Daylight Saving Time - Opinion Piece 2 - CMNS 105

Szajnzinger.  Daylight Savings in BC.  March 12, 2018.

Why do we change our clocks twice a year?  BC Premier John Horgan has been toying with the idea of repealing Daylight Savings Time (DST).  Although it is common practice in many parts of in British Columbia, there are still many people who find contention with the time switch, and worldwide it is a much less accepted idea.  The question that must be asked is, it necessary for this time switch to occur? 

The first use of Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Canada was in 1908.  It was adopted during both World War I and World War II to save on fuel but was repealed during the time between the wars.

There are several reasons that are often used to promote the switch to DST each year, the main one, according to CBC News, is that energy will potentially be saved due to more sunlight hours.  A study conducted in Indiana, however, found that this generally caused people to use more energy in their household.  According to Scientific American, Indiana adopted DST in 2006, which allowed studies to be conducted with data on energy consumption for before and after DST – these comparisons showed a 1% increase in household energy consumption.  Scientific American also mentions another study carried out in California that demonstrated “extending daylight time had little to no effect on energy use in the state” as the results fell within the statistical margin of error.

Another important factor for the pro-DST camp is the hope that businesses will reap the benefits of people enjoying the extra daylight hours, people will go out and spend their money – particularly on gas, due to more travel time.  This reasoning goes against why Daylight Savings Time was adopted during both WWI and WWII.  Arguing that DST will both save energy and encourage people to buy more gas makes DST seem incredibly contradictory.  While more daylight hours have been suggested to prevent accidents on the road, the exhaustion caused by the one-hour loss when time returns to Daylight Savings Time causes more accidents.  Encouraging people to go out and enjoy the extra daylight also negates the argument of saving energy, as more people on the roads means more harmful emissions being added to the atmosphere.

Going forward, it must be considered that DST can have a variety of undesirable side-effects on health.  Just as jet lag can be problematic.  An article from 2009 that was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology by Barnes and Wagner showed that “on Mondays directly following the switch to Daylight Saving Time—in which one hour is lost—workers sustain more workplace injuries and injuries of greater severity.”  The article in Scientific American further outlines the increased risk of heart attacks following the loss of sleep.

There does not appear to be any concrete positive evidence in support of switching to Daylight Saving Time each year. Considering the variety of problematic responses humans face due to the loss of one hour of sleep, perhaps DST should be adopted year round, or done away with completely.

References

Barnes, C.M. & Wagner, D.T. (2009) Changes to daylight saving time cuts into sleep and increases work place injuries.  Journal of Applied Psychology, (94)5, 1305-1317.  Retrieved on March 14, 2018 from http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/apl9451317.pdf

CBC News. (March 10, 2018).  Some interesting facts about daylight time.  CBC News Technology & Science.  Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/daylight-saving-time-1.4567430

CBC News. (March 10, 2018). Daylight saving time begins in B.C. at 3 a.m. Sunday.  CBC News British Columbia.  Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/switch-to-daylight-savings-time-march-2018-1.4571365

Choi, C.Q. (March 1, 2009).  Does daylight saving time conserve energy?.  Scientific American.  Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-daylight-saving-times-save-energy/

McElroy, J. (March 9, 2017). B.C. government not springing forward on abolishing Daylight Saving Time.  Retrieved on March 12, 2018 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/daylight-savings-time-government-nope-1.4570546

Powers, L. (March 12, 2016).  Daylight saving time 2016: How big business benefits from more sunshine. CBC News Business. Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/daylight-saving-business-energy-1.3485281

Reese, M. (1932). A study of the effect of daylight saving time upon the sleep of young children. Child Development, 3(1), 86.  Retrieved on March 12, 2018 from  https://libsecure.camosun.bc.ca:2443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=8539503&site=eds-live

Stromberg, J.  (November 1, 2015).  It’s time to make daylight saving time year-round.  Vox.  Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from https://www.vox.com/2015/11/1/9640018/daylight-saving-time-year-round

Time and Date.  Daylight saving time statistics.  Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/statistics.html

Time and Date. The never ending DST debate.  Time and Date.  Retrieved on March 16, 2018 from https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/daylight-saving-debate.html

Biketoria - 2nd One Pager Assignment for CMNS 165

Szajnzinger.  Biketoria.  February 26, 2018.

