An Interview with Student Union President Candidate Alessandro D’Aquino

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KA: What inspired you to run for president?

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

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

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

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

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

KA: Why did you choose to come to StFX?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xaverian Pride Art

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

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

X-Women Hockey: Champions in Motion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

StFX Basketball: Shooting for the Cure

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

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

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

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

Donation link…

https://fundraisemyway.cancer.ca/shootforthecure

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seniors for Climate: Fighting for Tomorrow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dangers Libraries Face

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Swap Shop: The First Step Towards a Sustainable Campus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breakfast and Lunch in Antigonish: A Short Guide

Are you ever overwhelmed by the idea of eating off campus? As students living on a party-oriented campus, there tends to be a focus on bars, pubs, and restaurants that serve alcohol in student communities. Breakfast and lunch spots are either overlooked, ignored, or slept through (it happens). Although the local pubs and bars are wonderful, sometimes what we need is a nice, peaceful spot to grab a coffee and lunch.  

The Tall and Small Café is a wonderful place to start out, with an excellent selection of coffee, teas, pastries, sandwiches, smoothies, and a wonderful cozy interior. The sandwiches in particular are beloved to many Antigonish residents, and when talking to a customer, they told me that they “could eat the Turkey Pesto sandwich literally every day of my life”. Located at 342 Main Street, it’s only a short walk away from campus and is well worth the trek. 

Moving further down Main Street you’ll find the newly opened The Old Legacy Cafe and Bar! Located on the upper level of 294 Main Street, this spot is the perfect option for a mid-day snack or light lunch. They have a great selection of coffees and smoothies, as well as different mixed soft drink options. For food there’s a variety of sandwich and toast options, some delicious shareables, as well as both savoury and sweet crepes to try. I personally love their ‘turtle iced coffee’ as a pick-me-up in the afternoon after morning classes. 

Another newer shop in Antigonish is Pronto Sandwiches, located on 80 College Street. If you’re looking for a very filling, delicious sandwich, this shop is a must-visit. Their subs are packed with home-made condiments and pickled veggies, fresh sliced meats, and fresh buns from the S & L Bakery, and they are absolutely bursting with flavour. Although the menu is small, their beautiful sandwiches make up for it ten-fold. Pronto is a perfect lunch option to grab and devour between classes.  

If you’re looking for something a little earlier, Myers Tea Room on Main Street is a great option! Serving from 7am to 3pm on 235 Main Street, sometimes the perfect brunch and tea is just what you need. They serve all-day breakfast and have daily specials on, posted every morning on the Myers Tea Room Facebook page. When discussing the restaurant with a customer, she recommended the English Breakfast with either their Earl Grey or Orange Pekoe tea, which she said were both excellent. With its cozy, homey interior and a wide selection of breakfast, lunch, soups, and sandwiches, Myers is an excellent choice for morning people.  

Although it may seem daunting to step away from campus, Antigonish offers a world of delicious foods outside of pubs and bars. And as students, sometimes just what we need is to step away from campus for a second to have a delicious fresh meal. Although I’ve highlighted some personal favorites of mine in this article, there are many more to go explore! Our community is full of local places that may become your next favorite spot. 

Beyond the Algorithms: David Elliot’s Book Explores AI’s Human Roots

On Tuesday, November 18th, David Elliot, current Trudeau Fellow and StFX Sociology graduate from the Class of 2020, returned to campus to launch his new book, Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI.

Artificially Intelligent reframes AI by placing people, not machines, at the centre of the conversation. In a field often dominated by technical jargon and inaccessible academic discussions, Elliot offers a clear and different narrative that welcomes readers of all backgrounds. Students and general audiences alike will find the book approachable, offering a new, human-centred perspective on how AI is being built, used, and shaped today.

During the launch, Elliot read from the opening chapter, comparing AI to a magic trick. “The first time you see a good AI system, it really does feel like magic,” he explained. “But it goes deeper than that. AI has power over us because we don’t understand what’s going on behind the curtain. Pull back the curtain, reveal what’s behind the scenes, and it’s actually quite mundane—quite understandable. Pull back the curtain and it loses its power.” Elliot argues that the workings of AI should not be gatekept, especially as the technology becomes more embedded in everyday life and for students specifically, our education.

Throughout the event, Elliot highlighted three major themes: how he defines AI, why understanding its history matters, and the importance of broad, inclusive AI policy.

Elliot defines AI “as a collection of technologies… a collection of social and technical processes that come together to create a subset of technologies that we as humans- not all, but some- have begun accepting as behaving in intelligent ways.” He traces this understanding back to the rise of deep learning, which gained major momentum in 2012 and reshaped what AI systems could do.

