Volume 127 Issue 10

Volume 127, Issue 10

Embracing diversity since 1895

February 14, 2019

The Xaverian Weekly

News: Dr. McMillan Interview...

Opinions: Ban Plastic Bags...

A&C: My Hair is Not...

S&H: Track Athletes...

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“ Black Every Month”

- B.L.A.C.C.

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News The Xaverian Weekly February 14, 2019 Volume 127, Issue 10 Our Team: Editors-in-Chief: Bowen Assman and Yanik Gallie News Editor: Evan Davison-Kotler Opinions Editor: Caleb MacIsaac Features Editor: Lewis MacLeod Arts & Community Editor: Salome Barker Distractions Editor: Kenneth Doiron Sports & Health Editor: Kathleen Haggarty Photographers: Phoebe Cseresnyes Hannah Peters

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Editor: Evan Davison-Kotler

Open contributor meetings are held Sundays at 6:00pm in the

xw.eic@stfx.ca

newsroom. Newsroom located in Bloomfield Centre 111D.

African Heritage Month Preface A note from the Students’ Union president Rebecca Mesay Contributor

When I was first asked to write the foreword to the African Heritage Month edition of the Xaverian Weekly, I was excited but simultaneously anxious. In a book, the foreword often decides whether the reader will turn the page or not. I am hoping that what I write will encourage you not only to look to the next page, but also to read the whole edition of this paper. The special contributors for this month are students that you see and interact with everyday and we all

share a special characteristic.

We are black. Not only are we black, but we go to school at a historically white university.

You might notice that students of African descent stick out at StFX, this is because we do. By the colour of our skin, by how we express ourselves, by our culture, and most significantly, by the oppression we face by virtue of our existence.

I do not point out the last because I am attempting to be controversial, but because experiencing oppression is embedded in the lived experience of being black in Canada. In this country, it is impossible to talk about the experience of blackness without talking

about racism. In that same vein, talking about racism is also part of the natural discourse of the black people on this campus; we talk about it all the time. If you are not black/ person of colour, do not have black friends, or perhaps have black friends who do not talk about racism around you, this may come as a surprise. Nonetheless, it is true. When you read through the pages of this newspaper, the student contributors will talk about what it means to be black, why we are proud of our heritage, what it is to be from a different country, the identity of our people’s heroes and sheroes, and why we continue to celebrate African

Heritage Month and dedicate newspaper editions in its honour. My hope then for you, the reader, is to open your mind, heart, and soul to the possibility of reading something that makes you uncomfortable.

When you get that weird twinge, ask yourself why you are feeling that way. If you can answer that question honestly, my hope is that you do not sit idly by with your gut churning, but instead you stand up and do something. A whole group of students are opening up about what its like to be them.

Use this edition as an opportunity, as a moment to learn, but more importantly as a chance to change.

Ending the Stigma

Staff Writers: Melissa Aycock Addy Strickland Bailey DeEll Ashley Fullerton Douglass Hook Keegan McNeight David MacLean

Bell Let’s Talk Day sparks more conversation for the ninth year Kathleen Haggarty Sports & Health Editor

Cover Artwork: B.L.A.C.C. After 2019’s Bell Let’s Talk _____________________________ Day, Bell reported a record 145 ABOUT US to print submitted 442 699 interactions, translating The Xaverian Weekly material and to into $7 272 134.95 in donations is the official student edit submissions towards mental health initianewspaper of Saint for length and/or tives across Canada. This will Francis Xavier Unistyle. The Xaverian be the ninth year that Bell comversity. The Xaverian Weekly will not mits more money to mental Weekly is published print material that is health, and initiates more conon Thursdays by The racist, misogynistic, versation to create a Canada Xaverian Weekly sexist, homophobic, that is stigma-free.

Publications Board, and/or libellous.

Stigma, according to the Oxand is editorially OPINIONS ford Dictionary is “a mark of autonomous.

Opinions expressed disgrace associated with a parThe Xaverian Weekly in The Xaverian ticular circumstance, quality, or is a proud member of the Candian University Press, North America’s largest cooperative of student newspapers.

FREE Media is The Xaverian Weekly’s national adveritising agency.

The Xaverian Weekly’s production and distribution take place in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded terriorty of the Mi’kmaq people.

SUBMISSIONS The Xaverian Weekly welcomes submissions of articles, letters, photos, and graphics.

Submissions must be received by Saturday at 3pm the week prior to publication.

Submissions should be sent to xw.eic@ stfx.ca or to the relevant section editor.

Our editors reserve the right to refuse

The Xaverian Weekly

Weekly are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Xaverian Weekly or The Xaverian Weekly Publications Board.

COPYRIGHT All materials appearing in The Xaverian Weekly are copyright to their creator(s) and may not be used without permission.

CONTACT US Twitter: @xaverianweekly Instagram: @xaverianweekly Faceboook: @xaverianweekly Spotify: thexaverianweekly www.xaverian.ca FIND US Room 111D, Bloomfield Centre 902-867-3732 PO Box 924 StFX University Antgonish NS, B2G 2W5

person.” To be more general, stigma is a negative stereotype.

With regards to mental health, the biggest barrier between those suffering from problems or illnesses and recovery is the stigma they face.

About one fifth of Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year, yet according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, “despite how common it is, mental illness continues to be met with widespread stigma: in hospitals, workplaces, and schools; in rural and urban communities; even among close friends and families.”

Bell Canada notes the 5 simple ways to end the stigma and start a conversation. It is important to note mental health is an extremely complex matter that is unique to each and every person. Bell’s five points are aimed at ending stigma, and not intending to take authority on fixing mental illnesses. The five points are as follows: Language Matters. Words make a difference. Worlds help, but they can also hurt. We must make a conscientious effort to use the right language with others. For example, one who suffers from a mental illness is not “crazy.”

Educate Yourself. This is extremely important. Mental health is a concept that continually gets researched and studied, and our understanding of it is constantly evolving. Having the right tools and knowing the right language makes a massive difference. Supporting those experiencing mental illnesses can also be ameliorated by knowing how to correctly speak and address their struggles.

Be Kind. Kindness is the most simple and effective way to make a difference in the world.

Read the full article online at xaverian.ca.

News 3

Dr. Leslie Jane McMillan Interview Book Launch: Truth and Conviction: Donald Marshall Jr. and the Mi’kmaw Quest for Justice Yanik Gallie Co-Editor-in-Chief Dr. Leslie Jane McMillan was interviewed by Yanik Gallie in her office on January 28, 2019. McMillan’s book launch on February 1 at the Antigonish public library brought together a roomful of people beyond seating capacity. The book sold out before guest speakers Laurel J. Halfpenny-MacQuarrie and Kerry Prosper introduced McMillan. Truth and Conviction: Donald Marshall Jr. and the Mi’kmaw Quest for Justice is available for purchase at Chapters, Amazon, and local bookshops across Canada. *** YG: Looking back at the wrongful conviction and fishing cases, how does it feel to continue fighting for social justice?

JM: September 17, 1999 is the 20th anniversary of the Marshall decision. This year also marks the completion of the commission on Donald Marshall Junior prosecution for the time he spent in jail for a murder he did not commit. It’s the 30th anniversary of that report which technically was released on January 26, 1990 but the commission concluded its work in 1989. Having been involved in that work for a long time, my passion is constantly fueled and restocked by the outrages that continue to happen in terms of justice and equality with examples of systemic racism and discrimination. There’s no shortage, unfortunately, of situations that point to the need for systemic change. Hopefully the work we do now in collaboration with community is picking up some momentum. It’s starting to drive not just surface changes, but substantive changes in the way relationships recognize and honour Indigenous treaty rights, human rights and Mi’kmaw vision for governance over all things that affect their lives. It’s taken a long time to address systemic racism and discrimination because they require systemic change. There are increasingly more and more people getting involved in positions of power who are recognizing what happens when they exclude Mi’kmaq people from decision making that impacts their lives.

YG: What are your favorite memories with Donald Marshall Junior?

JM: We had a lot of very happy times when we lived up in Cape Breton in Aberdeen at a place we called Junior’s farm. I think some of the happiest moments were when his brothers, sisters, mother, the extended family, the kids and their kids would all come over to the farmhouse.

We’d have a big bonfire with lots of food. The day he woke up

from his transplant was also one of the happiest days. When he recognized he had survived that ordeal, it was a special moment. Most of the time, happy moments were sitting around up in Aberdeen playing cribbage at the kitchen table with the windows wide open, smelling the cedar, and being out in the country.

YG: How is the title and cover artwork significant to you?

JM: It took a long time to get to that title. It certainly wasn’t the original title. It’s commonplace that the press has an idea, the author has an idea, and sometimes it takes a while to negotiate something that everybody’s comfortable publishing. The book was originally called Unsettling Justice and then colon with another caption.

Truth and Conviction are powerful terms. As an anthropologist, I think there are multiple truths. I also think there are many forms of conviction.

Whether it’s conviction to make change or conviction in the sense of the justice system, we constantly construct these ideas of truth and conviction.

It’s a metaphor for many paths that are in the book.

It’s the legacy of Donald Marshall Junior that I’m pointing to in terms of narrating these very important points like what are the truths for Mi’kmaq people?

What is the history and the consequences of colonization of their legal principles? What are their convictions about the restoration and revitalization of those legal principles today?

That’s very much part of Donald Marshall Junior’s legacy outlined in the quest for justice.

The artwork is one of my favorite pictures. I thought we would go with more abstract art or an artist’s rendition, but they wanted to use this photo.

It’s a beautiful photo of him fly fishing and he looks extremely peaceful. Fly fishing was one of his favorite things to do.

YG: Having been a defendant for Marshall’s decision on Indigenous fishing rights, can you describe the atmosphere during the proceeding?

JM: There was a lot of tension.

The court was first heard at the provincial level here in Antigonish because the charges were near Paq’tnkek at Pomquet Harbour. There was a lot of media attention to the case because it was Donald Marshall Junior.

