CAMPUS
Living off campus
Students struggle to find
affordable accommodations
without school support. P3
Lest we forget
PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA
Adoptable cats lie in their beds at Catfe in Downtown Vancouver, available for visitors to play and spend time with them. LAUREN GARGIULO PHOTO
Adoption denied? Don't cry.
Temporary residents in B.C. cannot adopt pets but there are other options
 By LAUREN GARGIULO
A
dopting a furry critter is
not an option for every-
one who lives in Canada,
but alternatives such as
fostering pets can allow those who
don’t have a permanent status in
Canada the companionship that
comes from having a pet.
Having a pet as a companion has
been said to reduce stress, increase
happiness, and help combat loneli-
ness.
Only people who have perma-
nent residency or citizenship in the
country are allowed to adopt from
shelters.
B.C. has 37 shelters across the
province. Humane Canada’s 2017
Canadian Animal Shelter Statistics
AT LARGE ONLINE SPECIAL
Bill 21 We remember
International students share Langara international students
reactions to Quebec's recent ban weigh in with their views of
on religious symbols. P2 Canadian veterans.langaravoice.ca
NOVEMBER 7, 2019 • VOL. 52 NO. 04 • VANCOUVER, B.C.
Legacy
lingers
Indigenous lead-
er: colonialism
effects still alive
 By STEVEN CHANG
I
ndigenous students at Langara
are still dealing with negative
stereotypes regarding their iden-
tity and their past.
At a college family studies’ event
on atrocities, divisions and trau-
matic memories in human history,
an Indigenous strategist spoke to
students about the impact of colo-
nialism on Indigenous families.
Kory Wilson, Executive Director
of Indigenous Initiatives and Part-
nerships at BCIT, said the legacy
of colonialism is sadly still around
in Canada and getting worse in
some ways, and education is the key
to overcoming it in Canada. She
encouraged students to learn about
Indigenous culture.
Langara student Virginia Lecoy,
said education was used as a weapon
against Indigenous people. Today,
she is using education to help herself
navigate in the Western world.
“Even though the residential
school doesn’t exist anymore, inter-
generational trauma remains in
families. There are signs of micro
aggression from people telling us to
get over our history, ” Lecoy said.
Second-year associate general Arts
student, Megan Hill, expressed the
desire for the public to raise aware-
ness with not appropriating Indige-
nous culture and seeking it for profit.
“It’s ironic when we weren’t
allowed to embrace our own culture
all these years. Now you see people
wearing the headdress as a joke.”
As an educator, Wilson said that
students from all backgrounds need
to be empowered with formal and
Report shows that in 2017, 45 per can play with puppies that have been Catfe, in Downtown Vancouver, informal education to boost their
cent of shelter dogs and 60 per cent brought in temporarily. a coffee shop that is also home to self-esteem.
of shelter cats were adopted into new Temporary residents are allowed multiple cats, allowing visitors to “Discrimination makes people
homes. to foster pets, but they are not able play with the felines, most of which feel disengaged and alone,” she said.
The remain- to adopt them. are available for adoption. “Marginalized people don’t feel vali-
der of the Natalie Doug Ferguson, a cat whisperer at dated. When people’s voices aren’t
animals were “I feel like it's selfish to Hellyar, who Catfe, said fostering can be a great being heard, they ended up retreat-
either returned graduated short-term solution. ing."
to their guard- adopt a pet if you don't from Lang- Although the policy that only Sociology instructor at Langara,
ian, euthanized, ara’s fine arts people with permanent residence Indira-Natasha Prahst, said that it
transferred, know where you're program in and Canadian citizens can adopt is is important to provide young Indig-
"returned to the going...” April 2019, is not a law, Ferguson said it’s a policy enous students with a spark of moti-
field "(cats) or torn about the shelters have all implemented for a vation to stay in school.
subject to other — NATALIE HELLYAR, RECENT LANGARA GRAD policy. reason, as they have had problems Prahst said Wilson is a role model
outcomes, As much as in the past. for the Indigenous community.
according to the report. she would like to adopt an animal, “It’s not anyone’s fault, but there “There is a disconnect with how
As alternatives to adoption, people she is unsure about where she’s going were people who adopted [a pet] the curriculum is being taught about
can foster, house sit, visit petting zoos to end up in a couple of years. with the best intentions but then Indigenous culture,” Prahst said. “So
or similar establishments. Annually, “I feel like it’s selfish to adopt a pet they have to go back to their coun- having more Indigenous scholars,
Langara hosts a destress fest towards if you don’t know where you’re going try and can’t take the pet with them,” teachers and mentors would really
the end of the year where students or what you’re doing,” she said. he added. help to bridge the gap.”
 2 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 | EDITOR MISSY JOHNSON
Atlarge
Wanted:
more
disability
services
Langara offering new
service for students
with disabilties, but
some still want more
 By RAY CHOPPING

