6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOV. 6, 2014

EDITOR ALI CRANE

lewpoints

A hairy situation for a good cause

ovember is supposed to raise M money for prostate and testicular cancer by getting men to grow moustaches for charity. For men, November has become increasingly about competitive moustache growing, but does Movem- ber help raise money for cancer? Case in point, the free Gillette razors handed out last week at Langara College by student volun- teers from the Langara Cancer Connection shouting, “one more shave before Movember!” Free razors for charity, ha! It seems like Gillette is just using

Movember to promote themselves.

Free stuff is amazing, so there’s no need to feel ashamed if you took a razor. But don’t kid yourself, these kinds of stunts are not about charity.

Movember has become about more than just charity. It’s about self-pro- motion, business promotion and marketing, too. The Ice Bucket Challenge raised millions for ALS, but for some people it turned into a meaningless circus. Is Movember any better?

For Movember to matter it needs to be about doing good. Facial hair alone will not cure cancer.

Are we deluded about what Movember really is? Do we just see Movember as a chance to have fun and grow a silly moustache?

Cancer is serious business, and some people take Movember seri- ously. But for others it’s time to take a reality check, bend over and actually cough up some real help for men’s health.

So be smart and think twice before getting involved in Movember moustache fun.

Check to make sure businesses throwing Movember events are registered on Movember.com, or with

another men’s health charity.

Or better yet, forget business events and sign yourself and a group of friends up online on the Movember website, smooth faced women and kids can do this too, and actively work to raise money for men’s health.

Otherwise Movember is just another hairy situation.

OPINION

MEL EDGAR

Veggies over pills

hen you don’t have the time W: plan out a well-balanced

diet, to the health-conscious, a vitamin supplement may be the easiest way of getting the nutrients you may be missing out on.

However we are becoming way too dependent on these mini-cap- sules as a way of getting the vitamins and minerals we need.

It’s hard to make sure you get all your vitamins in a day, especially as a busy student where a quick and cheap fix is usually the most effective way to fuel up fast.

Pr ea ladmit lama 0 P| N | 0 N little supplement obsessed, and as ALI CRANE a vegetarian I

feel it is neces-

sary to take vitamins like B 12, a vitamin found in meats, eggs, and fish as a substi- tute, but we definitely do need to get back to the basics.

It is hard to say if the vitamins we take are even actually effective, but eating good old fruits and vegetables are a sure way of getting the nutrients we need.

It’s time we start focusing on getting our vitamins from the source.

Planning out meals can be a huge chore for some, but the benefits of eating right outweigh that.

So instead of filling your medicine cabinet with multitudes of multi- vitamins, fill your fridge with produce and ingredients that can be prepared into healthy, and balanced meals.

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The Voice. Email her at ebulman@langara.be.ca

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Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration.

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I MUSTACHE you a question but, I'll SHAVE IT for later...

GRAHAM MCFIE comic

Virtual support lacks a human connection

Assignments, jobs, breakups, patch-ups and the constant pressure to do well in studies, there’s

just so much to deal with.

With so much going on in life, experiencing an existential crisis is unavoidable. When life becomes a question mark, feeling low, depressed or moody is only natural. So, how do we deal with this?

Talking to friends, parents or even a complete stranger may help. But wait, we live in a smart-world. Searching for ‘how to be happy’ on Google or installing mental health applications like Booster Buddy on smartphones, seem more convenient than talking to a person.

Although these virtual applica-

B a young adult is not easy.

tions are helpful to some extent, I think real-life problems have to be dealt with in reality. Looking for support in the virtual sphere might be appealing, but for me it is not an appropriate solution.

The major factor behind the appeal of such apps is that they save people from being judged by others.

What we do not realize is that whenever we install an app on our phones we give it access to our photo gallery, messages, call logs and even contact list at times.

In short, we compromise more personal information when we use these apps because there is eventu- ally a person monitoring them.

I think the appropriate way to deal with mental health issues, is to talk

and not chat. Chatting with online support groups is not a permanent solution.

Talk to people who care for you, like your friends, parents or maybe a counsellor if the fear of being judged is holding you back.

Mental health apps can only bea supplement to the process of overcoming any such issues. They cannot replace the exchange of real emotions that comes with talking to a person.

a OPINION

SABLEEN MINHAS

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EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE:

MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Ali Crane

PAGE EDITORS

PAGE 1 Madelyn Forsyth

PAGE 2

Lauren Collins

PAGE 3 Chiis Slater

PAGE 4 Karly Blats

PAGE 5 Edrick Dudang

PAGE 7

Erin Boe

PAGE 8 Ashley Legassic

WEB EDITORS Edmond Lu Megan Bobetsis Mike Hodder

Ash Kelly

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COPY EDITORS Karly Blats

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REPORTERS Lena Alsayegh Mary Beach Natasha Chang Vivian Chui Alice D'Eon Charlotte Drewett Melissa Edgar James Goldie Jes Hovanes Nich Johansen Shannon Lynch Sableen Minhas Kera Skocylas Sandra Powlik Orvis Noel

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