Hello UNB Saint John and happy return to campus!

I started these Letters from the Editor in September 2022 to keep UNB Saint John students up to date on all things going on at The Baron because we are YOUR paper! The Baron is funded by students, operated by students and makes content for students.

Bill C-18 

In June this year, the federal government passed Bill C-18 that requires big tech companies to financially compensate media organisations if they host Canadian news content on their platforms. In response, Google and Meta (the company that owns both Instagram and Facebook) responded by blocking Canadian news from their platforms.

This has affected The Baron greatly as we relied on students to check out our linked posts from both Instagram and Facebook. Under the new law, our accounts simply do not displace our content for most Canadians.

We continue to ask for your support of our independent student press during these difficult times. You can stay up to date on what we post daily by viewing the UNBSRC’s Instagram stories, visiting our website, and scanning the QR codes around campus.

To learn more about Bill C-18, check out our article on the topic here.

Staff 

The Baron’s staff is growing! We have both returning and new staff and I could not be more excited about the great team we have.

Alongside eight staff writers, we have Wolfgang Düchtel returning as photographer, Kate Dang taking the position of Office Manager and Kylie MacKenzie as Copy Editor.

I am incredibly lucky to work alongside such a fantastic team that works very hard to produce content for students.

The Baron office 

This is your reminder that The Baron has an office on the second floor of the Thomas J. Condon Student Centre. We welcome you to stop by and say hi! Learn more about what we’re up to as well as learn about how you can contribute to the student paper.

Student life 

It was great to see all of the students back on campus this month as well as a great orientation week brought to us from the UNBSRC.  We returned to a new look on campus with the Ward Chipman building having been torn down over the summer. This brought a new parking set-up that students were eager to express their opinions on it. New Staff Writer, Matthew Heads spoke with students on what they thought of the new set-up, read it here. 

Additionally, the Baird Dining Hall got a complete makeover which left many students uneasy. New Staff Writer, Abigail Legacy chatted with students and staff about the renovations and new cafeteria system, read it here. 

The Baron also highlighted the Learning Communities program at UNB that offers students in participating courses a chance to earn a five per cent boost in their grade. Learn more about it here. 

Concluding thoughts

As the first month of the semester comes to an end, I want to encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities UNB has to offer both academically and socially. A healthy balance of both are the key to success in your university years. You cannot be successful in one without being successful in the other.

Check out the awesome events the SRC runs, find a club or society on campus, and introduce yourself to new folks! The Baron is a great way to keep updated on all things student life at UNB.

I wish you all a fantastic semester!

Much love,

Emily Wheaton

Editor in Chief