The Queen's Journal, Volume 141, Issue 24

F R I D AY , J A N U A R Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 — I S S U E 2 4

THE JOURNAL QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY — SINCE 1873

Up in smoke December brought disaster to downtown Kingston

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

B Y E MILY M ILLER Features Editor What was supposed to be a relaxing study break turned out to be anything but for Taylor McDowall.

McDowall, Comm ’15, went online the afternoon of Dec. 17, only to notice there were flames engulfing the construction site at 663 Princess St. the location of a new student

housing development. Just a week prior, she and two friends had signed a lease for a unit in the building.

The site, owned by Kingston-based developer Patry Inc., had erupted into a mass fire, forcing dozens to evacuate their homes and businesses. The housing complex, called The Edge, was set to open on the northwest corner of Princess and Victoria Streets in September 2014.

It became a five-alarm fire within minutes.

For about an hour, a worker was trapped on a crane above the blaze, unable to escape, before he was rescued by a military helicopter.

“I immediately called my roommates and let them know it was happening,” McDowall said. “I was seeing posts about the man stuck on the crane, and I obviously can’t even fathom how terrified he must have been.”

Fortunately, no life-threatening injuries

resulted from the disaster.

“Although it’s obviously terrible that all these students have been shafted out of living arrangements, I don’t think we can really be that mad about it, just because we’re so happy that no one was [severely] hurt.”

Kingston Fire and Rescue (KFR) responded immediately with all available units, before requesting assistance from all See This on page 3

Redemption and rebirth

Cirque du Soleil swings into Kingston

PAGE 10 SUPPLIED

Inside this issue:

CLIMATE

Woes to frosty winter weather Polar vortex results in dangerous walking conditions around campus B Y N ATASA B ANSAGI Staff Writer

NEWS

Campus introduces new innovative classroom in Ellis Hall

page 4

SPORTS

Profiling women’s hockey captain Morgan McHaffie

page 14

With the polar vortex dipping temperatures in the northeast, the trek to class has proved hazardous for some students.

Snow, ice and chilling winds have been commonplace since the start of the new semester. Sidewalks have been covered in ice since a heavy winter rainfall on Monday, which brought ice sheets upwards of four inches thick across campus.

From New Year’s Eve to the start of term, about 200 dump truck loads of snow and ice were hauled off campus. The University is continuing its efforts to improve safety, including early morning monitoring of campus conditions to determine appropriate action for the day.

“It’s that vicious cycle of freeze, stop, freeze, stop, that makes walkways really challenging [to clear] sometimes,” Matt Barrett, grounds manager for Physical Plant Services, said.

Echoing this concern are students Nicole Relke and Janae Vlaar-Phillbrick.

“They did a good job clearing the ice on campus but towards Division and Earl, it’s See It on page 6

Crews work to clear snow and ice.

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014

town-gown

Charity a focus for district candidate Local woman plans to run as Sydenham District Councillor in upcoming municipal election B y S ebastian L eck Assistant News Editor Bonnie Ferguson, the first registered candidate for the 2014 Kingston municipal elections, says she was inspired by God to live with the homeless.

Ferguson spent several months in 2009 living in her car to experience homelessness firsthand.

She said religious inspiration brought about the change.

“I was called to do that by God,” she said.

Ferguson is running for city councillor in Sydenham District, the district which contains Queen’s University and the majority of student housing.

It’s bordered by Johnson St. to the north, Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard to the west and Lake Ontario to the east and south.

Ferguson registered as a candidate last Friday, just a day and a half after registration opened.

The Kingston municipal election will take place later this year on Oct. 27.

Ferguson said she has been thinking about running for City Council since 2010, but felt she wasn’t ready until now. Her involvement in charity and social issues led her to her decision, she added.

“I’m passionate about our city.

We live in an awesome city and I’ve

been involved in the community for a long, long time,” she said.

However, she declined to name any particular issues facing the city or areas for improvement.

“I will definitely have highlights.

There are a few things I want to champion.

“I don’t want to give those out yet,” she said.

