6 THE VOICE | WEDNESDAY NOV. 28, 2018 | EDITOR AMANDA POOLE Viewpoints Silent Spaces on site ost everyone is aware of the benefits meditation can provide for an over- stressed mind, but well practised meditation can also help with a student’s performance, especially during exam time. Unfortunate- ly, many students are not able to prastise meditation due to time constraints and a lack of available space. It is true that a little prac- tice goes a long way, but having somewhere to calmly do so is vital. An _ effective solution to help students combat stress and anxi- ety that can eas- ily be provided by schools is to have a dedicat- ed space read- ily available, such as a meditation room. Not only is it important to have a dedicated space, but it may be as important to be able to practise meditation at specific times. In a study led by California State University, 20 students were as- signed to either an experimental treatment group or an attention control group. Those assigned to the experimental group were instructed to practise meditation techniques before studying and before exams, while the control group was taught the same techniques but instructed to perform them at different times. By the end of the nine-week period, the experimental group performed significantly better on exams than the control group. While Langara College does of- fer several courses in mindfulness through Continuing Sudies, un- fortunately these courses cost $339 each. Having an open facility and free program gives any student the opportunity to join, and not just those who can afford it. In Baltimore, Robert W. Cole- man elementary school provides an alternative to conventional de- tention by sending upset or misbe- having children to the meditation room. The children have benefited from this as they learn to control emotions that may cause them to misbehave. The result has been few- er referrals to the principal's office and zero suspensions. The benefits have been young children learning to calm themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Meditation is not a cure-all, and shouldn't be treated as such, but rather a practice that will only improve mindfulness as more ef- fort is put into it. The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages, and more schools should help facilitate health and wellness programs that are available to all students. OPINION MANDY MOON My Peek are Numb Tet a L Mmeditat® Now, Wil) She +Oee CLEAR. “YOUR Mi IND Ale could like totally be aw monk. SHIl nave Student debt when oa 5? Will we Practising mindfulness through meditation can offer a variety of positive outcomes from mental focus to peace of mind. REA MEDOW ILLUSTRATION Alternative ways of living hat is considered the pinnacle of city living by some pro- gressive urbanites is to others a hippy-dippy social- ist nightmare. Canadians are increasingly in- terested in a system of living that promotes shared spaces, commu- nity responsibility and self-gov- ernance within larger urban cen- tres. The same people who are against apartment complexes and social housing in their neigh- bourhoods ar- gue that this vision is un- reasonable, un- sustainable and foolishly ideal- istic. But conserva- tive-bent criti- cism doesn’t address the crux of the sys- temic issue driving the move- ment. City dwellers are experi- encing greater feelings of social isolation than ever before, caused in part by impersonal living in densely populated areas. American sociologist Amitai Etzioni described communities as having two main characteris- tics: first, a network of relation- ships among a group of individu- als, and second, adherence to a set of values, beliefs, behaviours —a shared culture. Etzioni is a leading figure in the promotion of communitarianism, which is a OPINION KATE GARDINER big word for a simple theory. It’s a system of social organization that promotes small, self-govern- ing communities. Co-housing, which first emerged in Denmark in the ‘70s, is a community of private homes sharing some common areas and responsibilities. Individu- als and families of all ages buy private housing units, and that grants them partial ownership over community spaces including things like gardens, kids’ play areas, common rooms, and com- munal dining rooms. It’s a sys- tem that’s been gaining traction in Vancouver and across Canada in recent years. It’s important to note that co- housing isn’t to be confused with affordable housing. A unit at Vancouver Co-housing, the city’s first co-housing project, starts at around $285,000 for a studio and runs up to $880,000 for the larg- est units, comparable to Vancou- ver's condo market value. The steep price tag on these homes hasn’t diminished public interest though. The wait lists for units are long enough to prompt new co-housing projects in the Lower Mainland and around the country. There are 36 co-housing projects in various stages of de- velopment around Canada, 19 of which are in British Columbia. Buyers report higher levels of satisfaction with the living ar- rangement than those living in condos and detached homes. The connections between so- cial isolation, poverty and unnec- essary spending have been well- documented across academia. When people feel supported within a community of affect- laden relationships, they experi- ence fewer health problems, in- creased confidence in their work, and spend far less on attempts at buying happiness. On paper, a co-housing unit has a comparable price point to a condo or town- house, but over time residents of co-housing projects experience a lower cost of living brought about by good health and genu- ine happiness. Critics of the movement echo the complaints of those against rezoning of neighbourhoods of single-family, detached homes. They believe denser living spac- es impact the availability of street parking, waste disposal, noise levels and the private space they value in sparsely populated neighbourhoods. Co-housing is a fine idea, a critic might say, but not in my backyard. Like it or not, denser com- munities are the way of the fu- ture. The world’s population is growing by an estimated 83 mil- lion people every year. While co-housing isn’t necessarily for everyone, it is a viable option that provides both privacy and community for those who want it, and it will continue to gain prevalence. People thrive when they are as- signed roles within a community. Stagnation occurs when people feel trapped or isolated by their surroundings. You might never really be alone in an apartment complex or basement suite of a full house, but without commu- nity and co-dependency, it can be a lonely existence. The “take what you can get” mentality driving rental and home ownership in Vancouver and other major cities is harm- ing the well-being of many urban renters and homeowners. While it’s currently most feasible for those who can afford to buy a home, co-housing could, if im- posed in a broader sense, be the answer for urbanites across all demographics. Inhabitants of all ages have reported great satisfac- tion from life in co-housing com- munities, and this “hippy-dippy socialist nightmare” might be just what we need to build hap- pier, healthier cities. We want to hear from you Have a different point of view? Write to us. Have a concern with something we've said? Let us know. Think we got a fact wrong? Tell us. Email: blink@langara.be.ca The Voice is pub- lished by Langara College’s Journalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the writers and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. They may be edited for brevity. Your letter must in- clude your name and phone number. HOW TO DROP-IN CITY EDITOR PAGE 3 REACH US Room A226 Lisa Steacy Cloe Logan Langara College PAGE 4&5 PHONE CITY DESKER Desiree Garcia 604-323-5396 SNAIL MAIL Amanda Poole PAGE 6 The Voice Amanda Poole E-MAIL 100 West 49th Ave. PAGE EDITORS PAGE7 thevoice@langara. Vancouver, B.C. PAGE 1 Nikitha Martins be.ca V5Y 226 Gabrielle Plonka PAGE 8 PAGE 2 Cameron Thomson WEBSITE MANAGINGEDITOR _ Neil Amsler langaravoice.ca Gabrielle Plonka REPORTERS Nick Laba Darren Amner Adam Levi Joe Ayres Rena Medow Kirsten Clarke Agazy Mengesha Mathilda de Villiers Mandy Moon Nathan Durec Patrick Penner Roxanne Egan-Elliott = Kathryn Tindale Kelsea Franzke Nathan Gan Katelynn Gardiner Taesa Hodel Shabnam Jessa CONTACT US Online at langaravoice.ca Twitter @LangaraVoice