Vol 124 Issue 5

news 2

thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

THE xaverian Oct 29 2015 Vol 124: Issue 5

OUR STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julia O’Hanley xw.eic@stfx.ca

EDITOR: IZAAK MACMULLIN xw.news@stfx.ca

Media vs big money Thoughts from Palgummi Sainath, the new Coady Chair in Social Justice

MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Finn xw.managing@stfx.ca

IZAAK MACMULLIN News Editor

ART IST IC COORDINATOR Devon Chisholm xw.artistic@stfx.ca

Yet another new face has arrived on campus. This one though, more high profile than most. Palagummi Sainath, an acclaimed Indian journalist, is the new Coady Chair in Social Justice. Sainath has spent most of his 35 in journalism focusing on marginalized and impoverished social groups in India, particularly the rural poor and those belonging to the persecuted class of Dalits (Untouchables). He was the first journalist to win Amnesty International’s Global Human Rights Journalism Prize. He agreed to speak to the Xaverian about his work and what he plans to do here at StFX. When asked about his decision to become the Chair, Sainath explained, “The idea of a chair in Social Justice is itself interesting to me. There are very few university departments that deal with the issue of social justice as a specialization. Those are very much the issues I deal with, though I deal with them as a journalist, they do fall under that sector. I had visited Coady once before, and felt like coming back.” He describes being impressed by the beauty of Cape Breton in particular, which is probably

COPY EDITOR Molly Schreiber xw.copy@stfx.ca NEWS EDITOR Izaak MacMullin xw.news@stfx.ca OPINIONS EDITOR Emily Keenan xw.opinion@stfx.ca FEATURES EDITOR Paige Chisholm xw.feature@stfx.ca ARTS&CULTURE EDITOR Rachel Revoy xw.culture@stfx.ca DIST RACT IONS EDITOR Ty Kingston xw.distractions@stfx.ca SPORTS&HEALT H EDITOR Shelbi Kilcollins xw.sports@stfx.ca SENIOR REPORT ER Lauren Agnew xw.reporter1@stfx.ca SENIOR REPORT ER Rachel LeBlanc xw.reporter2@stfx.ca STAFF WRIT ER Sebastian Jurga xw.writer2@stfx.ca COLUMNIST Lindsay Johnstone xw.columnist1@stfx.ca COLUMNIST Caitlin Vance xw.columnist2@stfx.ca DIST RIBUT IONS MANAGER Devon Chisholm xw.distributions@stfx.ca xw.eic@stfx.ca for general inquiries xw.managing@stfx.ca for advertising xw.distribution.ca for subscriptions

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not an unusual experience.

Involvement in journalism was a natural path for Sainath, coming as he does from a highly political family: his grandfather was former freedom fighter and president of India, V.V. Giri.

“There was no grand design or blueprint. In India, journalism came out of the freedom struggle. The Indian press was the child of the freedom struggle. I was born 10 years after India gained independence; I grew up in a freedom struggle family. It was very normal to associate writing and journalism with freedom. It was a natural progression.”

One of Sainath’s main passions is observing the impact of corporate power on journalism. In fact, this subject was tackled in a talk he gave in the Schwartz auditorium on Oct 14. In his opinion, the mass market news media around the world is far more focused on driving revenue and pleasing advertisers than fulfilling the job of informing people and holding the powerful to account. This helps explain why as a journalist Sainath focused on the rural poor in India. According to him, “Journalism should be about the everyday lives of everyday people, and about the great issues and the great problems of

our era. When you go back and judge journalism in the past, you judge it by how well it engaged with the great process of its time. The great processes of our time are inequality, involuntary and forced displacement of the poor, the gigantic gaps between poor and rich doubling and tripling in the space of 30 years. The fact is that with all the wealth and resources on the planet, there are over a billion hungry human beings, the largest single number of which are in India. Rural hunger and rural deprivation are pretty high. So for me, if you want to be a journalist and you’re not going to look at these issues, you are not going to do much journalism that is interesting.”

One of Sainath’s main passions is teaching journalism.

However, despite his extensive experience lecturing at universities (He has taught at Berkley, University of Western Ontario and Moscow University among others), he spends the largest portion of his time teaching journalism to impoverished villagers in rural India. He hopes that these people can become a voice for their communities. As he says, “I do two kinds of things: I teach at a formal school, so many lectures in a year. But I also

Photo: Blaise MacMullin

spend 270 days a year on average in the countryside and in the villages. So the little rural stringer there, I try to get that person to do the things i know he or she is capable of. I try to encourage people in the Dalit communities, in the indigenous communities, to try their hand at journalism. Those are the people I train in the field.”

Sainath alleges that the power of corporations has dumbed down journalism, saying, “In journalism [corporate power] has a particularly devastating effect.

Good journalism is a society in conversation and argument with itself. Corporations don’t want thoughtfulness, they want revenue models. They don’t need introspection and debate, they need to sell products.” He provides an example, “The corporatization of media has meant that the number of jobs in public relations is far greater and growing much faster than journalism…journalism jobs are declining, in the US there’s been a terrible decline, particularly after 2008 but since the late 80’s.

But even that rate of decline is lower than the rate of increase in public relations jobs. In some countries its 3 to 1, 4 to 1. So who really are the media? Are they PR guys or are they journalists?”

3

The future of single gendered housing Questions and answers following Sunday’s University Avenue forum JULIA O’HANLEY Editor-in-Chief It’s not new news, but its news again: speculation is abound as the university once again totes the idea of changing Cameron and MacKinnon Halls from single-gender to coed residences.

The adjacent residences on University Avenue are StFX’s only remaining single-gender residences on campus, with rich, generational culture. “One of the alumni I know from home, told me ‘If you’re going to StFX you have to live in MacPherson, that’s where I lived in ‘65.’ The pride in a house from that long ago is something that you can’t just go and destroy like that.

They’re turning their back on the university’s history and I think it’s just absolutely insane,” expresses second year student Corey McNamara.

The discussion albeit controversial comes with a backstory.

The reopening of discussions to change the residences to coed housing came about following a meeting between members of the Student Life team and TriMac house presidents in early October. Although not a part of these meetings, Students’ Union VP Internal Bridget Burgess explains that the meetings involved conversations about negative house culture and ongoing damages that are prevalent in the residences, specifically due to instances that were reported around the time of homecoming.

Following the meeting, Burgess says the TriMac presidents reached out to her to discuss their meeting with Student Life. From there, Burgess and Cameron and MacKinnon Hall’s

house councils made the decision to organize a forum to hear student input on the situation.

“The worst case scenario was to be reactionary and so we wanted to be proactive” Burgess says of the decision to hold the student forum Oct 25.

“We wanted to help find alternative solutions, ways that students thought could reasonably work.”

The forum nearly filled the Schwartz auditorium, with current residents and alumni of the University Avenue residences sporting their house shirts. The presidents of each of the affected houses spoke to open the forum, explaining why they felt changing the residences to coed was the wrong thing for them to do. Following them came alumni of the houses, with one alumnus speaking from each house.

Each house alumnus cited their own reasoning for why they understood changed needed to be made. Ella Maltby, 201314 Chillis VP spoke to the culture of sexual violence and ‘slut shaming’ she was a part of in her years in MacKinnon Hall.

“This is seen with all residences, but I think because they are single gendered, women and men, people concentrate more on it.”

“I think [the culture] can be changed by upper years promoting friendly rivalry and making sure that you know when to call out someone who is slut shaming.” She says the culture was infiltrated through upper year students, who put pressure on you to join in. She mentions seeing a notable decline in recent years, though, adding “We’re not having cheeroffs anymore. We’re not calling each other sluts.”

She cites sexual harassment, bullying and hazing prevention sessions, as well as changing the overall culture from one that promotes partying to one promoting academics as possible solutions to these and other internal problems.

Maltby spoke to the benefits of having the only female rival cup on campus as one of a number of benefits to living in single gendered housing, with fourth year MacDonald alumnus Vaughn Saunders echoing such a notion, saying the positive mentorship within his residence was one he wouldn’t expect in coed housing. “You may not be comfortable as a guy or a girl going past a group of the opposite gender and asking them how to do those things” Saunders said after telling a story of teaching first years how to do their laundry in MacDonald in his sophomore year.

In his list of issues he admits exist in MacKinnon and Cameron Halls, Saunders cites damages, hazing, and rivalry as his big three. Like Maltby, he expressed observation that all three of these were in decline.

