news // 6

Did you know: Cooperative Education

, Angela Espinoza

p - News Editor
eS y

Minews
@theotherpress.ca
“Did you know” informs Douglas
students about college services.
If youre part of a campus
organization for students and
want to raise awareness, email
us at news@theotherpress.ca

 

Cooperative Education, or
co-op, is a service offered
by Douglas College that gives
students the opportunity to
receive training in a career area
of their choice.

Co-op provides students
with the experience of
“working in the field” while
simultaneously working on
their courses.

Prior to getting involved
with a co-op opportunity,
placement officer Lianne
Johnston said, “All students

: need to do is attend an info
: session, usually the first or
: second week of each semester.”

Info sessions give students

: an idea of what their respective
: opportunity might entail, such :
: as the type of work involved and :
: those they'll be working with.

“[There’s] quite a variety,”

: said Johnston of the options :
: available. “Working with the BC :
: Liquor Distribution Branch in
: an IT role or...
: student could work for an

: insurance underwriter. A BPEC
: (Bachelor of Physical Education :
: and Coaching) student could

: work with the Whitecaps, or a

: business management student
: could work for a global car

: rental firm. Science students

: could work with Parks Canada,
: assisting with invasive plant

: species, or a marketing student
: could assist a wholesaler

: supplying wellness products.”

an accounting

Johnston added that each

opportunity and its respective

: associated program have their
: own set list of requirements. In
: addition, students must have

“completed 18 program-related

: credits,” and be registered in
: nine credits upon application,

along with at least a 2.33 grade-

: point average.

It’s important to remember

: that even after graduation or :
completion of a program, co-op :
: opportunities are still available
: to students.

“A misconception for

: students is [that] co-op

placements cannot happen in

: their final semester or after they :
: graduate,’ said Johnston. “Co-—}
: operative Education is designed
: for students to participate ina

: full-time, paid position between :
: study semesters.”

Johnston encourages

“The opportunities I assist

students to work in, while they

are completing their programs,
: are transformational,” said

: Johnston. When students stop
: by my office to share their

: work experience, I notice

: students to apply for co-op, and : a big difference with their

to take part in the info sessions
: as they occur.

: personality. There is an air of
confidence that did not exist
: before and faculty members
often tell me the student is

: much more engaged in the

theotherpress.ca

 

Image from Thinkstock

: classroom. Students remark

: they now have a better idea of
: what type of job or profession
: they want to move into once

: they graduate.”

Students can currently

: sign up for info sessions for

: the Fall 2015 semester on the
: cooperative education area of
: the Douglas College website.

 

Bill seeks banning of flavoured tobaccos in BC
» New West MLA Judy Darcy has re-introduced the bill from last April

, Angela Espinoza

¥ . News Editor
be = i
eS y

Mi news
@theotherpress.ca

ew Westminster NDP

member and Member of
the Legislative Assembly Judy
Darcy has reintroduced a bill
seeking the ban of flavoured
tobacco products in BC.

The bill was first introduced :
in April 2014, when Darcy
focussed on several key points
such as the disguised smell
and colourful packaging of
flavoured tobacco products.
“Last spring I introduced a
private member’s bill calling
for prohibition of the sale of

 

: flavoured tobacco in BC,” said

: Darcy. “The Ministry of Health
: said at the time that they

: WETE ...
: government to act on [the bill],
: and if the federal government

: did not act, then [the Ministry
: of Health] would.”

waiting for the federal

Darcy then explained

that after several of months
: of waiting, changes had yet to
: occur in regard to the sale of

: flavoured tobacco products in

: BC.

“T reintroduced it [recently]

: because there was no indication :
: that the government was going
: to do so,” said Darcy. Darcy

: believes that flavoured tobacco
: comes in colourful packaging

: deliberately to attract younger
: smokers. “The way that they’re
: packaged to look like candy

: or to look like cosmetics ...

: and because they have these

: sweet flavours ...
: have that same hacking and

: coughing that you normally

: would when you start smoking.

so they don't

“We do have some of the

lowest smoking rates in the

: country, but it’s kind of stalled
: out, it’s not getting any lower,

: and the tobacco companies are
: looking for new markets.”

Darcy added that statistics

: provided by the Canadian

: Cancer Society, as well as

: from polls conducted across

: BC, show that roughly 30,000

“young people” take up smoking :
: each year in BC. “Half of them
: start with flavoured tobacco,”

: said Darcy.

“Tobacco and smoking are

: still the single biggest cause

: of preventable cancer death in
: BC, about 6,000 people die of
: tobacco-related cancers in BC
: every year, so I think we need

: action to take them off the

: shelves.

“Since the ‘gos, we’ve

: been leaders on anti-smoking
programs and initiatives

: and laws...
: be continuing that. Other

: provinces have [banned

: flavoured tobaccos], we haven't.
When the New Westminster :

and we should

”

Newsleader covered the story

: last June, Health Minister Terry
: Lake provided a statement

: regarding his own personal

: concerns over the sale of

: flavoured tobacco products.

“Federal legislation would

: ensure a consistent cross-

: Canada ban on the product,

: rather than a patchwork of

: standards across the country,

: where efforts, testing and

: enforcement would be

: duplicated and more expensive,’
: Lake told the Newsleader. “I

: am pleased that there will bea
: consistent level of protection

: developed for youth across

: Canada—regardless of where

they live.’

 

Spirit of Coquitlam grant submission open

» Residents have opportunity to improve community

, Angela Espinoza
S News Editor
Mi news

a
b *—* @theotherpress.ca

he annual Spirit of
Coquitlam grants are now

 

2015.

Each year, the grants
provide opportunities for
entrants to gain funding for

and are meant to strengthen
the community. Public events

: involving sports, art displays,
: as well as festivals and

: celebrations are all potential
: uses of the grant money.

A press release for the

: event stated, “The grant

: is focussed on achieving

: the city’s goals by assisting
open to receive applications for = |ocal organizations to work
: collaboratively toward a sense
: of community and a high

: quality of life for Coquitlam

: citizens.”

community projects in the arts, :

Grant application involves

: submission of a package that is

: to include annual reports, AGM
: minutes, timelines of planned

: projects, and the expected

: budget the entrant would need
: to make their event a reality.

Submissions are being

: accepted until March 31 with a

: deadline time of 4 p.m. and can
: be sent via email or mailed to

: the City of Coquitlam.

Applications can be found

: online through Coquitlam.ca,

: and are meant for established

: groups or organizations to take
: part in.

 

Image from Panoramio.com