The Voice • October 23, 2014 • Volume 47 • Issue 4

high expectations for falcons season opener............8 Langara’s men’s basketball team takes to the court for the first time this season on Oct. 31. The team is coming back after an undefeated record in the pre-season

line at s out on a u k c e h C avoice.c ecial langar k for sp eek loo mayoral This w s on the o about feature ide and a v s debate fession o c a’s n Langar ook page Faceb

V

the

PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS

oice OCTOBER 23, 2014 • VOL. 47 NO. 4 • VANCOUVER, B.C.

Standing room only at mayoral debate RENEE SUTTON photo

All five Vancouver mayoral candidates gathered for a debate at Langara on Oct. 22. Topics of debate included homelessness, minimum wage and government transparency.

Police presence visible at spirited Langara event

By KERA SKOCYLAS

in the wake of the attack on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Mayoral candidates Bob Kasting (independent), Kirk LaPointe (NPA), Gregor Robertson (Vision Vancouver), Colin Shandler (independent) and Meena Wong (COPE) were on campus for the intense debate, avidly watched by some 350 audience members.

The candidates covered several hotbutton topics including homelessness, transit and lack of government transparency – with many arguments drawing cheers and groans from the crowd.

The event began with a moment of silence in honour of Canadian soldier Nathan Cirillo, the victim of the Ottawa shooting.

“Thank you for starting with a very important moment of silence for the tragedy in Ottawa today,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said when he first took the microphone.

Security appeared to have been heightened in the wake of recent attacks, in which one soldier was shot dead at the National War Memorial earlier in the day and two soldiers were hit

C No advanced polling for Langara

lose to a dozen police officers were at the Langara campus during the Vancouver mayoral debate which went off without a hitch on Oct. 22 amidst safety concerns

Voter turnout among youth has always been low, but many cities are using advanced polling at schools and nearby venues to encourage students to cast their vote this year

By JAMES GOLDIE

P

ost-secondary institutions have been left out as locations for early voting in the city’s upcoming elec-

tion.

Unlike East Vancouver residents, many of whom are outraged that no advance polling station is located in their neighbourhood, students have remained quiet on the matter.

This year, the City of Vancouver has expanded early voting opportunities to eight days in eight locations across the city leading up to the Nov. 15 election.

One of these stations will be located at Sunset Community Centre.

Although it is less than one kilometre from Langara, that still might not be close enough for student voters.

Terri Evans, introduction to urban politics instructor at Langara, said young people are harder to engage during a municipal election.

Printed on recycled paper

Unlike many of their parents or grandparents, few are big taxpayers or property owners.

As a result, many young people feel distanced from the political process.

“If trying to secure a higher participation rate from people who are 18 to 24, locating it on campus would seem to be the more logical place,” Evans said.

“You see a lot of attention paid to older people because they have a habit of voting,” she added.

Despite low voter turnout among young people, the city chose not to use advance polling stations at post-secondary institutions.

However, the City of North Vancouver will do so for the first time this November.

“The mayor met with the president of the student union at Capilano University,” said North Vancouver city clerk and chief elections officer Karla Graham.

“We’ve arranged for a voting oppor-

tunity at the university on [one of] the advanced voting days.”

Graham said this strategy is just one of many her office is implementing to increase voter turnout among young people in North Vancouver.

The City of Surrey will be offering an advance poll at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus for the second year in a row.

Susan Ho, assistant city clerk and election deputy in Surrey, described last year’s poll at SFU Surrey as “lively” and said it was a good opportunity to raise awareness among young people about voting.

Vancouver chief election officer Janice MacKenzie could not be reached for comment on her office’s decision-making process regarding early voting locations.

Advanced polling at Sunset Community Centre will be offered Nov. 4 to Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m..

by a car in Quebec on Monday.

Several police officers walked through back hallways, looking in rooms and checking the perimeter throughout the event.

“There was some thought of cancelling it just because we thought people might be distracted watching the prime minister’s address,” said Frances Bula, Langara’s journalism department chair.

Langara nursing student Rita Balu said that she was worried because of the shooting but felt the security presence was appropriate.

“

Thank you for starting with a very important moment of silence VANCOUVER MAYOR GREGOR ROBERTSON

STUDENTS AND VOTING Why is voter turnout so low among young people?

JAY YOO Political science student

“The idea of anarchism is so strong nowadays. That really has to do with ... decisions not to vote.”

JACKIE XIAN General science student

“People don’t care about the politics. Students tend to care about themselves.”

TATENDA HATUGARI Creative writing student

“There are also lots of immigrants in Vancouver who don’t know anything about local politics.”

TAYLOR PIGEAU Photography student

“They’re maybe just not educated enough on the facts. So the interest just isn’t there.”

COMPILED BY JAMES GOLDIE

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

2

EDITOR MADELYN FORSYTH

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 2014

News

Drop out at your own risk Study finds unfinished degrees won’t help with the job market or wages

By SANDY POWLIK

V

ancouver students who drop out of college face high unemployment rates and low wages in what’s already a competitive job market.

A recent study compiled by the Wall Street Journal showed those with only some college credits earn the same as those who only completed high school.

