The Queen's Journal, Volume 141, Issue 23

T H U R S D AY , N O V E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 3 — I S S U E 2 3

THE JOURNAL QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY — SINCE 1873

RESIDENCE

Dons dissent, discuss unionization Residence dons consider unionizing due to increased workload, programming and responsibilities B Y VINCENT B EN M ATAK News Editor Residence dons are rallying against changes made to their workloads, with talks of unionizing in the future. Some have even threatened to walk off the job.

The Journal first learned of the possibility of dons unionizing — a move being spearheaded by senior residence dons — in September.

A don, who requested to remain anonymous, said increased responsibilities this semester are making dons feel like they’re being taken advantage of.

Fear of losing their jobs has led any dissent to remain under wraps, the don said.

“There’s been this general trend in ResLife, as of recently, to just kind of not take into consideration dons’ perspectives or just our

general well-being,” she said.

Dons, whose job entails supervising and managing students in residence, are also full-time students.

While not paid a salary, dons receive free room and board as well as a meal plan.

“They put us in a very vulnerable state because they’re not just our bosses — we rely on them for our housing,” the don said. “We

can’t complain because then we will get fired, and for many of us financially it’s just not an option to live anywhere other than Res.” In August, dons were told by members of Residence Life — the body that oversees residence services at Queen’s — that they would have to complete eight programs, rather than four.

Programs range from skill-set workshops to educational

campaigns across residences, taking upwards of 100 hours per program to compile, they said.

Two weeks ago, dons said they were told they would have to work on-call 24/7 in December, a job that’s traditionally the responsibility of Residence Life Coordinators, full-time non-student staff who live in residence, hired by ResLife.

“I don’t know anyone who is

See Increased on page 5

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION SUPPLIED BY SAM KOEBRICH

Inside this issue: News

AMS salaries may see added benefits

page 2

Opinions

Debating gun violence in modern films

page 8

Sports

Ranking the Gaels’ fall varsity teams

page 16

SGPS

Student groups seek change Some Canadian Federation of Students member organizations feel disgruntled B Y A LEX P ICKERING Production Manager As dissatisfaction with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) spreads across Canadian campuses, Queen’s student leaders are keeping their distance.

The CFS, the largest student union collective in Canada, has links with 60 different universities and college governments, including the Queen’s Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS).

The national group aims to

lower tuition rates, protect student rights and provide numerous other services.

Last Saturday, protesters in Gatineau, Quebec took to the streets protesting against the union and carrying banners criticizing the union’s defederation procedure.

Defederation refers to the process required for student groups to exit the CFS. The protest is part of a larger movement against the CFS, as students at 15 different schools dispute the efficacy and

Postscript

Chrismukkah treats combine the best of both worlds page 19

transparency of the union — looking to cut ties with it.

Currently, the party interested in defederating must set up a petition for their entire membership.

The petition must receive signatures from 20 per cent of the student body before a referendum vote is held to decide if the student body will separate from the union.

Student discontent stems largely from unsatisfactory results where the CFS lobbies external bodies on behalf of students.

The CFS has also drawn criticism for taking legal action

against schools that have tried to break away from the national union.

Jessica McCormick, chairperson of the CFS, said these groups didn’t use the correct channels to defederate.

“It’s when the process is not followed that we have problems,” she said. “That’s at the root of what I think many of the issues are with the students participating in the protests.”

McCormick stressed that

Arts

See CFS on page 6

‘Assassins’ brings in the musical and political page 10

NEWS

2 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

AMS

Salary increase in the works for AMS Higher salaries will increase one student fee, says Board of Directors B Y A BBY A NDREW Assistant News Editor

committee hopes to compensate full-time workers in more cost-effective ways.

“We are looking at ways to make The AMS is looking to raise its AMS-specific fee of $70.74 in jobs more accessible to students an effort to increase wages for and also compensating in creative full-time staff. ways as well that aren’t just directly Rico Garcia, chair of the tied to money,” he said.

AMS Board of Directors, The proposal includes presented the proposal at compensating AMS Assembly last Thursday, which full-time employees with food called for a raise in salaries to credits at AMS services including make AMS full-time jobs, Common Ground and Queen’s including executive Pub. In addition, it was and commissioner suggested that the food credits positions, more accessible may also be applicable to use to students. in cafeterias.

GRAPHIC SUPPLIED BY THE AMS “A lot of them spend a lot of time Tuition is increasing while salaries are staying relatively low.

On Dec. 3, the proposal will be voted on at AMS Board on campus and don’t have time to they were our staff in the AMS and of Directors, and finalized go home in the middle of the day to AMS employees, providing that in March. If the proposal is when they are working full-time to them with an avenue to voice being demanded more and we want to make sure more but that their [working] that those people are paid their concerns. passed, the AMS specific go cook,” he said.

Tuba Chishti, chair of the hours were much higher than adequately for the work that they fee will increase, along with The employees would AMS full-time salaries in be provided with food personnel committee and a student their job description,” Chishti, do,” she said.

“The salary grid hadn’t been January 2014. credits for every month director on the AMS Board of ArtSci ’14, said.

Despite this, many of the AMS looked at in four years … we want Garcia declined to specify how they spend working a full-time Directors, elaborated on some of much student fees would be raised. AMS job. This would be in addition the issues that were brought up in employees shared the value that to make sure that we are actually they see in gaining this type of paying people well.” the surveys.

He stated that the AMS will also to their salary.

“Overall, there was a work experience, she said.

The Board of Directors reallocate surpluses from corporate “We expect a lot from services to accommodate the sends a survey out once a year trend that a lot of people felt fee increase.

Currently, there are 61 salaried positions in the AMS. ELECTIONS “We want all students to have access to these positions … as opposed to only people who can afford to work for these jobs because they don’t compensate as much as they should be,” Garcia, ArtSci ’13, said.

The AMS pays the lowest salary to its student president B Y S EBASTIAN L ECK involvement, and if so, what kind is clarify that step,” she said. “Are democracy. What’s a better form compared to many other Canadian Assistant News Editor of involvement?” Nicola Plummer, they looking at eligibility? Are they of democracy?” universities, Garcia said. He She stated that the AMS has looking at merit? Are they looking vice-president (operations), said. added most university student A new AMS referendum policy is She said the policy is a at whether the fee should even no official position, and they’re unions usually have four in the works, which could make response to “confusion” over exist for a club like that?” waiting for feedback from executive positions, while Queen’s gaining opt-out fees more difficult the role of assembly during this An example of an issue that student leaders. has three.

Rya Marrelli, a co-editor of year’s fall referendum and in last could merit an extra layer of for student clubs.

The AMS president is paid vetting, according to Plummer, is Ultraviolet Magazine, said fee The policy, which will be drafted year’s referendums. $24,423 yearly while the over the next month, will decide So far, Plummer, Comm a group which donates their entire vetting would put the AMS in president at Western University whether AMS Assembly should ’13, noted, AMS Assembly has fund to a charity. a difficult position. Ultraviolet makes $41,000. “[As vice-president] I may see no Magazine was on the ballot for scrutinize opt-out fees before acted as a “rubber stamp” for “We do a lot more with less approving them to be voted on by opt-out fees. problem with that, and I put it on this fall’s referendum, but failed to people and with less money,” the student body. receive funding.

“They’re just doing our job on the student ballot,” she said.

Garcia said.

“Who are they to say what’s The student body may feel The policy will be presented top of us doing our job, which Garcia’s report stated that in at the first Assembly meeting to me doesn’t make sense. Either differently, Plummer said, but the worthy and what’s not? Every club 2012, 13.8 per cent of applicants in January.

Assembly has nothing to do with it, average Queen’s student rarely has is doing something for at least one had a 100 per cent chance of Although AMS Assembly or Assembly plays some other kind time to look through club budgets. student at Queen’s and that makes getting the job as they were the currently votes to approve student of role,” she said.

If Assembly is vetting fees, it worthy for them,” Marrelli, only applicant for the position. In fees for referendums, they aren’t When student clubs apply for student representatives can take ArtSci ’15, said.

2013, this number increased to charged with vetting fees.

Instead, she said, the AMS fees, she said, her office, along with students’ opinions into account should educate more students, 17.2 per cent.

Historically, that responsibility the Commission of Internal Affairs and vote accordingly, she said.

“Then again, students should be especially first-years, about He said that the low application has been left to the office of the determines their eligibility, and numbers can be attributed to the Vice-President (Operations). then Assembly votes to approve allowed to vote,” Plummer added. opt-out fees so students don’t pay cost of living and tuition increases.

“The question is should the AMS club fees for the referendum ballot. “It’s like the argument between direct fees accidentally.

See Students on page 5 “What we’re attempting to do democracy and representational In addition to raising salaries, the have zero involvement, or some

Referendum rules under review AMS policy will decide role of student representatives in vetting opt-out fees

CANADA GOOSE®

Thursday, November 28, 2013

queensjournal.ca

•3

Feature academics

Exam questions Analyzing the value of exams to quantify student learning B y N icholas Tollefson Contributor Queen’s biology professor Robert Montgomerie doesn’t see the value of exams.

This fall, Montgomerie is teaching a dramatically restructured BIOL 243 — data management and analysis for biologists. Unlike previous years, the course won’t have a final exam.

Instead, it offers weekly assignments, quizzes and self-testing.

Exam studying may aid exam performance but, from Montgomerie’s experience, exam studying doesn’t always lead to long-term information retention.

Instead, he believes examinations are reflective of a student’s ability to memorize, and by encouraging memorization, the overarching goals of higher education can be lost.

“I had this graduate student with an amazing memory,” he said.

“They could tell me anything in the textbook. They did extremely well in exams, but in some ways they weren’t that great of a graduate student, because they didn’t have to think — they just memorized everything.”

Having quizzes and assignments throughout the semester is a model that he prefers. “[It] helps pace the learning and build on what they have learned before,” he said. “I act as a gatekeeper to keep them on schedule.”

Yet many undergraduate

courses at Queen’s and elsewhere use exams as a primary method of evaluation.

“Though I’m convinced exams are not a good way of educating people, they are a good way of generating marks,” Montgomerie said.

During the April 2013 exam period, the Queen’s Exam Office scheduled 629 exams — 49 per cent of the 1,272 courses eligible to schedule exams during the period. In reality, the number of courses with exams is even higher, as this percentage accounts only for exams formally scheduled by the Exam Office.

Professors can schedule exams independently of the Exam Office if they occur before the designated exam study period. Additionally, this figure takes into account courses with minimal enrolment, such as upper-year thesis and independent study courses, which don’t have exams.

Don Klinger, a professor in the Faculty of Education who specializes in the measurement, assessment, and evaluation of education outcomes, said that when choosing evaluation methods, a number of factors should be considered.

“You have to make a decision on the types of learning you want to measure,” he said. “Types of learning can include developing hands-on, theoretical or application skills.” Klinger said.

