Special Issue

Special Issue March 2021 Acadia University

THE ATHENAEUM Special Issue

Rylie Moscato

Editor in Chief

Axel Eschholz Jack Spicer Dylan Abel Benjamin O’Toole Soyini Edwards

Managing Editor Copy Editor Business Manager Productions Manager Photography Manager

SECTION EDITORS Kate Robart Jenna Bouwman Tanvi Dabas Max Gustafson Katie Winters Liddy Greer

Arts & Culture News Science Creative Opinions Sports & Wellness

And many other voices from students, alumni and professors

“ALL THE NEWS FROM THE HILL” Acadia’s Student Newspaper 1874-2021

inbox on both Facebook Messenger and Outlook to flood with emails going against the SRC. These emails introduced important factors to be taken into consideration in the conversation around defund The Ath. So, I, along with some alumni and current students, attended the next SRC meeting on Friday March 12th to add our voices to the SRC’s discussion. You can’t have a conversation if it is one sided, so The Ath’s supporters thought it was important to share our opinions loudly.

Before I continue, I want to note that I am looking forward to continuing this conversation and working towards a solution with the SRC. Specifically, SRC members Robbie Holmes and Lara Hartman have been extremely helpful and will continue to be as we work towards a solution together.

However, when The Ath’s supporters shared our opinions by emailing the SRC and attending the meeting, we received aggressive responses back from the President. Apparently, funding wasn’t the only factor that led to the start of the defunding conversation.

Instead, The Athenaeum’s presence on campus, relevance to students, and performance as a whole were cited as factors In an email response from President Brendan MacNeil, he stated that there was a “lack of effort [by The Athenaeum] to change [their presence and relevance] while still continuing to expect full funding from the [Acadia Student’s Union].” As Editor-in-Chief I felt attacked.

Not only did I believe that defunding The Ath was a purely financial decision, but if The Ath’s performance and relevance really was declining, why did I not know about it?

In the most recent SRC meeting, MacNeil cited alleged performance reviews that have supposedly been conducted for The Ath over the years showing the decrease in performance. I never had any knowledge of such reviews, nor have any of the past Editors-in-Chief.

Additionally, our office was moved this year and I went through all the documents and notes that were of importance before we moved. There were no performance reviews to be found. I have asked members within the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU) to look for these reviews and we have yet to come across them.

The Athenaeum is Relevant By: Rylie Moscato ‘22

Many of the articles within this special edition touch on both the impact that The Athenaeum and Axe Radio have made to students and why defunding the newspaper is a bad move on the part of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC). While I would also consider myself impacted by The Ath and firmly am against defunding it, I want to use my voice to discuss what led to this print edition.

As executive members of the SRC have stressed, defunding The Ath began as merely a discussion. As current Editor-in-Chief, this discussion caused my

How is The Ath supposed to improve on a performance level if we have no knowledge of our supposedly bad performance?

To speak to The Ath’s relevance on campus, I believe that the term is completely subjective. We might not be relevant to the members on SRC, but my own experiences with The Ath over the past three years tell a different story.

Firstly, I made it my mission as Editor-in-Chief to release print editions that were of importance this year.

The first print edition that my team worked on focused solely on Women’s Health and Sexuality. We shared stories of students on campus who had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, we shone light on what it means to be truly sex positive, we brought

awareness to the dismissal of women in pain, and students submitted raw and emotional creative work that spoke to their experience as women.

The second print edition (find it on campus now!) discussed the world we live in and ways we can make it a better place. In this edition we were candid about depression, we condemned the performance activism coming off of the Black Lives’ Matter protests of 2020, and we talked about the effects of isolation on communities and students, just to name a few.

I would argue that both print editions touched on topics that are of relevance to students, women and people in colour. And that does not include the articles released weekly by my team online.

Even when I was not in charge of The Ath, I contributed by writing articles that condemned Acadia for not having a strong or functional Sexual Violence Policy and helping students share their frustrations with the registrar’s office and finance departments. My fellow writers touched on other important issues such as the reality of being an international student, the cocaine epidemic, etc. The Ath constantly tries to share concerns of students even when Acadia or the ASU are being critiqued.

Additionally, despite an almost 32% decrease in funds from last year, I had numerous applicants to the job.

Every position that is needed on my staff is filled and we even have an unpaid columnist dedicated just for reporting on the SRC’s meetings. For these students, The Ath was present and relevant enough to apply for a job.

If these factors are behind MacNeil and by extension the SRC’s reasoning, that is completely valid; however, I’m insulted because not only was I unaware of these reasons, but also, I’m being expected to have changed things that I had no idea were even issues.

To speak to the latter half of MacNeil’s assertion that we expect full funding, The Athenaeum works with what we receive. Three years ago, we had a budget over $10,000.

Last year our budget was slightly upwards of $8,000.

This year, I am working with around $5,700. After I consider the Canadian University Press fee and factor in the costs to make print editions, I am not left with much in terms of the previous years for honorarium. Still, I am grateful we can afford our fees and have print editions, so I worked with what I had.

I think defunding The Ath is a vital conversation that needs to be had. I want to work towards a solution with MacNeil and his council members. If they are willing to hear my concerns, I am willing to hear theirs. What I am not willing to do is be attacked on a performance or relevance front, that I had no idea was an issue, immediately after people began to disagree with this suggestion. If The Ath is failing in both performance and relevance, I would like the SRC to show me these performance reviews and update me when The Ath is not doing its job.

Lastly, I want to thank the students, alumni and faculty who have invested time or money into helping with this special issue.

In Support of The Ath The Arts are Worthy of Investment By: Kaileigh Skinner ‘20

When the news of potential funding cuts broke, I felt lucky. Lucky to have had the chance to know multiple editors of the The Athenaeum who worked tirelessly to ensure it printed the articles that students wanted to hear. I’m lucky to know individuals who have thrived while contributing to the newspaper, but I also feel sad knowing that there are students on campus who might lose their special connection to the Acadia community because they won’t have Axe Radio and The Athenaeum. The continued decreases in funds that I’ve seen while connected to Acadia leads to a lack of discernible opportunities for those passionate about the arts to explore their interests and boldly grow with the support of the university.

“[A]s a former student listening to the buzz around the defunding of student media, it allows me to see a different side of Acadia. It’s not a good side.”

Defunding not only brings me a feeling of sadness, but it urges me to take a deeper look into the current messages that Acadia and the Acadia Students’ Union sends to prospective, current, and past students.

Acadia University prides itself on the personal relationship each student feels while attending. The recruitment department boasts the sense of community as one of the strongest draws to attending. These aspects are what Acadia outsiders know and love. However, as a former student listening to the buzz around the defunding of student media, it allows me to see a different side of Acadia.

It’s not a good side.

For years The Athenaeum and Axe Radio have spoken about the consistent lack of funding and support for the arts. Buildings like Denton remaining inaccessible for those with mobility issues, the art studio has leaking windows, and the library remains unrenovated or retrofitted for years. Arts based programming like The

Athenaeum and Axe Radio consistently face funding cuts and limited resources.

This consistent underfunding and support for the arts seems contradictory to the message that Acadia puts out. The message being that you, the student, are not a number but a meaningful member of the community.

One might say that it is melodramatic to say the funding cuts that Axe Radio and The Athenaeum are facing are opposite of the school's message of community. The newspaper and Axe Radio are not only clubs or social groups from which students gain peer support, but they also provide key learning opportunities for students to grow and foster their skills. Why would an institution like the ASU cut funding to these areas if it truly cares about these groups? The students who write for The Athenaeum or contribute to Axe Radio learn how to hone their writing and public speaking skills, develop and tell a story, analyze source information, and disseminate knowledge. These are key skills that will benefit them later in life.

These skills are not always found in the classroom. Services such as student media provide additional abilities to students and are not only important for those becoming academics and researchers, but also those who leave the institution - like me - and embark into the world hoping that their university taught them how to succeed. By continuing to cut funding to these key historic institutions on campus, Acadia is not supporting their community of artists and creative students. Not supporting current students to reach their potential is like saying to arts students “you are not worthy of investment.” This statement is felt by past, present, and future students alike.

