Disorientation

Abstract

This work is just one iteration of the larger disorientation project at UBCO. In February and March 2025, my friend Timi Adebayo and I co-created campus disorientation tours where we highlighted hidden histories of the UBCO campus, with a particular focus on the role of student activism. This zine is an extremely condensed version of the tours and is mostly intended as a jumping-off point for people who are interested to learn more. Hopefully you get inspired to become an activist yourself. Please take a look at the disorientation tours resource package to learn more!

I chose to put these ideas into a zine because zines are easy to create and reproduce, they can be distributed in both official (like this journal) and unofficial ways (shh... i won't tell), and because they can be a tool for cultivating public memory. Essentially, this zine is asking: what if we knew about how student power has shaped and continues to shape this campus? What if we refused to let colonial institutions like UBC take credit for our activism? What if we learned from our predecessors about how to build and sustain movements? What possibilities would open up if we became disoriented?