She also told the Journal that she has no specific policy ideas that will appeal to students, but she will support anything her constituents feel strongly about.

“I’m like a voice for them before council. Whatever they’re interested in, I’m interested in.” she said.

While living in the streets from spring to fall 2009, Ferguson said she spent one night in the shelter and ate at Martha’s Table along with its regular customers.

Martha’s Table is a non-profit restaurant that serves meals to those in need.

By speaking with the homeless, Ferguson said, she realized their need for dental care.

She joined the Kingston Dental Coalition afterwards, of which she’s still a member.

In addition to the Dental Coalition, Ferguson said she has worked with Martha’s Table, the Breakfast Club and other charity organizations, and the Kingston

Social Audit run by the Sisters of Providence in 2010.

She said that her religion is unimportant to her charity work and unrelated to the role she would play as a city councillor.

“Whether I’m a Christian or a Muslim or whatever, I just appreciate everybody,” she said.

Although Ferguson lives in King’s Town District, she said she felt that Sydenham District was the right place for her.

“When I think of that district, it has the hospital, it has Queen’s, I’m excited to work with you guys,” she said.

Ferguson is the author of the book “The Streets of Kingston”.

The book was published by City Wide Ministries, a Christian charity organization that she founded.

She said she’s currently the only member.

Examples of its work, she said, include feeding the homeless and handing out socks.

In one instance, she said, she helped rescue a homeless man who had stopped in the middle of traffic.

“Me and a police officer took him and got him back into the side of the road,” she said. “City Wide Ministries is really just doing good works and looking after city issues.”

Her experiences with students, she said, include one occasion when she sat in on a radio show at CFRC with radio host

Rick Jackson. skills programs.

Ferguson recently graduated Registration to run for city from Limestone Education Centre council or mayor is open until Sept. at the Loyalist Collegiate and 12 at 2 p.m. It costs $100 to run Vocational Institute in Belleville, for city council and $200 to run where she took computer classes for mayor. as a full-time student. Limestone Education Centre offers workplace training and essential

Bonnie Ferguson.

photo by chloe Sobel

ELECTIONS

NOMINATION INFORMATION Nominations Currently Open For: AMS Executive University Rector Student Activity Fee or Plebiscite Question * Many Faculty Societies are also hosting their executive elections in January.

Consult with your Faculty representatives for more information.

Important Dates: Nomination Period Nomination Validation Campaign Period Voting Days

January 6th - 15th January 16th January 17th - 27th January 28th & 29th

The AMS Executive and Rector Elections provide an opportunity for AMS Members to vote for their incoming student leaders (President, VP Operations, and VP University Affairs) and student representative to the University (University Rector).

The AMS Referendum provides a key opportunity for AMS Members to submit a plebiscite or fee-related question to address Student Activity Fee allocations. Nomination Period for the AMS Executive and Rector Elections, and the Winter Referendum starts January 6th, 2014, and ends January 15th, 2014.

If you are interested in participating, pick up a nomination package at the AMS Front Desk.

For more information, visit: www.myAMS.org/about-your-ams/elections

Contacts Chief Returning Officer, Chris Parker: vote@ams.queensu.ca Chief Electoral Officer, Mark Godin: ceo@ams.queensu.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014

queensjournal.ca

•3

Feature

Kingston Fire and Rescue extinguishes the blaze at the intersection of Princess and Victoria Streets on Dec. 17. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“This place was an inferno” Continued from page 1

off-duty firefighters, volunteer firefighters, other nearby fire departments and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

After realizing that the fire trucks’ ladders would not reach the 68-year-old crane operator, Adam Jastrezbski, KFR contacted the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ontario, to execute an aerial rescue.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. One hundred and twenty people were initially evacuated from their homes and 58 were displaced for longer than anticipated, as the blaze took longer than 24 hours to extinguish.

The fire may have been knocked down, but concerns about leased apartments at 663 Princess St. were then ignited.