On damages, he reminded current students in the room that it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. “We’re all here, we all care about single gendered housing. We should all band together. If you see someone breaking something, you need to start taking responsibility for their actions. You do not want to be the person that breaks the final bridge in single gendered housing.”

Abby Trent*, fourth year Chillis alumnus reached out to the Xaverian following Sunday’s forum. She was displeased with the organization of the

Photos: Devon Chisholm

Ella Maltby | Student Forum Oct 25 event, which dispersed into breakout sessions following opening remarks. “I was really frustrated by the forum. I was hoping for it to be more informative on why the residences were being threatened, but it seemed that it ended up being a rep from each residence guessing what they thought the issues were. It would have been really helpful for admin or a Students’ Union exec to get up and address the issues and pin point what problem areas each specific residence was experiencing.”

Admittedly it was difficult to find an answer to what the problem really was.

In our attempts to reach out to university personnel, their response referred only to the forum, and not why the forum was held. Our questions were always diverted to the Students’ Union, whereas the SU is working to prevent the residences from becoming coed while also combatting negative behavior and culture.

Director of Ancillary Services Carla Gillis noted that the university didn’t feel it was their place to be in attendance, although she said she supported the forum and discussions of alternative ways to deal with the problem.

Sydney Pagan, President of TNT doesn’t think changing the residences to coed would be beneficial for the univer-

sity moving forward. “I think if people were choosing based on such a big pool of coed residences they would tend to choose the nicer ones like the new residences rather than Cam or MacKinnon Hall. People choose Cam and MacKinnon Hall to live within the single gendered residences and not for the building itself, because we don’t have a kitchen and other things that the other residences can offer.”

McNamara thinks negative culture will remain, or perhaps become worse if the houses become coed. “You’re just going to have two additional MacIsaac Halls across the road from each other. I’m not saying MacIsaac is a bad building to live in, but in the past it has been renowned for its partying and its damages and drinking regardless of what genders live there.”

As per the situation moving forward, Burgess reminds students that eliminating the single gender aspect is not the definitive answer at this time. “We want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and we know right now that’s not the case. We want to address it in a proactive way and hopefully moving forward, if there are greater conversations [by the university] that occur, hopefully students will be involved in those conversations and at least we’ll always have that list of what the students thought and what their opinions were [at the forum] with us to be able to involve them in that dialogue.” *Name changed at request of contributor

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thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

Nurses without borders Fourth year nursing students get a chance at hands-on experience in Rwanda RACHEL LEBLANC Senior Reporter The nursing program at StFX already involves a heavy amount of practical work and skills, but some nurses-in-training will get the opportunity to get an even more hands-on experience this year. The StFX nursing program provides the opportunity for students to practice their education in health care in poverty stricken places in Africa. As in previous years, fourth year nursing students will be heading to Rwanda to work in partnership with the referral centre at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Butare (CHUB).

Since the Spring of 2008, StFX has flown a group of fourth year students overseas each year to assist and shadow nurses at CHUB, where the experience allows both parties to develop their professional skills whilst benefiting a population in need.

The one-month trip to Rwanda in January is part of nursing students’ senior consolidated clinical practices, where students can expect

long work days with memThe anticipation for their tal, students get to experibers of the health care team trip begins as early as first ence the good, the bad and at a 500-bed rural hospital, year for some, who are enthe ugly of nursing in the serving an estimated 2.2 mil- ticed by the opportunity field. This eye-opening, polion patients in the city of have such exposure to the tentially shocking experiButare. Students are not world of clinical practices. ence puts nurses to the test, only expected to conduct Jasmine, a second year because they are not simply their clinical practices, but nursing student, says she doing tasks; they are in also to share their knowl- has longed for this trip since charge. Each year, the partedge with their underedu- first year. “Being able to nership enables students to cated local colbe part of a high leagues, many of intensity nursing whom have yet practice, while at to complete their the same time high school eduproviding suffication. cient supplies, Participating manpower, and students will be equipment to help make the trip the clinic mainequipped with Being able to working beyond Canadian tain a high stanclinical drugs, borders is an unparalleled experience. This dard of care. medical equipis exactly what nursing can do and what Having experiment, mosquito I want to do. ence in the exnets for patients change, nursing and learning maJasmine|2nd Year Nursing Student professor Elsa terials like textJensen allows a books and CDglimpse into stuROMs with the goal of work beyond Canadian bordent experience in the trip. helping sustain and enhanc- ders is an unparalleled ex“At the beginning, everyone ing rural hospitals through perience,” she expreses. is so happy, and they have a mobilizing learning practic- “This is exactly what nurs‘beginning euphoria.’ But by es in the area. Students will ing can do, and what I want the second week, the reality oversee most of the health to do.” sets in, where they run into care practices, where they The partnership is dethese ethical dilemmas. will be put to the test work- signed to be a win-win opNurses begin to see people ing busy seven hour days, portunity for both parties. who, if they were able to get caring for roughly 40 pa- In return for their services a medication or treatment, tients each. in the rural Rwandan hospimight have survived, but be-

cause they didn’t, they would die.” To be able to handle this, students take time after work to ‘debrief ’ and work together in mutual support.

By the third week, students can process it and can piece together what they learn, and soon they are stronger and they form good partnership, and begin socializing with community members.”

Such a taxing voyage requires extensive preparation, including fundraising. Money raised is split between medical supplies for the hospital and professional development, such as workshops, for staff. The process is run independently of school-sanctioned fundraising initiatives, and students raise funds on their own time. With the costs required to make this trip a reality, there can only be a handful of nursing students on this journey.

There is an application and screening process, where students must submit a short essay among other requirements.

Despite the cost, the unique nature of the program continues to draw students ready to experience the realities of medical care in a de-

Trick or Eat

Students get ready to celebrate Halloween by helping out those in need IZAAK MACMULLIN News Editor With Halloween fast approaching, students at StFX are busy selecting costumes and arranging parties to celebrate many people’s favourite night of the year. However, university students looking for something rewarding to do alongside the haunted houses and themed get-togethers could be in luck. While university students are definitely too old to go trick or treating in the usual sense, this year’s edition of Trick or Eat allows students to relive some of that childhood nostalgia while doing good in the community.

Students go door to door collecting food that is donated to food banks instead of acquiring candy.

Trick or Eat is a nationwide event run by the charity Meal Exchange. According to Meal Exchange Program Manager Sarah Archibald, who spoke to the Xaverian via email, “Trick or Eat takes the community collaboration of Halloween - the one night of the year when households welcome youth to ask for food (i.e. candy) at their doors - to raise food, funds and awareness to

end hunger in Canada.”

“Trick or Eat has many goals including supporting youth leadership, engaging over 6000 students and youth to make a difference in their community, raising funds for Meal Exchange programs to support youth innovation to address hunger, sustainability, and poverty all year round and raising food for and connecting with local food agencies across the country. Over 4 million dollars has b e e n raised for food agencies in over 100 communities since Trick or Eat began,” the prog ram manager explains.

A r chibald says that Trick or Eat partic-

ipants visit an estimated 75,000-100,000 households each year, collecting about 200,000 pounds of food. However, despite efforts like Trick or Eat, hunger is still a serious problem in Canada. Archibald provides some figures, saying, “A study from PROOF Research found that 12.5% of households in Canada experienced some level of food insePhoto: Meal Exchange

curity in 2013.”

According to Archibald, when it comes to university campuses, the problem is getting worse. “Almost every university and college campus across Canada now has a food bank, and students are one of the fastest growing groups of food bank users. The lack of adequate incomes means that far too many students are choosing between p a y i n g rent, buying textbooks, or eating.”

Besides Trick or Eat, Meal Exchange also runs an awareness initiative called Beyond Campus Food Banks that aims to end student hunger.

Fo u r t h year Development Studies

student Becca Bishop is running the StFX Trick or Eat event. “What made me get involved with Trick or Eat is the need for action at a local level, not just internationally. Often we overlook the inequality and hunger that is taking place right in our backyards,” Bishop explains. Bishop says her goal with Trick or Eat is raising awareness of hunger in our local community. “It is about creating conversations about hunger in a local context rather than just abroad.

Trick or Eat gives us the chance to bring up this issue and talk about alternatives as well as providing our food banks with enough food for people to access.”

Bishop is hopeful that there will be a lot of students participating in Trick or Eat this year. She has a message for anyone interested in lending a hand, “Trick or eat takes a lot of planning and I could use as many volunteers as possible.

