The Aquinian Volume 83, Issue 18

THE AQUINIAN

Volume 83 Issue 18 Feb. 26, 2019

St. Thomas University’s Official Student Publication Est. 1935

(Caitlin Dutt/AQ)

First black STUSU president elected Third-year Jamaican student Husoni Raymond was elected as the St. Thomas University Students' Union president, winning by 144 votes on Feb. 23

Caitlin Dutt Layout Editor Husoni Raymond will be the first black president of St. Thomas University Students' Union.

Given it’s Black History Month, Raymond said the timing feels perfect.

“We made history together," Raymond said.

"That feels like a really good accomplishment for my race and the university in general.”

Raymond was elected as president in the STUSU general election on Feb. 23, winning by

144 votes.

For Raymond, campaign planning started five months ago. But he knew he wanted to be president one month into his first year of STU. “It’s always been my dream since my first year as the vice-president external of Harrington Hall [and] attending my first STUSU meeting and seeing the execs give reports on the great things they have been doing to impact student life on campus.”

Since then, he's been STUSU’s vice-president administration and a student representative on St. Thomas

FEATURES

University's board of governors.

He's also been involved with the STU Debate Society as its founder and president, has been on the executive of St. Thomas University International Student Association and was an amendment captain of the moot court team.

His experience at STU has had ups and downs he said, but overall, it’s an experience that’s close to his heart.

Raymond said completing his undergraduate as president will be the perfect way to give back to the community that has given so much to him.

“I have a passion for just

impacting the student life on campus to make our campus a safe space and just enhancing the student experience.”

Campaigning started on Feb. 16. Raymond was the only candidate in this election, and in recent memory, to hand out campaign buttons.

He said he ran out of the 200 buttons on the first day of the campaign. Dozens of students shared photos of the buttons on social media in support of Raymond.

“I’ve had [University of New Brunswick] students even come up to me and be like, “Can I have a pin?’ And I’m like, ‘You

don’t even go here. But sure.'”

His promises Raymond ran on a threepoint platform: innovation and collaboration, enhancing students' experiences and transparency and accountability.

Regarding innovation and collaboration, he said he wants to listen to students to find out what issues they want addressed and how they want them resolved. He wants to develop partnerships in the

Continued on page 3

Beneath the skin

ARTS

Tapestries tell black history

SPORTS

Why do people get inked and what do their tattoos mean to them?

P6

STU loaned nine tapestries to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery for Black History Month.

P8

The women’s hockey team won their first game in the semifinal series against UNB. P10

Battle of the hill

02

News

What universal free tuition means to me LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A perspective often not taken seriously in discussions of post-secondary education public policy, and sort of left out of the recent article on universal free tuition, is the perspective of the high-income families and students.

Feeling honest about this topic, I have written this letter to the editor on what universal free tuition means to me, and many of my high-income peers, to add a new perspective to the discourse being discussed among students at St. Thomas University.

Growing up, I was never at a lack of basic necessities in life. Filet mignon, video games, trips around the country, Armani clothing, expensive chocolate and high quality school supplies were all regularly accessible to me on an at-needs basis. I had every advantage handed to me in life to make cruising through it as easy as possible.

High school was a joke to me. The amount of effort needed to succeed was laughable with all the advantages I had going into it. I finished with a 92 per cent average, which was quite slack of me compared to the more motivated high-income students.

Nonetheless, this seemed impressive enough to get me into any school I wanted with the potential for full-ride scholarships to follow.

So, I took advantage of this and picked a nearby school that offered me $25,000, about a full ride. I also applied for other scholarships and took advantage of other opportunities to make as much money on

my undergraduate degree as possible. In total, I accrued a little more than $40,000 during five years of my undergraduate degree, but if I included the money I’m still making from schooling, it’s gone up to about $72,000.

Housing was also not a concern for me. I had a two-story suburban home to myself while my parents went off to live in New York and France. I did not pay a single cent of rent or any significant bills besides my own fibre optic internet. So, all this money I was making was pure profit.

I actually had access to even more money, such as an education fund my parents invested in, but I didn’t need it in the end.

I let them spend it. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually quite common among rich families. I once dated a woman whose parents used her education fund on a family Caribbean cruise. She didn’t need it either.

When you’re rich, making money is easy.

People just throw it at you because they see your status and perceived abilities as worth investing in. The head start you get through all your social determinants of success being met, gives you access to so many more opportunities others could only dream of.

So, universal free tuition to me, I think, would be a neat investment on the stock market. I like to grow my assets. An extra $36,000 to $44,000 over four or five years could go a long way. However, that is just how I would spend the money. My peers would probably have different things in mind. Some might take extra yearly trips to Hawaii. Others might use it to buy yearly new phones, customize their cars, get more cocaine or pay for Tinder Gold. The

Haley Stairs, News Editor - news@theaq.net

possibilities for empty self-indulgences are almost endless.

Last summer, I worked at a boat club. One day, me and my equally rich co-worker were discussing what $1,500 phone he should gift himself before leaving for his year-long trip to Singapore (he’s going to save so much money on food going to a place like that). Arthur Irving Jr.’s yacht, the Halcion II, came by with his kids. As I stood there admiring the nicest yacht on the dock, I also wondered what the oldest kid would do with the money they would save/receive from universal free tuition.

Probably pay for another tank of gas.

To those students on campus arguing for universal free tuition because of expenses they are personally dealing with in life: I think a better solution is to focus on policy ideas that address the specific needs you need met, like legislation on affordable student housing, open educational resources or expanding tuition relief for the middle class to cover more middle-income families. Anything to help you and those students that need help the most. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations and the New Brunswick Student Alliance have already done some great work to help alleviate the costs of education for students in New Brunswick and they are always open to effective new ideas.

But please stop advocating for a regressive policy that adds nothing new in New Brunswick but give us rich folks more free money. We're already so far ahead.

