three things

Thinking about the state of the world these days, it is easy to think of Dicken’s quote from the Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”  And although the story takes place from 1775 to 1792, during the French revolution, the quote remains relevant today.

Warm greetings from all of us at Vancouver Island University

Pumpkin spice season is in full gear. The sun is coming up noticeably later, and the colour of the light has changed. And the semester is well underway. September flew by in the blink of an eye. Watching busy faculty move around the campus, students studying in the library, lines for lunch at the cafeteria—it all feels so typical for one of the “ber months” despite the apparent changes. And so, despite an undercurrent of waiting for the other shoe to drop, it is hard on a sunny Friday to feel anything but gratitude.

Dear VIU Community,

When I learned the news that a Muslim family in London, Ontario, had been intentionally targeted and attacked because of their faith, I was horrified and deeply saddened. It is unfathomable to think that two parents, a grandparent and a 15-year old girl are dead, and a 9-year-old boy was injured and left to survive his family, because a fellow Canadian chose to commit an act of terrorist violence and Islamophobic hate. I want to express to the Muslim community at VIU my deep sadness, and that we stand with you, value you, and denounce Islamophobia in all its forms.

Welcome to March! March is a time of change and transition. The vernal equinox is on Saturday, March 20, which is officially the start of spring. The days are not only getting longer, they are also getting milder and warmer. The deer are happily eating my tulips, some of the shrubs on my walk are starting to bud and the birds are singing their little hearts out. I live in a rural area of Nanaimo, and I look forward to watching the wildflowers start to sprout soon.

Black History Month begins today in Canada. Black History Month was established to “celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous nation it is today.”

January is a strange month. Perhaps it is because it is on the other side of many holidays. Perhaps it is because the days are finally getting longer and things are starting to sprout in the garden. Perhaps it is the start of a new term. 

I thought I would start this blog with a snip of a poem by George Barker, which starts:

January jumps about
in the frying pan
trying to heat
his frozen feet
like a Canadian.

Dear VIU Community,

I'm excited to announce that the next phase of VIU’s strategic planning process has arrived.

From November 2 - 27, we would like to have your feedback on the first draft of the plan, which was created from the community input we received last spring and summer. Since then, we have been hard at work, collating all of the feedback, releasing the What We Heard Report, and putting together this first draft of the plan.

I’ve been spending some time on campus since the start of term and noticed, when wandering around, that I’ve been running into more people. Often this is on my way to the Mount Benson Market to grab a morning coffee, or around 2 pm for an afternoon snack. I highly recommend the sandwiches, the charcuterie tray, the salt and vinegar kettle chips, and the amazing people who work there. I’ve also run into a number of folks at the VIU Students’ Union Pub and I highly recommend the quesadillas, Greek salad and poutine.