OVERTIME Tene ; The Langara Falcons women’s basketball team lost to the Capilano Blues by a single point last weekend and the Blues suffered a key injury in the process Students call for parking passes Students say monthly parking passes are useful, but Langara isn’t ready to expand just yet By MADELYN FORSYTH pretty penny to park on campus and while some students think the college should expand its parking options, Langara isn’t ready to offer more choices just yet. The Imperial Parking Canada Corporation provides three options when it comes to parking on campus: four hours for $3.50, short-term park- ing for $1.50 per half hour, or $7 until 11:40 p.m., all of which are on a pay-by- stall system. Parking permits are currently only available for college employees. Langara is one of a few campuses in the Lower Mainland that doesn’t offer monthly or weekly passes for students. Raymond Yeung, U-Pass and transportation coordinator for Langara, said in order to encourage the use of public transit, Langara decided not to offer a monthly pass for students. “The college considered month- ly parking passes for students in the past, but felt that by having students Le students already pay a RANDY DALEN pre-pay for a parking pass, it Kinesiology would discourage student them from using U-Pass BC or tran- sit later on,” said Yeung. However, Langara kinesiology student Randy Dalen said he would benefit from a monthly or weekly pass if one were made available. Brooke Miller, a general studies student, said Langara’s current parking system is too restrictive. “It’s annoying how you have to pay for a stall; if you pay for all day parking you can’t leave that stall,” said Miller. Other post-secondary institutions offer a wider variety of campus park- ing options for students and faculty. SFU has semester parking rates that range from $279 for an outdoor lot or $490 for an indoor lot. Kwantlen Poly- technic University offers a weekly parking pass for $14. i) \ REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPY 7 AR eo ALI CRANE photo Langara instructor Elissa Travis teaches Kevin Yee how to give a professional massage in the hands-on, two-year massage program. Seniors brace for mail cuts Local seniors house speaks out against looming Canada Post cuts By ERIN BOE embers of a community centre in South Vancouver are speaking out about looming cuts to postal services and how they will affect local se- niors’ ability to pick up their mail. Late last year, Canada Post announced it will be cutting door-to-door mail delivery services and instead are substituting them withcom- mnity mailboxes around the country. “[Community mailboxes] are going to be a challenge for those who have mobility challeng- es,” said Joan Wright, coordinator of the seniors hub at the South Vancouver Neighbour- hood House. “A number of seniors in south Van- couver are unable to get out of their homes. They are afraid to use the bus, they’re afraid to walk outside for fear of falling.” Wright noted that seniors who are afraid to leave their houses because they’re worried about mailbox thefts and muggings will be impacted the most. Florchita Bautista and Juanita Aquirre also questioned how the cuts will affect their fellow seniors. “Most of the seniors cannot go out,” said Aquirre, 75. “Not even to the common mailbox outside. I think it will affect them because their mobility is already impaired.” Bautista, 77, who lives in an apartment, said seniors with limited transportation will also have difficulty retrieving mail. “T can still go down and get my mail. But for those who are already in assisted living, many of them are not able to go out anymore unless they have transportation,” she said. Wright said the neighbourhood house is looking into potential solutions to the Canada Post cuts. “One of the things that we are looking at is a one-day-a-week delivery service,” she said. “Many [seniors] are saying that their bills come on the same day and if they had a one-day-a- week service, that would be an appropriate alternative to this dilemma.” The cuts to postal services will likely begin later this year. Gay alliances reduce suicide rates: study Study says gay-straight alliances reduce suicide rates, improve health among LGBTQ students By EDRICK DUDANG alliances have positive impacts on the health of LGBTQ students. Fol- lowing the release of the study, the Langara Students’ Union also hosted a mingler to bring together LGBTQ students on campus. Elizabeth Saewyc, UBC professor and lead author of the study, said gay- straight alliances significantly reduce Aer UBC study said gay-straight suicidal thoughts and attempts among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer students. The study also suggests student-led alliances improve LGBTQ. students’ mental health. “If you don’t feel safe in school, you have trouble learning. It not only affects your health, but it also affects your fu- ture in terms of education,” said Saewyc. “If you don’t feel connected to your school, feel like you belong at school, that also has a huge impact on your mental health and well-being and your school success.” The LSU also has a queer committee that provides community resources, safer sex materials and queer-themed books, and organizes social events for LGBTQ students both on and off campus. Catherine Mateo, a transgendered 66 student studying women’s studies and I if you business presentation at Langara, said don’t i] she feels comfortable on campus. on fe ee “T think [hangaral is great,” spe sald connected But even though Mateo believes Langara is making an effort to make the to your LGBTQ community feel more comfort- school... able on campus, she said more needs to ° an be done. that fim “T just wish the registrar’s office pacts | your would use preferred names,” she said, adding that it would make her and other mental transgender students feel more health comfortable if professors recognized students’ preferred names while taking SE eeaye attendance.