If there’s one topic that is sure to get people riled up in Victoria B.C., it’s bike lanes.  The initiative to build dedicated, protective bike lanes on many of the main streets of downtown Victoria broke ground in October 2016.  This has been one of the most visible projects taken on by Mayor Lisa Helps, who has announced she will be seeking re-election on October 20^th, 2018. 

The comprehensive bike lane project, dubbed ‘Biketoria,’ will offer dedicated traffic signals for bicyclists and barriers to protect bicyclists from cars.  There will be total of 5.4km of protected bike paths, including areas for making turns at intersections.  The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2018.

The 2016 census results from Stats Can indicate that commute times have risen to an average of about 26 minutes in Victoria.  The census also demonstrates that around 6.9% of Victorians commute by riding bikes. 

The budget for the project keeps on expanding, and December 2017, Victoria City Council asked for almost $3 million more for the first phase of the bike lanes.  To many residents of Victoria, this seems like a miniscule portion of the population to be spending around $14.5 million on, especially when the project was initially budgeted at $7.75 million.

At almost double the amount that was originally quoted for this project, many Victorians are wondering why this money couldn’t have been spent on perhaps more pressing issues, such as affordable housing.  There remains some confusion on who, exactly, is paying for the paths of Biketoria.  There has been speculation that funding was coming from property taxes, but Mayor Helps says much of the funding is, in fact, coming from the gas tax, rather than property taxes.  The B.C. Government is contributing some funding as well.

With the bike lane construction well into phase two, any opposition at this point feels futile.  Longtime Fort Street establishments such as the Dutch Bakery, Russel Books, and Dots have said that they have not noticed a decrease in business.  Once construction is complete, businesses along the bike path routes are hoping that they might in fact see an increase in business.

City workers are citing the “if you build it, they will come” ethos for the bike path plan – if people feel safer while biking, they think more of the population will take advantage of the new infrastructure.  There are between 1000-1500 people using the stretches of completed bike lanes each day.

At least one Victoria businessman is trying to be proactive about the bike lanes by building a bike through takeout window.  Kunal Ghose, owner and operator of the restaurant ‘Dobosala Cantina and Ride-Thru,’ says it is slated to open later this spring on Pandora Avenue.  It is possibly the first ‘Ride-Thru’ restaurant in Canada, Ghose said he wasn’t aware of any others in existence.  As the spring and summer weather approaches, perhaps his restaurant will get more people on the bike lanes to try it out.

References

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/merchants-of-two-minds-on-two-way-fort-street-bike-lanes-1.23056399

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/victoria-breaks-ground-on-first-protected-bike-lane-1.3794968

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/data/statistics/infoline/infoline-2017/17-159-census-2016-commute

https://www.vicnews.com/news/average-b-c-commute-is-26-minutes-census/

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/171129/dq171129c-eng.htm

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/1-million-more-from-b-c-for-victoria-bike-lanes-would-be-a-perfect-fit-1.23161004

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2018/01/29/Bike-Lanes-For-Everyone/

http://www.douglasmagazine.com/bike-lanes-growth-create-debate-fort-streets-future/

https://www.vicnews.com/news/reaction-mixed-to-request-to-double-victoria-cycle-network-funding/

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/restaurant-opening-beside-victoria-bike-lane-to-offer-ride-thru-window-1.3774658

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/victoria-breaks-ground-on-first-protected-bike-lane-1.3794968

https://www.vicnews.com/opinion/former-victoria-cycle-commuter-furious-about-bike-lane-cost-increases/

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/1-million-more-from-b-c-for-victoria-bike-lanes-would-be-a-perfect-fit-1.23161004

http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/transportation/cycling/biketoria-fort-st.html

http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/transportation/cycling/biketoria-pandora-ave.html

http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/transportation/cycling.html

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/victoria-city-councillors-add-3-million-to-bike-lane-project-1.23116650

https://www.straight.com/news/1012941/victoria-mayor-and-cycling-advocate-lisa-helps-announces-shell-see-reelection-2018

Free Tuition Opinion Piece - CMNS 165

Szajnzinger. Free Tuition.  February 17, 2018.

Free tuition is something many students have dreamt about as they yearn for the day that they will be debt free.  The reality, however, is that one in two students in British Columbia will graduate with student debt, 60% of whom owe more than $20,000 (BCFS p. 3). 