Volunteers can help spread the word, help collect food, and help distribute it to the food banks.” Whatever your skills, Bishop is certain she can find a role for any volunteer looking to fight hunger this Halloween.

opinions

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

By-law amendment out-of-touch Antigonish’s potential noise by-law further disconnects town and gown

KRISTIAN RASENBERG Contributor Amendments are made to laws that are not working. Last week an amendment was almost passed attempting to double the current noise by-law fine. I must first say a big thank you to the town council for granting a one-month extension before deciding to pass this amendment. However, the issue at hand is not a legal matter but is rather a matter of moral responsibility and respect.

As a student living in Antigonish in a six person rented house, we have been fined for two noise violations over the past three years. Each time the fine struck the house, it was a struggle to pay and gather the money. Students moving off campus next year, you might want to pay attention to what is going on right now because getting $775 from a bunch of people who showed up to a party of yours is going to be tough.

This amendment would double the current fine that is set at $387.50 and direct the full payment to the landlord in an apparent attempt to tighten landlord regulations and relations with tenants. Fair enough; this is something we should look at doing better as a whole, and if you already have a good relationship with your landlord, great, keep it up! However, the problem is with only a few simple changes to your lease agreement, your signature would ensure that the cost of any fines would fall strictly, under contract, to the renting tenants.

The noise by-law is the best enforcement of having manageable size parties and fittingly places the responsibility on a select few individuals who host the party. This seems fair, as party-hosts do have responsibilities and they should be held accountable. The current fine is a stiff and already tough reminder of that.

However, much of the noise that disturbs the community comes from people not linked to the party or its hosts. The loud

outdoor noise that upsets neighbours comes from people waiting for cabs in the streets or when, as anticipated, people sneak out back for a smoke and are quickly joined by others. Doors and windows opened by new arrivals, the invasion of random uninvited people who decided to ‘turnup’ at the party, and the bass all affect the outdoor noise levels. How much of this is in the hands of the hosts? These conditions are tough to control in a big house no matter how closely things are monitored.

One can grasp how suddenly things can escalate in a house of five or six, especially when each roommate invites a few friends from their circle. It is tough to control a party in a town like this. People often show up and come out of nowhere, usually all within a half hour of each other and all after 10:30. By the time you realize it’s 11:15 and things are out of control, the flashing lights are already outside your house and it’s too late.

StFX students would undoubtedly be affected by this amendment more than anyone else. Yet the students and the Students’ Union were left in the dark when the decisions were about to be made. If this was done intentionally without student consultation, we are right to be upset. If this is the case, we students are viewed, accepted, and tolerated solely for the financial benefit we offer to the town and our worth here is nothing more than the money we hand over.

We did not come here to be squeezed dry and support the town with $452 open liquor and expensive noise-complaint fines.

With that being said, StFX, we also did not come here with the intended purpose of repeatedly ruining the nights and weekends of local community members. Both, however, are being done and to be blunt, our reputation within the local community is at a sickening low. The stories I have heard over the last week are appalling. One X alumni went as far

to say he no longer wears his Xring around town because he is ashamed. Another mother told of how she has had to pick up glass from her driveway more than once. Her children play in that driveway. Let that sink in for a second, and remember to speak up next time your buddy throws a bottle or tosses a can into the bushes.

I believe without any doubt that there are things neighbors and students can do to improve this relationship without any police involvement; simple acts of decency, respect and considerations go a long way. However, the broken bottles and the alarming amount of disrespect toward general community property is what is angering and upsetting our community members. They feel as if students come here and stomp around without any consideration for the people who have to work every day and don’t have the option to skip their child’s wake-up cry at 6:15 in the morning. They have a very strong argument in this. We get close to 400 emails a day from the university but on the other hand, we learn little about the town we live in and hear even less from those affected by our negative actions. There is a great and growing disconnect between the two parties who represent the community body.

There needs to be better communication between us since both sides have good points to make representing the two different points of view.

Over the last week, this issue has prompted community members to come forth and explain why they are tired of dealing with the lack of respect shown from students and the landlords. The problem is that everyone is pointing fingers and laying blame on one group or another. Students blame the neighbours for ‘not getting it’ and the students get painted with the same brush for being disrespectful and irresponsible.

Responsibility is about accepting the blame when necessary and this is what students must do, because if we don’t, they may shut down every party we

ever try to have.

As I mentioned earlier, this amendment is about moral responsibility and respect. Given that the students’ sense of accountability has decreased, the town is trying to solve this problem by placing the blame on a select few by doubling the fine limit. This, as I have shown is unfair, and is not the best so-

lution to the problem and furthermore, I believe by raising the fine limit, students will be further isolated from the community. As a student I am accepting the blame for what has happened in hopes of moving forward, but I will not accept this blame without putting the responsibility back upon my fellow students. Consider it a

Students blame the neighbours for ‘not getting it’ and the students get painted with the same brush for being disrespectful and irresponsible.

Kristian Rasenberg | Contributor

lution if the goal is to have students be more respectful of the community. The passing of this amendment will only hammer the wedge further between the student body and the community of Antigonish.

I suggest that for everyone’s benefit, we seek other options.

As students, we come here and are told that StFX is a community, a family. Let’s all look around and recognize all the great family we have around us every day: the cleaning staff, the university staff and professors, food servers, checkout clerks, business owners, and especially our neighbours.

Each day we disrespect them, our own “family”, by neglecting to think about how they might be affected by our actions. I think it’s time to take back some responsibility and place it equally on the student body.

Within the community, every single person has to do a better job of accepting responsibility and this begins with open communication. Once we accept that our actions or inactions have contributed to the current unstable conditions, we can work together to improve them.

I have argued for why the noise by-law amendment targets the wrong people and offers no so-

challenge if you will.

I don’t blame any one of you, but I do hold you responsible for ending the tradition of disrespect, for it is a tradition that has marked a stain on our golden reputation. Our reputation is tradition and it is up to us to return to the spotless and proud traditions of old. If we do this, the town will see us all in a different light.

Students, your voices are being heard and heard loudly.

The problem is that we are letting drunken, late night goofballs represent the student voice in our community. We must not let them speak on our behalf because they do not represent the majority of students and they certainly do not represent what X is supposed to be all about. Be respectful, and if you see your fellow students being disrespectful, make it your duty to tell them they are out of line. By standing aside, you are giving them a greater voice. Make your voice the one heard, a voice of reason and respect, a voice of action and not neglect. If we fail to make positive change, we will be viewed as dollar signs and StFX’s reputation will continue to plummet.

We can do better. Let us all commit to being better.

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thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

Trudeau and the Islamic State Humanitarian aid or military action?

JACK HARRIS Contributor In June 2014, a former al-Qaeda splinter group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria launched a surprise offensive, capturing vast swaths of land and establishing its self proclaimed Caliphate. Following the taped executions of American journalists in August, the United States began to lead a military campaign against the ever-growing Islamist group.

Under Stephen Harper, Canada began to contribute to the ongoing air war, in addition to sending 69 members of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment to the country to advise and assist in the training of both the Iraqi Army and Peshmerga forces. During the recent Federal Election, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau pledged to end Canadian involvement in the anti-IS coalition, claiming the mission lacked clarity and foresight, and instead chose to focus on humanitarian aid and advising the military forces currently engaged in combat in Iraq. While ending the airstrikes to focus on humanitarian aid presents a chance to help those in need, it also presents a chance for IS to expand and control more territory than it already does.

One cannot understand the seemingly overnight rise of the Islamic State without understanding the conditions that nurtured it. Following the initial 2003 American led invasion of Iraq, the Coalition Provisional Authority dissolved the Iraqi Army. 400,000 young men suddenly found themselves out of work. Many civilians also felt growing resentment towards their new “liberators” due to in-

creasing collateral damage and civilian casualties. Both groups were also in dire need of money, looking to settle affronts or seeking revenge for the death of their relatives.

Further complicating the growing anger within the country was the entrance of foreign fighters looking to start Jihad.

By the end of May 2003, a rapidly growing number of attacks began occurring in major urban centres and a full scale insurgency emerged by the end of the summer, one that was both well organized and funded. One of these groups, an al-Qaeda offshoot, would declare itself the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) in 2006.

When the Syrian Civil War erupted in 2011, ISI expanded into Syria and its operatives formed the al-Nusra Front before splitting into the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). By February 2014 a rift between ISIS and AQ reached a breaking point, and AQ cut all ties to the group citing its “notorious intransigence”, lack of accountability, and general indifference to the larger picture. Which brings us to the June invasion of Iraq, an establishment of its self proclaimed caliphate and the establishment of an Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria [the organization’s de facto capital].

