The Navigator

Content Warning: Might trigger strong emotions or discomfort, as we discuss topics of alcoholism, addiction, mention of suicidal ideation, and relapse.  Associate Media Editor Elke Sorensen and Nav Features Editor Deanne Whenham sit down in-studio to discuss Whenham’s journey through alcohol addiction and recovery as a young adult. Whenham, who approaches four years sober, takes the listener through her first encounters with alcohol while in university, her descent into addiction and isolation, and her recovery at Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo, BC. As Whenham prepares to graduate from VIU this semester, she reflects on the importance of connection, community, and family amidst a culture where drinking is normalized and often a central part of a student’s social experiences. Whenham also sits down with her parents, Blair & Carolyne, to talk about the reverberances of alcoholism in the family, and how people in their position can nurture themselves in difficult times.Photo taken by Clayton Isherwood.Addiction and recovery resources:Edgewood Nanaimo- https://www.edgewoodhealthnetwork.com/locations/edgewood/Mid-Island Alcoholics Anonymous - https://nanaimoaa.org/meetings/Mental Health and Addictions Phone Line - 1-833-553-6983 By Elke SorensenThis episode is part of The Navigator | Vol. 57, No. 6For more in this issue, head to ⁠thenav.ca

Associate Media Editor Elke Sorensen and Nav Reporter Nadia Fontaine travel to Vancouver for a night of in-person speed dating in an attempt to try something new for February. Sorensen and Fontaine sit down to chat about their experiences with apps such as Tinder, and discuss the pros and cons of online dating. The pair contrast their participation online to their participation at the speed dating event, which turns out to exceed their expectations in ways they could never have imagined. This episode is part of The Navigator | Vol. 57, No. 5For more in this issue, head to ⁠thenav.ca

For this month’s edition of Elke’s On The Island, Elke met with Vancouver Island Kappa Sigma President Ethan Johnson and Vice President Kyle Osipov to discuss Kappa Sigma’s presence on VIU’s Nanaimo campus. Johnson and Osipov share about their interest in the Fraternity, the benefits it brings to campus life, address concerns about their presence, and speak about future events and how to get involved. Listen to the podcast on Spotify at The Navigator.By Elke SorensenThis episode is part of The Navigator | Vol. 57, No. 4For more in this issue, head to ⁠thenav.ca

In this edition of Elke's on the Island, Elke Sorensen gets in contact with one of the administrators behind the popular campus Instagram page: Spottedviu. The account, which has over 1 thousand followers, is a platform for students to send in personal ads, missed connections, rants, and raves about campus to be posted anonymously to the page. In an anonymous interview, Admin speaks about the motives behind the page, what it's like to run it, and the future of Spottedviu.By Elke SorensenThis episode is part of The Navigator | Vol. 57, No. 3For more in this issue, head to ⁠thenav.ca

Join Elke for the Halloween edition of Elke’s on the Island. In this episode, Elke brings the spooky vibes by chatting with sisters Gina Armstrong and Victoria Vancek, co-founders of Haunted History BC, about ghostly encounters at historical haunts around British Columbia. Their interview even features audio containing the voice of an alleged ghost woman. Then, Elke asks folks from her social media, VIU library-goers, and The Nav staff to share their scariest ghost stories, which includes Ouija board mishaps, Buttertubs Marsh ghost circles, and grandma’s last goodbye. Elke finishes the episode with a couple ghoulish book recommendations by Canadian authors to kickstart the spooky season.By Elke Sorensen.This episode is part of The Navigator | Vol. 57, No. 2For more from this issue, head to thenav.ca Riley_Garinger - METLFric-Circular Saw Blade, Scrape on Concrete_13_Triple_RG_2023_NTG4Flojo92- Tl light startupzimbot- Thud_1_HighShortReverb.wavdeleted_user_3330286-GruntAlien[Norberd]qubodup-Creature Voice MantraIvolipa - Mess_room_sounds.WAVdavidqr - creepy doll blufing