Sincerely, Philippe Ferland, STUSU President 2017-18

Policies updated after student feedback Haley Stairs News Editor Definitions like "trauma informed" have now been added to St. Thomas University's Policy on Sexual Violence after speaking with victims about how they remember traumatic events.

Scott Duguay, the associate vice-president enrolment, said the university updated the policy because it needs to be reviewed every few years to keep it current, clear and reflect the information they've collected from students' experiences since the previous version.

"A student who has experienced trauma from sexual violence may not recall things in chronological order but might have really, really strong memories of pieces of the evening and we need to consider those as important as if they were in chronological order," Duguay said.

The 2015 version of the policy didn't include the trauma informed definition.

"We've noticed over the years that's something we need our staff trained on and understanding ... we felt it needed to be in

that policy."

This is one of two policies that have been updated by the university this semester. The Policy on Non-Academic Misconduct was also refreshed because both policies go hand-inhand. If a student wishes to report a sexual violence offence, they can do so through the Policy on Non-Academic Misconduct.

These updates were made by Brock Richardson, the director of student services and residence life, Kim Fenwick, the vicepresident academic and research, and through feedback from the St. Thomas University Students' Union.

Duguay said the 2019 revision doesn't include any fundamental changes, but focuses on formatting, updating contact information, eliminating redundancies and making flowcharts a "stand-alone" resource.

"It's really more changes to do with ensuring ... we're communicating the rules and regulations properly and that they're easy to understand. And that students can use the policies as real tools for themselves," said Duguay.

Other offences like fighting, bullying, stalking, assault, hazing, harassment and

endangering others and more are also covered by the Non-Academic Misconduct policy.

Duguay said he and Richardson brought the updated versions to two conferences.

In 2017, the two policies were presented at the National Conference of Campus Sexual Assault for Higher Education Administrations in Toronto and the Canadian Association of Colleges and Universities Student Services on Prince Edward Island in 2018.

At the Toronto conference, Duguay compared STU's Policy on Sexual Violence to Our Turn's evaluation grid. Our Turn is a student-led organization that evaluates sexual violence policies at Canadian universities.

"From my little analysis, we would have the best, one of the best policies in the country."

Duguay said the university has received positive feedback from students and that's what's most important.

"For us, policies, they're not meant to be written and just sit on a shelf ... we really want them to be used by students," he said.

"If we don't continue updating them every couple of years, they get stagnant and useless.

We want these to be real tools for students."

Clarification: In the issue of The Aquinian published on Feb. 19, 2018, the story "Fighting the man through dance" said the STU Musical Theatre class' production of Newsies was the second in Canada. It is actually the second production of Newsies in Atlantic Canada.

THE AQUINIAN The Aquinian, St. Thomas University's independent newspaper, is a student-ownedand-operated publication. It publishes weekly throughout the academic year.

The Aquinian is a member of the Canadian University Press and is funded in part by St. Thomas University's Dalton Camp Endowment in Journalism.

All editorial content appearing in The Aquinian is the property of The Aquinian.

Stories, photos and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without written permission from the Editor-in-Chief.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers, and may not be representative of The Aquinian, its editorial board or its board of directors.

For all advertising inquiries, contact the Managing Editor.

If you have any questions about The Aquinian, please contact the Editor-in-Chief.

For more information on becoming a contributor, submitting letters to the editor and for updates throughout the week, visit theaquinian.net.

AQ Staff Sarah Morin, Editor-in-Chief eic@theaq.net Cassidy Chisholm, Managing Editor managing@theaq.net Haley Stairs, News Editor news@theaq.net Lauren Hoyt, Features Editor features@theaq.net Jerry-Faye Flatt, Arts Editor arts@theaq.net Shannon Cornelius, Sports Editor sports@theaq.net Young Joo Jun, Photo Editor photo@theaq.net Caitlin Dutt, Layout Editor layout@theaq.net Elijah Matheson, Video Editor video@theaq.net 51 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5G3

(226) 926-2222 The Aquinian @Aquinian @theaquinian

03 Election Continued from page 1 Fredericton community and listen to and support marginalized students to make STU safer and more inclusive.

His second point focused on helping students become proud of their university. He wants to make and sell STUSU clothing and accessories.

He also wants to celebrate students’ achievements on the notice board in James Dunn Hall and promote athletic games and student initiatives on campus through social media.

His third point is transparency and accountability. He wants to continue to hold executive office hours in JDH. He wants to inform students of the student union's work with infographics and continue the STUSU weekly newsletter.

He also included a fourth point on his Facebook event. He said he wants to be approachable and supportive to students, council members and STUSU vice-presidents, especially with mental

Joomun said she was happy with the results even though she wasn't elected.

“As a proud friend and a fellow colleague, I’m very happy for [Husoni]. I knew that whoever was going to be elected was going to be an amazing president.”

Humble beginnings

Ailish Mackenzie-Foley, Husoni Raymond and Sarah Kohut (left to right) will start their term on May 1. (Caitlin Dutt/AQ)

health and sexual violence committees and the federal Get Out the Vote campaign.

He said each of these promises work in partnership with one another, but he also said the role of president is a supportive role.

“With the president, it's more of supporting the VPs and supporting our community in general and making a broad impact,” Raymond said.

Raymond will be

joined by newly-elected vice-president student life Sarah Kohut and newly-elected vicepresident education Ailish Mackenzie-Foley, while the position of vicepresident administration remains vacant. There will be another election after the spring reading week to fill the position.

Mackenzie-Foley and Kohut said they plan to get informed before working on one particular thing.

After that, MackenzieFoley said she will start amending STUSU policies, such as the sexual violence policy. Kohut said she’s not sure what she'll do first.

“So far, I feel this year is going to be great," Mackenzie-Foley said.

"We already know each other so I already feel like we’re going to be so wellversed to work with each other,” said MackenzieFoley.

Presidential candidate

and vice-president student life Bibi Wasiimah Joomun lost to Raymond in the STUSU president race.

