AMPUS NEWS sororsa0 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013 3 New dean cultivates identity Langara not just holding pen for university transfer students, but synthesis of practical and critical- thinking skills, said dean By GLEN TRUAX Dawson is new to Vancouver. Com- ing straight from a decade-long ca- reer at Camosun College in Victoria, Dawson is the new dean of social sci- ences and management at Langara.“I want to develop the Langara experi- ence,” she said. “This isn’t just a mini- UBC.” Education critics have questioned the usefulness of a liberal arts degree, particularly as more and more B.A. graduates face a competitive job mar- ket. r4 4 But Dawson dis- L:: many others on campus, Leelah agrees. I want to While she said- students need tech- develop the nical skills such as Langara those gained in a . college — environ- expertence. ment, she feels that This isn’t combining — practi- ; cal skills learning J ust a with a liberal arts mint-UBC degree is the best Leelah Dawson of both worlds. dean of social “Critical think- sciences and ing, analytical and management communication skills are all signifi- cant abilities,” Dawson said. These skills enhance stu- dents’ ability to change and are a major factor in successfully adapting to to- day’s employment environment, said the dean. Dawson is well versed in business management, and a period of her life was spent in banking, but she eventu- ally switched to teaching. “Education is fundamentally more important than lending money,” said Dawson. “What’s important is how we sys- temize ways that are positive for facul- ty and students.” Dawson’s other aim is to foster greater internationalism at Langara by creating more exchange programs for students and faculty. “I want to provide a good environment for students to en- gage with each other,” she said. Overall, Langara’s administration doesn’t have a lot of closets to clean. “I want to focus on what’s being done well, and how to do good things better,” Dawson said. She wants to enable Lan- gara to continue to be an enjoyable ex- perience, for faculty and students alike. GLEN TRUAX photo Leelah Dawson, new dean of social sciences and management. AMY JONES photo Before and after: Langara chemistry instructor Kelly Sveinson uses wood chips to make the ex- perimental new compound biochar, which has multiple applications for fighting climate change. Breaking biochar What’s a real chemistry instructor cooking up? By AMY JONES angara chemistry instructor Kelly Sveinson’s biochar research is ex- citing stuff, even if it’s much less controversial than brewing crys- tal meth like on TV’s popular show, Breaking Bad. “T could do it as well,” said Sveinson of character Walter White’s meth-mak- ing magic. “I could use $11 million to further our research, but I have moral standards that don’t allow me.” Instead, Sveinson has been research- ing biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from organic waste materials like wood, paper, or manure. The ex- perimental substance has multiple ap- plications for fighting climate change, including the potential to be used for soil purification, renewable fuel and wastewater treatment. Much of this research at Langara has been a joint project with renewable energy company Diacarbon Energy. Jared Taylor, vice-president of re- search and development, explained that once biochar is buried in soil it not only removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but also improves soil quality. “Biochar is considered to be one of the most promising products that can actually benefit the world environmen- tally on a global scale,” said Taylor. The chemistry department's ability to conduct small-scale preliminary tests has been critical to the research. “We wouldn’t actually be where we are if it wasn’t for Langara,” said Taylor. “I can’t understate how important Langa- ra’s been. “The founders started this company because we always wanted to make the world a better place. That sounds kind of lofty but that was the idea.” Sveinson, along with research stu- dent Marcus Stein, has been experi- menting with biochar for nearly two years. Last year he used the communi- ty garden on the east side of campus. “The garden is currently planted with the first set of experiments using bio- char,” said Stein. “Some have regular soil, some have biochar, and some have beneficial fungus. “When we finish it we might look at how much grass grew in each plot by mass, comparing the plants’ heights and how many seeds were produced.” The experimental garden is ongoing and will be bigger next spring, he said. BIOCHAR Facts HE sBiochar is a black substance that forms when biomass like wood is heated to high temperatures (up to 500°C) with little or no oxygen present. HE the type of biochar produced varies with the tempera- ture at which it is made. HE High-temp biochar is useful in soil purification. HE Low-temp biochar is useful as a carbon- neutral fuel. Source: Diacarbon.com LSU hides finance reports B.C. law requires disclo- sure of information that Langara Student Union officials refused to release By NADIM ROBERTS Union refused to disclose financial reports requested by The Voice. This denial appears to violate the B.C. Societies Act, the governing legislation which compels the union to make all financial reports available to all stu- dent members upon request. “They’re required to provide finan- cials when requested,” said Rhonda Johnson, senior examiner at B.C. Reg- istries, in reference to the Act. This comes on the heels of the union’s decision to move its annual general meeting to last June - when far fewer students are on campus - from this September. The meeting did not meet quorum but proceeded on a “restricted” basis, according to the minutes. During an annual general meeting, audited finan- cial statements are presented to the membership. LSU bylaws state quorum is a minimum of 50 students in atten- dance. Other colleges and universities in Vancouver hold their general meetings during either the fall or spring terms to invite wider student participation. Caroline Gagnon, director of the B.C. Institute of Technology Student Asso- ciation, said that they would never hold an annual general meeting in the summer. “No, no, no, we would never do such a thing. We want students to be aware,” said Gagnon. “It’s held in November because it is a good month for students to actually attend.” Brandon Hofmarks, a_ university senate representative at Capilano Uni- versity, confirmed by email that the Capilano Students’ Union holds two general meetings per year during the fall and spring terms. “Our bylaws do not permit for gen- eral meetings during the summer se- mester, as the number of members on campus, and probable participation, are too low,” he said. According to college statistics, the number of students enrolled in courses during the summer term drops by ap- proximately 47 percent. “T don’t take summer courses so I ig- nore what happens in the summer,” said biology student Ciel Moriarty. Despite being in her fourth year at Langara, Moriarty feels that she still doesn’t know a lot of what happens with the LSU. Johnson at B.C. Registries con- firmed the LSU must hold another AGM by the end of 2018 that meets quo- rum to remain in good standing with the province. They are required to sub- mit a document called “Form 11,” which confirms that a successful meet- ing was held. “The last Form 11 report we received from them was for Sept. 20, 2012. So that means they would have to have a meeting by Dec. 20, 2013 and then they have a month to get that filed to retain their good standing,” she said. L: week the Langara Students’