Issue 5, Volume 122

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XAVERIAN VOLUME 122 ISSUE 5 OCT 31 2013

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ISSUE 5

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Thursday Mar 29 2012

Volume 120 Issue 20

EDITORIAL STAFF

Thursday, October March 21, 312012 2013 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Volume 121 Issue Issue515 Sean McEvoy122 xw.eic@stfx.ca | (902) 870-9431

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PRODUCT ION MANAGER Emma MacPherson EDITORS-IN-CHIEF xw.product@stfx.ca

Sean Ron Jeremy McEvoy

news THE PRICE OF FITNESS

MANAGING EDITOR Lewis Peter North Forward Joe T hibault xw.managing@stfx.ca | (902) 867-3732

STUDENTS UNION revokes funding for free oc fitness classes after 300% cost increase

COPY EDITOR Alexandra Adams ART PRODUCT IST IC COORDINATOR ION MANAGER xw.copy@stfx.ca

LEWIS FORWARD | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Clayton Jesus ART IST ICBlagdon COORDINATOR Marie-Eve Pomerleau xw.photo@stfx.ca xw.product@stfx.ca xw.photo@stfx.ca

Last year’s free fitness classes, funded by the Students’ Union will not be available this year following a unanimous decision by council.

In second term last year, fitness classes were funded in a collaboration between the Recreation department and the Students’ Union. The new price point given to the Students’ Union in August after their annual budget had been passed was 300% higher than the total cost for the semester before, and if adopted late would have forced the Union into a deficit of

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over $11000.

77% of responding students in a survey of 416 students conducted by councillors Matthew Cormier and Isaac Turner supported Union funding knowing it would create a deficit.

Free fitness classes were initially offered in first term last year to promote the classes to students, according to Director of Athletics and Recreation Leo MacPherson.

“Last year as a promotional exercise, we covered the costs of the fall-term to encourage enhanced participation and let

students experience high quality fitness classes....In January of 2013 the classes were once again available but with a cost associated with them....The Students Union wanted to reintroduce the free classes to students and offered to pick up the costs for classes in February and March.”

Students Union members had several alternate suggestions to full funding. Councillor Siobhan Morris raised the possibility of funding selected free fitness time periods, or offering an opt-in service for students

who utilize the fitness classes, charging those who do not opt in. No such measures were approved.

Currently, no meetings are scheduled between Fitness and Recreation and Students’ Union representatives.

MacPherson and the Recreation team are currently exploring grant options that could open up funding for a cost offset for future fitness classes, and Students’ Union representatives have raised the option of incorporating the program into their 2014-2015 budget.

Assault leaves man paralyzed Scott Jones: a victim of horrific hate crime

Rory Bob Marley MacLeod xw.culture@stfx.ca xw.opinions@stfx.ca

LAURA ALOISIO | Senior Reporter

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What many are calling a hate crime has left a victim paralyzed and has placed New Glasgow in the national spotlight.

Twenty-seven year-old Scott Jones was leaving a bar with friends near Archimedes Street and Forbes Street in New Glasgow at 2:30 am on Oct 12 when, according to a friend, he was stabbed in the back twice and his throat was slashed.

Jones, a local choir director and church organist at First Presbyterian Church in New Glasgow, was taken to Aberdeen Hospital by New Glasgow Regional Police after police arrived at the scene and found the victim lying in the street. He was later airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax due to the extent of his injuries.

It was later discovered that Scott’s spinal cord was severed in the attack, and his injuries left him paralyzed from the waist down. Although the police have not yet classified the assault as a hate crime, according to Jason Cormier, who is engaged to the sister of the victim, Jones was attacked because he was gay.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of support for Scott. A weekend fundraiser in New Glasgow was able to add close to $22,000 to a trust fund that was established to help Jones during his recovery. The StFX University community is joining in to help by hosting a fundraiser, which was tentatively scheduled to take place on

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Oct 30. At this time many students and community members found it important to look back and reflect on the profound impact this will have on his life. This loss came as an eye-opener to those who have come to think that the work on LGBTQ issues is unimportant or those who believe there is nothing more to be done. Getting involved on-campus with the LGBTQ society or local chapter, many StFX students have helped to spread awareness and make efforts to prevent these hate crimes from occurring again.

Amy Punke, a close friend and roommate of Scott Jones, appeared on the CBC’s Information Morning and said that Jones was not focusing on the act of violence but on the positive energy that surrounds

him. Looking to the future is a part of supporting Scott Jones in the next, very difficult, chapter in his life. Therapy is a long road that he is now embarking on. Efforts to provide Scott with guitar amps and other items to make upcoming therapy more bearable are already underway. Family and friends made it clear that everyone can help this tragedy by not letting it go unnoticed; let it be known that you stand united against acts of violence, especially violence caused by discrimination.

Professor Rachel Hurst, faculty advisor for X-Pride has coordinated a letter of support for Jones.

“The group agreed unanimously to sign a letter of support and solidarity to Scott Jones, along with many organizations in the town and uni-

versity (the U, Town Council, the Strait Regional School Board, the Antigonish Poverty Reduction Coalition, the Aboriginal, Black, International, and LGBTQ student advisors, the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre,”, Hurst said in an email. A night of music in support of Jones was also mentioned as a possibility for next semester.

The open letter reads as follows “Dear Scott Jones, We, members of the Antigonish and St. Francis Xavier University community, are writing this open letter to you to send our messages of love, solidarity and support. In particular, we want to offer ongoing support to you and the LGBTQ community of New Glasgow in this time and moving forward. We hope that we can make new connections between our neighbouring communities through our commitments to safer communities.

We want to live in a world of peace and safety, where diversity and inclusion are celebrated and embraced, and as a community we condemn homophobia and all homophobic violence. In Antigonish, the community is planning a fundraising event on [TBA date], to help raise money to support you as you recover.”

Shane Edward Matheson of Trenton, N.S., has been charged with the attack and is currently being held until his bail hearing, which is set for Oct 31.

NEWS 3

The Xaverian-Volume 122 Issue 5

Changing Guard in Nova Scotia Heavy is the head that wears the crown; Liberals hoping to remedy nagging problems MEGAN DEWEY | Senior Reporter

Randy Delorey’s victory in the recent Nova Scotian election marks a return to Liberal power in the province. The Liberals reigned for almost thirty years before the Conservatives gained power in 1999. Following Conservative MP Angus MacIsaac’s retirement in 2009, an NDP government was elected, led locally by MP Moe Smith, a position he held until October’s election.

The campaign began by finding a candidate for the riding and building a team to support them. After much consideration and wooing from the Liberal Association, StFX Business Professor Randy Delorey signed on as the local candidate. The biggest draws for Delorey were his dedication and his enthusiasm and his commitment to both the campaign and the position for which he was running. “Randy is young, he’s energetic, and he does his homework,” Antigonish Liberal Association President and StFX English Professor Joseph Khoury told the Xaverian. “He reads up on policy and the local issues, and during the campaign he showed the voters that he was committed to the issues they valued most.” The team chosen to support the candidate was as important as the candidate himself. “Without a strong relationship between the campaign team and the Liberal Association the campaign would fall apart,” Khoury explained, “[Campaign manager] Mark Fuller was a Godsend.”

Local issues were at the forefront in the campaign, Khoury added, “The

Central Party drafts the platform used by each riding. We were very focused on the local issues, and worked with how those issues fit with the central platform.” The Liberal campaign focused somewhat on student-related issues, promising to eliminate interest on provincial student loans and to create graduate student scholarships for Nova Scotia’s students. While the local campaign was dedicated to student issues, as StFX has a huge impact on the riding, they were equally as dedicated to issues not directly tied to the university. When asked about Delorey’s commitment to the voters in his riding, Khoury said, “During the campaign, locals would tell Randy about the problems affecting them personally, and he took those issues seriously. Even though he had not yet been elected, he picked up the phone and did what he could to help. I think that did a lot to show the voters how seriously Randy took the campaign and how seriously he took the voters.”

When asked what the main challenges to the campaign were, Khoury said that interaction with the voters was the biggest hurdle in the campaign. “Antigonish as a riding is a lot bigger than just the town itself.

