Saturday, August 30, 2025
Home Blog Page 15

Canadian teams skate to gold as Skate Canada International comes to Halifax

Hannah Schneider
-
0
Canadian teams skate to gold as Skate Canada International comes to Halifax

Several Canadian teams skated to gold at Skate Canada International, lighting up Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre with dynamic figure skating competition.

Athletes from 14 countries took to the ice from Oct. 25-27, hoping to skate their way to a spot in the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in France later this year. The Canadian leg of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating is the second of six qualifying events.

Medal-winning performances in pairs and ice dance earned Canada three podium finishes, but the Japanese and Americans dominated the men’s and women’s singles categories.

Dalhousie/King’s Figure Skating Club co-president Jaime Barrett said the event’s return to Halifax provided an opportunity to appreciate the sport as a fan, not just a skater.

“As a student, it’s hard to keep up with international skating,” said Barrett. “It was great to have an event so close to home with such high-level skating.”

Canadians bring home two medals in ice dance

Canadian ice dance sweethearts Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier led the way for Canada, claiming gold and finishing almost 15 points ahead of fellow Canadians Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who secured the silver. French ice dancers Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud took the bronze.

Gilles and Poirier delivered two strong performances on their way to securing gold, including a Barbie-themed rhythm dance.

Silver medalists Lajoie and Lagha delivered a strong free dance on Sunday, recovering from an uncharacteristic fall in the rhythm dance the day before.

“When it happened I was really pissed, but then after I regained focus again. What else can you do?” said Lagha.

Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps hang on to gold

Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada compete in the free program at Skate Canada International 2024 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S. on Oct. 26, 2024. (Image credit: Jenna Olsen)

Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps brought home another gold medal for Canada in the pairs discipline. The pair struggled in the free program, but managed to hang on to first place after a strong showing in the short program the day prior.

“We came here prepared. The performance was not indicative of how our training has been going,” said Stellato-Dudek. “We have to figure out why it happened at that moment.”

Ekaterina Geynish and Dmitrii Chigirev of Uzbekistan finished second to the Canadians, while Australians Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore claimed the bronze.

Japanese sweep the podium in women’s singles, Schizas in the top five

Reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto led the Japanese podium sweep in the women’s individual event.

Sakamoto set the bar high on Friday night, delivering a strong short program and claiming the top spot heading into Saturday’s free skate. Following a disappointing short program that left her in ninth place, Japanese skater Rino Matsuike stole the show on Saturday, delivering a beautiful free skate arranged by Canadian choreographer Lori Nichol. Matsuike placed first in the free skate segment, but Sakamoto’s 22-point lead over Matsuike in the short program was enough for her to hold onto first place, despite Sakamoto’s two falls in the free skate.

21-year-old Madeline Schizas led the Canadian women, finishing the weekend in fifth place. Despite missing the podium, Schizas said she was happy to deliver two strong skates.

“I’ve had some good skates in practice, but I’ve had such a hard time translating it to competition,” said Schizas. “I came in with a fiery attitude this weekend, and it really helped me to perform my best.”

Madeline Schizas of Canada competes in the free program at Skate Canada International 2024 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S. on Oct. 26, 2024. (Image credit: Jenna Olsen)

The women’s event also saw the return of the United States’ Alysa Liu to the International Skating Union’s grand prix circuit. Liu announced her return to competitive figure skating in March 2024, after retiring at the end of the 2021-22 season. Liu finished in sixth place but said she was happy with her programs, considering it is still early in the season.

“I’ll definitely take this, for sure,” said Liu. “I obviously just need more time for training, but I’m trusting the process, and I know it will be fine.”

Canadians struggle in men’s as “Quad god” Ilia Malinin strikes gold again

The Canadian men failed to crack the top half of the standings this weekend, pointing to Canada’s continued struggles in the men’s event. 

Canada’s top-ranked entrant, Roman Sadovsky, withdrew from Sunday’s free program for medical reasons after finishing last in the short program.

Coming off a win at Skate America the weekend prior, American skater Ilia Malinin cruised to the top of the podium finishing over 40 points ahead of the silver medalist, Japanese skater Shun Sato. Bronze medalist Junhwan Cha of Korea rounded out the men’s podium.

“Last weekend was the first big competition of the season, so it brought a little more pressure on me,” said Malinin. “Today was a lot easier when I stepped on the ice. I was really under my feet, and I was able to control everything in that program.”

