O) L ifestyles EDITOR SEYEDMOSTAFA RAZIEI THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016 Turning old goods into new Fix-it gang changing culture of throwing out the old but salvageable —=—] By CHAHIRA MERARSI Ihe Vancouver Fix-It Collective’s events aim to make a suitcase with a missing wheel or a kettle with no handle useful again, by teaching people how to revive old items. On March 19 at the Gordon Neigh- bourhood House, the group provided a space for experts and amateurs to work together and fix objects they brought in. The Fix-it Collective hopes to change the habit of throwing away broken stuff and buying something new. The event was held in collaboration with MakerMobile, a mobile craft space housed in a truck. Farrell Segall founded it to help peo- ple learn how to use tools and be cre- ative. “The philosophy is that a lot of mil- lenials grow up today without a garage and a workshop with a workbench and tools hanging on the wall,” Segall said, and added he’s seen people fix any- thing from suitcases, laptops, lamps and kettles. Jocelyn Rodrigues, the organizer of the workshop, said the common belief that it is cheaper to buy new items in- stead of fixing them is costing people in other ways. “Things used to get passed down from one generation to the next,” Ro- drigues said. Rodrigues added, “It would have a story imbedded in the object and that continued to be told and new stories would arise from that object once it was passed down.” Rodrigues said the event allows peo- ple to gain new skills while repairing items and focuses on collaboration. “T might know a little, you might know a little and together we can prob- ably figure it out,” Rodrigues said. “There’s a lot of cultures that still fix, and over here we don’t fix anymore.” Carmen Jackson attended the fair with the goal of turning a vintage leath- er jacket into a bag. “T want to make something that’s an expression of who I am and my creativ- ity,” Jackson said. The events take place every few months. \. EMPOWERMENT Fixing events can help participants empower each other FIX-IT FOR... SHARING Fixing events foster small communities to share knowledge and gain new experiences Source: Vancouver Fix-It Collective Facebook page ee CHAHIRA MERARSI photo Above: Carmen Jackson turns a vintage leather jacket into a leather purse. Left: Sewing machines are availible for participants to use at the event. Below: Even USB cables can be fixed at the workshop. App aims to reduce school stress “ack JORDAN MACDONALD photo Students at Langara can use the app to track habits. WellTrack helps post- secondary students to improve their mood by tracking their habits By JORDAN MACDONALD ellTrack is a new app designed W: help post-secondary stu- dents manage their moods, in- cluding anxiety and stress caused by the pressure of exams and assign- ments. C. Darren Piercey, professor of psy- chology at the University of New Brunswick, developed the app to help students understand and cope with these issues in a constructive way. Daniel Nykon, department chair of psy- chology at Langara College, said it might be useful but should not be the only means of treatment for students. Piercey designed the app to act as a tool for students to better their mental health through exercises, which he lik- ens to homework. “[WellTrack] is similar to the experi- ence that you would get if you were to go and see a therapist,” Piercey said. “What we are doing is giving the stu- dents an experience where they are actually guided through therapy.” After downloading the app, users are immediately presented with a sur- vey identifying what mental health is- sues they may be facing. Students re- ceive notifications twice a day prompting them to fill in a field de- scribing what they are doing, who they are with and how they feel. The app then recognizes patterns and uses data to recommend ways to alleviate nega- tive feelings. Nykon said he believes that Well- Track can act as a stepping stone for students who may not feel comfort- able _— discussing their issues right away. However, he said it is crucial for students with stress and anxiety to be able to talk about their feel- ings in person. He has some advice for students who are stressed out by heavy workloads at school. “Go for a walk, try to relax, get some sleep, take a step back and real- ize that there are a lot of important things in life that outweigh the short- term demands of your classes,” Nykon said. “Take a deep breath and get some perspective, things are going to be OK.” C. DARREN PIERCEY WellTrack devel- oper Skeptics gather for science debate Vancouver Skeptics meet regularly to drink, discuss, debate and develop new ideas and science projects By LUIS MINA social gathering where scientists, programmers and science lovers come to discuss and debate — and yeah, enjoy some drinks and food. According to the group’s website, the aim is to “value critical thinking, reason and skepticism.” The events are organized by the Vancouver Skeptics, a group who is passionate about science and critical thinking. It is a casual social event planned through social media. Participants meet several times a month at various locations, including at pubs located in Downtown Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster and North Vancouver. Member Lars VYprrtes Skeptics in the Pub is a Martin is a nuclear astrophysicist and This is said he appreciates how the gatherings where PeO- are an inclusive so- ple come cial activity. “Tve always and have a found [Vancouver few drinks Skeptics] very wel- coming,” he said. an d talk Among topics of science conversation at the pub night include Martin’s work on a detector that mea- sures the move- ment of anti-mat- JOE FULGHAM VANCOUVER SKEPTICS ter. Participant Joe Fulgham said the at- mosphere is casual. He has been at- tending the events for six years after hearing about skeptics meetups on a podcast called The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe and researching online to find a Vancouver chapter. “We don’t come here and tear it up, this isn’t where we get really really drunk, this is where people come and have a few drinks and talk science,” he said. Katie Marshall, a cryobiologist, who describes her job simply as “I freeze bugs,” has been a member of the Vancouver Skeptics for four years. “T have to say, | LARS MARTIN Scientist at CERN think the skeptics group is sort of an overlap of multiple groups,” she said, adding membership sometimes in- cludes people from two other groups, the BC Humanist Association and the UBC Freethinkers Club. Marshall said the social group helps her get out of the “academic bubble” of her research work. “It’s actually professionally been re- ally good for me, because I get to meet people who are into tech and maybe can help me with some problems I have,” she said. Marshall added, “It also gives me practice communicating my science to a receptive audience.” The group said there are associa- tions at UBC, SFU and the University of Victoria but efforts at Langara College to start a group weren’t successful, in part because students are generally only attending for two years, they said.