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Campus News
STFX OFFERS ALL GRADUATES DEGREE PARCHMENTS IN MI’KMAW
When the StFX Class of 2021 received their graduation degree parchments during Spring Convocation, each graduate received two parchments—one in the traditional Latin and one in Mi’kmaw, the traditional language of the Mi’kmaq people, the original people of this territory.
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Going forward, all graduating StFX students will receive two parchments – one in Mi’kmaw and one in Latin.
“ e Mi’kmaw language degree on your parchment is a demonstration of this university’s respect and honour for our shared treaty relationship. We are all treaty people,” StFX President Dr. Andy Hakin said during Convocation as he announced the signi cant change and privilege graduates will enjoy. e idea originated with Terena Francis ’01 ’20, StFX Coordinator, Indigenous Student A airs, who brought the initial inquiry to Tara Buksaitis, Registrar & Director of Enrolment Planning. “I felt it was important to listen to the students,” “I felt it was important to listen to the students,” says Ms. Francis who said the idea stemmed from says Ms. Francis who said the idea stemmed from conversations she has had with students throughout conversations she has had with students throughout the years. A few students would mention it would be the years. A few students would mention it would be nice if they could have their degree parchments given nice if they could have their degree parchments given in Mi’kmaw rather than Latin. “Truthfully and in Mi’kmaw rather than Latin. “Truthfully and respectfully, the Latin language does represent respectfully, the Latin language does represent colonization, we don’t expect for your languages to colonization, we don’t expect for your languages to be dismissed, however, we do expect for our Mi’kmaw be dismissed, however, we do expect for our Mi’kmaw language to be included,” was a common theme of language to be included,” was a common theme of those conversations. those conversations. “I really believe it is a step towards reconciliation,” “I really believe it is a step towards reconciliation,” Ms. Francis says. “ is Mi’kmaw parchment provides Ms. Francis says. “ is Mi’kmaw parchment provides a sense of belonging. Honouring languages is also a a sense of belonging. Honouring languages is also a key step forward in ensuring First Nations people key step forward in ensuring First Nations people can revitalize the language.” can revitalize the language.” Elder and linguist Barbara Sylliboy of Eskasoni Elder and linguist Barbara Sylliboy of Eskasoni First Nation translated the parchment into Mi’kmaw, First Nation translated the parchment into Mi’kmaw, and StFX is grateful for her work translating the parchment. and StFX is grateful for her work translating the parchment.
Jeneva Dennis ’21 says receiving the Mi’kmaw parchment made Jeneva Dennis ’21 says receiving the Mi’kmaw parchment made her feel proud as an Indigenous student and mother. “I was able to show my ve-year-old daughter that I achieved this degree and read the degree to her in Mi’kmaw where she was very happy as well for me! I was shocked to have my degree written in my language, but it’s amazing to see that a university like StFX was able to provide this degree to me this way. It is something very special to me that I hold very close within my identity. In a couple of years, I’ll have another degree with a B.Ed. I’m proud to be a part of the rst year the university distributed the diplomas in Mi’kmaq.”
STFX STUDENT NAMED 3M NATIONAL STUDENT FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
Devon Parris ’21, an honours English graduate, has been named a 2021 3M National Student Fellowship Award recipient—one of only 10 students from across the country to receive the honour. e fellowship is awarded to students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their lives, at their post-secondary institution. Mr. Parris of Kingston, ON is a former varsity athlete and a recipient of one of six inaugural Racial Justice Leadership Grants from StFX’s Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership. He has been a guest panelist on the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government’s 2020 Election Panel, involved in planning StFX’s 2022 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Summit (a conference that spotlights BIPOC academics and students in Atlantic Canada), and appeared at national and regional undergraduate conferences to discuss anti-racist discourse in lm.
SCHWARTZ SCHOOL, COADY PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES THROUGH SEARS INTERNSHIPS
L-r, Dr. Brad Long, Sears Interns Nicolas Coyles, Derin Derici and Victoria Morley, and Yogesh Ghore
A unique partnership at StFX is creating a bridge for Gerald Schwartz School of Business students into the Coady Institute thanks to the e orts of Dr. Brad Long, the John T. Sears Chair in Corporate Social Responsibility in the Schwartz School, and Yogesh Ghore, Senior Program Sta at Coady. Dr. Long has just hired the rst cohort of three students through the new Sears Internships in Social Enterprise Program, made possible through funding from the endowed chair position he holds. e Sears Interns—Victoria Morley ’21, a BBA enterprise systems honours graduate; Derin Derici, a fourth-year BBA student taking an advanced major in marketing, minor in economics; and Nicolas Coyles, a fourth-year student, taking a BBA advanced major in nance, minor in economics—will work on three separate virtual projects alongside Dr. Long, Mr. Ghore, Eric Smith and several other Coady team members, and the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India. “ e idea was for business students to be able to become involved with learning opportunities available through Coady, and I took that as an invitation to consider a broad range of possibilities. Conversations with Yogesh led to the idea of summer student internships – paid summer jobs doing research and/or working on projects that introduce Schwartz students to Coady people, partners, and development approaches,” Dr. Long says.