While jobs available to high school graduates seem attractive at an average of $15 an hour, those with a postsecondary education are making an average of $32 an hour. For a full- CHRISTINA WEST time employee, Says she is that’s a potential unsure of job prospects. loss of almost $700 a week.

A degree does not guarantee a high paying job in B.C., however. Dietetics student Betty Chiang knows that potential employers in her field offer higher wages outside the province.

“In Vancouver, it may be hard to find a job to support your lifestyle, but there are other opportunities [in] other places,” said Langara economics instructor Lanny Zrill. He also said finding a better job and a high standard of living with a four-year degree may be easier in a city like Regina.

“It’s mostly location and the fact that there’s so many of us coming out with the same degrees. People come out with PhDs and they’re working at McDonald’s,” said publishing student Christina West, who is unenthusiastic about future job prospects in Vancouver.

“If you go in with the right intentions and you know you’re going to end up doing something in that field, good on you,” she said.

Jeannine Mitchell, author of Ka-Ching!, a financial advice e-book for students, agreed students should want to be in school whole-heartedly.

Zrill said the demands of going through years of focused work in college will benefit everyone.

“Your ability to work hard and your quality as a colleague ends up being more of a determinant of your success than what you got your education in,” he said.

Safety tips

“Trust your instincts. If you feel like you’re being followed or being watched, don’t ignore those things.”

“Be confident”

“Take out their knees. If they can’t run, you have a better chance of getting away.”

“At night or in a secluded area, don’t bury yourself in a cellphone.”

Source: Mysha DewarMcClelland

NICH JOHANSEN photo

Construction on the new state of the art science and technology building continues on campus and is set to open in April of 2016.

Noise disruption not an issue Construction only causing minor problems for current students

By NICH JOHANSEN

C

onstruction of the new science and technology building promises great benefits for future students and faculty, but has caused minor disruptions for current ones.

The work site is situated beside the library, but according to staff the construction has not been too intrusive.

“Surprisingly, it’s not dirty,” a library employee who requested not to be identified on the grounds that she didn’t know if she was allowed to comment, said. “I guess they have to do drilling into the concrete which is kind of noisy but usually it’s not for too long. It’s remarkably clean and quiet.”

“Within the library there hasn’t been

any interruptions,” said librarian Joyce Wong.

Publishing instructor Giselle Lemay said the parking lot closures due to the construction have caused some problems for faculty workshops that she has organized.

“I have a lot of guests who come to put on the workshop. Some of them are finding it difficult to get all the way around to the parking entrance because they are used to the one off of 49th,” said Lemay.

The $49-million building is funded entirely by Langara through the Capital Building Legacy Fund and reserves from previous budget surpluses, said Wendy Lannard, director of facilities.

Students pay $34.35 into the Capital

Building Legacy Fund each semester, according to the Langara fees information website.

Lannard said the building should be completed by April 2016, and that it will house all the science departments with “up to date [and] far more modern facilities.”

“The second floor is going to have an event space in it. The upper floors will have the sciences. In addition, there will be a lot of collaborative study space,” she said. “Right now the plans are for Subway to go into that building.”

Peace and conflict studies student Anita Kim, said the construction hasn’t really affected her and that she is “looking forward to see what the building will actually look like.”

Science building

breakdown:

It costs $48.9 million

Teeple/Proscenium Architects were in charge of the preliminary design

Construction started last Fall and will be done until April 2016

Source: Langara College website

Self-defence is key to fending off predators Elements Acadamy teaches skills for people to prepare against potential attacks

By ALICE D’EON

V

ancouver women’s groups and university organizations have paired up with Elements Academy to learn self-defence, and Langara students want a piece of the action.

The Vancouver martial arts studio, which offers discounted rates for student groups, teamed up with the Langara kinesiology department last year and owner Emma Hamilton said she would be happy to return.

“Self-defence on campus is a very important issue,” said Mysha Dewar-McClelland, an Elements Academy instructor.

She pointed to reasons why students

often find themselves in vulnerable situations but was careful not to place blame on assault victims.

“Because it’s getting darker earlier and often students are at an age where they are experiencing freedom for the first time,” she said.

“They are not necessarily thinking about the consequences of their actions.”

Campus groups like Phrateres UBC have partnered with Elements for their expertise in women’s self-defence.

These sessions teach women skills that can be “easily remembered and called upon in a situation,” said DewarMcClelland.

Although Langara is situated in the

VPD patrol district with the lowest amount of violent crime, some students still have concerns.

Langara student Chanelle Gunderson said she wouldn’t know what to do if attacked.

“I’ve been told to go for the eyes or the groin, but I’d probably just run away,” she said.

Nasrin Ali, a student in Langara’s recreation leadership program said she doesn’t feel safe.

“I tend to stay at school quite late and I walk really fast to the SkyTrain” she said.

Ali and Gunderson said they would attend a self-defence course if one was offered at Langara.

ALICE D’EON photo

Mysha Dewar-McClelland demonstrates skills to fend off an attacker.

