438 Literary Magazine is a collection of poetry, prose, and visual art by students and alumni of Columbia College on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəyəm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɁɬ (TsleilWaututh), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) nations, colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Admin Kharki, Amandeep Tandon, Bablish Jindal, Dave Nguyen, Darsh Sharda, Gurparteet Singh, Gurpreet Kaur, Hushanpreet Kaur, Jewel (Su May Myo Paing), Kanwaljit Singh, Kapish Chhabra, Kayra Dayana Ibrania Silalahi, Khushleen Kaur, Lakshya Sethi, Lucia Joana, Manwinder Kaur, Navraj Singh Sidhu, Navreet Kaur, Priya, Rad Karim, Ramandeep Kaur, Rashandeep Kaur, Reina Le, Samuel Kevin Gasangwa, Simran Kaur Kahlon, Simranjit Kaur, Sukhmanpreet Kaur & Mannat Buttar, Swan Yee Htet (Eddy), Tina Ghofrani, Ulziipurev Tumen-Ulzii, Usaid Syed, Veerpal Kaur Jassal, Yogita
Land Acknowledgement
Photography by Rad Karim
Mountain Majestic, tall
Still, Holding, Standing
Ancient trials witnessing historic climbs.
Peaks of xwməθkwəyəm, səlilwətaɁɬ, and Skwxwú7mesh.
Gurpreet Kaur
River
Mighty; birthplace
Flowing, birthing, relieving, Oh mighty mother nature’s pride
River of xwməθkwəyəm, səlilwətaɁɬ, and Skwxwú7mesh.
Usaid Syed
Land; Seized, colonized; Sidelining, relocating, resettling; The people suffering for no fault of their own; The unceded territories of xwməθkwəyəm, səlilwətaɁɬ, and Skwxwú7mesh.
Lovisht Chawla
SedentaryonaRockintheOcean
Swan Yee Htet (Eddy)
And the heron dips its beak into the vast blue space, Calmly, it lifts up a herring and swallows it whole, The expanse of the ocean surrounds it as the heron lays sedentary on a rock on the ocean.
Like a miniature mountain, the rock lays dormant in the water, The gravelly texture speaks of its age, And in spite of the tides and the ever-changing sky, it too remains sedentary in the ocean.
Overlooking it all are the steep mountains that envelop the ocean, Far off in the distance they lay, collected like a school of fish, They always speak and the ocean always answers, Always in conversation are the mountains that lay dormant
Nature
Khushleen Kaur
Relaxed
Kanwaljit Singh
I’m feeling this wind, This mist, this little cold breeze
The chill, the fun, The new day, new sun. The light it provides With a punch of heat, The aroma of dust, The sound of trees
Giving me a sensation That I’m free From city debris. The enormous ocean, The touch of waves, The peace it gave.
The mountain that touches the skies
Calling my emotions, Calling me to hike.
Just wanna sit and chill, Want a vacation from life From all the bills.
TearsofCloud
Gurpreet Kaur
From the wider sky to the land of unknown, My journey is longer than the earth I own. Holding tight to my fellas, yet gonna fall apart, Like a poet putting emotions and words into craft.
I dance with the wind and shine through the sun; Heat rises up, before my quest’s begun. Before merging into soil, I rest on the leaves, Living some happy moments and new dreams.
Riding on clouds, having hills to stay, Moving over and over again, to find my way. I flow along the river, finally ending at the sea, I follow an endless journey.
Read again, Who is me?
Raindrop!
Rad Karim
TheGroceryStore
Kapish Chhabra
The doors swing open, Walmart’s cold air flows, Bright lights blind where the produce glows. A sea of choices, both vast and stark, I drift like a shadow, unsure where to start.
What do I need? What should I buy?
The shelves stand silent, no answers reply. Labels blur together, too many to choose, Every decision feels like one I’ll lose.
I grab a can, then put it back, Lost in the maze of a mental track. A box of something catches my eye, But I don’t know why, I just let it lie.
