Meet the Editor

It is a pleasure to introduce you to another one of our newest editors, Isaac Code ! We are excited to collaborate with Isaac and look forward to all of his incredible work.

• What motivated you to join Spheres of Influence?

I was motivated to join Spheres of Influence because I knew it would give me the opportunity to learn and engage with underrepresented experiences and stories from around the world. My education in philosophy and political theory focuses on learning about groups who remain in situations that are epistemically marginalized in their ability to share their experiences in mainstream society. This is why, after graduating from Douglas College with an Associates Degree in Philosophy, I felt that it was my responsibility to join the conversation and do my part in amplifying marginalized voices. For this reason, I knew that Spheres would give me the opportunity to actively engage in a community that seeks to uncover stories and voices that are so often silenced

• What have you gained from the role?

Although I have only been a part of Spheres for several months now, it has been incredibly helpful in transitioning from editing academic resources to journalistic articles. At Spheres, it is our mission to ensure that all articles are accessible and engaging to a wide range of readers. Using heavy amounts of academic jargon or ineffectively explaining certain ideas can alienate or discourage audiences. It is my responsibility as an editor to ensure that barriers are broken down and content made accessible so that everyone can take part in the conversation. It has only been through working closely with writers and fellow editors that I have been able to effectively transition my editing process for the accessibility and engagement of Spheres’ readership.

• What is your favourite article to date, and why?

My favourite article that I have edited thus far has to be “Lessons from Portugal’s Renewable Energy Playbook” by Emily Hellam. This was actually my first article to edit at Spheres. Within, Emily discusses how Portugal’s partisan approach to climate disruptions can solve the political side of Canada’s climate change debate. As a passionate environmentalist and avid student of Canadian politics, I was excited to see that my first article was something I am quite familiar with. Being a larger article, full of great resources and information, I took my time to familiarize myself with Spheres’ standards of editing. I will always remember it as the first article I edited for Spheres.

• What do you want to work on most as part of Spheres of Influence?

Going forward, I am excited to continue to work and collaborate with passionate and likeminded individuals to follow our mission at Spheres of uplifting marginalized voices. Specifically, as Spheres launched on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, one of our missions is to deconstruct mainstream colonial narratives to amplify Indigenous stories. Having lived on these unceded lands my entire life, I hope that in the near future I will be able to collaborate with members of the writing team on some articles deconstructing settler-colonial concepts in order to uncover the ongoing injustices Indigenous people still face today.

• What’s one thing not many people know about you?

My two favourite hobbies are gardening and oil painting. Combining the two, I often set my easel up in the garden to paint my flowers and plants from life.