Courtney Blow
Courtney Blow wakes up in a quiet house with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her brother sleeps in another room. She hopes he never needs to discover the truth about where their mother is tonight—or where she assumes her to be. She’s probably out at a gas station with a random guy, getting high … Continued
Giving Tuesday at VIU
Giving Tuesday began in the heart of New York to encourage people to become more engaged in their communities and spread more kindness into the world. The annual global movement takes place on the Tuesday after Black Friday and has a simple goal: to practice generosity. This can be through charitable donations, helping a stranger, … Continued
Short-Term Solutions to a Long-Term Problem
The roads are slick with black ice and noses turn red from the biting cold—Nanaimo faces a chillier winter this year and the homeless population needs more support than ever. Over the last decade, those living on the streets have struggled as inflation steadily increases and people become more desperate to make a living. Drugs … Continued
Boycott Privilege at the World Cup
Ella Blaschko is an international student from Munich, Germany. She’s in the second year of her journalism studies and spent the fall term at VIU. A lifelong dream, a milestone and, above all, a great opportunity. For 21-year-old Michel Egenolf and Claas Schönfeld, 20, their dream of covering the FIFA World Cup has come true. … Continued
Enter the Urchin Tank
VIU’s Culinary Arts students, Microbiology students, and three Urchins walk into Malaspina Theatre. No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke. It’s a look at the first-ever Urchin Tank event that took place on Wednesday evening, November 23 on VIU’s Nanaimo campus. The Urchin Tank is the grand finale of the Seaweed Challenge, a … Continued
Owl Banding At VIU
I’ve always been fascinated by owls. Their eyes look like two annular solar eclipses, rings bursting with a golden flame, lighting their way through the night. I have nothing but my cellphone to light my way through the thick dark forest at the end of Galloway Gulch Road, Nanaimo—just off Jingle Pot Road behind the … Continued
Heart of Gold
There is a new bench outside the Education and Social Sciences building on the VIU Nanaimo campus. On it is a plaque that reads: “In memory of Dr. Tony Robertson. Well-loved and respected professor, teacher, and friend.” The bench was officially dedicated on Friday, September 23, in memory of Dr. Tony Robertson, who passed away … Continued
Mahsa Amini
Alli, an Iranian MBA student attending VIU stands behind a table outside the campus library in Nanaimo. Melted wax candles dot the table’s surface in memorial. “How can I live in this beautiful country when my brother and sister are being killed?” he says. “There is a sense of feeling guilty when I am here … Continued
The Fight for Fairness
The province of BC has opened its doors for international students to access education in the province, with former Premier Christy Clark pushing to increase international student enrollment in BC by 50 percent back in 2011. The quality and expense of that education has recently been in the spotlight, however. The BC Federation of Students … Continued
A Say on Services
March is usually a busy month for VIU students is with assignments, exams, and final years getting ready to graduate. This year, there’s something else important for students to remember—the VIU Students’ Union (VIUSU) referendum and elections being held online March 1–3, 2022. While VIUSU elections are twice a year, the student referendum is something … Continued
The Role of the Preserved Poem
Acclaimed poet A.F. Moritz is the 2021–2022 Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet at VIU. Moritz has written over 20 books of poetry, most recently As Far As You Know (2020). He has won many awards including the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Guggenheim Fellowship, and was nominated three times for the Governor General’s Award. He is … Continued
A Rich and Majestic Land
VIU’s Engaged Citizens Speaker series returns on February 8, 2022, with an important human rights issue—climate change. Sheila Watt-Cloutier Siila’s presentation Re-imagining a New Way Forward with Intention examines climate change and meaningful action from an Inuit perspective, drawing upon her own activism and experiences. Born and raised traditionally in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik (northern Quebec), Watt-Cloutier … Continued