Above: Photo via mcelroyshows.com.
By Arts Editor Brendan Barlow
If I told you there was a podcast during which three brothers and their father played Dungeons & Dragons together, would you jump on board right away? You might if you’re a fan of D&D, or if that premise aroused just enough interest in you to check it out, but somehow I feel that you might just roll your eyes and give it a pass. The idea of listening to people playing a game is almost less appealing than the idea of watching someone else playing a game, and yet The Adventure Zone manages to stand alone as one ...
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
This year for the first time, Malaspina Theatre inspired competitors to put their creative minds together for one short weekend to put on a live show by Sunday. The rules were simple: each group was given a box containing a random assortment of items, anything from a mink stole to a broken recorder. A quote was provided, which was to be incorporated into the final script. Each group would only be allowed 15 minutes on stage. On Friday night, the five groups each revealed their “inspirational package,” according to Leon Potter. From then till Sunday ...
Above: Photo via dressember.org.
By Claire Bauer
This month, you may notice more people wearing dresses out and about, which might not seem like the smartest clothing option in the winter. But rather than just assuming they’re wacky Canadians who can’t feel the chill of winter, it’s possible their outfit may have a decidedly more political reasoning than usual.
Dressember is a relatively new movement, similar in structure to No Shave November. Using fashion and creativity as their banner, Dressember strives to restore the inherent dignity to women across the globe. As the ...
By Associate Editor Natalie Gates
With the looming Kinder Morgan Pipeline decision, Trump’s ever-wavering and often frightening stances on policies and social issues, alt-right group gatherings, earthquakes, shockingly racist party photos from Canadian universities, the predictably stressful, panic-attack inducing end of semester pester, and endless despair plastered in front of us, I thought I would take this space to talk about…
Breakfast.
I love it. You love it. We all love it.
But do you relish in all its glory often enough?
Personally, it’s a bit of a daily ritual for ...
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
What
On December 1, Nanaimo is hosting a free Education and Career Fair.
Where
Vancouver Island Conference Centre
9 am – 3 pm
RSVP for free tickets at educationcareerfairs.com.
Why you should care
The Fair is an opportunity to explore the future with post-secondary schools, employers, and associations from across Canada.
What
From December 2–19, the Nanaimo Community Hospice is offering the Celebrate a Life Tree, a place to hang memory tags of loved ones. Heart Angels are available by donation to take home.
Where
Country ...
Above: Photo via iStockphoto.com
By contributor Dallas Bezaire
We need to take some time and correct some major misconceptions concerning genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. You may have heard of them before as dangerous, untested, unnaturally modified foods that destroy the environment, promote the use of poisons, may be dangerous to your health, and are used to manipulate and take advantage of farmers and producers, all in the name of profit. It all sounds like the plans of some comic book super villain, and there’s a reason for that. All of it is highly ...
By columnist Diana Pearson
At the end of October, online media exploded with the headlines “MALE BIRTH CONTROL INJECTIONS HALTED BECAUSE MEN ARE WIMPS” and “Male Birth Control Study Killed After Men Report Side Effects.”
These are perfect examples of how online media headlines can be reactionary, simplistic and blown out of proportion. A mere day or two after these headlines, high-profile media outlets like The Globe & Mail, The New York Times, and Vox, took great pains to explain this study to the general public. In a nutshell: men are not wimps. While male birth control ...
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
On December 16, Lumyn8 Entertainment will be putting on their third production, Sugar & Spice: Sleigh Bells Ring, at the Harbour City Theatre on 25 Victoria Road in Nanaimo.
Sugar & Spice began in March at the Metro Lounge, originally it was more of a bar show, but it has developed into a full feature show to display talented Drag Kings, Drag Queens, Burlesque and Boylesque performers, as well as non-gender-conforming musical performers.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for some of the entertainers that society might look ...
Above: Photo via Skulls & Bass Facebook page
By contributor Shanon Fenske
Hundreds of people in costume are all around me, vehicles are everywhere, and music and lights are pouring out of the forest. A man with a flashlight walks up to my car and asks for $25. I give him my money and pull into the party.
Twenty minutes earlier, I had driven off of the pavement onto a muddy, tree-lined back road. Every time I had become convinced I was lost, there would be another subtle sign pointing me towards the remote Halloween show, past another pot-holed crossroads, or around another ...
Above: Helen Cheung and Graydon Robb get ready to return a serve. Courtesy of North Field Photography.
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
Over the weekend, VIU hosted teams from UBC and SFU for a badminton tournament.
On Friday night, the teams had a chance to play against each other and warm up for the tournament in nine match sets, with two men’s singles, one women’s singles, two women’s doubles, two men’s doubles, and two mixed doubles. VIU beat SFU 6-3, and fell to UBC 8-1.
In the individual matches, VIU Mariner Helen Cheung placed first in women’s singles, and ...
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
Tyler Barnes, otherwise known as Jinx TK, is busy preparing for his third year of organizing the Toys for Tots charity hip hop show, which will take place December 1 at 9 pm at The Cambie on 63 Victoria Crescent.
Originally from Edmonton, Barnes began his hip hop career at the age of 21. He recorded his first track, and started doing shows a few years later. He became deeply involved in the hip hop community, and cultivated connections with top talent across the country.
In 2007, Barnes moved to Campbell River, and began organizing ...
Above: Photo via iStockphoto.com
By contributor Kathleen Reid
The Positive Space Alliance (PSA) held an impromptu drop-in meeting on Wednesday, November 9 at 6:30 pm. The focus of the gathering was to provide a space of support for LGBTQ+ individuals coming to terms with the US election of Donald Trump.