Randy knocked on as many doors as he could, but people are not always home. The best you can do is leave a pamphlet and let the voters know that Randy is always more that happy to meet members of the community to talk about local issues and the issues that most affect voters on a personal

level.” Another major obstacle to the campaign was actually getting people to vote. Though the Antigonish voter turnout and the student voter turnout increased from the last election, Khoury says that the turnout still isn’t enough. The student voter turnout was particularly worrying. “I think a lot of people take our democracy for granted. The Young Liberals on campus did a wonderful job encouraging students to vote, as did the TheU. That being said, there is no reason student voter turnout for government elections should not at least equal voter turnout for Student Union elections.”

Khoury said. When asked his how he felt about online voting, Khoury said, “I think is has to come. We are in desperate need of increasing voter turnout.”

In light of the election results and the Liberal win, Khoury said, “I was completely confident that we would win the race, though I was not expecting to win by this many votes. I expected a margin of three or four hundred, but to win by over a thousand is incredible.” The ALA campaign received another windfall when Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil named Delorey as Cabinet Minister of Environment and Gaelic Affairs. “The cabinet was not the goal when we began the campaign, nor should it be,” Khoury said. “When he was asked about the cabinet during the campaign, Randy stressed that cabinet potential was not the reason he decided to run. It is a bonus, because he’s been trusted to

carry a huge file for all of Nova Scotia, not just his own riding.” Despite the increased responsibility, Khoury stated that Delorey is honoured to be given the responsibility and will fulfill the role as best he can.

The local response to Delorey’s win has been very positive. “In the twenty four hours since his appointment to the cabinet, people have been ecstatic. Even before he was selected for the cabinet, the response was positive. Voters were excited about his election, as they felt he really listened to them and the issues they found important. The comment I’ve heard the most is, ‘He made us feel good,’ which is very important to voters. Having a candidate that voters feel good about, that they are confident in, was important to us.”

When asked if the ALA had any regrets about the campaign, Khoury said, “Of course there are going to be little things you wish you could have changed, but overall we are very happy with the campaign and ecstatic with the result. Mostly, I wish we could have started the campaign earlier, as it would have given us more time and opportunity to meet voters and find out what they need. Time was definitely a huge challenge.”

Though the Liberal party has only recently been elected, they are more than ready for the challenge. Be sure to check out the Xaverian next week for an interview with Randy Delorey himself about his campaign and his plans following the election.

The long way home Local woman marches to ottawa for ptsd awareness, was forced to shed her uniform before she took a step MARK RISEBROUGH | News Editor

Kate MacEachern was born and raised in Antigonish before signing on with the Canadian military. She was stationed at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick. She served eight years in the Canadian army as a Tanker. In 2007 she suffered serious injuries including a broken neck, spinal cord damage, and a fractured skull. Her family was told that she would remain in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. She walked out of the hospital after nine days of recovery.

In 2012, on her ‘Long Way Home’ walk, Kate walked 562 kilometres in nineteen days from CFB Gagetown to her hometown of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The walk raised $20,000 for the charity Soldier On which helps returning veterans with PTSD. This year, her walk will be raising money for the online help organization Military Minds, which helps returning war veterans gain access to proper psychological care. The only difference this time is that she will not do the trek as a member of the military.

MacEachern quit the military in August, having received word that her superiors at the base rejected her request to repeat the effort. As opposed to the enthusiastic support she re-

ceived from the Gagetown brass last year in addition to the then-Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay, the 34-year-old single mother was issued an ultimatum: “Do the walk if you so choose, but not as a serving soldier.”

This was certainly surprising given MacKay’s statement last year: “Your family, friends, your neighbours here, all Nova Scotians, all Canadians, are so proud of your accomplishment, your compassion – your passion for your friends, your colleagues, your comrades – to undertake this enormous journey on their behalf is such a living tribute to those who wore the uniform and who continue to wear the uniform,” said MacKay. “As the Minister of National Defence and your local MP, I am so thankful for what you have done for your community and your country. Thank you, Kate.”

MacKay also told her she “epitomized leadership” and personally gave her two weeks off.

Despite all of these positive endorsements from the Minister of National Defence, her superiors said that they could not afford to give her the time and also had insurance and cost concerns regarding the walk.

MacEachern, however, has three

sponsors this year, and insists that there would have been no cost to the base had they kept her on – she requires no assistance from the military.

This second walk for PTSD awareness began on Sept 3 from the Canso

Causeway between Cape Breton and the Nova Scotian mainland. It was an 1864 kilometer walk and took 45 days to complete. MacEachern hopes to raise between $50,000-$100,000 this year.

4 NEWS

Thursday, OCTOBER 31, 2013-The Xaverian

Q&A with Bryson Perrin Arts Senator sits down TO DISCUSS NEEDS AND PRIORITIES FOR STUDENTS SEAN MCEVOY | Co Editor-and-Chief

The Xav: As the Arts Student Senator, what do you see as the biggest concern for Arts students at the moment?

Bryson: Directly from Arts students, there aren’t too many specifics right now. A major thing for all students that we’ve gathered, however, is study space. For Arts students I guess the most I could say would be that there’s a lot of essays crammed into the same time period. I know for myself I have four essays totalling forty pages due in a two week period. We did have other students say similar things – that they have a lot of assignments and essays crammed into the same period. For science students, they said that their labs during midterms made it very hectic, so a lot of it was just congestion. You don’t have anything for the first six weeks of school, and then there’s two weeks of essays, two weeks of midterms, and everything is so congested. Another thing for students would be the amount of books

and the cost of textbooks. An arts student mentioned that they had eight textbooks for their Philosophy and English classes, which is just so much to handle.

The Xav: Sitting on the Campus Bookstore Committee for Senate, what issues are you focusing on there?

Bryson: The biggest thing we’re going to do is that they just brought in a 4 or 5% restocking fee. That is, the second I buy it, even if I return it in the plastic wrap, they will charge it. I think it’s ridiculous because I could literally walk and put it on the shelf for them for free. If you’re buying a $100 textbook you’re losing five bucks for no reason at all.

The Xav: What major issues did students bring up in the post-it note campaign?

Bryson: The idea of a fall reading week - that was a very interesting one, to see the mixed reaction. Some people are really against it because they want the huge winter break that we get right

now. But a bunch of students do want it. A lot of the support came from Ontario students who have seen schools like Ryerson and U of T, University of Ottawa and Trent, already have it. So that was a big one.

Course description was huge.

You only get three sentences in the Academic Calendar to tell you, “Do I want to take this course or not?” Obviously the solution isn’t to make the calendar four hundred pages long, but to put it on the internet with the registrar online would be so simple. Instead of someone going into a six credit class that lasts eight months off of three sentences, you can go into a class with a paragraph.

The Xav: For you, personally as a Senator, will you be advocating for a Fall study break?

Bryson: We’re going to meet as senators again and talk about the logistics of it. I think it is very reasonable, because we have Spring Break and the semesters are the

same length. The second semester doesn’t get extended too much by it. So to add a fall break shouldn’t affect our winter break too too much.

We could think about putting it in over Thanksgiving since we already have the Monday off. So we’re only really getting four more days off and everyone knows about Business Fridays, where nobody has their most classes. So you only have three major days where you’re missing anyway.

So logistically, that might be the best time to do it.

The Xav: On the topic of study space, what are some ideas you have to improve study spaces and availability for students?

Bryson: First of all: awareness. A lot of first year students didn’t know that you can be in the physical science building for 24 hours. It does close at twelve, but if you are in there before twelve you are allowed to be in there 24 hours. So we thought that was huge because, when we told a

lot of people that, they were like, “Oh, there’s no 24 hour study space,” and we were like, “Actually, there is.” Obv i o u s l y we can’t have all these students at the physical science building, there’s just not that much study space in there. A big one would be the SUB. The library is tough because you have to have librarians there - but the SUB, if you could just open the cafe part.

All you really need is one or two security and they can just sit there.

The Xav: Why haven’t these measures been put into action so far?

Bryson: Security is the big block. I know Rachel Mitchell (last year’s Student Union VP) told us last year that that’s a hill you have to be ready to die on. Apparently it’s really hard to get (security). I think with the amount of people that we got who said they want and need this, it’s almost too hard to ignore. This is what we’re here for - to try and get what the students need.

the Schwartz meeting rooms downstairs without any expensive equipment in them for group study space during the day; but we have yet to present the idea to him.

The Xav: What is your position on a Fall Study Break?

