Issue 13, Volume 123

news 2

thursday march nineteenth, 2015 EDITOR: JULIA O’HANLEY xw.news@stfx.ca @ohanleyjk

Open contributor meetings are held every Monday at six in the newsroom: bottom floor SUB, left from the bookstore. X

MACDONALD TO GO FROSH-ONLY IN 2015-16 JULIA O’HANLEY News Editor

Substantial change is coming to Cameron Hall in September. With consultation from Bob Hale, Interim Head of Student Services, as well as Kenneth Zed and Riley MacDonald, MD house president and vice president, the Xaverian can confirm that in the 2015-16 school year MacDonald will be a frosh-only residence.

“Damages and behavior” are cited as the reasons behind Student Life’s decision to ban anyone who has previously lived in MacDonald, including this year’s frosh from living in and even visiting the residence.

The only exception to this rule will be the incoming HP and VP for 2015-16, who as per usual will be chosen from this year’s freshman class.

Hale tells the Xaverian that the decision did not come without lengthy consultation “I have met with Brandon [Hamilton] and Alicia [Silliker] a few weeks ago to discuss [the decision] and then with the SU executive and finally with the HP and VP of MacDonald as well as those returners who have been impacted.” As well, Hale says Interim Head of Ancillary Services Carla Gillis, Manager of Student Life Shannon Travers, and the President’s Council have been included in the decision.

“I found out [officially] last Tuesday [March 12]. The communication was pretty muddy,” says Zed. “So that was a big shock to us – we weren’t anticipating that at all. And then we just got an email today [March 17] actually, sort of for clarifying what was actually happen-

through rumors on campus before they were informed by senior staff.

“We ended up finding out from the girls’ [TNT] frosh that we were actually banned,” claims Zed. “Yeah, people were coming up to us in the library and saying ‘Are you guys all banned?’ and I was like ‘Well, I don’t know,” MacDonald adds. ”So that’s sort of why I said it was muddy. It wasn’t very clear and there was a lot of rumours and stuff going around campus and on social media. We found out just a couple days ago exactly what it entailed, so that was upsetting,” Zed explains.

The house presidents were unhappy with the method of discussion between themselves and Student Services, which as MacDonald notes required no compromise, saying “It seemed like the final answer when they told us – it wasn’t like they were asking our opinion on it.”

So what “behavior and damages” caused this? Zed says issues with garbage disposal coupled with consecutive weekends of multiple write-ups are likely to blame.

In accordance with what Zed says is an overhaul in garbage disposal in residence across campus, MacDonald went from having one large sorting-station on all four floors to just one, located on the ground level for the 2014-15 school year. Zed says the third floor is the area with the highest traffic: as the location where most residence parties take place, the floor accumulates the most garbage.

In September, the president made a request to Residence Life to have the sorting station moved to the third floor to com-

It seems kind of like they’ve kind of given up on MacDonald rather than really trying to fix the problem.

Marcel Amirault Past President

ing. We found out that all current and any MacDonald alumni would be banned from MacDonald.”

“We’re allowed in TNT just not MD,” notes MacDonald.

As for discussion between House Council and staff in Student Services, the president and vice president say some of the logistics of the changes were circulated to them

bat the garbage problem. With no success, the residence turned to the Students’ Union, where the problem was brought up in council by Lower Campus Councillor Ryley Erickson. The bin was eventually moved in December following ongoing issues throughout the semester.

Zed feels it is unfair to use the garbage issue as a strike against them following his at-

tempts to resolve the problem.

“We had a sour taste right at the get-go when the first week it’s ‘Oh MacDonald has garbage issues.’ That was something I’ve had to deal with the entire time and that didn’t get resolved until December when the semester was done. The simple solution to it was moving the bin from first to third, but it was so difficult to deal

The Quick

and Dirty

IZAAK MACMULLIN Senior Reporter disrespect towards their living arrangements and house. I feel that as a first year student seeing this throughout the year you get accustom to this behavior, and then the following year as a returner the behavior continues. It was time to come in with a clean slate and see if this helps change the culture of MacDonald and bring it back to what we expect a university ex-

It was time to come in with a clean slate and see if this helps change the culture of MacDonald and bring it back to what we expect a university experience to be in a traditional style residence.

Mark DeYoung Residence Services

with them.”

On top of this, Zed says a few weekends of partying and write-ups likely did not leave a good impression, saying “As soon as we came back from Christmas there was bad damages for two weekends in a row and so after those two they [Res Life] were like this is enough, we don’t like the attitude. So we were put on sanctions, and we are currently still on sanctions.”

Zed feels that the sanctions have served their purpose, and is confident that the sanctions will be lifted soon. He also notes that until last month the residence was operating with only one of its three RA positions filled, whereas even now there is still one vacancy. Zed says it’s “hard to say” if this is directly related to issues in the residence, but says it could be possible.

In conversation with the Xaverian, Hale says he sees the proposed change as a necessary effort to combat the culture that has arisen in the residence, although he does not necessarily see it as a permanent solution, explaining that “the university feels this is a positive move for the residence and we will look at other options in 2015/16 for the next academic year.”

Residence services coordinator Mark DeYoung agrees with Hale’s philosophy, citing the need for change in response to an ongoing trend noted in Cameron Hall’s west wing.

“In dealing with damages over the past few years and the cleaning staff, there has been a constant trend of damages and

perience to be in a traditional style residence,” says DeYoung.

Past-President Marcel Amirault says he has noticed a shift in attitude by Student Services toward the residence this year since passing the role on to Zed and MacDonald.

“It just seemed that there wasn’t as much support as I had last year. We had issues with behavior and damages as well, but it seemed as though I was working with res life and theU to resolve it, whereas it seems kind of like they’ve kind of given up on MacDonald rather than really trying to fix the problem.”

As a self-described “outsider looking in,” Amirault has a feeling that Student Services might have motives for the residence outside the idea of this cultural overhaul, saying “They have kind of had enough of it and instead of trying to fix it they have set him [Zed] up for failure: they had one RA, they had no garbage cans, and they didn’t give him garbage cans until December. It’s almost like you’re setting him up for failure to finally get what they want, which I think is to get rid of all male residences. I got that sense last year and I really get it this year.”

“The returning students that were assigned to MacDonald and are now required to move, we have offered them alternate accommodations on campus if they choose to go this route,” DeYoung explains of the consequences for first-years planning to return. “If they are given an alternate room assignment, there will be some compensation for the move.” X

Farmers market comes to StFX

StFx students will soon be able to experience fresh food and homemade crafts right on campus. A spring farmers market will be running from 12-5 on Thursday April 2nd in the Mackay room at the SUB. The event is hosted by the Campus Food Strategy Group and it is intended to let students sample local wares and forge connections with community members. Students interested in volunteering at the event can email the organisers at st.fx@ studentfood.ca. X

Relay raises $56K

Mikaela Henderon with a smooth buzz

Last Friday night-Saturday morning StFX students participated in the world wide struggle against cancer by donating hair, celebrating survivors, and staying up all night! One intrepid student, Mikaela Henderson, even completely shaved her head for this great cause. As student organiser Kaleigh Bent explains, “Relay for Life is more than a fundraiser, it’s a night where people can get together and celebrate the lives of those who have battled with the disease”. At the time of writing St Fx Relay for life had raised over 56 thousand dollars for cancer research. X

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Aspiria referendum set for Mar 31 A ‘yes’ majority means $6 per student fee will continue student funding for call-in counselling service JULIA O’HANLEY News Editor On Mar 31 StFX students will be asked to go to the polls.

On top of the annual vote for Students’ Union councillors will be a referendum vote – a vote accessible both at polling stations across campus and at theU.ca. The ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote will ask students whether or not they wish to continue the service Aspiria as the pilot project is nearing the end of its one year term.

“I see great value in the services that Aspiria is able to offer our students. Not only are they extensive -ranging from crisis and short term solution based counselling to nutrition, financial and legal counselling- but they are right at the fingertips of students either by calling the number or using the iAspiria app,” describes Lauren Murray, VP Finance and Operations of the StFX Students’ Union.

The program, launched on Sept 1, 2014, is relatively unique among Maritime postsecondary institutions. Only Holland College in PEI currently uses the service – which the institution implemented after StFX in Jan 2015.

The StFX Students’ Union began the service as part of its annual pseudo-strategic planning phase – a time following the implementation of

a new executive where the team makes decisions for the year ahead. Noticing the reoccurring concern surrounding mental health and wellbeing within the campus community each year, Murray tells the Xaverian that it became evident to her and her coworkers that an additional resource would be worth looking into to help combat increase in demand for services.

“Over the past two years, the Students’ Union executives have worked to narrow down possible providers. Last year after a lengthy vetting process, the Students’ Union Representative Council passed a motion for Aspiria to be taken on as a one-year pilot project,” explains Murray, adding “This was done with the understanding that it would go to referendum this winter to have Aspiria implemented permanently [or not].”