Turning to the history and infrastructure behind AI, Elliot explained that many of the challenges we face today are not new, they echo patterns seen throughout earlier technological revolutions. He describes AI as uniquely disruptive because it is a general-purpose technology. “AI cuts across every industry,” he noted. “Whether you’re working in a factory, or a blue-collar or white-collar job, it is everywhere.” According to Elliot, parallels can be found in the arrival of the internet and even the steam engine. This raises a crucial question: “Is AI the internet, or is it the industrial revolution? And how do we prepare for both of those scenarios?” AI, he argues, is driving a re-imagining of the basic structures of society as it becomes embedded into systems of all kinds.

When discussing AI policy, Elliot emphasized that policymaking should begin with a vision. It “should ask ourselves where we want to be, and how do we get closer to that,” he said. “Because right now, as AI rewrites the rules of our society, we are rewriting policy.” However, he acknowledged a major limitation: “The difficulty with this is the people we are inviting into this conversation tend to be people like me—technologists.” This narrow group leaves out teachers, students, families, workers, and everyday citizens who are also affected by AI but are rarely included in the decision-making process.

Elliot closed the launch by calling for broader participation in shaping the future of AI. He advocated for “opening up real avenues for everyday people to join the AI conversation, at community levels from the ground up.” He believes people genuinely want to be involved, from youth to business leaders, and that their voices are essential in guiding how AI will influence future generations.

StFX Students Sportsbetting on NFL Sunday

“I wish that was two minutes later, now the odds just dropped,’’ says an anonymous Third Year Business student at StFX. Larry, a fake name, is about to make his second bet of the day at 3 in the afternoon. He already has a $20 bet that could win $265. Larry’s bet on the outcome of 6 different games: the  Ravens, the Bears, the Patriots, the Packers, the Chiefs, and the Eagles to win. This form of betting is called a parlay, which bundles different bets together to increase the payout. Yet now that the Kansas City Chiefs are losing, Larry is preparing to make a second one.  

“What play are you talking about?’’ I asked, confused. We’re watching NFL RedZone, a grid screen on the TV broadcasting 4 different games at the same time. Larry ignores mewanting to get his bet in before the odds change again. His new parlay is another $8 for $300 placed on the Baltimore Ravens to win by three points, and for three other teams to just win.  Larry admits to me that he would’ve bet more if he could. “I’m just running out of money, with university expense costs and all that, or I’d have way more parlays.’’ 

Larry makes his bets based “on the momentum I’m seeing in the game.’’ Even when Larry and Harry, also a fake name, take bong hits they stand by the open front door and blow smoke outside to keep watching the games because “the odds change live.’’ Since the Ravens “played so bad so their odds went up,” Larry believes he can make more by doubling down on it. “The advantages of live betting,” he says. 

In his life he estimates he’s bet between $5000 to $10 000 online gambling. Without saying how much, he admits overall he’s lost money. He usually bets on NFL or NBA games but has also wagered on cricket, ping pong, and E-Sports.  Larry draws a distinction between sports betting and other forms of online gambling, like slots or blackjack, because of the “there is some skill to it, where casinos all luck.’’  

“I’ve been banned from 2 [sportsbooks]. One for being underage and one for not obliging to their Responsible Gambling tools.” The most recent suspension is for Bet 365, which is the “best sportsbook in Nova Scotia.’’ He doesn’t believe he should’ve been banned; “I didn't think the quiz would ban me... I guess I should’ve thought if I said ‘Yes, I feel I’m addicted to gambling’ I would be.’’ 

He views gambling as “just a fun hobby, I don’t have that much of an emotional connection to losing.  Larry bets because he enjoys “the risk of it. Risk for reward.’’ He’s considered going to counselling for gambling addiction but knows he doesn’t “need it, personally.’’ 

 The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys, sinking both of Larry’s parlays. He tells me “Online gambling is a cancer in society right now, especially for young boys. And it’s marketed tremendously through sports and online influencers.’’ Celebrities from Wayne Gretzky, Jamie Foxx and Vanessa Hudgens have advertised sports betting platforms. He alleges online casinos pay online influencers to show fake or rare wins so “these big streamers, who are always winning money, can get their viewers to gamble.’’  

A report by Greo Evidence Insights, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and Mental Health Research Canada, released on November 12, 2025, “Highlights how young people in Canada, aged 18 to 29, are at higher risk of suffering from high levels of gambling-related harms, including financial, emotional, psychological and relationship harms.’’ Close to a third (32%) reported gambling online. 23.5% of those who do reported experiencing a high level of gambling-related harms.  