Campus news

DAVID LA RIVIERE

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 2014

3

Library to host a 3D printing meetup On Oct. 24 some Langara students will get a chance to bring their 3D renderings to life

By NICH JOHANSEN

O

ne of Langara’s two 3D printers will be opened up to students at a printing meetup on Oct. 24, to build on the momentum from a printing showcase held in September.

A 3D printer takes a three-dimensional rendering and prints it out as a real life structure.

The creative arts division acquired their printer in February and has been working to incorporate it into the curriculum of some of their courses, said Tomo Tanaka, the chairman of the creative arts division.

The desktop 3D printer is a lowerend model, and costs roughly $2,500, he said.

The new technology is shared by all departments under the creative arts division. Tanaka said that they organized a printing demonstration in September and were surprised by the interest it generated among Langara students.

The October meetup is hosted collaboratively by the library learning commons, the computer science department and the creative arts divi-

sion.

“We noticed at the showcase that quite a few students have experience doing 3D rendering,” said Joyce Wong, learning commons coordinator.

“They’re interested in printing their objects, so we wanted to continue the enthusiasm and interest in 3D printing.”

“Give us your file, we’ll try and print out your file,” Tanaka said. “We’ll see how that goes.”

The opportunity to print students’ own renderings at the meetup is limited to the first 10 registrants.

Wong said that the printer is currently being used by the faculty for experimental purposes. While it is not currently part of any classes, Tanaka expects 3D printers will be an integral part of the curriculum in the near future.

Tanaka explains that the printer works by using a plastic filament to create structures. “The filament comes in a long spool that gets heated up and squished out a nozzle.”

“It’s like a glue gun on steroids,” said Yvan Morissette, design formation instructor.

The Voice

is also online SCAN THIS QR CODE

Or to find this story online visit http://langaravoice. ca/

NICH JOHANSEN photo

Design and formation instructor, Yvan Morissette watches as one of the school’s 3D printers turns a computer rendering into a tangible object.

Langara experiencing technical difficulties Department staffing shortages and Internet service changes have caused campus-wide disruptions.

By MEL EDGAR

M MARY BEACH photo

Langara librarian Alison Curtis knows that the secret to biking year round is good rain gear.

Langara cyclists ride to school in rough weather Vancouver’s rainiest months are not enough to deter Langara’s cyclists

By MARY BEACH

B

ike to Work Week, held by HUB from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 is hoping to encourage cycling as a primary mode of transportation even in the midst of the rainy season.

Langara will host a “celebration station” on campus for the event with free refreshments, information, bike mechanic services and a prize draw.

The Langara campus is already full of permanent bike-friendly amenities such as multiple covered bike racks, a bike repair shop in the Langara Students’ Union and even an outdoor air pump.

“Bike racks tend to have fewer student cyclists in the winter,” said Tanya Lewis, a Langara English instructor who has biked to work for 12 years.

“It seems to me that the faculty who cycle, cycle all year. We are not fair weather cyclists.”

Alison Curtis, a librarian at Langara,

bikes to work because she doesn’t have to pay for bus fares or gas and it gives her a chance to enjoy the scenery on the way to Langara.

“Every day on the way to work I see something really cool.” said Curtis “I once saw an eagle sitting in a birch tree being hounded by crows,” TOBY CHERNOFF English instrucLangara English tor Toby Chernoff instructor says biking on his tandem bicycle is the favourite mode of transportation for him and his daughter, Violet.

“Biking is way nicer than driving,” said Chernoff.

“All the people who are waiting for the bus, paying for all the parking, they’re crazy, crazy, crazy people.”

any Langara students had problems accessing Internet services or the IT Service Desk last week as a result of a switch to a new Internet service provider (ISP).

Langara College’s switch to BCNET as their ISP this Thanksgiving weekend meant IT staff anticipated intermittent disruptions to services like myLangara, D2L and campus wireless networks.

The change also coincided with renovations of the IT services office which, at times, left the service desk manned by only one staff member.

Students calling to reach the IT office would have heard a recorded message about “critical staffing issues.”

Staffing issues in IT date back to this summer, when the department went from five staff members to three.

Ian Humphreys, vice president of enrolment and business development, ac-

knowledged the issue in an IT news update on the Langara website.

Service and support would be limited, said Humphreys, “for the duration of the summer and until we have new staff in place and trained.”

Mina Abdelsayed, co-founder of Surf Internet, formerly known as IAAK Technologies Inc., said changing service providers at a large institution like Langara would have been quite complicated, taking anywhere from two to six weeks of work prior to an actual switch.

The additional complications, Abdelsayed said, is due to colleges like Langara having static IPs which are slightly more difficult to change and the time it takes to make a smooth transition between ISPs depends on Langara’s existing infrastructure and network design.

BCNET is a non-profit organization comprised of 43 members including post-secondary and research institutions.

“

It seems to me that the faculty who cycle, cycle all year. We are not fair weather cyclists Tanya Lewis Langara English instructor MEL EDGAR photo

Despite the issues, Langara students use the on-campus computers daily.

4

Entertainment Studio 58 ‘punk’ to hit the small screen

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 2014

EDITOR ASHLEY LEGASSIC

Langara graduate Tim Carlson is making a name for himself by starring in a Calgary sitcom

By VIVIAN CHUI

A

RICHARD OLAK photo

Richard Olak stars as main character Erik Matheson in The Battle of Burgledorf next year.