Comfort foods: Macaroni, tomatoes and bacon

Bryce Goodyear
-
0
Comfort foods: Macaroni, tomatoes and bacon

As the temperature drops and Halifax settles comfortably into fall, I figured now would be the time to share a nice hearty comfort food. Reading week is coming up fast, along with finals and end-of-term assignments. Sometimes, we just need a warm savoury dish to ground us in the moment. There’s just something calming about a hot meal that makes even the busiest days feel just a little bit easier.

This meal comes from my childhood and was a staple weeknight meal. While I’m doing my best to avoid becoming a stereotypical sentimental online recipe blog, it’s also an easy and basic recipe that will not only fill you up, but will keep you coming back for more. I am providing the most basic iteration of the recipe, so feel free to add your own spices, vegetables or herbs to make it your own. Whether it’s a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, some chopped broccoli for colour and added nutrition or a bread crumb coating to add some texture, this week’s dish is extremely versatile and easily adaptable to your preferences.

Recipe ingredients

● 1⁄2 pack of uncooked bacon

● 1 (796 mL) can of diced tomatoes

● 1 (156 mL) can of tomato paste

● 2 1⁄2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles

● 2 cups cheese, grated

● Pinch of salt

Preparation instructions

  1. Boil the macaroni in salted water. 
  2. While the pasta is boiling, fry bacon over medium heat until fully cooked. Wrap the bacon in a paper towel to absorb grease. Save excess bacon grease in the pan.
  3. When the macaroni is finished cooking, strain and rinse with cold water. Combine the macaroni and tomato paste in a large casserole dish. Add diced tomatoes and mix evenly. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  4. Crumble the bacon into smaller chunks and mix into the pasta —  ensure that no bacon is visible for added flavour.
  5. Pour leftover bacon grease over pasta and sprinkle with cheese. Bake covered with tinfoil for 20 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
  6. Scoop a healthy amount into your bowl and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!

Shakespeare meets Scream at The Villains Theatre

Kimberly Gilson
-
0
Shakespeare meets Scream at The Villains Theatre

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what would happen if several of William Shakespeare’s leading women — including Desdemona, Juliet and Ophelia — found themselves in a slumber-party slasher with the demonic Queen Mab, The Villains Theatre’s latest production is one you won’t want to miss. William Shakespeare’s Playhouse of Horror, which ran at Park Place Theatre from Oct. 24-27, brought this eerie story to life, offering a dark twist on some of the Bard’s classics.

The 90-minute long collection of tragic-comedies brought viewers five tales of terror. The production was written and directed by Dan Bray and featured a cast and crew of over 20 members.

William Shakespeare’s Playhouse of Horror followed the resurrected corpse of William Shakespeare (Michael Kamras) as he unveiled his reimagined versions of beloved classics. Brought to life by quirky and charming characters, the witty tales contained laughs and easter eggs for pop culture, slasher and theatre lovers alike. From a Cast Away (2000) Ariel the coconut (Margaret Hild) to Miranda’s (Jessie Walker) chilling declaration that “a girl’s best friend is her father,” this production is full of twists, turns and tempests at every stage.

An absolute scream

This production was a pun-lover’s dream; every chance at a clever quip was seized, and the performers’ fast-paced deliveries were met with laughter that roared throughout the room. While not every joke landed — or was caught in time — the majority of the wordplay left cheeks sore.

During one scene, Juliet’s mother (played only by a disembodied voice; no actress credited) left money for her daughter (Katherine Norris) to buy pizza because Juliet is a star-crust lover. In another, Lady MacBeth (Sarah Richardson) shouted, “Out, damned Spot!” at an offstage dog. 

For the folks who couldn’t keep up with the pace of the puns, the cast’s physical comedy surely made up for it. From cartoon-style freeze frames in the middle of fights to the use of wands as melee weapons, the slapstick, prop-based quarreling made audience members grin.

The humour in this production is clearly a labour of love on behalf of the writer and the cast members, who fed into the audience’s reactions by encouraging the crowd to hype up a joke or boo a villain’s plans.

Minimal stages and maximum mayhem

The production incorporated a unique variety of versatile props. (Image credit: Kimberly Gilson)

Cast members shuffled, sprinted and strutted across the minimalist stage, allowing their physical skills to shine. Show attendees shared uneasy laughs as Annie Hatheway (Jessica Oliver) walked backwards across over two metres of the stage, staring intently ahead, showcasing a honed blend of horror and comedy. 

The props and set pieces were versatile, with different uses across the different tales and centring the action for certain scenes. A feather quill is used for salacious note-swapping in one scenario and terrifying tickles in the next. The same bed that was wildly small for a slumber party of three adults proves just big enough for an exorcism moments later.