Larry locks in his final bet of the day, $21 to win $212. It’s a five-way parlay on the three NBA and two NFL games. The NBA games went his way but the Arizona Cardinals lost by three points when he needed them to lose by two or less. Larry remains unbothered. It’s not a great day but he knows that anything he bets he could lose. I ask if he’ll bet again next Sunday.  “Of course,’’ he smiles, “love for the game.’’  

Harry’s had better luck than Larry on NFL Sunday. He only made one bet, $17 that won $82 on specific prop bets. Harry isn’t wagering on the winner or loser of the game: instead he’s betting on individual players and plays. He needed the Arizona Cardinals and the Jacksonville Jaguars to score a field goal, Arizona’s quarterback needed to complete 19 passes, and Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back Travis Etienne needed over 13 rush attempts and 33.5 yards. Jacksonville ended up beating Arizona in overtime 27-24.  

He made these bets because they seemed likely “based on what’s happened in earlier games.’’  

Winning “feels rewarding. I feel smart about my football knowledge. But honestly more relieved than anything else.’’ 

“Relieved?’’ I ask. 

“Relieved I didn’t lose the money, and the money covers some of what I spent over the weekend on food and sangria.’’ 

If you feel you have an issue gambling you can call Nova Scotia’s Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line at 1-888-429-8167 or reach out for counselling at Bloomfield.  

X-Men Football Season Recap

After a fierce home-turf battle between the Bishop’s Gaiters and  StFX X-Men Football team, Tyson Heather punched their ticket to the Loney Bowl Championship with a three-point field goal, bringing the final score to 26–24 over the Gaiters in the final minutes of the AUS semi-final. 

Heading into playoff season, the X-Men were ranked second in the AUS with a 5–3 win–loss record, gaining 187 points and allowing 109 points against. The X-Men advanced to compete for the AUS Championship title against the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Saturday, November 8th, joined by many friends and family who traveled to cheer on the white and blue despite the rainy conditions. This matchup was a rematch of their last regular-season game, where the X-Men fell 26–10 to the Huskies. 

Despite their hard-fought efforts, the X-Men suffered a tough loss in the 2025 Loney Bowl Championship, with a final score of 46–11 in favour of SMU. Saint Mary’s secured their first AUS Championship title since 2010 and went on to play in the Uteck Bowl National Semifinal, hosting the Montréal Carabins the following Saturday. Against a strong Huskies defensive attack, the X-Men earned their points through kicker Tyson Heather, with nine of their 11 points, and punter Malcolm Cameron who forced SMU to concede a safety. 

Despite the loss, the X-Men achieved numerous accomplishments throughout the 2025 season. They celebrated three AUS Defensive All-Stars: David McGill (defensive tackle), Owen Watrych (linebacker), and Naijaun David (cornerback), alongside four Offensive and Special Teams All-Stars: Devaughn Blackwood (receiver), Zachary Houde (receiver), Malcolm Bussey (running back), and Malcolm Cameron (punter). Major award winners included Owen Watrych as the AUS Outstanding Defensive Player, and Bryce Fisher as the Gino Fracas Award nominee. 

Several other significant milestones were also reached: Owen Watrych set the record for most single-season tackles in StFX history; Malcolm Bussey became the program’s all-time leader in rushing yards; and Silas Faghan is now the AUS all-time leader in career passing yards, career completions, and career passing touchdowns. Additionally, this past week, Owen Watrych was recognized as a U-Sports Second Team All-Star at the annual Vanier Cup awards gala. 

The X-Men have much to be proud of, and their eyes are set on the 2026 season.  

Athlete Feature: Tobi Sokunbi

Tobi Sokunbi is a third-year student-athlete with StFX University, working towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while playing on the defensive line for X-Men football. Tobi came to StFX in September of 2023 from his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, originally committed to obtaining a Bachelor of Arts & Science in Health. After his completing his first year of the health program, Tobi made the switch into nursing with a desire to have a more hands-on learning experience and hoped that the switch allow him to make a more immediate impact on people’s lives after graduation. During his time at StFX, Tobi has been active in the community, working as a peer advisor at the Black Student Success Center on campus, helping mentor future generations at the X-Men football summer camps, and has gained various recognitions including the Danny Galvin Memorial Scholarship in recognition of leadership and academic excellence, as well as an Academic All-Canadian recognition. Through his academics, clinical experiences, and work with course professors, Tobi has also developed a keen interest for research, hoping to pursue future studies in the field of medical imaging and issues with access in rural areas such as Antigonish, Nova Scotia. After his time at StFX, Tobi plans to begin his nursing career, while hoping to pursue further education in the areas of flight nursing, nurse practitioner, or medical school.

We had a chance to sit down with Tobi and hear first-hand about life as a student-athlete at StFX, and why he chose the path he did:

Question: “What made you choose X?”

