Chinese Cafes: Paul Wong at the Queer Arts Festival

Wong’s displayed piece, “Chinese Cafes: The Five Energies,” was initially made for Them = Us, a photographic exhibition that travelled across Canada between 1998–2000 aimed at promoting diversity. Varied Editions is the first time “Chinese Cafes” has been unpacked since that viewing.

Lauren Kasowski with Photos by Veronika Kapitanchuk

CampOUT! puts the "camp" in Camp Fircom

CampOUT! originally began as a day camp hosted at UBC and was inspired by a similar program at the University of Alberta, Camp fYrefly. It has since expanded with the support of UBC’s Faculty of Education, SOGI UBC and the Equity & Inclusion Office, as well as funding from community partners like Foundry — an inclusive care network based in Vancouver.

Elena Massing with Illustrations by Adriel Yusgiantoro

Nechako: A story of loss, community and recovery

The film follows various individuals forced to balance the challenges of everyday life with their responsibility to seek The documentary is a personal account of the impact that the construction of the Kenney Dam had on the Indigenous nations who rely on the Nechako river, as well as the ongoing legal battle for fishing rights undertaken by members of the Stellat’en and Saik’uz nations in recent years.

Charlie Branton

MOA hosts Indigenous modern art with Rebecca Belmore's VALUE

Three pieces, “Wild,” “Fountain,” and “I AM WORTH MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO MY PEOPLE” are on display throughout the museum as of the exhibition’s May 15 opening, with the final piece, “Ayum-ee-aawach Oomama-mowan: Speaking to Their Mother” arriving in August.

Julian Coyle Forst

Dr. JP Catungal centres equity and justice in the classroom

Dr. John Paul “JP” Catungal recalls the moment he was first approached by a stranger on the topic of his own Queerness.

Julian Coyle Forst

The paradoxical world of UBC influencers

Second-year UBC student Allegra Kastner went viral once. For her, that was more than enough.

Caleb Peterson with Illustrations by Samriddhi Kejriwal

A healthy understanding

For Young Joe, the most rewarding part of being a medical interpreter is the look of relief that takes over patients and doctors’ faces as soon as she enters the room. Without her, conversation is impossible.

Elena Massing with Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Point of Inquiry: AMS President Riley Huntley asked me to write an executive goal. Here’s what I said

This administration has shown a genuine desire to engage those outside the AMS in its goal-setting and decision-making. While simply engaging with students and student organizers is far from sufficient to create an equitable AMS, this collaborative energy is a start, writes AMS Columnist Quyen Schroeder.

Quyen Schroeder

Opinion: What should the university be?

Generative AI isn't just a tool, and its arrival raises deeper questions about who the university serves and what higher education seeks to do, writes Saskia Tholen.

Saskia Tholen with Illustrations by Abbie Lee

Point of Inquiry: A student union is a bold promise — how can the AMS live up to it?

Despite our union’s near ubiquity in our lives, nearly five out of six eligible voters did not participate in this year’s AMS elections. But the AMS is a gift from previous generations — and despite its flaws, it remains well-positioned to be a force for social and institutional change, writes AMS Columnist Quyen Schroeder.

Quyen Schroeder with Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

New tipping initiative to solve all of UBC's financial woes

Partnering with tech giants like The Evil Guys Who Invented 18 Per Cent Minimum Tip on Take-Out, UBC will require students to select a tip option before exiting every lecture hall, classroom and academic flex space.

Kyla Flynn

Take my unsolicited advice (or else): UBC survival tips from a recent grad

What is senior year for, if not reminiscing?

Akanksha Pahargarh

Free, interesting UBC gym spots for free, interesting exercise

Why waste your time working out in a boring ol’ smelly ol’ gym, when you can use the UBC campus as your very own exercise paradise?

Kyla Flynn

Crossword

Mrinali Ghosh

Neither/nor: Expanding research and nuance around non-binary experiences

While there is overlap between Trans and non-binary experiences, there’s still room for research surrounding the identities individually.

Aditi Mankar with Illustrations by Abbie Lee

Decolonizing neuroscience: Cross-cultural practice and reframing the field

Dr. Judy Illes and Dr. Melissa Perreault work with Indigenous researchers globally to advocate for and educate about Indigenous neuroethics. According to Perreault, their goals are twofold: to ensure research with communities is done ethically, and to demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge can enrich Western approaches to neuroscience.

Yomna Bedaiwy with Illustrations by Adriel Yusgiantoro

Frictionless fuel: How UBC researchers detected hydrogen’s superfluidity and what it could mean for sustainability

Imagine a liquid that moves endlessly, without resistance — so smooth that it seems to defy the laws of physics. Researchers at UBC have observed this rare phenomenon in a molecular system for the first time.

Harleen Randhawa

How UBC scientists are working to better understand bird flu

As bird flu swoops across media outlets, UBC researchers are working to better understand and monitor this disease.

Chloe White with Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Beyond the game: Building inclusive physical activity spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ students at UBC

Addressing the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in sport has received limited funding and attention, often being cast off and separated from norms. While UBC is certainly not exempt from this issue, because of dedicated people and groups across campus, progress is being made.

Jeff Lee with Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

From four to a force: How Isaac Qi led the UBC quadball team’s revival

At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, the UBC quadball team was in danger. Yet, at the heart of what would become a remarkable comeback, stood Isaac Qi.

Hailey Park

UBC's MATTERS lab collaborates to bring adaptive activity gearbox to campus

With the RAD Society, Dr. William C Miller is working to provide low-cost rentals of adaptive recreation equipment, such as hand crank bikes, in an gearbox run out of the SRC.

Daniela Carbonell with Photos by Saumya Kamra

Meet Jenna Holm, UBC's ice resurfacer

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the UBC alum found herself working in the arena and eventually behind the driver's seat of a Zamboni.

Adi Lewis with Photos by Saumya Kamra

In photos: The last days of the Education Library in Neville Scarfe

Sidney Shaw

Essence: Letter from the team

We dedicate this issue to all the storytellers who see the world not just through a lens but, most importantly, through a heart.

Saumya Kamra, Emilija Vītols Harrison, Sidney Shaw, Guntas Kaur and Ruoxuan Wang

From headlines to harvests: Mike Wakefield's life in focus

After 37 years capturing North Shore stories, former photojournalist Mike Wakefield has traded cameras for crops in a quiet coastal community. Reflecting on a career shaped by patience, empathy and authenticity, Wakefield’s transition to farming mirrors his enduring passion for cultivating connection — whether through photographs or fresh garlic.

Guntas Kaur

Travel, spontaneity & cameras: Kami Kanetsuka's path through photography

In her Bowen Island home filled with artifacts and memories, Kami Kanetsuka reflects on decades of travel and photography. From spontaneous street shots to lifelong connections, her work captures the heart of cultures worldwide. Her advice to aspiring photographers: find your own path and follow it.

Sidney Shaw