news // no. 4

DSU clubs adapting to COVID-19

» Douglas College to host virtual clubs days this week

Jessica Berget
Assistant Editor

 

ince the COVID-19 outbreak in the

winter, Douglas College cancelled all
in-person classes and is now preparing to
allow a limited number of both students
and employees on campus for the fall
semester. With few people on campus,
how do collectives that rely on in-person
interaction and meetings at school
function when the campus is closed? What
happens to the clubs of Douglas College
when nobody is on campus?

As soon as the outbreak cancelled

 

in-person classes, many clubs made the
choice to hold virtual meetings, with
varying degrees of success. The DSU
Debates Club (DDC) found it worked well
for them: “Tt has forced us to adapt, but it
has benefited nicely for us. We have been
able to structure the club in a new way that
works very well for us. We even created
club guidelines and set rules to ensure it is
a safe environment for our club members in
an online environment,” said Tyler Sullivan,
president of the DDC. Another issue raised
was the difficulty of getting new student
engagement: “Spreading the word through
the college in-person was very easy, but

now we are limited on how to get the word
out about our club to all college students
who may be interested in joining,” said
Sullivan.

However, while the DDC thrived
with online meetings, other clubs found
them more of a challenge; the DSU Board
Games Club was one such group: “We
used to do many meetings in real life with
great levels of attendance. Unfortunately,
COVID affected that.” But that didn’t
stop the club from doing what they love.
“Accessibility was difficult to adapt at first,
but the transition was fine after a while,”
said Jerson Sabio, the Board Games Club
Executive. He also says the
club will be back on Discord
this fall playing a variety of
online games.

The DSU FOCUS
(Friends of Overseas College
and University Students)
Club chimed in on the
matter: “Tt helps cut down
some cost for food and
stuff, but also decreases
the fun and joy when we
can really see each other.”
The DSU Comedy Club
also describe the challenges
they've encountered with
hosting online meetings.
“Performing improv games
has always been a highlight
of our meetings—they don't
all translate well to video
conferencing, though. We
also used to focus on stand-
up comedy material for each
other with the end goal of a
stand-up showcase to wrap
up each semester. We had to
cancel a show being planned
for March. Now, our
meetings are rather casual
and mainly consist of online

Illustration by Athena Little

Nightclubs and banquet
ordered to shut down, again

>» No recent fatalities but more increased restrictions

Tania Arora
Staff Writer

 

n increase in COVID-19 cases made the

Vancouver Health Authorities (VHA)
shut down the nightclubs and banquet
halls once again. The announcement was
made on September 8 by Dr. Bonnie Henry
in order to constrain the rise in the number
of COVID cases over the long weekend.
The order was in effect immediately.

In part of the announcement, Henry
also said liquor sales at bars and restaurants
have to stop at 10 pm and the entire
operation at 11 pm. However, exceptions
have been made to the restaurants serving
full meals—they can stay open past u pm
but aren't allowed to serve alcohol after
10 pm. In addition, the music at bars and
restaurants must not exceed the volume of
regular conversation.

The order came in effect when a
number of reports detailed that exposures
happened at public places. While cases
have been increasing, there have only been
two deaths (both in long-term care homes)
since September 4; Henry announced
that additional safety measures had to
be enforced again. “These venues are
still a significant risk to people in British
Columbia,” said Henry. “Issuing orders is
not something that we do lightly, it is our
last resort,” she said.

The move will impact more businesses
and may lead to more permanent closures.
Statistics Canada reports between
March and May during the height of the
pandemic, more than 20,000 businesses
closed, with many more predicted to
close. According to Global News, executive
director of the Alliance of Beverage
Licenses, Jeff Guignard, says around

half the bars, pubs, and restaurants in
Vancouver are not making enough money
or “barely squeaking through.” He also says
this new measure could drive people to go
elsewhere, instead of stopping them from
going out altogether. “People are not going
to stop hanging out past 10 pm. They're just
not going to do it.”

In an article by CBC, CEO of the
Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Bridgitte
Anderson says tourism, accommodation,
retail, and the food industry are said to
be the industries hit the hardest by the
pandemic, noting that business numbers
show “the real devastation.” Realizing
the need for more support, Anderson
continued, “It’s imperative that the
government doesn't just look at what they
can do short-term, immediately, but also,
how we're going to be able to transform our
region long-term.”

theotherpress.ca

party games that reveal our improv skills
and astute witticisms,” said club president
Michele Provenzano.

Some clubs are easier than others
to conduct online, and no one can attest
to the struggles of that more than the
DSU Ultimate Frisbee Club. Since social
distancing was encouraged, the club met
rarely in the summer, and when they did,
they took precautions. Sanitizing before
and after games, staying distanced on
defence, and keeping the groups small
were among the safety measures they
took. Unfortunately for a new club like
theirs, COVID-19 has not given them the
opportunity to have many meetings with
a club representative stating: “We have
not been able to go out and play the sport
that we love. This has been the case since
March.”

The DSU FOCUS Club also followed
precautions they took for their initial
in-person meetings: “For a few small
gatherings we had, we met outdoors while
social distancing with hand sanitizers,
masks, and no sharing of food whatsoever.’
The DSU Comedy Club remains optimistic
about the future though: “There’s
something to be missed about being in the
same room as your audience, connected
without lag. However, we're evolving, trying
new things, and not forcing what worked in
real life to work online. Some things have
even changed in a positive way. Schedules
are more flexible since COVID-19 started
and connecting with friends on a weekly
basis is more rewarding than ever. We're all
looking for an excuse to laugh right now,’
said Provenzano.

One thing remains unchanged
for all—the clubs’ struggle to get new
members. Thankfully, the DSU will be
holding the first ever virtual club days via
Zoom on September 16 and 17 from 5 to
7 pm, where students can find out more
about the clubs that interest them.

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