Issue 14, Volume 123

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thursday march twenty sixth, 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

SNOWED IN: DIRECTOR OF FM LEON MACLELLAN TALKS SNOW REMOVAL SEAN MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief

The StFX campus was battered with over 100 cm of snow in less than a week combined with high velocity winds, resulting in the closure of university facilities on three separate days. The campus first closed on Sunday, Mar. 15 at 3pm and remained closed until midnight.

A second major storm system then hit Antigonish on Wednesday, Mar. 18 resulting of the closure of the campus until 10pm.

StFX made an announcement the following morning due to the continuation of the storm that campus would remain closed until 5am Mar. 20th to give Facilities Management staff enough time to clear the roads, stairwells, and sidewalks of snow and ice.

The Xaverian spoke with Director of StFX Facilities Management [FM] Leon MacLellan on the afternoon of Mar. 19 to discuss the campus cleanup effort that was underway.

“It’s been a challenge obviously” said MacLellan. We’ve closed down campus three days this week and there’s probably two main factors in that. One is the quantity of snow and another is the wind- it’s been pretty high gusting up to 80km/h. That really fills in anything you’re shovelling pretty quickly. The CBC are telling us this week that it actually exceeds White Juan. White Juan was about 100cm and between the two storms this week we’ve exceeded 100cm so that’s the worst storm in about 10 years or more.

The FM work force for snow removal is small in numbers, requiring staff members from other departments to pitch in to the cleanup process.

“We have about 10 shovel-

lers, we’ve got more on today.

People have switched- we have cleaning staff and maintenance staff on shovels today.” MacLellan said.

In regards to prioritizing which areas of campus should be cleared of snow first, MacLellan explained that it is broken down into a three parts system.

“One is roads and parking lots which is done by heavy equipment. The second piece would be sidewalks which is down by our sidewalk plow.

The old one is fifteen years old and we actually just purchased a new one this year. The third piece is the manual [shovelling].

The biggest challenge is usually the manual snow removal.

We have 252 areas where we manually remove snow and this includes the stairwells, and the building entrances.”

“We prioritize them in different ways,” MacLellan explained. “First hour, second hour, third hour, and we also prioritize first day, second day.

So when it’s heavy wind, we want to circle back to the first hour [areas] regularly. The fourth hour priorities might only be achieved at the sixth or seventh hour depending on the amount of wind. We look at critical areas and try to make sure people are able to get to their building.”

“One of the first things we do is identify stairwells that are redundant, that aren’t necessary to get safely to a building. Then we identify the roads that we’re going to do, the priority being obviously the centre of campus.

Those priorities might change.

When we call off a day, our focus then is mainly the residences and Morrison Hall. Obviously we have about 1800 students in residence and we need to al-

low them to get some food. Today [Mar 19], we’re opening up the Keating Centre for students to give them a little bit of recreation. People have been inside for a day and a half at least and we want to give them some exercise.”

MacLellan explained that the call to open buildings such as the Keating Centre on days when the campus is closed comes directly from FM. “That’s from our group. We have a group that discusses things from a student life perspective, academic perspective, and an operations perspective all the time. We’re always concerned. Fifteen years ago was the first time this university ever closed for a day. Obviously the culture has changed in that there’s more students off campus, there’s more commuters, both faculty and students.

Whenever we close down we’re always aware of what are we doing for the StFX students.”

When asked if he felt he had enough staff and equipment to deal with the amount of snowfall, MacLellan had this to say: “Obviously the snow this week is way above normal. In a storm like this you would like more staff and what we do when that happens is we re-assign people from maintenance to snow shovelling. Could you have more staff at it? I suppose you could always have more staff at it for sure but, would it have been possible with any amount of staff to be open today? I would suggest not.”

On social media, some StFX students had complained about the condition of campus sidewalks and stairwells on days when the campus was open for regular classes, with some posting photos of stairs that appeared completely snow

packed. MacLellan admitted that the decision to close campus for weather related reasons was not a ‘perfect science’.

“Students obviously want to get classes in as well, it’s a balance. I wouldn’t say that we’re always perfect on it, but I think in general the way we approached this week was appropriate. There’s no question though that some things filled in faster and the wind is constantly changing. The wind changed direction last night so it filled in differently.”

For MacLellan, the most difficult factor to deal with this winter has not been the snowfall totals, but the amount of ice build up on roads, sidewalks and buildings.

“The most extreme condition for me was the February 3rd storm where we got six inches of snow that finished falling at about 5am, then we got a lot of rain. Then it went from plus four to minus thirteen in the next four or five hours.

The conditions of our sidewalks on campus are still affected by that extreme change in the weather. Obviously I don’t think anyone’s equipped to remove six inches of snow within three or four hours.”

“I will be concerned for the roads,” continued MacLellan. “I think with the ice we got in that February 3rd storm, we’re wondering if we’ll actually have ice during convocation which would be a first in my memory.”

MacLellan added that StFX residences have held up well despite the harsh winter conditions.

“Some roofs did leak that never leaked before and probably will never leak again. So we did get some moisture in the buildings but overall it wasn’t too bad.” X

News in Brief IZAAK MACMULLIN Senior Reporter

Toronto University staff on strike

Staff are on strike at the country’s two largest universities, University of Toronto and York University.

Teaching assistants at UofT have recently voted down a prospective settlement with the university that would have allowed normal classes to resume. The vote was narrow: 1100 voted to reject, 992 to ratify.

Whereas classes are beginning to resume at York University, the union representing teaching assistants at UofT, CUPE 3902, has been on strike since Feb. 27. The University of Toronto’s website says they do not intend to extend the term to make up for lost class time. X Memorial student complains of ‘rotten’ cafeteria food

The next time you want to complain about StFX’s meal hall service, keep in mind what has been happening to students at Memorial University as of late . A recent post on Imgur by a frustrated Memorial student detailing (with pictures) several unappetizing meals served at that university’s meal hall has gone viral. The anonymous student writes “Over the course of this year, every meal is a gamble: the only truly safe foods which pose no threat of food poisoning/disgusting experiences are toasts and cereals. I personally have had uncooked eggs, raw cod fish, uncooked chicken breasts/chicken pot pie, food with hair baked in, and several other equally disgusting occurrences.” The student (reinforced by others in the comment section) goes on to claim that the food provider, Aramark, and the university administration have done nothing to address student concerns. X

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Human Rights & Equity Office moving Office moves to fourth floor MacKinnon; student advisors to take over space ANGELA MACKENZIE Senior Reporter Students studying on 3rd floor of the Bloomfield Centre have probably noticed the empty room, large plastic bag, and the construction workers hammering away near the Human Rights and Equity Office. This is all in relation to the relocation of Human Rights and Equity Advisor Marie Brunelle.

Earlier this month her to fourth floor MacKinnon Hall Brunelle has been working at StFX for 5 years, all of which she has spent in a high-traffic area for students. She says she

has been fortunate to be located in a space easily accessible for students interested in seeking resources available by the office. “I enjoyed walking through the student lounge to get to my office. I felt connected,” she states of her former location. When not in her office, Brunelle says she would often walk the halls to converse with the SUB’s regular attendees – something the advisor says she will miss moving forward.

Brunelle fears the office’s open door policy and welcoming atmosphere that was blatant in the SUB might lose its

effect when transplanted to MacKinnon Hall. She does note though that although the move might be negative in accessibility, the office’s new location will likely be more beneficial for working with staff and faculty.

“It’s more central with the rest of HR [Human Resources],” she says of the office’s new location, noting that her new location will allow her to better communicate with the rest of the staff in her department.

Another concern Brunelle has with the move is the building’s hours of operation.

Whereas the SUB is open late

until midnight and on weekends, the Business Office operates Monday-Friday and closes at 4:30. She says she has devised a plan to address this issue, “I’ll just meet them at Mini Moes and have a discussion there.”

The change in location will allow three student advisors to work in tandem within one space – a model that “makes sense” to Brunelle given the current situation. Presently, the three student advisors are distributed in spaces across campus- two are on fourth floor Immaculata Hall, a space not accessible for all students. The

move is an attempt to provide better access to the advisors by students as well as provide heightened communication between parties. All things considered, Brunelle wishes that there was room for one more office in the space so all could be of equal access to students.

Brunelle says it’s still too early to tell whether the positives will outweigh the negatives overall, but she has high hopes. She believes that her old office space will go to good use with the three student advisors, as the move will allow them to properly communicate face to face. X

Year in review with Brandon Hamilton Students’ Union president reflects on year in office

SEAN MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief The Xaverian: As your tenure as President of the Students’ Union comes to a close, what are your feelings overall?

