A St. FX psychology professor is exploring the health implications of public displays of affection in romantic relationships.

Dr. Karen Blair says this research project is unique in that it will also include the experiences of same sex couples.

Blair has received a one year planning grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Population and Public Health to plan research.

Blair says her past research has documented the negative responses that same sex couples receive when displaying affection in public. She says it's possible that something that should be positive like holding hands could be stressful and potentially damaging to one's health. Recently, 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke to Dr. Karen Blair.

St. FX Psychology Professor Karen Blair studies health implications of public displays of affection

A St. Francis Xavier University Political Science professor is out with a new book on how visual and performing artists, writers and social scientists in Cuba coexist with the government of the Island nation.

Yvon Grenier, a noted expert in Latin American politics calls his new book, "Culture and the Cuban State". Recently, 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke to Yvon Grenier.

St. FX University Professor Releases New Book "Culture and the Cuban State"

An Antigonish County, Nova Scotia  photographer says it's more than what he could have hoped for.  Warren Robertson, the owner of Scope Digital Media has returned from a fund-raising mountain climbing expedition to the Himalayas for True Patriot Love.  It's a Canadian charity that supports military families.  Robertson was the official photographer on this climb.  
 
The expedition successfully made it to the summit of Lobuche East,  an elevation of about 20,000 feet.  
 
Robertson says the trip far exceeded his expectations and was the most challenging adventure of his life. True Patriot Love hopes to raise one million dollars from this expedition; fund-raising will continue for the rest of the year.

Local Photographer says climbing the Himalayas was the most Challenging Adventure of his Life

St. Francis Xavier University English professor Dr. Joseph Khoury has received a prestigious appointment.

Khoury , a well-known Renaissance scholar, is now editor of the Tudor and Stuart Book Series at the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies at Victoria College at the University of Toronto. 

His job will be to re-energize the series at this world-class centre. 


The books, from the Tudor and Stuart ages, from 1485 to 1700, will be conservatively modernized for spelling, grammar and for archaic words, explaining the word’s meaning at the time. 

Recently, 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke to Joseph Khoury

St. FX English Professor Excited about New Challenge

A St. Francis Xavier University Human Kinetics Professor says a new report suggests we still have a lot of work to do get Canadians physically active. Dr. Angie Kolen was part of a research team that prepared Canada's first "State of the Nation" Report on Physical Literacy.  Physical Literacy refers to knowing and understanding about the importance of being physically active; how motivated and confident we are to get moving.  

More than 10-thousand children 8 to 12 participated in the study led by the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the CHEO Research Institute in Ottawa.  Kolen says the study shows  two-thirds of the children did not meet an acceptable level of physical literacy.    Recently 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke to Angie Kolen

St. FX University Human Kinetics Professor part of a major study on Physical Literacy

A St. Francis Xavier University English Professor has released her first book that celebrates nature, rural life and the changing seasons in Nova Scotia. The book, written by Dr.Suzanne Stewart, is entilted "The Tides of Time; A Nova Scotia Book of Seasons".  There are 12 chapters, monthly essays of a labour unique to the month, and profiles of labourers in Northeastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.
 
 Stewart's book is available locally and on-line.  It's published by Pottersfield Press. Recently, 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke with Dr. Suzanne Stewart.

St. Francis Xavier University Professor releases a Nova Scotia Book of Seasons

The impact of the online whistleblower Wikileaks is explored in a new book by St. FX Sociology Professor Stephen Marmura.  His book is entitled "The Wikileaks Paradigm, Paradoxes and Revelations".

The book touches on a number of topics including Wikileaks' significance as a novel expression of counterpower, its efforts to engage the public with and without the use of mainstream media, and how it has adjusted its strategies.  The book is published by Palgrave MacMillan.  Recently, 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke to Stephen Marmura about his book

St. Francis Xavier University Sociology Professor Writes New Book About Wikileaks

A leader in developing St. Francis Xavier University's Program for Students with Disabilities has written a new book.  Mary Ellen Clancy's publication "Learning Disabilities and Success", is a follow up to her 2001 book "Education with a Difference".  The  first book was about students with learning disabilities who succeeded at university.  
 
Clancy, who was a counsellor in Student Services at St. FX says her new book picks up the story of these students 20 years later, in their 40's.  Recently, Ken Kingston spoke with Mary Ellen Clancy

New Book follows up on students with Learning Disabilities who succeeded at University

A St. FX University Psychology professor wants to know how you are coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Karen Blair has teamed up with Indiana University professor Dr. Debby Herbenick to launch a COVID-19 Interpersonal Coping Daily Diary Study. Blair says they want to get a sense of how people are doing as they are spending more time at home, away from family, friends and social gatherings.  On April 3rd, 989XFM News Director Karen Blair spoke to Dr. Karen Blair

St. Francis Xavier University Professor Dr. Karen Blair Launches COVID-19 Coping Study

A Pictou County, Nova Scotia native says a Facebook page she created aimed at offering some positivity during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown beyond her wildest dreams. Heather Cameron Thomson of Rocklin is the founder of the Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party (COVID-19 Edition) page. Cameron Thomson, who was feeling the weight of the negativity and the uncertainty of the pandemic, was uplifted by seeing several friends' posts playing music. Inspired by that, Cameron Thomson created the page on March 19th. 

The page caught on quickly, and now has more than 280,000 members from 99 countries.   Recently, 989XFM News Director Ken Kingston spoke to Heather Cameron Thomson

Facebook Page featuring Musicians from Nova Scotia and around the World gains a large following

This is a sample of some of my work at 989XFM (CJFX-FM) in Antigonish, Nova Scotia including recorded speeches and interviews