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Benefits of eating the rainbow

Yashvi Ramsarran
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Benefits of eating the rainbow

Chances are you’ve been told to repeatedly eat colourful vegetables and fruits by your parents or doctor. To understand the benefits of eating different coloured fruits and vegetables, we must first know how they obtain their colours! The answer is antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanins and carotenoids. When consumed regularly, they decrease the risks of multiple diseases, so there are many benefits to eating the rainbow!

Red

Red fruits have multiple health benefits, such as decreasing the risk of weak immune systems and cancer while promoting cognitive and heart health. Common red fruits and vegetables are tomatoes, berries, pomegranates, red bell peppers and beets.

My two favourite dishes with red ingredients are homemade tomato soup and a smoothie bowl.

Recipe for the soup:

  1. Wash tomatoes, beets and bell peppers.
  2. Chop and add them to a baking tray.
  3. Add garlic and season to taste.
  4. After roasting the veggies, blend them and add them to a pot.
  5. Simmer for another 10 minutes, add some heavy cream or milk and enjoy! 

Recipe for the smoothie: 

  1. Add your choice of berries, milk, and sweetener (I use honey).
  2. Blend for a couple of minutes. 
  3. Top with granola, more fruits, seeds of your choice, and coconut shavings
  4. Enjoy!

Orange

Orange food is an excellent boost for the immune system while promoting eye and skin health. My favourites include turmeric, papaya, mangoes and carrots.

A quick recipe that is very trendy right now is the turmeric wellness shot, and The remains are great for face masks or even compost! I prefer drinking some in the morning as it helps with brain fog and energizes me for the day.

Recipe for the wellness shot:

  1. Chop 4-5 carrots, some ginger, turmeric and lemon. 
  2. Add everything to a blender.
  3.  Add about 1L of water and blend on high for a couple of minutes. 
  4. Strain the mixture, pour the juice, and store it for a couple of days.

Yellow

 Yellow fruits are anti-inflammatory, therefore, suitable for preventing or curing heartburn. It also improves eye, cognitive and skin health. Some simple examples are yellow bell peppers, squash, lemons and pineapples.

My favourite recipe for the yellow category is quick to cook, and it makes for a great healthy side dish.

Recipe for the yellow medley:

  1. Dice the bell peppers, squash and pineapples into little cubes.
  2. Add your preferred seasonings
  3. Let it bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Green

My favourite category is the greens! These are great for your liver and essential for your brain, heart and gut health. Some of the most loved greens are leafy, zucchini, bell peppers, cucumbers, and broccoli. I personally love them for their versatility.

Recipe for the green smoothie:

  1. Add chopped kale, green apples, spinach and cucumbers to a blender.
  2. Add the desired amount of water.
  3. Blend and enjoy, as easy as that!

Blue & Purple

The blue and purple categories are equally essential for the human body. They are highly anti-inflammatory, excellent for brain health and might even prevent cancer.

The most common fruits and vegetables in this category are blueberries, grapes, plums, prunes and eggplants. The fruits are also an excellent source of fibre, and they can be a great snack!

Asbestos in the Munnels: should you be worried?

Gretchen Russell
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Asbestos in the Munnels: should you be worried?

Asbestos health effects have been an issue in Canada since the 1870s when the first asbestos mine opened in Quebec—since then, removing asbestos from infested areas has been an uphill battle.

Asbestos Health Effects

In 2006, the World Health Organization called for an international ban on asbestos. They verified that asbestos could cause cancer, particularly of the lungs and ovaries, but also cancer of the larynx, stomach, pharynx, colorectum, etc. It also causes mesothelioma, an incurable, deadly cancer that coats the lining of your internal organs. Asbestos isn’t something you want to take in with your morning coffee.

Different types of asbestos exposure can determine the likelihood of experiencing its adverse health effects. If you’re a MUN student, you may already know of the asbestos lying dormant in the munnels and most other campus buildings. You may think, ‘if there were a real issue, someone would have said something by now,’ or ‘I’m sure there’s not enough asbestos to hurt me.’ However, asbestos inhalation is not as simple as you may think. Just one exposure can put you at risk of experiencing health problems. 

