The Xaverian Weekly News Recap: Major Headlines from Canada and the World

Local 

February 7: Elizabeth Spehar, who works as the Assistant Secretary-General Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office at the United Nations, gave a lecture called ‘’The Future of Multilateralism for Peacebuilding’’ at the Coady Institute.  

February 7: X-Women Caroline Ash breaks StFX record in 1000m with time of 2:46.45, beating the previous record by two minutes. Ash also won the SMU Open 600m event. The X-Women and X-Men had a successful weekend, winning the Women’s 600m, 1000m, 1500m and 3000 m and the Men’s 1000m and 1500m.  

February 7: X-Men Hockey beat Moncton 3-2 in shootout. Goaltender Patrick Leaver won the Gabriel Pizza Player of the Game.  

Canada 

Feburary 6: Canada officially opened a consulate in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.  The new office in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, will assist Canadian citizens in Greenland with Visa and other government services as well as promote Canadian interests abroad. The Canadian government under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced the plan back in 2024. The consulate opens amidst over a year of increasingly aggressive threats by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at Greenland and Canada.  

February 5: Mark Carney announced a repeal of the Trudeau-era Electric Vehicle Mandate, which would’ve required all new cars sold in Canada by 2036 be electric. In place will be financial incentives for electric or hybrid cars and tighter emission standards on other automobiles.  

International 

February 9: At the start of Day 3 at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Canada is currently tied for 7th place in the medal tally with two bronze medals by Valérie Maltais in Women’s 3000m speedskating and Megan Oldham in Women’s freeski slopestyle. Host nation Italy currently leads with 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 6 Bronze medals. Norway and Switzerland both have 3 Gold Medals.  

Italian protestors have drawn international media attention in Milan where they clashed. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has just opened a terrorism investigation into a series of rail lines were damaged in northern Italy, extending travel time on passenger trains in the area around the Olympics.   

Feb 8: Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, was re-elected with a two thirds super majority in Japan’s parliament. Takaichi, who will govern Japan until 2028, has been keen to take steps towards boosting the country's military.  This could be a break in the decades of Japanese demilitarization since WW2.  

Feb 9: Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded the 5th before a Congressional oversight committee concerning the Epstein Files. Maxwell is already in prison for her role in Epstein’s sex crimes but was moved to a lower security prison by the Trump administration in August 2025. Her lawyer said Maxwell “is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.” 

Millions of files concerning Jeffrey Epstein were released last week, demonstrating close ties between Epstein and other rich and influential men like Elon Musk, Noam Chomsky, Peter Thiel, Bill Gates and many more.  

Super Bowl LX According to StFX Students

The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX in San Francisco against the New England Patriots 29-13 on February 8. The Patriots weren’t able to score a single point for the first three quarters of the game, coming back a bit in the 4th with two touchdowns but never quite being able to make it a close game.  Kate Macmillan, a third-year Human Kinetics major, found it to be a pretty “boring game” due to the lack of offense. While Sophie Kydd, a fourth-year honours psych student, was “sad” the Patriots lost. Second-year Human Kinetics student Marcy Ives “enjoyed seeing Drake Maye get sacked multiple times”, breaking the NFL postseason record. Harry, an anonymous StFX student, won one of three bets, which earned him just over $60 in profit.  “Only one team played well’’ says Harry. “[Patriots Quarterback] Drake Maye showed himself and the world how not to play in a Super Bowl.” 

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance came a week after his album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, became the first album in Spanish to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. The performance included many symbols and non-sequitur details that showcase Puerto Rican culture and history. Towards the end of performance, Bad Bunny said ‘’God Bless America’’ then proceeded to list every country on the American continent, from Chile to Canada.  

Grace MacNeil, a 4th year psychology student, “got up and danced” during the halftime show, calling Bad Bunny’s performance “electric”. Ryan Hippern, a second-year business student, says he “loves” Bad Bunny’s music as well as the “powerful” message he was sending. 

Kate, on the other hand, wasn’t a big fan of the halftime show, because “I’ve never listened to his music, so I didn’t know the songs.”  Miguel Bowles, a 2nd year Forensic Psych student, also noted that his unfamiliarity with the music made his experience “duller” but he appreciated the “deeper message than what originally meets the eye’’ as well as the visuals.  

Marcy said “even though I don’t speak Spanish I loved his performance. From the music, the dancing and bringing out Lady Gage and other big names, but I especially liked the message behind it... Bad Bunny isn’t just one of the biggest faces in the music industry, he represents our identity and that love is stronger than hate.” She argued that controversy around Bad Bunny only singing in Spanish doesn’t make sense “when in the 90’s they were listening to Macarena, Gasoline in the 2000s and Gagnam Style in the 2010’s.” Despite liking the halftime show, Marcy says “no one will ever top my queen Rihanna.” 

Campus Accessibility During Winter

Have you noticed how much snow is underneath your feet during winter on campus? In a climate like ours, snowfall and storms are an inevitable part of student and faculty life on campus. And while during a storm plowing is difficult to navigate, once the sky is clear there is an assumption that streets and sidewalks will be too.  

However, many students and staff have noticed a less-than effort by StFX to clear the walkways and paths of snow by the time that campus opens after a storm. Roads and parking lots are decently plowed and salted, but sidewalks remain hard to navigate, with dense, packed snow more present than solid ground. Not only is this difficult for able-bodied individuals, but it is also especially difficult for anyone walking on campus with physical disabilities and mobility aids. For this article, I sat down with two disabled StFX students, August Duquette and Ash Jolly, to discuss the current state of accessibility on campus.  

Ash Jolly uses a wheelchair and crutches as mobility aids to maneuver around campus and revealed to me that he has been having issues getting around. On the first major storm day that Antigonish experienced, they were completely unable to leave their dorm due to the condition of the ramp outside MSB. While there were no classes, Ash pays for a meal plan, and due to the snow on ramps and sidewalks, he had to order food from elsewhere to eat that day. This has been a problem since the break, and during the month of January they have paid over $200 for food and missed 5 classes due to improper walking conditions.  

Ash has contacted Facilities Management several times about plowing and salting the ramps and sidewalks, and despite reassurance that they will be able to get around freely on campus there has been little done. He remarked that even when ramps and sidewalks are plowed, oftentimes there is still a layer of snow underneath people’s feet, creating divots and bumps that make it hard to navigate while on wheels or crutches.  

Similar feelings and experiences were shared in my interview with August, who has CMT-1, which mainly affects their balance. This means that stairs with no accessible handrails, and any walkways that have packed snow or bumpy terrain are inaccessible for them. Over the past month, August has been unable to easily walk from their residence to various classes, having to outright miss a class in the Coady Institute due to a lack of plowing and salting on the sidewalks/stairs. They have also experienced several days both this and last semester where they had to pay for food with Morrison Hall being inaccessible.  

August also brought up in their interview the lack of support that physically disabled students have from StFX as a whole. The only service available to contact for campus accessibility issues is Facilities Management, with the other alternative being the Tramble Center whose focus is on academic support. And while contacting Facilities Management should be enough, their responses to both interviewees have been lackluster. They also pointed me to the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act, which states that to have an accessible path snow, water, and ice must all be cleared, with no bumps or slippery surfaces. As StFX has clearly stated they attempt to follow these standards, it is disheartening to see the lack of effort put in to maintain them.  

What many students and staff have witnessed over the past few weeks is that the plowing and salting of roads and parking lots seems to take far more precedence than clearing our walkways, ramps, and stairs. And while both have importance, it’s hard to give StFX grace when you’ve been attempting to walk on packed snow for days while the roads are clear. So, the question remains: how much noise do we have to make for them to see this as an issue? And is it still an accessible campus with how little has been done for the disabled students making that noise? 

