The Navigator
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Volume 57

Welcome to Volume 57 of The Navigator.

We're back in business, baby. Get ready for six new issues fall through spring with content fresh off the boat.
That's right—no more waiting on the tides. Sink into the latest monthly print issue or wade with us as each story surfaces.

NOW ON NEWSSTANDS: Volume 57 | Issue No. 6

Videos

Podcasts

Fiction

Poetry

Artwork

Headlines

What’s New…

06

March 2026

Out Now!

Back Issues

IN THIS ISSUE:

We embrace visual diversity, ice-cold immersions, parental guidance, raw poetry, and extrasensory artwork. Beacons illuminate community leadership, a star setter, food insecurity, and discriminatory policies behind blood donation. Contributors also share fantastically fiery tales, four drinks in five stanzas, and a funny little crab comic. Remember to take it easy, tiger.

05

February 2025

Out Now!

Check it out

01

September 2024

Out Now!

VIU Mariners Upcoming Season

Get ready to put your game face on! Varsity sports teams are back fighting for a PACWEST championship title. Mariners hockey will return to defend their BCIHL title, while Mariners baseball will have a strong start in the spring season.
Smiling person crouches on a grassy patch of land and feeds a black rabbit a red flower.

Destruction Over Dialogue

In the wake of Vancouver Island University’s removal of the Palestinian Solidarity Encampment, Lee Groen speaks with Sara Kishawi about the school’s handling of the situation, the Canadian government’s hypocrisy, and what’s next for Palestinian...
Teigan Muddle and Padraig Sean Hogan on a couch.

What is Neurodiverse Love, Teigan & Padraig?

Teigan and Padraig share their experience as neurodiverse people in love. With the longest standing relationship of anyone we’ve talked to so far, their relationship has grown from living in a tiny-home, to graduating university, to building...
Airplane with WestJet logo on bright sunny day.

Saying “Goodbye”

Saying goodbye is never easy. Staying in touch can be even harder. University students share how they maintain meaningful friendships while attending university away from their hometown.

From Textbooks to Tuscan Tales

Signing up for my first Liberal Studies class felt like an accident, but it led me straight to Florence. Between the endless reading and shared apartments, I discovered two things: Renaissance art is mind-blowing, and bonding with fellow students...

Island Time Axe Throwing

Discover one of the best things to do in Nanaimo. Today we’ll visit Island Time Axe Throwing, a small business aiming to create a safe space for young adults and youth alike. Have fun at this alcohol-free establishment where you can throw...

Tale of Two Danielas

Two Danielas discuss the importance of building a supportive community and how finding your group of friends makes all the difference—especially when studying abroad.
Layered illustration of a wildfire striking a forest.

Saplings of Hope

I planted trees for three summers in the heat of the fire season from May to the end of July. It was a physically demanding job. I had countless scrapes and cuts, tendonitis in my elbow, and a hand swollen twice its size. Despite these physical...
Jesse Roper singing into a microphone. Jesse is wearing a hat.

Meeting Jesse Roper

Jesse walks into the Rhino Coffee House in Victoria at nine in the morning. He’s wearing flip-flops and gives off an overall Billabong vibe that matches his infamous bluesy tunes.

02

October 2024

Out Now!

Top-down first-person view of a person's boots as they stand on the sidewalk next to a patch of vivid green grass and orange fall leaves.

What to Do When You Get SAD

Living in Vancouver may feel like a dream in the summer, but once fall hits, the shift from West Coast to ‘Wet Coast’ is a harsh reminder that no sun comes without its share of rain. As the colder seasons roll in, it’s easy to get dragged down by...
Black and White photo of three people on a couch with pictures in the background

Students on VIU’s Education Program

Homeschooler Jack Corfield asks students in VIU’s Education Program about their experiences in their practicums and classes. What skills do they learn to use? What do they learn on their feet? How can they help each other succeed? Find out in...
The outside of the Shq’apthut building viewed during the day.

Navigating Thanksgiving

Elke meets two VIU Elders and an Indigenous Studies student to discuss how they observe a holiday that harbours complicated origins. How do they celebrate this historically tense holiday? Do they celebrate at all?
A desert-like scene at sunset with foreground featuring a close-up hand holding three prepaid VISA cards. In the background, a solitary figure stands with arms outstretched, carrying paint cans in each hand. Cacti and tumbleweeds are scattered across the parking lot.

