The Return of Frost Fest

Incoming students for the winter term may have missed out on having an O-Week, but they are far from forgotten. New and returning students got to spend their first week back participating in this year’s Frost Fest, a celebration filled with activities aiming at bringing together the Xaverian community. I was able to have a conversation with Kali Beaton, the Students’ Union’s Vice President of Activities and Events, during which she shared an overview of Frost Fest’s events and overall goal.

Frost Fest began on 4 January, with the Apres Ski Wing Night at the Golden X Inn. Here, new students had the chance to experience their first Wing Night and to start meeting many of their new peers. Students continued the festivities into the weekend with a favourite event on campus: Two Year’s Eve. 7 January brought the Super Sub, which students may recognize as having been pushed back a day to prevent conflicts with studying for postponed exams. The event took place in the Bloomfield Center’s McKay Room and welcomed students of all ages. Beaton shared that they had hired the band Signal Hill, who, for non-domestic students, “is very well-known in Nova Scotia.” The Inn also participated, with the DJ ROSEDRiiVE hired to play. Beaton says that they had “1200 people there,” and was pleased with how the event turned out. She also shared that students got to participate in a midnight countdown, just as they would have on New Year’s Eve, and how happy she was to have this welcome for the new students.

Society Night, the final event of Frost Fest, took place on 10 January. Any students looking to become more involved on campus were able to visit the tables of StFX’s many societies on display on the third floor of the Bloomfield Centre. From 6 to 9 p.m., students had the chance to talk to members of the societies in which they were interested and gain knowledge of activities and events they may not have known about otherwise. For any new students looking to meet people, Beaton recommends going out to events such as Society Night, or any others offered throughout the school year. 106 students have joined the school this semester, and all are encouraged to become a part of the Xaverian community—whether it be by joining a team, society, or going to the events that have been planned for them. The Students’ Union, as well as the rest of campus, hopes that all incoming students feel as welcome as those who joined StFX in September.

Beaton then went on to explain the excitement brought by this being the first Frost Fest since the pandemic struck. Over the past two years, many events have had to occur in virtual formats. This limits the ability of students to meet one another and to become fully immersed in the Xaverian community and spirit. However, this year’s Frost Fest returned in full force, and was a “great way to bring everyone back together.” Beaton also shared that planning events for the winter semester was much harder when limited to a virtual format, so having the opportunity to bring back their in-person events was highly appreciated by those planning.

Overall, Frost Fest gave students a chance to come together, promoting involvement and the community-oriented ideals for which StFX is known. Going forward, all students are encouraged to continue attending events such as Frost Fest, during which they will have opportunities to meet and bond with new friends. Events are there to allow all StFX students to be a part of the community and boost their Xaverian spirit.