No list, no plan, just wandering here, In a sea of products, surrounded by fear. Do I need bread, or something to fry? I look for direction but none meets my eye.
The checkout looms with hollow cart, A half-hearted effort, an aimless start. The grocery store wins, I retreat in defeat, A place so mundane, yet bittersweet.
In the end, I skip the choice, the search, the fight, I order takeout, a meal of a quiet night. I feel the guilt as I press “place order” too soon, Regret echoes softly like an empty tune.
BehindMySilence Hushanpreet Kaur
TwoofMe
Kapish Chhabra
If only there were two of me, One to roam, one to be free. One to carry this heavy load, The other to rest on a a quiet road.
One to stay where my roots have grown, To hold my parents, to call it home. To share their laughter, wipe their tears, To erase the weight of distant years.
The other to chase what dreams demand, To shape my life with my own hand. To study, to work, to brave the cold, To earn a future that’s bright and bold.
One to labor through endless days, Answering calls, trapped in a haze. The other to cook, to rest, to breathe, To save a life that doesn’t seethe.
One to smile when the world expects, Hiding the crack no one inspects. The other to cry in quiet nights, Letting the pain take off its tights.
If only I could split in two, One for the old, one for the new. But here I stand, just one, alone, A weary heart, a tired bone.
And though I ache for this divid, I bear the weight, I will not hide. For in this life, as one, I’ll be, Enough for all who believe in me.
The sunlight
Ever so warm
A gentle embrace I’m in your arms again
Your voice lingers
Like whispers in the wind
My heart grows brittle
Every pulse longing for you
So I wait euphonic.
Sweet floral aroma
Carried by the breeze
Through endless fields
Coloured every hue
I close my eyes and smile
Suddenly I am in your presence gardenia.
HisSunshine
Manwinder Kaur
Once upon a time, when I danced to nursery rhymes, In my small world, his arms were wide as skies, He sang sweet songs just for me, He gave me wings and let me be free.
He caught the stars because I loved their shine, The world was scary, but his hands felt fine. When I came into the world, so soft and new, His fingers held me steady, strong, and true.
I thought I was alone, but his grip stayed mine, He’s never showed fear, not even one sign. I’ve never doubted his strength, not even once, He’s been a mountain since his prime, ever since.
In every storm, he taught me how to climb, He chased his dreams, now the turn is mine. He’s still my favourite hero, he’s the reason for my smile, And I call myself his sunshine.
Your little one loves you, papa always, All the time. And I promise, Your dreams will live on through mine.
… I love you papa! I know your worth.
MyMother’sAlooParatha
Ramandeep Kaur
In this personal essay, I will talk about my every Sunday morning through the taste of food. My mother wakes up early to make aloo paratha. The sound of her hands while pressing the dough is soft, like a heartbeat. She wears her old black shawl that smells like cardamom and the kitchen fills with the warm scent of cumin and butter. She boils four potatoes and peels them while they are still warm. Then she mashes them with a fork rather than a machine. She mixes in green chilies, salt, coriander, and her secret ingredient– crushed mint leaves. She told me once that it was her mother’s idea.
She takes a small piece of dough, flattens it and puts the potato mix in the middle. She folds it and rolls it in a gentle way. I used to flip the parathas on the hot pan, watching them bubble and turn golden brown while she smiled at me. We eat sitting on the floor, dipping the hot paratha into yogurt and sharing old family stories. Furthermore, it is more than just food because it is love, tradition and a way to remember the person who teaches us - my mother. Now when I make it alone, the kitchen feels quiet. But still I follow her steps that are: press the dough, fold the edges, and wait for golden bubbles. Hence, every time it feels like she is with me.
Simranjit Kaur Poetry
WhereIFail
Sleep and thoughts
Wants to control,
But every time I fail
Burden and weight, Wants to roll
But every time I fail
Heart with burst, Wants to console
But every time I fail.
Bed
Can you make a bed for me?
So that I can
Sleep tighter, By feeling lighter
A bed with warm feelings, And love to
Make my dreams delighter
A hug that is tighter!