It’s interesting whenever you’re dealing with somebody who’s in the public gaze, you deal with a lot of unwanted attention. You’ve got strangers approaching you about strange things too. There’s a certain vulnerability of being in the public gaze that made me very uneasy and made Donald even more uneasy.

He wanted to avoid that after

the wrongful conviction when it was just non-stop. All he wanted to do was exercise his treaty rights in a calm and peaceful way, a right that he knew he had. Generationally, these rights were known by the Mi’kmaq to be active and alive.

The gaze of the public, again, caused a lot of stress and tension. His health declined more rapidly than I think it would have otherwise hadn’t he experienced that.Then, we lost at the court here. The late judge John D. Embree did everything he could to give the fairest judgement and open it up for further investigation which we are always grateful that we were given leave to appeal. It was hard work.

YG: Kerry Prosper was talking with me earlier today about the preparation for court and the collaborative effort of the team.

JM: There was a huge team of researchers. A lot of new Mi’kmaq lawyers who had just graduated from the Indigenous Blacks and Mi’kmaq law program that had started at Dalhousie University as a result of the commission of inquiry into the wrongful conviction helped with the case. It was a beautiful synergy that was happening.

Many of these Mi’kmaq lawyers at that time are now in leadership positions like chief P.J. Prosper, Doug Brown who is president of Union of Nova Scotia Indians, and Jimbo Michael.

A lot of strong Mi’kmaq women lawyers were also part of the research team.

There was an awful lot of preparation. I have seven or eight volumes of historical archival work. William Wicken who was one of the historical experts for the Mi’kmaq worked tirelessly. This was a very important treaty test case because it was testing 1760-1761 treaties which were different than the 1752 treaty. This had the addition of commerciality and the livelihood trade part that was critical to the nation. Bruce Wildsmith and Eric Zscheile led the legal team with exemplary care.

YG: You were with Donald Marshall Junior in Pomquet Harbour fishing. Can you describe the environment the day DFO met you on the water?

JM: A beautiful sunny day. It was one of those days when you’re happy to be on the water.

A slight breeze, I remember the water sparkling. Donald’s back was really sore, so I was driving the boat most of the day and I was hauling the nets. In Pomquet, the eels are big. The eels were slapping around the boat.

We were in a good mood, then we see a boat coming. Normally it’s quiet down there.

Sometimes there would be a fisherman or two around, but it was quiet that day. The DFO

came over in their boat and asked to see what was in our boat. I thought they were looking for by-catch like if you’re fishing salmon when it’s out of season. They asked to see our license and JR said, “I don’t need a license.” The officer said, “Everybody needs a license.” JR said, “I’ve got a treaty right.” I didn’t have a license either. None of the people we fished eel with had them or talked about them. Mi’kmaq didn’t need licenses is how we understood the land to be.

The officers were very polite. They wanted our names and address. We were reluctant to engage with the officers.

Donald’s not that comfortable around people in uniform, and rightly so. They asked to take one of our nets for evidence. We asked them to take an empty net, which they did. We wanted it back, but we didn’t ever get it back. Then, they drove away and hit a sand bar. We laughed because we thought, they don’t even know the water. What are they doing down here? We had no idea what was going on.

When we called asking to get the net back, things started to progress from there. Things got quite political quickly. It was a nice sunny day and we were quite bewildered.

YG: What are your thoughts on the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action?

JM: There are 94 Calls to Action. Two of the most critical ones from my perspective are numbers 42 and 50 which talk about building Indigenous justice systems and institutes to learn about Indigenous legal principles and put them into practice. We are a long way from those Calls to Action. I think they offer such an exciting opportunity to engage, develop, and apply Indigenous legal principles.

Other Calls to Action talk about the reduction of incarceration of Indigenous people.

There are lots of opportunities to build programs and facilities for wellness and healing that are really grounded in Indigenous cultures and teachings. If the government follows through on their commitment to implement all Calls to Action, there can be some beautiful programs and opportunities to help break cycles of intergenerational trauma, recidivism, and young people going to jail because there aren’t opportunities for education, employment or getting grounded in cultural teachings.

I’m optimistic. There’s lots of mobilization around Indigenous intelligence. There’s lots of scholars, legal scholars, but there must be more collaboration with the legal justice system and the courts, with society in general. What does a plural-

istic justice system look like?

Community building and fostering community to legitimize their own justice systems and programming in ways that are meaningful. It takes a long time to unpack the horrors of colonization and rejuvenate pride and belief in the principles of ways of being.

YG: Land-based education is important in schools.

JM: We just came from a threeday conference on land-based education as the conduit to healing dispute and dispute management as well. People get disconnected when they make a dispute within a community.

They break a relationship not only with the individual they’ve harmed but with the families and networks of families that create a community. How do you fix that? Sending them to jail isn’t the answer. The answer is reintegration back into the fold of what it means to be a whole new person. By creating opportunities, we help an individual who’s in crisis to address their prideness demon, addiction, or cycles of abuse that they need help to facilitate. Giving the space, having the communities create spaces, and having them supported consistently not with programs or pilot projects but with real systemic resources to make change. It’s generative, but we are a long way from seeing substantial results. We’ve been talking for a long time. More people talk now but I want to see more action.

YG: What is your philosophy as an anthropologist?

JM: Anthropology as a discipline is well-positioned in terms of community engagement. In terms of working with Indigenous communities and as a professor of Anthropology, I try to leverage my position of privilege and power to advocate for changes the community tells me they want.

I’m very fortunate. I was up in community today and I was up in community for the last three days of last week with the Marshall family and a gathering of elders. They are so generous in the knowledge they share.

The experiences that I have are rich.

A lot of times, it’s really painful and difficult work. You’re working with people’s pain and suffering trying to find solutions so that it doesn’t continue, so that we don’t perpetuate colonial relationships, and so that we don’t allow laws or policies that infringe on people’s wellbeing.

We fight for equity and my job is a great one in that I get to meet people from around the world who are so wise and resilient. It keeps reaffirming that cultural attributes are phenomenal, and they tell us a lot about humanity.

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Xaverian Weekly

Stella Bowles Interview Recipient of Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada visits campus Yanik Gallie Co-Editor-in-Chief

Stella Bowles was interviewed by Yanik Gallie in The Xaverian Weekly newsroom on February 5, 2019. Bowles was on campus hosting an address to Bachelor of Education students with a focus in Business.

Bowles was invited to speak of her entrepreneurial skills and how to support non-traditional student learning. My River: Cleaning up the LaHave River is a book by Bowles written with Anne Laurel Carter available for purchase at Chapters, Amazon, and local bookshops across Canada. *** YG: How did you meet Carter?

SB: She presented herself as an author wanting to write a book about my work. She came over for a cup of tea, we had tea and talked. We decided it would be a good idea to write the first couple chapters and see if a publisher picks up the book.

Formac Publishing Company Limited picked up the book, so she wrote the rest.

YG: Describe a typical workshop for the book with Carter.

SB: Anne wrote the book from my perspective. There was a lot of sending notes back and forth to change things. Because she lives in Toronto, we had to FaceTime to talk. Sometimes it would be talking about my day because she needed to become

me to write the book. She was in Hawaii once when we were FaceTiming. She was asking about how I would structure my sentences. When I proofread the drafts, I recognized things I said. There’s a lot of proofreading involved. Even if you read a page, you have to go back and read it again. Sending emails is a big part of the work too. She captured my voice.

YG: What’s your advice to students?

SB: You can make a difference no matter your age. Your age shouldn’t define what you can and cannot do. If you talk to your parents or a mentor, you can get somebody to help you.

You can accomplish just about anything.

YG: What’s your advice to teachers?

SB: I think classrooms need more hands-on learning. I don’t like traditional school. It’s boring. If you do an activity or workshop, students retain more information than they would if they were reading from a textbook. Science is fun; I learned that with my project.

YG: Can you share the story about your sign?

SB: I’m a little stubborn (chuckles). My sign was up to show that the river was contaminated with fecal bacteria and the municipality called me asking to take the sign down. I said, “No.” They called again and asked, “When are you going to take it down?” I said, “As soon as the program starts and the

first hole is done for a septic system, I’ll take it down.” They called me again later and invited me to the digging ceremony for the septic system where we took some pictures then I took my sign down.

YG: You recently announced a partnership with Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation.

How did it happen?

SB: It happened through the prize money I was winning from different organizations.

We decided to have a partnership and create kits that provide students with equipment for them to test their own waterways.

This partnership is showing that kids can make a difference and science can be fun. The kits are about $600 each, and that provides equipment to test for about a year. I have a few groups in Nova Scotia and three groups in Sweden who are using the kits.

YG: How did you get in touch with researchers in Sweden?

SB: Jennie Larsson came to work with Coastal Action for a month over the summer. We got in contact with her and we went to one of her conferences in Halifax. She said it would be great to have a partnership with us.

I went to Sweden this December right after the Walk of Fame. It was a cool experience being in the classrooms in Sweden. All the kids get fed healthy meals at the schools.

They were eating cream fish

and food that nobody would ever go near at my school.

YG: Considering how Sweden is running their education system, how can we improve our system?

SB: Technology in the classroom is not going away. It bothers me when teachers lock everything down on a Chromebook. Have a little more trust in students. We need to have a conversation in the classroom about how to properly respect the internet and use the technology.

YG: What’s your takeaway from being the first recipient of Canada’s Walk of Fame Community Hero Award?

SB: I think it’s a good opportunity to spread my message further. It really gets the message out that our waters aren’t clean, and we need to step up our game on that situation. It’s great to be winning, but I’m not doing it for the awards.

YG: During your acceptance speech you mention Dr. David Maxwell is a mentor. How is he an exemplary teacher?

SB: He provided me with testing equipment. I was able to publish my results. Being an 11-year-old kid testing water and saying it’s dirty, a lot of people would question what I was talking about. Dr. Maxwell helped to validate my work.

He likes to ask me a lot of questions and makes me think critically. He still goes back to things I didn’t know when I was 11 and asks me to explain it

to him now.

YG: What was a most memorable moment from Canada’s Walk of Fame?

