Nauman Farooqi stands outside his office at Margaret Norrie McCain Hall. (Polina Kozlova/AQ) Nauman Farooqi, president and vice-chancellor of St. Thomas University, said that the province’s latest budget will put continued pressure on universities, even without an immediate reduction in funding. “It’s a zero per cent increase, but effectively it is a cut because it’s not keeping pace with inflation,” he said, following the release of the 2026–27 provincial budget. The gover

With good organization and attention to detail, Japanese students delivered a cultural event at James Dunn Hall. (Credit: Sabrina Zabatiero). On March 13, students Aiko Kiribuchi, Mebae Yamamoto, Haruto Sawada and Yuki Umakakeba, along with other Japanese exchange students, hosted Roll & Sip, an event that invited people to make their own temaki, prepare matcha and learn the Japanese art of origami. The event attracted both students and community members curious about Japane

Colby Leblanc is the incoming STUSU president for the 2026-27 academic year. (Credit: STU Communications) The St. Thomas University Students’ Union held its annual general election on March 9 and March 10. Fifteen candidates ran in total, a number chief returning officer Thomas Hamilton described as “on the higher end” compared to previous years. Colby Leblanc won the race for president, defeating fellow candidate Gabriel Prah. Leblanc, a human rights student and current at-

The Student Research and Ideas Fair provides a space for students to share independent research and engage with the academic community. (Credit: STU Communications) Students and faculty gathered in Brian Mulroney Hall at St. Thomas University on March 13 for the 22nd annual Student Research and Ideas Fair to present students’ findings and research over the academic year. Some students made formal presentations in classrooms, while others opted for making poster presentation

The band Bar Italia, from left to right, Sam Fenton, Nina Cristante and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi. (Credit: Pinterest) Bar Italia is my newest obsession. All three members of the band sing, but not in an acapella sort of way. Instead, they combine their sections of vocals to make something hypnotic. The trio is from London, England and it is evident in their music. This band sounds like The Cure if they were born 40 years later and had two more elite singers. The three vocalists

From left to right, Director Vienna Martin, Ollie MacLeod as Kristen, Martina Chaffey as Aunt Beth, Finn Forand as Megan, Sidney St. Amand as Charlie, playwright James Lockyer and Aidan Steeves as Scott. (Submitted by James Lockyer) Of the many challenges that young transgender people face, communicating their gender identity to family members with limited understanding is a fairly common one. Year End Reflections, originally presented at Braver Stages Festival, is a poigna

Spring is around the corner and university students are enthusiastic about a new season. (Jennifer William/AQ) This is a collection of journal entries that students at St. Thomas University wrote for their advanced writing course with Philip Lee, journalism professor at STU. “People lean against the wall outside of O’Hickeys, smoke drifting from their lips, eyes closed, face lifted. They look like they’ve just transported to August, the warmth of the sun on skin, even if t

Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City showcasing the feeling every student has gone through. (Credit: Pinterest) The time is approaching, the gunshot has been fired and the line has been crossed. Runners have begun the home stretch for their four-year-hundred-yard dash and are now approaching the finish line. Graduations are monumental moments, from middle school to high school and now, university. These moments become figments of a single day, representing years of har

Harry Styles newest album Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally . (Credit: Pinterest) After three years away from the spotlight, Harry Styles returns with his fourth studio album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. Not only representing his comeback, but also a reinvention, personally and artistically. Styles stepped back from music and disappeared from the public eye after his “Love On Tour” in 2023. During this time, we could see he was engaging in the most rand

Student union leaders across New Brunswick gather at a protest outside the legislature in Fredericton, N.B. (Polina Kozlova/AQ) Approximately 400 students, faculty members and community supporters gathered outside the New Brunswick legislature on March 17 to protest proposed cuts to post-secondary education as the provincial government presented its budget. Finance Minister René Legacy presented the 2026-2027 provincial budget at 1:00 p.m., announcing that the government will

