Innovation in Achieving Healthy Equity in Rural Nova Scotia: A Conference by the StFX Health Society

Achieving health equity has been an ongoing process throughout Nova Scotia, and at StFX, the Health Society has been leading the conversation. In efforts to spread information and increase these types of discussions, the student-run society will be hosting a conference on January 27 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the Schwartz Auditorium. Titled “Innovation in Achieving Healthy Equity in Rural Nova Scotia,” the conference will feature six changemakers of various expertise. Each will give a short presentation about their work related to current gaps in medicine and health in rural Nova Scotia, as well as share some of their innovative solutions aimed at achieving health equity. A panel discussion will follow the presentation period, focusing on how rural communities can make meaningful change in achieving health equity. The conference will feature a Q&A period with the audience members.

I was able to speak with Sophie Bezanson, the Co-Vice President of Conferences and Events of the Health Society and a co-organizer of the conference. She mentioned that the society wanted a conference that would “create a difference in the community”. They recognize that there are “so many wider social factors that impact an individual’s or a population’s health” that are often overlooked, and Bezanson spoke on how she wanted to “spotlight these issues and identify the challenges and barriers to achieving health equity in rural areas.” The conversations taking place during the conference will be a step towards “focus[ing] on the solutions and how we can move forward.”

The panelists speaking at the conference will include the following professionals: Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan (Dr. AJ), Dr. Amy Grant, Dianne Oickle, Sarah-Marie O’Toole, as well as a representative from both the Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood Initiative.

Dr. AJ is a family physician and director of the Coral Shared-Care Health Center. She is also an Assistant professor at Dalhousie University, where she developed a program named GeoView. The program is a virtual mapping tool that uses Geographic Information System technology to standardize health collection data. With this information, primary care providers are able to have a unique visualization of the social determinants of health.

Dr. Amy Grant has a Ph.D. in Social and Developmental Psychology and is the Senior Health Policy Researcher at the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit. Here, she leads and supports mixed-methods research, with her most recent project focused on pharmacist prescribing, collaborative family practice team implementation, transition of care for pediatric patients with chronic disease, and the mental health impacts of COVID-19.

Dianne Oickle is the Knowledge Translation Specialist at the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. She has extensive experience working in the public health field as a registered dietitian and is a frontline health practitioner. Her work focuses on mental health promotion, community engagement, intersectoral practice, movement building, digital equity, and equity in environmental public health.

Sarah-Marie O’Toole is a Physician Recruitment Consultant with the Nova Scotia Health Authority in the Eastern Zone. In their previous role as a Community Navigator, Sarah supported the arrival, settlement, and integration of new physicians and their family members into the Antigonish community. Their work follows a “people first” philosophy, focusing on the individuals and families coming to Nova Scotia and acknowledging the many factors contributing to a satisfying and fulfilling life.

The two representatives from the Nova Scotia Brotherhood Initiative and the Nova Scotia Sisterhood Initiative, Preston Matthews and Elizabeth Nkrumah, will share information about their work. This includes providing culturally appropriate primary health care services to individuals of African ancestry. The Initiatives provide rotating clinics in various Black communities in the Central Zone. Additionally, they run programs that focus on improving health literacy, social determinants of health, health advocacy, and building capacity for individuals to develop health leadership and stewardship.

Bezanson closed by saying that it is easy to see the state of our medical and healthcare system and be deterred by the challenges present, but that “there are a lot of opportunities to be innovative and create change for the better.” Conversations like those that will take place at the conference are helpful to identify the barriers that do exist and will put “more of a positive spin on it” with the solutions they can provide. Bezanson remarked that coming together and having these discussions goes to show that “change is possible” and that it “needs to happen in order for our population to be as healthy as it can be.” The conference on Innovation in Achieving Health Equity in Rural Nova Scotia is just the first step on the road by StFX Health students and activists—like Bezanson—to solving issues surrounding health equity in rural Nova Scotia.

Cheerleading Is a Sport: An Ode to True Athleticism

In the last few weeks on StFX’s campus, there has been a lot of discourse regarding whether cheerleading should be deemed a sport. I was stunned to be the biggest advocate in very heated debates in my residence lounge on the status of cheerleading in the sporting world. My competitors in these debates, unsurprising to you, I’m sure, have never once been a cheerleader in their lives.

As an author, who has done dance, as well as synchronized swimming in the past, I felt that I could speak to the hard work of cheerleaders in these debates, given that my athleticism is also frequently disrespected. However, I realize now that I was wrong.

A previously well-meaning article created unintended backlash and hurt, with the misinterpretation that cheerleading was not for all gender identities. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, or from my opinion, for that matter. I have always felt that dance and synchronized swimming would greatly benefit from more athletes that do not identify as feminine or female. The same applies to cheerleading.

 To address this, and give a voice to those who felt I spoke for them, I have reached out to current StFX cheer athletes.

According to an anonymous athlete, some members of the STFX cheer team practice three times a week, for 8 hours total. This seems like a large time commitment to me and should be enough to solidify cheerleading’s place in the sporting world!

However, for many readers, more convincing may be needed. The definition of a sport is, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.). Cheerleading certainly takes skill, as I’m sure not everyone has the ability to throw people in the air and catch them flawlessly. It requires strength and expertise to make it look easy.

Another misconception of cheerleading is that these athletes simply cheer on the sidelines for other sports. In fact, the opposite is true. Cheerleaders have their own competitions, as does the white team here at StFX. Also, while cheering on other sports, there is choreography and difficult tumbling involved, showcasing the athleticism required in cheerleading.

 Cheer is open to all identities and is not about femininity.

What could possibly dismiss cheerleading as anything less than a sport?

Hockey Gives Blood Comes to StFX

A wonderful non-profit organization called Hockey Gives Blood has recently been established here at STFX. It’s partnered with Canadian Blood Services, and their goal is to raise awareness about blood and stem cell donations. The organization believes that athletes in the hockey community should give back and believe in social and community responsibility.

It is no secret that giving blood saves lives, and X-Woman Anna MacCara, helping to establish Hockey Gives Blood here at STFX wanted to do just that. She says that she, “wanted to be a part of something that would make a difference in someone’s life.” In a small town like Antigonish, this could be huge. Anna also says that, “the organization has made significant impacts on communities” and that she’s, “looking to continue that on campus and in Antigonish.”

Just recently on November 5th, there was a Hockey Gives Blood night right here at STFX, which was a game versus Mount Allison University, where our incredible X-Women helped to raise awareness about donating blood, and to give information about how to become a donor.

Xaverians are doing amazing things, and contrary to popular misconception, you can look no further than our small town of Antigonish for many opportunities, such as saving lives and giving blood.