Langara grad makes new fantasy movie Studio 58 grad’s movie will come out next year

By SABLEEN MINHAS

I

t’s a story of a regular gas station worker who falls in love with a woman. Sounds clichéd? What if this regular guy embarks on a quest to save the world from dark evil?

A world in which dwarves, elves, vampires and an evil queen with a pet falcon are real. Well, that is the unusual plot of The Battle of Burgledorf.

It’s a feature-length fantasy movie written and directed by Richard Olak, a Langara digital film production program graduate and has been in the making for about 10 years.

“The Battle of Burgledorf is essentially like a satire and very comedic homage to the hero’s journey,” Olak said. Though the hero goes on a Frodolike adventure, the movie has no other relation with the Lord of the Rings, he said.

“Most of the film is made on the blood, sweat and tears of the people who helped us,” said Olak, the lead ac-

tor, director, writer and producer of the movie.

Guy Judge, a Langara digital film production program graduate, is a coproducer of the movie.

“I remember one day [Olak] said ‘Hey, what do you think about this idea for a movie?’ and I was like that’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I love it!” Judge said.

The first draft of the script was written in 2004 while Olak was studying at Langara.

“Over the course of about four years and after 13 drafts, I finally locked it in 2008,” Olak said.

The movie was shot in 70 days over four years at 50 different locations, but with a major flaw.

“We shot. . . 90 per cent of the film, with no visual effects in mind,” said Olak.

The movie will be released by the end of this year as the team is still working on visual effects, colour correction and sound, he said.

“

One day [Olak] said ‘Hey, what do you think about this idea for a movie?’ and I was like that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. I love it!

GUY JUDGE

Young Drunk Punk from Langara has swaggered into Calgary for lights, camera and action in a new comedy sitcom.

After a Vancouver audition for the Young Drunk Punk television series in July, Studio 58’s Tim Carlson was shortlisted for the lead role a month later.

He was on tour in Edmonton at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival with Lorax Improv, a five-yearold theatre improvisation group consisting of two friends and himself, he said in an interview with the Calgary Herald.

The casting confirmation process kept Carlson in the air over four days as he flew between Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto.

Carlson graduated from Langara College’s threeyear acting program in professional theatre training at Studio 58 two years ago.

“He was a good student, inventive, very creative, and hardworking,” said Studio 58 artistic director Kathryn Shaw.

His creativity was particularly showcased in a performance with fell o w classm a t e Daniel Doheny that involved only fingers and light, Shaw said.

Studio 58 alumnus Ryan McCallion recalls Carlson’s puppetry extravaganza project with Doheny that only involved camera and hands, re-enacting popular movies such as Jurassic Park.

“He embodies talent,” said Ryan McCallion, who graduated from Studio 58’s at the same time as Carlson. “He has a dignity about him.”

McCallion was the lighting crew head at a Studio 58 production of Julius Caesar, where Carlson starred as Mark Antony.

“He was generous on and off set,” said McCallion.

Young Drunk Punk, commissioned

by Rogers Communications Inc., will premiere early next year on the television network City, according to Rogers Media TV’s website.

FACEBOOK photo

Langara’s Studio 58 graduate, actor Tim Carlson, will be starring in a new TV series premiering early next year, set in Calgary, Alberta.

Union of B.C. Performers directors may include Langara grads Two Langara grads are putting their education to use and may make a difference for performers

By JES HOVANES

W

ith civic elections just around the corner voting is a hot topic right now, but two Langara grads have another race to worry about. Studio 58 grads Garry Chalk, class of 1976, and Lee Jeffery, class of 1987, are running for director positions in the Union of B.C. Performers.

UBCP is the union that negotiates on behalf of B.C. actors and performers for fair wages, safe working conditions

and health benefits among other things.

Chalk will be entering his third term if he wins this election.

Overall, he praises the work of the union.

“It’s been very rewarding,” Chalk said. “A united group of people is much stronger than an individual.”

The elections have had a very low turn out in past years.

Chalk said that only about 10 to 20 per cent of members voted in the last election.

“We’ve gotten together with the campaign to get it out there and to get people to vote because the vote matters,” he said.

Noah Dennis, a young Vancouver actor, said that he used to be a member of

UBCP but let his membership lapse.

Dennis didn’t vote even when he was a member.

He said young actors feel that union membership prevents them from doing jobs.

“I want to do independent projects that the union holds you back from,” Dennis said.

He said voting or not voting in a union election is like any election for young people.

“There is a lack of awareness of the ins and outs of the union . . . people are busy and it’s a part of the business that most actors are not really interested in.”

The election runs until Nov. 27, 2014.

Candidate statements are available on YouTube.

JES HOVANES photo

Garry Chalk is running for director in UBCP this fall.

Lifestyles

EDITOR MIKE HODDER

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 2014

5

SUZI WEBSTER photo

Suzi Webster is pushing the boundaries of digital media and her wearable designs are a comment on how technology shapes the human experience.