Current and prospective students deserve better.

Acadia needs to do better.

The Ath: A Critical Resource for Students By: Jennah Lay ‘19

Acadia University’s student run newspaper The Athenaeum is in jeopardy

of being unable to operate due to a proposed budget cut from the ASU. The act of defunding this newspaper not only silences the voices of students but discourages them from speaking up about different issues within the broader Acadia community. This will drastically change the future of student voices if they lose the option and ability to write for The Ath.

“When we stay silent, we become complicit” As a former Acadia student and current alumni member who made very fond memories at this institution, and has previously contributed to The Ath, I feel very disheartened that student voices may be minimized. Through writing for The Ath students are able to challenge and reflect on experiences they’ve had that can help future students be better prepared for university life, and challenge systemic issues that need to be discussed. Students can also bring up a number of concerns such as the disparity in varsity sports in relation to gender and increasing tuition costs to name just a few.

Post-secondary institutions need to keep progressing, and one of the ways they are able to do this is through student writing.

How can Acadia continue to grow as an institution if the very portals that allow students to challenge them are cancelled?

The Acadia Student Union needs to be held accountable for this proposal, which is not only unethical, but also undemocratic.

When we stay silent, we become complicit, so let’s make sure to keep this newspaper a part of the Acadia community that future Acadia students will benefit from.

Writing for The Ath is a mode of activism that shouldn’t be undermined, we instead need to encourage activism. If you believe in the power of the written word and supporting your fellow students make sure you show your support. It would be very unfortunate to see such an important part of Acadia be forgotten.

A Voice for Students and SRC Members Alike!

By: Helen Allen ‘21

The Athenaeum gives every individual student on campus the chance to speak up.

It provides support, encourages creativity, and is a tool which helps to facilitate accountability on our campus. Through the words of my peers, I’ve read social justice pieces involving meal hall employees and heard the calls for necessary tenant unions. Demoting The Ath and Axe Radio to clubs would mean that they would lose their guaranteed funding which would hinder their ability to continue supporting student voices on and off campus.

It is more important now than ever for the representative council to support all tools at our disposal to garner student connection. These organizations are the last two forms of student-curated media through the ASU, and they could have been an incredible means of inviting students back into campus life during this pandemic year had the untapped resource been explored.

If funding is determined by the ASU and its representatives, it ensures that the stories that will make it out to the public are ones that the representatives agree and support enough to fund. How will people speak out when you disagree on the next topic discussed at an SRC meeting? How would people even know what was discussed without the minutes posted to The Ath? Despite the popular misconception, there are in fact many students, faculty and community members who read the school paper. It has successfully curated a timeline of the students that have passed through this town and this university. How is that not of value? It’s touched on subjects that our students have deemed worthy of sharing. Stories about students, for students.

It takes time and dedication to compile, write and publish an article or produce a radio show- the student who make the commitment to these important organizations should be given fair credit and compensation for their coordinated efforts.

If the prints stop coming, and you decide you care about something enough to speak out, where will you go?

In Support of The Ath Maximizing Student Potential Through Union Recognized Organizations By: Kyle Thompson-Clement ‘19

In recent weeks there have been discussions surrounding the future of The Athenaeum and Axe Radio as Internal Organizations to the Acadia Student Union (ASU). I won’t beat around the bush here. The Athenaeum and Axe Radio (for simplicity I’ll be referring to these as the Acadia Media Group (AMG)) should stay recognized as an internal organization for reasons I will flush out as the article flows.

1) A voice in the room: Having a recognized status as an organization is critical to media sources. Imagine you are trying to report on an issue without it being recognized as a legitimate source. We’ve certainly all had a professor tell us our source isn’t academically recognized and therefore, regardless of the merit or validity of what has been published, the source is not recognized. Moving from an internal organization to club status strips away a media sources recognized standing. What this means for students is that external media sources would then value content from The Athenaeum and Axe Radio as amateur and unprofessional. The content would struggle to be taken seriously. As a former student, we saw some articles really take off and create talking points throughout broader audiences.

2) In the eyes of the law: As a club, the AMG would no longer be legally represented by the lawyers of the ASU. This is SO significant to the media(s)’ ability to report honestly and within the purview of the law. However, what this really means is that the content which flows through these sources is protected against outside parties who for example do not agree with what they are reading. Imagine a hard-hitting piece about any serious topic: rape allegations, money scandals, systemic drug use on campus and so on. Without adequate representation, most journalists would not report on major issues. Seriously, I

cannot afford to personally pay out of pocket for a lawsuit based on nothing more than a corporation’s ability to throw money at a problem to make it go away. And let’s not forget here that corporations do this all the time.

3) Professional development: The recognized status of student media is a crucial and a distinguishing factor for your résumé. As a club, who does not receive the status of an organization, students would be left trying to legitimate their job experience as a journalist/broadcaster of the media. For example, the Editor in Chief of an organization can put on their résumé their experiences of working within an institution, managing employment finances, working collaboratively with lawyers, members of the community and so on. However, with the designation of “club” I would argue that employers and educational institutions alike would dismiss this experience as leisure.

“I have never had an employer ask about my degree. They did however ask about my work experience as an editor.”

4) Less is not more: With a lack of programs for journalism or Radio broadcasting, Acadia University would be left without another legitimate opportunity for students to reap the rewards of attending Acadia in the first place. Personally, I had no idea how valuable my experience as an editor would impact my skill set. I was able to talk to potential employers about my experiences working (we we’re paid to hold these roles) and how I had developed the necessary skills to suit the position I was applying for. In fact, beyond clicking the box that says “I have a degree” I have never had an employer ask about my degree. They did however ask about my work experience as an editor. Which, by the way, is listed under the employment history section of my résumé.

In my view here is the path forward. First, the Acadia Media Group should maintain their recognition as an internal organization within the Acadia Student Union.

This is to protect their status as legitimate institutions for

media to be published. Second, the ASU, The Athenaeum and Axe Radio should create the necessary budgets to gain independent financial operations. This is important for free and open reporting without the threat of budget cuts (especially since this whole conversation started because the ASU wanted to save $15K to balance their budget). Consequently, this ensures that student media will not be punished for what a current council views as inadequate levels of reporting. Did I mention that over the past few years content from The Ath and Axe Radio have slowed proportionally and in line with the budget cuts they seen year over year?

Finally, and it feels like I’ve been beating the same drum since 2019… the ASU needs to stop its year over year attack on what is arguably one of its greatest mechanisms for reaching students and the broader community. The never-ending questioning of its budgets (money over value) approach is saddening at best.

Speaking directly to the ASU, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Words spoken may be forgotten. Words written are sometimes remembered albeit misinterpreted.

But words legislated? Those are the things that twenty years from now someone in your seat will attempt to interpret (with absolutely no context of all the discussions we’ve had).

Therefore, I implore you to think of potential unintended consequences of such a move in the future. Look beyond virtue signaling “guarantees” that these institutionally recognized organizations are protected by your current good intentions.

“The ASU needs to stop its year over year attack on what is arguably one of its greatest mechanisms for reaching students and the broader community.”

In Support of The Ath The Price of Freedom By: Axel Eschholz ‘24

Truth is a dangerous thing. To say what others will not and point out flaws in the status quo will inevitably make an enemy of the establishment. As a result, there exists a constant struggle to remain uninfluenced by the mechanisms of power and unfettered from the chains of falsehood. But why is this so? Why do those who supposedly hold the best interests of their constituents at heart seek to undermine and corrupt the institutions that serve as the people’s voice?

“[T]hose in power will instead often seek to undermine anyone and anything that can hold them accountable for their actions.”

Fear. With power comes a responsibility that is not always or even often met to satisfaction. But in lieu of rising to the challenges presented to them, those in power will instead often seek to undermine anyone and anything that can hold them accountable for their actions. This paradigm stokes a never-ending conflict between those who wish to circumvent accountability and those whose job it is to expose the truth. It would be wonderful if we lived in a society where individuals who seek power always do so for the greater good of the populace. But, as anyone living in the 21st century is aware, this is all too often not the case. Thus, this eternal game of cat and mouse is not only necessary, but vital to the continuation of a truly representative democratic process. One cannot exist without the other, and in this world increasingly ruled by disinformation and manufactured popularity, the truth is more valuable than ever.