“Then, you also have to determine the breadth of learning you want to measure. In addition, the efficiency of an assessment

method is always an important question to ask.”

This efficiency can sometimes come at the expense of quality.

“These things compete, sometimes you have to make some difficult decisions. It’s very difficult to write good assessments of any kind, so sometimes it depends on what’s available.”

Educators should choose from the get-go exactly what they want students to take away from their course.

There’s a belief that the multiple choice evaluation format can only demonstrate memorization, Klinger said, but this isn’t necessarily the case.

He said a proper written assessment can effectively evaluate all types of learning.

“You can write very powerful multiple choice type questions in exams, that measure complex skills and application analysis.”

It’s difficult for educators to know whether their assessment methods are actually measuring their desired learning outcomes.

Klinger said often the best way to determine whether courses are measuring more complex types of learning is to diversify the type of assessment used. “[You] then determine whether the results are consistent. That’s often one of the best ways we have to determine if what we have been doing is working,” he said.

Although including a broader level of assessment is always better, there are limitations to the number of assessments you can do in a university setting.

“The challenge we have at university, as opposed to a school system where you have 120 hours for a course, we only have 36 hours and you don’t want to use up all your teaching time to do all these assessments,” he said.

“The model we’re trying to promote people going to recently

is using formative assessment practices during classes,” he added.

“Whether it’s using iClickers or oral questions, being able to monitor students learning throughout lectures. The more you can do that the less importance the final exams [are].”

Final exams can create more than just assessment problems.

“Exam stress” is abundant on campus, as some students prepare to write a number of exams in a relatively short period of time.

Students may have more or less time to study for exams depending on a number of factors.

Joan Brett, who manages scheduling at the Queen’s Exam Office, schedules exams so they are spread out as fairly as possible and so students don’t have conflicts.

An official exam conflict at Queen’s is having two exams at the same time or having three exams in a row within 24 hours.

In theory, this means students might have to write three or four exams in two days, but the scheduling software acts to minimize these situations. Last year, no student had to write four centrally scheduled exams in a two-day period, according to Brett.

Students don’t have a say in their exam schedule, so they’re left to do the best they can with the schedule they’ve been dealt.

Mike Condra, Director of Health, Counselling and Disability Services (HCDS), said HCDS sees more students leading up to, and during the exam period.

“Exam stress can affect students in a number of ways. They might find themselves a little more irritable or achy. They may feel a sense of pressure during the day,” Condra said.

According to him, the stress from exams differs from the stress incurred from long-term assignments.

“Most of us expect exams at

the end of the course. Sometimes assignments — because they vary so much between courses — they’re a little bit more unpredictable.”

“With assignments, for example, people often kind of over-extend themselves at the very end in order to get it done, whereas with exams, a far better approach is to make sure you’re well-rested in the last two or three days before you write.”

Condra recommends studying in shorter intervals interspersed with breaks to ensure the most efficient studying possible.

“Sometimes people tend to do interminable study periods, so study periods that go on for three or four hours, but those simply aren’t efficient. [It’s] much better to be doing shorter periods of time studying,” he said.

Studying at the right time of day can also benefit students.

“It seems to really help, believe it or not, for students to study at the same time of the day that the exam is going to happen, so if it’s going to be a mid-afternoon exam, [it’s] probably good to study in the same time period, the day before.”

While exams tend to be more difficult for some students than others, Condra said this means of evaluation remains the most reasonable mechanism of testing at universities.

“In some instances, exams are the most straightforward way to evaluate a student’s learning in the course. Some people, however, don’t perform very well in examinations and they need lots of preparation, coaching, teaching in order for them to be more effective,” he said.

“It’s a little bit like democracy; not necessarily the best method, but better than all the others.”

— With files from Emily Miller

PHOTO Illustration BY Charlotte Gagnier

The Queen’s Exams Office scheduled 629 exams during last April’s exam season — many students also have in-class exams or cumulative projects, which can create stress for students.

4 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

STUDENT HOUSING

Hospitality issues heard The Housing Grievance Centre opens to support students B Y O LIVIA B OWDEN Assitant News Editor Students facing housing issues with their landlords can now receive guidance from a new student service, the Housing Grievance Centre (HGC).

AMS Assembly passed the proposal for the introduction of the HGC last March.

The Centre, which opened in the JDUC on Nov. 15, provides students with advice regarding housing issues, such as how to properly communicate with landlords, how to review lease contracts and their rights as tenants.

“The HGC has been created to handle these questions, provide resources on tenant rights, and disseminate information to first-year students,” said AMS Municipal Affairs Commissioner Catherine Wright.

Wright said with the majority of students, issues with landlords are the most common.

“Many students have questions on what a landlord is and is not allowed to put in a lease or what property issues a landlord is required to fix,” Wright, ArtSci ’14, said.

“We are also anticipating questions regarding housemates and interpersonal conflicts,” she added.

The Centre isn’t able to provide legal advice to students, but will refer them to Queen’s Legal Aid if necessary.

Wright operates the Centre with an advisory board, as well as a member of the property standards division of the City of Kingston.

Students will be given advice by other peers from the Centre on how to go about tackling housing issues. “[The HGC will] provide peer lease-readings to pick out any unlawful clauses … and book inspections with [Student Property Assessment and Dwelling Education (SPADE)] through the HGC,” Wright said.

SPADE is an AMS-run inspection service that gives students free home inspections, as well as home checkups when school isn’t in session.

Wright said the HGC will have a positive impact on students as it offers them a service that will support them with housing issues.

Coleen Tung, Nurs ’14, said she called the HGC for

advice regarding an issue with her landlord after she bought a dog.

Tung said her landlord wanted her to provide a $700 cheque for owning a dog.

She said she was uncertain about the reasons behind him asking.

“He said the cheque would be used for fumigation, but I did research and companies will not fumigate houses anymore because of the danger,” she said.

When Tung confronted her landlord about this, she said he didn’t give a specific answer.

“I assumed that he would just cash my cheque and not use it for anything relating to me having a pet in the house,” she said.

The HGC convinced Tung to not provide a cheque. “[The HGC] let me know that my landlord can’t make me do anything extra for having a pet,” she said. “[The HGC] saved me from letting my landlord get away with taking a lot of money from me.”

Catherine Wright and Sangeeta Raju, ArtSci ‘14, inform students about tenant rights.

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

CAMPUS CALENDAR Thursday, Nov. 28

Friday, Nov. 29

Saturday, Nov. 30

Lost Paws: Critters on Campus JDUC 12 - 4 p.m.

All-Faculty Career Workshop: Ramp Up Your Resume Gordon Hall, 3rd floor 10:30 a.m.

iFreeStyle Salsa Dancing Workshop ARC, Studio 4 1 p.m.

Residence Don Information Session Stauffer Library, Room 121 5 - 6 p.m.

School of Music Symphony Orchestra Concert Grant Hall 7:30 p.m.

Lee Harvey Osmond concert The Mansion $30 9 p.m.

News

Thursday, November 28, 2013

queensjournal.ca

•5

Students uninformed on fees, says club director Continued from page 2

Henry Barron, director of Queen’s Genetically Engineered Machine (QGEM) team, said putting responsibility on students requires a culture shift.

Queen’s Synthetic Biology club, an outreach branch of QGEM, received a student fee in the fall referendum.

Currently, he said, clubs rely on student laziness to receive funding, because students don’t tend to look up individual fees when they opt out.

“It’s more I’m going to opt out of all these fees … or you don’t know about opt-out fees and you don’t opt out and that’s how clubs get funding,” Barron said.

It’s good to have a screening process, he said, to prevent clubs from using funds poorly.

“I don’t know if first of all the students will be looking at the budgets of clubs, and they probably won’t be looking up the clubs, unless they’re really interested,” Barron said.

“I know I didn’t.”

Increased workload leads to discontent having previously worked in Residence Life.

She said they were told the changes to their job description were made to align the residence system with other university systems.

“I came into it this year expecting a certain kind of job and none of these changes were communicated to anyone during hiring, which is when I think … it should be communicated,” she said.

“A lot of the outrage is more from returning dons than new dons just because [new dons] just think this is how it is,” she said.

Chauncey Kennedy did not respond to interview requests from the Journal.

The don declined to provide further detail regarding their plans to unionize.

Providing further detail could jeopardize the plans, she said.

“We have no lobbying platform or any sort of representation or anything … we just need something as a voice for the dons.”

Continued from page 2

happy with all of this,” she said, adding the extra programming and on-call requirement in December has amounted to nearly double the workload.

“A lot of us are fairly upset because they told us essentially a week or two weeks before exams, and they had known for a while that they had wanted to do this.”

The changes, which were allegedly introduced by Chauncey Kennedy, Residence Life manager, weren’t stipulated in the work contracts signed by dons following their hiring last March.

The new requirements were relayed verbally by Residence Life Coordinators.

“In the beginning of the year, after we had signed our contracts and after we attended training, agreed to take to the job, they then informed us that they were quadrupling our job requirements for the year,” said another don, who also requested to remain anonymous.

It’s her second year working as a don,

Assembly will debate referendum rules in January.

campus catch-up International students to pay more tuition International tuition will rise next year at the University of Alberta, which the university’s Students’ Union is calling “ridiculous” and unfair.

The University of Alberta’s Vice-President (Finance and Administration) said tuition increases are designed to cover for a 7.2 per cent slash to its base operating grant.

The Alberta government announced a one-year tuition freeze in April, but this doesn’t cover international tuition.

International tuition is unregulated in Alberta, unlike domestic tuition.

In an interview with the university’s student newspaper, The Gateway, student union president Petros Kusmu said the university’s tuition advisory committee has told international students that tuition will be increasing by five per cent in the coming year.

According to Kusmu, tuition will increase even more for professional programs such as pharmacy, business and engineering.

For a pharmacy student, he said, this means an extra $1,700 for yearly tuition.

All of this, Kusmu said, makes international students feel they are being treated like “cash cows”.

International students already pay higher tuitions and are eligible for less scholarships and bursaries, he said.

“At the end of the day international students are expected to foot the bill more,” he said.

— Sebastian Leck

Too many sick notes for missed exams, says St. Mary’s campus nurse

photo Illustration by Charlotte Gagnier

want to write for news?

Dalhousie students vote against

fossil fuels

Jane Collins, a nurse at Saint Mary’s The Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) passed University, said too many students ask her a motion last week calling for the university’s for doctor’s notes to miss exams, and she’s Board of Governors to end investments in sick of it. fossil fuels, Maclean’s On Campus reported From now on, she said in an interview last week. with Maclean’s On Campus, many students The motion, which was passed will be directed to off-campus walk-in clinics, unanimously, is meant to pressure the which charge fees for sick notes. university to respond. It’s part of a movement Professors still ask students to get sick to divest away from the oil industry. notes for missed midterms, she said, which The on-campus group Divest Dal has is usually a waste of time. According to been pushing for the Board of Governors to Collins, the registrar has asked deans to send pull investments in fossil fuels since May. the message along to professors, but it hasn’t “It is morally bankrupt for an institution gotten through. who claims to be a leader in sustainability to She said she books off an hour a profit off the extraction of fossil fuels, the day to write sick notes during the warming of the climate and the displacement post-midterm period. of millions of people,” said Divest Dal She suspects some students are lying, she member Rob McNeish in a press release. said, but there is no way to tell. Some McNeish said divesting from fossil fuel students come in saying they were sick companies is a good economic decision, since weeks ago, but still need a note for an exam, investments in the industry are becoming she said. more volatile.