Ryley: My personal position is that we should not have a Fall reading week because I would really not like to end exams on the 21st of December( this year’s exam period ends on December 16th). As well, I find that there was especially a lot of frosh that wanted Fall reading week. I find that it would be better, rather than putting in that full week, to instead just to encourage them to study more for midterms. I just wasn’t a fan of Fall reading week but there were a lot of people who were.

The Xav: What will be some of the recommendations you will be presenting to the Senate going forward?

Ryley: What I’m perceiving is probably the study space ideas. Creating a directory, better signage, an online booking system. They already have this system in the library but nowhere else on campus.

The Xav: Do you have any other major concerns coming forth in Senate?

Ryley: They want a better Academic Calendar, earlier in the year Professor assess-

ments, and better incorporation of the Coady Institute.

The Xav: Better incorporation of the Coady, how exactly?

Ryley: Just because we’ve found that on campus it’s like StFX, and then there’s the Coady. It’s not one thing. You never see StFX students interacting with Coady students or vice versa. There’s a lot of untapped resources in the Coady students that can be useful to students in Development Studies, Sociology, etcetera.

The Xav: As a frosh Senator, do you see any specific concerns for frosh students coming forward?

Ryley: Mostly just people are a little overwhelmed, especially during their first midterms, which are their first university exams in general.

Many of them just don’t know what to expect so some of them over study, some of them under study, some of them don’t know how to study well. Others feel quite pressured when they are in the exam room itself. Some just don’t know that in university your marks probably will drop by an amount.

The Xav: Any shout out you would like to give students?

Ryley: I have a joke. What do you call a sheep on a trampoline?

The Xav: What?

Ryley: A woolly jumper!

Q&A with ryley Erickson FROSH SENATOR FOCUSES ON FIRST YEAR STRESSES SEAN MCEVOY | Co Editor-and-Chief

The Xav: Going into the position, what were your priorities and what do you want to achieve as a senator?

Ryley: I just wanted the first years to be able to not feel as stressed out and overwhelmed.

Most of them aren’t really prepared as much for the university work load and study habits. So hopefully, as the Senate, we’ll be able to ease the transition into university academics a little more.

The Xav: Going into the next Senate meeting on November 4th, Senators created a campaign to find out student concerns on campus over the past week. How did that come

about?

Ryley: Well we have to do a yearly presentation to the Senate and the VP of the Student’s Union, Taylor Mason, came up with the idea of doing a post-it note campaign in order to get feedback on what students’ academics concerns were, so we did that for the past week.

People would come up to us and write down their concerns on the post-it note, and we would put it up somewhere everyone could see it. So we could just get a sense of what the students want and not just what the six (student) senators want.

The Xav: What were the

major concerns that you saw being brought forward by students?

Ryley: The two biggest ones were lack of late night study space, group study space, and just study space in general.

Also concerning midterms in the first semester and whether we should Fall reading week, no Fall reading week, or just a Fall study day, etcetera.

The Xav: What were the benefits of having the student open forum night?

Ryley: It really allowed us to delve a lot deeper into some of the issues that were surrounding the concerns that people had. So for example with study space, it allowed us to really tackle: Why is there no late night study space? What has prevented there from being more late night study space?

Then we could really think of how we can combat these problems and increase the amount.

The Xav: What are your ideas so far to combat the study space problem on campus?

Ryley: What we were thinking is that people don’t know when building’s closed. It’s not very clear. So we were going to create a directory so that people could actually know when certain buildings close.

We were also thinking of asking the Dean of Business (Tim Hynes) if we could open up

OPINIONS 5

The Xaverian-Volume 122 Issue 5

OPINIONS UNAVOIDABLE ACADEMICS DOES THE STRAIN OF MIDTERMS ACTUALLY HELP US IN THE LONG RUN? BEN KENT & ERIC “THE CAPTAIN” DANIS | Contributors

When I first started to write this article, I had intended to give two perspectives of midterms — one from an arts student, which would be written by myself, and the other from a science student. I was going to have a side-byside comparison of these two opinions in order to stimulate a debate on whether or not midterms are really beneficial to students. I had my half of the paper all lined up. I was going to write about how, as a philosophy major, I don’t find midterms to be particularly helpful. I was also going to write about how I often sit down to study only to find that both my notes and the textbook are equally incomprehensible. Finally, I was going to write about how it’s difficult to have objective tests for subjects which are largely based on writing skills and constructing strong arguments. I even came up with what I thought was a brilliant solution to the arts student’s midterm dilemma — to reduce the grade value of midterms and increase the value of written assignments. I had everything fully prepared and I was just waiting to re-

ceive the other half of the article which I had asked my friend Eric Danis (known colloquially around campus as “The Captain”) to write about his opinions on midterms.

Then I got his response, and all of my plans fell apart. Instead of writing about why he supported, or was opposed to, midterms, Eric decided to write about how he manages to survive the midterm season every year.

He wrote to me: “Ben, I told you that you wouldn’t like the answer I would give you to this question, but here goes nothing: I don’t think about midterms. When I have a midterm I review my notebook... and then I write. This is because to me, midterms aren’t midterms; they’re tests. And we have tests every day, even if we don’t realize it.

The way I see it, there will always be obstacles. Some will benefit and some will detriment your life. However, each and every one changes you ever so slightly, and eventually, these small changes turn into large changes

and then before you know it, you’re all out of decisions, and, wishing that you spent a little less time worrying about midterms.”

When I first read this, I was beyond frustrated. I had already planned out my entire article, and now I would have to either use this opinion and completely revise my half of the article, or find a new person to write me an opinion with only one day left until my deadline and with most science students just writing their last midterms. I decided that I would sleep on it and decide in the morning. When I sat back down to look at my article, I realized that Eric was right. I started to think of the negative and frantic atmosphere that has been lingering around campus since the holiday weekend. I started to think of the number of times I wanted to snap at my roommates this past week, only to realize that I was just stressed over my midterms. I thought about the baggy eyes, the countless cups of coffee and the stacks of textbooks all over campus. The more I thought about it, the

more I realized how so many people let midterms completely consume their life, and I thought to myself “Does it really matter if I don’t like midterms?”

I don’t think it does. We can complain about midterms all we like. We can debate about them until we’re red in the face and out of breath, and it won’t make a difference. Midterms are here to stay whether we like it or not, so we should try to make the best of it and move on. Maybe you made it through this midterm season on top.

Maybe you didn’t. But it’s over now. As Eric said, life is nothing but a series of tests. Sometimes you succeed, and sometimes you fail, but you always need to get back up and prepare for the next challenge in your life. Besides, in the larger scope of things, are midterms really that bad? As my philosophy professor, Steven Baldner, once put it, “Midterms are much like the Socratic mantra: the unexamined life is not worth living”. Life goes on and midterms come and go, so smile and don’t worry so much about the little things. That is, until exam season...

spend the month cultivating scruff and a neck beard and cry “Movember” if questioned. The crux of Movember is the Mo, hence the campaign’s official rules. To not follow those rules seems to, in my opinion,

compromise the campaign’s integrity. Not only does it make the moustache growing a bit arbitrary, it also takes away from the gravity of the issues behind the moustache. To me, a failure to follow the campaign’s rules is a failure to respect the campaign itself.

I’m not trying to govern the facial hair stylings of the men of X. What you want to grow on your face is your business. I’m just want a campaign I believe in to get the best representation possible, a sentiment I think a lot of other people share. Movember isn’t just an excuse to grow a cool ‘stache – it’s a chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself. It helps generate conversation about men’s health, a topic that is sorely underrepresented in today’s culture. It allows men to embrace their manliness and women to think about how much they care about the dudes in their lives. It sparks conversations that need to be had, and lets men know the importance of taking care of themselves. It gives you an opportunity to try a look you may not have otherwise chosen, and to do so without judgement. It is, simply put, a really cool campaign.

Whether or not you take part in Movember is up to you, but should you choose to mo’ I have one small request: try to make it something Burt Reynolds would be proud of.

