LIFE & LIVING VIEWPOINTS ONLINE SPECIAL

Food Habits Student Voting Voice Radio

Learn how you can have a Get our reporter's take on Our first podcast episode
healthy diet despite COVID-19 whether student voting will take a highlights Studio 58's new online
restrictions P2 hit this election P3 format langaravoice.ca

PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA OCTOBER 22, 2020 • VOL. 54 NO. 04 • VANCOUVER, B.C.

S. Van
riding a
toss-up
New candidates look to
end Liberal's firm grip
on the Langara riding
 By TYSON BURROWS

F
or the first time in three decades,
the NDP has a chance to wrest
away the Liberal stranglehold on
the Vancouver-Langara riding.
Since its creation just prior to the
1991 provincial election, the Vancou-
ver-Langara riding has been a Liberal
stronghold but could see a shift to John
Horgan’s NDP, should the party’s
current popularity hold out.
Incumbent MLA Michael Lee, seek-
ing to defend the Liberals’ reign, won
in 2017 by the smallest margin since
the creation of the riding.
Meanwhile, the NDP’s popularity
continues to grow in B.C., partly due
to its handling of the pandemic.
Stephen Phillips, coordinator of
Langara’s political science department,
said the riding tends to vote in groups
defined by their demographic.
“There are parts of the riding that
habitually vote Liberal and other areas
that are fairly staunchly NDP,” Phil-
lips said.
Lee, who did not respond to three
interview requests by The Voice, has
centred his campaign on maintaining a
“healthy, sustainable, and safe commu-
nity.”
NDP candidate Tesicca Truong
is promising a government that will
better represent a changing Canada,
amid climate change, a seemingly
endless opioid crisis and the dearth of
affordable housing in the province.
“We need intergenerational leader- Peter Lemanski (left) and Ian Vickers (right) studying from a local independent cafe to access their online learning courses. CAROLINE EGAN PHOTO

E-ducation disconnects
ship to guide us and make sure this
province is prepared for a rapidly
changing world,” said Truong, who
would become the youngest serving
MLA in B.C. if elected, as well as the
first of Vietnamese descent.

Transition to online classes has been tough for all involved

Phillips worried with its current
popularity, NDP-leaning voters could
become complacent while Liberal-
leaning voters could be demoralized.  By CAROLINE EGAN focused place” is challenging. this year and has struggled with the “It would be interesting to see what

S
Voters may think “we're going to fail “I would quick transition. doors we could open with online learn-
[or] we're going to win anyway, so they tudents are struggling to adapt never study “I’m worried ing.”
don't need my vote,” he said. as Langara College has moved to at home,” he “I’m worried about about the qual- Another Langara student, Jet Simon,
Trying to make headway is Green online classes in most programs said. “I now ity and reten- felt differently about learning online.
candidate Stephanie Hendy, a cham- to help limit contact during the go to Tim the quality and tion being “It works for me.”
pion of equity who is unafraid her
opinions might differ from her party’s.
COVID-19 pandemic.
Working all day in front of a
Hortons or
somewhere to
retention being compromised
being delivered
He said that since he is a first-year
student in computer science, it is hard
Currently a disability case manager, computer screen, often at home where work.” compromised being online,” he said. to make the comparison to on-campus
she wants to represent people of lower others might be distracting and with Singh said “I feel discon- classes. Simon said that it has not signif-
socioeconomic status, and people with new, often unfamiliar online tools are that he gets delivered online.” nected.” icantly affected his ability to work.
disabilities. common challenges for students. stressed out —DEYAR ASMARO, LANGARA PSYCHOLOGY Asmaro said “There’s definitely a lot of pros and
“Let’s help the people that are most “It just doesn’t work for me,” said and loses that he is more cons,” he said. “It’s different for every-
disadvantaged first,” Hendy said, “I first-year general studies Langara focus. “It’s flexible with due one, but I would like to be able to use
would like to make tuition free for student Kunwarpreet Singh, who finds definitely a lot harder.” dates and tests this year considering the on campus services.”
those who have demonstrated finan- staring at a screen for too long strains Langara psychology instructor Deyar technical and COVID related difficul-
cial need.” his eyes and trying to keep a “quiet and Asmaro is navigating online teaching ties that students may be experiencing. See langaravoice.ca for more coverage
 Life&living EDITOR SOUBHIK CHAKRABARTI | THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 2020 | THE VOICE 2

Clockwise: South Van-

couver residents are
using unique measures
to combat recycling
bins being stolen.

