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Student struggle Falcons preview Rink scarcity

Some international students Checking in with Langara's This week, Voice Radio examines
are working extended hours to men's and women's basketball South Vancouver's ice rink
cover costs. P2 teams as the season starts. P8 shortage. langaravoice.ca

Special youth edition

PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA OCTOBER 24, 2019 • VOL. 52 NO. 2 • VANCOUVER, B.C.

Foreign
students Mushrooms
graduate, fighting
evacuate mental
Study: two thirds of
international grads quit
illness
Canada within six years P4-5
 By SOUBHIK
 By CHAKRABARTI

W
orkplace discrimination
and racial profiling could
be the reason interna-
tional students don’t stay in Canada,
according to a recent study.
Conducted by Statistics Canada,
the study found that only one-third
of international students who stud-
ied in Canadian college and univer-
sity programs remained in the
country after graduating.
The study said that difficulty find-
ing jobs in Canada could be the
reason international students are
leaving and that discrimination
from employers and language barri-
ers could be contributing factors A poisonous Fly Agaric mushroom which has psychoactive properties. Consuming Fly Agaric can be deadly. PHOTO SOURCED FROM LIBRESHOT
impacting student employment.

No transit, no students
Third-year math and geography
student from India Avjeet Dhaliwal
who has experienced discrimination
said that if she is unsuccessful find-
ing a career in her chosen field she
may leave the country.
“If I’m getting a really good job I
wouldn’t have any problem staying in
Canada, if not, I’ll go back,” Dhali-
wal said. Looming bus strike could be an obstacle for college commute
The study’s co-author, Marc Fren-
ette said that integration and a lack  By RAY CHOPPING transit was a prominent option for In an email, Sherry Chin-Shue,
of connections could be a factor respondents located in Vancouver, director of human resource TRAVEL OPTIONS