L
angara College has
announced an online system
for students with disabili-
ties to arrange appropriate support
services at the school.
Director of accessibility services,
Suzanne Munson, told The Voice that
they recently launched a new case
management system.
“Our students are now able to do
certain things online like submit
requests for semester accommoda-
tions, accommodation letters, and
book exams,” Munson said. Gandeep Kaur and Ransher Randhawa, sit with friend Jashan Singh (right) at Langara College. Singh said Bill 21 is intolerant and negatively impacts religious
The student management system, communities in Canada. KRISTEN HOLLIDAY PHOTO

Bill 21: condoning racism

called Accommodate, is an Ameri-
can product, and complies with the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Munson explained they chose an
American system because the Acces-
sible Canada Act is still in its infancy.
“So that’s why we went with the
US product because we knew it
would be accessible,” she said.
The news comes after the provin- Students and instructors weigh in on the recent Quebec law
cial government announced a series
of public consultations on accessi-  By KRISTEN HOLLIDAY Bill 21 was passed by Quebec’s Ranil Prasad, a campaign manager an attack on religious communi-
bility. provincial government in June for the BC Humanist Association, ties. He has friends in the Jewish

Shane Simpson, minister of social
development and poverty reduc-
tion, said at a Vancouver commu-
nity consultation on Nov. 1, that the
government wants to ensure future
spaces are designed to be accessi-
ble to everyone and not just aim for
ramps and accessible doorways.
“We need to work on changing the
culture of how we view disability,”
Simpson said. “That may be the most
important thing of all.”
According to visually impaired,
psychology and philosophy student,
Samaneh Nikmanesh, navigating the
Building A can be hard when it’s so
loud and crowded.
J
ashan Singh believes that in 2019 which bans public workers, disputes that claim. The association community who are impacted by the
Canada, you shouldn’t have to such as teach- of atheists and agnostics believe bill and thinks it’s “terrible” Cana-
choose between your job and ers, police officers compassion and morality are possi- dians haven’t done more to protest. 
your religion.  and lawyers, from ble without religion.   “It puts the lie to this idea that
A recent Quebec law has the wearing religious Prasad spoke about the bill at a we’re a multicultural country in an
fourth-year Langara business symbols. These UBC event, which was hosted by the ideological sense,” Blanding said. 
administration student reflecting on include turbans, Hillel Jewish Students’ Association Sociology instructor Indira-Nata-
the impact of intolerance on people kippahs and and the Kazakh Student Association sha Prahst, who teaches a racism and
who put down roots in Canada, crosses. While on Oct. 30. He said even in a secular ethnic relations course at Langara,
thinking the country values multi- Indira-Natasha p r o v i d i n g o r state everyone should be heard. said the students in her class waited
culturalism.   Prahst receiving some “This doesn’t mean excluding for federal leaders to react with a
SOCIOLOGY
“You came here, you are work- INSTRUCTOR public services it people based on how they look from plan to tackle this during the election
ing so hard, and contributing to the is forbidden to society, which is what Bill 21 does,” and were disappointed with silence. 
economy,” Singh said. “In the end, wear anything covering the face. Prasad said. “It leads to a serious question and
what are we going to get? A restric- Coalition Avenir Québec says this Langara Canadian studies instruc- that is, are we condoning this act of
tion on our religion? That’s not fair.”  bill protects state secularism, but tor Lee Blanding believes Bill 21 is racism,” Prahst said.

B.C. politics gain leftism

“This is supposed to be a college,
not a market,” Nikmanesh said.
Building A is one of the original
VOTER PERCENTAGES
FOR YOUTHS AGED 18 - 24
campus buildings not built under
the same regulations as the college’s
newer Science and Technology
Building.
 “The A building gets very full at
certain times of the day,” said visually
New provincial political party promising greener policies 56%
impaired, creative writing student
Gabor Bene, who takes the majority  By GINA ROGERS The BC Ecosocialists say they leftist ideas. Percentage of registered youth
of his classes there. “I tend to avoid want to offer a solution to young “They actually have a chance of voters who voted in the 2017