Brandon Hamilton: Overall, I am feeling very happy moving forward as my time as president comes to a close. It is a tough position to let go, as there is still a lot of work that needs to be done but I am confident in what the Students’ Union has been able to accomplish this year and we couldn’t do that without the many students who put in countless hours to their roles for this forward-moving organization.

X: In your eyes, what has been your greatest accomplishment as president?

BH: Honestly, my greatest accomplishment as president was just being there for students. I know I wasn’t able to meet every single student at StFX, but just having students who I never even talked to before coming up to me during Orientation Week, at the Inn, or even just on the way to class, it was nice knowing people felt comfortable talking to me. I was that uncomfortable first year student once who did not have the courage to talk to a stranger and ask, “Where is Nicholson Hall?” or “How can I get more involved?” so I was extremely happy to be able to help those students.

X: What are some of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your time in office?

BH: Some of the greatest challenges I have faced are mostly personal. It is a tough gig to be able to balance school, work, and social life. I think the toughest times I have are those days when I had meetings from 9am-9pm and then an essay due immediately after. I would get

so frustrated with myself but a quick call to some friends and I was back on my feet.

X: Is there anything you regret from the past year?

BH: Some of my biggest struggles in the year that I would have liked change were that there just wasn’t enough time in my day to really get out there on campus and just chat to people. The president role has many committees and meetings going on that in a run of the day I may not have even been in my office. It becomes difficult to make time for significant change such as reviewing the SU Policy manual, or just sitting down and figuring out how we can change student apathy. So I guess I would say that one year goes by extremely fast and you get so caught up in trying to tackle every issue that you lose sight of time and then it’s all over.

X: In no particular order, what are some of the most important improvements/strides you’ve been able to make this year as President, and by the executive team as a whole to better the student experience at StFX this year?

BH: Some improvements/ strides I have been able to make this year alongside not only the executive team, but also everyone working with the Students’ Union is being more collaborative in our approaches. We have worked heavily with the International Student Society and Advisor, Health Counseling and Accessible Learning, the Town and Municipality of Antigonish, the Mental Health Connections society, Residence Life, the Antigonish Women’s Resource, and those are just a few. We have been able to the build the bridge between all of our organizations and causes to come together as a collective group in solidarity. The students, faculty, admin, and com-

munity members have worked so collaboratively this year to start serious conversations of change, and part of that was because the Students’ Union was able to reach out and have those conversations start together, rather than separately.

X: Can you describe how relations this year have been between StFX admin (such as new President Kent MacDonald) and The U? BH: The U and the StFX Admin have an overall positive relationship. I have witnessed through other schools what it is like when the admin and Students’ Union does not work well together and there is a state of stagnation. I am proud to say that at StFX, we work alongside our administration and faculty to aim for a better student experience. It was a nice year for us to be able to help transition new faces such as President MacDonald and new VP Finance and Administration, Andrew Beckett. They have both been very open to the student opinion and transparent in their approach.

X: Going forward, what challenges do you believe your successor Troy Mrazek, and his executive team will face next year, and what goals and projects will be most important for them to work towards?

BH: I believe Troy has a busy year ahead. I hope he will continue the work we have done with town relations and mental health initiatives, but also continue tackling our larger issues like student apathy. We have a strong community of StFX students who love their school experience, a lot of which has come from the work the Students’ Union does. I believe we have tackled the events and activities portion of student engagement, now we must continue that work but improve our efforts of bringing advocacy ef-

forts back to the student body, increase our voter turnout, and focus on the academic experience of students. As Moses Coady says “In a democracy people don’t sit in the social and economic bleachers; they all play the game.”

X: In consulting with the student body over the course of your tenure as president, what do you believe the biggest issue/concern is for students presently?

BH: In consulting with students one prominent issue that I have heard is around the sexual assault protocol at StFX. I have heard many other issues such as diversification of campus, a more inclusive environment, better student loan programs, lack of student engagement etc. but sexual assault has come up many times. I am happy to say that it seems like the conversations are happening collaboratively rather than in silos, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done because it impacts every single student on

campus.

X: Finally, what memories and lessons will you take away from this experience as President, and your time at StFX? BH: I will take so many memories and lessons away with me. I was able to speak to several high school students about my love for StFX and leadership experience, meet with MLAs in Halifax and MPs in Ottawa, make lifelong friends with students at other schools and at StFX, run an organization, and be a voice for my fellow students. If you told me on my first day at StFX that I would have this opportunity, a small town frosh that only knew three people coming here, I would have laughed. I am incredibly lucky and humbled to have been able to represent StFX, a school I am so proud to be a student at, and make a difference. If I was able to make even one student who may be a little moreshy, happy to be a part of the Students’ Union and the StFX community, I will walk out of here proud. X

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thursday march twenty sixth, 2015

SUB sustainability Marathon for Mental Health Engineering students to put solar panels on SUB roof First year student raising funds to run Niagra Ultra Marathon

IZAAK MACMULLIN Senior Reporter The Students’ Union Building is going greener thanks to a student project to outfit the top of the SUB with solar panels, therefore reducing the building’s carbon footprint and cutting energy costs.

The program is being championed by a group of Engineering students and the Students’ Union Sustainability Office with support from Facilities Management.

As Sustainability Office Representative Mikaela Henderson informed The Xaverian, “The sustainability office started looking into the solar panel project at the beginning of the year with Kevin Latimer [Energy Manger for Facilities Management] and we have been working on this for a while. We decided to approach the Engineering students to see if we could get their help to put together the scientific part of our proposal. They are helping us with that and are making it part of their class project.

The Sustainability Office has been working hard all year to get this going and we are going to try to bring the project to administration by the end of the semester.”

Patrick LeClair, a fourth year Engineering student is one of the students working to bring this project to fruition.

“Currently we are looking at putting a ten kilowatt system on top of the Bloomfield Centre. What we are looking at doing is producing around 1200 to 1500 kilowatt hours of power a year. Every kilowatt hour is, I believe 8.9 tons of CO2, so were looking at a really great reduction in CO2 emissions. In Nova Scotia our power comes

from coal-fired generators, so we really have a huge carbon footprint. Every kilowatthour you can take out of the grid makes a bigger difference in Nova Scotia than it would in other places in Canada.”

When asked about costs, LeClair says “Right now our budget is between $30000 and $40 00. The lowest quote we’ve gotten I think is around $33000, that includes installation - the entire system - and transport to the site. In terms of funding, Facilities Management has some money left over from other projects they’ve done so they were willing to put $20000 into this project [and] we would have to come of with the other $15 000. The main stakeholder we are looking at getting funding from is the university. We’re looking at the $175 Facility Renewal fee that was added to students this year. We’re hoping to get a slice of that pie for a continuous amount of time to have that extra funding. We are looking at one to two percent of that funding. [If we get this funding] we’re able to pay off and get our $15000 within the first year.”

According to FM’s Energy Manager Kevin Latimer, the SUB currently uses about 738000 kilowatt hours of power each year. “So the 13000 [kilowatts] wouldn’t be muchyou’re looking at about only 2% of the building’s energy.”

Even this small saving translates to a reduction in energy costs totalling about $1700 each year. This means that the solar panel project, costing around $35 000, will essentially pay for itself in twenty years. Latimer sees this project as part of an ongoing process that will make StFX more environmentally friendly. X

RACHEL REVOY Senior Reporter Mental health affects everyone, and first year Nutrition student Caitlin Vance is doing something about the issues surrounding the stigma around mental health, in order to make a change.

Caitlin is running the Niagara Ultra Marathon on June 20th with her friend Victoria Lock from Guelph University. Caitlin discovered the marathon while searching online for ways to fundraise for mental health, and decided that this would be a great way to make a difference.

“The last couple of years has presented a bunch of different things to me. I didn’t realize [mental illness] had such a big effect on people. As I got older I was exposed to more of that [and] last year I went through a bit myself with school, transitioning into university, feeling pressure, and in the fall one of my good friends committed suicide. I decided after that if I could help raise the money to help someone, I know that there is only so much that fundraising can do but it can help,” says Caitlin about her reason for getting involved with mental health awareness.

The Niagara Ultra Marathon is not a marathon specifically for mental health but rather Vance and Lock are running the race in exchange for funding sponsorship. In preparation for the event, the girls have set up a GoFundMe page online to reach their goal of $5,000 and have already obtained over $600.

In order to get in shape for the marathon, Vance has been training three times a week by increasing her running dis-

tance so she can reach her goal of running 50km. With the run 13 weeks away, Vance is confident she will achieve her goal.

Once back in their hometown of Bradford Ontario, Vance and Lock plan to continue their fundr a i s i n g through bake sales, a car wash, and a golf tournament dedicated to their friend who lost the fight against their mental illness. At the tournament facilitated by the friend’s family, Vance is planning to set up a booth to give out information and health resources in an attempt to inform her peers of the effects of mental illness and in turn help alleviate the stigma.

