While Covid-19 definitely proved to be a challenge, I am incredibly proud of what we, the Students’ Union, have accomplished and of how we gave the first-year students the best first week possible under such restrictions. The biggest challenge for hosting welcome events was the fact that all students outside of a small bubble must maintain a distance of 2 meters. This forced us to leave behind some events from past years, but it also pushed us to be creative and plan out fun new events that we’ve never done before.
I believe the O-Crew Co-Chairs and Execs did an incredible job utilizing many of the open areas on campus (the football field, Keating Centre, etc.) to host some in-person events that would not have been possible without their clever thinking and everyone’s cooperation. As a member of O-Crew myself, I was overjoyed to see how well so many students reacted to the Cheer-Off and how much energy and passion they demonstrated for their house communities. I think that's the great thing about the Xaverian community. Not only is everyone responsible and looking out for one-another, but they’re always able to look on the bright side and make the most of any week.
While Orientation Week may be over, I am confident that there will be many great events and opportunities to come this semester. The top priority of both the University and the Students’ Union is to keep students safe and to keep Covid-19 at bay. It’s no secret that this semester is going to be different from other years. While many large-scale in-person events that traditionally happen in the fall, like Homecoming, are pushed back, many students are already hard at work planning smaller, more localized events with the same energy and X-spirit. My advice to all the new students at StFX is to get involved whenever and wherever possible. There are many events being planned by residences houses, societies, and student organizations that will surely give you a semester to remember and will help you make lifelong friendships.
The same holds true for all Students’ Union services this year. Masks on campus indoors and outdoors, physical distancing outside of a consistent group of 10, checking for symptoms…all these requirements are key to ensuring the Students’ Union can function, host events, and provide all services, safely in person. Because of that, I encourage every student to take advantage of the fantastic services provided on campus, everything from the Student Food Resource Centre to the Student Health Plan, services that are there to help support you.
I would consider myself a very strong people-person, so the limitation on gatherings has been a tough one for me. Still, it’s important to remember that we all must do our part in minimizing the impact of Covid-19 on campus. I want to help all students have the best year possible, and I believe that can only be done through careful planning and by ensuring that we all continue looking out for each other. The thing of which I remind everyone (and myself) is that even if we must be physically distant, there has never been a better time to be socially together.
So please remember to always check in on your friends and peers, help the folks around you, and make a positive change wherever possible. If you don’t like how something works, or if you want to improve things on campus, reach out to other students and make that change together. And if there’s ever anything I can do as a student representative on the Board of Governors, please reach out at x2018xkj@stfx.ca. I’d love to hear from you and help make your year even better in any way I can!