A key platform that the Liberals campaigned on was the ceasing of Operation Impact, Canada’s contribution to the coalition currently engaged in bombing campaigns against IS. Liberals voted against both the initial 2014 deployment and the extension of the mission in 2015.

Lack of forethought and clarity were cited as the chief reasons for the decision to vote against both. Following the extension of

Operation Impact, Justin Trudeau stated, “At the end of every decision to enter combat is a brave Canadian in harm’s way. We owe them clarity, we owe them a plan. Most of all, we owe them truth. The Prime Minister has offered none of that.”

Currently, there are seven CF18’s as well as a few other support aircraft. 69 members of the elite Canadian Special Operations Regiment have been deployed since September 2014 to advise and assist in training of Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army. This role, however, has come under much scrutiny in January, when CSOR operators returned fire after coming under attack by IS militants, and again in March, after CSOR operator Sergeant Andrew Doiron was killed in a friendly fire incident while returning from an observation post near the frontlines. Both incidents brought to question what Canadian soldiers were doing so close to fire and if they were in fact conducting combat operations. The federal government and DND vehemently denied that Canadian soldiers were taking part in such missions.

While Trudeau campaigned on ending ongoing airstrikes, further support will be given to the continuation of the advise and assist role. The main intention of ending the strikes is to focus on humanitarian aid, as well as bringing more refugees to Canada, as “Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive voice in the world.” Trudeau has promised to bring in 25,000 refugees, a large amount that surpasses the number the number of refugees Canada has already welcomed. Canada certainly has the space to host

numerous refugees given the low population density and the movement has garnered widespread domestic support. Even in Antigonish there are movements aimed at bringing over refugee families.

The Islamic State will not be stopped solely by airstrikes and withdrawing from military operations, and this leaves the dangerous chance of IS expanding further throughout the region and gaining a stronger foothold than it already has. After over a decade of military engagement in Afghanistan, it would be easy to assume that many Canadians have grown tired of the combat.

But given that the majority of those surveyed responded positively to Canadian contributions and efforts against IS, it is clear that this is simply not true.

Deploying ground troops with the intention of sending them into combat would be the most effective way to fight IS and halt their progress. This strategy’s main concern would be the West’s involvement in yet another conflict. The wars in Iraq, Vietnam, and arguably Afghanistan have resulted in long, drawn out conflicts with no clear victories. But insurgencies are often the reason conflicts can’t be won since insurgents do not need a decisive victory. Rather, they simply need to outlast whoever is occupying their country.

The tactics that IS has been employing are not typical of an average insurgency. Most use irregular tactics and attempt to blend with the local populace when not engaged in combat, whereas IS has been functioning more as a proper standing army.

Holding and controlling territory is something the IS has demonstrated itself to be very capa-

ble of doing. IS has also been using conventional tactics and has been able to fight a standing war on two fronts.

Deploying ground troops and furthering Operation Impact would be a costly and potentially dangerous endeavour. Highly trained as the operators of CSOR are, combatting a large force and recovering lost territory are far outside of the unit’s skill sets. Missions such as there are more suited to be undertaken by conventional infantry units, allowing SOF to focus on more precise missions. This is not to say that the entire Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry regiment needs to be deployed or that the West should launch a full-scale blitzkrieg into Syria and Iraq. Deploying more troops and pushing them towards a combat role may not initially destroy IS, but it would provide added protection for displaced civilians.

In the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, Willard listens to the voice of Kurtz on a tape recorder as Kurtz explains his service and philosophy, and Kurtz hauntingly says, “In war there are many moments for compassion and tender action. There are many moments for ruthless action.”

With the right leadership, this quote could become the West’s reality in Iraq and Syria. To be blunt, IS is a group that has been massacring and raping it’s way across two countries, killing thousands and displacing millions more. It is possible that both the humanitarian and combat aspects of the increasingly complicated endeavour could be achieved simultaneously, and we owe it not only to ourselves but also to those displaced to find that balance.

Prioritizing our First Peoples Will Trudeau live up to his promises?

LINDSAY JOHNSTONE Columnist How much do you know about the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada? Do you know about their culture, their history, or their heritage? I assume that if you attended public school in Canada and are not Aboriginal yourself, you probably will admit that you know very little about our First Peoples. Even if one identifies as an Aboriginal individual, it is not unusual for them to lack full understanding of their own history.

This is a sad reality not only for our First Peoples, but for Canada as a whole.

The widespread ignorance about the Indigenous popula-

tions of Canada is a failure of the public education system. The public school curriculum simply does not teach us about the real truths and troubles faced by these First Peoples. The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada are an essential part of Canadian history and yet, at least in Nova Scotia, the public school system does not actually teach this history.

If you come from the public school system in Nova Scotia, your knowledge about Aboriginal Canadians is probably limited; nonetheless, you have likely come to the conclusion that these people were robbed of their land and their rights when the Europeans migrated to this new land. This incredibly brief

summary is more or less equivalent to the history taught by Nova Scotia schools. In other words, it is entirely inadequate.

Do you really understand why the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada are oppressed? Or why some Aboriginal groups are unable to break the cycle of poverty? These are just some of the many questions that our public school education system here in Nova Scotia fails to answer.

There are many Aboriginal communities who are under a boil water directive. There are even some Mi’kmaq communities right here in Nova Scotia who live under a boil water order. This is outrageous. Canada gives so much to people who are in need in other parts of the

world, but avoids helping the most vulnerable communities right here at home.

Never mind the boil water advisory; there are over 2,000 First Nations homes in this country that don’t even have access to running water. Not having water in homes and having to boil water before use is not something one should have to deal with when living in a welldeveloped country such as ours. These are characteristics of an underdeveloped country.

As a developed nation with extensive resources, why aren’t we directing these resources to help our Aboriginal communities?

I hope that this new federal government will keep their

promises. Trudeau’s Liberals promised that within the first five years of his government, he would fix the boil water situation for Aboriginal communities. Trudeau also promised to launch a national enquiry concerning the thousand plus unsolved cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls in our nation. It is time for some answers!

I want some answers from Trudeau and I want to see action take place immediately.

Caring for the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada should be a top priority for the federal government.

Let’s hope Trudeau keeps his promise and delivers what this country desperately needs.

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from the editor: fred who?

JULIA O’HANLEY Editor-In-Chief Anyone that knows me knows that politics is and for quite some time has been my entire life. I work in Ottawa, I study Political Science, and even devote my time off the clock and out of the books to educating myself on our government and its institutions.

I am a Political Science nerd and as Rosemary Barton says, “Elections are my Olympics.” So, on that note, I am here to fill the void of the rest of the editorial world in our region when it comes to the choice to run Fred DeLorey as the riding’s Conservative Party candidate. I seek to explain what I assumed was strikingly obvious: that MP-elect Sean Fraser’s sweep of our riding a week ago Monday was one part ground game (knockknock), one part national coattails (it was an antiHarper sort of election), and one large part Harper junior in Progressive Conservative territory.

Once upon a time DeLorey was the Conservative Party spokesperson, and he

was damn good at it. He served to tow the line and keep the party on brand and as shiny (and shady) in the media as possible. Let’s be honest, he brought the Harper government through the Duffy scandal relatively unscathed, all things considered.

Enter Kory Teneycke, the new Fred DeLorey, only his trips and fumbles deemed him more of a liability than an asset. In recent months, Teneycke became known for telling media things such as “if he [Trudeau] comes on stage [the MacLean’s debate] with his pants on he will probably exceed expectations,” and for taking selfies with protesters in PEI. That’s the first part of the problem. A tired government asking for its fourth mandate was in need of a Fred DeLorey to keep the train chugging in Ottawa and across the country. On the other hand, what was in need of anything but a Fred DeLorey was the ‘Conservative stronghold’ of Central Nova. I’m not saying this as a judgement of his character, because the one time I did

actually get to speak with him he seemed like a nice enough guy. Instead, I say this as a judgement of an illchoice by a federal party out-of-touch with its local constituency.

Central Nova was represented for decades by the MacKay dynasty. Elmer MacKay, followed by his son Peter, were popular on the ground, earning their many terms in office with comfortable margins. Aside from being a member of the beloved family tree, Peter MacKay was also known as the final leader of the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. This brokerage party, brought to shambles

by StFX’s own Brian Mulroney (sorry, Brian), saw its final defeat to the rival Reform/Canadian Alliance Party led by Stephen Harper under the leadership of MacKay. This defeat of course led to the birth of our former governing party, the Conservative Party of Canada.