LAWRENCE HILL WELCOMED AS MCKENNA SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
StFX students—and the wider community— had the terri c opportunity to connect with and learn from one of Canada’s most successful authors, Lawrence Hill, as he led an intensive, week-long virtual residency Jan. 25-29, 2021 as the 2020-2021 McKenna Scholar in Residence. Mr. Hill, a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph and a writer whose novels and non- ction work have been widely read in Canada and around the world, and translated into many languages, taught a series of classes about writing and research and lead ‘StFX Reads: Lawrence Hill’s e Book of Negroes,’ as StFX students and the community gathered to discuss his award-winning novel. Mr. Hill held daily brown bag lunch meetings with students as well as nightly evening events that were free and open to the public. StFX’s star shone this May as the university won ve national awards from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE). “ e CCAE recognizes best practices in the realm of fundraising, alumni relations, and communications at universities and colleges across the country. Annually, the CCAE awards “Prix d’Excellence” are determined through a peer-led evaluation process. We were thrilled to learn that StFX won ve of these awards, leading all of its peer schools in the country,” says Murray Kyte ’87, VP Advancement. “It is a huge honour to receive one award, let alone ve of them! To me, it highlights the quality of our people within Advancement and also across the university as much of the work involves various units working together.” StFX won gold for the ‘Best Community Outreach Initiative’ for Neighbours Helping Neighbours. is volunteer program saw community members and alumni support students during their isolation periods at the start of fall and winter semesters. e award also recognized StFX’s valued partnership with its alumni, and the Town and the County of Antigonish. StFX won gold for ‘Best Fundraising Initiative’ for the Coady Institute’s ‘Circle of Abundance.’ Actors and activists Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively contacted the Coady last summer and o ered their support for the Coady’s Indigenous Women’s leadership programming. e Coady leveraged their major gi to raise over $1 million to support three to ve years of future programming for Indigenous women. Silver medals were awarded for the ‘Best Media Relations Initiative’ for weekly interviews between StFX President Dr. Andy Hakin and 98.9 XFM; silver for Best Alumni Initiative for the Alumni Chapter Challenge; and silver in the “Best Fundraising Initiative” for the ‘Point A er Club.’
STFX ADVANCEMENT WINS FIVE NATIONAL AWARDS
PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS BECOMING ENTREPRENEURS TO HELP TEACH ENTREPRENEURS
Dr. Bailey Gerrits
e Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and StFX are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bailey Gerrits as the inaugural Mila Mulroney Research Chair in Women, Policy, and Governance Leadership. “ e Mila Mulroney Research Chair is mandated to develop and engage with timely research on the roles of women and issues related to women within policy and governance. e Institute looks forward to welcoming Dr. Gerrits. Her feminist scholarship and expertise will be a great asset as the Institute continues to grow,” said Dr. Don Abelson, founding Director of the Mulroney Institute. Dr. Gerrits says this position centres women’s leadership in addressing pressing policy and governance issues, “something Mrs. Mulroney demonstrated herself in her vast charity work. With this opportunity, I am excited to continue my research agenda aimed at tackling gender-based violence and to start two new projects.” Dr. Gerrits has established herself as an expert in gender-based violence and the a ect policy could have on leading to its eradication. Her work examines the stories told about gender-based violence and considers how they contribute to ending or facilitating the violence. Her current projects include explaining domestic violence news patterns in Canada, documenting how Canadian police frame gender-based violence on social media, and comparing gendered social media attacks against women in leadership positions during COVID-19 in Canada and the U.S. Dr. Gerrits has published in peer-reviewed journals, and in addition to being an outstanding scholar, has served on the board of Kingston Interval House, the central domestic violence centre in the Kingston, ON region, and volunteered with Kingston’s Sexual Assault Centre as a crisis-line operator. Dr. Gerrits’ experience working with survivors motivated her to focus her research on domestic violence, and she is passionate about ending gender-based violence. rough collaboration with state and community organizations, her research will be invaluable in this critical endeavour. Dr. Gerrits is nishing her position as a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Winnipeg in the Department of Criminal Justice. She formally joins the Institute in July.
