This summer, white supremacy has been alarmingly prevalent in the news. With it came odious images of marching neo-Nazis, bearing an obvious symbol of hate: the swastika. What many of us may not realize is that its modern use sharply deviates from history. The word “swastika” is Sanskrit, which, like the ancient symbol itself, has traditionally held positive meaning across cultures — including our own. James M. Skidmore, director of the Waterloo Centre for German Studies at the University of Waterloo, has written an illuminating article on the swastika’s origins and interpretation, and ponders whether it should be banned in North America as it is in Germany.

As you begin the Labour Day weekend, you may be dealing with children who are distressed about the start of school. Michael Lee Zwiers, an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Calgary, who last wrote about how to help kids transition to high school, has another great piece in our in our “Back to School” series. This time, he offers sage advice on what to do if your young greet a return to classrooms with anxiety and trepidation, and when you should be concerned.

Back-to-school season also involves shopping for new clothes, which inevitably turns into debates about fashion. This year, the latest styles include a twist: a demand for environmental sustainability. Anika Kozlowski, a PhD candidate in sustainable fashion at Ryerson University, delves into the celebrity-fuelled trend, probing the media hype and dark reality of fashion’s popular consumerism.

Finally, on a brighter note, the last summer entry in our “Worth Reading” book review series has one of The Conversation Canada’s most popular writers offering a selection of reading perfect for the beach, park, cottage, or travel to new beginnings. Laurentian University scientist Thomas Merritt, who last wrote about how to get rid of pesky fruit flies, shares his thoughts on books about the history and endangered future of the banana, fiction splicing together love, genetics and the science’s father, Gregor Mandel; and a description-defying, time-and-geography spanning tale of women by a groundbreaking, intersectional Canadian talent.

All the best,