As such, any decision to eliminate the power, effectiveness, and relative independence of the press is a fallacy of the highest order. Not only does this stifle the voices of the populace, but it creates a vacuum in which disinformation can spread like wildfire. Without a centralized credible source of news, public opinion becomes aimless and ineffective and relies on nothing but social media campaigns to address important issues. If the cost of an informed and

representative society is a free press, there should be no debate. Such is the price of freedom.

The Value of The Ath By: Michelle MacDonald ‘20

The Athenaeum is a critical media outlet used to amplify the voices of individuals across Acadia’s campus. As an Acadia alumna, I value the diverse perspectives that were displayed in the Ath throughout my time in school, and I remain supportive of the platform.

The Ath provides the chance for students to obtain valuable multidisciplinary experience.

This allows individuals to build their resume by participating in opportunities offered by the Acadia Students’ Union. As employers continue to demand more competencies from new graduates, gaining relevant experience is becoming more important to obtain.

Contributing to media platforms produced at Acadia allows students to start constructing a strong resume while simultaneously completing their degree to be better prepared for entering the workforce.

The Ath allows students to apply concepts that have been learned in the classroom to real-life situations and encourages students to explore their own creativity without academic pressure.

Students involved in the production of these platforms graduate with more resume experience and professional skills that make them competitive candidates in today’s job market.

Another benefit of The Ath is that it acts as an avenue to magnify social issues that may otherwise go unaddressed by the Acadia community. Publishing a wide range of students’ perspectives is integral to providing the student body with a resource that consists of diverse opinions. It is important to strengthen the voices of those who may not have a platform to express their passion and capitalize on valuable issues.

Many students have interests unrelated to their degree that can be expressed through the school newspaper. It provides the opportunity to explore matters that may not otherwise be written about within the scope of a student’s degree.

“The Athenaeum allows students to apply concepts that have been learned in the classroom to real-life situations and encourages students to explore their own creativity without academic pressure.”

Following my graduation, I am able to reflect on the value of the interesting and insightful perspectives published by The Ath that I may not have developed without access to this media outlet. The Acadia University experience is enhanced by giving all students the means necessary to amplify their voice and hear the opinions of others.

Professor Support

The Athenaeum is Not a Club or Organization

By: Dr. Jon Saklofske (Professor in Acadia’s English Department) The Athenaeum is not a club or a society. It is the voice of Acadia’s students, a long-standing cultural institution—founded in 1874—which promotes and shares creative, critical, editorial, and informative student perspectives across campus and into the wider community.

I have served as the faculty representative on The Athenaeum’s editorial board a few times over my nearly 16 years at Acadia, observing dedicated and professional groups of incredibly talented and committed young people who believe in the necessity of a free press, an independent student voice at Acadia. I’ve watched the transformation of The Ath from an exclusively print publication to a digital presence, and have also respected the role that it has played in amplifying student voices and concerns about university issues and events, faculty negotiations with the administration, educational changes and challenges, and the world at large.

“The lack of respect for The Ath shown by the ASU’s defunding talks is baffling and indicative of shortterm and short-sighted thinking and planning.”

Removing funding for The Ath is akin to a vote for silence, a wilful muting of one of the few ways that Acadia students can speak with, for, and to each other via a provocative and inspiring platform that values the importance of civil and critical discourse. More tragically, though, the student voice of Acadia would be removed from its potential to assert itself within community, national, and global discussions.

The lack of respect for The Ath shown by the ASU’s defunding talks is baffling and indicative of shortterm and short-sighted thinking and planning. The ASU makes decisions that impact future students at Acadia. To strip the Athenaeum of its importance and stability would be to disrespect the important tradition of this student publication, to silence the very students that the ASU serves, to weaken the strength of student voices on campus, and to threaten a long-standing tradition at Acadia that has and should continue to persist well-beyond this particular ASU student representative council membership.

The Ath is just as important as the ASU as one of many ways that student perspectives can be asserted and enacted, and one of the most important ways that students can interact with the university and its own student government. Not understanding this is an irresponsible and destructive form of student governance.

To ASU President Brendan MacNeil and members of the Students’ Representative Council:

By: Dr. Cynthia Alexander, Dr. Andrew Biro, Dr. Rachel Brickner, Dr. Erin Crandall, Dr. Can E. Mutlu, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Inna Viriasova, and Dr. Geoffrey Whitehall We, the faculty of the Department of Politics, write to

you out of a deep sense of concern over the damage to Acadia’s democratic processes if The Athenaeum and Axe Radio are stripped of their status as Internal Organizations and reclassified as student clubs.

Every winter semester, members of the SRC are chosen—rightly, in our view—through a vibrant, competitive election. While free and fair elections are the heart of democratic governance, they are never sufficient on their own. As political scientist Robert Dahl reminds us, a free press and freedom of expression are of equal importance. Without a free press that can hold leaders to account and provide information to the broader public, how can voters make informed decisions about what policies and candidates to support? Without freedom of expression, how can members of the public engage in robust deliberation on critical issues of the day? None of this is possible without a publicly accessible space where members of the community can have their perspectives, needs, interests, and concerns heard and engaged.

This is the role that The Athenaeum (since 1874!) and Axe Radio play at Acadia. Through their coverage of ASU elections, University politics, AUFA-BOG collective bargaining, student health and well-being, and campus and community culture, they provide a space to learn about and deliberate on the issues that will impact students. They also hold leaders, in student government and elsewhere, accountable through their reporting. To continue to perform these functions, the independence of The Athenaeum and Axe Radio must be protected. This means guaranteeing them the stable support and

recognition that come from status as Internal Organizations instead of undermining their independence by threatening funding through reclassification and referenda.

Around the world, we are seeing the consequences of a crisis in journalism, from the proliferation of “fake news” to partisan polarization to the spread of conspiracy theories to a rise in racist vitriolic commentary. There is a clear economic cause to this crisis. With “free” information seemingly everywhere, people feel less inclined to pay for it. But information, and particularly reputable journalistic information, costs money to produce and distribute. The honoraria that Athenaeum and Axe Radio editors and staff receive recognize that journalism is valued work.

Importantly, as well as being a paid profession, journalism is also a critical public service. As media organizations face budget cuts, key issues are not covered, leaders and institutions are not held accountable, and the public has less credible information upon which to make decisions. Further, the democratic deficit exacerbates the historic suppression and persistent marginalization of BIPOC journalists at a time when representation of minority communities is more important than ever. Hence, like many other public services, it must be paid for by the public that it serves.

We do not want to imply in any way that student clubs are unimportant—a vibrant civil society is also important to democracy—but to reclassify The Athenaeum and Axe Radio is to send a message that a free press and freedom of expression are optional, rather than necessary, to democratic student life at Acadia. Furthermore, reclassifying The Athenaeum and Axe Radio would demonstrate that these principles are not valued by the elected government that is acting in the name of Acadia students.

As we teach in our classes, governments that act deliberately to weaken the press and stifle expression undermine democracy itself. We ask, how democratic will next round of ASU elections be if the SRC decides that the press is too expensive to support?

Sincerely, Dr. Cynthia Alexander Dr. Andrew Biro Dr. Rachel Brickner Dr. Erin Crandall Dr. Can E. Mutlu Dr. Jeffrey Sachs Dr. Inna Viriasova Dr. Geoffrey Whitehall

In Support of The Ath Co-operation between The Ath and ASU By: Paul Black ’00 (Politics Professor

My first time on the Acadia campus in the Spring of 1995 was magical. Mary Miles gave me a campus tour, and I knew I was “home”.

That fall, I moved to Wolfville from New Brunswick – a (then) 4.5 hr drive from my parents’ house, which meant they couldn’t just drive down and surprise me for a day – wicked.

I didn’t make the Soccer Team (as I’d fantasized about, in that way one sometimes does about things that were never really in the cards), giving life to – as the author David Adams Richards says, the idea that I was “convincing yourself the direction you want to go in is the direction you must take.” Instead, I built my life at Acadia at and around the Student Union Building.