Exciting Renovations to Come to The Charles V. Keating Centre

Upon, scouring the internet for information and to do some research to write this article, I found practically nothing about STFX’s renovations to the Charles V. Keating centre in January. After an interview, I have since realized there are so many exciting improvements to come.

It’s no secret that the fitness centre at STFX is getting old, offers too small of a space for our number of students, and that many students opt for a membership at Goodlife Fitness as an alternative.

Therefore, I have brought in staff member Bob Hale, director of Ancillary Services here at STFX, and asked him some questions about these renovations.

I first inquired about what these renovations would entail. Essentially, our fitness centre on the first floor will be completely gutted and will be replaced by new classrooms. The fitness centre will be moved to the second floor and will nearly triple in size.

The fitness centre will be moved to the second floor and will nearly triple in size. There will be new locker rooms as well and the welcome desk will be updated. Furthermore, there’s an additional multi-purpose space being built for yoga, stretching, or almost any type of activity. Finally, the auxiliary gymnasium will get new flooring, and will be replaced by a multipurpose floor plan, for basketball, indoor baseball, and floor hockey. There will also be walls that are updated to get rid of mold. Overall, the Charles V. Keating centre will be freshened up, with these impressive renovations.

I also wondered about the timeline for these exciting improvements to our school. Fortunately, our fitness centre will stay open until April 2023, when most of us go home for the summer. However, the pool, and racquetball courts will close in January 2023. Everything is scheduled to reopen in September 2023.

There are also economic factors to consider surrounding the renovations of which I inquired to Mr. Hale. Asking about the staff, he replied that, “if anything, these renovations could create jobs, with more staff and more space to do activities.” Additionally, this project, which will cost about 15 million dollars, was partly funded by our student body. If you remember, or even attended this school at that time, several years ago students voted on a donation fee, and this fee has been accumulating. This means that STFX students are giving back to their community, and it will pay off, as these renovations are a huge win for our student body.

Overall, this project is very promising, and should give rise to many feelings of excitement for the student population.

Meet Maddie Kwan: StFX Intramurals Marketing and Social Media Coordinator

Intramurals are a great way to get involved around campus, from hockey to basketball to water-polo, there is a little bit of something for everyone. Maddie Kwan is from Hong Kong and is a third-year student in Human Kinetics and Sports Management. She is the Marketing and Social Media Coordinator for XREC Intramurals. Maddie says, “she believes intramurals are just awesome for staying active, social, getting involved in the community here at X and taking a break from one’s studies,” and I think many would agree with her.

Maddie’s main goal for her role at StFX is to “promote participation amongst all StFX students in Intramurals by managing our social media platforms and beyond.” Her job requires much creativity, management, and organization. Maddie says that on a typical day she will “edit, caption and post daily games schedules, the various activities, registration posters and pretty much all other content related to XREC and Intramurals.” She also says that her role “involves a great deal of photography and videography.” With this come a few challenges, saying “I sometimes find it challenging working in such a creative and artistic job as it is something you really need to be in the mood for (with all the creative juices flowing). However, most of the time it’s still such a unique way for me to express myself!” Although at times challenging, there are many rewards. Maddie says she enjoys how it allows her to meet students from different programs and years that she wouldn’t have crossed paths with before.

According to Maddie there is lots to look forward to in the upcoming year. She says “this year we are bringing back our flag football league, which was unfortunately postponed for the past two years due to COVID. It used to hold great popularity back in its day and is sure to be an exciting event for everyone! We will be hosting two leagues for this - a men’s and women’s league which will take place on weeknights!” She also highlighted another event that has come back post-covid, “last weekend, we also hosted another event put on hold for the past two years and that was our Annual Alumni Homecoming Fun Run. It was super cool to see a huge array of individuals from varying StFX graduating classes all dedicated to coming together for this epic event on homecoming morning!”

Maybe surprising, or perhaps not, Maddie’s favorite sport is innertube water polo, saying “It’s pretty much all laughs in the pool with your friends. It’s hilarious to see everyone flipping over in their tubes, splashing about, and getting super competitive and into the game.” Maddie says she hopes to get as involved as possible this year and to try new things she has never tried before. She states that no matter what your preference may be, you should get involved, “Intramurals create this stress-free, non-judgmental environment where everyone can get involved no matter their background is as long as they are simply a student of StFX. I don’t think I have ever thrown a football in my life. However, I’ve gathered a group of buddies for our flag football league and know even if we don’t win the league - it’s going to be a good time guaranteed!”

Maddie has also taken on a new role as the social media lead for motionball at StFX. She explains that there are many similarities between motionball and intramurals as they both are about promoting and creating opportunities in sports and activity. Motionball is targeted towards bringing together people from the Special Olympics community with members of the Antigonish community. Maddie says to look out for a few things they have coming up this year including #NoGoodWay Day taking place November 16th, this raises awareness and educates people on the inappropriateness of the “R” word.

Lastly, Maddie mentioned “getting involved with the StFX community by means of work experiences and involvement in societies has changed my entire experience at StFX. It’s given me a great sense of purpose and belonging in being able to combine my love of recreation and physical activity towards a greater community. To anyone considering joining a new club or society at X, I’d say GO FOR IT - you will have no regrets! The worst thing that could happen is you meet some cool and interesting people and learn so much from the exciting new experiences you immerse yourself in.”

StFX Subway Athletes of The Week: First Snow of The Year Didn’t Stop These Players From Bringing The Heat

X-Women Basketball Kimberly Kingsbury and X-Men Basketball Dondre Reddick were named the StFX Subway Athletes of The Week. Today I dove in a little deeper to better understand the story behind these standout athletes and what fuelled them to become the athletes they are today!

First, I talked to X-Women Basketball guard Kimberly Kingsbury, a fifth year BASCH student from Nepean, Ontario. This past week, she played two strong games, she scored a game high of 24 points and then followed the next game with a team high of 11 points!

What drives you to train every day?

I really enjoy playing basketball and learned early on that training is an integral part of being an athlete. It helps that it is something I enjoy doing and find relaxing, so when I get stressed or overwhelmed, I always turn to basketball.

Who is the biggest role model in your life?

The biggest role model in my life would have to be my dad! He played a lot of sports growing up, so he knows a lot about the work and politics surrounding sports. He has always helped me develop my game. Ever since I was a kid, he would sacrifice his time to come watch me play sports and train with me, without question. I wouldn't be the player or person I am today without his support and guidance.

What is a challenge you overcame to get to where you are today?

A challenge I have overcome was probably moving away from a big city in Ontario and coming to live in Antigonish! I had no friends or even people that I knew, I was taking a full course load, living on my own for the first time, and was not able to come home whenever I would have liked. It really made me develop as a person and I found out a lot of new things about myself.

Advice you would give to athletes looking up to you right now?