The SU began promoting the service during frosh week when Rob Gould, Director of Accounts Management for Aspiria, educated student, athletic, and staff leaders across campus on how to use the service. On welcome day, Gould also took part in the new students’ initial orientation where he spoke with students, parents, and faculty as well. Promotion continued throughout the year with posters across campus and

the distribution of free blue phone backs in frosh kits, at theU info desk, and eventually in classrooms. The phone backs feature the unique StFX Aspiria logo as well as the number to the service’s 24/7 phone line.

“After Christmas, those who were working on the Aspiria project decided that we needed to shift our focus. The initial marketing and promotion done at the beginning of the project had made an impact on students but needed to be reinforced. This is when we held our free yoga classes sponsored by Aspiria and began again to reach out directly to students in new ways.

We are now sending people into classrooms, blanketing various social media [outlets] and sending out as much information as we can in the time we have left,” Murray notes, adding that she expects promotion to continue in the coming weeks with more events as well as a second visit from Gould.

As a pilot project, the service henceforth has been paid for through external sources (Campus Trust, the SU’s student benefit program), and thus has not been an additional cost to student’s tuition or fees. If students exhibit a majority ‘yes’ vote, a $6 fee will be added to existing student fees beginning in September.

Murray notes that the fee

works out to $0.50/month as the service would be available to StFX students year-round.

Murray does not disclose exact figures, but says “We had a number of students use Aspiria throughout the year.

If just one student gets help who otherwise would still be struggling, I would call that a success.”

If the outcome is ‘yes’, Murray expresses that the Students’ Union will work to embed the program into students’ education. “This will begin with first years during frosh week and really continue throughout all years. We will look to partner with the university to bring Aspiria into the classroom and to integrate it as a resource to supplement services [such as the Health and Counselling Centre] currently offered by the university.”

“If there is a ‘no’ outcome it will be disappointing, but we aim to provide students with what they want and what they feel they need,” she says.

Although voting – as with all SU elections – is not mandatory, Murray encourages students to have their say in whether or not the service continues into next year, saying “No matter how you vote, vote,” and encouraging students to reach out to her office at su_finance@stfx.ca with any questions they have regarding the referendum. X

WUSC seeking student volunteers Student-union funded campus group sponsors refugees for study at StFX RACHEL REVOY Senior Reporter You may have noticed a table outside of the library last Wednesday, Mar 11, where a group of students stood giving away free cookies with “SRP” iced on top. The group behind the cookie is WUSC @ X. WUSC stands for World University Service of Canada, and the small StFX group is looking for volunteers and group members to help the community by assisting a student through their transition from refugee to Canadian citizen and fellow Xaverian.

The Student Union uses $4 out of every student’s student fees toward sponsoring a refugee to move to, and gain permanent residency within, Canada while earning a degree at StFX. Many of the students that come to StFX through WUSC have been coming from a camp

within Malawi. The WUSC @ X group is provided with files for potential sponsored candidates each year. Then, the team reviews the candidates and decides which refugee student would be best suited for school at StFX. “The whole mission is to create a sustainable world, so they work with post-secondary institutions, universities, private sectors, and also volunteers to provide the three E’s, which are education, employment, and empowerment. It’s mainly focused at disadvantaged youth around the world,” explains Co-President of WUSC @ X, Sofia Tsalamlal.

Another part of WUSC the team at StFX would like to be more involved with is called the Shine a Light program.

This program focuses on female education and providing lights so girls can study during the night after they finish

their laborious daytime duties.

WUSC localized university committees exist all over Canada. At larger universities with higher student populations, WUSC can sponsor multiple student refugees at a time.

“A student that graduated last year got his citizenship in the summer, he got married too, and it’s nice to see him succeeding and being happy,” says Co-President Michaela Chadder on the benefits of helping a student through WUSC. For diversity week, WUSC @ X is putting on events to raise money for the refugee student. On Mar 17, a booth was set up in the SUB with information on the organization.

On Mar 19, a booth is set up as a mocktail bar for the Cultural Showcase.

In August, WUSC groups from all over Canada come

together in Ottawa to discuss their past and future engagements and to share ideas and experiences. Next year’s WUSC @ X president Taylor MacNeill reflects on her experience at the leadership conference: “WUSC committees from all areas came together, it was so nice. We had meetings all day talking more about the different fundraisers like Shine a Light, they showed videos of the actual people that it was helping, it made it so much more real.”

Sofia Tsalamlal explains that WUSC @ X focuses on the SRP (Student Refugee Program) is because “education is the gateway to so many other things”. With more students on the team, the group would be able to expand to cover more aspects of WUSC. The more people that volunteer to help with the group, the more fundraising can be

done, thus leading to the betterment of the global community.

“There is a stigma when people talk about refugees, and we’re removing the stigma. Some students who come here don’t want to be labelled as one, and they’re not, they are permanent residents now and we call them our students,” says Tsalamlal.

Chadder explains that joining WUSC @ X is a causal responsibility that won’t take up excessive amounts of study time. Currently meetings are held on a weekly basis, 5 PM on Mondays in NH 216 for roughly 15-20 minutes.

“If you’re only available to help out once in a while, that’s a lot better than nothing. Really we’re not saying that you have to come to the meetings every week. If others are interested in helping out when they can that would be great,” expresses Tsalamlal. X

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thursday march nineteenth, 2015

Business at Work Student group works with local group to enhance visibility of winter market ANGELA MACKENZIE Senior Reporter Each year, students in BSAD 456, Small Business Management, must complete one of a number of final projects. One option presented is to complete a consulting project with a local business in Antigonish. For this project, students are presented a list of small businesses in the community and they are expected to use skills gained in the course to help promote the organization. This year, fourth year students Marissa MacNeil, Robin MacInnis, Brendan Nickles, Matthew Gregor, and Lea Chisholm took a unique approach to the project, deciding to offer promotional skills to the Antigonish Winter Market.

“As a group we collectively decided, ‘You know what, why not promote the farmer’s market?’” MacNeil explained, adding, “Since they changed the location, a lot of students had not been going and they wanted help promote the Antigonish Winter Farmer’s Market hosted at the mall every Saturday from 10 to 2.”

The group’s goal was to get more student-based traffic to the market. Overall, they strive to promote awareness of the market as many students not know where the market is, or even that it exists at all. They want to expose students to an outlet offering a variety of goods, from homemade jewellery to baked goods to winter outerwear that might otherwise have been overlooked.

As for why students should visit the market, Mac-

Neil says, “You walk around there, and the passion and creativity that they put into their [work] is unbelievable and I think that in supporting the community as X students, it’s very important that we give back locally.” She also added, “It’s great to have the opportunity to buy local and show our appreciation for our community.”

This upcoming Saturday the group has organized a Student Day at the Winter Market. They are encouraging students to come out to the market, not only to purchase the local merchandise, but also because they will have a chance to win a special gift basket. Students who present their student ID can put their name into the draw for a chance to win a basket of goods donated by vendors within the market.

The group also notes that more traffic to the market means more traffic to the mall, which is beneficial for the entirety of the institution.

To promote this further, the group has been working closely with the market’s coordinator Jolene Chisholm.

On top of this student outreach day, the group has served to help promote the market by increasing its Facebook presence and by making and distributing “ge t-to-k now-the-vendor cards” which include information about the various artisans, specifically what their table sells each week.

They are also promoting through CFXU, placing posters around campus, and distributing brochures to inform about Saturday’s Student Day at the market. X

OFF THE CUFF Political science professor Yvon Grenier gives us his take on C-51 In a nutshell, it is not clear why the present system (which includes the 2001 anti-terror law) is insufficient.

The new legislation can have a chilling effect on free speech.

Furthermore, it gives coercive powers to CSIS without appropriate oversight from parliament.

Pretty much all experts agree that the bill is clunky even according to its own rationale and objectives.

But it is popular beyond the Conservative traditional base (in Quebec for instance), and it divides the opposition (Liberals are critical but will vote for (sic); the NDP will vote against), so it¹s a go for the Harper government.

Some conservative views are more popular than the conservative government (guns, death penalty, antiterrorist laws), so expect Mr.Harper to push those buttons before the election in the Fall. X

A good time and a bad, bad haircut.

Hockey, house spirit, and electric shavers give us the best of the worst Trimac haircuts.

opinions

5 EDITOR: EMILY MACGREGOR xw.opinion@stfx.ca

A rudderless, frosh-only MacDonald: terrifying

Removing second-year role models wont eliminate problems in the house, but it will eliminate guidance LEWIS FORWARD Features Editor The conversion of MacDonald house into a first-year only residence has all the characteristics of a foolproof plan hilariously destined for failure.

By eliminating second years and attempting to re-invent a house culture from scratch, Student Life hopes sophomores will take MacDonald house culture with them, presumably off campus, where it will evaporate into legend.

They must expect that damages, drinking, and any problems faced by RA’s will go with them.

In a house that only had one livein RA last year (and one garbage can) it seems like Student Life set up many of the conditions which have lead to their current plan.

Why might the plan backfire?

Because first year students have even greater shit-disturbing capability than second years, and with little sophomore guidance, frosh will shape the house as

they see fit.

The only remaining second years, Students’ Union-selected house presidents and vice presidents, will have no group of older year students to help them set the pace of the house. Frosh will decide.