Top: Patrick Oliver

explains how he walks
around his neighbour-
hood early in the
mornings, warning
would-be thieves of his
presence.

Left: A detailed shot of

RecycleBC recycling
bins.

PHOTOS BY CHARLIE CAREY

More recycling bins go missing

South Vancouver residents up in arms against recycling bin disappearances
 By CHARLIE CAREY

A
group of South Vancou-
ver residents is frustrated
by the mysterious disap-
pearance of their recycling
bins.
Residents have witnessed an
increase in bin thefts over the last few
years.
To combat this aggravating
nuisance, they are trying to ward off
would-be thieves by patrolling the
neighbourhood and marking their
bins.
Diane Berard, a Victoria-Fraserview
resident, has noticed an increase in
thefts over the last three years.
After having her recycling bin
stolen and her garbage can tipped out
in her laneway, Berard now puts the
recycling bins in her garage.
“There’s always people look-
ing around on garbage day, so I put
the address on the yellow bag, and
nobody’s taken it since.”
Patrick Oliver has become so frus-
trated he has taken it upon himself to
walk around the neighbourhood at
4 a.m. a few times a week as a visible
deterrent.
“The only thing I can do is be pres-
ent. If I do catch someone, I can only
tell them to get away,” said Oliver, a
13-year resident of Fraserview near
Kent and Victoria, who is also actively
reaching out to neighbours to start a
block watch. “If you have more than
two people it’s safer, right.”
RecycleBC, a not-for-profit orga-
nization funded by recycling material
producers, runs British Columbia’s
recycling program.
The organization has handled curb-
side recycling in Vancouver since 2014
and offers residents one free replace-
ment bin for every three-year period.
David Lefebvre of RecycleBC
“appreciates that it’s frustrating” for
residents, and said that if more than
one replacement is needed during this
period, residents are “only charged
the cost of the bin and delivery fee,”
which ranges from $5 to $13.
RecycleBC did not answer ques-
tions on how many recycling bins
have gone missing.
Marnee Klintworth, a resident who
has lived near Memorial Park South
for over 20 years, said her recycling
bins were stolen just six months after
they were installed.
Since marking their bags and boxes,
however, Klintworth hasn’t had her
bins stolen again.
“First, I started marking with a felt
pen, but slowly over time [the writ-
ing] got bigger and bigger. But it was
like, why am I having to mark this
stuff? It’s just ridiculous. They’re
easy to get, and they’ll get delivered
to your house.”
Lefebvre said that RecycleBC’s
work is to reduce barriers to allow
residents to recycle more.
Residents don’t have to use a Recy-
leBC container, but they should be a
similar size to the original blue and
grey bins.
To request a new bin, they can call
311 or can use the RecyleBC mobile
app.

Surviving a pandemic with good diet

Langara students lunches and snacks. Kawashita prefers to bring food term, Cristel Moubarak, an instruc- HEALTHY EATING
look to stay
“Good basic nutrition says, eat regu- from home if she needs to eat while at tor in the nutrition and food service TOP TIPS
larly through- the campus. management department at Lang-
out the day, eat "I plan meals ara, recommended the Community
healthy during within a couple “If you're choosing ahead of time," Cupboard, a program that provides 1. Plan your meals
of hours of grains, then whole she said. a week’s worth of food to students in Eat meals with others. Take
the pandemic getting up, and
choose a wide grains offer more
When she
goes to college,
need.
Moubarak said students should feel
time to eat. Notice when you are
hungry and when you are full
 By BREANNE DOYLE
variety of foods.
Most of us
nutrition than refined sdifferent he brings
food
no shame in taking advantage of the
program. “It’s important to realize that 2. Have variety