Answer: “The culture, I would say. On my recruitment visit, the coaches harped on about how they support their students academically. The small class sizes, they mentioned the easy transition from high school. And the people here on my visit, the people I met, and the teammates I currently have now seeing how they all gelled with each other. The sense of family, you could tell the sense of family is there. It’s a sense of family, belonging, and that I can make my own community here. And then I would also have supports with my academics through athletics.”

Question: “Has there been a project or professor that’s really inspired you to want to do research?”

“Jesse McNichol. It’s not nursing, its microbiology, but his research on it, and his research experience that he’s told us about has just made me more interested in research and wanted to pursue research. Maybe not in microbiology, but it’s made me want to pursue that aspect. It’s fun to learn. It’s fun to learn a lot of things about a specific thing. So you know, I would just like to know more. The way he teaches with the knowledge he has learned, and the experiences he’s had working with other professors like Erin Mazerolle - she’s done research on the brain, and I almost did a project with her in first year - just the way they talk about it about the experiences running it, and how it could possibly impact people and the changes it could create – that’s what’s got me interested in research.”

Question: “How have your experiences as an athlete influenced the way you approach your studies?”

Answer: “It’s made me more I would say aware of time management. I would say football teaches me discipline and with that discipline it translates into nursing and in academics. Like as you know you need discipline. There’s not really that much fun time, like we practice until pretty late and there’s always things to do, things to read. It’s the discipline to, okay I want to be the best I can be in both aspects. It’s the discipline to wake up early and go to lifts, and instead of staying up all night playing video games, getting your work done.”

Question: “How do you see your role as athlete within your community and what impact do you hope to make off the field?”

Answer: “Off the field, I just want to make people feel like they belong. The sense of community that brought me here, I want to create that for other people. For example, in my job as a peer mentor, my job is not to facilitate, but it is to connect people to the resources they may need. I help people find the things they need, and I help connect people to those sources. It is helping people find a sense of community, helping people feel like they belong – just to help people off the field. Like this summer. I stayed [in Antigonish] over the summer, and we had a kid’s camp. It’s helping people find what their niche is, kids trying out different positions, trying to find out what better suits them, what better works for them. Helping them find that love for football, and that joy that I get – I try and give that to other people.”

Question: “If you could give advice to younger athletes or students following in your footsteps, what would you say?”

“Be patient. There’s a thing my coach tells me: it’s ‘Paralysis from analysis’, it means just let things happen, let life happen. A lot of things will go on in life, there’s lots of obstacles, there’s lots of highs and lows. In athletics, especially coming into university, you are not where you want to be and it takes time to get there, but enjoy that process. Even with academics, it’s an eye-opening process, the first midterm after high school. Like let’s say you’re a good student in high school, it’s a whole different thing in university. So, the first few tests they might not go as well as you want them to but just trust the process. Let life happen and try to work out what works for you… Most important one is ‘paralysis from analysis’, don’t get stuck while thinking about the process, don’t get stuck, don’t let life stick you. Don’t get dragged down in your own head. Just let life flow, don’t get paralysed from analyzing things.”

Tobi’s journey is still unfolding, but his commitment to growth on the field, in the classroom, and the contributions he makes to his community already set him apart. Grounded by discipline, driven by curiosity, and motivated by a desire to give back, Tobi represents a leadership style that inspires others to follow. As he continues carving his path in football, nursing, and research, Tobi remains focused on what matters most: creating community, embracing the process, and helping others to find their place at StFX, just as he found his.

Reading Week on Campus

For many students here at StFX, the reading breaks we are afforded each semester are valuable time to visit home and spend time with our families after a few grueling months of schoolwork. For others, it is a perfect time to catch a flight somewhere tropical and sit back on a beach as Nova Scotia suffers from winter. This is not the case for everyone, however; for some of us, it is time to enjoy the quiet stillness of the StFX campus and get ahead of the remainder of the semester’s academics. 

So, what does one do on campus during reading break? The place is frankly empty; most residence buildings have less than a dozen student’s hanging around. There are seldom any major events happening, and this time around we do not even have Piper’s Pub to mitigate our excessive boredom amid study sessions and spending a copious amount of time in bed. I personally chose to spend this extra free time writing this article in between writing a thesis and spending half the break surviving a light cold. 

I’ve asked a few folks around campus how they’ve entertained themselves during the break, here is what they had to say. 

Naima, a Community Advisor in FX Hall, explained, “The first two days, I was doing my CA shift, so I was watching movies as I did that. Then Monday and Tuesday I didn’t do anything because I got sick, I was in my room for almost 24 hours (…) I watched movies the whole time. I had to do two projects; I have to do a counselling project where I have to meet someone. That’s the one that took most of my time,” 

I asked her how FX Hall is, “It was very quiet. Few people were staying (…) we had a fire alarm, not fun.” 