McDowall praised Kingston’s emergency services’ handling of the disaster, but she thought the company with whom she’d signed her lease could have communicated more efficiently.

“Patry Inc. could have given us a little bit more concrete information earlier, because we were sort of in a state of limbo,” she said.

Patry Inc. didn’t respond to interview requests from the Journal.

Samantha Hazleton, another student leaser, has remained impressed with Patry Inc.’s communication during and since the crisis.

“I think they did keep us updated as much as they could, and had it not been the holidays, I think that they would’ve been even faster,” Hazleton, ArtSci ’15, said.

Students who had signed a lease at 663 Princess St. received an email shortly before 8 p.m. on Dec. 17 notifying them of the fire and thanking Kingston emergency services for their efforts. The email also stated that information regarding leases would be released following further evaluation of the situation.

This notification was followed by a second email on Jan. 3, which said that construction of 663 Princess St. could no longer

be completed by September 2014, and Patry Inc. would be mailing reimbursement cheques on Jan. 6 for all deposits.

The email also included information on other Patry Inc. properties currently available for rent. The company has set aside a number of two to six bedroom units for students who signed leases at The Edge.

After receiving this information, Hazleton said she would definitely sign a lease with the developer again.

“It’s unfortunate, but we got our money back and there is still more than enough time to find something,” she said.

According to Jana Mills, acting senior review counsel at Queen’s Legal Aid, it’s most useful to reference the Frustration Contracts Act in instances like these.

Frustration of Contract applies in cases of tenancy when the subject matter of a contract is destroyed with its restoration expected to be long-term, Mills told the Journal via email.

In cases where this applies, parties are dismissed from their contract and those who made deposits should receive reimbursement.

Mills also explained that Frustration of Contract only holds when the event that caused destruction was “not caused by the parties and not provided for in the contract.”

According to Catherine Wright, AMS municipal affairs commissioner, students now tasked with signing another lease for living arrangements for the upcoming school year shouldn’t fear rental rivalry.

“It’s important to note that the University District currently has a surplus of rental housing — any feeling of pressure on the market is perceived, and created by the rush that students put on ourselves,” Wright told the Journal via email.

Queen’s also took measures to mitigate the pressure students felt

as a result of the fire.

Ann Tierney, vice-provost and dean of Student Affairs, said the University’s emergency response group took imminent action upon receiving notification of the fire.

“We didn’t know details about the fire, but we knew a lot of students lived in the area, so we knew that students would be affected,” Tierney said.

The emergency response group provided food and a place of refuge in the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) for students affected by the fire. Tierney said approximately 100 students made use of this resource on Dec. 17.

The AMS assisted the University in its relief efforts, monitoring the evaluation centre set up in the ARC and frequently updating its social media to keep students informed.

“I’ve worked at three different universities and I’ve never seen a situation similar to this one,” Tierney said.

She said a group of students residing in a building close to the fire site had their home destroyed.

“Four students, three of whom were international students, lost everything,” Tierney said.

Queen’s has since been working directly with those students through the international office and the registrar.

“We had 14 students take us up on staying in a residence room free of charge,” she said.

In addition to exam deferrals, students also had access to transportation from Campus Security following the fire’s outbreak, and since the date of the fire, the University has made counseling services and emergency loans available to all affected students, according to Tierney.

Of course, the fire singed more than the lives of students.

Its immensity caused the nearby Howard Johnson Hotel to catch fire, as well as houses on Victoria St. These homes sustained damage, as did the Royal Canadian Legion Villa retirement residence, located directly beside the site.

Allan Ward was among the 44

residents forced to evacuate their homes at the Legion Villa.

“I looked out my front window and you could see the flame’s reflection from the garage across the street,” Ward said. “This place was an inferno.”

Attempting to capture photos of the disaster as it struck, Ward said the heat of the blaze deterred him from staying anywhere near the fire.

“I got a picture of the guy on the crane trying to crawl out and then it got so hot, I just got out of there,” Ward recalled. “Now my car’s in the shop being repaired too cause [the heat] cracked my windshield, melted my headlights, bubbled some of the paint on the side of it and did something to the wiring underneath of it and the brakes.”

