4 Tunes to ald your grades? For years experts have asked if music hampers concentration. Langara students have their own thoughts on the matter By JENNY PENG usical tastes vary from student Mi: student but a benefit of mu- sic when studying is widely be- lieved by Langara students. “The benefit of having music in my ears and blocking out bad music and all of the people walking around is bet- ter than the noise,” said Langara busi- ness student Trevor Molag. Another business student, Charlie Cai, found the same method useful for concentrating. “You don’t really listen to it. It’s just to keep other voices out.” For other students, listening to mu- sic while studying depends on the sub- ject they are working on. When it comes to math calculations, first-year physics student Christine Teodoro said, “listening to music with a faster beat kind of gives you a flow.” However, she avoids the flow when it comes to English and subjects that require an “internal dialogue.” In a study reported a few years ago in the Daily Mail, psychologist Nick Perham found that students who listen to music while studying perform poor- er than those who studied in silence. “To reduce the negative effects of background music when recalling in- formation in order, one should either perform the task in quiet or only listen to music prior to performing the task,” the article reported Perham as saying. If you have a lingering curiosity about what students are listening to on their music devices, below is a little glimpse. What's playing? Langara students tell The Voice what their current jams CARLGOGA NAMI ASODA Second-year business LEAP program Kanya West - SPYAIR - All of the lights Real destruction VICTOR MIRONENKO DAPHNE First-year engineering KOWALCZYK The National - Microbiology Conversation 16 Rammstein - Ich tu dir weh COMPILED BY JENNY PENG ICE FILE photo This photograph of Colin Mochrie as Captain Boyle appeared in Langara College’s newspaper on Sept. 28, 1979. Mochrie was performing in Studio 58’s production of Juno and the Paycock. Mochrie: a proud Langarian Improv extraordinaire began his career on the stage of Studio 58 By JESSE LAM lhe star of the beloved “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” improvisa- tional comedy show has been honoured the 2013 Outstanding Alumni Award from Langara College. Mochrie was a part of Langara’s Stu- dio 58 from 1977 to 1980 under Kathryn Shaw, who is still the artistic director at Studio 58 today. “Tremember no matter how hard we worked it was still fun,” said Mochrie in a Skype interview with Pam Robert- son, manager of alumni and donor rela- tions at Langara. “T remember pulling down sets at four in the morning and just giggling and I thought I hope this is what it’s like in the real world in theatre. I hope that this continues forever.” “Tm Colin Mochrie and I’m a proud Langara College alumnus.” Mochrie joined the Vancouver The- atreSports League in 1980. It was there he discovered his love for improvisa- tional theater. “T never thought that it would be- come a career,” said Mochrie. “I just thought that this is something I love doing. And I think part of it was, in that world, I felt very secure.” It was at TheatreSports where he met Ryan Stiles, a fellow star on Whose Line. It was Stiles who got Mochrie into Whose Line and it was Stiles who intro- duced Mochrie to his wife Debra Mc- Grath. “He’s responsible for my career and my marriage. And still not sure about the son,” Mochrie said with a smirk. The improv business is fiercely com- petitive. There were many people that threw Mochrie under the bus and told him that he wasn’t good enough, which just fueled his “thirst for revenge,” he said. “It made me work harder. The only person you have is you, so use that person to the best of your ability.” Robertson was pleased to honour Mochrie with the alumni award. “He’s a very funny man,” said Rob- ertson. “I think we assume that come- dians are funny but they’re not always funny when you meet them face-to- face. Making people laugh is something that is important in life.” COLIN MOCHRIE Langara alumnus photo courtesy of MADHUSHANI RAMARAJU Madhushani Ramaraju, Langara playwright of Perfect. By GLEN TRUAX nother season of the award win- Ae: Studio 58 production, 4play, is nearly here. It’s a 100 per cent Langara produc- tion with all plays written by Langara students, directed by Langara gradu- ates, and cast with Langara actors. The program is intended to make the playwrights’ works come to life. “Plays are meant to be seen,” said Aaron Bushkowsky, veteran co-ordina- tor of 4play. “There is a difference between the play on page, and the play on stage shared with the audience.” The plays have generated consider- able interest in the past, with many productions going on the road and at least one playwright — Kevin Loring — has been nominated for a Governor General’s Award. The plays are dark affairs. “We live in an age of cynicism, said Bush- kowsky. “This year’s trend in student writing tends to be post World War II - maybe because the bleak outlook best reflects today’s world environment.” One of the comedies even has a dark- er influence. Perfect, written by Madhushani Ra- APlay arouses students creativity Thespians dwelve into dark territories in four plays of comedic and dramatic work at Langara maraju, initially began as a drama and gradually became a Bollywood comedy about arranged marriage in Southeast Asia. “T started with a religious marriage play,” said Ramaraju. “But I wanted it to be witty, and I car- ried on with the whimsical side.” However, the play is still a “dark comedy,” as Ramaraju feels that come- dy allows unexplored, weighty matters to be examined. “T think the audience will pick up on these themes,” Ramaraju said. The arranged marriage theme may be difficult for some audiences, espe- cially North American crowds. “The East Knows a lot about the West, but the West doesn’t know much about the East,” Ramaraju said. Nevertheless, she is confident her characters will resonate with the audi- ence. All of the plays have been successful collaborations between students and seasoned directors. Both Ramaraju and Bushkowsky in- dicated that their partnership has been fruitful. “T get Aaron and he gets me,” said Ramaraju. 4Play runs from Nov. 18th to 24th. Tickets are $11.