A portion of the money raised by the marathon will go to the X Mental Health Connection Society. The rest will be donated to a program called MOBYSS, a new initiative in Vance’s hometown. The program aims to help students age 12-25 through the use of a mobile mental health centre that will assist in breaking down the issues associated with accessibility. MOBYSS will allow young people to get the help they need no matter their loca-

tion or any other barriers that were preventing them in the past.

When asked what she wished people knew about mental health, Vance tells the Xaverian “It’s not as uncommon as people think. [Mental health issues] happens to more people and it can be people that you have no idea that they’re going through anything. Just being there for people, to listen if they have something they need to talk about, because you really have no idea what people are going through.”

If you wish to support Caitlin Vance in her marathon and support local mental health awareness, you can sponsor her at www.gofundme.com/ marathon4mh. X

Fresh produce now at resource centre Student Resource Centre now offering fresh, local fruit and vegetables IZAAK MACMULLIN Senior Reporter StFX students struggling to pay for food now have some diverse new options to stay well fed. The StFX Food Resource Centre has expanded beyond a traditional food bank to offer fresh fruit grown in Antigonish to students who visit the centre.

While there were fresh fruit and vegetables available earlier in the year, the supply dwindled away over the winter months.

The Food Resource Centre now plans to expand the fresh food program so that fresh, healthy food will be available all next year.

As the Student Food Resource Centre Coordinator

Shannon Lynch explains, “Fresh produce in the Student Food Resource Centre began last October. We had carrots, beets, and tomatoes available for students on Fridays. The fall vegetables were all we could provide at the time, due to the weather, but there are goals to have a greenhouse that will enable students to have access to fresh produce all year long. We are weighing our financial and human resources to find out at what point the greenhouse will be a sustainable initiative.”

The fruit and vegetables offered are extremely local because, as Lynch says “The fresh produce is picked straight from the StFX Community Garden [located on campus] and brought

to students to use on Fridays.

Throughout the summer months when there was a greater variety of produce, I invited all students to stop by and pick some lettuce, kale, basil, or whatever food they wished to use.”

The issue of food security on campus is a common one, with the expensive nature of Sodexo meal plans and the large grocery bills faced by students on and off campus.

According to Lynch, more and more students are taking advantage of the food her centre provides. “Right now, there is greater demand than ever before at the Student Food Resource Centre. We had a record fifteen students in one

day. When I began this position two years ago, I would shop for ten students per week. That speaks volumes about the issues of food security as well as the greater social determinants of health.”

The Xaverian spoke to first year students Emilia Lorenz and Alexandrea Guye about the new initiative.

Guye, who volunteers at the food bank feels that in her experience the addition has been a positive one, saying “[At the food bank]they already have canned goods, Kraft Dinner, bread, frozen foods. They have all that stuff there and I would be nice if they could get raw foods- that would actually be a lot more help, healthier choices kind of

thing A lot of people come for the frozen stuff and the canned vegetables- that stuff goes fast.”

Lorenz agreed, saying “People would be really happy about that and they would enjoy some fresh foods. Some of the people may not be as happy with the canned goods: I know some people are really picky about what’s in the canned foods [so] I think a lot of people would be happy to see something like that.”

The Student Food Resource Centre is a confidential service operating with the help of over one hundred volunteers. The centre is open Monday-Friday from 9:15-5:30 and offers a variety of non-perishable food items, frozen fruits, vegetables, and bread. X

opinions

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

Council recognizes unceded Mi’kmaw territory

An inclusive community means recognizing all members ERIKA KINACH Contributor On Sunday January 30 the Students’ Union released a statement that at the beginning of each meeting, Council will formally acknowledge that meetings are held on unceded Mi’kmaw territory and recognizes that the SUB is on Mi’kmaw territory. This was established in order to acknowledge the history of the Mi’kmaw in the region and the importance of recognizing that the Mi’kmaw were the first to inhabit the Antigonish area.

I commend the Students’ Union for making the effort to move forward with the acknowledgement and education of students and faculty about the history of the Mi’kmaw in the region. This is

an important step in making StFX a more inclusive campus for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students.

We say time and time again that StFX is a community in itself: the fact that it is situated in a small town with a centrally located campus, that a large portion of the student body lives on campus, and that every face you see seems to be at least somewhat familiar. Sometimes, however, we are so caught up in the “community” atmosphere that we forget that StFX is a part of the larger Antigonish community, which includes the Mi’kmaw people. This group has been here long before us with ties to the land.

What isn’t mentioned in the ‘History’ of the Antigonish website is that StFX was built unceded Mi’kmaw territory,

land that belonged to the people indigenous to this area.

European colonizers claimed land across North America as their own with no regard as to who already inhabited the area. While we cannot change the past, it is important that we acknowledge the Mi’kmaw history of the area to create a community environment inclusive for all.

While the acknowledgement that the university was built on indigenous territory may seem futile, it is a step towards building a community that respects an important sector of Antigonish heritage and culture. Council’s decision aims to recognize and respect that land was taken from the Mi’kmaw. We can be an ally to the groups that were marginalized by European settlers in the past, and ac-

knowledge that we are people of privilege and that our privilege comes from others’ suffering in the past.

If we do not have public awareness about the history of our larger Antigonish community and own-up to how the university way built, the campus environment will be less hospitable to indigenous students. Despite cultural ties aboriginal students may have to the land, they may feel isolated due to an absence of diversity on campus and lack of land acknowledgement. If we fail to respect the cultural ties and significance of the land, we are not respecting the current culture of these students.

This is something we continuously strive to stay away from, especially since the university wants to be a place where every culture is respected by all.

The motion for recognition of Mi’kmaw territory is a first step of a long journey to create a more inclusive university community. Other efforts have already been put into place to strengthen the relationship between the university and Mi’kmaw community members. During the last Welcome Day, community Mi’kmaw drummers were included in the festivities. The U has also made it known that they encourage the university to follow their lead in Mi’kmaw territory recognition The U also suggests the presence of a Mi’kmaw flag during X-Ring and Convocation ceremonies.

Regardless of particulars, the ball has started rolling towards positive change. But there is more to be done by both the StFX and Antigonish community. X

Highlander clan should stay intact A first-hand account of why MacDonald is more than a residence--it is a family DARCY MACISAAC Contributor In light of the recent decision to change MacDonald house into a frosh-only house and ban alumni from living or entering the building, I want to express the reasons why I feel MacDonald alumni should be at a minimum, able to enter the building, be involved in the MacDonald family, and shape the culture in a positive way. I ask the administration to please take these reasons into consideration.

1. MacDonald is a family. In coming to StFX, I did not know what to expect and didn’t know whether or not I would get the experience I was looking for. Being from the area I greatly considered moving away in order to see a new side of the country or world. But with advice from my parents and my desire to attend a small, close-knit university like StFX, I chose to enroll.

Despite my doubts on whether or not I would enjoy staying in the same town for another four years, because of MacDonald Hall, I loved StFX. The family environment is unlike anything I have ever experienced and gave an incredible opportunity for students to create a home away from home that lasts through all

four years.

Bring in MacDonald has meant I never had to worry about eating at meal hall alone, how to tackle a group project, and what I am doing on a Friday night. All of these, among many others, are the reasons I want to stay at X for my four years instead of transferring.

Taking away the 50+ years of alumni and removing all active alumni from the residence experience will greatly change this family atmosphere. It will eliminate the feeling of MacDonald pride and friendship that all MacDonald alumni share. As a first year, I noticed this above all else the moment I met second, third, and fourth year students.

2. First year students are reckless and unprepared the majority of the time. I was lucky in that I had a lot of experience being on my own and managing time and money through living on my own partially through grades 11 and 12. I lived 35 minutes away from my high school and was highly involved through student leadership and athletics, and worked 20 hours a week at a part-time job during the school year.

While this somewhat prepared me for the transition between high school and uni-

versity, it did not prepare me for the shift that leaves you more or less on your own.

Without the assistance of parents on a day-to-day basis along with having to manage homework, health, and maintaining a positive social environment with your peers, university can be a daunting and overwhelming experience.

Many students come to StFX with much less experience than I, and despite the negative views of Res Life on upper-year MacDonald students, upper-year students are an invaluable support system. They were the first people to help me with classes which they had previously taken, and they told me what I should and should not do to succeed at X, both socially and academically. If they were not there my fellow firstyears and myself would have had little to no guidance, and would have made many reckless and negative decisions.

