Nearing the end...

This is our last BCIT Magazine of the 2012-2013 school year. In about two months, we will walk across the stage with diplomas proudly in our hands.

Please enjoy!

"Chink No More" - A Documentary

Over the past two months, Nicole Reinert and I have spent countless hours working on this documentary. We are are proud to present to you "Chink No More":


[Don't forget to watch in HD and expand the screen :)]

Canada has a strong reputation for being an inclusive, multicultural society. But it hasn’t always been that way.

Starting in 1881, over 15,000 Chinese workers were brought into the country to help build the Canadian Pacific Railway. The completion of the railway left thousands of men without work and many Canadians began to worry Chinese labourers would take away their jobs.

 To deal with this, the government began to charge a fee dubbed a “head tax” upon Chinese immigrants to deter them from coming into the country. When that didn’t stop them from coming, The Chinese Immigration Act was introduced. This law prohibited Chinese citizens from entering Canada.

 Although these racist legislations took place more than a century ago, some Chinese-Canadians say they are still affected by them. We examine the controversy surrounding this dark piece of Canada’s history and what it means today.

GST and PST are back

BC's harmonized sales tax is officially gone.

And with the return of the government and provincial sale taxes, some business owners say they will see a spike -- not in the number of customers -- but in the amount of time they'll spend filling out tax forms.

Recap on Superbowl Ads

Superbowl Sunday is not only known for for the game, but equally for the unique and risque commercials. Advertisers pay around four-million dollars for each 30 second ad. But one Vancouver advertiser says few ads actually made an impression.

Idle No More's Global Day of Action

Earlier last month, Aboriginal rights activists met with Prime Minister Harper to discuss controversial bills. But they're saying this is a small feat and the movement will not sleep until real change happens.

VIDEO: Students and Robots Catch A Break

The Ontario teacher job action is causing frustration for the senior students, as they see more of their activities being put on hold. While the number of teachers withdrawing from extracurricular activities is also growing. But students from one Toronto school have inspired their parents and principals to pitch in.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #rcrobots.

Students and Robots Catch A Break

Bill and Jack Poldon are excited for the
2012-2013 Robotics season to begin.

The sound of drills, the smell of solder and the sight of robots fill the high school's workshop.

For the past ten years, Runnymede Collegiate Institute prided itself in its strong after-school robotics program. But the teachers' job action caused teachers to withdraw from extracurricular activities, like the robotics team.

When grade 12 student Bill Poldon heard about the news, he was immediately worried.

"I absolutely thought the robotics team could be in jeopardy if there was job action," says Poldon.

The robotics team is what attracted him to the Runnymede Collegiate. Instead of going to a high school nearby his home, he travels 45 minutes on the TTC.

"No other school in our area has a successful robotics team. So that's why we came here," he explains.

His twin brother Jack Poldon says participating in this program will help him stand out from other candidates when applying for universities.

"For engineering, especially, this activity is one of the most important things you could be a part of," he says.

Universities recognize the hard work students put into this extracurricular  activity because of the countless hours they spend in their work shop. The Poldon brothers and Michael Nucci are this year's team co-captains, and they predict that they will spend 36 hours working on the robot each week -- this includes Saturdays.