VOL 1

MAY 18 1995

NO 1 9

VANCOUVER
COMMUNITY

COLLEGE

Inside

Rules of the Road
(If you commute to VCC on a bike, or you're interested in being a com¬
muter cyclist, you'll probably find this article of interest. I've reprinted it {
with permission from the Government Employees' Commuting Options
newsletter. This group, nicknamed "GECO," (like "gecko"), deals with

More rules of
the road

issues such as cycle-commuting, arranging car-pooling, transit service

to employees, and parking policies. We should applaud them for helping
government employees consider alternatives to the one-person-to-a-car syndrome.

How about a few interested employees forming a VCC commuting committee? Any
volunteers? -Editor)

Counselling
Workshops in May

Stephen Huddart's
recovery
Environmentally

friendly building
policy

Y

I ou may have noticed that not all
roads are designed or built for bi¬

hundred cars a day, you'll save enough time
to take an extra coffee break per week. It's

cycles. Ray Hall, a veteran cycling

not worth it. Remember, commuter cyclists

| safety instructor, offers us four tips
for cyclists so that we can ride on the road as

meet the same people every day, twice a day.

an equal among equals.

Respect
Cyclists want their rights to the
1ft- >
road respected, but respect is some¬

thing that is earned, not given. One of the
most common complaints I get from drivers

is about cyclists who pass on the right when
cars are stopped at traffic lights.
New First Nations

Advisory Council

Celebrating

so
Years

If you want to be treated as a legitimate vehi¬
cle operator, line up with the rest of the traf¬

fic. If cyclists keep passing stopped drivers
on their right at each light, the driver will
soon lose patience and become annoyed.

Playing leap frog with cars is a game you
will lose. The time saved by passing on the
right gains you only one or two tenths of a
second per car. If you manage to pass one

One other fact for consideration - cyclists are

liable for damages caused by passing on the
right because it is illegal to do so.

Responsibility
The cyclist who claims to
have an attempt made on

their life everyday needs
to look at the common de¬
nominator in these situations
- themselves. There is a larger percentage of
poor cyclists than poor drivers on the road.
Unlike motorists, there is no formal educa¬
tion system or licensing for cyclists. The most
common car/bike accident is an oncoming
driver turning left in front of a bike. The sec¬
ond most common accident is a driver pass¬

ing and turning right in front of a cyclist. Both
(continued on the next page)

Continued from page 1

Rules of the road
of these situations can be avoided with proper
training and experience. Take the responsi¬

other hand, no amount of equipment can re¬

bility to become the best rider you can be.

place skill and knowledge. We have all seen
cyclists decked out with every visibility de¬
vice on the market: safety vest, side flag, flag

Predictability

'A

By communicating intentions
early, cyclists become more

Don't

hide
your

talent!
If you have an
fdea for a regu¬
lar column or an

Interesting ex¬
perience that

you'd like to
share with us, let
us know! We re¬
ally want to hear

from you!

can only see a bicycle by its light. On the

predictable. This makes it
easier for drivers to deal
with you as part of the traffic flow. Think at

least one minute ahead, plan at least five min¬
utes ahead. If the cyclist doesn't know what
they are doing, how can the drivers around

them? If the driver makes a decision based
on what he or she thinks the cyclist is doing
and the cyclist changes his or her mind, stuff
happens. Hand signals and road positions tell
drivers where we are going. For example,
everyone expects traffic in "right turn only"

pole, arm and leg bands, leg light, reflectors

in front and back and in their wheels, all flash¬
ing and blinking to beat the band. I call it the
Christmas tree effect. But they are still hav¬
ing accidents. They think equipment alone
can keep them safe. They are wrong. No
matter how much safety gear you have, if you
aren't riding safely, you are in trouble.

Smile
When a driver lets you in'
front of them, smile a thank
you. When passing in front
of a pedestrian, reassure

f ^

ra

lanes to turn right—stay out of them other¬

them that you have seen

wise. When turning left, shoulder check, sig¬

nal, and move to the left of the lane before

them and mean them no
harm—smile. If you want to move between

the intersection.

cars stopped in traffic, a smile is an acknowl¬

Holding the road and behaving like another
vehicle is understood by everyone. "Bopping
around" all over the road on a bike is not.

Visibility

edgement of our common situation. Try to

make dealing with cyclists a positive experi¬
ence for yourself and those around you. Cy¬

clists are still in a minority—making us all
ambassadors or public relations agents.