According to Collins, one student came Dalhousie’s endowment, which is money in three times with the same complaint, the Board of Governors invests in various which occurred three weeks ago. portfolios, amounts to over $411 million.

She said she hopes to change the culture “Divesting from fossil fuels is a viable on campus. option for the university, and we’re so happy “It all comes down to the professor being to see the DSU join us in asking for it,” responsible and saying, ‘you missed an exam, said McNeish. here’s a make-up,’” Collins said, “or the McGill University’s Board of Governors student studying even though they have rejected a petition for divestment from an three exams in two days.” environmental active group in May, citing a lack of “social injury” from investing in — Sebastian Leck fossil fuels.

— Sebastian Leck

email us at journal_news@ ams.queensu.ca

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NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

CFS falls short on lobbying at Queen’s, including free tax filing software, a student saver card, ISIC international student cards and ethical wholesale merchandising opportunities.

Because the majority of student bodies linked to the CFS are undergraduate institutions, Reeve said he feels issues affecting graduate students are not being voiced as loudly.

“The efficacy on the lobbying side is demonstrably not super strong, and not always representing the practical needs of the member schools,” he said.

Reeve said he sought CFS support for the recent Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeal, but they were uninterested, despite the precedent the appeal set for the rest of Ontario.

While the SGPS will take no official stance on the debate surrounding the CFS or defederation processes, Reeve said they are hoping to bring the issue up at council next semester.

Continued from page 1

the defederation bylaws were democratically decided on by members of the federation at general meetings.

Iain Reeve, SGPS president, said the CFS defederation process is specifically designed to make it difficult for dissatisfied schools to leave.

He said he recalls student discontent with the CFS spanning back to his undergraduate years at Simon Fraser, when defederation campaigns were run against the CFS in British Columbia.

“There’s been problems for a while, it just happens to be in the right circumstances now that there’s a bigger movement,” he said.

However, a national student union is valuable as a body which advocates for student interests at a provincial and federal level, Reeve said, and its services have been managed well.

The CFS offers a variety of services to graduate students

The SGPS is interested in opening up discussion about the CFS to find out how students feel, he added, and they won’t prevent students from starting a campaign for or against the CFS. Meagan Crane, SGPS vice-president of campaigns and community affairs, told the Journal that the CFS brings value to the SGPS, although it can be overly bureaucratic and “frustrating”.

Crane said the lack of support for the OMB appeal was partly the fault of the SGPS. “While they weren’t particularly helpful, we didn’t go through the appropriate channels to ask for help,” she said.

It’s not really up to the SGPS to decide if Queen’s students will run a defederation campaign, she added.

“You don’t need to have any kind of ties to the student government at all to run a de-federation campaign,” she said.

“Anybody can do it.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Revitalization plan moving forward Despite backlash from businesses along upper Princess St., the revitalization plan for the Williamsville District will be moving forward.

City councillors had already approved the plan, but a motion to reconsider was introduced by Councillor Kevin George on behalf of businesses last week.

Some local businesses in the district are fighting against the introduction of bike lanes in order to keep parking spots.

The motion to reconsider lost with seven votes against and six for. Two-thirds of councillors must vote in favour in order for an issue to be back on the table for discussion.

Right before the motion was introduced, Kingston lawyer Hal Linscott interrupted to say he had information for the councillors to be given to them.

The issue was then discussed privately among councillors and staff for 25 minutes.

The information discussed hasn’t been given to the public.

George mentioned after the discussion that many had come to the meeting wearing bike helmets to show support for the revitalization project.

However, George brought up that 3,300 people had signed a petition in support of maintain parking spaces in the district.

Councillor Sandy Berg said the City will lose money by removing some parking spots, as they would have to create other areas for parking.

The area between Bath Rd. and Macdonnell St. will see the first construction projects to implement new sewer and water lines, beginning in February.

— Olivia Bowden Queen’s National Scholar Selection for the Queen’s National

Scholar (QNS) award are underway with four out of 23 submissions chosen for the second round of competition.

The QNS program was established in 1985 and aims to “enrich teaching and research in newly developing fields of knowledge as well as traditional disciplines”.

The program seeks to attract new faculty that are exceptional junior and mid-career professors.

The QNS program gives two awards out annually to departments that are able to attract the hiring of new members.

Two faculties or schools will be awarded, with each receiving $100,000 per year for five years.

The four submissions that made it to the second round are in the fields of aquatic ecotoxicology, Indigenous visual and material cultures of the Americas, integrated energy systems and international community-based rehabilitation.

Each represent the Department of Biology and the School of Environmental studies, the Department of Art History, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the School of Rehabilitation Therapy.

Results from last year’s competition will be released in the next few weeks.

around the world.

Each artist will discuss their journey and how they have acquired corporate ownership and an audience for their work.

The hope is that their answers will create a framework for other municipalities to create programs that will foster art programs for people with disabilities.

Kingston is expected to be the most featured city for arts from people with disabilities.

Participants from the City’s cultural services, the Kingston Arts Council, Queen’s Faculty of Education, Queen’s School of Rehabilitation Therapy and Queen’s School of Nursing are expected to attend.

— Olivia Bowden ArtSci students honoured

The Faculty of Arts and Science hosted a reception last week to celebrate students on the dean’s honour list with distinction.

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre held the event, celebrating 302 students with a grade point average (GPA) higher than 3.9 in the 2012-13 academic year.

Among the group of students, 28 were recognized for having a GPA higher than 4.3, meaning a 90 per cent average or greater.

The event featured speakers — Olivia Bowden including Susan Mumm, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and Importance of arts highlighted Margaret Little, a professor in the Kingston launched a three- department of political studies and day event Tuesday that aims to gender studies.

Mumm addressed the audience emphasize the importance of and congratulated the students the arts.

Hosted by the H’art School of on their impressive academic Smiles, the event called Able Artists performance. Little touched on showcases work and performances a different area, addressing the necessity of poverty reduction and by disabled artists.

This is the third time the event building an inclusive society.

In addition to the students has come to Kingston. Able Artists also includes workshops as well as who attended, faculty heads focus groups that discuss obstacles and undergraduate chairs from the disabled persons may face 27 departments attended the congratulatory reception. as artists.

Able Artists is made up of — Abby Andrew professional disabled artists from

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Janina Enrile Alison Shouldice

Production Manager

Alex Pickering

News Editor

Vincent Ben Matak

Assistant News Editors

Abby Andrew Olivia Bowden Sebastian Leck

Features Editors

Rachel Herscovici Emily Miller

Editorials Editor

David Hadwen

Editorial Illustrator

Katherine Boxall

Opinions Editor

Erin Sylvester

Arts Editor

Meaghan Wray

Assistant Arts Editor

Kate Shao

Sports Editor

Nick Faris

Assistant Sports Editor

Sean Sutherland

Postscript Editor Photo Editors

Katie Grandin

Charlotte Gagnier Sam Koebrich

Graphics Editor

Web Developer

Jonah Eisen

Michael Wong

Blogs Editor Copy Editors

Jessica Chong Anisa Rawhani Megan Scarth

Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Jordan Cathcart Tiffany Lam Adam Laskaris Sean Liebich Brent Moore Filza Naveed Colin Tomchick Jerry Zheng

Contributors Sophie Barkham Lucy He

Business Staff Business Manager

Kevin Kim

Sales Representatives

James Bolt Clara Lo Stephanie Stevens

Thursday, November 23, 2013 • Issue 23 • Volume 141

The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

Editorial opinions expressed in the Journal are the sole responsibility of the Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers.

Contents © 2013 by the Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the Journal.

The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario.

Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Subscriptions are available for $120.00 per year (plus applicable taxes).

Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

Please direct editorial, advertising and circulation enquiries to: 190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Telephone: 613-533-2800 (editorial) 613-533-6711 (advertising) Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca The Journal online: www.queensjournal.ca Circulation 6,000

Issue 24 of Volume 141 will be published on Friday, January 10, 2014.

queensjournal.ca

Dialogue campus politics

•7

Editorials — The Journal’s Perspective

“For Mayor Mark Gerretsen, bad town-gown relations are good politics.”

Frown due to Homecoming shakedown The University’s plan to pay the City of Kingston $100,000 a year for the next three years in order to cover “policing costs” is a mistake.

While the City and local residents have legitimate concerns about street parties, the payments set a bad precedent and were determined in an unfortunate political context.

Why should Queen’s pay for the costs associated with something it has consistently tried to curtail? A large percentage of Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day revelers aren’t Queen’s students and only a small percentage of Queen’s students actually participate.

A contribution of $100,000 per year when total police costs for this year’s Homecoming were $104,000 is ridiculous.

However you look at it, the $100,000 is excessive. Why is this new scheme being implemented in the wake of what was universally considered to be a relatively smooth Homecoming?

Another major problem with the arrangement is its lack of transparency. Students already pay a huge amount in tuition and fees, and we’re not sure where exactly this money is coming from. It’s Principal Daniel Woolf’s responsibility to make this clear to students.

In addition to being opaque, the agreement sets an awkward precedent. What happens if the costs of policing St. Patrick’s Day and Homecoming change in the coming years? Will Queen’s match the new costs in three year intervals?

The City can’t be allowed to treat short-term fluctuations in student behaviour as a cash cow.

Instead of being opportunistic,

government

illustration by Katherine Boxall

the City should embrace Homecoming as an event that benefits the local economy.

That said, if Queen’s wants Kingston to embrace Homecoming, then it should continue to search for alternative solutions. Queen’s should consider sanctioning the Homecoming street party and managing it, as this would remove ambiguity about responsibility and would be less expensive than the current arrangement.

Even if Queen’s doesn’t directly sanction street parties, now that it’s effectively paying for them, will police behaviour change? The possibility that Kingston Police might curtail their sometimes rough and arbitrary treatment of students is a welcome one.

More than anything, this

No limits necessary

agreement should be seen as an attempt to pacify relations with Kingston’s mayor. For Mayor Mark Gerretsen, bad town-gown relations are good politics. In the lead up to the 2014 municipal elections, Gerretsen will probably tout this shakedown as a major achievement.

While these exorbitant payments might buy a stalemate between Queen’s and the City, they don’t solve the underlying problems.

Meaghan Wray

Devs dilemma

A Manitoba mother was recently healthy food. These problems fined by her daycare for not deserve more attention. For most part though, providing her children with the a “balanced” lunch. The mother day-to-day meal choices are a thought that the lunch she parent’s responsibility.