After the defeat, she said she’s not sure if she’ll run for the vacant vicepresident administration position to get a spot on the student union for another year.

“I might consider it but ... putting another campaign on is very draining and very tiring. But I also love the STUSU and would like to be home.”

Raymond has loved advocacy since he joined Respect Jamaica, an advocacy group, when he was 16 in his home country Jamaica. During his time with the group, they hosted workshops to inform people about their rights.

Raymond said he loves to work with people and make a difference in lives, even if it's just one life.

“Just knowing that people are impacted by your work is what keeps me going and that’s always the goal, to impact people positively,” he said.

"It feels good to be ending my four years as president of the student union.”

Raymond and the other elected STUSU executives will start their term on May 1.

Students question effectiveness of cannabis policy “I think it's a little obviously unfair to the people who live in residence,” said Poitras, who lives in an apartment off-campus. “Like my lease doesn't even have a no smoking clause.”

Four months postlegalization

Naomi Gullison, a third-year student, doesn’t think STU’s Policy on Cannabis is fully effective. (Elijah Matheson/ AQ)

Elijah Matheson Video Editor Naomi Gullison, a third-year St. Thomas University student, thinks the university's Policy on Cannabis isn't preventing students from smoking on campus.

The only permitted way to consume cannabis on campus is through edibles, but students can't make edibles on campus. She said students violate this part of the policy, however.

“I think a lot of people who are smokers are still just sort of going about their business.

And yeah, that means violating the campus' policy on it as well,” said Gullison.

“This is very much just sort of pushing the responsibility on the students to break the law in a lot of cases.”

The university's Policy on Cannabis was introduced on Oct. 17, 2018, following the country-wide legalization of cannabis.

Gullison believes this policy is catering too much to restrictions and not to students who spend their time and money on campus.

She would like to see the university make more of an

effort to allow students who live in residence to enjoy cannabis. She believes it's worrisome for students who wish to use cannabis medically, but don't have a prescription because some doctors don't support cannabis use.

“I think it’s going to take some student pressure to take this a little further and maybe ease off some of these restrictions,” said Gullison.

Bachelor of Education student Ayla Poitras believes the policy doesn't make consuming cannabis as simple as consuming alcohol for students living in residence.

Four months after the legalization of cannabis, Scott Duguay, associate vicepresident enrolment, said the transition is going smoothly and he's happy with student use of cannabis.

“We haven't had a negative experience around it and I credit students a lot for that.

I think they've been really responsible, they've been informed, but they've also enjoyed cannabis within the rules and regulations within the law,” said Duguay.

Duguay said the university’s top priority is harm reduction and the residence advisors have received additional training about the effects of cannabis, how to effectively implement the policy and keep students safe.

The university has been circulating posters that outline the policy. Duguay said the strict provincial legislation, which doesn't allow smoking in

public, was helpful in creating the university’s policy.

“We just basically went, ‘OK, well you know you have to be 19. You can't smoke in public areas.’ That eliminates some of the problems we may have had around campus with people smoking up, you know, just here and there, because of the smells and stuff,” said Duguay.

'Policy posters not enough' Poitras also believes the posters and additional education for residence advisors isn't enough. Though there are New Brunswick Medical Society posters on campus that describe the risks of cannabis, STU hasn't run its own educational campaign.

Poitras said there should be more effort to do research and directly educate the students, especially those who live outside of residence.

“If you wanted to be educational, you would have an actual poster with safety aspects or like maybe pamphlets, or maybe you would bring someone in,” said Poitras.

“You need to support [the poster] with more than just pictures of little houses and do-not-do's.”

04

Debate Society to take on Atlantic Championships Jasmine Gidney Reporter The St. Thomas University Debate Society is ready for the Atlantic Championships after winning second place at the Dalhousie University Invitational on Feb. 8 and 9.

The championships will take place at Memorial University from March 1 to 3. STU will be competing against St. Mary's University, Dalhousie University, Mount Allison University and Memorial University. Representing STU are the president and vicepresident of the Debate Society, second-year student Alexandre Silberman and first-year student Victoria Young.

“I’m confident that heading into it that we have the chance to do really well and stay as one of the better teams in the region,” Silberman said.

But the Debate Society wasn’t always confident.

First-year student and member Jessie Cross said the team was “burnt out” before their trip to Dalhousie because of stress, travel and back-to-back competitions.

According to Cross, the team

didn’t do well the previous year because they were still a new society and they didn’t have a lot of members with experience.

While they learned and improved from each competition, Young thinks the Dalhousie Invitational was what placed STU on the map.

“We were able to present ourselves as a really competitive team,” Young said. “It gives us the confidence going into the Atlantics.”

The competition was split into two days and consisted of five rounds, each based on the Canadian parliamentary system.

Universities that participated included Memorial University, Mount Allison University, Saint Mary’s University and Dalhousie University, which hosted the competition.

Cross and Sayan Chatterjee, a fourth-year student, went as judges while Silberman and Young represented STU as debaters.

As debaters, they took the role of the government or the opposition.

As the government, they presented an idea and argued why it should be implemented. As the opposition, they poked holes in their opponent’s case and argued against why the policy shouldn’t

The Debate Society placed second at the Dalhousie Invitational on Feb. 8 and 9. (Young Joo Jun/AQ)

be implemented.

Silberman and Young debated on topics ranging from banning hockey fights to how prisoners serving life sentences should be able to request the death penalty.

As the government, they had 15 minutes to prepare their case while the opposition were sequestered. The opposition would learn the topic once the prime minister spoke, and had to come up with an argument on the spot during the government's seven-minute speech.

“Part of the fun is kind of just going with whatever’s thrown at

you,” Young said.

Silberman and Young were one of the few teams who won both rounds they competed in on the first day. Their winning streak carried over to the next day when they won each round leading up to the finals. The team was awarded second place — the first win the STU Debate Society has earned since their revival in 2017.

Cross also placed third in her round of public speaking.

Silberman views these competitions as a bonding experience for him and his teammates.

