CAMPUS
Nurse violence
Nursing students fear the threat of physical attacks in the workplace. P3
SPORTS
Kid's gambit
Young players join chess tournaments in Vancouver as popularity soars. P8
ONLINE SPECIAL
Birds of a feather Show-pigeon community is struggling to attract a new generation. langaravoice.ca
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PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTS | WWW.LANGARAVOICE.CA
MARCH 16, 2023 • VOL. 56 NO. 5 • VANCOUVER, B.C.
Langara Flasher set to be released students Strict probation has been imposed after a year in jail feel inflation A By TY LIM
Bursaries, part-time jobs and scholarships aren't enough, anymore By MEHARWAAN MANAK
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espite Langara offering bursaries and financial assistance, students find that it’s not enough to keep pace with the rising cost of living in Vancouver. Stephen Busaga, an engineering student at Langara, receives tuition assistance from his family who run a grocery store in Romania. “It is a significantly bigger challenge for my family to keep the business running at the same level,” Busaga said. Busaga, like many international students, lives in shared accommodation and would like to have his own place in Vancouver. However, he said with the economic state and future of the country “that is virtually impossible.”
“All the free time that I have, I work.” — LUIS LOPEZ, STUDENT
Students receiving financial aid from families abroad must also consider currency exchanges. Every Romanian leu his family sends him for school is only equivalent to 0.3 Canadian dollars. Full-time second year business and economics student and full-time worker Abdalla Ahmed received a $1,255 bursary from the college this year but still can’t balance his budget. He currently owes $1,900 in fees to the college. “Working full-time is quite a timeconsuming thing,” Ahmed said. “I have to make sure I make enough to cover the expenses as well as make sure [I] am on top of [my] studies.” “All the free time that I have, I work,” said first-year science student Luis Lopez. Lopez says that he is currently working three jobs while going to school full-time. “If I find a job that can give me the work permit I definitely will drop the school because it’s too much,” Lopez said. See langaravoice.ca for full story
man convicted of a series of indecent acts at Langara and in the Lower Mainland is set to be released at the end of the month after serving a sentence of 30 days in jail plus time already served. Charged early May 2022, Christopher Kumar Ram, 36, is expected to be released after almost a year in jail. According to court documents, Ram pleaded guilty for masturbation in a public place on March 27, 2022, exposing himself to Langara staff. He also pleaded guilty to indecent acts on the SkyTrain in New Westminster and in Richmond in April 2022, and in Surrey in October 2021. In addition, he pleaded guilty to violating supervisory orders, visiting a community centre and removing a monitoring bracelet. Ram was given an 18-month probation order to start after he
is released. Conditions include a student Anthony Herveary witnessed ban from any college, university or the aftermath of one incident. He school campus without approval, a recalls seeing police entering the ban from Burnaby’s Foster Park, or library while he was on one of the from any park with a playground, upper levels and how upset the and public pools and gyms without victims of the incident were. written permission from his proba“I still could remember it clearly tion officer. … what I saw in He is also their faces,” he “I still could prohibsaid. “One of ited from was crying.” remember ... what I them riding the At the time, he S k y Tr a i n unsure exactly saw in their faces.” was or taking what happened, — ANTHONY HERVEARY, STUDENT any public but two days later transportahe saw the incition without supervision. HWe must dent on the news. He also recalls report to a psychiatrist for assessment security comforting the victims and and any treatment deemed necessary speaking to police. by his probation officer. Langara counsellor Michael At Langara, there were two other Cheng said students affected by such incidents of a man exposing himself events can seek counselling. to students and faculty in March and “An event like the ‘Langara April 2022, in the library, though no flasher’ could definitely constitute criminal charges ensued. trauma,” Cheng wrote to the Voice, Business and administration adding it’s “a huge shock to the
nervous system, could be a trigger that reminds a student of past traumatic experiences that are similar. And of course occurred on our campus, which students regard as a safe space of learning.” Ashamdeep Dhillon, protective services coordinator at Langara, said in an email to the Voice that Langara security policies have “not changed as a result of the incident.” Dhillon also said extra security could be provided on the campus if deemed necessary. She also said students could download the Langara Safe app for easy communication with campus security. Karanveer Singh, a web and mobile application development student, thought Paladin Security should hire more experienced workers. He also suggested student ID cards to tap into the library. “It’s going to defame the reputation of the college if these events keep on occurring,” Singh added.
Digital busking helps musicans stand out P4
Many buskers are taking to social media and streaming websites. They have been able use these online platforms to expand their audience, create their brand, and build their own identity as musicians. EMMA SHULAR PHOTO