Apathetic has become the adjective The food guide that the of my generation. packed — roast beef, potatoes, carrots, an orange and milk — was daycare was attempting to follow Coming to Queen’s, I didn’t may itself be flawed, as it’s expect to become apathetic healthy and sufficient. that Canada about my degree but, sadly, that’s Since the provincial food guide possible certain what happened. requires a “grain” in each nutritious overemphasizes meal, the daycare provided the foods due to the strength of I fell in love with DEVS 100 in child with Ritz crackers and corporate lobbies. first year. I was eager to scratch my This whole incident is global awareness itch. subsequently fined the mother for problematic from top to bottom. the crackers.

It began as a filler course and Canada food quickly became the only one I was This series of events is The isn’t without bias. interested in, replacing my initial unbelievable, as it doesn’t make guide any sense to supplement a healthy The province of Manitoba desire to study psychology. mandate lunch with Ritz crackers — pure shouldn’t DEVS 100 became one of that lunches follow the only classes in which I felt junk food.

The assumptions at play are that guide. Daycares shouldn’t academically stimulated.

I also suspect. While daycares be enforcing faulty standards and even trekked to the Biosciences have some responsibility certainly shouldn’t supplement Complex for an 8:30 a.m. class in a in minding the health of lunches with junk food. snowstorm to attend it.

We should be thankful children, they shouldn’t Global Development Studies micromanage their lunches. In that there are good parents, is a niche department in which general, “top down” paternalistic like this mother, who are interdisciplinary study is highly approaches aren’t ideal when it willingand able to pack healthy encouraged. Most of the lunches for their children. comes to issues like this. departments that carry DEVS Some parents aren’t aware eligible courses, however, don’t

— Journal Editorial Board save spaces for DEVS students of what good nutrition is or they don’t have the money during the first round of and time to feed their children course selection.

Principal Woolf shouldn’t have given in to Gerretsen’s demands for compensation. He hasn’t been transparent, even though he’s committed Queen’s students to paying for things they are not 100 per cent responsible for.

This agreement raises many issues, and we don’t see it leading to any improvement in town-gown relations.

— Journal Editorial Board Instead, I’m forced to wait until their department majors fill them, and thus have to settle with courses I don’t really need, to get a degree I’ve now found out I don’t really want.

A university education is supposed to leave me feeling fulfilled. Nearing my last semester at Queen’s, I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth.

For a degree that should be training students to apply learned material to life, it’s breeding a generation of graduates that haven’t built upon their knowledge of previous years. Rather, they’ve had the same information hammered into their brains year after year.

Luckily, I had the opportunity to do fieldwork in Ecuador while studying abroad. Without this experience, I’d be questioning the merit of a global development degree entirely.

It’s a degree built on memorization of theories, on understanding white privilege and on how you can help the world by essentially not helping at all — because help is usually deemed oppressive.

The fire I once had to change my world has been replaced by a cynicism of what I’ve been taught, or perhaps what I haven’t been. I now know to be politically correct and to put quotations around every term so as not to offend.

I haven’t been taught how to do, only how not to.

Meaghan is the Arts Editor at the Journal. She’s a fourth-year Global Development Studies major.

Dialogue

8 • queensjournal.ca

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Opinions — Your Perspective

Talking heads ... around campus Photos By Erin Sylvester

What’s your favourite holiday movie?

“Muppet’s Christmas Carol because it combines classic literature, fantastic songs, Michael Caine and muppets.”

Emma Finlayson, ConEd ’15 Many popular movies feature scenes of extreme violence.

pHOTO Illustration compiled by sAM kOEBRICH

Point/Counterpoint — Movie Violence

Film shooting: action or cut?

Our contributors weigh in on the impact of violent films on our society

Colin Tomchick, ArtSci ‘15 While the proliferation of extreme violence in film and other types of media is a fairly new issue, the average North American manages to coexist relatively peacefully with firearms.

It wasn’t long ago, even in Canada, when it was commonplace for a regular family to own a firearm for sport or defence.

In light of events in the last two decades, such as the recent Sandy Hook and LAX shootings, people are looking for answers to these tragic and sometimes incomprehensible acts of violence.

Because those who commit these acts generally tend to be under the age of 25, many are quick to place the blame squarely on the go-to scourge of today’s youth: Hollywood and video games.

It’s well-established that people are afraid of things they don’t understand, so it would make sense for an older generationwithlittleexperiencewith modern gaming to see the millions of Call of Duty-playing, Expendables-watching children as a new generation of gun-crazed killers.

The reality is far different.

The assumption that violent video games and films cause gun violence is a classic case of correlation being mistaken for causation.

Many are quick to place the blame squarely on the go-to scourge of today’s youth: Hollywood and video games.

While perpetrators of mass killings are often reported to be video game enthusiasts,

what many fail to realize is that these perpetrators are generally males between the age of 16 and 30 — the demographic that most video game enthusiasts fall under. By this obviously flawed logic, any young male who Lucy He, ArtSci ’ 16 enjoys violent video games is a possible violent offender.

The increasing amount of violence in movies must stop People are afraid of things because it perpetuates and they don’t understand, so encourages emotional remoteness people. it makes sense for an older between According to the BBC, film generation ... to see the violence has doubled since millions of Call of Duty- 1950. It seems to be something playing, Expendables- that’s mentally stimulating for watching children as the audience, which explains its popularity. a new generation of overwhelming The growing allure of violent gun-crazed killers. movies speaks to a problematic lack of emotional intimacy between I doubt many people walk out people. Violence in film isolates of a movie theatre after watching emotions, causing detachment. a violent film and think: “that Social media and technology are film really motivated me to a primary cause of this emotional commit some acts of gun violence.” isolation and narcissism.

Especially in a time when Nowadays, social media individuals can recreate dominates relationships. Young violent scenarios in a safe and adults and teens are preoccupied competitive way (such as paintball with online socialization in favour or airsoft) it’s misguided to see of personal interaction. It becomes violence in the media as the a problem when media replaces main cause of real-world personal interaction. gun violence.

What individuals display via Facebook or text is a unique The assumption that fabrication of their ideal self that violent video games they project out to the public. people see each and films cause gun Consequently, other as means of entertainment violence is a classic and don’t acknowledge each case of correlation other’s true personality, which being mistaken ultimately distances people.

The frustration of loneliness for causation. stemming from this results in Violent people have widely apathy and the antagonization been found to have been of others, which in turn victims of violence in the past. provokes enjoyment in viewing Perhaps we should stop violent films. distracting ourselves with the Although violence is something gut-check reaction of that audiences want to see in blaming the media for gun movies, it’s unhealthy because violence, and examine the it numbs and desensitizes more likely societal causes, emotions. The post-modern film such as mental illness and genre is, in part, characterized familial abuse. by the alienation of the viewer, making it difficult for the audience to feel empathy towards the characters.

This is done by the use of techniques such as non-linear storytelling, breaking the “fourth wall”, keeping the identity of the protagonist ambiguous and using humour to cope with extreme violence. The film Pulp Fiction is a good example. It centres on gruesome shootings, rape, gang disputes and drug use.

Throughout the film, almost all of the violent scenes employ comic relief as a coping mechanism.

Many iconic films today such as American Psycho and Inglorious Basterds share this trait.

Although violence is something that audiences want to see in movies, it’s unhealthy because it numbs and desensitizes emotions.

While we find films like this exhilarating and exciting, we don’t realize the negative effects they have on our mental and emotional well-being. These films work as an anaesthetic that eliminate the moral distaste that most people naturally feel towards violence and cruelty.

Slowly, this normalizes violent behaviour and enables an apathetic perspective towards violence.

This phenomenon is already evident: Generation Y and X’s tolerance for disturbing scenes has increased within the last decade. The Guardian published an article recently on how the Top 13 PG-13 blockbusters movies, like The Hunger Games and The Avengers now have more violence than R-rated 80s flicks such as The Untouchables.

This shows the growing acceptance and normalization of violence in society.

The desensitization towards violent movies is a problem. If this continues to go unnoticed, society has the potential to grow into the same chaos we see in these films.

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town because you can’t go wrong with claymation.”

Elisabeth Beard, ConEd ’15

“Die Hard because it’s got everything you could want.”

Oliver Blake, Sci ’14

“It’s a Wonderful Life because it shows how significant one person can be.”

Stephanie Jackson, ArtSci ’14

“Home Alone because it’s fun and heartwarming.”

Carissa Gordon, ConEd ’16

Follow Dialogue on Twitter @QJDialogue

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Dialogue

queensjournal.ca

•9

10 • queensjournal.ca

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Queen’s Musical Theatre presents... Assassins

Arts

Queen’s Musical Theatre’s production, Assassins, a dark and comical musical, features quirky and passionate musical numbers and directing worth an applaud.

Photos by Sophie Barkham

Theatre review

A killer way to end the semester Queen’s Musical Theatre debuts their last show of the fall term with messages discussing poverty and inequality B y F ilza N aveed Staff Writer With an aim to capture the fallacy of the American Dream, and a culture of violence that pervades society, Assassins hits the nail on the head.

Assassins is a dark and daring comical musical based on the idea of Charles Gilbert Jr., music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman.

It’s a stunning musical performance that exposes the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or attempted to assassinate a President of the United States over the years.

The dress rehearsal yesterday

night was passionate and dynamic, filling the theatre with raw energy.

Performed in the Rotunda Theatre of Theological Hall, the location was ideal. The old building set the mood for transporting the audience back in time to witness these assassination attempts.

Directed by Dylan On and produced by Tessa Burnside, the musical opened with a spectacular performance by the gun salesman, who provides the characters with their weapons at the beginning of the show.

The performance was filled with vivacious enthusiasm and bold musical numbers that stay with you long after you leave the theatre.

The talented cast included a

memorable performance by Luke Brown as the Proprietor, with his cunning looks and the gargantuan moustache to go with them. John Wilkes Booth and Sam Byck were two of the most strikingly vivid characters with their animated performances.

Musical highlights were the soul-saddening “Unworthy of Your Love” and the vividly performed “Something Just Broke.” Filled with innuendo, “The Ballad of Guiteau” was performed remarkably well by the character Charles Guiteau.

Dylan On’s unique directing is definitely worth mentioning, and there are certainly tremendous messages that are implicit underneath the quirky and

passionate musical numbers.

The harsh reality that we live in a world of deep inequality and despair, which is hidden by the false illusion of freedom and democracy especially resonates throughout the musical.

Anarchist Emma Goldman’s brief appearance is memorable wherein she lectures the character

Leon Czolgosz on the hypocrisy of governments with her remarkable quote, “They make us servants, Leon. We do not make servants of each other.”

A particularly comic scene depicts the witty and talented performances of quibbling characters Squeaky Fromme and Sara Jane Moore See Musical on page 14

Gallery review

Messages from Beirut All is Well sends political messages in letters B y C harlotte G agnier Photo Editor

All is Well is Akram Zaatari’s first solo exhibition in Canada.