Although finishing his seventeen-year tenure as a member of parliament representing the new, far-right

conservatism, MacKay let his more centre-right roots guide him to continued success in our rural Nova Scotia riding. So to run the literal heart and soul of ‘Harper’s side’ of the party in Peter MacKay’s riding following his resignation earlier this year, was indeed a huge mistake by the Conservative Party. Besides, it had been years since DeLorey had even held residence in this riding, a quality New Democratic Party candidate Ross Landry tried to liken to what he deemed to be the Liberal Party’s own parachute candidate, Sean Fraser. Given the final vote-breakdown though, your parachute was not enough to cost you the vote. Perhaps it was because Fraser justified his departure to Calgary in recent years as a result of the local job market, whereas DeLorey appeared to leave on his own free will.

It appears as though the local campaign may have clued into this error midway through the campaign period. Election signs and mailouts appeared from Enfield to Antigonish featuring the

outgoing MP Peter MacKay either alongside DeLorey or sometimes even on his own.

I was surprised when I went to cast my ballot that I didn’t see a surprise ‘MacKay’ on the ballot. After all, who was this DeLorey the party had put on the ballot?

I’ll admit, given the riding dynamic, I had low expectations when the party elected their candidate for the October election. But even I couldn’t have predicted that Fraser would take the seat with more than double the Conservative vote: a margin of 58% to 28%. Compare this to the riding’s 2011 redistributed numbers of 55% Conservative to 14% Liberal and you see we have a problem.

Now, I don’t want to take any credit away from the work Fraser put into his campaign, and I also don’t want to discredit the impact of the strategic anti-Harper vote that took place coastto-coast. But there is no doubt in my mind that it was DeLorey’s discomfort out of his cushy Ottawa office coupled with his Reform roots that gave Fraser the nudge he needed for victory.

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thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

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thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

culture

EDITOR: RACHEL REVOY xw.culture@stfx.ca

The history of Halloween

The Celtic holiday of Samhain: a time of ancient otherworld lore and fire celebrations CAITLIN VANCE Columnist If I told you there was truth behind the ghost and ghoul tell tales of Halloween, would you be believe me? Nothing marks the change in season quite like October 31st. The eerie music, large array of orange and black decorations, and spooky costumes pair beautifully with the falling leaves and crisp autumn air. This makes for a delicate and mysterious time of year.

The origin of Halloween dates back some 2,000 years ago to the Celtic festival of “Samhain” that happened around November 1st. Samhain marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter (Saim- Summer, hain-end), along with the end of the harvest season for the Celtic farmers. During this time of year, the ancient Celtss believed that the dead had a more open means of communicating with the living. This day marked the New Year for the Celtic calendar, and so it was thought that souls of those who had died during the previous year traveled into the after world on this day.

During Samhain, druid priests

would attempt to predict whether the Celtic tribes would survive the coming winter. At night, after sunset, ancient Celtic communities would start a huge bonfire to honour these roaming ghosts. Some believe that sacrifices such as crops and animals were offered up to the deities and burned in the fire. It is even said that human prisoners were offered to the ghosts as sacrifices. Locals would dance around the fire in costumes and masks to simultaneously ward off and honour the spirits. Before leaving, families would light a torch from the fire to bring home to protect their families from the harsh winter to come.

Pope Gregory 3rd, in an attempt to rid the Celtics of their spiritual practices based around Samhain, implemented a holiday called “All Hallows Day,” or “All Saints Day” on November 1st. From this, the Celts accepted Samhain as the night before All Hallows day, “All Hallow’s Eve,” which eventually transpired into Halloween. Many practices that took place during the Samhain are still relevant in today’s celebrations. Before bed on All Hallow’s Eve, to deter the ghosts

from entering their houses the Celtss would supposedly leave out bowls of food for the ghosts.

The Celtss also wore masks when leaving the house after dark so they would not be mistaken as fellow ghosts to the roaming spirits.

Today, we dress up in costumes and leave out food in the form of candy for trick or treaters.

Though the reasons for “trick or treating” are not specifically known, it is thought that this habit was derived from an ancient practice known as “souling,” where the poor would approach families door to door and receive “soul cakes” in exchange for promising to pray for the families loved ones who had died.

In the mid 19th century Halloween started its trek around the globe. To escape the tragedies of the potato famine, close to $1million Irish Celts fled from Ireland into North America. With this influx of Celts came Celtic culture complete with it’s many rituals and traditions. And so the cele-

bration of “All Hallow’s Eve” continued in the Americas, though the Celtic rituals had to be modified. The holiday gained mass attention as Americans started to adopt aspects of the ancient festival. The Celtics may have had to suffice with Jack-O-

tivities came from a time when Celtic people wouldn’t dare roam the streets without masks for fear of being targeted by ghosts. If the Celtics so strongly believed that the division between the dead and the living is so remarkably thin at this time

Photo: eventbrite.ie Lanterns instead of their roaring bonfires, but they continued dressing up in costume and masks, which is exactly what we do today.

Our current Halloween fes-

of year, could there be truth to it?

What do you think?

For more information on the Celtic tradition, participate in StFX Gaelic Society’s between 1-4 pm in Immaculata 205.

Dracula: the undead curse at The Bauer Watch the tale come alive on October 29th and 30th RACHEL REVOY Arts & Culture Editor In the haunting atmosphere of the Bauer Theatre, I sat down with the talented cast of the upcoming production of Dracula.

Here, as the green walls and dim lighting set the tone for our conversation, the cast began to account the unique aspects of the production- and why it is going to be noteworthy.

How will the show differ from the old story of the European vampire who spreads his undead curse? “Our production is based on a fairly faithful dramatisation by contemporary Scottish playwright Liz Lochhead, of Bram Stoker’s novel which was published in 1897,” said Ed Thomason, the director of the play, “Our version is stripped back to the storytelling essence of theatre - a bare stage, no special effects, Dracula Unplugged.”

To further this notion of the stripped down story, Travis Lochey who plays Jonathan Harker agreed by saying “There is no gushing blood, no traditional sexy vampire brides, just the straight up story.”

Moving away from the classic

original of Dracula, the adapta- Dracula can’t just confine to three different voices.” tion will involve an edition some stereotype. I looked at the A common difficulty that acwhich is focused on the story- Bram Stoker book and it does tors aim to overcome is developtelling tradition. Melanie Mack- describe Dracula as being ing into the mindset of a person ay, a third year StFX student charming, so it goes back to the from a differing time period. “I playing Mina outlines the aim of original a lot more.” found out the hard way Ed has this version of Dracula: “We are For another member of the been really driving home that I a bunch of storytellers who have cast first year Madison Murray, need to get into the mindset of come to share this prothe Victorian guy. One vocative, exciting, thing I’ve been too shy scary and suspenseful and also I need to realstory and we’re trying ly work on my posture. to bring it to people in a To have that approprinon-traditional way in ate presence on the the sense that we’re stage. It’s all about getnot using props, and Our version is stripped back to the ting into the mindset of we’re not doing cosstorytelling essence of theatre - a this doctor who goes tumes, we’re not havbare stage, no special effects, through this very uning the stage lit up. But Dracula Unplugged. pleasant journey from what we are doing is being stern and empirwe’re bringing a simEd Thomason Director of Dracula ical man of science, to plistic storytelling that be completely broken still packs the same by the end- the superpunch.” embodying the complex charac- natural overwhelms everything Dracula, played by Professor ter that changes between hu- in his life,” says Ben Winfield, Cornelius Christian, spoke on man and vampire poses a real who plays Dr. Sewald. what it was like to embody a challenge. “I find it’s really hard For Travis Lochey, becoming bloodthirsty creature. “It’s inter- to go from Meredith, to pos- the positive Johnathan Hecker esting, I came into it kind of sessed, to Lucy. It’s really diffi- has been easier due to the simithinking that Dracula’s got this cult because I don’t have a legiti- larities that Lochey can see beeastern european accent but Ed mate crazy side. I have to be tween them. “The character is a correctly said that Dracula has possessed, and I have to be a happy young man with a world to be a charming kind of guy. Ini- vampire bride. It’s hard to go of potential in front of him. Being tially he has to lure his victims in from possessed Lucy, to normal fortunate, as I am, there is a fun like a fisherman. The point is Lucy, to married. I don’t have parallel between Jonathan and I.