A resident of the Legion Villa for five years now, Ward tried to help many of his neighbours evacuate.

“I ran up three flights of stairs trying to get people out. I’m one of the ones that can get around, but I couldn’t make it to the fourth [floor],” he said. “I figured I better not go any higher.”

According to Ward, the initial evacuation to the Super 8 motel across the street was well-executed, but the heat radiating from the scene necessitated further evacuation.

It was the worst “Christmas I’ve ever

had in my life ... I’m 70 years old, so I’ve had a few of them.

”

—Allan Ward, resident at the Royal Canadian Legion Villa retirement residence

“It was cold ­— really cold,” Ward said. “They put us on city buses and took us down to [Portsmouth] Harbour. There, they took our names and [asked] if we needed medications. They were really good there.”

Legion Villa residents remain displaced by the fire, with some staying with family and friends, others in long-term-care facilities and the remaining 25 residents

PHOTO BY ARWIN CHAN

taking refuge at the Econo Lodge hotel on Princess St., where they stayed during the holidays.

“It was the worst Christmas I’ve ever had in my life,” Ward said.

“I’m 70 years old, so I’ve had a few of them. It was the worst one.”

Legion Villa residents now await the day they’ll return home.

This will depend on how soon repairs can be made to the damages the fire caused. “[The fire] came over onto our building and melted our solar panels on the roof,” Darlene Lightfoot, administrator at the Legion Villa, said. “[It] destroyed at least three apartments and did major, major damage to the building.”

As assessment of the damages continues, Lightfoot foresees the displacement continuing for anywhere between two and four months.

“Right now, our concern is to get our building back up and to get our tenants safely back in,” she said. “They’re displaced and they have varying degrees of illness.”

Emotions induced by these circumstances are amplified, as only months ago, Legion Villa residents voiced their opinions against the construction of the large-scale residence complex planned for 663 Princess St. “To be perfectly honest, we did everything in our power to try to stop it,” Lightfoot said.

According to Lightfoot, tenants of the Legion Villa and its surrounding area believed a multi-purpose residence would better suit the property at 663 Princess St. “The students weren’t really the problem; it’s just the location,” she said, discussing how incompatible she thought it was to place this type of housing directly next to a seniors’ residence.

Nevertheless, construction went ahead, culminating in the large-scale fire one week before Christmas.

“All I can say is thank God the 500 or 600 students that they were going to put in there were not there,” Lightfoot said.

News

4 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014

academics

Ellis classrooms get revamped Rooms 319, 321 and 333 see innovative technology added to create interactive learning experience B y O livia B owden J acquelyn P latis Journal Staff

and

Three active learning classrooms were launched on Monday, marking the transformation of Ellis Hall’s unused spaces into an interactive learning centre.

Classrooms 319, 321 and 333 in Ellis have been completely renovated, a process started in 2011 by the University’s Teaching and Learning Space Committee.

Approximately $2 million was spent on the renovation, with half a million alone for new technology that was added. The funds for the project were donated.

The classrooms, or “active learning spaces” were created in order to provide students with a deeper level of learning and understanding through group interaction, said Jill Scott, vice-provost (teaching and learning).

“The research on learning is that if we actively engage with the material, with other people, we learn at a deeper level,” Scott, one of the leaders of the project, said.

Room 333 features interactive screens that line the walls intended for group presentations.

Individual groups, while presenting, have the opportunity to manipulate the screen with their hands.

“The idea is that these teams work together to build material together … or prepare a presentation all around the material that they’ve been working with,” Scott said.

319 features colour coded chairs that are mobile, and is designed for 48 people.

Classroom 321 includes monitors that sit on each table that can be connected to a computer and is meant for 72 people. “[Classroom 321], it’s BYOD, bring your own device. Basically one person’s computer is going to be the platform, and everybody will be able to see what’s on that screen,” said Scott.

The next two years will be a trial run for the rooms in order to see the results of this kind of learning environment. Professors and students will be regularly consulted with to

discuss how effective the rooms are.