Immersive sound design

Sound designer Colleen Arcturus MacIsaac truly outdid themselves in this production. The robust use of eerie knocks and calls from beyond the boarded-up backstage filled the room with laughter and fear. Within the close-quarters of the Park Place Theatre, the dark and immersive thundering of tempests and fairytale-like musical chimes felt straight out of Goblin’s Suspiria (1977) soundtrack.

To balance the scary atmosphere with lighthearted treats, horror themes were played for kitschy callbacks, leaving the whole room cackling while setting the sinister stage. A favourite moment of the audience’s came when Feste (Katherine Norris) played a frantic version of the Halloween (1978) main theme on a recorder as the tale “13th Night, or I Know What Thou Wilt Have Done Last Summer” began.

Lighting and lightning

Candles flickered before their light disappeared, crackles of lightning danced along the stage as the tempest raged on and darkness settled upon characters to accent their performances. The ambience created by lighting designer Orion Gokiert was spectacular and truly complimented Bray’s writing. Every choice felt intentional, including choices to not adjust the brightness of a scene. As the down-to-clown Sir Toby Belch (Daniel Nwobi) turned up a gaslight to soothe and court the be-spooked Maria (Zoë Comeau), the stage’s glow remained the same, allowing the audience to slowly realize the wordplay at hand.

After the standing ovation, the man in front of me exclaimed, “That’s the best thing I’ve seen all year. Definitely.” At the very least, it was a perfect Halloween treat. 
If you love Shakespeare, pop culture and supporting emerging and established artists in Halifax,  check out The Villains Theatre’s next production.

Six things to do over reading week in Halifax

Sally Skinner
-
0
Six things to do over reading week in Halifax

It’s always easy to tell when Dalhousie University students have their November reading week. The quad is empty, suitcases are rolling by and for students staying on campus, it feels like you’re doomed to a quiet week of burying your face in school work. 

But just because classes at Dal are on break, doesn’t mean life in Halifax has to be. Here are six things to do this reading week to cut loose from campus.

Blood on the Clocktower at The Board Room Game Cafe, Nov. 14

Not over Halloween just yet and looking for some spooky fun? Join a game of deception and strategy between good and evil at The Board Room Game Cafe. Get lost in the terror of the night as you and your team find clues, piece together accounts and use your skills to defend your town’s safety. For fans of whodunits and those who aren’t afraid to get silly and have some fun, this event is sure to be a great reading week activity. Tickets are available here.

Hal-Con, Nov. 8-10

An annual Halifax event, Hal-Con is Atlantic Canada’s biggest convention for sci-fi, fantasy and gaming lovers. Hal-Con is a multi-day event featuring panels of geek culture icons, cosplay contests and a vendor hall showcasing well-known and emerging artists alike. Standout guests this year include voice actress Jennifer Hale, comic creator Shannon Watters and the — always iconic — cast of the Trailer Park Boys. Full weekend passes have already sold out, but if you haven’t already snagged a ticket, there are still plenty available for other Hal-Con events.

Halifax Brewery Market 

Looking to explore downtown? Check out the Halifax Brewery Market on Lower Water Street, open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Featuring over 60 vendors, the Brewery Market has become a beloved, weekly event for local artisans and shoppers. Drop by to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables from Nova Scotian farmers, warm pastries from local bakers and art from Haligonian artists, all in one stop. More info about the market is available here.

Cirque Musica, Nov. 15

For those who like to get in the holiday spirit the moment Halloween is over, check out Cirque Musica’s Holiday Wonderland show, coming to Scotiabank Centre on Nov. 15. Cirque Musica is a traveling circus and live concert experience that promises to be a thrilling performance that will leave audiences in awe. The company’s Holiday Wonderland show describes itself as one of spirit and celebration, tied together by amazing performers and music. Tickets are now available on the Scotiabank Centre’s website.

Afterwords Literary Festival, Nov. 2-10

Afterwords Literary Festival is coming to various venues across Halifax this November, with the goal of bringing together Halifax’s writers and readers. Afterwords is a charity organization dedicated to equity in learning and literacy for all. The festival will feature over 50 Nova Scotian writers, authors and poets across various talks, workshops, panels and more. If you’re a bookworm or an aspiring writer, this event can’t be missed. Learn more about the festival and how to get tickets here.

Queer Magic, Nov. 17


Head over to the Bus Stop Theatre Co-operative to catch a free night of magic, queerness and comedy hosted by magician Bill Wood. The event is hosted by the Healthy Minds Co-op, a group that aims to create a supportive network for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in Halifax by hosting events that offer fun and respectful spaces. Wood uses his more than 25 years of experience as a magician to create a spectacle of joy, amazement and illusion. The event will also feature several other comedians as openers. Registration is available here.

