Issue 11, Volume 123

PAGE 8

ISSUE 11

XAVE R IAN THE WEEKL Y xaverian

Thursday Mar 29 2012

Volume 120 Issue 20

EDITORIAL STAFF

Thursday, Thursday, March March 21, 5,2012 2015 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Volume 123 Issue1511 Volume Issue Sean McEvoy121 xw.eic@stfx.ca | (902) 870-9431

OUR STAFF OUR STAFF

PRODUCT ION MANAGER Emma MacPherson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF xw.product@stfx.ca

NEWS

Hale responds to meningitis concerns

Sean McEvoy Ron Jeremy

Student Services on why students didn’t know about meningitis on campus

xw.eic@stfx.ca

ANGELA MACKENZIE | Senior Reporter

MANAGING EDITOR xw.eic@stfx.ca Peter North Joe Thibault xw.managing@stfx.ca | (902) 867-3732 COPY EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR Alexandra Adams Graham Haynes PRODUCT ION MANAGER xw.copy@stfx.ca

xw.managing@stfx.ca Jesus ART IST IC COORDINATOR Marie-Eve Pomerleau xw.product@stfx.ca xw.photo@stfx.ca

ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

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In J anuary, a StFX student was informed that he had developed a case of meningitis. The student was infected with the Y strain of meningococcal: the same strain that killed R ylee Sears, a 1 6 year old high school student from Lower Sackville, N ova Scotia, following a previous diagnosis with the B strain in N ov. 201 4 . The student was diagnosed, treated, and returned to Ontario to recover before any of his peers at StFX were aware of what was happening. In fact, although this case was the first documented in N ova Scotia in 201 5 , the university did not release the information until February following a CBC N ews article.

Some students felt betrayed that StFX did not inform them that an outbreak of meningitis had presented on campus. One student took to Spotted at StFX to display their displeasure, sharing the CBC article with the caption ‘Thanks for the heads up

StFX,’ receiving dozens of likes and shares.

Bob Hale, Interim Head of Student Services told the Xaverian that he had been contacted about this issue by the Department of Health following the diagnosis. He was informed that the student had developed a case of meningitis and followed up with N ova Scotia Public Health about the issue. “ We really follow the lead of N ova Scotia Public Health. They are the experts. We talked to them and made a decision to hold off making a campus wide announcement.”

Hale says the opted not to disclose the information with the concern that its release could cause more panic than necessary, with just one isolated case reported at that time. “ Sometimes it causes more panic. They [ N ova Scotia Department of Health] did not tell us not to send it out. J ust talking back and forth we realized it was

an isolated case and we felt there was no need to send it out at that time.” Hale states regarding releasing the information to the public.

About a month after the decision, CBC, Truro Daily N ews, radio stations like 1 01 .5 the Hawk, and other news mediums caught wind of the outbreak and released the information to the public.

Hale says there have been a number of parents and students in contact with his office displaying concerns regarding health safety for students on campus.

According to the administrator, the majority of concerns have surrounded the idea of vaccinations, and whether or not StFX community should be vaccinated – a decision Acadia U niversity opted for following two cases (one death, one hospitalization) of the B-strain in February. Hale says he deals with each concern individually, but says plans for campus-wide vaccination is not

in the works, stating “ If you want to get [ vaccinated] get it. If N ova Scotia Public Health thinks that StFX needs V accinations they will set that up. They take the lead.”

M oving forward, Student Services are aware of the concern that students had about not informing the campus community sooner about this meningitis case, but are planning to stick with their original process which they feel acts in the best interest of StFX students. When asked on how they plan to react towards situations of the like in the future, Hale says, “ We will keep talking with N ova Scotia Public Health, get some info from them and make the decision from there. We have a great health staff here and on the smaller things we will work with them.”

The student diagnosed is presently home in Ontario and is expected to make a full recovery.

He hopes to return to StFX again in September.

The cost of snowdays

Exploring the monetary loss of a class missed for snow RACHEL REVOY | Senior Reporter

R eoccurring snow days in J anuary and February leaves the question for many of the ultimate cost for students, out of their tuition, for each day of cancelled class. While some might look forward to (and even hope for) these lapses from class, for many the focus lies in the understanding that missing a day of class could end up costing hundreds out of your pocket. “ There’s a lot of aspects involved in running the university that tuition contributes to. M aking a decision to close the university for a day is not taken lightly because there is that recognition that we don’t want to compromise the learning environment. That’s what we’re about and we want to make sure we’re open whenever we can,” explains the V ice President of Finance and Administration, Andrew Beckett.

When making a decision to close campus for a day, making sure students continue to get their quality of education is taken

into consideration alongside the safety and wellbeing of students and staff who travel must travel to and within campus to attend scheduled classes. Snow days only occur when it is absolutely necessary for the safety of the campus community. When campus closes for a part day, like on J anuary 28 th of this semester, this occurs when conditions are safe enough for students to get to and

campus open and get back to normal as quickly as we can,” notes Beckett.

Because tuition pays for more than just the classroom time, placing a financial amount to each class through dividing the total amount of tuition poses a challenge It is really difficult to break it down financially just purely based on class time. There is an easy math that you can do taking

from class later in the day. “ That day [ J anuary 28 th] was a tough call because it was very icy that day and so there was some people questioning the merits of opening at noon. But again, we took a look at it and said the campus is open from the standpoint of being clear enough to walk around if people take care, it wasn’t going to be any better the day after. So we said let’s get the

a set number of classroom hours, divide that into your tuition costs and you can come up with a dollar figure, but I think thats a very narrow view of what the learning is,” says Andrew Beckett on the cost of classes.

Technically, explains Beckett, each snow day does not cost a numerical value of lost money for each student. M any things attribute to the learning process, such

as labs, evening presentations, and office hours, not just the set classroom time. However, if you were to take one, full time (24 -3 0 credits) student’s tuition and divide it by the number of hours spent in class (assuming twentysix weeks of teaching in an academic year), it would closely resemble the chart to the left. “ I don’t really look at courses as being broken down financially by class time, lab time, because there’s a whole lot of aspect to the learning goal in any particular class that students take. Some of it happens in the class, some of it outside of the class, their own studying their own self-directed approach. The important thing is that there is a body of knowledge that the professor is trying to convey to guide the students through, and hopefully in terms of the e ibility that they’ve got in their schedule they can adapt to the changes that come along like snow days and still get that body of knowledge conveyed to them.

And that tends to be the more important thing,” says Beckett.

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11

NEWS

Education student talks Sex Ed

3

StFX B.Ed student shares her outlook on Ontario’s new Sex Ed curriculum LAUREN AGNEW | Staff Writer

The Government of Ontario recently announced changes to the province’s Sex Ed curriculum beginning in September. The controversial changes, which impact sexual education from grades one through eight, are mandatory additions that must be taught in all school boards – secular or not.

The changes will teach first graders how to properly identify genitals, introduce acceptance of same-sex relationships in grade three, educate sixth graders about masturbation, and talk of anal and oral sex in grade seven among other changes. With the introduction of concepts of gender identities and the dangers of ‘sexting,’ the Ontario government’s changes are in an effort to modify education to suit a societal evolution.

An aspiring Phys Ed teacher in the Bachelor of Education program at StFX agreed to sit down with the Xaverian to give her opinion on what she expects to be the impact of the new curriculum. The student asked for anonymity in the interest of protecting her personal experiences and values in her teaching career.

The Xaverian: What do you remember about Sex Ed in your school board while you were in school?

B.Ed. Student: In short, my experience with sexual education in the public school system was essentially non-existent. I can vaguely remember there being a few times (at most) that my Grade 9, all female, Physical Education class left the gymnasium and had classroom health classes, which quite

unfortunately involved a box of condoms and 20 bananas. I do also remember in upper years of my high school experience discussing personal hygiene, however this too was short-lived and hardly taken seriously by any of the students, or the teachers for that matter.

Xav: Do you feel that a new curriculum is movement in a positive or negative direction?

Student: While I am hesitant to say that these changes are not significant and will take time for adjustment, I think that as someone studying to become a Physical Education teacher I have to believe that the curriculum is moving in a positive direction.

I agree that as our society changes our education guidelines must also. However, I do think that it is important that we look past the radical changes and see that the intentions with it are in good light. Take the topic of LGBTQ communities for example. In previous drafts, the curriculum in sorts catered towards someone who identifies as straight or heterosexual, eliminating opportunities for students who do not identify in this manner to make any connection with what they are learning. What the new curriculum successfully does is introduce the idea of gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual identity, etc. Furthermore, I disagree with those who have the opinion that these ideals should not be introduced in the elementary years. I think that this curriculum very evidently carries a more inclusive

tone and very much resembles a huge leap towards eliminating bias in our children.

