Open Space: Keeping Pride politicalGay pride? What about the rest of us!? No, I’m certainly not one of those people who actually uses not having “straight pride” as an arguing point. What I mean is: what about the majority of individuals in the queer community who aren’t cisgender homosexual men? What started out as a radical political riot led […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: Canada’s cops a light in the darkThe year is 1968, and Chicago is rioting after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Er, maybe it was 1992, with people in Los Angeles rioting to express anguish at their perception of racist policing. Wait, no, it was London in 2011. No, scratch that, too. I’m thinking of last week in Ferguson, Missouri. […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: So-called border crisis raises questionsIn the past few weeks, the US has been facing what has been called a “border crisis.” What’s essentially happening is that information on US immigration reform is being lost in translation, and citizens of poverty-stricken Latin American nations are sending their children north in hopes that they will receive papers upon crossing the border. […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: For a better Canada with politicians who serveThere are fundamental injustices in our very own government that affect all of us on a very basic level. What’s most troubling is that the population has accepted these injustices as if they are something that can’t be changed. The truth is that government is a body that was built in service to us and, […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: Mental health no longer a shunned topicMental illness is perhaps the least understood, the most highly stigmatized, and the most neglected of all illnesses. Despite recent advances in standardized diagnostic criteria and increasingly well-researched treatments, stigma continues to cloud mental health. If you disagree, Victoria-born Ted Talk presenter Kevin Breel challenges you with this question: “Would you rather make your next […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: Feminism is realityYou hear the “f word” on college campuses a lot these days. Between Tumblr’s social justice warriors and Social Science majors, feminism has been getting a lot of press. It’s not like that’s a new thing: the fight for gender rights has been raging for years. Still, this new breed of feminist has everyone talking. […] Continue Reading |
Sex slavery needs consideration in law reformCanada’s recent law reform has people debating over which legislative objective to adopt concerning the sex trade. But is sex slavery being adequately considered in these debates? The applicants challenging the prostitution laws have, understandably, made recommendations based on their experiences as autonomous sex workers. But any change to the law ought to be considered […] Continue Reading |
Party drugs can be safe this summerWith summer not far away, some students will be gearing up for an array of beach walks, dance parties, music festivals, and outdoor extravaganzas. Summer can also mean a lot of partying. Whether it’s a guerrilla rave happening on the beach or some booty-bumping headliner in a club, we will be putting on our dancing […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: Saviour complex isn’t helping AfricaI can’t count the number of blog and Facebook posts I’ve seen of the same ilk: some white, middle-class college kid takes a “voluntourism” trip to a developing country (usually in Africa), snaps a few photos of themselves with children in an inspirational T-shirt, and swings a hammer a few times over a week. World […] Continue Reading |
Open Space: ESL cuts privatization of English trainingIf anyone thinks the recent ESL cuts are the result of budget worries, they’re sadly mistaken. The problem of English language training and how it should be delivered in British Columbia is a decade-long debate. Taken from a sociological standpoint, a critical constructionist believes that social problems are constructed, conceived, and presented to the public […] Continue Reading |
