6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 EDITOR DANIEL PALMER Government cuts to job centres will hurt students ast week, the federal govern- [ie announced it would be closing all Service Canada Centres for Youth in an attempt to save $6.5-million annually. The centres, in existence for more than 40 years, functioned as a one-stop shop for teenag- ers and students hoping to find mostly summer employment. The Ministry of Human Resourc- es claims the resources haven’t disappeared, but instead have migrated online after officials noted a drop in attendance at the job centres. But with a government agres- sively slashing the budgets of every ministry during the worst recession in two generations, it seems unlikely the same level of service can be delivered in digital format. Youth unemployment is estimated to be nearly 15 per cent across the country, twice the non-student youth unemployment rate. In addition to providing personal coaching and mentorship, the job centres employ many students in and around universities and colleges. The closure of the centres, including one in Vancouver, marks one fewer option for students looking to bank enough summer income to make it through the year. The federal government seems to be focused on short-term budget balancing rather than long-term investment in its population. A lack of robust support for post-secondary students is not only demoralizing, it’s dangerous. ee LETTERS to the editor The Photo-Imaging Department was delighted with the exposure the Voice newspaper gave to our second year stu- dent Kezia Nathe. I was, however, shocked that her name was spelt incor- rectly. I would have thought Journal- ism students this close to the end of the year would have caught such a basic error. a ’ 4 OPINION DANIEL PALMER Catharine O’Brien-Bell Department Chair Professional Photo-Imaging We want to hear from you Did we get a fact wrong? Tell us. Got a different point of view? Write to us. Problems with something we've said? Let us know. Journalism instructor Nicholas Read oversees The Voice. Email him at nread@langara.be.ca Public art enriches cities angara is doing a service to the Vancouver art scene by getting more involved in public art. By hosting public art tours for high school students, youth are seeing what they could do for the future of public art. This is Langara’s second public art link since the Canada Line operator, InTransitBC, agreed in 2009 to display student works in the stations, stimulating commuters’ minds. In January, Langara College students contributed a Plexiglas and steel structure to the Langara-49th Ave. station. The college’s 2011 Public Art Studio Practice students created the piece entitled Tread Lightly, dotted with footprints symbolizing carbon footprints. I’ve been an artist in this city before. It didn’t feel like there was much room for new local artists. It was hard to get my name out there. Even after selling almost $5,000 worth of art and a complete body of work in 2007, I was short 4 on venues in ~ which to show my Ww work and gain recognition. . After a while, I OPINION was short on cash AUDREY McKINNON to support my habit, as I sometimes called it. People kept telling me to go to Toronto to carve out a name for myself, which only told me that our dear rainy city was not quite cutting it when it came to enabling artists. But programs like this, where the city and local artists — including students — can get their art out there, could change the Vancouver art scene by helping new artists break into the world of look what I can do, recognize my style, know my name and buy my stuff. The fine arts program is now expanding the class and inviting high school students to consider art as part of their futures. Although the tour only invites students from schools with art programs, participants don’t have to have a background in the arts to get into the Langara public art program. This opens the doors of artistic creativity to anyone, even if they haven’t dabbled in art before. Langara is taking advantage of the city’s visual initiative. Bravo, Langara, for getting on the public art train. It could mean the college raises some currently closeted artists into established brands of their own artwork. Cartoon by MICHELLE GAMAGE The new iPad 3 lives up to hype pple’s latest offering — the first A the post-Steve Jobs era — the new iPad, or the iPad 3 as it’s colloquially known, is now available worldwide. Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, the new iPad has roared out of the gates and is flying off store shelves from Australia to the United States. Also unsurprising is the fact that there is one major question that gadget aficionados everywhere are asking about the revamped device. Is it really worth it for the consumer to shell out another few hundred dollars (anywhere from $500 to $830, depending on the model ordered), or is it just a mere glori- fied version of the past iPads with miniscule improvements that are seldom noticed? According to a number of factors, the answer is a resounding no to the latter. The new iPad is a game- changer for the tablet computer industry. When the new iPad was first unveiled at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on March 7, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed how the device would be a key cog in the wheel of the “post-PC world,” and backed up his claim with a laundry list chock-full of new features in the ; latest iPad. Among them, — an improved J retina display estimated to have 0 P| N 10 N a million more r pixels than an QUINN MELL-COBB 1080p high-defini- r4 r4 tion television, a faster processor and a five-mega- The new pixel camera, a iPad is drastic improve- ment over the a game- relatively measly changer 0.7-megapixel iPad 2 offering. f or the The new iPad tablet also contains the same dictation comp uter technology as the industry iPhone 4S, which enables users to have their spoken words typed onto the screen for them, provided they are connected to the internet or a cellular signal. Skeptics will argue that these improvements are minor and that the hype surrounding the new iPad is overblown, but sales figures suggest otherwise. The new iPad is a hit. Apple said customer response to the release was “off the charts” and also announced in a press release shortly thereafter that approximate- ly three million new iPads were sold in the first three days following its release. To suggest that these millions and millions of people are somehow misguided, wrong or brainwashed is laughable at best. As the rave reviews continue to pour in from satisfied customers and critics alike, those debating back and forth about buying the new iPad needn’t torture themselves any longer. A tablet computer revolution is underway, and the new iPad is leading the charge. 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 wwwiangaravoice.com EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE: MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Daniel Palmer PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Jennifer Fong PAGE 2 Matt Hyndman PAGE 3 Jen St. Denis PAGE 4 Patrick Johnston PAGE 5 Carly Wignes PAGE 7 Alexandra Grant PAGE 8 Devon MacKenzie WEB EDITORS Ruman Kang Emma Crawford Martin Wissmath Lynda Chapple REPORTERS Ross Armour Dana Bowen Agustina Coccaro Hayley Doctor Michelle Gamage Lev Jackson Cara McKenna Audrey McKinnon Quinn Mel-Cobb Dennis Page Clayton Paterson Sascha Porteous Brandon Reid Jacqueline Richardson Jeremy Sally Omar Shariff Alexander Skerdzhev Carly Smith Stacy Lynne Thomas Carissa Thorpe Ashley Viens Contact us: Our blog: langaravoice.com Twitter: @langaraVoice Flickr: Langara Voice