So that I cannot fear darker
And I can rest lighter
A bed with cozy exciter
To make me, no longer a fighter
And give me your arms
So that I can sleep brighter.
Where?
The place where the time get slows Through the canals, water flows
The sun rises delightedly, And the mist on the crops drops lightly.
Hearing the sweet sounds of birds
And the farm animals are my only friends
Dear and near to me Where I truly be me
Smell of the raindrops through the soil
Where I truly belong
And just to be there, Where the place where, where the pace matches matches with my speed no need to hurry
Where?
where I want to go
OR
Where there I was….
YOU
Kanwaljit Singh
Morning madness, through all the tiredness, I remember you
My lucky charm, nothing can harm me, With you.
Seller of happiness, collector of sadness, Businessman you.
Your memories’ tides, Swept away all pain’s shelf life, Painkiller you.
I am sitting on an empty train, filled with people. Hey! Where are you?
My blood warms, until you calm me, My therapy you.
Hey! My shining diamond, wanna keep you for myself, My insecurity you.
You go through my veins, with hemoglobin, My bloodline you.
Your beauty shines, your words are wine, What a drug are you!
You are the one, who sings through my rhymes, What a poem are you!
Gaslight
Kanwaljit Singh
I was comparing her to starlight
She thought what I was doing, gaslight
She is an ideal for beauty
Shines through hard-time
Nothing compared to her charm
That set bar high
High more than sky
High, in her love, high
She is queen in all eras
Big heart, big jar
For love
And separation was terror
She still thinks
What I was doing was gaslight
Is she weak in foresight
The love I want to give
The sacrifices I did
Was all lie
My incomplete story,
My heart she taken in dowry
Without love,
I am sorry, without giving harm
My love fades aways
My lucky charms trades away
Gurparteet Singh Sehnsucht
Random Thursday night, it was lovely and dark. You took my heart away like an Orca from a Great White Shark.
It was all so dreamy; so very mellow. You had me drawn to you like Van Gogh to paint yellow.
Is it all a dream?
I asked myself in happy despair. Maybe we were meant to be, meant to be the perfect pair.
You seemed like a human melody; clear and familiar like a wind chime. You made me feel anxious but it felt so soothing for the first time.
I thought you'd be mine, mine for good. I thought I felt happy; happier than I ever thought I would.
Time passed and I realized it was a facade that I put over what was true. You robbed me of me; left me devoid of any virtue.
Long gone is the ache, the pain that you caused. I was left stranded, longing for who I really was.
Took me a while to toughen up for I was still searching for me in you I know I'm still in the tides of your thoughts, though you'll never see what I wrote about you...
Reina Le AlettertowhomIlove
Tôi yêu anh như bài ru ngày bé
Như giâc mộng mẹ hay kể tôi nghe
Như bụi tre, sương mờ trong sách vở
Tôi yêu anh, thật rât đôi ngây thơ.
Tôi còn nhớ, nôi niêm mình chôn giâu, Những ngày trước, tình này cât ở đâu.
Những ngày sau, mình kê vai sát cánh, Thật may măn, tôi được ở bên anh.
I love you like the lullabies of youth, Like dreams under the roof, mom usually told, Like bamboo grows, towards the mist, I love you. Indeed, with a young soul.
Though secrets unfold, that memories still got kept, Days where it bled, where to shed my tears, Days, now you’re here, I got cheered with love. I’m thankful enough, may this love will stand.
Reina Le Summerset,summerise
To you it was just summer, to me it was an escape.
If I could owe that debt I'd have sunk down, yet it's not allowed so I floated up.
Glad that I’m the boat, and you’re the ocean that hugs me in. Endless nights I’m grounded within, took only one for me to wake up.
If you told me not to give up, it’s enough not to give in.
PhotographybyReina Le
Samuel Kevin Gasangwa Lover’sLoss
I sat with my anger, long enough when you left to hear its name, grief, whispered, softly but certain.