Photo by charlotte gagnier

Walking into the All is Well exhibit, the viewer will be struck by its emptiness.

A couple of photos are hung, small glass cases line the perimeter of the room, one television displays the recording of a man writing and a large projection of a typewriter is on the far wall.

Akram Zaatari’s exhibit at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre focuses on the process of written communication.

His projects examine how letters of love, politics and secrets were written and sent between Lebanon

and Israel in the early 1990s to present — a time of violence and tension between the two countries.

The first thing to be noticed is the sound of Arabic music, which gives geographic context to the exhibit.

The loud clicking of keys is heard as a projected typewriter composes a letter — a dialogue between two lovers.

The rhythmic sound of the typing follows you around the exhibit.

Small glass cases run across three walls holding 48 letters. The project is entitled “Writing for a Posterior Time” and contains letters received

by Lebanese political prisoner See Narrating on page 13

ARTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

ARCHITECTURE

Building thoughts An architectural comparison between Britain and Queen’s B Y E RIN S YLVESTER Opinions Editor The architecture at Queen’s is a mishmash of shockingly brutalist and older limestone buildings that give Queen’s its straight-from-a-college-movie feel.

This sense, that the buildings at Queen’s are based more on the fantastical world of Hollywood than a real-world university campus, is heightened by one of the more famous Queen’s buildings: Herstmonceux Castle.

I was lucky enough to spend my first year at our English campus. The 15th century castle is an architectural work of significance.

It was the largest family home and the largest brick building in England at the time it was built.

The countryside around the Castle is dotted with English cottages — ivy-covered and much more squat than the houses I was used to back home in Canada.

The most striking difference between Canadian houses and British ones was the ubiquitous lichen on the roofs in rainy England.

In London, however, the real differences between Canadian and British architecture became clear.

The National Gallery in London is a striking example of the old-style co-existing with the new. The newest wing of the gallery, the Sainsbury Wing, was built in post-modern style.

One of the defining elements of post-modern architecture is its emphasis on playing with the design elements that surround it.

The new wing has a large rotund, almost

comically squat pillar, a riff on the classical pillars that adorn the front of the main wing of the National Gallery.

This sort of architectural synergy isn’t the norm at Queen’s, nor really in Canada at all.

Throughout my time in Kingston, I’ve heard countless people complain about Jeffrey Hall, nicknamed “the bunker” by some of my professors, as well as the awkward layout of Mackintosh-Corry Hall.

These buildings, along with others such as Watson Hall, were obviously designed much later than the rest of campus.

These building are examples of an architectural style called brutalism. They’re meant to stand out and surprise viewers.

Watson Hall was the first building constructed on campus not dressed in limestone.

Not only is Watson’s concrete exterior a surprise, but anyone that has tried to enter Watson from University Ave. will muse that it was built without any regard to its surroundings.

Both the front and back entrances face away from this main road. This is a pattern with most of the brutalist buildings on campus.

These buildings can make Queen’s seem un-cohesive, lacking a comprehensive architectural plan. This seems to be the way in North America. Instead, the post-modernism I saw in England plays on elements of the surrounding buildings, while staying modern and fresh.

North American contemporary architecture doesn’t try and fit in with the old, but rather creates an entirely new aesthetic that layers itself on the landscape.

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

• 11

Arts

12 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Dance preview

Stepping into Kingston Queen’s Step Crew reaches out to youth in the community B y J essica C hong Blogs Editor Along with an appetite for hip hop and step dancing, Step Crew sparks students’ passion to teach.

Director of Queen’s Step Crew, Joanna Tinus, ArtSci ’14, said step dance is an opportunity to teach others through personal workshops and partnerships with community organizations.

“We’re open to having new people come in and learn progressively,” she said, “and give them an opportunity that they might not have had before.”

Step Crew, comprised of around 30 members, is an equal-opportunity group, Tinus said, that welcomes students of any dance background or experience.

“We’ve got a really open

community and we really want people to be able to express themselves,” she said.

The diversity of their group, as well as introducting more upbeat songs this year, allows the group to differ their performances from previous years.

“We’ve got three very different choreographers,” Tinus said, “so it’s nice to see you can kind of incorporate step dancing into any dance you like.”

The group, which rehearses three times a week, also shares their love for dance with the community.

Step Crew has been expanding its community outreach efforts, Tinus said, and offers weekly classes to Kingston youth.

“We’ve never been a crew about trying to bring the attention to us,” she said.

With previous partnerships with the YMCA and local schools, Step Crew aims to empower youth.

Currently, the group organizes weekly classes for underprivileged Kingston youth with the Youth Diversion program.

“We’re trying to reach out to the younger kids so they have the opportunity to continue with stuff like this when they’re older,” she said.

Tinus said their education program is relatively new, but she hopes to increase the number of schools involved in order to empower and affect as many youth.

“That way we have a bunch of kids from all over Kingston being able to dance,” she said, “[and] express themselves through dance.”

Step Crew, in addition to performing around 10-14 times a year, also performs at Flow Show, organized by Flow Dance Club, at the end of both Fall and Winter semesters. They also compete at the annual Queen’s Dance Battle.

The founder of Step Crew, Crystal Lo, ConEd ’12, inspired Tinus to stay involved in the group and maintain similar ties to

Photo by Jessica chong

Joanna Tinus, ArtSci ‘14, is this year’s director of Queen’s Step Crew. The Crew performs around 10 to 14 times a year.

the community.

Lo established connections within the community at different schools and with Youth Diversion that, Tinus said, made it easier for them to broaden the scope of their efforts in the following year.

“One thing that she always instilled was individuality, equal opportunity and community,” Tinus said, “so that has been the guidelines that we basically live by

in the crew.”

Tinus, who joined Step Crew in her first year, said she was looking for a fun group to join and enjoyed the support and encouragement she received from the team.

“It did end up being a lot like a family,” she said. “That led me to go on further.”

Step Crew will be performing at the Grad Club on Nov. 30.

One of Step Crew’s aims is to connect with Kingston’s economically-disadvantaged youth.

Top 10 Charts

Supplied

For the week ending November 26th

1 / 1 2 / 2 3 / re 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 /

-re 20 --17 9

The Arcade Fire Solids Billie Dre & The Poor Boys Dog Day Braids Rob Moir Corey Isenor Lorde St. Lucia Drake

Reflektor Blame Confusion Garlic Fingers Fade Out Flourish/Perish Places to Die Hollowbody Pure Heroine When the Night Nothing was the Same

Arts

Thursday, November 28, 2013

queensjournal.ca

• 13

Music preview

Strummin’ in the Limestone again The Juno-nominated “folk popgrass” band The Strumbellas will play an emotional show at the Grad Club next Friday B y A bby A ndrew Assistant News Editor Birthed from Craigslist, six-piece band The Strumbellas has had to fight for where they stand.

After writing songs since childhood, member Simon Ward posted an ad on Craigslist a few years ago in the hopes of forming a band. “[I] probably had like 12 people come to my apartment and try out,” he said.

The Toronto-based bluegrass indie rock band is comprised of six diverse musicians: Ward (vocals and guitar), David Ritter (percussion and piano), Jeremy Drury (drums), Isabel Ritchie (violin), Jon Hembrey (guitar) and Darryl James (bass).

“We all have really different personalities.

I’m the flaky weird guy, and Darryl … is the responsible businessman,” Ward said.

“Dave is the thinker, [Izzy] is sweet and nice … and then Jeremy the drummer is Jeremy the drummer.”

The band released their second album, We Still Move On Dance Floors on Oct. 22. Their first album, My Father and The Hunter, released last year, was nominated for the 2013 Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year.

The recently-released video for the album’s single “End of an Era” received close to 90,000 YouTube hits in a day.

“It went kind of viral to be honest,” Ward said.

They may not be used to this kind of attention, but after perseverance,

success came.

“It took us like three years of playing every single possible show we could take,” Ward, who played farmer’s markets and birthday parties with the band, said.

While the band has previously played most of their shows in Toronto, they’re currently touring throughout the country.

For Ward, it can be tough.

“I find touring extremely challenging and I’m surprised I haven’t had a nervous breakdown yet,” he said, “but I wouldn’t rule that out because I go a little bit crazy when I’m on the road.”

Touring involves spending copious amounts of time in a van and waiting at venues, he said.

It took us like three years of “playing every single possible show we could take. ” — Simon Ward, The Strumbellas

In addition to the hardships of touring, Ward has teared up on stage while performing some of his more personal songs. The writing, he said, comes naturally.

“It’s the kind of person that I am and that kind of stayed true [to the new album],” he said.

Ward hopes his lyrics and music help fans cope with various problems that occur in their lives.

“I write a lot about loss and personal sadness and I’ve had a ton of people come

Narrating tales in time Continued from page 10

Nabih Awada during his time in an Israeli jail.

The messages were sent from family, friends and other prisoners.

Colourful drawings of flowers and birds line the yellowed margins of the letters.

Some are water stained and creased, showing the amount of time passed since they

were written.

Highly censored, they contained only personal news, most expressing how much they respect and miss Nahib. Some are only a few lines of text, direct and to the point, while others are more lengthly and reminisce on shared memories.

One letter was particularly touching and poetic: “Remember us every time the ship of

What’s on your holiday wish list?

The band released We Still Move on Dance Floors last month.

Supplied by Heather Pollock

up to me and tell me that my music has helped them through dark times,” he said.

“When somebody … tells me that they really connect with my words and the things I’m saying, that’s all that matters to me.”

While performing sad songs can be difficult, Ward said that it’s often liberating.

“The easiest part is putting my emotions

out … it’s not a struggle at all. I love it,” Ward said. “In a perfect world I’d make people cry [with my lyrics] if I could.”

your thoughts comes to anchor off the coast of forgetting.”

It’s easy to connect to the writers of these letters. The emotions they express are ones we’ve all felt — longing, admiration and love.

A more alien and disturbing method of communication is presented metres from these love-filled letters.

A large screen plays a video of a man writing a letter, then carefully wrapping the folded paper in plastic and tying off the end with thread. He melts it shut with a lighter, then repeats these steps several more times.

The final product, a small plastic wrapped capsule, is shown in a stark photograph hung nearby. The capsule would be swallowed by prisoners and secretly transported out of prison.

The cold way this process is portrayed

contrasts drastically to the human approach the previous letters took. It’s disconnected from emotions; calculated, and purposeful.

This exhibit situates communication in time and space, unlike our current world of instant communication.

These letters have a life — the process of writing, the journey they went on to reach their destination, their rediscovery by the artist and their exhibition in Kingston.

They’re dynamic, active creatures. They once conveyed meaning to their original recipients. Now collected and organized in Zaatar’s exhibit, they take on new meaning.

The Strumbellas will be playing on Dec. 6 at the Grad Club.

All Is Well will be featured at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre from Nov. 23 to March 30, 2014.

Some wishes can come true.

