StFX students host Palestinian Solidarity Week

This week, the duo is hosting ‘Palestinian Solidarity Week,’ an event intended to raise awareness of Israel’s transgressions of international law through the imposition of what the organizers argue is an ‘apartheid state.’ Zayed and Fleming, two political science students, say that while Palestinian Solidarity Week is not officially affiliated with the annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), their efforts are in line with the global series that has been condemning Israeli policy for six years running. This year, IAW was held on more than 40 campuses worldwide during the first...

StFX mourns the loss of dedicated employee

The StFX community is mourning the loss of Jim Tozer, a respected employee of the university who dedicated more than 25 years of service. Tozer passed away after a brief battle with illness at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Services Centre in Halifax on March 17. He was 51. As the operator of the pool at the StFX Alumni Aquatic Centre, he was a familiar face to many students, faculty, and staff. Born in Ontario, Tozer was a resident of Antigonish since 1974. He is survived by his wife, Ann...

StFX hosts Coady Youth Forum

On Tuesday, March 16, the latest students to volunteer abroad through the Coady International Institute presented their experiences at the Coady Youth Forum to an audience at Dennis Hall. Dan MacKinnon, Courtney MacNeil, Matthew Chisholm, Meghan MacEachern and Christine Layden recently returned from their placements in Africa. While absent from the evening’s presentations, fourth year psychology student Kate Jackson also recently returned as an associate in Zambia with Women for Change. The associates are all currently third or fourth year students at StFX. MacKinnon, MacNeil, Chisholm and Jackson volunteered from...

Human Rights Office hosts campus parade in support of equity at StFX

The StFX Human Rights and Equity Office is organizing a campus parade for Wednesday, March 31, in order to promote equity at both StFX and abroad while representing the university. The parade will commence at 12 noon in front of Morrison Hall and travel through campus to Bloomfield Centre. As part of the tour, the StFX official bus will lead the way. The event is organized by four students in tandem with the Equity Office as part of a Service Learning project. Participants are invited to bring noise makers, such...

Mark Gillis ratified, in-coming executive finalized

At a March 18 meeting of the StFX Students’ Union Representative Council, Mark Gillis was ratified as VP Activities and Events by a margin of seven in favor to six.

His ratification marks the end of the hiring process for the 2010-2011 students’ union executive. The remaining members were ratified during a meeting of council convened on March 14.

In the upcoming academic year, Danielle Levesque will serve as VP Finance, Megan MacNeil as VP Student Relations, Chris Baxter as VP Communications, Isabelle Gosselin as VP Union Services and Jess...

Seminar class holds all-day conference

On Saturday, March 20, a senior seminar cross-listed between sociology and women’s studies hosted its first academic conference on issues of social difference. Entitled “Social Difference,” the class organized the event as part of their final class project. Each student prepared and defended a conference paper to an intimate audience of peers, faculty, and other students. Throughout the academic term, the seminar studied the way in which citizenship and nationalism are utilized to include and exclude people from their rights, including the ability to belong to greater society. Conference registration...

Philosophy professor gives six week lecture tour abroad

StFX philosophy professor William Sweet spent his sabbatical year out of the office and on the road, travelling to universities in the Middle East, Africa and India to give a series of lectures on cross-cultural topics in philosophy. His travels began in January, taking him to spots such as Ghana, the United Arab Emirates and Delhi over a six week period. After stopping briefly in Antigonish, he will soon take off once again for Italy, England and France. Then another two week return to Nova Scotia, and he will depart...

Planning for 2010-2011

Sam Mason and Alia Hack plan for the forthcoming year

Already, President-Elect Sam Mason and Vice President-Elect Alia Hack are formulating plans to lead the students’ union in up-coming academic year. The unofficial re-election results were announced on Thursday, February 11, declaring Mason and Hack the winners. The winning slate was glad that the problems with the initial election results were rectified. “We were very pleased with the election, obviously, and very pleased that there was a re-election and it was [done] with validity,” says Mason. “After the results of the first election, it was apparent that there were flaws...