Although it is not always easy rising to his level of enthusiasm and energy, I do my best to show up for rehearsals with a bright smile and wide eyes. The real challenge comes when Jonathan encounters problems. I man of his stance has no previous experience outside a realm of success. It isn’t easy depicting his unfamiliarity with the tragic world of Count Dracula.”

“Our very talented actors cast a powerful spell, re-telling the original story of the shapeshifting, predatory Count and his undead vampire brides.

Some of the most eerie and erotic sequences in the show are spoken passages direct from the novel, Bram Stoker’s undiluted weird and wonderful fantasy,” says Ed Thomason.

Allow the historical atmosphere of the Bauer theatre, the talented performers, and the timeless tale of Dracula to ignite the Halloween spirit within you.

The story will wake from the dead October 22nd through 25th and October 29th and 30th at 8pm each evening. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Bauer Theatre or call 902 867 3333.

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Artist of the week: Stephanie Robertson “Making rust romantic “ DEVON GREENE Contributor The StFX Fine Arts Department is home to many talented artists, faculty and students alike.

Due to the small size of the department and the inability of student to major in Fine Arts, these hidden gems sometimes slip through the cracks. The Fine Arts Department and The Xaverian are coming together to shine the light on these artists and the incredible work they create, right here in our own back yard. This week’s featured artist is second year Psychology major Stephanie Robertson.

Robertson started like many other artists, by doodling in notebooks and drawing just for fun.

After attending high school in Pictou, where she took art classes, she went on to study small engine mechanics and work in ga-

rages. Robertson attributes parts of her style to her upbringing in an industrial county and her experience working as a mechanic.

Although the subject might be rough and gritty, Robertson has a natural ability to soften the images and somehow manages to make rust look romantic. Robertson describes her own style as “realistic, trying to represent the gritty and romantic side of things.

I’m an honest romantic, and I think it shows in my style, if not overtly.”

As her style evolved from drawing and sketching into painting, Robertson fell in love with oil paints and explored them on her own. “I have very little technical training –okay, no technical training- but I work with oils and like to keep their texture in my paintings,” admits Robertson. Her paintings follow a similar theme and colour scheme, which Rob-

“BUOYS IN THE STRAIT”

By Stephanie Robertson

ertson feels limits her as an artist, however she uses it to her advantage to create a metallic melody.

“I’ve had a limited colour pallet based mostly on inexperience and finding a comfortable spot using few colours with colour harmony. I was actually recommended these colours by a wellestablished artist, Dave MacIntosh. So I guess I skipped out a bit on the experimental stage in that way. A lot of my paintings end up with a sepia old-time look to them. It kind of shows the gritty romantic aspect as well, so I’ve stuck with it so far. But yeah, I’d like to expand my style” Many of Robertson’s paintings are based on photos that she has taken herself or that have inspired her to recreate a certain image. Her paintings have a realistic quality to them but she always strives to put a part of herself into everything she recreates.

“I think the creativity about extreme realism is what you bring to it other than simply reproduction. Maybe it’s what’s captured, the subject, or the composition, or even the emotion in the original scene that translates perfectly with the skill that is extreme realism.”

Despite having little formal training, Robertson’s natural talent for recreating images has produced some stunning pieces of work. While staying close to this style, Robertson is continuing to grow as an artist and is beginning to understand and appreciate other forms of art. “There’s definitely a talent that goes with good abstract. I used to be igno-

“LANDED”

By Stephanie Robertson rant and think, I’m putting so much time and effort into creating something with likeness, comparatively what “use” is an abstract that seems like a blur? But to compare art is probably near the opposite of appreciating it, and you have to come back to what art is - It may not be technical, but it’s subjective, definitely. If it can move you, or you can connect with it, then that’s art, isn’t it? I gained more respect too once I realized that I don’t think I could tap into that side to create what looks like pure emotions on a canvas –and still looks good. I have a respect for it now, instead of just a surface comparison.”

The way Robertson is able to embrace her limitations and use them to help her grow is not only a reflection of her professionalism as an artist, but her grace as a

person.

Robertson is planning to major in psychology and use fine arts as her paired credits. As for where she will take her art in the future, Robertson hopes to continue both personally and professionally. Some of her goals include holding an annual art show, producing a graphic novel, and creating a children’s story with illustrations. Robertson is certain that no matter what the future holds, it will include her art in one way or another. “I’ve realized I’m not happy in life if I’m not doing art, so I plan to make time for it, even as purely an outlet.” With an abundance of natural talent and multiple commissions already under her belt, Stephanie Robertson is already well on her way to weaving her passion for art into her future profession.

The fire spook of Caledonia Mills A retelling of the curious contraversial tale RACHEL REVOY Arts & Culture Editor One of the most fascinating aspects of Nova Scotia is the living Gaelic traditions carried over with the Scottish settlers. Ever since my first year, hearing of the local folklore through the Celtic Studies department here at StFX has been one of my favorite ways to feel the authentic culture of the area. A famous tale that continues to fascinate and captivate the locals is the tale of what occurred on the MacDonald farm in Caledonia Mills back in the 1920s. Sit back for a Halloween tale, that I shall retell from the information I collected from a book entitled The Fire Spook of Caledonia Mills by N. Carroll MacIntyre.

To begin, I understand that there is much controversy over what happened on the MacDonald farmstead in Caledonia Mills in the 1920s, so my version of the story will state the general consensus of what is commonly known about the instance. All of this remains in

questions, to which no living person has the answer.

A strange series of fires began at the farmstead of Alexander and Janet MacDonald. Mary Ellen, the foster child of the couple was remembered by her classmates as fun loving and always on time. Although Mary Ellen is often associated with somehow being responsible for the mysterious fires, many other factors play into what happened and no evidence alluding to Mary Ellen having caused the fires has been found.

Alexander’s brother, Andrew, spent a considerable amount of time at the farmstead. One night Janet was annoyed that her brother in law Andrew kept arriving uninvited and staying for unwelcomed periods of time. On one particularly cold and rainy November night, Janet told Andrew to leave. Upon leaving, Andrew turned to the farmstead and cursed in Gaelic, saying “You will be driven out on a far worse night than this.”

Earlier, when Janet’s mother

Mary was staying in the house under the care of her daughter, Janet was getting fed up with the challenge of caring for her mother. One day in 1900, Mary was having one of her seizures when a tired and fed up Janet came into the room and shouted to her “I hope the devil in hell comes and takes you before nine o’clock tomorrow morning!” Apparently, a small black dog- of unknown origins- then wandered into the room. Mary was found dead the next morning.

Years later, in 1910, Mary Ellen arrived as a small child. Unrelated to the adoption of Mary Ellen, Alexander began noticing that the animals in the barn would always become untied by morning even when he would make sure to tie them securely in their stalls each night. He would reinforce the knots with nails, and even still they would be untied in the morning and the nails would be missing.

In the winter of 1922 everything changed. Alexander would go to the fireplace to set the fire for the day where he would find charred

pieces of wood already lying about.

One morning Janet awoke and told her husband that she could smell cotton burning. He looked around to find one of their upholstered chairs was on fire. He stopped the fire, curious as to what had happened. The following day, several fires broke out on the kitchen ceiling. These fires continued.

One night, Mary Ellen and Alexander continuously worked to put out small fires. On this night, thirty-eight fires were counted.

Close neighbours began to help.

One person who was helping extinguish the fires reported a small black dog on the property. After the dog was mentioned later on, young Mary Ellen had reportedly said that she played with that small black dog who would appear and disappear every so often. After this night, with the fires were extinguished, the MacDonalds planned to move.

So how were these fires started? Some say it was the soul of Andrew (who died before the fires began), but most others point their

fingers at young Mary Ellen. The speculations grew in Antigonish County until a poster was sent around advertising an award for the person who could explain the suspicious instances. Even to this day, locals argue over what may have happened at the spook site.

Alive with the story is the one remaining warning: if you visit the site of the farm, do not pick up any rocks from the foundation. It is believed that these rocks carry the spirit of whatever started the fires and will cause fires to start in the home of those who take the rocks.

A detective who worked on the case concluded that after his thorough investigations all he can state was that the fires were not ignited by human hands.

Enjoy ghost stories? Stay tuned as myself, columnist Caitlin Vance and members from Paranormal Investigations Nova Scotia seek to uncover the haunting of the Bauer Theatre. Check out xaverian.ca this Halloween weekend to hear what happened when we went searching for the alleged ghost.

