Above: ???? Cole Schisler
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
The Mariners have had a rough end to their season. Four Mariners are on the injury list, and the Mariners have lost five of their last six games.
“Our game plans are changing weekly,” Head Coach Bill McWhinnie said. “We haven’t been able to go five-on-five in practice since October. We’re learning on the fly, the girls have been really good at adjusting, and being flexible.”
Fifth-year forward Stephanie O’Sullivan is playing with a torn ACL, second year guard Avery Snider and first year guard Shayce Johnston ...
Above: Usama Zaid hangs sideways after slamming a dunk against Capilano. ???? Cole Schisler
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
As the regular season wraps up, the Mariners are red hot from a 13-game win-streak, and are poised for success at provincials.
The Mariners have not lost a match since November 12, when the Langara Falcons edged out victory by a single point, winning 95-94, over the Mariners.
The Mariners have not scored less than 75 points in a game since their win-streak began, and the most points they have allowed against them in a single match was 79 ...
Above: The mouth of Cable Bay Trail. ???? Spenser Smith
By Chantelle Spicer
I considered for a long time what to write for the column this issue. There are many disheartening events happening right now regarding pipelines (and leaks) all over North America, Site C dam, and deforestation. I acknowledge their existence in every way, but thought I would take a moment here to remind our readers, and myself, of the power and hope of spring—which, even after all of this snow, is coming.
While many people celebrate January 1 as the New Year, I celebrate the return of spring—it is time ...
By Associate Editor Natalie Gates
On November 6, 2015, the cafeteria was packed with students, staff, and media in anticipation of the VIU International Refugee Scholarship Fund announcement. A vow was also made to sponsor the school’s first refugee student from Syria through the local World University Service of Canada (WUSC) committee, in addition to the two students that are sponsored each year.
This year, as the last day of International Development Week wrapped up, Mohammad Tahhan, 26, darted around, cradling a camera and snapping photos of the events. A year ago, he was ...
Above: VIU students Keltie Chamberlain and Diana Pearson en-route to Converge 2017. ???? Diana Pearson
By columnist Diana Pearson
On February 6 and 7, VIU student representatives Keltie Chamberlain and Diana Pearson joined VIU President Ralph Nilson in attending Converge 2017 in Ottawa. This event was organized by Universities Canada, and brought Canadian students, university presidents, leaders, entrepreneurs, and activists together to address some of the most pressing challenges in our world today.
The four prominent discussions of Converge 2017 were about how Canadian ...
By columnist Diana Pearson
This letter contains mature content
Dear Dirty D,
I am inspired to write this letter to you, because, as a man who has long identified as a sex positive or sex radical feminist, I am really troubled by what I perceive as a growing wave of anti-feminism in social media. I’m concerned that there is a connection between these anti-feminist narratives and the increasing availability of patriarchal pornography.
I’m writing this to you on the day after Valentine’s. There is significant public education around this “holiday”, and it tells us lots about how ...
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
What
On February 27 the VIU Bee Club is hosting a talk by biologist Gord Hutchings titled “The Coevolution of Flowering Plants and Native Bees”.
Where
Nanaimo Campus, Bldg. 355, rm. 203. Admission: $5 for students. $2 for non-students.
Why you should care
Hutchings has been studying bees for over 25 years, and has a lot of information to offer on how to help local pollinators.
What
On February 28, VIU is hosting an information session on the upcoming upgrade to the online learning site, which will be changing from D2L to a platform ...
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
Tibetan Bon Dream Yoga is the practice of gaining self-awareness while dreaming, and teaches people how to develop the ability to control their dreams, as well as enhance their spirituality.
Lama Geshe YongDong studied for 11 years at the Nangzhig Bonpo Monastery in Tibet, the largest Bon monastery in the world. He was awarded the Rajampa Geshe Degree, which is equivalent to a PhD, in 1992. YongDong has been travelling the world, while teaching and studying various styles of Buddhist thought ever since. He says that the Dream Yoga session ...
