AT LARGE FEATURES ONLINE SPECIAL

Transit strike Pattern designer Voice Radio

Bus services could shut down Local pattern designer and This week's podcast covers traffic
Nov. 27 if deal not reached. entrepreneur turns worldly congestion issues and culture of
P2 and at langaravoice.ca experiences into print. P4-5 city cycling. langaravoice.ca

PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA NOVEMBER 21, 2019 • VOL. 52 NO. 06 • VANCOUVER, B.C.

Golf
course
at risk
Langara plans to
be part of
consultation over
land development
 By STEVEN CHANG

T
he Vancouver Board of
Parks and Recreation is now
considering new develop-
ment on the Langara Golf Course. 
Green Party commissioner Dave
Demers, the park board vice chair,
thinks the golf course has potential
as a sport’s field, freshwater swim-
ming location or more walking trails. 
“There have been talks about
considering golf courses that are
owned by the park board in the city
of Vancouver for partial develop-
ment costs for housing,” Demers
said. Any plans for housing devel-
Planting more pollination-friendly plants can give pollinators food, shelter and help increase their population. ERICA BULMAN PHOTO

Pathway for pollinators

opment would be made by the City
of Vancouver; plans for recreational
development would be made by the
park board. 
Affordable housing in proximity
to Langara College has been a long-
standing issue for students.
The Langara, Fraserview, and
McCleery golf courses total 464
acres, some 15 per cent of all park
land under Park Board jurisdiction,
Community creates gardens for bees, butterflies and birds
according to park board minutes.  By LAUREN GARGIULO survival. plants in and between those parks
The number of golfers using the They pollinate our plants, provid- that can become a full-season habitat