S
tudents concerned about healthy
eating during the pandemic
should stick to the basics, says
UBC nutrition professor Gerry
Kasten.
Cafeterias, restaurants, and coffee
shops across the campus have been
shut down since March 21 due to
COVID-19 guidelines.
Students who must attend classes in
person have limited options for finding
could eat more grains.” items from getting good food… and being full is Eat a variety of healthy foods
vegetables and GERRY KASTEN, NUTRITION PROFESSOR, UBC home, like a pie the first step for them to perform well each day. Limit highly processed
fruits,” Kasten or a cake to eat in school.” foods.
said. during lunch. Students who are looking to take
“If you’re choosing grains, then However, most students aren’t advantage of the Langara Commu- 3. Preparing meals
whole grains offer more nutrition than required to be at the campus the entire nity Cupboard need only to complete
refined grains.” day for classes. So cafeterias and restau- a form on the Langara website, and Use ingredients that have little
“Before the lockdown, I used to rants being closed do not seem to affect pick up their grocery bag on campus. or no added sodium, sugars or
bring my own food anyway,” account- them much. Students who are looking to know saturated fat.
ing student Thelma Kawashita said. For students who are facing a finan- more about the program can log onto SOURCE: HTTPS://FOOD-GUIDE.CANADA.CA/EN/
“Not much has changed.” cial hit with the pandemic during the the Langara website.
 3 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 2020 | EDITOR RYAN NG
Viewpoints
Youth
apathy for
COVID virus
creates risk
Y
oung people have developed
sentiments of overconfidence
against the pandemic.
COVID-19 has been the rise
amongst young people in developed
countries, and to avoid another major
lockdown in B.C. they need to be more
careful.
In August SFU
Health Sciences
professor Scott
Students are experiencing more stress and financial pressures since the beginning of the pandemic. MAX LECKIE ILLUSTRATION Lear told Global

Student voting marked absent

News: “I think the
message that we
hear is that you’re
young, you´re not
going to die, so OPINION

T
he B.C. provincial govern-
ment could see a drop
in student voting, due
to the stress and anxiety
surrounding voting during a global
pandemic.
A snap election was called in the
middle of an academic semester, and
amid total uncertainty regarding the
COVID-19 pandemic.
For many students, this is the first
semester of online learning. The
stress of learning in a completely
new approach, as well as studying for
upcoming midterms could be deter-
you´re not going
rent enough for students to choose not The same study found that one in tion but it is still unlikely to draw an to be at risk”. HENRI B.
to vote. five students are experiencing more increased number of voters, strictly Dr. Bonnie NGIMBIS
Students are also experiencing financial pressure since the start of the due to the abruptness of this election. Henry, B.C.'s
higher levels of pandemic. Financial barriers translate Not all post secondary institutions health officer, said on Oct. 19 in a state-
stress. A study into lower voter turnout, as the B.C. are providing the U-pass that many ment, "It is possible that we could go
from Chegg.org government found that people with a students relied on to travel. Many of into one of those rapidly increasing
found that 58 higher unemployment rate and a lower whom will need to take an increas- curves or waves," she said. "We are in a
percent of college median income are less likely to vote. ingly risky transit system. Students tricky place right now.". Reports from
students surveyed The percent of young people voting are going to have to leave their homes the BC Centre for Disease Control
were “moder- has risen over the last two provincial and schoolwork and head to the polls confirm that during the second week
ately”, “very”
or “extremely” OPINION elections, but this trend could come to
an end due to the constraints of school
on Oct. 24, 2020. At the same time,
everyone is advised to remain in their
of July, the largest proportion of new
cases reported was amongst the 20-29
worried about work and a provincial mandate asking homes as much as possible due to the age group.
JACOB
their own mental students to stay home. Mail-in ballot- COVID-19 restrictions, making going Since the start of COVID-19 when
VAN LUVEN
health. ing is increasing in popularity this elec- out to vote a difficult proposition. it first emerged in Wuhan, China,
media and medical experts have

Issues&ideas
focused their messages on how the
virus mostly affects vulnerable people,
particularly the elderly or those with
chronic diseases.