STU grad creates foodie blog to reconnect with her home province Zachary Russell Reporter St. Thomas University graduate Hilary Smith spent five years away from her hometown of Saint John, which left her feeling disconnected from her home and her province.

Smith graduated in 2012 and moved to Montreal two years later. She lived there for four years and travelled the world for a year before returning to her home in New Brunswick in 2018.

To reconnect, the journalism and English literature graduate started a "hobby" online foodie publication called Eat Coast in January.

The East Coast foodie website features lifestyle tips, product reviews, recipes and looks into restaurants and their owners.

“The reason why [I created Eat Coast was] to fulfill my need to write, but also to expose people to some of the awesome food and restaurants and entrepreneurs in their community,” Smith said.

Smith wants to shine a light

WEEKLY BRIEFS Words for Change workshop STU Sustainability will be hosting their first Words for Change workshop on Feb. 27 at 11:30 a.m. on campus. The workshop is about the Sisson Project and its impact on First Nations communities. The Sisson Mine is an open-pit of tungsten and molybdenum located in New Brunswick near Napadogan, Juniper and Stanley. This mine dumps waste into the Nashwaak river.

The workshop will focus on changes made to the legislation regarding the project, as well as discuss the most pressing issues it poses.

Attendees will collaborate on letters to be sent to local members of parliament and Environment Canada.

Breaking stereotypes The University of New Brunswick Student Union is hosting a screening of a documentary they created as part of their breaking stereotypes campaign.

The documentary features members of the community speaking about gender norms, gender discrimination, feminism and toxic masculinity. The screening is on Feb. 27 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Room 303 in Tilley Hall at UNB. Novel writing course A novel writing course started on Jan. 24 and will be held every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. until March 21. The course is taught by Terry Armstrong, author of The Girls from Alcyone and The Machines of Bellatrix , and is held at the University of New Brunswick Art Centre. The course focuses on topics like narrative structure, character development, plots and publishing.

Although the deadline for the January to March classes has passed, another round of classes will be available from April 25 to June 13.

Anyone can participate, including new writers. The cost is $155 plus tax.

Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial

Hilary Smith created Eat Coast to inform people about the food scene in New Brunswick. (Submitted)

on the food scene in N.B. In the website's first month, Eat Coast received around 3,500 visits. Smith said she is proud of the recognition.

Smith started a recipe blog in April 2016 before Eat Coast, called Livelymess. But Smith said it wasn't as popular.

“My other blog, it took ages and ages to reach that [view count], and I just thought that was evidence of how hungry people are for that kind of content here."

Smith said she's is filling a void for foodies in N.B. Aside from food, she wants

her work to bring attention to the people behind the food.

“Food doesn’t just get into the public space on its own.

Entrepreneurs are what drives it there, so I think focusing on the people behind it … and also not just food but … lifestyle [too].”

She wants to see her website become a little community of people who are passionate about food. Smith wants restaurants to tell her what’s new so she can keep her viewers updated.

Smith hopes to see the interest grow, along with the

number of people who write for it. She said if her website progresses, she would be open to other food lovers, besides herself, writing and contributing to Eat Coast.

For now, she is going to watch it grow but the ultimate goal is that it becomes something people look forward to.

“I have the domain name for the next year so hopefully it goes well for a year, and then I’ll renew after that.”

With files from Haley Stairs

The women and gender studies program at STU is hosting a screening of the documentary Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial on March 13 from 9 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. The film focuses on Mandi Gray, a victim of sexual assault, and her activism for justice for victims of sexual assault in Canada.

Margaret Campbell, women and gender studies professor, and Josephine Savarese, criminology and criminal law professor, are hosting the screening. The documentary will be shown in Ted Daigle Auditorium.

Features

05

Lauren Hoyt, Features Editor - features@theaq.net

Are the liberal arts truly open-minded?

Fiona Steele asks whether institutions like St. Thomas University are guilty of classicism when it comes to the rural working class

Fiona Steele grew up in Prince Edward Island where her father taught her to fix things on her own. (Submitted by Fiona Steele)

Fiona Steele Reporter

COMMENTARY Let me bring you back to the summer after my Grade 11 year. It’s boiling inside my 2003 Hyundai Accent because the AC, like the radio, is broken. After turning onto a red-dirt road in rural Prince Edward Island, I’m speeding up to 60 km/h when the car visibly jumps. It feels just like letting the clutch out too quickly and stalling – except I was driving an automatic.

The car doesn’t stop but starts revving around 4,000 RPMs. So, I drive slowly back home, wait for my dad to finish working, and worry. When he’s home, I explain what happened.

My dad calls the local Hyundai dealer and explains the problem. They tell him he needs to pay over $2,500 for a new transmission. That’s a lot of money considering we only paid $700 for the car. Once off the phone, we drive the car into the garage and hoist it, spending the next few hours trying to find something wrong.

After opening the transmission, he finds that a little part called a thrust bearing has blown

apart. We replace it, and a few other parts – for $150 total. And that’s it; it was fixed. By having technical knowledge, he saved us over $2,300.

After moving to Fredericton, I realized memories like that don’t happen to everyone. Not all kids grow up learning how to install drywall, roof a house and fix cars. But that’s just how I was raised. When I broke something, I usually wound up learning how to fix it. It’s created this sense of pride in what a lot of people call blue-collar labour.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that not everyone has the same perspective. On just the second day of classes, my second week living in Fredericton, a professor of all people, trashed the trades.

He told the class how great it was we weren’t just attending some community college to become a “damn” repairman, but instead a liberal arts school.

That professor is now one of my favourites, but that day I felt belittled.

That feeling of otherness, of not belonging because I come from a working-class family, has been happening since arriving at STU. People shrug me off because of my dad’s job, saying, “Oh, he’s just a repairman.”

Worse, he works for the Irvings.

Others turn their noses up when I say my mom works from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. shipping potatoes some days.

