Students Rally at MLA Office Over Budget Cuts: “We Are Paying Attention”

On Wednesday, March 18th, students, faculty, and community members walked from the campus library, to outside MLA Michelle Thompson’s office in a student protest. The protest was against recent austerity measures introduced by Conservative Premier Tim Houston, that included severe post-secondary budget cuts.

The protest came in response to proposed cuts to university programs across Nova Scotia. Cuts that, while partially reversed following public backlash, exposed a deeper and ongoing issue: chronic underfunding in post-secondary education. For many students already struggling with rising tuition, housing insecurity, and increasing living costs, these decisions felt like yet another blow in an already uphill battle.

During the rally, Psychology Professor Dr. Erica Koch reminded attendees what is truly at stake. “When you are investing in education, you are investing in students,” she said. “You are building people who are political thinkers, who are passionate, who are creative, and who have empathy for others.”

Student Union President Jacob Cruchet also addressed the crowd, highlighting the human impact behind policy decisions, reminding attendees: “Behind every budget is a program. And behind every program is a classroom. And behind every classroom is a student with a dream that didn’t exist a few years ago.”

The rally concluded with a call to action that resonated deeply. “History has shown us time and time again that change doesn’t come from silence,” Cruchet said. “It comes from voices—voices in classrooms, voices in communities, voices standing together here on public sidewalks.”

He emphasized that the demonstration was not rooted in anger alone, but in awareness and accountability. “It’s about students saying to their elected representatives: we are paying attention. We care about the future of post-secondary education in this province. We believe that universities matter. We believe that graduate students matter. We believe that the arts matter.”

Student should be angry. They should be angry that, in a time when affordability is already a major barrier, funding for their education is treated as expendable. They should question why institutions meant to foster learning and growth are increasingly forced to operate like businesses, prioritizing cost-cutting over student experience.

Both Premier Houston and MLA Thompson are themselves beneficiaries of Nova Scotia’s public education system. Students are now asking: why is that same system no longer being protected for the next generation?

On Pucks For Purpose: The Subtle Sexism Behind The Cheers and The Charity

If you’re an X student, you’ve seen the posters, the Instagram posts, and the anticipatory countdowns to game day. Pucks for Purpose, or P4P, is a milestone event here at X. For weeks prior to the event students sport laptops coated in Business or ArtSci stickers, and everyone cheers on their respective program. I remember looking out my window when I was living in Governor’s Hall second year to see the line for the P4P men’s game going all the way down to the Powers parking lot. I’ve never seen so many students come together in my time at STFX. Pucks for Purpose creates community, and this year they raised $200,000 for Special Olympics and The Canadian Cancer Society. They’re a great organization with many positives, and I couldn’t see anything wrong with this event bringing students together through sport for a good cause.  

That was, until two weeks ago. I was in a conversation with a hockey player for the women’s team who lightheartedly mentioned that her team had only had three practices and wished she could feel more ready for game day. I asked her how often the men’s team practiced. She said she wasn’t certain, but she was pretty sure the men practiced more. She mentioned this potentially occurring due to a sponsorship for ice time exclusively for the men.  

In an email Pucks for Purpose claimed that this allegation of unequal practice time was false with three practices total for all four teams, men and women. However, they also mentioned that if teams or players elect to hold additional sessions that are not booked by Pucks, that is their own choice.

Furthermore, when buying my tickets, I noticed something: the women’s game was on a Wednesday night, the 18th of March, while the men’s game was on the Friday the 20th. We all know which day of the week has more parties. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the women’s game is on the Wednesday. It seems strange to not put both games on the weekend, such as a Friday and a Saturday. To quote a female player, “We get the Wing Night, they get the SuperSub.”

Perhaps there’s a logistical reason unbeknownst to me, but it still feels off-putting. P4P themselves claims that scheduling is challenging as X-Hockey takes priority. They also mention that with the structure of the games happening on Wednesday and Friday being a large success in the previous year, they decided to continue this set up for year two. However, as the Men’s game was on the Friday last year, shouldn’t the women have it on the Friday this year? Something else worth noting is the men’s game having three 18-minute periods, with the women’s game having three 15-minute periods. These kinds of discrepancies raise questions about the equity of P4P’s structural planning. 

All of this aside, the thing that made me actually sit down and write this article was the fundraising incentives I learned about recently. If you don’t know, P4P players on all teams get incentives for how much they fundraise to motivate them in weekly emails. For example, in one email regarding fundraising updates, players were told that the first few to reach $250 by a certain date get a $50 Sobeys gift card. As time approaches closer to game day, these prizes or incentives become higher in value, with a higher fundraising goal to obtain to receive said prizes. Pretty straightforward, right?  

However, as time went on, the prizes started becoming gendered. Coming as a surprise to players, instead of gender-neutral prizes that benefit everyone like a Sobeys gift card, P4P began to implement what they call team-based incentives. One example was the men’s team receiving a PS5 and the women’s team receiving five $100 gift cards, to Artizia, Lululemon, Dynamite, Sephora & Starbucks. 

