ampus hews EDITOR ALANNA HARDINGE-ROONEY THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 3 Enviro liaison asks peers to take up torch Workshop aims to teach students about urban farming and generate interest in environment By AUDREY McKINNON n urban farming workshop at fives: next month could make an impact on future environmen- tal activism at the college, says envi- ronmental liaison Naoko Shiratori. Shiratori attended the Sustainable Campus conference, a three-day envi- ronmental workshop hosted by SFU at the beginning of March and she said she liked what she saw. That inspiration led her to organize a workshop at Langara on April 3 that will not only teach students how to bring environmental care into their homes, but will also encourage volun- teers to carry on Shiratori’s efforts. “There are so many things going on in universities and campuses that I would love to see happen at Langara, but because Langa- ra is not a univer- sity, people tend to not stay here many years. It’s very dif- ficult to do certain programs or proj- , ects.” Be FY One of her ideas NAOKO SHIRATORI is the April work- Environmental shop that will pro- liaison mote beekeeping, indoor gardening and composting. It will also include live music, and gifts like organic chocolate and plant seedlings will be given to participants. If the weather is nice, Shiratori says it will be held outside. Shiratori also hopes to identify peo- ple who will carry on the initiatives she has started. “Tm really looking for people. Volun- teers, helpers, anybody who has any passion in regards to environmental is- sues and how to change the campus for the better.” She says the process of planning the workshop will leave experience in the hands of newcomers who can take on her activism. “Tcan’t just pass down a manual and say this is what I did.” Shiratori, who was elected to office this spring, will only be part of the LSU until the end of August. After that, she hopes that thanks to events like the April 3 workshop, there will be other students on campus to maintain the momentum she’s estab- lished. t i j= oa aera These are some of the pieces that will be on display at the professional photo-imaging grad show on April 26 at the Waterfall Building. Clockwise from top, the photographers are Stephanie Boha, Mudra Napali and Kathleen Loski. Photo grads gear up for show Students deal with budget and time pressures to put on annual event By CARA McKENNA hoto students at Langara have been busy preparing for their year-end show. At the end of each year, the graduating class of professional photo- imaging students puts on a showcase where they publicly display their port- folios and prints of their photography. This year’s show will open at 7 p.m. April 26 at the Waterfall Building near Granville Island. If will run until May 2. There are 18 students in this year’s graduating class, and according to pho- to-imaging student Corina Esquivel, most are planning to have four to six large prints on display, covering a range of photography styles from land- scapes to fashion. The photo students have complete control over everything from where the show takes place to what they want to display. “They own the show,” said Depart- ment Chair, Catharine O’Brien-Bell. “The more problems they solve, the more it becomes their show.” The students are expected to fund everything surrounding the show themselves and lately they have been busy putting on regular fundraisers and finding corporate sponsors. “Its hard getting money,” said Es- quivel. The time crunch is another chal- lenge they have to deal with. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough time to do what I was visualiz- ing,” said Esquivel. Stephanie Boha, a photo student who likes to photograph architecture, said she is also feeling the stress. “This is your portfolio that people are going to be looking at and judging whether they hire you on,” she said. “Tt’s kind of scary.” Boha said she also has her own set of challenges photographing architec- ture. “The weather [has been] really crap- py so outside architecture shots aren’t happening very well,” she said. “It’s coming down to the bitter end.” O’Brien-Bell, however, said she is confident her students will put on an outstanding show. “We’ve seen some exciting stuff com- ing out. ’m quite pleased with them as a group.” O’Brien-Bell said the show usually has a great turnout, and people looking for new photography talent are usually in the mix. “Quite often [the students] will get opportunities for jobs,” she said. Admission to the show is free, but donations can be made toward the show at www.langaraphotograds.com. EVENT details WHO The Langara photo-imaging graduating class of 2012 WHAT Portfolio gallery show, with door prizes, music and a cash bar WHERE The Waterfall Building 1540 West 2nd Avenue (near Granville Island) WHEN Opening night is April 26 {Doors at 7 p.m.) Show runs until May 2 STACY THOMAS photo Carmen Chan and Ryan Erwin pose with a poster for “Food for Thought,” an event that seeks to raise aware- ness about food issues affecting Langara students. Eat healthy, sustainably, frugally Students can learn about “food justice”, score free produce and eat bannock at upcoming SUB event By STACY THOMAS above your potatoes will keep them fresh longer? Or that stand- ing your green onions upright in your refrigerator can save you money on power bills? Do you want to take home free, organic produce? Students can learn more about living healthily and sustainably at a food and culture awareness event in the SUB, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday March 22. “Food For Thought” is being pre- sented by the student issues action D: you know that storing apples committee, environmental committee, and the aboriginal centre. The environmental committee will be giving out free organic produce and easy recipes. Students who bring their own utensils and reusable containers can spin a wheel for prizes ranging from more fresh produce to USB sticks. “We want to promote healthy sus- tainable living for students, especially because final exams are coming up,” said Carmen Chan of the student issues action committee. Check Your Head, a locally run youth and student action group, will be put- ting a political spin on things with their “food justice” workshop at 12:30 p.m. Students will learn how the food sys- tem in Canada and the world impacts the environment and our quality of life. “A lot of students have been trying to push for more sustainably sourced foods on campus and that’s always a struggle because there’s contracts in place,” Chan said. “We can teach [stu- dents] how to go out and look for foods that are sustainable ... instead of going out for a burger and fries, they can stay home and cook for themselves and it’s healthier and cheaper.” The aboriginal centre will be having a cooking demonstration and serving free bannock and salmon at 2:30 p.m. There will be workshops to raise stu- dents’ awareness of aboriginal issues, both local and nationwide, and discus- sions about how to mitigate them. “What we’re trying to do is to edu- cate individuals who may not have oth- erwise gotten the chance to have learned about [aboriginal culture],” na- tive liaison Ryan Erwin said “Hopefully that will help give non-aboriginals an understanding of that perspective.”