Dalhousie University women’s soccer looks back on season

Ethan Hunt
-
0
Dalhousie University women’s soccer looks back on season

After being blanked 1-0 by Memorial University, the Dalhousie women’s soccer Atlantic University Sport (AUS) season has concluded, but hosting the U SPORTS Women’s Soccer Championship means the Tigers still have a shot at bringing home some hardware.

The Tigers’ AUS season concluded after Memorial’s Zoe Rowe, the second leading goalscorer in the league scored in the 58th minute. 

Despite the quarterfinal exit, head coach Cindy Tye doesn’t look back on the year as a failure. 

“Of course you always want to get the result,” Tye said. “But I think we grew as a group from beginning to end.”

Dalhousie finished fifth in a tight AUS where the third team in the league was only separated from the sixth-placed team by three points. The Tigers had three members named to AUS all-star teams, with Elise Evans being selected to the first team and Olivia Jack and Hannah Firstbrook being awarded with second team honours. Evans finished fifth in the league, scoring five goals, while teammate Taylor Heard wasn’t far away, ending the season with four goals.

Bounce back for nationals

Dalhousie is now in an unusual position where they must bounce back quickly from their quarterfinal loss, because from Nov. 7-10, the Tigers will be hosting nationals.

Evans recognizes the quick turnaround they have but wants to put the Memorial loss in the past. She has seen that throughout the season the team is able to handle the ups and downs of a university season.

“I think after that loss,” Evans said, “there’s the idea that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from our nationals experience.” 

The past can be an example for the Tigers heading into nationals as more recently the host of these events have had some surprising success. In men’s basketball, Dalhousie matches the story of Laval University who won the 2024 Men’s Basketball Final 8 after losing in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinal. Looking closer to home, the University of New Brunswick made it all the way to the final of the AUS men’s soccer championship as the host. 

Tye views hosting the 2024 U SPORTS Women’s Soccer Championship as an opportunity for an extension on their season and said her and the team have been using their time to study the other universities as they go through their respective playoffs.

2024 AUS season

The Tigers were forced into uncomfortable situations early in their season as head coach Tye missed the second half of their pre-season and an early section of their regular season.  This was because Tye was the head coach of the Canada’s women’s team in the U-20 Fifa World Cup. 

Evans credited the assistant coaches for being able to step up for the moment.

“It’s not that it was an issue,” Evans said “But it was definitely different.”

Dalhousie was able to make it work and after the month of September the team had a record of three wins, three losses and a tie. 

While the team had players like Evans who were returning for their upperclassmen seasons, Evans said the team was younger than previous seasons and credited players in their first or second year who were able to make a difference. 

The Tigers finished the season with a 5-4-3 record which set up the game against Memorial. Now that she has had a few days to reflect on the match, though she said the team needed to be better in their own box, Tye was proud of how her squad played. 

“Just felt like we played really well,” Tye said. “Tough result, but I feel the kids executed what they could.”

Evans, who was named to second-team all star AUS in her first season, said this year, the difference was her level of fitness. This is something she credited to strength and conditioning coach Brett Armstrong. 

Another major difference for Evans was in her past years she hadn’t played as much during her off-season, but this year the Tigers put a squad into the Nova Scotia Soccer League where Evans scored the second-most goals across the league. 

“It’s really just being around a group of very hardworking and supporting teammates,” Evans said.

Nova Scotian author releases new English translation of essays by French-Swiss modernist writer Blaise Cendrars

Calvin Borghardt
-
0
Nova Scotian author releases new English translation of essays by French-Swiss modernist writer Blaise Cendrars

Nova Scotia author David MacKinnon’s latest work, an English translation of works by French-Swiss writer Blaise Cendrars titled A Dangerous Life: Sewermen, Bank Robbers & Voodoo Killers, was released on Nov. 1.

A Dangerous Life features his translations of seven true tales from the life and times of poet Blaise Cendrars — “the world’s greatest vagabond,” according to the book. MacKinnon’s previous books include Leper Tango, The Eel, The Voluntary Crucifixion and a critically acclaimed translation of radio interviews with Cendrars, Blaise Cendrars Speaks.

True tales

In 1911, a man named Frédéric-Louis Sauser composed Easter in New York, a part hymn, part beatified rap poem. Sauser completed the poem and signed it with the name Blaise Cendrars, which means “the man rising out of his own ashes.” According to MacKinnon, the staccato rhythms of the piece were a century ahead of its time.. 