Ask the 2012-2013 MacIsaac president and vice presidents if establishing a positive house culture was easy to achieve after many MacIsaac returning residents were moved off campus to clear space for incoming frosh.

Damages and disciplinary action skyrocketed.

Second years can be the source of some bad habits, but at least they’ve survived first year.

They can curb really bad habits quickly, with trust and authority that cannot be recreated by an RA. Student Life can play only an external role as they watch house events unfold next year. This plan involves a lot of faith in the good behaviour of frosh, and completely disregards the positive influ-

ence of older-year MacDonald residents and alumni on incoming residents.

House traditions will not evaporate. House events will be pulled off campus into the homes of second and third years, far outside of StFX’s ability to provide care.

First year students enter the house naive, and have second years to show them the ropes.

RAs and house executives alone cannot fill this role. Anyone who has lived in a house with older students knows how much easier their presence can make life.

They reduce the slope of the learning curve for the entire university experience.

Second years know which events will be worth going to.

Second years know which classes are worth taking. Some second years have faced the mental health issues that are often a part of first year. Second years are an important component in many ways, of the evolution of first years into second years.

Cross-year friendships formed in residence are equally as important for first years as they are for second years, who need younger friends- especially in fourth year. Friendships formed in residence are strengthened by the sharing of space and residence experience. This is valuable for introverted students who might not easily find alternatives for this kind of inter-year exposure outside of residence.

Policies like this treat students of each year as separate groups, when the university should be doing everything it can to make the student body into a cohesive community for the benefit of both upper and lower year students.

In-house second year students act as a safety net for first year students in a way no Residence Life staff member can. When problems arise in first year involving drinking, or any other dangerous situation that could result in disciplinary action, the reality is that RA’s are often the the last to be contacted. As one

Xav staff member put it, “you’re not going to call the police on all of your own crimes.”

Second years- old and wise, who have been there and done that- are the first line of defense in rough situations.

Student Life is expecting a tamer house, but what they’ll likely find is that it’s the residents of the house that have the strongest hand in shaping house attitudes, and by excising role models from the picture, they’re going to have a house filled with first years with none of the friendships, boundaries, advice, and tradition provided by older-year residents.

Student Life is going to discover that the entering first years will likely now make the decisions for themselves, with their anticipated upper-year role models and friends gone. Student life is going to learn many harsh lessons at the expense of the safety and university experience of 2015-2016 residents of MacDonald hall. X

Editorial: A look at the new U

SEAN MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief

As the present school year starts to wind down, preparations for the upcoming school year begin to kick into high gear. Nowhere is this more evident than within the Students’ Union as they begin the daunting task of filling executive and council positions for the 2015-16 school year. At the Mar 8 council meeting, the executive picture almost became complete with the appointment of four new Vice President [VP] executives, with one position left surprisingly vacant.

So without further ado, here is a breakdown analysis of the four new executives selected to lead the union next year. The hiring panel consisted of incoming President Troy Mrazek, incoming Vice President Academic Hannah Stordy, the current Students’ Union executive in the position in question, two councillors, along with a non-voting member, Sean Ryan, General Manager of the Students’ Union.

Bridgett Burgess-VP Internal Burgess will provide a fresh face and voice for the union in the upcoming year. By hiring an individual who did not currently hold a position of power within the Students’ Union, The U opens themselves up to views, ideas, and contributions from individuals who were able to see the Union with an

outside, unbiased perspective.

Otherwise, an individual hired from within the Union could have been happy to stick to the status quo while not properly addressing the weaknesses of the Union because of pre-held positive bias.

Burgess, a political science student, currently acts as a StFX Research Assistant, as well as a Residence Assistant [RA]. Burgess was a vocal advocate online against incidents of sexual violence in residence following the release of The Xaverian’s investigation into the Student Life office in February. The native of Ottawa, Ontario notably gave a TED talk at Bishops University in March on the importance of a liberal education, and also received an Honourable Mention Award from this year’s Harvard National Model United Nations.

Nick Carpenter-VP Activities & Events Carpenter currently holds the position of Marketing Manager for the Golden X Inn, working under Paige Chisholm and the current VP Communications office. Originally from Muskoka, Ontario, a MacPherson Mustang, political science student, and member of the X-Men Lacrosse team, Carpenter brings a wealth of union marketing experience, previous acting as XArmy and Communications Rep coordinator for the marketing team.

Despite his experience, Carpenter’s hiring will do nothing to

quell the ongoing belief that the Students’ Union is a clique, with incoming President and current VP Activities & Events Mrazek tweeting, “Congratulations to my boy @NickCarp07 on becoming @ theUOfficial’s next VP Activities & Events” moments after his ratification by council. You can debate whether having Mrazek’s boy as an executive will lead to better internal relations, or alternatively the continuity of a clique atmosphere and a potential conflict of interest in the hiring panel.

Regardless, it appears Carpenter is up for the task, and Frosh Week 2015 will be the perfect test as to whether the right decision was made.

Hilary Elliott-VP Communications Elliott comes to the position after holding the title of Societies Coordinator during the current school year. Elliott also has acted as a Tramble Room Note Recorder this year, and previously held the position of Business Manager of The Xaverian over the 2012-13 school year. What adds an interesting aspect to the hiring of Elliott, a Dean’s list business student, is not necessarily that she was selected by the hiring panel for the position, but rather whom she beat out for the job.

Multiple sources have confirmed to The Xaverian that current VP Comm Paige Chisholm reapplied for her job in the 2015-16

year but was passed over in favour of Elliott.

The decision came as a shock to some members of the Communications block. Discussing with members of CFXU, it seemed clear to me that Chisholm had done an exemplary job in her position over the course of the year regarding The Xaverian and CFXU. In my interactions with her as Editor-inChief of The Xaverian, Chisholm always displayed professionalism, poise, and a friendly nature, always completing any tasks we may have had for her office in a timely manner.

Chisholm to our knowledge hasn’t committed any offences that would result in her not being rehired, therefore it came as a shock to many that she was left out in the cold. To further complicate matters, sources also tell The Xaverian that Elliott also applied for the asof-now vacant VP External position. Not to disrespect Elliott’s qualifications, but why would a hiring panel leave an executive position vacant when Elliott applied for it, all the while leaving an experienced executive out of her current position in favour of the Societies Coordinator?

The decision confused much of the StFX community as it appears there’s more to the story than meets the eye. In conclusion, we wish the best to Elliott in her new position, and hope that Chisholm lands on her feet in a new position where she can continue to contrib-

ute to the StFX community in a positive way.

Alex Carney- VP Finance & Operations Carney is as close to a slamdunk hire as the union will get.

While her appointment won’t please those that believe the union is a clique, Carney without a doubt has a ton of relevant experience working with the finances of The U. Carney worked closely with current VP Finance Lauren Murray as House Accounts Coordinator this year, while also studying as a third year business student majoring in accounting. Born in Calgary, and raised in Riverview, New Brunswick, Carney also acted as TNT House President in her second year at StFX. VP External is open The VP External position has been re-opened for applications, with the deadline to submit being March 16. This comes despite the fact that multiple sources have confirmed to The Xaverian that the Union received applications for the VP External position. In an email to The Xaverian, The U GM Sean Ryan stated, “As a non-voting member of the panel my comment would be that those that were interviewed did not present the voting members of the panel with enough of what they were looking for to deem one applicant successful. Unfortunately this happens from time to time.” X

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thursday march nineteenth, 2015

The delusions of moralism: part II The inconsistencies of transcendentally sourced morality and overcoming the need for absolutes COLTAN THOMPSON Psychology Columnist Last time we approached the qualities of moralism, rightwing moralism in particular, and the fears that underlay the moralist paradigm. We can now further this discussion, reviewing some of the consequences of obsessive moralism, and explore some alternative points of view.

Absolutist morality claims a transcendent source (one that it cannot demonstrate), which implies a moral world order. This immediately leads to trouble, however, as sourcing morality in a transcendent source lends to exclusivity and division. With a loss of common ground, moralists are easily able to judge others, and zealously pursue moral issues that mainstream society doesn’t recognize. Culture feuds erupt in the absence of agreement about just what morality is. We face a fascinating tension between absolutist, traditionalist idealism and progressive anti-moralism on multiple levels, be it radical Islam’s war on the West, the pro-life/ pro-choice debate, the rightwing assault on homosexuality, attacks on Darwinism in America, or the struggle to legalize marijuana. One cannot help but

notice that the moralists in most of these scenarios are religious conservatives—it’s an inescapable conclusion when discussing moralism.

It has been suggested—and there is evidence to support— the idea that closed systems of meaning are attractive because people want to believe in an orderly world.. There is nothing new or shocking about this idea; it is only that the idea is not taken seriously enough (it is always someone else’s religion that is misguided, after all...), and research supporting the idea is accumulating all the time. Studies have found that religious belief helps alleviate lack of control, reduce anxiety, and relieve stress. Scholars such as Durkheim and Freud argued that providing the individual with a sense of meaning is religion’s chief purpose—not to mention the wealth of literature suggesting, and demonstrating, that the role religion plays in reducing death anxiety.