SB: They cut out the best part of Canada’s Walk of Fame from airtime. I didn’t know who Kurt Browning was and I was told to walk fast to my seat because I had gone to the bathroom during a commercial break when Kurt said, “Are you Stella Bowles?” I said, “Yep.” I kept walking to my seat. He got on stage and made a joke that I am the most intimidating person he ever met and that I could get any politician’s money (chuckles).

Also, because my award was associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs, they gave me a jersey signed by the whole team with my name embroidered on the back. In a few weeks, they’re flying the family to see a Toronto Maple Leafs game which I’m excited to attend.

Read the full interview with Bowles at xaverian.ca.

just their thoughts.

Although these projects have been widely derided both before and after becoming public, there were very real concerns throughout the Cold War that American and Soviet agencies were falling behind one another and losing an imagined arms race in unlikely scientific domains. Each super power leaked information in hopes that the other would waste time and resources on either useless data or technological dead ends.

Perhaps, most famously, American agencies spent time researching psionic and psychic powers and abilities after hearing that Soviet scientists had been successful in harnessing psychic abilities in test subjects. American researchers attempted to have their own subjects succeed in clairvoyance and other paranormal and parapsychological activities. By 1995, after 20 years of study, the project was closed with the conclusion that the

study had “dubious value,” and that the test subjects who reported some ability in remote viewing had “substantially more background information than might otherwise be apparent,” a stunning rebuke to a such a long running study.

Soviet scientists were also the target of rumour and false data. American scientists, having exhausted research into a potential nerve agent, and hoping to encourage Soviet researchers into wasting time and resources, purposefully leaked 4000 documents on, what the American scientists believed, was non-weaponizable chemical agents as part of Operation Shocker. The documents led the Soviets to expand their research and may have led to the production of notorious nerve agent, Novichok, which was used on and led to the death of former Russian GRU officer Sergei Skripal, Charlie Rowley, and Dawn Sturgess in March and June 2018.

Photo: Phoebe Cseresnyes

Wormholes and UFOs Freedom of Information request exposes CIA projects Douglass Hook Staff Writer

A recently released Freedom of Information (FOI) request has unearthed a number of interesting research projects undertaken by the CIA as part of a program known as Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).

Though no stranger to bizarre and unusual projects, the CIA and other branches of the American government have investigated phenomena more likely to be a plot twist from the Twilight Zone than any legitimate cosmic origin.

The documents released include projects in unknown states of research and funding.

Some of the projects are more typical of military research with titles like, “Field Effects on Biological Tissues,” and some more cryptic like, “Space Access.”, What has captured imaginations, however, are the

projects titled “Traversable Wormholes, Stargates, and Negative Energy,” and “Warp Drive, Dark Energy, and the Manipulation of Extra Dimensions,” among others with equally science fiction like concepts and titles. Though they may sound like technobabble in the style of Star Trek engineer Jeordie LaForge, each of these projects is attached to a legitimate author, representing either a company or a university. Some of these authors have a history of publishing work in reputable science journals, such as Nature. Interestingly, the author of the research about warp drives was cited by Gizmodo in 2009 about his “scientifically accurate” design for a ship with a warp drive.

Whether these projects ever produce viable science is unknown and unlikely to be released any time soon, if ever.

In 2017, the Washington Post and the New York Times reported on a $22 million-dollar project buried inside the $600

billion-dollar Defense Department budget. The $22 million-dollar figure was the budget for AATIP, which has been cataloguing and collecting unusual incidents involving unidentified objects encountered by fighter pilots. Videos of the encounters were released and made their way across the internet and lit up paranormal and conspiracy forums and social media sites alike.

While little else was revealed at that time, it follows on previous paranormal work by the CIA and other branches of the American government. In the 1950s a similar program, called Blue Book, recorded and tracked phenomena that fighter pilots encountered. Although the vast majority of it was explained by unusual, but natural, cloud and weather patterns, more than 700 remained unexplained at the time of the program’s closure. The CIA also investigated the potential psychic powers of people, training men to kill goats with

Opinions 5

Opinions

Editor: Caleb MacIsaac xw.eic@stfx.ca

How Do I Get Your Vote?

What it takes to get your participation Alexis Wright Contributor With the recent Students’ Union election, the school had a voter turn-out of approximately 1554 students, just under a quarter of the student body. As someone who works with several organizations, this low level of participation and engagement is familiar.

There is a decline in student engagement, but what is causing it?

In the case of the Students’ Union election, a good chunk could be attributed to a lack of knowledge. I didn’t know when the election was, let alone who was running until one of the candidates came to speak to my department.

The current Students’ Union has not been very engaged with the student body in my opinion, and this became evident with the election. We here at The Xaverian Weekly didn’t know we were hosting the presidential debate until a post on social media the day before.

There was clearly a lack of communication and it becomes visible there are many different factors that influence the level of student engagement.

Say I was armed with the knowledge of my candidates, the dates and locations of big

Photo: theu.ca events, and was even offered alternative solutions to encourage my participation, would the result of my participation change? The answer is probably no (don’t worry, I vote).

When Stephen Harper was up for election in 2015, the voter turn-out increased across the country to 68.49%, the highest it had been since 1993; however, when Donald Trump ran for president, the United States saw a decrease in their voter turn-out at 58.1%. With knowledge readily available and the resources and means to partake, there is no reason not to get involved, especially when it comes to something that will

impact your household and your life.

Returning to campus, engagement is something that I struggle to attain from my target audiences with surveys for events that I create. Surveys are a great tool to garner the interests and opinions, but sometimes people respond with what they think the surveyor wants to know rather than honest opinions.

I’ve attended several events over the past two years hosted by different organizations and have seen engagement and participation increase in the Antigonish community rather than the campus specific com-

munity. The biggest turn-outs are typically those with a live music element or a drinking aspect.

It could be coincidence that important events line up on specific days when people have plans, but that demonstrates market competition. The hierarchy of events means that hosts must strategically develop their events to best target their audience. Is the time practical and will people be off work, and have the energy? Is what I’m offering interesting, and if not, how can I make it so?

Who is the target audience?

What is appealing to them?

Question upon question all with the intent of getting people to venture out to participate in an hour-long activity, or submitting an online questionnaire, or to vote the leader of their country. Gone are the days when face-to-face interaction was all it took to entice people into getting involved, but so is the time when people did in-person canvassing.

This expands just beyond the professional realm as well, I am constantly hounded by my peers to organize social events, and as a planner, I am deterred from it. To give you an example why, I have short story; I am a former immersion student, and my peers asked me repeatedly to host a reunion. They were

given a date, events were decided by the group and everything was set. Three times in a row, the events had no one show up, but time after time people would turn to me and ask me to host another. This is an insult to me as an organizer because I have put my time and effort into this project, and it has gone to waste. I achieved success on my very last time by telling people I was headed to a restaurant and told them they could join me if they wished.

Zero preparation gave my event the boost it needed, and this is a trend I’ve come to notice. If you plan an event ahead of time, people might be less inclined to attend; commitment has become an enemy.

Trends change, and with it interests and desires. The requirements to host a fruitful event seem to be ever shifting and hard to predict. I reach out to you, our readers, how do you find success with your events or products?

I am not a business student and marketing is not my strong suit; I can identify strengths and weaknesses but am at a loss for the best way of finding a consistently successful strategy. The older I get, the happier I am to attend events and put myself out there, but my personal experience may be different than others.

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Xaverian Weekly

Who is bulk.email@stfx.ca?

Stop the spam Douglass Hook Staff Writer Anyone attached to StFX in any way has probably, at one point or another, complained to someone about how awful their StFX email is. Besides the important notices and emails from friends, peers, colleagues, students, professors, and administrators, we all get flooded with completely unnecessary emails about all sorts of things.

It is email without a specific audience, completely unsolicited, and sent throughout the entire school. It’s spam and it’s coming from the University itself.

Why is StFX spamming our inboxes multiple times a day about events and items that rarely, if ever, concern us?

The amount of spam from StFX led me to turn off notifications for my inbox. My peers in the education program and

some of my professors have all voiced similar complaints about the amount of emails filling our inboxes. I’m very happy for the people who have worked hard and are now entering the thesis-defense phase of their education, congratulations to them, but an email sent in bulk devalues their efforts by, essentially, spamming the university at large. Sending notice of the defense to select groups associated with the work or the program would be a much more appropriate way of raising awareness.

But is what StFX sends its users actually spam? Unlike other emails that occasionally fill my personal inbox, StFX’s emails contain no “unsubscribe button,” nowhere in the message is the opportunity for the recipient to turn off the emails.

There is no way, as I discovered, to email the sender and ask them directly to stop. If you try to reply to “St. Francis Xavi-

er University,” you realize two things very quickly. First, you’re not actually emailing StFX, you’re emailing bulk. email@stfx.ca. Second, you’ll receive an instant reply telling you that bulk.email@stfx.ca is an unattended inbox; meaning no one uses it. A lot like a spam email.

What’s one to do? I emailed StFX IT services and asked them about it. They replied that they had no idea who actually runs bulk.email@stfx.ca and that the only way to stop the emails from ending up in my inbox was to create a “Rule” that automatically redirected the emails to my junk folder, which I promptly did. Now, instead of filling up my inbox all with emails from StFX (or more accurately, bulk.email@ stfx.ca) they all go right into my trash. It’s simple and relatively easy.

I also emailed communications about this. I received a

reply from Cindy Mackenzie, Manager of Media Relations.

Cindy told me she, too, has no idea who runs bulk.email@ stfx.ca and that I should contact IT. A dead end.

So, who runs bulk.email@ stfx.ca? It remains a bit of a mystery. If you or someone you know has the answer, please let us know. Send us a tip, we’ll even keep you anonymous.

Thanks in advance.

For everyone else who shares my frustration at being spammed by our very own University and wants the emails to stop, it’s relatively easy. Right click the offending email in your inbox and, from the dropdown menu, select “Create Rule,” and send that sucker to your Deleted Items folder where you’ll no longer get notifications or even see the offender.