By columnist Diana Pearson
In today’s capitalist world, one of the few free pleasures we have left to enjoy is sex. Sexual pleasure, of course, doesn’t come without risks. But, as long as we have reproductive freedom (effective birth control, sex education, and safe abortion), we can continue fucking happily until the world falls apart. On January 25, 2017, Trump re-implemented a Reagan-era gag order that prohibits foreign organizations that receive US family-planning funds from providing abortion counselling. This policy comes from a moral and religious standpoint, and will ...
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
WHAT
February 6 – 10, is VIU’s International Development Week, organized with the theme Stronger Together: Celebrating Global Citizenship.
WHERE
Nanaimo Campus.
Full schedule can be found at international.viu.ca/idw.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
The event will offer guest speakers, music, workshops, and much more—some with refreshments provided.
WHAT
Spring Sundays have started at the VIU Milner Gardens & Woodland. Admission is $5.25 for adults, $3.25 for students and free for children under 12 with an adult and VIU student card holders.
WHERE
2178 ...
Above: Hamdi Aweys gave an impassioned speech on the plight of women in her home country of Somalia. ???? Paul Marck
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
Sonnet L’Abbé, poet and professor at Vancouver Island University, had never organized a protest march. She didn’t necessarily identify as an activist, albeit having attended several such events in the past. A human rights advocate, definitely, but leader of the rallying cry? Maybe not so much.
All this changed when a friend on her Canadian Writer’s group inquired, in November, as to whether anything was being organized for the Women’s ...
By Associate Editor Natalie Gates
Whatever your idea of Valentine’s Day—an extravagant excuse moulded by the capitalist system to persuade you to indulge, a celebration of romantic relationships, a series of events targeted towards making single people feel less-than adequate, a simple reminder to let your loved ones know you care, or just another Tuesday—we at The Nav simply want to acknowledge love’s existence—in all its crazy forms. While the world may seem like a dark and scary place, there is love at the centre of us all. Kind of like the design of our paper this ...
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
Nanaimo is taking another step towards a sustainable future with the implementation of 24 New Flyer buses, an addition which will make the RDN transit system the first fully Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered fleet in Canada.
CNG is natural gas (largely methane) stored under high pressure, which can be used in place of gasoline, diesel, and propane. The combustion of natural gas produces fewer of these undesirable gases, and can be found above oil deposits, or collected from landfills or wastewater treatment plants.
CNG is becoming a more popular ...
By contributor Kelly Whiteside
The application for VIU to have a team in the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) has been approved, making it Nanaimo’s first-ever university hockey team. The Mariners are set to begin playing in the BCIHL in September 2017. They join five other schools in the league: Eastern Washington University, Selkirk College, Simon Fraser University, Trinity Western University, and University of Victoria.
Non-profit organization VIU Hockey Inc. has been working on bringing hockey to the university since 2015. In December 2016 their application to the BCIHL was ...
By Production Manager Catherine Charlebois
Cops, in general, don’t have it easy; responding to bizarre calls and having to deal with the most disruptive layer of society isn’t for the faint of heart. Having grown up with cops as family friends, and living in the heart of downtown Nanaimo, I can only imagine what emergency services have to go through on a daily basis.
Which is why I don’t understand how absurdly long it can take to contact them. I’ve had to make a 9-1-1 call a few times, and I can tell it’s not getting any speedier.
On one occasion, I had to call while trying to fend ...
By Production Manager Catherine Charlebois
London Fogs are staples of any self-respecting coffee shop, but a little known fact is that they are cheap to make. With the weather being as undecided as it is, why not curl up with a deliciously easy homemade drink?
