GEM JOURNAL FALL 2026

September 2026

INTERNATIONAL SAFE ABORTION DAY: What does bodily autonomy mean to you?

International Safe Abortion Day was first celebrated in 1990, by abortion activists campaigning for decriminalisation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

October 2026

Being one with the birds!

Birds are an integral part of the environment and society. From representing freedom to being ecosystem keystone species, birds are incredibly important to us. This month’s theme encourages you to become one with the birds, incorporating them into your art! With so many species to know, the opportunity for creation is endless.

Bygone

Lila Grierson (She/They)

“This poem was inspired by a trip I took with some good friends in first year, and the lovely lady we met there. Being briefly enveloped in her life made me realize how digital our generation is, even when we’re in nature.”

Tin can, string pulled tight

I’m not used to the buzzing 

Questions that bounce off the vaulted ceiling-sky to find me

Clumsy signal, bumbling around outer space 

Before it finds its way to me

Radioactive

 in my pocket

I see you cradle it against your ear

Your 9 digit child

Your last hope, your legacy

You sleep with it against your chest,

Shrill voice that wakes you in the night

.

In your sleep, your chest rises and falls like civilization

But we don’t use that word anymore

.

I told you I loved you when you came out of her room, your eyes finally still

But we don’t use that word anymore

.

Margaret, the long haired jammaker 

who taught us to juggle

Lived in the original stonehouse

With the rest of the nomads and creatives

She keeps books stacked in her bus,

And paints it fresh in the spring

She keeps candles for emergency

But I’ve never seen her use them

When the big light goes down, she goes with it,

Guarding the sunboat on its slow glide through the dark

.

She collages her clothes onto her body,

Glues them with thread

Enjoys a homeless, wandering life

But we don’t use that word anymore

.

We don’t really speak at all,

We tend to our children

In separate rooms

Artist Statement

Before coming to UVIC, Lila grew up in the forests of North Vancouver, which instilled in her a tremendous urge to get lost and climb trees. When she’s not articulating fricatives for Linguistics, Lila can be found running, making art with her friends, or talking to strangers.