In two years here, I’ve discovered there’s this huge disconnect between the skilled trades and people attending this liberal arts school. Many people see those without university degrees as slow or second-rate.

I find that concept appalling because I don’t see intelligence as a linear path passing through university halls.

Let me explain what I mean by “linear.” These days, some people judge a person’s intelligence according to what post-secondary school they attend and their grades in that school. Not a lot of STU people I’ve talked to accept that someone can be smart without ever knowing how to construct a thesis.

At STU, they stress critical thinking as something you can only grasp thanks to a liberal arts university. Professors define it as an ability to reject the status quo, question what you see and think outside the box. But isn’t critical thinking just another word for problem solving? Think about it.

My dad, who only attended college, uses problem solving all the time. In any day, he has no

idea what his work will consist of. Machines are unpredictable and can break anytime. He needs to know all the different machinery and be able to recall that information in an instant to find a solution when it malfunctions. He also used critical thinking that day with my car when he questioned what the car dealer told him and found a solution on his own.

At STU, they teach openmindedness, in seeing other people without judgment.

But I’ve noticed that outlook doesn’t always extend to rural, working-class people. In other words, I feel a lot of classism here. Just because someone doesn’t attend a liberal arts school doesn’t mean they aren’t worth the same respect.

I thought since I’m talking to a university audience here, I should conclude with some sort of theory. The big picture. Critical thinking. Class consciousness. Some kind of right-educated thing.

So here it goes.

If we look beyond this university setting, this divide between typically rural, working-class people and what you’d call “educated” folks is becoming wider. We see it in American politics. And it exists in Canadian politics

too. Too often we hear nonuniversity people referred to as the uneducated. Too often rural people are depicted as less open-minded than their urban counterparts. Too often, the other side is talked about like they are the enemy. And too often, blame tends to fall on rural people for not being “educated,” when in reality, sometimes it’s that “educated” people aren’t understanding the world other people live in.

Maybe that was more of a rant than a theory.

And despite everything I’ve learned from my father, I don’t know how to get under the hood and fix the transmission of this liberal arts university – get it in the right gear for creating a better world for all of us. And I don’t think it’s going to be as simple as finding that thrust bearing to replace. But I think it starts with true openmindedness. Once people are open-minded, it can lead to curiosity. And curiosity can lead to understanding. And understanding leads to respect.

And respect makes getting where you’re going a lot easier, whether you’re driving on the information super highway or the red-dirt roads of P.E.I.

06

The art and meaning of tattoos

Linnea Georgsdottír got a tattoo of a rose inspired by Beauty and the Beast when she graduated high school. (Lauren Hoyt/AQ)

Lauren Hoyt Features Editor When asked how many tattoos she had, Melissa Roy took time to count. She concentrated, whispering the numbers until she reached six.

"Whether I have them on my skin or I have them in my heart, I'll always have the memories that came with my tattoos," the fourth-year psychology and gerontology student said.

Her first tattoo was a David fish with three stars representing her mom, her dad and herself.

Her second tattoo is a purple butterfly on her chest that says "Goodnight and God bless" in memory of her grandmother, who had Alzheimer's. Her grandmother spoke those words everyday and purple is the colour for Alzheimer's awareness.

On her left wrist she has a tattoo in memory of her grandfather. It says "Love Papa xoxo" in her grandfather's writing. On her right wrist she has an infinity symbol with an anchor and the words "I refuse to sink" that she got when she got out of an abusive relationship.

On her foot she has the lyrics "Keep holding on" in memory of her friend who used to sing the song to her along with his birth and death date.

On her right thigh she has a dream catcher with roses and the names and birth dates of twins she miscarried.

"I would see them in my dreams and in my grief journey, I discovered that I was petrified of losing the

dreams of them. So I thought that if I had a dream catcher to represent their dreams or the way they come in my dreams that they'll always be with me," said Roy. Roy has heard negative comments about her tattoos being permanent, but she likes knowing she always has them with her.

"I think it's a matter of being confident in the art that you have regardless of your age or what other people believe."

Tattoos are meant to celebrate art that people want to carry with them at all times, but they can also have a deeper meaning. Tattoos can memorialize the loss of a loved one for many people, including Danika Phinney, a fourth-year student at STU. Phinney has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm and a Roman numeral tattoo below it on her wrist.

The Roman numeral tattoo is in memory of two of her friends who died in a car crash in November 2015.

The numbers are XIVI for Nov. 6.

Phinney later found out Nov. 6 was the anniversary of the murder a family friend in 1995. It's also the anniversary of the day the body of her mother’s childhood friend was found after she was reported missing in 2010.

The butterfly tattoo is in memory of another friend who died after a car crash in July 2017.

"I feel like a tattoo symbolizes the way you can remember someone," said Phinney.

Phinney said her friend's funeral had a lot of butterfly aspects and poem on the

back of the funeral program said, "With brave wings she flies." That's where she got the idea for the butterfly tattoo.

"I saw the picture and I was like, 'This would be really cool to get something for her in relation to something that's flying,'" said Phinney.

Phinney said having tattoos in memory of her loved ones makes her feel closer to them.

"They'll always be with me anyway, but I find sometimes if I'm missing them I just kind of touch my tattoo and you kind of feel them there," said Phinney.

Not all tattoos represent a memory or deep emotional connection. Some people get tattoos because they like the colours, the art or the words.

Sam Jesso's first tattoo was of a quote she felt she needed on her body.

The tattoo on her left ribs reads, "With pain comes

strength." It was a quote she read every day when she was younger that got her through hard times.

The fourth-year student also has a tattoo of a pineapple on her right ankle because her grandparents always called her Little Pineapple.

"My grandfather is Big Pineapple, my nan is Medium and I'm Little Pineapple," said Jesso.

Her family is usually against tattoos, but when her grandparents saw the pineapple, they loved it.

On her right ribs she has a tattoo of flowers. She searched thousands of Pinterest photos for flower tattoos that she liked. After she got it she found out they were Gladiolus flowers, which represent August, her parents' birth month.