“We’re going to be looking at the experiences of instructors and how it changes how they think about their teaching,” Scott said.

Scott said that the classrooms are currently being used by a variety of Arts and Science courses, as well as Applied Sciences.

If the response is positive, plans for further classroom renovations could be considered.

“There are a lot of spaces on campus that could use a little refurbishing. So if we’re going to refurbish rooms, we want to incorporate what we have learned,” she said.

Professor Jonathan Rose started using room 319 for his POLS 310 seminar this week.

He said the design of the room made a three-hour class much more bearable, as the students were able to move around in groups.

“I’ve taught this class for a number of years, and normally halfway through the class everyone’s energy level falls, the students and mine,” Rose said.

“We had plenary sessions. We had students reporting back. We had students creating. All of that is not really possible in conventional classrooms.”

Rose said that the rooms focus on peer-directed learning, rather than on the instructor alone, which is the case in older rooms.

“The traditional rooms are tiered, and it created a hierarchy where the instructor is The new classrooms will feature touch-screen monitors. at the front of the room,” he said. “[This] reinforces the concept of the teaching being the centre of knowledge transmission rather than peer directed learning.”

Computer Science student Ben Dennerley said that the technology in room 321 enhanced his learning.

“Seeing our professor take advantage of the new technology in the room already is very promising,” Dennerley, CompSci ’16, said. “[The technology] is actually pretty amazing, allowing us to use an ‘active-learning’ model of education.”

News in Brief Bounce Back program created to help first-year students

New research may help pregnancies

Queen’s researchers have proven that antiQueen’s is launching a program this semester inflammatory drugs may be beneficial in to help struggling first-years improve their the treatment of abnormal maternal inflammation during pregnancy. academic performance.

Abnormal maternal inflammation can First-year students in danger of academic probation pair up with an upper-year mentor, cause serious diseases and lead to the birth of who will help them identify problem areas smaller babies.

Professor Charles Graham worked and set academic goals for the next semester.

The program, named Bounce Back, will on the project with Tiziana Cotechini, a be run jointly by the Faculty of Arts and PhD student, and five co-authors: Maria Komisarenko, Arissa Sperou, Shannyn Science and the Office of Student Affairs.

Susan Mumm, the Dean of the Faculty Macdonald-Goodfellow and Michael of Arts and Science, said the program is a A. Adams. good way to aid students who need more Graham said babies born too small are focused support. referred to as “growth-restricted” babies.

Mentors will also help their assigned According to him, these babies suffer a higher first-years develop their own learning plans, risk of diabetes and heart disease later in life. and access resources on campus such as The new research shows that the abnormal Health, Counselling and Disability Services. maternal inflammation may be an important The program, modeled on the University factor for these medical complications. of Guelph’s Bounce Back program, was one The research was published in the Journal of the recommendations of the Principal’s of Experimental Medicine, and it was funded Commission on Mental Health. by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

— Sebastian Leck

— Sebastian Leck

supplied

NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

•5

ACCESSIBILITY

Merits of accessibility logo debated The wheelchair, the international symbol of access, was the focus of campus discussion on Wednesday

Heidi Penning speaks at the Accessibility Café, which took place on Wednesday at the Common Ground.

B Y S TYNA TAO Staff Writer An Accessibility Café took place at Common Ground Coffeehouse Wednesday to discuss changing the symbol of access, the blue man in wheelchair, into a more inclusive and positive image.

The current symbol was created in 1968 by Rehabilitation International with assistance from the United Nations and the International Organization for Standardization.

The one-hour discussion, which was held Wednesday, was led by Heidi Penning, an equity advisor in the Queen’s Equity Office.

The Accessibility Café aim to engage the Queen’s community in discussions

around accessibility.

“It’s very difficult because the campus is so decentralized and spread out,” Penning told the Journal.

She said she hopes to generate talk and get people thinking about accessibility in the broader community. She doesn’t want to simply ask for opinions when doing accessibility planning.