Anyone connected to the notorious spammer, bulk.email@ stfx.ca, please, reconsider how

bulk emails are handled. Surely, there’s a better way than sending out untargeted, mass emails daily. Make a few lists, use Excel (I’ll even help you out!) and separate emails by the programs they’re attached to. An email about the science department? Maybe don’t send it to the English students. A lecture about Medieval Theology?

Just direct it to the theology students. Or better yet, maybe have a calendar on the website about up-and-coming events that people can choose to view instead of flooding their inboxes. Just a thought.

Photo: Bowen Assman

Halifax Passes Motion to Ban Plastic Bags Does it really change that much?

Melissa Aycock Staff Writer

The majority of us probably have, at some point or another, started accumulating a stash of plastic bags in a forlorn corner of our room or house. Those stashes may soon be a thing of the past if Nova Scotia follows Halifax’s lead in implementing a ban on plastic bags.

The Halifax regional council has recently passed a motion to work with the other nine Nova Scotian municipalities to draft legislation that would ban single-use plastic bags by the end of 2019. This move comes despite staff recommendations that the municipality start with voluntary or phase-in measures. Halifax’s ban follows in the footsteps of other cities such as Montreal and Victoria, who have implemented bans and subjected stores to fines if they’re caught using plastic bags.

One big issue with Halifax’s proposed ban is the inability translate it to a province-wide effort. While close to 15 mayors or wardens in the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, which represents approximately 75% of Nova Scotia, are willing to take Halifax’s proposed bylaw back to their communities, the province has been reluctant to get involved.

According to the Chronicle Herald, environment minister Margaret Miller has stated that the province is satisfied with municipal efforts, despite acknowledging the fact that a province-wide initiative could help resolve patchy and confusing bans implemented across different municipalities.

Even though fellow Atlantic province PEI implemented a province-wide ban on plastic bags, Nova Scotia seems willing to sit this one out.

Trying to reduce the number of single-use plastic bags is nothing new either. Businesses have been charging for plastic

Photo: Bowen Assman

bags for a couple of years and promoting the use of reusable bags by selling them in store.

Costco stands out at the most prominent example, requiring any customers to bring their own boxes or bags when shopping there. These initiatives by private companies are helping reduce the number of plastic bags being used or at least making customers think twice about if they need a bag. Perhaps bans from municipalities like Halifax are playing catchup with the private sector’s initiatives.

Given that the Ecology Action Centre collected nearly 2,500 signatures in favour of the ban, the societal shift away from plastic bags may already be here. The question is, how many businesses and individuals will follow through with their support of a ban when their bottom line may be affected, or they realize how often they get plastic bags regularly for the sake of convenience?

Another issue the plastic ban ignores is what to do with all the bags currently in circulation, sitting around our houses, or in landfills. There are many people already trying to repurpose plastic, whether it be making baskets, using them for small household garbage cans, and more. Yet, there seems to be little initiative addressing how to reuse or repurpose plastic bags by municipalities, which could be a lucrative project as we move towards a greener society.

Causing an uproar over

Photo: Yanik Gallie banning single-use plastic bags Moreover, in 2018, the UN’s Inseems a bit ludicrous when tergovernmental Panel on Cliyou put it into context with all mate Change gave a gloomy the other single-use plastics or world forecast if we are uncontainers not being banned. able to prevent warming the Whether it’s straws, Styrofoam globe by another degree Celtakeout containers, or the plas- sius, meaning harsher cuts to tic packaging used in shampoo greenhouse gas emissions and bottles, there are a lot of plastic far-reaching changes across and other harmful materials many sectors are likely in our being put in landfills. Under- future. In that sense, while standably, banning some items smaller actions like banning like straws can be detrimental plastic bags are good, perhaps for individuals who rely on there should also be a focus on them for accessibility reasons how to tackle the big issues of or may not be able to afford the climate change that can and do alternatives; however, if Hal- have devastating consequencifax and Nova Scotia want to es. really make a positive environHalifax, along with the othmental impact, they should be er Nova Scotia municipalities, considering a larger scale ban has taken a good step in drafton other single-use plastics or ing legislation to ban the use of excessive packaging as well. plastic bags by the end of this Even broader still, climate year; they should keep in mind change and the environment what other big picture meashould be policy areas that sures they can take alongside we take more seriously. Just the plastic bag ban so we can this January, Halifax became avoid pushing our planet even the second Canadian city to further past the environmental declare a climate emergency. tipping point.

Opinions 7

Unnominated but Noticed David MacLean’s alternative Grammy Awards David MacLean Staff Writer Album of the Year: Turnstile – Time & Space This album is nothing short of a hardcore masterpiece. I’ll have to cut myself off at some point, otherwise I’ll just talk on about how incredible this piece of work really is. Quite a few music journalists have had Time & Space near the top of their end-of-year lists. Everyone’s been talking about Turnstile, everyone’s been caught up in the hype. I haven’t heard one quip.

The Grammys have a habit of throwing in an odd choice for AOTY (see Arcade Fire). So why not nominate a hardcore band? Sure, that level of mainstream success hasn’t really happened since Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come started to become the cult phenomenon it is today.

I only bring up Turnstile because they’ve created a genuine world-beater. Time & Space combines a frantic hardcore razorbladed pace with a whole mess of things that don’t make

sense: lounge music, trip-hop, some bongos. But whacky isn’t a gimmick for Turnstile. It’s all in the name of energy.

Around the same length as Reign in Blood, Time & Space is a genre-defining record that only comes about every decade or so. You’re in and out of it in a few breaths, and breathless by the end.

Best Rap Album: Milo – budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies Poor Milo, he’s got a bit of a rep. His rhymes always seem to dance between grabbingly clever and offputtingly pretentious. Stereotypes aside, budding ornithologists is well worth your time. Remove his voice, the disjointed sampling crackles, a wool blanket covered in static.

Every track acts hypnotic, dragging you into a lull. And at your most vulnerable, he says his piece. There are no mumble-rap tropes here, just plain ol’ boring beautiful poetry.

Lines are rarely repeated, no hooks to be found.

As a listener, you’re here for the dissertation. Milo’s ability to mix nuance with sarcasm,

complexity with tongue-incheek quips, is incredible. I’ll admit, I’m still working through budding ornithologists.

After my first listen, I was happy. But after my second, third, fourth, I still feel as though there’s lines I missed. If we’re to argue rap as poetry, this album will be our year’s best. Astroworld will probably win, Swimming is posthumous, budding ornithologists is brilliant.

Best New Artist: Marmozets They’re the most exciting young band in the world. No hyperbole, no lying, they’re the best. I’ll add one better: Becca MacIntyre is one of the most talented singers in the game.

Big talk, eh?

In the United Kingdom, everyone’s been talking about Marmozets. Their 2014 release, The Weird and Wonderful was a statement of intent. They’re here to be the biggest band on the planet, and they’re Motorhead – they play rock and roll.

And so we’re left to ask, “how will they ever follow it up?”

Well, 2018’s Knowing What You Know Now confirmed their place as the next big thing. If

I’m to put a label on their sound: Queens of the Stone Age riffs and sensibilities, Deftones vocal-oddities, and stadium-level choruses. Just listen to “Major System Error,” listen to how she sings the word “together.” Listen to “Play,” the riffing demands you jump around. This was Marmozets’ year and they’ll take over the rest of the world soon.

And I’ll be damned if Greta Van Fleet wins.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile Odd choice for a final category, I know. But I’ll take any chance I get to talk about Sons of Kemet’s newest release.

Each track on Your Queen is a Reptile has it’s namesake from prominent women of colour.

Now, I’m not entirely sure if the songs themselves are structured by the way in which these women lived their lives, but lord the pace is high.

Our first track, “My Queen is Ada Eastman” should give you a half decent indication of where the rest of the album will head. The infectious per-

fill a gap in your program

cussion has me catching myself nodding a bit too hard in public places. Hips move unintentionally, feet begin to tap. My personal favourite, “My Queen is Anna Julia Cooper,” is almost annoying: I’m tiring of dancing, but I can’t stop. The interplay between each musician is both jaw dropping and catchy, a hard thing to pull off.

Sons of Kemet have created an important album. Often albums with “messages” sacrifice musical integrity to preach and scream “I’M UPSET” into a clunky megaphone. But Your Queen is a Reptile gives you titles and music. Beauty - nothing more, nothing less.

Photo: shabakahutchings.com

8

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Features

The Xaverian Weekly

Editor: Lewis MacLeod xw.eic@stfx.ca

Down Home Christmas A Christmas spent “up the lane” in Upper Big Tracadie, Nova Scotia Tara Reddick Contributor Tara Reddick is a third-year student at STFX, she grew up in Antigonish. She is a playwright, her play “The West Woods” toured Nova Scotia and was also featured at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2017. The following story is a little look into her childhood during a Christmas spent “up the lane” in Upper Big Tracadie, Nova Scotia. Upper Big Tracadie is a rural African Nova Scotian community about 25 minutes from the town of Antigonish. *** My mother and father always did the best they could at Christmas. I never really asked for anything. What I received, I received. It was always about the spirit of Christmas and never about gifts. I never bragged to my friends after Christmas break, I had nothing to brag about. I tell you though, I can remember every Christmas like it was yesterday. I miss my Nanny especially at the Holidays, she died the day after Christmas; I was there when she took her last breath and I think about her everyday. Nothing will ever come close to a Christmas spent at my Nan’s down home. She was our matriarch, she was our rock. Her name was Dorothy Daye and this Christmas marked the third year of her passing.

Go Tell it on the Mountain Christmas eve, mom and dad pack up the few gifts we have and the 6 of us load up our Dodge Omni meant for 4. Lorraine and Wilfred, two boys and two girls rowdy unruly brats. Mom says, “Let’s wake up Christmas day down home kids.” Do we have to mom? Off to Nanny and Granddaddy’s we go. Folks are home from Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Aunts, uncles and cousins alike. Nintendo show downs, penny hockey, snakes and ladders. Checkers too, but we can’t find all the pieces. Sliding down the stairs on our bums. Carpet burns and playing school, “I want to be the teacher this time.” The wood furnace is burning, uncle Barry got it wide open I tell yah!