Make your mo count Movember isn’t an excuse to be lazy MEGAN DEWEY | Senior Reporter

Since it began, Movember has been an effective and engaging way to spread awareness about men’s health issues. The official campaign has five rules: start clean shaven; throughout the month of November, grow a moustache in any style you choose; do not let your moustache join to your sideburns, or else it becomes a beard; do not let your moustache join under the chin, as it then becomes a goatee; and be a gentleman. These rules exist to give your facial hair a sense of purpose, and to make it something worthy of sponsorship. Movember is a great campaign; it promotes conversation about important issues and helps raise money for both cancer and mental heath research, and support for the men who are living with these conditions. What makes Movember so successful is that it fully embraces its demographic. Movember is not about cancer ribbons or flower sales.

Movember embraces masculinity while not being overly tough or aggressive. It allows men to pay homage to great moustache icons such as Tom Selleck and the Rons: Swanson and Burgundy, while simultaneously turning MoBros into a walking advertisement for their own health. I think that’s a pretty awesome strategy.

Despite the good intentions behind Movember, there seems to be a

subset of MoBros who use their participation in the campaign as an excuse to stop shaving entirely. While I completely respect the choice to participate in a “No Shave November” I do have problems with guys who

6 OPINIONS

Thursday, OCTOBER 31, 2013-The Xaverian

THE ROOMmATE ROLLERCOASTER 15 lessons you learn from YOUR roommate

ANONYMOUS | Contributor

Either you have one, had one, want one, or wonder what it’s like to have a roommate. It’s an opportunity to bond and have an instant friend during the shy and awkward days at the beginning of the school year. But once frosh week is over and you’ve become comfortable within this new place, that’s when the truth unravels, and sometimes it’s in the form of, “Why did I think it was a good idea to have a roommate?”

Like many of you, I was guilty of wrongly believing that my roommate will become my best friend.

However, living with a stranger for the past two months has helped me realized things in life that may actually make the experience worth it.

Here’s the top fifteen: 1. Your morning alarm sets the mood. Choose a happy jingle; it might work better than florescent underwear.

2. Results won’t always reflect the amount of effort you put in. That’s just the way the universe works and there is no point in arguing with it.

3. Misery really does love company. Two negatives make a positive; consider it a bonding mechanism.

4. Alone time should be cherished. Never underestimate the true feeling of freedom that is getting dressed alone.

5. Gossip is stupid. Just stop.

6. Routine isn’t a bad thing. Take a break from “YOLO” and you’ll see what I mean.

7. Be straightforward. Honesty is the best policy (but don’t start being confrontational out of nowhere because that will make you a jerk.)

8. Judging others on their personal choices will prevent you from

living your own life – taking the time to reflect on the roommate’s unproductive, lazy lifestyle will not make yours any better.

9. Be proud of yourself and don’t depend on others to be proud for you- too often they won’t.

10. No one is immune to influences. We are all influenced by those around us, so be aware and realize it before you pick up the wrong habits. As for me, I’ve already started to become nocturnal so it might be too late.

11. Don’t be too cautious of your actions. Your habits are less noteworthy to others than you think.

12. Talking when you’re upset helps. And to whom you talk doesn’t matter. Just let it out, my friend.

13. Unwritten agreements are the best kind of agreements. Use your intuition. ‘Tis vital for survival.

14. People filter tap water.

15. You can find something in common with everyone. And it’s worth the effort to look for it.

So there you have it: a list of things I would not have realized so quickly if it weren’t for the fellow creature occupying the other side of my room. Perhaps not all of your roommates are slackers with a 95 averages who engage in pointless gossip and have awesome morning alarms, but it doesn’t matter. The thing that does matter is to see each situation as brightly as you can and, as corny as it sounds, make the best of it. Who knows – you might just learn a thing or two.

And as for all of you that have the greatest roommate ever and who are already BFF’s, congratulations, but keep it to yourself– jealousy can be poisonous.

STREET BEATS WHAT ARE YOU BEING FOR HALLOWEEN? LAURA O’BRIEN | Opinions Editor

Liam Prost: A Never Nude Angela MacKenzie: A Peacock Emily Keenan: An apathetic fairy Maddie MacDonald & Roommates: Shark Week Mylan Clairmont: Miley Cyrus Ryan Baker: A Sexy Nurse Graham Snow: 8 Legged Freak Hilary Perry & Alana Evanowich: Minions!

Mackenzie Windsor: Skull Kid from Majora’s Mask Rory MacLeod: Ninja Laura O’Brien: A Unicorn Matthew Babington & Melanie Mackay: A Masquerade Couple Lisa Gunn, Brendan Morley, Pat LeClair & Kennedy Murphy: The Cast of Flight of the Concords Emily Miller & Megan Elliott: Doritos Lewis Forward Commander Chris Hadfield

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The Xaverian-Volume 122 Issue 5

TIPS FOR FRANTIC FIRST YEARS how do you solve a problem like maria?

MARIA RIZZET TO | Columnist

It’s that time of year again: the fun is over. Blank-faced first years are walking around campus; a girl is holding back tears in the SUB, her face buried in an exam booklet; and, of course, there is an undeniable decrease in students frequenting the few bars of the ‘Nish.

You’ve just gotten back your first graded midterm or paper and the overbearing wrath of panic sets in. How am I ever going to get into law school with these marks? Medical schools won’t even entertain my application! My parents are going to slaughter me!

You’ve convinced yourself, that within the eyes of this exceptional university full of small classes and helpful professors, you’re now somehow only a number. The number of the grade on your first assignment of your university career seems to be defining you. How can this be? The first thing you need to do is calm down, because it will not be, and is not, defining you. This phenomenon seems to fade away as years go on. As a fourth year, there’s nothing like being able to walk away from a midterm feeling fantastic because you found out last minute that it was only worth ten percent of your mark or being able to graciously receive a lower-than-you-thought-you-earned grade and calmly roll with the punches knowing it’s just midterms. We all remember the feeling. Perhaps there were a couple of “nope, not doing this” phone calls home,

as though your parents have all the answers to how you can better succeed.

But the truth is they don’t have it; and they will probably just give you the spiel I just did. As a matter of fact, I think that’s exactly what happened to me. Nevertheless, I figured it out, so here’s some advice that definitely wasn’t on your syllabus or explained in any first-year tutorial during frosh week: Stop worrying about everyone else.

Nobody at this university has the same brain as you. Who cares what’s on the paper of the person you always sit with in class? Knowing their mark, or anyone else’s, for that matter, will not help you in any way, shape, or form. It will probably do more damage than you think. You will either feel inferior or superior; both are equally detrimental.

Go see your professor. No, it’s never too late. No, the window of making it seem like you always go meet your professors has not passed. No, they will not think that you are sucking up to them because you got a low mark. No, they will not just send you to the Writing Center. This is probably the best thing you can do. Make sure you are ready with specific questions.

You can’t just show up and say you are unhappy with your mark. They want to help you; you just need to know what you need help with.

Take responsibility. It was you who wrote the paper or took the exam, not

anybody else. You can fabricate as many excuses as you want; trust me, I used and abused the viable ones. It is not going to change your mark. Midterms are in place for a reason. They are a wake-up call that enables you with, if you take it, another chance to get your act together before the marks that really matter end up on your transcript. READ WHAT IS ON YOUR PAPER. The mark is probably not going to change, but you now hold a key to success in your Professor’s eyes. Professors take time to write these comments; if you merely fix the issues brought up on your first assignment in your second, you will see improvement.

Listen to your Professor. I don’t mean just get to class and listen. I mean actually listen to your professor. What themes do they talk about more than others? How do they refer to or categorize issues that are being discussed? More likely than not, these will be the concepts on evaluations.

Take note of your professor’s means of delivering information, from power points, lots of assigned readings, or just class discussion. Learn it, live it, and immerse yourself in it. Each professor has a certain way in which they want the information they are teaching given back to them. Some want your own opinions and some want the facts spat back. Figure this out and you will see a difference.

Strike a balance. Nobody is happy spending every night of the week in the

library or their bedroom studying. If you are, you’re missing out on an important aspect of which there is no short supply at StFX . Revoking yourself of the right to go out is just plain wrong and denying yourself time to have fun will stress you out even more. You need to be in an environment that has the best of both worlds, but more importantly you must find a balance of both worlds that works best for you. You don’t have to give into the peer pressure of power hour or made-up holidays at the Inn every time, but it’s okay sometimes.

Figure out what you’re good at. You’ve probably heard it a million times from parents and siblings and high school teachers: figure out what you’re interested in.

