Ashima Shukla
Analyzing portrayals of adolescence in At Least I’m Trying
January 13, 2026By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer Content warning: Brief mention of sex-trafficking Tara Hodgson’s At Least I’m Trying follows Reese, a high-achieving student-athlete whose identity is built on being exceptional. Academically, athletically, socially — her parents demand perfection, and Reese does her best to deliver. Until she doesn’t. Set between a small town and the promise of freedom in Vancouver, the novel follows Reese’s unravelling, and how a predator grooms her into becoming a victim of a sex-trafficking ring. Hodgson’s prose is intense, confessional, and emotionally saturated, like Wattpad stories and Tumblr prose. And while some may find it superfluous, it…
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Vancouver’s SkyTrain is now Bitcoin-powered
January 5, 2026By: Ashi, senior writer for imaginary infrastructure In a move described by aides as “inevitable, visionary, and definitely not a parody of governance,” mayor Ken Sim announced Thursday that Vancouver’s SkyTrain system is soon to be powered entirely by Bitcoin.…
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Carney’s budget triggers national outcry
December 20, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government tabled its first federal budget on November 4. A few months ago, he remarked that Canada is facing a moment of “rupture” — seeing “the arrival of a ‘new age…
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On cannabis literacy and harm reduction
December 20, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer We might know about weed only through its either glamorized or demonized representations in media. But what might a more mindful approach to cannabis look like? How might we hold conversations that don’t shame or…
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My body is not a project
December 18, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer I’ve spent most of my life running from exercise — only figuratively, of course. When I was little, my mum tried to entice me with different sports: karate, skating, swimming, and even dance. But I…
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50 years of unique idealism: UNIT/PITT’s story
December 18, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer What does it mean for an artist-run centre to survive 50 years? For UNIT/PITT, the answer is a commitment to remaining porous, responsive, and unpretentious. The Peak interviewed their team to learn more. Founded in…
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The Luddite Land Assembly weaves together craft, land, and music
December 18, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer In the age of instant everything, what if creativity could slow the world down? This is the ethos behind the Luddite Land Assembly, taking place from November 8 to 9 at The Roundhouse. This multidisciplinary…
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Dear Peakie calls on Santa’s elves to unite against corporate greed
December 18, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer and Mason Mattu, Humour Editor Dear Peakie, Where have you been?? We haven’t seen you since, like, February? It seems as though you got replaced by a Beedie Bro advice column? How can I be…
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We must acknowledge the Afro roots of Latin music
December 18, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer I remember the first time João Gilberto’s voice filled my room. It was soft, unhurried, a secret being told in half-light. “Chega de Saudade” flowed as simply as breath. What I didn’t know yet was…
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What we must confront: Living with Long COVID
December 18, 2025By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer The first winter of the pandemic, I was in Shanghai visiting my family when the first news reports began circulating — something about a new pneumonia, a city in lockdown. Within days, my family and…
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