The desire for an absolute moral world order is just part-andparcel of the desire to see order in everything—for comfort, meaning, and purpose.

Obligation, control, a rationalized society... the belief in a moral world order has utility to be sure. Were it that the “abso-

lute” could exist outside the conviction of the moralist! The moralist often fears the disorder that would, in his or her mind, ensue if people thought that moral principles were less a matter of “thou shalt not” and were more a matter of “thou

Moral panic demonstrates both the evil done in the name of absolutes, and the stupidity absolutes can breed when left unchecked by rationality.

Coltan Thompson Student

ought not”—or heaven forbid, “it depends on the situation.”

The moralist applies deontological ethics to the extreme, forgetting that real life circumstances can—and, dare we say, are meant to—defy idealistic rules. Life is full of of uncertainties—why would we not expect morality to be the same? It is out of fear of uncertainty, lack of control, and want of order that the moralist rails, proclaiming his absolutist views. Institutional morality serves a dual purpose in providing peace of

Wake up, flawless Hour-long routines should not determine my beauty ANGELA MACKENZIE Senior Reporter The other day I read an article that informed the reader of rules and regulations regarding school uniforms. The rules stated that men had to wear dress pants, dress shoes, a shirt and tie, and they couldn’t grow facial hair or have piercings. Men have to be “classy”. The rules for women, however, were not quite as straight-forward. Ladies had to “think modestly” by choosing an outfit that was obviously feminine without revealing too much; you have to be a woman and a lady. The skirt has to be a certain respectable length; shirts should draw attention to the face and not the breasts; and spaghetti straps were not allowed because the shoulders had to be covered.

The rules seemed to go on forever.

This seems to me an example of how women have stricter social conventions on how we’re to dress and the stan-

dards for personal grooming.

A man needs to be classy, but a woman has to be pretty without being too sexy.

According to society a properly groomed man wears decent clothing, smells nice, and keeps facial hair trimmed and tidy. It seems unfair that most men can fit this description by simply showering and doing their laundry. They wake up, shower, get dressed, and are presentable by society’s standards. As a woman I feel more pressure to put time and effort into personal grooming on a day-to-day basis.

Wake up, shower, shave your legs and your underarms, wax your eyebrows, put makeup on, find a nice outfit, make sure every hair is in place, put on some body spray; after an hour of excessive grooming, you’re ready for the real world.

The entire process is ridiculous.

Most unfortunate of all, the need for constant self-care has been drilled into my head so harshly that if I don’t look the

mind and funneling power to whomsoever monopolizes moral claims.

What is our alternative?

Conservative readers (beyond thinking that everything hitherto said is utter bunk) may point to the aimlessness of mor-

part I find myself apologizing on my appearance. I’m saying things like, “I’m sorry I’m a mess today” and “Don’t mind my hair guys it’s a wreck,” to compensate for not committing to the full grooming routine.

In the summer if we go one day without shaving our legs we notice a difference. We start to feel self-conscious and question everyone who looks at us. Even friends may not notice, however I find myself once again apologizing for not shaving my legs. Why do I need to apologize?

The winter months are perfect for taking a step back from an exhausting routine.

Sweaters, jeans, and leggings are the perfect opportunity to not shave for a couple of days (or even weeks). It’s alright to not worry about it because no one is going to see what’s hiding underneath your pants.

The slack of the winter months allows some of the stress of personal grooming to put on hold for ladies and I find it somewhat relieving. X

al relativism, believing that this is the only alternative. Not so.

Anti-moralism does not have to reject absolutes per se: rejecting the principles of conventional morality is still anti-moralist. When moral absolutism claims a transcendent source (e.g., because it’s what God wants), then yes, anti-moralism is against absolutes. However, it is impossible to ignore the innate human tendencies toward empathy and compassion. In this sense, the revised “absolute” of the anti-moralist is the experience of consciousness itself, influenced by biological, social, and evolutionary factors.

One cannot condemn as “evil” or claim wicked influences in the case of a psychopath with brain abnormalities. Again, the real world defies the cleanliness of transcendent absolutes, just as morality defies the false absolutism/relativism dichotomy.

Moral panic demonstrates both the evil done in the name of absolutes, and the stupidity absolutes can breed when left unchecked by rationality. Moral panic is a phenomenon whereby a society gets the idea—real or imagined—that the social order is threatened by an “immoral” behavior or thing. Sometimes it is “grassroots” in the sense that the whole populace feels nervous about it, but other times (and arguably in most instances) moral panics are led by strict moralist propaganda and claims that do not fit the facts. The quintessential example is the witch hunts of the 1600s: anyone even a little familiar with this history knows how tragic the whole escapade was.

More modern examples are the Red Scare, Cold-war America’s paranoid fear of Communist infiltrators; or right-wing fearmongers who say that Islam is taking over America—specifically, that practitioners of Islam in the West are trying to overthrow our legal system with “sharia” law.

However, at least there were (and are, in the case of Islam) actual enemies of the West in these instances: Communist Russia and radical Islam abroad. If anything, moralist fears were misplaced, not entirely invented. Perhaps better examples of the fearfulness of right-wing moralism lies in the uproar over abortion, the demonization of stem cell research, the feared rise in atheism, or the campaign against gay marriage. It is not that the typical moralist disagrees with these things per se (that is another matter), it is that the moralist blows these and other issues out of proportion. Moral panic is a reminder of the senselessness and inherently fear-based worries of moralism.

Foregoing absolutes is harder, it requires more cognitive effort: one must think about moral issues and actively decide. The moralist worries about how society can prohibit immoral acts if they are not treated as absolutely wrong. Answer: consensus. Consensus it how we already prohibit behaviors. Let’s not kid ourselves: moral absolutes are only incited to justify what is really social consensus.

Anti-moralist approaches to morality may not provide as much strict guidance, but this leaves room for moral opinions to develop and refine. Using reason we can see why some behaviors are problematic enough to prohibit: murder is still an insult to one’s sense of security and right to life. “Ah, but without (transcendent) moral absolutes, where does the right to life derive from?” says the moralist. To this we respond: sourcing the moral/political idea of the “right to life” to the dogma of transcendent morality solves nothing: the moralist decided that the dogma would be their absolute and gave it their consensus, proving that morality is located in consciousness, not celestial edict. If one wants to make the argument that there are moral absolutes innate to consciousness beyond those “absolutes” suggested by evolutionary theory, sociology, biology, and psychology, that is another matter.

What is clear is that the idea that a third party (i.e., God) has handed us moral prescriptions that we do not create or participate meaningfully in is very broken. This is the crux of the dilemma: What meaning does a moral absolute have if the individual chooses whether the absolute is in fact an absolute, let alone whether he or she will follow it? If absolutes exist in any sense we can never know it.

Rooting such morals in an absolute, transcendent source is simply unnecessary to human decency. X

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Student protest, without the students Powerful voice of student voters left untapped, and participation will lead to action BEN MCGRATH Contributor Last semester a professor of mine expressed to his class the frustration he felt over the lack of student action at Saint Francis Xavier. At first, I felt angry that he would criticize the student body in such a way. However, I quickly realized that my anger was misplaced.

If you take the time to observe the actions of StFX students, there seems to be a problem regarding political interest at our otherwise incredible school.

This can be observed in the disheartening number of students that participated in our most recent Students’ Union elections in which approximately 18 percent of the eligible student body voted. I was blissfully unaware of the extent of the problem until I bore witness to the dismal student attendance to the protest against Bill C-51.

With 150 individuals having expressed interest in the Facebook event, perhaps twenty students were present. The people of Antigonish, on the other hand, were more than happy to lend their voices to the nation-wide protest of a blatant infringement upon our rights.

Most of these people have families and jobs. They have places to be, things to do, and other priorities. Yet they had no problem designating an hour or two to this cause. So, what excuse could a student possibly have to be too busy to give an hour of their time on a Saturday afternoon?

To explain this lack of interest in politics, we have to understand the root of the problem.

The more I’ve thought about it, the more it seems to be that the student population simply doesn’t care. To make matters worse, there is a stigma surrounding political ideology and social action that frightens people, as if they are scared of damaging their reputation and becoming isolated from their peers. In other words, politics aren’t cool.

The other problem that contributes to the lack of student engagement is motivation, but there is enough to say about that for a whole different article.

We have to ground ourselves in reality, recognize the importance of participation in a democracy, and strive to make a difference when we have been given this incredible opportunity to do so. We have been given the spiritual and material resources that we need to succeed. With our passion and our

position as students, we have a platform from which to make ourselves heard.

As our situation currently stands, the Harper government isn’t scared of us because they do not think we have the strength to sacrifice our time or energy to enact change. This underestimation can be used to our advantage. Canada’s youth and young adult population have a powerful collective voice, and when we start using it to communicate our opinions on matters of real importance I

can guarantee that they will listen.

Harper’s government is trying to change Canada so slowly as to be almost imperceptible.

New legislation is being passed that makes minute adjustments to current laws.

Using this slow approach, scare tactics, and impressive ambiguity, Canada is changing without our realization and in a direction that we can neither understand nor fully support.

We need a fundamental change in the way our generation

thinks about government, a change in our stance as the very foundation we stand upon subtly shifts beneath our feet.