Techno fashion shines a new light Langara fine arts instructor is creating interactive garments for the digital generation

“

By SHANNON LYNCH

I’ve never seen anybody wear clothes that light up with their mood and heart beat.

Zoya Kulejevic,18, general studies

I

magine if your body or mind could influence how your clothes looked with the aid of technology. Langara department of fine arts instructor, Suzi Webster, has designed interactive wearables that do just that.

Webster’s interest in incorporating technology into clothing fuelled her inspiration for her latest project, Electric Heart, as well as previous pieces such as Electric Skin, Electric Dreams, and Barking Mad. Electric Heart, a three-year-long project, takes the wearer’s heartbeat and transforms it into pulses of light and colour. Webster said it’s “very complex,” but it essentially takes the pulse through an iPhone app and a pulse oximeter.

This information is transmitted to the garment, which then pulses.

First-year general studies student Zoya Kuzeljevic, 18, said, “I think high fashion has gotten really dull. I’ve never seen anybody wear clothes that light up with their mood and heart beat. So I think it’s new and interesting.”

Through LED lights and sensors, Electric Skin transforms the wearer’s breath into pulses of light.

Electric Dreams does the same with the use of sensors and fibre optics that collect alpha waves generated by the wearer’s thoughts.

“All of that work is looking at what’s inside the body, and making it visible,” Webster said.

She added it’s a metaphor for how we use our technologies and what we use them for.

“Whether they bring us closer to the body, closer to each other, or further apart.”

The Barking Mad project, a jacket, was an idea that spawned from living in the crowded city of London, England, where Webster was

doing her master of fine arts.

“I wanted to make something that would create space, more personal space, without having to interact with people,” Webster said.

It’s not a functional item though, just an art piece, Webster added.

The jacket has sensors that detect proximity and that input gets relayed to speakers inside the coat. Depending on how close someone is, the coat will yap like a poodle or bark loudly like a Rottweiler. “It was more about making a comment,” Webster said.

Webster’s inspiration for these projects stems from her deep interest in “how technology is affecting us as humans at the moment.”

Webster said she hopes to complete Electric Heart by November.

“The idea was that two people who are separated, two lovers, could send each other their heartbeat as a kind of love message,” she said.

SUZI WEBSTER Webster studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, and her work has been shown nationally and internationally

Working for free could pay off big Employers say students need to choose organizations they personally connect to in order to stand out

By CHARLOTTE DREWETT

J

CHARLOTTE DREWETT photo

James Mornin fields questions at a booth for the Langara Business Association in the main foyer.

ames Mornin is one of many students under the impression that joining a school club or volunteering will look good on a resume.

While that is true, employers say it’s not enough to simply pad a resume with extracurricular experience; they want to know how volunteering or joining a club has improved the applicants skills and furthered them as a person.

Mornin, a first-year bachelor of business administration student and member of the Langara Business Association, said he joined the club to have fun, make friends, and learn from other members.

He also stressed the importance of volunteering for professional development.

“It’s more or less the equivalent of volunteering, because we plan events and that takes a lot of effort,” he said.

“It’ll look good on a resume to say I was involved in planning this, or planning that.”

Mornin has the right idea according to Tanya Sieffert, human resources manager at Great Little Box Company Ltd., one of B.C.’s top employers in 2014.

Sieffert said including empty information on a resume isn’t impressive but an applicant may want to include experience to “showcase some of the skills that they have received or improved on or developed while being part of that club.”

Denise Baker is the executive director of Vantage Point, a not-for-profit organization that pairs volunteers, or as Vantage Point calls them “knowl-

edge philanthropists,” with other notfor-profit organizations. She said that simply volunteering to add it to your resume is not enough.

“If you can’t articulate why you wanted to engage with that not-forprofit… that will show and that won’t be very impressive,” Baker said.

She added that while joining a club could be educational, students should get off campus to volunteer.

“Volunteering with an external organization you’re going to be… getting exposed to all kinds of different people and different types of jobs,” Baker said.

“Exposing yourself to a wide range of experiences it just good.”

Sieffert said extracurricular experiences help students become ===well rounded, regardless of whether it’s volunteering or joining a club.

Getting started 1 2 3 4

Find a cause that you are passionate about Determine how much time you can commit Match your skills to the position Be prepared for personal growth

6

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 2014

EDITOR BEN ZUTTER

viewpoints

Social media key to young voters I

have always thought I was too busy to vote, especially in a municipal election. Let me clarify: not too busy to actually go and mark my ballot, but rather too busy to research where each candidate stands on current issues.

Apparently I’m not the only youth who is not voting either. According to Elections BC participation statistics, less than 50 per cent of 18- to 24-yearolds who were eligible to vote in 2013 and less than 40 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds voted.

With the Vancouver municipal elec-

tion coming up on Nov. 15, politicians are out campaigning across the city.

The question is, how do you get youth to vote in municipal elections or participate in the democratic process of voting at all?

I have to be honest, while writing this I navigated to social media websites many times. Once or twice it wasn’t even a conscious decision; I got myself to Facebook, realized nothing new had come up on my news feed, and then racked my brain as to why I had gone to the website in the first place.