A group of StFX pre-service teachers are learning to become entrepreneurs to help educate future entrepreneurs. Students in Dr. Greg Hadley’s B.Ed. Secondary Business Education class were tasked with conducting a business venture assignment so that they will be well prepared to help teach high school students to do the same. “ is is an important simulation as completing a venture has become an expectation in many high school business education courses,” Dr. Hadley says. “Many assignments in our B.Ed. program are designed to prepare students for classroom teaching. In this case, ‘the venture’ is a curriculum outcome for Entrepreneurship 12, a popular business course in Nova Scotia. Supporting high school students as they plan and launch a venture is generally a good deal of work for the classroom teacher. It was with that in mind that this assignment was born.” e assignment, o ered for the past three years, asks students to create their own venture in a process that closely mirrors what classroom teachers do. Over the years, students have launched food service ventures, planned extra-curricular events, worked with the campus newspaper, and created social enterprises. e students say the learning experience has provided tremendous value.
Pictured are Dr. Greg Hadley and students in his B.Ed. Secondary Business Education class
Shelby Weaver ’11
SHELBY WEAVER
CREATING HER OWN DESTINY WITH TORONTO RAPTORS, SNEAKER BUSINESSES
Shelby Weaver ’11 likes a challenge—whether that’s working on player development as part of her job as director of basketball advancement with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, or running two sneaker businesses.“I’m a real development person, a real people person. at’s satisfying for me,” says Ms. Weaver, who grew up in Halifax, NS and graduated from StFX’s Schwartz School of Business with a nance degree. She’s held her current position for two years and has worked with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) and the Raptors for the past decade.
In her job, she oversees the development of the team’s players mostly o the court, but also ensures the program is strong, working to make both better basketball players and better people as she helps guide players looking to expand their brand, to become involved in community programs and other endeavours.
“Being hands-on and seeing people do their best and seeing that growth from the beginning and (seeing people) maximize their potential, for me, that’s the best part,” she says.
“Being able to help other people really lls me up.”
Ms. Weaver (who brought the NBA championship trophy home to Nova Scotia in 2019) says she’s o en asked what it’s like to work for the Raptors. “It’s amazing to work with the NBA and professional athletes.”
A er a while though, the shine sort of wears o , so to speak, and you have to see the players as colleagues and gure out ways to help move the organization forward. e job can entail a lot of changes and ups and downs, depending on what’s going on, on the court and in the world. You have to be nimble and willing to adapt, she says.
“I like that. I like being challenged and things changing and being innovative.”
She’s certainly had to be innovative the past two years. Normally based in Toronto, Ms. Weaver spent the entirety of last season in Tampa as the team relocated due to COVID-19 and border closures. Prior to that, she was part of the ‘Orlando bubble’ when the NBA nished its 2020 season in Disney.
“For me, it’s always been about leveling up, getting to the next level of what I’m doing. I like that. It’s ful lling. ere’s no textbook for this, you can create your own destiny, that’s exciting,” says Ms. Weaver, who also operates two Toronto-based businesses.
Mack House, in operation for two years, teaches people how to customize their own sneakers, while Makeway, opened in November 2020, is the rst standalone women’s sneaker boutique in Canada. Both are located in shipping containers in a Toronto district known as Stackt.
“I’m probably a little bit crazy, but I’m really happy that I did it,” says Ms. Weaver, who grew up in an entrepreneurial household, and says the two ventures have rounded out her passions. While she loves basketball and her job, owning and building something solely her own gives her “everything I enjoy in life in di erent places.”
Ms. Weaver says she’s been a sneaker fan since her own game days, and is always thinking of how to bend the dress code a bit with a pair of kicks.
“You don’t see me wearing anything other than sneakers. It’s a really cool way to express yourself. For me, it’s a comfort thing. I feel more like myself.” ere’s also a bit of rebellion in there too, she admits. “I don’t think women need to have to wear heels all the time. If they want to, that’s ne.”
Playing basketball had been a big part of her life growing up. Before university she had medical issues, and while she stayed involved with the sport somewhat, she used her university years to start building what her life would look like. At StFX, she became involved in marketing with the Students’ Union, with Campus Police and other organizations. During her senior year, she travelled to Toronto during reading week to investigate possibilities in the sports business eld.
She moved to Toronto three days a er her StFX graduation with the intent of nding work in this eld. Her parents agreed to pay her rent for a month. Almost right to the wire, she got her start as an executive assistant on the business side with MLSE. She ultimately moved over to the sports business side.
Ms. Weaver says StFX greatly impacted her as she bene tted from interesting classes with cool teachers. “ e way people taught was super in uential.” Additionally, she says the range of activities available and welcoming atmosphere gave her independence and experience, while another important part of her time was the friends gained, people she’s still connected with today.
Her recommendations for today’s graduates? “My best advice is don’t be scared of taking risks and taking the big jump. It could take a lot of years and a lot of paths to get to where you want to be. Don’t be afraid to take risks and to back it up with work ethic, innovation, and constantly striving to be better.”