In truth, it’s common for older buildings in Canada to have a small concentration of asbestos in the air. It’s challenging to avoid exposure altogether. However, the effects will vary depending on the amount of asbestos in the air and the length of time you’re breathing it in.

Asbestos Rates at MUN

Every year, MUN releases a statement of the concentration of asbestos in the air. Here is the 2022 report on asbestos concentration in the MUN academic buildings, residence buildings and the munnels:

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Essentially, where the majority of buildings have a definite concentration of below .04 and asbestos presence is relatively minimal, the figure given for the munnels and certain parts of the mathematics building is closer to being critically unsafe.

The asbestos concentration won’t get any worse, but it hasn’t been getting much better. The 2022 report yields similar results to 2012, an entire decade ago.

Current Asbestos Elimination

There are a few areas where asbestos is currently undergoing extermination. This notice was posted recently:

Asbestos notice
Asbestos notice in the Arts building

Abatement is also taking place for certain rooms in the Business building.

What’s Hindering the Removal?

While the health concerns surrounding asbestos at MUN should be a priority, the removal cost is a hefty one, and the university has other obligations. The last large purge of asbestos in 2017 cost the school $626,000. Furthermore, the munnels, academic buildings, and residences are in everyday use, so closing a large portion off for asbestos elimination may be impractical.

Students can find more information on the asbestos removal plan at MUN here:
Asbestos management | Environmental Health & Safety | Memorial University of Newfoundland

The Muse will report on the updates to follow.

The 33rd St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival to make a grand comeback in local theatres

Manaar Shahabuddin
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The 33rd St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival to make a grand comeback in local theatres

The St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival kicked off its 33rd year with a Press Conference on Tuesday, September 20, at Emera Innovation Exchange (Signal Hill Campus).

SJIWFF is Canada’s longest-running festival for women. For decades women have been disadvantaged in representation in the film and television industry, as is the case with most industries in a patriarchal world.

Intersectionality comes into play as women of colour, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQIA+ women, and women with exceptionalities face an even more disadvantaged position. This disparity leads to fewer hirings of women in creative fields than their male contemporaries fostering further misrepresentation of women in the movies and shows.

SJIWFF came to fruition in 1989 to combat this unfortunate reality and has been uplifting women’s creativity locally and internationally.

The festival has been a key player in leading the movement for feminism in the Canadian film industry, bringing essential cultural diversity to NL with its international selections. It is not uncanny that the festival was recognized by USA Today in their “Top 10 film festivals worth travelling for” list in 2019.

The Press Conference was an enriching morning as we heard from board members and supporters alike, whether we were there in person or joined online.

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One of the esteemed supporters, Minister Sarah Stoodley, emphasized how vital the festival is for providing women filmmakers with a platform to share their “unique and powerful messages.” The Minister of Digital Government and Service also highlighted that only 25% of funding for filmmaking in Canada is normally allocated to women and how the festival is working towards changing that by empowering more women to join the industry. She announced that the provincial government would support this initiative by providing $60,000 to women in the industry this year. 

The RBC Michelle Jackson Emerging Filmmaker award was also presented at the conference. The award was extended for the last 11 years in honour of filmmaker and mentor Michelle Jackson after her abrupt passing in 2008 and is presented to an up-and-coming female director who has yet to direct a feature film.

“What is really great about the award is that it’s available to folks who call NL’ home;’ it doesn’t necessarily depend on if you’re a citizen, or if you’re not…” says Meghan Hollet, Interim Executive Director of SJIWFF. The prize consists of funding and mentorship to provide the recipient with sufficient resources to create a 6-minute short film. The festival and the RBC Foundation support the award, alongside many other generous organizations, productions, and corporations.

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The 2022 RBC Michelle Jackson Award was presented to Brianna Russell –  a writer, director, and producer whose work centers around the innovative stories of 2SLGBTQIA+ women. Her short film will premiere at the Closing Night of the 34th SJIWFF next year.