I am was never whole, in my life
Always a puzzle of missing pieces scattered to the wind until you gathered them in your hands.
Loving you Has aways been a quiet war, a wound carved in tenderness, a blade hidden in devotion.
Pain,hate,anger and love are my anchor reminding me I am still human, and are all I have left of you..
PhotographybyNikola Vu
NotBliss,ButFire:APromise andAdventure
Samuel Kevin Gasangwa
I won’t promise constant bliss, Or wrap our days in perfect kisses. But life with me will always move, In wild a rhythm , off every groove.
No quiet script, no silent scene, But loud moments and in between. We’ll laugh, we’ll fight, we’ll chase the night, And make the darkness feel our light.
So if you seek a steady shore, I may not be what you adore. But choose me, darling and you will see that Boredom won’t come near our home.
Art byRad Karim
fromtheEast
Born beneath a full moon’s glow, With eyes like jade, a calm they show. A voice that soothes, a spirit so bright, She turns the darkness into light.
Her beauty blooms like Dahlia fair, With desert skin and midnight hair. Strong as a lion with steady pace, No fear can touch her shining face.
Yet in her chest, a treasure beats
A heart where love and kindness meet. Her Presence is a gift of grace, A shining soul, a warming place.
Amara is kind and soft as flame
A diamond true, a queen of her name.
“She”isanArtPiece
Yogita
I made this colourful painting with bright and dark colours with a thought that every artist is an artwork themselves. The main idea is every human being is an artwork created by God. An artwork is created with a lot of effort, time, hard work, and focus. God created each of us with different face and, body , each of us different from one another. Instead of complaining and feeling insecure about looks , we should try to appreciate the God's artworks which means "Loving Yourself". Everyone of us is an art piece created byGod so by ignoring the point of judging yourself start loving yourself and other artworks as well that means loving other people.
IntheCircleofLove
Tina Ghofrani
To sing about love, and to dance in love. To discover love within yourself, and spin around the center of your own being. How beautiful it is when you finally realize that everything you ever looked for is already inside you! That you are the center of this universe.
And in that moment, a true kind of spiritual rapture arrives. You begin to dance wildly and beautifully!
In a circle, around the heart of it all.
The center of the world.
The center of love itself.
And then you see: this ecstasy comes from knowing that you were the beginning, the end, and always will be.
Persia, the cradle of love and awareness, the land where the soul is seen within, and the sacred dance of Sama begins around that truth.
“Die, die into this love
Die into this love and be reborn as spirit.
Take a pickaxe and dig through the walls of your prison.
When you break free, you’ll find you were always a king, a ruler, a soul unbound."
Rumi
When you free yourself from your ego and take a step deep into your own being, you begin to feel the truth inside you. You realize that this whole life is your dream.
A beautiful dream that holds within its power, creation, glory, life, and faith. You can only reach this level when you have let go of the physical self and the grip of the ego.
It is in that incredible moment that you feel your hands held by a Higher Power, and you begin to truly feel what life means.
In that majestic moment, you become the ruler of your own world and in this love, full of passion, you begin to dance in the field of your energy.
Isn’t it beautiful?
The blood in my veins still feels you, the power of love, of language, and the ancient soul of Persian culture!
Time
Ulziipurev Tumen-Ulzii
Didn’t realize how far I have come
Decades past and eternity to go
Seen countless trees change colors, leaves decay
My mother’s wrinkles branch the same path as my granny’s Ancestors remnants run river in me
Here I am, in the middle of life
Between living and spending Tomorrow is not a guarantee
Recursive curse or glamorous gift
Pain of time to poetry
Joy of life to enjoy
Art byJesse Ramos
Usaid Syed
I stand there guarding the only thing I own, Something that can only be obtained through me, I own the threaded paths of the past, The future, and the present
I yearn to hear the words “wow”, I yearn for the slow thud, I yearn for sharing, I yearn for your time,
I hope one day I lose the burden on my shoulders, I hope one day I can serve my one and only purpose, I hope one day I can take you on a journey, One you can’t put down.