If drivers can't see you,
they can't avoid you. Vic-

toria's weather is typically
cool and damp, creating flat, grey light and
fogged car windows. Wearing bright colours
separates the cyclist from the background and

F.Y.®
Trying to contact Linda Thomas, First

Nations Education Coordinator? You

draws the driver's attention. Hugging the curb
and wearing dark colours makes a cyclist al¬

can reach her at:
• Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri: :

most invisible to crossing and oncoming traf¬
fic. Eighty-seven per cent of accidents hap¬

KEC, 4th Floor Admin,, 871-7020
* Wednesday;
GC Counselling Dept., 443-8596
Linda will be at VCC throughout the

pen from the front at intersections, usually

an oncoming car turning left in front of a bike.
This is why a headlight is an essential piece

summer, except for during her holidays.

of equipment. Drivers stopped at an intersec¬

tion perpendicular to a rider's line of travel
PAGE 2

MAY 18 1995

:o
A Note from the Editor

Connections' clip-art to be more
representative of both genders
I recently received a call from a reader about
the clip-art that Connections uses. For those
that don't know the jargon, clip-art is the term

for the whimsical illustrations and symbols
used through the newsletter. The reader
wanted to point out that figures of men seem
to vastly outnumber figures of women—and

made a very important point. Out of

40 illustrations of people, just five
were female, compared to 35
males. That's only 12.5% fe¬

male! Although this is an un¬
intentional oversight, it obvi¬

asked if I could try to be more equal in the

ously needs to be corrected.
Therefore, in the future, Connec

representation.

tions' illustrations and symbols will

On looking through the issues produced so
far this year, I realized that the reader has

be less gender-biased. Thank you
very much to the reader who pointed this out.

Put some sizzle in your summer—great barbecue deals at CC Retail Meats
New York steak 7,991b Hinds of Beef* 2,291b
Rib Eye steak bnls 7.99 lb Long Loin of Beef* 3.99 lb
T-Bone steak 5,99 lb (10-12 T-bones, 8 top sirloin, tenderloin and
Top sirloin steak 4,49 lb lean ground beef; average price $ 150)
BBQBeefRst 3,491b *price per pound will increase due to waste

Grade A chicken 1.49 IB
(Min. 5, cut any way you want)

Phone 443-8465 or 443-8351
(Visa, MasterCard or Cash)

Counselling workshops in May
• Immigrant Women's Support Group

• Handling the Job Interview

Topics: parenting, self esteem, assertiveness, career/education information,

Time: 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

family violence, welfare rights.

Date: May 24
Place: Room 3169

Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

(This workshop is not open to other students.)

Date: Tuesdays, May 16 to June 20
Place: Counselling, Room 3002 (students
may bring their lunch)

• Assertiveness
Time: 10:00 a.m. -12:00 noon

• Improve Your Interpersonal

Communication Skills
Time: 10:00 a.m. -12:00 noon

Date: May 17
Place: Room 2103

Date: May 24
Place: Room 2103
• Stress Management
Time: 10:00 a.m. -12:00 noon

Date: May 31
Place: Room 2103

These are student workshops and are held at King Edward Campus. For more information,
contact the Counselling Department, Room 3002, tel. 871-7191.

VOL 1 NO 1 9

PAGE 3

Langara Board Chair recuperating

Stephen Huddart's progress
in Vancouver Hospital
Stephen Huddart, Board Chair for Langara
College (and former VCC Board member Ed.) is continuing to progress after suffering
a serious spinal cord injury while skiing in
late March. He has appreciated all the cards
and good wishes from his friends over the

^^%uick

^fuote

Men occasionally
stumble over
the truth, but
most of them
pick themselves

up and hurry off
as if nothing
happened
—Winston

Churchill

past weeks. He continues to be regularly in¬

formed about and involved in College Board
decisions and affairs.

Stephen is in the C.3 Rehabilitation Unit of
the Heather Pavilion at Vancouver Hospital
and Health Sciences Centre, until this Fri¬

day, May 19, when he will be returning home.
Everyone wishes Stephen well in his recov¬
ery.

portions of this article reprinted
with permission from

The AECBC Bulletin, May/95

*

New environmental guidelines
for post-secondary facilities
New environmental guidelines will help
B.C.'s universities, colleges and institutes de¬

sign buildings that are environmentally sen¬
sitive and healthy for inhabitants. The Envi¬
ronmental Guidelines for B.C. University,

College and Institute Facilities project was
spearheaded by a group of operations and de¬
velopment representatives from six public
post-secondary institutions and was sup¬

ported by a $80,000 grant from the Ministry
of Skills, Training and Labour. The group,
which included two representatives form
BCIT and one from Emily Carr, worked
closely with the Environmental Research
Group of the School of Architecture at UBC.
"Designing health buildings is a matter of
approach," says Dr. Ray Cole, UBC School
of Architecture professor and author of the

guidelines. "These guidelines point out the

be made in building design to reflect emerg¬
ing principles of sustainability; they also pro¬
vide a framework for designers who take a

holistic approach to building design."
The guidelines offer practical, cost-effective

strategies for designing buildings which" are
sensitive to the ecology of the site and prin¬
ciples of conservation, are energy efficient,
promote efficiency in operation, use recycled
or reusable materials where appropriate, and
are healthy and comfortable for users.

