Taking Another Shot
The Langara guard slips past the VIU player defending her, dribbling into an open spot on the court. She eyes the hoop and jumps for the easy layup. The ball leaves her fingers. Like a hammer blow, the arm of VIU forward Shayce Johnston comes down on the rising ball, smashing it out of bounds. … Continued
Emergency Contraception
This article features talk of sexual violence and sexual assault. Information and referral services for victims of crime and immediate crisis support can be accessed by calling or texting 1-800-563-0808. The article also discusses abortions. I have always been told not to believe everything I see on TV, but when it comes to learning … Continued
A Fur-riendly Invitation to Kitties & Cream
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Kitties & Cream is partnered with CatNap Society, part of the Catspan Ferals Registered Charity. The cat cafe is not partnered with CatNap at this time, but with Catspan. Also, Catspan is not part of or related to Catnap. We apologize for any confusion this may have … Continued
Thrifting for Thrift Stores
Thrifting is an economical, eco friendly, and increasingly trendy (not to mention fun) shopping experience. However, when my friends ask if I would like to go thrift shopping in Nanaimo, we often end up at Value Village. There is nothing wrong with Value Village—it has a large store format and plenty of options to shop … Continued
Spider’s Web Dip
I love Halloween. I get to dress up, decorate my house, watch scary movies, and sneak from the candy bowl that I’m supposed to give the trick or treat-ers. But my favourite part of Halloween is making the snacks, which comes—in large part—from my mom. She is the most extra of Halloween moms. Our front … Continued
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
The “Halloween Bird”
Have you ever been walking in a forest near Nanaimo when, out of the corner of your eye, you see an orange-black blur dart through the trees? If so, you may have spotted quite an elusive bird. The Varied Thrush, or Ixoreus Naevius, comes out of hiding on Vancouver Island in October. The males are … Continued
A Call for Greater Climate Action at VIU
VIU students, staff, and faculty, along with community members, are calling on the university to take more action against climate change. In an open letter addressed to VIU president and vice-chancellor Dr. Deborah Saucier, the signers asked the university to declare a climate emergency. This is something that the Nanaimo City Council, and other universities … 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
Ay Lelum:
Remarkable would be the simplest way to describe the last two months for Ay Lelum. Snuneymuxw sisters Aunalee Boyd-Good and Sophia Seward-Good went from figuring out what to do next after a fire destroyed nearly all their clothing stock, to walking down a runway at their own show in New York—all in the span of … 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