Res Life Staff on StFX's Party Culture

“Heavy drinking happens at universities across the board, but StFX is notorious.’’ This is from a MacLean’s article in 2018, the last time they ranked Canada’s top party schools. StFX was first, because if “partying was an endurance sport, St Francis Xavier would take the prize.’’

Quincie Grant, a third year Poli-Sci student and CA at MacIsaac, argues that “party culture should be understood through the style, scope and frequency of the partying.’’ This means recognizing that not all partying is the same. What makes the party then? Grant says, “parties attempt to live up to the expectations, and the expectations cause the parties.” A party on Friday night is built up and created in the conversations, plans, texts, and fit checks all week leading up to it. On a bigger scale, party culture at StFX is a socialization experiment that each student molds through interacting in it. When asked, Grant says he sees an “artificial switch’’, where students are influenced to adopt a party culture they may not otherwise participate in.

Elizabeth Yeo, Vice-President of Students, provided the Weekly with a written statement:

“We know that parties and social gatherings are part of university life, but they don’t define the StFX experience. Our focus is on supporting healthy peer culture — encouraging informed choices, harm reduction, and positive ways for students to connect, whether that’s through residence programming, Mocktail Nights, intramurals, or spending time at the Bloomfield Hub. We also work closely with community partners to support safer celebrations and shared responsibility between students, the University, and our neighbours’’

Savannah Pitman, a second-year student and Bishops Hall CA told me that the staffing issues the Xaverian has previously noted are improving. “They definitely upped the number [of CA’s] this year because of reputations of those buildings” said Pitman. CA’s have reported much less chaos this term than what is usually expected. Pitman said that when a CA sees that they are going to be working in Bishops Hall, for example, their first thought is often “Oh, I wonder what I’m going to deal with.” She later added that Bishops Hall has been “really good this term” and that “[she] wouldn’t say [that it’s] tame, but it’s manageable.” First semester of this term, Bishops Hall was fully staffed. This changed between semesters when one of the CA’s changed their residency; since then, damages have gone up. This could be because there aren’t enough CA’s to monitor the whole building. “There were 3 on weekends, now there’s 2” Pitman explained. These damages are paid for by the students in the residence, even the ones who have done nothing to cause the damages. But Pitman said that they are working to correct this issue and to get the damages under control. She also pointed out that a lot of the weekend parties are going across campus, to MacIsaac Hall.

In the Weekly’s conversation with Quincie Grant, he agreed with Pitman, saying that “during my first year Bishops was the party residence, but this year [unlike] last year and the year before, it’s MacIsaac Hall.” Grant made it clear that they are nonetheless “well staffed” and have “more than enough manpower” to manage the job of keeping things under control. Grant says that a full staff of CA’s at MacIsaac would be 11, and that they are currently at 10, but that “they do a good job filling the gaps [in staffing]”. While it’s evident that party culture is embedded here at StFX, Residence Life feels confident in it’s ability to manage it safely.

The Path Towards Belonging: StFX’s Religious Inclusion Action Plan

On January 2nd, 2026, members of the StFX community were invited via email to participate in consultations, in which one could share personal perspectives, experiences, and general feedback regarding religious, spiritual, and non-faith inclusion operates throughout campus. The consultation period ran from January 2nd to January 15th and was formative in adapting the recently drafted Religious Inclusion Action Plan.

The current draft plan is an extension of StFX’s Anti-Racism Action Plan from the President’s Action Committee on Anti-Racism (PACAR) which was released in April of 2023.

The Religious Inclusion Action Plan primarily aims to address and better understand where and how multi-faith inclusion can be achieved, while also remaining grounded in the Catholic heritage of the university.

In an interview with Elizabeth Yeo, the Vice President of Students and Chair of the Religious Inclusion Working Group (RIWG), she provided an overview as to what this new plan is striving to do.

“StFX is a public university with a Catholic heritage,” Elizabeth explains. “So, there was an interest in having the President’s Action Committee think on how we can extend the work we started around anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism, to people who have a variety of religious and faith backgrounds, but also people who are more aligned to spiritual or philosophical world views. So, they don’t profess to a specific religion, but they are interested in being included.”

Elizabeth continues, expressing the impact of inclusion on community wellbeing. “In student services, we look at this work from both the perspective of inclusion, but also from the perspective of wellness. Our philosophy around health and wellness is that spiritual wellness is one of the dimensions of overall wellness. For example, there’s academic, mental, physical, there’s financial, and there’s spiritual [dimensions of wellness]. So, as we started down this pathway, that was the basis of what we wanted to do.”

The Religious Inclusion Action Plan is being operated and overseen by the RIWG, a subcommittee of PACAR. The group is composed of Elizabeth, the committee Chair, alongside several faculty members. There are also positions for both faculty and students which have yet to be filled.

“We had lots of conversations,” Elizabeth said. “The committee (PACAR) has been researching and looking at what needs to happen for a number of years now. Being able to put the consultation document out to show the work and what we’ve arrived at so far, is an exciting time. It shows a great deal of cohesion.”

The document being referenced can be found here, or is accessible through an email sent to all StFX community members on January 2nd. This document summarizes the action plan and organizes it into four main areas. These are:

1. Teaching, Learning, and Research Environment.

2. Working and Organizational Environment.

3. Living and Social Environment.

4. Community Environment.

In addition to the subcommittee, an external consultant, and former VP of Student Affairs at Mount Allison University, Anne Comfort, was enlisted to conduct the one-on-one consultations with community members.

“Students, faculty, staff, everyone was really invited to take a look at the work so far and advise us on the next steps. We really wanted that voice,” she stated. “The consultation opened January 2nd. It was open for a couple weeks and ended on January 15th,” she explained. “She (Anne) has expertise in terms of facilitation and inclusion. She was on campus for a few days in early January and offered a range of appointment times. Those were all filled”

As well, Anne offered online appointments and general input and feedback from the campus community up until the consultation period concluded on January 15th, which also received a significant turnout.

“I was really pleased with the response, and so was Anne,” said Elizabeth. She continued, “I think we had really good perspective from the whole range of views on the topic. It's gone well, and right now she’s reviewing all of that data, and getting ready to share and inform us with the next steps.”

When asked for any general statements regarding the Religious Inclusion Action Plan, Elizabeth responded, “StFX strives to be a community where everyone feels belonging, where inclusion is the norm, because we believe that is an essential part of the experience here. For StFX to truly be the kind of community we aspire to be, all voices and all perspectives need to be recognized, and free to participate to the fullness of their potential.”

As StFX hosts a diverse and multi-faith campus community, the Religious Inclusion Action Plan is another step toward fostering a campus environment that encompasses the religious, spiritual, and non-faith perspectives that shapes a diverse population where all can be properly embraced, recognized, and respected.

Turning Courage into Change: Brock McGillis presents at StFX Pride Event

On Friday, January 9th, 2026, the StFX campus community welcomed Brock McGillis—Canada’s first openly gay professional hockey player—as the Pride month keynote speaker. Now retired from professional hockey, McGillis has transitioned into a career in public speaking where he focuses on using personal courage to inspire meaningful social change.

McGillis opened his talk by reflecting on his childhood and early hockey career. Like many young athletes he spent entire weekends at the rink, with his parents dropping off meals between practices and games. While hockey shaped his identity, McGillis explained that he began to feel isolated as he realized he could not resonate with the big topic of conversations happening in the dressing room: girls. More significantly, he described the impact of casually used homophobic language in hockey culture, which made him feel “bad” and “wrong,” and as though he could not be himself while doing what he loved.