hindering the job search.
“They don’t have the same kind of
network as people born in Canada
might have,” Frenette said.
Khushwant Singh, a second-year
international student from India
in the Langara computer science
program said that it took him three
months to find a job in Canada
“It’s quite difficult” Singh said.
According to Frenette, however,
trouble finding work may not be the
only factor in the trend.
“It’s possible that they aren’t
getting a job,” Frenette said. “But it’s
also fully possible that they intended
to go back to their home country or
some other country” .”
While some students may intend
on leaving, a 2017 survey conducted
by the Canadian Bureau for Inter-
national Education found that
over half of international students
surveyed expressed a desire to
immigrate to Canada following
graduation.
W
ith the possibility of
Coast Mountain Bus
Company staff walk-
ing off the job, many
Langara students and staff may soon
be unable to get to the campus.
Langara’s 2017 Transportation
Survey Report showed that 88 per
cent of respondents used transit to
reach the campus.
Aaron Marty, an environmental
studies student, said that a transit
strike would be very problematic for
him.
“My only way to get here would be
taxi,” said Marty.
Situated on South Vancouver’s 49
Avenue, Langara College is primar-
ily serviced by the 49 bus route,
the second busiest bus route in the
province.
Studio 58 theatre student Sofie
Kane said, “It’s the main way we get
to school.”
While the survey showed that
the results suggest that transit is even
more popular among those travelling
from further away. The survey stated
that 96 per cent of respondents
located in Surrey relied on transit.
“I take two buses
and a train, so I
don't think I'd be
able to reach the
college.”
— SRIKANT RATURI, BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION STUDENT
Business administration student
Srikant Raturi said that a transit
strike would be devastating for him
as he relies heavily on the transit
system.
“I take two buses and a train, so I
don’t think I’d be able to reach the
college,” said Raturi.
operations at Langara said the
college is yet to address the possibil-
ity of a strike with employees.
“We are monitoring the situation
closely and considering our plans
should there be job action by transit
workers,” Chin-Shue said.
In 2001, transit operators went
on strike for over 100 days, in what
became Metro Vancouver’s longest
transit strike to date.
Despite 99 per cent of union
members voting in favour of a strike,
the president of Unifor Local 111,
Mike McMillan, said he is “still
hopeful a walkout can be avoided.”
However, Gordon Lovegrove, a
UBC engineering professor with
expertise in transportation, said that
such a significant vote could result in
a strike action.
“I don’t see the drivers backing
down,” Lovegrove said.
The union must provide the
public with 72 hours' notice prior
to striking.
GET AROUND DURING A STRIKE
» Bike
Vancouver is full of cycling options. A
map of the city's bike routes is avail-
able online at Vancouver.ca.
» Carpool
Driving with multiple passengers? Ap-
ply for a carpool decal from Langara
and get access to carpool spots.
» Car Share
Services like car2go and Evo let you
rent cars by the minute.
» Taxi, Ride Share
While taxi services are available in
Vancouver, ride sharing services like
Uber and Lyft are on their way follow-
ing recent city approval.
SOURCES: LANGARA .CA, VANCOUVER.CA
 2 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2019 | EDITOR JOE AYRES
Bikes
benefit
business
More protected cycling
lanes would mean
more foot traffic for
South Van storefronts
 By PALAK KLAIRE
B
usinesses in South Vancou-
ver are not receiving the
full benefit of increased
traffic from cyclists due to South
Vancouver’s scattered bike lanes
that are often unprotected from
traffic.
According to Kay Teschke, a
professor at UBC who helped initi-
ate the Cycling in Cities program
which investigates factors that
encourage or discourage cycling,
people fear the busiest trails in
South Vancouver as a result of
sparse biking routes that are often
potentially dangerous.
Teschke said, “in popular areas for
bicycling like Main Street there are
no decent bike lanes.”
Many bikers fear collisions and
while many bike lanes provide
protection the risk factors are a big
concern for large parts of South
Vancouver.
“Cambie has bike lanes but they
"Cambie has bike
lanes but they
are not physically
separated, its just
paint and only some
are willing to use
them.”
— KAY TESCHKE, UBC PROFESSOR
are not physically separated, its just
paint and only some people are will-
ing to ride on them, along Marine
Drive so there are so many places
where we just don’t have proper bike
lanes,” Teschke said.
Small businesses in South
Vancouver are better served by
walking, transit, and cycling because
drivers often choose bigger box
stores. It’s tiresome to bike long
distances and
as a result
riders often
choose to go
on a short jour-
ney to nearby
shops but will
purchase less
Kay Teschke
than those who
drove.
UBC PROFESSOR
According
to Rob Nijjar,
executive director of the South Hill
Business Association, “the number
of bicycle lanes in the city is calcu-
lated partially by request. If demand
is low, fewer lanes may amount to
the same level of public service."
According to Nijjar efforts have
been made by the city of Vancouver
and the South Hill Business Asso-
ciation in expanding South Vancou-
ver’s biking network. “Installation of
bike racks has been happening for
years people on Fraser. On the street
you will see there are bike racks, as
we work with the city, that’s what
our business association does to
improve our area,” Nijjar said.
Domestic and international students walking the hallways of Langara College. International students are struggling to make ends meet as they are limited to
work only 20 hours in a week while studying. JOE AYRES PHOTO
Twenty hours not enough
International students struggle with tight work restrictions
 By STEVEN CHANG
I
nternational students must
not work over 20 hours
a week while studying.
Many students find it is not
enough to support themselves and
end-up working under the table.
International students that were
interviewed by The Voice who work
over their 20 hours limit weren’t
willing to speak out due to the risk
of getting fired and potentially
losing their status in Canada.
It is a requirement for interna-
tional students to have a minimum
of $10,000 in their bank account
to receive a monthly’s Guaranteed
Investment Certificate.
“International students are only
Grads without a licence stalled
Employers often
want students
coming out of
school to drive
 By GINA ROGERS
G "I just purchased
raduating students often
don't have a driver’s
licence due to the high
cost of driving and this is nega-
tively affecting their employment
opportunities, even for non-driving
related jobs.
Langara student, Sumeet Gupta,
said, “I’d rather use transit because
it’s so expensive. I just purchased my
insurance a few weeks ago. It went
up by almost a thousand dollars and
I was scared.”
The Mercer Cost of Living survey
ranked Vancouver the most expen-
sive Canadian city this year. The
average student in B.C. graduates
with debt, linked to rising costs
of living in the province. With
the U-Pass B.C. student transit
program, however, many South
Vancouver students manage to
commute to school reliably.
getting about $670 every month
from GIC, which is a tight budget
to live off. Naturally, there is a
tendency to work over-
time even though they’re
not allowed to,” said Kane
Lillywhite, who works at
a financial institution at
Langara.
International students
often encounter diffi-
culties with affordabil-
ity living in Vancouver.
Sayem Behl is a second-
year computer science
student at Langara, who knows
many students from India that are
currently working over the limit but
won’t reveal their identity, due to
concerns that if revealed they would
The Insurance Corporation of
British Columbia insures the 3.2
million Canadians who are required
to have basic coverage through
them. In September ICBC reduced
their subsidies for rates on new driv-
ers. Joanna Linsangan, a communi-
cations specialist with ICBC, said,
“the old model wasn’t fair”, to those
who had, “taken the steps to get
my insurance a
few weeks ago. It
went up by almost a
thousand dollars.”
— SUMEET GUPTA, LANGARA STUDENT
proper training to be a safe driver.”
As a result of these changes many
young drivers have seen an increase
in their premiums. “We understand
that it can certainly be a challenge
for anybody who’s just starting out,”
Linsangan said.
Driving schools represent an
additional investment of over
$1,200 in the case of one instruc-
tor, Ahad Vakili. Vakili teaches
At the West End Driving School
Atlarge
no longer be able to stay in Canada. Student’s Union, Navjot Warring, is
Behl said, “I am lucky that I have an international student and thinks
a good employer at my software students are working part-time jobs
according to their needs.
“I live with my uncle,
“Some students are so rent isn’t an issue. But
other students are work-
working to put less ing so they can afford a car.
burden on their Some students are work-
ing to put less burden on
parents back home.” their parents back home,"
— NAVJOT WARRING Warring said.
LSU VICE PRESIDENT Student loans are often
important to international
students at Langara since
company. But if you ask anybody they pay $590 per credit while
whether they’re working for more domestic students pay between
than 20 hours, they won’t tell you $99.42 and $129.31 per credit
anything.” according to the Langara website.
The Vice President at the Langara
in Vancouver and said that he has
seen a drop in driving students
three years… it’s a slowdown of the
system”.
since 2003 when ICBC regula-
tions changed to no longer allow a
Adding another financial barrier
for students entering job markets
learners knowledge test and behind
the wheel test to be within a day of
has adverse effects for Langara
College and other educational insti-
each other. Vakili said, “if the youth tutions pressed to come up with
wants to get their license it takes employment statistics.
Special youth edition
After graduating many students are struggling to find employment if they do
not have a drivers licence. GINA ROGERS PHOTO
 Youthedition EDITOR JOSHUA REY | THURSDAY, OCT. 24,2019 | THE VOICE
3

