Columns

As I write my final Freedom from Addiction column, I feel somewhat thwarted by writers’ block. I want my 33rd and final submission to Nexus to be good, and I want it to be impactful. What can I say about addiction that will inspire or help others, or open people up to a different reality? […]

I’ve learned a lot about treaties lately. Too often when I’m advocating for Indigenous rights I get an uninformed settler telling me, “Well, they signed the treaties. They agreed to the way things are.” I know now that this rebuttal is completely irrelevant. During the time of early European settlement here on Turtle Island, the […]

Periods have a lot of stigma surrounding them. Even mentioning them can make people uncomfortable. For something natural to the human species, it’s odd that it’s been marked as a taboo subject. Before we start off properly here, it’s important to note that it’s not just women who menstruate. There are plenty of people who […]

Most international students took a breath of relief after being informed that this fall semester will be in person. I’m sure each and every one of us is looking forward to the day when we will be learning in person in classrooms. Even before the pandemic, it was predicted that future generations would possibly get […]

Addicts are masters of defense. We defend parts of our psyche that have been harmed and have not recovered. We, in turn, defend our addictions, which feel like integral parts of who we are and seem wholly necessary for our well-being, or even for our survival. All forms of addiction, arguably, have similar roots of […]

In September, when the editor of Nexus and I hashed out the details of this column, I realized that Unsettled and Striving would benefit me most of all. At that point I hadn’t written anything in 2020, and, like so many others, I was feeling lost and depleted with the strict social-distancing and isolation regulations. […]

When chatting to my biking friends, who are men, in the chairlift, we usually end up in a conversation with them complaining about equality, and how they feel that women pick out only the good stuff about equality. I’m always a bit shocked at this angle of looking at it. What occurs most of the […]

Due to the pandemic, the world put a hold on everything, but we couldn’t afford to put a hold on our dreams. Apparently, this is the reason why many international students still went on to enrol themselves in colleges and universities around the world, attending online classes from their home countries. Myself, I’m currently taking […]

Addiction is not really something one overcomes, in my opinion. Addiction is something to be healed, because its roots lie in trauma, grief, and certain unmet needs. Addiction is a mental-health issue, but it’s also a totally reasonable response to not having our needs met. Bruce K. Alexander’s famous Rat Park study beautifully and tragically […]

In the course I’m taking this semester, IST142: Land, Water, & Stewardship, our textbook is a collection of essays from various authors called Lighting the Eighth Fire. The very first chapter raised an “a-ha!” feeling within me, another puzzle piece offering insight to western society’s disrespect of the land. Writer Susan M. Hill provides a […]