But sometimes what you’re interested in is not always the right choice. You need to figure out what you excel in. Maybe it’s a subject you hadn’t paid much interest in until you ended up there as a result of ‘pairing’ of electives, or had to take a business course because the one you wanted was full. We live in a world today where music students can go to med school. If you have a final academic destination or you simply want to keep your options open, take what you’re good at because that’s where you will get the marks that will open up doors. The unfortunate reality of life is that your transcript does not come with an outline of exterior stressors you overcame throughout university.

Duffy, Pamela Wallin, and Patrick Brazeau to be recreated on a smaller scale). They showed true initiative, creativity, and a passion to serve students which should be applauded. Student’s Union councilors should follow their example in being active in student concerns. While our Student Senators have prepared a well organized presentation to present to Senate with clear goals and initiatives, constituency reports at any Union council meeting leave a lot to be desired, often filled with generic repetitive statements.

A little more effort to identify students needs on behalf of councilors would go a long way, and maybe...just maybe, a student might actually attend a council meeting. What a miracle that would be!

Movember To put it simply gentlemen, let’s not just use this month as an excuse not to shave. Let’s remember that the funds we

raise can impact so many lives for the better, and raising awareness for men’s health should always be our main focus. That being said, I cannot wait to see all the stache’s on campus, ranging from the majestic to the laughable. Ready, set, grow!

rapid fire rants Quick views on what’s happening at X SEAN MCEVOY | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Scott Jones There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about this horrific attack.

It was shocking, terrible, saddening, and frankly mind blowing that this kind of incident would happen in small town Nova Scotia. Living in Canada, many of us may assume that homophobia and homophobic acts are not a problem in this country compared to our neighbours in the south, or in Russia which has garnered the majority of the media attention on the topic leading up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics. While the Canadian government may be more favourable to the LGBTQ community than others, it does not mean that homophobia doesn’t exist in our day to day society. It is hard to imagine a more brutal wake up call to that truth then this. Upon first reading of the news report on the attack I was left speechless thinking how could this possibly be?

After all the progress that has been made it recent years,this incident was discouraging to say the least. That coupled with recent homophobic harassment brought to light by a recent Spotted at StFX post shows how important campus groups like X-Pride are in providing support and a sense of community to LGBTQ students. The response to the Spotted post was also overwhelming in it’s support of the harassed student which reminds us that those with homophobic attitudes are becoming the minority. Although identifying as an LGBTQ student is not without it’s difficulties, society is slowly but surely making positive progress, which

should give everyone cause to hope.

Spotted at StFX Spotted has quickly become an main stay institution at our school. For some, myself included, it has become almost an addiction waiting for the next round of posts. It gives us a view into our fellow students lives we may never otherwise see which keeps us intrigued and wanting more. When interviewing the creator this week, it was hard not to get sucked into the intrigue and mystery surrounding who Spotted is. Various rumors have circulated around campus over who they are, however not knowing is part of the fun. Arguments have been made that the site has been the best thing to ever happen to StFX, and also the worst. While the site does indeed often display the cringe worthy, embarrassing, and classless behaviour that can be a part of university life, it also shows acts of kindness, fun, community, and inspiration. Spotted holds an honest mirror to ourselves, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We can learn from others mistakes, enjoy other’s successes, all the while building a strong sense of community at our gem of a school. So to Spotted, whoever you are, I say a sincere thank you.

Senate This past week with student Senators running a post-it note campaign to help identify student needs and priorities on campus, they proved that they are not near as useless as the Senators on Parliament Hill in Ottawa ( though a journalist can still hope for the entertaining drama of Mike

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Thursday, OCTOBER 31, 2013-The Xaverian

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Thursday, OCTOBER 31, 2013-The Xaverian

Culture X does hpx THE ARTISTS THAT AMUSED, USED AND ABUSED US at Halifax Pop Explosion RORY MACLEOD, LIAM PROST & LISA GUNN | Culture Editor & Contributors

BAD BAD NOT GOOD

FUCKED UP SHAD Wavves Fun, energetic local punkrockers OUTTACONTROLLER opened the festival for us, with a raging set at the festival’s largest venue the Olympic Community Hall. A subpar vocal mix was the only thing distracting from an otherwise awesome set.

Wavves set the bar for every other band we say at the Olympic Community Hall, they played a varied set, full of the old favorites as well as a decent selection from their new record. While not unexpected, the band did seem a little inebriated, especially the guitarist, but managed to maintain the energy levels with their punchy guitar riffs and sing-along vocals.

BADBADNOTGOOD played the Olympic Community Hall on the Thursday, but we caught them instead at a late night set at Reflections Cabaret the night before. The Ontario built up their instrumental jazz hiphop solidly, climaxing in some perfectly executed cover songs inspiring some serious ‘wiling out’. One attendee remarked “I’ve never been kicked in the face at a jazz show before!”

Hannah Georgas was the first show we saw at St. Matthew’s Community Church. It was a solid one. Hannah’s voice echoed cleanly through the festival’s most interesting venue.

Her band was killer as well, albeit a little spacey. The set was largely comprised of her selftitled sophomore release, and while awesome, could have used a few more intimate moments.

Toronto rockers Poor Young Things graced X with their crunchy chords opening for Tim Chaisson last year and since

then they have dropped a full length album and polished their live set significantly. The band knows how to write a good sing along chorus, and they ride them for all they are worth. A punchy cover of MGMT’s Electric Feel capped off a stellar set, putting the bar high for Hollerado.

We got to see Hollerado twice at HPX. Their first set was at Reflections Cabaret where the band played a fun set to a crowd of obvious fans. The set started slowly, but the energy built exponentially when visual elements like a backlight and foam machine were introduced.

The band also played the next day at Grand Parade Square as the secret guest, playing largely the same set, but with a renewed energy and wide-eyed crowd.

Polaris Prize winning, Torontonian post-hardcore band Fucked Up closed off our Thursday night with a bang. While he may have lost a significant amount of weight, the bald, bearded, and shirtless front man Damien “Pink Eyes” Abraham screamed with all the intensity that we had hoped for.

Clean-cut dance rock outfit The Zolas opened the free stage at Grand Parade Square on Friday to a small, but appreciative crowd of festival goers and city-wanderers. The band themselves were polished and fun, but we can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to catch their 1:00am set at Gus’ pub the night before.

Fully costumed, Montreal’s We Are Wolves turned up the distortion fast with a visceral post-punk set that Halifax’s downtown passersby were defi-

nitely not expecting. The band disrobed member-by-member as the set went on, and this concert-goer wondered if the set got less weird as they did so, or it just looked like that.

Shad’s feel-good topical hiphop warmed us up as the sun clocked out for the night. The set was absolutely killer, drawing from all sides of his discography. The talented wordsman also threw in some sick freestyle, so good that it was hard to tell what was improvised and not. If there had been a merch table, his new LP Flying Colours would have been flying off the shelves.

Montreal’s BRAIDS new fulllength Flourish/Perish marked a huge progression in the band’s ambient electro-pop sound.

Now a three-piece, their live set dropped a heavy amount of live instrumentation in favor of polished, electronic nuance. Their set worked through the whole of their new record Flourish/ Perish.

Brooklyn indie-rockers The Walkmen were down a member and it unfortunately showed.

The band played a low-tempo set at the Olympic Community Hall that unfortunately did not deliver on the nostalgic veracity of their new record ‘Heaven’. A cool choice of band that unfortunately did not work out the way we wanted it to.

Surprisingly, Young Galaxy played largely as a lowtempo rock band, leaving their electronics at home in favor of guitars and keyboards. With incredible mystique the band played through most of their new album Ultramarine with

BRAIDS a live intensity that was unexpected, but wholeheartedly welcomed.

Royal Canoe is a frustrating band, on one hand they make such joyous and hooky mathpop that you want to clap and dance along, but unfortunately their time signatures and polyrhythms are so complex that you get lost looking like a fool trying to find the beat. Their 1:00am show at the Seahorse was so fun and energetic that we only wished they could have stayed on for longer.

Calgary’s Chad Van Gaalen doesn’t play live all that often, so it was a real privilege when he took the stage at the Marquee Club Saturday afternoon for a dynamic solo set. His whimsical and quirky sensibilities were in full swing both in his music and his hilarious and insightful stage banter. His set was emotive and clever, filling the negative sound space and well-executed foot percussion.