Creating a residence where two upper year students are made to do this for a whole house of first years is inconsiderate for both those two students as well as the students that will get limited help with their transition to university from people who most recently experienced what they did and in the environment they did. While there

will be residence life staff in the building, in a building like MacDonald, as well as Cameron Hall, as a whole Residence Assistants are seen as well as at many times more as a law enforcement officer then an outlet for students to go to in times of need and advice.

3. This action will unfairly affect many students who were not the reason for this decision. There are many students currently in MacDonald that have little to no writeups, have not contributed to damages within the building, and did not participate in ‘hazing’. They do not deserve to lose the home they have found at StFX. While many MacDonald residents do have write-ups, many can be attributed to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, write-up by association, and having a guest in the residence after sanction hours (secondary deviance created through the long extended sanction).

In write-up meetings and Residence Life decisions, students can be included in incidents to which they did not contribute. With the guilty until proven innocent attitude, Student Life can occasionally (especially in regards to the negatively viewed MacDonald residence) negatively

impact a student’s Residence Life file without just cause.

Taking away building access rights from students who have not done anything is unfair. Even to those who have made mistakes, the decision is unfair because each year at StFX is a new year with a new opportunity to show new-found maturity and action.

While I recognize previous actions and incidents cannot be forgotten or removed, they should not entirely contribute to a student’s future, especially if negative decisions against the student are due to the building in which they lived.

As Residence Life has pointed out to all residences in regards to enhancing positive rivalries, we are placed into our residence through a click of a button. The ‘click of a button’ mentality is a twoway street, which should be followed by both administration and students through student engagement and well as the way a student should be treated by Residence Life.

I know many other ways that MacDonald has improved my life and the lives of other MacDonald students in a positive way. I would be happy to speak with Residence Life about them in the hopes we can resolve this issue. X

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thursday march twenty sixth, 2015

Bureaucracy or Being?

Rising above the bureaucratic mindset COLTAN THOMPSON Psychology Columnist There is a common social tension in student culture: the struggle to adapt to, and simultaneously resist, the expectations of bureaucracy that students often feel are foisted upon them by the establishment. The tension can be construed as classic youth rebellion, but that is a simple assessment. University is an environment that seeks to assimilate the student into the professional world of relentless expectation. More than a few very clever folks have been unable to survive University, not for lack of intelligence or inability to apply themselves, but because they could not withstand the nerve-cracking onslaught of expectations, due dates, or the rationalization of one’s time and space. Education is only half the task of University: the other lies in breaking those who cannot adapt to the demands of a slowly introduced bureaucracy. Take home point: University is prep school for white collar life, which means absorbing not just education but a culture of professionalism.

Meanwhile, all too many students rebel with self-destructive behaviors that undermine possible academic

success. Or they simply slack off. Unmotivated youth? Not quite. Only a portion of students fit that bill—let your own imagination provide the estimates. While many students find themselves at University because of parental pressure, cultural expectation, or other reasons, there is more at play than simple lack of commitment. After all, many students can be quite successful while being “irresponsible” on the side—and who’s to say that the willful folly of student past-times are to be frowned upon?

Student life calls to fore the whole modern role-play, cute as it is: the student seeks to transcend to a higher status and education (or via education...) while at the same time retaining baser interests and simpler past-times—the pasttimes that make one comfortable with simply being and helping the individual to forget and forego all his or her responsibilities. From booze, to Netflix, to baking, we all know that interests can be down-right therapeutic to those who engage in them.

Students learn to become carriers of bureaucracy—its creeping, hyper-rational way of relating to others; its politics, mannerisms, and red tape. Bureaucracy starts simple until it invades one’s

thinking. The bureaucratic mindset has meme-like qualities; it is, at its worst, a preoccupation with order at the expense of openmindedness.

The pure bureaucrat is out of touch. The kind of soul-sucking bureaucracy parodied in “Office Space” misses the mark; bureaucracy in education is full of genuine interest and inspiration, but it hampers itself by following the same formality as every other Western institution.

Individuals in vocations requiring less education will learn to obey the social (and actual) laws of bureaucratic thinking. The student parties for relief from structure; the young and employed party out of frustration with it.

What a world, when our working lives are so overly structured that our off time is spent in activities that are as opposite to our work as possible; when people, especially adolescents and young adults, do all they can in their off time to not be assimilated to that world. It only speaks to how much we detest the hyper-rational, day-to-day grind of life in the West.

The student’s dilemma is just another instantiation of a larger cultural hypocrisy. Bureaucracy in the workplace; passionate disregard for selfcontrol and indulging of the

appetites at home. If research suggesting that self-control is a limited reserve in the individual is correct, then this would certainly explain a lot.

Would it not further explain why we “let it all go” at home, even to our detriment? Every kind of psychological release: chemical, emotional, biological, so neat and tucked away.

The entire animal part of our nature is treated as non-existent in the professional workplace. A veil of bureaucracy is the norm. Lacking a way of uniting an overly structured social work environment, we become hypocrites trying to have the best of both worlds: a professional, respectable appearance and status, and private indulgences of every variety. We should experience cognitive dissonance at this radical inconsistency, but we rarely do.

We can’t save ourselves from this inconsistency in behavior—and we shouldn’t have to. The split is between our base goals and needs, and the “norm of respectability”— a political construction that we won’t be giving up anytime soon. A norm of respectability—a norm of nicety, political correctness, propriety, and pomp—in short, all that falls under bureaucracy. Professors see laziness and aimlessness in uncommitted stu-

dents, and sometimes that is the case. But other times the young are conflicted: they want to build their education to prepare for the future, yet they also seek to “live up” their youth unbridled. And who can blame them? It is the Western way to put young people in their prime through a near decade or more of schooling, consuming their peak years in the process, before they can ever begin to be truly productive. And for those professors who do not break professionalisms’ mold, students can find the excessively professional demeanor off-putting. The result: professors who find many of there students to be lazy and uninspired, and students who find their professors to be rigid and neurotic.

If self-perception theory has any merit, adapting to the student role is likely a segway into bureaucratic thinking. How many students buy into the faintest touch of bureaucracy as freshmen? Not many. How many more are accustomed to and have learned to accept the professional role play by the end of their four years, especially as they contemplate further studies? Demand is the most nurturing guide there is. Thankfully one can, with difficulty, remain “in the world but not of it”. X

Declaring a major Mapping out your degree is not as terrifying as it may seem RACHEL REVOY Senior Reporter The time has come, fellow second-years, to declare your major. Instead of panicking, allow yourself this opportunity to follow your passions and think logically about your future. This is a time for building an education that will set you up for your vision of success.

Major declaration forms for the Xaverian class of 2017 are due on Mar 31. In a couple of weeks the waiting and wondering, the coasting through classes, the taking-a-coursejust-because-it-seems-interesting will virtually come to an end. Choosing a major and degree pattern can be intimidating. Take this opportunity to customize a degree that not only makes your heart beat faster with anticipation and excitement, but will also lead you on the path to fulfill any future career aspirations. Design a degree that will make you

the greatest version of you imaginable.

Students in programs like nutrition, human kinetics, and nursing have their degrees already laid-out, and most of the guesswork is for the most part removed. Declaring a major as a nursing student does not have the same implications as it does for an Arts student, though it never hurts to plan potential schedules and electives.

Arts and Science students have to think a little more specifically on what major, double major, or major and minor combination they wish to pursue.

Many students have some idea of what they would like to pursue; for others this decision can feel like the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Remember high school?

Those panic-inducing moments when teachers and parents began asking what postsecondary education you planned on taking? Just like

asking a 17 year old to plan the Certain decisions can impact details of their impeding fu- whether you are eligible for ture, asking a 20 year old to de- graduate programs. Another clare their major can seem just thing to focus on is the potenas challenging. Before hyper- tial career you wish to obtain ventilating, remember that you after the degree. A good place made it through the rough patch. Weigh your options, think about what is best for you, and most imWeigh your options, think about what portantly follow is best for you, and most importantly your gut. Choosing a follow your gut major should be just like choosing your Rachel Revoy Student university.

Ask yourself, which classes are you most excited to attend? to look is Career Cruising and When looking in the academic similar online career quizzes. calendar, think about which Do a bit of research online to departments have the most in- find the credentials needed for teresting courses. Which class- your dream job. es seem most compelling?

The most important thing is Which classes do you imagine to keep your passions a prioriyourself succeeding in? ty. Remember all the things Another important aspect of you love to do, and apply that choosing a major is to think into your degree pattern. It’s about what you wish to do af- easy to only think of the highter graduation. This is crucial. est paying job you can imagine

yourself doing, and pursuing a major that correlates with that desired job. However, do you really want to spend your life doing something that you don’t absolutely love?

Take advice from parents and professors. Talk to people who are majoring in what you are thinking about majoring in, and see what they have to say about their decision. There are a lot of options, and the more you discuss the possibilities the easier the decision to choose a major will be.