W
three golf courses plunged by more ing us with fruit, nuts, flowers and for native pollinators.
than 31 per cent since the late 1990s, ith a decrease in honey. “It’s a bit of a balance between the
as the population of Vancouver has pollinators around Angela Crampton, a Sunset resi- active parks and maintenance and
increased by 20 per cent.  the world, the Sunset dent and organizer of the Sunset being realistic,” Crampton said.
The City of Vancouver is expected community wants to Pollinator Pathway Project, encour- Getting permission for a
to start planning strategies in 2020.  create a greener, bee friendly neigh- ages anyone who has space in their community garden from the
Langara College, which is not bourhood by implementing the own yard, to consider leaving a patch Vancouver Board of Parks and
involved with the golf course, has Sunset Pollinator Pathway Project. of their garden to grow wild, which Recreation is a slow process.
no claim on the municipal land.   The pathway project involves attracts more pollinators. However, Crampton said they have
However, Langara’s facilities volunteers plant-   “People are a lot of support as the Sunset neigh-
director Dwayne Doornbosch said ing more polli- “There's a lot of really unaware bourhood and the parks board share
it would provide feedback to the city nator friendly of how urban an interest in increasing biodiversity
as part of community consultations. gardens in effort to encourage areas foster such in parks.
“Any recreational scape adjacent their yards to
to the college would likely be popu- create a path- people to plant more bsaid i o d i v e r s i t y, ”
Andony
 “There’s a lot of effort to encour-
age people to plant more pollinator-
lar with our community,” he said.  way between the Melathopou- friendly plants,” said Scott Pearce of
Maurizio Grande, a South parks in the area. pollinator friendly los, Oregon GardenWorks in Burnaby. Garden-
Vancouver resident and owner of
Marble Art Canada Ltd., uses the
They hope to
provide more
plants.” State Univer-
sity’s pollinator
Works is a store that sells plants and
supplies for gardeners.
— SCOTT PEARCE, GARDENWORKS
golf course 15 to 20 times a year. shelter and food, health exten- They also supply a list of pollina-
“The course is meant for the public giving pollinators sions specialist tor friendly plants on their website
to use, and it has already been cut a reason to fly farther away from the and host of PolliNation Podcast. for bees, ladybugs, butterflies and
down in the past to build the parks and support an increase in The goal of the Sunset Pollina- hummingbirds.
college,” Grande said. “The fantasy population. tor Pathway Project is to connect “Twenty-five years ago, people
to create a stadium for sports is just Due to growing cities, use of pesti- the three main parks in the Sunset would ask if a plant attracted bees,
absurd. If the city is making money, cides and the spread of diseases, neighbourhood: Sunset Park, and if you said yes they wouldn’t
then they should plant more trees pollinators have been on the decline MacDonald Park and Memo- want it and now it’s the opposite,” Pollinators provide honey, fruit,
and spend it on maintenance.”  and yet they are essential to our rial South Park, by providing more Pearce said.  flowers and nuts. ERICA BULMAN PHOTO
 2 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 2019 | EDITOR AGAZY MENGESHA
Strike imminent
By Joe Ayres
Official bus services in
Metro Vancouver will be
shutting down for three
days next week if a deal is
not reached between Coast
Mountain Bus Company and
the union representing its
drivers and mechanics.
If the labour dispute is not
settled by Nov. 27, Unifor said
its bus drivers and mechanics
would escalate current strike
action by refusing to work on
Wednesday through Friday.
'Not a stunt'
Gavin McGarrigle, the
western regional director
of Unifor, told reporters at
Unifor’s New Westminster
regional office, “This is not a
stunt. This is real. These are
members, men and women
who are putting their own
families on the line to fight
for a better transit system in
Metro Vancouver.”
In a written statement,
CMBC said it is “alarmed”
by the announcement, calling
the action “drastic.” CMBC
president Michael McDan-
iel was quoted as saying, “It is
completely unacceptable our
customers are being dragged
into this dispute.”
Coast Mountain offer
In the statement, CMBC
revealed it offered a wage
increase over four years that
would raise the top annual
salary to $69,900 for drivers
and $88,000 for mechanics.
The strike began on Nov. 1.
Job action began with drivers
wearing civilian clothing and
refusing to work overtime.
Forging a path in fashion
Indigenous artist
and model talks
about her bumpy
road to success
 By PALAK KLAIRE
A
local Indigenous artist said
she believes in creating a
difference in the lives of
those looking for an identity.
Jolene Mitton, an Indigenous fash-
ion artist and model, said she hopes
to help shape and promote
Indigenous culture. “I
think getting Indigenous
people in mainstream
media, so people feel
comfortable about who
they are,” Mitton said.
Mitton said her upbring-
ing was very different,
being surrounded by
people from all walks of
life. She was exposed to A BEAUTIFUL CRE-
ATION PHOTOGRAPHY
party culture at a young
age. “I lived in a house with
a lot of people, it was near Granville Week, which launched for the first their roots and who they are.”
Island. We had people from every time in 2017 to promote Indigenous
nationality, it was simply like the fashion and culture.
party house,” Mitton said.
"It was a good time, and it made for Indgenous people to enter main- Mitton has a unique ability to keep
me appreciate the gathering."
However, Mitton said it also made tial for the wellbeing of Indigenous audience in the world of fashion
her feel isolated and lonely.