For no journey is too hard for me to show, For no journey is too far to reach, For no journey is too bleak to leave,g For you and your history is preserved within me.
Photography by Usaid Syed
Darsh Sharda TheFlickerofFraser
Heads towards the Columbia Station, To the flowing river of Fraser, Which helps to relieve my frustration From my stress, anxiety via eraser.
The windy breeze follows us Near the stones where algae dries up, In the open where the sun roars on us, With a can of juice and chips which helps the throat getting dried up.
It gives a feeling of relaxation, From all the desires that were built up in my mind, The work, the college, the tough life, exhaustion, I felt liberated while sitting on the stones aligned.
The passage to go there is to climb a fence, Where the railway lines are connected, The seagulls or birds float relieving their quench, That’s where the small greasy stones were expected.
I love the small and I love the nature, Sound of winds flows through my mind, I see a river full of creatures, Took a nap which cleared my mind.
AFruitlessEndeavor
Usaid Syed
A clock’s ticks are a mere blip in the past, Each second ticks, and each second tocks, Yet neither collide, each live in harmony, An order not to be broken.
Time will never break, but its burden Eventually crushes those below it, For the loving embrace it thwarts, Is never returned.
Imagining a life without time, is futile For every second we think time will move on, Never to be caught, forever free, Never does its will fall from grace.
Its freedom transcends beyond imagination, For its dictated our world well before its conception, It’s the essence that binds the worlds, For its nature’s one and only true essence.
For nature time’s a mere construct, Gone one moment, arriving immediately, the next, Yet, for each moment, there’s a silent whispering beauty, A fruit of freedom hanging from the past.
An allure, both terrifying and mystifying, Only, those with courage try to reach it, While those who are weak-willed lose out, On its mystifying beauty.
Photography by Usaid Syed
BetweenBlack&Red
Admin Karki
Black and red what is in between?
Some scars, a few failures and happiness unseen.
Spinning all around am I a wheel or a ball? When should I stop after losing everything or winning it all...
What’s tougher to predict your mood or the next move? I might go against the odds but what will it prove? What is certain? Is it death? Life is a gamble. Still, I’ll put everything on red.
Jack&Four
Lucia Joana
Tulips
Lucia Joana
MyBud
Rashandeep Kaur
Thank you mom and dad to send her, In my small world who makes my sorrows blur.
In our floral family, You are Aster and I’m Dahlia, Together spreading sweet aroma in the universe.
You are my support, like a stick for creeper, Protecting me like thorns on a rose.
You are my direction on the unknown land, Bud of my good fortune flower.
No matter where we will be, You will be the sun in my days and moon in my nights. My leaf will die after detaching from your tree.
Anonymous Blue
A dark hollow space
No sense of peace
I seek to belong
But I seem to keep up to pace.
A group of other me
Under a beam of light
Nothing but darkness is all I see
An air balloon flying in my void
Looking like another light that might come and go
My whole life seems toyed.
I don’t wish for the light to go
But at least be slow
Even if it’s just for a while, I can feel whole.
TheLookofLove Jewel (Su MayMyo Paing)
Anonymous LoveFromADistance
I don’t hate easily. Even when we drift, even when your voice becomes a memory I replay in the quiet, I don’t hold it against you.
I’m not angry that you didn’t stay. I’m just quiet about the ache. Because we both know not everything ends with a fight. Some things just... fade.
We grew apart, like cities expanding in opposite directions, still on the same map but no longer side by side. And maybe that’s how it had to be. Maybe time demanded we walk alone to learn who we are without leaning too hard on each other.
But don’t mistake silence for indifference. If your name slips into conversation, I still smile.
I still hear your laughter in places it no longer echoes.
I still remember the way you knew what to say when I didn’t know how to ask for help.
We don’t talk much now. And maybe we won’t again. But there are places, songs, phrases, that still belong to you
Some things you need to know about me I don’t erase people. I don’t unlove. I just learn how to love from afar. How to wish you well in whispers. How to pray for your peace without needing to be a part of it.