As his career progressed, McGillis said he felt increasing pressure to suppress not only his sexuality but also his personality, believing he had to conform to the stereotypical “hockey bro” image. This contributed to struggles with addiction, self-harm, and declining mental health. On the outside, it looked like he had an awesome life, “getting his friends into clubs VIP at sixteen, with owners coming up with trays of shots.” But on the inside, McGillis said he hated himself and felt trapped in a career path that was slowly unraveling. His lack of self-care eventually led to recurring season-ending injuries, further derailing his career.

After stepping away from professional hockey in Europe, McGillis returned to Canada and began a period of personal change. He went on his first date with a man, formed a close friendship with another openly gay man involved in the hockey world, and later experienced the devastating loss of that friend in a car accident, the only person he had come out to at the time. Following this loss, McGillis decided to come out to his family. He shared that his brother Corey’s response “Yeah? So? You’re Brock and I love you” was exactly what he needed.

Following his retirement, after being involved in professional hockey since 2001, McGillis moved back to Sudbury and began working in off-ice training and skill development with young hockey players. Although he believed he was keeping his sexuality private, he later learned that after a hockey mom attempted to set him up on a date, many of the athletes and parents already knew. This realization led McGillis to conduct what he called his own “sociological experiment”, observing how language and behavior functioned within hockey culture. He described a defining moment that occurred while he was away, when a younger athlete used the phrase “that’s so gay” in response to being assigned extra sprints by a substitute coach. An older player immediately intervened, saying, “We don’t say that here. Drop down and give me 50 push-ups.” According to McGillis, moments like this began to spread across teams and cities, demonstrating how small acts of accountability can lead to cultural change.

McGillis emphasized that everyone has the ability to use their influence and “make the world a bit better for everybody.” In 2016, after attending a Toronto Pride charity event, he partnered with a journalist to publicly come out. Following the article’s publication, McGillis received thousands of messages in support from people around the world, leading to public speaking events and eventually his own television series in the United States.

Reflecting on his journey, McGillis said the most important lesson he has learned is that “each and every one of us in this room has the ability to create a shift.” He added that these shifts create ripple effects that may never be fully visible but are often more powerful than expected.

McGillis concluded by outlining three ways individuals can help create change: humanizing others, being brave in using language that fosters inclusive environments, and breaking conformity. “What if we taught people, it was okay to use their voice?” he asked. “What if it was courageous? What if it was celebrated?” He ended the event by challenging attendees to bring their full selves into every room they occupy, reminding them that “the world deserves to see that.”

Priscilla Queen of the Highlands: A Show Students Won’t Be Forgetting Soon

Last night in the Bloomfield Mackay Room the “best drag show on the East Coast” came to our university. Put on by StFX Gender & Sexual Diversity Advising, it was a great end to our Pride Month here at StFX, and a show that gave students and our community audience an amazing experience. Though a drag show is often a feature of the Freshman Welcome Week, that was only a taste of what Priscilla presented. With local drag queens such as Cookie Cunningham and Briget von Snaps, this was an East Coast special that was unforgettable.  

For those who missed it, here’s a quick recap. With pink and colourful lights, a stage was set for some of the best drag queens on the East Coast. For those who have never been to a drag show before, you could say this was a type of show that would blow your socks off. With expertly performed lip-syncs, incredible dance acts, and comedy to fill in between sets, each drag queen showed up in style to make the night an experience for all those who went. It even featured some burlesque, which was a crowd favorite. 

The event was sponsored by some of our local business like the Tall and Small Café, as well as the Golden X Inn, and in the crowd, you could even find some of our U representative like the VP of Campus Affairs, Mack Murphy. When asked about her experience, she said it was “amazing and a truly safe space for all LGBTQIA+ folks. So much talent and so much love!” Mack couldn’t have summarized it better. The space was welcoming and felt like a truly special place for all those who performed and watched. As my close friend Sheriden Belair put it, “It was so much fun! It was so refreshing to see such good representation here at StFX. Can’t wait for the next show!” It was refreshing and inspiring to see events such as Priscilla here on campus. All in all, I agree with Sheridan: I can’t wait for the next show!  

Super Fire Athletics: Embracing the True Meaning of Sport

For many athletes, success begins and ends with the scoreboard. For Super Fire Athletics, it starts somewhere else entirely. Wins are rare, championships aren’t the goal, and yet their games draw attention for all the right reasons. Step into a gym or field where a Super Fire team is playing, and it quickly becomes clear that the game itself is only part of the story. Between the laughter, post-game interviews, and an organization proudly calling itself “the most serious, unserious team in the league,” Super Fire Athletics has built something that extends far beyond wins and losses.

One day in Mulroney Hall, Super Fire Athletics co-founder, Eric MacGillivary, came up with the idea to start a social media page for their team. Originally started as a joke to celebrate the team’s players, the account quickly gained a following. MacGillivary stated, “originally the account was just gonna be like 30 followers, for this small group of people having fun. It grew way bigger than we ever thought it would be, but people find it entertaining.” Their reach has even extended to faculty members, with some of the players’ professor attending their recent Super Hoopers game, staying not only for the game but also to participate in post-game interviews with the players. Since its inception in 2024, Super Fire Athletics has grown to include three teams: Super Strikers (soccer), Super Spikers (volleyball), and Super Hoopers (basketball), and has gained a following of over 250 people on Instagram. Co-founder Connor Samson expressed his appreciation for their followers, “ I don’t want to think too much of our organization, but the fact that there’s so many dedicated people that are there to support our group and have just as much fun with it, watching the games, as we do playing… it’s good that it just brings people in.”

While Super Fire Athletics may look unconventional from the outside, MacGillivary and Samson say that positivity and togetherness are at the core of everything they do.

“Well, we probably have one of the highest losing records all-time across all of our teams. But we always smile and we always keep it positive no matter what. Something I do is make inspirational videos to hype up the team. I mean it was just for fun at first, but people loved watching them, so I kept doing it. But it’s all about the spirit for us really. We lose so many games, but we still have fun after the game with the interviews and stuff.” – Eric MacGillivary

“I think its all about fun, and teamwork, and the sportsmanship. We’re a very tight-knit group, it’s always fun with the group of students that we have. We’re all very good friends. And like Eric was saying, to have that energy after the game. You could argue that more fun is had with the extra stuff that we do more than the game itself because we really have a good time with that … we just do our best, hope nobody gets hurt, and just have fun out there. That’s what its about.” – Connor Samson

They continued by discussing how their organization really tries to focus on teamwork and enjoying each other’s company while staying active. Their teams have adopted pre-game huddles, post-game interviews, and introduced player of the game recognitions to keep the experience fun and engaging for everyone involved.

This past March, the Super Strikers received the ‘Spirit Award’ from StFX intramurals which is given to the team who best embodies the values of sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and positivity in intramurals. It recognizes the Super Strikers ability to uplift the league with their encouragement and respect for all intramurals participants. MacGillivary says, “We didn’t win on the scoreboard, but we won in spirit, so we got to be [at the Awards banquet] and celebrate the rest of the teams. So that was a pretty proud moment”.

While sitting down with MacGillivary and Samson, both emphasized the impact intramurals have had on their lives as students. Samson described intramurals as a much-needed balance to the academic demands of university life, offering a mental reset and a chance to reconnect with friends outside the classroom: “it’s a good balance… a break from academics… it clears my mind and helps the academic side of things.” MacGillivary added, “I thought my grade twelve gym class was the last time I was ever going to play a sport … so the fact that intramurals is a thing at StFX is one of the greatest perks.”