A Summer to Remember

Eamon and I decided that if we were going to die, we were going out with good music. I cranked the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Volume 1 and we held on for dear life.
Old estate, winter, evening, front shot, snowy purple foreground.

The Spectre of Haven Hall

Mysteries. Manuscripts. Mansion-sitting. Fran Bacon faces distraction once again. With fresh signs of an intruder and the safety of her bedroom compromised, she has little choice but to risk detection in search of her missing cell phone.
In this vintage photo, a classic black 1966 Acadian Canso is parked on grass in a rural setting. The car features a sleek, vintage design with chrome accents, including a front grill and bumper. Its two-door body style and polished hubcaps add to its sporty appearance. In the background, trees surround a wooden building. The sky is grey and cloudy.

Joyride

Whether I was struggling my way through life as a single mom driving a boxy Volvo, or on top of the world in a muscle car, what I drove represented the yardstick of how I was doing. I’ve been driving since I was fifteen, and who I am can still be...
An empty indoor seating section on Nanaimo's Hullo ferry pre-boarding. Alonso walks around in the background with his back and The Navigator hoodie with lighthouse logo to the camera.

Hullo Re-Review

Follow The Navigator’s Alonso Ortiz to ‘sea’ what the Hullo ferry service has to offer. Find out how this fast ferry is different from previous attempts, discover its positive impact on the Nanaimo community, and say ‘hullo’ to Xander France in an...

Meet Thrive

Join Daniela for another episode of The Navigator Podcast as guests Paola and Hannah from VIU Thrive discuss the mental health support programs available to VIU students. Discover how Thrive’s events and resources empower students to prioritize...

03

November 2024

Out Now!

Two women pose with both thumbs up.

Reviving Girls on Fire

Join Jack, Becca, and Frankie as we discuss the return of VIU’s feminism club, a space for everyone! In this short update, we explore the exciting prospects for community creation and education that forming a club like Girls on Fire provides....
A group of fans on a balcony in a sports venue are seen cheering and raising their hands. They appear excited and engaged with the event, creating a lively and supportive atmosphere. Behind them are banners with various achievements displayed.

Breaking Barriers

As a woman in a world of sports, journalism is challenging for not only Nav Reporter Grace Penner, but other journalism students Noelle Suzuki and Emily Brandstaetter. Follow their story and discover how these women conquer the scrutiny.
A pharmacist holding up a smartphone displaying a tipping prompt with options of 15%, 20%, 25%, and "No Tip" buttons. The person is wearing a mask and a lab coat, standing against a blue-tinted background, with one hand holding a prescription bottle.

Welcome to the Tip-ocalypse

We’ve all had that awkward standoff with the tip screen; it’s man versus machine all over again. You’re standing there, staring at it like it’s some moral quiz you didn’t study for. Thoughts start spinning. This person probably needs the...
The VIU Meter radio host Elke Sorensen seated in the studio at CHLY, wearing headphones and speaking into a professional microphone. Behind her are computer monitors displaying program interfaces and audio levels, along with equipment racks.

VIU Students Vote Yes for CHLY

VIU students voted to increase fees to support campus radio station CHLY 101.7FM. Find out how the CHLY Fee Referendum result benefits campus culture and how to get involved.
Exterior view of the Port Theatre, a modern building with a curved, glass-paneled façade. It's overcast, and the surrounding Downtown Nanaimo area has autumn foliage and street signs visible.

Local Theatres Take Centre Stage

Phones off please—we’re about to take a look at whether local theatre is an endangered artform, if it’s alive and well, or if it’s something somewhere in-between.
British Columbia's Flag, flown at Vancouver City Hall

Paying Lip Service

Alyona Latsinnik interviews BC Conservative Candidate Marina Sapozhnikov during an election night. As an Indigenous Studies student, she is appalled by the shocking news she obtains during her interview. This is the exclusive, expanded...
A group of four people sit casually in red chairs with microphones, recording a podcast episode titled "Theatre After Dark." The first three of them are students of the VIU Theatre department. Neon blue and pink lighting frames the glass windows in the background, creating a vibrant, nighttime atmosphere. The logo "Nav" is displayed in the bottom right corner.