If I could give any athletes some advice, I'd have to say always try to be the hardest worker. There's always going to be a player who is faster, more talented, a better shooter...etc, but if you can be the hardest worker and always give your best it will pay off. Coaches want players who will work hard and listen to them, and in the end, you will be rewarded!

Next, I spoke with Dondre Reddick of X-Men Basketball. He is a hometown standout athlete from Antigonish and a third year Arts student. He was the player of the game in STFX’s gripping 112-101 win over SMU Saturday night! Dondre also had a big double-double night scoring a career-high 35 points!

What drives you to train every day?

What drives me to train every day is my family. Every day that I am lazy it is disrespectful to them because I would not be where I am today without them, and I am thankful. I also plan on making money off this sport overseas in years to come.

Who is the biggest role model in your life?

The biggest role model in my life is my parents. I see them work so hard and I just can't let them down, they inspire me and instilled a hard work ethic in me at a young age.

What is a challenge you overcame to get to where you are today?

A challenge I had to overcome to get where I am today is my confidence, I always had the work ethic but sometimes I doubted myself. I now have no doubts in my ability and believe that I can do anything when I believe in myself.

Advice you would give to athletes looking up to you right now?

Advice I would give to young athletes is to work hard and never stop believing in yourself, enjoy the process of getting better and listen to your coaches and work on being a leader so that you can help your teammates as well.

Congratulations to this week's StFX Subway athletes of the week Dondre and Kimberly and Goodluck with the rest of your season, LET’S FILL THE GYM! GO X GO!

Insiders Scoop on StFX Athletics

When walking  around campus going from class to class there seems to be something different amongst the students. It is not the masks, the stickers on the floor on indicating where to stand or the hand sanitizer every 10 feet. It is something more...something missing.

That inner excitement, that buzz, that something to look forward to seems to be gone for many students

COVID-19 has changed  many things at  X but there is one that hits home for many. The SPORTS! To all the X-Men and X-Women fans that miss cheering for their favourite player, team or university. While unfortunately there are no sports at X so far, all teams are still hard at work preparing for that call saying ‘the season is back on’! You may be wondering how the teams are managing through the changes COVID-19 has caused with practices as well as their season being put off. The head coaches of some of X’s most prestigious teams were happy to give the insider scoop of their league's forecast, team performance and player morale.

X-Men Football:

Head Coach Gary Waterman gives his updates on the team's strategy while abiding the Covid guidelines.

“We have had to adjust the way we do things to ensure that we are following the Health guidelines. It has made it quite challenging at times because of the restrictions to the amount of people who can practice at one time. The current guidelines say that we can have no more than 50 participants on the field practicing. We have 81 players on our roster so we have had to adjust our practices accordingly. It was even more challenging earlier when we could have no more than 10 people in a pod at one time. We found ourselves spending a great deal of time on practice planning. We had to be extremely organized and communicate in advance with our players in terms of how the practice would flow to ensure that we were following the health guidelines. In addition, we were not allowed to use our locker room early in the process so players were required to bring their gear back and forth from home to practice. There were a lot of moving parts. 

From a team morale perspective we had to be very deliberate in messaging about focusing only on the things that we can control and not becoming distracted by the things out of our control. Overall I think our team morale has been positive, but our ability to come together as a group has definitely been affected. With the gathering limitations we were not able to bring our team together all at once. The typical team bonding that naturally occurs within a team has been slowed and we have had to be more deliberate in our attempts to get to know each other. 

No new information about playing next year. We are all waiting to see how things transpire with regards to COVID-19 and what our new normal will look like. However, recruiting has definitely changed. We can no longer bring players to campus for a visit and there is a national ban on in-person recruiting for all sports. Technology has been our main method of communication. Between Zoom meetings and online conversations we find ourselves having to come up with more creative ways to build those strong connections with our future X-Men.”

X- Women Hockey:

Head Coach Ben Berthiaume touches on future play and team growth.

“The team continues to not only work hard on the ice and in the gym but in the classroom, which is a great sign for this group moving forward. We are also very appreciative of the support we are receiving from our Athletic Director Leo MacPherson, President Dr. Hakin and the university administration, without their support we would not be on the ice and doing what we love.

As a team we are practicing 4 times a week which consists of a lot of small area games and a 3 on 3 tournament every Friday. The team also has 2 off ice work out sessions to help prepare for the winter schedule if there is going to be one. We are looking to begin some blue and white games to give us some extra competition in November. The team morale seems to be pretty good considering we are not playing any games and having that competition that they practice hard for. The ability to be together as a group and get on the ice certainly helps with the team morale.  

 We have heard there is a good possibility that there will be an AUS season in January, the AUS will make a decision in the next two weeks. The Atlantic provinces and STFX have done such a great job with COVID 19 pandemic that we are very hopeful we will have the opportunity to have competition begin in January with an AUS season.”

X-Men Basketball:

Renowned Head Coach Steve Konchalski discusses adjusted practices and team morale.

“Since Oct. 1, sports activities in Nova Scotia have allowed up to 50 participants without social distancing or masks (once you leave the playing field you must put on your mask – in locker rooms for example) so we basically have been able to have normal practices for the most part. Prior to that date we were restricted to 10 athletes per group (basket).

Right now we are practicing four times a week and preparing for some kind of a season after Christmas. Currently, the AUS is formulating a return to play formula for the winter sports that hopefully will satisfy both Public Health in all the Atlantic provinces as well as the AUS Board (Presidents). My understanding is that a decision will be made by mid-November which of course will be dependent upon the virus remaining  under control into the new year. The health and safety of our student athletes are of course our first priority.

I would say our team morale is excellent despite the uncertainty prevalent in the world today. Our practices have been extremely competitive as I know that basketball is an outlet that helps young people cope with the anxiety that covid has brought to the entire planet.”

X-Women Basketball:

Head Coach Lee Anna Osei fills us in on the season status and the support they have been receiving.

“Earlier in October, U Sports officially cancelled the U Sports Championship to ensure the safety of all student athletes, coaches and athletic departments. This means that conferences will now dictate what the season will look like from a provincial and local standpoint. To date, there are still uncertainties about what the status of the AUS season is. 

Though nothing that has been confirmed for official AUS games, we are hopeful for the opportunity to play in the future, whether that be in official games, exhibitions or scrimmages. In the meantime, we have a weekly Game of the Week against our male scout players that gives us an opportunity to work on our Xs and Os throughout the semester. Our athletic department has also done a phenomenal job of providing structure for our athletes in programs like StFX Leadership Academy and celebrating varsity Players of the Week.

We consider ourselves lucky here at StFX. Our institution is a U Sport school that represents the highest percentage of F2F classes, and this has also meant that we have been afforded some privileges for contact practices with covid protocols of sanitation and safety in place. We have as much as possible simulated our practices and training schedules to provide a sense of routine and normalcy for our players.”

