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Cities are increasingly important refuges for critical pollinators, including bees. May 20 has been designated World Bee Day and home gardeners have their part to play in their survival. According to the Nature Conservancy, Canada has over 800 bee species (450 species in British Columbia alone) from carpenter bees to sweat bees. Climate change, pesticide…
Skateboarding is becoming the best option for youth with autism to get involved in sports. The fun and inclusive environment fosters community between one kid and another. Blair Durnan, the executive director of Spectrum Skateboard Society, is spearheading this initiative. The organization offers safe and exciting camps for neurodivergent children. “The future of Spectrum Skateboard…
Biowearable technology, such as smart watches and other interactive devices worn on-body, can offer significant benefits to children–monitoring heart rate, body temperature, and more. But research from Simon Fraser University shows that you might not want to gift these electronics to your young one. Both psychologically and physiologically, e-wearables may offer more harm than good…
In July 2021, as part of their COVID-19 recovery initiative, the Government of Canada announced 237 projects that will be receiving funding under the $100-million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund. One such project called ‘Moving towards a feminist city of Surrey’ is spearheaded by the City in Colour Cooperative, a multidisciplinary consultancy co-founded by alumni…
If seeing someone fidget makes you anxious, then you might have misokinesia (hatred of movements). Sumeet Jaswal and Todd Handy, PhD want to find out why one in three people have such a profound reaction to small, repetitive movements. They are leading an extended University of British Columbia (UBC) study on the topic to find…
The Media Girlfriends is a podcast company led by Nana aba Duncan, Hannah Sung and Garvia Bailey, three women of colour who use storytelling and journalism to present and honour the voices of those who were historically misrepresented. The Media Girlfriends is participating in the Fourth Annual Vancouver Podcast Festival to discuss the process of…
Citizen journalism has become more and more prominent in the era of social media, where sometimes news is being disseminated real-time on the spot through eyewitness reports before they even reach mainstream media. And perhaps there is no better phrase than ‘the revolution will be tweeted’ to capture the critical role of citizen journalism in…
“Canada, by existence, is racist in that it exists because it was able to frame Indigenous peoples as primitive, non-political subjects incapable of owning land,” says Eva Jewell associate professor of Sociology and research director at the Yellowhead Institute, a policy think tank located at ‘X University,’ formerly Ryerson University, in Toronto. “This is used…
The 2021 TAIWANfest aims to re-think Asia through the lens of Taiwan and Korea, and Josephine Chiu-Duke, PhD, will address the taboos around Confucianism and its theoretical legacy to 21st Century thinkers on Sept. 4. “I hope my talk called Confucius or Confusions will allow the audience to dismantle and put aside any previous prejudice…
Be whisked away on a European adventure full of class, elegance and dainty desserts all from the comfort of your own home. Betty Hung, co-owner and head pastry chef of the French-inspired Beaucoup Bakery, is reaching new heights with not only her delicious pastries but by sharing her love of baking with children through UBC’s…
“Over the past year, the Black Lives Matter movement [and] the Indigenous movement have both created an opportunity to publicly acknowledge systemic racism and have deeper conversations on it,” says Sangeeta Subramanian, founder of Chetana Consulting, a firm specializing in equity, diversity and inclusion. There have been conversations around diversity and inclusion in Canada for…
Why do people use and create internet memes? Can you trace the impact of internet memes offline? How does an internet meme circulate and evolve into different versions? Should we set a boundary on internet memes? Bonnie Tulloch, a doctoral student at the iSchool at UBC, has been exploring the answers to some of these…
Trophy Ewila and Lady Dia believe that Ubuntu – seeking a community where members each have space to shine their own light without diminishing another’s light – is key to rejecting the cultural norms of White supremacy. Ubuntu will be put into action with the upcoming workshop, “I Am Because You Are vs I Am…