Xav: Is the new generation of teachers better equipped to teach the new curriculum? Why/why not?

Student: I would say that yes, the new generation of teachers is better equipped to teach the new curriculum. However personally I would say that a large part of this has to do the fact that we have lived through such a large shift in awareness about many of the things, like LGBTQ awareness and acceptance. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to learn and grow as a teacher in a program like the one here at StFX, where core principles like inclusive practices are so highly valued by my colleagues.

Xav: Personally, would you feel more or less comfortable teaching the new curriculum, given that it has less room for teacher interpretation and more clarity about what must be introduced at each grade level?

Student: I think that the clearer guidelines make it easier to map what exactly I need to cover as my personal experience with sexual education is so limited. However, I do think that on the other hand that having less room for interpretation will make it more difficult to open up more of a student driven learning experience in my classroom. I think that rigidity to some extent in sexual education is positive in so far as consistency across boards throughout the province, however with my experience,

a higher number of outcomes doesn’t necessarily promote a more inquiry driven learning environment.

Xav: Any additional comments?

Student: One common theme in conversation that I have noticed concerns the Catholic School system. With the curriculum calling for things like birth control as pregnancy preventative measures, I think that controversy over this new sexual education will remain for some time. It is hard for me to speak to this, as I am not a member of the Catholic Church, however I do think that is inexcusable to dismiss those differences. Faith will continue to be an area of debate, just like it is in other subjects. I think that sexual education will remain a difficult subject for students, teachers, and administration simply based on how personal the topics under the curriculum get and how quickly. By teaching a more open and ‘radical’ curriculum we open ourselves up to being uncomfortable yes, but I think the benefits too far outweigh dismissing what is really occurring in our pupils’ lives. While I recognize that this curriculum is drastically different than the last, and can be seen as politically controversial, I think it is important that we take a step back and unpack our own ignorance on the subject. Let’s get real: a large portion of secondary students are sexually active or involved, not every student identifies as straight / heterosexual, unfortunately many do struggle with their own mental health.

4 NEWS

Thursday, March 5, 2015-The Xaverian

StFX admins discuss sexual violence

President MacDonald consults students in President’s Colloquium; committee formed JULIA O’HANLEY | News Editor

“ I can tell you that we have aspects of our culture that every university in the country would love to have: the spirit, and the love of the institution, and the smallness. But there are aspects that we can improve in our culture,” expressed StFX President K ent M acDonald to a packed crowd in O’R egan Hall on the evening of February 1 1 th.

Part of an ongoing series of ‘President’s Colloquiums’, Dr. M acDonald spoke to students, faculty, and staff from departments and faculties across campus about his desire to provide a safe and supportive campus environment free of sexualized violence.

The colloquium began with an introduction from the event’s moderator V ice Presi-

dent Finance and Administration Andrew Beckett, a member of the administrative team Dr. M acDonald described as a “ driving force” in the planning of the colloquium. The evening featured a discussion between four panelists: Clare Fawcett, StFX Anthropology professor; Annie Chau, project co-ordinator with the Antigonish Women’s R esource Centre; Demetrius Ferguson, StFX student athlete and entrepreneur; and Bridget Houston, StFX representative for ‘U nsilence the V iolence.’

Following a discussion of the definition and impact of sexual violence in campus communities, Beckett allowed time for attendees to speak up about their concerns regarding sexualized

violence on campus.

Concerns from the aud i e n c e ranged from a culture featuring blurred lines of consent, to lack of statistics of sexual assaults on campus, but saw multiple students expressing their discontent with, what they believe to be an unclear definition of a system on campus to report and apprehend perpetrators in cases of sexu-

al violence. Women and Gender’s Studies Professor R achel Hurst in particular said she thinks the university needs to implement a reporting structure to inform students when there is an assault on campus. She noted to the crowd that in the U S, university campus officials are legally required to do so, and hopes something similar might come about for StFX. Attendees were also asked to talk about suggestions they believe would create a safer environment both on and off campus. Suggestions included mandatory enrollment in at least one Women and Gender’s Studies course, the reintroduction of a ‘Peer M entorship Program,’ and the implementation of a 0 tolerance policy for sexual violence on campus. M any who spoke in the crowd’s discussion brought up their belief education and information on topics such as consent, resources for students who have experienced assault, and other aspects related to the issue should be emphasized more than they presently are during frosh week. In his response to the crowd in conclusion of the event, Dr. M acDonald spoke to this suggestion, saying that he is open to the idea that the topic of sexual violence prevention could be one that is brought up even before students arrive for their orientation week. He proposed creating a book of sorts for students to review before starting their academic career at StFX, citing this as an idea used by other universities in the past. “ One of the conversa-

tions that is taking place on Facebook before they come and inevitably I suppose is it’s [ StFX] a fun time, a place to party. So with that we thought, well maybe we could have a book that every single student must read and have a conversation about a fun aspect [ of the university] , an academic aspect, but maybe there are aspects here that we could explore in a really neat book and we wouldn’t be the first to do that.”

The colloquium followed the establishment of the ‘Preventing V iolence Against Women at StFX’ Committee.

The committee, established by the President’s Council, is co-chaired by Dean of Arts R ichard N emesvari and M argie M cK innon, Director of Health, Counselling, and Accessible learning and includes a membership of students, staff, administrators, and community members.

As for action following the colloquium, Dr. M acDonald says he foresees positive changes in the near future, but cannot make specific commitments before first consulting with the committee. “ From my point of view, we can take action, but I don’t want to get ahead of the committee’s work. They might view it [ methods of action] differently – they know more about it than I do – but other than that I’ll be listening to what they want to tell us.”

Dr. N emesvari expects the committee to be an effective way of achieving Dr. M acDonald’s goal to change the culture surrounding sexualized violence on campus. “ We will be meeting regularly to address this extremely important issue,” Dr. N emesvari told the Xaverian, adding “ By bringing forward new policies and structures, [ we hope] to help make StFX a leading post-secondary institution in preventing sexualized violence against women.”

OPINIONS 5

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11

OPINIONS Editorial:

Spring Break

LEWIS FORWARD | Features Editor

ANGELA MACKENZIE | Senior Reporter

Bill C-51 forgets the lessons of history

Can' t we all agree that we should deal with counterterrorism the Canadian way?

M uch of Europe and the U S have tried to deal with threats to public safety by marginalizing cultural groups, increasing surveillance powers of law enforcement, and otherwise increasing responsive law-enforcement based methods of dealing with this.

We' re Canadians. Let' s deal with terrorism by hearing the grievances of would-be radicals, and addressing them as a society. Lets include the marginalized in our debate. Let' s look beyond the surface, lets assess the re-

alities of dangers to public safety, and lets look at- and meaningfully talk about- the greater causes that provoke radicalism and violence.

Canadians are kind, and we don' t make our decisions in fear.

Bill C-5 1 forgets history, and forgets what Canada is.

But, on a deeper level, Bill C-5 1 remembers the worst of Canada’s history perfectly: our track record of institutionalized violence, racism, and marginalization that’s longer than our country’s history. We should move forward with policies that makes us proud to identify as Canadians, and leave laws like C-5 1 in history.

It does more harm than good

Welcome back to all students returning from pring reak who have own and driven from far away lands. It’s not so much of a “ spring” break as it is a yearly occurrence during which we take a week to forget. We remove all thoughts of classes, professors, and waking up before the crack of dawn. It’s a week for catching up on the work from anuary and ebruary, and finding those lost hours of sleep necessary to survive the rest of the year.

The break is a wonderful way to relieve our minds from the pressure of the final semester tudents go home and visit their families, and some travel to exotic places… well, most students.

There is unlucky bunch left in Antigonish to face a harsh reality. Friends are separated by distance and time zones, meals are eaten alone, and there are few left to go to Pipers. The only advantage is that all classes for the week have been cancelled.

The break is a nice step back from tedious day-to-day activities, but is it really needed fter all, we manage first semester without a week-long break and students seem to manage. We have up to 3 weeks during the winter break to spend time with the family, so why do we need another one in the middle of second semester? In reality, we don’t. It is a wasted week that we could be using for an extra week of summer instead.