it during those times.”
Navigating the older buildings is
not the only challenges some Lang-
ara students face. 
“Langara’s accessibility services are
not current. They are not up to date
on blindness,” Nikmanesh said.  The total percentage of Canadians
 Langara College does offer an
in-house transcription service
through the Centre for Acces-
sible Post-secondary Education
Resources BC, for visually impaired
students, but issues can still arise
when access to course material is
delayed, according to Bene.
“It’s a process,” Bene said.   ment and the planet they will inherit.
   The provincial government is
hosting a series of community meet-
ings to learn what the residents of
B.C. want from provincial level legis-
lation in regards to accessibility.
W
ith young voters making
up the largest voting
demographic in Canada,
a new provincial political party
launched this past week — directly
catering to youths.
who voted in 2019 went down from
2015. While the number of young
voters was not available for the most
recent election, statistics show they
climbed 18 per cent from 2011 to
2015. The October federal election
left many students unsure of the
future, especially about the environ-
“Young people see that if we don’t
solve the climate crisis, we cannot
solve the affordability crisis,” Stuart
Parker, BC Ecosocialists spokesper-
son said.
voters who are students.
“We have to get back to a properly
funded system… it means taxing the
very rich right here,” said Parker, who
was a Green Party leader prior to the
launch of BC Ecosocialists.
Langara political science student
Dayla Hart said she was dissatisfied
with the federal election but wasn’t
surprised with the results.
Hart believes in eco-socialism but
views the BC Ecosocialists as an
awkward middle ground between
entryism and grassroots organizing.
“But with the benefits of neither,”
she said.
Hart used 24-year-old NDP
candidate Yvonne Hanson as an
example of effective entryism and
grassroots organizing, using an
established party to present new
winning,” Hart said. provincial election
Stephen Phillips, political science
department chair at Langara, said
that the BC Ecosocialists want
housing to be declared a social right
and the government to become more
48%
involved in building housing.
“No other party, not even the Percentage of registered youth
NDP has gone that far,” Phillips voters who voted in the 2013
said. “So that’s a message that I feel provincial election
might resonate well, particularly
with younger voters.”
Parker believes that the platform
BC Ecosocialists is offering some-
thing Canadians have been wanting.
39%
“I think Canadians have been
really short-changed,” Parker said. Percentage of registered youth
“We decided to do this because we voters who voted in the 2009
knew there’d be an appetite for it.” provincial election
The next provincial election is on
SOURCE: ELECTIONS BC
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021.
 Campusnews
Shouldering their
housing risks alone
Students examine flyer seeking others for shared accomodations, posted on the Student Life bulliten board outside the cafeteria. PALAK KLAIRE PHOTO
Students: school lacking support for those seeking housing
 By PALAK KLAIRE
W
ith no campus
housing nor college
website to help
find housing, many
Langara students find they are fork-
ing out more rent than they can
afford or living far from campus.
While BCIT and KPU offer off-
campus housing communication
platforms for student-to-student
housing options, this same kind of
information is unavailable on Lang-
ara’s website, frustrating many who
come from abroad or outside the city.
“It’s really hard to find accommo-
dation,” said Ekroop Kaur who stud-
ies web and mobile development at
Langara. “Being a student you have
Punjabi Market revamp taking too long
Motion has yet to show
improvements or
increase foot traffic
 By HENRI NGIMBIS
P
unjabi Market venders in
Vancouver are migrating to
Surrey on account of better
business opportunities, leaving the
culturally unique South Vancouver
Inderit Bunwait, part owner of Amrit Fashions, standing dutifuly at shop
counter. PHOTO HENRI NGIMBIS
EDITOR MANDY MOON | THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 | THE VOICE 3
Tim's
kiosks
a hit
Students say self
service reduces
wait times
 By LINA CHUNG
T
wo new kiosks installed to
improve wait times at Lang-
ara’s Tim Hortons, have left
some waiting.
Chartwells, the company that
manages the food services at Lang-
ara, worked with the college to install
two Tim Horton’s self-serve kiosks
in an attempt to alleviate long line-
ups. The units became functional at
the end of August.
Langara student Nabi Akhtar,
who frequents the kiosks, said one
has often been
out of service and
is semi-satisfied
with wait times.
“There could be
to take care of many things; it should accommodations on third-party “Sometimes finding a place to stay some improve-
be in (your) budget.” websites. without knowing about it isn’t safe,” ments, especially
Reba Noel, the manager of “There are some greats risks about Rai said. if they fixed the
student engagement at Langara that,” said Noel. “When you go about On the BCIT website a disclaimer o t h e r k i o s k , ” Anh Nguyen
ACCOUNTING
said the demand that kind of says they do not “assume any respon- Akhtar said. STUDENT
to provide this
kind of infor-
“Sometimes finding a service you
have to make
sibility for agreements made between
the student and the landlord.” The
Rizwan Bandali,
Chartwells’ Food Services Director,
mation on the place to stay without sure there site also states they do not “screen, said they have keys to open the kiosk
website is not are mecha- inspect, warrant or approve,” any and do a reboot. If a reboot doesn’t
high enough. knowing about it isn't nism or prac- agreements or accommodations. correct the error, the next step is
“Personally tices in place “There are other ways students to contact SyCom Technologies, a
and profession-
safe.” where you can find a trustworthy place when third-party tech support company,
ally I would refer — KESHAV RAI, LSU INTERNAL VICE PRESIDENT can mitigate it comes to shared and affordable to troubleshoot.
people to UBC’s with that accommodations, said Himanshu Anh Nguyen, an accounting
site because that encompasses a close risk.” Gautam, a student-elected member student, who for the past two weeks
geographic area,” said Noel, adding Using websites or social media to of the Langara College Board of has exclusively used the kiosks, said
that students must ensure online find rental accommodations is a great Governors. she is happy overall with the short-
housing advertisements are reli- way to connect people, but they can “Some of my friends have pages on ened wait time.
able, and that safety and security of also be a hotspot for fraud, accord- Instagram, where they provide infor- In regards to lining up for the
students must be a priority. ing to the Langara Student Union mation about jobs and accommoda- counter, “I don’t want to waste my
