Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik
UBC professors file academic freedom lawsuit over land acknowledgements
May 12, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Land acknowledgements have become commonplace in Canadian institutions, and universities are no exception. Recently, a group of UBC community members made headlines for critiquing the practice. In early April, professors Brad Epperly, Andrew Irvine, Christopher Kam, Michael Treschow, and PhD graduate student Nathan Cockram took to the BC Supreme Court to petition UBC over the language used in the university’s land acknowledgements. They cite the University Act, which says “a university must be non-sectarian and non-political in principle.” The petition asks for “an order prohibiting and restraining UBC from declaring or acknowledging that UBC is…
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The case of the missing cat
March 27, 2025By: Ace Ventura, Pet Detective It was a typical afternoon scrolling through my favourite micro-influencer’s Instagram — my barber’s grandma’s neighbour’s dog Leroy, when I noticed something truly peculiar. The caption on a post from 12 weeks ago featuring a…
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Williams Lake First Nation to restore former residential school area on its own terms
March 27, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Content warning: brief descriptions of residential school violence and cultural genocide of Indigenous Peoples, mentions of burial sites. “I grieve for all who never made it — the children who never made it home and…
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Council Chats: Software Systems Student Society requests funding for upcoming hackathon
March 18, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer On March 5, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) convened for their bi-weekly Council meeting. The most recent iteration saw a presentation from SFU Software Systems Student Society (SSSS), discussions on SFU’s decision to close…
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Vancouver mayor Ken Sim freezes construction of supportive housing
March 18, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Content warning: Mentions of racism, Indigenous displacement, and substance use. On February 26, Vancouver City Council voted “yes” on mayor Ken Sim’s motion to freeze the construction of new supportive housing units in the city.…
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Haida Nation gains legal recognition over Haida Gwaii
March 10, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer The Haida Nation has been fighting for self-determination for more than 100 years. Now, a recent agreement between the federal government and the Haida represents a step towards autonomy. On February 17, the two parties…
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SOCA, SFPIRG, and CPSHR screen Black August
March 10, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Content warning: mentions of police brutality and homicides. On February 24, SFU Students of African and Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA), Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG), and Canada-Phillipines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR) joined together…
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SFU professor develops guidelines for social connection
March 4, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer When sick or injured, we’re told to go to the doctor. But what about when we’re lonely? As cited by SFU News, a 2023 study from the US Department of Health and Human Services found…
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Flowing verses at Black Futures Open Mic
March 3, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer A gentle wash of purple and green clung to a white brick wall, as if the colours themselves were intent on listening to the evening’s poems. Behind the microphone sat a few modest armchairs and…
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Gitxaała and Ehattesaht First Nations rally to enforce UNDRIP
February 24, 2025By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer In the spring of 2023, the Gitxaała and Ehattesaht Nations took to BC’s Supreme Court to challenge the policy surrounding mining minerals like gold, silver, and copper. The Nations argued the “free-entry” system in practice…
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