ampus news EDITOR CARISSA THORPE THE DAILY VOICE, FRIDAY, MONTH 30, 2012 3 Thursday’s Philosopher’s jam dis- cussed minds and mental realism. Philosophers: jam last of the year Langara hosted the final discussion session of the series until the new year on Thursday night By GILLIAN HAMES ries rounded out a successful year last night with guest speaker Wayne Henry, a Langara philosophy instructor. The topic discussed was mental real- ism, the idea that people really do have minds that are separate from our phys- ical bodies. This is how intelligent be- havior is explained. Henry attempted to defend mental realism from the theory’s anti-realist critics such as Paul and Patricia Churchland. The Churchlands believe that men- tal states can be explained in terms of the physical, and that we don’t have to describe a mind as something mysteri- ous and metaphysical. “The question is whether people have a mind or not,” said philosophy instructor Alex Boston, the organizer behind the jams. “The idea that we don’t have minds could be a bit controversial.” However, Boston said the most heat- ed debates don’t generally come from discussions around such topics as last night’s. “People can respectfully disagree on [the topic of] philosophy of mind,” he said. “The social justice [dialogues] veer more towards controversy.” The dialogue series generally occurs once a month (there were two jams in November) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the faculty dining lounge in the A Building on Thursday evenings. Each session starts with a featured guest speaker, followed by an open dis- cussion. This is the second year that the phi- losophers’ jam series has taken place at Langara thanks to the philosophy department. Past topics covered in the series this term were transhumanism, does mod- ern education miss the point?, and se- duced into gangs: is there a connection between alienation and gang violence. Few details have been released about the slate of topics for 2018, but Boston said that in February the dis- cussion will be centered on the ethics of euthanasia, which he expects will foster an emotionally charged debate among attendees. This has been Boston’s first year or- ganizing the dialogues, and he said that turn out has been increasing, part- ly due to an award-winning marketing campaign spearheaded by communica- tions liaison Marlene Dong. “We're all very impressed with her,” said Boston. The marketing campaign recently won a silver medallion award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. As to how he’s found the role of orga- nizing the jams, Boston says, “It’s a lot of fun.” For more info, check the philosophy department’s homepage on the Langa- ra College website. Te: philosophers’ jam dialogue se- Mo'vember, mo’ moustaches: a round-up of the best staches found on campus KATJA DE BOCKphoto In recent years November has become Movember, with men growing facial hair to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer. As Movember comes to a close, here’s a look at some of the moustaches and beards on campus yesterday. Clockwise from left: Ken Schmunk, who is a receiver at the Langara Bookstore; Dylan Basford, human kinetics student; Zoltan Szoke from the IT department; Nathan Penner, social work student SAD days are here again Shorter daylight hours and all the rain winter brings Vancouver can dampen spirits and leave some with seasonal affective disorder By TANYA HILL easonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of clinical depression that follows a seasonal pattern, afflicting some when daylight hours lessen with the changing sea- sons. A change in mood isn’t out of the or- dinary, but SAD sufferers often experi- ence bouts of depression that recurr on a yearly basis, with a rebound when the days get longer. Varying symptoms include insom- nia, lethargy, sleeping too much, and a change in appetite, and can be debili- tating. SAD affects between 15 per cent to 25 per cent of the global population, and 2.8 per cent of North Americans. Everyone’s moods are affected by a change in season, but SAD is usually considered to be the extreme end of the spectrum. “T definitely notice a change in my mood,” said Olivia Guimond, a Langara student. “Tnotice when it’s winter I stop being productive.” Guimond went on to say, “I know lots of people who suffer from SAD [who] take Omega-3 and vitamin D.” According to the science paper Up- date on the Biology of Seasonal Affec- tive Disorder, SAD has two main char- acteristics: depressive symptoms and responsiveness to light treatment. According to the Canadian Metal Health Association website, a “biologi- cal internal clock” in the brain regu- lates our circadian or daily rhythm and for “thousands of years the cycle of hu- man life revolved around the daily cy- cle of light and dark and we now live out of step with that.” Research shows that chemical mes- sengers in the brain that help regulate sleep, mood, and appetite may be dis- turbed in those who experience SAD. “Every living organism is influenced by seasons,” according to Chang-Ho Sohn and Raymond W. Lam, both in the department of psychiatry at UBC. “Vancouver is kind of a depressing city and it’s hard to say if my mood has changed because I’m over worked or don’t get enough sleep,” said Tesla Rainbowdancer, a vendor at Bliss Kreations at the United Way craft fair at Langara College. “Tm a different person in the sum- mer, but ’'m from Penticton - a rural area - and I find that in Vancouver there is always something to do, that helps,” said Sarah Smith, a general arts student at Langara. People with symptoms of SAD can benefit from going outdoors more (es- pecially at noon, when the sunlight is strongest), regular exercise, and in- creased exposure to natural light. Many people respond to light thera- py, which involves sitting beside a spe- cial florescent light-box for several minutes every day. SAD symptoms: SLEEPING MORE, FEELING DROWSY DURING THE DAY FEELING SAD, GRUMPY, MOODY OR ANXIOUS LOSS OF INTEREST IN ACTIVITIES WEIGHT GAIN EATING MORE AND CRAVING CARBS DEPRESSION LESSENS WHEN SEASON CHANGES Source: HealthLink BC New program for singer-songwriters 66 This is a great chance for musicians to take that next step SONGWRITING INSTRUCTOR DEBORAH HOLLAND Langara is set to launch a certificate program for musicians covering all aspects of the business By RICHARD HODGES way into the music business have a new opportunity thanks to a Langara continuing studies program starting in January. The full-time singer-songwriter cer- tificate program is set to run every January, May and September at Langa- ra’s Broadway campus (near Cambie Street), and will be limited to just 11 students per intake. The program will be taught by some celebrated instructors. Sesineticims looking for a Program co-ordinator Mike Wiskar is a Leo-nominated composer, multi-in- strumental songwriter and producer, while Adam Faulton, who has previ- ously worked with Paul McCartney, will teach digital recording. David Bernstein was part of the pop- ular 80s Canadian act The Source, while songwriting instructor Deborah Holland once fronted Animal Logic, a band that also featured Stewart Cope- land of the Police. Holland calls the program the chance of a lifetime for aspiring artists. “It’s a program for people who want to write and sing their own songs,” Hol- land said. “It’s 14 weeks five nights a week and we're hoping it will take off. I’ve al- ready received four phone calls today.” Holland said every applicant will un- dergo a mini-audition with the instruc- tors to determine their eligibility. Applicants will also need to prove they have the basic skills necessary on guitar or piano with either a recording or in-person live performance of three to five songs. The program will cover music theo- ry, songwriting, performance, digital recording and the music business. “Tm really looking forward to it and I think it will be a lot of fun,” Holland said. “This is a great chance for musicians to take that next step and learn from a lot of talented people.” Tuition for the program is $4,250, plus the purchase of an iPad. For more information about the pro- gram or how to apply, visit Langara. be.ca/es.