“It was a pretty cool time but prob-
ably not the best place to raise the person or someone on any commer- “I think she’s a good person with a
kids,” Mitton said. “Everyone was cial or any kind of product,” Mitton good heart, that doesn’t get lost in
kind of passed out, and little me said.
running around making sure every-
one is breathing because they partied Mitton said about seeing the models
so hard.”
“My childhood wasn't the best.
Atlarge
Balancing a federal gap
New cabinet reflects Trudeau's promise of gender equity
 By SOUBHIK
balanced cabinet with an equal professor of political science at UBC more women to be represented in
CHAKRABARTI number of women and men,” Fast said that assigning women to impor- Parliament as a whole in Canada's
B
said after watching the ceremony at tant cabinet portfolios is something future.
usiness student Sophie Rideau Hall on television Wednes- Trudeau excels at. “It’s extremely important to have
Slater said the equal day. Historically, she said, women have [women] in high profile positions,”
gender balance in the Equal Voice is a non-partisan been given a less crucial portfolio to Fast said.
federal cabinet helps her to organization that is dedicated to manage and in turn have had less The first session of the 43rd Parlia-
find hope in a world where she said equality in gender representation power. ment will begin on Dec 5th.
women are still underrep- “ Women tend to be
resented and underappre- appointed to cabinet port- WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT
ciated. “It's ridiculous, it's folios that are either not A LOOK AT FEDERAL NUMBERS
For the second time very powerful, not very
in a row, Prime Minister almost 2020. Is this important, or they're all
Justin Trudeau unveiled a in what we call the ‘caring
seriously still an
50-50 gender-balanced
cabinet he said in a
statement to media will issue?"
policy’ area like Health or
Welfare,” Sundstrom said.
“Whereas [in 2015] you
1921
improve Canada moving — SOPHIE SLATER had a strong foreign minis-
forward. LANGARA BUSINESS STUDENT ter, Chrystia Freeland.”
SOUBHIK CHAKRAB- In 1921, Agnes Campbell Macphail
Trudeau retained his ARTI PHOTO Minister of Foreign was elected as Canada's first
position as prime minis- Affairs, Chrystia Freeland
ter after the Liberals were reelected in all facets and levels of Canadian played a prominent role in the U.S.- female Member of Parliament.
Oct. 21, this time with a minority government. Canada trade negotiations with
5%
government. “We’re also very interested to see replacing the NAFTA deal. Freeland
Slater was looking for a cabinet the integration of a new portfolio of also represented Canada during its
she said that is fair for everybody, in diversity and inclusion, that will be brief tumultuous diplomatic affair
order to balance out a world that isn’t headed by Bardish Chagger.” with Saudi Arabia over the use of
always fair for women. Waterloo MP Bardish Chag- Canadian-made military vehicles
Only 5 per cent of women can-
For her, that meant a 50-50 gender ger, appointed Minister of Small by Saudi forces.
split. Business and Tourism in 2015, was Freeland was named deputy prime didates in 2019 were elected as
“There is still that old guy at named Minister of Diversity and minister (only the third woman and Members of Parliament.
the office who thinks his secretary Inclusion and Youth Wednesday, tenth overall MP to assume the
should be paid $12 an hour,” Slater after winning her riding with 48 per position since its creation in 1977
said.
“It’s ridiculous, its almost 2020. Is
cent of the vote. by Pierre Trudeau) on Wednesday,
A record 98 women were elected as well as Minister of Intergovern- 15%
this seriously still an issue?” to Parliament in this year’s election, mental Affairs.
Eleanor Fast, executive director of this is however a far cry from actual Her colleague, François-Philippe
Equal Voice, said she’s happy to see gender parity in the house. Out of Champagne, succeeded her as Out of all federal elections since
Trudeau keep his promise of another the 338 members, women represent Foreign Affairs Minister. 1921, women only comprise 15 per
gender-balanced cabinet. a mere 29 per cent of all seats in the Fast said that while Equal Voice cent of the total candidate pool.
“We're very happy to see that once House of Commons. is happy with the balanced cabinet
SOURCE: LOP.PARL.CA
again we're going to have a gender- Lisa Sundstrom, an associate Trudeau delivered, she's hoping for
My mum was a teenage mother, a
lot of my time I grew up spending
[Indigenous Fashion Week].”
Pam Baker, an artist who worked
with my grandmother, she took the
duties of raising me until she passed
along with Mitton in Indigenous
fashion week, said Mitton has made
away,” Mitton said. efforts to uplift young girls, and
Growing up, Mitton’s interest in speaks highly of her dedication.
fashion was sparked by her love of “I have enjoyed watching her grow,
drawing. As she had plenty of time
to herself when her mother was busy,
her interest in working with young
girls.”
her hobby started to grow. “Every time I have contacted her
“When the adults were partying, for a fashion show, or coordinating
nobody really paid attention to me work she has always said yes,” Baker
so I kind of grew in my own thing,” said.
Mitton said. “I kind of created my Jolene says that in her community,
own world.” she’s seen Indigenous people feel-
Mitton is the founder of the ing a stronger sense of belonging and
Vancouver Indigenous Fashion identity.
“They are now feeling
comfortable after the work
“[For Mitton], it’s not I have been doing in the
just about clothes last eight years,” she said.
In addition to her work
and fashion, it's as a fashion designer,
Mitton additionally works
about community with the Urban Butter-
flies Day Camp for indig-