Cendrars was left-handed but lost his left arm serving as a foreign legionnaire in the First World War. After the war, Cendrars learned to write with his right hand. Most of Cendrars’ first-person reporting, which he called “true tales,” had not been translated.

“I felt that people haven’t seen the realistic, true-tale type of writing that Cendrars does,” MacKinnon said. “One of the stories I’ve translated is ‘River of Blood‘; it’s actually ‘J’ai Saigné,’ which is ‘I Bled,’ and it’s about the day he had his arm shot off by a German machine-gunner.”

In A Dangerous Life, this story is titled “Take This Cup of Blood.”

According to MacKinnon, only Robert Graves in Good-Bye to All That and Erich Maria Remarque in All Quiet on the Western Front resemble Cendrars’ style. 

“It’s simple and it’s spare, but it conveys the extent to which the real criminals — and I believe this too — that set the stage for what happened later are the generals of all the countries involved in World War I,” MacKinnon said. “They’re the killers of the flower of youth.”

Cendrars responded to the aftermath of the First World War in 1918 with Take This Cup of Blood. He also composed an accompanying piece called I Have Killed, which offers a first-person account of killing a German soldier in the trenches. MacKinnon emphasized that there are almost no such accounts, aside from those by Graves and Remarque.

“After you read Cendrars, the war films — outside of the strategic ones like A Bridge Too Far and all that — are so bad, so disrespectful to the tragedy of what these kids went through,” MacKinnon said.

The convergence of rhythm and prose

MacKinnon attended a poetry reading on the University of California, Berkeley campus, where Allen Ginsberg read his poem “Howl” with a “boom-boom, tan-tan” beat. 

“I’m listening to him do it, and I’m going, ‘Shit, it sounds like rap,’” said MacKinnon. “It’s all percussive. It is beat, and I saw the deliberate edge to it.”

Before the reading, MacKinnon had reached for his copy of Easter in New York by Cendrars and read it aloud to himself. 

“I wanted to give them a sense of this poem that revolutionized French poetry and that they should actually tune into. So I’m doing it, and I’m going, ‘Shit, this sounds like rap too.’”

MacKinnon says critics, academics and creative writers tend to operate on an “in-built prejudice” that art or writing is something that evolves. He dismisses schools of writing, instead claiming writers such as Ginsberg and Cendrars, though separated by decades, tapped a common source.

 “My take is not that Allen Ginsberg was influenced by it,” MacKinnon said. “Allen Ginsberg stuck his ear to the ground, and Cendrars did the same thing.”

Two nights before the reading, MacKinnon searched for a combination of terms like “rap,” “Cendrars” and “poem.” He discovered a rapper in the suburbs of Paris performing Cendrars’ Easter in New York, about a century after it was published.

In the foreword to A Dangerous Life, writer Jim Christy said, “The effect of the stories, a phantasmagoria of the possibilities of being alive, would be overwhelming were it not for Cendrars’ rhythmic, indeed, orchestrated prose. Some English-language critics have compared Cendrars to Ernest Hemingway. These people, mostly Americans, should do serious penance. Henry Miller said, ‘Blaise Cendrars is the man Hemingway wanted to be.’ Compared to him, Poppa was a boy scout.”


On Nov. 1, MacKinnon’s translations of Cendrars, A Dangerous Life: Sewermen, Bank Robbers & Voodoo Killers began to be distributed in Canada by the University of Toronto Press.

Dalhousie basketball loses in home opener

Ethan Hunt
-
0
Dalhousie basketball loses in home opener

The Dalhousie university men’s and women’s basketball team fell to St. Francis Xavier in their home opener, with the men losing 69-63 and the women losing 70-63.  

Both teams tipped off their seasons on Oct. 6 in Antigonish, N.S. where, similarly,  both teams fell to their X rivals. The men’s team is coming off an Atlantic University Sport championship but after a summer that saw their three-top scorers leave the program, the Tigers have entered a new era of Dalhousie basketball. The women’s team is coming off a winless season but have found stars in Kaitlyn Ferrier and Sydney Guker-Wickie.

Women’s game

Ferrier was unable to lead the Tigers to victory despite dropping 22 points in the loss and adding four steals. StFX’s Kristine Cooper nearly matched Ferrier as she scored 19 points and six rebounds.

Both teams fought for any amount of breathing room in the first three quarters, until in the fourth StFX outscored Dal 24-15 which made the difference in the win. 

