AIMPUS NEWS ssovernans THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 2013 3 Gay love a question of opinion: students Gay students split on whether or not to display affection on campus By KELC] NICODEMUS hile some gay students say Wie feel comfortable on cam- pus, others say they would be hesitant to show affection at the school. Adam Giesbrecht, former queer liai- son for the Langara Students’ Union, said he’s never seen a gay couple show public displays of affection or (PDA) at the school and feels it’s still not accept- ed. “T personally don’t feel comfortable,” said Giesbrecht. Victor Wakarchuk, a Langara social work and sociology student, said he would feel comfortable showing affec- tion on campus. “All of my courses this semester have focused on LGBT oppression and because that edu- cation is out there, I do feel comfort- able,” he said. Nevertheless, he understands — that some students might feel uncom- fortable displaying affection depend- ing on which pro- gram they’re in. “Tcan see [male] students in more male dominant dis- ciplines where they don’t really focus on social issues feeling a lot less comfortable,” said Wa- karchuk. Both Wakarchuk and Giesbrecht feel safe at the school. “No one really knows [you’re gay] unless you ask them,” said Giesbrecht. Wakarchuk said that Langara, com- pared to his high school is very accept- ing. “Langara is a lot more open and a lot more progressive,” he said. “Seeing other students being open about it sets a good example that it is okay and it is acceptable behaviour.” The LSU provides a room just for gay students but since Giesbrecht left the college, the “queer room” has been locked and not used. GAY AFFECTION Some students feel comfortable with it, others New Compass cards offer new features Continued from page 1 Faresaver tickets will still be accept- ed through the transition period. Cards can also be registered online. If they are lost or stolen, they can be shut down and the remaining value can be added to a new card. Zabel said he did not know whether monthly pass prices would be affected by the new system. “Everything is worked out,” he said. Cubic Transportation System has been contracted to provide and main- tain the new system. Cubic has deliv- ered similar automatic fare collection systems around the world, including London’s Oyster cards. Some Langara students aren’t hap- py with the new changes. “T don’t really like it,” said Cory Isaak, a computer sciences student. currently being By KRISTEN HARPULA angara participated in Pink Shirt Day by hosting a bullying aware- ness event in the Students’ Union Building on Feb.27. It was put together by a committee of faculty, administration, support staff and LSU staff and included a panel of speakers plus information booths and prizes. Student Engagement Officer, Reba Noel, who coordinated the event, said the decision to have it at Langara came after the dean of student services was asked what the school was doing to ad- dress the issue. Members of the committee had talk- ed about it before and expressed an in- terest in working on something to lo- calize the issue. Speakers included Vancouver Police Department Const. Ryan Hooper, Mi- chele Bowers from Langara’s counsel- ing department, human rights coordi- nator Linda Sum and student conduct and judicial affairs manager Maggie Ross. They talked about the major con- cerns surrounding bullying, including how to recognize and help stop it. Staff members from human resourc- es were at the event to discuss safe and respectful work places as many stu- dents have part time jobs. There was also a video booth where students and staff could be recorded reading out a pledge to end bullying. Noel said that she preferred calling it bullying awareness instead of anti- bullying. “In addition to not wanting people to bully, we also want to make people aware of what bullying looks like.” Various speakers were featured to “help people understand where bully- ing can cross the line from being ag- gressive to being a bully to being crimi- i KRISTEN HARPULA photo Val Romanchik holds up waver forms for the Take the Pledge video booth, Wednesday, Feb.27, in the Students’ Union Building. Langara hosts pink shirt day Students come together to find out how to stop and prevent bullying nal and to being [a] human rights infringement,” said Noel. While bullying can be more obvious in high schools with schoolyard fights, the signs are less evident in college. “Somebody may be doing something without even realizing that they’re be- ing a bully, it may not be intentional,” said Noel. “Maybe I’m being bullied and I’ve never really realized it before; maybe I’m a bully and I didn’t mean to be. And maybe I’ve just got to change my be- haviour.” National Pink Shirt Day started in 2008, but after the recent Amanda Todd tragedy, people have started to take no- tice of the dangerous effects of bully- ing. “It’s tragic what happened to her [Todd], but out of that tragedy has come at least some willingness to have a conversation about it and take it more seriously,” said Maggie Ross. Pin si day CITIES WHERE PINK SHIRT DAY WAS OBSERVED »*Vancouver * Calgary » Edmonton * Toronto * Halifax * St. John's * Cape Breton » Victoria “Winnipeg +» Montreal Sculpture by fine arts students makes its way home By MARIE-ANDREE DEL CID sculpture can now be seen on the front wall of Langara’s security of- fice. Students in the fine arts program constructed the piece, which first ap- peared last year at the Langara 49th Ave. Canada Line station. It moved to its current location last month. Langara and InTransit BC’s Public Art program have a partnership that provides emerging artists the opportu- nity to display their work in different stations on the Canada Line. “All art installations on the Canada Line are displayed for a minimum of six months,” said Janice Fairley, director of the Canada Line Public Art program. Fairley says the installations have a fixed cost between InTransit BC’s Pub- lic Art program and the college. “TThe college] handles most of it; it comes out mostly from their art bud- get. However, InTransit BC’S Public Art program pays for the initial installation of the frame, so that the agreement was Te Lightly, a two-dimensional r y é moving forward it would reduce the cost of ongoing installations,” said Fairley. She also said the college is responsi- ble for arranging a crane to facilitate the installations. “A lot of sites were considered in- stead of the security office wall, but that was the only blank, concrete wall around here that draws in a lot of expo- sure to the sculpture because it’s at the front of the school,” said Luke Black- stone, a Langara art instructor. “That wall has a bit of an overhang which provides a bit of protection from the weather as well.” Blackstone says that they eventually want to add lights and be able to put up a screen around the sculpture. “[We want to] have a projector which can provide visual animation but that’s probably further down the road.” Tread Lightly hangs outside of Langara’s security office wall PUNEET DHAMI photo