and awareness. ” enous children, as well as
— OKALANI LEBLANC manages a Indigenous
FASHION DESIGNER women’s basketball team.
PHOTO “They are feeling proud,
figuring out more about
Okalani Leblanc, a fashion
designer and model who’s worked
Mitton said that providing a way with Mitton for six years, says
stream media as models was essen- herself grounded and remember her
people. design.
“I’ve never seen any Indigenous “She’s awesome,” Leblanc said.
whatever she’s doing, she keeps that
“It's really fun to me to watch,” at the core.”
“[For Mitton], it’s not just about Joleen Mitton, an Indigenous fashion designer and model, founded the Van-
enjoy themselves. clothes and fashion, it’s about couver Indigenous Fashion Week, saying it was important to provide a path
“And I guess that’s just the goal of community and awareness.” for Indigenous people to enter mainstream media. JOLEEN MITTON PHOTO
 Campusnews
The cast of Anon(ymous); set by Jessica Oostergo, costumes by Mara Gottler, lighting by Alan Brodie. SUBMITTED PHOTO BY DAVID COOPER
Langara's diversity drama
College backed diversity project stalled after funding trouble
 By RAY CHOPPING
A
Langara-funded research
project aimed at increas-
ing diversity in its theatre
programs has stalled after
insufficient funding.
The project will provide Langara’s
contemporary art curriculum with
plays, scenes and monologues, which
will more directly reflect the cultural
mix of the students who bring the
works alive on stage.
Artistic director of Studio 58
Ashley Cook and Isaac George Hotchkiss in Anon(ymous). SUBMITTED PHOTO BY DAVID COOPER
Kathryn Shaw, who is spearhead-
ing the project, said there has been
a severe lack of diversity in Canada’s
theatrical teaching curriculums for
a long time.
The project was started by Shaw in
the summer of 2018 after receiving
a Research and Scholarly Activity
Fund award from Langara.
According to Shaw, the goal of the
project is “to diversify and decolonize
the Studio 58 curriculum.”
Kelly Sveinson, the chair of Lang-
ara’s Applied Research Centre said
EDITOR LIAM HILL-ALLAN | THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 2019 | THE VOICE
that awards allow Langara faculty
members to pursue projects outside
their main curriculum, which exhausted to pay for the research
help deepen the college’s assistants, the project has effectively
teachings.
Shaw used the grant money to hire
two research assistants and compile
a database of more than 600 plays
from around the world.
“We need to stretch beyond the
canon of old white men’s plays,”
Shaw said. “We need to find voices
from all ethnicities, women and
LGBTQ and better reflect them to
our own diverse student body.”
But with the award money
stalled.
“I simply don’t have the time to do
it,” Shaw said.
“We need to find
voices from all
ethnicities, women
and LGBTQ and
better reflect them
to our own diverse
student body.”
— KATHRYN SHAW, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF
STUDIO 58
Plays found in the new database
are proving popular with students.
“It’s a really important thing that
Kathryn is doing,” Silken Lawson, a
third term student from Studio 58
said.
Studio 58’s current produc-
tion Anon(ymous), a contemporary
re-imagining of The Odyssey, directed
by Carmen Aguirre, is just one of the
plays found through Shaw’s database
project.
Anon(ymous) narrates a story of a
young refugee boy who travels to the
U.S. looking for his mother who has
disappeared.
“It’s so relevant, it tells many
stories of people silenced in our
world today,” Lawson said.
3
College
surveys
wellness
New database to
compile health stats
 By HENRI NGIMBIS
L
angara College is one of three
post-secondary institutions
currently participating in
the rollout of a new survey aimed at
providing Canadian universities and
colleges with student mental health
statistics.
The survey, called the Canadian
Campus Wellbeing Survey, was
launched in early November. Histor-
ically, Canadian post-secondary
institutions have relied on statistics
compiled in the National College
Health Assessment, a survey run by
the American College Health Asso-
ciation.
However, according to the CCWS
Information Package 2019-2020,
“There have been concerns regard-
ing the appropriateness and value of
the NCHA in a Canadian context.”
Guy Faulkner, one of the project’s
UBC based research members, said
that gathering this kind of Canadian
information is important.
“Interventions that promote
health and wellbeing among young
adults are needed,” said Faulkner.
“Such interventions, however,
require measurement tools that
support intervention planning,
monitoring and evaluation.”
In this case, the tool used is a
survey on health topics such as
physical activity, sexual behaviour
and substance use.
The survey is in a pilot phase and
is currently only active at Langara,
UBC and the University of Toronto.
However, according to an email
from CCWS project manager Nikki
Reiter, 17 additional post-second-
ary institutions will join the project
between January and March of 2020,
following the current pilot phase.
Reiter said participating schools
will be able to use the system to view
their own statistics, as well as others.
“Institutions will be able to
compare themselves nationally to an
aggregated dataset and see how they
fare in core areas of student wellbe-
ing,” Reiter said. “We hope that the
CCWS will be the new standard for
information gathering for student
mental and physical health and well-
being on campuses across Canada.”
COLLEGE STUDENT STATS
MENTAL HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS
68.9%
Felt overwhelming anxiety at some
point in last 12 months.
69.6%
Felt very lonely at some point in last 12
months.
76.2%
Felt very sad at some point in last 12
months.
SOURCE: ACHA.ORG
4 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 2019 | EDITOR MANDY MOON