There is no denying the break is an excellent break from school. Classes get boring and professors seem to drone on for hours. The stress of deadlines and navigating your future seems endless, and the break could be used to relieve the pressure. But does anyone use the break for its intended purpose? I highly doubt it. I think the majority students may pick up their books once or twice, but use most of the week as a vacation.

This week of relaxation is dangerous and here’s why: many students develop a bad case Idontgiveafuck syndrome.

Idontgiveafuck syndrome is something that happens when a university provides the students with a week off during one of the most hectic times of the semester. Students see that the end is so close, and instead of pushing themselves through and getting everything done, they procrastinate. Classes get pushed aside for sleep and papers are “ forgotten” about until the day before it’s due. Students start dreaming of summer, where they can be home once more and find that peace of mind they e perienced during Spring Break. If you read this and think, “ N ever have I ever had this feeling,” then you are either lying to yourself or you genuinely are a really good student.

Is this syndrome worth the risk of a break in the middle of second semester?

The break may be great for those students who are on vacation, but what about the poor souls who are stuck at StFX during the quietest week imaginable? The dorms are quiet, meal hall is empty, and the campus is a ghost town.

Luckily for these individuals, they are the group most likely to avoid comingdown with Idontgiveafuck syndrome.

They are still within the walls of the school and I believe they are more likely to do work over the break.

Students celebrate this extra week of vacation, but I think it’s unnecessary and promotes procrastination and laziness. Seeing the end in sight, students should focus on their school work andprepping for exams instead of taking a break from responsibilities. I feel like we would all be much more productive if we didn’t have the break interrupting our routine.

6 OPINIONS

Thursday, March 5, 2015-The Xaverian

Evolutionary Spirituality Exploring the new synergy of science and consciousness

COLTAN THOMPSON | Psychology Columnist

“I w ou l d s ug g es t that s ci enc e is , at l eas t in m y part , inf ormed w or s hip.” ―Carl Sagan, The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search f or G od I don’t wish to lose anyone at the get-go, as too few people, especially students, are up to date on current spiritual movements. What I’m not talking about: that “ N ew Age” business a poorly defined and commonly misunderstood term), Scientology, or whatever else might come to mind thanks to sensationalized media. I want to discuss “ evolutionary spirituality” — a provisional term, as the movement has no unifying dogma, much less a unifying term. Its intellectual bent and its youth as a movement has so far kept it out of the mainstream. Evolutionary spirituality can be described as an intellectual awakening to the implications of modern science for our lives. So you learned that science was silent on spiritual concerns? N ot quite. J ust as science has helped to shed light on and fight many superstitions, the patterns and implications of scientific findings suggest, or fall in line with, new spiritual hypotheses. Sometimes the patterns we see aren’t merely invented.

Too many of us think in terms of religious/non-religious, ignorant to the nuances of a good existential search, and the richer, albeit more complex, spiritual ideas that one can arrive at. R eligion is like a prescription: the identity of the divine, our relationship to It/ Him/Her, and recommendations for thought and behaviour are all given. Atheism very often swings the opposite way, guilty of the excessive certainty just the same. It has been said that the agnostics are wiser than both camps for postponing a decision about things outside human comprehension. But what if the spiritually relevant data we seek is right in front of us? What if we allowed the implications of science to combine with the immediacy of human experience? While the greatest error of religion has always been excessive trust in one’s own experience, feelings, and intuitions, or excessive trust in the experiences and teachings of religious leaders and culturally-bound Holy Books, we today we have the advantages of being able to survey the religions of different cultures; insight into the biases and selfdeception that riddle human cognition and scientific evidence from chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, evolu-

tionary theory, genetics, etc.

Together, the social and physical sciences make a case for a science-based spirituality so compelling that one hesitates for fear of falling into wishthinking.

Teilhard de Chardin is considered one of the early authors who attempted to “ reconcile” science and religion— I use the word “ reconcile” hesitantly, as his efforts to were very different than more modern and popular attempts at reconciling science and religion (e.g., “ Intelligent Design” mouthpieces who cherry-pick evidence, forcing a fit between a neutered science and staunch doctrines like the N oah’s Ark tale). Teilhard was peculiar in that he was both an anthropologist and an incredibly progressive J esuit. While I have to agree with the critics of his writings, particularly his The Phenomenon of an, in that it is filled with illogical, mystical, and largely meaningless language, his ideas continue to echo— namely, that biological evolution has a trajectory, a goal, and for him, a culminating end point: the conscious experience of individuals will become so intermingled as to create a literal collective consciousness, and converge with the divine. His theorizing falls somewhere between being extremely compelling, overly idealistic, and just plain far-fetched...

The e e ive niverse by mathematician and inventor Arthur Y oung presents a case for a universe that initially spreads out from the Big Bang and continues to“ individualize” through biological evolution, before collapsing back into union (and the singularity from which the Big Bang began). In his cosmological scheme, humanity is an early stage in the re-collapse back into union.

Robe rt Lanza’s Biocentrism presents a case for a universe directed by biology and consciousness, not physics. Christian De Quincey challenges the mind/body/spirit division passed down through modern philosophy in R adical N ature— and he is far from alone. Strictly material understandings of consciousness and evolution are being questioned as various scientific minds chip away at old notions that consciousness is a stand-alone “ thing,” rather than an intrinsic potential of matter. ust how ualified some of these individuals are to comment on Darwinian evolution is a valid question. The above authors are to be taken more seriously than the M ichael Dowd’s, Andrew Cohen’s, or Barbara

M arx Hubbard’s of the genre, who write with ourish and fancy, seeming to use evolutionary theory to support pre-existing spiritual philosophies. In some ways, they wring the science from evolutionary theory and recast it for spiritual purposes. This is perhaps dangerous, as the rigour of evolutionary theory may become diluted.

The opinions of scientists and philosophers themselves, those who can educate with authority on evolution, are obviously more valuable when it comes to the convergence of science and spirit.

Common themes, generally, across these thinkers and authors— “ Evolutionaries” as Carter Phipps calls them— and the spiritual cosmology they are fuelling is several-fold. They argue that evolution is going somewhere— not that it has an intelligent purpose, no: they remind us that evolution is not random and that Darwinian natural selection is very much supreme. Taking a broad cosmological view, from the Big Bang onward, it is asked: why has “ lifeless” matter collated to form ever more complex, ever more conscious forms?

Throughout evolution, matter continues to reorganize, attaining higher levels of consciousness ever time. Humans are merely the current standard.

Do these observations and speculations conveniently ignore the messiness of evolution? Certainly not. There are more dead ends on the tree of evolution than progressive ones. But when we survey the rise of consciousness through evolution, an almost eery suspicion arises. M aybe its just the eeriness that accompanies a well-crafted conspiracy, but maybe not. The following passage from J ulian Huxley’s brief essay, Transhumanism urges us recognize the reality of this “ conspiracy” : “ As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.

This cosmic self-awareness is being realized in one tiny fragment of the universe — in a few of us human beings.

Perhaps it has been realized elsewhere too, through the evolution of conscious living creatures on the planets of other stars. But on this our planet, it has never happened before.”

One need only consider the delightfully indeterminate personal philosophy of Albert Einstein or the writings of Carl Sagan to get a sense of the

undefinable nature of the divine, a view suggested by evolutionary spirituality definitive, personal God is a rare idea amidst the movement, as humans are, in the context of evolution, participants in the ascent toward higher consciousness. The divine (the driving force of consciousness or consciousness itself, depending on who you ask) becomes increasingly viewed as (1 ) a process, one that we participate in; (2) a pre-existing state, for the divine, or All-consciousness, was singular before dividing at the moment of the Big Bang; and (3 ) an end-point toward which life creeps: for the All-consciousness draws life toward it. The idea that evolution ascends toward a state of maximum consciousness or All-consciousness and the idea that the All-consciousness draws the cosmos toward itself are one and the same: it is merely a matter of perspective. It could be argued that evolutionary spirituality is a religion of consciousness— a fair charge, save that evolutionary spirituality is exploratory and lacks any central tenets or doctrine.

These ideas have implications for how humanity estimates its own importance in the universe: in one sense, we can wake up and abandon our anthropocentric views— including, if I may be so bold, religions that teach us that we are the favourite creatures of a personal God. As a side note, this does not mean that an afterlife is explicitly denied: consciousness is usually deemed an ongoing process, but personal immortality is seriously questioned. And rather than leaving us in the throes of existential angst and depression at the meaningless-

ness of existence, there is a touch of hope in the idea that consciousness furthers itself through the mechanism of evolution. Still, we must remember that hope is something to be very cautious of: many a psychologically toxic world view was born out of a need for hope.