Many Langara students look for Internal Vice President, Keshav Rai. tion,” Gautam said. time,” Nguyen said.
Eva Hartkopf, a women stud-
ies student, said she believes many
customers don’t use them because
they simply don’t know about them.
According to Mark Adams, direc-
tor of ancillary services at Langara,
area fighting for its existence. Market are being replaced by fran- In order to help the market survive, two locations were considered for
In an effort to revitalize the chises such as Tim Hortons and the proposal of the India Gate was the kiosks. They chose the current
epicenter of the city’s South Asian Freshii Inc. Shop owners say they first introduced by the Gordon location due to cable and network
community, Councillor Pete Fry have fewer customers than before Campbell administration in 2008. connections and avoiding potential
successfully passed a motion entitled, and are struggling to keep their busi- To this date, it has not been executed. hallways congestion issues.
Punjabi Market at Fifty: Celebrating nesses alive. Since then, residents find themselves For customers not wanting to use
the Past and Planning for the Future " M a n y betrayed by the kiosks or stand in line to order
in June 2019. Indian families “Many Indians used politicians. from the counter, there is another
“I know that things have really have moved Section 6 of option. Tim Hortons launched their
started to slide and deteriorate. to Surrey to live over here. This the, Punjabi own App for mobile purchasing in
We’ve lost a lot of that cultural where Indians Market at 50, July 2017, which can also be used for
component,” Fry said. have opened market was the first to motion states pickup orders at Langara.
Shops that have left the Punjabi new shops,”
said Inderit open in the whole B.C.” tconstruction hat; new
Bunwait, — HARINDER TOOR, PUNJAB FOOD CENTER and residential TIMBITS OF TRUTH
par t owner development
of Amrit Fashions. “In addition, has the potential to transform the
charges over here are becoming very area.
» Swimming in coffee
Canadians drink more than 14 bil-
expensive,” he added. Pardeep Kohli, owner of Kohli
lion cups of coffe a year. Enough to
Others simply lament the loss of Men Hair Stylist Ltd and Kohli's
fill more than half of Lake Superior.
the neighbourhood’s rich history. Mastercuts Hairstyles said with or
“It is true that when the Punjabi without the government’s help he
Market opened 50 years ago, there remains optimistic about the future » Top of the world, Ma
were mainly food and clothes stores of the market and sees the city with Tim Hortons remains at the top of
for Indian customers,” said Harinder a mentality of globalization which is Canadian's fast food chain, outsell-
Toor, who opened the Punjab Food a quickly changing city. ing every other fast food restuarant!
Center in 1981. “The city administration thinks of
Toor said customers visiting the bringing back customers over here » The regular, please
neighbourhood’s new franchises by modernizing the infrastructure "Double Double" is so entrenched in
aren’t shopping the older shops that around the market. But it takes too our language, it officially was
still remain in the market. long,” said Kohli. added to the Canadian Oxford
“Many Indians used to live over “We have more and more mixed Dictionary
here. This market was the first to communities than before with new SOURCE: NEWS OUTLETS
open in the whole B.C.” business ambitions,” Kohli said.
 4 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 | EDITOR JOE AYRES
Thrifting interview outfits
Students getting more creative in how they find professional clothing
T
hrift stores and home-
made clothing altera-
tions are becoming a
more popular source for
students wanting to improve their
selection of professional clothing
due to tight budget constraints.
Jane Cronin, a volunteer with
HOB Thrift Boutique, said, “a
recent graduate from university
with her first job came in, she got a
whole wardrobe here for a hundred
dollars.” Cronin’s co-worker, Irene
Regin, added, “I think it’s appealing
because of the price point.”
Langara student Elize Sonsini,
prefers to shop secondhand, said,
“I really find good stuff like good
things for a good price in a very
good condition.”
However, some, like Langara
student Deep Kur, disagree. “I
wouldn’t consider going to a thrift
store to get my interview clothing,
because I find that all of these stores
don’t have good quality.” Kur added
she prefers to buy new, shopping
for professional attire at H&M and
Banana Republic.
Heather Workman, the chair
of the co-op and career develop-
ment center at Langara, said that
thrift stores are fine to shop at, but
it depends on the workplace you’re
applying for.
“As an individual that’s inter-
viewing, you’re trying to understand
what the workplace looks like and
how people interact,” Workman
said.
According to Workman, it’s best
to prepare what you’re going to wear
a few days ahead of time to reduce
the stress of meeting a prospective
employer for the first time.
ABOVE: The collared shirts rack in a thrift store. Vintage collared shirts can add personality to professional attire.
BELOW: A large part of the appeal of thrift stores to young people is the price tag.
BOTTOM CENTER: A man learning how to repair and alter clothing at the Stitch Up workshop hosted by UBC Sustain-
ability and Frameworq.
MIDDLE CENTER: Two women work together while repairing clothes at the Stitch Up workshop. Frameworq runs these
workshops to divert clothing waste from entering the landfill.
“You don’t want that as an addi-
tional panic for you the morning of
an interview,” she said.
Additionally, more college
students are learning how to make
alterations to their clothes before an
interview. Frameworq is an organi-
zation that runs workshops dedi-
cated to teaching people how to
make alterations and upcycle cloth-
ing to reduce the amount of clothes
that go in the garbage. Irina Mcken-
zie, the founder of Frameworq, said,
“[Making alterations] helps with
the wallet and that’s really fantastic
because that just means somebody
doesn’t have to buy new stuff all the
time. They can just use a little bit
of creativity and some skill to make
something new.”
However, making alterations isn’t
necessarily a skill all young people
have. “It’s something that can be
considered an old people activity,
and you know what? No, it’s just a
life skill really,” McKenzie said.
Amy Robichaud, executive direc-
tor of Dress for Success Vancou-
ver, an organization that provides
free interview clothing to women,
agrees. “The ability to make or do
modest alterations yourself can
make a huge difference to your
wardrobe. With YouTube and a
plethora of online tutorials being
able to do really modest and basic
alterations can make a huge differ-
ence to your wardrobe,” Robichaud
said, adding, “price, value, sensibil-
ity, and professional appearance
has much more to do with how our
clothes fit and not necessarily how
expensive they are. If you can do
that yourself you can stretch your
dollars really really far.”
 News&Features 5