Islands front-man Nick Diamond’s chinos were unbelievably tight, but the band was also, playing a fun and poppy set to a cold, but entranced crowd at Grand Parade Square. The band made a great case for the purchase of their new record ‘Ski Mask’, but also peppered their set-list with a few songs from their impressive discography, including a few from their first album “Return to the Sea”.

METZ: one word, loud, in every sense of the term. The threepiece noise-rock outfit set the stage for Japandroids with energy and enthusiasm. The only thing that was glad to have them leave the stage was our ears.

The band also must have caused quite a stir because the crowd was littered with folks wearing their quirky t-shirts.

Vancouver two-piece Japandroids closed the festival with soaring sing-along choruses and massive guitar rhythms.

As it was the band’s last show in Canada for an undisclosed amount of time, they threw in extra enthusiasm into an already stacked set of hooky, guitar-driven, songs with stage jumps and even the always-impressive crowd-surf guitar trick.

Killer Mike brought a religious hip hop experience, preaching that Halifax’s Olympic Community Hall was his church and that the audience was his gospel. Political chants about Ronald Reagan and the underground railroad made for a positive atmosphere doubled with all the energy you’d expect from an artist that collaborated with the like of Bun B, OutKast and El-P. Montreal’s own Lunice brought the hype with him, and his 1.5 hr set had the crowd bumpin’.. His unbelievably energetic performance was laced with classic trap-music stylings and new-school hip hop, while bringing his world renowned production experience to the table.

The Mouthbreathers, hailing from Sackville, delivered a fun and positive energy permeated the crowd and their performance seemed like a band-practice - in a good way. The crowd really dug their sound and soon everyone was bobbing their heads and singing along to their clever and catchy lyrics.

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The Xaverian-Volume 122 Issue 5

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KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ DON’T WAFFLE ABOUT THIS WAFFLE TRUCK LAURA ALOISIO | Senior Reporter

You wake to the smell of a fresh brewed pot of coffee running through the house. As you breath deep to enjoy the aroma you start to pick up the scent of batter cooking and suddenly you’re overpowered by the enticing scent of hot waffles being made.

You then realize that someone is standing over you. Is that you, Mom? “No,” replies your roommate, “I came in to get your blow dryer.” You jump up out of your bed and realize it was all a dream. No fresh coffee, no hot waffles, and no Mom. Well, Dreamer, the Xaverian Weekly has come to your rescue and, like your fairy godmother, found a way to make your dreams a reality. The Sweet and Savory Authentic Belgian Waffle Truck is parked outside the post office, waiting to serve you with some twists on an old favourite. But first let’s start with the basics.

A large waffle with coffee or tea is made fresh and costs only five dollars. If you are

in the mood for a more dressed up option, try a waffle with bananas, Nutella, and blueberries. If you are on your way to the gym and want to go a bit healthier, order the “fruit party” with a variety of fresh fruit on top. If you just came from the gym, then add whipped cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate syrup to reward yourself. Tight on cash? Try the waffle kabob. Served on a stick, you get pieces of Belgian waffle spaced with local fruit and garnished with powdered sugar.

If you are a purist or just want to show Mom you’re a rebel at heart, the Waffle Truck has a savoury menu to convert you to a new way of life. Try ham and cheese mingled between the halves of a fresh warm waffle. The heat from the waffles melts the cheese perfectly, and it keeps your hands warm as you go back to campus - assuming it makes it back. They also do steak and cheese, but if you’re a vegetarian, fear

not: the veggie sandwich features roasted eggplant, spinach, and a perfect balance of monterey jack and mozzarella cheese. Banana peppers are offered with all sandwiches to add some crunch! These sandwiches are big, but while you might convince yourself to save a bite for later, there is no chance you will find yourself able to share!

A meal this good needs a good counterpart to help wash it all down. The Tropical Green Smoothie is all the rage amongst students. This dairy-free treat is the fun way to consume your greens with a taste so good, it’s hard to believe it could be so healthy! My only advice would be to skip the coffee. At two dollars a cup it has to be delicious, and there are cheaper and better alternatives nearby.

This bright yellow truck is parked in front of post office on Main Street and is easy to spot. You can stop by on Wednesdays from 8am to 2pm, or Thursdays and

Fridays from 8am until 3pm. On Saturdays they leave the post office behind and roll onward to the Antigonish farmers market, where the long lines speak volumes to their strong fan base.

If you are like most students, getting up in time for an 8:15 lecture is struggle enough, and visions of the cafeteria only make you hit the snooze button one more time. Now there is no need to feel like you have to miss out on breakfast for a few more minutes of precious sleep. Breakfast for lunch is just as tasty and we all know the unspoken rule that when waffles are involved it is always a good idea.

Delicious waffles, great sandwiches, generous portions, fresh ingredients, all made to order, all at a low price. We must have you thinking, “Hey fairy godmother, what’s the catch?” Well, there’s only one: it’s not served in your house, so you have to wear pants.

Mount Saint Bernard: Haunted or Historic?

IT’S NO LONGER A RESIDENCE BUT THE LEGEND OF THE BLUE NUN LIVES ON DEVON GREENE | Staff Writer

With the Schwartz building and two new residences, it seems new buildings are popping up all over campus. Nevertheless, the most interesting buildings are, arguably, the old ones. The closing of the “bear cave” residence caused Mount Saint Bernard to slip through the cracks of everyday campus buzz, but around the end of October old rumours about the Mount resume circulation.

Most people have heard the ghost stories surrounding the former college, but most students know very little about the real history of the building. Mount Saint Bernard College was founded as a Catholic women’s college in 1883 by Bishop John Cameron and in 1897 it became the first Catholic College in North America to offer post-secondary degree programs for women. Another historic milestone was reached in the 1920’s when the college joined with StFX University (previously an institution for men), making StFX the first coeducational Catholic University in Canada. Throughout these early years the institution was facilitated by the Congregation de Notre Dame and many of the sisters continued to live and teach in the building for many years. Many additions were made to the Mount over the years, including Immaculata Hall in 1917 and Gilmora Hall in 1937. This is where our ghost story begins.

There are a few different versions of the story but they all have the same general idea. The most popular version describes a young nun who was having an affair with a priest. The nun became pregnant and threw herself off of the Gilmora balcony out of shame. It is said that the priest, overcome with grief, later hung himself within the building.

Other versions of the story claim that the nun was sexually assaulted and jumped from the balcony, or that the priest pushed her and hung himself out of guilt. No matter what the origins, the supposed results are more or less consistent. Former residents of the Mount say that the nun, affectionately referred

to as “the Blue Nun” still haunts the building. Reports of apparitions in the common rooms and lounges, belongings rearranged and tidied in unkempt rooms, and footsteps echoing down empty hallways are common. Students are warned when they move in that they should keep their chair tucked into their desk to prevent the blue nun from sitting and watching over them through the night. The priest is less commonly spoken of, probably because his hauntings take place in the parts of the building that house offices and classrooms and are occupied only during the day.

However, there have been rare claims in the past that the figure of a man watches people climb the stairs.

Many people on campus believe these stories to be common information, while others have never heard these claims. It seems to be mostly newcomers to Antigonish who are fed the rumours and pass them down. One community member who worked in the Mount for years claims she has never heard any mention of the building being haunted. One piece of gossip that is often repeated is that the Mount is “the tenth most haunted building in Canada.” While the Mount does appear on a couple lists posted to websites years ago, most references to the story are from ghost hunter blogs or comments on other articles, and seem to be roughly the same poorly structured sentence copied and pasted across the internet.

There are a few websites that make mention of the building but feature photographs of places that are clearly from a different location. Needless to say, the lack of actual research is cause for scepticism. It is safe to assume that the University would not allow ghost hunters to make a story out of the situation and would have put a hush on the news of a tragedy spreading, but in a small town the word still gets out. The fact that no one has the slightest clue of even a ball park of dates around which this tragic incident may have occurred

makes it very difficult to give it any credit. Whether you believe in ghost stories or not, you have to admit that there are some believers out there that go through a lot of trouble to look into stories like this and the fact that no one has really looked into it suggests that this little story isn’t making it far past the campus boundaries.

Although many of the stories surrounding the Mount have died down they still surface from time to time.