Ingredients
1 cup brewed earl grey tea (use 1-2 bags of tea)
1/2 cup milk (any kind)
Sugar (to taste)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of lavender (optional, but adds a nice, light floral taste)
Instructions:
1. On stovetop, heat desired amount of milk on medium low heat until steaming. Whisk briskly. Set aside.
2. Brew tea ...
Above: ???? Cheryl Folland
By Arts Editor Cheryl Folland
I could tell by the sass flying back and forth during soundcheck, that this was going to be an amazing show. Banter flying across the stage and, at times, into the audience, displayed the intense connections to their music. The Clanns, an Irish Rock group, had a sound reminiscent of other Canadian greats. Listening to their cover of “Ordinary Day” by Great Big Sea, I closed my eyes and was transported back to my teen years, spent jumping around at music festivals, revelling in the shared heritage of my blood and the music.
...
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
Mes pensées sont avec les Québécois pendant ce temps tragique. Nous sommes avec vous.
My thoughts are with the Québécois during this time of tragedy. We are with you.
Il est un étudiant, ils étaient des professeurs, des hommes.
He is a student, they were professors, men.
Je ne peux que partager mes sentiments en écrivant dans les deux langues officielles, parce que si nous sommes ensemble, nous sommes plus fort.
The only way I know how to share my feelings, is to write in both official languages, because if we are together, we are ...
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
The Mariners travelled to take on the Langara Falcons and the Quest Kermodes this weekend, and did not let the bad weather deter them from taking the court.
Against the Falcons, the Mariners men won 84–76, and the women fell 49–45 to the Falcons. On Saturday, the Mariners men won 89–78, against the Kermodes and the women lost 70–61.
On Friday, Feburary 10, the Mariners will host the Capilano Blues. The women’s match begins at 6 pm, and the men’s is at 8 pm. The next day, the Douglas Royals come to town to test the Mariner’s mettle. The ...
Above: There is unrest in the forest. There is trouble in the trees. ???? Natalie Gates
By contributor Dallas Bezaire
On this beautiful rock we call Vancouver Island, we have some of the most spectacular and rare ecosystems in the world. I am not talking about VIU’s plethora of bunnies, or the amazing aquatic ecosystems that teem the coasts; I am talking about old growth forests. Some think of them as almost akin to boulders and dirt, but trees hold a spectacular array of living qualities and abilities that go above and beyond what even animals can do.
With the proper start, a tree ...
By contributor Kelly Whiteside
Vancouver Island saw a spike in activity on its hiking trails this past summer, as did most of BC, and, probably, the rest of the world, and it appears that the winter weather hasn’t deterred as many people as it used to.
Thanks to photo-sharing websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, people are seeing more photos of gushing waterfalls, stunning mountain peaks, and pure blue lakes, and these photos aren’t necessarily taken by fancy photographers or backcountry hikers—they’re just your friends’ photos. These photos have inspired many people to ...
By contributor Megan Wolfe
I am addicted to tea. It’s how I survive daily life, without it, midterms and finals would be impossible. Being asked to create a top-ten list for tea is heart-wrenchingly difficult, so, in no particular order, here are my top ten teas.
Read My Lips from David’s Tea
This is a black tea with chocolate chips and mint leaves. That’s right, chocolate mint tea. This is my go-to for tea parties (totally a thing that adults do) or when I want to be cozy with a book or a new series on Netflix. It’s blended so that neither the mint or the chocolate over power one ...
Above: ???? iStockPhoto
By Production Manager Catherine Charlebois
1. Put it all out there
It might seem counter-intuitive, but the best thing to do when decluttering is to take out everything (and I mean truly everything) and lay it all out in front of you. Half the time you will find you have no idea what was in that forgotten drawer or wardrobe. Visualizing the sheer amount of stuff you own will help you come to terms with what you have.
2. Categorize
Once you’ve seen what you have, separate them into categories—see what goes together. If you’re sorting through clothes, put ...
Above: ???? iStockPhoto
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
This month, journalism has taken another hit, with over 20 journalists leaving Postmedia newspapers: Vancouver Sun and the Province. This decision comes at a time in journalism when almost anyone can make news, and share it over and over without the need for an editor, fact-checker or publisher. This is the first time in newspaper-making history that journalists are not necessarily a key part in the sharing of information in our society. We’ve come a long way.
As the stone turned to steel, and the relief turned to offset, ...