Lastly, Meghan Hollett addressed the “challenging times” that the community of St. John’s has faced since the pandemic and how grateful their organization is to welcome back in-person screenings this year. They are in full spring for their grand comeback to local theatres, which will also have social distancing measures. However, they are aware that that might not work for everyone; therefore, the festival will have online attendance options with digital offerings of several selections. These online options will include Q&A sessions and master classes as well. 

Due to the clear public health guidelines, the festival was solely digital throughout the pandemic. Going to a theatre to watch a movie was acclaimed as the ideal viewing experience before the pandemic, but the whole world had to adapt to the times. As disheartening as the lack of in-person screening may have initially been for everyone, the festival may have benefitted from certain aspects of digital offerings.

“… Our film festival has stayed so strong because of the legacy, and virtually… We’ve grown our fan base because of the virtual thing, and we’ll never, now, go back to not being virtual,” says Vicki Murphy, Chair of the Board. And why should they? As pleasurable an experience as in-person viewing is, with a festival like SJIWFF that has selections from across the globe, not everyone who wants to view them may have the opportunity to fly in. Given the state of our world today, there may even be locals who would prefer to view them from the comfort of their homes.

Continuing to provide both in-person and digital offerings promotes more accessibility for the festival and reaches a broader audience. Due to this reach, the festival has “… managed and led so strongly forever that we never once felt like we were at risk over the last couple of years of ‘going under,’ or having to do anything majorly that would put us in jeopardy,” adds Vicki Murphy. 

The conference concluded with a promotional video of clips and snapshots of all the features and shorts that will be playing at this year’s festival. Forty-three films were selected from over a thousand submissions. The selections consist of feature films, short films, and documentaries. The video showcased a vibrant undertone throughout the array of diverse stories. Some of these are stories about migration, 2SLGBTQIA+ intricacies, Indigeneity, generational trauma, dark comedy, complicated parent-child dynamics, and mass murder, amongst various other genres focused on the representation of women and gender-diverse people. 

The in-person attendees also had the chance to mingle with some of the filmmakers at the conference afterwards. I had the opportunity to speak to writer Amanda Bulman about her short film Dead Wife Club, one of the prestigious selections for this year. It is a dark comedy about a group of men in an unlikely grieving circle and highlights their experiences with processing anger, especially surrounding the lack of support for men in grief. Amanda also acts in the short, which upholds the festival’s values with women and non-binary folks in many critical positions. Do not miss out on this good film on the digitally offered CBC Spotlight on Local shorts playlist during the festival!

The 33rd Annual St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival will be held October 19-23, both in-person and online. 

Tickets for the 5-day festival are available for purchase through different passes and packages via SJIWFF’s Box Office.

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Catch their in-person screenings at theatres in St. John’s during Opening Night on October 19, CBC Spotlight on Local on October 22, and RBC Closing Night on October 23. If you are attending online, catch their feature and short film selections throughout the festival. Check out the full lineup on SJIWFF’s website.

SJIWFF 33 promises many films promoting the cultural diversity of St. John’s and the province. It will showcase unique stories representing local and international women and will provide an exceptional opportunity for attendees to view limited-release content. It continues to facilitate a pleasurable viewing experience irrespective of gender identity; as the festival’s slogan goes, its platform delivers “films made by women, for everyone.” I recommend grabbing a ticket for the prestigious festival before they are sold out!

Burton’s Pond ducks struggling with epidemic rates of Nicotine addiction 

Oran Dredge
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Burton’s Pond ducks struggling with epidemic rates of Nicotine addiction 

A quiet hiss breaks the early morning silence as the end of a cigarette is flicked into the waters of Burton’s Pond. For the student walking to class, it is barely worth a thought, but for the ducks, it represents something else entirely; it means they can finally get their fix.

Student witnesses on campus have reported lousy behaviour from ducks over the summer, including shakiness, apparent irritability, and aggression. Despite living in a high-activity environment, the ducks of Burton’s Pond have generally been calm, fondly looked-upon members of the Memorial University community. This reputation has made them prime candidates for their position as the mascot of Burton’s Pond apartments – the calmer, independent living environment sought by some students. The inconsistencies in their behaviour have been a cause for puzzlement among many. Still, following a statement by the Memorial University administration last Friday, we now have a proposed reason for these behaviours. That reason? Nicotine withdrawals.