The PSA is concerned with Trump’s trans-, homo-phobic and sexist platform. Among the PSA’s concerns are Trump’s stated plans to overturn Obama’s federal trans bathroom protections and letting individual states decide, and VP-elect Mike Pence’s support to allot resources for ...
Above: Photo via viu.ca
By contributor Krista Meckelborg
On October 28 and 29, 113 students and community members gathered at the annual Vancouver Island Leadership Conference (VILC) as part of their own journeys toward becoming the next leaders of Vancouver Island and the world. Through a series of workshops and keynote speeches at the Nanaimo Conference Centre, these young adults were given tools and inspiration to help guide their leadership development.
Highlights of the event included an inspirational speech by leadership educator, Drew Dudley, a number of workshops led by ...
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
Statistics Canada states that the number of individuals in Canada over 65 will double in the next 25 years, and according to a recent study, one in three seniors are considered malnourished. Seniors are at a higher risk of physical injury and illness already, and research has found that malnutrition only compounds these problems, leading to higher health risk and a greater tax on the health care system. Due to factors such as slower recovery time and enhanced risk of additional injury and illness during their stay, the average malnourished patient ...
How one man went from being bullied to hosting Pride in his hometown
Nanaimo Pride Society’s president, Rick Meyers, is no stranger to making the best of any situation. Despite being bullied while growing up in Nanaimo, Meyers has carved himself a place to thrive with active involvement in the city’s queer community.
As a youth growing up in the 1970s and ’80s, Meyers’ effeminate nature sparked school bullying, which impacted his school attendance. “I lived a pretty dark and shallow life,” Meyers says. “I didn’t have any friends, barely made it to school, hid in ...
Above: A view of the Millstone River Side Channel. Photo by Cole Schisler.
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
The best time to explore Nanaimo’s nature is after a good rain.
Bowen Park is a perfect place to start. Feel the soggy squish of fallen foliage underfoot as you walk alongside the Millstone River Side Channel among tall pines, hemlocks, and shedding maples. Stop and enjoy the sound and breathtaking view of the rushing Millstone River.
While Bowen Park feels as though you’ve lost yourself in a lush forest, the park and the river have actually been highly ...
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
You hear that? I do. That nostalgic, groan-inducing screech, followed by the beeping and humming as your internet came to life. The vast green pasture under the bright blue sky of your desktop lights up, and you click on Internet Explorer to check on your Neopets.
It’s hard to imagine that this was only ten years ago. That our generation (hi, Millennials) are on a constant, steep incline of the newest technology at our fingertips—and it still bewilders our parents.
Last week, I went to my dad’s house. He told us that our eldest half-sibling ...
Above: Photo via kansascity.com
By Arts Editor Brendan Barlow
For those who may not follow every piece of writing I publish in this section, you may have missed the feature in the previous issue regarding the upcoming Potted Potter—a show that takes its audience through the seven books of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series in a blistering 70 minutes. Potted Potter came to Nanaimo from across the pond–from the jolly old United Kingdom. The show was conceived by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, both of whom wrote the piece and perform in most of its scheduled dates.
I say ...
By Associate Editor Natalie Gates
Sometimes I worry people are getting sick of hearing about climate change and the environment’s bleak future. At times it seems like there is nothing we can do that will really slow or stop the process because the Big Dogs’ power is just too strong.
But I’m going to talk about it anyway.
I got another whiff of motivation recently after watching Before the Flood with Leonardo DiCaprio. [Insert inappropriate joke about the Titanic not running into that iceberg if global warming had started sooner]. He and National Geographic posted the documentary ...
Above: Photo by Jessica Pirson
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal Party MP of North Vancouver and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment, held a Q&A on climate change last week at the VIU Nanaimo campus. The event was organized by the VIU Young Liberals, a branch of the youth wing of the Liberal Party of Canada.
“It was fantastic to have Wilkinson take time out of his busy schedule to stop by VIU,” said Michael Ribicic, President of the VIU Young Liberals. “Jonathan gets to hear people’s thoughts and fears on climate change on ...
Above: Photo via iStockphoto.com
By contributor Jessy-Lee Craig
It’s that time of year again; between the midterms, papers, and looming final exams, people start to brag about how they are on their sixth extra-large triple-shot coffee, or that they pulled an all-nighter to get their paper in on time. Although I congratulate my fellow students’ dedication and hard work, I am also concerned. We’ve all been there, leaving our work until the last minute and spending endless evenings in the fluorescent light of the library. As students, we lead tremendously busy lives, balancing school, ...
Above: Photo via barleydoeshorror.wordpress.com
By Arts Editor Brendan Barlow
A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.
Well, my #31DaysOfHorror are over, which means I’m back to reviewing...horror movies still. Come to think of it, honestly, not much is going to change other than the tag is done, so welcome back.
This issue, we’re taking a trip back to South Korea, because Train To Busan has ignited a genuine interest in ...
Above: Photo via economist.com
By contributor Chantelle Spicer
As a devout foodie, one of the key aspects of sustainability for me is how we consume the world, because, let’s face it, no matter if you are a vegan, pescatarian, or that person who orders the meat lover’s pizza—what you are eating was once living and is also necessary for you to do the same.
I have an intimate relationship with my food. It is one of respect, where a meal is always prepared lovingly and eaten gratefully. I need to know about my food as part of my ritual of consumption (“Can you tell me about ...
Above: Montell Lindgren jumps up for the steal. By Cole Schisler.
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
On November 4, the VIU Mariners hosted the Douglas Royals, and put on a clinic.
The first quarter began at slowly, and was low scoring. The Mariners moved the ball well, and pressed the Royals into making some mistakes. The Mariners were also sharp on the steals and created a series of turnovers, ending the half with a 18–15 lead over the Royals.
The Mariners came out strong in the second quarter and ran away with the lead, tallying up a score of 37–25 early in ...
