Buttertubs’ birds
By contributor Spenser Smith
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Mental Health Matters: Hate speech and social media
By contributor Zoe Lauckner
While social media has facilitated our generation’s communication and connectedness unlike any other, it has also created a platform for people to spread maliciousness, prejudice, stigmatization, racism, sexism, and a plethora of other forms of hate speech.
Mob mentalities are present both in the physical and online world. Cyber bullying has had a huge impact on many of our most vulnerable populations: youth, Indigenous peoples, women, individuals with disabilities, and people with mental illness. We have all heard of Amanda Todd, the BC teen who ...
Recipe: Beans, beans, the magical fruit
You may or may not have been as excited as I was to hear the United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc.). Yes, they make a great meat substitute, but before you flip the page in anger at another vegetarian trying to reel you in to the not-so-dark side, let me tell you that pulses could be your wallet’s best friend.
At less than $2 for a standard can of beans (which will give you multiple servings), they make a super cheap staple food that can be incorporated into endless dishes. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, pulses make great ...
Flyers at your fingertips: Reebee app
College and university students don’t have it easy, what with loans, homework, and most of us living on our own for the first time. Budgeting, aside from the small section glossed over halfway through high school, isn’t a natural thing to do for most of us, let alone making and planning a grocery list. Forget scouring pages upon pages of flyers; reebee, one of the first mobile flyer apps, is an eco-friendly way to locate all your grocery needs and more.
Founders Tobiasz Dankiewicz and Michal Martyniak were in the same boat when they studied at the University of Waterloo in the early ...
A guide to adulting: University edition
By contributor Ayanda Gatsha
Being an adult is a weird thing—shaving, behaving properly in front of strangers, and making a tangible meal for yourself instead of eating cereal for dinner. Though being of age doesn’t necessarily mean being mature, for the sake of this article, an adult is someone who can both be trialed for breaking the law while considered legally allowed to live on their own and vote.
The World Bank Group’s statistics report in 2012 shows that Canadian life expectancy is 81.24 years—meaning that’s at least 63 years of being an adult if you just turned 18.
Think ...
V-ball victory for VIU
The VIU Mariners’ women’s volleyball team became the 2016 CCAA National Champions after beating top-ranked Élans de Garneau in the finals. A tough match, they beat the opposing team in four sets. Megan Rosenlund was chosen as Player of the Game with nine kills and four digs, and Tylar Turnbull took home the title of Most Valuable Player. Congratulations Mariners! Photos via Flickr.
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Profile: Ornella Murumba
A first year BA student originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Ornella Murumba joined the VIU Dance Team in September 2015 to meet new people.
“I jumped at the chance to audition for the VIU Dance Team, as previously I was on a similar team in Ontario,” says Murumba.
While the VIU Dance Team is a staple in Mariner basketball games, they also help organize and attend local events, often with VIU’s favourite mascot, Stuey the Sturgeon, in attendance.
“We recently held a beer and burger fundraiser at the Queen’s in downtown Nanaimo,” says Murumba. “We also took part in the Ladysmith ...
Island Division Championship: 2016 Fred Page Cup playoffs second round
By contributor Reid Eccles
On Friday, March 18, the British Columbia Hockey League’s (BCHL) 2016 Fred Page Cup playoffs entered the second round.
The Nanaimo Clippers lost their inaugural game to the Port Alberni Bulldogs on March 4, but they quickly broke the trend by dousing the Bulldogs in four straight. In a 7-3 victory on March 11, one week after the Bulldogs’ only win of the post-season, the Clippers eliminated the Bulldogs four games to one.
The Clippers have now moved onto the second round of the playoffs to play the Powell River Kings, who eliminated the Cowichan ...
Contest to give voice to Aboriginal writers
In Our Own Voice is an anthology series that publishes fiction written by Aboriginal writers from BC. The 2015 edition of the book featured writers from grades eight through 12, and Rebel Mountain Press and the Vancouver Island Regional Library have now announced a writing contest for 2016.