Politicians should be using social

media to engage youth. I did a simple search on Facebook to see if I could find any pages that put the election into perspective and came up with a few events and one page about the Vancouver civic election with a meager seven “likes.”

I’m not saying that this information needs to be served to youth all neatly organized and easily assessable but I’m saying that maybe it wouldn’t hurt for candidates to engage youth on social media with discussions. Go to where the voters are, and in this case it’s online.

That said, Langara College was scheduled to host a mayoral debate at the college on Oct. 22. For those who made the effort to attend, put their phones down and pay attention, information was available to help make informed decisions on the municipal election.

OPINION CHARLOTTE DREWETT

Privacy concerns

Did we get a fact wrong?

Tell us.

Got a different point of view?

Write to us.

Problems with something we’ve said?

Let us know.

Journalism instructor Erica Bulman oversees The Voice. Email her at ebulman@langara.bc.ca

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.

PHONE

604-323-5396

FAX

604-323-5398

E-MAIL

thevoice@langara.bc.ca

DROP-IN

Room A226 Langara College There is a mailbox at the entrance to the journalism rooms.

SNAIL MAIL

The Voice 100 West 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 2Z6

WEBSITE www.langaravoice.ca

EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE:

OPINION

We want to hear from you

The Voice is published by Langara College’s journalism department.

HOW TO REACH US

‘W

e should not have to choose between our privacy and our safety.”

Those were the words of victims’ rights advocate Carol Todd in response to the federal government’s so-called cyberbullying bill.

I tend to agree with her.

Bill C-13 is, for all intents and purposes, a resurrection of the defeated C-30, intended to give police warrantless access to users’ information.

BEN ZUTTER The previous bill gained notoriety across the country after former public safety minister Vic Toews gave Canadians an ultimatum.

“Either stand with us or with the child pornographers,” he said.

That outrageous comment was more than enough ammunition for the bill’s critics, but the Conservative government is at it again.

Unfortunately for them, most Canadians didn’t want C-30 when it was first introduced and we don’t want it now.

They can dress it up in a new name and change some of the wording without any real difference, but we still won’t buy it.

Let me be frank: these bills are about extending the reach of online police enforcement at the expense of Canadians’ privacy. While protecting children from Internet predators is an admirable cause, giving police the authority to access private information from Internet service providers without a warrant is ripe for exploitation.

Who is making sure the police don’t abuse their power?

What’s to stop governments and police from using easily accessible data to undermine public dissent or legitimate criticism from the media?

Too many questions without any clear answers, if you ask me.

V

the oice

MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Ben Zutter

PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Megan Bobetsis

PAGE 2

Madelyn Forsyth

PAGE 3 David La Riviere

PAGE 4 Ashley Legassic

PAGE 5

Mike Hodder

PAGE 7 Edrick Dudang

PAGE 8 Lukasz Jonca

WEB EDITORS Karly Blats Chris Slater Ali Crane Ash Kelly Lauren Collins

REPORTERS

Student volunteering worthwhile I

have a shameful confession to make.

It’s tough to admit, but when it comes to volunteering, I’ve been a real Scrooge.

I won’t go so far as to say I’ve never done it, but more often than not, my intentions to volunteer my time go by the wayside.

I’ve signed up for countless volunteer orientations and even attended a few, but when the time comes to get out there, head to an unfamiliar location, mingle with strangers and donate my time, my passion for the cause is too easily replaced by my desire to do anything else.

As guilty as this makes me feel, I’m sure I’m not the only student with this

mentality. After all our assignments are finished, and our shifts at work are in the bank, how many of us have any extra time we are willing to part with?

It’s not always a matter of laziness or apathy, however. We have relationship commitments and family obligations.

We have personal hobbies that we are passionate about and these things take time.

That being said, I think there’s really no good reason not to volunteer.

A wide range of organizations can benefit from student support. Whether you care about rescuing abandoned kittens or rebuilding communities devastated by natural disasters, there is an outlet for you to make a difference

while building your resume.

As important as it is to nurture our friendships and maintain our personal health, volunteering, too, has an important role to play in our wellbeing. Not only ALICE D’EON does it feel amazing, volunteering to help a charitable fundraiser or promote awareness of an issue we care about is a necessary reminder that we are part of something much greater than ourselves.

OPINION

Lena Alsayegh Mary Beach Natasha Chang Vivian Chui Alice D’Eon Charlotte Drewett Melissa Edgar James Goldie Jessica Hovanes Nich Johansen Shannon Lynch Sableen Minhas Kera Skocylas Sandra Powlik Orvis Noel

Contact us: Online at langaravoice.com

Twitter at @langaraVoice

Issues & ideas

EDITOR EDRICK DUDANG

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT.23, 2014

7

Online privacy not fully secure UBC breach may affect Langara Langara students should take extra caution with their information online

By SANDY POWLIK

S MEL EDGAR photo

A student browses Langara Confessions, a popular Facebook site that publishes confessions from Langara students anonymously

Confession not really private Langara Confessions moderator admits to knowing your secrets

By MEL EDGAR

‘I

nbox us your most heart felt, hilarious, and embarrassing confessions from Langara! They will be posted ANONYMOUSLY on our page.”