Nan is baking, molasses cake, corn bread, brown sugar-squares, lemon, apple and blueberry pie, “Did anyone take out the turkey yet?” Better take out a big one. It is still early in the evening, now it’s time to get out Mahalia Jackson’s Christmas album. The needle on the record player isn’t the best, but it plays. Granddaddy fell asleep in his favourite chair. Just a few hours before he had it rockin’ and the kitchen turned into a wrestling ring. WWF legends, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Roddy Piper. “ Get em, that’s it, pin him, come on pin him, give it to him.” He smokes his Export A’s and sneaks a little drink and the sweat is pouring. “How much wood did Barry put in that furnace anyway?” The kids are tearing the house up, playing hide and go seek, finding places we never knew existed.

Nan cleans houses in town and the families she works for always give her chocolates. Me and cousin Geneva eat them before she even knows they are open.

Later in the night, Nan just wants her daughters to stay in and pray in the Christmas day, but my aunt’s got other plans. They go down, down the lane to Mrs. Cunningham’s and over to Rear Monastery to visit aunt Evelyn. They come back laughing and telling stories and I listen, I always listen. Nan is asleep at the table she was waiting up. Now all 20 of us cousins have found a spot to sleep. On the floor, we take beds on the coach, even in the hallway, in every corner all of us sleeping, close as close can be. The house is warm with love and we are happy the furnace has died down, but don’t dare let that fire go out cause it’s cold tonight.

Morning, Nan is first to wake up she is at the stove. She starts in on breakfast. Two cartons of eggs, two pounds of bacon, fresh biscuits and beans. The aunts are tired, “See I told you fellas’ to stay your ass home last night, out running the roads.”

I wish I could go back in time, there was so much love and I had my Nan.

Pan-African Flag Raising African Heritage Month debut Norah Quirk Contributor

Features 9

Meet the B.L.A.C.C. Society Headshots and biographies of leadership team B.L.A.C.C. Contributors

Name: Sasha Paul Year: 4th Program: B.B.A. Accounting Role: Treasurer Why do I value this society: I joined this society because I think to have a safe and welcoming environment for students of African Descent to express themselves without apology.

Name: Summer Upshaw Year: 5th Program: B.Sc. HKIN/ Nutrition Role: Students Union Liason Why do I value this society: I am a member of this society because it provides an opportunity for us to show diversity on campus and combat the issue of under-representation.

Name: Jasonique Moss Year: 1st Program: Psychology Role: Connector Why do I value this society: I strongly believe in the inclusion of others and ensuring that one can feel comfortable wherever they may go and so, in joining the society, my goal is to create an atmosphere where students can feel comfortable and express themselves with the utmost support from their peers especially those who look like them.

Name: Karen Nembhard Year: 4th Program: B.A. Psychology (Forensic Concentration) Role: Co-ordinator Why do I value this society: I think it’s a space for students of colour to have a great time and cultivate their own narratives. In addition, this society is focused on addressing the concerns of students of colour that range from “where can I get my hair done?” to “how do I hold on to my individuality, while representing the voices of people in my community?”

Name: Allanique Hunter Year: 2nd Program: B.A.Sc. Health Role: Connector Why do I value this society: I believe it’s important for students of African Descent to feel included and welcomed in this environment. Representation matters and I feel like it would be beneficial to have a peer support system for those of colour while at uni, just so they know they’re not alone and have someone to lean on in times of adversity and that’s what this society is about; Livity, Culture, and Community.

Name: Justin Major Year: 4th Program: B.A.Sc. Health Role: Co- ordinator Why do I value this society: There was a need on campus for a society that caters to students of African descent. Here, the needs and wants of these students are put at the forefront of every discussion. This society is a place to make students of African descent feel more included on campus and allow us to be our true authentic selves. It provides a place for us to share our daily experiences amongst our peers and allow us to address topics we might feel uncomfortable speaking about otherwise.

10

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Arts & Community

The Xaverian Weekly Editor: Salome Barker xw.eic@stfx.ca

Playlist For the Future

New music by today’s promising female black talent and triumphant returns of senior legends Ashley Fullerton Staff Writer Black History Month is just as good of a time as any to dedicate some time to discovering new black music. The past few years have been filled with ambitious new songs by some very promising women. Whether they be American or Canadian talent, these ladies are really bringing something great to the table. On top of new talent, some of music’s most influential legends are continuing to make their mark on the industry; whether it be brand new singles or snatching honourable awards. Here’s a list of ten songs – and ten artists – you need to hear this month.

Normani – “Slow Down” Normani, one of the former members of the popular girl group Fifth Harmony, has yet to make her formal solo debut.

The 22 year old has released several collaboration singles since 2018; her single “Love Lies” with Khalid was an instant success, peaking in the Billboard top 10. However, one of her singles that went under the radar is the song that truly shows the potential of Normani as a solo pop superstar. Her project with Calvin Harris – specifically the solo house/ EDM jam “Slow Down” could have fit wonderfully as a pre-re-

lease single for a solo EP. However, it was part of her Normami X Calvin Harris project.

Although Normani has no concrete plans to finally drop her official solo EP or studio album, “Slow Down” and its catchy, classic beat gives us a taste of what to expect.

SZA – “20 Something” Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, made huge waves a couple of years ago with her album CTRL. The entire project gives off diary vibes, bringing the listener along with her musical diary entries. “20 Something” is perhaps the most intimate example. As the conclusion of the album, “20 Something” is about a topic that anyone at this school could relate to. “Hopin’ my 20 somethings won’t end / Hopin’ to keep the rest of my friends / Prayin’ the 20 somethings don’t kill me, don’t kill me” is lyrics that ring particularly true for university students. It’s scary to think beyond the comfort of your residence, your quaint university town, your small group of friends. And it’s difficult to think beyond the comfort and struggle of being a twenty-something. SZA’s work perfectly explains the under-represented anxieties that young adults face.

Lizzo – “Juice” Minnesota based singer-songwriter Lizzo began 2019

with a total banger. Her single “Juice” is effortlessly catchy and an incredibly feel-good song. Lizzo’s confidence is what truly sells the song; and not everyone has that kind of talent.

“Juice” guarantees to give you an energetic jolt that will be stuck in your head for weeks.

“Blame it on the juice” indeed!

Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel It’s no wonder that Janelle Monáe’s third studio album Dirty Computer is nominated for Album of the Year. The album brings forth Monáe’s signature mix between R&B, soul and electronica, but overall feels fresh amongst the rest of her discography. The lead single, “Make Me Feel”, is definitely a perfect way to introduce her unique blend of genres to a newbie. Although she has not received the widespread, mainstream success that she deserves, Janelle Monáe has entered a completely different level of success – with this record, she has earned her place among the list of great, unique indie pop princesses. A critical darling, you can definitely expect to hear more of her beautiful, but under-appreciated gems for years to come.

H.E.R. – “Can’t Help Me” Gabriella Wilson’s H.E.R. project is named so for a reason. An acronym for Having Everything Revealed, H.E.R.’s mu-

sic is similar to SZA’s by virtue of being stripped down and brutally honest. “Can’t Help Me” is a wonderful example of this type of acoustic, easy-listening track. There is an element of warmness that makes the minimalist beat and repetitive guitar feel incredibly nostalgic. While the lyrics are sparse, they are truthful. This track in particular is just one of those songs that definitely leaves an impression on you not for its catchiness, but for its relatability. cupcakKe – “A.U.T.I.S.M.” CupcakKe might be most notorious for her extremely sexual lyrics, but the truth is that this woman has amazing rap and songwriting talent. Sexual songs included. Her flow is honestly the best I’ve heard of any recent female rappers, and she has no qualms making songs about serious topics.

“A.U.T.I.S.M.” is one of the stand-out examples of cupcakKe’s serious tracks. Although it’s short, “A.U.T.I.S.M.”(A Unique Thinking Individual Strongly Matters) is a great, to the point song about Autistic people and the struggles they face. Whether it be a song about important social issues, or sexual expression, cupcakKe knows exactly how to get her points across in an interesting and personality-driven way.

Missy Elliott – “WTF”

(Where They From) The first senior artist on this list is none other than Missy Elliott. Although she hasn’t released anything in the past few years apart from a couple singles (WTF included), Missy has made her mark on the decade in other ways. Most recently, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The first female and first hip-hop artist to achieve this milestone, Mariah Carey was also nominated for the award (Carey being another bi-racial legend). “WTF” is just another example of Missy’s unique flair that will never be duplicated.

Janet Jackson – “Made For Now” Janet Jackson is, without a doubt, one of the most influential female artists of the past 50 years. Since the controversy surrounding the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 (which is currently being re-examined by many as an example of double standards in the music industry), Janet Jackson has been largely out of the mainstream.

“Made For Now” is a stepback in the mainstream direction. A summer bop featuring Daddy Yankee, hopefully the single is a sign of things to come.

ment but also bad for you, I digress) but trust me it’s really worth it. It might seem like a pain paying that little extra, but in the long run you’re helping out more people than you can imagine.

Investing your money into these businesses means keeping a community alive, a community that you might very well depend on for your own job, family, or school. When local business die, there are jobs lost, and people will have to migrate out of the town to find other jobs, soon it’ll become a ghost town.

When you purchase local, you’re also able to get to know the people who own the business, who by the way really appreciate you and they want to get to know you. You end up building connections and relationships that you otherwise might not have had. It’s pretty hard to build a connection with a huge company that only cares about getting your money and

not getting to know you.

I hope my words to you have made you change your mind a little bit. Next time you’re feeling hungry or wanting to pick up some new groovy home décor, consider supporting a business ran by your neighbor.

In my closing words, I’d like to give my farewell to Fixed Coffee & Baking. As a New-

foundlander I was stunned to hear the news like the rest of St. John’s last Wednesday that Fixed will be closing their doors permanently on March 10. I’ll miss your delicious coffee, food, laughs and warmth, and your sparkling drinks in the sweet muggy summers. Yet another business falling victim to the lack of local support.