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thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP ALEJANDRA TORRES Contributor According to Geoffman, a prominent sociologist, human interactions are very similar to the theatre. He uses Shakespeare’s metaphor of “all the world’s a stage” to create a division of social establishments into two categories: front-stage and back stage. The front-stage area is the public spaces where a person is very conscious of the impression they are trying to convey. In this setting, a person will put on a show to display and emphasize positive features of themselves since there is an “audience” that is watching. The backstage setting would be a private space where you can strip down from the “mask” you put on public spaces and allow yourself to be vulnerable.

To say that long distance relationships are not easy would be an understatement. This type of relationship is an intricate hybrid of being with a person but not really being with that person. It’s as if you were constantly teleporting from one place to another without actually moving. You basically live a split life between the place you’re in and the place where your significant other is. When you decide to engage in a long distance relationship you have to mentally prepare yourself for the constant bombarding of un-

helpful and annoying you do know those relationships don’t work comments. Therefore, I believe that Geoffman’s theory applies perfectly to these relationships because when you are incessantly asked about your romantic situation you pre-fabricate this cookie-cutter answer in order to cease any other questions from arising.

The front stage of an LDR presents this romantic “love is all powerful” scheme to its audience. When someone asks me how my relationship is going I’ll probably answer with a positive comment and continue to explain how we actually make it work. And this answer is not false because the relationship is working, but it doesn’t portray what happens behind the scenes in order to be able to provide this type of answer.

LDR’s are very complex and they vary from couple to couple, it might work for some but for others it may simply be the cause of their breakup. When my significant other and I decided to begin an international long distance relationship we did know what we we’re getting ourselves into, but we had no idea on how it was going to work. All we could do was hope that we would figure out how to keep what we had alive. We did this for a simple reason: because being apart but knowing that we had each other was far better than not having each oth-

er in our lives at all.

Now, I am here to present to you what happens behind the scenes in a long distance relationship. In other words, what takes place backstage so our front stage performance turns out to be amazing. But before I do that, you must know that the most important thing in order for an LDR to work is mutual trust, sacrifice (because you will need to do it at some point) and communication. Any relationship requires mutual work but LDR’s need it even more.

LDR’s are based solely on communication because that is ultimately all that you have in order to be with a person who is thousands of kilometres away. You become a Skype tech expert and Whatsapp is your loyal companion throughout the day. Time zone differences suck, you are either sleeping at 4am to talk to that person or creating crazy sleeping schedules that will allow you to hear your lover’s voice. Snapchat pictures start flooding your camera roll and voice note messages will become something you look forward to. In your residence you might be known as that crazy person who will walk to the bathroom at 2 am, sit on the counter and talk for hours in there to avoid waking up their roommate on a Monday night. The monetary cost will consist of crazy amounts of concealer to cover the bags un-

der your eyes that you will most likely get. And you might even start to have group Skype dates with your friends in order to feel a little “normal” while every girl on your floor is out on double or triple dates. Your friends will become tired of you talking about your partner all day but they will also be there to cuddle with you when you are feeling under the weather.

Countdowns become your obsession for you’ll have them everywhere-on your phone, your room’s calendar and even your neighbor’s calendar. And I hate to break it to you, but it won’t get any easier. Some say that you create a routine and get used it, which you do, but it will never make you miss that person less. Your mind becomes this sort of film that will keep replaying every moment you had with your lover, and day dreaming about the moment you will see that person again will happen extremely often, even during exams season. And some question why do we purposely make ourselves suffer with this whirlwind of emotions? Because let’s be honest, it is quite masochist of ourselves to make our hearts ache for a person who we might not be able to see or touch for a couple of months. Everyone might have different answers or reasons for this question but I think we can all agree on one thing, we believe wholeheart-

edly that our relationship and our partners are completely worth fighting for.

We endure many lonely moments in exchange for a few days with the person we love, and we bear through spontane-

Some have called me naïve, stupid and even crazy and guess what? I am crazy, but I’m crazy for him.

ous crying sessions in hope of obtaining heartwarming moments in the future. Some have called me naïve, stupid and even crazy and guess what? I am crazy, but I’m crazy for him.

And if fighting for a person who loves me, respects me, supports me through thick and thin and makes me want to better is considered stupid then charge me as the most reckless person ever. My relationship is hard and it might not be ideal for everyone, but I don’t mind the sacrifices that I make to keep it going because there is simply no way I could imagine living my life without the person I love.

Halloween’s evolution How the season changes from cute costumes and candy to liquor, lack-of-clothes, and a long night RACHEL LEBLANC Senior Reporter Just when you thought students at X could not find more opportunities to celebrate the weekend with a bang, here comes along October 31st, Halloween, falling smack down on a Saturday night. Antigonish is about to get spooky.

As we approach one of the best days holidays of the year (aside from BurMac, hoco and Christmas), looking back, halloween has changed so much since we celebrated it for the first time. From trick or treating, to infamous high school dances, to the time alcohol replaced tiny chocolate bars, October 31st has changed substantially since we were once little princesses and superheroes. From costumes to traditions to celebrations to candy, we look at how a couple of years can change so much.

Remember when you could happily wake up on October 31st and be a large, plump, orange pumpkin? Remember when you gorged on miniature candy bars for weeks straight, without ever having to worry about money,

calories or judgement? Flash back to a decade ago, when we all looked forward to halloween the same way we look forward to BurMac. By six in the morning, our ten year old self would be hopping out of bed, happier than ever to pull on the most elaborate store bought or homemade costume.

Halloween was a day in paradise. Not only did you receive unlimited candy, you would also spend the school day participating in organized costume parties, contests, and scary movies for the day. And the best part?

We didn’t pay a single penny for it. October 31st marked the one and only day we got to become whatever superhero, disney princess of fictional character we wanted to be.

Halloween in high school really took a different path. As we turned fourteen or so, teetering between candy and being ‘cool’ halloween’s elaborate essence faded into high school dance parties, where we were dressed in anything easy, sexy, or cowboyinspired. Halloween in our teenage phase was less about dressing up, and more about growing

up. It was about being with your friends, and finding a chance to step into our independency by going to halloween events without our parents. High school halloween was filled with scary movies, spooky wagon rides and pay-in haunted houses. But just because we didn’t get as dressed up, didn’t mean we missed out on the candy. I can remember putting together the simplest costume - an old white bed sheet with eye holes poked in and walking around the block in a grand effort to grab as much candy as possible. High school halloween marked the years where we all wanted to act more grown up, but weren’t quite there yet.

Now, here we are. As independent adults, all grown up, we have finally seen the scariest part of halloween: the cost.

The Halloweekend

is a three-day event, which means we hunt for three killer costumes that don’t completely kill our wallets. This means that college kids are more creative, elaborate and devoted to their Halloweekend, thinking up unique costume ideas that are easy to assemble, easy to buy and downright hilarious.

“When Halloween puts kids against each other every year in the costume contests, college kids just congratulate one another for getting something together in the first place!” Says a

third year student. Halloween shifts away from trick or treating and timid high school dances, to the wild parties, bottles of liquor, and the bittersweet taste of adulthood we were once so eager to explore.

After walking around campus, hearing students thinking up unique costumes that reach beyond the traditional pumpkin or princesses, I can finally feel the spirit among us again. St.FX is whipping up some of the funniest, most creative and scariest costumes out there.

distractions

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EDITOR: TY KINGSTON xw.distractions@stfx.ca

Ty Kingston presents local poetry (eat this shit up) written by B.R Chisholm total Bae

Eclipsed She is a raven haired beauty, With eyes as deep as the night In her I saw the truest form of beauty; The loving smile of a friend.

We met indirectly, under the stars, As the earth passed between the sun and the moon.

I was being flown away to different galaxies; I was being freed from a slavery, I did not recognize And brought into a new world.

As fresh and as impressionable as a child.

Living under the stars.

Lost in her smile.

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thursday thursday october october twenty-ninth, twenty-ninth, 2015 2015

sports and health

EDITOR: SHELBI KILCOLLINS xw.sports@stfx.ca

How I lost as an athlete in university Everything I missed dedicating my life on the field

CATE CORCORAN Contributor There’s no question that sports and athletic endeavours can take you far in life; studies are continuing to show time and time again how being an athlete, particularly in a university environment, will provide you with transferrable skills that will continue to serve you as you move from the arena to the workplace. From time management to team building and leadership, athletics allow for all around personal growth, and any athlete won’t hesitate to tell you that they don’t regret all the hours logged in the gym one bit.

But there is a down side; the pursuit of excellence in athletics often comes at the expense of the rest of the university experience. I don’t mean the usual sacrifices of not getting to sleep in or not drinking with your friends on a Friday night.