However, these rumours are never accompanied by any facts. Even simple historical evidence is unaccounted for in the reports. Gilmora Hall was originally used as a residence for students and houses the infamous balcony.

Some students who have lived in the MSB residence claim they can confirm the rumours about the residence being haunted, despite the fact that the building in question has not been used for residence in years. So little is known about the history that students making these claim do not realize they are talking about two different buildings, making their stories even less believable. Haunted or not, the Mount has taken part in some important movements in education and it is a shame that

so few people know about its history.

Mount Saint Bernard is home to some beautiful architecture. The buildings have character and Gilmora’s dramatic archways are spectacular. Even so, there is no doubt that there is a creepy side to it. The buildings are old and dark, problems with the pluming cause strange noises in the middle of the night, and the hallways are a maze of tunnels and passageways. Closing the residence has left much of the building abandoned, and what old, creaking building isn’t creepy? It really is the perfect setting for a ghost story, but whether the stories or true or not is up to you.

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Thursday, OCTOBER 31, 2013-The Xaverian

sex with an x IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU SPIT OR SWALLOW AS LONG AS YOU ARE HAVING FUN MONA HUMPSALOT | Sexy Lady

Once upon a time, someone out there made a huge mistake when they decided to label going down on a guy a blow “job.” Jobs make things sound tedious, undesirable and something you want to avoid, and while for many girls that might be true, this article is here to change your mind. There aren’t a lot of girls out there who will admit to enjoy giving head, but perhaps it may be because you’ve never considered how fun it can be.

Here are the top 3 reasons to like giving blowjobs.

1. Penises are fun. They go up, they go down, they get thicker, and then thinner. Penises are amusing. Not in a funny, laughing-at-you kind

of way, but rather in an entertaining way, like a puppy that can do a bunch of cool tricks. Watching penises get bigger just because you happen to be in the room is pretty flattering and is behaviour worth rewarding. Girls don’t get to look down at their genitals in the same way guys do, and in terms of self-image most guys are a lot more confident with their junk than girls are. This naked confidence totally works, and makes a penis all-the-more suckable. Penises are fun because they are so charmingly interactive. During blowjobs you can always see how you’re doing and where you stand with them. Which brings up to the next point in

favour of blowjobs...

2. It’s like a game. You build a strategy. Develop unbeatable combinations. Hone your skill. Try to beat your best time. Fap, fap, fap, suck, suck, suck and SCORE! You win!! Thinking of blowjobs as a challenge or game is a great way to really enjoy giving them. So many ladies see it as a chore and don’t put a lot of effort in it because they don’t find it enjoyable. But once a bj becomes a game and you’re the star player, everyone wins! By having a goal in mind, it makes you more responsive to how your guy is moving and reacting to your actions, making you more in tune to what gets him going more, which only

helps your future blowjob performances become all the more successful. With a highscore to beat, time seems to pass quicker and the job itself is a lot more fun for you.

However, as with most things, you need to be prepared for the finale. You know what’s coming, you’ve hit the home run and he’s sliding to home base. It doesn’t matter whether you spit or swallow, even though swallowing is much less messy, but know what you’re going to do before you end up involuntarily sticky and he just ran out of Kleenex.

3. The punch-drunk face guys make after they come.

We’re not talking about the O-face (as that could be an

article in itself), but the giddy, almost-stoned, lusty look a guy has after he comes. It’s ridiculously adorable and sexy at the same time, the face of a job done well on your part. The after-orgasm glow is commonplace for both guys and girls, but it also happens to be one of the nicest things to look up to after going down on a guy.

The argument for enjoying blowjobs is the same for all aspects of sex; that it isn’t all about one person or the other, but that there should be mutual desire to provide as much pleasure as possible.

Giving is receiving my friends, and the more you like giving the greater you can receive.

COME TO OUR CONTRIBUTOR MEETING FOR PIZZA. Mondays at 6.

FIRST 500 PEOPLE ONLy

//THE XAV//

DISTRACTIONS 13

The Xaverian-Volume 122 Issue 5

DiStractions EMMA DY S-ART

THE TOP 5: People in class you want to beat with your laptop and how to identify them!

By: Kaleigh Bent

The Lion Yawner: Without a doubt at some point in every student’s career the overwhelming “Sweet mother of 8:15” yawn has taken over without warning. Most individuals are able to skill fully disguise this disaster by the ever popular “Hand-to-mouth” manoeuvre, or possibly the “Lock Jaw” procedure (often avoided for it also emits a look of immense pain and or constipation). However, in every crowd there is a Lion Yawner. These self-entitled persons feel no need to hide their utter exhaustion and instead embody the yawn, channeling their inner Mufasa and calling to their pride. To better identify these creatures look for the following: wide open mouth with engagement of all face muscles, a noise emitting from said facial orifice resembling something similar to a Lions roar or low flying aircraft and a group of bystanders often referred to as “the drool catchers.”

The Horse Chewer: These people are not picky with their weapon of choice whether it be gum, an apple, or a take three tuna fish sammy; the horse chewer sees no limitations. Often, there is some form of childproof casing involved resulting in 3-5 minutes of intense distress followed shortly by their first attack. (This is unique to the chosen weapon, but for explanatory purposes we will use the apple.) This is often a full-frontal attack, attempting to fit as much of the fruit into the mouth as possible. It is undetermined if this is due to immense hunger or pure sport. This action is followed by the animalistic tearing of the fruit flesh and rigorous chomping motions done with mouth open; this open mouth approach is a key feature of these individuals. The tearing, chomping sequence is repeated until complete ingestion. The Horse Chewer not only has an uncanny way of resembling a National Geographic animal attack, but they also seem to have an endless supply of eating material, i.e. “The never-ending apple.”

The Restless Leg Syndrome Sufferer: also known as “The Twitchers” are individuals who experience full body movement for 50 to 75 minutes at a time. It is unknown if this is voluntary or unable to be controlled. These persons are often found situated in broken chairs, therefore when the body spasms occur, a prominent squeak like sound will emit allowing you to identify the twitcher. Occasionally there are situations when there are multiple restless leg individuals within one room. This results in what can be compared to a “Hamster Orchestra” or a plethora of squeaks, taps and shuffle-like noises coming together in perfect rodent like harmony for 50 to 70 beautiful minutes. These individuals have also been known to be infatuated with splash material such as splash pants, track pants or wind breakers that add a unique twist to the already magical fusion of seizure movements and broken furniture.

The Thunder Whisperer: Whisper: to speak with soft, hushed sounds, using the breath, lips, etc., but with no vibration of the vocal cords. Thunder whisper: to speak as though you are half deaf and the Skrillex bass is constantly dropping on your vocal cords.

You are actually able to feel these people talk. They often attempt to stifle their “hushed tones” by cupping their mouth, bowing their head or the often used “lean in closer” technique. It is believed that these people are under the impression that they are in fact whispering. Often these persons are regaling events of wing nights, pub expeditions and the whereabouts of their dignity.

The Chronic Sniffler: Although appearing to be ill, these individuals often have the best attendance records. They persevere through class, never leaving to blow or wipe their apparently leaky schnozz, but instead periodically “sniffing” or inhaling sharply via the nose.

Persons suffering from the sniffles will also engage in “full-arm wipes.” This action occurs after or during an inhale and is identified by a wiping motion from finger to mid-arm area accompanied by a wet slurp-like sound. You may feel compelled to provide tissue or a cloth substitute for these people but do not. They, like the Thunder Whisperer are in denial of their ailment.

Antigonish

Unrated : Tindred Spirits

If you don’t already have it, you’ve definitely heard of it, it’s the app that’s spreading across campus like wildfire…literally. Tinder has a basic concept, like people you find attractive and wait until your virtual soul mate likes you back. This concept lets you avoid rejection, as you never know if the other person got you as an option. But in Antigonish that doesn’t hold true. With a radius of 5 miles, you pretty much get everybody within the first 10 minutes of “playing” (yeah, you in the pink shirt, I know you swiped me to the reject bin). I believe there are two types of tinder-ers; the ones who actually take it seriously and those who are on purely for fun and boredom during midterms (because really, what is more fun than shamelessly degrading someone based on appearance). I cannot lie, I’m a tinder user, and secretly love when the “it’s a match!” screen pops up. That little ego boost really helps when studying for microbiology. Take a gander and see if it’s for you, maybe someday you’ll be telling your children you met on an app designed for hookups. Tinder ya later!