If you are still unsure, Academic Advising is always a helpful on campus tool. Another useful place to go is to talk to the department chairs of the programs you are interested in pursuing. Explore your options and take a look at the course calendar to make the decision effortless and exciting. Information, the course calendar, criteria, and the degree application forms are all found on the StFX website. X

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Clueless in the kitchen Thinking outside the pizza box LAUREN AGNEW Staff Writer Like many students at StFX, I came from a household where food seemed to magically appear in front of me. I was not required to make a meal for myself and/or others three times a day.

I was not responsible for picking up groceries every week. I certainly didn’t know how to make a realistic food budget.

Most importantly, until I was forced to fend for myself in university, I had no idea how to make anything other than grilled cheese and Kraft Dinner with hotdogs. But that was OK, because meal hall fixed all my hunger pains with pizza and birthday cake ice cream.

When second year rolled around and I moved off-campus, it took about a week to realize that pizza and ice cream were no longer going to cut it. I quickly got bored of my diet solely consisting of bread and cheese, and decided to branch-out at the grocery store. Maybe try a vegetable or two, though I was clueless about their preparation. It’s not that I don’t like them, but “preparation” meant putting them in a bowl with some ranch dressing on the side (again, thank you meal hall).

As a student, it is hard to find time to make an actual meal (note: cereal is not a meal). Grocery shopping, meal planning, and preparing a wholesome dinner can be daunting, especially when it’s so much easier to grab Kenny’s on your way home. But cooking great food doesn’t have to be about hours of slaving away over the stove.

Sometimes a simple chicken wrap is all it takes to feel satisfied, both in terms of appeasing your hunger and feeling accomplished.

Coming up with ideas can be the hardest part. Thanks to the Internet there are countless options for (starving) students to broaden their culinary horizons. Personally, I am a Pinterest fanatic. It’s the best place to find easy 20-minute recipes that have ingredients that are found on most student grocery lists.

Grocery stores often have recipe ideas in their aisles, many of them targeted at healthy and time-saving options for busy people. The same goes for food labels--many products now come with recipe ideas on the packaging. The point to remember is that there are resources available for people who aren’t overly confident in their kitchen skills.

What it comes down to is experimenting, and isn’t that what university is for anyway? I don’t mean experimenting as in dip-

ping your French fries in your milkshake, or putting pickles on your peanut butter sandwiches.

I mean figuring out which spices compliment each other, how to use a crock-pot, and cooking in an oven instead of a microwave. Now is the time to expand your horizons, before you have a real job and potentially even a real family who won’t want to wait for dinner.

The real definition of adulthood is being the person who brings real food to a potluck.

You don’t want to be the one to

hide the plates and cups forever.

In case you’re still not so sure, here are some quick and easy ways to cooking for yourself without ending up hungrier than when you started: First of all, make a plan for the week because it’s easier to shop when you know what you need ahead of time. Decide which nights you’ll have the most time to cook and plan accordingly. If you have class all day and homework all night, it’s harder to prepare a full meal, so buy quick and easy snacks to

take with you on the go.

Secondly, freeze food in individual portions so that you can take it out in the morning before class and it will be ready to go when you get home. Spaghetti sauce and chili are great makeahead meals that take less than ten minutes to cook once they’re thawed. The same can be done with any kind of chicken, beef, pork, or sausages. Throw in a salad and you have a pretty filling and nutritious meal.

And thirdly, cook for multiple days. If you know you have a

busy day coming up, make leftovers on purpose so that you have at least a lunch and possibly a dinner on hand for when you need it. This can be as simple as cooking an extra piece of chicken or handful of pasta.

At the end of the day, it’s all about what you like to eat. Ask your friends, your mom, and definitely your grandma for their best tips on how to make a killer meal in a short amount of time. University is hard enough, and cooking doesn’t have to be rocket science too. X

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thursday march twenty sixth, 2015

At StFX, the quality of my night is 30% determined by what I do, and 70% determined by how much pizza I can eat.

I’ve been more lazy and hardworking than ever before, at the same time.

I’ve spent a total of $3684.44 on coffee at Mini Moes. This year.

On stage at The Inn, I’ve heard the world’s best and worst versions of Wagon Wheel.

Some strangers I’ve seen around campus have grown into acquaintances, and just from seeing them around, they’re now friends.

I woke up one morning, mid-July and realized that only one in ten of the courses in the academic calendar are actually offered.

I’ve been written up, but it was bullshit.

I was brought here by a number one MacLean’s ranking, and don’t like to think about how we’re probably around 30th now.

I’ve watched friends graduate, and soon my friends will see me graduate.

I’ve doubted my decision to come here, recovered, and wondered how I’ll be able to leave.

I’ve felt lonely at times.

At other times, I’ve been surrounded by friends.

I’ve forgotten what ‘outside’ looks like mid-November, and remembered mid-May, each year.

I’ve woken up at 8:05 and still made it to class on time.

I’ve woken up at 8:05, said “fuck it” and went back to sleep.

I’ve felt both intense joy and crushing despair after house cups.

I’ve rooted for Mac. Or Burke.

On one midterm, I got the best grade of my life.

On another, the worst.

I can’t remember the content from either.

I’ve had a class change how I think.

I’ve had a class where I didn’t think at all.

I’ve gone out.

I’ve stayed in.

At least once, the due date has been the do date.

A professor has called me out by name, for being late.

I’ve felt terrible about my future.

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I’ve felt wonderful about my future.

I’ve been surprisingly impacted by an intramurals win or intramurals loss.

Male or female, I’ve had a crush on Lukeman.

I’ve abandoned all my responsibilities to go out at least once.

I’ve abandoned going out to watch a movie at least once.

I’ve gone to the Tall and Small for a coffee, and ended up staying all day.

I’ve spotted, or been spotted.

If I’m old enough, I remember the strike of ‘13 with nostalgia.

As soon as I lost my meal plan, I realized how much I took meal hall’s hot, slow, shitty meals for granted.

I’ve at least pretended to go to the gym.

But these snow days keep getting in the way.

A drunk alumni has told me how lucky I am to be here on Homecoming.

I had mixed feelings about X-Ring that I never told anyone about.

I’ve regretted standing in line for the pub.

I’ve regretted something I did at the pub.

I regret going to the pub at all.

I’ve felt bad for professors teaching Thursday 8:15’s.

I’ve missed home.

I’ve called StFX home when I’m in my hometown.

I’ve been taught serious lessons in friendship and passive aggression from my roommates.

I’ve been both overheated and hypothermic in Nicholson.

There’s at least four large buildings on campus that I’ve never been into. X

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thursday march twenty sixth, 2015

culture

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

Vanuatu needs you

Vanuata left in turmoil after being hit by Cyclone Pam Cassia Tremblay Contributor I was sitting on a wooden bench in the back of a pickup truck, bumping my way across this strange island I had just landed on. It was mid August 2014 and I was in the company of two of my little cousins in the bed of the truck. They told me they should “show me how they do it here”, and I was a little uncertain about what it was that I could possibly learn about sitting in the bed of a pickup truck.

The answer to that question was nothing more that to watch your head under low trees and to hold on to something when the roads got rough(er).

Lenakel through an organization called ViVa. This organization is just one of strong connections between Canada and Vanuatu. When I shadowed him at the hospital I was amazed by the resourcefulness and dedication of the local nurses in a place where they so often battled dire illness with little more than basic resources. The hospital, I was told, was built on a hill to be safe from cyclones- but they never had to worry about that.

The people of Vanuatu taught me how to weave a palm mat and that the word ‘yam’ does not universally refer to the same root vegetable. They taught me how to dance in the

What my cousins really wanted to teach me was the friendly nature of the locals. Every time our little diesel truck roared past a village, store or school, kids would appear our of nowhere and jump up and down the street behind us waving their hands, giggling, and yelling greetings. This was my first introduction to the locals of the lush green island of Tanna, Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

Throughout my two week stay on Tanna, the friendliness, selflessness and exuberance of the local people never failed to amaze me. My uncle, Dr. Jeff Unger, was working at a hospital for 6 months in the village of

forest in the middle of the night, how to deliver a baby, how to know when it’s safe to climb a volcano and how to open a coconut with a machete. But out of all the silly and amazing things that the ni’Van people taught me, what I will remember the most is the meaning of community. The people of Tanna live life like everyone is their friend, and they would never think of saying no to any sort of request for help.

And that more than anything is why I’m writing this article. On March 13 Cyclone Pam, a category 5 tropical cyclone, reached its peak strength off the coasts of Vanuatu. Today it

is the people of Vanuatu themselves that must ask for help.