StFX debate society sweeps regional tournament

From March 12 to 14, the StFX X-Debate society participated in the Atlantic Canadian Debating Championships held at Dalhousie University with teams placing first and third overall. Ryan Blood and Hilary Feltham took home first place while Daniel Hindmarsh and society president Dave Faour earned a third place showing against teams representing other universities of the Atlantic region. Blood and Feltham competed in the final round against a team from Acadia University consisting of Nigel Cones and Dan Sparkman. They debated a cryptic resolution that stated, “if the secret eternal...

Union accepts university’s offer

The StFX Association of University Teachers voted to accept the StFX administration’s most recent contract offer. Over sixty per cent of the union membership casted a ballot in the vote held on campus on February 25 and 26. The results indicate strong support for the tentative agreement. The union has been deliberating the new contract with university administration since the summer of 2009. The proposed contract comes after months of negotiations, two failed rounds of conciliation talks, and increasing concern about the prospects of a faculty strike on the StFX...

Xtending Hope asks, do you know your status?

On Thursday, March 11, between 5 and 6 p.m., the Xtending Hope Society will host an information session in Council Chambers about the transmission of HIV/AIDS open to students and the Antigonish community. The information session is a prelude to an anonymous HIV/AIDS testing service that will be offered the following week as part of the society’s Know Your Status campaign. Testing will be offered on March 16 at the health centre located in Bloomfield Building. This is the first time that HIV/AIDS testing has ever been offered on campus....

Nursing students to bring aid, gain experience during African practicum

As members of Rally for Rwanda, eight StFX nursing students are organizing fundraisers for hospital supplies and aid to bring for their nursing practicum in Rwanda. Caroline Lutes, Kendra Miller, Kathy Cress-Waugh, Sarah Tracey, Kendra Myers, Hillary Rand, Jennifer Fougere, and Jessica MacLean will travel to the African nation to work in a Rwandan hospital. Professor Elsa Jensen will accompany them. To raise money, they will be hosting a silent auction on the afternoon of Friday, March 12, at Piper’s Pub. Available items include donations from Antigonish businesses, including a...

Governor General’s Office offers mentorship program

Youth under 25 paired with Order of Canada recipients

Now in its second year, students participating in the Order of Canada Mentorship Program call it a worthwhile experience and recommend it to others. In 2008, Governor General Michaëlle Jean initiated a mentorship program to pair young Canadian adults between the ages of 18 to 25 with recipients of the Order of Canada. Explaining her motivation behind the program in a 2009 official statement, the Governor General expressed her desire to encourage up-and-coming young people. “I see youth [. . .] as a living strength that embodies the very values...

Model UN society represents StFX at Harvard conference

The StFX Model United Nations team recently returned from Boston after participating in the 56th session of the Harvard National Model United Nations from February 11 to 14. This year’s team consisted of President Issam Rizvi, Ryan Blood, Maya Breau, Hilary Feltham, Gabrielle Fiore, Michael Greguol, Brigitte Hartt, Philip Jones, Christine Krause, Rory MacDonald, Natalie MacLean, Christopher Millar, Brendan Riley, Ellen Wiken, and faculty advisor Dr Steve Holloway, a political science professor. The conference was a simulation of the workings of the real United Nations. Participants take on the role...

StFX student named NS Student Entrepreneur of the year

StFX student Jeremy Flynn has been named the 2010 Student Entrepreneur Nova Scotia Champion from the Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) organization. ACE is a national charitable organization focused on promoting student entrepreneurship and helping students get a solid foundation of business experience. Those named provincial champions will meet next weekend in Halifax for a chance to be named regional champion and receive a $1,000 cash prize as well as participate in the national competition in Calgary in May. The Xaverian Weekly recently got a chance to talk with Flynn this...