The purpose of the international symbol was to designate facilities accessible to people using wheelchairs, she added.

“It was a very discrete agenda,” Penning said.

The current symbol is strongly attached to the word “handicap”, which has a negative connotation stemming from WWII. “Soldiers who returned injured from the war would often find themselves begging on

CAMPUS CALENDAR Friday, January 10

Wednesday, January 15

Women’s Basketball Free with Student ID ARC 6:00 - 7:30pm

Debra Digiovanni, Tickets $36.68 Grand Theatre 7:30 - 10 p.m.

Saturday, January 11 Brendan Canning 19+, Tickets $15 Grad Club 9:00 - 1 a.m.

Sunday, January 12 Queen’s Players Auditions JDUC Room 352 11 - 4 p.m .

Friday, January 17 Cirque du Soleil: Varekai, All Ages K-Rock Centre 7:30 - 10 p.m.

Saturday January 18th NINE, All Ages Grand Theatre 7:30-10 p.m.

FOLLOW @QJNEWS ON TWITTER

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

the street, hat in hand — that’s where the word comes from,” Penning said at the talk.

As the definition of disability broadens, the search is on for a new symbol encompassing all types of disabilities and creates a more positive connotation around the symbol.

The Honourable David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, partnered with OCAD University to hold a contest for the symbol redesign. About 100 designs were received

from all over the world, but no winner has been chosen yet, and only two designs were given honourable mentions.

For the Blue Folder – Access Queen’s, a folder that includes information about support and services here on campus, the Equity Office chose a reimagined accessibility symbol from New York.

The image is modified from the blue man in wheelchair, where the man is in now leaning forward in motion.

This image has also caused controversy however, as only three per cent of people with disabilities are in wheelchairs.

“The challenge is trying to reimagine an icon that fits everyone,” Penning said, “The point that I’m trying to drive home is that … everyone lives with their disability differently.”

For the second half of the hour, Penning led a discussion asking critical questions such as: Why is a symbol needed? What meaning does the symbol have, to those disabled, and those who are not? Does the current symbol facilitate or hinder inclusion?

Penning said that, while she recognizes that an hour isn’t enough to find a solution, she hopes to spark conversation and interest through these discussions.

Two more Accessibility Café are set for February and March to discuss topics of implementing Facility Accessibility Design Standards at Queen’s, and designing residences with accessibility in mind.

“My goal is for people to go back and have these conversations with others,” Penning said.

6 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Admissions suspension proposal passed Faculty of Arts and Science approves plan to suspend admissions to three programs for three-year period

Theological Hall, where the School of Religion is housed.

B Y O LIVIA B OWDEN Assistant News Editor

Faculty of Arts and Sciences, agreed to approve the proposal.

Only one student enrolled in The proposal to suspend admissions the programs this year. Current to the Theology program has been students will be allowed to graduate passed, and is in effect as of Jan. 1. by August 2015.

The proposal, which was put “The program is focused mostly forward in October, called to on Christian theology, and mostly suspend admissions to the Master on people who wanted to train for of Divinity, Master of Theological professional ministry in Christian Studies and Bachelor of Theology, churches,” said Pamela Dickey due to a steady decrease Young, a professor in the School in applications. of Religion.

Susan Mumm, dean of the Young said that specificity

She said that the lack of interest reflects a change within larger society.

“Society-wide, fewer people are affiliating with churches, meaning fewer are wanting to be leaders,” Young said. “A number of mainline churches and seminaries in the United States have had to close due to declining enrolment. It’s a North American issue.”

Regardless of this, suspending the program is a loss to Queen’s historically, she said.

Natalie Istead, graduating with a Master of Divinity this August, said that even with the decline in church attendance, the need for ministers is still there.

“There actually is a big need at least in the United Church for ministers, because we have ministers retiring and we need those people,” Istead said.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO Istead said that education is necessary for those who want to of the program has made be ministers. recruitment difficult.