It is amazing to hear all the time and effort being put in by coaches, players, athletic management and league officials. The planning and execution that goes into each meeting, practice or team bonding is huge. This is driven by one thing. The love and passion for sport. Even if the season has been put off everyone is trying to make the best of what is happening. It is heartwarming and amazing to see. 

Here are some words of encouragements from the X-Coaches to the X-fans:

“X fans! We look forward to hosting you at our home and away games - you collectively are our sixth man! Although we have not had the opportunity to play in front of you, be assured that we will remain ready to dawn the blue and white when that time comes. We appreciate your support , and welcome you to contact varsity athletics if there is any way that we can support you - Hail & Health!” - Head Coach Lee Anna Osei

“X fans, we miss you and look forward to the day when we can get back on the field and welcome you back to the games.” - Head Coach Gary Waterman 

“We are so appreciative of the support we get from all our fans. Looking back to last year's AUS final with 1300 people in the building was incredible and certainly loved all the support, the atmosphere was certainly electrifying. We look forward to getting back to playing in front of our fans soon and showcasing the talent of the women’s game. “  -Head Coach Ben Berthiaume

Basketball at X

As January 5 marks the middle of winter, many varsity teams are preparing for next season. Two teams at StFX are getting ready for their last scheduled games. The men's and women’s basketball teams are approaching playoffs as the regular season comes to an end.

Both teams have their last league games after reading week on February 21. The men's team has battled hard to secure their spot in the playoffs and are currently holding second place.

Both teams have had tremendous success this season compared to previous years.

The X-Women:

• Won 3 games, in contrast with last season where they were without a win

• Had their first home win since 2017

• Won more games in a season since 2016

• X-Women head coach LeeAnna Osei’s first ever win with the team

• Beat the University of PEI in the second game of a back to back sequence even though UPEI was one of the top leaders of their pool, and had not lost a game prior

The women's team is mostly composed of rookies, 6 out of the 12 players being first year students. This being a very young team, the future looks very bright for this group of girls. On this note, StFX athletics would like to thank Jamie McCarron, the 5-season veteran, and this year's X-Women captain for her involvement.

The X-Men:

• Secured a spot in the playoff

• Won 10 games this season compared to 7 last season

• Beat the previously undefeated Dalhousie Tigers

• Have 2 players in the top 5 for points per game average

The men's team is coming off a very good season. They finished in fifth place in the 2019 season, losing in the quarter finals to Cape Breton. The men’s team has managed to outwork their competition, putting them in third place at the time this article was published. On January 11, the X-Men played nationally ranked Dalhousie Tigers. This home game ended up being a massive upset when the undefeated tigers fell to the X-Men in a 1-point game.

Congratulations to Avan Naza and Azaro Roker for finishing third and fourth in the league in points per game average at 17.5ppg and 17.3ppg. Coincidentally, the men’s team also has an unusual number of young players. No players from the X-Men team are graduating this coming spring. This will allow for chemistry to build as well as continuity for next season.

As many may know, there was a massive loss in the basketball world on January 26. The loss of the legend Kobe Bryant. As many mourned the loss of this amazing athlete on and off the court. The X-Men paid tribute by accepting a 24 second shot clock violation in honour of Mr. Bryant.

To catch all the action, visit https://www.goxgo.ca/landing/index for scheduling and live results. February 21 is the last league and home game for the women's and men's basketball team.

An X-Ceptional Year of Sport

X-Men and X-Women reach new heights

A total of 14 varsity teams from a wide array of sport competed in the AUS and proudly donned the white & blue this school year. It was a year filled with highs (Rugby national championship) and lows (winless X-Women Basketball team) but enthralling nonetheless. Here is a brief rundown on each team’s season.

Soccer: After finishing fourth at the end of the regular season, the X-Women had a valiant run in the AUS postseason, falling in agonizing fashion in the final 1-0 to Cape Breton. The semifinal was a nail biter, as the team prevailed in extra time after a dramatic penalty kick goal at the death. Two players, striker Kelsey Ellis and midfielder Mercy Miles were honoured with second-team All Canadian spots at the end of the season.

For the men, it was another difficult ending to the season. For the second straight year, rival UNB Reds dispatched the X-Men in the semifinals. This time, it was 2-1 in extra time. AUS all-star and last season’s U Sports Player of The Year Dan Hayfield had a penalty kick to tie it in the extra frame, only for it to be turned aside. In brighter news, Hayfield and defender Josh Read were named to the All Canadian Second Team, while Ayoub Al Arabi was named to the All-Rookie team. Captain Liam Elbourne was bestowed the prestigious honour of being named a Rhodes Scholar. He was the number one ranked student in the Business Administration program with an average of 94.25%! The Scholarship enables him to attend the hallowed Oxford University in England.

Football: A victory in the AUS Loney Bowl was the highlight of the year, buoyed by Kaion Julien Grant, a potential top ten pick in the CFL draft which is happening on May 2. Fourth year Jordan Socholotiuk was the only back in U Sports to rush for 1000 yards. The season ended with a 63- 0 loss in the National Semifinal to the eventual champions Laval Rouge et Or.

X-Women Rugby: Running out of superlatives to describe this team, as it was another dominating year. The team wrapped up its sixth U Sports National Championship, winning against the Guelph Gryphons 41-24. Prop Joanna Alphonso was the catalyst for the team, as she was honoured with Female Athlete of the Year at StFX’s Athletic Banquet this past weekend. They also won their 20th AUS championship, when they defeated vaunted rivals Acadia handily by a score of 31-7.

Cross-Country: In the first year of Eric Gillis’s tenure as head coach of the Cross-Country program, both teams finished 12th at the National Championship in Kingston, Ontario. Rachel MacDougall was the first of the X-Women to cross the line, 55th overall.

The highlight of the year on the women’s side was the first place showing at the Moncton Invitational in October. They had six of the top 11 places. They also came second in the AUS championships in another fantastic team performance with four athletes in the top 10.

The men took home the AUS banner, with Angus Rawling winning his second straight gold medal. Alex Nueffer won bronze and Paul Maclellan was hot on his heels, finishing fourth. Rawling was also honoured with AUS male cross-country athlete of the year. The team also had a podium sweep at the Moncton Invitational with Rawling, Nueffer and Maclellan finishing one-two-three respectively.

Basketball: It was a year of intrigue for both basketball teams, as the men finished 7-13 on the year, and was able to claim the last playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. However, they were dispatched by Cape Breton in the AUS quarterfinals by a score of 89-66. After the year, it was reported that former X-Men player Tyrell Vernon will be taking over the head coach position in two years from Steve Konchalski, ending his mammoth tenure at the program.