Subsidizing tuition, whether in whole or in part, should be looked at as an investment in the health of the population, and the economic well-being of the country.  According to a CDC report from 2012, women with a bachelor’s degree were 39-43% less likely to be obese, 9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher were smokers compared to 31% of adults with a high school diploma or less.  

Denmark has one of the highest graduation rates for post-secondary education in the OECD.  The Danish government pays students around $900 per month on top of waiving school fees to be able to afford housing, food and support during their tenure as students.  Students graduate without debt, and it is seen as an investment in the future of the country.  Tuition should be a right, accessible to all, rather than to those who have the financial ability. 

In British Columbia, tuition fees have more than doubled since 2001 (BCFS p.6).  “According to research by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, in 2012 British Columbians with university education paid between $80,300 and $140,000 more in income taxes, and required between $15,400 and $18,100 less in government aid throughout their lifetimes” (BCFS p.4).

According to the OECD, Canada has the highest level of tertiary educated citizens within member countries. At the same time, the main issue facing students of today is the debt that they will be burdened with when they finish school.  This is prompting many people to choose a path that does not take them through post-secondary education, which could have serious effects on the state of the economy in the future.

If all students were judged on merit alone, rather than their ability to afford the prohibitive costs of school, it would be advantageous for British Columbia, and Canada, to offer post-secondary education as tuition free. 

References

Connecting the Dots. http://www.wearebcstudents.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GR-BC-Budget-2018-Submission-1.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/12/safe-happy-and-free-does-finland-have-all-the-answers?CMP=fb_gu

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0516_higher_education.html

Education GPS, OECD, 2/12/2018, 9:56:55 PM http://gpseducation.oecd.org

http://www.wearebcstudents.ca/our-campaigns/squash-the-squeeze

Accessed February 12, 2018 http://www.independent.co.uk/student/study-abroad/free-university-education-courses-study-abroad-brexit-erasmus-students-germany-copenhagen-france-a7457576.html

Minty, S. (2016). Getting into Higher Education: Young People's Views of Fairness. Scottish Educational Review, 48(1), 48-62. Retrieved on January 27, 2018 from https://libsecure.camosun.bc.ca:2443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1117623&site=eds-live

http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-education-college-affordability-2016-2

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-do-european-countries-afford-free-college-2016-3

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bernie-sanders-america-needs-free-college-now/2015/10/22/a3d05512-7685-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html?utm_term=.f92235558a60

Camosun Media

Szajnzinger - Camosun Media
January 22nd, 2018

Media consumption has been at the forefront of my mind since the beginning of the Digital Production, Writing, & Design program.  I love television, whether news programs or T.V. shows – it’s a relaxing way to stay informed and learn new things, even from a period drama on the BBC.  Maybe, it’s because I was born in the ‘80s, but reading a newspaper or physical book is an actual experience.  The feel of the paper adds to the story, a conscious connection to the real world, when the words or images take you off into the corners of your mind.  There’s also the smell of old books, which is practically a religious experience in my family.

Media relies on our responsiveness, as active consumers.  Advertisements, on the other hand, are not usually chosen by the consumer.  They are added in to our daily experience, at bus stops, on the radio, or product placement in a movie, in bathroom stalls, billboards, or on the sides of cars.  Anywhere a space needs to be filled, there’s potential ad space.  Sometimes, if we’re lucky, the advertisements are engaging and informative.  It’s important to tick those two boxes, because repetitive ads that aren’t relevant to an individual are exasperating. 

Public relations for Camosun College are important, but carefully chosen.  When trying to think about where I’ve seen any advertisements for the college, I can see the green logo, and perhaps an image of some students.  It makes me feel calm.  These must have been bus stop advertisements, because I don’t really watch Chek TV, nor do I recall seeing them on the internet or on CTV.  As an avid consumer of many forms of media, I know I would remember if I found the ads distasteful, because I most likely would not be a current student at Camosun if the situation were otherwise.