Furthermore, take a look at an excerpt from a real email one of the players received:  

“Race to $400 by Saturday the 14th 

Men's Team (Players + BAs) 

•   Prize: 4 passes to Nish Golf Course 
  ($250 value) 

•   How to win: First person on the men's side to reach $400 total raised wins 

Women's Team (Players + BAs) 

•   Prize: $250 credit Laser Treatment to The Skin Clinic Antigonish 

•   How to win: First person on the women's side to reach $400 total raised win” 

In short, women’s team players who raise the same amount of money as the men get value for laser hair removal. Men? They get four passes to the golf course.  

I’d imagine most women, myself included, could think of many other ways that they’d rather spend that money than an invasive, painful procedure. The blatant sexism here aside, let’s consider some other equity issues. A day at the golf course is accessible and fun to almost anyone, especially a female athlete playing for P4P. A lot of women though, may choose not to remove their hair for any kind of personal reason. That being said, for those that do choose to shave, wax, or whatever they so please, laser hair removal isn’t even possible for a large subset of women due to their hair being too light for it to work on them. More notably, when looking at the pricing on the Skin Clinic website, a full Brazilian laser hair removal treatment is $200. So, a woman would get one hair treatment (it takes 6-10 for effectiveness) whereas a man would get four days at the course.  

Another example of how the women’s team are treated differently: the Top Male fundraiser on a given week won a brand-new Ultralight Srixon Golf Stand Bag. The Top Female fundraiser? She won a $100 Wilfred & Parker Boutique credit and a $25 Tall & Small Gift Card. 

First of all, a quick google search tells me that this golf bag values at around $200-300 which does not match the $125 total credit the woman received. Additionally, I love Wilfred and Parker but $100 there gets you maybe 2-3 shirts. In defense of Pucks for Purpose, their email claims that they are “open to feedback from players regarding these prizes and take note of the concern around gender-stereotyping.” This article looks to provide said feedback. 

By the same token, with respect to her teammates and planning committee who also are eligible to receive fundraising incentives, the female athlete I interviewed is choosing not to reveal any identifying information. Despite this, her general sentiment was that other players feel similarly to her; frustrated and disappointed. As said in her own words, “Especially in today’s world, with the PWHL and how far women’s hockey has come in the last three years, the sexist undertones present within P4P is a reminder that there are still changes to be made.” 

All of this being said, I think the work that P4P is doing is fantastic. The money they raise, and the community building and memories they create for students and beyond is incredible. This is also nothing against the players, women or men. If anything, this article’s intention is to advocate for them. I also recognize the sheer amount of work and planning that P4P organizers put into this and this article is not to shame them, but rather to help them to understand some of the harms associated with their choices. As P4P is only in its second year, it is important to give them grace, especially as they replied to our email with respect, kindness, and genuine openness to feedback.

Overall, it seems to me female players for P4P are treated very differently than the men’s team, and this must change. They are subject to blatant sexism and discrimination in the form of differences in stereotypical fundraising incentives, potentially less practice and game time, and having their game on a weekday which hinders the overall experience of said game compared to the men. I hope that moving forwards, Pucks For Purpose will do better to work towards a more equitable system.  

My Beef with the Mulroney Bathrooms

Last week I was going to class at Mulroney Hall when, in the throes of flu season, I had to blow my nose. Because there’s only hand dryers in Mulroney washrooms I had to use toilet paper as Kleenex, but before I could do that I had to wait for a stall to open. As I was washing my hands I noticed another guy waiting to blow his nose too. Can’t there be a better way? I thought. This is pretty gross.

You may have heard that hand dryers are not more sanitary than paper towels, in fact, there seems to be a consensus that they are worse in regard to cleanliness. Air based hand-dryers cover the user’s hands with anything that could be in the surrounding air. Thousands of students on campus spreading germs and viruses makes sanitation crucially important for university health. Particles which should only be found in the bathroom can instead be found on the hands of students, increasing the risk of disease and illness.

It is unfortunate that in one of our campus’ nicest buildings people cannot blow their nose, clean a spill, or wipe off a space, unless they are bringing their own supplies. Every other bathroom on campus is stocked with paper-towels with some even having Kleenex. James Bruce Brown, Annex, and MSB, some of the school’s oldest buildings have clean, reliable and stocked washrooms. It is weird that it’s some of the newest buildings who lack paper-towels. It is embarrassing to rush into the stall after someone. I just want to blow my nose without waiting for someone to leave the stall. It is also inconvenient to have to choose between unsanitary air-dryers and going to class with wet hands. I know that this is not an issue which bothers every student but it is a needless inconvenience and the Mulroney experience would be better without it.

I do not want to give the impression that bathrooms are a students biggest concern. Tuition is too high, we are facing funding cuts from Premier Tim Houston (see the News Section for further information), and entire faculties are struggling from hiring shortages. This new complaint is not meant to distract you from larger concerns. This is a small problem; that’s part of the reason I’m complaining. A box of Kleenex or a role of hand towels in the Mulroney washroom would solve this micro-problem. I do not want you to be angrier about wet hands than about your tuition, the price of text-books or any other major issues. I just want to note that if you’re in Mulroney and you knock a water bottle over, the nearest paper towel could be a bit too far away.