On the women’s side, it was a disappointing first year for Head Coach Lee Anna Osei, as the team went 0-20. She was controversially suspended for the tail-end of the season after a report came out that showed bruising on a player’s arms after a ‘disciplinary measure’ during practice. She will resume head coach duties next year and will be helped by Vernon, who will be acting as an associate coach for the next two years on both basketball teams.

Track and Field: The teams had 11 athletes compete at nationals in Winnipeg. Prior to that, the women finished second at the AUS championships and the men placed third.

Throughout the season, a plethora of school records was also broken: Fifth-year Tim Brennan set a new 600m record with a time of 1:20.05. Angus Rawling followed up his successful cross-country season with a record in the 3000m of 8.03.34. This broke his own record that he set last season. Kirishnia Cooper took the record of triple jump with 13.14m. Relay teams in the 4x200 and 400 also set new records, and those teams featured Brennan, Adrian Kinney, Eric Sutton and Brad Barclay.

For the women, Jane Hergett took the 600m record at 1.33.96. The 4x800m relay team of Zoe Johnston, Paige Chisholm, Aidan MacDonald and Hana Marmura ran a time of 9.29.31 to set a new record.

Hockey: After a great regular season, the X-Women’s season came to an emotional end in the AUS finals, as they lost the final game of the best of three series 2-1 to the St. Thomas Tommies. Star Defender Lindsey Donovan was honoured with a selection on the All Canadian U Sports First Team. Gearing up for next season the team also announced the additions of two assistant coaches and locals to Antigonish: Trevor MacIssac and Bryan Smith.

It was a rollercoaster of epic proportions for the men’s team. In the final month of the regular season, a massive brawl-- provoked by a player on Acadia -- dominated the headlines. 

The team had to deal with suspensions and tough injuries heading into the posteasosn. Luckily, they got hot at the right time and were able to come away with a bronze medal at the U Sports Championship, dispatching the Saskatchewan Huskies 5-1. 

Athletic Banquet Honours Outstanding Achievements

Joanna Alphonso & Kaion Julien-Grant named StFX student-athletes of the year

On the evening of Thursday, April 4, members of the StFX Athletics community were honoured as guests to the annual athletic banquet. The banquet is held each year to celebrate and honour the accomplishments of the StFX athletic department. This includes the accomplishments of not only athletes, but also coaches and staff including athletic therapists and managers.

The banquet was held the the Charles V. Keating Memorial Centre, where guests took part in a cocktail hour, a nutritious dinner (chicken with the sauce), a number of entertaining sketches by the hosts, and compelling speeches by many highly regarded members of the community.

To begin the athletic banquet ceremony was an amusing video featuring the two hosts, Joanna Alphonso of X-Women Rugby and Albert Banahene of X-Men Football. In the video, the hosts parodied a bunch of popular late night game segments, such as Cash Cab, Carpool Karaoke, and Spill your Guts or Fill your Guts. The contestants of the games were noteworthy athletes and familiar faces to the StFX sports community.

After the video, Alphonso and Banahene proceeded to the stage to introduce themselves, crack some jokes and lead guests through the night ahead. The funniest of jokes was when Alphonso announced that the football and rugby teams would be hitting the buffet first, only to psych the teams out and have them go last for the sake of having enough food for everyone else.

All rookies to have used their first year of eligibility were each given a pin to recognize their new achievement. These pins also serve as a rite of passage for these rookies as new members to StFX athletics.

Afterwards, teams whose accolades included winning an AUS banner were honoured. Countless Wooden Trophies each carved in the shape of “X,” were distributed to every winner of AUS in 2018-2019. This included the massive football team, X-Men Cross Country, and X-Women Rugby.

X-Women Rugby members were not only honoured with the classic wooden trophies, but were also finally given their National Championship rings. Early in the academic year, the women clinched gold at the 2018 U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championships. Members were finally given their flashy rings to celebrate this incredible accomplishment. The rings featured a large centered blue X, and engravings of the game’s final score (41-24 against Guelph Gryphons), players’ last name, StFX Rugby, and lastly, the team’s motto going into the tournament, “Kill the Bird.”

There was also a large volume of awards granted to many well deserving and hard working members of StFX athletics. Of the various awards were StFX Female Student-Athlete of the year, StFX Male Student-Athlete of the year, StFX Female Community X-Cellence award, and the StFX Male Community X-Cellence award. The winners of these awards were Joanna Alphonso herself, X-Men Football receiver Kaion Julien-Grant, X-Women Soccer player Kelsey Ellis, and Track & Field athlete Riley Jennings respectively.

Alphonso was named the StFX Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She is in her first year of education and her fifth year of eligibility. Throughout her time as prop on the StFX Rugby team, Alphonso was an exemplary leader, dedicated teammate, and hard worker. From Ajax, Ontario, Alphonso was an AUS All Star for all five years of her career. She has also been an U SPORTS All-Canadian for four straight years. As X-Women Rugby brought home its sixth national championship banner, Alphonso brought home her third. Alphonso achieved U SPORTS All-Star status this year for her second time, and she is the sixth overall highest scorer in AUS Women’s Rugby history. This placement is behind four StFX rugby alumni, including Olympian Ghislaine Landry, Courtnay Malcolm, Magali Harvey, and Sabrina McDaid.

Photo: goxgo.ca/general/2018-19/releases/20190404nhyu5t

X-Men football receiver Julien-Grant received StFX Male Student-Athlete of the Year honors. Julien-Grant is a fourth year human kinetics student. Reigning from Toronto, Ontario, he is one of StFX’s most highly recognized receivers of all time. Julien-Grant led the AUS conference with 49 receptions this season, yielding an average of 6.1 receptions per game. His receiving yards came to a total of 638, and had five receiving touchdowns this year. Julien Grant has been they key cog in X-Men Football’s three AUS wins in the last four years. He has been honoured as AUS conference MVP and a conference all-star as both receiver and kick returner. Not only that, he also claimed U SPORTS first team all-Canadian honours for his third year in both offense and special teams. Julien Grant is the StFX Football leader in all-purpose yards with 4,563, which puts him at sixth from the top in the AUS.

Photo: goxgo.ca/general/2018-19/releases/20190404nhyu5t

The StFX Female Community X-Cellence award was awarded to Kelsey Ellis of X-Women soccer. Ellis is a fourth year human kinetics student from Ottawa, Ontario. Ellis has a remarkable array of accomplishments that made her an excellent candidate for this award. She was co-president of the StFX chapter of Obesity Canada, volunteer at L’Arche Antigonish, volunteer at StFX Fit 4 Life, volunteer at St. Martha’s hospital, coaching young boys soccer, and assisted with the Motor Activities at X program. While taking on these roles, Ellis championed the “OneTeam” initiative, a program for varsity athletes to work with local athletes with disabilities and promote peer mentorship. As an assistant at the Motor Activated at X program, she provided programming for an adult with lower neuron disease. On top of all these responsibilities and commitments, Ellis was able to remain a U SPORTS academic All-Canadian for her three years of study, and be honoured as a U SPORTS second team all-Canadian and an AUS first team all-star.