Theatre After Dark

Join Daniela for another episode of The Navigator Podcast as guests Max Rukus, Alex Bhargava, and Jenna Bigmore discuss their experiences in VIU’s Theatre department. They explore themes like work/life balance, building friendships, and...
Located on the VIU Nanaimo campus is a yellow sign with text reading "Please... Do not feed the Rabbits," and a graphic silhouette of a rabbit in reference to the fluffy VIU Companions. Background contains a bright green grassy field and dark green trees.

VIU Companions

Follow The Navigator into the small world of VIU’s favorite companions, the bunnies! Explore campus with our fluffy friends and take a minute to relax with us.
Watercolour illustration of a river and some rocks titled "Stomaching the Landscape."

Stomaching the Landscape

Beatrix Taylor may be our Business Manager, but she’s also a poet and we didn’t even know it. Enjoy this treat we snuck into the magazine for The Nav’s return to print. (Everyone say “Thank you, Bea.”)

More, More, More

Beyond Words

Videos

Episodes

Creative Writing

Short Stories

Poems

Gallery Deck

A woman playing the harp with strings of read. The stings are tangled in the woman's hands, drooping over her body and coming out of her own chest

Playing with Heartstrings

Illustration by Charlie Szafron featured in Vol. 55, No. 5: Heartstrings.

Terminology

Comic by Marty West featured in the Navigator Vol. 57, No. 6.

Black and grey sketch of a black bird (Corvus Macrorhyncos Japonen) with trees.

Corvus Macrorhyncos Japonen

Illustration by Micha Marie (2025). Sketch featured in The Navigator Vol. 56, No. 4.

Illustration of a lighthouse overlooking a rocky cliff. Wind blows through spooky trees with orange leaves. The sky is foggy with a yellow haze from the lighthouse beacon.

Autumn’s Beacon

Illustration by Charlie Szafron (2024). Digital Art featured in The Navigator Vol. 56, No. 2.

Photo of a stained glass panel.

Castle

Photo by James O’Reilly featured in Vol. 55, No. 2: Trick or Treat.

New Student

Comic by Marty West featured in the Navigator Vol. 57, No. 6.

Pencil portrait of a dog named Bailey. She has a long snout.

Bailey

Drawing by Zoey Crispens (2025). Pencil portrait featured in The Navigator Vol. 57, No. 2.

Snippet from the first panel of "Sea Cue #2," a comic by David Harvey. A crab yells, "YOU'RE not a real octopus!"

Sea Cue #2

Comic by David Harvey (2025) featured in The Navigator Vol. 56, No. 4.

Pencil drawing of Dozer, a white dog with a patchy face and floppy ears. Dozer appears to wink.

Dozer

Drawing by Zoey Crispens (2025). Pencil portrait featured in The Navigator Vol. 56, No. 6.

A high-resolution photograph of the moon against a black night sky. The moon appears in a waxing gibbous phase, with detailed craters and surface textures visible.

Moongazer

Photo by Ann Hoffmann (2025) featured in The Navigator Vol. 56, No. 4.

New Student

Terminology

Pencil portrait of a dog named Bailey. She has a long snout.

Bailey

Pencil drawing of Dozer, a white dog with a patchy face and floppy ears. Dozer appears to wink.

Dozer

Snippet from the first panel of "Sea Cue #2," a comic by David Harvey. A crab yells, "YOU'RE not a real octopus!"

Sea Cue #2

A high-resolution photograph of the moon against a black night sky. The moon appears in a waxing gibbous phase, with detailed craters and surface textures visible.

Moongazer

Snippet from the first panel of "Sea Cue #1," a comic by David Harvey. A squid yells, "It's a disaster!"

Sea Cue #1

Black and grey sketch of a black bird (Corvus Macrorhyncos Japonen) with trees.

Corvus Macrorhyncos Japonen

Illustration of a lighthouse overlooking a rocky cliff. Wind blows through spooky trees with orange leaves. The sky is foggy with a yellow haze from the lighthouse beacon.

Autumn’s Beacon

A woman playing the harp with strings of read. The stings are tangled in the woman's hands, drooping over her body and coming out of her own chest

Playing with Heartstrings

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