Justin Trudeau speaks to students at the UBC Okanagan campus. Some Langara students weren't happy that he was reelected. PHOTO HIVEMINER.COM

Students weigh in on election

Langara pupils not happy with Trudeau and think issues need to be verified
 By MISSY JOHNSON with the Conservative Party repre- “I’m just happy it’s a minority, I   Describing the results from   Watson pointed out that life

S
ome students at Langara
were unaware of the federal
election Monday night,
others are skeptical with the
results and were united in wanting
and expecting more going forward.
  Many were not sold by what
re-elected prime minister Justin
Trudeau had to say; distrust and
uncertainty seemed to be the
common thread and most expressed
relief the Liberals would have a
minority government.
 The Liberal Party will have 157
seats in the House of Commons
senting the opposition with 121 don’t trust Trudeau.”  Monday, Langara political science is easier and more affordable for
seats. The Bloc Québécois made   The last Canadian minor- instructor Stephen Phillips said students in other countries such as
a come- it y govern- “it means the governing party Sweden and Denmark.
back while ment was in commands less than a majority of   Tessa Scramstad, an arts
the NDP “I think more young 2011 during seats.” student, said members of parlia-
sustained S t e p h e n  Although a minority may lead to ment need to take a more aggres-
losses and people should have Harper’s a more non-partisan government, sive approach to climate change
one seat was voted NDP, Student fees second term. Watson said he’s glad conserva- and said she doesn’t think the prime
gained for the W ilson- tive leader Andrew Scheer didn’t minister is up for the task.
Green Party. are so expensive— DANIEL Raybould get into power. He believes Canada  “Justin Trudeau and the pipeline
Jody Wilson- WATSON, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENT said in her can still do better, especially for situation is not a good situation at
Raybould will victory speech students. all,” Scramstad said.
sit in Ottawa Monday,   “I think more young people  Sixty-six per cent of registered
as an independent MP. stronger policies and bi-partisan should have voted NDP,” he said. voters when to the polls, a two per-
 Daniel Watson a first-year infor- choices are made with this kind of “Student fees are so expensive in cent decrease from 2015.
mation technology student said, government. Canada.”

Driving for some extra cash Young workers in decline

By ANITA ZHU 
this past summer, Erin Hagen,
the administrative coordinator
from student services said in an

Stringent B.C.
is applying for his Class 4 driver’s
licence shortly, and is hoping to drive
ride-hailing rules in the evenings for Uber in the next
year.
them to get extra money.”
Both Singh and Fu know friends
who currently drive for Uber or other
ride-hailing companies in Canada.
The number of youth aged
15-24 with jobs is on the decline,
according to a recent Statistics
Canada study. 
Based on the Stats Can
email to The Voice.
However, the number of
students who actually submitted
hours dropped to 49 from 60.

deter some stu- “I will do an office job from 8 a.m.

to 4 p.m., then in the evening I will
dent applicants drive Uber for four to five hours,”
said Singh. “It’s an independent job.
You don’t have to work under some
 By LINA CHUNG employer.”
He added that you can drive
whenever you want.
Other Langara students were not
keen on the idea of driving part-time
numbers, the unemployment rate
fell to 12.7 per cent from 12.2 per
for companies like Uber.
“I don’t know if Uber pays enough
cent in the last few months.
According to some Langara
to make it worth it, if you factor in students, the reason why they
car maintenance and gas,” Dave aren’t looking for jobs is because
Scorer said.  of busy school schedules or a
The business model is unclear for desire to focus on their academics.

