More Tuition Costs?

TALES FROM THE SEX TRADE....................................4 George Bernard Shaw’s controversial play has modern relevance for today’s sex trade industry. Check us out online at langaravoice.com This week look for a story on a proposed tuition hike, the a look forward the start of roller derby and a campaign against rape DAILY oice PRODUCED BY LANGARA JOURNALISM STUDENTSV April 1, 2014 • Vol. 46 no.21 • VANCOUVER, B.C. More Make way, trees: technology and science coming through Translink campaign tuition for safety Union says that regular passengers, not just laws costs? are crucial to driver safety Proposal would affect new By GRAHAM MCFIE domestic students only ransLink launched a new campaign March 31 to elevate aware- By RENEE SUTTON Tness of assault and harassment cases against bus drivers. angara wants to temporarily in- The campaign is called “Don’t Touch crease tuition by 14 per cent to The Operator” and was announced at a establish a career centre and pro- news conference in New Westminister. vide additional scholarships and L Metro Vancouver Transit Police, bursaries. Coast Mountain Bus Company, bus The combination of Langara’s low drivers union Unifor 111 and several tuition and the restricted yearly tuition victimized bus drivers were in atten- increase has diminished Langara’s dance. A new campaign video was re- ability to provide education success- leased during the news conference. fully, according to Langara president “When bus operators come to work Lane Trotter. In a February review of they have the right to complete their programs, Langara made preliminary shift without the fear of being assault- requests to the province, including an ed or violence,” transit police Const. increase of $390 for every 30 credits. Kevin Goodmurphy said in the cam- Tuition prices are regulated by the paign video. province, which allows a two per cent The video added that “passengers inflationary increase every year. Lang- who are aware of a developing problem ara has suggested a “one-time exemp- upon a bus can notify the transit police tion” to this tuition-fee-increase cap. by discreetly sending information such Under the proposal, the price of tu- as a brief description of the problem ition for most courses per credit will BILL EVERITT photo and the bus number and location by us- rise from $90 to $103 for domestic stu- A construction worker bucks some trees up before feeding them into a wood chipper. The trees ing the transit police code 87-77-77. In dents. are being cleared as part of Langara’s new science and technology building which began in 2013. an emergency situation, 911 should be Trotter said if the suggestions were called.” approved, students who were already Last week TransLink appealed to the enrolled at Langara would not see the federal government for tougher conse- increase in tuition. quences in cases where a driver is as- The higher tuition would only apply saulted. to students who register after the in- However, one Langara instructor crease, and tuition for international Q&A with Lane Trotter doesn’t think harsher sentences will students would not be affected. help. “Simply increasing the severity of The suggested proposal is far from a sentence likely won’t have a measur- being a reality, but Trotter said there Trotter breaks down the tuition hike proposal able impact for that kind of crime. are two main reasons for increasing tu- There’s not a lot of data and research ition. The additional revenue will be By RENEE Sutton ates a way of generating additional there to support simply increasing the used to create a career centre. scholarships and bursaries for stu- penalty will actually reduce the offend- It will also go toward student schol- –What would dents” ing,” said Catherine Huth, chair of Lan- arships and bursaries. “Students are revenue gara’s criminal justice department. saying, ‘We would really like a career Qfrom in- Q – What is the difference between Spokesperson for Unifor 111 Ruth center.’ The challenge is, how do you creased tuition be the VOLT centre and a student ca- Armstrong believes the public plays fund it?” Trotter said. used for? reer centre? the strongest role in reducing assaults Ameer Mohammad, chair of the LSU “The money “Our VOLT centre is for helping our We would on drivers. students’ issues action committee, said would be utilized coop students find the right employer, “ “The public has the power to change he doesn’t think the student body will for several purpos- and helps the students in terms of de- phase it LANE TROttER it more so than any employee under support an increase in tuition. es. veloping interview skills. The career in over a Langara’s new TransLink,” she said. Mohammad said he agreed that Lan- 1) Creation of a centre would be more focused