Jesso doesn't like colour in her tattoos, but she got a blue tulip tattoo because blue is her other grandmother's favourite colour.

Above the tulip tattoo she has the quote "Smash the patriarchy," in her mother's handwriting. Her mother usually hates tattoos, but she liked this one.

"I didn't tell her I was getting it, I was like, 'This is for a school assignment,' because she hates tattoos," said Jesso, who calls herself a "super big feminist".

All of Jesso's tattoos have a special meaning to her, but style plays an important role in what she gets.

"I think its 75 per cent meaning 25 per cent design," said Jesso.

As soon as Linnea Georgsdottír was old enough to get tattooed, she was in the shop, despite her moms wishes.

"Basically, I turned 18 and I was like, 'I can vote now and I

can also get a tattoo, so sorry mom,'" said Georgsdottír.

Her first tattoo was of a sun and a moon on her left shoulder. She got it based on a book her mother read her when she was young about the sun and the moon loving each other.

On her right shoulder she has a tattoo of a rose she got after graduating high school.

She was inspired by the rose in her favourite movie, Beauty and the Beast.

On her ribs she has a tattoo of the quote, "Do not mock a pain you haven't endured," in Arabic.

"I found it on Tumblr, it's supposed to say that. It could say, 'chicken noodle soup,' I don't know, I like chicken noodle soup," said Georgsdottír.

Georgsdottír once came across a picture of a mermaid with love handles. She liked that the mermaid had a body type she could relate to, so she got a tattoo of it.

In honour of her Icelandic heritage, Georgsdottír got a tattoo of Iceland on her butt.

"So then I ended up in the window of a shop in downtown Reykjavik and it was open with my butt in a window while tourists are walking by watching me get my butt tattooed," said Georgsdottír .

Georgsdottír said she wanted some of her tattoos because she liked the look of them, but they still all have meaning.

"I think tattoos are an expression of yourself and it's almost a map of the places you've been in your life and they express different things," Georgsdottír said.

"I've always thought they were so beautiful no matter what they are."

Melissa Roy got a dream catcher tattoo with the names and birthdates of twins she miscarried because she often dreams about them. (Lauren Hoyt/AQ)

Dorm room decorating to battle homesickness

07

Jaylene DeAdder won third place in the Best Room Contest for her dorm room in Vanier Hall. Melanie LaPlante won second place for her room in Harrington Hall. (Submitted)

Alishya Weiland Reporter A well-decorated dorm room is one way students are battling mental health issues that can come with leaving home for the first time.

For second-year student Melanie LaPlante, turning her dorm room into an oasis was a great distraction during her first year.

“I had a roommate last year and we went and we got matching tapestry and matching bedspreads just so that it would look all in unison,” said LaPlante.

By combining a love for matching décor and personal touches, LaPlante felt that she was able to combat some leaving-home jitters.

“I definitely think bringing pictures and mementos that people gave you back home with you to university helps so that you don’t have a fresh start. Bringing stuff from your past life helps with homesickness and things like that.”

Without a roommate this year, LaPlante was able to bring some more furniture from home and change the layout of her room in Harrington Hall.

The therapeutic decorating came with another perk, LaPlante won second place in the St. Thomas Best Residence Room contest.

To enter the contest, students had to post a photo of their dorm

Melanie LaPlante decorated her dorm room with memories from home to keep her from getting homesick. (Submitted)

Jaylene DeAdder brought some decorations from her bedroom at home to make her feel more comfortable in residence. (Submitted)

room on the St. Thomas University Residence Life Facebook page. The three photos with the most likes won first, second and third place prizes.

LaPlante won a $50 Winners gift card.

First-year student Jaylene DeAdder won the third-place prize of a $25 Cineplex gift card.

For her, being able to bring her room from Kentville, N.S. alive in Fredericton was special.

“I really like the colours and I like that I was able to bring some of my stuff from home, and everything that I brought from home is really special to me,” said DeAdder. “I was really excited to leave and especially because I made my room look like how it does at home [so] I don’t feel homesick.”

The teal accents of her single room come from her bedroom at home and her organizational skills have allowed her to make good use of the space.

“I brought two SUVs full of stuff but it doesn’t feel like a lot,” she said.

Her organization helps highlight the photos above her bed. They feature her four-legged best friend.

“The hardest thing about leaving was leaving my dog. My mom asks why I don’t have photos of her and my dad up on my wall, but I really miss the dog.”

08

Arts

Jerry-Faye Flatt - arts@theaq.net

Tapestries celebrate black history of New Brunswick

Nine tapestries were loaned to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery by St. Thomas University for Black History Month. (Johnny James/AQ)

Johnny James Reporter A collection of nine tapestries woven

by Ivan Crowell have been hanging in St. Thomas University’s James Dunn Hall for the last 25 years. Now, they've been loaned to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery where they're on display for Black History Month.

The tapestries come together to highlight a series of important moments in New Brunswick’s black history.

John Leroux, the manager of collections and exhibitions at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, thought this was an important exhibit to show.

“To have the history of them be in the public eye in a different location is a good thing. It’s a great way to celebrate Black History Month and also to show a lot of New Brunswick history that's glossed over," he said.

Crowell, an accomplished

pewtersmith and master weaver, donated the pieces to STU in 1994.

They were some of the final works he completed in a career that left an impact on the arts and culture scene in New Brunswick.

Crowell was the founder of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, where he served as director for its first 20 years. He wove over 250 tapestries in the last 20 years of his life, many of which can be found at STU and the University of New Brunswick.

Thirty of his tapestries hang at Fredericton’s City Hall, all of them an extension of his documentation of New Brunswick history.

Leroux said the tapestries Crowell wove of New Brunswick's black history were some of the last he created.

“He made these when he was turning 90, so this was one of the last big projects he worked on. He was a really important person as far as the cultural history in New Brunswick,” said Leroux.