It is a well-known fact that many students use some form of nicotine. Whether that form is vaping, cigarettes, or even gum, where students are present, nicotine will also be. This has rarely presented a problem for other non-student residents of the campus. However, following the sudden outflow of students at the end of the Spring Intersession, very few people have been walking the path surrounding Burton’s Pond–leading to a lack of cigarette butts and vape cartridges flicked into the water and surrounding grass. Being forced to quit cold turkey, or “cold-duck,” has left residents of the pond feeling blue.

University staff are currently looking into how anti-nicotine ads can be visible to ducks and students. Other potential solutions in the duck rehabilitation program include attaching transdermal nicotine patches to a select number of rocks and convincing mothers to stop complaining about their children being hissed by the ducks who break into the on-campus daycare facility. The ducks feel judged.
Input from the ducks will be considered once their interviews are translated by the Linguistics undergrads later this month.

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES: MUN CONCRETE TOBOGGAN

Yashvi Ramsarran
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CLUBS AND SOCIETIES: MUN CONCRETE TOBOGGAN

The MUN Concrete Toboggan is a student-led club. The club name comes from the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR)- the largest and longest-running student-led engineering competition in Canada.

I have had the opportunity to discover more about the team through student Riley Burt.

“The purpose of this society is to design, construct, and race a fully function toboggan consisting of a superstructure, steering and braking system, equipped with concrete skis and compete against universities from all over Canada at a competition which is held in a new place every year,” said Burt.

The team comprises over 30 engineering students from various terms representing all six engineering disciplines. The club is currently accepting new members as well. New students can join this team by contacting – Riley Burt (rburt@mun.ca), Billy Barnes (bwbarnes@mun.ca) or munconcretetobiggan@gmail.com.

Once enrolled, students are added to team group chats and Google Drive for file sharing.

Keep up with the team on Facebook (MUN Concrete Toboggan) and Instagram (@mun_concrete_toboggan).

‘Come From Away’: The Musical Opened in St. John’s on September 19th

Shreya Hande
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‘Come From Away’: The Musical Opened in St. John’s on September 19th

A story of tragedy, hope and homecoming

‘Come From Away,’ the musical created by Michael Rubinoff, Irene Sankoff and David Hein in 2013, is returned for shows in St. John’s on the September 19th, 20th and 21st at the Mary Brown’s Centre and in Gander (where its story is set) on September 13th, 14th and 15th at the Steele Community Centre.

This award-winning musical has been playing on Broadway since October 2017—making it the longest-running Canadian musical in Broadway history. October 2nd will be its final show on Broadway.

‘Come From Away’ tells the story of 7000 passengers (and pilots) on 38 aircraft diverted to Gander, NL, due to the closure of US airspace following the 9/11 attacks. The musical follows the ‘islanders’ response as Newfoundlanders welcome stranded travellers into their homes on the Rock. Through the uncertainty and grief they face after 9/11, the ‘come-from-aways’ find warmth, friendship and solidarity in Newfoundland with locals who quickly organize themselves to provide food, housing and support while grappling with the tragic events themselves.

The Story

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Image credits: The New York Times


The show features some authentic Celtic folk music, as well as music inspired by international influences reflecting the diversity of the passengers. The performers also include members of the original cast from Broadway and Toronto.
The musical’s performances in Newfoundland are part of the Come Home 2022 celebrations—an initiative of the Arts and Culture Centre.

According to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, Steve Crocker, “The ‘Come From Away: The Concert’ cast and band lineup could not be better.

“To have our very own Petrina Bromley, Clint Butler, and Kate Etienne, musician Greg Hawco and original Broadway musician Romano DiNillo as our emcee in St. John’s performing alongside the rest of the superbly talented and dynamic cast and band is a special treat,” Crocker said.

The Mary Brown Centre’s shows drew quite the crowd of passionate Newfoundlanders.

