2 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 EDITOR MATT HYNDMAN ews & features J-students benefit from million dollar fellowship Two students will be given the chance to produce a major work of journalism By DANA BOWEN est donation yet of over $1 million from the Read/Mercer Fellowship for journalism students to pursue ma- jor media projects. Every spring, two journalism stu- dents will be chosen to produce a major piece of work for publication, and each will receive $10,000. The winners this year are Carly Wignes, who will be working with The Tyee on BC First Nations treaties, and Derek Bedry who will work with CBC British Columbia. Anne Roberts, chair of Langara’s journalism department, said Wignes and Bedry were a step ahead everyone else. Wignes said her interest in aborigi- nal issues was first peaked when she studied for her masters in political science at the Uni- versity of Victoria. She said she wants to be the go-to per- son for aboriginal issues. “T can’t think of a better way to be- gin a career in journalism,” said Wignes. “I think it’s the perfect bridge to begin in the real world.” Bedry plans on showing both sides of the story on alternative housing in Vancouver. “This is a light story. These people are not victims. They are happy to be living in the West End for $200 a month, rather than the people who shell out 50 per cent of their incomes on boxes in the sky,” said Bedry. The fellowship was left in the will of Jeani Read and Michael Mercer. “They wanted their gift to make an impact,” said Sue Street, executive di- rector of college advancement. “They felt they could make a difference at Langara.” Read was a journalist for The Prov- ince, and Mercer was a playwright, who wrote an award winning play, Goodnight Disgrace, as well as TV shows such as The Beachcombers and Lonesome Dove. Read and Mercer’s decision to do- nate to Langara’s journalism program was prompted by Read’s family ties to Langara journalism instructor, Nicho- las Read. “It’s an extraordinary gift,” said Roberts. “It shows students are capa- ble of doing significant work.” Each year, two media outlets that are dedicated to socially aware news will be chosen for the students to work with. This year it will be The Tyee and CBC B.C. The Tyee is an online publica- tion based in Western Canada. “It’s about doing progressive jour- nalism, and the type that will make the world a better place,” said Roberts. “The Tyee and CBC B.C. meet those re- quirements.” A senior reporter from The Tyee and CBC B.C. will be working with Wignes and Bedry as mentors. Each mentor will receive $2,500 for his or her work. Roberts said the fellowship will be a great thing for Langara journalism and not only entice students to choose Lan- gara over other colleges, but it will cre- ate more incentive for journalism stu- dents at Langara to thrive. b=: College is receiving its larg- CARLY WIGNES Journalism fel- lowship winner ZNWARNING! (ZS ATTENTION MICHELLE GAMAGE photo Joshua Ranville holds one of the many buckets used to catch the greasy liquid that drip from the cafeteria down into Studio 58. Leaky caf concerns Studio 58 Liquids still drip into the acting space despite last year’s renovation By MICHELLE GAMAGE tudio 58 is trapped directly un- derneath a greasy, leaky prob- lem. The cafeteria kitchens are lo- cated directly above the studio and leak grease, water and occasionally foam into rooms used by the acting stu- dents. “One of the things about fluids is that they go down,” said Bruce Kenne- dy, Studio 58’s workshop coordinator. “There is an occasional, unintention- al flood from the sinks in the cafeteria and water escapes beside a drain in- stead of down the drain.” Whenever a leak is discovered, a bucket gets hung from the ceiling un- derneath the drips as a temporary so- lution. Langara’s resident handymen from Besco Trades Corporation are called to help patch the leak. If the leak cannot be fixed, the bucket gets paint- ed black to blend in with the ceiling and is left there. Studio 58 students spend long hours in the theatre and are often the first people to notice a new leak. Emily Henney, a third-year Studio 58 acting student, had been eating dinner in the back-stage room nicknamed “the kitchen” when grease started dripping down her back. “That’s the grease trap from the kitchen,” she said, pointing up at the open ceiling. “IThe dripping] happened a few times, so we called the [Besco] guys and hung the bucket... . it’s also a safe- ty thing. If that thing is rusted and leaking, how long before it falls?” The college is working toward fixing the leaks. The cafeteria renovation in September made the leaks less fre- quent and the kitchen staff is using ex- tra caution to avoid spills. Meanwhile, the Besco engineers’ hours were ex- tended to make sure help is almost al- ways nearby. “There have been some leaks recent- ly coming from the dish washing area,” said Wendy Lannard, director of facili- ties and capital planning. “A new sink has been ordered to re- place the old one. When removing the old sink we will also be able to address the old piping in the wall behind the sink.” The leaks are not always a horren- dous experience. Kennedy once had “lovely fluffy foam” float down from the ceiling, though more frequently the liq- uid is dark and smelly. “During [Studio 58’s rendition of] Ju- lius Ceasar, I heard a dripping [into a bucket]. Audible dripping. Not just drip drip, but more of a pouring out,” said Henney, concerned the audience might have heard the sound. “It’s something that comes with the territory,” said Kennedy. “I guess it’s just a matter of waiting it out.” Kennedy said Studio 58 faculty are looking forward to the possible con- struction of a new creative arts build- ing, when it will no longer be located underneath the cafeteria. BRUCE KENNEDY Studio 58’s tech- nical director 66 There is an occasional, uninten- tional flood from the sinks in the caf- eteria Klein passionate about B.C. rainforest Continued from page 1 IAN MCALLISTER photo Klein’s goal was to raise concern about wildlife in B.C. Mountain Range on the west coast of B.C. and it is one of the largest remain- ing intact temperate rainforests in the world. Klein said there are many different kinds of animals in B.C.’s unique eco- system. “We have got whales, we have got different types of fish, the bears, birds, otters and sea lions.” The series raises concern for the wildlife of the Great Bear Rainforest and specifically the Kermode also known as the white Spirit Bear, which is a black bear with a recessive gene. “The Kermode is actually a black bear, but because it’s a recessive gene in the black bear you don’t see as many of them,” said Klein. “Out of say four cubs that are born one will be a Kermode, it’s a 25 per cent chance.” Klein said the concern is that the rainforest is being encroached upon by things like the proposed Enbridge pipe- line, hunters and fish farms. Fish population in the area has been declining which raises concern for the wildlife. “The fish are an issue because that’s what the bears feed on, so if the fish are endangered, then so are the bears,” said Klein. “It’s all intercon- nected.” Klein started her broadcast career at Global TV in 1987. She still works at Global TV but has EFFIE KLEIN been keeping busy Winner of best with other pur- long-form feature suits like running her own produc- tion company, Round Table Communications. She has been a television journalism instructor at Langara since 2004. The series was split up into four five- minute episodes and was aired during the 6 p.m. news on Global TV.