The SUB was a great place for concerts (The Hip, Great Big Sea, all the 90s bands played there), but it was in the MacKeen Room, the ASU Offices, the Athenaeum Offices, and the main SUB floor where I spent my time (ok, ok, the AXE was a big draw, too!).

I knew many great reporters from our student paper, and those of other Universities’ student papers, too. One of the CBC’s lead national reporters today was a CUP reporter from Memorial during my time in student government at Acadia. The Editors of The Ath and I always had great, and often very spirited, debates about the issues of the day. The many student reporters I knew were inquisitive, curious and interesting people – trying to make the student experience at Acadia more interesting, more transparent and more engaged.

I read the letters to the editor every week, and often looked-up the student(s) who wrote them and engaged them in a discussion or asked them to help solve the problems they were pointing out (even when I was part of that problem).

I served on the Student’s Representative Council (SRC) and ASU Executive for 4 of my 5 years at Acadia. I spent so much time in those pursuits that I had to take an extra year to finish off my degree.

I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Former ASU execs often offered helpful advice and perspectives, as we navigated the introduction of the Acadia Advantage, of near Faculty Strikes, of the break-down in the University-Alumni relationship (that took decades to properly rebuild).

I believe in continuing education, and lifelong learning. And I believe in giving back to the places that helped “raise you”.

I created and ran a “Students’ Union Bootcamp” a few years ago with some other former Student Union executive members, to help pass on things we wish we had known at the outset of our terms in Student Government, to help those leaders be more effective at their jobs. It was clear to me that Miles’ Law was deep in play in this (and so many) life situations: “Where you stand depends where you sit.”

I wouldn’t presume to try and “tell” the SRC or the ASU Executive how they should do their jobs. I don’t sit in their chairs or stand in their shoes.

Nor would I presume to tell those who are currently leading The Ath – or its many supporters and alumni – how to approach the current détente between the ASU and The Ath over the latter’s future.

I will say this: I was born in Northern Ireland, a place where people have disagreed for generations now based on a set of pre-conceived notions about one another’s background, outlook, motivations and goals. I have seen, first-hand, in my homeland (and as I have monitored elections around the world), how when people sit down in good faith – often with the help of others – those who can be multi-partisan, and take a view from the ‘balcony’, how seemingly intractable problems or situations can be surmounted, and win-win-win scenarios developed.

I don’t know who’s “right” here – I’m sure everyone involved feels or believes they are. The reality I know to be true is this: in 2021, we need more engagement, transparency, dialogue, discussion, communication, engagement and connection than we ever have. A sustainable, strong, and – maybe – restructured Athenaeum is a part of that. So, too, is a healthy and clear dividing line between the views of the ASU, SRC, and the student-led media.

I hope that all parties in this can recognize the important role they all play to a healthy student experience at Acadia, and to building citizenship in the leaders of today and tomorrow who call themselves “Axe-folks”.

Proposed Changes to The Athenaeum and Axe Radio: An Affront to Your Freedom of Expression By: Oliver Jacob ‘21

As my undergrad comes to an end, the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent events has forced me to reflect on the time that I spent on campus and the things that I cherish from my Acadia experience.

Chiefly among them was the opportunity to be involved with the Acadia Students’ Union and the incredible student leaders and staff members who drive the organization to serve Acadia’s students.

Over my time as Deputy Chairperson and then Chairperson, I gained an appreciation for the tremendous role that student government plays on Acadia’s campus and in the Greater Wolfville community.

While my tenure had its ups and downs, one of the most impressive aspects of the ASU organization for me was its Internal Organizations (IOs). For those who may not know, the ASU’s Internal Organizations were constituted over the history of the ASU to provide opportunities for students to deliver essential services for their peers. IOs are provided with established annual budgets to hire student staff members to ensure that they are sustainable in the long-term.

For me, The Athenaeum and Axe Radio are two of the most significant IOs because they give regular students the opportunity to express themselves, share their perspectives, discuss their ideas, and challenge the norms that exist across our university community.

From stories about climate change to radio shows on what’s happening on-campus, these IOs are the sole on-campus vehicle through which students can express themselves to their peers and learn about the importance of journalism and the free press in our Canadian democracy.

Recently, the Executive Board of the Acadia Students’ Union proposed transitioning The Athenaeum and Axe Radio to club status. The effect of this change would be to eliminate the consistent financial support that the ASU has provided for decades as the ASU attempts to trim its budget deficit to account for losses at other ASU services. This would mean that these organizations would not be able to sustainably produce the outstanding body of work that they have in the past. It would be a tremendous loss to our Acadia’s student community and the quality of student expression on-campus.

If you care about ensuring that students retain their ability to express themselves and learn about journalism through hands-on experience, let your student representatives know that you OPPOSE any changes to The Athenaeum and Axe Radio that would diminish their ability to serve the Acadia community into the future.

The Original Letter The center spread of this edition is dedicated to the letter, written by 2018-19 EIC Colin Mitchell, that helped The Ath garner support and recognition amidst the initial news of potential defunding.

As many can attest to, served as a siren that called attention to this conversation and still continues to.

The End of The Athenaeum is Near By: Colin Mitchell ‘19 For 147 years, The Athenaeum has been the voice of students at Acadia University. It has reported on the comings and goings of the world, debated major issues, and shed light on parts of the institution that had been shrouded in darkness. It has been a launching pad for bankers, educators, lawyers, Senators, Members of Parliament, activists, authors, poets, entrepreneurs and researchers.

That could soon be coming to an end.

“During my tenure, we were bullied into firing an editor because of our reporting on the SRC.”

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) recently discussed a potential motion to defund The Athenaeum and Axe Radio, the only two sources of student media on campus, by depriving editors and contributors of honoraria. If the SRC goes forward with their discussion in the form of an official proposed motion, this would reduce the status of both to clubs rather than Internal Organizations, allowing them to apply for club grants and ratification year after year rather than receive student funding.

sources of already starved union media makes little sense. This move towards supposedly saving students money is nothing more than a systemic assault on free press on Acadia’s campus.

This latest move follows a series of attacks on the newspaper. During my tenure, we were bullied into firing an editor because of our reporting on the SRC. Last year, The Ath’s budget was cut dramatically, and the paper was evicted from the office space it had occupied for over twenty years.

Now the ASU is looking to cut loose the only two sources of student media in the name of reducing its deficit. The organization doesn’t post their budget proposals on its website, nor have they minutes since October 2020.

goings of the ASU, they can simply refuse to fund either.

“This move towards supposedly saving students money is nothing more than a systemic assault on free press on Acadia’s campus.”

The reality is that this is the latest in a long series of attacks against student journalism. Cutting the honoraria to contributors of The Ath and Axe Radio would amount to barely $5000. The ASU is facing a deficit in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cutting honoraria for the only two

By converting The Ath and Axe Radio into clubs, they instantly lose their guaranteed funding to be the students’ voice across campus. This opens them up to the same process as other clubs to apply for funding, controlled entirely by the ASU and its representatives. If said representatives dislike the writings of the paper, as has often happened when both report on the comings and

It astonishes me that I have to make the case for a free press. Societies that lack such are often at the bottom of democracy indexes: Iran, North Korea, Russia, Belarus, Eritrea.

It would be a shame for the ASU to join the ranks of these states by completing its assault on The Athenaeum and Axe Radio.

And surely the SRC recognizes that defunding the only two sources of student media on campus would not reflect well on their futures. After all, the ASU’s mission statement as an organization “dedicated to serving its members through effective representation and communication [by offering] innovative and quality services while providing a variety of opportunities which enhance the overall University experience of the students of Acadia” should ring true.

The Original Letter “And surely the SRC recognizes that defunding the only two sources of student media on campus would not reflect well on their futures.”

My four years at The Athenaeum constituted the best experiences I had at Acadia. I know I’m not alone here. There’s a reason this paper has lasted for so long. It’s because it has tied the Acadia community together.

We’ve written about endemic cocaine use on campus. We’ve written about Acadia’s flirtations with white supremacy and eugenics. We’ve written about the need for democracy on campus.