Photo: janetjackson.com

Local Love Support local businesses Salome Barker Arts & Community Editor

Have you ever had a cherished store in your own hometown shut down? If so, you know the feeling of having to hear the heartbreaking news of your absolute favourite local store close its doors forever.

This is becoming more and more common in our society; locally owned businesses that used to flourish with customers are now at a point where they do not have enough customers to generate the type of revenue they would need to keep their lights on. I’m encouraging you to start or continue supporting the local businesses within your own town.

When you choose to spend your money at a local business whether a restaurant, art gallery, coffee shop, or grocery store, you’re supporting the business and the individuals

that help run it.

Take places in Antigonish such as the Townhouse, The Waffle Bus and the Tall and Small Café, all three of these businesses sell delicious food.

The ingredients for these dishes are coming from farms in the surrounding area, fresh vegetables from Bethany Gardens, farmed chicken from Loch Abar Farmers or fish from fisherman living in the area.

The point is, these farmers and fisherman also making a living off be able to a sell their products to these businesses, but they’re only able to keep doing that just as long as the doors of the business keep ringing.

You might think yes that’s all wonderful, but I don’t have the money for locally priced foods and that’s a fair point. When you eat local it tends to be a bit pricier than say something like McDonald’s (which might I add is corporately owned, and has mass produced food which is not only bad for the environ-

Photo: Facebook @The Waffle Bus Stop

Arts & Community

11

Sakura Saunders Interview Beehive Design Collective and the Youth Activism Conference workshop series Addy Strickland Staff Writer Sakura Saunders in an environmental justice and indigenous solidarity activist living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She’s been organizing in Canada for close to thirteen years, and is currently a member of the Beehive Design Collective, an arts and activist organization that creates intricate and metaphor rich murals to act as centrepieces in educational campaigns around social justice issues.

Previously, Sakura also worked as a media activist in the United States.

On Sunday, February 3, Sakura visited the StFX campus to facilitate the first of the Youth Activism Conference workshop series. The workshop centred around creativity and art in activism, and story-based strategies for organizing. *** AS: What role do you see art and story occupying in activist and protest work?

SS: I think that story is fundamental to creating narrative.

We need to create narrative that represents not only the reality that we live but the reality that we want to see, and we need to challenge dominant narratives and myths around the inevitability of the status quo, especially considering that right now, the status quo is driving us towards climate chaos and an extreme concentration of wealth in the hands of

very few people. We need to be challenging that system of economics and getting back to the basics, saying “we actually need to rebuild our economy in a way that prioritizes both people and the land that sustains us,” and this is actually going to be better at meeting the needs of most people. We have a convincing narrative because it’s not very hard to prove what our current state of capitalism has done in terms of environmental devastation and wealth inequality, and the fact that people feel so powerless. So many people don’t even feel comfortable speaking out in their workplaces about injustices that they face because workers in our current economy are disempowered and afraid of losing jobs. We really need to assert that our economy doesn’t necessarily need to be this way, that our society doesn’t need to be this way, and that, supposedly, we live in a democracy and are able to choose a different path. As for campaigns for a higher minimum wage, they’re not extraordinarily ambitious, but they are illustrative in the gains we can make that are good for people and are beneficial to the overall economy. I think that there are lots of instances where if we assert the necessity of taking care of each other and the planet, that is actually going to be better for our society, and not cost society as the dominant narrative would suggest.

AS: What about art makes it so conducive to social change?

SS: When I think specifically of the Beehive Collective art, it’s really beautiful, detailed illustrations of animals, and plants, and machines, and the quality of the artwork makes even people who don’t share our political values curious. They want to understand what’s happening in the images, and they become curious and disarmed by it. When you tell someone a story, you’re not telling them what to believe. You’re telling them a history, and then if they listen, the lessons are embedded in that. It’s a softer way to approach people that allows them to make those connections on their own, but at the same time, we created that art with the intention of changing hearts and minds, enabling people to see a different way of being, and to understand the trajectory that they’ve been on through examining histories and seeing how the system has perpetually undermined people and taken away their power, and as a result have made it so that decisions are being made far away from where those decisions are having impact. We’re just getting worse and worse off as a society. We’re getting more poor, and we’re having less control over our lives AS: What makes a good story?

SS: I ran a training today based on how to construct effective narratives. This is based on a methodology I learned from what is now the Centre for Story Based Strategy, and a smart story, a good, effective narrative, is one that reframes an is-

sue, that opens fissures in the dominant narrative, takes those contradictions in the popular narratives that we’re fed and opens those wide up to expose their absurdity. It has as primary characters the agents of change, who are the people that are most impacted by the negative aspects of the status quo or the dominant narratives. It creates new characters, new heros, and it foreshadows the outcome that we want to achieve while building a frame that has all sorts of necessary underlying assumptions that reflect a value system we think is fundamental to the new world we want to bring. And that is, fundamentally, a value system of care. If we prioritize taking care of each other, and taking care of the environment, I think you’ll find that people will be plenty busy, people will have more agency, and people will be happier - it will be a happier society overall, we’ll have less social issues.

AS: Can you tell me about a specific moment when you witnessed art playing an import role or impacting a movement you were involved in?

SS: I don’t know if I’d call it art, as much as culture. I’m so inspired by the Indigenous resistance and resurgence taking place in Canada that is so based in traditions, and the reclamation of language, and implicit in language and traditions is a centering of future generations and the land. I think that’s very powerful, and I think it simultaneously reinforces indigenous

sovereignty, which is something that’s glossed over a lot, even though the vast majority of the population in Canada lives within 100 miles of the US border, and somehow people feel very entitled to this entire country. I think that what is happening right now with the conflict in Wet’suwet’en Yintah, that’s created conflict across the entire canadian landscape.

In learning about the hereditary system, and how it isn’t like kings (that’s a very western way of looking at it), but it’s more like a system where people have roles and responsibilities, and you’re raised with certain responsibilities, and if you don’t live up to those responsibilities there are checks and balances to remove your title and remove your names, but that fundamentally embodied in that role is not some shallow notion of democracy or popularity, but actually this responsibility to future generations.

The full interview is available online at xaverian.ca.

Photo: Addy Strickland

Hold Me Brother Collected poems Tara Reddick Contributor “Free” “Idea” Everywhere I go I want you to be not just to simply be with me come on man, I’m not that needy but check it I want you to see what I saw You might like to smell what I smelled touch what I touched feel what I felt it’s just a thought just an idea that’s how we 1st appeared

All around me were iron bars till I found freedom untapped, untouched I had barely scrapped the surface of love till deep down, you dug me out How can I owe a debt to the one I love?

Can I be Appreciative of the way you inspired me?

I’m greatly moved I fly free

“Black Artist Boy” You have subtitles that come across so strong your imagination and sense of feeling Is it with you I belong?

Your world I long to enter yet I am Scared to be surrounded by your strength My, my, my you could swallow me Would you dare use it on me?

You are everything I want Black artist boy Feel Think Move Create Can I be myself before it’s too late?

Will I see what is in front of my face?

Black artist girl don’t be foolish be with him Imagine build a world Black artist boy

12

Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Xaverian Weekly

The Hardest Part of February is the Spelling Some ideas to help you unwind during the break David MacLean Staff Writer Read: I know, I know, you’re already reading for courses – or at least you’re supposed to be.

But how much of what you’re expected to read is for fun?

When’s the last time you stayed up late turning pages? We often forget what it feels like to read for enjoyment in undergrad. So I’ll suggest things: read something stupid. Read something without a complex argument.

Instead, maybe find something with a knight, a mystery, a really hot love interest. Reading used to be fun, right? Maybe we need the novel equivalent to Grown Ups 2 – fart jokes, butt scratches, and slapstick.

Walk: It is solved by walking.

Whatever “it” is, it’ll almost always be solved. I’m not talking exercise, we’ll get to that. But

there’s a sense of clarity when you walk, headphones or no headphones. I’ve found that sitting can be a brain-trap. If I remember right, every essay I’ve ever written (at least the ones that ended up half-decent) were “figured out” while on a walkbreak from the laptop. If I only knew why walking made us feel so good I’d tell you. Maybe it’s a nomadic carry over from caveman genes. Whatever the case, go out your door and walk without a plan.

Exercise: It’s old hack. You’ve heard it a million times already.

So I’ll try and spin this another way. “Go out and be active” comes off as “I dunno, do something”, there’s little direction. I’ll say this: go out some evening and run until you can’t. Stop, breathe hard. Breathe some more. And then run back. You’ll hate most of it, but the second you’ve caught your breath at

home is everything. A rush of “I’ve done something good for myself” followed by “Damn... I feel good”. Pretty good for thinking “I want to die” seconds before. If anything, don’t exercise for the six-pack. Move for your head. You’ll thank you later.

Get lost in Spotify: We’ve covered all the basics I think, now for some fun ones. Most of us have Spotify, yeah? Most of us have got lost in a YouTube hole, yeah? Well do that, but with Spotify. Go to “Discover”, find something that sounds half decent and disappear down the rabbit hole. I’ll warn you, make sure you’ve got the time to spend. Most of us have only done this sort of thing when procrastinating. Your discovery time then is usually spent with the dread of due assignments lurking around. The same beautiful chaos is so incredible with

My Hair is Not Your Playground “An unwanted invasion on a Monday afternoon” Sasha Paul Contributor “Oh, I love your hair!” You say, as you reach out to touch it.

I wince and half-smile as your fingers tangle up in my Afro like an intruder, an unwanted invasion on a Monday afternoon.

Not too long after, come the questions.

A flood I did not sign up for when I walked into the gym, nor when I walked into the X-ray room at the dentist’s or even when I walked into our shared workspace.

“I swear it was long last week, did you get a haircut?” You ask.

Like on many other occasions, I try to explain the concept of hair extensions and protective styling, but your face scrunches up in confusion, and only more questions come.

You don’t understand how I could possibly sit for 8 hours to get my hair braided, and how on earth do I use a needle and thread to attach a weave on?