The cost of playing a varsity sport in university is that

you are no longer there for the pursuit of excellence in education.

The whole point of university used to be that it was an elite institution for those looking to achieve higher education. In many places, this is still the case. People all over the world have fought long and hard for their right to education, and yet here we are, usually taking it for granted. As an athlete, school becomes a means to an end. It is the facilitator for yet another level of sport. The meaning of higher education gets lost amid the practices, games, road trips, and simply trying to keep your GPA high enough to remain eligible to compete. We forget that the purpose of the $80,000 deficit in our bank accounts is not actually to make that game-saving tackle, or the game-winning shot. As I look back on my athletic career, culminated by four years at a consistently nationally ranked institution, I’m not satisfied.

I’m not talking about just getting better grades. In all likelihood my grades wouldn’t even be that much better without my practice schedule keeping me on track and managing my time efficiently. I’m talking about the societies I never had the free time for, the panel discussions I never had the opportunity to attend, the keynote speakers I couldn’t see, and most importantly the intellectual minds I never got to meet. Athletes especially overlook the valuable opportunity that is attending postsecondary schooling, and now that I’ve realized it, I want my four years back.

I will never regret the time in my jersey, and it has contributed immensely to the person I am today and the direction my life will take. But I can’t help but wonder if I missed out on the true essence of university.

Did I fully take advantage of all the opportunities around me? Did I engage in enough intellectual debate to broaden the scope of my own

thinking? Or did I simply regurgitate information from a textbook for four years because my post-practice brain wasn’t alert enough to come up with an original idea.

The notion is alarming, and its not only athletes who are simply going through the motions of an undergraduate degree. The benefit of this university community is

that as a student, you are never the smartest person in the room. There will always be someone with a better idea, a more nuanced view, and a better-articulated thought. Learn from them.

Drink from the melting pot that is experiential learning and embrace your intellect.

They don’t teach you that on the field.

Alternative methods of healing How to control mind, body and soul with traditional medicine CAITLIN VANCE Nutrition Columnist No one likes being sick.

Whether it’s an annoying winter cold or a recent change in mental clarity, we all just want to get better!

This is part in partial why western medicine is so heavily relied on in our society, because results can be expe-

rienced so fast. But sometimes healing takes time. Alternative medicine or treatments tend to take a holistic approach to health and healing. The following are examples of a few alternative methods of medicine that work towards healing both physically and mentally.

I have heard nothing but good news about meditation

as an alternative method of healing, which has only recently gained much attention for treating illness. Meditation works to calm both the mind and body by decreasing the amount of activity in the brain. Studies have shown that a consistent meditation practice results in a smaller amygdala, which is responsible for our stress response in the body. A greater ability to activate parts of the prefrontal cortex involved in feelings and emotions also occurs. This leads to reduced feelings of stress and anxiety as well as less negative thoughts and a greater capacity for compassion in individuals who practice.

Meditiation also serves to enhance immune function, diminish inflammation, decrease craving in substance abuse and leads to an increased positive outlook on life. Not only does meditation help relieve stress and anxiety, but it helps you to be a better person!.

Acupuncture is an ancient healing method derived from Chinese medicine. It works to create equilibrium and in-

volves strategically inserting tiny needles in regions called “meridians” or acupuncture points in the body. Acupuncture is based on the concept of ‘chi’, which is essentially energy flow in the body. The needles are ultimately used to regulate and divert one’s ‘chi’, from areas of excess to areas of need. When the needles are inserted in the skin, the brain releases endorphins which also helps patients experience an increased mood. Acupuncture works to stimulate and regulate function in the brain so more than one visit is needed for a variety of health concerns. Acupuncture is used for many health problems, such as stiff muscles and anxiety, to improve physical, emotional, and mental health.

Nothing is quite like receiving a warm and inviting massage. It’s an open invitation to simply relax and enjoy the caring hands behind another person. Massage therapy works based on two principles. The first is relaxation, which is why we feel at ease under the reign of

someone else’s hands. Massage therapy works to relax the body and in turn relax the mind. Massage techniques allow the body to respond by lowering its heart and breathing rates and decreasing blood pressure.

Massage therapy also reduces pain and promotes healing by increasing lymph and blood circulation, as well as releases tension and relaxes the muscles through decreased contraction and muscle spasms. Massage also is used for a variety of health concerns and not limited to only physical ailments, although tight muscles and injury are some of the most common conditions treated.

Sometimes modern western medicine doesn’t have all the answers. A pill can’t and shouldn’t be relied on to fix everything. Whether you’re suffering specifically from an ailment or just looking for new ways to de-stress and check out for a while from your busy schedule, these alternative methods can be considered. Try one and see for yourself !

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Don’t call me a tomboy Everything wrong with binary terms in the sports world SHELBI KILCOLLINS Sports and Health Editor There is no denying this past year has been marked by some serious trends aimed to destroy any fixed societal concepts such as gender. Figures such as Ruby Rose, the increased use of gender neutral language and further acceptance of sexuality belonging on a spectrum has pushed the Western world to be more inclusive and finally perceive individuals beyond the rigid stereotypes of their labels: girl, boy, athlete, academic, mentally ill…

The sports community is not excluded from this shift to redefine these outdated terms and ideologies. Athletic goddesses Serena Williams and Ronda Roussey have most recently made the athletic community reconsider the possible female body types that can result from intense training, both shutting down any criticizers comparing their physique to that of a man’s. As a culture we have accepted muscular strength, chirping and physical aggression on and off the field to belong exclusively to men, labelling any women who integrate such athletic factors into their play as bitchy, unlady like and/ or tomboy.

Although the words tomboy or girly were more readily used

with the millennial generation and continue to casually be dropped among the “twentysomethings,” population it appears that the attempt to eliminate their binary consequences have failed as the term gender non conformist is now used to describe a little girl who enjoys playing in the mud. By continuing to stick a label regardless of what the word may be onto a girl (in this case) because of her choices and actions outside the “feminine,” norm we are still ostracizing that individual for being their full authentic life.

When X Women hockey player, Alanna Grossuti was asked why her peers as a child identified her as a tomboy, she stated, “I would play with the boys at recess (foot hockey), wear boy clothes and run around the house without my shirt on.” She later gave insight into how the traits of a tomboy evolved with age by claiming, “Most girls take a long time getting ready for the pub, it takes tomboys three minutes to get ready and if you look like a boy now a days people assume you’re gay.” Based on these standards it would appear the combination of sexuality, clothing and activity choices all influence the factors that construct a tomboy. This then creates an entirely new set of

challenges when attempting to see who satisfies the definition of a tomboy. Is it the makeup wearing, bleach blonde rugby player who tackles like a transport truck, a female hockey player who wears plaid or Abby Wambach: captain of the US Women’s soccer who has a wife and a pixie hair cut?

It seems that we have isolated femininity and sports when a woman desires to create her own identity. That being said what is femininity and why is someone any more or less of a woman because of the manner they superficially present

Featured Athlete of the week

Name: Daley Oddy Sport: hockey position: Right Wing hometown: Cranbrook, British Columbia Academic program: Human kinetics FAvourite Sports movie: Million Dollar baby Favourite Fan: GRandmother Post Game Meal: fruit Smoothie superstitions: Right skate on before left skate; mask clean before every game

themselves or by what physical activities they participate in whether it be yoga or football?

The ability to check like a bulldozer and run with excessive power is badass and defines a woman’s athletic talent not her gender. The accuracy of a shot and decision to wear a skirt or khakis describes nothing about a human’s sexual or romantic preference. Until recently we have allowed boys and denied young girls some of the most fun things in life like: the quest for adventure, the opportunity to be loud, fighting sports, Lego and the chance to

wear comfortable uniforms.

The term tomboy implies that there is an average way to be a girl, forcing this normalcy to dismiss those such as athletes who push stereotypical boundaries. Society is ready to eliminate labels and transition the conversation to one full acceptance and scarce of assumptions -where you are not assumed to be lesbian if you are a female hockey player or unintelligent if you are a football star. Although this revolution will take time, there is no better arena to drive this movement than the sports community.

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thursday october twenty-ninth, 2015

We’re Hiring!

Positions include: 2 staff writers 1 senior reporter distrubutions manager

Want to join our team?

Email xw.eic@stfx.ca with a resume and cover letter explaining why you are the Xaverian for the job.

First year students given preference.

All years eligible to apply.

DEADLINE: TUESDAY, NOV 10 2015

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