One tapestry features New Brunswick hockey player Willie O'Ree. (Johnny James/AQ)

Crowell was given the Order of Canada in 1973 for his efforts in the industry. He died in 2003.

The idea to bring in the tapestries to the Beaverbrook Art Gellery was first brought up by an artist named Mary McCarthy, who spoke at the gallery’s exhibition for Black History Month last year. The gallery and the university both agreed to the project without hesitation.

The featured exhibit displays each piece in chronological order, accompanied by a brief written history of the events each part represents.

The tapestries show significant historical events like the landing of black loyalists at the mouth of the Saint John river in 1783, the departure of 15 vessels that carried approximately 1,200 freed slaves from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to West Africa in 1792 and Willie O’Ree breaking the colour barrier in the NHL in 1958.

Jeffrey Carleton, spokesperson for

STU, said the display at the gallery has given the tapestries the attention they deserve.

“Sometimes when you see something everyday and it's there all the time, you may take it for granted," said Carleton.

"It was rewarding for us to see the tapestries get extra attention other than students passing them by everyday and perhaps not noticing that they are there or what the significance is.”

The tapestries will hang in the Beaverbrook’s Orientation Gallery until March 24 and will be the first exhibit that patrons see as they enter.

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery and Leroux are also pleased the tapestries are generating some interest in New Brunswick's black history.

"This isn’t just black history," Leroux said. "This is New Brunswick history, but there are elements of New Brunswick history that we don’t pay enough attention to."

The tapestries were created by New Brunswick weaver Ivan Crowell and were donated to STU in 1994. (Johnny James/AQ)

09

Local record label celebrates first anniversary Alishya Weiland Reporter

She Said Feck! Records run by St. Thomas University alumna Kate Butler has made its mark on the Maritime music industry and it's about to celebrate its first birthday.

Butler, a Saint John native, has spent most of her life around music. She volunteered at shows when she was young just to get a glimpse of the action and wrote for The Aquinian during her time at STU for the chance to interview bands.

For her, starting a record label was a no-brainer, but it took a lot of work.

“It’s had its up and downs over the year," Butler said.

"I think every business in its first year definitely goes through a lot of changes and difficulties that they probably didn’t foresee. But it’s been a lot of fun [and] definitely a huge learning curve.”

Butler’s 40 to 60-hour work week isn’t in vain – her label has grown over

the past year. She manages bands The Tortoise the Hare and the Millionaire, CHIPS and MELONVINE full time and is about to sign another artist.

Butler said her knowledge on how the music industry works helps the bands she manages succeed.

“I have more knowledge, [a] better ground of the music industry here in the Maritimes, greater friends in the industry and connections and contacts.”

A typical day for Butler includes running around Fredericton, dealing with bookings and constant work with the bands. The biggest challenge she's faced is learning when to take a moment for herself.

She said the music industry never sleeps, but she needs to.

“It’s a world that doesn’t ever stop and you have to make time for yourself and say, ‘No, I’m not going to work this afternoon, I’m going to chill’ or ‘I am going to go away for two days.’ It’s difficult to turn your life off.”

But her busy schedule has

Katie Butler is looking forward to a busy summer with her record label She Said Feck! (Alishya Weiland/AQ)

led to a collection of fond memories over the past year.

Butler said the best memory so far was having The Tortoise the Hare and the Millionaire play at the Area 506 festival in Saint John, along with them releasing a physical copy of their album.

“The response from starting the label has been amazing and all the support it has

received in the past year ...

And seeing all these bands on my favourite stages and at these great festivals all last summer.”

She's looking forward to a busy summer with her label and already has bookings lined up into the end of the year.

For now, She Said Feck!

Records has two birthday parties planned. One on March

1 at the Tide and Boar, a pub in Moncton, and another on March 2 at the Capital Complex in Fredericton. Both events will feature live music, door prizes and cake.

Butler said she wants to take things slow.

“I would say I’m going to definitely be one of those slow burners – taking two steps back and five steps ahead.”

Going beyond plastic waste

The University of New Brunswick Art Centre is using plastic to make art and rasie awarenesss.

(Jerry-Faye Flatt/AQ)

Jerry-Faye Flatt Arts Editor A new campaign hosted by the University of New Brunswick Art Centre is aiming to create awareness around plastic by using

Instagram.

Plastic Free UNB is an Instagram-based educational project where people are encouraged to take photos of plastic they see in their community and post it to Instagram using the hashtag, #plasticfreeunb.

The hashtag is a part of a larger campaign hosted by the UNB Art Centre for World Water Day, an annual day that highlights the importance of clean, fresh water.

Marie Maltais, the director of the UNB Art Centre, has

organized events for World Water Day since 2011.

“What we’re trying to do is get people interested,” said Maltais.

The chosen photos will be printed on large posters that will represent what you see on your phone while scrolling through Instagram.

The image will show the discovered plastic and the caption will contain educational information. “[It's] something that engages you on an intellectual level as well as a visual level,” Maltais said.

The posters will be around different buildings on the UNB and St. Thomas University's campuses.

Maltais said the more submissions they get, the more posters they can do up.

Maltais said they do a different theme for World Water Day each year, but plastic is something they keep coming back to.

“I thought it's time for us

to look at plastic and how it affects our water and how that affects the general land as well.”

This year there are three components to the awareness campaign: the Plastic Free UNB hashtag, an exhibition called Cascade that will be held in the UNB Art Centre gallery and educational projects set up at the Harriet Irving Library, the Student Union Building and in James Dunn Hall at STU. UNB Sustainability, STU Sustainability and Art Zone are working with the UNB Art Centre on the campaign.

Students have been creating a variety of different art pieces for the exhibit and displays from plastic. It ranges from octopuses made out of plastic pop bottles, to blankets, to ornaments and to lobsters carved out of a chunk of plastic.

Hannah Moore, a third-year STU student and co-chair of the STU Sustainability Club,

will be going around campus to collect plastic from STU residences to create the displays.