You can’t fathom how my hair could shrink when it comes in contact with water, “Where did all of your hair go today?”

I wish you knew your questions were exhausting.

That, although asked innocently (I presume), I’ve already answered those same questions five times earlier today.

I wish you knew that sometimes, I just want to sink into the crowd unnoticed, but your loud compliments and exclamations over my new hairstyle quash my camouflage.

If you only knew also, your claims that I look exactly like your friend Theresa, because we have the same braids, are neither flattering nor rational, perhaps you would consider my peace before you spoke.

It’s okay to be confused when I go from long, blonde hair to a shorter Afro next week.

It’s okay to ask because you do not understand the complexities of my crown.

I too, have had my own questions about it.

Questions for God about why He did not bless some of us with straighter, looser curl patterns, or why life couldn’t be a little simpler than it is with this kinky mess.

But this kinky mess is my kinky mess.

To have, and to hold, and to love till death do us part.

I no longer question the tight, sometimes frustratingly undefined nappy curl of my crown because I’ve come to understand that my hair sets its own boundaries, its own standards of beauty.

It defies gravity and stands up for what it believes.

(If you don’t believe me, look for me on a windy Nova Scotian day).

So, the next time you feel the strong urge to run your hands through my hair without asking, or when you suddenly feel the irresistible itch to play a game of 21 questions with me, stop, take in a deep breath, remain calm and repeat after me: HER - HAIR - IS - NOT - MY - PLAYGROUND.

a free conscience.

Performances, Lectures: I know you get the same emails I do. Every second day we’re told about a new lecture series, a new performance on campus, a new event somewhere in these halls. So please don’t delete them along with the pointless emails about Banner and Moodle. I’ve seen some incredible performances here, I’ve heard some awesome lectures outside of class. I don’t even regret the dry ones – even those give me something to learn.

(Good) Netflix: The last point was a hard sell, I know. And this one’s hardly a sell. You’re all using Netflix, yeah? Here’s a few suggestions. First, Maniac. Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in a miniseries that looks to “fix the mind” in an alternative future. I binged it in one go - not because I wanted to, but because I had to. And this isn’t

some Birdbox meme, this one has an ending. Another suggestion: Brigsby Bear. Kyle Mooney plays a man who discovers his whole world is a lie in a beautiful piece on childhood fantasies.

No matter what you choose to discover, try not to be like me and everyone else: “Oh...sounds cool... I’ll watch The Office instead tho...”

Stare: Much of what I’ve said has been proactive. Most of it is “doing”. This one’s a bit lazy, but most important. We had a sunset in late January. It was incredible. If/when we get one in February, stare at the sky.

Sunsets are cliché? Don’t be so joyless. Don’t take a picture, don’t tell your friends, don’t say a word. Just stare. This is unplugging, being in silence, going for a walk, getting lost, and breathing all at once.

Read the full article on xaverian.ca.

Distractions

Distractions

Editor: Kenneth Doiron xw.eic@stfx.ca

Game of Squares

- Two players or more take turns adding one line from dot to dot.

- A player who completes a square initials it & earns an extra line.

- The player with the most initialled squares is the undisputed champion.

13

Source the Alumni Quotes - Draw a line from the Alumnus/Alumna to their respective quote.

Laura Burns

“We also couldn’t have done it without our coaches.

Their encouragement, advice, and often challenging practice sessions were fundamental to our success.”

Calvin DeWolfe

“We got to practice in front of a Supreme Court judge — you can’t even put a price on that.”

Shanna Hopkins

“The importance of gaining an understanding of Mi’kmaq people’s experiences from their own perspectives became especially important during my first year at the nursing school, when I was introduced to the concept of cultural safety in the curriculum.”

Megan Thompson

“One of my favourite Profs, congrats Peggy you have been a trailblazer for equality of women in sport!”

Sudoku - Each of the horizontal rows and vertical columns should contain numbers 1-9.

- Each of the 3-3 squares should contain numbers 1-9.

X-Rings in a Jar - Guess how many X-Rings are in the jar.

- Submit your prediction, name, and student email on the ballot below for a chance to win $50 towards your X-Ring. The monthly winner can pick up their prize at the StFX Store in the basement of Bloomfield Centre.

X-Rings in a Jar Ballot

Prediction: Name: Student Email:

Submit your ballot to our office or newsroom in the basement of Bloomfield Centre, Rooms 111D & 111E.

Spot our Mascots in... Caribbean - Find and circle Captain X and Super Xavia.

14

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Sports & Health

The Xaverian Weekly

Editor: Kathleen Haggarty xw.eic@stfx.ca

Josh Crouse Interview New Strength and Conditioning coach helping athletes raise the bar Bowen Assman Co-Editor-in-Chief Bowen Assman interviewed Josh Crouse on February 4, 2019. *** BA: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you got to StFX? JC: Okay perfect. Well I grew up in the south shore of Nova Scotia playing a lot of different sports, however hockey and volleyball were my primary focus. In grade 12, I was offered the chance to play volleyball at the University in New Brunswick. After two years there I found it just wasn’t really a good fit for me, so I ended up transferring to Acadia University. While at Acadia I took part in the exercise physiology program. Part of the program included a practical component where we were required to get so many hours of volunteer service within different areas of exercise physiology. One of the areas within the practicum that really sparked my interest was Strength & Conditioning.

It was then that I discovered my passion for training athletes. I graduated from Acadia in 2015 and was actually hired upon graduation. It was kind of right place at the right time as the guys role who I filled ended up moving on to work for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He’s now doing his PhD over in New Zealand working with professional level athletes.

Needless to say he was a pretty cool guy to learn from. After graduation I worked at Acadia for three years under the guidance of Elliott Richardson who is the head Strength & Conditioning coach there. While at Acadia I worked with volleyball, both basketball teams, swim and cross country as well as ran a private business and was the Assistant Coach of the Women’s Volleyball team. In June the job opened up here and I decided to take a stab at it and I’ve been here since July.

BA: As the head Strength and Conditioning coach here, do you work with every single team?

JC: I work with all 12 teams here. So, around 350 athletes.

BA: I was talking to a rugby player, and they usually would have volunteer coaches or the head coach would do their Strength & Conditioning. Now, it’s just all through you?

JC: It’s all through me. Yeah. So basically, in the past, I think there was, five or six teams that were working with the strength coach previously. But

Photo: goxgo.ca when I got here, I made it a priority to make sure I was looking after all 12 teams. In the past, not all 12 teams were training. So now all 12 teams are training in the weight room up to four times every week.

BA: Do you have any goals of starting up a private performance training business here?

JC: Yes, we actually have already started a little bit of a private business. We have six kids right now that train with us that are from Dr. J.H. Gillis.

And then we have a few others who are coming from away as well. Right now, we only work with them twice a week. But my goal is when we get a new facility is to grow this business.

Now, this summer we will be starting to train a lot more youth athletes from the surrounding areas, and then maybe a few professional athletes as well on top of our StFX athletes that stick around for the summer.

BA: Are you looking forward to any changes or improvements to our current strength and conditioning program here?

JC: Yeah, for sure. I guess I just started here in July. So I didn’t want to change too much too quick. My number one goal when I got here was to get every athlete training and we’ve succeeded at that after the first semester. I guess the next goal is just to try to get a little bit better at everything. I really want to try and grow the internship program. We currently have 12 interns, and then I have an assistant Ian McNeil who helps me with football, rugby and our private business. Right now we have at least one intern with every single team. Now my goal is to get that to two, I’d like to have one senior intern and one junior intern. So junior being a first or second year and then senior being a third, fourth or fifth year. Right now, our internship is predominantly made up of males however I want females to feel more comfortable getting involved with strength and conditioning. In the past, my

female interns have often been some of my best interns.

BA: Do you work in conjunction with the athletic therapists?

JC: Yes, for sure. This is one thing that I also want to develop is more of a Integrated Sport Science team (ISST) within our athletic department where strength & conditioning, therapy and sport nutrition can work together as more of a unit.

When I first got here, everyone was kind of doing their own thing in a sense. I think we’ve done a better job of opening up communication and making sure that we’re working together because in order for an ISST to be successful, we all need to be on the same page in order to make sure our student-athletes have the best experience.

BA: That internship program started just this year?

JC: Actually, no, the previous strength coach started the internship program. There was seven interns when I first got here. So we have five more now. It was a good starting point but there is definitely room to grow.

BA: So the goal is to have each intern specialize in a sport?

JC: Sort of. Basically, I’d like to have it kind of like the therapy program where you have two or three people with every single team so that way they can be there for the day-to-day logistics. Right now, our interns only mainly help in the weight room. But I’d like to have them be at practices and games so they can run warm-ups, cooldowns, and perform recovery or return to play work on the sidelines with injured athletes.

BA: With the success this year of the football, cross country and rugby team, what part or what role do you think you played?

JC: I mean, I’ve only been here for a couple months so I definitely can’t take credit for their success. However, we have made some significant changes

in the day-to-day logistics of the athletes training schedules and recovery.

BA: But you notice any changes?

JC: I’ve had a lot of really good feedback from the athletes and coaches thus far. The biggest thing I want to do is help the athletes realize their potential.

Before, I think there wasn’t a lot of understanding on how to take care of their bodies dayto-day. In my opinion that can be the small difference between an athlete being good versus being great. You have to learn how to do all those little things on the side when no one’s watching. So that’s my goal is to be able to help our athletes understand how much work it takes in order to get to an elite level. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some pretty high-end athletes and that’s the biggest difference I notice, is they all do the little things extremely well.

BA: Do you think being a recent graduate from university helps you relate to athletes?

JC: That’s the big thing for me is I was in their situation not that long ago. So, I find it easy to communicate and relate with our student-athletes.

There’s a lot of coaches out there that played say, 20, 30 or 50 years ago, and now coach.

Things have changed significantly in the last 10 or so years so it can sometimes be challenging for these coaches to be able to understand and communicate with today’s athletes.

Now granted, I’m not saying they can’t coach because they most definitely can but it’s definitely easier for me being fresh out of school.