for all president period of Understanding is crucial for both gara needs a career centre, but doesn’t career centre to as- students, in terms of assisting them commuters and bus drivers. think that increasing tuition is the sist students in with that kind of opportunity.” time to “Our operators are under a lot of right way to fund it. terms of finding employment minimize pressure out there,” Armstrong said. “[The students’ issues action com- 2) 25 per cent of those funds would Q- How would Langara phase in “As far as our scheduling goes, as far as mittee] would definitely lobby against be set aside in some form of scholar- the increase- impact on our work goes, our work is being cut, this very fiercely . if the government ship or bursaries for students in need “What we’re looking at . to try and students our schedules are being cut, and of considers it,” he said. of financial assistance” reduce the shock value, or the impact course the passengers are feeling that.” Langara sciences student Miguel to students, is to phase it in over a pe- Lane Trotter She stressed that drivers empathize Desmarais said the increase would Q – Why would Langara increase riod of time to minimize impact on stu- with commuters when, for instance, a come back to students. “If they want to tuition if there is financial need? dents. The intent of that is obviously to 25-minute commute ends up taking build better infrastructure and have “If we have some of those funds, we provide students lots of warning that closer to an hour. better services, I think it’s worth it,” he can leverage that to go out to get alum- this would coming so that they could “We get it. We take transit our- said. ni, we can go out to the community, to plan and budget for it” try and match those funds. So it cre- selves, our family takes transit.” Printed on recycled paper Check out our web exclusives at http://langaravoice.com/ 2 THE DAILY VOICE, TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 EDITOR GAVIN FISHER News VPD Students warns weigh in on price drivers hikes Police issue warning to April 1 brings higher costs public after attempted car- for electricity, postage, jacking Sunday evening in ferry fares, co-op housing East Vancouver and medical marijuana By CHRIS SLATER By LUKASZ JONCA ollowing an attempted carjacking in Vancouver on Sunday, police are oday British Columbians will be Furging drivers to be more aware of paying more for electricity, ferry their surroundings on the road, and Tfares, postage and medical mari- keep doors locked and music turned juana. down. BC Hydro rates will be increasing The attempted theft occurred near nine per cent on April 1. The rate is ex- Grandview Highway and Bentall Street pected to rise by 28 per cent over five early Sunday evening. The accused, be- years. lieved to be armed with a knife, at- BC Ferries regular fares are going tempted to pull the female driver from up four per cent this year. her vehicle. The driver stepped on the A stamp to mail a standard-size first- gas causing her vehicle to hit a nearby class letter has increased from 63 cents taxi. No major injuries were sustained to $1. and the suspect was apprehended. Health Canada is banning home “Be mindful of what’s around you,” grow-ops as of April 1. The price of gov- warned Sgt. Randy Fincham, spokes- ernment-sold marijuana is rising from person for the Vancouver Police De- $5 to $8 a gram. partment. “Locking your doors is always a safe bet if you’re traveling through an area What do you think? where you’re con- cerned for your EDMOND LU photo Students tell the safety.” The Green Party of Vancouver announced their four city council candidates yesterday at City Fincham also Voice what they suggested drivers Hall. They are (from left to right): Tracey Moir, Pete Fry, Cleta Brown, and current city council- keep their stereos lor Adriane Carr, Vancouver’s first councilor elected under the Green Party. think of the new turned down to better hear sur- price hikes: RANDY FINCHAM roundings. VPD media Giovanni Camp- spokesperson bell, 36, is facing five charges, including robbery Greens announce and assault with a Locking weapon. Campbell “ has a lengthy re- your doors cord of past offens- is always es including, theft, HANNAH GILGOFF GAIL MANNING a safe bet counterfeiting, BC Ferries: Marijuana: and production of new candidates “I would love to “It’s taxing people if you’re illegal drugs. start doing more who have a docu- In a statement traveling around mented illness.” traveling to CBC News, vic- B.C. and having the BC Hydro: through an tim Susan Mum- Four candidates will be running for city council price of ferries go- “Any increase in ford explained her ing up is not going cost at the end of area where actions.

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