Movies are certainly an effective way to pass time, especially since we are living in an era where a theatrical release averages on two and a half hours long. Naima seems to be in a similar situation as myself, bouncing between November’s usual sickness and schoolwork. 

Adam, an off-campus student, was in town for most of the break. “It’s been what I would like to call a ‘healthy mix’, I’m trying to find a healthy mix of balancing academics while trying to do some mental recouping. I did the semi-regularly deep-ish clean of my apartment, because come exam season the apartments and res rooms just fall into complete disarray. Dishes stacked to the ceiling, couldn’t see the ground in my room because the clothes made a nice carpet. Its been a good amount of time trying to get my living space clean. Music has helped fill a lot of time as well, that’s the main thing I do to relax. (…) It is kind of tricky, reading break is supposed to be you catching up on stuff, right? A lot of my profs assigned a bunch of stuff due after the break so instead of catching up on stuff, I’m trying to do these workshops and papers and this midterm that’s coming up immediately after the break. I’m trying to balance those tasks while cleaning my living area and still trying to get some social time in and do some of my hobbies.” 

Adam notes the importance of using reading break to stay on top of your studies whilst also taking time to relax. This is especially important where our reading break falls so late in the year, leaving many months of foot-on-the-gas schoolwork prior. 

One of The Xaverian’s writers, Khiara, says “We went to the Clayfire Café, we also watched some movies.”  

The Clayfire Café, which just opened on Main street in the former spot of the Curious Cat bookstore, is a great way to spend time making pottery. 

A Bishops Hall CA, Tamara, said “I attempted to study but didn’t study. I actually went to Halifax for the first weekend. I cooked a lot of grilled chicken, nothing very interesting” 

Halifax is a popular spot for folks with time to kill on reading break, in fact, it is probably the most popular destination for StFX students who want to leave town but also not go home. The city affords much more to do than Antigonish does, be it shopping or entertainment. 

When interviewing these students, I noticed the common sentiment that everyone was enjoying the quiet of campus. I think there will be a mix of disappointment and excitement as we get back to classes. The long boredom will end for those who stayed in town, but the usual chaos of the academic year will resume unimpeded. For those of you that are dreading the end of the break, just remember: this is the final stretch of the semester before the holidays. 

A Closer Look At Sexual Violence Policies at StFX – Residence Life and StFX Athletics

In 2019, an independent review was conducted of StFX’s sexual violence policy and was re-examined in 2023. The Watershed Report, as it is commonly known, gave 32 recommendations that StFX should consider implementing to support survivors and reduce the culture that perpetuates sexual violence. The Report was broken down into three areas that have the largest impacts on the culture of sexual violence on this campus: Athletics, Residence, and the Sexual Violence Policy itself.  

In writing this article, I interviewed several football players and current and former Community Advisors. They all wished to remain anonymous. All of the names used are fake. 

Community Advisors have been hired by the university to be the frontline support for first-year students. They are upper year students who live in residence and act as mentors, therapists, and emergency responders. Think back on your own first year – I’m willing to bet that you had at least one major event happen that has continued to impact your time at StFX. It happens to everyone, but most first years are particularly vulnerable compared to the rest of the student body. This is their first time living away from home, their first time having complete freedom. It doesn’t always lead to the best decisions, but it’s an important milestone and experience, which is why CAs are so important. CAs are the people who are there for students, who help you through your first year. You may not have known your CAs very well or you may have made a lasting relationship with them, but either way, they were there to offer help and support.  

Multiple recommendations in the Watershed Report focused on how more resources should be put in place to support CAs – including increasing staff and mental health supports. While these are positive and necessary changes, the Watershed Report is working under the assumption that every CA takes the position and performs it to the best of their ability and with the best intentions. This doesn’t always hold true.  

There may be people remembering stories of CAs who were not the positive influences they should have been. This article does not aim to circulate more gossip or target anyone in particular – but rather, I wish to highlight the fact that CA’s and their influence can be overlooked when discussing who on campus perpetrates sexual violence.  

Athletes don’t have the best reputation on this campus when it comes to sexual violence. There are plenty of stories – true or rumoured – that feature the sports teams. Even the Watershed Report pointed out that athletes are often “put on a pedestal” and have significant “social capital” which translates to a level of authority over other students. Athletes are prominent figures at StFX, meaning that if they do something wrong, everyone will know about it by the end of the week. While CA’s are not quite as prominent as the athletes, they are the largest group of student leaders on campus. Where StFX athletes have social power and influence, CA’s have legitimate authority over students.  