I find the biggest change is the day-to-day stuff on how busy and distracted we are now, as student athletes. It can be really challenging to get things done as well as stay on top of the social pressure that is now placed on today’s generations. One thing I often hear and was guilty of saying myself is, “I don’t have time”. However, there’s always a way it’s just a matter of being organized and making it a priority to manage your time efficiently.

BA: Do you help the athletes with time management?

JC: Yeah, I mean, I will have a lot of athletes pop in to my office every day, whether it’s just to chat or ask a question. I make it a priority to get to know the athletes and make sure that I take the time to have those conversations with them.

Because a lot of times, they come in with some really good questions. And it’s important

that you kind of guide them through the process. For example, I’ll have a lot of athletes that come in and want to talk about nutrition. Often the first thing I’ll ask them is how many meals they’ve had today or the day before. Often times they will say one or two and I tell them how they need to get to four or five. The first thing they usually say is “I don’t have time” so what I do is sit them down and show them where they can fit these meals into their personalized schedule and also discuss how they can purchase more affordable options in order to understand that it is possible. Our sport nutrition team has done a really good job of getting the information out there now, and they are in constant contact with the athletes. This has helped me a lot, as it takes that stress off of me to do the nutrition education as well.

BA: Okay great. you have anything else to say?

JC: I guess the big thing would be giving a couple shout-outs and thank yous because I wouldn’t be able to do this without help. Although, I’m the only one under contact it’s not a one-person job by any means.

My assistant Ian Macneil and my interns Jordan, John, Ryan, Bo, Liam, Jenna, Keegan, Kieran, Taylor, Syahrul, Dave, Iris & Blake have all played a huge role in making this happen. It takes a team effort, and they’ve all been great helping me through my first year. I’d also like to thank the athletes, coaches and rest of the athletic department as well. They have made the transition for me very easy.

They have been very open and receptive to feedback and criticism as they all just want to get better just like me. There are some times where you walk in as a new guy and it can take a while to earn your place, but everyone here has been very welcoming since the day I got here and I thank them for that.

Photo: goxgo.ca

Sports & Health

15

Room to Make a Move StFX track athletes have strong showings at McGill Last Chance, Boston Invite & AUS Relays Phoebe Cseresnyes Photographer

These last few weekends have been busy with home and away games for all StFX winter sports teams. Students, alumni and community fans have been flocking to the Keating Centre to watch home games since the beginning of the second semester. Little do we know of the competitive indoor varsity team that must compete solely away from home, all the while doing a large part of their training on the track – outside.

The other evening, the X-Men and Women sprinter groups were outside bearing the elements. While music blasted through the stadium speakers, sprinters blew down the straightaway under the field lights in the pouring rain.

By this time, the track was virtually clear of the week’s worth of snow that had accumulated across its eight lanes. The women’s team captain, Allie Flower, and fifth-year Tim Brennan, can attest to the icefree lanes one and two. “[Coach Eric Gillis] clears the track… and we make do with what we have” they both said. When the teams cannot have workouts outside, the men and the women take to the rubberized walking track around the Auxiliary Rink.

During the last weekend in January, the men and the women competed at the McGill Team Challenge where they raced against some of the most competitive individuals and teams across Canada. For many of StFX’s runners, this is the one weekend to go for broke and try to clock a personal best while keeping up

Photo: goxgo.ca

with big names and teams outside of the AUS. For the twotime AUS Cross Country Champion and 2018 USports 3000m Gold Medalist Angus Rawling, this weekend in Montreal was just what he needed to propel himself into the latter part of his season. Rawling has his sights set on maintaining his unwavering presence in the distance events this winter.

This past weekend, Rawling and secnd year X-Woman Jane Hergett ran at the Boston University David Hemery Invitation Meet. Gunning for a solid tune-up and a PB in the 3k before his big test at USports, Rawling smashed his previous PB with a time of 8:03.34. Poised and confident in his speed endurance, Rawling says he wants “to run the 1500m to see what happens – because anything can happen on the 3rd day of the finals, everyone’s tired.” His goal is to run a sub 8 3k and also focus on both of his distances using one to help with the other.

Hergett has also shaken the field and has put up some of her best times to date. Along with many of her teammates Hergett has seen drastic improvements and has contributed to the ever-changing school record board in the Oland Centre. Finishing first in her heat in Boston, Hergett clocked in at a new best time of 2:48.45. Only

gaining momentum and confidence with her performances thus far, Hergett comments, “I’m anticipating even more PBs this season for the women’s team, everyone is in really great physical and mental shape right now.”

With several strong individual performances, both the men and women are seeing their respective teams come together. The cohesive synergy is apparent – both the Women’s 4x800m and 4x200m teams had their best showings. Both teams have currently set themselves up to be able to compete at USports on the national stage. With several veterans, including Hana Marmura, Zoe Johnston, Allie Flower, Paige Chisholm, Catherine Kennedy, Samantha Taylor and Megan Graham as well as rookie Aidan MacDonald, the women have made a collective statement across the AUS and are a focused unit.

On the men’s side, 600m specialist Tim Brennan is also finding the balance between individual and team performances. Coming out of Montreal with a new PB of 1:20.05 in the 6, Brennan also has a few goals in mind for the rest of the season. As he trains with teammate and high school confidant, Adrian Kinney, Brennan’s goal is to medal in the 6 at AUS and compete with the best at

USports in his event. On top of this, the 4x400m relay team comprising of Brennan, Kinney plus Brad Barclay and Eric Sutton are also preparing to capitalize on the momentum they’ve accrued this season and make a move on the fastest teams across Canada. Having just beat their previous record with a 3:22.10 this past weekend, the men are ranked 4th in USports.

Both the women and the men continue to fine-tune their training as AUS approaches on the 22 and 23 of February in Moncton. Many of the runners are confident that there will be a larger showing at nationals this year. As the 12 year-old team gains provincial and national traction, it is clear that these track athletes have a tremendous amount of respect for the team aspect of the sport.

Supporting one another during workouts in the cold, pushing each other through their intervals, and holding each other accountable for every lap, second and millisecond on the track. Time, as Rawling stated, is what defines you in the track world – which is both the rewarding and terrifying aspect of the sport. Everyone is out to make a move, size themselves up versus the clock and surge ahead of their competitors. It can be anyone’s day, but the little moments count.

The Ball Bounced Back for X-Men Basketball Team A memorable weekend against Memorial Sea-Hawks Austin Belair-Glanville Contributor

On Saturday February 2 the X-Men basketball team suffered a heart-wrenching loss as they trailed the Memorial Sea-Hawks in game one of their back-to-back, 82-79. Their bench gave more than a helping hand with 28 points in the game.

In the first quarter the X-Men seemed lost and at a disadvantage as they played Memorials’ fast-paced game built on X-Men turnovers and shot attempts. Trailing in the second quarter during a close game, the X-Men held on with an increase in ball movement and off-ball screens as well as a defensive hustle from Daniel Passley that kept the X-Men within a few points of the SeaHawks. Passley ended the game with 10pts (points) 14reb (rebounds) and nine dreb (defensive rebounds).

The X-men didn’t start the 2nd half off great, giving up three straight baskets and three turnovers in the first min-

ute and thirty seconds. In addition, Emanuel Ring of the SeaHawks got a monster block to put the X-Men down by eight points not long after. Although lacking effort on offence and unable to finish plays, they slowly showed signs of life and started to penetrate the SeaHawks defence in the paint.

With under 2 minutes left in the quarter, the X-Men gained momentum by working together and stepping up their defence.

Azaro Roker, #12, forced a critical turnover with a block shutting down Ring who’s currently the fourth leading scorer in AUS Men’s Basketball. Following that play, Atik Gilao of the X-Men would step in and draw the offensive foul charge, one of his many trademark attributes.

In the fourth quarter, it was obvious that the X-Men were still in it to win it only trailing by six. It wasn’t a big stretch and they’ve come back from worse. Great focus on passing, rebounding and ball movement led the X-Men to post their highest scoring quarter of the night. After a push from the backcourt and a couple three balls from Thomas Legallais

and Justin Andrew, the X-Men were up 77-76. The following play, Nathan Barker of the SeaHawks would take the ball cross-country and score a bucket and foul giving them the lead 79-77; the youngest of X fans ran the sideline chanting, “We want Defence” with only 15 seconds left.

“I wish them the best,” said StFX student Lucas Lawrence.

Even with community support, there wasn’t enough time for the X-Men to make a come back.

On Sunday February 3 following their defeat by the Memorial Sea-Hawks the previous day, the X-Men were without Roker who suffered a knee injury. Roker averages 10 ppg, 10.5 apg at 41.8 FG %. Gilao led the way with 23 pts and 12 reb while Legallais, Tristen Ross, and Justin Andrew all scored in double digits with Andrew taking control of the rebounds with 11 and nine defensive. It was a new day and a chance at redemption for the X-Men who left their 22 turnovers behind to defeat the Sea-Hawks 88-81 in a fast-paced game that got the fans out of their seats. Unself-

ish passing and a tight 2-3 zone defence forced two turnovers which translated into a block from Gilao and a few trips to the free throw line. StFX started off the game with a 13-point lead and finished the first quarter with a shot clock violation by the Sea-Hawks to put the X-Men up 23-17.

The X-Men trailed the SeaHawks in both the second and third quarter in points. Both squads struggled with transition offence, yet the X-Men’s patience on offence led to fewer turnovers overall. The X-Men were finally playing their game – slow, controlled, and full of passes with cuts.

The third quarter was a back and forth battle, but it ended 55-54 for the X-Men. In the final frame, the X-Men lost the lead as they showed signs of fatigue; being overcrowded on offence coupled with bad shot selection and rushing the ball, the X-Men were slow getting back on defence. Making some changes on defence, their focus changed for the better as they started feeding post-players Atik Gilao and Daniel Passley who combined for five baskets and successful trips to the free throw line widening the gap to put a lid on the game. X-men won the second encounter against the Sea-Hawks 88-81.

Photo: Bryan Kennedy

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