While the last show is on October 2nd, Come From Away has undoubtedly had a global impact that will continue to connect many to Newfoundland and Labrador.


Tensions rise as MUNFA begins to organize for better treatment

Randi Whelan
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Tensions rise as MUNFA begins to organize for better treatment
Photo by Scott Graham (via Unsplash)

Following a negotiation meeting between the MUN Faculty Association (MUNFA) and the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (MUNL) bargaining team on September 8th and 9th, 2022, tensions are beginning to rise between the faculty and the university.

During the negotiations meeting, the organizations discussed tenure status, changes to retirement benefits, lack of transparency regarding equity data, job security, salary on Assisted Educational Leave, governance, wages, workload, and a lack of explicit language within documented agreements.

The negotiations meeting comes after ongoing bargaining since January 27th, 2022, after MUNFA rejected a non-negotiable proposed by MUNL. Since then, MUNFA has been undergoing lengthy sessions of discussion and bargaining with the university, advocating for fairer treatment and better pay from the institution.

MUNFA’s current negotiating plan, detailed in an information bulletin from November 9th, 2021, focuses on several specific goals they hope for the university to achieve, including:

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
  • Indigenization
  • Better conditions for contingent faculty
  • Addressing issues of faculty complement
  • Climate action
  • Governance, openness, and transparency

In a statement to The Muse Editor-in-Chief, Jenna Reid, MUNFA had this to say:

“…MUNFA members and their Negotiating Committee are committed to reaching a fair deal at the conciliation table. This has been a long and frustrating process: MUNFA’s collective agreement expired on August 31st, 2020 and negotiations with the administration’s bargaining team began in December 2021, yet MUNFA members are scarcely any closer to having a contract that reflects their needs and priorities than they were two years ago. Despite filing for conciliation in early June and making themselves available throughout the summer, the Negotiating Committee could not secure a meeting with the administration at any time before September, and we don’t currently know when the next meeting will be. There are serious issues that need to be dealt with, including job security for precariously employed faculty; overwork as a result of the falling levels of tenured faculty; and real commitments to improving governance in the university as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion. MUNFA has presented proposals on all of these issues and is ready and willing to make a deal with the administration that will ensure MUNFA members, as well as their students, are treated fairly.”

MUNFA Organizing, Member Engagement, and Communications Co-ordinator,
Tannara Yelland

In their latest negotiations update, MUNFA notes that MUNL’s bargaining team representatives were “…unprepared to discuss substantive issues of concern to MUNFA members, either through their own proposals or in response to MUNFA’s.”

Further updates to follow as the bargaining process continues to unfold.

Memorial Service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Held in St. John’s

Shreya Hande
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Memorial Service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Held in St. John’s

On Monday, September 19th, a memorial service was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist to celebrate the life of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, after her passing on September 8th, 2022. This day was declared a provincial day of mourning in NL.

The service began with a vice-regal salute and remarks from the Reverend Roger Whalen. The Lieutenant Governor of NL, Judy May Foote, then addressed the gathering, recounting the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a princess and eventually the queen.

“Through seven decades of extraordinary change in an ever-evolving world, the queen was the epitome of duty, stability, wisdom, and courage. She was a woman of faith—she led with grace and with a sense of calm during times of both crisis and celebration,” said Lieutenant Governor Foote.

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Lieutenant Governor Judy May Foote and Premier Andrey Furey at the commemorative service (Image by Shreya Hande)

She also spoke about the Queen’s visits to NL, including for the province’s 500th-anniversary celebration.

“In Newfoundland and Labrador, our history with the monarchy can be seen through municipalities and communities, on schools and other buildings. This includes the QEii library, for which the Queen turned the sod during her visit in 1978 to the campus of Memorial University,” she recounted. “Her reign saw her travel more widely than any other monarch, including 22 visits to Canada, of which 3 were to NL. I had the privilege to spend time with HM at Buckingham Palace after I assumed the role of Lieutenant Governor. It was during that audience that we really came to appreciate and understand why the Queen was loved throughout the world—she was incredibly personable and had a great sense of humor,” she said.

