6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 EDITOR JENNIFER THUNCHER lewpoints No to new phones eople spend too much money Pp: energy trying to keep up with the latest and greatest cell- phone. While the BlackBerry Z10 is now on the market and there is online talk of a Samsung Galaxy SIV, it is time to consider if we really need another phone at all. As a teenager, I only ever owned second-hand phones the size of bricks. I used to envy my classmates who carried iPhones and my dad who owned, and still owns, a series of BlackBerries. I received my first smart phone during my first year of college—last September. It is ridiculous that people drop their current phone for whatever is new and trendy. Maybe it’s because I never had a new phone before so I learned to value OPINION KAYLA what my parents ISOMURA gave me. After all, anything is an upgrade from the Sony Ericsson T300 I started with— think big, bulky, tiny screen and unbreakable. It is clear why Research in Motion had to release the BBZ10, it had to save its reputation, but other companies like Apple and Samsung should be set after their releases of the iPhone 5 and Galaxy SIII. Future phone releases aren’t necessary. And although the market is pretty competitive, the consumer is ultimately the one to blame for the constant barrage of new, and not always better, phones. After all, consumers are the ones buying into the product. I also wonder if people realize how much money they’re actually spending. An iPhone 4 or 5, costs approximately $2,340 for the three-year contract and $65 per month—without taxes and based on the carrier, of course. This doesn’t include extra costs such as down- loading content from the Internet or purchasing apps. Keeping up with the latest cell phone craze is just too expensive. ee LETTER to the editor I’m writing in response to my inclu- sion in the February 28 The Voice story about the new rental database. While there was water damage to our house, our landlord never tried to force us out. The interview was conducted in haste over the phone after work and I believe my use of the term “renovict- ed” confused the journalist. Renovict- ed means evicting tenants to upgrade the property and in some cases offer the place at a higher rent, but that was not our case. Even though my landlord offered to renew our lease, his neglect of the in- cessant water damage and short lease renewals left the day we got renovicted inevitability. I left because there was no stability, as my landlord could have gotten his permits at anytime and kicked us out within a month. In conflict with the facts in the story, we would have re- ceived free our last month’s rent by law, but that would have left me with- out a place to live and I didn’t have a job at the time. Angela Liu, Vancouver Nurses are heart of care urses and cutbacks should not be used in the same sentence —ever. With the recent provincial budget not including increased funding to health care, in effect the administrators of the health care system will have to cut back to stay where they are. Of course, the provincial govern- ment says it isn’t cutting back, it is just not increasing health care spending. What that means in reality, according to Debra McPherson with the B.C. Nurses’ Union, is there will be fewer nurses doing more. It means, “more racking and stacking of patients in the hallways waiting for care,” McPherson said in a statement. Anyone who has ever had a baby, or visited an emergency room for that matter, knows that nurses are the ones who have the most power- ful impact on patients’ emotional and physical well-being. Itis a nurse who spent seven hours with me as I laboured with my first son. She calmed me down, built me up and ran to get my husband some- thing to eat when he started to feel faint. She put my precious baby in my arms and taught me how to care for him over the coming days. OPINION JENN THUNCHER When I had a miscarriage years later, it was a nurse who held my hand and wiped my tears. She gave me hope and comfort. With four sons, Ihave gone through more than my share of visits to hospitals and each and every time it was a nurse, or several of them, who made a typically scary time more bearable. Of course we need doctors, but to make a comparison to colleges, doctors are the department heads while nurses are the instructors. Yes, we need the expertise, but without the humanity, the system is worthless. Every time the government fails to give the system the money it needs to improve, it takes the humanity out of health care. ess C_ontraversiol® h StyCloark Sieg) On Cesourees to tomer ethnic: festatirante J TS 4 Community gardens are not just a hobby voted to growing vegetables that students can take advantage of. Gardens may seem like an inconsequential hobby, but they aren’t. Firstly, community gardens have a positive environmental impact. With community gardens, people can determine how the food is grown So gardeners can ensure the food is free of pesticides. It is standard for pesticides to be used on fruits and vegetables found in grocery stores. Companies want their produce to grow as fast and as large as pos- sible, so chemicals are added. Pesticides also allow the food to last longer, but taste and nutrition are lost. Also, gardens are far better for the environment than buildings. Rea has two garden plots de- Plants reduce a city’s carbon footprint. A further environmental benefit of community gardens is that they can make use of large quantities of organic waste as fertilizer, therefore minimizing a city’s overall waste output. Secondly, community gardens provide an option for those people who may not have the space, but still have the desire to grow their own produce. More and more people are living in cities now, so there are fewer OPINION JACQUELINE LANGEN opportunities for traditional yard gardens. Community gardens offer an excellent option. Finally, and most importantly, community gardens have positive social impacts. Many cities around the world have non-profit gardens and provide food to low-income families. More community gardens here would help feed families in need. Community gardens provide a sense of community involvement. By sharing a common interest, people are brought together to do something good for themselves, the community and the environment. Some may say that land is very expensive in Vancouver, so itis a waste to have gardens, but nothing is more important than the physical and emotional health of citizens. More city gardens are needed. Fil fay ce) The Voice is published by Langara College's journalism 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. All letters must be signed. They may be edited for brevity. Names may be withheld in special cases, but your letter must include your name and phone number. HOW TO REACH US PHONE 604-323-5396 FAX 604-323-5398 E-MAIL thevoice@langara.bc.ca DROP-IN Room A226 Langara College There is a mailbox at the entrance to the journalism rooms. SNAIL MAIL The Voice 100 West 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 226 WEBSITE wwwlangaravoice.com EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE: MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Jennifer Thuncher PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Tanya Hill PAGE 2 Simone Pfeiffer PAGE 3 Gillian Hames PAGE 4 Richard Hodges PAGE 5 Brandon Kostinuk PAGE 7 Bronwyn Scott PAGE 8 Michael Letendre MANAGING WEB EDITOR Ryan Banagan WEB EDITOR Sam Reynolds Kevin Hampson WEB REPORTERS Judy Chem Steven Chua Jules Knox REPORTERS Jesse Adamson Brenna Brooks Ben Bulmer Jessica Cunningham Marie-Andree Del Cid Kristen Harpula Angela Holubowich Warren Jané Hailey McDonald James McLaughlin Kayla lsomura Jacqueline Langen Kelci Nicodemus Niall Shannon Puneet Dhami Sera Akdogan Brian Horstead Patrick Colvin Contact us: Online at langaravoice.com Twitter at @langaraVoice