Let SPINZ lighten your load with door-to-door laundry pick-up and delivery.

Get the spin at www.spinz.ca.

SPINZ. A new spin on laundry.

www.spinz.ca All is Well features a screen displaying a man carefully writing a letter.

Photo by Charlotte Gagnier

Arts

14 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Musical with a message Continued from page 10

when Moore accidently spills her gun’s bullets upon encountering President Ford.

In short, Assassins beautifully stitches together the disparate forces of comedic entertainment with political commentary. It expertly eases the tension between the two with witty musical numbers that reverberate with social satire.

A musical with a political

message can never be easy to produce, and the entire production team and cast should be lauded in their efforts to bring forth such a strong and evocative performance.

Assassins will be playing Nov. 29 to 30 and Dec. 1 to 7. Check queensmusicaltheatre.net/assassins for more details.

Get Out There Art

Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.

Agnes Etherington Art Centre Tensions and Institutions: French Prints from the 19th Century Nov 23 to March 2, 2014

The Mansion End of Movember Bash Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.

Union Gallery Oil & Acid Nov. 28 to Jan. 24, 2014 Music The Grad Club Rural Alberta Advantage Jan. 15 at 9 p.m.

The Mansion Courage My Love

The Grad Club Lindi Ortega Dec. 7 at 9 p.m.

Film The Screening Room Now Playing: Blue Jasmine Captain Phillips Coming Soon: All Is Lost Our Man in Tehran Prisoners Austenland

The Journal staff compiles a list of the perfect holiday playlist.

Graphic by Jonah Eisen

ELECTIONS Interested in running for AMS Executive, the University Rector, or establishing a student fee in the winter referendum?

Come out to the all candidates meeting on January 6th from 5 - 7PM in McLaughlin Hall for all information regarding the nomination period and campaign procedures.

Remember to check your emails and vote through the online e-ballot on January 28th & 29th!

For more information contact

For more information on the winter election period, please visit myAMS.org/elections, or contact the Chief Returning Officer.

email: CRO@ams.queensu.ca phone: (613) 533-6000 ext. 74815 office: AMS Offices; Lower Ceilidh; JDUC

Thursday, November 28, 2013

queensjournal.ca

• 15

Men’s Hockey

Regulation warriors Hot start spurs long-awaited return to the country’s top 10 B y A dam L askaris Staff Writer It’s been an eventful and historic fall for men’s hockey.

At about the halfway point of the year, the Gaels (8-0-5) sit first in the OUA with 21 points.

As of Tuesday, they’re ranked eighth in the country — their first time cracking the CIS Top 10 since 1982-83.

Impressively, they’ve kept up a streak of not losing a single game in regulation. The Gaels didn’t lose any of their five preseason games, either, stretching this streak to 18 games.

They took over first place this weekend with a pair of victories over the Windsor Lancers.

Goaltender Kevin Bailie shut out the Lancers 3-0 on Friday night and came back strong on Saturday with a 4-1 victory.

“Every win’s been different,” said Gaels head coach Brett Gibson.

“There’s not many teams that can say they’ve gone the full first half without a [regulation] loss. That’s the challenge I put out to my guys.”

Bailie has been one of the Gaels’ brightest stars this year, sitting first in the OUA with a .942 save percentage and a 6-0-4 record.

Fellow netminder Chris Clarke has posted a 2-0-1 mark in limited action.

“Kevin has kept us in a lot of hockey games,” Gibson said. “I’m going with my gut, but there’s no drop-off if I play [Clarke].”

Forward Kelly Jackson leads the team in scoring with seven goals and 11 points, while defencemen Patrick McEachen and Chris Van Laren both have eight points to lead the Gaels’ back line.

Last weekend, Windsor came into the Memorial Centre ranked seventh in the nation, but struggled to manage much of an offensive output against the Gaels.

“They’re a well-coached team,”

Gibson said. “But I was just talking to their coach and he said that our guys were basically able to shut them down.

“I don’t like to say that they’re upset wins,” Gibson added, as Windsor entered the weekend with a 9-2-0 record. “Our coaching staff made a mandate this week that we were going to have our kids as prepared as possible, and I think we did that.”

Jordan Coccimiglio scored the winner on Friday with his first of the season, and McEachen and Jackson added goals to increase the team’s lead.

Meanwhile, Taylor Clements See Eighth on page 18

Sports MEN’S BASKETBALL

Dual display

WOMen’s Basketball

Beating the best

OUA West foes pose disparate challenges

Bullard shines in pair of weekend victories B y J erry Z heng Staff Writer The Gaels upset two top-tier teams over the weekend.

The McMaster Marauders had lost just one game before they fell 79-72 to the Gaels (5-3) in Kingston last Friday night, while the Brock Badgers were ranked 10th in the country before they fell 69-65 to Queen’s in overtime on Saturday.

Gaels head coach Dave Wilson is bullish about his team this year.

When asked to pick the order of how every team will finish in the OUA East, he placed the Gaels second, behind only the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

“That’s what I think is a realistic place for us to be,” Wilson said.

“That’s how much I believe in this group. This is the first time I’ve ever put us this high.”

The Gaels ended the game against the Marauders (6-2) shooting 49.1 per cent from the field, while going eight for 16 from three-point territory.

All five starters scored in double digits, with guard Liz Boag leading the team with 18 points and six assists.

The Gaels trailed by five points before entering the final quarter, when they outscored the Marauders 30-18.

The Marauders’ Hailey Milligan posted 25 points and finished with 17 rebounds.

The win over McMaster extended Queen’s unbeaten home record to start the season.

“We’re not just about beating teams that are competitive with us,” Wilson said. “It’s about being competitive with the best teams in the country.”

On Saturday, it was forward Gemma Bullard’s clutch shooting in the fourth quarter and in the

extra frame that allowed the Gaels to pull out an overtime win against Brock (5-3).

Bullard scored only four points in the first half, but sparked a 21-point second half to finish with 25 total. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter and six in overtime.

“All the girls always joke about it. They’re like ‘you’re resting half the game and you don’t even come out until the fourth quarter,’” Bullard said.

After guard Emily Hazlett scored off a layup to put the Gaels ahead 57-55 with 14 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Badgers’ Nicole Rosenkranz sunk two free throws to tie the game.

In overtime, Bullard hit a three-pointer to put them ahead for good. She said her team’s conditioning gave them an advantage in overtime.

The Gaels will play their final game of the first half of the season against the York Lions (1-7) on the road tomorrow. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

B y J ordan C athcart Staff Writer

PhotoS by Sam Koebrich

The Gaels topped the Windsor Lancers twice in two days last weekend, winning 3-0 and 4-1 at the Memorial Centre.

Women’s Hockey

Firmly in front Special teams edge keeps Gaels atop OUA B y J aehoon K im Staff Writer With nine games to go, women’s hockey could be en route to another league banner.

Just past the midpoint of the regular season, women’s hockey (11-1-3) is sitting pretty in first place in the OUA. They earned another two road victories last weekend, routing the Laurentian Voyageurs 5-0 and squeaking by the Nipissing

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

Gemma Bullard scored 21 second-half points against Brock on Saturday, including 15 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Lakers 4-3 in overtime.

The nationally second-ranked Gaels have been a pleasant surprise this year. They’re among the younger teams in the province with 11 rookies and just four senior players in their lineup.

Queen’s has received significant production from this year’s first-year class, including eight goals and seven assists from forward Clare McKellar. The London native has two game-winners this season and leads the OUA in rookie scoring.

“We have a lot of new faces and we knew there would be an adjustment period, but the newcomers have worked hard to fit into the culture here and it’s paid off,” said Gaels head coach Matt Holmberg. “[McKellar] has good chemistry with our vets and I’m glad she’s being rewarded.”

Perhaps the biggest reason for the Gaels’ early success has been their top-notch special teams play.

Queen’s is ranked second in the OUA with the man advantage, converting on 16.4 per cent of their power play opportunities.

They’re ranked first in the country in penalty killing at 94.6 per cent.

“In a lot of tight games in our league, special teams play usually See Strong on page 18

It was a tale of two skill-sets for the Gaels at home last weekend.

Men’s basketball showed off their defensive prowess on Friday against the McMaster Marauders and their offensive attack on Saturday versus the Brock Badgers.

Unfortunately for the Gaels, poor execution on offence cost them in a 65-63 loss to the Marauders.

Queen’s defence was strong all night, only surrendering five points in the final quarter, but 22 turnovers and a dismal 39 per cent shooting from the field ultimately led to defeat.

Down two points at the end of the fourth quarter, the Gaels had the final possession of the game, but were unable to convert.

Guard Roshane Roberts hooped 13 points, while forward Nikola Misljencevic chipped in with 11.

Despite poor offensive performance, head coach Stephan Barrie was pleased with his squad’s overall defensive effort.

“I thought we played real strong offensively — they are a very tough team,” Barrie said. “For us to hold them to 65 points overall and five points in the fourth quarter gave us See Big on page 18

inside POWER RANKINGS

Rugby, football highlight fall varsity campaign.

PAGE 16

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Gaels outlast Ryerson, fall to Toronto on road swing.

men’s volleyball

Doubleheader in Toronto leads to two losses.

PAGE 17

SPORTS

16 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

POWER RANKINGS

Rugby rules fall varsity sports scene Nixon squads both deliver championship seasons, while four other teams reach OUA or CIS podiums B Y N ICK FARIS AND S EAN S UTHERLAND Journal Staff

1. Men’s rugby It was painfully close, but men’s rugby edged out their female counterparts as our pick for Queen’s team of the fall.

2012 was a coronation year for a Gaels program on the brink, and 2013 was even better.

Queen’s ripped the OUA to shreds, capping off an undefeated season with an emphatic 40-10 win over the Western Mustangs in the league title game.

The squad won all nine of their matches by at least 18 points, surrendering five points or less in six of those.

In the absence of a CIS men’s rugby championship, it would be pretty much impossible for the Gaels to top this season’s performance.

That’s a commendable feat, rather than something to be overlooked.

Superstar fly half Liam Underwood missed all but one game, but a glut of veterans and newcomers were terrific in relief.

Fifth-year back Brendan McGovern finished second in OUA scoring, while rookies Kainoa Lloyd and Matt Mullins combined for 13 total tries. A league-high six Gaels cracked the OUA All-Star roster.

After an eight-year title drought, the Gaels have clinched three of the last five league championships under bench boss Peter Huigenbos, dating back to 2009. They’re the prohibitive favourite for varsity team of the year.

— Nick Faris

2. Women’s rugby While they might not have captured top spot in our rankings, there’s no doubt women’s rugby had their best season ever.

After falling just four points shy against Guelph in last year’s title game, the Gaels embarked on an undefeated OUA campaign.

They beat the Gryphons 19-15 in the final, avenging last year’s loss and capturing their first provincial crown.

The win snapped Guelph’s 54-game winning streak and five-year reign atop the OUA standings.

