Sci-fi lives long and prospers In the wake of Leonard Nimoy’s passing, Langara College Trekkies speak about how the genre helps them dream of a better future REBECCA PHAIR photo Star Trek Fans in the Langara Students’ Union Building giving the traditional Vulcan salute in tribute to Nimoy. 66 The worlds that sci-fi imagines, are things that could actually happen JULIA PERRONI LANGARA WRITERS’ CLUB By REBECCA PHAIR he Legacy of the late Leonard Ni- moy will live on in science fiction fans, whose imaginations travel optimistically through the final frontier to find a brighter future. The excitement of endless possibili- ties in the world of science fiction, serves as a much-needed break from reality. Asa creative outlet, science fiction is believed, by many fans, as a way to look outside the constraints of what is thought possible by today’s standards. According to Julia Perroni of Langa- ra Writers’ Club, “[Star Trek] was just the future instead of some magical world that will never exist, people [can] grab onto it as a symbol of possibility.” By showcasing the first interracial kiss, Star Trek provoked new age think- ing. In light of Nimoy’s passing, science fiction fans are re-embracing the diver- sity, incredible technology and amaz- ing adventure featured in the series, Perroni said. “Most of the sentiment about sci-fi [is] just glee about how freeing it is asa genre,” Perroni said. She said although grounded in realism, the ability of sci-fi to bring anything to life through film and literature, is what makes it stand- out against other genres. “It’s not magic. The worlds that sci-fi imagines, are things that could actually Star Trek inventions 1 Communicators Early flip-phones were modeled after Star Trek communi- cators 2 Universal Translators Well, technically no, but we're on the way with Google Translate 3 Geordi’s VISOR At Stanford Univer- sity, scientists used bionic chips to help a visually impared rat see 4 The PADD Now Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike use iPads and tablet computers Source: Mashable and How Stuff Works happen,” she said. Opposed to negativity sometimes found in the news or other literature, sci-fi provides a glimmer of hope for humanity, said Deborah Blacklock, an English instructor at Langara College. Many students are inspired to open their minds to seemingly intangible possibilities and through that find com- fort in the future, she said. Sci-fi opened many doors to the con- cept of imaginative possibility allowing both reader and writer to imagine whatever they want, said Perroni. “That’s what sci-fi is, really, or at least what it can be,” she said. In Spock’s immortal words, sci-fi will “live long and prosper.” Off to a flying start With talent, inspiration and a bit of family history, this first-year photography student is a rising star By JULIA WICKHAM ayme a ho has made a name for herself in the pho- tography industry at an early age. The 19-year-old, Langara College stu- dent has already been recognized by the B.C. branch of the Professional Photogra- phers of Canada for her photography. “There are so many things you can do with photography and that’s one of the reasons why I love it so much - the possi- bilities are literally endless,” said Dunn. Dunn said that her family is one of the reasons why she was inspired to pursue photography. “My grandparents used to be photog- raphers in Penticton and they owned a photography studio. My mom worked for B.C’s_ Professional Photographers of Canada for 10 years, so I’ve always kind of been around it,” she said. She was awarded Student Award Com- mercial category and Student Photogra- pher of the Year for her photograph, “Snowbirds Flying High,” at the associa- tion’s Image Salon awards in the fall of 2014. Dunn said the winning photograph was taken a couple of years ago at the Abbotsford International Airshow. “I took pictures of the Snowbirds and it’s of them in a formation going up with their trail behind them.” Her desire to study photography brought her to Langara, where she entered the photography program. Langara photography instructor, Eric Stewart said he thinks that Dunn has lived up to the high expectations of winning this award. “Jayme is a hard working and creative student,” he said. Dunn said she enjoys playing with different lighting techniques and practicing her skills on Adobe Photo- shop. Dunn said she’s also devel- oped a love of travel photography. “T love Europe — Prague and Norway are probably my favourite to photograph,” she said. Dunn has entered an- other profes- sional photog- raphy competition for the spring and this time at the nation- al level. “Snowbirds Flying High,” Dunn’s win- ning photo. JAYME DUNN submitted Jayme Dunn BONNIE RATCH- FORD submit- ted photo qs WIKI-COMMONS - Hi-tech@Mail.Ru photo Are e-watches giving traditional Clocking in with smart- watches With Apple Watches on the way, e-watches may become a lifestyle trend By ALEXANDER HOEGLER better connections with the world, wearable electronics offer many benefits and are emerging as a new life- style trend. With Apple about to release its Ap- ple Watch on the 24th of April, Langara College students discussed if wearable technology was useful in their daily lives, even though it could cause dis- tractions. Pamela Wong, a third-year nursing student, uses two wearable technology gadgets. “One is the Nike FuelBand. It’s a sports watch. When you wear it around your wrist, it will count the steps you took in a day, and the calories you burned,” Wong said. “The other one is a Sony Smart- Watch. It’s mainly used for smart- phones,” said Wong. “You can text from the watch, or read messages from the watch, go on Facebook and use Twit- ter.” However, Wong said she believes the distractions they cause and other factors don’t make wearables so useful. “T stopped using them for a while be- cause they [complicate] your daily life. Other than your smartphone, you’re carrying another gadget. You have to charge more batteries,” Wong said. Renee Ly, a first year general scienc- es student has never used wearable technology, but said she expects to do so soon. “I’d like to purchase one. I want to buy it because it would help me keep my heart rate, make sure I’m get- ting my exercise,” Ly said. Nicky Wood, a first-year nursing stu- dent, also wears a smartwatch, which she said provides plenty of help for her. “Thave a smart MetaWatch. I thought it did more than it actually does.” She said it doesn’t help her manage her health, and doesn’t believe smart watches are necessary. “T don’t think there’s a need for smart watches. In terms of your messages and phone calls, it’s redundant because your phone is probably in your pocket.” B: it for managing health or making Submit your nominations: ebulman @langara.bc.ca Subject line “Voice - Shout Out” Include your nominee’s name