Two Beyblades spin and duel in their plastic arena at St. Thomas University. (Brianna Lyttle/AQ) Following their success in Moncton, Beyblade Atlantic recently brought the Capital Spark Beyblade X tournament to Fredericton, which took place in St. Thomas University’s (STU) Margaret Norrie McCain Hall on March 7. Beyblade, based on an ongoing manga and several anime series of the same name, is a game involving spinning tops called Beys competing in a small stadium to knock the

Timothée Chal amet and Matthew McConaughey during their reunion discussion at the University of Texas. (Credit: People Magazine) In a conversation with Matthew McConaughey for a Variety and CNN Town Hall event, Timothée Chalamet described the experience of trying to encourage people to go to movie theatres and keep the industry alive while discussing the growing demand for fast-paced media in an age of declining attention spans. This led to a now-infamous quote, with Chalam

(left to right) Christian Cunningham, NBCC representative; Wilson Paluch, Mount Allison University representative; Kierra MacAlpine, University of New Brunswick representative; N.B. Premier Susan Holt; Ana Lucia Pavon, St. Thomas University representative; Connor Stevens, University of New Brunswick Saint John representative; and Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour Jean Claud D'Amours. On March 10, student leaders from student unions around New Brunswic

Jenica Atwin, left, and Steve Hicks are both running to be Fredericton’s next mayor. (Credit: Facebook) With incumbent mayor Kate Rogers opting not to seek re-election, the upcoming municipal election in Fredericton has become a competitive two-person race between former federal MP Jenica Atwin and longtime city councillor Steve Hicks. Their contrasting backgrounds and priorities have energized residents, setting the stage for a race that many see as a turning point for the c

Canadian player Bo Naylor swings at a pitch during the quarterfinal against the USA. (Credit: Mary DeCicco/Getty Images) Team Canada’s furthest-ever run in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) came to an end Friday night in Houston. The team lost 5-3 against the Americans in their quarterfinal matchup. Canada earned their spot after dominating their round-robin pool. They defeated Cuba in their last game, who will miss the tournament’s knockout round for the first time. USA’s s

You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. was released in Dec. of 1987 and is now one of the most influential albums in alternative rock. (Credit: Dinasaour Jr.) Dinosaur Jr’s sophomore album, You’re Living All Over Me, is a blend of genres ranging from hardcore punk to metal. The three-piece Massachusetts band released this album in 1987. It was well before its time and became impactful for alternative music as a whole. Every song on this album takes the different genres

The painting "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais depicts innocent death and overwhelming melancholia. (Credit: Pinterest) “Is it better to speak or to die?” I first heard this question when reading the tragedy, Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman. A novel that plays with the power of love, through the eyes of time, memory and reality. Whether you know the question or not, everyone has unknowingly asked and answered the question at different stages of their lives. As yo

Fredericton Express defenceman John Harty guides the puck up ice. (Credit: Tyler Farrer/Tyler Farrer Photography) The Fredericton Express are headed to the championship round of the Beausejour Senior Hockey League in their inaugural season. The team defeated the Elsipogtog Hawks 8-2 in game six of the semi-finals on March 14 at the Grant-Harvey Centre. The sold-out crowd was entertained throughout the game, cheering on their home team goal after goal. The first period began w

Attendees gathered at tables inside the Hanwell Community Centre ahead of sunset during Islamic Relief Canada’s Grand Community Iftar. (Credit: Zahra Rahmani) On March 7, the Islamic Relief Canada’s New Brunswick team hosted the largest community Iftar the Fredericton area has seen at the Hanwell Community Centre. Iftar is the meal Muslims eat at sunset to break their daily fast during Ramadan, often shared with family, friends and the wider community. “When the time came to

The New Brunswick Legislative Assembly building in Fredericton. MLAs questioned education officials during a public accounts committee hearing on Feb. 11. (Credit: Sundus Hyder) Opposition MLAs are questioning the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s claims of progress in student literacy, arguing that chronic absenteeism and unclear data continue to raise concerns about how students are actually performing in schools. At a public accounts c