Local pattern designer, entrepre

photos and story by
Anita Zhu

TOP LEFT: Pot holder design by Good.

ABOVE: Sheena Randahl works on her proj-

ect at the community sewing class.

LEF T: Tools and supplies used at the

community sewing class, used for measuring
and cutting fabric.

RIGHT: Handmade wallets by Good, fabri-

cated from used plastic bags.

LOWER LEFT: Design by Good, titled

"ignaz," a repeat pattern inspired by a contour
drawing of her father.

LOWER RIGHT: a pair of scissors from the

community sewing class.

Struggles in online business

exposure is good, but may come at a cost to the artist

T
he small business sector in B.C. is a vital part of sourcing from different countries depending on where the
the economy. Nearly 1.1 million British Colum- customers live. Good said that this method is supposed
bians worked in small businesses in 2018. to be low waste and ethical, but can be quite expensive
Fabienne Good is a local entre- as the website takes a significant part
preneur, and manages an online of the cut.
business and presence through
“It's just a matter of “I do it because it's exciting to have
several E-commerce sites. Good finding good places my designs on clothes, but it's not
says it is very important to keep really the best business model,” she
an online presence active and that will properly said.
professional to maintain rele- Good is now looking to local retail
vance. represent your work. ” stores in Vancouver to sell her produc-
Through Redbubble, Good — FABIENNE GOOD, FREELANCE DESIGNER tions.
submits her digital files to the “A lot of those places will take like
website for potential customers to browse. From there, 50 to 75 per cent of the artist's earnings as well, so it's
the company will do everything including deciding on the good for exposure,” she said. “It’s just a matter of find-
sales price. Redbubble manufactures their own clothes, ing good places that will properly represent your work.”