A tie: COURTESY OF PNGIMG.COM

LEFT: Display mannequins at a thrift store. When selecting what to wear to an interview it is important to consider the
culture of the workplace; choosing to dress too formal is just as bad as choosing to dress too casual.
ABOVE: Frameworq founder, Irina Mckenzie (left), instructing a woman (right) attending the Stitch Up event. Mckenzie
said knowing how to make basic alterations and repair clothing is a life skill that saves people money.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Rows of clothes for sale in a thrift store. When shopping for professional attire one of the most
important aspects to consider is the clothing's fit. If an article of clothing is loose, alterations can easily be made.

Fabrics that aren't green

A look at three popular materials harmful to the environment

B
efore throwing away your
old clothes you may want to
consider the type of materi-
als used in these clothes. Certain
materials can have a negative envi-
ronmental impact both in their
production and the pollution they
create when they end up in the
landfill.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the oldest fabrics
and while many people may think
cotton clothing is environmentally
friendly, Jun Yin, a regional hydro-
geologist working for the Minis-
try of Forests, Lands & Natural
Resource Operations, said other-
wise.
“To produce cotton, a large
amount of water is needed, adding
stress to those water scarcity areas,”
Yin said.
Polyester
Polyester is harmful to the envi-
ronment because the production of
polyester uses fossil fuels. When
thrown away, microfibers from poly-
ester become problematic. “Because
[microfibers] are not biodegrad-
able, they will be discharged to the
ocean through hydrological cycle,”
Yin said.
Leather
While leather may be natural,
growing cattle livestock gener-
ates excessive amounts of methane.
“Methane is a strong greenhouse
gas, and its global warming poten-
tial is 100 times greater than normal
greenhouse gases such as CO2.”
Yin concluded, “as long as it is a
product, it will go through processes
and each step generates waste and
produces a carbon footprint – more
or less.”

Stories
and photos
by Anita Zhu
Video on Frameworq's
Stitch Up event at
youtube.com/user/
voicelangara
 6 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 | EDITOR CHRISTINA DOMMER
Viewpoints

According to the World Bank, the fashion industry and textile production and dyeing is responsible for up to a fifth of all industrial water pollution. When companies such as Forever 21 continue to
produce cheap clothes, that water has also effectively gone to waste when the garments are out of commission. CHRISTINA DOMMER ILLUSTRATION

Fast fashion? Try fast trashin'