We’ve written about the attempted takeover of the university by the Baptists in the 1960s. We’ve written about the use of sexually violent language in sport and why we need to wake up. We’ve written about the SMILE program and how it changes the lives of its participants.

If the SRC goes forward with their discussion in the form of an official proposed motion, The Athenaeum and Axe Radio may stop publishing

Student Photo by Maple Sloan ‘22

altogether. The stories that need to be told will cease in the name of saving a few dollars, and the ASU will have nobody to blame but themselves.

If you care about The Athenaeum and Axe Radio, now is the time to speak up. This isn’t the first fight both have faced, and it certainly won’t be the last.

In the end, The Athenaeum is nothing more than a record of what happened. It does not persist because of a magical institution and aggressive archivists that demand copies of the paper. It persists because we all have stories to share. We are merely custodians of history. Our history has taught us that we will always persist, and we will triumph.

Now is certainly the time to persist. Now is the time to demand freedom of the press and share these stories. Now is the time for action. Email the ASU executive to let them know that this is wrong.

Donate to The Athenaeum Journalism Award to support future journalists. Add your name to this ever-growing list and demonstrate that free press won’t go down without a fight.

“If the SRC goes forward with their discussion in the form of an official proposed motion, The Athenaeum and Axe Radio may stop publishing altogether.”

ASU Exec emails: asupresident@acadiau.ca vpae@acadiau.ca vpfo@acadiau.ca vpep@acadiau.ca vpsl@acadiau.ca

In Support of The Ath Buckle Up

By: Christopher Vanderburgh ‘19 Hello Acadia. It has been quite a while. What could cause me to once again grace these pages you might ask? Well, it seems that the ASU has been hard at work producing yet another polished turd for its students. After five years at Acadia and countless instances of ASU related trash I penned what I thought was my final article nearly two years ago. In that article I lamented the death of print media and implored all of you to write for The Ath.

“The ASU’s president, Brendan McNeil, asserted that the ASU had decreased The Ath’s budget year over year due to performance issues.”

Since then, a lot has happened. Delayed graduations, a Covid related global recession and an endless quest for vaccines. What has remained the same however is the ASU’s disdain for this paper.

That my friends, is why I find myself joining you again.

I was contacted by an alumni friend who told me that the ASU intended to downgrade The Ath from an internal organization to a club. Essentially, this would remove the “responsibility” the ASU has previously had to provide us with a minuscule budget.

Shortly after being contacted regarding this I joined the ASU and a number of alumni for an emergency council meeting via zoom to discuss the matter. After several impassioned alumni stated the meaningfulness of the paper the members of council did what they always do, feigned concern and assured us the paper would be fine.

Although most members of council had enough respect for us to at least pretend they cared, the ASU’s president, Brendan McNeil, asserted that the ASU had decreased The Ath’s budget year over year due to performance issues. As a dedicated Ath writer and passionate alum, all I have to say to Mr. McNeil is that the bullshit filter is yet again full.

During my time at Acadia, I was Features Editor for The Ath for nearly three years which meant that I was responsible for the lengthiest pieces that the paper published at the time. Although I would be thrilled to write an exposé on President McNeil’s failings as an Ath writer himself or his astonishingly elitist commentary regarding farm work in Nova Scotia, instead I’ll just talk about what The Ath has meant to me.

My time at Acadia saw me involved in many roles, clubs, sports, faculty associations and causes similar.

All these things I was able to write about or solicit writing about from the people involved, were published in The Ath. My in-class time was nothing compared to the value I received from collaborating with individuals from other faculties or walks of life during Ath meetings. Whether it was my own writing about family history or a friend’s writing about the meaning of a club, I was never in doubt about the best place to record it. The Ath has been a publication for more years than the country in which its published. I believe that history is worth preserving for the minor fee of 5800$ a year.

While I was at Acadia, I looked at The Ath as a reprieve from the task of writing very specific academic papers. It allowed me to have a voice on issues ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to drug use on campus. Today, it provides me with another opportunity to have my voice heard. Unfortunately, it is a voice made of ink and rage.

I know that whatever plea I could make to the ASU will fall on deaf ears. Today I make a plea to my fellow alumni and current Acadia students. That plea is simple. Save this paper from being just another piece of history. Empower The Ath to function as it always has, as an avenue on which the students of Acadia can traffic in whatever it is that sets their hearts on fire. I will conclude as I have dozens of times...

Write for The Ath.

The Decay in Student Media By: Josée Léger ‘20

As I sat in front of my laptop trying to wrap my head around why I’m writing this article, I can’t begin to express my disappointment. Simply put, I’m angry, disappointed and shocked that the Acadia Students’ Union would even consider halting student media as we know it.

First, I’d like to give a bit of insight as to what exactly is going on and what’s at stake. Student journalism and student media is under attack. Axe Radio and The Athenaeum are currently classified as internal organizations (IOs) that receive guaranteed yearly funding, legal protection and credibility as organizations that pay student employees. It’s under attack is because the Acadia Students Union is discussing putting forward a motion to strip Acadia’s media sources of their credibility and cut funding by transforming these IOs into clubs.

What does this mean exactly and why should you care?

Scratch that. The word ‘care’ isn’t strong enough.

You should be angry, alarmed and disgusted with the

way ASU has treated student media. I’m here to tell you these emotions, your anger, your discomfort is valid. This piece is a warning. Student journalism has decayed at the hands of the ASU and will continue to do so unless major structural changes occur. The Athenaeum (The Ath) and Axe Radio are essential student services because they give students the opportunity to use their voice, raise awareness about injustice, and learn skills that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Shouldn’t we protect it? You’d think so.

According to the ASU President Brendan Mcneil, this is a budget issue. The Athenaeum currently costs the ASU less than $6000 per year and cutting it alongside Axe Radio would help resolve the organization’s current deficit in the tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. To put things into perspective, the ASU’s yearly budget is about two million dollars. So, out of two million dollars is $6,000 really worth cutting to right a deficit?

Not. One. Bit.

“The word ‘care’ isn’t strong enough. You should be angry, alarmed and disgusted with the way ASU has treated student media.”

The Athenaeum was founded in 1874. Defunding The Ath would be akin to destroying Acadia’s history. The Athenaeum has covered historical events - much like the pandemic in which we live - alongside World War I, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and served as an essential outlet for student expression. The ASU would like you to think it’s not worth it.

I never understood the discomfort the ASU has with students reporting on real issues. They might feel uncomfortable because The Athenaeum and our news media reports on issues that matter. Issues that are discussed in the halls of the Beveridge Arts Centre, The Axe, classes, and on the streets of Wolfville matter and deserve their space in the paper, not relegated to social media or anonymous blogs. The Ath and Axe Radio are important because they give past and present students a voice. That’s why you should care.

This shouldn’t even be up for debate. I urge you to ask questions and reflect on what’s at stake. This is more than just a proposed budget cut. Student media represents so much more to the Acadia community than the ASU realizes. Email your representatives, show up to SRC meetings, and let them know you’re pissed and that you will not stand for this shit.

In Support of The Ath Save Our Student Media By: Luke Ehler ‘17 As a former coordinator of AxeRadio, I am shocked and saddened to hear the recent news that student media at Acadia might be losing their status and funding support from the Acadia Students Union (ASU) – pending the passage of a motion by the Student’s Representative Council (SRC). When it was only 5 years ago, that the support of the Maple League and ASU enabled me to launch a multi-year initiative that focused on in reviving the radio station, strengthening its ties with The Athenaeum, and putting it into a position to succeed.

Beginning from the common understanding that times are tough and financial hardships are widespread, cutting student service budgets still seems like a strange place to target. Considering the relatively small amount of funding these services receive compared to the Union’s overall spending, it seems to me a healthy student media and all of the opportunities it provides to our community is well worth the cost.

The ASU is much more capable of weathering storms than the individual organizations it represents. By finding new and creative ways to support student media and other student groups, they will be contributing to a wider benefit to the Acadia student body. This is especially true within the context of COVID, where opportunities to engage and interact with one another are priceless.