Seniors need
With many of the jobs the youth
hold closing their doors the lack of
employment and other activities
during the lockdown is another key
factor that explains the rise of the

food, solutions
pandemic. Youths, few wearing masks,
spend their spare time at social gather-
ings with a high rate of propagating
the disease.
COVID-19 is a serious killer that
can damage the lives of all generations

Community steps SVNH said they have been in conver-

sation with The City of Vancouver,
of people. Health experts are vehe-
mently warning that the COVID-19

in after food bank

discussing solutions for food support can generate long-term side effects
in South Vancouver. even if somebody recovers from it.
“We're working on creating a new With the second wave in full swing,
closures food hub, that’s where we're at right
now,” said Laura Gair, Seniors Hub
young people in B.C. need to be
cautious about how they spend their
 By EMMA GREGORY programmer at South Vancouver time. No one wants to tell anyone they
Neighbourhood House. can't go out and enjoy their lives. With

S
ince the start of a petition by the
South Vancouver Neighbour-
hood House, local commu-
nity members and organizations have
stepped in after multiple Greater
Vancouver Food Bank locations have
closed due to the pandemic. Since
creating a petition, the South Vancou-
ver Neighbourhood House (SVNH)
has been discussing solutions for the
community.
This came after seniors and at-risk
community members were faced with
additional barriers in accessing afford-
able food in South Vancouver.
The petition started in Septem-
ber and is nearing their goal of 1,000
signatures. Since creating the petition,
Because of the Food Bank closure,
from the end of March, the SVNH
distributed meals and one hundred
hampers to young families every
week. Approximately 300 low-income
community members were accessing
emergency food every week.
“We need help,” said Gair
Location barriers and distribution
protocols were two of the main chal-
lenges facing community members
wanting to access low-income food.
“Before COVID, my place would fit
60-70-sometimes a hundred people.
Now with the new restrictions I can
only seat maximum 35.” said Reverend
Chien of Potter’s Place Mission.
Between Aug. 18 and October,
the risk so high and the potential of
another lockdown so great, it’s best
if you stay inside. If you must go out,
wear a mask.
Kate Molloy organizes pre-packed grocery bags to be distributed to South
Vancouver residents at the St. Augustine Anglican Church in Marpole, Van-
couver. EMMA GREGORY PHOTO
SVNH redirected its clients to the “I overheard the coordinators talk-
Marpole Food Drive and the City ing, and I said I’ll do it.” said Kate
Reach Care Society. As a result of the Molloy, who works as the executive
closure of the SVNH, the Marpole director of the Kerrisdale-Oakridge-
Food Drive opened on Sept. 3. Marpole Community Policing Center.

WE WANT TO HOW TO DROP-IN INSTRUCTOR MANAGING Charlie Carey We want to hear from you
HEAR FROM YOU REACH US Room A226 Erica Bulman EDITOR Breanne Doyle
Have a news tip? Write Langara College Lucas Jornitz Caroline Egan Have a different point of view?
to us at thevoice@ PHONE PAGE EDITORS Norman Galimski Tell us.
The Voice is pub- government and langara.ca 604-323-5396 SNAIL MAIL PAGE 1 WEB EDITOR Emma Gregory Have a concern with something
lished by Langara administration. We The Voice Rui Yang Xu Safoura Rigi-Ladiz Veronika Khvoros- we said?
College’s journalism welcome letters to Journalism instructor E-MAIL 100 West 49th Ave. tukhina
Let us know.
department. Editorial the editor. They may Erica Bulman oversees thevoice@langara.ca Vancouver, B.C. PAGE 2 PODCAST EDITOR Meg McLachlan
opinions are those be edited for brevity. The Voice. V5Y 2Z6 Soubhik Chakrabarti Jessica Froud Catherine Mwitta Think we got a fact wrong?
of the staff and Your letter must in- WEBSITE Henri B. Nguimbis Write to us.
are independent of clude your name and Email: ebulman langaravoice.ca PAGE 3 REPORTERS Jacob Van Luven
Email: ebulman@langara.ca
views of the student phone number. @langara.ca Ryan Ng Tyson Burrows