The little island my friends call home was barely out of the way of the eye of the storm.

Reports state that 100% of the crops on Tanna were wiped out and that any building not made of concrete (most of them are made of steel, palm or wood) was flattened.

Today, the Lenakel hospital sits half destroyed, with its roughly 40 staff and single visiting doctor attempting to Main street, Lenakel, Vanuatu- post Cyclone Pam Photo Viva Project keep it partially-operational.

Canada’s international aid community and assist the peoWinds gusts stronger than efforts in Vanuatu have, thus ple of Vanuatu in their time of 300km/hr ripped off it’s cor- far, been underwhelming. The need please consider donatrugated tin roof and battered government initially offered ing to The International Red its limited facilities. I can ‘condolences’ through their Cross’ fund or ViVa’s campaign only imagine the stark con- Department of Foreign Af- to restore the Lenakel Hospital trast from when I visited this fairs, Trade and Development at vivaproject.ca. Further, you building months ago, when it Twitter account and since has can contact your local MP to was a safe haven and a sign committed to “additional hu- express your concerns for the of hope for those that needed manitarian assistance’ as well people of Vanuatu and chamhelp. as a monetary contribution to pion for the deployment of But now access has be- The Red Cross’s Disaster Relief Canada’s Disaster Assistance come even more difficult to Emergency fund. While this is Response Team. essentials such as power, certainly a step in the right diWhile the recovery and furunning water and proper rection, I believe that we can do ture of Vanuatu is uncertain, sanitation, as well as sup- more.

I surely know that Canadians plies such as oxygen, wound If you would like to honour have the means to make a difdressings, pain medication, the ni’Van idea of worldwide ference. X IV fluids and antibiotics. Before the cyclone, hospital staff could call and order such items on the next boat and they would arrive from the capital city within a week or 10 days. Now there is no one to call.

The trials the inhabitants of these remote islands and villages are facing in terms of food, water, healthcare and shelter shortages are surely overwhelming.

Now, more than ever, is when Vanuatu needs to see their global idea of community realized.

Main street, Lenakel, Vanuatu

Photo Viva Project

TV Review: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Angela MacKenzie Senior Reporter “Unbreakable, thank god they’re alive, It’s a miracle!” Is a statement that can be made by many university students trying to write papers, but it’s also one of the lines from a catchy new theme song.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is new to Netflix and is the perfect mix of ridiculousness and comedy to get you through the end of school blahs.

The pilot episode starts off with Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) and her friends in a bunker in the middle of a field. For the past 15 years of her

life she has been stuck in a bunker with a crazy cult leader who convinced these women that the end of the world was happening. In the pilot episode she is saved by a swat team and since she has little family of her own, Kimmy decides to start things fresh in New York City. She finds a job, an apartment, and a new life.

Being in a bunker for 15 years, however, seems to have done terrible things to the way she views modern lifestyle. She does not understand what this “friends with benefits” thing is all about, and she has never taken a selfie before in her life. She is a 30 year old women

still trapped in the mind of her 15 year old self. If you’re feeling like university has taken every last notion of common sense out of your mind, watch the pilot of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! It’s guaranteed to boost your self-esteem regarding how much you actually know of our modern world.

The characters in Kimmy Schmidt help compliment Kimmy and allow her to grow as a person.

Her homosexual black roommate, Titus Andromedon (Titus Burgess), who is obsessed with the theatre and making original songs like “Penot Noir”, compliments Kimmy’s innocent state of mind. He

helps her expand her knowledge of the modern world using the few facts he knows. Her boss, Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski), is a self-absorbed elite who hires Kimmy on as a Nanny. Mrs. Voorhees is one of the funniest characters in the show with lines like, “I can’t go outside, I had my face peeled this morning,” she is the perfect combination of wealthy and sassy. It’s a show that pokes fun at stereotypes made by society.

Created by Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, this show so far received an 8.4/10 stars on Imdb. It’s the perfect show for essay writing season, and exam season for a variety of

reasons. Firstly, when you’re feeling like you’re brain has turned to mush, you’re able to laugh at the little things that Kimmy Is amazed by. Secondly, when you feel like rolling up in a ball and crying you can watch as Titus steals your heart with his passion for drama and beautiful singing voice. Thirdly, If you find yourself needing a 20 minute break from stress, this show is the perfect way to do so. It is a hilarious combination of character stereotypes and relationship.

It proves that if someone who has been living in a bunker for 15 years can make it in the real world, then we can too. X

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Vancouver Chamber Choir left audience in awe Antigonish Performing Arts Series brings talented troup of 20 singers to campus LINDSAY JOHNSTONE Staff Writer Have you ever dreamed of visiting a European cathedral and hearing a choir softly singing while you take in the beautiful essence of the serene architecture? About 20 singers from the Vancouver Chamber Choir took the stage at Saint Ninian’s Cathedral earlier this month and their singing gave the feeling that you were in a European church. The cathedral provides beautiful acoustics. The choir drew quite a large crowd to the cathedral on March 6th. It was a cold Friday night, but with the choir performing, everyone attending felt warm at heart with the beautiful singing. Although this may not have been my preferred genre to listen to at a concert, I certainly was in for treat! I assumed the performance would have been similar to choirs that you hear at the usual type of church venues…but not this choir. This choir was phenomenal, not a note was out of tune. If you don’t normally care for choral music, I bet you will change your mind after hearing the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

The choir had such a pro-

fessional appearance and performance style. Every member of the choir made eye contact with the conductor at least once every measure, which is a sure sign that the choir is focused and in sync with one another.

The conductor, Jon Washburn had very good conducting skills, ensuring that all sections of the choir were together throughout the entire song. There were four sections of the choir; sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses.

Each section was featured at least once throughout the performance. Performing famous familiar pieces by Brahms and Allegri as well as including some more modern compositions, all different types of musical tastes were more than satisfied.

One of the pieces called “Nor’easter” which was part of the set by Stephen Chatman called “Due East” was very fitting for this region. If you didn’t know any different, you would have thought that the song was written about Antigonish with all of the “Nor’easters” we’ve been getting.

Audience members filled the pews, and generously applauded after every song.

Some audience members even were whispering “oh

my gosh, isn’t that beautiful” when certain songs commenced.

Many attendees even closed their eyes as the choir blew them away with their luscious voices. The choir even utilized the balcony for one song, which gave an effect like no other with different members all around the church singing all at once.

As part of the Antigonish Performing Arts series, this concert with the Vancouver Chamber Choir was definitely worth attending. Members of the choir said that Saint Ninian’s Cathedral is one of their favourite places to sing, and assured the audience that they would be returning.

If you ever get the chance to hear this choir, go!

Even if choral music is not your cup of tea, you will enjoy it.

You may even have a stronger liking for choral music after you hear them. X

WANT TO work for the xav?

The Xaverian is hiring for all positions.

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

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thursday march twenty sixth, 2015

Artist of the week : Rebecca Hughes Bringing StFX artists into the foreground SEAN MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief This week’s featured artist is fourth year student Rebecca Hughes.

Hughes began her artistic journey as a child, enjoying the usual artistic endeavours that most kids do at a young age.

“I’ve always had an artistic side to me and loved doing crafts with my mom as a child”, says Hughes.

Hughes’ mother proved to be her first major inspiring force artistically.

“When she first started postsecondary [education] she was pursuing a fine arts degree at Sheridan. Like myself, portrait studies proved to be more challenging than expected, so she transferred into marketing. Rummaging through my crawl space as a child and finding her old portfolios, in combination with assisting her various ongoing craft projects has definitely inspired me to make sure art always has a place in my life.”

Hughes, a business student with a focus on marketing and fine arts, states that she is drawn more towards modern styles in her artistic work.

“I’ve definitely always found myself to be more consumed with modern and contemporary art than any other styles, often reflected in my pieces of work. I usually don’t create art with subtlety in mind.”

In taking art courses at StFX, Hughes believes it has allowed her to express herself more freely. “ I honestly couldn’t imagine my time at StFX without all of the art courses”, she states. “Taking the variety of fine art courses here throughout the past four years has

provided me with an opportunity to get away from the more structured side of studies to relax, think, and express myself; something we often don’t make time for as busy students. I’ve had the pleasure of studying under a variety of talented artists who have always given helpful critique and constant support, which I find essential in making yourself a better, more confidant artist.”

Hughes is a talented artist when it comes to works of stained glass, with a particular stained glass piece being the one she is most proud of.

“The piece is named “Mauvesque” and comes from the stained glass course I took during first semester. I’m incredibly proud of this piece as I’m very meticulous person; a quality that often makes finishing an art piece frustrating.

However, the symmetry I was able to maintain throughout “Mauvesque”, almost reached perfection in my eyes.”