While Acadia University is first and foremost an academic institution that must consider its bottom line, to the students enrolled here it is also a community: a community which students aspire to feel like they belong to, and which student media like AxeRadio and The Athenaeum play such an important role in creating. During my time with the radio station, I saw first-hand just how these organizations contribute to Acadia’s strong community fabric.

I recognize that I, like most of us reading this, do not know all the ins-and-outs of the ASU budgetary situation or options being considered. However, based upon my prior experience helping to not just run, but grow AxeRadio a few years back, I strongly believe that through a combination of continued ASU support and strategic internal fundraising efforts by these groups, student media at Acadia has the capacity to continue its rich tradition of community building, personal student development and telling Acadia’s story – through the voices of its students.

Putting financials aside, student media serves an important role in the Acadia community for a variety of reasons. For some students, student media is an opportunity to learn valuable life skills that will help them after graduation – foundational skills like leadership, responsibility, creativity, discipline, and teamwork. For others, getting involved with student media can end up turning into a life-long passion or career – like working in media or journalism. Student media is also unique among student groups in its capacity to bring students with different interests and skillsets together to collaborate and contribute to the collective success of something bigger than themselves, while discovering or pursuing their individual passions.

If this motion passes, the continued existence of student media at Acadia is most certainly in jeopardy, along with all its accompanying benefits to the student body. But with enough support and momentum behind Acadia student media from students both past and present, this will hopefully just be another story in Acadia’s long history.

Don’t End The Ath. It Helps End the Stigma.

By: Thomas Morgan ‘20 During my time at Acadia, I was a frequent contributor to the Creative section of The Athenaeum, and eventually spent two years as the Creative Editor.

Based on conversations I had with other staff during my time there, it was not surprising to hear that the ASU was considering cutting funding for both The Athenaeum and Axe Radio. This has been discussed before, but never to the point where alumni such as me had to voice their concern.

I’m currently a teacher in Alberta. During my time at The Athenaeum, I was a student struggling with being a suicide survivor and losing multiple friends who took their own lives. Using creative writing as a method of dealing with those experiences was healing for me.

I was far more impacted by its impression on other students. Following the publication of a spoken word video discussing the stigma surrounding suicide, I had students with whom I shared classes, yet never interacted with before, come up to me and share their stories. Some were survivors themselves, had lost someone they cared about due to similar circumstances, or just allies of those struggling with mental health issues.

What I took away from these interactions was their gratitude for talking about a topic that was so stigmatized and often ignored. The Athenaeum, a voice for the students, enabled those conversations to take place.

“Using creative writing as a method of dealing with those experiences was healing for me.”

Is everyone struggling with such thoughts or past experiences going to write about them? Absolutely not, very few often will. However, that’s the beauty of the school newspaper. Everyone can share their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about anything from suicidality, to how our varsity teams played in the game on Friday. It can enable great conversations where both parties learn something they didn’t know before. That’s why we chose Acadia: to take part in conversations where we learn from each other, not just our professors. It’s my belief that student media is essential to those developments in understanding.

As I said before, I’m not surprised that I, alongside current students and alumni, are hearing that the ASU wishes to defund both Axe Radio and The Athenaeum. However, it seems that the potential loss to the student community far outweighs the miniscule monetary gain if this were to pass.

So, the question I am left with is: why are those who are supposed to represent student voice advocating for defunding that which gives every student the opportunity to have their voice heard?

Free Press and Why You Should Care By: Lara Hartman ‘21

My name is Lara Hartman, and I am a fourth-year politics major and am in my last few weeks here at Acadia. I’m also currently the Arts Senator for the ASU on Students’ Representative Council (although my experience hasn’t been great, but that’s a conversation for another time).

The one thing that has always been good for me as Arts Senator is that I have thoroughly enjoyed representing students and standing strong for what I believe in. As you may have read in the SRC Decoded piece from last week, I wholeheartedly support The Ath and Axe Radio in their endeavours and I support both of these free press sources remaining as Internal Organizations (IOs) of the ASU.

In Support of The Ath Although it may appear that I am going against what the larger ASU system wants, I have no problem speaking out against what I perceive as wrong.

Turning these two media sources from IOs into clubs would be detrimental to both organizations. There needs to be further conversations about ways to move forward that don’t ruin both The Athenaeum and Axe Radio.

Full disclosure: I haven’t had much experience with Axe Radio but know it’s importance to the Acadia community. People are able to go on and talk about things that matter not just to Acadia students, but also to society as a whole.

This isn’t to say there aren’t things discussed that don’t focus on our campus. Axe Radio is somewhere where listeners can go to wind down, hear about what is happening at Acadia, or to just listen to what their fellow students want to share. Axe Radio provides another outlet for students to talk about issues that focus on greater societal struggles.

“In my heart I know that there’s a better way forward. The Athenaeum and Axe Radio shouldn’t have to constantly fear that the rug will be ripped out from underneath them.”

The Athenaeum is closer to my heart, as I have more personal experience. I have many friends work for/with The Ath over my four years at Acadia. By being part of The Ath community they have gained lifelong friends and have had the opportunity to participate in a community larger than themselves.

All of their voices matter and The Ath has given them the space to talk about issues that matter to them. I know that whenever my friends wrote a piece, I would make sure to read it and congratulate them on their effort. It takes a lot of time and effort to produce such important pieces, and for many publishing in The Ath is their first foray into journalism.

In my four years I’ve been lucky enough to write pieces for The Ath. Although I never had the time to work with The Ath as an editor or regular contributor, I always jumped at the opportunity to have my voice heard. I wrote a piece in January 2020 focused on the structural violence felt by Indigenous peoples in Canada. This piece went on to discuss a topic that holds a special place in my heart and my mind, the core of my research – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

I spoke about the injustice and shared a short writeup of four of the women and girls and how structural violence needs to be torn down so that this ongoing

tragedy comes to an end. I wrote how together we can make a change so the violence against MMIWG ends.

Through sharing this piece in The Ath, I was able to broaden who heard my voice and to share the stories of four Indigenous women and girls who had been silenced. Keep in mind I only talked about four stories when in reality there are over a thousand (which are known and documented). Without The Ath I would not have had the platform to share my voice.

My pieces are not the only ones that speak about important issues. There have been articles about mental health, the experiences of BIPOC individuals both on campus, sexism, food waste on campus, President Cutten and his white supremacist/eugenicist past, cocaine on campus, how the Baptists tried to take over the university in 1965, international students’ mental health struggles during the pandemic, advocating for a better library, the case for The Church Brewing Company in Wolfville, Residence Life and why being an RA isn’t so great, and so many more.

These stories matter, not just to the individuals who wrote them, but also to people at Acadia as a whole.

The Ath matters to students and to the Wolfville community. We had Acadia alumni come in and voice this at our March 12th SRC meeting. This isn’t something that would have happened if nobody cared or listened.

In my heart I know that there’s a better way forward.

The Athenaeum and Axe Radio shouldn’t have to constantly fear that the rug will be ripped out from underneath them. Free press is important to societies internationally and to the students, staff, faculty, and alumni at Acadia.

I make a promise here and now for you all to see that I’m taking this seriously and will continue to be a voice at the table for free press. We can do better, and we need to do better.

The ASU needs to be accountable for their actions and commitments and know what inaction means for organizations such as these.

Defunding Acadia’s Media Sets the Precedent for Future Funding Cuts By: Cali Keating ‘18

Nearing 150 years of tradition The Acadia Alumni network is strong, and we are

watching. While have advanced in our careers and most have left the beauty of Wolfville behind, we have

a strong connection to our alma matter and watch as Acadia evolves over time.

The Atheneum (Ath) is a 147-year-old tradition, and paired with modern AXE Radio, they are the media and voice of the Acadia people. News of the potential motion to defund The Atheneum and AXE Radio rippled through the Alumni Community as quickly as any big Acadia news does.

The Ath and AXE Radio are the voice of our people.

Why take away their funding and consequently their voice?

ASU – people or profit based?

The cost of tuition, living, and an undergraduate experience are all high. In a town like Wolfville, parttime employment opportunities are not bountiful unless you travel out of town. Time is money: not everyone can afford to drive, bus, bike, or walk out of town on a regular basis to make a few bucks. Many undergrad students struggle to digest the caseload and variety of material, so that commute time is better spent on studying. Hello barriers.

