The Aquinian

"The Aquinian" is a student-owned-and-operated campus newspaper, at St. Thomas University (STU) in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. The newspaper was established in 1935. It is published on a weekly basis during the regular academic year. The paper is a member paper of Canadian University Press.

"The Aquinian's" mission is "...to foster a sense of community at STU by developing and promoting dialogue on issues of concern to the community."

"The Aquinian" launched its website in the fall of 2007 with theaquinian.ca [http://www.theaquinian.ca] .

Recent History

Before the 2004/2005 academic year, the newspaper was printed biweekly in broadsheet format. In the fall of 2004, the editorial staff scaled the paper down to tabloid format which made it financially feasible to print on a weekly basis.

Controversies

St. Thomas University gained international headlines in autumn 2004 when the paper published a photo taken of four University of New Brunswick (UNB) rugby players streaking across the university's rugby pitch. The incident generated huge interest in the paper among students and regional, national and international media. It was also a controversy among UNB students and administration as the four players captured in the photo were suspended from playing in the Maritime men's university rugby championship, which the team went on to lose. [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/11/05/rugby_naked041105.html] ["University suspends naked rugby players" CBC News, Friday, November 5, 2004 http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/11/05/rugby_naked041105.html] The four players in the photo were among at least ten who partook in the bare festivities. [http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/11/05/702161.html] ["Rugby team may end naked celebrations" Canadian Press, November 5, 2004, http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/11/05/702161.html]

The paper's content came under fire in the 2005/2006 academic year after it published an opinion piece on student apathy towards the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. It was accompanied by a photograph of a dead Iraqi soldier who had allegedly been run over by a tank. The image was taken from the controversial website, nowthatsfuckedup.com.

The paper came under further scrutiny after publishing a questionable column on fitness ("Low Resolution") by then-arts editor Max Maxwell. In the piece, he made several incorrect assumptions about his primary subject. One apparent problem turned out to be a simile comparing the student's willpower to that of a donkey, chasing a carrot. Many misread the phrase as having described the main subject as "looking" like a donkey. A brief controversy arose when the student then disposed of several copies of the issue the piece was printed in, instructed to do so by St. Thomas' then-Students' Union President, Sofia Rodriguez-Gallagher.

Maxwell was given the choice to either resign or be fired. He's also been heard to allege this incident led to his rejection from the St. Thomas University journalism program.

ample Editorial Boards

2007/08 School Year Staff
*Editor-in-Chief: Nick Moore
*Managing Editor: John Pollack
*News Editor: Meredith O'Hara
*Arts Editor: Hiedi Irvine
*Sports Editor: Chris Fox
*Magazine Editor: Matt McCann
*Photo Editor: Kyle Albright
*Copy Editor: Alex Solak
*Layout & Design Editor: John Pollack

2006/07 School Year Staff
*Editor-in-Chief: Kate Wright
*Managing Editor: Brendan Glauser
*News Editor: Evan Clark
*Arts Editor: Hiedi Irvine
*Sports Editor: Chris Fox
*Photo Editor: Tony Kiritsis
*Layout & Design Editor: John Pollack
*Photo Editor (September-October): Andrew Kelly"

2005/06 School Year Staff
*Editor-in-Chief: Justin Sadler
*Managing Editor: Andrew McGilligan
*News Editor: Miranda Mathews
*Arts Editors (March-April): Erin Pottie and Andrew McGilligan
*Sports Editor: Brendan Glauser
*Photo Editor: Candice MacLean
*Production Editor: Erin Pottie
*Distribution Manager: Steven Duke
*Arts Editor (September-October): Megan Cumby
*Arts Editor (October-March): Max Maxwell
2004/05 School Year Staff
*Editor-in-Chief: Miriam Christensen
*Managing Editor: Breanna Flanagan
*News Editor: Maggie Estey
*Arts Editor: Sarah Trainor
*Features Editor: Andrew Livingstone
*Sports Editor: Stephen Bruce
*Photo Editor: Justin Sadler

References

Notes

1. "University suspends naked rugby players" CBC News, Friday, November 5, 2004 http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/11/05/rugby_naked041105.html

2. "Rugby team may end naked celebrations" Canadian Press, November 5, 2004, http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/11/05/702161.html