With less than four minutes remaining, StFX’s Lauren Neeve’s three-point shot evened the score at 62. The Tigers were unable to box out the X-Women opposition as they made two critical offensive rebounds which resulted in Neeve making another three. 

Dalhousie was now in do or die mode, but Cooper was able to ice the game on free throws and as the final buzzer rang StFX was on top with a score of 70-63.

X’s defence came up strong as in the last four minutes Dal was able to only score one point off a free throw.

Men’s game

After the women’s game concluded the men’s team entered the court.

The game was a rematch of last year’s AUS championship game as StFX looked to get their revenge after their overtime loss in March.

Dalhousie was unable to defend Gatluak Jamesas he bullied their paint defender all night which led to him collecting 25 points and five rebounds.

After the first quarter, the score was 17-15 in favour of the X-Men. A highlight of the quarter was Dal’s Austin Thomson tipping a rebound out to Lydell Husbands-Browne who then swished a three in front of the Dalhousie crowd.

StFX went on a run out of the new quarter with Keyonte Beals’ three pointer making it 28-21 with six minutes left in the quarter.

With Dalhousie trying to claw back, Caleb Stewart sent DJ Jackson’s layup into the front row. Stewart added two layups, the last having him tumble into the court’s sponsored mats.

Stewart had a phenomenal game, collecting 14 points and adding four blocks. When asked about the improvement of Stewart, Husbands-Browne said both Stewart and his twin Riley were in the gym all summer. 

“That’s just kind of a testament to them,” Husbands-Browne said. “They’re grinders.”

Husbands-Browne ripped the ball from Jackson’s hands as he went up for a layup to make sure the teams headed to halftime with a 38-33 X-Men lead.

To start the quarter, Beals came out with a quick steal. A few possessions later Gatluak drove into the paint and used his 6-5 frame to bounce off the defender to scoop in the layup plus the foul.

Stewart rejected Matt Pennell’s layup on StFX’s last possession of the quarter but the X-Men still entered the final quarter with a 56-48 lead.

Off a missed free throw shot, James attempted to go up for a layup over his defender, but out of nowhere Husbands-Browne swatted the shot away to erupt the Dalplex faithful. Stewart followed by knocking down the corner three. 

Husbands-Browne added another swat and in a crucial mistake, when StFX was shooting free throws, James was called for a technical foul. On the next possession Caleb Stewart knocked down a triple to tie the game at 63.

Husbands-Browne credited instincts for being the reasons he made two crucial blocks.

James however made up for it by scoring a layup over the 6-10 Thomson. With 49 seconds remaining the Tigers had a chance to take the lead, but Jackson stole the inbound and James scored a layup to put the game out of reach.

Beals knocked down both of his free throws to end the game with a 69-63 StFX win. 

When asked about the game Husbands-Browne said the team lacked execution as they were unable to finish off the comeback.

Dal was able to hold X to shoot 16 percent from three-point range, however Husbands-Browne wasn’t happy about their offence.

“We scored 63 points, it’s not going to get it done,” Husbands-Browne said.

Should young adults be allowed to trick-or-treat?

Jorji Chiasson
-
0
Should young adults be allowed to trick-or-treat?

As the highly anticipated Oct. 31 approaches, it’s time for many to start thinking about their costumes and Halloween plans. Are they going out or staying in? Are they watching movies or partying? Are they trick-or-treating?

The idea of young adults trick-or-treating can be highly controversial. Many people disagree on whether or not they should be allowed to participate in the classic holiday tradition. However, there are no written rules or regulations for the holiday. Young adults should be allowed to trick-or-treat.

It’s fun

Trick-or-treating is a wholesome activity for people of all ages to enjoy. It comes as a safe alternative to the other dangerous activities young adults can get up to on Halloween night — like excessive substance use. Older teens should be allowed to let loose and have fun on Halloween. It should not have an age limit. The transition between childhood and adulthood is an intimidating one, and if young adults can hold onto their childhood awhile longer, they should be able to.

19-year-old Bailey Young says trick-or-treating is not just for kids. “Fun doesn’t stop when you turn 18. You should be able to do fun things without putting an age limit on it.”

It’s harmless

Young is not the only one who believes this. Colleen McCabe, 32, is always ready with candy. She believes everyone should be allowed to go trick-or-treating if they please.

“If someone comes to my house and asks for candy on Halloween, they’re getting candy,” she says. “Especially if they’re in costume. Some of the older teens have the funniest costumes, and those are my favourites.” 