Thankfully, the local need on campus provides many students with opportunities to gain skills, make some money to offset bills – no commute required.

Working in stacks at the Vaughan library and serving as a statistic teaching assistant were those experiences for me. Some of my peers pursued ASUfunded roles, such as those with the The Ath and AXE Radio that are currently up for defunding.

Lessons in leadership from executive pay cuts While the ASU is not a multi-national company with revenue in the billions, salary distribution is similar: highest at the top, with a marginal drop for full time staff and part-timers making a few dollars here and there. In terms of the ASU, executives make around $20,000 during tenure down to elected officials bring in a whopping $400. Elected officials bring in two per cent of what executives do. The ASU really gets the best bang for their buck from committed elected officials who put in nearly as much time as executives.

Many organizations have been affected by revenue drying up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, respected and researched leaders have taken a different approach: cutting inflated salaries. Across a variety of industries, executives and boards have taken drastic salary cuts to ensure that everyone in the organization can stay afloat and retain morale1. A lesson in leadership that could easily be employed by the ASU. Is a prestigious student executive title enough?

In post-undergrad recruiting, companies care about the skills you have and the impact you have made, not the salary you were paid. Students who have held executive positions at the undergrad level enter the workforce with two major advantages. They have gained leadership, decision making, and conflict resolution skills that one doesn’t always gain in the classroom – all tied up under a prestigious student executive title that recruiters love to see. They also have $20,000 or more in their pockets or against their student debt than most of their peers.

Covid-19 has affected us all. Why is the ASU taking that two per cent away from leaders of internal organizations rather than cutting back their own salaries? In a time of mass crisis and people over profits, is the executive title not enough?

Why is the ASU in such a deficit and where are the financials hiding?

The ASU has not reported financials on their website, so what is really going on behind closed doors? The ASU would not be aggressively cutting costs were they not running on such a high deficit. Deficit means one of two things: raising student fees or cutting expenses.

Costs and honorariums have been cut for many internal organizations and clubs, and now the ASU is proposing defunding a 147-year-old news outlet and one of the few sources of radio entertainment in the entire Annapolis Valley. It is noteworthy that this funding amounts to a negligible $5,000 for the ASU’s cash flow.

When you are running a deficit in the hundreds of thousands, cutting back on $5,000 is not a long-term strategic play and will barely make a dent in financial recovery. This further sets the precedent for future funding cuts to essential internal organizations: the Women’s Centre and International Society being key. What comes next, defunding peer support services?

Do not defund The Athenaeum and AXE Radio when there are more sustainable and strategic options to be explored.

In response to comments made by ASU President Brendan MacNeil about The Athenaeum failing to produce relevant content and content that holds Acadia University and Acadia Students’ Union accountable, we have dedicated the remaining few pages to sharing some of the most impactful articles that The Athenaeum has produced in the past three years.

These articles either were extremely relevant to the student body or critiqued the actions and policies of Acadia and the ASU.

A Wake-up Call for Sexually Violent Language in Sports By: Rylie Moscato ’22 (written in 2019)

In light of the recent hockey brawl that took place on Saturday, February 2nd between St. Francis Xavier University and Acadia University, several individualshave reached out to me disappointed with the way Acadia handled the situation. Armed with the facts, I interviewed multiple people with the hopes of accurately representing the feelings of students about the brawl. Some individuals within this article remain

anonymous due to positions they currently hold on campus and within the Acadia community.

In case you haven’t been keeping up with the news, during the third period of the hockey game, both the Acadia and St.FX players were engaging in typical hockey banter. Acadia player Rodney Southam was pushed into the opposing team’s box during the banter and it was in that moment Southam, as identified in his official statement, told St.FX captain Sam Studnicka “You look like a little ******* rapist”. Studnicka, who has a relationship to a sexual assault survivor, was deeply affected by this comment and as Studnicka faced off against Southam minutes later the brawl ensued.

Since the second week in February, the conversation around the brawl died down following the official statements from Southam and Acadia University. But this conversation is one that should be talked about and not pushed under the rug.

A distraught student wanted to highlight that “Acadia is bending over backwards to protect a player with poor sportsmanship and who may not be innocent of sexual misconduct himself, meanwhile [the university] has no strong nor functional Sexual Violence Policy (SV Policy) in place”. This student acknowledges many sexual assault survivors on campus do not feel nearly the same kind of support that Southam has received for his role in the continual appropriation of sexually violent language.

Jenna Purkis, Head of Acadia’s Mental Health Initiative, informed me while “Acadia currently does have some infrastructure in place to respond to incidents of sexualized violence but all Nova Scotian Universities, per the 2015-2019 Memorandum of Understanding, are required to have a ‘stand-alone sexual violence policy’, which is still in development at Acadia.”

While Purkis assures there have been serious developments towards the creation of a functional SV policy in this past year such as a consultation with

Relevant Articles of the Past students in November and faculty regarding the current presentation of the policy in December, these proposed changes, as of late-February, have not been adopted into the current draft. This news means Acadia is not as close to having formed a working SV policy as students and faculty would have liked. The distraught student points out that due to the lack of progress since 2015, “Acadia’s commitment [to

creating a functional SV policy] seems as strong as a toothpick”.

Purkis, along with this anonymous student both expressed sexual violence is an issue affecting individuals on campus and the best way for Acadia to show their support to victims is to finalize a working SV Policy.

Purkis supports her beliefs by noting that “Acadia can and should verbalize their support for victimsurvivors, but Acadia’s good intentions mean very little if we do not have an adequate policy in place to follow through.”

Through the individuals that have reached out to me, it has become apparent that while Acadia can do their part in supporting victim-survivors by creating an SV policy, there is a larger problem at hand. Students have expressed that sexually violent language in sports has become appropriated and is now unfortunately embedded in ‘sport culture’ Samantha Teichman, a leader in Commit Sociology, held a community discussion following news of the brawl. The aim was to discuss in a diplomatic manner Southam’s response statement and the problems with using sexually violent language in sports and how, if possible, to fix this appropriation. In a comment from the Commit Sociology community discussion, students said that “the response must come from more than the individual players but a change from the institutions themselves.”

Currently, Acadia uses a system called Bystander Intervention Training (BIT) with their Varsity Athletes. The goal of BIT is to prepare athletes to become active bystanders who are ready to intervene in similar situations such as the brawl.

Teichman noted the community touched on how Acadia’s hockey players currently undergo BIT but agree that “when events like this arise and our repercussions are not sufficient, these preventative measures (BIT) ring hollow. It was agreed [by Commit Sociology] that this event

should be a time for reflection and furthermore, a learning opportunity”.

“I’ve heard “sensitivity training” for athletes suggested as a means to address incidents like these”, Purkis noted regarding the brawl. “While I do think training and programs such as BIT (in which many athletes receive mandatory training) can be useful, they absolutely are not “the” solution. They are superficial remedies for a structural and cultural problem; we can employ trainings like these to convey a message about the seriousness of sexual violence, but that message means very little without serious follow-through and consequences”.

“Acadia should be using this opportunity to show support to victim-survivors on campus and make the changes necessary to improve our institution.”

In a conversation with another student who asked to remain anonymous, they believe that Acadia must be strict when it comes to sexually violent language and they must punish instead of protecting any student who does so.

If students are able to use this kind of language and get away with it, or worse be protected by their institutions, change will never come. This is a critical problem affecting universities across the country. At this point, the only way to rid ‘sport culture’ of sexually violent language is for these institutions to hold students responsible for their words. Sexual Violence is a critical issue on university campuses. It is my understanding, through the various conversations I’ve had regarding the topic, that this hockey brawl is a chance for the university to take a step back and address how they can learn from this incident and improve the stature of things on campus. Instead of worrying about their own or their player’s reputations, Acadia should be using this opportunity to show support to victim-survivors on campus and make the changes necessary to improve our institution. Commit Sociology “hope[s] to see a more constructive response of how to prevent the use of sexually violent language in sport moving forward”.

