Jon Bethell
On resilience: “How a person responds in the face of adversity is based on numerous factors, such as your support system (family and close friends), self-confidence, ability to communicate [feelings], and more.” —Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Jon Bethell and I are sitting across from each other outside a coffee shop in downtown Nanaimo. I sip … Continued
Andrea Čanković
Andrea Čanković has had a wild year. In February 2020 she guided the VIU Mariners women’s volleyball team to provincial gold as co-captain, marking the third straight Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) title for her and the club. A month later, under the looming threat of cancellation due to COVID-19, Čanković and her teammates celebrated … Continued
The Last Straw
Three years ago, the single-use plastic straw became the poster child for the anti-plastic movement after a video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck in his nose went viral. Plastic pollution became a global concern, and the public uproar pressured people in power to implement changes, and straws were an easy target. One … Continued
Shifting Restaurant Culture
Everything is changing and nothing is the same. Restaurant culture might never be what it once was, but that might be for the better. In BC, we’ve had it good through this whole pandemic, and I can only hope that we’ve begun to realize what a luxury being able to eat out was and still … Continued
Declining Bull Kelp on Our Coast
The West Coast boasts a year-round exploration season of forested trails and rugged shorelines that seem to never end. The dense-growth temperate rainforests are filled with tall trees covered in mosses and forest floors brimming with lush vegetation. The beaches are fiercely traversed by wild winds and beating waves. This is my home. Many West … Continued
Cannabis Makes a Comeback in Canadian Collegiate Sport
Ross Rebagliati was a Canadian snowboarder who won Olympic gold in the sport’s first ever appearance in Nagano, Japan in 1998. Maybe you’ve heard his story. Rebagliati was stripped of his medal when trace amounts of cannabis were found in his drug test, only days after he topped the podium. He was just barely over … Continued
Together Alone
The fall semester will soon come to a close as VIU students complete their first full semester of online schooling. Although many students have returned to school, they have not returned to the normalcy of what they expected or what they wanted—they have returned to something many are calling a waste of time, a waste … Continued
An Interview with Sheila Malcolmson
The ballots have been counted, and Sheila Malcolmson is expected to return to her position as the MLA for the Nanaimo district. Although many mail-in and absentee ballots are still to be counted, Malcolmson finished election night with 52.8 percent of the vote. Malcolmson was elected as the MLA for the Nanaimo district back in … Continued
Turning Setbacks Into Goals
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to not only be an exemplary citizen in your community, but in school and in your personal life, look no further than VIU student Vantaisha (Taish) Tommy. Tommy is being recognized for her community service and commitment to her studies after being awarded the Mike Coleman Award for … Continued
Playing Across Borders:
VIU students have grown accustomed to change over the past six months. Oftentimes, the changes have been unexpected and out of their control. One particular group of students that has had to face more unexpected challenges than most—ones domestic students may not—are international student athletes. Student athletes who have arrived in or returned to Canada … Continued
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribe Stands Tall in the Wake of COVID-19
For centuries, Indigenous nations have had to fight for basic information and resources. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nuu-chah-nulth have had to fight for what they say are basic life-saving needs. The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC), representative of 14 nations on the Northwest coast of Vancouver Island, is working alongside Heiltsuk First … Continued
Is “A New Future for Old Growths” Possible?
Most Vancouver Island residents will remember the War in the Woods some 27 years ago. It was an environmental movement that saw 12,000 people show up to the rugged coast of Vancouver Island in one of the largest acts of civil disobedience Canada has ever seen. Around 1000 people were arrested trying to stop the … Continued
Lurk:
Street art has always been highly criticized, feared, and polarized by communities around the world. Maybe because it’s “out there” for everyone to see; maybe because it evokes newfound emotion and conversation—who knows? In my mind, it allows a person’s creativity to bring life to a previously mundane wall or building. Street art is instrumental … Continued
VIU’s First Chemistry Major Students are in Their Element
VIU began offering a chemistry major in September 2018 after construction finished on the four storey Health and Sciences Building. In the pre-COVID-19 era, you probably strolled through the beautiful building even if you didn’t have classes there, and enjoyed the view of the Georgia Strait and the mountains beyond it while you studied. Despite … Continued