eneur, resident artist at Moberly
When cultures meet colours
One designer tranforms her worldly experiences to print
T
extile pattern designer
Fabienne Good attri-
butes her whimsical
and colourful designs to
a childhood growing up on a farm
and her international travels around
the globe.
As a freelancer, Good, who teaches
a free community sewing class at the
Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre
on Prince Albert Street, sells her
designs on three different websites.
Sheena Randahl, a friend of
Good’s, thinks her designs are really
unique. Randahl said that Good
is not afraid to mix colours and
patterns, but is also capable of tamer
and less experimental works.
“She's got a bit of everything.
She can appeal to the masses. And
then also appeal to the weirdos,”
said Randahl, who also attended
the community sewing class last
Wednesday. The community
sewing project is open for
News&Features 5
beginners to experts, and takes place different cultures,” Good said. versatile.”
every Wednesday until December In her lifetime Good has “I greatly look forward to wearing
11. visited Europe, Taiwan, this top to conferences – the other
Her designs juxtapose Japan, China, Austra- entomologists will be jealous,” she
her unique upbring- lia, Guatemala, Peru, laughed.
ing. Born and raised Columbia, India, Tara Nery, a jewellery designer
in Canada by Italy, and Switzer- from Toronto, and another purchaser
European land. While in Italy of Good’s work, said she would
parents, Good at 16-years-old, she recommend her designs to others.
has always learned Italian, and Nery said Good’s work is like no
immersed herself while in Switzerland, other she has seen before, describ-
in new cultures. completed her master's ing them as chaotic yet organized.
“Having been degree in German. “Her pieces make me smile. I get
raised in Canada "I feel like it's a lot of cultures so many compliments whenever I'm
doesn't feel more that come together and you wearing any of my Fabienne Good
Canadian than look at things differently, like pieces,” said Nery.
European. It's colours and combinations," Good moved to Vancouver from
nice to have Good said. Switzerland earlier this year. When
Debra Wertman, a she first arrived, she noticed how
recent purchaser of different the west coast felt from the
Good’s work, and an rest of Canada.
entomologist with “It's Canada, but it's totally
UBC, said the fit different [than home]. It's still feels
of Good’s shirts are like I'm still travelling. It's kind of
“incredible and bizarre,” she said.
ABOVE: Fabienne Good
at her home studio, wearing
a shirt of her own design.
LEFT: Pot holder design
by Good.
 6 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 2019 | EDITOR MAXIM FOSSEY
Viewpoints
Diversity
needed
for play-
wrights
W
hether they’re deemed
classics or contempo-
rary, the majority of
plays performed by college theatre
programs like Langara’s Studio 58,
are written by old white men. The
world doesn’t look like a white-
washed sitcom from the 90s, neither
should the film or theater indus-
try. But while
film students
have the oppor-
tunity to write
their own scripts,
acting students
are often stuck
with what seems
OPINION like a rotating
selection of plays,
no matter the
LAUREN theater school.
GARGIULO Histor y is
written by the
victors, and theatre history is writ-
ten by creative victors. From the
comedies and tragedies of Ancient
Greece, to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Cats getting a revival on Broadway,
and a movie, a theater kid’s life is
filled with monologues and songs
written by white men. Life imitates
art, and life is not seen through the
eyes of one group of people. 
While playwrights like Tennessee
Williams and Stephen Sondheim are
“So, give the people
what they want: a
diverse selection of
plays. ”
Gaming can be certainly be a distracting hobby, always hand in your assignments in advance and on time, and study ahead. Planning yourself like this can also

Zero the hero, game over

rightfully applauded for their work mean spending more time on games after. MAXIM FOSSEY ILLUSTRATION
and genius, their voices do not fully
represent today’s theatre students
or audiences.  As Kathryn Shaw,
the artistic director of Studio Arts
and Studio 58 said, “diversity to me
means stretching beyond the canon

V
of old white men’s plays.”
Despite the fact that academics ideo games are often games can be seen as addictive because hours on online games, profession- school, work or relationships.
and critics alike can find relatable pointed out as a negative of the competitive aspect of it. ally too. While gaming certainly is a great
content in a work that is over 200 impact for people who use When you drop-in in a game Of course, people can still enjoy way to spend your spare time, it can
years-old and that the human condi- it as a hobby. While for session you always playing these as a hobby, but be care- definitely catch you off guard.
tion hasn’t changed, people have. many, like myself, gaming can be just a think to yourself, ful about not getting into it too much. Gaming can certainly be a distract-
Women are allowed to be actors on time to spend by yourself and be care- “just one more Some people ing hobby,
stage, being gay is no longer listed as free for a few hours. It can get in the game,” until you may use video one thing
a mental illness and being disabled way if you are not careful. are completely games as a sort “Planning yourself I’ve helped
doesn’t force you to the outskirts of When I was in high school, I got satisfied with your of coping mech- myself with
society. And our schools and cities easily distracted and played countless online record and anism. Craig ahead can also mean is to always
are, just like they were in Shake-
speare’s time, diverse, but now we
hours of different Call of Duty games.
Black Ops, Modern Warfare 3, Ghosts, OPINION
stats.
For example, I
Lee, a clini-
cal counsellor
more game time for complete or
hand in your
celebrate it. Advanced Warfare. Those brought me was never satisfied who specializes yourself. ” assignments
So, give the people what they great memories playing them online MAXIM until my ‘kills per in overcom- on time. They
want: a diverse selection of plays. A alongside my high school friends. FOSSEY death’ ratio went ing video game should be a
production about and from differ- However, at a certain point in my higher on Call of addiction said that people who come priority. Planning yourself ahead can
ent cultures and groups should not high school years, there was one thing Duty, which meant more distractions to him use gaming to get away from also mean more game time for your-
be news any more than a production that caught my attention, my grades away from my assignments. negative emotions such as loneliness, self.
of King Lear should be news—they dropped. I decided to simply put aside With the rise of Esports and popu- depression and anxiety. Rank up those stats all you want,
should be expected, welcomed and the controller. larity of games such as League of They continue to play games even but I’ve learned to do it in a moder-
readily accessible. Of course, spending time on video Legends, people can spend countless though it’s impacting their life in ate way.