While the athletes and the athletics department at StFX are far from perfect, sexual violence is taken very seriously. There is a zero-tolerance policy for athletes, which extends beyond sexual violence, but it is a hard line. “In training camp, we have meetings with the athletic directors and coaches, and they go through all the policies. They tell us about the drug policy, about hazing, and most importantly, they harp on sexualized violence towards women and anyone on campus. They tell us how there’s a zero-tolerance policy and if there’s any reports of any athlete doing anything bad to anyone on campus, they will be off the team and there will be severe repercussions that will be dealt to them,” explained Jordan, a current member of the football team.  

“There’s a specific kind of focus on [sexualized violence] when they talk about the severity. They definitely want to get that point across, because we have [those meetings] and then we do further training, like Waves of Change, twice a year. You definitely can tell that they care,” added Shayne, who is also a current football player.  

This zero-tolerance policy extends beyond sexual violence. “Anything that can be seen as hurting someone else, off the field. Anything that can be seen as having a negative impact on someone else will be met with discipline,” Jordan said. While it isn’t a perfect solution, the players are held accountable and the standards for their behaviour are clearly laid out. They’re aware that their actions reflect not only on them, but their entire team, the athletics department, and the university.  

I’m not praising the athletics department or saying that athletes can’t cause harm. They can, they do, and they have. However, the assumption that a player is protected because they are an athlete isn’t always true. I’m also not saying that this has always been the case. What I am saying is that StFX Athletics has standards they hold their players to and a policy in place to ensure that there are consequences when those expectations are not met.  

StFX’s Department of Residence Life has no such policy on student employees. The Watershed Report recommended that StFX move away from having a zero-tolerance policy as, “the problem with expressing this valid commitment through a ‘zero tolerance’ statement is that the aspirational statement is impossible for the University to fulfill” as stated on page 50 of the Watershed Report. This means that currently, there is no additional policy on sexual violence for Residence Life staff. An interesting fact, when Residence Life deals with sexual violence internally, specifically in cases of allegations against employees.  

“I feel that Residence Life operates in a similar way that Athletics does, where there is a very strong image that they want to portray. And very similar to Athletics when allegations come out, they understand that one allegation will represent an entire team. Or an entire group of players. I feel like it's very similar in Residence Life. Very internal and within the department, very, like, they'll let you know that these are your resources if you do want to go outside to the department, but in the same way, very much discourage you from actually seeking those resources if you do need them,” Megan told me, when I asked about what happens when there is an investigation that involves a CA.  

“I think more often you hear of [CAs] being placed on probation, on paper or on a ‘leave’, but they stay exactly where they are. Most situations they stay in their room, they stay in the building, and they're not working, but they're still there,” explained Diane, another former CA who worked in Residence Life for two years.  

Which begs the question: why is there no policy for Residence Life staff, specifically CAs? If the expectations and standards are so clearly laid out by the athletics department, what is stopping Residence Life from doing the same? 

CAs are also not given clear guidelines for what boundaries they should have with their residents, beyond that it is “discouraged” from having romantic or sexual relationships with them. “I was always told that [relationships between CA’s and residents] were ‘frowned upon’, but there was never anything put in place in terms of a solid rule,” said Megan, a former CA who worked in Residence Life for almost three years. “It’s mostly left up to the individual teams, and even then, they’re not followed. Someone on one of the teams last year tried to veto the true love clause, but a situation still happened. Because it's not actually binding or anything like that,” Christine, a current CA, explained. The true love clause Christine is referring to is a clause that is typically placed in unofficial team agreements that says you can date a resident if it’s “true love”.  

“I think that a lot of times in training, they just talk about like a gray area, you know? Programming is easy to say, you have to run however many programs, you have to do this number of shifts, but for a gray area, it's very much just your prerogative. I don't want to say how much you care, but it’s how much you want to take on and how much you have the capacity to take on,” added Megan, talking about boundaries with residents in general. 

All of the CAs that I spoke to agreed that there is a clear power dynamic, even if the resident isn’t always aware of it. Christine informed me that, “I think there's also a lot of residents who don't see that position of power. There's a lot of residents right now who will come and chat with me and tell me, ‘You're really chill, I don't feel like you have that position of power over me. I know that you're there if I ever need to talk to you, but I don't feel like there's a power imbalance’. And I'm glad [the residents] don't think that, but I do. And that is something, as a CA, to be aware of, that just because they don't see it, doesn't mean that it's not there.”  

“As much as people hate to say it, especially in the first-year buildings, there is not a big difference between a high schooler and a first-year university student. It's a big transition period and students are already vulnerable. So, when we put people that are untrustworthy in a position of power and keep them there, when they have proven that they can't safely be in that position of power, or are there for the wrong reasons, it's extremely damaging. To an already vulnerable demographic,” commented Tracie, a former CA who worked in Residence Life for three years.  

