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The Punjabi Market gets Local densification changes

Prof predicament

To deter isolating students from

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coming in, some teachers are

; bending over backward. P3
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initiatives. P4

new life from arts and culture

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feel of old neighbourhood.

MARCH 3, 2022 + VOL. 55 NO. 5 * VANCOUVER, B.C.

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Langara’'s new president and CEO Paula Burns says she doesn't have a polished plan yet, but her main goals are to help the college move through the
pandemic, listen to the community and pay attention to how the college works. / 4uren AcciL! PHOTO

Paula Burns plans to concentrate on Langaras community

By LAURENACCILI

aula Burns, who will become

the fourth president and

CEO of Langara College,

says she wants to help the
institution through the ongoing
pandemic.

Burns, who has been president at
Alberta’s Lethbridge College since
2013, will join Langara in June.

“My lived experience with the
pandemic is going to be very differ-
ent from someone else’s,” Burns said.
“But in the midst of that, as a leader-
ship team, we needed to make deci-
sions that move our organizations in
the right direction.”

Burns is replacing former Lang-
ara president and CEO Lane Trotter,
who held the position for eight years
but has since moved on to Camosun
College in Victoria.

Vice-president Yusuf Varachia,
who was appointed acting president
and CEO at Langara in November
when Trotter departed, said a new
president must become familiar with
a college’s culture.

“It’s important to respect and
improve upon the culture and vision
that makes up our community,” he
said. “But it’s also an exciting time
and presents the opportunity to take

the college further, building upon
and reaching for new goals.”

Burns said she wants to meet the
people at Langara, learn the culture
and “understand even more about
what’s really important to people.”
She said serving the broader commu-
nity is important to her.

“That is what excites me,” she said.

According to news reports, in 2016

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LAN-
GARA COMMUNICATIONS

Lethbridge faculty passed a non-
confidence motion against Burns.
She subsequently signed another
four-year contract with the college.

“There were some challenges as we
worked through sort of what’s the
best vision and the best work to be
done,” Burns said.

However, Burns said she has since

cultivated a “great relationship” with
Lethbridge faculty.

“Now I have a great relationship
with faculty association that we, you
know, work through the challenges
that we had to really create a cohesive
team between administration and
faculty,” she said. “And lots of great
stuff is still going on there today.”

She said she plans on listening and

“Tt's also an exciting
time and presents the
opportunity to take the
collage further, building
upon and reaching for new

goals.”
— YUSUF VARACHIA

ACTING PRESIDENT AND CEO AT LANGARA

paying attention to how Langara
works, what programming is like and
what students want to see. She says
she does not have a polished plan for
Langara just yet.

According to Keshav Rai, student
representative of the Langara search
committee, Burns was appointed
because of the experience she has in

academic leadership, along with her
management style and her capability
to adapt to different situations.

“She has the capability to stay calm
under pressure,” Rai said, adding she
was also “team-based, collaborative
and consultative [and] has balance
in her personal and professional life.”

Many faculty contacted by
the Voice were unfamiliar with Burns
and hoped she would be a good fit.

Shuhash Shimon, an economics
instructor at Langara, said being a
good president requires inspiration,
especially in a pandemic.

“The world around us is changing
... 80 we have to change with that,”
he said, adding that Langara is on a
good path right now, and it is crucial
to maintain it.

Debbie Schachter, director of
the library services and learn-
ing commons at Langara, said it
is important to always keep the
students’ interest in mind, and it will
be important for the new president
to take the time to understand the
college’s learning environment.

“My concern with student mental
wellness is really about making
sure that people aren't isolated,”
Schachter said. “We really need to
encourage our students to look to the
future.”

No gear,
no logo,
no spirit

Students long for
department
merchandise

By LAISA CONDE

, \ tudents in programs other than

nursing or registered massage

therapy at Langara College
won't find branded clothing with
the name of their department at the
bookstore.

Mark Dawson, Langara’s interim
director of communications and
marketing services, said personal-
ized clothing, known as spirit gear, is
something students in post-second-
ary institutions often buy and can
provide a sense of belonging.

“It’s very common for a college or
university to offer some kind of spirit
gear,” Dawson said. “It builds camara-
derie among the student cohorts, too.”

Samira Sallow, a third-term student
in political science, said she would be
happy to buy a hoodie with the logo
of her department.

“I would be more inclined to buy,
because hoodies are awesome,” she
said.

While the bookstore carries some
general items with Langara’s logo —
like umbrellas, mugs and office
supplies — department-specific
clothing options are restricted to the
nursing and registered massage ther-
apy programs.

The head of Langara’s bookstore
was unable to reply to the Voice by
deadline.

However, Dawson said the reason
is that both programs not only have
longer terms and large cohorts but
also do external events, such as speak-
ing to a classroom. In that case, it’s
nice to represent the college and their
programs in this way.

Not all Langara students want
spirit gear.

Pedro Queique, a second-term
student of the post degree diploma
of marketing management program,
said he owned spirit gear from his
college in Brazil, but never wore it.

“It was just inside my cabinet, so
I wasn’t even wearing it or actually
remembering about the time that I
was in college,” Queique said.

Sandy Atwal, chair of the nursing
department, said selling personalized
gear is a way to represent Langara.

Please see ARTICLE SPIRIT GEAR, page 2