In a time when many are overwhelmed by academic pressure, Super Fire Athletics continues to embrace the true meaning of sport, proving that success is not always found on the scoreboard, but rather in teamwork, friendship, and being just serious enough to have fun.

An Interview with Student Union Executive Vice President Candidate Katelyn Ball

The U’s general election is once again upon us. Polls will open this Thursday, the 29th of January. There are three students running for Executive Vice President this year, one of which is Katelyn Ball, a second-year university student who is doing her first year at StFX in the Applied Forensic Psychology program. The other two Executive Vice President candidates, Robert Fox and Erin MacCallum, did not respond to an interview request. We conducted an interview with her about her campaign:

Interviewer J.T. Campbell: The first question is that, within the campaign statements that were put out on the U’s Instagram, the word ‘advocacy’ was mentioned a lot. For the sake of it not being just a buzzword, what does advocacy mean to you? What is your plan to put student advocacy into practice?

Katelyn Ball: I can definitely acknowledge that advocacy is a very widely used term, especially when you’re running, for me it kind of just means, if you’re saying something, asking for help, or you have an idea, that it should be brought to the people that can do something about it. So, it’s a lot to say that you can bring up an idea or concern online or on the forms that come at the end of courses. But I think it’s important to know that someone’s actually going to take those concerns and take them to people that can do something about it (…) I would like to do something where there is a kind of forum on the StFX website where you can put in feedback for specific things at any time. For example, students that are on the meal plan can submit some sort of feedback. I think it’s important to know where you can put your information and to know that Somone’s going to take it to executive meetings and to the people who organize those things.

JC: So next up is a pretty much a cover letter question, what experiences and skills do you have that will make you good for this position?

KB: I’m currently working as an academic advocate with the union. Students will bring their grade concerns, or if they got in trouble for plagiarism or got a zero on something they shouldn’t have. I help them navigate that process. I’ve also worked in supervisory roles in two of my jobs thus far, I’ve worked customer services, so I have lots of experience dealing with people and supervising different roles. I’m also a part of the Elizabeth Fry society; that’s a big advocacy thing for gender-based violence. I am also writing an article for the [Forensic Psychology student publication] the Annex on gender-based violence.

JC: What sort of policies do you intend to work on if you’re elected?

KB: I think one of the main policies that The U is currently working on, I know they’re working a lot on the AI one. I think that students, in their heads, are like “oh, if I use ChatGPT, I’m getting a zero”. I think it’s important to kind of make sure that policy is really clear, especially for different types of courses. I know some profs are okay with using it to formulate study questions or that type of thing. So that would be one that I would like to look over and kind of clarify and see if there’s anything that needs to be added.

JC: What inspired you to run for the Student Union executive?

KB: Honestly, I didn’t really even know it was an option, but I got hired as the academic advocate by the current VP Executive [Alessandro D’Aquino]. So, we’ve chatted a few times, he’s talked to me about his position and it seems interesting to me. I like to be in the know, and I’m sure there are also a lot of other students that would like to know what’s going on more than they do now. So that’s what inspired me, to make sure that people really know what’s going on and feel like they can bring up concerns.

JC: Why did you choose to come to StFX?

KB: There’s a couple reasons. I’m a transfer student, at the school I was at I started a double major in bio chemistry and psychology. I’m not sure whether it was the degree, the school, or just being at home at Winnipeg that I wanted to change. StFX was not my first idea for that change, I was actually going to join the Navy. It turned to about May or June of 2025, I didn’t hear anything back regarding acceptance or basic training. I didn’t want to go back to CMU, the Navy hasn’t got back to me, I need to do something. I knew that I wanted to still do a science degree but in the Forensic Psychology area. Being May, there wasn’t a lot of applications still open. There were some in the states and some in Ontario. StFX caught my eye because I have a cousin that came here and I noticed they have the Applied Forensic Psych program.

JC: What do you think the biggest problems for students are on campus?

KB: I think one big thing is not knowing where to go to find information. I know that’s one thing I struggle with. There are big communication gaps I think between different forms of leadership, whether it’s the Union, professors, departments. I think that not knowing where to go to find information can be solved if you solve the communication gaps. I think its important to have areas that people can go that are kind of like a hub for information, like specified contact information. One thing that I do really want to do to fix those communication gap is to post scheduled meeting recaps on what the union has worked on this month, just to kind of have people feel like they’re being updated.

JC: Imagine its 1AM on a Friday, you just got out of a bar, you and your buddies want to get a slice of pizza. Where are you going?

KB: Kenny’s, it’s the first pizza place that I went to when I came here for the first time, and the slices of pizza they give you are huge and greasy which is just what you want after the bar.

The following is Katelyn’s campaign statement, visible on the StFX Student Union Instagram page (@theuofficial):

My name is Katelyn Ball, and I am a Bachelor of Science student, majoring in Applied Forensic Psychology with plans to declare honours at the end of the academic year. I am running for Executive Vice President of the Student Union because I strongly believe that all students deserve to feel heard, valued, and included as they shape and enjoy their own unique journeys here at StFX. I currently work with the Student Union as an Academic Advocate, supporting students navigating academic concerns and ensuring their perspectives are taken seriously. As Executive Vice President, I want to help create a Student Union that students feel comfortable coming to; one that is accessible, listens, follows through, and represents the real needs of the student body.

Polls open this Thursday. Make sure to cast your vote!

An Interview with Student Union President Candidate Alessandro D’Aquino

On January 29th, polls will open for The U’s annual general election, where students will have the opportunity to cast their votes for both Student Union President and Executive Vice President roles. This will conclude the ongoing campaign period for each candidate, with there being three students running for Executive Vice President, and only one for the Presidential role.

We interviewed said Presidential candidate, current Executive Vice President and 3rd year finance honours student, Alessandro D’Aquino. He spoke about his campaign, promoting student advocacy, and plans to combat adversities StFX students face.

Kamryn Aitchison (KA): As you are the only candidate for President in this year’s election, why do you think you are the only one running for this position?

Alessandro D’Aquino (AD): Honestly, I think it’s one of the main problems of the student union and the university in general. There is low engagement with the student union. We already tried to work on it this year, and personally I try to do a good job. As you can see there are three people running for my role. The people that are running, two of them work with me. One of them is the Academic Advocate and the other is the Research and Policy Associate. Other than that, there is low motivation for students to apply. For example, I opened a senate position in October, and I had no applicants.

Alessandro expands further on this issue, explaining that a common misconception about The U is one must already hold some sort of position within the union to run for such titles.

AD: Honestly, I’m not sure why no one is running for president, I would say some people think to be the president you must already be inside, which is not true. If you have good intentions, you’re a good person, you have high engagement, you can still do it. So, we need to understand better why students don’t see these as bigger opportunities, because these are good opportunities for their resume, and good leadership roles.”

KA: How will your experiences as Executive VP play into your role as president?

AD: As I said before, you can apply for president if you were not in the student union, but for me it’s given me the right knowledge for what to do next year. I have the right training, and I have a good relationship with everyone on campus, so even that is going to be helpful for me. Knowing the administration and the deans is going to be very important for me. Like if I want to push the university for policies or projects.

KA: In an Instagram post made by The U, each candidate provides a statement on their current plans and goals if elected. In these, student advocacy appears as a common theme. What exactly does student advocacy mean to you, and how do you plan to put it into practice?

AD: One of my main goals is to represent the students on many levels, like in academics, or even in terms of mental health. There are so many levels, probably more than 10 that we have to control. What I can tell you is that advocacy is playing a big role this year at the student union. At the same time what we have to do is continue on this path next year.

Alongside the many facets of student representation which Alessandro discussed, he also explains as to why there can often be a lack of continuous advocacy for students.

