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A smokey forest, after a fire
6 min 0 1841

Climate change fuels human-caused wildfires too

Olivia Visser October 12, 2023

You don’t have to look far to find news about wildfires impacting communities across Canada. It seems like every year BC experiences its “worst wildfire season” on record, and the issue isn’t just local. Greece, Spain, and Hawaiʻi endured devastating fires this year, among other locations. What’s concerning isn’t just the fact that many sit back and act like nothing can be done in the long-term — news headlines and social media posts severely underscore the role climate change plays in large-scale wildfires, arson or not.  Recurring extreme heat events result in “dry weather” and dry vegetation, which is a…

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A photo of the frog constellation cedar sculpture.
4 min 0 3348

A closer look at SFU’s Indigenous art displays

Olivia Visser October 3, 2023

Lhuḵw’lhuḵw’áyten (Burnaby Mountain) has been home to hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people for thousands of years. Today, the mountain is known to many as the location of SFU’s main campus — a decision that was made without permission from Indigenous peoples.…

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A white ceramic mug holding a liquid inside. A book is besided the mug, all resting on textiles.
6 min 0 1923

Productivity is a trap

Olivia Visser September 18, 2023

Content warning: mentions of car accidents and brain injuries. The other day, I made a post on my Instagram story saying that your productivity isn’t defined by how many activities you do each summer. The amount of friends who replied…

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An album cover featuring a clay-molded forest in a yellow box, and a wide, hollow tree stump in the middle, inside which Kimmortal sits holding their legs and looking out playfully. They’re wearing royal blue overalls and have black hair with straight-cut bangs.
3 min 0 1377

Shoebox is an ode to queerness and cultural identity

Olivia Visser July 19, 2023

Content warning: mention of intergenerational trauma. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to an album in one sitting, but Kimmortal’s new release, Shoebox, had me doing so with ease. Kimmortal is an established and well-loved “queer non-binary Filipinx rapper”…

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Photo of a car
3 min 0 1235

I’m (not) sorry I go the speed limit

Olivia Visser May 26, 2023

Content warning: mentions of car accidents and death. Those who drive to class on Burnaby Mountain are hopefully aware of the 60 km/hour speed limit. Yes, I’m talking to you, in your shiny blue BRZ with an even shinier N…

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a crowd of unmasked people with one masked person in a wheelchair in the middle
8 min 0 3224

Opinions in Dialogue: What it feels like to be disabled during COVID-19

Peak Web March 31, 2023

By: Olivia Visser, Opinions Editor & Michelle Young, Editor-in-Chief It’s been just over three years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Most people in the west spent around two years following COVID-19 precautions. However, many were eager to discard their…

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5 min 0 2967

The internet has a sexism problem

Olivia Visser March 28, 2023

Content warning: mentions of sexism and sexual assault.  Over the last year, our social media feeds have been regretfully subjected to content about Andrew Tate. The former kickboxer-turned-influencer, who is currently detained in Romania under suspicion of human trafficking and…

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illustration of someone standing on a grassy mountain-top
4 min 0 4801

Why I no longer call myself a “peakbagger”

Olivia Visser March 27, 2023

Content warning: brief mention of ableism. I’ve been fascinated with mountains ever since I can recall setting my eyes on one. There’s something so bold about local peaks that I’ve never been able to fully capture in words. In my…

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A photo of different denomination bills from both Canada and the United States
6 min 0 2142

Lowering inflation isn’t enough to fix the rising cost of living

Olivia Visser March 17, 2023

Browsing news and social media these days feels increasingly dystopian. News feeds present articles about Canadians cutting back on prescription medications, working two jobs, and changing their minds about having children in this economy. Wealth disparity has always existed under…

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Photo of Alice Wong, an Asian American disabled woman in a power chair, against a background of bamboo trees. She is wearing a blue cardigan and sitting in a power chair. She is holding a copy of her memoir, Year of the Tiger, a paperback in yellow and red with a fierce tiger on it designed by Madeline Partner. She is wearing a bold red lip color and a trach at her neck.
3 min 0 1820

Reclaiming disability narratives through art

Olivia Visser March 7, 2023

[caption id="attachment_124792" align="alignnone" width="300"] PHOTO: Eddie Hernandez Photography[/caption] Alice Wong Alice Wong is an Asian-American “disabled activist, writer, editor, media maker, and consultant.” She founded the website Disability Visibility Project, a platform to share and connect disabled voices. Wong is…

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