If we do nothing to oppose this change, we might have to explain to our children why Canada is no longer seen as a peacekeeper, why we are a target for environmental responsibility, and why our positions on women, indigenous peoples, and other minorities are so far behind that of the rest of the developed world. And we might lie to them, or let them realize

that we are at fault later in their lives, when they stand up for themselves because we wouldn’t.

The nation-wide opposition to Bill C-51 demonstrates that we do have the potential for influencing political change, but students at StFX and across Canada need to contribute to the fight. We are the voice of our nation, and we must continue the momentum if change has any hope of reaching the women and men on Parliament Hill that claim to represent us. X

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thursday march nineteenth, 2015

IZAAK MACMULLIN Senior Reporter An Antigonish demonstration against Bill C-51 drew an estimated eighty people Mar 14. The protest was one of many, with citizens across Canada voicing displeasure at the bill in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and many other Canadian cities. Opponents of the bill have voiced concerns, with worry that infringes on civil liberties, including the right to peaceful assembly and protest. The bill is currently in the committee phase.

Around a hundred people of all ages turned up at the Coady and marched to Peter MacKay’s office. Most of the people present were community members, and the students who did attend were primarily upper years.

There were three speakers on hand to voice their opposition to the bill, two StFX professors, Jonathan Langdon and Rod Bantjes, as well as a Micmac activist named Barbara Low. Langdon described the bill as “one in a series of bills, that have tried and tried again, to take away liberties, take away freedoms of particular people in our country…. And they keep failing

If you fall under the now widened net of this bill, for organizing a pipeline demonstration, then suddenly you can be arrested and not have any access to the information that has been used to put you under arrest.

Jonothan Langdon Professor

when it goes to court and its challenged, its sent back to them and said this is unconstitutional, or this parts not working.” He also explained that “if you fall under the now widened net of this bill, for organising a pipeline demonstration, for doing this right here, then suddenly you can be arrested and not have any access to the information that has been used to put you under arrest. Not only that, CSIS can go to a judge and behind a closed door, get these warrants, so nobody even knows if they’re happening, there’s no record, it’s redacted, everything’s removed, so we have a huge part of the security apparatus of this

country operating in secrecy without any oversight….This doesn’t mean we give up all of our liberties, and our right to come together to shape the type of Canada we want to see”.

Incoming SU VP Hannah Stordy was one of the student demonstrators.

“I think any bill that’s trying to infringe on peoples ability to peacefully protest is really problematic in so many ways, especially in limiting activists, and especially when it does affect community members here and people who are doing really great work, and especially I think it can affect aboriginal peo-

9 LEWIS FORWARD Features Editor

ple, indigenous people, and anyone’s right to sit-ins or protecting their land and protecting their freedoms.”

Third-year student Ellen Austin added that she felt that the protest was an “amazing opportunity to get involved”.

After the protest, the Xavarian had the opportunity to speak with the three organizers of the protest, two third year StFX students, Benjamin McGrath and Dylan Fitzpatrick, and a community member named Patrick Clay Yancey. McGrath took issue with the government claim that bill C-51 will protect Canadians from terror, saying, “They’re bold

enough to say this is anti-terrorism, but Canadians simply aren’t a target of terrorism, we are not in danger. You cant let the government tell you that you are, and let that fear that they create in you make you say that this is acceptable, because its not.”

The organizers took issue with the vagueness of the bill’s definition of terrorism, in the bill as “an activity that undermines the sovereignty, security or territorial integrity of Canada.” The activities that fall under the purview of the bill include “interference with critical infrastructure” and “interference with the capability of the Government in rela-

tion to….the economic or financial stability of Canada”.

Jason Fitzpatrick was one of the student organizers involved with the demonstration.

“Under the bill,” James told the Xaverian, “terrorism will include things like what Rosa Parks did, when she sat on the bus in Alabama in the 1960’s, it would include a lot of the things Dr. King did during the civil rights movement. It would include any civil disobedience that isn’t technically lawful, so anytime you’re protesting without a permit, like if you’re trying to block an oil company from fracking on your land with you body

[in front of] the bulldozer, it would include that, it would give them the right to treat you like a terrorist… you would not have the right of innocent till proven guilty”. Mr Fitzpatrick added “if the idea of terrorism is to take away our freedoms, and our rights, which is what they (the Harper government) say it is, which is why we are supposed to be afraid of them, lets not make it a race, lets not let the government beat them to it… our rights are so important to us, we should be fighting terrorists, but we should be also standing up against our government when they’re trying to do it too.” X

10

thursday march nineteenth, 2015

culture

EDITOR: DEVON GREENE xw.culture@stfx.ca @greenedevon

The value of volunteering

What can we do as university students to contribute to the community?

ALEXANDRA GARDNER Contributor Antigonish: small town, big heart. The volunteer force here in Antigonish is something I have never seen before. The sheer amount of non-profits and organizations that operate here is incredible, and the volunteer force that it requires is also incredible in size and worth.

In 2010, almost ½ of Canadiansvolunteered their time at an organization and the amount of time they volunteered is equivalent to 1.1 million full time jobs. Although we have such generous Canadians, organizations are still falling to the wayside. Can this be attributed to various combinations of volunteer burnout, lack of funding, neoliberal changes and apathy?

Are there issues like this in Antigonish? Is there more university students can be doing?

A resounding yes can be heard across the reaches of

this town and county.

Through volunteering with Antigonish Community Transit Society (ACTS), the new bus system implemented this past year, I have learned so much more about this community that most of us at StFX now call home. When riding the bus one day, I saw places in Antigonish that I had never seen before and gained a lot of insight from the bus driver and other riders.

Never venturing too far outside of campus or the ‘downtown core’ here, I saw places like the Nursing homes, low income housing communities, local stores and businesses and offices of community organizations. I was reachingout of my comfort zone, taking off my StFX blinders that I have been wearing for two years and began to really see both the need and support that this community has to offer.

I had asked the bus driver on this ride, “What would you say to students at StFX to en-

courage them to ride the bus?”

At this point in time ACTS was on their 6th month of their 8 month pilot project and had expected the ridership levels to be much higher for University students and have been struggling to get this engagement.

What she responded really stuck with me, she replied: “in a little town like this we all have to give and take, I help you and you help me”.

I myself have taken full advantage of 10% discount days at the grocery stores, gone to events with low cover for students, and have reaped the rewards of being a patron of the businesses that offer student promotions: I have definitely seen this ‘take’ aspect she was referring to. What I was less familiar with was the ‘give’ aspect that she was highlighting. My volunteering with ACTS was initiated by my involvement with Service Learning at StFX for a course on Social Inequality (SOC

290) but other than this I had not previously given back to this community. I had volunteered within the StFX community but never contributed greatly to the greater community that I was apart of and did not take into account the affect that that could have for both my connection to Antigonish and the volunteer organizations within the town.

Here in Antigonish volunteer burnout is a big issue.

When interviewing a volunteer with Antigonish Community Transit Society this semester, he spoke how crucial volunteers are and how more often than not these volunteers and pulled from the same pool of people. This creates a strain on these select few volunteers, and can cause oversight or lack of attention to important initiatives and the overall success of the organization.

This is not to say that their work isn’t valued, rather that it is too stretched out.This is where I feel students can fill

the void and contribute to voluntary organizations. Canadians are taking on 1.1 million full time jobs just in volunteer hours alone and citizens of Antigonish are a definite contribution to this statistic. If we as a student population can reach out and donate our time, we can assist these organizations in fighting volunteer burnout and help keep essential help and support systems run by volunteers consistent and accessible to all.

With a variety of past times, skill sets and ambitions, StFX students have a lot to offer. Drawing from my own experience, I came into the ACTS office with intermediate Microsoft Excel skills and was valued greatly as the volunteers there were not as familiar with the systems and therefore could not record their data as efficiently. This skill that I had learned through previous course work turned out to be a great Continued pg 11

StFX Continuing & Distance Education Spring & Summer 2015 Online – Spring AQUA 100 Introduction to Aquatic Resources BIOL 220 Selected Topics in Biology BSAD 221 Introductory Financial Accounting BSAD 363 Human Resource Management BSAD 415 Electronic Business CHEM 100 General Chemistry ESCI 171 Understanding the Earth I HKIN 301 Elementary Statistics HNU 215 Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle INFO 446 Electronic Business MATH 111 Calculus I PSCI 345 Women and Politics PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology PSYC 354 Developmental Psychology I: Childhood & Adolescence PSYC 363 Psychology of Persuasion PSYC 372 Cultural Psychology SOCI 100 Introduction to Sociology SOCI 210 Sociology of Marriage and the Family STAT 201 Elementary Statistics WMGS 210 Sociology of Marriage and the Family WMGS 345 Women and Politics Antigonish Campus – Spring ART 100 Drawing ART 145 Introduction to Colour ART 211 Stained Glass Studio I BIOL 307 Field Biology HKIN 226 Focus on Personal Health HKIN 321 Advanced Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries HKIN 334 Coach Leadership and Planning HKIN 365 Exercise Physiology PSYC 368 Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse RELS 215 Sociology of Religion RELS 225 Cults & New Religious Movements SOCI 227 Sociology of Religion SOCI 310 Gender WMGS 310 Gender

