Identifying Plants on Vancouver Island:
My New Year’s resolution, like many people’s, was to start going to the gym more come January. With the restrictions keeping gyms closed for the first few weeks of January, however, I decided to come up with another resolution—plant identification. Last year for Christmas I was given a book about plants in Canada and how … Continued
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, and It’s Okay to be Sad
The weather can bring you down. I dealt with many blistering cold days in my home province of Alberta—days with the kind of wind that numbs your skin instantly and freezes your eyebrow hairs into two icy little worms. The thought of moving to beautiful Vancouver Island for university was highly appealing to me. Specifically, … Continued
Rainbows
A nine year old girl whose parents have divorced steps into a room and sits next to another child, an eight year old boy whose mom has just passed away. An older lady walks into the room with coloured jars labelled with different feelings: red for angry, blue for sad, green for scared, yellow for … Continued
Roots to Thrive
BC’s need for mental health support has never been more critical than during the COVID-19 pandemic. People are struggling with fear about their own health and the health of their loved ones, financial anxiety, the social isolation that comes from gathering and physical distancing restrictions, and working on the frontlines. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this … Continued
Government Grants Promote Health of BC Youth
Six BC non-profit and not-for-profit organizations received a total of $833,293 to support mental health, substance use, and wellbeing programs for BC youth. This funding comes from the BC Government Capital Project Grants, part of the Community Gaming Grants program, which provides $140 million annually to BC non-profits and not-for-profits supporting their communities. In a … 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
How to be Knocked Down a Peg
There is nothing quite like a good failing: a failing grade, failing health, failed relationships, vehicle, intention, job or school application or, as the modern turn of phrase goes, “failing at life.” Rather broad statement, wouldn’t you say? In my time as a student at VIU and now, gratefully, an employee, I have heard the … Continued
Modo Yoga Nanaimo
Skye Langlois is the studio manager of Modo Yoga in Nanaimo. Modo Yoga has two locations: one on Dufferin Crescent, and the other on Rutherford Road. Langlois has been a yoga teacher since 2015. “What drew me to yoga was initially vanity. I wanted to be someone else. I wanted to be skinnier. I wanted … Continued
The kids aren’t alright
Back in 2014, a study by the American Psychological Association found that teens reported higher stress levels than adults, especially during the school year. In 2019, the Pew Research Centre found that 70 percent of teens reported anxiety and depression as a major problem among their peers. We know young people are stressed the hell … Continued
Ask a councillor
Question: Aside from one-to-one counselling available to students, what does VIU offer to support students struggling with their mental health and to educate the student population about mental health and illness? Answer: Thank you for this very important and relevant question. As a society, we are still learning how to build and maintain our mental … Continued
The mental health challenge
“Have you tried the free fitness plan at VIU?” It’s a common phrase used by students who have classes in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Building (380). For those students who have classes exclusively on the lower campus, this “free fitness plan” refers to the climb of 403 stairs that leads to the highest building on … Continued
Feed me, Facebook
Changes are coming to your Facebook news feed. On Thursday, January 11, Facebook announced it will begin to prioritize content from friends and family over content from publishers and brands. This means, in theory, you’ll see more selfies of Aunt Brenda and fewer ads trying to sell you your last search on Amazon. Mark Zuckerberg, … Continued
Ten tips to survive depression
I want to recover from depression someday. If you have depression, you probably do as well. Depression sucks. So does a lot of advice on how to handle it. Well-meaning friends and family who’ve never experienced depression and its painful, boring drudgery offer up gems such as think positive thoughts or buck up, lots of … Continued
Eat, sleep, study, repeat
The initial glow and optimism of the early semester are long gone, and I don’t need a calendar to know it’s mid-November. Instead, I can simply read the appearance and behavior of my classmates: bloodshot eyes, slouched shoulders, bursts of maniacal laughter and hysterical tears. Not that I’m doing any better. Under the pressure to … Continued