And yes, I’m learning to live in the present. To stop rereading the last chapter waiting for a different ending. But even so, even now, there’s a part of me that looks over my shoulder from time to time just to see if you’re looking too.
Not because I want to go back but because you mattered. And some bonds deserve a quiet moment of reverence before we move on.
Some things you need to know about me I let go gently. But I never forget the hands that held me when the world didn’t.
RubberDuckie
Lucia Joana
Kayra Dayana Ibrania Silalahi Tsuki-chan
A fluffy amoeba
Born into the Earth
Blessed by the snowy sky
Welcomed by Monbetsu’s warmth
Her milky fur
Puffy like cotton balls
Her bubbly eyes
Captivate people’s hearts
How innocent is she
Squirming around to her heart’s content
Protected by her sassy mother
Caring for her baby, with all of her might
Day by day, weeks have passed
Seasons change, yet the sky stays the same
The fluffy amoeba, grew stronger
Slowly changed her fur, gaining her ringed spots
She evolved from a small furball to a fried shrimp
Then she turns into her final form…
A beautiful ringed seal, plump and rotund
The colors of the moon’s shadow, her body’s so sleek
How gorgeous is she, swimming through the water
And how chatty is she, always needy with her mother
She plays around with her food, and always blowing bubbles
Is she really fighting with her last braincells?
How wondrous is she, looking above the sky
Her eyes sparkle through the light’s reflection
She wonders who resides there up in the sky
Admiring the beauty of the fluffy clouds and planes passing by
On a cold night, the grown-up amoeba takes a slumber
The moonlight ray bathes on her fur as she sleeps soundly
The stars twinkles above her, the small breeze billows on her whiskers
Accompanied by the sound of waves overlooking the Sea of Okhotsk, home to her ancestors
Gurpreet Kaur
ElysianDream
SilentHours
Gurpreet Kaur
In the silent darker nights, When I open my sight, The clock is ticking so slow, I think of morning glow.
I couldn't figure it out Why this night isn't passing out.
Then it comes to my thoughts, Always closed in a box. That box is my mind, Can get open with the wind, But the air is stopped, Like my fingers are crossed.
One day it will all shift to change. Now I am being so strange, So strange to think it out Why this night isn't passing out.
It's all the very first time Writing words, Turning rhythms.
May be all are turning bad, Yet writing I am so glad. Love the way I am feeling, Something here for healing.
Still figuring it out Why this night isn't passing out.
Art byGurpreet Kaur
Amandeep Tandon
PhotosofVancouver
Dave Nguyen
StreetPhotography
Bablish Jindal Doodle-Rick
Bablish Jindal DoodleArt
Veerpal Kaur Jassal
HappinessandPeace
Priya NatureisIncredible
ColoursofNature
Navreet Kaur
PhotograohybySimranjit Kaur
Drizzle
PurpleSplatter
SoftBloom
PhotographybySimran Kaur Kahloon
PhotographybyManwinder Kaur
Nature’sPaws
Lakshya Sethi
LoveforAircraft
Yogita
This artwork is for someone who loves aircrafts like me. This artwork is my first flight, my first journey by plane filled with mixed emotions. This emotional artwork is for every international student who leave his or her hometown for a better future. The idea is so ironic for me because I love aircrafts but at the same time it reminds me of how far I am from my parents, hometown, siblings at this moment. However, my love for aircrafts will never change. Watching aircrafts is healing to me. It feels like time just stops when I watch them flyhigh in the sky. I think every artist can feel the love for painting something real on a piece of paper that reflects their emotions.
Bell,forBella(AStudy)
Lucia Joana
Split
Lucia Joana
TheLoveofDivine Manwinder Kaur
Art byNavraj Singh Sidhu
Art byNavraj Singh Sidhu
Art byNavraj Singh Sidhu
GokufromDragonBall
Sukhmanpreet Kaur & Mannat Buttar
TanjirofromDemonSlayer
Sukhmanpreet Kaur & Mannat Buttar
Contributor Bios
AdminKarki(he/him)
Admin is from Nepal and currently studying Associate of Arts (Psychology) at Columbia College. He enjoys drinking cardamom tea, hiking, and playing roulette.