Third Spaces on Campus: Snow Day Special

University campuses are communities within communities, the spaces within them serving a variety of purposes. Spaces to work, study, live, learn, socialize, and more. When you live on campus, it can feel like your entire world exists within the bounds of the university. When you live off campus, it can feel like you spend more time at school than you do at home. What happens when those spaces are unexpectedly closed?  

 Winter in the Maritimes can be difficult. The short days play with emotions, the cold weather can make anyone miserable, and the snow is a nightmare to trek through. Going to school here comes with the expectation that there will be missed classes because of the weather. Although typically having the email that the university will be closed is the highlight of anyone’s day, it also has its drawbacks. With the winter weather and the additional school closure, students are stuck at home. For those living on campus, this means stuck in their residence buildings. Stuck with their roommates or remaining in isolation. For certain residence buildings, this leads to a higher rate of damages and drinking. For others, it can mean students who are already struggling with their mental health spend more time inside and alone. Some are frustrated that they don’t have anywhere to study.  

As the only spaces that remain open during a complete university closure are Morrison Hall and Starbucks, students are limited when it comes to a space outside of their residence building. This can also put a strain on those working in residence and those living off campus. Working and living in residence can be difficult – especially with multiple snow days – as the students you’re looking after may need someone to talk to more than usual or may be busier and louder. Community Advisor and X-Patrol Lead Mia Reich explained that “it can be hard as a CA to relax and get any work done [on snow days] when I’m stuck in residence. It feels like I’m constantly working, and although I love my residents so much, it can start to feel like I can’t take a break or focus on anything else when I’m in the building.”  

Students living off campus can also find it hard to focus. It can be just as frustrating to have a campus closure when you have a strong divide between “home” and “school”. Students who aren’t used to working from home, who have loud roommates, who can only focus under specific circumstances, who also deal with the struggles isolation brings also have a hard time when the university is fully closed.  

StFX is never truly closed. There are still people working who have to be physically on campus during the snow days. Safety and Security is one of them. As long as there are two members of Security who can make it to campus, Security is working. If Security is working, then, why can’t StFX have a couple of their academic buildings open? Students would have a third space to study – and yes, socialize – that is outside of residence. This would reduce the strain and additional expectations placed on CA’s on snow days and would help many students tremendously.  

Most students just want a space to get out of their house, mainly to get some work and studying done. Additionally, how is having the main spaces of certain academic buildings open different than a regular school day? Keep the classrooms locked, and students can work in the main areas and hallways, like those in Mulroney Hall or the Nasso Family Science Centre. Students should be able to access these spaces when the university is closed. Mia, who works in MacIsaac Hall, believes that most students would benefit from more spaces being open: “When we have snow days, most of the kids see that as an excuse to get drunk and drink. But a lot of the other students would rather take that opportunity to study. And because we have all of these students who decide to use it as a day to party, those students who do just want to study don't really have a place to go. Because it’s loud, it's obnoxious. You know, it's MacIsaac. So having another space for them would be really, really good.” 

10 Things I Have Learned from my First Month Abroad

Time is a funny concept. A year ago, I sent in my application for my semester abroad. 4 months ago, I received my acceptance letter from the University of Exeter confirming I was enrolled as an international exchange student for the 2026 winter term. Nearly a month and a half ago was the last time I saw my friends, and a month ago my mother and I exchanged tears and hugs in the Halifax Airport. Yet suddenly, in a single breath, a month in England has passed. It is surreal to think about how quickly time passes, and how suddenly over a year’s worth of planning, appointments, payments, and emails have catapulted me into complete unfamiliarity. This month has been challenging, scary, chaotic, incredible, and full of lessons. And what better way to commemorate my month abroad than by reflecting on ten things I have learned from my time thus far.

1)    The first step of doing things alone is often the hardest. Getting on that plane was the scariest and most exhilarating thing I have done in a long time. A few tears were shed as I watched the familiar ground of Canada recede to a tiny pinprick, and I pictured what my family and friends were doing in the exact moment I was flying 4000kms away from them for the next 5 months. It seemed impossible to picture a life without them by my side, and even more so to imagine how I would find my way in a country in which I was utterly, completely alone. Yet pushing through those tears was the best thing I could have ever done for myself.

2)    Sadness and loss are allowed to exist within gratitude. I have traveled around England, met so many interesting people, and am planning weeks of vacations around Europe during the spring. I have so much to feel grateful for, and I feel this gratitude every day. Yet the emotional whirlwind of this exchange has been like nothing I have ever felt before. After days of emotional highs come hard lows and periods of extreme heartache. I miss my friends and my family dearly, and it can be extremely difficult to follow their lives in Antigonish without feeling the immense pain of my separation. Yet this emotional challenge has taught me so much about myself and my social and emotional needs. I have grown so much within this short period of time, and it feels rewarding to note these changes.

3)    Do not wish the time away. The first few weeks were long and difficult. I spent many hours navigating a new social world while missing my former life dearly. I found myself wishing that the weeks would move a little quicker and I was looking forward to my reunion with my loved ones. And suddenly I blinked, and a month had passed. It is terrifying to think about how quickly time moves, and how one day I will wake up and look back on this time nostalgically. Truthfully, it is scary to consider how soon this will all be over. This tug-o-war of time has forced me to slow down and enjoy every second out here, even the days spent doing nothing but schoolwork. Time will pass whether I want it to or not.