In contrast, athletes are afraid of failing to meet the expectations placed on them because they know there will be consequences if they do. There are clear policies for them, and if they break the rules, they face being suspended or kicked off their team. “From what I know, if an accusation reaches the coaches, there will immediate effects. Either there is a suspension while the investigation happens, or you’re just kicked off. And not even suspended, it's an indefinite suspension,” Jordan explained. 

“What would happen is once the person gets suspended, they probably wouldn’t want to come back to the team where everyone knows that they probably did something horrible. Either way, you’re basically kicked off the team,” Shayne said about his experience on the football team so far.  

This focal point on Athletics helps point out that although the sports teams are usually brought up and criticized when it comes to sexual violence on campus, there are other groups of students in positions of power who don’t have the same checks and balances that the sports teams do.  

Ideally, there should be a zero-tolerance policy for sexual violence within Residence Life. But if that is unrealistic, there should be some sort of policy, standards, or stricter expectations placed on CAs. “I think that, especially, too, if it's outlined more clearly, then if there is a breach, then we can fall back on the conduct book and it's not a gray area anymore. It can be ‘you can do this’, ‘you cannot do this’. Instead of using words like ‘frowned upon’. There should be no gray area, there should be no ‘frowned upon’,” answered Megan when I asked for her thoughts on whether Residence Life should have some sort of policy in place.  

“[Residence Life] only added the sections on ‘what to do if there’s a hurricane’, after the hurricane happened. So, what are they waiting for? Are they waiting for a massive situation to blow up so that they can go, ‘Oh, I guess we'll add a policy for sexual violence’? Is [Residence Life] waiting for something to make it out from under the rug that they've swept it under? If it’s in the handbook, then you can refer back to that handbook when something happens. Or put it in training, or both. [Residence Life] should set those standards of what you can and cannot do. And a lot of the time, not having those standards is used as an excuse when things go wrong,” says Tracie about a potential policy.  

Although Community Advisors aren’t the public figures that athletes are, they are in a position of power where they can do a lot of harm or a lot of good. A sexual violence policy to hold CAs accountable could reduce the risk of some of that harm. Either way, Residence Life lacking clear guidelines or a sexual violence policy seems like a gap that the Watershed Report didn’t recognize.  

Big Name Actors in a New-Old Place

Hugh Wilson is a musician from Pictou County, NS. Hugh moved back to his hometown in recent years and formed the band Big Name Actors, a band name he brought with him from Toronto. Big Name Actors has their first show in Antigonish coming up at Candid Brewing on November 22nd, and so I spoke with Hugh to learn more about the band and ask about their upcoming show. 

Harrison Stewart: Could you give our readers a short history of Big Name Actors? 

Hugh Wilson: Yeah, certainly. It was a band I started in Toronto in 2011, just as I was finishing up audio recording school. I ended up getting some free recording time helping out one of my teachers. I recorded a quick EP with 2 friends of mine. They were already in an active band, so I couldn’t really nail them down to the lineup. But I ended up getting some local pals, one I went to school with at Harris Institute Toronto for audio production, and the other was a local pal I met at an open mic, that I eventually ended up hosting. We ended up being a band there basically from 2011 until about 2015. The bass player left and he was replaced with another guy named Darren. We were pretty active until 2019. Things kind of slowed down in 2019, but in that time frame we put out 3 EPs, and played all over Toronto, London, Kitchener, Waterloo, and a few places like that, but mostly in Toronto, mostly in the downtown scene, then the pandemic hit. Me and my Mrs. moved back to Nova Scotia, I’m from here, and she’s from up there. We settled here in 2020 and then I just got this line up together, Big Name Actors 2.0, the Nova Scotia version just kicked off this summer.  

HS: What is your role in the band? 

HW: Well, I’m the primary songwriter and the singer. I also play guitar, and that’s my role. I’m just happy to have dudes on board who are game to play the songs. I’m very grateful.  

HS: Who are the other musicians in Big Name Actors, and what are their roles? 

HW: We have Dwayne Kenny on drums, Jason Delorey on bass, and Mike Smeltzer on secondary guitar. It’s actually the first time we have a second guitar in the band. It’s always been a 3-piece band up until this year.  

HS: What genres of music do you guys typically play? 

HW: I’d say a very 90s style of alternative rock. Little elements of power pop. We really like pop structured songs, but you know, with loud guitars and intensity. 

HS: With Big Name Actors originally being from Toronto, are there any standout shows the band played further west? 

HW: Just some of the staple venues in downtown Toronto. It was always a privilege to play the Horseshoe Tavern, very legendary spot. The Rivoli, is just down the street from the Horseshoe Tavern is also a cool spot. That’s where the Kids in the Hall (Canadian sketch comedy group) first started. And also, Lee’s Palace, Nirvana played there before, so you know that’s a resumé item for me for sure. 