This is the siren call of Langara Confessions, a Facebook community launched in 2013, imitating similar sites at UBC and SFU. An unknown person moderates what is posted on Langara Confession’s site.

The Voice has agreed to maintain the moderator’s unknown identity, but this person, or persons, knows exactly who is behind the confessions.

“I see my role at Langara as an entertainer and kind of like a gossip girl,” said the moderator in an interview conducted with Facebook messenger.

“It’s anonymous, so I don’t think it’s that much of a concern,” said the mod-

erator.

First year nursing student Kathleen Jocson said she would never post on the site herself, but trusts the moderator because he or she promises confidentiality on the site.

Although the site is mostly for entertainment, the moderator said some posts might have had real world repercussions.

The moderator said he or she has concerns that a security guard featured in several love or crush confessions might have left Langara as a result of the attention from the site.

Kabir Madan, a second year nursing student, learned the hard way that not all posts are anonymous.

“I thought if you posted on the wall it would just mask my identity, I didn’t know I had to send in a message to the page,” he said.

In st e a d , Madan posted a confession directly on the page sharing both his and his crush’s identity with the many people who freKABIR MADAN quent the page.

Nursing student Madan has since deleted the post, but said he wants students to be aware.

“My advice is just be careful at what you post out there because things like this can happen,” he said.

Langara Confessions has over 1,900 likes and continues to post confessions three nights weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

“

I see my role at Langara as an entertainer and as a gossip girl MODERATOR OF LANGARA CONFESSIONS

Cyberbullying bill poised to pass Crime bill causes concern; more powers to law enforcement may infringe on citizen privacy rights

Bill C-13 details 1

2 3

Crime bill makes it illegal to transmit an “intimate” photographs without that owner’s consent.

Police have easier access to ask ISP’s for the phone calls and emails of suspects.

The bill gives immunity to telecommunicators who have given personal information to law enforcement.

By MARY BEACH

B

ill C-13, known as the anti-cyberbullying bill, is set to pass in the House of Commons, despite roadblocks with privacy experts and the Supreme Court.

Don Davies, NDP member of parliament for Vancouver Kingsway, said most MPs, and many Canadians, support legislation that will make non-consensual sharing of intimate photos a crime. However, he said that the Conservatives expanded the bill to include new broad powers for the police.

“It should be a criminal act to make and distribute intimate images of anybody without their consent,” Davies said. “[However], there’s no point in passing a bill that not only people object to, but someone’s going to challenge legally.”

Under the new law police will be able to obtain basic information from people online, such as name and address – without a warrant from a judge.

The Supreme Court of Canada described that kind of power as excessive, in a June 2014 ruling. In a police investigation of an alleged child pornographer, information was gained from the Internet service provider without a warrant. The Court upheld the conviction but stated in the judgment that “the conduct of the search in this case therefore violated the Charter.”

Davies, who visited Langara College Friday added, “If the bill is ruled unconstitutional, which we have every expectation it will be at the end of the day, the law will be struck down and it won’t be of any assistance to anybody.”

However, many students say that they have mixed views about the bill.

“I guess I’m conflicted,” said Tanika Charles, Langara English student.

She would like to see a law that offers protection without a loss of privacy.

DON DAVIES “Just like you NDP MP for can’t search some- Vancouver one’s house with- Kingsway out a warrant, maybe you shouldn’t be allowed to search someone’s Internet account without having a warrant either,” Charles said.

The bill was, in part, a response from the suicide of Amanda Todd who was a victim of cyberbullying. She died on Oct. 10, 2012.

tudents at UBC were recently told about a two-year-old computer bug in the university’s system that may have breached students’ personal information.

The bug was allegedly not detected until this September and fixed within two days of detection. According to UBC registrar Kate Ross, the bug affected 0.1 per cent of transactions, such as electronic funds transfers, making individual risk very low.

There is currently no legal requirement under the B.C. Information and Privacy Act to report privacy security breaches, yet UBC took the responsibility to tell students.

Vancouver police Sgt. Randy Fincham said no one should enter “any personal information into a device that they don’t want to share publicly.”

Langara general arts student Adam Huizinga knows how to keep his information secure while online. Huizinga, who works at an Apple store, ADAM HUIZINGA said to make sure Arts student every password is unique.

“There’s always risk,” Huizinga said.

He typically doesn’t use Wi-Fi, and when it comes to doing anything personal he uses his phone.

Huizinga said there is a lot more security in transmitting data from a phone to a cellular tower than with WiFi in a public place like Starbucks. He recommended two-step verification as a way to ensure personal online security.

Langara associate director of IT operations Justin Yau said the campus has systems in place “to monitor for malicious activities and to provide secure access to information.”

He recommended only providing personal information electronically when absolutely necessary, and to be familiar with privacy settings on social media sites.

SANDY POWLIK photo

1p is a program that offers extra tips and security to passwords.

8

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 23, 2014

sports

EDITOR LUKASZ JONCA

Falcons ready to start season Langara men’s basketball coach is confident with this year’s team

By LENA ALSAYEGH

T

he Langara Falcons men’s basketball team is heading into a new season as reigning PacWest champions and expectations are high.