For an encore performance, the Gaels snagged the program’s first-ever CIS medal, defeating the McGill Martlets 32-24 in the bronze medal match at nationals.

The Gaels dominated the OUA Russell Division during the regular season, winning three games by 30 or more points, and scoring at least six tries in all five games.

2013 was Lauren McEwen’s breakout year, as the third-year back finished second in the OUA with 54 points. The All-Canadian followed up her regular season success with 41 points in three playoff games, the best in the league.

Joining McEwen on the All-

Third-year defensive back Yann Dika-Balotoken tied for the CIS lead in interceptions, while he and six defensive teammates earned OUA All-Star nods.

After barely beating the lackluster Laurier Golden Hawks on Queen’s first Homecoming weekend, the Gaels got their season in gear. They pumped the Waterloo Warriors 78-21 and beat the Guelph Gryphons in consecutive games to progress to Yates.

Exorcising the sting of two brutal losses to Guelph in 2012 was a giant success on its own.

Outlasting Western will be the next frontier to cross.

— Nick Faris

5. Cross-country Individual success outweighed team performances for the Gaels in 2013.

The pair of Julie-Anne Staehli and Victoria Coates dominated women’s cross-country this year. They revived a Queen’s team that finished 11th in the CIS last year, en route to a bronze medal at nationals.

On a solo level, Staehli snagged the CIS gold medal, while Coates brought home the OUA title. The duo finished on the

4. Rowing

Canadian squad was fourth-year forward Claragh Pegg, while Devon Stride, Loren Baldwin and Karley Heyman made the OUA All-Star team.

With a strong contingent of players returning in 2014, Queen’s has a shot to be the new OUA dynasty.

— Sean Sutherland

Podium finishes kept Queen’s near the top of the provincial and national rowing standings this season.

The program’s generally strong women’s team won an overall silver medal at the OUA championships in St. Catharines, then finished third at nationals in Montreal the following week.

The men’s side claimed OUA bronze for the third straight year and placed fifth at nationals.

3. Football In a year when only Western was better, Queen’s second-place OUA finish is nothing to scoff at.

The Gaels’ 51-22 Yates Cup loss in London was an unfortunate end to an otherwise promising year, which saw Queen’s advance to their first OUA title game since 2009.

Conceding 101 points in two games against Western was a veritable d e a t h b l o w, but it’s understandable in retrospect.

The Mustangs r o m p e d through the OUA and led the country in scoring by 104 points.

Queen’s, meanwhile, entrenched themselves as worthy runners-up.

Fourth-year quarterback Billy McPhee had his most efficient season to date, while running backs Ryan Granberg, Jesse Andrews and Daniel Heslop emerged as the league’s most dangerous rushing trifecta.

podium in every race they ran this season.

While the team succeeded at nationals, they couldn’t capitalize at the OUAs, finishing off the podium despite two individual medals.

The men’s side matched the women’s effort at the provincial level, though they depended more on depth to succeed, with Jeff Archer being the only top-10 runner at the event.

At the CIS championships, the men ended up in fifth for the second straight year, with Archer, David Cashin and Tyson Loney all ranking in the top 25.

— Sean Sutherland

6. Women’s soccer

Thirdyear Matt C h r i s t i e had his team’s best individual result, winning OUA gold in the lightweight men’s single and taking home league Oarsman of the Year honours.

The Gaels’ women’s heavyweight eight crew won their second straight Ontario title, then pulled off an improbable comeback at nationals to snag individual silver.

Second-year Larkin Davenport-Huyer also won solo silver in Montreal, placing second in the women’s heavyweight single race.

A year after being named OUA Women’s Coach of the Year, Queen’s Zola Mehlomakulu won the same prize at the national level this season.

— Nick Faris

After three consecutive appearances in the CIS title game, a surprise OUA bronze medal feels like a letdown.

After a disappointing regular season, women’s soccer pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year. They shocked the OUA East champion Ottawa Gee-Gees 1-0 in penalties to win their quarterfinal matchup and advance to the OUA Final Four.

After a 1-0 loss to the Western Mustangs, Queen’s

defeated the Carleton Ravens 1-0 to capture bronze.

The playoff run came off the heels of a 7-2-7 season in which the Gaels were beset by injuries and an inability to close out games.

The team conceded a second-half equalizer three times during the year, costing them valuable points in the standings each time.

The Gaels also felt the loss of graduated striker Jackie Tessier, scoring just 34 goals — 21 less than last season.

Instead, the offence relied on fifth-year midfielder Riley Filion,

who tied rookie Rachel Radu for the team lead with six goals.

Two other rookies will play a major role after the graduations of mainstays Filion and Alexis

McKinty. Striker Tara Bartram finished third on the t e a m w i t h five goals, while defender Micah Vermeer was named a second-team All-Star.

— Sean Sutherland

7. Men’s soccer For a team seemingly on the rise, a quarterfinal exit was hardly the Gaels’ desired finish.

Queen’s dropped a pair of thumping defeats to the Carleton Ravens in the regular season, then lost 2-1 in an agonizing playoff rematch in Ottawa.

Second-year midfielder Andrew Martin scored in the 89th minute of that game to force overtime, but Carleton soon pulled ahead for good.

After winning their division and advancing to the OUA Final F o u r in 2012, a berth to nationals seemed to be reachable for this year’s Gaels.

The Ravens and Ryerson Rams proved superior, though, beating Queen’s a combined five times.

Injuries to key players at various times undoubtedly hindered Queen’s offensive cohesion. They mustered just one goal in a series of frustrating ties with the Laurentian Voyageurs and RMC Paladins, finishing seventh in overall OUA scoring.

The Gaels’ previously stellar defence fell off a bit, conceding more than twice the amount of goals they did last season.

Fourth-year captain Joe Zupo was Queen’s lone First-Team OUA All-Star, marking the third straight season he’s cracked the top squad.

— Nick Faris

JOURNAL FILE PHOTOS

SPORTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

ON DECK CIRCLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Friday, Nov. 29, 6 p.m.: Gaels (5-3) @ York Lions (1-7).

Friday, Nov. 29, 8 p.m.: Gaels (3-5) vs. Western Mustangs (6-2).

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Friday, Nov. 29, 8 p.m.: Gaels (5-3) @ York Lions (5-3).

Saturday, Nov. 30, 3:30 p.m.: Gaels (11-1-3) vs. Windsor Lancers (7-6-1).

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S HOCKEY

Friday, Nov. 29, 6 p.m.: Gaels (5-3) vs. Ottawa Gee-Gees (9-1).

Friday, Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m.: Gaels (8-0-5) vs. Laurentian Voyageurs (4-9-0).

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Back and forth Rams downed, Blues cruise; Gee-Gees loom tomorrow B Y S EAN L IEBICH Staff Writer The Gaels won and lost against some of the top competition in the OUA. On Friday night, the women swapped sets on the road with the Ryerson Rams (6-4), as the Gaels won in a deciding set. They lost in four frames to the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday.

The Ryerson match proved to be one of the hardest-fought battles of the season so far.

Queen’s (5-3) won the bout 32-30, 16-25, 27-25, 16-25 and 15-12, prevailing in overtime in the first and third sets.

“We definitely went the distance,” said Gaels head coach Joely Christian-Macfarlane.

Queen’s managed to earn a victory despite Ryerson scoring 25 points or more in each of the first four sets — normally the amount it takes to win a match.

Ryerson won the fourth set and forced a fifth and deciding frame, putting Queen’s on their heels. After going down 8-3 in the final set, the Gaels showed great poise and composure, clawing their way back to win the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.

Outside hitter Brett Hagarty led the Gaels with 19 points and 17 kills in the match.

On Saturday, the Gaels faced the Varsity Blues (8-2) in Toronto. After a grueling

match the day before, the women couldn’t muster a win against the Blues.

The Gaels managed to win one set and battled hard in the others. In the end, Toronto won the contest in four: 25-19, 19-25, 25-22 and 25-18.

The start time was pushed back from the usual 6 p.m., to 8 p.m.

“The game was just a little bit outside of our regular routine,” said Christian-Macfarlane said.

Outside hitter Kelsey Bishop was dominant on Saturday, posting 22 points, both team and game highs.

Had the Gaels secured the win, they would have moved into a tie with Ryerson for the fourth spot in the OUA East.

Despite losing Saturday, the team gained some valuable points this weekend that could come in handy down the road.

The Gaels have just one game left before the holiday break, against the Ottawa Gee-Gees tomorrow night.

The Gee-Gees (9-1) are coming into the match hot after winning a back-and-forth battle last weekend against the previously undefeated York Lions.

Queen’s is seeking redemption for a three-set loss they suffered to Ottawa in their season opener.

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

• 17

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Agony of defeats Toronto trip yields two tight losses for battered Gaels B Y B RENT M OORE Staff Writer The Gaels were unable to put away sets in Toronto this weekend.

Queen’s (3-5) dropped two close road games last Friday and Saturday, falling in five sets to the Ryerson Rams (7-3) and losing in four to the Toronto Varsity Blues (4-6).

With two games to go before the holiday break, the men are looking to secure some victories, with the hope they’ll enjoy the home-court playoff advantages they’ve had in the past.

Both of last weekend’s games featured close sets, with the Gaels failing to come out on top.

“We’re playing well enough to win, but made a couple errors you can’t make in those games,” said Gaels head coach Brenda Willis.

Friday’s game against Ryerson set the Gaels against one of the province’s top teams. All five sets were needed, but the men eventually lost 18-16 in the final frame.

Queen’s dropped the first two sets 25-20 and 25-20, before taking the next two 25-22 and 25-17.

Libero Ivo Dramov and setter Thomas Ellison put forth strong defensive efforts, registering with 13 and 10 digs, respectively.

Middle blocker Darren Edwards provided four solo blocks and seven kills. Outside hitter Will Sidgwick had 13 kills, while fellow hitter Stephen Holmes supplied 11.

Saturday’s game against Toronto had

Queen’s take on a team that traditionally finishes under .500. Each set was competitive, but the Gaels couldn’t close and dropped the contest in four sets: 24-26, 25-22, 20-25 and 26-28.

“We didn’t take them lightly,” Willis said, “but we thought we could beat them.”

Middle blocker Tyler Scheerhoorn was the offensive force for Queen’s, recording 17 kills. Standing strong at the net were Scott Brunet and Edwards, who each put up seven solo blocks.

Hitter Aaron Nusbaum made 12 digs, while Dramov added another 11.

The Gaels only managed to win one set as Toronto worked to get digs and challenge their blocks.

“We got tooled to death and couldn’t match their defence,” Willis said.

Injuries are still a factor for Queen’s. One key player, outside hitter Philippe Goyer, is now battling the flu. After putting up big numbers earlier in the season, he played only three sets this weekend.

“Injury is part of sport,” Willis said. “It’s not an excuse, but it takes a toll.”

The Gaels have two home games this weekend, before a winter tour of Bulgaria.