When asked what she believes defines art, Hughes gives a very broad definition.

“As an artist who draws a lot of inspiration from modern art I find myself able to find “art” in almost anything. To me, art can be defined as a visual representation, of anything. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If everyone took a moment to look at ‘art’ from the artist’s perspective we’d have a deeper understanding of others; how they feel, what they see, and how they interpret the world around them.”

Hughes states that the act of creation itself is what inspires her to create her artwork in many cases.

“I love creating things. I find it fascinating to throw myself into a

new challenge and work really hard to create something I know I can keep forever. Being able to show my future kids old sketches or pieces of art would be pretty cool.”

Hughes also adds that she finds inspiration from the artist Jenny Luong.

“Now that I’m not forced to paint and draw, in my spare time I’ll take inspiration from typography artists such as Jenny Luong. She’s a Toronto based typographer with a knack for writing witty and vulgar sayings in stunning lettering, attributes I appreciate as a foul mouth Newfy who was raised to be a ‘lady’. However, my approach to textile art takes a lot of inspiration from modern contemporary art as well as architecture and cultures I’ve seen or wish to see around the world.”

Hughes plans to pursue a career in PR and media relations after graduating from StFX, but says she would be disappointed if she couldn’t work the arts into her career to some extent. X

distractions Antigo-Arctic Do you think you’re in the Arctic edition of the Hunger Games right now? No, it’s just Antigon-

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EDITOR: KURT BROTHERS xw.distract@stfx.ca

Frozen Themed Maze for a Frozen Antigonish

ish finally thawing from the “Day After Tomorrow” event that occured last week. Students can be seen dodging lakes of ice cold water and traversing mountains of snow all over campus.

The sun shines, but the ground is still an obstacle course, survival of the fittest style. Cars can be seen skating down the side streets of Antigonish, due to the snow freezing over in what can only be described as the beginning of the apocalypse. People who decided not to shovel their way out must now say goodbye to their encased car, because they won’t be getting it out anytime soon. If you are one of the unlucky people to have fallen into the depths of the puddles, I pity you. Not only is the embarrassment terrible, but the pure torture of freezing clothing is almost too much to bear. Hope-

The Top (non Acadia related) Yaks of This Week

fully the warm weather will clear the last of a

“Maybe she was born with it. Maybe she used three different apps.”

horrendous winter once and for all. And for all

“If you’re having a bad day, just remember there’s people out there

the other soon to be grads out there, let’s pray

paying for Tinder Plus.”

we will graduate in nice weather and not in

“When your course is so specific you can’t find help on Youtube”

winter jackets.

“StFX or Sea World? #Wet”

Becca’s Blurb: Antigonish Snowpocolypse

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thursday thursday march march twenty twenty sixth, sixth, 2015 2015

sports and health

EDITOR: AARON THORNELL xw.news@stfx.ca

SQUATTING 101

How to execute one of the most beneficial workout manoeuvres MYLAN CLAIRMONT Contributor The squat is a movement that is known by almost all, yet understood by few. Through my work both as a personal trainer and strength coach at the university I’ve seen my fair share of squats and I hope that this article either helps you form good habits when squatting, or reinforces the techniques you already knwo. The squat, when explained simply, is a “sitting down” motion. The hips and knees bend and the body lowers to a desired depth. What most people don’t realize is that between the top and bottom of a squat there are tons of opportunities for failure. In this article I hope to address the most common of those and offer suggestions on how to fix them. I’ll start from the ground up.

Feet I have seen people squat with their feet together. Toes pointing out. Toes touching. Squatting on their tippy toes. The list goes on.

When deciding what stance you would like to use it is important to ask yourself one question: Why are you squatting? Are you squatting to look good, to improve performance or are you looking to be able to say that you can squat a lot of weight? For the everyday lifter, I suggest a position where your feet are slightly wider than shoulder width, with your toes either pointed forwards or slightly out. This allows your knees to track over your feet, and allows you to reach a good depth, engaging your glutes through the entire range of motion. The benefit to this position is that it also transfers to everyday life. Most times that you are squatting throughout your day it will be with this foot position.

One common mistake that is seen in gyms everywhere is peo-

ple performing squats fast to try and “feel the burn”. What happens when you try and bounce out of a squat is that your weight transfers forwards off your heels and onto the balls of your feet. Often times this leads to the heel leaving the ground, meaning your bodyweight and the weight of the bar are now being supported by a locked ankle. This puts undue stress on the ankle joint, and also creates flawed movement patterns. If your heels are coming up due to a lack of flexibility, i.e. you have tried performing the movement slowly and still no luck, then place something under your heel to give your ankles some room to breathe. This will allow you to continue squatting safely while you work on your ankle flexibility.

Knees Another mistake I see almost on a daily basis is the knees collapsing during a squat. This typically happens at the bottom of a squat or the sticking point – the toughest part of the movement on the way up. The typical explanation for this is that the squatter cannot engage the muscles that prevent this from occurring. This collapsing of the knee leaves the squatter more prone to injury in the future and also leads to a collapsing of the arches. To avoid this, push the knees out throughout the full range of motion. This will lead to more activation of the glutes, a decreased risk of injury, and strong arches.

One piece of advice that is often tossed around the gym is to keep the knees from going past the toes. This is a good rule of thumb (or toe) and will prevent unnecessary stress being put on the knees. This usually happens because the squatter is unable to keep their heels on the ground and sit their hips back. So, solving the foot issue will solve your

knee issues.

Hips If your ankles and knees are doing what they are supposed to, the hips usually follow suit. There are, however, a couple of issues that can still arise regardless of what the lower leg is up to.

Queue: the dreaded butt wink.

This is when, due to a lack of flexibility, the butt tucks under the lower back at the deepest part of the squat. This places an immense amount of force on the lower back and I recommend that if you see this happening, you limit the depth of your squat to just above this point. Similar to the heel coming off the floor, this will allow you to continue to squat while you work on your flexibility. Another issue is when people are afraid to sit back into a squat.

When a squatter does not sit back the knees are forced to go forwards to continue going deeper.

So, to protect your knees it is important to sit back, almost like you are sitting down into a chair, when squatting.

Torso and upper body First and foremost a tight core is crucial. This will help you stay upright and connects what is bearing the weight, your upper body, to what is lifting the weight, your lower body. To do this, pull your belly button into your spine for the duration of the lift. Breathe in on the way down and breathe out on the way up. Ensure that you do not hold your breath, as this builds up an immense amount of pressure in your chest cavity and can lead to lots of negative side effects – like death! Many powerlifters and athletes do this as a calculated risk against the increase in weight they can lift.

For an everyday fitness enthusiast, the benefit is not worth the risk.

Don’t do too much weight. Also, please don’t feel the need to rock extremely tight clothing like this dude.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons

A lot of squatters use a squad pad to help with the discomfort of having all that weight on your shoulders. What I suggest to my athletes is that before they try the pad, which can move during the movement, they try a narrow grip on the bar and scrunching their shoulders together to use their traps as a squat pad. This will allow you to not only look tougher (an essential), but will also leave the bar lower than if it were supported by a pad.

Some squatters believe that it is beneficial, or maybe cool, to look straight up at the ceiling when they begin their ascent.

What you really end up with is a lot of weight coming down on your neck then a sharp movement upwards. It is generally recommended to find a spot on the wall in front of you and focus on that point, not tilting the head up or down.

Anatomy aside there are some overall issues with the squats I’ve seen on campus. One of those is depth. Again, this does not apply to powerlifters, Olympic weightlifters or other athletes that need to hit certain depths for their sport of choice. A general recommendation for squatting depth is either 90 degrees or parallel –

meaning the femur, the upper leg bone, is parallel to the floor. I would recommend this because it translates the most to everyday life, while still allowing you to reap the aesthetic rewards.

Sometimes it is cool to tell your friends that you do “ass to grass” squats. It is way less cool, however, to tell your friends you can’t squat anymore because you don’t have any knees to speak of.

Last point: keep your chest up!

There are too many people walking around with sore backs because they loaded too much weight on the bar and sacrificed form to do it. The lower your chest dips during a squat the more weight is being lifted by your lower back. A rounding of the back or a tipping of the chest can often be solved by following the advice given earlier. If you focus on the cues listed above, you should be fine. Finally, please do us all a favour and do not lift dangerously. If you have any questions regarding technique there are people working at the Wellness centre that are qualified and being paid to help you out!

This whole article can be summed up into the following cues: Heels down, knees out, butt back, abs tight, chest up. X

Let the ladies coach

Gender should play no part when considering who is fit to lead a team

SHELBI KILCOLLINS Contributor The relationship between women and sports is a turbulent relationship. Progress towards gender equality has been steady, but is far from fully cemented, even with the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where fifty percent of the events were represented by female sports. Women have come a long way in the athletic world.