Online – Summer BSAD 231 Foundations of Marketing BSAD 241 Introductory Financial Management BSAD 261 Organizational Behaviour CATH 341 Catholic Social Thought: Social Justice ESCI 374 Geographic Information Systems INFO 374 Geographic Information Systems MATH 112 Calculus II MUSI 118 World Music PSCI 295 Religion & Politics PSYC 374 Human Development Across Cultures PSYC 355 Developmental Psychology II: Adulthood & Aging RELS 120 Religion, Spirituality, and Health RELS 295 Religion and Politics SOCI 230 Sociology of Education SOCI 250 Deviance and Social Control Online/On-Site - Summer RELS 398 ST: Mind, Self & Society in Tibetan Buddhism On-site: Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton Antigonish Campus– Summer ART 125 Materials & Methods ART 200 Painting I HIST 326 History of Cuba HIST 337 History of Modern Mexico HIST 390 World War I

University Math Preparation (Online) July 20 - August 28

(902) 867-2372 or toll free 1-877-867-3906 continuinged@stfx.ca www.sites.stfx.ca/continuingeducation/

11

Emerging talents on stage “Fascinating” One Act Play Festival takes over Bauer Theatre SEAN McEVOY Editor-in-Chief This past weekend, the Bauer Theatre once again played host to the annual One Act Play Festival presented by Theatre Antigonish. Boasting ten productions over the span of three nights, the festival once again captured the attention and imaginations of local audiences with a variety of theatrical endeavours.

Artistic Director of Theatre Antigonish Ed Thomason, was pleased to see the involvement of youth from the community in the festival.

“It was good to see younger people from the community, like the Saint Mary’s Education Centre Drama Group and the Bethany Musical Theatre Group, taking part”, said Thomason. “To see them in the company of previous participants like Terry MacIsaac who first tried his hand at scriptwriting because of the One Act Festival and returned again this year with his latest new play. The Festival is an exciting opportunity for emerging talents to test themselves and make strides.”

“Fascinating also for audiences to experience short form theatre from monologues to skits, in contrasting styles”, Thomason continued. “So we saw Geordie Hemlow hilariously buttonholing the audience and instructing us in the art of polite conversation by

demonstrating all the impolite approaches, while Martin Helle never breached the fourth wall at all while drawing us swiftly into the predicaments of three contrasting characters.”

“Barry Taylor delivered a beautiful self-penned monologue in the character of a man describing a friend’s disappearance, gradually revealing as much about the anguished narrator as it did about the mysterious circumstances of the story. Fascinating also, to have two completely different takes on sketch comedy: the brilliant witty word-play and physical comedy of Monty Python skits, stylishly hit out of the park by the talented actors of Whipcrunch Productions; and the nimble knife-edge responses of the Antigonish Improv Group serving up instant comedy from suggestions by the audience.”

Taking home one of the biggest awards at the conclusion of the festival was StFX student Lauren Nevin, who was presented with the Dr. Hubert J. Spekkens Award, given to a theatre volunteer who demonstrated excellence in the craft of technical theatre over a significant amount of productions.

“Theatre Antigonish has been such a big part of my life at StFX”, said Nevin. “I’ve alway been more than happy to give my time to the theatre.

I’ve gained so much knowledge and experience from vol-

unteering over the last four years. I’ve met the most amazing friends through the theatre community and developed an attachment to Antigonish outside of StFX.” “Receiving the Hubert J. Spekkens award is an honour.

I’ve heard so much about Dr. Spekkens, he was a really incredible person and to receive an award named for his dedication to the theatre means a lot to me”, she added.

Below is the full list of award winners presented at the conclusion of the One Act Play Festival. Congratulations to all recipients.

Emerging Theatre Group St Mary’s Education Centre/ Academy Drama Class Outstanding Character Costume Design Noella Murphy as Margaret from The Glace Bay Miners’ Museum, A Complicated Simplicity Production.

A Rattling Good Spanking Comedy Ensemble Maureen Armour, Peter Goldie, Martin Helle, Geordie Hemlow, Noella Murphy, Lauren Nevin for in A Rattling Good Spanking Attempt At British Comedy, Whipcrunch Productions.

Oustanding Stage Presence In a Monologue

Geordie Hemlow Lauren Nevin Outstanding Achievement This is an award in the rememWithout a Script brance of the passion and dedication exemplified by the work Antigonish Improv Group of Dr. Hubert J. Spekkens. The Award shall be given to a volOutstanding Achievement unteer demonstrating dedicaIn Solo Performance tion to the excellence of the craft of Technical Theatre over Martin Helle in Monologues By a significant number of proGabriel Davis, A Helluva Good ductions Show production.

Elanor Mutimer Award Outstanding Individual Ccreation Juliana Khoury This award was created to Barry Taylor in Charlie And commemorate the tremendous The Unicorn. contribution made by Mrs. Mutimer to theatre in the commuOutstanding Achievement nity during her tenure as a In Thought-Provoking teacher at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Scriptwriting Regional High School. The award is presented at the disTerry MacIsaac for A Question cretion of the Board of DirecOf Faith. tors to a student who is graduating from high school and has Outstanding Achievement taken part in Theatre AntigonIn Masks & Costumes ish activities with distinction.

The Harbour Players for Who You Calling A Turkey!

Russell Alcorn Award

Briana Lynch-Rankin This award is presented annually by the Board of Directors to someone who has made an Bethany Musical Theatre outstanding contribution to Group for Pirates. the activities of Theatre Antigonish over the past year or Emerging Diva years, and whose contribution reflects the qualities of dedicaGarratt van de Wiel for Pi- tion, unselfish service, artistic rates. integrity, and a generous spirit of support and cooperation for Dr. Hubert J Spekkens which Russell Alcorn was Award known and admired. X Killer Cute Musical Comedy

Volunteering From pg 10

asset to their work in research and reporting. Even within volunteering there is a give and take- I learned so much from this organization and am able to take advantage of their service and I was giving a skill to them to enhance the efficiency of the organization.

Get out to vote is a huge campaign and a civic duty, shouldn’t volunteering, also an active form of civic participation be considered a ‘civic duty’ as well. Antigonish is a town where its organizations thrive on this. Students in finance can contribute greatly to treasury roles, students with previous camp experi-

ence can bring so much to volunteer organizations working with children, students looking to establish friendships would excel greatly in events that organizations gear towards conversation and pot lucks.

St.FX is not independent of Antigonish, and Antigonish is not independent of StFX. Our campus doesn’t just happen to lie within the town, we are a part of this community. We all have something to give. I encourage students to break out of the StFX bubble and take advantage of what the greater community has to offer;after all we are all apart of this ‘give and take’. X

WANT TO BE EDITOR-in-CHIEF? The Xaverian is hiring for all positions.

SEND A COVER LETTER, RESUMe, and WRITING SAMPLE RELEVANT TO YOUR POSITION TO xw.eic@stfx.ca

12

thursday march nineteenth, 2015

Artist of the week : Emma Hines Bringing St. FX artists into the foreground SEAN MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief This week’s featured artist is first year Arts student Emma Hines.

Hines’ interest in the arts began at a young age, prior to even entering the school system. The interest was driven by her father who according to Hines’ is artistically talented in his own right, and her mother, who according to Hines did not necessarily possess the artistic talents of her father, still possessed a love for art.

“My vast imagination was a big inspiration for me, thinking up different creatures, though my surroundings were a big influence as well”, says Hines. “Looking back at drawings I did when I was young, there were a lot of drawings of stuffed animals and pets.”

While growing up, Hines took an interest in various artistic styles over the years, however she says she has now focused her interest on a specific style.

“My style interest has changed a lot through the years, but of all I’ve seen, I’d have to say that expressive art is where my interest lies. It is visually and mentally stimulating and often tells a story far greater than other styles.

This is also the style of art I try to create.”

Hines credits the StFX Art Department in helping to foster her artistic talents over the course of her first year in the program.

“In taking courses at StFX I believe that through the curriculum, as well as the support and kindness of my art professor, it has helped me expand both my skill and understanding of visual art. Seeing other students art it also helps in learning and developing, being able to see how they create in comparison to myself is really interesting; I get to see their development as well as my own and the emotion they put into their work.”

In saying this, one of the most significant works of Hines artistic career thus far, was not one she completed while at StFX, but instead, a mural she completed while in high school.

“Probably one of my most successful pieces is the mural on the Alaya Chan centre by Shoppers. This was a high school piece myself and my peers were asked to do in fall 2013. We were asked to brainstorm idea’s for what it should be and I thought up a concept that everyone could contribute in their own way to; a girl running with kites. Though most of the ‘kites’ in the mural would never actually fly, the idea is there and everyone

was able to contribute their own style and idea. I am extremely proud of this piece because I was able to come up with an idea where all of my friends and myself could work collaboratively and include our own styles.”

For many of the artists we have featured in this series, defining exactly what art is has been a difficult challenge.

For Hines, she believes art cannot truly be defined.