Riley Jennings from X-Men track & field was the winner of the StFX Male Community X-Cellence award. Classmate to both Ellis and Julien-Grant, Jennings is also a fourth year human kinetics student. He is in his third year of eligibility as a thrower for StFX track & field. From Debert, Nova Scotia, Jennings has involved himself in an impressive and commendable amount of activities in the community. Like Ellis, Jennings also volunteered with the Motor Activities at X program. He also contributed to the Autism learn to skate/swim program, and volunteers at StFX Fit 4 Life and Fit 4 Tots. He also coached throwing to local high school athletes within the community, was facilitator for the Antigonish Multisport program and assisted with the creation of the inclusive sledge hockey program at StFX. In track & field, Jennings won silver at AUS championships and set a new StFX record. He placed fifth at the AUS championship in shot put. Jennings is recognized as a Leader of Distinction by the StFX Leadership academy.

In addition to athletic awards, student therapists, strength & conditioning interns, and student managers for all teams were presented with plaques to show appreciation for their contributions this successful 2018-2019 season. The hope is that 2019-20 will be filled with even more banners!

Massive Success at Relay for Life

Students reflect on a night of remembrance, hope, and community

On March 15, members of StFX and its surrounding communities gathered for a night of hope, support, and celebration of life. Relay for Life had taken over the Oland Centre and hosted hundreds of participants all working towards an excellent cause; bring awareness to the effect’s cancer has on the lives of Canadians.

An international event, Relay for Life has been the Canadian Cancer Society’s primary fundraising event for 20 years. Typically, at Relay, you will find participants walking around a designated track for the entirety of the night. At least one member of each team must be walking the track at all times. This symbolizes how in more ways than one, we are all affected by cancer in our lifetime.

Relay for Life throughout the years has successfully conveyed across the world the idea that no battle should be faced alone. Wherever you are and whoever you are, by participating in Relay for Life you are following in the footsteps of thousands of others who have walked them before. Relay for Life is a key player in bringing change to the future of cancer research and awareness.

StFX’s Relay for Life was organized this year by students Hannah Greene and Elizabeth Talbot. Elizabeth can also be noted as the top participant of the event, who brought more than one thousand dollars of donations to the event. Another noteworthy contributor to the event was the team “Kids Against Cancer.” This team brought in an incredible $2,208.65 to 2019’s Relay for Life event. These kids shared a heartfelt speech at the beginning of the event and showed tremendous amounts of poise, courage, and wisdom. 

A number of participants had many positive comments to make about this year’s event, including third year finance student, Clare Ross. “I think the success of the night was based on the people that came out to the event and all had someone they were thinking about! It’s so important to notice that every luminary that lined the track was for someone that is battling cancer or someone that lost the battle!” Clare, who has volunteered at the event for her three years at StFX, continued to explain the importance of uniting as a community for a good purpose. “In theory it’s sad but at the end of it all we’re all coming together to take a step towards decreasing the amount of individuals losing their own battle!”

“Relay went really well this year and we reached our goal as a school. Personally, Relay means a lot to me because it’s a time to honour the memory of my grandfather and my uncle who both passed away from cancer. This year especially meant a lot because my boyfriend Lucas cut his hair in honour of my uncle,” Said Reed Wigglesworth, a fourth year marketing student. “In my first year after I did Relay, Lucas told me that was his plan and it seemed so far away. For it to finally come about and happen feels surreal really.”

Reed’s boyfriend, Lucas Restrepo, cut and donated over one foot of his hair. “I always get very emotional at Relay but this year it was amazing to have Lucas with me and a team of amazing friends. It’s such an important event and I’m so proud that StFX hosts it on campus.”

Other members of Reed’s team cared to comment further about the experience. “This was the first year I had participated in Relay for Life at StFX and I was blown away by how many people were there, how much money was raised, and the overall enthusiasm that lasted the entire event!” said Claire Keenan, fourth year forensic psychology student. “It was evident that this event was close to many hearts and the luminary ceremony was very touching to witness. Another highlight was seeing just how many people were willing to donate their hair, and even go so far as to shave their heads, all in the name of raising money for cancer research!”

Another volunteer at this year’s Relay for Life was Sam Bardwell, as third year science student. She began by explaining the event’s importance to her. “Relay for Life is an event that is very important to me and always has been. I think everyone has been impacted by cancer in some way or another, so I know this is an event meaningful to so many more people than just me.” She echoed Claire Keenan’s sentiments regarding the success of the night. “It was amazing to see so many people from StFX come out to show their support. We had about 250 participants and ended up raising over $31,000! We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout and I know the rest of the committee is equally as proud of what was                         accomplished.”

Chase Marchand Signs ECHL Professional Contract

X-Men hockey goaltender to play with the Indy Fuel of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)

StFX X-Men hockey goaltender Chase Marchand has signed a professional contract with the Indy Fuel of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). The Fuel play out of the Central Division in the ECHL’s Western Conference and are based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are the affiliate team to the Chicago Blackhawks and AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

X-Men head coach Brad Peddle commented, “We are very happy for Chase, he is a tremendous player and was a big part of our program’s success during his past three years. He was extremely dedicated and worked very hard over his time here to establish himself as one the top goaltenders in the nation. He is very deserving of this opportunity and we wish him the absolute best in his professional hockey pursuit.”

A native of Halifax, NS, Marchand posted a record of 34-23-0 in 60 regular season games over the past three years with the X-Men, including a career 2.67 goals against average and .916 save percentage. He was a key part of the 2017 AUS champion X-Men squad and earned AUS all-rookie team honours in that his first season.

Marchand was a two-time AUS first team all-star in 2017 and 2018, enjoying his most successful season in 2018 when he was named AUS most valuable player, U SPORTS first team all-Canadian, and was honoured as the U SPORTS goaltender of the year. AUS finalists the past two seasons, Marchand helped backstop the X-Men to a U SPORTS silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal just last week at the University Cup championship. 

Marchand previously garnered attention when he attended the Chicago Blackhawks development camp in July, 2018. He will join the Indy Fuel squad who currently have a 32-30-2-2 record in fourth place in the ECHL’s Central Division.

Mount Everest Base Camp Expedition

Alumnus of ‘94 is raising scholarship funds for African students

Joseph Odhiambo is a StFX alumnus who is a former Senior Class President and member of 1993 StFX University Basketball team that won a national championship was    inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008. Odhiambo also led efforts to fund and nominate Agnes McLennan as the first honorary recipient of an X-ring, based on their meeting during summer classes at StFX when McLennan returned to complete her studies in her late 60s.

