A Ghostly Walk by Lantern Light
What’s the best way to celebrate Halloween? Dressing up? Watching a scary movie? How about a ghost tour? I went on my first Haunted Nanaimo Lantern Tour several weeks ago. The tour is put on by the Nanaimo Museum and snakes through downtown Nanaimo, stopping at some of the city’s oldest and most haunted buildings. … Continued
Off to the Polls:
The polls are open again! For VIU Students’ Union (VIUSU) elections, that is. From Tuesday, October 19, to Thursday, October 21, students can choose who they want to represent them at VIUSU. The voting will take place electronically via a unique link emailed to every VIU student. Votes can be cast at all hours until … Continued
A Labour of Love and Honeybees
You couldn’t see them so much as you could hear them. The bees buzzed quickly past my head, busy collecting pollen for their colonies. It was spring of 2021, and I had gone to Jinglepot Apiaries to pick up some honey. I grew up with fresh, locally sourced honey where I lived in Alberta, spoiled … Continued
VIU Webinar to Address Housing Crisis
VIU’s October 14 Engaged Citizens Speaker Series will address a crucial topic: housing. Housing was already an issue before the pandemic, but with job losses and economic uncertainty due to COVID-19, it’s become a struggle for many Canadians. The Engaged Citizens Speaker for the webinar, Leilani Farha, believes access to safe and affordable housing is … Continued
Just Show Up
I think we can all agree that last year was a difficult one. It became so overwhelming that I had to drop some classes. Online learning and my disorganized lifestyle did not pair well together. I skipped classes or simply didn’t watch the online lectures, and before I knew it I had a backlog of … Continued
What is Self-Care, Anyways?
The other day I opened Instagram on my phone and on a whim searched “selfcare.” I was surprised to see that 44.1 million posts had tagged #selfcare, and 1.4 million posts tagged #selfcaresunday. While scrolling through the vast array of photography associated with these hashtags, I found a post offering virtual healing (20 minutes for … Continued
Holistic Energy Care Workshop
Personal energy levels and how to maintain them can be different for everyone. With the pandemic still in full swing, acknowledging when your energy levels are low, and knowing how to build them back up is more important than ever. Noelle Hanuse, VIU counsellor, is giving a workshop on Wednesday, February 24 to help people … Continued
The New Drug Testing Method That Could Save Lives
The opioid epidemic has worsened all across North America in recent years, mostly due to fentanyl-related deaths. Both medically prescribed and illegal opioids have propelled the crisis. The Public Health Agency of Canada states, “Since the early 1980s, the volume of opioids sold to hospitals and pharmacies for prescriptions in Canada has increased by more … Continued
Juno-Award-Winning Lillian Allen to Deliver Reading and Lecture
As part of VIU’s Global Citizens Week, Juno-award-winning poet Lillian Allen will be delivering this year’s Gustafson lecture, as well as hosting a student-oriented poetry reading. Coined the “godmother of dub,” Allen is VIU’s Gustafson Distinguished Poet for 2020-21. The reading will take place on Wednesday, February 10 at 10 am, followed by a Q&A. … Continued
In Plain Sight
“You’re going through withdrawal, it’s from all the alcohol you people drink; you’ll have to wait for your booze.” An Indigenous woman recalls hearing these words yelled at her from across the recovery room after she underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm back in 2018. She was one of many Indigenous people who shared their … Continued
Mount Washington is Now Open
As 2020 draws to a close and the pandemic rages on, many are looking forward to their favourite snow sports as a means of escape from the shadow this year has cast on us. One by one, as ski resorts around the province open up, it’s clear this winter season is going to look a … Continued
The 16 Days of Activism Campaign
VIU is participating in the 16 Days of Activism Campaign that aims to eliminate gender-based violence. The United Nations (UN) campaign to end violence against women begins on November 25 each year (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and runs until December 10 (Human Rights Day). The campaign indicates that violence … Continued
Continuing the Conversation on Mental Health
In this “new normal,” it’s difficult to imagine a time when a desolate VIU Nanaimo campus was anything but standard. Conversely, a November reading break at VIU is still a fairly new concept. For those unaware, on November 5, 2018, Spencer Stone Shutes tragically passed away after falling from the fifth floor of VIU’s Nanaimo campus … Continued
VIU Mariners Suspend All Activities Due to COVID-19
VIU Mariners Athletics and Recreation has cancelled all activities until November 30, including intramurals, Outdoor Recreation, and weight room access. The decision was a precautionary measure due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in BC, Danielle Hyde, the interim director of athletics and recreation, said in a letter emailed to VIU students on November 17. … Continued