“To me, art doesn’t really have a specific definition. It is a form of expressing oneself, of seeing beauty in simple things, and of creating scenes that may otherwise be impossible. Art is not something that can every truly be defined, as it is alive. Art is constantly growing and changing in the world, so really, art is whatever the creator chooses for it to be.”

Hines also expresses that her own internal emotions and feelings are the greatest source for her artistic creativity.

“The most inspiring thing for me in my art creation is my emotions.

Since emotions can be so erratic and often need an outlet, I find they are great when creating art; they allow a safe and creative way to let it all out. Other than that however, as when I young, my imagination is still the main place I draw from for art pieces, whether it be based off of other art, or of random creation.”

Hines also has drawn inspiration from some of the most famous artists in history to create her works.

“There are two artists whom I often look to for inspiration. Van Gogh for his beautiful exp re ss ive n e ss in all his work and amazing way of seeing the world, and

Da Vinci. Da Vinci I do not look to for his famous pieces, but rather his concept drawings for his inventions. I find the simplicity of them outstanding because they have so much detail in such a simplistic form. I try to take inspiration from both these artists for their expressiveness and their beautiful simplicity.”

Despite having such a positive experience in the StFX Art program, Hines will be moving on to new and exciting opportunities in the fall to pursue a full time career in the arts.

“Unfortunately, though I do love StFX and this is my home town, I will be transferring to NSCAD in Halifax next year to further pursue a career in the arts, as my goal is to become a costume designer which derives from my love of cosplay, though I plan to continue to create other art on the side.” X

distractions Spotted’s Say: Snow Day Struggles

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EDITOR: KURT BROTHERS xw.distract@stfx.ca

Sudoku: Basically a Pre-Requisite for Any Grad School....

The winter of 2015 has certainly been one for the books, due to the multiple snow days. However, the last storm brought controversy. When students woke up at 6am to check for their infamous snow day e-mail, they were shocked to not see one. The weather outside was terrible, filled with wind & blowing snow, which made it dangerous for students, especially ones who live off-campus to attend class. The most popular post of the week was, “As a disabled person, I’m so enraged that there wasn’t a snow day today. I mean, if you’re going to not call for one, at least clear the paths. The wheelchair ramp was not plowed this morning, and the stairs were too dangerous to go up as they’re filled with slippery snow. Be careful everyone!” This is maddening, as the wheelchair ramp wasn’t plowed, which made it very dangerous and difficult for this individual to get to class. Yes, the campus staff have worked extremely hard this past winter; they certainly deserve recognition. However, it’s the school’s responsibility to make campus grounds safe for students. If they aren’t safe, than the school should close until it is safe. Is it really worth it to the school administration to keep campus open, at the risk of the students? They’re the ones that are liable, and it seems that on the nastiest winter days, campus is open, and on days with little to no snow, there’s a snow day.

St.FX, wake up.

Sincerely, Spotted

Top 5 Symptoms of Senioritis 1) Lack of motivation: you’re in the homestretch and the idea of school work makes you scoff and reminisce about the younger years spent caring on grades.

2) Reaction to “so what are you doing next year?”: usually shock, fear, and deep loathing for the question asker. The future after X is so uncertain that it makes you want to take an extra year.

3) Extreme FOMO: essay due Thursday...but it’s one of your last wing nights. Let’s take a wild guess at the choice you made.

4) Walking down memory lane: remembering frosh week, all of the fun times at the inn, and your X life in general...will bring a tear to your eye. The best memory of all is the shiny X-ring on your finger.

5) Looking for reasons to stay: Contemplating doing education for the hell of it, or...Sodexo is hiring?

Becca’s Blurb: Senior Struggles

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thursday thursday march march nineteenth, nineteenth, 2015 2015

sports and health

EDITOR: AARON THORNELL xw.news@stfx.ca

X-WOMEN PLACE FOURTH AFTER CONTROVERSIAL, HEART-WRENCHING LOSS Non-goal in bronze medal subject of great debate LAUREN AGNEW Contributor After an incredible season and emotional roller coaster of a week, the X-Women Varsity Hockey team placed fourth overall at the CIS Women’s Hockey Nationals in Calgary, Alberta.

Heading into the tournament with the same ranking, the Xwomen fought hard to prove the AUS is a conference to be respected. Questionable calls and a string of bad luck left the team without a medal. Fourth in the country, however, is by no means unimpressive.

After Alexa Normore was the only one to receive Academic AllCanadian honours at the opening banquet, the X-women went on to play the fifth-ranked Guelph Gryphons in the opening round of the championship. The XWomen held the Gryphons off until the second period, when three quick goals put the St. FX at a large deficit, and it seemed the Gryphons seemed would be on their way to the medal rounds.

It was then, however, that the X-Women began to prove why they deserved it more and how badly they wanted it. Three unanswered goals, one in the second by forward Kara Power, and two in the third period by Sarah Bujold and Alexa Normore brought the X-women even. A breakaway with 6:28 left in the third brought another goal by Normore to seal victory. The Xwomen were beginning to make a name for themselves as “The Comeback Kids” and it was more than fitting.

Making it to the semi-final

round proved to be only the beginning of the challenges the team would face over the course of the tournament. To move on to the finals, the X–women would have to beat top ranked McGill, who were known for their strong offense and national-level players. But, yet again, the X-women proved their strength, playing incredible defense for 59 out of the 60 minutes of regulation time, battling not only the clock and their Martlett opponents, but biased reffing and one-sided penalty calls. Goalie Sojung Shin was a star for the X-Women, making 36 saves throughout the game. Unfortunately, with less than a minute left on the clock the Martletts managed to slide the puck over the goal line on a power play, claiming a spot in the National Championship Final and relegating the X-women to the bronze medal game. Fifth year defense Jenna Downey said she was “crushed” by the heartbreaking, last-minute loss, and added “I didn’t wake up this morning thinking we would lose, there was never a doubt in my mind that we would be in the final game.” The X-women were not out of medal contention yet, and set their sights on bronze for their season’s final game.

Playing against another member of the RSEQ league, the University of Montreal Carabins, allowed the X-Women one last shot at hockey hardware. Montreal proved to be a tough team who got along well with the refs; there were once again a disproportionate number of penalties called against the X-women by the Quebec league referees and

The infamous “non-goal”, as Kara Power would have tied the bronze-medal game at two with under five minutes to play.

Photo Normand Leger

linesmen. After Montreal went up 2-0 in the second, St. FX knew that they were setting themselves up for the come-from-behind victory that they had become so famous for. A third period goal by third year forward Kara Power kept their medal hopes alive, and the X-Women dominated the remainder of the third. With 3:42 left on the clock, St. FX’s Normore and Power broke away on a two-on-one that all but left Power wide open to bury the puck in the back of the net to tie the game. In what stands to become the most controversial call of the many that were made this tournament, a linesman called the goal off, claiming that the net had been knocked off its bearings before

the puck crossed the line, even though the goal judged had deemed it a goal already. After neglecting to consult the goal judge, instant replay, or apparently the CIS rulebook, the linesman’s call stood: the X-Women remained down 2-1 with barley minutes left to play. The Carabins then killed off the remainder of the clock, and were awarded a bronze medal for their efforts.

Regardless of the fact that the Carabin’s own goalie knocked the net off and the fact that there should have at least been a penalty shot awarded for the infraction, and regardless also of the fact that linesmen are not allowed to determine whether a goal counts or not, there were numerous officials who believe

the goal was in, including the announcers who had access to the instant replay the referee decided to forgo. There are multiple photographs and videos that outraged fans are circulating on social media; there has been an uproar of angry tweets and posts as St. FX fans have taken to defending their team. The team even tried to appeal the linesman’s decision but to no avail; the call still stands and the X-women remain in fourth. Although they did not end up with the medal they were looking for, the Xwomen can and should still be proud of the way they fought throughout the tournament in front of an excited and ever-spirited crowd of St. FX fans, alumni, family and friends. X

What’s on your plate: The implications of local food Sometimes eating local isn’t everything you imagine it is ELLA BESSERER Contributor In today’s society, local food production can be seen as an umbrella term, encompassing nutritional, economic, environmental, and societal implications. Unfortunately there are some misconceptions made by the general populous that need to be addressed. One of these being that the “100 Mile” diet is the most “organic” and natural way to consume food. Yet just because the food is considered local, this does not imply that it is organic or genetically un-

modified.

It is important to become educated about where your food is coming from, who produced it and how it was produced to ensure you are getting quality on your plate. National Geographic Magazine highlighted the interesting contrast between the modernized approach to food production and the minimalist local agricultural approach.

“Those who favour conventional agriculture talk about how modern mechanization, irrigation, fertilizers, and improved genetics can increase yields to help meet demand. And they’re right.

Meanwhile proponents of local and organic farms counter that the world’s small farmers could increase yields plenty and help themselves out of poverty by adopting techniques that improve fertility without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

They’re right too”. Although some economic sustainability implications arise with local food, there are future platforms that need to be implemented, such as a more regional food approaches to sustain both the environment and economic manifesto.