One example of this progression is the NCAA’s Title IX. This regulation requires equal treatment

of female and male student-athletes in the provisions of equipment and supplies, the scheduling of games/practice times, and coaching. Furthermore, the development of professional leagues, such as the WNBA and CWHL, and the general increase in media attention finally given to the elite female athletes, such as Serena Williams, has done a great deal to bridge the gap between male and female sports.

This progression, however, does not excuse the fact that women in sports continue to be

hyper-sexualized and even racialized. This is demonstrated in advertisements, where “throwing like a girl” is still viewed as weak, and that only three covers of Sport Illustrated featured female athletes of colour, less than the number of times Kate Upton has graced the cover.

It is clear that sexism is still rampant, and the realms of coaching and administration are no exception. For instance, only three women are present on Fifa’s board of 28 members. If we look at our own institution, not a

single head coach of a varsity sport at St. FX is female.

There are many theories that try to explain why women shouldn’t coach, particularly in instances overseeing male athletes. These misjudgments are likely remnants of a bygone era when it was believed that women couldn’t and shouldn’t play sports – the same beliefs that leave our grandparents in awe when seeing a ponytail flow behind a hockey helmet. One of these misconceptions is built on the notion that females are less

athletically inclined than their male counterparts. There is no doubt that men’s leagues tend to contain a slightly higher pace of play and involve more body contact. What must be acknowledged, however, is that women’s leagues often compensate for this with a more technical game as demonstrated by the Canadian Women’s 2014 Olympic hockey team.

To further deconstruct this argument, we must recall that skill in the particular sport does See Kilcollins on page 15.

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Sex with an X: Let’s talk about sex baby!

The importance of being open and accepting when discussing our sexual preferences in the bedroom.

LAURA O’BRIEN Sex Columnist Imagine if we all talked about sex more often in an open, accepting environment? As university students, we probably talk about sex more than practically anyone else already, but there’s still so much more to say.

The reason we chuckle and giggle to each other about kink and sex toys and anal sex is because it’s a taboo, but have we ever thought why?

The more we talk about sex, the sooner we come to the understanding that everyone is having it, and that most of our bedroom lives are anything but vanilla. Sure, you might be the kind of person who enjoys missionary position night after night, and that’s great for you, but it’s clear that sex brings out a certain aspects of yourself, and those aspects are often open to creativity…

Here are three things that we should all be talking about more often when it comes to sex. Let’s break down that taboo!

Masturbation. The differences between how we talk about guys and girls masturbating is ridiculously different.

Everyone just accepts that it’s a totally normal thing for guys to do, but ladies still shy away from talking about it or

and can make sex even more passionate and intense.

Sex Toys. Like masturbation, sex toys only add to the bedroom, not take away from it. Add some vibration, costumes, handcuffs, and you have yourself a fun evening. Toys require communication, you need a game plan. Everyone involved (twosome, threesome, orgy, whatever) needs to know what’s going on and how things are going to be used.

But once all that has been discussed, it’s playtime! You should feel encouraged Loving yourself is the first step in to introduce loving other people, and your partner to masturbation is absolutely the your sex toys, best kind of self love. and when you welcome them ing your partner get off is exceptionally into the bedroom, who knows? Maybe erotic and can slip perfectly into your they will have something to show you foreplay routine. Your partner also gets too! to see exactly how you get yourself off, Anal Sex. There is a bum revolution which gives them lots of insight to how going on. Heterosexuals are finally to love you best. It’s a learning experi- catching on to what homosexuals have ence for all! Because masturbating is so known forever…the butt is a pretty cool intimate, doing this with another per- place. We like to look at them, and we son can make you feel closer to them, also get to explore them if we choose. even doing it. Loving yourself is the first step in loving other people, and masturbation is absolutely the best kind of selflove; you get to know your body, what turns you on, and obviously, orgasms are awesome. If you and your partner are thinking of spicing things up, try masturbating in front of your partner. It might sound a little strange, but watch-

Kilcollins: The process starts at an early age Continued from page 14. not result in successful coaching.

Wayne Gretzky proved this in his short time as head coach for the Phoenix Coyotes, producing a lackluster record of 143161-23. In contrast, Scotty Bowman one of the most respected and winningest NHL coaches of all time with 9 Stanley Cups, despite the fact that his career as a hockey player ended at the junior level.

A second theory leveled against female coaches deals with emotions.

“Emotional” is a word so often used against women in a negative context. The idea that women are uniquely unable to control their temperament (often with the inaccurate association with physiological reasons) is grounded in nothing more than stereotypes.

Think of former coach of the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, John Tortorella. The man snapped so frequently on the bench and at press conferences that his outbursts were and continue to be featured on Sport Center’s Top Ten. On the other end of the spectrum, the basketball community celebrated Kevin Durant’s weeping number during his MVP acceptance speech, labeling him gracious and humble, not emotional.

Sports are passionate, igniting a variety of feelings, independent of gender.

Finally, there are opinions that exist believing that women are rarely capable of success in leadership because of their domestic obligations and choice to have children. This prejudice isn’t rare to coaches or athletes, but also present in the lives of most powerful women such as actresses and CEO’s. These women are consistently asked how they are able to balance a career and personal life when the men in the same positions are not. To conclude that women are unqualified to coach at the elite level because of their

personal life choices is based on an outdated school of thought, returning women “back to the kitchen”.

There is no doubt we need to increase the representation of females as coaches at all levels, particularly at the competitive ones. It’s time to foster female leaders in physical education classes, beginning at the elementary school age.

Young girls need to stop being called bossy by their peers and teachers when they are simply illustrating leadership qualities, and instead made captains of co-ed teams, roles often given to the most athletic boys.

In the formative high school years, confidence in the ability of girls to lead needs to be encouraged by parents and coaches.

They need to be told that their voice, and questions, regarding any aspect in the classroom or on the field holds as much weight as those of the males beside them.

The changes do not end here. As former St. FX varsity coach Peggy Gallant stated, “the governing bodies such as the National Coaching Certification Program and the CIS to acknowledge and find solutions to the complex nature regarding the barriers facing women in coaching.”

Provisions need to be setup that recruit, train, support and retain female coaches in all sports. Media attention should be shone on breakthroughs in the field, such as the recent hiring of former WNBA player Becky Hammond as an assistant coach by the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

Finally it has come to the point where females need to know they are equally as qualified and as deserving as males in coaching and positions of power throughout athletic culture. We must demand that women be present behind the bench of all levels and at the table of major sporting organizations. X

Thanks to Nikki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, JLo, and tight athletic wear, butts back on everyone’s radar. We all know that anal sex happens, but many of us don’t know what to think about it. Sex requires communication, and often our apprehension about talking about anal sex holds us back from trying it. Talk to your partner, not when you’re naked, but beforehand.

You might be surprised about their curiosity for anal sex. With consent and lots of communication, anal can become a enjoyable and exciting part of your sex life!

We spend so much time playing games when we’re interested in another person; holding back from texting first, calculating whether a wall-post or a like is too forward on social media, should you sit next to them in class tomorrow… the list goes on. Sex and relationships and all the things in between get better when we’re honest with each other, about our feelings, our desires, and our bodies. The three sex things on this list all have something in common: not enough people are talking about them.

Communicate with your partners, find advice, support, and tips from your friends, and never take anything too seriously. Sex is fun, and the more we talk about, the better it gets for everyone. Go explore! X

Athletics at a glance: St. FX Ringette Society

Human Kinetics Program

The St. FX Ringette Society welcomed all and any last Monday to participate in a light-hearted game at the KMC. In attendence were seasoned veterans, most of whom were female members of the society, and many male newcomers. Many in the latter group used upside down hockey sticks, and learned some key rules minutes before the start of the match. Yet, despite a sluggish, choppy start, a smoother and competitive game developed, allowing many of the first-timers to gain some appreciation for the challenges of ringette. Members of the society were glad to see so many new faces enjoying the game, and hope that a similar session can be held in the near future. X

THE xaverian OUR STAFF

Average grades for admission into St. FX’s Human Kinetics program as set to increase in 2015-16. The change is due to the increase in applications for the program, counted at 431 on March 5th. Department Chair Dr. Jacques Boucher says that this is characteristic of many programs at St. FX. He is unsure how many of this large pool of applicants will chose St. FX, and therefore is confident that any increase in program size will not diminish the learning experience that Human Kinetics will receive. The grade increase for admission will affect both Arts and Science streams of the program.Overall Dr. Boucher believes that this bodes well for the future of the program. X

March 26 Vol 123: Issue 14

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

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thursday march twenty sixth, 2015

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