HOW TO DROP-IN MANAGING PAGE 4 & 5 WEB EDITORS REPORTERS WE WANT TO

REACH US Room A226 EDITOR Mandy Moon Missy Johnson Anita Zhu HEAR FROM YOU CONTACT
Langara College Maxim Fossey PAGE 6 Austin Everett Henri Ngimbis Have a different point
PHONE Maxim Fossey Nathan Gan Kristen Holliday of view? Write us
US
The Voice is pub- government and 604-323-5396 SNAIL MAIL PAGE 7 Christina Dommer Gina Rogers
lished by Langara administration. We E-MAIL The Voice PAGE EDITORS Joshua Rey Joe Ayres Lauren Gargiulo Journalism instructor Online at
College’s journalism welcome letters to thevoice@langara. 100 West 49th Ave. PAGE 1 PAGE 8 Lina Chung Erica Bulman oversees langaravoice.ca
department. Editorial the editor. They may bc.ca Vancouver, B.C. Tierney Grattan Adam Levi SOCIAL MEDIA Palak Klaire The Voice.
opinions are those be edited for brevity. WEBSITE V5Y 2Z6 PAGE 2 EDITOR Ray Chopping Twitter
of the staff and Your letter must in- langaravoice.ca Agazy Mengesha MANAGING WEB Joe Ayres Soubhik Chakrabarti Email: ebulman @LangaraVoice
are independent of clude your name and INSTRUCTOR PAGE 3 EDITOR Steven Chang @langara.ca
views of the student phone number. Erica Bulman Liam Hill-Allan Mathilda de Villiers
 Arts&life
Students perform Anon(ymous) at the mantinee performance. Director Carmen Aguirre's experience as a refugee helped inspire the story.
A story of exile and hope
New Studio 58 play brings tale of a young refugee to life
A
 By KRISTEN HOLLIDAY
non(ymous), presented
by Langara’s Studio 58,
is a timely retelling of
a classic tale, address-
ing themes of refugee displacement
and a quest for home, says director
Carmen Aguirre.
Aguirre, a graduate of Studio 58
in 1994, has returned to Langara
to direct the play. She says she was
drawn to the adaptation of Homer’s
The Odyssey in part because she was
a refugee herself. Aguirre was six
years old when her family fled Chile
in December of 1973. Her family
made their way to California and
they eventually ended up Vancouver
where they were accepted as politi-
cal refugees.
“I thought I could bring the
Avid gamers need an endgame
Counsellor says
students need
to reduce video
game time
 By LINA CHUNG
D
aljit Singh, a first -year
Langara business manage-
ment student, failed a test
three times when he was in school in
India because he was spent so much
time playing a video game.
November and December are two
months where lots of video games
come out. It is also time for exams
for college students. Craig Lee, a
clinical psychologist who special-
izes in video game addiction said
students should reduce gaming time
and focus on more important things
like exams.
“If I have a final coming up and
EDITOR JOSHUA REY | THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 2019 | THE VOICE
7
Uniform
boycott
as strike
action
Bus drivers wear street
clothes as a form of
protest against
management
 By GINA ROGERS
N
ovember began with reports
of Vancouver bus opera-
tors wearing, in one case, a
Hawaiian shirt instead of the Trans-
Link uniform, as part of an overtime
and uniform ban.
Bus drivers have not been wearing
uniforms as a form of protest since
Nov.1 as part of job action.
The job action escalated as talks
DAVID COOPER PHOTO broke down between the Unifor
locals and Coast Mountain Bus
Company.
Judith Zaichkowsky, a marketing
professor at SFU who specializes in
brand management, said uniforms
have bigger effect on the drivers than
the passengers.
“I think it relaxes the drivers
more,” said Zaichkowsky. “It gives
the drivers more of an identity, that
sensibility and the lens of an exile,” in search of his disappeared mother, Cook said. “They’re not some inhu- they are having some action against
Aguirre said. “It is a work that really trying to recover memories of the man other.” management, some small revolt in
challenges the accepted narrative home they fled from. Lucy Hotchkiss, an audience a way.
that Nor th A s h l e y member who attended the Nov. 17 "For the customers’ part, people
America is a
safe place for
“It is a work that Cook, a third-
year Studio 58
matinee performance, said she was
moved by the play’s depiction of
who ride the transit, people who
know what’s going on, I think
refugees.” really challenges the student, plays refugees who have died or are strug- they’re just darn happy to see the
Aguirre said the lead role gling trying to make a better life for bus, because there’s been a lot of bus
although the accepted narrative that of Anon. She themselves.
script is over
North America is a safe says she hopes “I cried through the whole thing,” “I think it relaxes
20 years old, audiences will Hotchkiss said, through tears. “Just
the themes place for refugees.” connect with because we know it’s real, the role the drivers more.”
have become — CARMEN AGUIRRE, ANON(YMOUS) DIRECTOR
the play’s char- that geographic luck plays in your — JUDITH ZAICHKOWSKY, SFU PROFESSOR
increasingly acters and see life is so wrong.”
relevant. To the humanity Performances of Anon(ymous),
highlight this, she sets the open- in refugees. which kicked off at Studio 58 on disruptions.”
ing scenes of the play in a present- “The people who are experiencing Nov. 14 will run until Dec. 1. Tick- TransLink has two options when
day refugee detention centre at the oppression and war and genocide… ets are available through Ticketsto- drivers cancel because of sickness or
border of United States and Mexico. they are someone’s daughter, they are night.ticketforce.com. Shows are other reasons. They can ask existing
Here, a young boy named Anon someone’s dad, and we really get to being held Tuesday to Saturday as drivers for overtime, or hire extra
begins his journey through the U.S. see that in the characters in this play,” well as Sunday matinee shows. board workers. 
Christy Slusarenko, MoveUP
Vice-President of Combined Units
said “A uniform ban is one of many
methods that can be used to generate
public awareness about bargaining
concerns with an employer.
"It is also a way of demonstrating
solidarity."
I’m playing games for too long, League of Legends remotely with
instead of spending four hours a his siblings and friends for two to
GAMER STATS
IN CANADA 2018
She said their members are
encouraged to wear buttons to the
night playing games, I would cut it three hours.
to two hours or three.” said Lee. “I “I just enjoy the social aspect of it,”
same ends.
Ahmed El-Geneidy, professor at
would use the rest of the time study- Kefalas said.
ing for my final.” For students who are concerned 61% the McGill University School of
Urban Planning, whose research
The fourth time Singh had to about their gaming, Lee recom- interests include public transport
write the exam, mended tracking operations, “as long as they have
of Canadians consider themselves
he uninstalled
the game Play-
“I’m worried that if the amount of
hours they play "gamers"
something that identifies them
as drivers” the uniform ban won’t
e r U n k n o w n’s I delete this game, each day. endanger riders.
Battlegrounds “If you are El-Genedidy has one concern:
commonly what would I do in playing games 64% “Someone jumping in the driver’s
known as PUBG for four hours or seat and taking passengers anywhere
from his phone
my free time?” more per day, for without them knowing that they are
so he could focus — DALJIT SINGH, LANGARA STUDENT more days than of Canadian "gamers" have played kidnapped. Until they realize later
on studying. not...you’re kind a video game in the last four weeks on," he said.
“I’m worried that if I delete this of creeping into that addiction side,” TransLink Spokesperson Ben
game, what would I do in my free Lee said. Murphy said November 18, “The
time?” said Singh who re-installed
the game later.
Lee also suggested setting goals
to gradually reduce the time play- 10hr union needs to be more realistic
about their wage demands.
Dimos Kefalas, a first-year fine ing, in addition to developing and "The union is still refusing to take
arts student at Langara is not re-engaging with other hobbies, part in mediation.”
concerned with his video game sports and work. is the average amount of time a In addition to not wearing
playing. According to Kefalas, he’s “Reaching out to the counselling "gamer" spends playing per week uniforms, bus drivers have refused
in school for 10 hours a day, and department of their school is also a overtime and plenty of bus delays as
SOURCE: THEESA.CA
when he gets home he usually plays good idea,” Lee said. well as reduced Seabus service.
 8 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 21, 2019 | EDITOR ADAM LEVI
Sportsnews
Falcons
appoint
female
coach
Watson is the first
female women's
basketball coach at
Langara in over 20
 By GINA ROGERS