S
ome Langara students say
they would drive part-time
for the incoming ride-hailing
companies because they have flexible
schedules.
Ride-hailing companies
like Uber and Lyft will be
operating in B.C. this fall
and students are seeing it
as a potential job oppor-
tunity.
In B.C, to become a
driver for ride-hailing
companies, a Class 4 driv-
er’s licence is needed. The
vehicle must also be nine
years or newer.
Karanpreet Singh, a second-year
computer studies diploma student,
Student Yao Fu likes the benefits Alochen Rajaratnam, “Personally I
of this independence too. wouldn’t because I don’t understand
 “The money we get is much more the concept at this point,” he said.
than the [cost of operating a car]... Right now, there is no shortage of
job ads for Uber and Lyft
driver job ads in the Lower
“It's an independent Mainland.
Uber was first founded
job. You don't have as UberCab in 2009 in San
to work under some Francisco. The following
year Uber had it's first trip.
employer.” In 2012, Toronto was
— KARANPREET SINGH
the first city in Canada
COMPUTER STUDIES STUDENT to launch the ride-hail-
ing program. Ottawa
followed suit in 2014 Uber
and you just take your time to go to launched in Calgary in 2015. Today
school or go back home, “ said Fu. “I over 40 cities in Canada have Uber
think that it’s pretty convenient for and other ride-hailing services.
Some programs like Studio 58
do not allow students to have jobs
during the term.
The average rate of unemploy-
ment for youth 15-29 was 11.8%
between 1990 and 2015
“I have to focus on my stud-
ies,” explained Langara student
Mihaela Andruseac. “I am study-
ing full time.”
Some want jobs but find it
tough to find one.
Langara art student Mathew
Sever said he sometimes found
that “language can be a barrier.”
The number of students who
applied for the SWAP program A young man works at Starbucks.
this fall increased compared to PHOTO ERIS SIVA, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
4 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2019 | EDITOR NATHAN GAN

Magic mushrooms
Used for medicine

DISCLAIMER:
The Voice does not promote the unsupervised use of
Mushrooms he
psychedelic mushrooms. Some may be poisonous. If Studies on psychedelic fungi may

P
you are looking into using psychedelic mushrooms for sychedelic mushrooms are
medicinal purposes, please seek a professional agency. making headlines this year,
and research shows their
properties may help allevi-
ate anxiety, depression and addiction.
Sam Reeve, president of Vancou-
ver Mycological Society, said magic
mushroom research looks promising,
though more studies will be necessary
to confirm its effectiveness on differ-
ent people.
“It’s just going to be one more thing
in the toolbox for fighting areas of
mental illness,” Reeve said.
The Vancouver Mycological Soci-
ety, is a community of researchers and
enthusiasts who are passionate about
fungi, including mushrooms, their
biochemical properties, and their use
for traditional and modern medicine.
The society is open to discussing the
promising use of magic mushrooms for
medicinal purposes, but also empha-
sizes the risks of taking a hallucinogen.
Although she is pro-legalization,
Reeve said it’s important to use caution.
“It will be good that it’s a bit regu-
lated,” she said. “We don’t want people
selling things that are grown in unsafe
conditions.”
On Sunday, Oct. 20, the VMS
hosted their 40th Annual Fall Mush-
room Show at the VanDusen Botani-
cal Garden.
The show included interactive
displays of mushrooms, vendors, and
several in-depth presentations on
mushroom subtopics.
One of the speakers at the show was
Paul Kroeger, a founder of the VMS
and prominent B.C. mycologist, who
gave a talk on psilocybin, the chemical

TOP LEFT: A group of Psilocybe pelliculosa sprouting on a forest floor. These

mushrooms are almost exclusively found in British Columbia. COURTESY OF
MUSHROOMOBSERVER.ORG

TOP MIDDLE: Alan Rockefeller extends his hand to show his gathering of
Psilocybe quebecensis. These moderately active mushrooms are native to
Quebec (hence the namesake). COURTESY OF MUSHROOMOBSERVER.ORG

TOP RIGHT: Large specimens of Amanite muscaria (Fly

agaric) are laid out on a observational booth at the
40th Annual Fall Mushroom Show at VanDusen Botani-
cal Garden in Vancouver, B.C. These mushrooms are
arguably the most universally recognized mushroom,
used frequently across pop culture. PHOTO BY KRISTEN
HOLLIDAY

BOTTOM LEFT: A healthy patch of Psilocybe semilanceata (Angel Cap) grows

in a patch of wet grass. Many magic mushroom users label it the most "user
friendly" of them all. COURTESY OF MUSHROOMOBSERVER.ORG

