ssues & ideas EDITOR ERIN BOE THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOV. 6, 2014 7 Remember soldiers, veterans One century later, Vancouverites reflect on what Remembrance Day means to them The site of Vancouver's annual Remembrance Day ceremony, the Victory Square Cenotaph is located at W Hastings and Cambie Street. NATASHA CHANG photo Canada’s World War | way (1914-1918) APR. 22, 1915 Canada’s first major battle: Ypres APR. 9, 1917 Canada takes Vimy Ridge NOVEMBER 1917 Canada captures Passchendaele NOV. 11, 1918 Armistice signed ending the war APR. 27, 1924 Victory Square Cenotaph unveiled Sources: http://www.veterans.ge.ca/eng/ remembrance/history/ canadian-timeline https://www.cdli.ca/ monuments/be/victory.htm 100 students still connect to World War I? Some students say they connect to the war, but are not able to attend ceremonies due to busy schedules and studying By NATASHA CHANG his Remembrance Day marks a century since the start of the First World War. Every year, people gather at city halls to commemorate Canadian soldiers, while primary and secondary schools hold assemblies to teach and remind younger generations about the wars. After 100 years Remembrance Day is still relevant to students today, but some Langara students said they are too busy to commemorate fallen sol- diers at public ceremonies around Van- couver, especially since there is no mandatory assembly at Langara Col- lege. Third-year fine arts student Joseph Tong said Remembrance Day gets him thinking about “ the people who fought for the country, and the allies.” Tong said the recent shooting in Ot- tawa makes Remembrance Day a big- ger deal and unites Canadians. Even still, he said he will not be attending any ceremonies on Nov. 11 because he has a lot of schoolwork to do. First-year computer science student Elwin Truong said he doesn’t feel con- nected to Remembrance Day. “I don’t live in that era and none of my family [members] took part in the wars,” he said. Paul Prosperi, Langara’s department chair of history, Latin, and political sci- ence, said students’ interest in Remem- brance Day might be heightened now, after recent events in the news. “The tragedy in Ottawa, the two armed forces personnel who were killed, has made it possible for us to re- ally engage students,” Prosperi said. PAUL PROSPERI Department chair of history, Latin, and political science A legion where veterans sing karaoke Veterans mingle with hipsters, sing karaoke and drink cheap beer in “unique” private military club By ORVIS NOEL othing brings people together | \ like cheap beer and Bohemian Rhapsody. Every Wednesday, aged veterans and young hipsters alike gather to drink cheap beer and sing ka- raoke in a hopping private military club. The Army, Navy and Air Force Vet- erans Taurus 298 club is located on Main Street, and has been a hub for veterans for over 30 years. Over the years, the club has opened it’s doors to more than just veterans, and encourages young people to en- gage with the veteran community. “This space is unique, the club offers memberships to veterans and youths. The younger members join in karaoke every Wednesday, our biggest night,” said Emery Warner, the night manager for the club. “Everyone comes here,” said 92-year- old veteran Verna Gropp, a member for the past 37 years and a resident of the neighbourhood for 46 years. Greg Andruff, who has recently moved to the neighbourhood, said “So- cializing with the vets here is very cool. The beer variety is just great.” The Vancouver venue is licensed as a private club, and with B.C’s new li- quor regulations the club can create programs to attract new members while helping veterans in the process. For example, there are socials on Mondays, Jam night Tuesdays, Trivia nights Sundays, and the most popular, karaoke, is on Wednesday nights. “T like that every person feels com- fortable, very friendly, and [there are] cheap drinks,” said Sean Lind, a young man who has been going to the club for the past six years. Roy Lundaard, an ex-navy veteran of 33 years, said that it is his second home and he is there all the time. He added that the venue needs young people to “take over the club.” 66 Socializing with the vets here is very cool. The beer variety is just great GREG ANDRUFF CLUB VISITOR Losing soldiers on home soil less shocking Langara’s dean of continuing studies, and veteran, explains why By MARY BEACH his year, Remembrance Day will [ [Mresenate with the recent tragedy of Cpl. Cirillo and Warrant Offi- cer Patrice Vincent, who lost their lives on home soil. While the circumstances are surprising, the events themselves are not, according to Daniel Thorpe, Langara’s dean of continuing studies and a veteran. “Tt’s terribly sad,” said Thorpe, “but if you are mil- itary or ex-mili- tary, in some ways, / it’s less shocking.” Thorpe said there are two im- - portant reasons DANIEL THORPE why attacks on Veteran and dean military personnel of continuing studies on home soil are not surprising. He said the first reason is that Cana- da has been fighting a war overseas in Afghanistan for a dozen years now against a force that doesn’t have equiv- alent military resources. The second reason, Thorpe added, is that the peo- ple who carried out the recent attacks were mentally unstable, and may have been looking for meaning in their lives. “This isn’t something new - that young men who have bad lives are at- tracted to extremist philosophies. That’s been going on for centuries,” he said. On Remembrance Day Thorpe will go down to the cenotaph service as he always does. Once the ceremony is over, he said he will get together with his home unit. “We get together, tell some war stories, share some memo- ries,” Thorpe said. Thorpe said the discussion might in- clude the recent tragedies in Ottawa and Quebec, but “there’s not a lot to be said or done.” Lest We Forget RENEE SUTTON photo illustration Remember to wear a poppy this Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.