F
ormer Falcons assistant coach
Virginia Watson is hoping to
turn the women’s basketball
teams’ season around after it was left
in the lurch by former head coach
Curtis Nelson. 
Watson is the first female head
coach since Morgan Kyle who last
coached the women’s team for the
1996-97 season.
“It’s nice to have a female coach
for a female program. It’s difficult
to find female coaches,” McCallum
A BC Wheelchair Sports Association athlete using a wheelchair competes in a shot put competition. The BCWSA hosts sessions throughout the year for the said.
members to GERRY KRIPPS PHOTO Following the unexpected depar-

Sports adapting for all

ture of Nelson last week, Watson
took over the position in an interim
role. Coach Nelson resigned his
position as head of the women’s
basketball team for personal reasons
and on mutually agreeable terms.
Virginia joined the Falcons staff at

Athletes face challenges and advantages to compete

the same time as
Nelson at begin-
ning of the 2018-
19 season.
 By ADAM LEVI
weight is bearing on your legs and in the able-bodied race, clocked London Olympics. Yet, Paralympic, It hasn’t been

A
thletes with disabilities
face obvious challenges
in competitive sports.
What is less intuitive is
the edge their very disability some-
times provides them.
From a wheelchair’s momentum
to quicker recovery in weight-bear-
ing sports, some adaptive sports have
their advantages, often influencing
an athlete’s performance and train-
ing.
According to the B.C. Wheel-
chair Sports Association’s wheelchair
racing coach James Hustvedt, track
and field athletes don’t have to worry
about the toll of running on their
bodies like able-bodied people do.
“We’re not weight-bearing,”
Hustvedt said. “When [an able-
bodied person] is running, your
your joints. While in the wheelchair,
you’re supported by the chair. That
lends for a shorter recovery for the
body.”
Athletes in wheelchairs may not
be able to outdo their able-bodied
counterparts in shorter races, yet
have a much quicker pace in distance
races.
In 2009, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt set
the world record in the 100-metre
dash posting a time of 9.58 at the
World Championships in Athletics.
Whereas Finland’s Leo-Pekka Tähti
crossed the line in 13.76 at the 2012
Paralympics in London.
In comparison, during 2017,
Switzerland’s Marcel Hug clocked
the fastest men’s Boston Marathon
wheelchair race, finishing in 1:18:04.
On the other hand, Geoffrey Mutai
of Kenya, who holds the fastest time
2:03:02 in 2011.
However, not all sports allow for
advantages for athletes with disabili-
ties.
Former Canadian Paralympic
swimming champion, Donovan
Tildesley said blind swimmers need
tappers to prevent injury. He once
split his head open from hitting the
wall.
“I required someone to be with me
at every practice or race,” Tildesley
said. “I would need someone with
a long stick and a foam tip, called a
‘tapper’ to tap me on the head as I’m
coming into the wall, and that’s how
I knew to make a flip-turn.
The difference in swimming times
grows the longer the race goes on.
The Netherland’s Ranomi Kromow-
idjojoset the record for the 50-metre
swimwith a time of 24.05 at the 2012
blind swimmer Maryna Piddubna
from the Ukraine finished a race at
30.22 at the IPC Swimming World
Championships in Dublin.
For the 800-metre swim, Katie
Ledecky set the record at the 2016
Summer Games in Rio De Janeiro,
Brazil posting a time of 8:04.79.
That’s nearly three minutes faster
than the Paralympic record at the
distance set by Germany’s Daniela
Schulte clocking in at 10:57.82.
Yet, regardless of the adaptation
of the sport, or the way it’s played,
according to Paralympic athlete and
academic, Staci Mannella, who is a
blind skier, the goals are the same.
“My goal is to ski fast and that’s
the same as an able-bodied skier,”
Mannella said. “Regardless of how
I achieve that goal, that’s still the
goal.”
an easy star t
for Watson, a
former Falcon
Virginia Watson and PACWEST
FALCONS WOMEN'S rookie of the year,
BASKETBALL COACH
or for her Falcons
who lost back-to-
back games this weekend. After
losing to Vancouver Island Univer-
sity, the top-ranked team in the
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Asso-
ciation last Saturday. 
Falcon Meagan Briggs spoke
about what the 100-84 loss shows
about where the team stands.
“I’m really excited to see them
again in the second half of the
season because I think playing them
shows us where we need to be in the
second half,” 0 Briggs said.
According to Langara’s athletic
director Jake McCallum, Watson,
who played collegiate basketball

48 days, no basketball games

for five seasons, has the character
to coach this women’s team because
she knows how to navigate, “the
bumps, bruises and team dynamics.”
McCallum believes that Watson
has what it takes to win, and it will

Men's and within that time period that play- “The fall is one-third of the season,”
ers are expected to continue training McCallum said. “It’s almost like two
“From the end of November to the
beginning of January we’re going to
take wins for Watson to keep her
job. When asked if she would like
and remain academically eligible to different seasons. If you have no wins be on the court a ton,” Watson said. to continue being the head coach
women's teams play, which the director of athletics or only a few, this break is a time to
at Langara, Jake McCallum, said can reboot, revamp and look at where the
Steph Von Riedemann, the team’s
only returning veteran player, says
after this season, Watson made her
opinion clear.
look to stay fit hard to sustain.
“Teams are rarely the same after
roster needs work.”
For the Falcons women’s team, head
that because of the training regimen,
fitness won’t be an issue come Jan.
“I’d love it,” she said.

and motivated the break, you

lose people
coach Virginia
Watson will
10, when both the men and women
restart their seasons GAMES SCHEDULE
 By RAY CHOPPING academically,” “They work super hard keep the prac- “It’s important to be diligent with
McCallum said 
The inter-semester break is fast Conversely, for eight months a year, tice as usual,
even with no
workouts. Doing our own training
program, to maintain fitness is really
MEN'S BAKETBALL
Upcoming game:
approaching, and that means the
men’s and women’s basketball
McCallum
added, that a
it's important they take games on the
horizon. The
important before those exhibition
games,” Riedemann said.
Saturday, Nov. 23
vs. Columbia Bible College
teams are about to have their most slow start to time off.” Falcons will It’s not all work and no play, the 8:00 p.m.
prolonged stretch of non-competitive the season isn’t — VIRGINIA WATSON, FALCONS WOMEN'S play a couple players do get ten days off over the
action. always indic- BASKETBALL COACH of exhibi- Christmas period, and Watson wants WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Following the men’s and women’s ative of the tion games in them to use it to get some rest. Upcoming game:
games against Columbia Bible teams’ final standing because most that time to stay in game-shape and “They work super hard for eight Saturday, Nov. 23
College on Nov. 23, a 48-day stretch games are played after the inter- continue to work on their man-to- months a year, it’s important they take vs. Columbia Bible College
6:00 p.m.
without another game will begin. It’s semester break. man and zone marking systems. time off,” Watson said.