BOTTOM MIDDLE: VMS president Sam Reeve proudly holds up one of dozens
of mushroom specimens at the 40th Annual Fall Mushroom Show at VanDusen
Botanical Garden in Vancouver, B.C. The specific mushroom she is holding is
a Leucopaxillus septentrionalis (giant leucopax). PHOTO BY KRISTEN HOLLIDAY

elp with mind
y help with mental illnesses
compound in magic mushrooms.
Kroeger senses society shifting in
favour of legalizing psychedelic mush-
rooms and exploring their medicinal
potential.
He sees potential in recent studies.
“For serious treatment of Post Trau-
matic Stress Disorder, for coming to
terms with end of life issues, I think
there’s great validity," he said.
The Johns Hopkins Center for
Psychedelic & Consciousness Research
in Baltimore, United States, have
published 64 peer-reviewed studies
over the past 13 years on psilocybin
and their effects on humans.
In one such study from 2016, titled
Long-term Follow-up of Psilocybin-facil-
itated Smoking Cessation, researchers
found that psilocybin, when adminis-
tered in a structured treatment plan,
effectively helped the majority of
participants to curb their addiction.
After a year, 67 per cent of the partic-
ipants had not resumed smoking.
The researchers concluded psilocybin
was more effective for smoking cessa-
tion than other medications and thera-
peutic methods.
In September, Vancouver city coun-
cil discussed a proposal to investigate
the distribution and sale of psilocybin,
according to their meeting minutes.
Thirteen speakers attended to
defend the natural psychedelic and
the proposal was ultimately rejected.
Counsellor Pete Fry said: “I don’t
think this motion is helpful at all.
I think it imparts far too much
stigma and sets us off on a bias that
is not helpful to having a fulsome
conversation.”
News&Features 5
Studies in Psilocybin
Research tells how body reacts to chemical compound
P
silocybin is the chemical compound responsible mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties, psilocybe is
for the hallucinogenic effects of magic mush- the most widely known.
rooms, and has a powerful effect on the brain. According to the Vancouver Mycological Society
DrugScience is a U.K.-based drugs advisory commit- website, ingesting mushrooms containing psilocybin
tee that reviews scientific evidence related to drugs. can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes to take effect
Their website says research is still ongoing regarding after being eaten depending on the dose.
how psilocybin affects brain While VMS vice
chemistry, but scientists president Mendel
understand psilocybin has a “First thing that Skulski believes the
similar structure to serotonin.
Serotonin is a chemical that
comes to mind is area of research into
magic mushrooms’
has numerous roles in brain psilocybe.” medicinal properties
and body function. Accord- — JI YANG is valuable, he doesn’t
ing to DrugScience, “Binding LANGARA COLLEGE BIOLOGY believe everyone should
and activation of serotonin DEPARTMENT CHAR use them. “There are
receptor sites correlate with SUBMITTED PHOTO certain mental health
the manifestation of psyche- issues that are some-
delic effects.” times exacerbated by magic mushrooms,” he said.
Langara biology instructor Ji Yang said, “when you “It’s really important to be cautious, and important to
say magic mushrooms, the first thing that comes to my go into such experiences with a not insignificant degree
mind is psilocybe.” Although there are other types of of preparation.”
STORIES BY KRISTEN HOLLIDAY
 6 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2019 | EDITOR MANDY MOON
Viewpoints
Online
PR quiz
not easy
A
lthough there are many
obstacles for international
students to find relevant
work in Canada after they graduate,
there is also an obstacle for employ-
ers. It’s called the Labour Market
Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Many international post-second-
ary students who want permanent
residency would be seeking to qualify
under Immigration Canada’s Skilled
Worker category.
This involves
c o m p l e t -
ing a points-
based online
q u e s t i on n a i re
where an appli-
cant is assessed
points based on OPINION
six factors of
language skills, LINA
education, work CHUNG
experience, age,
arranged employment and adapt-
ability factors.
Only applicants with the high-
est points are invited to apply for
permanent residency status.
A LMIA is a laborious application
a company has to make to Immigra-
tion Canada to prove that there is
no qualified Canadian available for
the job. The employer must provide
documentation as to why each Cana-
dian interviewed was not qualified
for the job.
A recent Statistics Canada
study published in September
states only a third of international
students stay and work in Canada
six years after graduating, possi-
To many young men and women, the prospect of getting married may seem antiquated. And to others, a prision sentence. MANDY MOON ILLUSTRATION bly due to issues finding work.

Happily ever after or not

I decided to try Immigration
Canada’s online questionnaire to
figure out how many points I’d get
under the Skilled Worker category.
Although I’m a domestic student,
I answered the questionnaire as if I
were an international student with