Existential philosophy maintains that we live in a purposeless universe, void of the divine, and we therefore are left to create our own values and purpose. M any aspects of existentialism stand parallel to the ideas of evolutionary spirituality, particularly that we make our purpose and have the opportunity— perhaps the duty— to participate in evolution (such is Transhumanism’s argument).

Is there ever a clear answer to why we are here? Of course not. Some (Dawkins) even argue that “ why” is an illogical question to ask about existence.

Is it all absurd as the “ new atheists” purport? Is there an absolute answer found in religion?

Both camps miss the mark in favour of closure. I argue that the element of uncertainty is what makes our existence exciting, if we can choose to see it that way rather than pining for closed systems of belief. The questions we get to ask when we maintain an ongoing existential search are far more interesting. What if the universe an unfolding of some kind?

There are rumblings and there are hintings...patterns, trajectories...what is the universe up to?

One thing is becoming clear: the physical cosmos is not a chaotic happenstance as many scientists of the modern era held, rather, a cosmic process is ongoing— one with massive implications for the conscious creatures that are a part of it.

OPINIONS 7

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11

A hand out and a hand up he ene ts of vol nto ris

ERIKA KINACH | Contributor

As a result of a decrease in the cost of flights abroad and the innumerable resources at our fingertips because of the Internet, you are guaranteed to know someone who has been on a “ voluntourism” trip in the last few years.

The time span, nature, and geographical location of these trips vary; I’ve heard of people volunteering at orphanages in V ietnam and Costa R ica, assisting with community projects via service learning in Central America, building schools in Africa, or building homes in the U .S. for Habitat for Humanity. The emergence of this trend has compelled people of all ages to fork out hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars of their own or sponsors’ money to personally help those in need. M any critics are quick to point out that these trips do not actually benefit others; the money used to pay for these trips can be put to much better

use in either the local community or sustainability projects abroad. Before judging for ourselves, we should try to understand and educate ourselves on not only the costs but also the benefits of voluntourism. Here I present a first-hand opinion on why these trips do not only benefit the voluntourist but also communities near and far.

V oluntourism provides a large number of cultural learning experiences for the travelers that are unique to the specific project. The traveler is often presented with an off-the-beaten-path experience that regular tourism does not often provide: while tourism only lets you see what the area and local economy wants you to see, voluntourism shows you what life in the area is actually like. Often, these are aspects of our own daily life that we as Canadians take for granted.

V oluntourism can also serve to

create awareness and emotional investment for lesser-known organizations and recruit others to the cause.

This isn’t the kind of “ awareness” spread by dumping a bucket of ice on your head on social media; rather it informs communities and people that these organizations exist and essentially anyone can help if they so desire. It also provides voluntourists with a personal interest since they’re seeing the cause they are helping first hand; they can return from afar and continue to investigate how they can help.

It’s no secret that university students in Canada lead privileged lives compared to those living in poorer parts of the world where getting an education, let alone travelling outside of the country, is often financially and logistically impossible. Oftentimes our efforts to help may have the most impact and be most efficient through donations rather than physi-

cally visiting a place and trying to “ help” . While it is ideal to have selfsustaining societies with their own institutions run by communityimembers, self-sufficiency can be difficult to achieve. In the meantime help is both needed and appreciated. R ather than eliminating voluntourism, we should collectively change our attitudes towards travelling and serving others. We are not saviors, and most people in the world are just as capable and deserving as we are. We should examine if our past experiences have helped make a difference, and whatwe can do to improve our next trip. Traveling is fun and exciting, and who are we to condemn those who want to offer a helping handout while doing so? As long as we begin to acknowledge that these experiences are as much about us as it is about people we are helping, we don’t have to be saviors. Instead, we can be engaged global citizens.

To Kill A Mockingbird 2?

Controversy surrounds Harper Lee’s yet unpublished sequel ‘Go Set a Watchman’ RACHEL REVOY | Senior Reporter

Harper Lee’s To K ill a M ockingbird was read by countless people throughout their high school education. As a beloved great American novel, the book continues to resonate with modern issues faced in the U S and Canada such as racism, prejudice, and civil rights. The novel continues to stay relevant since its release in 1 96 0. To K ill a M ockingbird has been a stand alone hit-- although that is set to change this J uly with the release of the classic’s revival entitled Go Set a Watchman.

Lee wrote the prequel roughly 6 0 years ago yet never set to get Go Set a Watchman published. The novel is clearly written before To K ill a M ockingbird, yet is written from the voice of Scout Finch as an adult.

Something seems quite suspicious about the upcoming novel. After the overwhelming success of Lee’s To K ill a M ockingbird, she went into reclose, not attending the countless interviews or enjoying the attention she gained for the novel’s immense success. In her years following To K ill a M ockingbird, she published only a few essays. Lee seemed to be a great novelist who remained a sort of one-hit-wonder after her first and only successful novel was published. N ow, after all the years of waiting, the story of Scout Finch continues.

Frail and in her late eighties, Lee is unable to make decisions independently according to her sister and legal advisor Alice. Alice wrote in 201 1 that her sister “ can’t see and can’t hear and will sign anything put before her by anyone whom she has confidence.” Lee’s lawyer, who she most likely has confidence in, is the person who found the manuscript for the revival Go Set a Watchman. When Lee’s lawyer came to her with the manuscript, she admitted that she wasn’t sure that the manu-

script had survived.

N ow what is left in question is how much involvement Lee has had in the publication of the manuscript. At eighty-eight years old, and after suffering from a stroke, while being admittedly incapable of consenting according to her close family member, does Harper Lee really wish for Go Set a Watchman to be published? If she had, wouldn’t she have revived it and published a couple of years following To K ill A M ockingbird? And, why would she suspiciously quoted on stating that she thought it had been lost long ago?

If Lee really wished for the novel to be published she would not have left the original manuscript unmentioned for decades. In a private lunch a couple years following Lee’s stroke in 2007 , Oprah Winfrey asked her why she had never published another novel. Harper Lee’s response: “ I already said everything I needed to say.”

To make matters worse, the manuscript was not discovered until Lee’s legal advisory and sister Alice passed away last N ovember. N ot to jump to any conclusions, but this oddly sounds like someone is taking advantage of a woman who may not be able to say no.

Harper Lee is overtaken with health issues, she is blind, she is deaf, and now she is battling grief from her sister’s death. Obviously this is a very vulnerable time to be asking an author if they would like to publish a novel they never intended to publish.

The novel will be successful nonetheless, since it was written by one of the most well known American authors in history, yet it is still unclear what relationship this novel will have with the classic novel that Lee published nearly 6 0 years ago. The book will be on sale J uly 1 4 th of this year.

8

Thursday, March 5, 2015-The Xaverian

Should they tell us?

When one student is infected with a communicable disease, do students have a right to know?

LEWIS FORWARD | Features Editor

Live culture of Neisseria meningitidis. Strains of this bacterium have taken the lives of two Nova Scotian students this year, and infected two more, including a StFX student who was infected twice.

9

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11 ass hysteria is defined as the hookups, or having a bite of the collective delusions of threats to Wheel or K enny’s. society that spread quickly Prevention efforts aren’t susthrough fear and rumours. tainable and don’t really provide The first documented case of any benefit to this kind of situamass hysteria was a plague of tion, aside form peace of mind, Dancing M ania, which occurred in which can also be achieved by the Holy R oman Empire in the choosing not to inform students 1 5 00s. and faculty about a rare case of It began with one woman danc- the disease that the board of ing fervently in the street and hun- health has deemed an issue that dreds of others were quick to join is not a current cause for conuntil they reached death from cern. heart attacks, stroke or exhausThis case of meningitis has tion. also been slightly stigmatized The case of the Halifax slasher due to the recent news publicain 1 93 8 in Halifax, England resulted tions about the cases at Acadia. in numerous women claiming to be M eningitis is a terrifying disattached by a man in bright buck- ease, but can be made even more led shoes. This went on for some so by the media and mass hystetime until one of the victims re- ria. Even with the publication in vealed that his wounds were self- the news, how many additional in icted for attention actions beyond vaccinations are These examples may people willing to take to prevent sound ridiculous, but they could the spread of the disease? very well serve the ground for M y point here is that people quite logical reasoning as to why want the easiest option when it St. FX waited three months to in- comes to being healthy, and if the form students of the single case of easiest option is to blame to M eningitis on campus. board of health for not telling us While many argue that the ad- earlier, that could potentially be ministration was in the wrong for the answer. trying to keep the one case of M enIf the same situation on camingitis under wraps, only admit- pus had happened with a sexualting to the case on campus after ly transmitted infection such as being called out by CBC news, I Chlamydia, the hookup culture think it was a good that notoriously occurs at our move in keep the university wouldn’t stop students at ease immediately. in a “ what People generally you don’t want simple soluknow can’t tions to complex hurt you” problems that insituation volve little effort rather on their part; than a why instill unnecBy Erika Kinach case of essary worry on holding inthe campus comformation munity for a situafrom the unition people are generversity communially not going to do much ty. about for themselves?

