ssues & ideas EDITOR TYLER HOOPER THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014 7 Students head to India Students interested in teaching yoga are heading to South Asia for 3 weeks By MEGAN BOBETSIS are getting to go on a trip of a life- time next week. A group of 15, including program co- ordinator Anuradha Hannah and yoga therapist Nicole Marcia will travel to northern India from March 4 to 21. The program runs every two years and was created in 2010 by Naseem Gu- lamhusein, the founder of Langara’s yoga teacher training program. The program gives students 50 hours of teacher training to add toward their 300- or 500-hour teacher certificates. During the retreat, students will be learn about yoga and educated on the history of India. The trip also includes a tour of at- tractions such as the Lotus Temple, Mahatma Gandhi Shrine and museums in Agra. “The architecture is breathtaking. You feel the energy of thousands of years, and are amazed at the intricate work from so long ago,” Hannah said in an email. After the tour, the group travels to Rishikesh, where students will study at an ashram. Classes begin daily at 6 a.m. and con- tinue throughout the day. Hannah said “entering the discipline and simple life of the ashram” allows students to strengthen their own prac- tice through daily routine. The group then spends time at Sri Ram Ashram, an orphanage for more than 600 abandoned children. The children grow up together and stay at the ashram until they are old and educated enough to leave. Hannah said many locals refer to this ashram as “the jewel in the jun- gle.” “You go, thinking you will help them, and always leave with so much more than you could give,” Hannah said. Marcia, who has been a yoga teach- er, therapist and trainer since 2004, is joining the trip for the first time this year. She became involved in yoga after she was sexually assaulted. “T used yoga to cope with the after- math of that traumatic event,” she said in an email. “Pm most looking forward to the chance to go to the birth place of the practice that has made such a profound difference in my life.” Le students interested in yoga SUBMITTED photo Nicole Marcia, a local yoga instruc- tor, is attending the trip India. RENEE SUTTON photo A Langara student takes time to enjoy a cigarette while on the Langara campus. New budget: Price of smokes to go up While cigarette prices rise, students will have to continue going off campus to purchase tobacco By RENEE SUTTON .C. residents will be paying more for cigarettes in April and Langara students will continue to go off campus to buy tobacco products. The increase in tax on tobacco is in- tended to lower tobacco use in B.C., as well as relieve some of the burden that smoking puts on the healthcare sys- tem, according to the 2014 B.C. budget. The tax increase, effective April 1, will mean an additional 32 cents per package of 20 cigarettes. The budget also states additional revenue as an incentive for the tax in- crease. But smokers at Langara won’t see tobacco products sold on campus any- time soon, said Ed Hensley, spokesper- son for the Langara Students’ Union. The B.C. Tobacco Control Act cur- rently restricts the sale and distribu- tion of tobacco at any public post-sec- ondary institution. Some students said the increase would not discourage them from buy- ing cigarettes. Brandon Rosario, a political science student, did not think the price in- crease would reduce his consumption. “Tm addicted ...so whatever, bump it up thirty cents. It’s not going to make much of a difference to me,” he said. While some students don’t mind leaving campus to purchase cigarettes, some would prefer to have access to to- bacco at school. “It would be nice if they sold smokes,” said Sara Rodriguez, a cre- ative writing student. “A lot of people do smoke so it would be a lot more convenient than walk- ing.” Joanna Woltosz, a research associ- ate at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at the B.C. Cancer Agency, hopes the tax increase and To- bacco Control Act will reduce the amount of tobacco students consume. “The majority of the lifelong smok- ers actually started in their college years,” said Woltosz. The sale of tobacco at schools could result in more smokers taking up the habit and making it more difficult for others to quit, he added. 66 The major- ity of the life-long smokers actually started in their col- lege years JOANNA WOLTOSZ Oncology coming to Langara New three-day oncology course looks to teach stu- dents how to treat people during cancer recovery By BEN ZUTTER oncology esthetics course at the lend of May. Beginning on May 30 and ending on June 1, 2014, the course will cost $695 and is designed for estheticians and spa professionals who wish to learn how to safely treat people undergoing cancer treatment or recovering from the dis- ease. The course is part of the college’s ho- listic health studies continuing educa- tion program. Students who complete the intensive training program will earn a certificate granted by Langara College and Oncol- ogy Esthetics. Morag Currin, who developed the Morag Currin Method of Oncology Es- thetics, is the instructor for the course. She wrote a book on the subject and is the founder of Touch for Cancer, the first OE certification program in Aus- tralia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Its goal is to educate and empower estheticians and skin care therapists to impact the lives of cancer patients with compassion and healing. Although her background is primar- ily in esthetics, she also studied oncol- ogy through the Banner Good Samari- tan Medical Centre in Phoenix, Arizona and the Oncology Nursing Society. “Ultimately, all people living with cancer and undergoing cancer treat- ment would like to have a spa practitio- ner provide a safe treatment, custom- ized for their condition,” Currin said. “Correctly done, this helps improve their quality of life and reduces the stress factor in dealing with this dis- ease.” In many ways, it’s also tremendously beneficial to the health care profession- al. “This changes one’s perspective of how important life is,” she said. “Wor- rying about a wrinkle means nothing to those fighting to survive. It’s a very re- warding modality.” Oncology is a branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treat- ment of cancer. ae is offering a new three-day Oncolo In brief: ay 1 Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals specfically with cancer. 2 It's primarily concerned with the diag- nosis of someone with cancer, therapy techniques, care for those suffering, and care for those with malignacies. 3 There are numerous sub-specialities within oncology including: radiation, surgical, medical, gynecological, pediatric and anatomical. 4 There are even oncologists who work with vets to help diagnose and treat animals with cancer. 5 Methods of diagnosis include: biopsy, endoscopy, X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasounds, nuclear medicine, and blood tests. Source: American Society of Clinical Oncology