D
good English fluency, aged 30, single,
oes marriage still have been historically used as a claim gation or an idea of commitment. something we wanted to subject with a Canadian two-year diploma.
a place in 2019? The of ownership over women. Some Some may only choose to get ourselves to. We asked ourselves Then, I got to work experience and
Philosopher’s Jam: traditions dictate that when a married because of family pressure, what would our future look like, job offer questions:
Resisting Marriage woman is married she moves out or because it’s viewed as the mature both if we did and didn’t get married. “In the last ten years, how many
- Rec laiming of her father’s home and into her step after being together for so long. There was no financial gain as the years of skilled work experience in
Right: An Early husband’s; that she take his last Marriage should be a choice of cost of the wedding was more than Canada do you have?”
Modern Critique name and bear his children. In the heart. I’d ever be Since it has to be a job classed as
of Patriarchy, many religions or cultures, a woman It can also be willing to managerial, professional, or skilled
held on campus may be expected to keep her virgin- a choice of “Marriage should be admit, and trades, I responded none, a situa-
just last Thursday, ity intact until her wedding night. triumph. obtaining tion similar to many international
aimed to address With such restraints, it can be diffi- Even though a choice of heart. It a marriage students.
that question. cult to see why any woman would same sex can also be choice of license was a Then this, “Do you have a valid
According to
the latest Statis- OPINION want to get married.
From my own feminist voice;
marriage has
been legal in triumph.”
hassle.
But for us
job offer supported by a Labour
Market Impact Assessment?”
tics Canada data, women are equal to men, and Canada since we decided Many international students do
MANDY
approximately no person has the right to 2005, it was only just decriminalized the hassle was worth it. Being not receive this, so I responded no.
38 per cent of all MOON claim ownership over another. in Northern Ireland on October 22. able to stand before our friends I scored 367 out of a possible of
marriages end While traditions are important as I am also married, and believe that and family and declare our devo- 1200 points. Currently, on Immigra-
in divorce. Though the divorce rate they're part of one’s culture progres- marriage still has its place in 2019. tion to each other, to exercise our tion Canada’s website, I need a mini-
has been dropping since the 1980’s, sion is far more valuable. Progres- The decision to get married right to participate in this tradition. mum of 450 points to be invited to
many still argue what is the point of sion can reshape society and change wasn’t easy to come to. My part- Marriage should always be a choice. apply for PR. Without PR status,
even gettng married? a cultural thinking. As we change, so ner and I had several discussions But so should the decision to end international students need to leave
In a heterosexual marriage, it is too do our values. on whether it was right for us, one. the country.
inarguable that this tradition has Do not get married out of obli- and if the trial of a wedding was

HOW TO DROP-IN MANAGING Nathan Gan WEB EDITORS REPORTERS WE WANT TO

REACH US Room A226 EDITOR PAGE 6 Christina Dommer Anita Zhu HEAR FROM YOU CONTACT
Langara College Mandy Moon Mandy Moon Chelsea Liu Henri Ngimbis Have a different point
PHONE PAGE 7 Adam Levi Kristen Holliday of view? Write us
US
The Voice is pub- government and 604-323-5396 SNAIL MAIL PAGE EDITORS Agazy Mengesha Mathilda de Villiers Gina Rogers
lished by Langara administration. We E-MAIL The Voice PAGE 1 PAGE 8 Maxim Fossey Lauren Gargiulo Journalism instructor Online at
College’s journalism welcome letters to thevoice@langara. 100 West 49th Ave. Liam Hill-Allan Tierney Grattan Lina Chung Erica Bulman oversees langaravoice.ca
department. Editorial the editor. They may bc.ca Vancouver, B.C. PAGE 2 SOCIAL MEDIA Palak Klaire The Voice.
opinions are those be edited for brevity. WEBSITE V5Y 2Z6 Joe Ayres MANAGING WEB EDITOR Ray Chopping Twitter
of the staff and Your letter must in- langaravoice.ca PAGE 3 EDITOR Austin Everett Soubhik Chakrabarti Email: ebulman @LangaraVoice
are independent of clude your name and INSTRUCTOR Josh Rey Missy Johnson Steven Chang @langara.ca
views of the student phone number. Erica Bulman PAGE 4 & 5
 Arts&life EDITOR AGAZY MENGESHA | THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2019 | THE VOICE
7

A social group for men Why

women
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House program aims to
provide a space for men to support each other don't
bike
 By HENRI NGIMBIS

S
upport programs focused
on helping men are partic-
ularly important in the era
of modern technology Research suggests
when families don’t interact with real
conversations, according to the coor-
less than half of cy-
dinator of a South Vancouver group.
Eric Lau is the coordinator of
clists are women
the South Vancouver Neighbour-  By PALAK KLAIRE
hood Centre’s Man-Up community