AD: Sometimes what happens is that students start working on policies or doing a good job with advocacy, and when there is this switch of the team, basically those policies and those projects are lost. So next year, our main goal would try to be consistent and keep working on what we are already doing good on this year.

KA: What experiences and skills do you have that would make you a good candidate for the position

AD: I don’t like talking about myself a lot, I normally prefer other people telling me what skills I have. What I will say is what I normally hear from others, which is the way I engage with people is very helpful to them. I’m very transparent with people. I always try to motivate the team, and I bring new ideas. I’m very creative.

KA: What sort of policies do you intend to work on when elected?

AD: As Executive Vice President this year, one of my priorities was AI. As of now we don’t have an AI policy. Every professor can deal with AI in the way they prefer. To be fair under student perspective but also professor perspective, it would be very important for us to have an AI policy that’s gonna state everything. AI is definitely going to be one of my main priorities, but I know that Hayley, who is the VP of external affairs is working on other policies, so my goal would be to continue what she’s been working on, either with her or the person who is coming into her role

The topic of AI and the lack of policies for it at StFX has been a popular discussion around campus in recent years, with regulations for varying between professors, often creating conflicting rules and understanding for students.

AD: Other than that, I’ve been working on the grade appeal process, it’s less of a policy, but it’s still something very important for the university. It’s not very easy for students to figure out how to make a grade appeal, it’s very unclear. I was able, with the Dean of Science, to rework it, and we submitted a proposal, so that was a very important step, and that’s advocacy.

KA: What inspired you to run for president?

AD: I want to run for president because we have been achieving a lot since I was here, but I think we can still do a lot more. Since my second year I started doing a lot with societies, working jobs, like a CA. I generally did a lot, so I care about the experiences of the students at StFX, probably more than mine. I would be happy to know all students are comfortable to be here and living their best lives.

KA: What do u think is one of the biggest problems for students on campus?

AD: If we’re talking about on campus, I definitely think we should have more events for first years in residence. [The lack of events within residence are] also causing problems for Residence Life and for the students themselves. Another problem we’re already working on are textbooks, because they are very expensive. Even for me, my finance course textbook was $160. It’s difficult for many students to face these expenses that we’re not even expecting.

Alessandro continues, expanding on his plans to combat the rising textbook prices students face.

AD: I’ve been talking with the registrar and the librarian, and so hopefully, I’m not a hundred percent sure that next year we will have a new column when you register for courses; that will tell you which courses have expensive textbooks. I tried to push to present the exact cost of textbooks for each course, but that was very difficult.

KA: Why did you choose to come to StFX?

AD: I’m from Italy, so one night I was surfing on the internet, and I was looking for a university for financing in Canada. I was studying in Italy, but I didn’t like it that much. I also was feeling that I had the need to leave and go somewhere else for the experience. I applied to some universities, and I was supposed to go to McMaster, but then I saw StFX. I was reading so many articles about the culture and everything and was like, ‘that could be my place’, so I decided to come here. It’s not for the program itself, it’s more for the experience.

KA: Where is the best place to get pizza in Antigonish?

AD: For me it’s like ‘let’s go to Spin’ and then Kenny’s is there, so we go there. Very rarely if Kenny’s is too busy, then we go to The Wheel. But my place is Kenny’s.

Polls will open on Thursday, January 29th, and all students will have the opportunity to vote for President and Executive Vice President. Students will be invited via a link sent to their student email.

The following statement was provided via email by Alessandro D’Aquino after his interview:

I care about students and their experience, and I care about the work. Students deal with academic pressure, financial pressure, and a lot behind the scenes. The Union is here to support them through that with clarity, purpose, and consistency. There’s a lot of work the Union does every day that students don’t see, but it matters, in advocacy, in policy, and in how the University listens. This year taught me that caring means advocating for students in classrooms and committees, helping them through policies they shouldn’t have to navigate alone, and working with the University so progress doesn’t stop every year. I want continuity that becomes impact. I’m running for President because I want to make a difference students can feel.

Xaverian Pride Art

Pride month for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is celebrated every year during the month of June. However, it can be hard for universities to celebrate with students out for the summer. This is why every January, the StFX XPride Society and GSDA invite everyone to celebrate their pride. They organise a variety of events every week to build up the community on our campus and to bring students together. It is an incredible time to reflect on the pride we feel, the rights that we have fought for, and to recognise the amazing members of our community. 

I’m using this article, and the month of January, to celebrate some of the artwork members of our community have created. The XPride Society has reached out to members and asked for pieces to display in this article, and we have uploaded these pieces on our Instagram. Please check them out on @thexaverianweekly

X-Women Hockey: Champions in Motion

In an intense battle between the StFX Women's hockey team and the University of New Brunswick Reds in March of 2025, the X-Women defeated the Reds 2-1, earning the title of the 2025 AUS Women's Hockey Champions. This season, the X-Women look to defend their title for the 2026 season. As of the current rankings, the X-Women sit in the top five nationally in U-Sports and are ranked second in the AUS division, with a current season record of 17-5. 

Captained by Landyn Pitts, the X-Women have shown excellence, grit, determination, and power within the AUS. This past weekend, the X-women defeated the Saint Mary’s Huskies with a dominant 6-0 victory. Tea Pearce was named Player of the Game, while Laci Boyd and Lainey Joyce received second and third star honours. Goals were scored by Pearce, Ireland McCloskey, Toby Graham, Joyce, Boyd, and Alexis Perry. In goal was Brooklyn Oakes with a shutout performance.

This past weekend, both games carried meaningful recognition and awareness initiatives. Friday’s game marked Bell Let's Talk Night, supporting mental health awareness, with towel and buff giveaways, and the opportunity to fill out speech bubbles. Led by Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) members Skye Koyote and Zach Houde, this event closed out a week of campus-wide mental health awareness events. 

“Mental Health week at StFX is in honour of Bell Let’s Talk Day, where we are trying to help break the stigma and keep the conversation around mental health moving in athletics, especially. As a 5th-year athlete, I have had my share of injuries and tough moments in the sport, as well as many really special ones, and I was really excited to bring some speakers in with the two webinar sessions we had, as well as organizing our yoga night, the speaker panel, and raising awareness at the X-Women’s hockey game Friday night. My fellow SAAC mental health rep, Zach Houde, was so fun to work with, and we couldn’t have put on any of the events without help from the Athletics staff. Having the opportunity to drop the puck at the game with Zach was very cool for sure, and I’m very honoured to have been given the opportunity to do so, but that’s not why we do what we do. We put in the extra time, so that other people can feel important and cared for, and to continue the conversation around mental health because it’s not an easy one” - Skye Koyote (SAAC Mental Health Representative).

On Saturday, the X-Women faced the Dalhousie Tigers and earned a 5-1 victory. Jorja Burrows was named the Gabriel Pizza player of the game, with twenty saves that helped the X-Women to victory. The game was played in recognition of Motionball, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness, fostering inclusion, and providing opportunities for Special Olympic athletes. “Having Special Olympic athletes with us tonight is what Motionball is all about… bringing people together through sport and celebrating inclusion, teamwork, and community,” said Alison LeBlanc, a second-year Human Kinetics student and an executive member of the StFX Motionball committee as one of the varsity athlete coordinators.

As the season continues, the X-Women look to continue their top performance this weekend against the Mount Alison Mounties. 

Building Prosperity: Nobel Laureate James Robinson Explains How Institutions Shape Nations

On Tuesday, October 28th, St. Francis Xavier University and the community of Antigonish welcomed Nobel Prize winner James A. Robinson as the inaugural speaker for the Brian Mulroney speaker series, which welcomes thinkers representing diverse points of view to examine topics and issues facing the world today. 