The Halloween lover doesn’t want anyone to be dissuaded. “The only way to challenge social norms is to challenge them. And for something as harmless as trick-or-treating in your twenties or older — guys, just go enjoy yourselves,” says McCabe.

A young trick-or-treater’s perspective

Yet sometimes the fun of young adults takes away from others. Kolby MacBride, for instance, believes trick-or-treating should be left to the kids.

MacBride, 12, says, “I think 17 and older is too old to go trick or treating.”

He isn’t afraid of candy being taken, however. His real issue lies with those who take the “trick” too far. “Teenagers that dress up scary and scare kids,” he says, “take the fun out of trick-or-treating.”

MacBride does not seem opposed to young adults trick-or-treating, just the teenagers that intentionally scare kids. If everyone is respectful and safe on Halloween, then there is no reason that young adults should be prohibited from going out. 

Restrictions

Some have taken a firm stance on trick-or-treating. According to Global News, the city of Bathurst, New Brunswick imposed an age restriction and curfew for all of its residents. Their new bylaw bans anyone over the age of 16 from trick-or-treating, imposing a curfew of 8 p.m. If anyone is caught above the age restriction or after curfew, there is a fine up to $200. 

In regard to age limits and restrictions, 19-year-old Michael Sharpe says, “there shouldn’t be. However, if someone is handing out candy and they see a young adult trick-or-treating and choose to not give them some because they want more for the kids, that makes sense. The government should not be able to regulate the age though.”

In Nova Scotia, there is no age limit to trick-or-treating. The rules of Halloween celebrations are unwritten, but it is up to personal preference whether you choose to go out or not and if you choose to give candy to individuals above a certain age. If there are no written restrictions for the holiday then the discussion of whether young adults should be allowed to trick-or-treat should be off the table. 

Let yourself have fun

Young adults trick-or-treating should not be frowned upon. The holiday is open to anyone to celebrate and no one should be turned away. Fun should not have an age limit.

To the young adults who are hesitant about trick-or-treating, don’t worry about what others will think of you. Spend your Halloween night the way you want to! Bailey Young says it best: “Don’t let the world decide when you stop being a kid

It’s okay to not go on exchange

Hayley Carroll
-
0
It’s okay to not go on exchange

Every year many Dalhousie University students apply to study abroad. Influenced by their friends, social media and a plethora of articles touting the benefits of international experiences, they ask themselves: why not spend a semester travelling Europe and finding myself?

I asked myself the same question. Following my friends, I applied and was accepted for an exchange. 

Then I changed my mind. 

Today, I will tell you why it’s absolutely okay to not study abroad.

It gets pricey quick

First things first: studying abroad is expensive. Dal’s International Centre provides many resources for reducing costs, but it’s easy to get tricked into thinking that a couple of grants and the promise of paying your regular Dal tuition rates will make an exchange affordable. For most students, this is not the case. International flights, housing and essential documents like study permits can be incredibly pricey. If you hope to travel while on exchange, that can be thousands of dollars more.  

Housing is a nightmare

Finding secure, comfortable and affordable housing can be nearly impossible. Remember how hard it was to find an apartment in Halifax? Now imagine doing that search without being able to tour apartments or communicate in the same language as your landlord. Not every university with which Dal has partnerships guarantees housing to exchange students, so don’t count on being able to access student housing.

Now throw in finding a decent subtenant that won’t trash your place in Halifax or ruin your relationship with your roommates. Do you really want to end up paying rent in two countries?

You’ll have other chances to travel

A lot of students want to study abroad because of the promise of easy, affordable travel opportunities once they arrive in Europe or Asia. But five months abroad is not the be-all-end-all of travel. Plenty of young people take advantage of group trips, international work, volunteer placements and the classic two weeks of paid vacation time to see the world. Otherwise, the month-long gap between the end of fourth year and convocation is the perfect time to realize your backpacking dreams.

Applications will suck the life out of you

Dealing with the International Centre and applications is a long, frustrating and stressful process. Be prepared for months of uncertainty, a lack of communication and constantly hearing “it will work out in the end.” Figuring out transfer credits is also confusing and tedious, especially if you’re in a program with lots of required courses.

Why not stick around here?

Halifax is a pretty cool place to live! That semester abroad could instead be spent hunched over a textbook in the Killam Library, jeans soaked through from the pouring rain, slowly going insane as the tune of “Paddy Murphy” plays in the distance.

But really, you can make the most of your undergrad and have a great time in Halifax if you just try. Spend more time by the waterfront, have picnics with your friends on Citadel Hill, go out to Mooseheads games, eat donairs and lobster rolls whenever you can, get involved with student societies and dance your nights away at The Basement of the Shoe. You don’t have to fly thousands of miles to make new friends and have incredible experiences.

