THEVOICE | 6 THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018 | EDITOR LINDSEY LLOYD This is our final installation, “Development Application” Finding suitable and affordable space in Vancouver is a challenge for artists. The city received 158 applications last year for the seven studio spaces it sub- sidizes for artists. CLOE LOGAN ILLUSTRATION High rents push out arts ancouver’s housing-af- fordability crisis is not only forcing residents to leave, but is pushing arts and culture out of the city. Arts and cul- ture are key components of the quality of life in a city, and a driving econom- ic contributor to local economies. According to Statistics Cana- da, arts and culture, such as music, OPINION LINDSEY LLOYD written works and visual arts, con- tribute an estimated $54.6 billion in revenue a year to the Canadian economy. This is more than the ag- riculture, forestry, hunting and fish- ing industries combined. Vancouver artists are being hit hard by a loss of studio space and homes, driven by rising rents and cost of living. The city only subsi- dizes enough space for seven artists. Meanwhile, there are almost 8,000 artists living and working in Van- couver. Although Vancouver is research- ing a strategy to guide the future of arts and culture in the city, it may be coming too late. Recently, the Red Gate Arts So- ciety, a well-respected alternative arts organization that houses be- tween 60 and 80 artists, has been asked to move out of its space by a developer. This is a classic Vancou- ver story. A 2018 James Irvine Founda- tion report found that participation in the arts leads to higher levels of lasting and consistent youth civic engagement as well as improved ability to work with others and solve complex problems. However, the study also found that “the effects of the arts are likely to be cumulative over significant time and difficult to document: a slow drip rather than a sudden eruption and easy to take for grant- ed.” Taking artists for granted is ex- actly what the city is doing. Tout- ing itself as “alive with creativity” on its website, Vancouver expects the people who heavily contribute to the local economy and culture to somehow find an affordable space in one of North America’s most ex- pensive cities. Through losing culture, Vancou- ver risks becoming an unattractive place to live. There is opportunity to support an active arts community, but the city has to make it appeal- ing for people to stay. Say yes to consent education somewhere between “Yes,” and “No,” lies an ambiguous and dangerous silence. Unfortunately, many young adults still rely on non-verbal consent dur- ing sex, based on the assumption that we know what our partners are thinking even when they don’t explicitly say “yes.” In reality, “non- verbal consent” is an oxymoron, Langara College's sexual violence support services webpage states that a sexual act cannot be assumed or implied. The college’s “Only Yes Means Yes,” campaign this week aims to tackle consent ambiguity amid con- cerns that many students are unable I: the heat of the moment, to clearly define sexual consent. “Only Yes Means Yes” sounds like common sense but a lack of education puts youth in danger of assaulting a partner out of ignorance. In his book, Making Sense of Sexual Con- sent, professor of criminol- ogy Mark Cowl- ing writes that young adults run a high risk of becoming perpetrators of sexual assault. Cowling believes that a lack OPINION GABRIELLE PLONKA of sex education is to blame. He supports a sexual offense policy, cre- ated in the 1990s by a group called Womyn of Antioch, which outlines how consent must be verbally and repeatedly given lie to go on a date with him. It’s great that Langara is now providing some sex education, but it should be something that is ongoing and consistent from an — early age. Educa- during each 7 ' _ tion can provide level of a sexual We ve been spoon young people encounter. fed a definition with the tools to ‘The problem rewrite the “mov- for many youth is that the rules of consent don't coincide with what we see in pop culture. We've been spoon-fed a definition of “sexy,” that’s ultimately harmful. Picture The Notebooks Noah hang- ing from a ferris wheel, begging Al- of 'sexy' that's ultimately harmful.” ie magic” narra- tive of sex and replace fiction — with — respectful communication. When you ask for consent, you show potential partners that you care about their feelings. And that, is the sexiest quality of all. Viewpoints Sounds, scents hile a silent campus is an impossible goal, col- leges could do more to curb unnecessary noise and make life easier for students with sound- sensitivity. Misophonia, a sensory im- pairment, is an extreme sensitiv- ity to everyday sounds, such as - chewing food, sniffing or click- ing a pen. Al- OPINION though most — people dont DESIREE know that the GARCIA condition exists, it can be a barrier to learning for some as, according to sufferers, cer- tain trigger sounds produce strong reactions, including anger, anxiety and panic. Numerous studies have attested to the existence of misophonia, but the condition is still being re- searched. The most convincing study, reported in 2014 that miso- phonia affects approximately four per cent of the overall population. Despite the relative rarity of this condition, there are reasonable steps colleges could take to create a more tolerable soundscape. Currently, the college strives to be an odour free environment, with posters scattered around the school to bring awareness to those who have sensitivities to scents. Al- though it’s difficult to stop students from slurping their soup or sniffling into a Kleenex, Langara could start a similar initiative by displaying posters around campus to remind students and staff that some among us struggle with sound induced stress. This week the psychology depart- ment hosted a campus screening of a documentary entitled Quiet Please, which explores misophonia. This is a laudable step; however the college can go beyond showing a movie. In order to accommodate those who are sound-sensitive, but who may be too shy to ask classmates to stop eating, eating should only be al- lowed outside of class time. Small changes such as these could start a conversation without severely inconveniencing the wider school population. 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. Journalism instructor Erica Bulman oversees The Voice. Email: ebulman@langara.be.ca The Voice is pub- lished by Langara College’s joumalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff 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 REACH US Room A226 Langara College PHONE 604-323-5396 SNAIL MAIL The Voice E-MAIL 100 West 49th Ave. thevoice@langara. Vancouver, B.C. be.ca V5Y 226 WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR langaravoice.ca Ana Rose Walkey PAGE EDITORS PAGE 7 Perrin Grauer PAGE 1 PAGE 8 Becca Clarkson Danica Walker PAGE 2 Ana Rose Walkey MANAGING PAGE 3 WEBSITE Lisa Tanh EDITOR PAGE 4&5 Jennifer Wilson Nick Valka PAGE 6 WEB EDITORS Lindsey Lloyd Myra Dionne Natalia Buendia William Crosby Calvillo FACULTY REPORTERS MANAGING Agazy Mengesha EDITOR Amanda Poole Erica Bulman Cameron Thomson ebulman@langara. Cloe Logan ca Desirée Garcia Gabrielle Plonka Lisa Steacy Nikitha Martins CONTACT US Online at langaravoice.ca Twitter @LangaraVoice