4)    Winter in England gets old really fast. During my first few weeks, I was on cloud nine. Winter in January was ten degrees and green, something I had never experienced before. And then the rain came. Every. Day. For a month. Since I have been here, the sun has been out a grand total of five times – most days are a mess of grey skies and a combination of aggressive mist and light rain that has been surprisingly debilitating to daily life. I know you’re rolling your eyes at me, Antigonish, with your snow days and freezing cold temperatures. But I would take a snowy Canadian winter any day (think of all the activities you can do!) over the dreariness of an English grey sky.

5)    How to say yes to more things. Being in an entirely new environment has forced me out of my comfort zone way more than anything at home. The first two weeks were crammed full of social activities for international students, many I would likely not have signed up for were they hosted at StFX. Yet it was by saying yes to more things that I met the  incredible people I am so lucky to call my friends. Two Canadians, three New-Zealanders, many Australians, two Americans, and one Ukrainian, amongst others. It has been wonderful getting to know so many people from all parts of the world, and having people who understand the rollercoaster of being an international student helps create a home away from home.

6)    Friends come in many different forms, and that’s okay. In the weeks prior to my departure, I was worried about making friendships that would feel like those I treasure most. What if I didn’t find people with whom I would feel at home? And to be honest, I didn’t. But I learned that not every friendship needs to feel like the ones you have with your best friends. The friend group we have created here is founded on common interests, a love of travel, and our shared experience of being international students – and it’s been a beautiful thing to watch bloom. It has also challenged me to put in more work into my friendships, forcing me to stimulate conversation and learn what it takes to grow friendships. You can’t have a village without being a villager, and there is no better way to learn this lesson than by starting the village yourself.  

7)    British people love the Canadian accent. It seems silly, but they really do. Students and friends are constantly commenting on my accent and telling me how much they love Canada or things from Canada (Heated Rivalry has been a topic of much discussion). Being in England is a great way to build up your patriotism, in case you were wondering.

8)    Embrace opportunities as they come. Last minute day trips to nearby towns, booking spontaneous flights during “cheap season” (see you soon Copenhagen!!), and saying yes to the little voice in your head that knows you would enjoy something. I have become much more comfortable with spontaneity and have even come to love its unpredictability, so much so that, contrary to my initial plan, I have joined the soccer team in Exeter and have fallen back in love with a sport I thought would never feel the same. When the familiar is scraped away, it leaves room for opportunities I would have only dreamed of in the past. Because when else am I going to be in my 20s in England?

9)    How much I love poutine. Seriously. I crave it every day. If there is one food or item I miss from Canada, it’s poutine. I would do just about anything for that mess of fries, gravy, and cheese. First stop once I’m back in Antigonish: Mezza’s chicken shawarma poutine and my best friends’ couch.

10)  That above all, this experience will mark one of the dearest times in my life. There are difficult days, sure. There have been and will continue to be moments of stress, of sadness, of fear. Yet at the core of this experience lives an unimaginable gratitude and a feeling of living out something that has been a dream of mine for quite some time. It’s a very acute feeling of creating memories and knowing in those exact moments that these memories are ones I will look back fondly on for the rest of my life. This is what I will take away from these few months, and it is what I will miss the most about my time here when it is all over.

Res Life Staff on StFX's Party Culture

“Heavy drinking happens at universities across the board, but StFX is notorious.’’ This is from a MacLean’s article in 2018, the last time they ranked Canada’s top party schools. StFX was first, because if “partying was an endurance sport, St Francis Xavier would take the prize.’’

Quincie Grant, a third year Poli-Sci student and CA at MacIsaac, argues that “party culture should be understood through the style, scope and frequency of the partying.’’ This means recognizing that not all partying is the same. What makes the party then? Grant says, “parties attempt to live up to the expectations, and the expectations cause the parties.” A party on Friday night is built up and created in the conversations, plans, texts, and fit checks all week leading up to it. On a bigger scale, party culture at StFX is a socialization experiment that each student molds through interacting in it. When asked, Grant says he sees an “artificial switch’’, where students are influenced to adopt a party culture they may not otherwise participate in.

Elizabeth Yeo, Vice-President of Students, provided the Weekly with a written statement:

“We know that parties and social gatherings are part of university life, but they don’t define the StFX experience. Our focus is on supporting healthy peer culture — encouraging informed choices, harm reduction, and positive ways for students to connect, whether that’s through residence programming, Mocktail Nights, intramurals, or spending time at the Bloomfield Hub. We also work closely with community partners to support safer celebrations and shared responsibility between students, the University, and our neighbours’’

Savannah Pitman, a second-year student and Bishops Hall CA told me that the staffing issues the Xaverian has previously noted are improving. “They definitely upped the number [of CA’s] this year because of reputations of those buildings” said Pitman. CA’s have reported much less chaos this term than what is usually expected. Pitman said that when a CA sees that they are going to be working in Bishops Hall, for example, their first thought is often “Oh, I wonder what I’m going to deal with.” She later added that Bishops Hall has been “really good this term” and that “[she] wouldn’t say [that it’s] tame, but it’s manageable.” First semester of this term, Bishops Hall was fully staffed. This changed between semesters when one of the CA’s changed their residency; since then, damages have gone up. This could be because there aren’t enough CA’s to monitor the whole building. “There were 3 on weekends, now there’s 2” Pitman explained. These damages are paid for by the students in the residence, even the ones who have done nothing to cause the damages. But Pitman said that they are working to correct this issue and to get the damages under control. She also pointed out that a lot of the weekend parties are going across campus, to MacIsaac Hall.