It’s up to you

Now it might be surprising, but I don’t want to discourage you from applying for an exchange. I know plenty of people who have had an amazing time studying abroad or are currently excitedly planning to take off from Canada in the winter term. If the idea of studying abroad appeals to you, you should do some research, talk to students who have been on exchanges and reach out to the International Centre for advice. Applications for university-wide exchanges for the 2025/26 school year open in November, and there’s no harm in applying!

However, if (like me) you are accepted for an exchange, then change your mind, there is also nothing wrong with that. You are certainly not alone — most of the people I know who applied to do an exchange this year eventually decided not to go.

You should never feel guilty for giving up hypothetical positive experiences, especially if those hypothetical experiences are tainting your current, very real, life. If the idea of going on an exchange is causing you immense stress or anxiety, or taking away from your ability to enjoy yourself or focus on your schoolwork, it might be best to move on.

Don’t waste time worrying about future regrets. The vast majority of students do not study abroad, and they’re all doing just fine. There’s plenty of self-discovery and fun to be had right here at Dal.

We should all vote in our PJs over breakfast 

Linden Thomas
-
0
We should all vote in our PJs over breakfast 

My roommate and I sat down at the dining room table, over breakfast, still in our PJs, and I scrolled through the electronic ballot I had received from the King County elections office. My eyes were wide as I scrolled past the box marked “Federal.” Then I kept on scrolling. And scrolling. There were boxes for the state Supreme Court, Superior Court, governor, secretary of state and so on. There were even opinion polls on natural gas, capital gain taxes, long-term care and carbon tax. These are issues that are close to my heart as a student of environmental science and sustainability, and this was my chance to have a say. 

It’s not as hard as it looks

I have to admit, when I first thought of voting in the 2024 U.S. election, I was quite daunted. I pictured piles and piles of paperwork, birth certificates and proofs of residency, all the bureaucratic hurdles to jump over. I thought I’d have to start months in advance, because snail mail is truly snail mail these days, especially when it has to travel all the way from Halifax to Seattle, Washington, where my American parents are from. But now, I understand that so many states allow electronic ballot marking and email submission. It really is as simple as voting over breakfast. But of course, the bulk of the work is in the research on all the state candidates, senate and congress representatives and court appointees. The ballot isn’t just about Kamala Harris versus Donald Trump, after all. 

It’s our future, we need to protect it

As a university student, it is easy to get bogged down in school work, and trapped in a reductionist world of grades and assignments and library cubicles and coffee. It’s easy to forget about the wider world, about elections and voting processes. But isn’t that why we’re here? Why we’re learning? To be an informed citizen and to participate in democracy and society? 

I dream of attending a university that would provide voting workshops for extra credit, or assign essays where students could conduct research and form compelling arguments for their chosen candidates. It doesn’t matter if you study biology, or math, or English or psychology, we are all part of society and we have a right and a duty to participate in our democracy. We all have backgrounds and perspectives that need to be shared. 

A 2021 study by Elections Canada showed only 47 per cent of voters between the ages of 18 and 20 actually voted, compared to 75 per cent of voters between the ages of 65 and 74. University-aged young adults are the ones who are going to inherit a world burdened by the climate emergency, international conflicts, inflation, biodiversity crisis, housing crisis and so many other pressing issues. It makes me sad that the older generation shows up more than we do. 

You can change the world

After sitting down with me at the dining room table and listening to me read out all of the state and supreme court candidates, my roommate decided to vote too. Only a month ago, both of us had shrugged at the idea of voting. We thought it would be too much effort without enough effect considering we both had citizenship in decidedly liberal, non-swing states — her in Vermont and I in Washington. But the tables turned when we could actually see the ballot, full of so many smaller elections that we could actually have an impact on. Plus, I want to be able to say I voted for the first Black, South-Asian, female president, and helped her defeat Trump. 

I want to be part of that wave of advocacy for justice and democracy, even if I was only a drop of water in a massive ocean. The same goes for the recent municipal election in Halifax, and the upcoming federal election. If we all shrugged and decided not to vote because we thought it wouldn’t make a difference, then who would uphold our democracy? 

1...141516...567Page 15 of 567

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

The Dalhousie Gazette is the main student publication at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The paper first began publishing in 1868, making it the oldest continually operating student newspaper in North America followed by The Harvard Crimson and The Columbia Daily Spectator

Contact us: admin@dalgazette.com

FOLLOW US