Vancouver

Teahouse makes
global headlines

> American politics work their way northward

Katie Czenczek
Staff Writer

 

t appears as if Teahouse at Stanley Park

has made neither Trump supporters or
adversaries happy with how they handled
kicking out a man who wore a Make

America Great Again hat to the restaurant.

In late June, former manager Darin
Hodge asked a customer to remove his
Make America Great Again hat before
being served at the restaurant. The man
refused. Asa result, the man was kicked
out of the restaurant. A few days later,

Hodge was fired from his job as a response

to his refusal to serve the man wearing
the Make America Great Again hat.

The Sequoia Company, who own
the restaurant, said that Hodge was
fired because he did not follow its
“philosophy of tolerance,” though some
have taken to the keyboard to tweet
that the hat itself symbolizes a lack
of tolerance many have attributed to
Trump’s presidency, which includes
policies that lead to the separation of
migrant children from their parents and
the growing trade war with Canada.

Jean Podrasky tweeted that she
supports Darin Hodge's decision and
said the Make America Great Again
hat is the equivalent of a swastika.

“T fully applaud Darin Hodge,”
she wrote. “He knew that he could be
fired, and he took a stand. Th[e] stupid
hat represents a swastika to me. Ifa
restaurant allows customers to wear
Make America Great Again hats on their
premises, you've lost me as a customer.”

Following the incident, both Trump

supporters and deniers have flocked to
Yelp and Google to post poor reviews
about the restaurant—many reviews
having nothing to do with the food and
service itself and more to do with the
controversy. As a result, Yelp has had to
filter through reviews to remove those
that only seem to reference the scandal.

Hodge said on a Facebook post
that he doesn’t regret kicking the man
out or being fired for doing so.

“I stand by my decision,” Hodge
wrote on Facebook. “The Make America
Great Again hat has come to symbolize
racism, bigotry, Islamophobia, misogyny,
white supremacy, [and] homophobia.”

“As a person with a strong moral
backbone, I had to take a stand
against this guest’s choice of headwear
while in my former place of work.
Absolutely no regrets,” he wrote.

Mira Zhou, a student at
Douglas College said that she felt
that Hodge should not have been
fired for kicking out the man.

“I think getting fired is a little too
serious,” Zhou said. “If ] were the boss,
I would suspend the manager for one
week. Vancouver is a multicultural city
and that hat is a symbol of racism.”

Another student, Jackie Young, said
that the man wearing the contentious
hat should not have been refused
service if he wasn't being aggressive.

“T person shouldn't have been
kicked out and not served. I think it’s
hard to know what the right thing is to
do because it’s a tough time politically,
but if the person wasn’t causing any
problems it’s wrong to not serve them.”

Douglas College
teacher participates
in ParticilpACTION

> Studies find physical activity
increases brain health

Colten Kamlade
Staff Reporter

n instructor from Douglas College

was recruited by ParticipACTION
to work on their biennial report.

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ParticipACTION was founded in 1971.

It is a national non-profit organization

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kids across Canada. Twice a year,
they release a report card that awards
letter grades in 14 different areas.
“The Report Card is the most
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and youth physical activity in Canada,”

states the ParticipACTION website.
“Tt synthesizes data from multiple
sources, including the best available
peer-reviewed research, to assign
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14 indicators. Over the years, the
Report Card has been replicated
in over 50 cities, provinces and
countries, where it has served asa
blueprint for collecting and sharing
knowledge about the physical activity
of young people around the world”
According to the Douglas
College website, Sarah Moore,
an instructor in the therapeutic
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by ParticipACTION because of her
expertise in physical activity for
children, including children with
disabilities. A short animated video
published by ParticipACTION
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Douglas lauds poverty advocates

> Community workers named honorary fellows

Jake Wray
News Editor

 

on and Cathy Burpee, housing
and homeless advocates from
Coquitlam, were named as Douglas
College Honorary Fellows June 13.

Honorary fellowship is the
most prestigious recognition given
by Douglas College, according to a
press release issued by the college.

Kathy Denton, president
of Douglas College, said in the
press release that the Burpees are
exemplary community leaders.

“Sandy and Cathy Burpee’s tireless
advocacy of antipoverty, homelessness,
and violence prevention initiatives are
part of a long-time commitment to our
communities that is truly inspiring,”
Denton said in the release. “Their ability
to organize diverse groups to work toward
shared goals demonstrates the type of

leadership that is needed to tackle
some of society’s greatest challenges.”
The Burpees fought successfully
for the creation of a homeless shelter in
the Tri-Cities despite fierce opposition
from some residents, according to the
press release. In 2015, after a long battle,
a shelter with 30 permanent beds and 30
transitional housing units opened in the
tri-cities thanks in part to the Burpees’
hard work. The shelter is operated by
RainCity Housing and Support Services.
The pair also founded the Tri-City
Together Against Violence committee
and Sandy chaired the Tri-Cities
Homelessness and Housing Task Group
for over a decade. The Burpees have
both received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.
Sandy is still an active poverty
advocate, doing weekly needle
sweeps and litter cleanup, among
other things, according to a report by
the Tri-City News. Cathy is focused
on her role as a grandmother.

“Family is important to us,”
Cathy told the Tri-City News.

“Family always comes first.”

The Burpees said they were
delighted to be named Douglas
College honorary fellows.

“As the Tri-Cities’ post-secondary
institution, Douglas College plays

Sarah Moore summarizes some
key points from the report.
“We found that children who
are physically active have better
performance in math, reading,
science, and social studies,’ Moore
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attention, focus, and concentration.
They are better creative thinkers,
and better problem solvers. In fact,
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brains. Especially in the areas of
the brain related to memory, higher
level thinking, and emotion.’
According to the report, active
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mental health problems such as
depression and anxiety. The video
also discusses the benefits of physical
activity for children with disabilities.
According to the findings of the
report, kids with disabilities may
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increased activity. Unfortunately, kids
who have disabilities are generally
less active because they face more
barriers. Issues such as accessibility
prevent them from participating to
the same degree as other kids. Thus,
it is important for teachers and
parents to be as inclusive as possible.
“Inclusion and accessibility
for kids with disabilities is really
important. So, if you're a parent,
educator, healthcare provider, or
coach, I want you to ask yourself,
‘how can I encourage a kid to
get active for 60 minutes today
and every day?” Moore said.

 

an important role in our community,
stimulating minds and preparing young
people for productive careers. We are
honoured that our work in the Tri-Cities
community is being recognized by
Douglas College in this way,” they said
in the Douglas College press release.

 

Photo of Sandy and Cathy Burpee by Douglas College