programs, which are a series of social
groups focused around supporting
men and those who identify as men.
“Key social issues
like children
education... must be
supported by men
and fathers.”
— ALI LADAL, ENGINEER
Lau said men who attend the
meetings support each other on
developing relationships.
“In some families, the interac-
tion between children and parents
do not exist anymore due to the lack
of conversation caused by smart-
phones,” Lau said.
“Parents must spend more time
with their children during the week-
end and limit the screen time for
children.”
Another participant, Ryan Brown
supported this point of view. Brown
said that although Canada has had a
long tradition of democracy and free
thinking, parents must sometimes
behave in an autocratic manner to
Participants Ali Ladal and Ryan Brown at the Cinemates (Short Films & Social Issues) meeting on the 14th. HENRI NGIM-
BIS PHOTO
preserve family cohesion.
The drop-in groups meet regu-
larly in three community centres, at
Sunset Community Centre, South
Hill Neighbourhood Centre and
South Vancouver Neighbourhood
House. Topics at the support group
include a book brigade, conversa-
tions over coffee, story circle, job
search sessions and movies.
At the recent meeting on Octo-
ber 16, the group watched the movie
The Sisters Brothers and then had a
discussion on debt and family rela-
tionships.
Lau said the group, which began
in the summer, was needed because
there were many programs for
women and families, but not enough
for men to support each other.
Ali Ladal, an engineer who came
to Canada as a permanent resi-
dent from India twenty years ago,
attended the meeting, praising
the initiative of men’s groups like
Man-Up.
“Key social issues like children
education and family peace must
thoroughly be supported by men
and fathers,” Ladal said. “There are
many families deeply indebted in
this country because parents are
lackadaisical with children.”
W
omen make up just
38 per cent of cyclists
in Vancouver, said a
graduate student who is conducting
research into the reasons behind the
gender disparity.
Anjela Godber, a graduate student
from Athabasca University and
an avid cyclist, said her research
suggests that men make up most of
the cyclists who are on the road.
Godber said some of the impacts
on the number of women cyclists she
had seen is when Vancouver started
building more separated cycling
lanes.
"About 25 per cent of the cyclists
were women, then it jumped to 38
per cent,” Godber said.
“That's a jump but still isn't half of
the male cyclists.”
Stephanie Sersli, a Ph.D. student
at Simon Fraser University who
studies on the gender difference in
“I belong here, the
road belongs to
everybody. It's a
public space.”
— ANJELA GODBER, GRADUATE STUDENT

A pure critique of marriage

cycling, suggested that many women
are not prepared to travel along car-
shared roads and have unique mobil-
ity habits.
"We live in a car-dominated envi-
ronment, and our cities are literally

Forum examines the tyranny of

men over them “Fonte's treatment M
E m i l y
cBrayan,
Katharine Browne, the coordi-
nator for Philosophers’ Jams, said
designed around cars," she said.
“Many people associate biking
as an artificial who attended she thought Emmett’s focus on with being assertive, you need to
the use of mar- and indefen-
sible develop-
of marriage... one the for um,
suggested
early modern women was a needed
addition to their open forums that
pick your space and being assertive
are things that women are told not
riage as a tool ment,” Emmett
said at the
that was degrading that marriage
could some-
philosophy lacked.
“Philosophy suffers from an
to do.”
Godber herself said she has
to women's political,
against women forum.
“ Fonte ’s
moral and economic
times be a net
benefit for
underrepresentation of women in
the field, and I thought that a Jam
encountered male behaviour on her
routes.
treatment women. that highlighted women’s contri- "I've definitely had odd expe-
 By ANITA ZHU of marriage " S o m e bution to the discipline would be a riences, and it all unfortunately
specifically
agency.” w o m e n welcome and important addition to involved men, it could be male driv-

M
arriage as an illegiti-
mate concept that was
forced upon women by
men to diminish their authority was
the subject of a philosophical forum
Thursday.
Kelin Emmett, an assistant profes-
sor at UBC, spoke on the nature
of marriage at the Philosophers’
Jam forum on Thursday, sharing
documents from her postdoctoral
research about early modern women
philosophers.
One of them was a writing called
Giustizia delle donne by Modesta di
Pozzo di Forzi (pen name Moder-
ata Fonte), a 16th century Veni-
cian writer who wrote outside of the
genre norms that were expected for
women at the time.
In the literary dialogue that was
published by her children after her
death, Fonte writes about two groups
of women who debate the nature of
men.
“The questions of what modern
readers are to make of the dialogue
invites further philosophical consid-
erations of the dialogue’s most inter-
esting passages, many of which quite
lucidly portray women’s equality and
indicates that it — KELIN EMMETT, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR financially our schedule,” Browne said. ers, it could be male cyclists, they are
can be viewed benefit from “As with all of our Jams, I hope very odd experiences."
as a political institution as opposed marriage,” McBrayan said. that the talk will prompt reflec- It is essential to create a healthy
to a natural institution, and one that “If divorce happens, women are tion and discussion on issues that bicycling atmosphere, and safety is
was degrading to women’s political, usually the ones end up getting men’s are philosophically interesting and a fundamental concern for women,
moral and economic agency.” pension.” socially significant.” according to Godber.
“Women have identified why
finding maps and trying to navigate
through the cycling routes can be
somewhat challenging," said Godber.
Godber encouraged women to not
be deterred by any of the challenges
they might face.
“I think the more you bike, the
more confidence you end up getting,”
Godber said, suggesting they remind
themselves that, "I belong here, the
road belongs to everybody. It's a
public space."
With Bike to Work week start-
ing on the 21st, Sersli says it’s a great
time to start supporting everyone’s
right to bike, regardless of gender in
Vancouver.
“Bike to Work Week is a great way
to show support and celebrate people
who bike to work,” Sersli said.
"As a society, we really need to start
thinking about how we can change
Kelin Emett at the Philosophers' Jam Thursday, where she talked about the portrayal of marriage by early modern our physical and social environment
women writers. ANITA ZHU PHOTO so that women continue biking."
 8 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2019 | EDITOR TIERNEY GRATTAN
Sportsnews
Home
turf too
distant
Men's team wants
home field advantage
 By LAUREN GARGIULO