HS: What led to you reviving the band in Nova Scotia? 

HW: I moved back in 2020, and I played a couple Christmas shows with some local musicians, and I just sort of got into doing solo shows. I never really performed solo a ton in Toronto, it was mostly band stuff up there, but I figured I’d give it a go. I didn’t really have access to as many musicians; I had to sort of start from scratch again. I started making my way around the scene and meeting more musicians and just sort of feeling out the scene a bit more and seeing what’s available. After a few years playing solo, I got tired of being on my own, I sort of missed that band dynamic. 

HS: What’s it like being a musician hoping to play live in Pictou County music scene? 

HW: Honestly, it’s been great. I grew up here. So, you know, I was playing in bands right out of high school and there was always an active, healthy scene, but now I think it’s just a little more established. There’s a little more skin in the game, you can actually sing for your supper, so to speak. There’s actually venues willing to pay, and you’re not just volunteering basically. It’s nice that there’s venues that are very accommodating in trying to curate a local scene, and help touring musicians as they pass through as well. 

HS: Outside of Pictou County, how often does Big Name Actors play in other cities or towns, as part of festivals, concerts, etc.? 

HW: At the moment we’re just primarily based in Pictou County, just keeping the opportunities as local as we can. I think with winter coming up, we’re more inclined to stay in and write and rehearse rather than travel around in the dregs of winter. But I think next year is looking promising. We’re definitely making more connections and there are bands that pass through town that we’ve become friendly with me playing solo shows and playing band shows. I think next year is going to be where we really try to stretch our legs and get out and see the province a little bit more with this project. 

HS: With you guys having a show coming up at Candid Brewing on the 22nd of this month, if you had one minute to entice a group of people to come to the show, what would you tell them to bring them in? 

HW: I’d say if you’re not hearing enough rock music live in your life, it’s definitely worth a look. I think we bring a very high energy show with a healthy mix of originals and covers, so there’s going to be a few songs everyone probably knows. We guarantee to put everything into our performance every time, we really pride ourselves in being a fun, energetic band.  

Big Name Actors plays Candid Brewing on November 22nd, 2025. Admission: $10, $5 for students. Tickets available through www.tickettailor.com/events/candid  

Glory and Gratitude: X-Women Rugby Captures AUS Championship Before Saying Goodbye to Veteran Core

After an undefeated regular season, the StFX X-Women capped off their dominant run with a thrilling 33-31 victory over the Acadia Axewomen to capture their 24th AUS title.

Prior to kickoff, AUS All-Stars Jessie Penney, Kendra McDonell, Akwaima Akpan, and Shona Galloway were recognized for their outstanding seasons. The X-Women had a near sweep of the conference’s major awards, with Brown’nesha Willis Glasgow named Rookie of the Year, Katie Murphy earning the Community Service Award, and head coach Mike Cavanagh honoured as AUS Coach of the Year. Their victory was complete with tries from Leblanc, Penney (2), K. McDonell, and von Mueldorfer, along with four conversions from Murphy. For her outstanding play, von Mueldorfer was named Championship MVP.

At the U SPORTS National Championships in Vancouver, BC, the X-Women fell 45-21 in the quarter final to the Guelph Gryphons, with X-Women tries scored by Koyote, Gottselig, and Penney, and conversions completed by Murphy, and Leblanc (2). In the consolation semifinal, the X-Women fell 55-3 to the Ottawa GeeGees, closing the season with a 6-2-1 record. Penney and Gottselig from the X-Women were named Nike Team Players of the Game for their strong performances.

Thursday night at the U SPORTS National banquet, Penney and Akpan were named U SPORTS Second-Team All-Canadians, while von Mueldorfer received the Holmes Memorial Award for her off-field contributions to the game of rugby at her university and in her community.

These national honours provided a fitting end to a memorable season for the X-Women, who will also bid farewell to a large class of graduating players, whose dedication has shaped the program’s ongoing success: Akwaima Akpan, Emily Dodge, Megan Finlay, Courtney Gottselig, Jillian Griffith, Skye Koyote, Kendra McDonell, Michaela Moreau, Katie Murphy, Jill Sanford, Olivia Villamere, Val von Mueldorfer, and Sierra Wood.

Reflecting on her time with the team, fourth-year prop and graduating player Val von Mueldorfer shared, “I leave this team with fond memories of late-night practices, hard-fought games, two white hats, and lifelong friendships. It is truly a privilege to have spent my four years at StFX as a member of the X-Women rugby team, and I am so grateful for my experience. Top Left”.