Critics are quick to point out We should take our anthat educating students and staff ger at the administration and on campus about the meningitis channel it more into disease precase on campus can lead to an in- vention and general health and creased prevention efforts that stu- well-being. dent and faculty can employ in evHow about instead of bitching eryday life. about how the administration I argue here that informing stu- has let us down yet again, we dents of yet another illnesses on channel our energy into eating campus would instill just another healthier, exercising, washing layer of fear and paranoia on top of our hands a little more often and the everyday stresses that we al- making sure we are up-to date ready face. with our vaccinations?

M eningitis is transmitted We should have more faith in through exchange of respiratory the administration and the health and throat secretions (such as board when it comes to making kissing or sharing drinks), but the decisions about what they choose disease is not as contagious as the to inform the public about when common cold or u it comes to infectious diseases.

We are warned of the signs, Should the situation have symptoms, and prevention of the reached a point where students cold and u every year and to be did need to take extra measures, honest I don’t really see anyone such as the emergence of an epimaking the extra effort to wash demic, I trust that administration their hands not share drinks on a would go to such extremes as esregular basis, even though it’s tablishing quarantines or shutcommon knowledge that the com- ting down campus as a priority. mon cold and u are rampant from After all, with the plethora of September to April. changes and events that have Even if we were to up our hand- happened across campus over washing and be a little more care- the last few years, including the ful with who we are letting take new presidency, the strike, the sips out of our water bottles, all spike in enrollment and the inbets are lost should you choose to creased push for student recruitdrink on a Friday or Saturday ment, the last thing that the St.FX night, which might lead to lacks of administration needs is bad press judgment when it comes to spread- over an epidemic of a reasonably ing germs and disease through preventable and detectable disdrink sharing, kissing friends or ease.

NO

StFX respects its students.

StFX should have published They have confidence in us: in our information like this as soon as intellect, in our skill, and in our the case was identified. They ability to respond as a community should have told us that this into safety risks. fection was present, so conThat’s why the decision by cerned students could take perStFX officials not to tell students sonal precautions. that there was a possible risk to This might include vaccinastudent health until months after tions, avoiding crowded living the case was confirmed came as a quarters, and practicing and obsharp surprise. serving coughing etiquette, A case of a particularly virulent hand hygiene, and a reduction of strain of bacterial meningitis was sharing objects potentially conidentified on campus in N ovemtaminated with saliva- if they ber, and in early J anuary. This felt these precautions necessary. same strain killed Acadia student Without notification, the uniSarah Hastings on Feb 2. Students versity made these decisions on were not informed by the univerprecaution for students without sity until Feb 1 2. their input.

When there is a risk to safety in There is the risk that a contaa community like ours, the univergion of worry would spread if sity should always lean towards the university told us, putting sharing the information with stumore stress on our already heavdents to allow us to make our own ily-taxed on and off campus clindecisions on how to react. ics, and causing students unnecThey should not wait until after essary stress. epidemics have taken hold to tell Far more unnecessary stress students, as they have done in the is caused when the rumour mill past with other communicable inis allowed to spin unrestrained fections. and Y ik Y ak or Spotted at StFX K nowledge of the disease and is our first source of information of preventative measures will reon the topic. duce the risk of transmission and When the next serious infecassuage worry which will develop tion is confirmed in the StFX if the university shares only its sicommunity, there are several lence. things the university should do StFX is a small place, and to improve their reinformation will spread sponse. far faster than most M ost imporinfections. tantly they When the unishould send versity remains out a notifisilent, it allows cation via misinformation T w i t t e r, to spread in its Fa c e b o o k , absence. and email to

By Lewis Forward students of The universithe infection ty’s reflexive acon the same tion should be the day the infection publication of a comis confirmed. prehensive information Within this official sheet in coordination with notification they should include GASHA as soon as a case of any a link to the specific disease fact potentially transmissible infecsheet provided by Scotia Public tious disease is found on campus.

Health’s Communicable Disease They’ve provided similar inforPrevention and Control promation with other serious infecgram, so students can know the tions. Last year with N orovirus, details of the disease. and in 2009 with H1 N 1 , they issued They should also provide, in prompt and informative informaconsultation with GASHA, a tion once the infection had spread. summary of preventative methN eisseria meningitidis is contaods and routes of transmission gious, but not as difficult to spread so students can understand the as most flu variants, or the exdisease, its risks, and precautremely contagious norovirus. tions quickly before rumour But it is very virulent, and the takes hold.

B strain- which infected the StFX The initial notification should student- is frequently associated prominently display and dewith severe cases. scribe 8 1 1 , and its uses in situaV ery close contact is usually tions like this to reduce the required for the pathogen, which strain on on-campus health seris found as part of the natural flovices. ra of the throat and nasal cavities Like the university trusted in about 1 0% of people. students with their choice to It cannot be transmitted in come to StFX, they should trust aerosol form, so we don’t have to us to react intelligently to inforbe worried the symphony of mation on disease once we’re sneezes echoing around classhere. rooms at this time of year.

To withhold information from The main risk is to people who the student body when there is come in contact with an infected any risk to public safety: disindividual’s oral secretions- an ease, violence, or otherwise, unlikely scenario for most people, leads us to think that the probut a potential concern for roomfound respect StFX officials mates, beer pong teammates, pub have for students does not exhookups, and anyone otherwise tend far enough to keep us inintimately involved with the informed. fected individual.

YES

10 ARTS & CULTURE

Thursday, March 5, 2015-The Xaverian

ARTS & CULTURE Featured Artist: Megan Boyle Bringing StFX artists into the foreground DEVON GREENE | Arts & Culture Editor

Antigonish County local, M egan Boyle, has spent the last several years discovering her passions and growing as a person by using art. Her artistic pursuits began at the age of 1 6 when she recreated a poster for a friend of hers featuring one of his favourite musical artists. What started out as a good deed for a friend turned into the beginning of a life-changing path. “ When I was doing it I thought, ‘wow this is really fun! ’ I had never really sat down and tried to recreate something to that extent before, so that’s kind of what got things started for me. I started painting a lot and that was really my thing.”

Opportunities to pursue a formal art education were limited for Boyle during her high school years and fine art was put on the back burner when she spent time traveling abroad following her high school graduation. During her first year at St FX, Boyle enrolled in classes focused around developmental studies, but by the time second year came around she had realized she could not leave her initially passions behind. “ I’ve always been really interested in psychology. The mind fascinates me, and art is my other passion. Initially [ art therapy] was about trying to find a way to combine the two and I feel like as years went on I realized the actual worth and personally experienced the value of using art as therapy. It’s not just the natural way to combine the things that I’m interested in. I actually have experienced and have a better understanding of it.”

Boyle not only loves art and the therapeutic benefits that come with it, but also

feels that she needs it in her life to express her thoughts and to help her get through difficult times. It was in this way that Boyle was inspired to create the piece Aham Brahmasmi. “ That piece is every emotion I was feeling at the time out on canvas. I was going through a really difficult time so that piece was all about grounding myself again.

The footprint in the center is actually mine. To me the painting is roots extending out. The whole idea is grounding myself after my life felt very chaotic and not feeling like I had a whole lot of control.” For days, when Boyle was not in class or working, she was locked away in her room creating this massive 5 x1 5 ft painting. The painting combines elements of chaos and control with the use of paint splatters contrasted with clear and distinct lines extending form the center. “ I like to just imagine my thoughts and emotions coming out my fingertips and onto the canvas. The runny paint made it easy to do that.” The title, inspired by Boyle’s interest in yoga, is Sanskrit meaning ‘I am the universe.’ Boyle describes the idea as being connected to all things rather than floating through life in isolation, reminding her to feel more grounded and in control of her life. Finishing the painting gave Boyle a sense of closure after feeling a lack of control in her life.