In the Weekly’s conversation with Quincie Grant, he agreed with Pitman, saying that “during my first year Bishops was the party residence, but this year [unlike] last year and the year before, it’s MacIsaac Hall.” Grant made it clear that they are nonetheless “well staffed” and have “more than enough manpower” to manage the job of keeping things under control. Grant says that a full staff of CA’s at MacIsaac would be 11, and that they are currently at 10, but that “they do a good job filling the gaps [in staffing]”. While it’s evident that party culture is embedded here at StFX, Residence Life feels confident in it’s ability to manage it safely.

The Path Towards Belonging: StFX’s Religious Inclusion Action Plan

On January 2nd, 2026, members of the StFX community were invited via email to participate in consultations, in which one could share personal perspectives, experiences, and general feedback regarding religious, spiritual, and non-faith inclusion operates throughout campus. The consultation period ran from January 2nd to January 15th and was formative in adapting the recently drafted Religious Inclusion Action Plan.

The current draft plan is an extension of StFX’s Anti-Racism Action Plan from the President’s Action Committee on Anti-Racism (PACAR) which was released in April of 2023.

The Religious Inclusion Action Plan primarily aims to address and better understand where and how multi-faith inclusion can be achieved, while also remaining grounded in the Catholic heritage of the university.

In an interview with Elizabeth Yeo, the Vice President of Students and Chair of the Religious Inclusion Working Group (RIWG), she provided an overview as to what this new plan is striving to do.

“StFX is a public university with a Catholic heritage,” Elizabeth explains. “So, there was an interest in having the President’s Action Committee think on how we can extend the work we started around anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism, to people who have a variety of religious and faith backgrounds, but also people who are more aligned to spiritual or philosophical world views. So, they don’t profess to a specific religion, but they are interested in being included.”

Elizabeth continues, expressing the impact of inclusion on community wellbeing. “In student services, we look at this work from both the perspective of inclusion, but also from the perspective of wellness. Our philosophy around health and wellness is that spiritual wellness is one of the dimensions of overall wellness. For example, there’s academic, mental, physical, there’s financial, and there’s spiritual [dimensions of wellness]. So, as we started down this pathway, that was the basis of what we wanted to do.”

The Religious Inclusion Action Plan is being operated and overseen by the RIWG, a subcommittee of PACAR. The group is composed of Elizabeth, the committee Chair, alongside several faculty members. There are also positions for both faculty and students which have yet to be filled.

“We had lots of conversations,” Elizabeth said. “The committee (PACAR) has been researching and looking at what needs to happen for a number of years now. Being able to put the consultation document out to show the work and what we’ve arrived at so far, is an exciting time. It shows a great deal of cohesion.”

The document being referenced can be found here, or is accessible through an email sent to all StFX community members on January 2nd. This document summarizes the action plan and organizes it into four main areas. These are:

1. Teaching, Learning, and Research Environment.

2. Working and Organizational Environment.

3. Living and Social Environment.

4. Community Environment.

In addition to the subcommittee, an external consultant, and former VP of Student Affairs at Mount Allison University, Anne Comfort, was enlisted to conduct the one-on-one consultations with community members.

“Students, faculty, staff, everyone was really invited to take a look at the work so far and advise us on the next steps. We really wanted that voice,” she stated. “The consultation opened January 2nd. It was open for a couple weeks and ended on January 15th,” she explained. “She (Anne) has expertise in terms of facilitation and inclusion. She was on campus for a few days in early January and offered a range of appointment times. Those were all filled”

As well, Anne offered online appointments and general input and feedback from the campus community up until the consultation period concluded on January 15th, which also received a significant turnout.

“I was really pleased with the response, and so was Anne,” said Elizabeth. She continued, “I think we had really good perspective from the whole range of views on the topic. It's gone well, and right now she’s reviewing all of that data, and getting ready to share and inform us with the next steps.”

When asked for any general statements regarding the Religious Inclusion Action Plan, Elizabeth responded, “StFX strives to be a community where everyone feels belonging, where inclusion is the norm, because we believe that is an essential part of the experience here. For StFX to truly be the kind of community we aspire to be, all voices and all perspectives need to be recognized, and free to participate to the fullness of their potential.”

As StFX hosts a diverse and multi-faith campus community, the Religious Inclusion Action Plan is another step toward fostering a campus environment that encompasses the religious, spiritual, and non-faith perspectives that shapes a diverse population where all can be properly embraced, recognized, and respected.

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.  

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.  