Despite the grey areas of the

industrialization and the local food debate, many positive associations regarding community involvement come to light. Many individuals have expressed that local food embodies building blocks to societal and communal foundations.

Dr. Laurie Wadsworth, a St. FX Nutrition Professor stated that, “Local food means supporting your neighbours; it’s about building a community, and less industrialization. 10% of your grocery bill should be coming from local food sources; this is a realistic goal for economic ideals. It’s a community builder; in

Antigonish especially, with many local food initiatives such as the community garden, people feel like they are contributing to the community and this brings them joy.”

It is evident that local food embodies a wholesome community involvement. From the field, to processing, to your plate, the interlinkages that encompass the local food ideal are empowering procedures. It allows the farmers to regain independence, provides a socio-agricultural platform and gives back to the community that supports the farmers. X

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Taxes are rising, period Proposed tax hikes on female hygiene products LINDSAY JOHNSTONE Staff Writer The average number of years a woman will have her menstrual cycle is 38 years. Approximately seven days out of every month a women will have her period. That is a total of 84 days in an entire year. Multiply 84 days by thirty-eight years and the grand total is 3,192 days. A woman will have her period for 8.8 years of her lifetime. Of course women, not men, bare the majority of the cost of the necessary menstrual cycle supplies. On average a woman will use over 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. A package of sanitary feminine napkins and tampons will cost on average about $8 in Canada.

When you think about the rising cost of feminine hygiene products over 38 years, it is anything but cheap.

Nova Scotia has the highest tax in Canada, with the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) at 15 percent. Nova Scotia currently has a five percent tax on feminine hygiene products that includes tampons, sanitary napkins, and menstrual cups.

Feminine hygiene products are a necessity for women—these are not optional purchases.

In November 2014 the Nova Scotia Tax and Regulatory Review, entitled “Charting a Path for Growth” was pub-

lished. The review recommended: “Nova Scotia should eliminate rebates for the provincial portion of the HST on printed books, children’s clothing, shoes, and diapers; feminine hygiene products; residential energy; and first time home purchases. Nova Scotia must offset the

path for failure. Women are already at a disadvantage in society. On average Women make 70 cents to the dollar that men earn. If this suggested recommendation by is fulfilled, this will add to the long list of discriminatory acts against women. Women should not be taxed for having a uterus.

However, if women need to be taxed for purchasing feminine hygiene products in Nova Scotia, keep it at percent HST and do not raise it.

Women shouldn’t be taxed for If the goal of having a uterus. the regulatory review were to stimulate the economy in Nova impact of the broadened HST on low-in- Scotia, raising the tax on feminine hycome Nova Scotians by enhancing the giene products likely would not solve Affordable Living Tax Credit and mak- the issue. St. FX Director of Health and ing improvements to the Heating Assis- Counselling Margie McKinnon says that tance Rebate Program (HARP)”. she is an advocate for keeping the tax at The recommendation is to increase five percent for feminine hygiene prodthe tax on feminine hygiene products by ucts. According to McKinnon, students 5 to 15 percent. “Charting a Path for already have to pay for high tuition costs Growth” seems like a rather ironic title and raising the HST on such products for such a review since this recommen- would be an additional financial burden dation, if pursued, will be charting a on women. As mentioned above, it is not

an option to avoid purchasing these products and McKinnon agrees and adds, “It’s not like you can’t shop for those products.”

Students at St. FX also had much to say about the topic. Jay Nero, a first year male student studying Human Kinetics says, “It’s disadvantaged enough for women”. Nero recognizes the inequality for women, as males would not have to pay for the same types of products.

Brienna Organ, a second year nursing student says that she doesn’t feel that men have a good understanding of the issue of the cost of some of these products.

There is a heavy majority of men in the Nova Scotian legislature and they are often deciding major decisions for women in this province. Organ is looking forward to her career in nursing, but says the HST increase if followed through will affect a lot of women who she will care for. “It’s a nurse’s job to help with financial assistance. When a woman does not make as much as a man, it’s unfair” says Organ.

The Nova Scotian government in the near future will review the Nova Scotia Tax and Regulatory Review. It is unknown at this time if the tax increase on feminine hygiene products will occur, however if you have any concerns or suggestions contact your local MLA. X

Shaving your head and inspiring the mind Relay for Life inspires student to donate her hair to the cause.

SEAN McEVOY Editor-in-Chief On the evening of Mar 13, and into the morning of Mar 14, StFX students gathered in the Oland Centre gym to participate in Relay for Life, a long standing tradition to raise money in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. Throughout the evening, participants listened to inspirational stories from their peers in regards to how cancer had touched their lives. One of those individuals who provided inspiration on the evening was student Mikaela Henderson, who shaved her head and donated her hair for cancer patients in the process.

“I have shaved my head a few times before but I was mostly inspired by those who have cut their hair and shaved their heads in the past. I remember in my first year Charlotte Curley shaved her head and that was very motivational. Also the amazing effort and money raised for relay by all”, says Henderson.

“I would encourage people to do whatever they feel comfortable doing”, said Henderson when it comes to suggesting others shave their heads in support of the cause. “I think that all parts of the process are equally important whether it’s shaving your head, donating your hair or donating money or time, all of these things are positive contributors to the cause and help many people.”

In regards to the feedback Henderson has received since she shaved her head, she had this to say: “I have received a lot of positive support and for that I am very grateful. I would, however, like to draw attention to the relay committee and all the others who donated their hair and participated in relay for life. I think

the time and effort they put in is incredible and everyone did an incredible thing. I think we need to remember that this is a team effort and the best part about Relay for Life is that we can all come together as a team and support each other and those who have been touched by cancer. Me shaving my head was a team effort put in by all those who donated to the cause, gave positive support and were walking at relay.”

Henderson adds that her experience at Relay for Life this year at StFX was nothing but a positive one.

“My experience at Relay for Life was amazing. I would really like to point out that the only way that relay and the great donations that everyone made would not be possible without the organizers Mary Weir and Michelle Aucoin as well as everyone on the relay committee. They did an incredible job of staying motivated and motivating others.

They raised an incredible amount of money and many donated their hair to the cause. I think an event like this is really about how everyone comes together to support a good cause and how anything is really possible. I think it is seen by the incredible speakers we heard throughout the night. People really feel comfortable and able to share their stories and experiences and that is truly amazing and to see how the money raised really is appreciated and useful to many families. I think that is truly what relay is about.”

Many on the night are asked the same question, ‘why do you relay?. For Henderson, it is not just for those touched by cancer in her family, but for all victims.

“I relay for everyone”, she told The Xaverian. “Of course I have had family and friends who have fought the battle against

cancer, some more successful than others.

But to me it is not for any one person, it is for anyone and everyone who has ever been touched by cancer and to help those people be more comfortable while fighting the disease. I do not know if there will be any cure for cancer but I do think it is important to raise money to help families get through those hard times and to help those fighting the battle in a more comfortable situation, and for a lot of women that means helping them maintain their self-esteem and confidence. Anything that will help make their life a little easier.”

Henderson adds that her support for Relay for Life was fostered in a major way

THE xaverian OUR STAFF

thanks to attending StFX. “Relay for Life has only recently become an organization that I supported”, she said.

“My first time participating in relay was here at StFX in my first year and for the past three years I have always been on a team. I think the reason why relay is so important is to really represent the struggle that people battling cancer go through. I think the fight to stay up all night, although not nearly or even minutely close to as difficult, sheds a little perspective and allows people to relate.”

Over $53,000 was raised over the course of this year’s StFX Relay for Life, surpassing the campaign’s goal total. X

March 12 Vol 123: Issue 12

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean McEvoy xw.eic@stfx.ca

ART IST IC COORDINATOR NEWS EDITOR Lindsay Hatt Julia O’Hanley x2012cdi@stfx.ca xw.news@stfx.ca

MANAGING EDITOR Graham Haynes xw.managing@stfx.ca

COPY EDITOR Molly Schreiber xw.copy@stfx.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Lewis Forward xw.feature@stfx.ca

SPORTS & HEALT H EDITOR Aaron Thornell xw.sports@stfx.ca

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Devon Greene xw.culture@stfx.ca DIST RACT IONS EDITOR Kurt Brothers xw.distract@stfx.ca

SENIOR REPORT ERS Angela MacKenzie Izaak Macmullin Rachel Revoy xw.report@stfx.ca COLUMNISTS Laura Aloisio Coltan Thompson

CONTACT US Email: xw.eic@stfx.ca Twitter: @xaverianweekly Facebook: The Xaverian Weekly www.xaverian.ca

OPINIONS EDITOR Emily MacGregor xw.opinions@stfx.ca STAFF WRIT ERS Lauren Agnew Lindsay Johnstone DIST RIBUT ION MANAGER Devon Chisholm xw.eic@stfx.ca for inquiries xw.managing@stfx.ca for advertising info

FIND US Room 111D, Bloomfield Centre PO Box 924 St. Francis Xavier University Antigonish, NS B2G 2X1

The Xaverian Weekly is the official student newspaper of St Francis Xavier University. The Xaverian Weekly is published on Thursdays by the Xaverian Weekly Publications Board and is editorially autonomous.

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thursday march fifth, 2015

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