James Robinson, a prominent economist and political scientist, opened the discussion honouring former prime minister, Brian Mulroney, “as a statesman of remarkable stature who achieved many things for Canada.”

Robinson’s scope of research focuses heavily on world living standards, from Singapore to Qatar, as well as income per capita, which has “enormous consequences for people’s lives, opportunities and welfare.” Building on this foundation, Robinson turned to the central question underlying his work: why some nations achieve prosperity and stability while others remain trapped in poverty and inequality.

To address this question, Robinson discussed how economists have long examined the role of technology and innovation, specifically, “the factors that make humans more productive”, as a key explanation for differences in prosperity. Referencing the Industrial Revolution, Robinson states that it “ushered in the enormous inequality we see in the world today” as it brought in new technologies, the factory system, and new methods of power. As he explained, “the poorest countries in the world don’t innovate very much, and they don’t allocate a lot of resources to innovation.”

On the topic of innovation, Robinson states that “the crucial thing in having an innovative society is you have to structure the rules, the institutions, and the incentives so all of that latent talent can come to the top”. This is in reference to the patent system, which Robinson believes to be beneficial to those countries with thriving economies. It has the property of inclusivity, meaning anyone could come forward with an innovation, file a patent, and everyone must pay the same fee while the state enforces your intellectual property rights. Having inclusive economic institutions (the patent system being one of them) is what raises productivity and living standards. “Innovation is what it’s all about.”

In explaining how these inclusive institutions work, innovation and incentive are central factors; however, they are not the only way to achieve inclusion. Robinson elaborates on how you can “bring innovations from outside, import innovations and you can import people also, who have skills and knowledge who can use innovations,” referencing the success Korea and Singapore have achieved economically.

Building on the idea of inclusive institutions, Robinson raised a key question: what explains the variation in economic systems, and why do some countries develop effective property rights while others do not?

 The answer: politics. To have successful inclusive economic institutions is to have inclusive political institutions. The two dimensions to this are having a state with capacity and the broad-based distribution of political power.  

Robinson discusses how when you have extractive economic growth, and when you have extracted political institutions, growth is transitory. He quotes Lord Acton who says that “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” He argues that “concentrated autocratic power always ends up getting abused at the expense of people’s welfare and also at the expense of the economy” and “to have innovation you have to allow people to do their thing, you have to allow people to just go for it, to allow them to build businesses and be entrepreneurs.”

Looking into the future, the presentation closes with an emphasis that institutions must be flexible and forward-looking to keep pace with technological change, globalization and evolving labour markets. Without adaptability, even established systems risk deepening inequality and disillusionment. By fostering innovation, protecting rights, and ensuring opportunities for all, inclusive institutions can not only sustain prosperity but also shape a future where societies thrive together.

"This Band of Gold is Your Band of Friends": StFX Students Remark on Their X-Rings

About a month ago, StFX hosted its annual X-Ring ceremony. This is where students receive their rings—an important symbol to those who graduate—and venture into their final semester at this school.

I received mine this year and it was a relieving achievement, especially after four long years of studying towards an honours degree in history. The ceremony was extravagant, with over 1000 students receiving their rings. There were many speakers in attendance to congratulate us on our achievements, from faculty to students. After a brief period of visiting our first-year residences (Go FX Hall!) everyone prepared for that nights Super Sub at the Golden X Inn.

So, this weekend I popped over to Mulroney Hall, a popular study spot, to ask some X-Ring recipients what they thought of their rings.

“Its pretty cool,” says Ethan, a Psychology major, “I never expected I would get this far and get my ring. It’s really shiny, it encapsulates what it means to be a Xaverian at the end of the day. I’m really proud of it, hopefully I can show it off to the world wherever I go.”

Ethan echoes the pride in Xaverian spirit, a pride that anyone who’s witnessed a live speech by Andy Hakin would understand. The school often emphasises the importance of being part of a larger worldwide community that graduated from StFX.

Harrison, one of our own writers at The Xaverian Weekly, also obtained an X-Ring this year. “It makes my finger break out. But you know what, I thought about it a lot. I had a lot of foolishness before I came up here this year. Before I got it, I looked at the X-Ring like ‘y’know what, I’m going to have this for the rest of my life and it’s going to symbolize the failures of my life that happened here.’ But in the end, I was sitting in the ceremony and going to the Super Sub after, this ring is friendship, this ring in community, this ring is late-night studying, late nights in the library. This band of gold is your band of friends. You’re going to see them everywhere, I see them like they’re beacons, and now I got my own, and it makes my finger break out [chuckles].”

Harrison’s (somewhat comical) perspective of the X-Ring is true. The X-Ring is recognized widely across Canada and the world. Dr. Hakin remarked upon this in his speeches at last month’s ceremony.

Aaron, a History major, says “I feel like you’re wearing the milestone on your hand and its cool, personally for me it represents the mental and physical struggle of being dedicated to school and working to do something, then finally getting it and you’re not even at the finish line. But it does motivate you at the same time to keep going (…) Yeah, I think it represents the effort going in to getting the degree.”

Chris, who is in the Math honours program and received his X-Ring last year, talked about how finishing his last semester while having an X-Ring feels, “It represents that milestone, it doesn’t really feel real. It just feels like a lot of struggles and then you get your X-Ring and you’re like, oh wow.” He explains, “I was talking to my friend, he found that his friends who got the X-ring, after they got it, their motivation to do school just went way down. It feels too close to the finish line. But I got mine last year, so I didn’t really get that too bad because I knew I still had a full extra year to get my honours.”

Chris touches on how one can start to lose steam after receiving their X-Ring. This is a common thing, partially fueled by finally getting the ring and being so close to the end of the semester. For those of us who received our rings, we are in the final stretch of our degrees. Many of us will be heading right into jobs, others will return to StFX’s famous Bachelor of Education program, and some will be moving onto graduate studies. Regardless of where we end up, we will be carrying the X-Ring with us all the way.

StFX Basketball: Shooting for the Cure

On Friday night the X-Women and X-Men Basketball teams took on the Dalhousie Tigers in their annual Shoot for the Cure games, an event dedicated to supporting breast cancer awareness and research. The X-Women earned a convincing 79-58 victory, improving their record to a 9-4 season. The X-Men followed with a 90-76 point victory, boosting them to a 10-3 record and securing the top spot in AUS standings. Player of the game honours were awarded to Mali Straker for the X-Women and Nicolas Naire for the X-Men.

Beyond the results on the court, the night carried deeper meaning for many fans and athletes. First-year guard and Human Kinetics student Ava MacNutt from Halifax, Nova Scotia shared how breast cancer has impacted her family, and what the game meant to her. “My aunt had breast cancer many years ago and got very sick. She was only 40 when she was diagnosed,” MacNutt recounted. “Being able to play in the game means a lot to me, because I think raising awareness for breast cancer screening and treatment is super important. If funds raised from this game can help even one person beat this disease it would be amazing.” MacNutt added that the night was especially meaningful as her aunt, a now survivor, was in attendance and remains one of the X-Women’s biggest supporters.

Now in its 19th year, USPORTS’ Shoot for the Cure campaign has raised over $2 million in support of breast cancer awareness and research since its inception in 2007. This year, the campaign hopes to reach a fundraising goal of $100,000. 

Those interested in supporting the cause can donate to the USPORTS Shoot for the Cure campaign using the link below. Donations help the Canadian Cancer Society fund life-saving cancer research, provide support and information to individuals living with cancer, and advocate for health policies that will improve the lives of Canadians living with cancer.