Why StFX Should Be More Transparent About Additional Fees – No Shows at the Health and Counselling Centre

With all the fees students pay at StFX, keeping track of them can be overwhelming. It doesn’t help that they are constantly changing – increased here, decreased there, that one doesn’t apply anymore, this one’s new. How are students expected to stay on top of them, especially when StFX isn’t always upfront about what the fee is for and where the money is going? 

Take the Health and Counselling Centre, for instance. As many returning students noticed last year, the late fees at the Health and Counselling Centre doubled from $25 to $50. The reasoning for this change was framed as  a stronger incentive for students to attend appointments. The Health and Counselling Centre’s website requests that students cancel 24 hours before their scheduled appointment, as “[t]his allows us to offer that space to another student who needs it; please help us in not wasting any of our valuable health care resources.” This  is a fair request, as the Centre offers many services and it can sometimes be difficult to get an appointment.  

However, it is unfair to put the full responsibility of remembering appointments on students while increasing the penalty for missing them. A higher fee is not the most effective method to incentivize students to remember an appointment. Especially when they may not be aware that they have previously missed an appointment. The no show fee is applied directly to your student account, with no notification from the Health and Counselling Centre being sent to students when they are charged. There is also no block placed on students when they have an outstanding late fee,meaning only  students who are diligently checking their account balance will notice if they have been charged.  

$50 may not be a lot to some students, but for others, it may be a deterrent to booking an appointment. If they know they struggle to attend appointments and can’t afford to be charged, why would they take that chance? This can be a huge obstacle for students who are struggling with their mental health and are already having a hard time asking for help. Although the fees can be waived for certain extenuating circumstances, this requires students to be aware of a missed appointment and the applied late fee.  

Second year student and Community Advisor Hannah Whiting hasn’t been to the Health and Counselling Centre before, but with the nature of her work, she knows how crucial the Centre is. “Everything I’ve heard about [the Centre] is really great. I’ve had friends that have used it and had really good experiences. I like that [the services] are offered here without an extra charge. Yes, we pay for it but it’s not something we have to think about. It’s not like, ‘oh, can I afford to go there this week?’ And if you’re going to have mental health issues, it’s gonna happen when you’re alone with your thoughts in a dorm, so it’s nice that it’s available to everyone who needs it.” Hannah was not aware of the late fees, and after a brief explanation, she said “I don’t love that. I feel like it discourages people. If your mental health is so bad you can’t get out of bed and your first step is making this appointment and you got scared and didn’t want to go, you’re not going to try and rebook again if you’re slapped with a $50 late fee. That kind of takes away from the affordability and access, because if you’re in dire need of help, that’s just another barrier.” 

What could a better system look like? Currently, the only reminders are the emails from Pomelo – the online booking system – and no one fully understands how they work. The only confirmed fact is that it doesn’t work very well. Most of the time the email reminders go straight to your junk folder. It’s unclear how to get them sent to your inbox; whether you have to officially register with Pomelo, or just move them out of your junk folder until your email recognizes they’re from a safe sender. Not only are students penalized for missing appointments that they need to remember to book and attend, but there is currently no decent reminder system. To put it even simpler, there is currently next to no responsibility on  StFX to ensure that students aren’t missing appointments that they can then be charged for. It’s completely on the students to ensure that they will not be charged $50.  

Yes, students also need to be held accountable and encouraged not to waste valuable resources and services. However, there may be better ways to hold people accountable. The system at Saint Mary’s University’s Counselling Centre flags when a student misses two appointments in a row. Before booking another appointment, the student is required to meet with The Counselling Centre Manager to discuss the barriers that student is facing and how the Centre might be able to help. But instead of a system that  focuses on supporting its students such as the one used by Saint Mary’s, StFX has decided it is up to the students to ensure that the school  cannot charge them yet another fee.  

 Additionally, the $50 late fee at StFX is charged regardless of who the appointment is with. As common as late fees are, at other healthcare clinics – both on university campuses and off – late fees are in place to supplement some of the income that healthcare providers lose when people miss their appointments. However, most of the healthcare providers at the Health and Counselling Centre,including the counsellors, are paid a salary, and their income is not affected by someone missing an appointment. They get paid regardless, meaning that StFX is making money from the late fees. No other maritime universities have a fee for missed appointments on  mental health appointments (aside from a psychiatrist). Dalhousie University’s website, for instance, states that there is “no fee for a missed appointment with our social worker, counsellors, or registered psychologists, but 24 hours' notice is still appreciated for cancelling an appointment”. Dalhousie also specifies the fees for missing specialized appointments; $50 for a doctor, and $250 for a psychiatrist. This is common practice for the other maritime universities, if they have no-show fees at all. StFX is the only maritime university that charges a flat rate fee for missed appointments for every healthcare provider.  

Does it track that StFX is finding another excuse to charge students? Yes, but at least if the money is going to the Health and Counselling Centre it’s being put to good use, right? According to information from a source at the Health and Counselling Centre, the $50 late fee actually doesn’t go directly to the Centre or to any of the healthcare providers. The money made from the late fees goes to the Department of Student Life. This means that, in the event of a missed appointment, StFX is charging people twice for a service they did not receive. Whether the money eventually gets reallocated to the Health and Counselling Centre or not, it seems deceptive to claim that the late fees are to help support other students and the Health and Counselling Centre.   