Odhiambo will lead an expedition to the Mount Everest Base Camp Expedition to raise awareness and $5 000 in scholarship funds for secondary and post-secondary students in the Mathere slum of Nairobi, Kenya through the Canada-Mathare Education Trust (CMETrust), a registered Canadian charity.

Mathare is one of the largest slums in Africa and residents lack access to basic necessities such as water, electricity, roads, and waste disposal. Unemployment and precarious employment is common, with the result that most families struggle to meet their basic needs.

Education is a key step in addressing these challenges. However, in Kenya, education is not free after the primary level and many families cannot afford to send their children to secondary school due to high tuition fees and the cost of uniforms, textbooks, school supplies, and transportation.

CMETrust scholarships   cover the annual costs of secondary education and are renewed annually based on progress reports. In addition, CMETrust provides support to graduates who achieve high enough marks on their school leaving exams to obtain direct entry to a university in Kenya, helping them to pursue post-secondary studies.

Odhiambo was also born in Nairobi, and he has always been grateful for the opportunities that Canada provided for his family since immigrating in the 1970s. The purpose for this trip is to support, in some small way, Kenyan children and youth who are trying to build better lives under difficult     conditions.

The expedition is a hike at elevations ranging from 9 318 feet to a maximum of 18 192 feet. As a sub-objective, the expedition will is also to draw attention to the accumulation of waste and garbage that has built up on the trail leading to the base camp and summit by participating in efforts to remove the build-up of non-recyclable and recyclable products that has accumulated annually since the 1990s.

For additional information, please see: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/mount-everest-base-camp-expedition-for-the-cmetrus/

A Celebration of Women in Sport and Wellness

Many changes made to traditional Homecoming schedule

While students and faculty are beginning to frantically wrap up the academic year, there is already a number of community members and alumni managing details of Homecoming 2019, taking place this following fall semester.

While Homecoming is always jam packed with celebrations, this year’s festivities will have a number of noteworthy milestones to commemorate in both health and athletics. This includes the 50-year anniversary since Mount Saint Bernard Athletics’ merged with StFX Athletics, and the 25-year anniversary of the Wellspring being established.

The celebration of these milestones is also a wonderful opportunity to recognize the immeasurable contributions of strong women to StFX University itself. Mount Saint Bernard College, the Sisters of St. Martha, and every woman to pave a path for those after are worth thanking and commending and there would be no better time to do so than StFX Homecoming.

Mount Saint Bernard College was founded in 1883 and provided post secondary education for young women. At the time, StFX college was an all male post secondary institution. The two schools were closely affiliated and by the early twentieth century, both young men and women were taking classes together under the chaperoning of nuns. It wasn’t until 1969 that the female athletes of Mount Saint Bernard could compete in varsity athletics under the StFX umbrella.

The advancing academic year will mark the 50 year anniversary of female varsity athletics at StFX. This highlight will be greatly celebrated at Homecoming 2019, as well the countless accolades achieved by the X-Women over the previous five decades.

For the purpose of celebrating the contributions and legacies of female athletes and leaders at StFX past and present, the customary Homecoming schedule will be adjusted solely for 2019.

The Saturday afternoon game at Oland Stadium, classically showcasing the X-Men football team, will be replaced by an X-Women Rugby game. The 2018 USPORTS national champions will face Acadia at 3pm on October 5. This is one of the most noteworthy changes, as this will be the first time a female varsity team has been showcased in the main athletic event on StFX’s Homecoming weekend. The football team will instead be playing on Friday, October 4 under the lights against Bishop’s University.

StFX and X-Women Alumni, Alyssa MacDonald was ecstatic about the news on scheduling. “Honestly, this is a huge milestone not only for women’s varsity athletics but USPORTS history in general! I’m always a proud alumnus, but I’m a little extra proud today. I’m so pumped to watch this game.”

Another commemoration being made at this year’s Homecoming will be granted to the deserving Wellspring; a safe place established by the Sisters of St. Martha to serve the Xaverian community. Located on the second floor of Morrison Hall and found next door to Mini Moe’s, the Wellspring has provided community members a wonderful haven to recharge.

The Wellspring has been a massive contributor to the general well-being and health on the StFX campus, and the strong women of St. Martha’s are the ones to thank. Whether its yoga, or a quiet space, the Wellspring has a way of promoting health around the community. On Friday, October 4, there will be a Wellspring open house from 2-4pm. This will provide a chance for guests to get a close look into the work the Wellspring does and the help it provides.

Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Welcome to “Dorkapalooza!”

Over the first weekend of March, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) in Boston, Massachusetts. SSAC brings out all the best sport analytic companies, along with students and a plethora of esteemed individuals within the sports industry. A total of 3500 attended and it included 69 panels, six workshops and a live podcast  studio.

The first day kicked off with a panel on soccer analytics. Specifically, the speakers touched on the drastic differences between the American and European models of soccer. FC Barcelona Football School Technical Director Isaac Gutierrez mentioned that currently “American soccer is developed like the other sports in the USA, like football and basketball. This is not the right way to develop players, as Europeans schools teach systems from a young age.”

My personal favorite panel followed the soccer one. This one was on unicorn hunting. No, not the mythical being, but a mythlike basketball player. The term was coined after 7’3 forward Kristaps Porzingis was drafted. He provides an intriguing blend of three-point shooting and shot blocking ability, something virtually impossible with his size in prior eras. The panelists included former Celtic Paul Pierce, ESPN writer Zach Lowe, assistant Celtics GM Mike Zarren and Golden State Warriors Bob Myers. Myers coined a unicorn as “the highest level of rarity for a basketball player. Someone who stretches the limit of reality.” Shaquille O’Neal was brought up, in the pondering of if he was in today’s era of basketball, would he be as successful? The overwhelming answer was yes. Myers told a funny story about one day taking a client out for dinner the night of a game in which that player would be guarding Shaq. The player ordered an alcoholic drink, much to the surprise of Myers. “Haven’t you got a game tonight?” He asked. The player responded “I am up against Shaq man” as he shook his head. His utter brutality was another kind of unicorn, as most agreed that they would never see another player like him again.

Photo: Instagram @rachel_nichols

Meek Mill along with 76ers Co-Owner and founder of Fanatics Michael Rubin sat down with ESPN host Rachel Nichols for a passionate conversation about prison reform. Mill spoke about his time within the criminal justice system and the need for its reformation. Rubin struck up an unlikely friendship with the rapper and was completely baffled by the treatment of individuals like Mill within the criminal system. They co-founded the REFORM Alliance, aimed at changing laws and policies. Rubin spoke candidly about his privilege, and utter disbelief on the criminal justice system now. Mill has been in the system for approximately half of his life, and he still has five more years to go for probation. The main way for this reform to take place was probation and simplifying the rules for it across all states. Right now, states like Pennsylvania have no limit to the amount of probation years that can be given. This can be crippling to people, especially those with limited financial means.