N ow in her final year of study at St FX, Boyle has been exposed to a number of different art mediums while taking a minor in Fine Arts, including weaving. For her weaving project, Boyle created the piece Goddess. Boyle, along with many of her class-

mates, was new to weaving and had to learn the technical skills from scratch. Boyle found creating the artwork piece by piece using yarn and a loom to be very relaxing and enjoyable. The way Boyle describes the artistic and technical process of weaving makes it sound like an ideal medium for her to work in. “ It’s like building shape on shape on shape.” Expression is the most important part of Boyle’s art and weaving allows her to put together meaningful, symbolic images piece by piece. For her directed study in weaving, Boyle has already chosen the individual images she will include in her project and what each one represents. She is now simply working to arrange them into the cartoon she will use to guide her through the weaving process. Outlining and filling in each piece as she goes, Boyle will be able to watch these important aspects of her vision connect not only metaphorically but also physically as each shape helps to hold the whole piece together and create a structurally sound finished product. Completion of this directed study will wrap up Boyle’s formal art education at St FX but she is excited for future artistic endeavors along the path to artistic therapy.

K eeping in mind that each piece should be visually appealing in some way, Boyle likes to focus on the creative process of art. “ Art for me is expression. It’s not even just about creating amazing finished products. It’s about the process of creating and what that does for you and what that can do for other people.

That’s something that I’ve really experienced myself

through different works that I’ve done. I want to help other people see that through art therapy.” Boyle plans to continue her studies at Concordia U niversity in M ontreal where she can learn more about art therapy. The human subconscious is often unclear yet powerful and the same time, perfectly matching the abstract style of art to which Boyle tends to gravitate. Each mind is unique, as is each piece of abstract art. “ Abstract expressionism is taking what’s inside you and putting it on canvas and that, to me, is so beautiful and so amazing.

That will never be recreated again. That exact thing that came from you is never going to come from someone else. I find it really liberating.” It is clear form the way Boyle talks about her creative process that she finds art truly therapeutic.

Abstract expressionism is often mistaken as the lazy work of artists who lack the technical skills required for realism art. The common expression “ A two year old could paint that! ” comes to mind.

Boyle says that it is not always about what the image looks like in the end. “ If you’re really in it during the process then however it turns out is how it’s supposed to turn out.” Boyle still appreciates the skill involved in artistic creation and sees it as an important step to take before creating even the most abstract pieces of art although the general public does not always see it in works of this style. “ A good piece of art to me is something that is rich in meaning, that the art meant something to the person that was creating it, that their love and their feelings went whole

heartedly into the piece. That for me is the most important part. But then there is a technical part and I’m still learning what technically makes a piece of art so appealing, which is really weird because I shouldn’t have to be taught what’s appealing to me, but it’s more like being taught why. The pieces of art that have always been really attractive to me, the things I’m learning from my professors are in those works but I just didn’t recognize the technical things that made it look really beautiful to me.” Despite her passion for abstract work and individualism, Boyle also insists that recreation of other artists’ work is also a valuable step in shaping oneself as an artist. “ It’s like when you’re learning to play music, before you can write your own songs you have to learn the notes by playing other people’s songs. As you grow you start coming up with your own ideas and put things together in different ways that people haven’t done. It’s part of the process of becoming an artist.”

With graduation quickly approaching, Boyle looks back at her experiences with the Fine Arts Department with fond memories. She says she is grateful for the small class sizes, close relationships she has formed within the department and the open mindedness of the faculty members, especially the supervisor of her directed study, M urray Gibson. Her understanding and appreciation of all styles of art and artists themselves a good indication that Boyle will continue to grow personally and professionally as she pursues a career in art therapy.

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11

ARTS & CULTURE

11

Charley’s Aunt Review ‘Amazing, I was crying I was laughing so hard!’

DEVON GREENE | Arts and Culture Editor

Dragged unwillingly into skirts to impersonate a fellow undergraduate' s widowed Brazilian aunt, Lord Fancourt Babberley soon finds himself warming to the role and comic confusion reigns supreme.

A classic farce to dispel the winter blahs!

This synopsis is that of Charley’s Aunt, an all student led comedy directed by K ierra Gallant and Laura M cLaughlan.

Charley’s aunt was proof that if you put a bunch of university students’ minds together, you are able to create a comedy masterpiece that had people of all ages laughing so hard they cry.

Participating at the Bauer Theatre as

an U sher I took my place at the top row unsure of what to expect. I had never heard of Charley’s Aunt before and I walked in with no expectations I just wanted to enjoy a good show. The lights turned off and from the beginning I was drawn with Tyler M acDonald’s acting as J ack when he was frantically writing and throwing papers this way and that to get the perfect love note to say to his dear K itty, M aureen Armour. The comedy continued as M itch Anderson (playing Charley) discovered that J ack was in love. Both Anderson, and M acdonald bonded over their mutual love for two different ladies and

found the perfect opportunity when Charley’s Aunt Came to town to invite the two ladies over for supper. It was then the discovery occurred that Charley’s Aunt would no longer be arriving that day. So they reluctantly got their friend Lord Babberley ,R yler Erickson. To dress in a ladies outfit and pretend to be this lovely rich widow that everyone fancied.

N eedless to see I was taken away by the hilarious acting that occurred in front of me. Twist after twist occurred and no matter the situation, the cast did a phenomenal job of keeping the audience laughing, even when the unexpected hit on stage. On opening night Lord Babberly was getting sick of all the lies so he began taking his clothes off. Only to have J ack and Charley Panic, frantically putting their dress back on before K itty and Amy, J essica Parsons, joined them in the garden. However, disaster occurred when Charley’s dress would not zip up. So in one of the funniest

scenes in the play, the boys frantically tried to zip up Charley’s Aunt’s dress hoping the ladies wouldn’t discover that it was actually Lord Babberley. It wasn’t until after the scene was over that I realized it was entirely adlibbed. His dress was still undone and the zipper incident was never supposed to happen in the first place It was due to the suburb acting of the cast that none of the audience was the wiser during that scene. They did an amazing job of taking a wardrobe mishap, and turn it into a divine act of comedy.

Although not all was mentioned, the entire cast did an amazing job with their performance. Everyone I talked to were amazed. “ great show! I want to see it again.” “ Amazing! I was crying I was laughing so hard.” One member even went as far as to call it “ my ab work out for the day, my stomach hurts from all the laughter.” Overall, a strong congratulations is in order for the cast and crew of Charley’s Aunt.

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12 ARTS & CULTURE

Thursday, March 5, 2015-The Xaverian

Ghomeshi & Canadaland The story behind the story

MARY FAHEY | The Aquinian- Saint Thomas University

FR EDER ICTON (CU P) — When J esse Brown began reporting on allegations of sexual assault against J ian Ghomeshi, he was reluctant to push his sources into revealing their names. The Toronto Star, who he was partnered with to investigate the beloved CBC radio show host, was not.

The Canadaland podcaster went to the Toronto Star with four stories from four women about their experiences with Ghomeshi. He felt that was enough — he and Star reporter K evin Donovan checked their facts, corroborated their information and felt confident their stories

were solid. Brown didn’t feel he needed their names on the record, but the Star was “ bullish” in their insistence. “ M any journalists would say that I was not acting professionally. Y ou’re supposed to get people on the record, you’re supposed to get them to use their names. I would not pressure these women to use their names,” he said. “ The only one I pressured was my friend K athryn Borel who ultimately did come out on the record. “ And I regret pressuring her.”

Brown visited a third and fourth-year journalism class last Thursday to talk about

the stories he and his organization have broken over the past several months. When the story of sexual assault from the now-former Q host broke, the issue of sexual harassment was thrust onto the Canadian stage. Along with any conversation about sexual assault comes certain questions: why won’t these women report their experiences, and why won’t they use their names?

Brown said the women he spoke with said they didn’t want to end up like Carla Ciccone.

Ciccone wrote a personal account of an accidental date with an unnamed “ pre-

sumed-gay Canadian C-list celebrity” most people saw as Ghomeshi. After the story, she was attacked online with emails, tweets and one Y ouTube video calling her the “ scumbag of the internet” that garnered more than 4 00,000 views.

This is what happens to women who make allegations about well-loved powerful men,” said Brown. “ It’s no joke.”

When Ghomeshi learned about the investigation Brown and the Star were conducting, his legal counsel sent Brown emails threatening to sue for libel for even asking questions. When the

Star saw that response, they dropped the story. “ When they threatened to sue us over investigating, K evin Donovan said stop investigating. I was told to stop researching this story,” said Brown. “ I was pretty hot about that.”

