Royal Roads goes virtual: In 2001, Royal Roads University was expanding into online education with the launch of Virtual University Canada, and we wrote about it in our November 6, 2001 issue. The initiative brought together 12 Canadian universities to offer more than 200 online courses and degree programs, allowing students to study without attending traditional classrooms. Royal Roads was among the founding institutions, with organizers hoping to make post-secondary education more accessible to working adults and students juggling other responsibilities. Nowadays, online learning is a familiar part of college life; back then, earning a degree through your computer was still making headlines. Zoom lectures and discussion-board assignments were waiting just around the corner.
Starbucks stirs up campus controversy: Lansdowne campus has had a variety of coffee shops over the years; back in November 2001, there was a Starbucks kiosk on campus. While some students appreciated the convenience, others questioned the company’s presence on campus, and its prices. One Nursing student argued that the cafeteria and Starbucks should be non-profit because students were already struggling financially. Others raised concerns about fair trade, environmental practices, and the effects of large coffee companies on smaller producers. The article also noted that coffee sales helped support Camosun Foundation bursaries and scholarships. The campus has cycled through several coffee shops, but one thing has always held true: students need their overpriced lattes before lectures and midterms.
Feminism faces a changing future: The cover story of this issue explored how feminism had evolved and what it meant to younger generations. The article examined the movement’s history, from women’s rights to changing conversations about careers, family life, and gender expectations. The piece also considered whether younger women identified with feminism, particularly as popular culture presented competing ideas about empowerment and independence. Twenty-five years later, conversations about gender equality, representation, and what feminism means are hardly settled. And while some debates remain on newspaper pages, they’re also now found on social-media comment sections.