They are currently undefeated with a record of 5-0 in the preseason, but the real test will come Oct. 31, when they host their season home opener against Douglas College.

“We lost a few key guys, but I think we’ll have a chance to repeat as champions,” said head coach Paul Eberhardt.

“I’ve been doing this way too long, and looking at the talent we have, I think it’s realistic to say that we would have a chance to win it all again.”

Nine players are returning along with four new additions.

Rookie Montell Lindgren, who Eberhardt feels is a good fit for the team, was recruited from Prince George and was a former provincial team point guard.

Lindgren said that the team is already well-built, and he is just trying to find his place.

“I’m trying to get the ball to the

vets,” he said. “I get to play with guys that know what they’re doing, that’s a big, big help.”

Veteran player Jitinder Lohcham is entering his fourth year on the team and feels confident despite being one of several team members dealing with preseason injuries.

He says his goal is to take on a leadership role with the new recruits.

“We run a system and it has taken a little bit of time this year to get it down because we have a lot of young guys, but I think once it comes around and everybody is used to it and running it every day in practice, it’ll be good.

We’ll be back to where we were last year,” Lohcham said.

Eberhardt said their game strategy hasn’t changed, even though this is one of the biggest teams he has ever coached in terms of player size.

Chemistry, experience, and a willingness to sacrifice for the team will be the key to winning another championship.

“Our goal is always to win a national championship, we also want to be the highest-scoring team in the country,” Eberhardt said.

LENA ALSAYEGH photo

Jitinder Lohcham goes for the dunk with an NEC Nighthawk on his tail on Oct. 18, 2014

Victory for ultimate club Brand new sports club at Langara College triumphant in debut tournament

By NATASHA CHANG

T

he Langara Ultimate Club was two weeks old when they won their first Canadian Western University Ultimate Championships.

Teams from UBC, SFU, Langara and University of Victoria all took part in the tournament, which was held in Burnaby on Oct. 4 and 5. Langara’s team finished with a record of 7-1.

First-year computer science student Chris Ren and Langara communications officer Chris Smith started the club this fall and got a lot of attention from students on Clubs Day, when more than 200 students signed up.

According to Smith, winning the championship meant a lot to everyone involved. “This was a great way to kick off the new team and the new club,” Smith said.

Despite their small, brand-new roster, the club played well. “There are a lot of good and experienced people who helped out around the team,” Ren said.

Smith said their strong teamwork was what allowed them to beat out more experienced opponents. “We focused on teamwork from the beginning and clearly it’s paid off,” he said.

The club is currently recruiting new members, and plans on hosting a fundraiser at the end of the month. Players

of all skill levels are welcome in the club, and there’s room for both casual and competitive play.

“We make sure, regardless of experience, everyone gets to play,” Smith said.

The next tournament for the team is the USA Ultimate Championships, where Ren said their goal will be to have fun and build a solid foundation for the team.

“The spring tournament is really big and it’s competing against a whole bunch of good teams in the U.S.. That level is going to be way higher, so we just want to get some experience in,” Ren said.

CHRIS REN Computer science student

“ LUKASZ JONCA photo

Members of the Langara Ultimate Club from left to right: Tiffany Tang, Julien Perreault, Larry Govinthasamy, Chris Ren, Clement Trinh and Alex Woodburn practicing on Oct. 16, 2014.

There are a lot of good and experienced people who helped out around the team

Women’s team playoff bound The Women’s Soccer PacWest Provincial Championships will be held at Quest University Canada on Oct. 25-26

By ORVIS NOEL

T

he Langara Falcons women’s soccer team has secured a playoff spot after finishing third in the division with a regular season record of 7-5-3.

The team finished off the season with back-to-back victories over the weekend. Beating Capilano University 1-0 on Saturday and Quest University Canada 3-1 on Sunday.

The team has a history as PacWest Provincial champions, last taking home the title in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

“Our ability to help finance student athletes is one of the main reasons our team has on-the-field success,” said Jake McCallum, director of athletics and intramurals.

Coach Ryan Birt has been with the team for the past 14 years and is excited about this year’s lineup.

“We had serious injuries, [but] because of our talent we pulled it through.

We are getting healthy at the right time for the playoffs,” said Birt.

The coach said that his philosophy for the team is that soccer should be a part of their lives, and the team needs to breed a competitive atmosphere while still having fun.

The PacWest Provincial Championships will be held at Quest University on Oct. 25 and 26.

The Langara Falcons men’s soccer team did not qualify for the championships this season. Finishing fifth in the league with a record of 5-8-2.

RESULTS Falcons

WOMEN’S SOCCER Oct. 18, 2014 Langara Capilano

WOMEN’S SOCCER Oct. 19, 2014 Langara Quest

MEN’S SOCCER Oct. 18, 2014 Langara Capilano

MEN’S SOCCER Oct. 19, 2014 Langara Quest

1 0

3 1

5 0

0 3

MEN’S BASKETBALL Oct. 18, 2014

Langara 119 NEC Nighthawks 58