The contest is open to Aboriginal writers—as well as non-Aboriginal writers, for a different edition of the book—this includes status, non-status, Inuit, and Métis, who are 15 years old and over. The submitted stories must contain Indigenous content with “themes of cultural connections [or] ...
Nina Forever movie review
Above: Nina Forever
What a strange, and surprisingly delightful (if not totally disturbing) movie. I went into this with no real idea what to expect, and was really happy that I took a chance. It’s not clear where things are going to go, and initially I was worried that Holly might be a completely unrelateable level of “dark and weird,” but her character quickly grew on me.
Telling a bizarre and disturbing story of obsession and love, Nina Forever is about a young girl who finds herself infatuated with Rob, a man who had lost his partner, Nina, in a car accident. The two ...
Ava’s Possessions movie review
Above: Ava's Possessions
As startling as this might be, but Ava’s Possessions is a unique take on exorcism movies. Considering that we’ve seen Exorcist clone after Exorcist clone, it would be easy to understand why people might be exhausted by the sub-genre as a whole. Let’s face it, we’ve seen remakes, found-footage versions, and lazy capitalization, all of which follow the same formula, and rehash the same tired shit that The Exorcist used so effectively.
Ava’s Possessions starts after the main character’s possession and the fallout that results, rather than bringing you in ...
Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation
Above: Royal Winnipeg Ballet performing Going Home Star. Photo by Samanta Katz
By contributor Chantelle Spicer
One possibility of art is to take a topic and reframe it into a visual language that offers different perspectives to the viewer. It is a way to engage the mind and emotions, creating a space to discuss difficult subjects in a new and enlightening way. To see art used in this way is to fully realize how powerful it is as a way to precipitate change.
This seems to be a driving factor in the creation and production of Going Home Star, the newest story being performed by ...
Dreaming of the Past
Above: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
As I sat in my seat, staring at the stage, waiting for the lights to dim and the orchestra to come on stage, I noticed something odd about the stage. Where were all the chairs and music stands? Where was the conductor’s podium? All that occupied centre stage was a harpsichord, an armchair, a coffee table, and two plastic chairs. A large screen hung above the set-up. I had to double check the program to make sure I was about to watch the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Upon looking in the program, though, I noticed another odd thing: they listed a ...
VIU theatre deserves an encore
Anyone who has seen a theatrical or musical performance, performance art, or anything else that happens live on a stage, knows the magic that can come from that experience. Sitting down and watching one of the most vulnerable forms a person be in, something that cannot be recreated in any other medium. VIU has been the home to student and community productions alike, it is the home of the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival, and has been a staple of the city of Nanaimo rivaled only, perhaps, by the Port Theatre.
In 40 years, with the innumerable amount of productions, and people ...
Legal Highs: From Bath Salts to Flakka
Originally published March 2016
I hover a burnt piece of aluminum foil over a lit candle, vapourizing the white powder sitting on top of it into a sticky, brown oil. I put the foil over the flame again, position my mouth over it, and inhale the streaming smoke. I look down at my ribcage and watch my heart vibrate like a jackhammer. My entire family has gathered outside my bedroom and are whispering their intent to bust down my door. I hear the stomping boots of a SWAT team marching towards my bedroom window, and the buzz of helicopters swarming my rooftop. Blue and red lights flash ...
The Strange, Viral Memetics of Donald J. Trump
On October 13, 2015, three months into his campaign to become the next president of “the most powerful country in the free world,” Donald Trump tweeted a meme. The tweet included an original illustration of Pepe the Frog (an anthropomorphic amphibian introduced in cult comic series, Boy’s Club) known as a “rare Pepe.” The image was a rendition of Pepe bearing Trump’s hair and suit and standing behind the President’s podium. Above was the caption “You Can’t Stump the Trump,” and a hyperlink to a YouTube compilation of Trump shutting down (and ostensibly winning) political arguments with ...
Chronicle of a Craigslist sale
I listed my iPhone on Craigslist. It was my first time using the site.
There was nothing egregious about my listing—all the necessary information was there in a succinct fashion. Condition details, pictures, my phone number (I opted for the “DO NOT CONTACT WITH SOLICITATIONS AND/OR IF YOU ARE A MURDERER” selection)—it was a pretty standard listing.
