Gloria Mellesmoen
Give people suffering from food allergies respect
November 4, 2013When I ask a barista to make my drink with soy and forgo the whipped cream, I am not trying to be trendy or picky. There are many reasons for practicing a more selective diet, ranging from personal preference to avoiding negative physical reactions. One aspect that these choices have in common is the negative way in which people respond to them. It’s not fair to judge others for what they don’t eat: dietary restrictions are serious and should not be trivialized as petty complaints. Whether one is allergic, prescribing to a certain world view, or following a specific religious…
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Professors are entitled to teach their preferences
October 7, 2013David Gilmour, an English professor at the University of Toronto, has been the recipient of negative attention recently for admitting that he elects not to teach women authors in his lectures. This confession is problematic, in that it judges and…
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English: a degree for the curious
September 16, 2013English majors are often at the heart of jokes culminating in the word “barista” and accompanied by smug laughter. Though I acknowledge the job market may be harder to navigate with a degree not funneling straight into a high paying…
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Embrace a child’s right to consent
September 9, 2013With the hype surrounding Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and the debate of whether it should be interpreted as a rape anthem, I have had a lot to think about in terms of feminism and social activism. While I hesitate to…
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Take control of your university experience
September 2, 2013When I started at SFU two years ago, I was told that it is a “commuter campus” with little sense of community. While this notion is commonly thrown around, it’s definitely a misconception. The most important advice I can offer…
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Formula One deserves more credit
July 22, 2013Formula One (F1) racing may look just like another motorsport with a bunch of cars driving in a circle making loud noises, but it’s actually the perfect sport for everyone — even those who do not normally like sports. This…
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What is meant by the loss of one’s virginity?
June 24, 2013By Gloria Mellesmoen Western society is captivated by “firsts,” because milestones are markers of healthy development and are celebrated as achievements. These accomplishments are the foundation for abilities to be later developed. For example, walking leads to mobility, and speaking…
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Open relationships get a bad rap
June 17, 2013By Gloria Mellesmoen Relationships, in any construct, are social contracts with certain terms and conditions implied in their creation. The traditional “monogamous”relationship has been one that has persisted throughout the ages with certain adaptations to reflect the times. Though pre-marital…
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Vancouver art community threatened by Westside Church
June 10, 2013Religious values working against what The Centre was founded on By Gloria Mellesmoen Photos by Ben Buckley Religion, much like preference in sexual fetishes, is a matter of choice that should be respected as long it is not forced on…
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Voter apathy needs to stop
May 20, 2013Voting is important, so stop with the excuses By Gloria Mellesmoen Photos by Flikr Those who choose not to participate in an election, because they equate voting for their preferred candidate to wasting their vote, are easily worse than those…
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