"I think having it as an actual artistic representation where students can see it visually right in front of them is a really good method of sending that message ... I think the mass amount of plastic that's going to be in this installation will have a big impact on people,” Moore said.

World Water Day is on March 22. The exhibit will open that day at 5 p.m. and the displays will appear around the campuses that week.

Maltais said she's is looking forward to this year's events.

“We're looking at being able to affect a small change in your life,” she said.

“It doesn't have to be major, but if everybody takes a small step, then big things can happen.”

10

Sports

Shannon Cornelius, Sports Editor - sports@theaq.net

Tommies win first semifinal game

St. Thomas University won the first game of the semifinals 2-1 against the University of New Brunswick. (Shannon Cornelius/AQ)

Shannon Cornelius Sports Editor The St. Thomas University women's hockey team won a tense 2-1 game over the University of New Brunswick Reds on Feb. 23.

Both teams came out fighting in the first period. The Tommies tried hard to score but the Reds' defence was strong.

With less than 30 seconds left in the period, UNB scored on a power play giving them a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period.

The second period started off slow until Tommie Stephanie Ford snuck one past the UNB goalie four minutes in, tying the game 1-1. Alisha Gilbert got another goal 30 seconds later, giving the Tommies a 2-1 lead.

The rest of the period was tense as both teams tried to score, but the goalies kept the puck out of the nets, and kept the score 2-1 for the Tommies at the end of the second period.

The tension continued into the third period as STU fought hard to keep their lead.

UNB pulled their goalie in the last 30 seconds in an attempt to tie up the game, but goalie Abby Clarke stayed strong, giving the Tommies the 2-1 win.

Head coach Peter Murphy told the team after the first period to keep playing the way they did and it worked.

"We kept pressing and pressing," Murphy said.

"Basically, we remind them to keep plugging away [and] keep doing the things [they're] doing and it paid off."

The Tommies scored their two goals back-to-back in the second period. (Shannon Cornelius/AQ)

The game was tense with good shots and saves made by both teams. (Shannon Cornelius/AQ)

STU basketball honours graduating players with wins

11

Billy Cole Reporter Both St. Thomas University basketball teams came away with double-digit victories over the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves on Feb. 20, with the women’s team winning 6453 and the men’s team winning 78-68 in their last games of the regular season.

The teams hosted the Think Pink night for breast cancer awareness and their annual grad games. The women’s team honoured graduating player Lainy Dow and graduating manager Tiffany McLong, while the men's team honoured graduating players Brandan Seagrave, Travis Valanne and Justin Grant.

The head coach of the women's team, Fred Connors, said grad nights are always emotional.

“It’s a tough night … but [Dow] has such great character," said Connors.

Men’s head coach Scott MacLeod had similar words.

“It’s hard for them on senior night. It’s emotional … everybody’s watching it … it all adds to the moment.”

The women’s team got off to a hot start, scoring the first eight points of the game with Bridgett Frazee knocking down two quick three-pointers. STU finished the opening quarter with a 21-10 lead. Their hot start cooled in the second quarter, as the Tommies struggled, only making three of their 20 shots. Lainy Dow, one of the captains of the team, was the only scorer of the second quarter for STU. The

The St. Thomas University women's basketball team won 64-53 against the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves. (Billy Cole/AQ)

Tommies held a 29-22 lead at the half.

The rest of the game was evenly played with the Seawolves making a push to stay in playoff contention. The Seawolves cut the lead to six but STU finished the quarter with a 10-point lead. Another evenly played fourth quarter gave the

Tommies the victory.

Dow was the leading scorer with 14 points. Madison Owens netted 11 while grabbing eight rebounds and led her team in assists with four. “[Dow] played with a lot of character and a lot of heart. And she led us, which is what she does. I’m really proud of her," said Connor.

The men's team kept their playoff hopes alive with their win.

The Tommies found themselves down early, trailing 37-33 after the first half.

Tommie Harrison Florean had a breakout performance, nearly posting a doubledouble after the first quarter and finishing the half with 16 points and 16 boards.

“He had a step-up game,” MacLeod said of Florean. “It was wonderful to see.”

Florean said it felt great and it was “good to get the win."

The Tommies came into the second half with fire, finishing the quarter with an 18-4 run and taking a 60-52 lead to start the final quarter. In a tight fourth quarter, two baskets from Justin Grant and Carlo Theriault were too much for the Seawolves, giving the Tommies a 12-point lead before getting the win.

Florean finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds. He was also a force on the defensive end, recording four blocks and a steal. Guard Michael Otoo came off the bench to drop 15 points.

MacLeod said the team was prepared to get into playoffs.

“The guys knew that coming in that it was do or die."

The St. Thomas University men's basketball team won 78-68 against the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves. (Billy Cole/AQ)

"There was a [black history] panel that happened last year [at STU] and I saw many people attend.

That's not something I've seen before, which really impressed me. It gives me a peace of mind that things are getting better."

- David Effiong, Nigeria

"Just based off of what I learned in high school and middle school, it was always a different version, until I got to college and I took classes. Then I knew what it really was about. They'd clean up the stories in school in the U.S. It's not the nicest history, but it is history, and I think everyone deserves to know their history."

- Eton Boco, Nigeria/United States

"Through the 400 years of slavery that black people had to go through, I think that's a very big thing people need to realize. People need to consistently remind themselves of what happened, because if we forget it, it's more bound to happen than if we don't."

- Benson Osaje, Nigeria/Canada

"We see numerous people attend events and we hear people talk about these issues and sharing things on Instagram and Facebook that have to do with racial issues. It's not a specific scale, but little things like that we can use to measure the level of awareness."

- Dorcas Tshimenga, Congo/Canada

Black History "Racism in Canada might not be as explicit, but the change is with individuals. If you impact one individual positively then that is change, but you won't necessarily see it on the exterior. Once you enlighten others then it will impact their behaviour and make our campus more inclusive for all students."

- Husoni Raymond, Jamaica

Month Photos/Design: Young Joo Jun/AQ