Copies of the guidelines are available from
the Public Affairs Branch of the Ministry of
Skills, Training and Labour at: 604-3876499; and on the internet at this address:
STLGOPHER.STL.GOV.BC.CA.
reprinted with permission from

The AECBC Bulletin, May/95

fundamental areas where improvements can

PAGE 4

MAY 18 1995

A First Nations Advisory
Council is currently being
formed. The Council will have blended
internal (students, faculty, administration)
and external (First Nations representatives)
membership. A primary purpose of the Coun¬

cil will be to advise on implementation strat¬
egies for VCC's First Nations Framework
Policy.

not open until 11:30 a.m. Wednesday morn¬
ings. The new Bookstore summer hours (May
15 - Sept. 4) are:
Monday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun CLOSED

Besides internal appointments to the Coun¬
cil, we are also seeking two faculty "volun¬

This change is temporary until Sep
tember 4, 1995 to allow the
staff to keep up with the

teer" members. If you have a strong interest

increased volume.

in First Nations education and would be will¬
ing to participate on the Council (approxi¬
mately 10 meetings a year), please contact

Linda Martin, Vice President, Educational
Support Services, by the end of May. If we
receive more than two names, we'll hold a
hat draw.

The Purchasing
Department has be
come part of the Finance and Ad¬
ministration area, as is the case in

most colleges. Take heart: this will not
affect the day to day operations of the Pur¬
chasing Department.

A university transfer course

will be offered at City Cen¬
tre beginning June 2. The Hu¬
manities Department, in partnership with Pro¬

Una Rose' telephone local
has changed to 8609. if you

gram Development, will offer English 229:

need to contact a member of the Student As¬

An introduction to the novels, poetry and

sociation Executive, call local 8467. Thank

drama of the Twentieth Century. This course

you for your attention in this matter.

will introduce students to the modern novel,
a selection of poems and a sampling of mod¬
em drama. Writing assignments will be re¬

Vacation Notice

lated to the literary works studied. Cost is
$305 and classes will take place Friday nights

Dana Fister, Financial Aid Advisor at City

and Saturdays. For more information or to
register, contact Program Development,

May 18, 1995 to July 31, 1995. In her ab¬

KEC, 871-7488/7499.

KEC Bookstore hours have

Centre Campus, will be on vacation from
sence Brenda Toporowski will be acting De¬
partment Head.

(more announcements on the next page)

changed for the summer. Ef¬
fective May 31,1995 the KEC Bookstore will
VOL 1 NO 1 9

PAGE 5

wate amamee/ne/tfe
New staff appointment

Connections
Editor, Design
and Layout:
Dale Rasmussen,

PR Dept
Campus Contacts

Vickki Montigny

(CC),

The Financial Aid staff welcomes Lina Yung
to City Centre's Financial Aid Office.This is
a temporary appointment from May 29,1995
to July 7,1995. Brenda Toporowski and Anita
Kapoor are keen to show Lina what an inter¬

esting and rewarding department Financial
Aid is to work in. Lina brings a wealth of
Admissions and Cashiering experience and
we know that she will be a fast learner and
an enthusiastic helper of students.

Bob Hamaura has been as¬
signed as a systems analyst
for Student Services. He will
work on the implementation of the new Ban¬

ner system and will no longer be available to
provide PC support and advice. Please call
John Roberts at 8369 or Elizabeth Bumyeat
at 7455 instead. Thank you.
Jim Goard

Manijeh Golkhizi

(KEC)
Communications

Coordinator
Sarah Lucas, local

7158
Connections

publishes every
Thursday, and
the deadline for
submissions is
3:00 pm on the
previous Friday.
Please supply
your article to

Manijeh or Vickki
in a simple,wordprocessed format

Go river rafting on the
Squamish River with VCC Inter¬
national Education and Canadian Outback
Adventure Company! This full day trip takes
place on June 2 and includes a scenic train
trip to Brackendale, renowned winter habi¬

tat of the North American bald eagle; full
safety orientation; hearty barbequed lunch on
the banks of the Squamish River; and of
course, a rafting cruise down the Squamish

River. All international and non-international
students, friends, home-stay families and staff
are welcome. Rafters

will meet at the B.C. Rail
station, North Vancou¬
ver, at 6:30 a.m. Depar¬

ture time is 7:00 a.m.

Cost is $129.00. Please
pay the cashier, 4th floor,
KEC by Thursday, May 25. Sorry, no refunds
after this date.

(text only is best)
on an IBM-

compatible disk,
and include a
hardcopy.
Please recycle
this newsletter.
' ASA-.

JOB POSTINGS

Manager, Budget
Accounting. Closing
date: May 26.

Office Manager, CE
(Langara). Closing
date: May 29.

PAGE 6

Office Clerk (a),
Mailroom, KEC.
Closing date: May 26.
Clerk Cashier,
Registrar's Office,
KEC. Closing date:
May 24.

FORSALE
Two bedroom and den apartment in west Rich¬
mond. Assumable mortgage 6.50% to May 1997;
$148,000.1 1/2 baths, underground parking, over
1200 sq. ft., many amenities, fabulous recreadon
centre, indoor and outdoor pools, one block to

bus, shopping centre, banks. Sale by owner. Call
eves or weekends, 538-8761.

MAY 18 1995