BALA YOGESH photo Students gathered in Langara College’s cafeteria for a Diwali celebration put together by the international education department. Diwali, bright thoughts of home Event organized by Langara College comforts international students 66 It is too good. We can feel like we’re in India HARLEEN SANDHU LANGARA STUDENT By BALA YOGESH angara College’s international education department held an event to celebrate Diwali last Fri- day — and to many students, it felt just like home. This is the third year Langara has held a celebration for Diwali. Two international student volun- teers started the initiative in 2014, as they wanted to showcase the festival of lights on campus. “Tt is too good. We can feel like we’re in India,” said Langara student Har- leen Sandhu, while dancing to the mu- sic filling the cafeteria. Diwali is one of the major festivals in India and many other countries. The festival signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair. “It’s very important because since we really miss our home so much, it’s good,” said Sukriti Karla, another Lan- gara student. “T don’t think it’s only Langara but every college in Canada provides this opportunity that they have for school, and they have an Indian association and after that they create events like these. That’s really important for us.” The event at Langara consisted of dance performances by students, an ar- ray of Indian foods and an open dance floor where students enjoyed a variety of Indian songs. The international education depart- ment held the event during the school day, a change from last year. The result of this was greater acces- sibility for students who wanted to at- tend, as it was during regular hours. “TI was] really excited about this cel- ebration because last time it was at night, and many of the students missed it and regretted that they couldn’t at- tend it,” said event organizer Attinder- jit Kaur Sidhu, adding that they were happy the college listened to the feed- back. The international students who are away from home feel that the event is very important to them. “This event is truly a collaborative effort among the international educa- tion team and students. This event is a great opportunity to celebrate this spe- cial event with the Langara communi- ty,” said Lynette Hawksley, communi- cations officer for the international education department. “Tt showcases the wonderful cul- tures that observe this festival and helps to raise intercultural awareness and understanding.” Comic society nurtures craft, creativity BONNIE LEE LA MADELEINE photo Cloudscape Comics members work during a meeting. Local comic organization in Memorial South Park trying to develop artistry By BONNIE LEE LA MADELEINE in South Vancouver has been help- ing comic artists explore their craft. Cloudscape Comics is a 10-year-old art society that has operated in a field- house on Memorial South Park for the past four years. This space allows local comic artists to connect and network with each oth- er. The society also offers weekly events throughout the year and is open to the public. Jeff Ellis, founder of Cloudscape Comics, said that he wanted to build a community to help aspiring artists hone their skills, create better story- lines and find viable outlets for publica- tion. Having a place in the park made it easier to nurture their community. “Just having a brick and mortar facil- ity gives you a certain amount of legiti- macy that people don’t give when you meet at coffee shops,” said Ellis. “We had a lot more interest from the media. F:: the past 10 years, an art society We got a lot more grants approved.” According to Ellis, the space also drew more people in. It made the social connection stronger. Weekly meetings at the studio are often standing room only. Monica Disher is an urban fantasy comic artist who joined Cloudscape Comics in search of artistic friends. “It’s really important to have arty friends around you when you are try- ing work,” she said. “It’s an environ- ment thing. It keeps you motivated.” The meetings help hone her craft. “You can bring in anything you’re working on and get feedback, get help- ful comments,” she said. “And, if you’re stuck, it’s great to have a community of artists to bounce stuff off of.” Hannah Myers, one of Cloudscape’s Studio Resident Artists, agreed that the space provides a positive work en- vironment. “Its really easy to get into a down- ward spiral when you’re just working at home and doubting yourself con- stantly,” she said. The current president of Cloud- scape, Oliver McTavish-Wisden said that the goal for Cloudscape is to grow and increase their reputation so their artists can thrive. “We want to continue to be B.C.’s largest comic society,” he said. 5 ‘Drunkorexia’ an alarming behaviour at colleges Growing trend at post-secondary institutions has been linked to eating disorders By LAUREN BOOTHBY are drinking alcohol instead of eating meals to avoid calories and gaining weight. ‘Drunkorexia’ is a trend that in- volves drinking rather than eating and the behaviour sometimes includes purging to avoid gaining weight. The behaviour has been linked to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Some students at Langara seem to be aware of the health risks associated to the trend. Dock Duncan, a family studies stu- dent, does not en- gage in behaviour associated to ‘drun- korexia’, but has friends who do. “Some female friends of mine are S™« in the Lower Mainland DOCK DUNCAN | very _ caloric-ori- Family stud- ented and they ies student at will skip meals if g they intend to drink,” Duncan said. According to a release from Simon Fraser University, the side effects as- sociated with consuming alcohol are increased when engaging in this be- haviour. Some of the long-term effects of ‘drunkorexia’ are: liver, heart and brain damage, nutritional deficiencies, and advance eating disorders, accord- ing to the website for the Addiction Centre. Michele Bowers, the chair of Langa- ra’s counselling department said that Langara students are not immune to the trend. According to Bowers, eating disorders often coexist with strong emotions and behaviours. “There is often a lot of denial and shame associated with eating disor- ders so we don’t often hear the specific details of student behaviours,” wrote Bowers in an email. Frances Torres, a pre-nursing stu- dent at Langara, also has friends who swap meals for drinking. “T think that’s a pretty bad idea, in my opinion. I drink to have a good time, but I make sure I’m conscious,” said Torres. “I try to drink smart.” Sofia Lester, a psychology student, also thinks it’s not a healthy decision to make. “That’s just asking for regret,” she said. “It’s unhealthy. The immediate ramifications are a really freaking bad hangover the next day, but also in the long-run it can affect your health.” ‘DRUNKOREXIA’ health risks MALNUTRITION Depriving the brain of nutrients while drinking can result in short and long-term cognitive problems. INCREASED RISK OF ALCOHOL POISONING Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach will result in getting drunk faster. RELATED TO EATING DISORDERS ‘Drunkorexia’ can result in symptoms related to anorexia and bulimia, like purging and binge eating. ORGAN DAMAGE Without consuming food, drinking large quantities of alcohol can cause damage to the liver, heart and stomach. Source: healthyhorns.utexas.edu & emaxhealth.com/