T
he lack of an easily accessible
playing field for the Lang-
ara men’s soccer team is one
of the reasons the team didn’t qual-
ify for the Pacific Western Athletic
Association Championship this
season according to the coach.
Langara College despite not
competing will host the champion-
ship games offsite at the Burnaby
Lake Sports Complex West Fields.
Vancouver Island University, Doug-
las College and Capilano Univer-
sity will be competing and winners SEASON
will go on to Ontario for a national
competition. PREVIEW
Coach Marc Rizzardo said Lang-
ara has a good record, athletically
and academically across the coun-
try. But the lack of a soccer field has
made it tough.
Of the final four teams leading The women's team works hard to gel together and work cohesively in practice, Oct. 16 2019. STEVEN CHANG PHOTO

Falcons pressing ahead

up to the PACWEST Champion-
ship, Langara is the only one with-
out a field on or near the campus.
Despite not qualifying, Langara will
nevertheless host the tournament
— offsite at Burnaby Lake Sports
Complex West.
“I would love to get a field on
campus,” said Jake McCallum,
director of athletics and intramurals
Men aim to strengthen defence, women work on cohesion
at Langara. “We don’t have a lot of  By STEVEN CHANG Men’s team coach Paul Eberhardt Last year, the team lost players due for the women’s basketball team at
space.” stated they intend to press more to injuries and academic issues which Langara College, with many of the

The Falcon’s field is Musqueam
Turf, located off of SW Marine
Drive in the Musqueam First Nation
Land at 4921 Staulo Cr. The team
practices five days a week and plays
back to back games Saturday and
Sunday during the regular season,
which ended on Oct. 20.
While other teams’ have the
opportunity to have school engage-
ment, because of the far location, it
is difficult to bring students to the
games according to Rizzardo.
“Support from the student body is
zero,” he said.
The lack of student engagement
from fans coming to see the game
does not stop the team from being
their own biggest fans, according to
Joey Ratcliffe, the team’s captain.
Ratcliffe said he and his team-
mates have formed a close connec-
tion.
“We spend the week together. It
really cements that bond,” Ratcliffe
said. “I think that’s one of the biggest
things about playing for this team.”
O
nly one returning female
athlete for the Falcons
means fans will be seeing
many new players this year, while on
the men’s side, the returning veterans
will lead the offensive.
Heading into the season, which
begins Nov. 1, both women’s and
men’s basketball are working to
improve on last year’s performances.
Last season, with a string of injuries
and a weak defense, the men lost in
the quarterfinal of the Pacific West-
ern Conference. Meanwhile, the
women finished in fourth place, and
will build on gelling in the hopes to
rank higher this year.
aggressively and force more turn- gave redshirt team member Jason new players coming from the U.S.
overs this season. Claur a chance to step in and help The women’s coach Curtis Nelson
“I would expect by late Janu- the team. Now a full-fledged player, praised his team for the extra prepa-
ary and Febru- Claur will make ration and work all 12 team members
ary that we’ll be a big difference have put in, saying they wouldn’t
competitive with on the men’s expect anything less than excellence.
ever yone else “Work ethic has team according “Work ethic has been the key,”
in the league,” to Anderson. first-year recruit Binny Atwal said.
Eberhardt said. been the key." “ Jason wil l “We tried to adapt the mentality of
Returning — BINNY ATWAL, FIRST-YEAR RECRUIT help us out. We always doing more and not settling
veterans Moeiz were in a tough for average.”
Athaya, a third- situation last year Katie Skipworth a native from
year student, and Tyler Anderson, and having him as a redshirt to be Lebanon, Oregon, said they have
in his fourth-year, will provide lead- ready to play made a big difference,” been working very hard this season.
ership and keep an eye on younger said Anderson.  “We’re pretty young. I think we all
team members who may need more Steph von Riedemann is the only have the attitude of wanting to be
support. returning female athlete this year here,” Skipworth said.

PACWEST
STANDINGS
VIU
W-D-L
7-3-2
Ranked: 1st: 1ST
DOUGLAS
W-D-L
6-4-2
Ranked: 2nd
CAPILANO
W-D-L
4-4-4
Ranked: 3rd
LANGARA
W-D-L
2-8-2
Ranked: 4th Langara's current men's team plays against alumni players at the Langara Gym, Oct. 18 2019. STEVEN CHANG PHOTO