Donation link…

https://fundraisemyway.cancer.ca/shootforthecure

Low Resolution, High Sentiment: The Return of Digital Cameras on Campus

It’s a Saturday night at Candid, and my friend asks if I want a picture. I smile and say yes, expecting her to pull out her phone and snap a quick shot. Instead, she pulls out a small, shiny silver camera. Its real name? A Canon PowerShot, circa 2007 (that’s the same age as the freshmen this year). My friend clicks the flash on and I smile, and she tells me she will send me the downloaded photos tomorrow.  

This exact scene is now a common occurrence, and when I scroll through Instagram digital camera photos compose half of the photo dumps. Small yellow letters reading off the date at the bottom of the photo and the battery symbol at the top, both key features of a digital camera flick. Yet we just entered a new year, marking almost 20 years since the birth of these cameras – so why are they everywhere? Is this just another trend? Or is the resurgence of digital cameras on campus an intentional throwback to an earlier, more digitally simple time? 

Once I came to the realization that digital cameras were making a comeback, I started to notice them at the Inn, at Spin (also known as Oak Manor), and even Dooly’s. First, I had to ask the logical question: why digital cameras if the modern smartphones photo quality is unmatched? To investigate I asked to borrow my mom’s digital camera (from when I was about 2 years old). In order to understand exactly why these little vintage devices were coming back, I took the camera with me on a night out, where I began to see some of the appeal. While the shots were nowhere near my phone’s camera quality, they had something else going for them. Instead of perfect quality, they had a filtered element that made them appear as though they were memories. Did they have high resolution? No. But what they did have was the key factor: nostalgia. After downloading the photos off the camera, I took a closer look and found they looked exactly like the slightly grainy pictures from my childhood. I had initially thought that the lack of clarity to the photos were a downside, but I was beginning to see how these cameras were in a way, comforting. 

The digital camera revamp was not due to camera quality, but instead because the photos were exactly the kind of look people were going for. Yet is it only nostalgia that has caused StFX students to hop on the digital camera bandwagon? It is clear that the camera is well loved for its aesthetic reasons, but could it also have something to do with the fact that the cameras only has one use: to take photos? It doesn’t connect to Instagram or TikTok but instead takes the manual process of uploading photos to share with friends. Could students actually be trying to disconnect and ‘unplug’? I turned to my friend, fellow second-year student Lauren Anderson, who had initially piqued my attention with her 2007 digital camera. She explained how her camera, one that she had gotten when she was eight or nine years old, as a limited number of photos can take (around 14-22). Lauren illustrated how it allowed her to engage more with her camera and less with her phone, “I can’t take a million photos and sort through the best ones to post, it’s always just one photo that makes the moment feel more authentic.” These cameras, then, are for students more than an aesthetic, but a way to be more authentic and engaged with what they are experiencing. It appears as though digital cameras are a trend that is inspiring students to look up at what’s around them, by taking a step into the past. 

Digital cameras, nearly as old as the students on campus, seem to be a trend that is sticking with the student body. From the nostalgia the photos generate, to the appeal of the simplicity and the aesthetic and creative control they offer, it appears as if digital cameras are here to stay. As 2026 begins it looks like StFX is taking a step back to a less technically developed time, and I cannot wait to see how this will manifest beyond the flash of a camera.  

Seniors for Climate: Fighting for Tomorrow

Whether you’ve seen their posters around campus, passed by Town Hall during their Friday rallies, or attended one of their many events, you’ve likely encountered S4C Antigonish in some way or another. Seniors for Climate (S4C) is a nationwide movement working to bring seniors together in the fight against climate change. The organization was born from a network of climate rallies that took place in the fall of 2024 and since then, over eighty S4C chapters have emerged across Canada, including one in Antigonish. 

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Edwin DeMont and Leslie Buckland-Nicks, President and Vice President respectively of S4C Antigonish. Both taught in the biology department at StFX and have been involved with environmental activism in Antigonish for many years. Alongside a passionate team of fellow seniors in town, they’ve organized events, connected with local leaders, and grown S4C Antigonish into a powerful presence in the community. 

The scope of events that S4C Antigonish has carried out in the past year alone is impressive. “We’ve been very busy,” Edwin told me with a laugh. The group held a series of Earth Day events this past spring, which included presentations on the local impacts of climate change on the harbour, a bioblitz on the Landing Trail, and a film viewing at the town library. (Leslie especially recommends watching “Later is Too Late,” a short documentary of the 2024 inaugural rally that can be found on YouTube!). This fall, they organized meetings with the communities of Arisaig, Pomquet, and St. Andrews to discuss local concerns about the environment and the impacts of climate change. One of the group’s most notable events took place on September 20 with Draw the Line, an international day of advocacy for social and environmental justice that the national S4C movement partook in through a series of events across Canada. S4C Antigonish reached out to local government representatives, groups and societies at StFX, and non-profits across Nova Scotia to organize a gathering in the Coady Gardens followed by a rally and social at Candid. 

Considering the often-adversarial nature of environmental activism, it’s inspiring to see the emphasis that S4C places on collaboration with local governments. “We’ve done quite a bit of work connecting with the municipality,” Edwin told me. In the past year, S4C has been involved in various events with the Town and County of Antigonish, including inviting the region’s sustainability directors to discuss planned climate initiatives with the public and giving a presentation during their annual joint session.  

While speaking on the importance of forming these connections, Leslie mentioned a few words from Katharine Hayhoe, a renowned Canadian scientist who recently discussed the importance of working with the “head, heart, and hands” in unison when tackling climate change. “I think a group like ours has to do all three,” Leslie explained. “We have to be not only providing information but doing things that engage people.” 

Engagement is certainly at the heart of S4C’s mission and the Antigonish chapter works to ensure that all members of the community have an opportunity to participate in their events. In a six-week series this summer, for instance, they hosted nature film screenings at a care home in town. The series aimed to give more elderly seniors the opportunity to learn and feel connected to the environment and is a project that they hope to expand to other homes soon. Leslie also mentioned the Climate Cafes series, which are “twice a month, informal conversations at Candid” where all members of the community are welcome to come and chat. Moreover, another member of the Antigonish chapter, Paul Strome, is focused on collaborations with Indigenous speakers, working to integrate Indigenous perspectives into their advocacy through various events. In terms of further collaboration with StFX, S4C is currently working on making connections with the education faculty, recognizing the importance of supporting climate initiatives on campus and collaborating with student groups including ALPACA and the CLEN Society to host more events in the new year. 

“Sometimes I’ve heard people say, ‘Why seniors?’” said Leslie. “And I would say that seniors have a lot of experiences… We’ve been doing this activism for a long time, so we’ve seen the effect of climate change ourselves. We can notice it. We’ve seen the movement coming and going, different approaches being taken.” 

“We’re concerned about kids and grandkids,” Edwin added. “We’re concerned about what’s happening, what’s going to happen to them.” 

Leslie agreed. “We have a personal, generational interest.”  

Unfortunately, it’s not an interest that all Canadians seem to have at heart. “[The CBC] talked about these surveys they produced across the country [that] listed priorities for people, and climate was tenth on the list,” says Edwin. “…That’s definitely a challenge.” 

In the midst of such statistics and similar discouraging news, S4C’s unyielding drive to fight for the future becomes all the more important. 

As Leslie put it, “You just have to keep doing what you know is right.” 

Moving forward, S4C will continue bringing our communities together and advocating for climate justice. Check out Seniors for Climate Antigonish on their Facebook page and stay tuned for future events! 

