Two Days, One Night: When Film Confronts Anxiety & Depression
I so rarely cry if I am not watching a film. Unless I am completely devastated, it verges on being impossible. But to begin with, I think I probably came in feeling a little emotional. I got teary just watching the Vancouver International Film Festival’s (VIFF) intro clip that thanks its volunteers. Actually, I swelled […]
3 Talon-Approved Events: October 13–20
Spoken Works Performance Night Hosted by Spoken Works (formerly SPEND poetry), this event offers a platform for sharing poetry, music, and art in a non-competitive safe space. The event is organized within an anti-oppressive framework and will prioritize the voices of those who identify as queer, trans*, intersex, mixed, indigenous, and/or persyns of colour. If […]
An Introduction to Settler Colonialism at UBC: Part Three
This three-part series on settler colonialism is co-authored between two people: one who identifies as a michif (Métis) man from Saskatoon, the other who identifies as a racialized, non-indigenous female settler. As co-authors, we are speaking from our own perspectives as an Indigenous person (Justin) and as a settler (Kay). This series is informed through […]
Come Participate in The Talon’s Photo Project: “Facing Our Debt”
Over the course of a four-year degree, the average BC student will rack up $35,000 in debt, far more than the (already inflated) national average of $27,000. It takes most Canadian graduates seven years to pay back their student debt and 13% of students eventually default on their loans. Student debt and tuition in BC are […]
Housing the Privileged: What a 20% Residence Fee Increase Really Means
It has recently been revealed that UBC is planning to increase the cost of its 8-month-term student housing fees by a whopping 20%. This is just one of a number of fee increases proposed by the university slated to take effect in 2015. In a presentation to the AMS, the university explained that this increase […]
The Politics of Coming Out
On a warm autumn Friday exactly a year ago, I came out to my friends and family on Facebook. It was the middle of the morning. I sat down at my desk, opened my laptop, and took a deep breath. Today is October 11th, National Coming Out Day, I wrote. In the past few months, […]
Social Justice Synonyms #3: “Classy” and “Poor”
Welcome to the third segment of Social Justice Synonyms, a column at The Talon that encourages inclusive, peaceful dialogue, and discourages oppressive and discriminatory language. Today’s words are classy and poor. Classy may seem innocuous at first. We compliment our friends for looking classy when they are dressed up. We attach the word “classy” to […]
We Need to Reclaim Our Right to Public Education: Opinion
There is a crisis of accountability at this university’s highest level of governance. During the student elections last year, UBC students voted overwhelmingly against any further tuition increases on the principle that education is a right. One year later, the University administration has made it clear that they will not be heeding these demands; but […]
Call to Action on Tuition and Housing Cost Increases
During last year’s referendum, 91% of students voted for and the AMS resolved that: Tuition should be decreased for all. Education should be open and accessible to all. The university is raising costs for students again. There will be a 10% increase for international tuition for the incoming class of 2015 8-month residence contracts will […]
