to Stephen Phillips, political science instructor at Langara College. He is referring to the concept of strategic voting, which encourages people to vote collectively for one party instead of by personal preference, solely to prevent a particular party from winning. “Voters looking to cast that one vote will ask themselves whether they want to vote for their preferred choice or whether they want to have some influence on the outcome,” Phillips said. According to Karl Hardin, digital strategist at Dogwood Initiative, strategic voting is easier than ever. “The Internet and the creation of large e-mail lists has made information that would allow for strategic voting much more accessible than previous elections,” he said. Though there is a wealth of information to help people vote strategically, Hardin said it is important to refer to the most current data. He points to advocacy organization LeadNow and their website votetogether.ca which offers riding level polling and local candidate input. Phillips agreed, noting that previous election data “may not be a reliable guide to the state of the parties in the same riding this time around.” Andrea Moerman, a Langara continuing education student, said she would rather vote according to her values; however, “in a riding where it could go either way, I might vote strategically.” Others find the idea problematic. “I feel like it’s dishonourable. Maybe that’s how the system works and you have to play along with it but I am divided,” said Langara student Brian Thomson. Riley Tylla, a Langara continuing education student, said she has no such qualms, feeling there is little choice. “If whoever you are voting for gets in, and they are not the majority government your vote means so little.” When asked if she would vote strategically, Tylla was emphatic. “If I could vote for a specific party who would get the Conservative out? Hell yeah, times twelve.”
learn by engaging in conversation,” he said. “I’m interested to see if whether dialogue is a good basis for democracy.”
ELECTIONS CANADA submitted photo
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sports Falcons who can’t be adopted, adapt
THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 08, 2015
EDITOR MICHAEL LYLYK
With ‘Adopt-A-Falcon’ still under revision Some athletes have found a way to earn money By VINCENT MATAK
A KEVIN UNDERHILL photo
Coach Eberhardt gathers his team for a huddle following a practice at Langara College.
Flock of fresh faces
Langara Falcons men’s basketball coach has a whole new group to mould into a great team
By KEVIN UNDERHILL
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he Langara Falcons men’s basketball head coach says he hopes to get back to the PACWEST championship, despite leading a mostly-rookie team. The team has made it to the championship final the last three years, winning twice. In his four years as the head coach, Paul Eberhardt has never experienced an influx of this magnitude. The challenge that lies ahead is piecing together his young talent into a team, he said. Fourteen of 15 players are new this year. “You have to teach the skills and the systems and the plays but my most important challenge for this group is teaching them how to become a team,” he said. Eberhardt has been coaching high school and college-level athletes for 33 years and will have his hands full. This unit will require more of his direct attention. “It’s exciting for me as a coach because it’s like a blank slate. I get to do a lot more teaching…it’s a nice challenge,” he said.
Sole-returning player Max Neumann said that with the injection of youth, they have the opportunity to be healthier and more athletic than last year’s injury-prone team. Most of all, Neumann is ready for the season to begin Oct. 29 in Squamish. “We’ve got all our new pieces and now that our preseason is almost over, I want to go out and actually play with these guys,” he said. Taking a team stocked with rookies from different coaching systems and making them into a championship-caliber team is something that Eberhardt he can’t do alone, he said. He will be looking to Neumann and other more experienced players to take on leadership roles. Eberhardt says it won’t be the same path as in previous years but he still hopes to guide his team back to nationals. “Our goal is to qualify for the national championship again. We’ve gone three years in a row … and our goal is to get back there,” Eberhardt said. A goal that isn’t out of reach, according to Neumann. “I definitely think we can go back to nationals and win the PACWEST,” said Neumann.
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It’s exciting for me as a coach because it’s like a blank slate. I get to do a lot more teaching... it’s a nice challenge.
n old financial aid program for struggling Langara College athletes set to re-launch this year is being pushed back. Jake McCallum, director of athletics and intramurals, told The Voice last November the Adopt-A-Falcon program – which helps student athletes cover the costs for equipment, travel meals and non-conference trips through donations matched by Langara College – would be updated and re-launched for September. McCallum told The Voice on Tuesday the program – which still requests donations “to assist student athletes” on the Langara College website – isn’t completed. “Other than not having it done? Not having it done” he said referring to the delay. He said he initiated a review of the program last year because it “wasn’t functional”. He later added that people were donating money for individual student athletes, rather than the department as a whole. “That’s not really how it works,” he said. “The money comes in for the greater good.” He also said when the program is relaunched – hopefully later this fall – donations made won’t be matched by Langara.
He added that money hasn’t been coming in through the program since he initiated the review process last year, despite information requesting donations existing online. “I haven’t had any money come in since I’ve been in the position,” he said. “I can’t comment on what was coming in before.” Some coaches have said the program hasn’t been in use for up to five years. Paul Eberhardt, head coach for men’s basketball, said since he started coaching at Langara four years ago, the program has never been used. “This is my fourth year here and I’ve never had an athlete who’s been able to use that,” he said. He added that since he started, “a handful” of students have had trouble paying their $150 athletic fee which goes toward equipment costs, as well as travel expenses for games outside of PACWEST league and travel meals. Eberhardt said he has helped some athletes find work with a friend’s construction company, organized fundraising initiatives and helped some secure scholarships. He also said the school has occasionally waived fees for students who struggle financially. Ryan Birt, head coach for women’s soccer, said the last time the Adopt-AFalcon program was used for his team was around five years ago. Birt, who’s been coaching at Langara for 15 years, said he thinks the program was pulled because of “tax implications,” although he couldn’t confirm. “The athletic director would be better able to explain to you what the changes are,” he said.
PAUL EBERHARDT MEN’S HEAD COACH
MICHAEL LYLYK photo
Equipment is probably the most important for any sport.
Langara Ultimate Club has chance to be a Falcons team The team is full of Langara students, and that is a pretty big deal. By SEAN LEE
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SEAN LEE photo
Darren Wu, captain of the Langara Ultimate team
t’s been the ultimate goal of Langara College’s Ultimate club to make it to the country’s biggest tournament. The only problem: they can’t afford to get there. With the team finally reaching its goal of having a roster entirely of Langara College students, the club is close to reaching recognition as a Falcons team, according to team administrator Chris Ren. They won the bid to attend the Canadian University Ultimate Championship (CUUC) last year, but were unable to go to Montreal, Quebec due to lack of funding. The Langara Ultimate Club started off their second year with a third place ranking at the Canadian Western University Ultimate Championships (CWUUC) Sept. 26, losing to UBC and the University of Victoria, and beating SFU. Both UVic and UBC declined the
spots they won at CWUUC because they could not afford the trip. Langara’s team, the next in line, is also declining their spot, for the same reason. When asked about the team’s competitive goal, Wu expressed that he wishes the team to continue their season at the CUUC nationals this year, which takes place in Ottawa, Ontario from Oct. 16 to Oct. 18. In Ontario, the Queen’s University Gaels Ultimate Frisbee team is officially recognized as a varsity athletics club. In addition, University of Western Ontario Mustangs and University of Ottawa Gee-Gees both recognize Ultimate Frisbee as part of the athletics department. “That’s what the goal is. I know that one school in Canada is a varsity team, which is sick. That’s what we want for our school team,” said Wu.
Falcons’ Tally
WOMEN’S SOCCER W-D-L
MEN’S SOCCER W-D-L
2-3-3 Ranked: (NR)
4-0-5 Ranked: (NR)