Later on in the day, the technical director for FIFA provided a case study on the utilization of compact defending, and its success within the World Cup that occurred last year. It seemed to show a new trend in soccer, where every team bunched up their defense, leaving a large amount of open space wide, but greatly reducing the ability for offensive players to cut inside, where there would be a higher percentage of goals potentially scored. It was an intriguing study, and one that was made possible with the dearth of statistics available from FIFA.

I then attended a discussion on the new team LAFC, and how its unique brand identity enabled them to create a phenomenal product in only its first year in the MLS.

I also was fascinated by the plethora of research papers that were on hand, including one that created a mathematical equation to value NBA draft picks and the protections that they come with.

Photo: Bowen Assman

The most popular panel of the weekend was a one-on-one with Commissioner Adam Silver and The Ringer founder Bill Simmons. The main talking points that was taken from the chat was the realization from Silver about the age of anxiety that all players live in. Despite the million dollars and all that it comes with, lies a very real mental health problem, mainly entrenched by mobile phones and social media. It was important that Silver addressed this, and he too said he goes to sleep most nights anxious and fretting about microscopic decisions that had happened throughout his day.

Day two was just as jam packed (shout out to 5-hour energy and the free coffee for keeping me awake!).

Malcolm Gladwell (author of 10 000 hours) sat down for a chat with David Epstein to discuss Epstein’s new book, called Range. Range focuses on the overvaluation of specialization, and the need for more generalists within society, as they have a higher chance of becoming more successful. Specifically, they talked about the Tiger Woods/Roger Federer dichotomy. Both are arguably the greatest players in their sport, but they each were trained drastically different at a young age. Woods began swinging a club at one and was primed to become a golf player before he could even speak. Federer, on the other hand, played soccer, badminton, basketball. It was only when he was in his mid-teens when he began specializing. Federer cited the reason for his great hand-eye coordination had to do with the myriad sports he participated in growing up. After Gladwell posited the question of why  Woods’ story is more enticing to people, Epstein believed that it was because of our obsession with precocity. For example, parents love to boast about their children’s early achievements. Having one read or be potty trained by a certain age brings about pride from the parents. However, these are closed skills, which would be attained regardless in your upbringing. Instead, Epstein believes in letting your child play as many sports as possible, so to have refined skills in various activities.

In the final panel of the weekend, author of Moneyball Michael Lewis spoke with Washington State head football coach Mike Leach. Leach has been called the most interesting man in football. It was a hilarious hour listening to Leach riff on his obsession with pirates, to literally bringing on a student from the stands to kick field goals for his team.

Photo: Bowen Assman

Many of the panels are available to be watched on the YouTube channel 42 Analytics.

Personally, Lowe gave some advice on distinguishing between podcasting and writing. “Writing is better, just because podcasting takes more infrastructure,” Lowe said. He also mentioned the importance to have an established presence before podcasting, “so people can trust you and know your voice.”

A main theme surrounding all panels had to do with the utilization of data. Since we are in a golden technology age, information is at our fingertips 24/7. As a result, we need to get the ‘why’ from the data and understand its importance. If one can do that, then as panelist and former MLB player Chris Capuano said, “with analytics, an average player can become so much better.”

I would recommend anyone who is interested in sports, analytics, numbers, or even just panels, to sign up for next years event. You get a large discount if you are a student, and it comes with perks, such as a integrated job board that provides employers with information on all delegates who attend. It is my hope that I will return soon to SSAC—not as a student, but as a professional!

Happy Nutrition Month!

A note from your sport nutrition interns

March is nationally recognized as Nutrition Month across Canada. Nutrition Month is a celebration of food and nutrition as well as celebrating dieticians and nutritional health professionals. As the only regulated nutrition professionals in Canada, Registered Dietitians are responsible for providing relevant, reliable and evidenced-based nutrition information. As the 2019 dietetic interns on campus, we are celebrating the impact health and nutrition has on our lives all month long with various events across campus and social media challenges.

This year’s theme for Nutrition Month is “Unlock the Potential of Food.” This theme allows us to embrace the role food plays in our lives and how we can utilize it in many different ways. There are five topics covered under this theme: the potential to fuel, potential to discover, potential to prevent, potential to heal, and potential to bring us together. These topics show the many different ways we can use food to enhance our lives, bodies and minds. We are posting each day on our social media, covering these topics more in depth. Check out our Facebook (StFX Student Athlete Nutrition) and Instagram (@stfxsportnutrition) to see our posts!

As the dietetic interns on campus this semester, we are taking on the role of promoting nutrition and health throughout March. We have a number of events and activities going on throughout the month that we hope brings people together in the celebration. We will be setting up booths in the Wellness Centre and Bloomfield, offering free snacks, fun activities and discussing more about the nutrition program on campus! We also have a number of giveaways planned, so please drop by and partake for a chance to win a prize. We are challenging students to use social media as an outlet to post photos of them “unlocking the potential of food” and hash-tagging #nutritionmonthatx.

Dietitians help Canadians unlock the potential of food to enhance lives, improve health, inspire children, fuel activities and bring people together. Wondering about the nutrition profession and how you can get involved? To become a Registered Dietitian in Canada you must complete an undergraduate degree in human nutrition and dietetics from a university program that has been accredited by the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP). In addition to this, dietitians must also obtain supervised practical experience. From here you must successfully complete the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam (CDRE).

The food and nutrition field is a wonderful career choice considering the ever-changing information and importance it plays in our society. With false information being promoted every day through media outlets as the most “credible advice”, we need Registered Dietitians in the field more than ever to help regulate what the public interprets as true. Many of the fad diet trends that are promoted to the public are not backed up with scientific evidence and could be harmful in the long run. This is why Registered Dietitians want to promote a healthy lifestyle, with room for enjoyment and new food experiences. Health is all encompassing, and we are here to help individuals and populations reach that.

It is important to keep in mind that everyone’s experience with food is different. There are countless factors that impact a person’s ability to access food, and how they are able to prepare and handle the food they have. 

During Nutrition Month we also want to bring attention to the fact that nutrition does not solely represent eating nutritionally. The social determinants of health play a large role in the ability for individuals to access healthy, safe, and affordable food. It is important as health professionals that we are not ignorant to this, and work with individuals and communities to receive better access to help achieve the main goal of health.

We hope to see you around campus and encourage you to join us in promoting Nutrition Month! Stay tuned on our social media to keep up to date with events going on in the coming weeks.