The story lay dormant for months as the summer of 201 4 passed. Brown decided to bide his time and wait for a better time to drop the story. He couldn’t get other news organizations on board, like V ice. He thought he’d have to take it to an American organization if no one in Canada wanted the story.

As it so happens, the catalyst for running the story was born of luck.

Brown was sitting on a whole other scoop about Canadian state surveillance that he knew was going to be big. He said on his Canadaland podcast one week that he had a story that was going to seriously embarrass involved parties and that he expects to get attacked as a result. “ And J ian hears that. He thought I was talking about him.”

This drove Ghomeshi to go to the CBC with what he believed was evidence that what he was doing with his romantic partners was consensual. CBC is reported to have responded by having him escorted out of the building and put on “ indeterminate leave” . Then, Ghomeshi posted a lengthy status update on Facebook saying a “ freelance writer” and “ jilted ex-girlfriend” were out to get him.

That post gave the Star “ the justification they thought they needed to run the story,” said Brown.

M ore than 1 00,000 people liked Ghomeshi’s status and outcried against the CBC said the press has no place in our bedrooms. Ghomeshi said in the post his interest in BDSM was perhaps distateful to the public broadcaster, but consensual between parties nevertheless.

He also said his father’s recent death had taken a deep personal toll. The public was initially sympathetic. “ Essentially, without even hearing the other side, they were saying we don’t think these women are telling the truth,” said Brown. “ I can’t find a case where four women, some of whom don’t even know each other, made almost identical accusations toward a guy. I don’t even know how you put a conspiracy like that together.”

DISTRACTIONS 13

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11

DISTRACTIONS KURT BROTHERS | Forever Alone

ANTIGONISH UNRATED: MARCH MADNESS

THE BEST SUDOKU EVER! (MAYBE)

No, I am not talking

about the basketball season. I am talking about the excruciating madness that is March after a reading week of doing nothing. We all promised ourselves we would catch up on actual readings and get ahead on paper season, but that was lost in a haze of sleeping in and Netflix. And now we’re back at school, and the amount of work is daunting. But, it is so close to the end of the year. For me, that also prevents me from doing work. I spend my time daydreaming about summer and not focusing on

the increasing stack of assignments on my desk.

And then there are all the events in this month.

Country night, St. Paddy’s day, and numerous birthdays...the list goes on. Needless to say, not much work will be getting done anytime soon.

Hopefully we will all get through this, and then have exam prep to worry about.

THE TOP FIVE STRUGGLES OF SECOND SEMESTER Lack of Time: Is it just me, or does 2nd term fly by? It feels like January and February hasn’t happened and we’ve just been launched into March.

Lack of Motivation: The end of the year is so close, and there’s no way anyone can get the energy to do work. The only thoughts racing through peoples’ minds are summer and no schoolwork.

Winter: After Christmas, winter could just leave. Especially this year, it’s like trekking through the Arctic to get to those dreaded 8:15s. The freezing cold doesn’t help inspire anyone to do their work either.

Real Life: Summer jobs, graduate schools...it all hurts the head to think about. To those graduating and unsure of what they’re doing, join the club. The day after grad seems like a black hole of uncertainness. And summer jobs are scarce this time of year.

Reading Week: In 1st term, there’s no break in the middle of the term, just Christmas. So the 2nd term Reading Week really throws everyone off. You think you’ll come back revived and ready. But in truth, you return to X even lazier and more unmotivated.

IMA BEAR: BY JEFF SMYTH

SPORTS & HEALTH

SPORTS & HEALTH Playoff hopes going in opposite directions en lose in se is wo en lay in nals AARON THORNELL | Sports & Health Editor

The St. FX X-M en saw their underdog playoff run come to an unfortunate end last week, as they lost the fifth and deciding game to the U N B V arsity R eds in the AU S Playoff semifinals eanwhile, the omen began swept the Dalhousie Tigers, and won the first game of the AU S Playoff Finals against the M oncton Aigles Bleues.

The X-M en, who entered the post-season ranked fourth in the division, faced off against the fifth ranked I anthers The X-M en swept the best-ofthree series, winning the first game at home by a score of 4-2 , and then defeating the Panthers in Charlottetown by a score of 3- 1. X-M en forward Eric Locke

had four points in the two wins, while Drew Owsley stopped 6 2 of 6 5 shots faced, including a forty save performance in the second game.

In the semi finals the en faced the UN B V arsity R eds, who topped the AU S division and entered the playoffs the second-ranked team in Canada.

The X-M en were shelled in the series opener, as the R eds mustered 4 8 shots against Owsley, putting five past him The M en managed to score two on UN B’s David Shantz. The game was anything but cordial, however, as both teams amassed close to 40 minutes in penalties, and each team had two players each receive 10 -minute misconducts.

X-Women forward Daley Oddy had a hat-trick in the team’s opening playoff game Via AUS.ca

t

The second game was far more disciplined, as the UN B side managed to squeak out a 2-1 victory. V arsity R ed Cameron Brace got two points in the win, while Ted Stephens scored the lone marker for the X-M en.

When the series moved to Antigonish, however, the series turned in St. FX’s favour. They claimed the third game of the series by a score of 3- 1. Stephens scored for the second game in a row to tie the game at one in the first period ichael K irkpatrick gave St. FX the lead early in the second period, before Eric Locke sealed the win with an empty-netter.

The fourth game continued the way of the third, seeing the X-M en claim a 4-2 win to tie the series at two games apiece. The teams exchanged goals before the X-M en took a 3-2 lead on a late second period goal by J arrad Struthers. M ichael K irkpatrick scored in the third period to put the game out of reach.

Drew Owsley earned the game s first star, stopping of 4 1 shots, including 18 in the third period. This stat stood out when compared to the 1 4 shots mustered by St. FX. The final and deciding game of was played in Fredericton. At the end of the first period, had a 2-1 lead. The two teams exchanged early second period goals, and the second period ended with UN B leading 4-3 .

V arsity R ed M att Boudens scored to put UN B up 5 -3 , and

tea s e cel at

Dylan Willick added an emptynetter to seal St. FX’s fate.

Their results in the playoffs earned the X-M en the eighth spot in the CIS rankings. Eric ocke finished the team with seven points in six games, while M ichael K irkpatrick, K ristoff K ontos, and Ted Stephens all finished with si points over the two series. Drew Owsley won four of his seven starts, and finished with a .925 save percentage and a 2.5 8 goals against average.

The season is not over for the X-M en, however, as they will get a spot in the I finals as the host team. The tournament, being held in Halifax, is set to get underway M arch 1 2th.

The X-M en open their tournament on M arch 13 th.

The X-Women, in the meantime, defeated the Dalhousie Tigers in their first playoff matchup. St. FX earned a bye in the first round after finishing first in the division ifth ranked Dalhousie defeated St. Thomas in their opening series, winning the second and third game of the series. Despite the X-Women’s domination in the regular season, there was some doubt entering this semi final series, as the team had lost the final three games of the season, including a 6 -1 loss to the same Dalhousie side.

In their opening, played in Antigonish, any concerns were erased. The X-Women earned a convincing win, defeating the

trac

Tigers 5 -0. Daley Oddy, the team’s second leading scorer, had a hat trick, while Sarah Bujold had a goal and two assists.

All three of Oddy’s goals came on the powerplay, as the XWomen went 3 -for-7 with the extra skater.

The next game was played in Halifax, but the Tigers were unable to take advantage of the home-ice advantage. The XWomen won 3 -1, with goals from Alex N ormore, K aren Power, and another by Oddy. XWomen goaltender Sojung Shin started both games, making twenty saves in each.

The X-Women began their series against the M oncton Aigles Bleues on M arch 2nd. oncton finished second behind the X-Women in the AU S division.

The X-Women claimed the first game of the series, shutting out M oncton 2-0. Schyler Campbell opened the scoring early in the game, a goal that would stand as the game winner. Lisa Downey added another goal early in the second period. Sojung Shin stopped all 23 shots she faced to earn her second shutout of the playoffs. Shin boasts a .98 4 save percentage and a 0.3 3 goals against average through three games.

The X-Women will attempt to claim their third AU S banner in five years, and earn a birth in the I finals The finals will be hosted by the U niversity of Calgary from M arch 1 2th to 15 th.

eld nals

X-Women place second overall, X-Men claim third AARON THORNELL | Sports & Health Editor

The t track and field teams travelled to M oncton this past weekend to take part in the AU S Track and Field Championship. The X-Women placed second in overall points, while the X-M en claimed third place. In total, St. FX took home 28 medals, five athletes were named to the first ll onference team, and an additional 1 2 were named to the second All-Conference team.