F
ast-fashion pioneer
Forever 21 is closing its
doors in Canada, and I say
good riddance.
The Los Angeles-based retailer
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
in late September, closing many of
its stores across Europe and Asia.
Forever 21 issued a statement that
it would be retreating back into the
U.S. to reconsider and refocus its
brand image.
If you’ve ever shopped at a Forever
21 store, you’ll know it’s an over- some reaching 20,000 square feet wares means they won’t stay in your into producing the equivalent of a
whelming expe- (1860 sq. m)—that’s bigger than a closet for long. As such, Forever 21 single cotton T-shirt and a pair of
rience: clothes hockey rink. also takes up valuable real estate in jeans. When you put that in a landfill,
wall-to-wall, I'd liken shopping at Forever 21 to landfills. While competitors Aber- all that water goes down the drain
stuffed clear- reading a textbook without pictures crombie & Fitch and Zara have with it.
ance racks, jack- or diagrams to break it up. There upped the quality of their products, Shoppers are tired of wearing
ets with tacky might be some interesting infor- Forever 21 has stuck to its dirt-cheap something that’s cute one week
slogans on the mation in there, but it’s not worth guns and paid sorely for it. Also, the and a dud the next, or breaking a
back. The stores rooting through such a large volume increasing popularity of online shop- zipper the second time they use it.
OPINION take up valu- of words. ping is rendering brick-and-mortar Let Forever 21’s departure serve
able real estate The clothes might be inexpen- retail obsolete.  as a warning to retailers every-
CHRISTINA a t s h o p p i n g sive, but that doesn’t add up to much The World Wildlife Fund esti- where: consumers value quality
DOMMER malls, with because the quality of Forever 21’s mates that 20,000 litres of water goes over quantity.

Foreign film aids culture THE HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS OUTSIDE THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE

$870 million
SOURCE: BOX OFFICE MOJO

C
anada is a leading country
where much of the popu-
lation has foreign roots. In
other words, Canada is a cultural
microcosm that represents many of
the same aspects as the other main
global communities.  The Cana-
dian government must establish a
fair balance in the importation of
cultural movies and scientific movies
related to education.
Foreign movies will always be
welcome in Canada. They convey
cultural, social and economic
messages that the country needs to
strengthen its diversity and develop
$345 million
its economy. The importation of with foreign countries in the areas
films in the last ten years in Canada of scientific research, education and Wolf Warrior 2 (2017), Mandarin Spirited Away (2001), Japanese
shows the influence of Asian movies, trade. Foreign movies do not only
such as The Farewell, The Parasite, and
The Great Battle,
include cultural topics, but also
cover many themes that the world $610 million $302 million
all which are of globalization demands.  The Passion of the Christ (2004), Dangal (2016), Hindi
distributed by The United States, for example, Armaic, Hebrew, Latin
Netflix Canada. has a large influence in the English- $230 million
Canada, with
its tradition of
speaking  Canada because of the
common language. There are several
$427 million Life Is Beautiful (1997), Italian
democracy and successful Canadian  and Ameri- The Intouchables (2011), French (ALL FIGURES IN U.S. DOLLARS)
a high respect can film co-productions such as
for  interna- OPINION My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the in total film production in North Film Academy Awards. Canada is
tional relations, Saw series.  America. In 2015, two Cana- a key country in global film produc-
has signed bilat- HENRI In 2011, Toronto ranked third dian  co-productions were nomi- tion. That also means Canada can
eral agreements NGIMBIS behind Los Angeles, New  York nated for Best Picture in the 88th help shape culture of the future.