The tour will have them take on feeder teams for professional Bulgarian squads in an exhibition tournament.

Gaels head coach Brenda Willis said it’s critical that the Gaels win at least once this weekend. They’ll face the Western Mustangs (6-2) tomorrow and Windsor Lancers (3-5) on Saturday.

Follow @QJSports.

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18 •queensjournal.ca

Sports

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Big win, close loss

Eighth in 10 Continued from page 15

Continued from page 15

a chance to win the game. Unfortunately, our offence wasn’t clicking very well.”

Saturday saw the Gaels put up a season-high in points in a 92-82 victory over a young Brock squad.

The Gaels jumped out to a 25-11 lead after one, but that lead slipped to just two points at halftime. In the second half, the Gaels offence got rolling, pouring in 54 points.

Guard Sukhpreet Singh was the star of the game, controlling play, netting 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Roberts and guard Greg Faulkner racked up 19 and 17 points, respectively.

This victory wasn’t satisfying for some Gaels, as the Badgers are a winless, rebuilding program, but Misljencevic said each win is important to compete in the OUA East.

“The win was necessary,” Misljencevic said. “We play in the hardest division in the country and every game is very important for our overall standings. Although we could have played better, we’ll take the win.”

The theme moving forward for the Gaels is to put together a full effort on both ends of the floor. Performing both offensively and

Roshane Roberts (above) and Greg Faulkner (21) scored 19 and 17 points against Brock on Saturday, respectively.

Photos by Sam Koebrich

defensively for the full 40 minutes each game is a must, according to Misljencevic.

“On Friday, our defensive effort was there but we turned over the ball too much on offence. On Saturday, our defence wasn’t as good, but our offence was better,” he said.

“The goal is to now combine a strong defensive performance alongside an offensive one.”

The Gaels travel to Toronto tomorrow to face the York Lions (5-3), a team sporting the same record as them. They’ll be in a dogfight for the rest of the season to grab an OUA East playoff spot.

Both clubs are currently tied for fifth in the division. McMaster and the Windsor Lancers, meanwhile, lead the OUA West with identical 5-3 records.

The tip-off time in Toronto is set for 8 p.m.

scored the winner on Saturday and added an assist on Braeden Corbeth’s goal to lead the way for the Gaels. Jordan Soquila and Patrick McGillis also added tallies for Queen’s.

“We want to have a winning team with a winning attitude,” Clements said. “The morale’s really high … everything’s clicking in the room, we all get along well off the ice and things are clicking on the ice.”

Clements added that the Gaels’ consistency has been key to their success.

“We’re going to keep building our confidence,” he said. “Everyone’s referring to us as the underdogs and I don’t feel like we’re the underdogs anymore. We’re making a statement.”

Up next for the Gaels is another weekend home series with games against the Laurentian Voyageurs and Ottawa Gee-Gees. Queen’s will look to avenge a 2-1 shootout loss to Ottawa and repeat their success against Laurentian, as they defeated them 6-3 earlier in the season.

The Gaels will travel south of the border on Sunday night to Potsdam, N.Y. as they take on the NCAA’s Clarkson Golden Knights in an exhibition matchup.

Clements kept the game plan simple in the approach for the upcoming weekend.

“We’re just going to go in with our winning attitude — nothing more to say,” he said.

Strong in all facets Continued from page 15

makes the difference and we’ve been working hard to improve in both categories this season,” Holmberg said.

“We’ve dedicated almost the entire Thursday night practices on working on our special teams.”

The Gaels’ efficient shorthanded play represents a dramatic turnaround from last season, when they killed off just 81.7 per cent of their penalties.

Defensively, Queen’s has been led by the steady presence of sophomore Alisha Sealey and third-year Mary Coughlin. The Gaels have given up just 27 goals in 15 games, and when the defence makes a rare mistake, goaltenders Mel Dodd-Moher and Caitlyn Lahonen have stood tall.

Both goalies are allowing less than two goals per game, while posting save percentages of .929 and .949, respectively.

“We try to make playing good defence a team objective. Sealey and Coughlin played together for most of last year and they’re leading our team this year in plus-minus and have played some big-time minutes,” Holmberg said. “Both of our goalies have been solid and deserve a lot of the credit for our successes so far.”

While the schedule gets a little bit tougher in the second half of the season, with a four-game road trip to end the year, Holmberg is optimistic that his team will be able to sustain their level of success into the playoffs.

With their strong goaltending and by continuing to dominate on special teams, the Gaels have a good chance to win back-to-back OUA championships for the

ACROSS

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Forward Morgan McHaffie is tied for second in OUA scoring with 22 points.

first time in program history.

“I’m confident in our team’s abilities, particularly since we’ve been working really hard,” Holmberg said.

“Based on how we’ve performed thus far, we obviously need to refine things and it’s a very competitive league, but I think we can remain as one of the top teams in the OUA this year.”

1. Weaponry 5. Go up and down 8. Prolonged sleep 12. Aerobatic maneuver 13. Night bird 14. Elliptical 15. Droning sound 17. Aid 18. Flight between floors 19. Future fungi 21. Parcel of land 22. Work in the mailroom 23. Yon maiden 26. Symbol of intrigue 28. Mall unit 31. Great Lake 33. Pirates’ potation 35. Winter forecast 36. Ray type 38. Poorly lit 40. CBS logo 41. Jazz saxophonist Stan 43. Arrest 45. Main course 47. Anti-elderly bias 51. Crazy bird 52. Mid-range voice 54. Actress Paquin 55. Regret 56. Elevator name 57. Christmas refrain 58. Toward the stern 59. Siestas

DOWN

1. Charitable donations 2. Source 3. “— Lisa” 4. Go bad 5. Vaccine supplement 6. Possess 7. Consecrate

8. Colleagues 9. Nuance 10. Guy 11. Heidi’s range 16. Consider, old-style 20. Neg. opposite 23. Height of fashion?

24. Historic time 25. Cellphone alert 27. Unopened flower 29. Clark or Orbison 30. Lamb’s mama 32. Unending 34. Mosque tower 37. Consumed 39. Creche trio 42. Marty in “Madagascar,” e.g.

44. Back, as a racehorse 45. Verve 46. Forbidden act 48. Tittle 49. Use scissors 50. Disarray 53. “— Wiedersehen”

Last Issue’s Answers

Thursday, November 28, 2013

queensjournal.ca

• 19

postscript recipes

Have a holly, jolly Chrismukkah These holiday recipes combine culinary traditions of Christmas and Hanukkah for season-long enjoyment B y R achel H erscovici Features Editor

all the great me-time you’re having this holiday season.

While every Sunday brunch is Is it even really a holiday without a mini vacation for me, the brunch? The answer is no, holiday brunch affair holds a my friends. special place in my Brunch is an essential part brunch-consumed heart. of relaxing and reflecting on I celebrate Chrismukkah

and the food options are always boundless. The only thing missing in my Chrismukkah brunch is Seth Cohen.

For more festive holiday recipes, visit www.queensjournal.ca/postscript.

Classic Christmas Quiche Every year, without fail, my family starts Christmas day off with brunch at my grandma’s in Montreal. While there’s lots of yelling and frying of perogies, the quiche we order from Pâtisserie De Gascogne is always perfect. I’ve been eating this quiche since before I can remember, so I decided to try out my own version of the French classic. I used green and red veggies to complete the Christmas cheer. Honestly, this turned out so well that maybe my family will have to start adding the ‘cooking of the homemade quiche’ to our things to yell about. Too much excitement.

INGREDIENTS: For the crust: 1 cup cold butter 1 cup flour 1/3 cup cold filtered water Pinch of salt For the filling: 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped onion 8 asparagus 1 red pepper

3. Roll out dough to half a pinky finger width thick and shape into 11cm x 3cm pie pans.

4. When that is done, sauté the veggies with butter until softened. Add the veggies to the pie crust. Sprinkle cheese on top.

5. Whisk together the eggs and milk and pour mixture over veggies in pie crust.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the egg is cooked and the crust is golden brown.

Yields 4 personal quiches.

Traditional Potato Latkes I can’t focus on anything else when latkes — what some call potato pancakes — are in front of me. If you like pancakes and french fries, a latke is their lovechild made for brunch. I like to keep my latkes classic, topping them with applesauce, but you can always throw some sour cream on there (after my Dad talks about his latke artistry for twenty minutes, he has been known to top them off with horseradish — classic).

Also, did you know Lemony Snicket wrote a children’s book called the “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming”? It’s fantastic, just like these crispy gems.

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups grated potatoes (sans excess liquid) 3 tbsp grated onion 1 egg 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper Vegetable oil for frying Desired toppings DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat skillet with a good helping of oil at medium high heat (avoid smoking).

2. Mix grated onion and

potatoes together, adding the beaten egg with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Take a scoop of the mixture in your hands, flatten to about pinky finger width and throw on frying pan until golden brown on both sides.

4. Place onto paper towel to get of rid of excess grease before serving.

Yields 10-12 latkes.

DIRECTIONS: 1.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Incorporate butter and flour together with a pastry cutter until crumby.

2.

Add water and continue cutting until dough is crumby but together. You don’t want to overwork your dough though. Be gentle.

Photo by Charlotte Gagnier

Photo by Charlotte Gagnier

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones with a White Chocolate Glaze Brunch isn’t complete without a scone. While they seem like a fancy tea-time snack to enjoy with the cast of Downton Abbey, scones are actually incredibly simple to make — perfect for the holidays. These blue and white delights are reminiscent of the Hanukkah colour scheme, believed to have originated from the Israeli flag. They’re like a naughty dessert for breakfast. You can’t feel bad about it, though, since they’re helping celebrate Jewish dedication in treating yourself and your family to this yummy treat.

INGREDIENTS: For the scones: 2 cups flour 2 tbsp granulated sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh baking powder Dash of salt 1/2 cup cubed, cold, salted butter 3/4 cup of buttermilk 1 large egg 1 tsp of vanilla As many blueberries as you want (1 cup suggested) For the glaze: 1 tbsp butter 6 squares of Bakers white chocolate 1/4 cup cream 1/2 cup icing sugar

DIRECTIONS:

9. When butter is melted, add four squares of chocolate.

1. Preheat the oven to 10. When chocolate is 350°F. Mix flour, melted add the milk and icing sugar, baking powder and salt together.

2. Incorporate butter with pastry cutter until it reaches a crumby consistency.

3. Whisk egg, buttermilk and vanilla together.

4. Add wet mixture to butter and flour mixture and incorporate with a fork.

5. Gather dough in hands, make balls about the size of your palm and place them on buttered baking sheet.

6. Bake for 23 minutes or until browned on the tops.

7. While the scones bake, begin prepping the glaze.

8. Heat pot on medium heat, add butter.

sugar. Stir mixture constantly 12.

Add glaze until smooth. cooled scones.

11. Add remaining chocolate.

Stir until smooth.

Yields 6 large scones.

to

Photo by Charlotte Gagnier

20 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013