The Dangers Libraries Face

The Pictou-Antigonish Regional Libraries (PARL), a not-for-profit independent organization, is facing cuts to hours, services and programs in 2026 if they cannot acquire sustainable funding from the province of Nova Scotia. PARL has launched a “Let’s Talk Libraries” campaign to bring attention to the issue.

The province of Nova Scotia gives a yearly grant accounting for 66% of library funding, equaling $21.62 per resident of Antigonish and Pictou counties. “The price of a paperback,” reads a pamphlet the libraries are handing out to bring attention to the issue. This amount has not changed in 6 years. With rising minimum wage rates, the library struggles in sustaining its staff — as most of the library’s funding goes towards wages. Along with the provincial grant, municipalities contribute 29% of funding and pay for their “specific library’s maintenance, heat, and lights.” The remaining 5% comes from local fundraising.

This $21.62 from the province grants many people opportunities they might not otherwise have access to: WIFI, social spaces, millions of books (print and online copies), thousands of news articles/magazines, and much, much more. Losing access to these programs would be detrimental to residents surrounding PARL branches, who would otherwise not have access to online government services, programs, and educational/recreational materials.

“The budget for programing is $10 000/year for all seven of our branches” says Kristel Fleuren-Hunter, a Children’s Services Librarian. That is roughly $1428 per branch. And yet, on a shoestring budget, the library continues to offer programs such as craft nights for adults, sewing circles, ABCs for babies, toddle time, and more.

“A lot of students come here to study, around exam time,” Kristel mentioned, and “every table, every study corral is full. So, [cuts] can impact … times for people to come in and study if we are not open as often.” And students will sympathize with the up-hill challenge that is securing a study spot on campus, especially during finals season. With the cutting of hours, it is just another place that is not available when students need it most.

Alongside serving the town’s residents, the library also has “a partnership with StFX library, where every month we send up a box of about 30-40 books of leisure reading,” mentioned Kristel, “… you can go to StFX library to do your research and borrow journals, but what about the books for fun? Because, you need to have that sort of downtime too.”

If you would like to support your local library, consider contacting the MLA for Antigonish, the Honourable Michelle Thompson. The link below will bring you to a web page created by PARL with facts about the ongoing situation regarding the libraries, and contact information for Hon. Michelle Thompson, and Nova Scotia’s Premier, Hon. Tim Houston.

https://parl.ns.ca/news/letstalklibraries.php

Are You Interested in Finance? Learn More About the Xaverian Capital Society

The Xaverian Capital Society is an up-and-coming investment fund completely managed by 26 StFX students. With student efforts from Stu Tabor, Thomas Ciha, and Cameron Chubb, the society was able to secure a percentage of the school’s endowment fund and officially launch five years ago with $500,000. At present, they have grown their total Assets Under Management, or AUM, to $800,000 and surpassed their benchmark. Through stock growth, the Xaverian Capital’s first goal is to create a constant flow of money in order to support their endowment fund and bring the community closer to academic scholarships, bursaries and student aid. Within their work, students gain access to windows of opportunities and pathways to success. Their second goal calls for helping students develop central skills in money management through presentations, building a stock pitch, financial modelling, and much more.   

I was pleased to interview Ella Smith and Liam McCullagh, analysts on the team. “It’s competitive in Ontario,” Liam says. And so, the skills brought by the society provide a way for students to combat the market and build experience. “It’s the whole point of experiential learning,” he continues. 

So, how does someone get started? For any interested students, applications open in March with a two-step process. The first involves a cover letter, a resume and a stock pitch. Next, an interview with the presidents. Undergraduates from any year can begin with a copy of the Xaverian Capital stocks and from there, start managing money. All news and updates are involved with a simulation portfolio. Along the way, students learn their needed skills and transfer over to the board. Additionally, an online summer program further allows for guidance through finance basics and technical backgrounds and covers what a financial head needs to know. 

This group of students hone financial competence by actively building connections and meeting guest speakers and others in the field. Smith and McCullagh talk about the society’s activities in recent years, notably, a trip to Toronto with students. “One of our firms was Scotiabank (set up by an alumni) and gathered three different teams for a two-hour session with us. [...] Coming out of university, you would end up going to this one management training program.” Further connections include an individual from PEI who went to Dell and his managing director. Overall, the Xaverian Capital society fosters many opportunities for face-to-face meetings with professionals and even future employers. 

The Xaverian Capital is a great place to hone financial skills, as well as meet others with common interests in finance and the stock market. These motivated students certainly show promise and invite others with keen interests in investing or finance. “Perspectives from a range of majors yields diverse perspectives,” Ella adds. “[Such diverse] people are a plus and add a lot of different skills that we may not have.” All are invited to join and are guaranteed a place to learn for those open to the many resources. From skill workshops, market simulations, working with the market itself, or meeting with professionals, the Xaverian Capital society lets you invest in yourself to build skills to take into the future. 

The Swap Shop: The First Step Towards a Sustainable Campus

On November 19th, a group of 4th year Climate and Environment students hosted StFX’s first Swap Shop.  

“We wanted to try and make essential home goods or stuff like kitchen appliances more accessible and more affordable for people, especially since the cost of living is so high,” said one Swap Shop organizer, Sofia MacFarlane. The Swap Shop was a completely free event where the campus community was encouraged to bring any unwanted and functional items to be repurposed by others, as well as non-functional items to be disposed of ethically and eco-consciously. 

The event took place at the former C4U store in Bloomfield Center and was facilitated by Sofia and three of her fellow classmates, Alyssa MacDonald, Hannah Vogel, and Val von Muehldorfer. The initiative, which originally began as a project for their business administration class, consisted of an item drop off on the evening of November 18th, with the main event from 9am-4pm the following day. The event was promoted on the Swap Shop Instagram page, describing it as a way to “Reduce waste. Refresh your style. Reconnect with your campus.” Attendees were also encouraged to “swap, shop, donate, have fun!” In addition, the organizers provided information regarding how and where to bring hard-to-recycle items in the community. 

In an interview with Sofia, she spoke about the main goal of the event, explaining that “we wanted to create that kind of affordable and sustainable solution to reduce campus waste. We wanted to make a space where you could come look through our items and if there’s something you need, you know we have toasters, microwaves, TVs, stuff like that, even textbooks.”  

When asked about how successful the Swap Shop was, Sofia explains “We didn’t know how it was going to go at first, because we had such a short time to advertise and get people to come out, but there was a pretty good turnout.” She continued, saying, “We got a lot of positive feedback, and all of our items ended up getting taken. After the event, people were really excited about the idea of having a free item store on campus, where people could take items when they’re moving out, or hard to recycle items.”  

With a large portion of StFX’s student population living in residence, the number of appliances, devices, and miscellaneous items that are purchased and discarded while still being completely functional is the prime contributor of campus waste. Even if students choose to move into a house with roommates, there is often an unnecessary amount of items that never get used again.   

Sofia spoke about this issue, explaining how “It creates so much waste moving in and out, especially moving out. Whether people are in residence or living off campus, there should be a place to dispose of items that are still good, and for the sake of making it more convenient to move,” and that “people who live in residence are so quick to buy all these appliances, and then they move into a house with people, and everyone has their own kettle and their own toaster.” 

Another contributor is the number of StFX students who cannot easily travel between campus and their hometown. Many rely on flying and are therefore limited in what they can bring to and from campus. “It would be so much easier if there was somewhere on campus for people to take their stuff instead of having to sort something out on their own. We just want to make it easier for people to leave stuff behind, and know it’s being dealt with responsibly,” said Sofia. 

 Sofia and the other Swap Shop organizers are planning on hosting another event closer to the end of the academic year. With this initiative, campus waste can be significantly reduced and is a vital step towards achieving a more sustainable and eco-conscious campus community.