Tweeting Exercise CMNS 165

1.     Layoffs:

a.    What happens when the Widget market gets flooded?  Unfortunately, here at The National Widget Company we are announcing 200 layoffs nationwide, including 50 from our Victoria office. http://bit.ly/1IVlsPT

b.    The National Widget Company announced today, “In order to stay in business we have to layoff 200 people. Hopefully, the market will improve and we can bring these loyal employees back,” says NWC President Andrew Bryce. #nationalwidgetcompany #NWCcanada http://bit.ly/2BkrCGG

c.    We aren’t going anywhere, but in order to stick around we have to lay off 200 employees.  We promise to bring them back as soon as possible!  #nationalwidgetcompany http://bit.ly/2n0G8zc

2.    Rehiring:

a.    Wait till you hear the news: The National Widget Company is rehiring! http://bit.ly/2n2SzKH 

b.    Looks like business is improving at The National Widget Company!  NWC President Andrew Bryce announced, “We will be rehiring all 200 employees laid off in June 2017.” #businessisgood #NWCcanada

c.    Today we are rehiring 200 employees!  #thankschina #nationalwidgetcompanyisthefuture http://bit.ly/2rvFhv2

3.    Expanding:

a.    Today The National Widget Company of Canada President Andrew Bryce announced, “We are adding a manufacturing facility in Regina, Saskatchewan which adds another 100 employees to the company.”  #NWCjobs #NWCcanada http://bit.ly/2DsVu5T

b.    The Chinese market is a success for The NWC. Company President Andrew Bryce says, “We are opening another manufacturing facility in Regina, Saskatchewan and hiring 100 more employees!”  #nationalwidgetcompanyjobs #NWCisthefuture http://che.gg/2DsXQRY

c.    The NWC is hiring 100 employees to work at the new manufacturing facility in Regina, Saskatchewn!  #findjobswiththeNWC #NWCisthefuture http://bit.ly/2n0Qu17

NEWS RELEASE ASSIGNMENT - CMNS 165

NEWS RELEASE

12:00pm April 15^th, 2018

NATIONAL WIDGET COMPANY FINDS NEW HOPE IN CHINESE MARKET

The National Widget Company announced today that 200 employees will be rehired.  After sales plummeted in June 2017 when the Uzbekistan National Widget company flooded the market with widgets, these employees were laid off.  Company president, Andrew Bryce, made the announcement from company headquarters in Victoria this morning.

“We have sent recall notices to all employees who were laid off in June. As a family-owned company, it was heartbreaking to lay off so many loyal people so we are thrilled to be offering employment to people we consider part of the family,” says Bryce.  Of those rehired, 50 will be local employees working at head office and the main plant in Victoria.

This news comes on the heels of a steady increase of widget sales over the past few months.  The NWC was able to break into new markets, particularly China, as residential construction companies will be installing widgets into every new building in China.

“The opening up of the Chinese residential market represents opportunity and a secure market on which to expand our capacity,” says Bryce.

Traditionally, widgets have been used in the oil business which are primarily important in the Middle Eastern market.  Bryce says, “The increase in sales has been unprecedented. We think this opportunity opens up enormous markets which will last for years.”

Established in 1888, current president Andrew Bryce is the great-grandson of the man who founded The National Widget Company.  It is the oldest widget manufacturer in Canada, as well as one of the oldest family run businesses nationwide.

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For more information, Contact Jenni Szajnzinger at (250)-888-5959 

Nexus Newspaper

In a day and age when the world of print media is changing, the newspaper, the Nexus at Camosun College continues to carve a name for itself.  Established in 1990, Nexus Newspaper became incorporated as the Nexus Publishing Society in 1999, which gives the newspaper autonomy to provide a voice for issues concerning students.  Issues are published bi-monthly in print and online.

“Student media is not always taken seriously,” says Greg Pratt, managing editor of The Nexus. “But we put our writers through the ringer like any other media.”

The Nexus itself is unique in that it has a Student Editor and a Managing Editor, which gives the paper a student voice guiding the publication as well as a giving the paper a voice that is in power for more than a finite amount of time, respectively.

Pratt says he sees the Nexus as “a watchdog for the students, keeping track of the college and student society.”

 The stories covered in The Nexus range from Gender Neutral bathrooms, the issues students face in terms of transit, to holding the college and student societies accountable for their budget decisions relating to student fees.  Pratt says there aren’t any issues they won’t touch, but they do have a policy not to create controversy where there isn’t any.

The Nexus receives funding from student fees, which, according to it’s website is ‘just over $85,000’ with additional funding secured through ad revenues and fundraising.

Overall, Pratt says the goal of the Nexus is to provide the students with stories that will have a tangible impact, and to keep the Camosun community informed.