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

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department. Editorial the editor. They may thevoice@langara. Vancouver, B.C. PAGE 2 Joshua Rey EDITOR Palak Klaire The Voice.
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 Arts&life
French fest
in Canada
Foreign films step foot in B.C.
 By LAUREN GARGIULO
L
ove, empowerment and
coming-of-age were the
main themes that domi-
nated the French and
American Independent film festi-
val Champs-Élysées 2019.
Alliance Française, a French
language school in Vancouver, pre-
miered a selection of feature and
short films from the biggest film
festival in Paris, Champs-Élysées,
last weekend.
For the past three years, the inde-
pendent French film festival has
been touring the United States,
showcasing a selection of films,
and showing some of them for the
first time in Canada.   the coordinator for the festival at
The Champs-Élysées Film Festival
is a “gate between the French and
American film industries,” said
Justine Lévêque, the artistic and
events director for the film festival,
“We mainly have American block-
busters in France. We don’t really
see American indie movies.”
The festival’s main goal is to cor-
rect this problem and bridge the
gap between independent films in
France and America. Sophie Du-
lac, a prominent French producer
and distributor noticed this gap,
Event presenter Rachael Carlevale leads participants through meditation and breathing exercises.
Cannabis' spiritual use
SOUBHIK CHAKRABARTI PHOTO
Event uses
cannabis for
meditation
 By SOUBHIK
CHAKRABARTI
C
annabis has been legalized in
Canada for over a year now,
and this newfound freedom
has helped users find their inner
selves.
UBC adjunct professor Mark
Haden said that psychedelic plants
and substances can help people
reflect on themselves and that it is
a way to connect with one’s inner
self.
“There is no specific spiritual path
that is more helpful,” Haden said.
The Spirit Plant Medicine Confer-
ence, an international gathering of
and created Champs-Élysées in
2012 as a solution.
While foreign films to the average
film viewer have almost become a
genre, UBC film professor Chris-
tine Evans has a different view.
“Foreign film is an oxymoron. I
love the term.” Evans said, “Obvi-
ously an American film playing in
Japan is foreign, as the language
it’s not the same.” Character
archetypes and themes are often
globally recognizable, Evans said.
The four short films and two
feature films selected to play Nov.
1-2 in Vancouver were selected by
Regis Painchaud of Visions Ouest
Productions and Eloïse Loriot
Alliance Française. “It’s a very im-
portant festival in France,” Loriot
said. “It’s interesting to see these
French Independent films.”
All of the films shown during the
festival tour premiered for the first
time in North America. Due to
French filmmakers often not hav-
ing distribution in North America,
and American filmmakers not hav-
ing distribution in France, this may
have been the only time any of
these films were on the big screen
in Canada.
notable cannabis activists and ca-
sual enthusiasts, was held at UBC
from Nov. 1-3 and had attendees
try out a new form of meditation
-- one with cannabis as an integral
ingredient.
Rachael Carlevale, a cannabis
activist and conference presenter
guided attendees through the
evening in an attempt to calm their
mind and refocus.  1984, says cannabis and meditation
“It’s a relationship you’re building,”
she said during her session, “to
see it [cannabis] as a friend or an
ally.” Carlevale wanted people to
use cannabis with a purpose and to
help them reach a goal.   that you don’t have something
One attendee, named Trina, asked
for her last name to be withheld.  meditating.” When meditation is
Trina said she loved how cannabis
and meditation can go hand in
hand. “It’s both informative and
engaging,” she said about the ses-
sion, “They are partners, for sure.”
EDITOR TIERNEY GRATTAN | THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 | THE VOICE
In order from left to right, Antonia Raoux, Regis Painchaud, Justine Levesque and Eloïse Loriot. LAUREN GARGIULO PHOTO
Trina added that even though
Canada legalized cannabis over a
year ago, there is still this feeling of
stigma around the use that persists.  and it also
“People are very cautious. We
know that people are watching.”
Not all experts agree this is the
best method for meditation. Deb-
oragh Varnel, a certified teacher of
Transcendental Meditation since
can never mix.
“We ask students to refrain from
taking cannabis fourteen days
before starting the meditation
course,” Varnel said, “It’s important
coursing the nervous system when
meant to refine the nervous system,
release stress, and improve your
mental activity, it’s hard to accom-
plish when an opposing force like
cannabis is still in your system.
7
Volunteer benefits
Post secondary institution scholarships value
student volunteering
 By GINA ROGERS than 730, 250 hours on-campus
S
tudents hoping to get schol- and off-campus volunteer hours,
arships should not only think according to Stewart. 
about their grade point aver-  Shu Kurihara, an exchange
age but also building a portfolio that student from Japan in the LEAP
includes volunteering experience, program at Langara said he never
said the woman who helps Langara really volunteered until coming to
College’s students navigate various Canada and that he is really enjoy-
opportunities in the community and ing volunteering.
on campus. “It’s a good thing and I’ve made
Maggie Stewart, the coordinator friends,” Kurihara said, “I learned
of Langara’s a lot of things I didn’t know before
volunteer volunteering.”
program said “I received scholarships Kurihara
volunteer says that he
hours are a big
I would never have recommends
part of what received without being for to
everybody
take up
universities
so involved in my a volunteer
are looking for
in scholarship position.
applicants, community” Fulton Tom
— MAGGIE STEWART, VOLT COORDINATOR
rewarding for students to give back
is a Langara
professor and
the organizer of the Good Swap,
and be part of a community.
Stewart, said she wouldn’t be the a free thrifting event where he
gathers up clothes from across the
person she is today without volun-
teering. city and has the student volunteers
help run the event. Activities also
“Back when I was a Langara stu-
included wrapping delicate objects
dent, I volunteered one thousand
hours in one year,” said   and help keep things organized.
“So that’s one of the nice things,”
Stewart, and said people who
volunteer gain both personal and Tom said, “if they have a couple of
hours, they can volunteer during
financial benefits, such as leader-
ship, networking opportunities and their school day and then go to
scholarships. “I received scholar- class.”
The Good Swap also collects
ships that I would never have
received without being so involved donations and gives them to the
Langara College Foundation.
in my community.” 
Stewart said that “although For Stewart, grades and volunteer-
ing are positively linked, for rea-
volunteering doesn’t have a direct
financial gain it definitely pays sons like volunteering students end
up spending more time on campus
off ”. In the nine years since VOLT
began, students have logged more and working in community.
 8 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 | EDITOR JOSHUA REY
Sportsnews

