News

<p>Update: On April 4 at around 8:00 a.m., a new ballot was released for the spring by-election where students could vote for STUSU vice-president administration along with the option for graduating students to vote for valedictorian. The valedictorian candidates were: David Eno and Patrice Cammarano, who ran in the spring general election for this position, [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Dear readers, It has been my great honour to tell your stories for the last year. I watched the students of this university celebrate their highest achievements and tackle some of the most profound issues. I listened to your anger and fear, but also your hope. Reporting on a community while being a part of [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Journalism is something I always knew was going to be a part of my life.  When I was in elementary school, I dreamed of travelling the world and writing about my adventures and the people I’d meet — not yet knowing there was an actual job for it.  My middle school years were spent buried [&hellip;]</p>

<p>I collapsed at my kitchen sink when I got the call of a lifetime. “We’d like to offer you the position of The Aquinian’s editor-in-chief for the 2022-23 school year,” said Hannah Rudderham, The Aquinian’s current EIC, no doubt with a cheery smile on her face. What a dream come true. I remember coming to [&hellip;]</p>

<p>If anyone ever tells you student journalism is easy, tell them to take it back. When I came to university, I was somewhat shy, timid and didn’t stand up for myself. I knew I wanted to be a journalist, but after years of being told that I was “too soft,” I was determined to toughen [&hellip;]</p>

<p>According to a press release on March 23, vice-president student life and valedictorian-elect Victoria Young resigned from both positions on March 22 in a letter to the St. Thomas University Students’ Union. “I came to this decision not easily and it&#8217;s not something that I wanted to do,” said Young in an interview. “I felt [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The University of New Brunswick Menstrual Health Society ordered 15 menstrual product dispensers to be placed in primarily gender-neutral bathrooms across campus. These dispensers will be free to students and the society has 55 volunteers who will ensure the dispensers are stocked throughout the year.  Caroline Stephen, a fifth-year University of New Brunswick student, was [&hellip;]</p>

<p>New Brunswickers said goodbye to masks, social distancing, limited gatherings and isolation on March 14. Brooklyn Hachey, a first-year St. Thomas University student, said masks and isolation should be required. She also thinks isolation should last longer than five days. &#8220;It is honestly an immature decision,&#8221; said Hachey. Hachey will still follow the regulations that [&hellip;]</p>

<p>A new tradition is coming to St. Thomas University’s convocation ceremony — the Kente Stole. The woven cloth originates from a tradition in Ghana, started by the pan-African movement. It was once worn by royalty, but now it is worn across the world by Black students graduating or celebrating other big accomplishments. The addition of [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Research &amp; Ideas Fair St. Thomas University president Dawn Russell was not in attendance of the March 17 Senate meeting, so Kim Fenwick, vice-president academic, read the announcements. On Friday, March 18, the Research &amp; Ideas Fair is being held in-person in Brian Mulroney Hall at 12:45 p.m. Cultural competency training Sydona Chandon, St. Thomas [&hellip;]</p>

<p>St. Thomas University announced Tuesday around 2:15 p.m. that it will hold an in-person spring convocation for the May 2022 graduating class. Dawn Russell, president and vice-chancellor of STU, wrote in an email to students the ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on May 17 at the Grant-Harvey Centre. She wrote it will follow [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The current executives of the St. Thomas University Students’ Union gathered on Zoom Friday evening to hear the results of the spring general election – two of whom were waiting to see if they were elected in their respective categories. Shortly after 6 p.m., Tyler Magee, current STUSU president, read out the results.  Alex Nguyen: [&hellip;]</p>

<p>On today&#8217;s episode of Top of the Hill Weekly, former Aquinian editor-in-chief and current CBC Ottawa journalist Joseph Tunney shares his experience covering the freedom convoy protests in the nation&#8217;s capital. Special thanks to Rebecca Dykeman for her contributions to this episode. You can read her story on Tunney here.</p>

<p>The St. Thomas University Students’ Union hosted debates for their executive positions on the students&#8217; union for the 2022-23 academic year over a two-day period from March 8 to 9. There are candidates running for president, vice-president student life and vice-president education. There is no one running for the position of vice-president administration. Voting takes [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The St. Thomas University Students’ Union hosted its valedictorian debate in advance of the spring election on March 10 and 11. The candidates debated their platforms and took questions from the audience Tuesday afternoon. Victoria Young is a fourth-year student from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was vice-president of the STU Debate Society in her first year [&hellip;]</p>

<p>&#8220;Ukraine’s freedom has not yet perished, nor has her glory.&#8221; The opening line of Ukraine’s national anthem serves as a reminder of the country’s history. For centuries, Ukraine has endured colonialism, genocide and oppressive regimes. That changed in 1991 when the Soviet Union crumbled and Ukraine embarked on its path towards independence, democracy and integration [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Three years ago, Carol Alvarez left her family in Ecuador to pursue her dreams of studying abroad. Her passion for helping others led her to involvement in community-oriented events and societies at St. Thomas University. Now in her third year, she is the recipient of the STU International Leadership Award for contributions to the Fredericton [&hellip;]</p>

<p>After Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” on Feb. 24 in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian students in Fredericton felt the impact as the invasion pressed on. Oleksandra Hunchyk, a third-year Ukrainian St. Thomas University student, was born and raised in Ukraine until the age of 14. Though her parents and brother are [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Months before graduation, I’m realizing my core university memories all happened before March 15, 2020. They include midterm studying in the Margaret Norrie McCain study hall and the spontaneous Thursday Cellar nights that would turn into S-Club ladies’ nights which would turn into coffee and breakfast with my friends in the morning before heading to [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The 2022 Lodhi Memorial Lecture featured John Borrows, the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous law at the University of Victoria. The lecture focused on Indigenous Peoples as legal agents revitalizing their laws and authorities. Borrows was contacted by Shannonbrooke Murphy, the endowed chair of human rights at St. Thomas University, around eight months before the [&hellip;]</p>