“The ASU denounces all forms of violence on campus. The ASU has been an advocate for

enhancing all forms of student wellness on campus” stated George Philp, ASU President in response to this article.

“This year our Executive and Council have been active in ensuring better access to medical professionals at the Dennis Clinic, which is better staffed this semester than it has been in years. The ASU has been a strong leader in our work with the Acadia Student Resource Centre to roll out the Nova Scotia Bystander Intervention Training to more students including many of Acadia’s varsity athletes. This year’s Executive has spearheaded the modernizing of Acadia’s Non-Academic Judicial Process to better support survivors of sexual violence ,and we look forward to the implementation of Acadia’s Sexual Violence Policy in the coming weeks. Again, the ASU is proud of the funding, services, and advocacy that we provide for all students and violence within our campus community is never justifiable.”

An Opening Letter to the Incoming SRC By: Kyle Thompson-Clement ’19, Josée Léger ’20 and Christopher Vanderburgh ’19 (written in 2019) An Open Letter to the Incoming SRC. This open letter is meant to bring forward our concerns, suggestions, and foster collaboration.

It will address our views on student democracy, leadership and journalism.

Democracy By definition, any student union or government is required to serve and represent students. Representatives are here for students of the ASU. These students, from presidents to councillors, are here to serve everyone at to the best of their collective ability. These students are members of the union in the same way that each and every student who pays student fees is.

Elected members have a duty to consider more than just their own opinions on issues when determining the interest of the union as a whole. This is where problems arise.

Relevant Articles of the Past The best unions must embrace democracy to its fullest. This means laws and practices that adhere to democratic principles of fair and free elections, ethical governance and always promoting students’ democratic rights. These should be the top priorities of any union.

It is no great secret that we, Kyle ThompsonClement, Chris Vanderburgh, and Josée Léger, strongly believe that the ASU has systematically weakened students’ rights. It was brought to our attention that students can no longer impeach ASU representatives nor bring forward referendum by petition. Adding these restrictions means students with enough support from other union members currently have no guarantee that they could remove a representative from their position or submit a question for a referendum.

To incoming ASU representatives, understand that the 10+ people sitting around the table are not the union. The union is each and every student and it is your job to serve these students.

If members of your union, non-elected members and those around the table alike, show support for an idea like a bus pass or impeachment and referendum rights, it is your job to find out how to make that work for the union.

It is your job to contextualize your positions and solicit feedback, both positive and negative.

Again, we remind those who are elected that it is your job to promote everyone’s right to fair and just governance. This year we feel the union has failed to do so. […] (A portion of this article has been cut out due to space) Journalism Incoming ASU representatives need to understand the importance of journalism. In every modern society, journalism plays a critical role in being the check and balance of power, corruption, and ethical governance. The Athenaeum is here to educate students on all social issues. Sometimes, our job is to foster a conversation on the governance of our union.

Any attempt to undermine the duty we have as journalists is a threat to governance and pushes us towards an authoritarian government. We know it

sounds overwhelming, but we exist to bring forward any issues within the union. We’re not looking to ruin the reputation of the ASU. We love our school, and we love our newspaper.

However, it is our job to stand up and be watchdogs for policy changes or events within the ASU that represent significant changes to how students are governed. Articles that shed light on messy issues may not always make your job easier.

Certainly not. That’s not why we are there.

Instead of trying to silence voices of dissent, representatives themselves must use the same medium we do to convince students otherwise.

Journalism, especially pieces that shed light on policy issues, represent an opportunity to think critically about the decision being made in the council room. Please, embrace what journalism represents: checks, balances, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and a means to educate the very union you represent.

Throughout our time at Acadia, we have learned a lot about the inner workings of politics. We can confidently tell you that your representatives work towards making the lives of its union members lives better. However, to the incoming ASU representatives, please advocate for students’ rights. Put the students first and actively work hard by setting petty grievances and personal bias aside. Work towards giving students the most democratic and sound governance we all deserve.

Lead by example. This means setting a tone that students rights are of the highest importance, exploring all options, and educating other union representatives on why democracy is essential for the union.

Finally, attacks on student journalism can and should be met with hostility and dissent. It can be a bitter pill to swallow but it does not change our job as student journalists. We will continue to do the hard and sometimes confrontational work of exposing incidents that run counter to students’ best interests.

Again, this opposition through The Athenaeum can be embraced as an opportunity to reflect on representatives’ choices and standard governance practices.

The Athenaeum is willing to meet regularly with the ASU in hopes to actively work out future tensions. The Athenaeum and the ASU are here to work for the students.

I hope that the passion for The Athenaeum and Axe Radio exemplified in this print edition serves to prove how important these media sources are for students, alumni and faculty.

Additionally, I believe that this print edition provides proof against allegations about performance and relevance.

We have shared support for The Ath and Axe Radio, opinions about the route forward for the SRC and these two IOs, reasons why defunding is a bad idea and past articles where Acadia and the ASU have been called out for their actions.

I hope that the next time The Ath’s performance and relevance is questioned, this print edition comes to mind. In only five days, we managed to release a print edition united all of Acadia’s members. I could not be more proud.

But support doesn’t stop here.

We need continued student support as The Ath and Axe Radio move forward into the future.

THE ATHENAEUM THANK TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EDITION! BELOW ARE THE NAMES OF THE CONTRIBUTORS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SIGNED THE ORIGINAL LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE ATH:

Colin Mitchell ‘19 Rylie Moscato ‘22 Chris Vanderburgh ‘19 Santana Briggs ‘19 Jeremy Ayotte ‘19 Ellen Merchant ‘19 Emily Ellis ‘19 Hayley Phoenix ‘18 Ailish Bergin ‘21 Sid Kondapuram ‘19 Josée Leger ‘20 Jennah Lay ‘19 Kelsey Crouse ‘21 Alex McKaigue ‘19 Sarah Lavallée ‘22 Oliver Jacob ‘21 Mike Butler ‘02 Sarah Surette ‘19 Ellie del Valle ‘19

Kyle Bower ‘21

Sarah Hines ‘17

Evelyn Hein ‘20

Ana Martin ‘19

Kayla Mansfield-Brown ‘15 and ‘19

Tomi McCarthy ‘20

Cali Keating ‘18

Katie Winters ‘19 and ‘21

Rosemary Herron ‘22

Gabrielle Therrien ‘20

Allison Hatcher ‘22

Philip Davis ‘22

Sacha Russo ‘19 Michelle MacDonald ‘20

Taylor Baker ‘19 Lara Hartman ‘21

Emily Ashley ‘22

Colin Bruce '21

Chris Saulnier ‘19

Luke Stock '16

Jade Veinotte ‘22 Liddy Greer ‘22 Jenna Bouwman ‘22 Kate Robart ‘22 Sarah Smith ‘20 Maple Sloan ‘22 Terron Spence ‘18 Sierra Pineo ‘19 Andrew Haskett ‘18 Luke Ehler ‘17 Mckayla Morris ‘16 Katie Chevel ‘18 Nicole Skinner ‘22 Reilley Perrins ‘19

Oscar Leishman '21 Hunter Murchison-Doggart ‘22 Kasey DeVries ‘16 Benjamin Gaskins ‘23 Micah Carruthers ‘18 Rachel Sparling ‘19 Hannah-Grace Morgan ‘19

Melanie Pos ‘16 Carter Feltham ‘18 and 20 Madison Hathaway ‘19 Shelby McPhee ‘18 and ‘20 Laura Porter-Muntz ‘19 Jordan Gunn ‘19 Ross Chapman '02 Sarah Lennerton ‘03 Axel Eschholz ‘24 Carol Ann (Pope) Burden ‘71 and ‘72 Paul Burden ‘72 Samantha Teichman ‘19

Victoria Hendrycks ‘20

In memory-Gerald D. StAmand ‘72

Kaitlyn Comeau ‘22

Kaileigh Skinner ‘20

Heather Fraser ‘01

The Faculty of Politics

Irfana Hameed ‘18

Dr. Jon Saklofske

Elektra Papadogiorgaki ‘19

Helen Allen ‘21

Kyle Thompson-Clement ‘19

Paul Black ‘00