This brings up several ethical issues, not the least of which being why StFX isn’t more transparent about what fees students are paying and where the money truly  goes. Is it fair to be charging such a large late fee for a mental health appointment? Other universities appear to unanimously agree that it is not. Is it ethical to penalize a student for missing an appointment because of their depression, when the appointment was to help them treat their depression? How is it fair for the university to be charging someone twice for a service? Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, is it not a conflict of interest for StFX to benefit from students missing healthcare appointments? 

Fortunately, the Health and Counselling Centre has recognized some of these issues. As of November 1, 2025, the late fee will only be for appointments with the physicians, to better align with the standards set by other university clinics. It will no longer be applied to other appointments, namely mental health appointments. A new text-based reminders system, that works, will be hopefully implemented  by November 5. Signs and posters will be posted in the Centre advertising these new changes. The website will also be revised to accurately reflect these new policies. A source from the Health and Counselling Centre also stated that they hope to continue to evaluate the late fees as they consistently strive to better support students and meet them where they’re at while decreasing the amount of no shows.  

Why then, is it a topic worthy of debate if the Health and Counselling Centre is actively trying to fix some of these issues? Just because there are steps being taken to implement a better system doesn’t mean that StFX can’t still be held accountable for not being as transparent as they could be. This is not the first time StFX hasn’t been aboveboard about the fees they’re charging students. In 2023-2024, StFX still applied a “Fitness & Recreation Fee”, even though the fitness centre was unusable due to the ongoing renovations. 

When asked if she thought StFX should be more transparent about where our fees are going, Hannah stated, “Absolutely. If you’re getting fined for a reason, say it’s in residence, you assume that it’s because of damage, so it’s going back to repaying for whatever was broken. And with Health and Counselling, if I got fined, I would assume it was going back to the Health and Counselling Centre because I missed my appointment.” She also said she agrees that students should try to be more aware of what fees they’re being charged. “I know it’s a greater concern for some than it is for others. And I think it’s important as young adults to know where our money is going, how we’re spending it, and being aware of how our actions affect those around us. Even if it’s $50, for some people that’s a lot of money. For others, it’s a rainy-day fund. But across the board we need to be aware of what’s happening around us and where we’re spending our money.”  

At the end of the day, StFX is a business, but if students are paying thousands of dollars for services beyond their education and continuously being charged on top of that, they deserve to know where their money is going. Students need to actively investigate and question the fees they are being charged, and StFX should be a lot more transparent about where these fees go. 

An Explosion of Societies: The Result of a Harsh Job Climate

It seems that every year there are more and more societies to take part in during the school year. This may seem strange as there are plenty of societies that fit almost identical niches. From multiple societies focused on respective disciplines such as marketing or engineering, to event-based societies that spend the entirety of the school year counting down to one large event with several fundraisers leading up to it. This is all fine of course; it is even encouraging to routinely see student leadership on campus, as these societies provide great opportunities for students to operate within a functional organization. There does, however, seem to be a case to be made about some societies stepping on other’s toes, so to speak.

I have one theory as to why this may be happening—a theory that is rooted in the conditions of the post-grad world. Today’s workforce demands excellence more than ever before. As sad as it is to see in the formally industrial towns across this province which we call home (at least during the school year) automation and outsourcing have replaced much of Nova Scotia’s—and even Canada’s—manual labour jobs.

If you are uncertain about the validity of the claim that the trades are dying out in Nova Scotia, you need not look further than the recent legislation allowing NSCC, the province’s community college system, to grant degrees. This decision marks a clear move away from the trades.

Throughout my life I have routinely bashed the extreme entrance barriers universities have in place that prevent low-income high school graduates from attending university. However, we must look at what a massive influx in degree holders could look like for the job market. When automation first began, a degree became the way to guarantee a stable income and retirement. Now though, a degree may not be enough. It may even be worth less in the near future. Notably, I want to mention that this problem results solely from the increasing number of degree holders; I fully trust NSCC’s educational capabilities and their ability to compete with Nova Scotia universities. And yes, I am biased as a community college graduate.

So, how does this relate back to societies? What the explosion of societies offers over a degree is a named position to put on a resume, with the position held in the highest regard being that of the society president. With fewer societies, there is less opportunity for students to have the honour of this title on their resume as they enter the workforce post-graduation. But with more societies comes more presidents. An unintended result, however, is the potential for society overlap. Currently, many societies fill similar niches despite being unrelated. And this is all so students can compete in a brutal job market. I do not blame students for doing this at all—these actions are made solely to adapt to our ever-changing world. We are already seeing the results of today’s changing market, and this is even without mentioning other factors like the rise of artificial intelligence or wages that haven’t risen to meet inflation.