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Commemorative service for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (Image by Shreya Hande)

Premier of NL, Dr. Andrew Furey, also spoke about the Queen’s connection to the province.

“Through the pomp, tradition, ceremony, duty and through the strict protocols, at the end of the day, it’s that personal connection that has touched so many hearts. This is not just the royal family’s loss or the United Kingdom’s loss, it’s a loss we all feel.” On her life of service to the Commonwealth, he said. “The Queen herself being part of the war effort [during World War II]—that’s always the example she set—to engage with, answer to and serve the people. It was a commitment she made when she first took the crown and it’s something that she strived to do over a 70-year reign.” “Her commitment to service defined her as a monarch and a role model to those in public service,” said Furey.

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Commemorative service for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (Image by Shreya Hande)

Premier Furey remarked, “I hope we should all be so lucky to lead a long and meaningful life, to give to others as much and as often as we can, and to never lose our curiosity in all things. Rest in well-earned peace, your Royal Highness—Newfoundland and Labrador will always carry you in our hearts.”

The service also included prayers from the Interfaith community, an address by the President of the Muslim Association of NL, Dr. Syed Mansoor Pirzada, and renditions of ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ by local musicians Shelley Neville and Peter Halley and ‘I Will Sing You Home’ by the Shallaway Youth Choir.

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The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Image by Shreya Hande)

Public members were also present at the service to pay their respects. A group of tourists from Ontario who attended commented, “She was a brilliant and respected woman, who served her country for many decades. It was a great experience to be able to attend the service here, and to remember her life.”

Planned Parenthood NL here to support students

Jenna Reid
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Planned Parenthood NL here to support students

Newfoundland and Labrador’s local sexual health centre, Planned Parenthood, has joined Tiktok and is enthusiastic about supporting students to promote sexual health, choice, and inclusivity.

Planned Parenthood offers various services such as medical clinics for sexual health-related needs such as IUD and Nexplanon insertions, routine screenings (i.e. pap tests), and referrals for ultrasounds, fertility clinics, and OBGYN care without previous referral from a family doctor. 

“We try to be as accessible as possible,” says Planned Parenthood NL’s Wellness Coordinator, Nicole Boland. 

On its website, Planned Parenthood emphasizes that its services are available to anyone regardless of: age, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, socioeconomic status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, religious creed, national or social origin, marital status, family status and political opinion.

The centre offers various free services and products that are accessible at any time. 

This includes free pads (including masculine styles), tampons, condoms, lube, rapid HIV tests, needles for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), pregnancy tests, and information pamphlets. 

Planned Parenthood also sells various methods of birth control for cheaper if an individual doesn’t have health insurance, and “we sell Planned B for $20 and accept cash, credit, and e-transfer”, said Boland. 

Individuals can also ship gender-affirming products and sex toys to the centre if they are not comfortable shipping them to a personal address– send an email, and Planned Parenthood will let you know once it arrives. 

“This is community outreach at such a radical level, and I love it,” says Boland.

@plannedparenthoodnl

Add little bit of spicy in time for spooky season 🎃🎃 #plannedparenthood #boss #community #outreach #spicy #toy #spooky #season #canwegetthebill #fyp #happy

♬ Can we get the bill – Bluey

50 years in NL

Planned Parenthood has been working in NL since 1972 and avidly promotes positive sexual health and 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion through education, community partnership, information and services within an environment that supports and respects individual choice.

Tiktok is one of the centre’s newest ventures, with an audience of over 40 thousand followers. 

@plannedparenthoodnl

We love giving out free supplies 💜#plannedparenthood #free #callus #fyp #protection #safe #health #psa

♬ why are people using this omg – 🍂

Boland is the primary content creator who posts regular content about sexual health, Planned Parenthood’s resources, and informative react videos– intending to normalize universal human experiences. 

“In the past 20 months, Tiktok has gotten bigger than we ever anticipated… entering a space as low barrier as Tiktok and talking about normal universal human experiences helps normalize and start conversations. For example, normalizing STIs.”