The X-Women scored 1 06 points as a team, second to Dalhousie’s 1 6 5 . This win marks the 26 th consecutive AU S title for the Tigers. First-year Hayley Wilson was named the AU S Female R ookie of the Y ear, as she claimed a gold medal in the 6 0m dash, as well as a silver in both

the triple jump and the long jump.

Alongside Wilson, Hailey Pollock won gold in the shot put, and the St. FX 4 x4 00m, composed of Bridget Brennan, Allie Flower, Beth Lawrence, and Eilish ac uarrie claimed first M acQuarrie also took home a silver medal in the 3 00m and the 4 x200m relay, as well as a bronze in the 6 0m dash and the 6 00m.

N adine Otten won a silver medal in the 6 0m hurdles, while Ellen M urphy also placed second in the weight throw.

On the men’s side, St. FX was led by M ackenzie M unroe, a fifth year student from armouth, N .S. who was named AU S M ale Athlete of the Y ear.

M unroe won the 6 00m, placed

second in the m, and also finished second as part of St. FX’s 4 x200m team, comprised of M unroe, M att M urphy, Demetrius Ferguson, and Timothy Brennan. Ferguson, who also plays on the St. FX football team, placed third in the 6 0m dash.

Scott Donald, an Ottawa native and the defending AU S men’s cross-country champion, also claimed a gold medal in the 1 5 00m race. Alex Cyr, also a member of the St. FX crosscountry team, placed third in the same event. Donald and Cyr were both members of St. FX’s 4 x8 00m relay team, along with Calvin DeWolfe and Bryden Tate, that finished second ob K ennedy and Shawn Costello finished second and third in the

shot put, respectively.

The X-M en earned a total of 8 7 points, placing them just behind , who finished in second as a team. Dalhousie reclaimed their overall victory.

The men’s team from Dalhousie had their 1 2-year streak broken

by St. FX last year.

All St. FX athletes who won gold in their events will be travelling to Windsor in a week’s time, to compete in the CIS Championship meet. This will be the second CIS competition for many of the X-M en who represented St. FX at last year’s competition in Calgary. Eilish M acQuarrie and Bridget Brennan will also be returning for the X-Women with the 4 x4 00m relay team,

Eilish MacQuarrie claimed five medals at this year’s AUS track & field championship Via goxgo.ca

SPORTS & HEALTH

The Xaverian-Volume 123 Issue 11

15

Running in the winter Some insight into what drives people to such madness THE CRAZY WINTER RUNNER | Frostbite Victim Y ou peek through your blinds from your bed. All you see is white. White roads, white roofs, white sidewalks.

Whiteness. As you take a closer look you see ecks of brown slush mi ed in, and a car drives by, coated in that thin layer of salt, just like every pair of boots and shoes you own. A tree is nearly snapped in half by a gust of snow-saturated wind.

It seems as though the worst possible idea would be to step outside in inadequate clothing and far from appropriate footwear. Why chose this day, of all days, to go for a run?

R unning in the winter is like wearing a Boston Bruins jersey to a bar in M ontreal during the N HL playoffs. It is potentially dangerous and almost certainly foolish. Even if all goes in your favour, you will probably question whether it was even worth it.

Y et, people do it. They emerge from around snowbanks, their eyelashes and any facial hair coated in ice, cheeks and nose a dangerous shade of reddishblue, and they feet sliding out to either side with each step as they try to find stable footing. M any will outright abandon the rarely-cleared Antigonish sidewalks, opting instead to ignore the rules of the road, and step out into traffic to avoid a giant puddle of icy slush

But considering the alternatives, it isn’t so hard to see the reasoning behind it. Other aerobic activities are hard to come by during the winter months. Doing anything on a treadmill is only really okay if you’re making some amazing or hilarious Y ouTube video. Y ou can’t ride a bike outside unless you have one of those contraptions with tires four inches thick.

Heck, even going for a swim in a pool is risky – y o u r mother always told you that going outside with wet hair will lead to nothing but pneumonia.

So running it is.

I’m no expert in this field, but I have braved the tundra esque conditions in nothing but a pair of sneakers and a brave face a few times. There are a few things you can do to try to limit the sheer negativity of

these outings.

Perhaps most importantly is layering up. Y ou’re not going to want to be running around in your winter parka, but your favourite gym t-shirt isn’t going to cut it either. I like to throw on a breathable, potentially sweat-wicking shirts as my base layer, and toss a thick long sleeve shirt and a tshirt over top. If you’ve got a thin, warm jacket, throw that bad boy on. Obviously, if it is snowing outside and you’re still committed to the run, a waterproof top layer will go a long way.

Below the belt, most opt for some sort of tight (and I mean tight fitting leggings or long-johns, with some warm socks and a pair of shorts to keep all the important stuff extra warm.

One of the biggest problems with running in the winter is that running

shoes are essentially the least waterproof shoes e cept for ip ops Their design is awesome in the summer, when you’re running on hot asphalt and you feel like you’re stepping on frying pans. But come winter, especially the exceptionally snowy winters experienced in the M aritimes, these can be a real deterrent to getting the most out of your run. The best thing for it is just going for it and watching your step. Or you could try putting plastic bags inside your shoes.

Y ou might have realized by now that even if you’re well prepared, both mentally and physically, for a jaunt in the snow that it is gonna be a slog. Y ou’ll probably slip once or twice, and you might even take a spill.

The important thing is that you’re out there, getting the exercise your body is so badly craving. Y ou don’t need to set a world record, or even a personal best. One step at a time is the policy I always try to follow.

The motivation for stepping out the door is different for everyone. Some are in need of that runners high, others are trying to get their N ew Y ear’s resolutions off to a good start. Some are just sick of the gym.

Photo via Flickr Creative Common

Intramurals: you’ll have a ball One of the best ways to have fun at StFX AARON THORNELL | Sports & Health Editor

I just finished up a game of indoor soccer at 1 1 :3 0 PM . Some might say this is nothing but a waste of valuable sleeping time, others of valuable drinking time. I would disagree. It was nothing but time well spent.

Over my four years at St. FX, I’ve had the pleasure of participating in my share of intramural sports. I can say with almost near certainty that playing this variety of sports has led to some of my most memorable moments at this university.

Intramurals might seem like a theatre for weekend warriors and those trying to relive their previous glory days. Well, they kind of are. But they are that, and so much more. They allow those new to the sport to see what all the fuss is about, or for those who used to play to remind themselves why they fell in love with the sport in the first place est of all, they bring these two categories and all those in between together.

While I’m sure not all of us at St. FX have had the same positive experience with these sports, which can uctuate between comically informal and shockingly intense, I am sure that most who have participated in them can pick out one or two memorable moments. It might have been examining the bruise above below your eye after you missed that catch in ultimate frisbee. It might have been picking those little black rubber things from the turf off your oor a solid three weeks after your last football game. It might have been playing your first game of indoor soccer since you nine. It might have been waking up with a hellishly tight leg after receiving a charlie horse the night before at hockey.

Whatever it is, be it good or bad, it is hard to say that these times won’t be remembered. What adds to the beauty of these sports for most is the opportunity to play with friends, crushes, or even ene-

mies. They give players the chance to show off their skills (or lack thereof) with people they know and care about watching. These are the things that professional sports broadcasters dream of. While we might not have a crowd of 20,000 watching (we usually have a crowd of none, in fact), it makes one realize that you aren’t really playing for the glory, but rather, yourself and your teammates.

I know this might come across as corny, but you’ll have to forgive me. In reecting upon the sports that I ve been able to participate in through intramurals, I’ve come to a somewhat bittersweet realization. These might be the last times I get to step on the ice, the field, or the court.

While I plan to do my utmost to stay active into my later years, that might only mean solo bike rides, group runs with strangers, and the odd pickup game of hockey at the outdoor rink (in which case

I’m that old guy at the rink that no one wants to try hard against for fear of injuring someone’s grandfather). These might be great. But it will be hard to be these games of hockey, soccer, ultimate, football, and all else that I’ve been able to participate in – usually doing little more than sending an email and then showing up.

Y our teammates, opponents, or referees might not care as much as you, but that doesn’t have to stop you from having a good time. In all likelihood, when they see you breaking a sweat, they will want nothing more than to join you. And there are few things better than a hug or a high five between two sweaty people So if you have a bit of time left here at St. FX, I’m urging you to step out of your comfort zone or pick up those old runners ou might regret it, but I m confident you won’t. J ust make sure you stretch first

16

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