-Kurt Brothers

SPORTS AND HEALTH

SPORTS & HEALTH X-women make us proud St. FX edge out Acadia, capture 16th consecutive Aus Title JESSICA POMEROY | Sports & Health Contributor

JESSICA POMEROY | Contributor

Plot Twist For the first season in what seems like forever, the X women didn’t get off to the perfect start like they had planned. The first game of the season ended with the team’s first home loss in nine years against their AUS rivals, Wolfville’s Acadia Axewomen. The Axewomen took the home opener 44-13, leaving the reigning X women stunned in front of their home crowd and their CIS number one ranking tarnished. But with the motivation from that loss, the girls were able to find their feet again two days later and lock in an 88-0 win over St.Thomas. The rest of the season followed suit, including two blowout wins, one against SMU, 111-0, and one against UPEI, 116-0. With the rest of the X-women’s games on the W side of the score sheet, the confidence levels were high going into the Acadia homecoming game. They knew the Axewomen would be fired up to show them that what had happened at the beginning of the season wasn’t a fluke, but the X-women were out to prove that their CIS trophy sitting at home in the case wasn’t a fluke either. With this being the final match-up between the two teams before AUS got underway at UPEI, the game would be a huge determining factor of who will take the championship and travel to Quebec City to play for the nations title.

Acadia Homecoming You could tell that this game was more than just the last regular game of the season for these two teams; it was bragging rights leading into next weekend’s AUS playoff tournament. The first few minutes of the game showed how bad each team wanted it with quick pace, fast rucks, and hard hits.

But it was Acadia who broke

through the X-women defense first with a try in the thirteenth minute. Then, a mere nine minutes later, Acadia got on the scoreboard again, and with one convert, lead the X-women 12-0. The first half ended with the Axewomen in complete control of the game with a 10-point lead at 17-7, but suffering a major loss of their Captain and leading AUS scorer, Chiasson, who was taken out of the game after a game-changing hit was laid down by X-Women flank-

er Mia Huysmans when she plowed Chiasson out of scoring position.

When the second half started, the X-Women, led by captain Emma Taylor, rallied with a quick try from Catharine MacKeigan a mere five minutes in. They kept the pressure on the Axewomen for the full forty minutes as speedy winger Danielle Robb added the tying try six minutes later.

Following a good defensive hold on the try line from StFX, X-Woman Lauren Agnew ran it down the field and touched the ball down between the uprights, scoring a try and making it an easy convert for the kicker Sabrina McDavid.

Finally, StFX took the lead in the game for the first time, and it looked as though they would finally find redemption after their early season loss.

Acadia never stopped pressing, but StFX’s defense held strong. The referee blew the final whistle, and the the sea-

son series ended knotted at one apiece. With the regular season wrapped up, the two rivals head to the AUS playoffs for the final showdown.

The weekend kicked off with the AUS banquet naming six of our X-women AUS rugby all-stars: Vanessa Duffley, Emma Taylor, Lauren Agnew, Catharine MacKeigan, Tasha McKenzie, and Miranda Sample. The X-Women played their first of two games on Saturday, handily defeating a St. Mary’s side who struggled

to put up points. The final score was 60-15, and StFX was able to spread the scoring out, with eight different players notching tries. Allie Munroe was named the player of the game for the StFX side.

Going into Sunday’s final, StFX was feeling confident.

The weather was harsh with rain falling and the temperature low. Acadia was the first team to score, as Janna Slevinsky got a try in the twentieth minute. StFX found themselves down by 12 points at half after Laura Klingenberg scored in the thirysecond minute, with Amber Davison hitting the 2-point convert. StFX stormed out of the gates, however, scoring in the first minute of the second half, as Danielle Robb was able to pounce on an Acadia fumble deep in Axewoman territory. Natalie Lescoe would continue the StFX comeback in the fifty-third minute, and Sabrina McDavid

pulled the X-Women even with the convert on Lescoe’s try.

The teams remained tied after regulation, and would be forced to go into overtime for the AUS championship. This involved two 10 minute halves, the first of which proved uneventful, as both teams remained in a deadlock. In the nineteenth minute of overtime, and the ninety-ninth minute of the game, StFX’s Emma Taylor scored a try, and McDavid hit the conversion. StFX would go on to win with a score of 19-12, winning their sixteenth c o n s e c u t i ve AUS championship.

By winning, StFX earned a spot in the CIS championships, which will be held in Laval, Québec next week. StFX

has not yet learned who they will face in their opening match. If they are able to ride the momentum high gained from their AUS victory, the tournament should prove to be as riveting as last year’s, in which StFX edged out Guelph University to capture the CIS championship in front of their home crowd.

CIS Schedule October 31st, 10:30 St. FX vs. Guelph November 1st, 10:30 (Loser of St. FX - Guelph) vs. McGill November 2nd, 10:30 (Winner of St. FX - Guelph) vs. McGill November 3rd, 2:00 Championship Game You can watch the action at CIS-SIC.tv or follow at cissic.ca

SPORTS & HEALTH 15

The Xaverian-Volume 122 Issue 5

Personal Trainers: Worth it?

How much money do you spend on your body?

MAT T MACDONALD | Health Columnist

The title’s statement depends: How do you spend your money?

There is no academic argument for whether something is “worth it” because, as economists have recently realized, we aren’t rational human beings. We don’t make decisions solely based on economic costs and benefits.

So where do we spend our money?

Consider some recent purchases on non-essential items.

Lunch! Spending at least $10 a day on a tasty lunch will cost you $50 a week and $2,600 a year.

Alcohol! Most of us have probably been spending mindless dollars on alcohol since we’ve had our first cooler or beer. And let’s face it, when you’re partying, the last thing you’re doing is thinking about your bank account. Spending at least $25 a week on alcohol will cost you $1,300 a year.

Coffee! If you spend at least $2.75 on a cup of coffee a day, it will cost you $715 a year.

Bottled Water or Chewing Gum! Do you buy water or chewing gum?

Buying a bottle of water or chewing gum at $2 per day will cost you $520 dollars per year.

Now ask yourself, which of these recent expenses would be considered an investment in your health.

Chances are, very few! Most of us are spending money on goods and services that offer zero return investment in health. In most cases, we’re spending money on goods and

services that actually obstruct good health and habits.

So, back to my original question.

Are personal trainers worth the expense?

YES! I justify the expense ($45-50) based on 3 simple reasons: First, my personal training service is an education and workout course in one! StFX University charges $6,500 tuition a year for its Human Kinetics Program. After four years of undergraduate study, two years as a Bachelor of Education, and obtaining certification as a Personal Trainer (CPTN), a modest $45-50 per hour session is very reasonable. Education is knowledge, and knowledge is power. My personal training services not only offer a workout, but also offer an education course – that’s two in one!

Second, my Personal Training sessions will push you far beyond your own capability. At the point where some usually give up, I will be their encouraging you, pushing you beyond your perceived limits.

Third, I am more than just a personal trainer. I am a life coach, nutritionist, motivational speaker, and personal trainer - all in one. I’ll keep you accountable, motivated and driven to reach each of your fitness goals.

Spread the cost out over seven days!

If $45-50 per hour seems like a lot, justify the cost over seven days. Hiring a personal trainer will keep you

accountable for the duration of the week. If weight loss is your goal, and we decide to record your daily food intake and physical activity levels, then submitting a weekly diary and having that accountability, is well worth any money spent.

Remember, even Olympians and professional athletes have coaches.

Sometimes a coach is all we need to keep us motivated! What are you waiting for? Allow me, or another personal trainer, to help you reach your fitness goals. If interested in a free one hour consultation, please contact me via email: info@wemovethistown.tv “I invest in MOVEMENT everyday.

Gold is far too expensive. Gold does not make me a better person; MOVEMENT does.” – Matt MacDonald

This Week At STFX Friday November 1st 3:00 PM - Men’s Soccer vs Cape Breton 7:00 Pm - Men’s Hockey vs Dalhousie Saturday November 2nd 7:00 pM - Men’s Ice Hockey vs SMU Sunday November 3rd 1:00 PM - Women’s Hockey vs Upei November 2nd & 3rd Canadian University Rowing Championships - Montreal, que.

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Thursday, OCTOBER 31, 2013-The Xaverian