A day later, I get a text message. The area code looks unfamiliar, so I Google it: New Jersey. I plug the number into Facebook and only get one hit—“Jorge” (profile picture of a greying man with a shirtless chest and a soulless smile) ...
VIU Services: Scholarships, Awards, and Bursaries
Above: A screenshot of the VIU scholarship/award/bursary application profile
Applying for scholarships, awards, and bursaries has never been easier thanks to VIU’s new Scholarship, Award, and Bursary Profile. The profile is attached to your online student record, and saves you the time and effort of searching for scholarships, awards, and bursaries yourself. All you have to do is fill out or update the application every academic year, and the university will take your information and submit it to any scholarships, awards, or bursaries you are eligible for in their system.
Most of ...
Everyday Earth: Sacred soil
By contributor Chantelle Spicer. Photo via Flickr.
From the food we eat to the flowers we enjoy, from the forests we walk in to the beaches we walk along, a magical process is occurring. Yes, all of nature is amazing and beautiful, but some parts of it are quite unsung—none more so than soil. Soil contributes to every part of our existence; it is supportive of our every step, provides nutrients for our fruits and veggies, and offers a habitat to millions of unique species. Very little life could exist on this planet without soil, so how can it be so overlooked?
The soils under our ...
Founding a foundation: Biliary Atresia awareness
Above: Natalie Williams accepted a cheque on behalf of the Canadian Liver Foundation, BC and Yukon Chapter on March 3. Photo courtesy Courtesy of the Biliary Atresia Awareness and Research Facebook.
Natalie Williams, 18, sits on a plush couch, blinding production lights on her face, and a microphone clipped to her shirt. Next to her sits a beaming Breakfast Television reporter and Williams’ doctor, ready to offer his insight.
As the segment begins, the reporter asks Williams to tell the country about her experience with biliary atresia—a rare, life-long threatening liver ...
New accessibility icon to take Nanaimo by storm
On March 15, the Nanaimo Disability Resource Centre (NDRC) proposed to City Council a change in “disability icons” in the city.
These new icons will be known as “new accessible icons;” they portray legs, arms, and body in a forward motion, suggesting independence, strength, inclusiveness, activity, and participation. To contrast, the current disability icon presents the person as much more vulnerable, immobile, and incapable.
The goal of the NDRC’s presentation was to replace every old disability icon in the city with the new one, in order to reduce the stigmas surrounding ...
Celebrating Nature: The Brant Wildlife Festival
By contributor Chantelle Spicer
Spring is a time of change and abundance around the Salish Sea. The first budding shrubs—the Indian Plum—are already upon us, with delicate white flowers soon to come. White fawn lilies decorate the ground of Bowen Park, getting every bit of sun possible before the deciduous trees above them burst into fresh spring leaf. It is not only the flora that are waking up with the warmer weather—bird song fills the air from sunrise to sunset, and fawns are already being spotted (pun intended).
The Brant Wildlife Festival is a community acknowledgement of the ...
Trans-Pacific Partnership discussions in Nanaimo
The Mid-Island Chapter Council of Canadians will hold a presentation on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal in Nanaimo on April 8.
The TPP is a free-trade deal between Canada, the United States, Mexico, and nine other countries, representing 40 per cent of the global economy. Of the deal’s 26 chapters, two have to do with trade.
The remaining chapters discuss issues such as how a government regulates corporate activity, what Crown corporations can and cannot do, how long pharmaceutical patients or copyright terms should be, how the internet is governed, the sharing of personal ...
International women stand up for gender equality
In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, VIU’s Chair of the Status of Women, Joy Gugeler, and the Faculty of International Education hosted a panel for three women to share their experiences coming to Canada from their war-torn countries.
The first speaker was Anastasiya Kryvanos from the Ukraine. Kryvanos graduated from high school last year and is currently studying sociology at VIU with hopes of using her education to defy gender imbalances in her home country.
Being the daughter of a military father, she has lived all around the globe, and her father experienced ...
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