If I were to compare this problem to anything we’ve observed before—and bear with me here because this may seem like a stretch—I would compare this to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This may sound absolutely insane, but please hear me out and keep me away from a padded room. After the mass extinction event, in which we are looking at the extinction, or at the very least a decrease in manual labour and entry-level jobs, mammals were met with a very harsh world and greatly diversified in order to survive in a brutally competitive environment. One such occurrence that happened was convergent evolution, where two unrelated species adapted in the same way and filled the same niche. We see the exact same thing in several of StFX’s societies: they are unrelated but fill the same niche. Am I comparing the current competitiveness of the job market to one of the most devastating times in our planet’s history? Yes. Am I also comparing the explosion of student-led societies to that of one of the largest explosions of life and biodiversity in our planet’s history? Also, yes.

As absurd as this comparison may seem, it exemplifies the dire struggle of students entering a workforce in which a degree may not be seen as enough—where four years of school and student loan debt are not enough. When this happens, we adapt as we always have.

Israel: A Personal Account

This article was submitted to the Xaverian Weekly by an outside contributor.

A year and a half ago, an editorial by Najlaa Alzaanin, “Gaza: A Personal Account,” was featured in this paper in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. This terrorist attack, wherein Hamas and Palestinian civilians broke into Israel, resulted in the brutal deaths of 1,200 civilians; young children were burned alive in their homes, ranging from babies to Holocaust survivors, were taken hostage.

She said that the conflict didn’t start on October 7th. It was the culmination of decades-long “relentless oppression” of Palestinians. And she’s right - the conflict didn’t begin on October 7th. Yet nobody understands that that’s equally true for the Israelis, that we too have been relentlessly oppressed for the last 76 years.

I was born not too far from Alzaanin, at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, 21.2 km from the Gaza Strip. This hospital was hit by a rocket strike by Hamas on October 8th, 2023, and sustained significant damage.

I spent most of my childhood between apartments in Ashkelon and houses in Kibbutz Zikim, a village 1 km from the Gaza border, where the booms of rocket strikes and the wails of sirens were commonplace. On October 7, 2023, at Zikim Beach, 19 civilians were killed by Hamas terrorists. This was where I learned to swim.

My sisters and I slept in the bomb shelter attached to our house. On a biweekly basis, we would return home to our windows destroyed by a nearby rocket attack. Our walks around the neighborhood were interrupted by rocket attacks and the infamous “Tzeva Adom,” or Colour Red—the sound of the rocket siren every Israeli child grows up hearing.

Depending on where you live, you have a certain number of seconds to get to the nearest bomb shelter before the rocket hits you. Where we lived, we had fifteen seconds.

On several occasions, we didn’t make it to the bomb shelter in time. We would resort to getting down on the ground with our hands on top of our heads to protect ourselves against glass shards and pieces of iron that Hamas put in their homemade rockets, rockets made using pipes meant as humanitarian aid. And we would pray it would miss us.

Many car rides, walks, and bicycle rides were interrupted in this way. Not everyone I knew was so lucky to escape them. When we were both three, my neighbor and playmate Rom Gertel didn’t make it to the shelter in time. His house was hit by a rocket and he was rushed to hospital bleeding from the face with critical injuries.

My family was evacuated once in 2008 after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and began bombarding southern Israel with rockets.

This was my daily reality before immigrating to Canada in 2011. I came from a left-leaning kibbutz who believed in peace and a better life for the Palestinians. We would sing “Noladeti L’shalom,” I was born for peace - only to be bombed day and night.

Far worse was the reality of my parents, who narrowly survived the First and Second Intifadas. My mother chose not to cross the street one fateful afternoon and survived the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing, although not without serious PTSD.

Five months after we immigrated to Canada, our house was destroyed in a rocket attack in the dead of night, an attack which would have killed us.

But I am not asking for your sympathy. No amount of tears can bring back anyone from either side of the conflict. What I am asking for is understanding.

On October 7, 2023, my family personally lost seven friends. A friend of ours in Kibbutz Beeri lost eleven members of their family that day. My family was evacuated from Kibbutz Zikim to Jerusalem; my grandparents, who survived the Holocaust and fled pogroms in Tunisia, were in and out of the hospital because of stress.

But October 7th was not the beginning of this conflict for either side. We have lived the past twenty years under constant rocket attacks in the South, the past forty years under constant terror attacks, the last 76 years in war. And before the re-founding of Israel, we spent one thousand years in exile from our homeland, persecuted everywhere we went.

Yet despite this “relentless oppression,” we do not kidnap 9-month-old and four-year-olds and strangle them one month later with our bare hands, as was the fate of Kfir and Ariel Bibas. We do not dance in the streets when innocent Palestinian civilians are killed or hand out candy. We mourn them in a way the rest of the world cannot, because we know exactly what it means to live in this conflict.

I conclude this article by offering my sincerest condolences to Najlaa Alzaanin and any other students, faculty, or staff who lost people to this conflict. I know from my personal experience as an Israeli that this will never bring them back, but I pray that this will not be the fate of our children. That they will be born in peace in their homelands.

But understand that Hamas -- the terrorist group that in their charter calls for the extermination of all Jews, that steals its own people’s humanitarian aid, that uses civilians as human shields, that oppresses both Jews and Arabs -- cannot be part of that future. And understand that Jews, whose historical, religious, and genetic connection to the Land of Israel cannot be erased, must also be part of that future.