5 Stress relief apps are effective Apps that relieve anxiety and stress are becoming popular due to their convenience and accessability By SHANNON LYNCH Cheer up, Langara students — an app might be the new way to lift your spir- its this fall. BoosterBuddy is a mobile app de- signed to help improve young people’s mental health by using elements based on video games. The free app’s “buddy” asks users how they’re feeling each day and de- pending on the answer, offers certain coping methods, like going for a walk if the user responds “not great.” Users also complete daily quests, some timed, like dancing for a whole song. They earn points upon quest completion. The app also suggests ways to organize your life, such as making lists or planning something for a friend’s birthday. Langara counsellor and interim de- partment chair Michele Bowers, said she thinks apps like BoosterBuddy have good potential due to accessibili- ty. “Given the almost constant access to technology, these apps allow users to access the resourc- es any time,” Bow- ers said. General biology student Kathy Liu said she feels “a little despondent” during the fall. She said she thinks the app could help be- KATHY LIU cause it’s “some- Biology Student thing to make you think more about your emotions.” English student Mohammed Almah- dawi said he usually calls his parents if he feels sad, but that he would down- load the app. “For me, I think it’s a good idea,” Almahdawi said. Humanities and social sciences stu- dent Devon Leathwood used Booster- Buddy briefly. According to Leathwood, the coping mechanisms and quests are simple things that everyone can do and a lot of them do boost your mood. “Sometimes people who suffer from mental health issues need that aid in getting past that, like doing stuff in their everyday lives ... | can see how it would be helpful in [daily organiza- tion].” Leathwood said. Bowers cautioned that the app couldn’t replace traditional counsel- ling. “The information provided by vari- ous apps such as BoosterBuddy will not replace the need for face-to-face counselling for some people who may have serious mental health issues,” she said. i 1 MindShift - app thats designed to help young adults with anxiety 2 GPS for the Soul - an app used to calm users from their busy lives 3 Relax Lite: Stress Relief - an app that focuses on relaxation and focus ba" ~ none . Moustaches incoming Rules of Movember HI sMen participating must start with a clean shaven face on Nov. 1 HM sFor the month, men must grow and groom their moustache HE Moustache must not connect to side- burns (considered as a beard) Ho there is no joining of the handlebars of the chin (consid- ered as a goatee) Source: Movember Canada Langara Can- cer Connection volunteers handed out free razors on Thursday, Oct. 30 for “One Last Shave before Movem- ber.” SANDY POWLIK photo Movember is kicking off its 12th year and many are preparing for the event, however questions are raised if the event has any merit By SANDY POWLIK November is here and so is Movem- ber. The month-long facial-hair-grow- ing event symbolizes robust health and masculinity. Originally a prostate can- cer awareness campaign, some ques- tion if today’s trend is more about fun. According to The Movember Foun- dation “Movember, through the power of the moustache, has become a truly global movement that is changing the face of men’s health.” Dr. Jerry Arthur-Wong, executive di- rector of the B.C. Men’s Resource Cen- tre, wonders whether Movember gets the most bang for its buck. “We should talk about the full range of men’s health, and not only what’s usually in mainstream media — mean- ing, prostate cancer,” Arthur-Wong said. Men are more likely to have prob- lems with other prostate diseases, enlarged prostates and erection prob- lems, argued Ar- thur-Wong. “We don’t hear about these or depres- sion in men or do- mestic violence against men,” DR. JERRY For Langara Can- ARTHUR-WONG cer Connection (LCC) BCMRC director co-founder Pourya Eslami, Movember is more about can- cer. “It’s combined with fun and I think it’s a good thing,” Eslami said. “I think people are more attracted to know more.” On Oct. 30, LCC volunteers gave away 2000 razors in Langara’s Building A, encouraging “One Last Shave Before Movember.” Kinesiology students, Ed- ward Leung and Nima Azarang agreed Movember matters. “T think people do it for a variety of reasons,” Leung said, “Whether you do it for fun or you support it, either way, it helps bring awareness.” Azarang said Movember is about bringing awareness to men’s problems. “It shouldn’t be narrowed to prostate cancer. There are other kinds of issues that men go through that are not as [well] known. There are social issues,” he said. Perhaps Arthur-Wong’s prescribed “shift in attitudes and thinking” about men’s health has begun. Now, in its 12th year, Movember is growing strong. 66 Whether you do it for fun or you support it, either way, it helps bring awareness EDWARD LEUNG KINESIOLOGY STUDENT Watching theatre is healthy Study say that watching live theatre can improve empathy and observation By JES HOVANES The idea that art can foster empathy is questioned by some, but a new study published in the journal Education Next may help to legitimize this belief. The study adds to a growing body of research on the importance of teaching arts in schools and exposing students to a variety of cultural experiences. “Students who see live theatre be- come more knowledgeable of the plot and vocabulary of the plays, more tol- erant, and better able to read the emo- tions of others,” said an excerpt from a study published in the journal Educa- tion Next by a team of academics head- ed by Jay P. Greene, PhD, endowed chair and head of the department of education reform at the University of Arkansas. It also confirms many of the theories and beliefs of Langara students and professors. Karen Budra, a Langara English in- structor, said she believes performance is a great way to create a sense of cohe- sion among people and she incorpo- rates performance in her classes when- ever she can. “What we do when we see people ex- hibiting an emotion is that we naturally mirror that emotion so they actually are capable of transforming us physi- cally,” Budra said. “That’s what hap- pens with theatre.” This idea is reflected in the research. Students who watch live theatre were better able to identify the emotions of others. Nursing student Izzy Alcoreza agrees that watching live theatre can foster empathy and build community. After he saw the musical Annie as a kid with his family, he said he thought about that character when he felt alone. “Just being that kid that’s being bul- lied, being singled out,” Alcoreza said, “there’s that moment and that connec- tion with that play” While many people don’t like theatre arts, Studio 58 student Lucy McNulty said hating a play is also a worthwhile experience. “You should always leave the theatre talking about what you just saw...or talking about how much you hated it. It doesn’t have to be entertaining or a fantastic evening, but as long as its done something to you and you are re- acting, then it’s useful,” McNulty said. JES HOVANES photo Instructors Karen Budra (left) and Debra Scott (right) already knew the benefits of watching theatre.