@plannedparenthoodnl

Hot she’s, he’s and they’s summer is upcoming, this is your sign to book an STI test #plannedparenthood #sti #test #health #fyp

♬ original sound – Planned Parenthood NL

The public’s response to the centre’s social media presence has been very positive and has contributed to the centre’s recent busyness. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out

Beyond the centre’s free services, Planned Parenthood encourages individuals to reach out. 

“If anything not right regarding sexual health and you need an opinion or if you just have a question, give us a call,” says Boland. 

“If you are a student on another campus that’s not in St. John’s, we offer telehealth appointments. So if you want birth control, an IUD prescription, or have an infection, call us”.

However, individuals can also DM Planned Parenthood on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, or email, if they are uncomfortable with calling. 

“We try to be as low-barrier as possible,” Boland says.

Boland also recommended Planned Parenthood’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Warm Line, a peer support service run by and for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Newfoundland and Labrador that launched in 2020 to create a sense of connection, community, and hope for its callers.

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Photo Credit: Planned Parenthood NL (via Facebook)

The centre offers a variety of programs such as Teen Healthy Relationships and Camp Eclipse, which students can avail of, in addition to Harm Reduction Saturdays– a good day to come in if one is nervous about going to a Planned Parenthood. 

Planned Parenthood is located at 47 St. Clare Avenue, St. John’s. 

Call (709) 579-1009 for more information and find Planned Parenthood NL on social media:

  • @plannedparenthoodnl on TikTok 
  • Planned Parenthood NL on Facebook & Twitter
  • @plannedparenthoodnlshc on Instagram. 

Hosting Ukrainian Students in NL

Anasophie Vallée
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Hosting Ukrainian Students in NL

On Tuesday, June 14th, our province welcomed 177 Ukrainian refugees.
It was the second airlift to bring refugees to NL, the first having come on May 9th, carrying 166 passengers.

Welcoming the Newcomers

Newfoundland has earned a reputation for being welcoming and kind to friends, family, and strangers- a reputation that has continued through many generations (an open-door policy, if you will).

Our new Ukrainian residents are no exception. They have been welcomed with open arms and are starting to settle in with their new host families. But how did these families know to get involved? Where did they volunteer?

For many years, NL has been known to take in international students to attend our high schools. Many families have gotten involved and hosted students in their homes for 1-2 years.

But many hosting programs are seeking placements for students of varying ages. Hosting isn’t restricted to international high school students, and it can be the opportunity of a lifetime for university/college students coming from away and unable to stay in residence.

NL Hosting Program

Home.internationalNL is an organization that offers a program where NL households can apply to host an international student. It is a premiere educational recruitment service and a certified recruitment agent with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD).

Students from all across the world can submit applications through the program. Countries including:

  • Brazil
  • Vietnam
  • Ukraine
  • Turkey
  • Norway

Melissa Humphries, the owner and operator of Home.internationalNL, has been working extra hard to prepare for the international students flying in for the upcoming school year.

“I deal with all from high school to university to college,” said Humphries

But what about an increase in Ukrainian applicants? Has the current climate in Ukraine affected the rate of Ukrainian students applying through her program to study in NL?

“Yes. Massively,” She said.

Taking in an international student can be a learning experience for the student and the host family.

Anton Tsviliak, an international student from Ukraine, recently arrived in NL and moved in with his host family.

When I asked about his experience so far, he stated,
“It’s been great! Melissa’s program has made it much easier to live away from my family. It has allowed me to make great connections with other international students and Newfoundlanders, like my host family.”

Melissa greatly benefits the students being hosted, including free gym memberships and yoga classes. Plus, there are opportunities to get together with other students hosted within the province.

***For more information on how to get involved, visit the Home.International website at https://homeinternationalnl.ca/ ***

Resources:

https://www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2022/exec/0614n06/#:~:text=Newfoundland%20and%20Labrador%20Welcomes%20Second%20Airlift%20of%20Ukrainians,-Share%20this%20article&text=Today%2C%20the%20Honourable%20Gerry%20Byrne,John’s%20International%20Airport.

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/177-ukrainian-refugees-land-in-newfoundland-on-second-provincially-chartered-flight-1.5945804

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