Falcons' Katie Skipworth (Left) and Meagan Briggs (Right) defend against Okanagan's Elizabeth Henne in a game on Nov.1, 2019 at the Langara College gym. STEVEN CHANG PHOTO

Different countries, same game

U.S. basketball different from Canadian: new Falcons players FALCONS
 By STEVEN CHANG GAMES

W
hile the game of
basketball serves as
a universal language
among hoopers,
there are differences in the sport
between Canada and the United
States. Something that the Falcons
have learned over the past three
years.
This year’s Langara women’s
basketball team has three U.S.
recruits that all played in the junior
college level for two years before
coming to Canada.
Meagan Briggs is from Redding,
California, studying Criminology.
She came to Langara with former
junior college teammate Emma
Jones, looking to learn about basket-
ball in a different environment. ent with their play calls, but the ence for us, especially for me being a
“Besides the rules being a little terminology is similar. Sometimes point guard that needs to bring the
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
different, I would say there are coach will use a different vocabulary, ball up the court.”
Last game:
more team then Meagan The three U.S. transfers said the
Okanagan Coyotes 53 , Langara
components “It’s more participation and I would look competitiveness in American basket-
Falcons 50. At Langara College
in Canada, at each other ball culture begins at an early age. Nov.1, 2019
whereas in in Canada and putting and recognize Jones said basketball got compet-
Next Game:
the States
you see a kids in a team-oriented the plays we’ve
learned from the
itive in the first grade. Briggs’ first
team was in the third grade.
Langara Falcons at Capiliano
Blues, Nov.8,2019 at 6 P.M.
lot of indi-
vidual play-
environment." past,” Jones said.
Third year
Briggs says Canadian youth sports
programs are leaning towards partic- MEN'S BASKETBALL
— MEAGAN BRIGGS, FALCONS PLAYER
ers trying to G e n e r a l ipation and the U.S. focuses more on Last game:
carry the entire team,” Said Briggs, Management student, Katie Skip- developing individual athletes. Okanagan Coyotes 93, Langara
on team culture between the two worth from Lebanon, Oregon, also “It’s more participation in Canada Falcons 88. At Langara College
countries. had to make adjustments to her game and putting kids in a team-oriented Nov. 1, 2019
Jones, from Camas, Washing- because the rules in PACWEST are environment. Whereas in the States, Next Game:
ton and enrolled in Recreational slightly different. we start training kids at a young age Langara Falcons at Capilano
Management. She spoke about tran- “In the States, you get a 30-second just to get better,” Briggs said. Blues, Nov.8, 2019 at 8 P.M.
sitioning to Canadian basketball. shot clock and here it’s 24 seconds,” The U.S. Players hope to bring
“Every coach is going to be differ- Skipworth said. “That’s a huge differ- success to the Falcons this season.

Ping pong club growing, needs space

More members have scheduled times to play, though even suggested outdoor ping pong
they also allow informal practice day tables located around campus.

are joining and

to day. On the day members want to Shamekhi said in addition to
play, they text their interest via their loving the sport, he’s made friends
Whatsapp group, Langara friends, at the table.
a new table is and hear back from others who also
want to play. 
“I didn’t know anyone,” said
S h a m e -
needed Sometimes
there’s a wait.
“There’s over 12 people khi, a first-
year general
 By LINA CHUNG “There’s over and you need to wait sciences
12 people and student. “One

W
ith the interest in the you need to for 30 minutes to one day, I went
sport increasing each wait for 30 into the Lang-
year, the Langara ping minutes to
hour.” ara Student
pong club has been struggling one hour,” said — ALEX UTSUMI, PING PONG CLUB MEMBER Union (LSU)
to keep up with the demans and Alex Utsumi building, saw
hopes either an engineering program student. some people playing ping pong and
the student Saransh Kumar, a biology student, asked if he could play and they said
union buys a has seen increased interest from yes.”
second table or students in the ping pong club espe- Shamekhi will decide what his
the college will cially on Clubs Day in September. next steps are to lobby for more ping
add some on That day, “60 people enrolled,” said pong tables on campus.
campus. Kumar. “I’m improving my leadership
The club has Reza Shamekhi, president of actually,” said Shamekhi.
approximately Langara’s ping pong club, has more Ping pong originated in Victorian
100 members than 200 signatures from Langara England around the 1880s where it
who all play Reza Shamekhi
PING PONG CLUB students who would like LSU or was played as an after-dinner parlour
on the sole PRESIDENT Langara to purchase another ping game by the upper-class. It didn't
table owned pong table.  He says the gym would become an official Olympic sport
by the Langara be a great place to locate a second until 1988 at the Seoul Summer A student plays a game of ping pong at the LSU Building. The ping pong
Students’ Union. The tournaments or third ping pong table. Shamekhi Games. club has got so many members and one table isn't enough. LINA CHUNG