Why you shouldn’t tell American border guards you’re in Islamic Studies

MONTREAL (CUP) — On May 1, 2010, Pascal Abidor was riding an Amtrak train from Montreal to New York. His parents live in Brooklyn, and he was on his way to visit them. The school year at McGill had just ended, and he felt relieved and calm as the train rolled south towards America. At […]

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Controversial art creates cultural conversation at TRU

KAMLOOPS (CUP) — Sooraya Graham is a normal student just like anyone else at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). She goes to class and does her assignments, just like any other student. She never realized that with her most recent assignment she would start such a controversial cultural discussion that ultimately saw her art being damaged […]

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A surveillance society: 10 things you should know about Bill C-30

[One of our most-read feature stories from this year makes a return appearance in the spotlight, as relevant as ever.] Bill C-30 is the lawful access legislation proposed by current minister of public safety Vic Toews. The bill is also known as the Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act or Protecting Children from Internet […]

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DIwhY?

If you’ve ever baked your own bread, knitted yourself some mittens, or planted a backyard carrot or two, you’re part of a growing cultural revolution known as do it yourself, or DIY. Urban farming, home-brewing, independent publishing… the culture of DIY has infiltrated the lives of people the world over and is only getting stronger. […]

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Gone but not forgotten: A look at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry

It felt like a turning point. After years of requests by advocacy groups, the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry was finally about to begin. This was back in September, when Nexus covered the epidemic of missing and murdered women in BC. Many hoped that justice would be served. As the commission was preparing to launch […]

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David Mathers’ story

Aspiring teachers have high hopes when they’re studying to become an educator, imagining the impact they’re going to have on their students. But there’s another side to teaching: frustration at students who don’t want to be there, reputation-scarring rumours, the inner workings of the school system. The lines on David Mathers’ face tell the story […]

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State of the Arts: How Arts Funding Affects Our Communities

When Stephen Harper famously declared that “ordinary people” don’t care about arts funding during the 2008 election campaign, artists and arts groups were quickly forced to prove their worth. At that time, $45 million had just been cut from the federal arts budget, and not long after, the government of BC made serious cuts of […]

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Getting Fracked: BC allows extensive fracking, but at what cost?

Jessica Ernst can light her tap water on fire. At least, Jessica Ernst could light her tap water on fire until she recently had the water disconnected from her home because it posed such a safety risk. Natural gas corporation Encana began drilling near Ernst’s property on the outskirts of Rosebud in southern Alberta in […]

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The lizard of Oz: a memoir

David Hudson opened the door to his traditional Queenslander home back in 1988 and welcomed us inside. Glad to be in out of the heat, we made our way to the cool centre of the house. He told us to make ourselves comfortable in the small sitting room while he went to the kitchen; he […]

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