ampus hews

EDITOR BEN BENGTSON

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 3

Photography fame for ‘family’

Magazine names two Langara students among country’s best

By JASON HAMILTON

wo students, who discovered

they had a family connection af-

ter starting Langara College’s

professional photography pro- gram, now share something more than just a family tie.

Jena Lee LaRoy and Chelsea McKen- zie have been recognized as emerging photographers in the current issue of Photo Life magazine. The two first-year students caught the eye of the national photography magazine when they sub- mitted mountain-themed works, putting them on a list of the top 25 up-and-com- ing photographers to watch.

LaRoy’s shot of a set of fresh tracks she took during a heli-skiing trip was se-

lected for the cover of the magazine’s current issue.

“Tl frame it, it’s my first cover,” said LaRoy. “The publicity is great.”

LaRoy said she stumbled into photog- raphy when her mom bought a camera but never fully learned how to use it. “That frustrated me so I took over—sor- ry mom,” she said.

LaRoy spoke highly of the training she is receiving from Langara’s photography program, especially the instruction on the business side of the industry. “It sets you up to have your own small business,” she said.

After moving from Victoria to Whis- tler, McKenzie started taking pictures of the mountain landscape. She soon real- ized she loved photography and came to

Langara to try and pursue a career in that field.

Her submitted photo of Garibaldi Lake also won her recognition by Photo Life magazine as an up-and-coming photog- rapher. McKenzie said she felt really good about being honoured by the maga- zine. “It makes me want to push myself further to get my name out there a little more and create contacts,” she said.

After the classmates connected through the program, McKenzie recog- nized her cousin’s wife in one of LaRoy’s Instagram posts. After asking LaRoy about it, they realized their cousins are married.

“I guess we’re cousins by marriage,” said McKenzie. “It’s cool that Langara connected us.”

Up-and-coming photographer

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Pll frame it, it’s my first cover

JENA LEE LAROY photos Jena Lee LaRoy’s photograph of a snowy mountain with fresh tracks (left) was taken during a heli-skiing trip. The photo earned LaRoy, along with classmate Chelsea McKenzie, honours in Photo Life magazine. The magazine also featured LaRoy’s shot as the cover photo.

First massage grads: program is worth It

MASSAGE

info in B.C.

GOVERNANCE

RMTs are regulated by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia.

EXAMS

RMTs have to write board exams in order to practise massage therapy.

HISTORY

The College of Massage Therapists of British Co- lumbia was established in 1994 under the Health Professions Act.

Source: College Of Massage Therapists Of British Columbia

Langara’s first grads from the registered massage therapy program say it was hard but rewarding

By CHANTELLE DEACON

sage therapy program is a unique,

rigorous experience and still has room to expand, according to students and faculty.

The members of the first class of the RMT program graduated in December 2015 and are currently preparing to write their board exams to become li- censed massage therapists. Jeff Gabert, a student who was in the first graduat- ing class, said Langara’s program was worth it.

“Langara offers a six-term program, we get a bunch of extra review classes for the same price,” said Gabert. “Face- to-face time with the teachers is better than any other massage school, from what I have heard.”

Le College’s registered mas-

Gabert added that the RMT program workload is heavy, and students must be willing to devote two years to con- stant studying.

“Tt’s full on,” he said. “One of the teachers said we are pretty much the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, but in two years.”

Langara’s first cohort started the RMT program, the first of its kind at a B.C. public post-secondary institution, in January 2014 with nine students.

Daedrian Backus, the clinical pro- gram coordinator for the RMT pro-

66

I would change admis- sion requirements to include a post-second- ary level anatomy and physiology course CORA VAN WYCK RMT PROGRAM COORDINATOR

gram, said the program has had an im- pact in the community.

“Our students have had the chance to work with athletes, seniors, expect- ant moms, people in hospice and peo- ple living with neurological condi- tions,” said Backus.

Cora Van Wyck, the program coordi- nator for the RMT program, said there is only one thing she would change about the program.

“T would change admission require- ments to include a post-secondary lev- el anatomy and physiology course,” said Van Wyck. “Currently we make this a strong recommendation, but the students who have completed this course are able to be a bit more relaxed in their first semester.”

The program has grown in its two years, and class sizes now have more than 20 people in attendance.

There are currently Septmber and January intakes, but Backus said that with the program growing in size they hope to add a summer intake of new students.

Staff survey falls a bit short: LFA

In our third of a four-part series on Langara’s strate- gic plan, we explore em- ployee retention

By CHAHIRA MERARSI

and staff members to perform their

best, the college must invest in a more in-depth staff survey, according to the president of the Langara Faculty Association.

The Langara 2020 Strategic Plan aims to increase participation in pro- grams that improve the experience and training offered to college faculty and staff. The college hopes this will lead to a stable employee retention rate.

Lynn Carter, the president of the as- sociation, said the current survey and feedback forms leave something to be desired.

“Tm not sure that the college has re- ally put together a comprehensive sur- vey of what their needs are with a view to developing very specific programs for faculty,” Carter said.

These programs, offered to faculty and staff on a monthly basis, range from online learning workshops to yoga classes.

Dawn Palmer, the associate vice- president of human resources at Lang- ara, said the college’s Teaching and Curriculum Development Centre cur- rently surveys employees.

“We also continuously encourage feedback through our HR updates (bi- weekly newsletters to all staff) and HR website,” she said in an email response.

Currently, 50 per cent of Langara’s employees participate in professional development programs to enhance their experience. Palmer hopes to raise that figure by 25 per cent.

According to the strategic plan, en- gagement in faculty programs should lead to a healthy employee turnover rate of 3 per cent by 2020. The national average is 7.3 per cent.

“We will continue to seek feedback from our employees and experiment with our offerings,” she said.

While Carter said a more in-depth survey is required, Langara faculty ap- preciate the programs the college al- ready provides.

“IT know that when faculty step into leadership positions such as coordina- tors, department chairs and division chairs, they do look forward to having some orientation and training and op- portunities to develop some of those skills and to learn from people who have been in those positions ahead of them,” Carter said.

[: order for Langara College faculty

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