DaveNguyen(he/him)
Dave is a normal student from the north campus. He loves photography and he hopes you can enjoyhis photos.
GurparteetSingh(he/him)
Gurparteet S. is currently pursuing an Associate degree in General Science and would (hopefully) be done after the semester that you're reading this in. Bro likes working out, Savoury meals, water, and doing human stuff. He's been a Lab Assistant (Biology) and Peer Tutor (Science) at Columbia College, expanding horizons of personal growth, one step at a time. His moto is to "Always take it easy, it's not the end of the world anyway" but he definitelyrecommends not following this.
GurpreetKaur(she/her)
Gurpreet speaks to herself more than she talks to anyone else. She is always lost in her scientific “why”. Listening to "Karan Aujla's" music is basically the last thing she does before sleep (her sleep pill). Other than that she just paints, writes and clicks to feel alive.
HushanpreetKaur(she/her)
Hushanpreet graduated last semester, in Winter 2025 majoring in Psychology. She is an introvert who loves being alone. She enjoys reading novels, and Ana Huang is her favorite author. Apart from reading, she loves sketching, painting, and creating mandala art for relaxation. She chose psychology as her major because she struggled mentally when she first left home, and she wants to become a psychologist to help people who go through similar experiences. She is a good listener when someone needs to talk. She dreams of traveling around the world if money weren’t an issue and she didn’t get lazy! And yes, she is an ARMY… not the military one, but a proud BTS ARMY!
Jewel(SuMayMyoPaing)(she/her)
Fun fact about her is that she is actually from Burma, although people think she is from a South Asian or Middle Eastern country. She is a big fan of superhero movies. She loves sketching, reading books, and crocheting in her free time.
KanwaljitSingh(he/him)
Kanwaljit is from Punjab. He is doing an Associate of General Arts degree. He likes to hike and explore nature.
KapishChhabra(he/him)
Kapish loves to write about random things in his free time. He loves music, water sports and food! PS - He wants to go to Laufey’s concert in October (too broke for it).
KayraDayanaIbraniaSilalahi(she/her)
Kayra Dayana Ibrania Silalahi is your weird average girl, who came all the way from Jakarta, Indonesia. She loves EGL (elegant gothic lolita) fashion, marine life, liminal space aesthetic, pastel colors, cute things, and especially seals. And also expect her to talk about Japan Airlines Subchannel all the time for one hour straight. (don't look that channel up...like seriously)
KhushleenKaur(she/her)
Stay happy with strong thinking.
LakshyaSethi(he/him)
Lakshya is from Punjab, India. He is a student at Columbia college. This is his fourth semester. His major is Associate of Arts (General). He likes photography and editing.
LuciaJoana(she/her)
Pls commission me I need money :'3 [carmlpudd@gmail.com]
ManwinderKaur(she/her)
Manwinder is from India. She is enrolled in an associate degree. She feels she is lost here. Except for the days she attends college it could be fun for others but for her it is something she is facing each day tough and rough. She misses her father a lot, the way he used to care for her, she does not feel the same anywhere else. She feels confident and honest. Columbia college has always introduced new opportunities for students to make them creative and see their talent. Be calm and be kind.
NavrajSinghSidhu(he/him)
Navraj is drawn to the theatre of power, the art of resistance, and the philosophy of what endures.
NavreetKaur(she/her)
Enjoy your life according to your own way because every flower has its own beauty.
Priya(she/her)
Priya loves observing nature and capturing its beauty. She is from the wonderful country India that let her know the importance of nature. Her perspective in life is be happy in every situation, be kind just like the nature, and achieve success in life by being perfect. As once she’s achieved perfection, success is mandatory to come��.
RadKarim(they/them)
Rad was born in Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Certified ADHD-er and gremlin. Got lost in their mind-palace in 2012 and still hasn’t found their way out (it keeps expanding).
RamandeepKaur(she/her)
Ramandeep Kaur is from India and she is an Associate of Arts student.
RashandeepKaur(she/her)
This my 5th semester in Columbia College.
ReinaLe(she/her)
May God forbid a girl that loves a lot of money.
SimranKaurKahlon(she/her)
Simran Kaur Kahlon … She is in love with nature and just capture it anytime time she sees the beauty in it ��.
SukhmanpreetKaur(she/her)andMannatButtar(she/her)
Sukhmanpreet Kaur is a student in the Associate of Arts program at Columbia College, she is an artist, who blends creativity with emotion through detailed hand-drawn work. She is Inspired by anime and everyday life, their art reflects both bold energy and quiet beauty. In her free time, she enjoy’s sketching, watching animated shows, and exploring new ideas through art with her sister Mannat Buttar.
SwanYeeHtet(Eddy)(he/him)
Eddy was born in Yangon, Myanmar (do you know where that is yet?). He still really likes to read, like a lot.
TinaGhofrani(she/her)
Iranian girl from the generation of Rumi. To me, every moment is an opportunity for learning and growth. I'm studying General Science at Columbia College.
UlziipurevTumen-Ulzii(he/him)
Ulzii is in his last semester. He often overthinks everything, forgetting to enjoy the moment. Often reserved, but has plenty to say.
UsaidSyed(he/him)
Finishing one of the weirdest arcs of his life, with the peak being “shrimp curry,” Usaid aims to find anything remotely normal to cling onto.
VeerpalKaurJassal(she/her)
Veerpal is an international student from Punjab, India, currently studying in the Arts program at Columbia College. She loves exploring the mountains, watching documentaries, and finding hidden gems around Vancouver.
Yogita(she/her)
She is an international first semester student in Columbia College pursuing associate of science degree. I love spending time on art, Potraits and sketches. She love’s nature, aircrafts, and animals. I find happiness in eating tasty food.
Words
Tim Yernar
Lettering
Violet Charlotta
Photo Ashley Nicole Gabriel
A few words from some of our editors:
“Being a part of the editing team was more than just a task, it was a process of discovery. I found meaning in the small choices, the careful revisions, and the way every detail shaped the final voice of the magazine. It was a quiet but fulfilling experience that deepened my appreciation for thoughtful collaboration It was a rewarding experience.”
TinaGhofrani,CopyeditingTeam
“Being a member of the design team provided me with a creative outlet and helped me better my own artwork! Apart from adding to my Co-Curricular Record, this was and opportunity to work with other articulate and creative minds as part of the club, introducing me to new ideal and standpoints. This had been a fun introduction to a new community and new ways of thinking, which I doubt would’ve been possible for me without being part of this team.”
GurparteetSingh,DesignTeam
“This magazine puts me though a topsy-turvy rollercoaster of emotions every semester. With each new issue, comes new challenges and hurdles to overcome. Tracking down images, following up with students, managing and delegating work to my team... it all feels daunting at first. But being able to read everyone’s writing, appreciate people’s art and photography, and collaborate with my fellow editorial team members is often the highlight of my semester This term, I have truly been blessed with a phenomenal group of people that I can proudly call my team. I know better than anyone just howfrustrating the work can be, and yet through all the highs and lows of this process, these people have been nothing but fantastic and I couldn’t have asked for a better crew. I’m truly honoured to be able to continue producing this magazine Massive thank you to all our contributors, supporters, and thank YOU, our readers, for picking up our magazine.”
RadKarim,ArtDirector
little specks of white and yellow little specks of white and yellow dot the dew-laden saturated greens dot the dew-laden saturated greens thriving in shadows cast by rebirth thriving in shadows cast by rebirth a sign of fresh new beginnings a sign of fresh new beginnings
cover photography by rad karim a poem by rad
columbia college columbia college creative writing club creative writing club