“I hope those [new ministers] “It’s not that people aren’t come with a lot of training., because interested in studying about I know I would have been a terrible Christian topics, but this particular minister without my education,” program requires … usually a she said. commitment or interest in being After completing a three-year a leader in a religious group,” degree in French literature, Istead she said. said she felt called to the ministry.

The Theology program has Within her denomination, she existed at Queen’s since 1841, requires a Master of Divinity to as the school was founded by a become a minister.

She said she is saddened by the Presbyterian church primarily to suspension of the program. educate ministers, Young said.

“I think [the suspension] is a loss to the school, to the church, and to society in general,” she said. “The theological school … is a place where faith and education just come together.”

Istead’s peer Jana Miller shared similar sentiments about the school.

“It’s sad to know this won’t be an opportunity for other theology students; it feels like we’re losing a big part of history,” she said.

After growing up in a Baptist household, Miller pursued a BA in Environmental Studies before coming to Queen’s to pursue a Master of Divinity.

She said that the Theology program must deal with the changing realities of society.

“As we move into a post-modern world, in many ways [change] is a good thing. It’s exciting to see what the churches of tomorrow will be like,” she said.

Miller added that even if the Theology program doesn’t continue, an interest in religion is still strong among students.

“I think we really want to look backwards, but at the same time the religious studies program seems to be thriving. It’s a kind of change in interest,” she said.

“It’s hard because you’re losing [the program] but at the same time I think we’re gaining something.”

“It looks like the worst of it is over,” expert says atmosphere created when warm air in and it pushed all the warm air and cold air meet, is the reason for away,” he said. really bad, so I slipped a few times. this recent cold spell.

The next few days will see And I didn’t go to my morning He equated the recent weather, improved weather conditions as class this morning because it was so originating from the Arctic, to temperatures this weekend are cold,” Relke, ArtSci ’15, said. maple syrup oozing out of a bottle. expected to rise significantly above “Some of the roads closer down “The cold air spilled to the South the average daytime high of -5. to the lake are okay, but the ones because the jet stream hasn’t been According to St Clair, this also running north to south through as strong and so it’s just all kind of means precipitation. campus — the sidewalks — are pooled to the south,” he said.

“Every time we take this little really bad, especially along Albert The south St. Clair refers to trip where we go up above [the St. by the Vic Hall parking lot,” includes Kingston, which has seasonal average], there is always Vlaar-Phillbrick, ArtSci ’16, said. experienced a wind chill warning some type of a storm associated “I avoid that way because it’s this past week. with it,” he said. really slippery.”

“The more you change the “It’s likely to rain, maybe start Chris St. Clair, a weather temperature over a short period as wet snow, go to rain, and then broadcaster at The Weather of time, the windier it’s going to as the temperatures start to fall Network, said that a weaker jet be. That’s why it’s been windy back down on Monday, the rain stream, a ribbon of air in the upper because we’ve flooded all this cold showers will likely go back to Continued from page 1

Slippery steps were a result of the ice storm.

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

some snow.”

In sight, however, is a calm to the storm as days become increasingly longer and temperatures less severe, resembling a “January thaw”.

“It looks like the worst of it’s over,” he added.

“There will be cold days, but I don’t know that we’ll get days as cold as they have been, at least in the next three weeks.”

— With files from Nick Faris

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

JANINA ENRILE ALISON SHOULDICE

Production Manager

ALEX PICKERING

News Editor

VINCENT BEN MATAK

Assistant News Editors

OLIVIA BOWDEN SEBASTIAN LECK

Features Editors

RACHEL HERSCOVICI EMILY MILLER

Editorials Editor

DAVID HADWEN

Editorial Illustrator

KATHERINE BOXALL

Opinions Editor

ERIN SYLVESTER

Arts Editor Sports Editor

MEAGHAN WRAY NICK FARIS

Assistant Sports Editor

SEAN SUTHERLAND

Postscript Editor Photo Editors

KATIE GRANDIN

CHARLOTTE GAGNIER SAM KOEBRICH

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

DIALOGUE

EDITORIALS — THE JOURNAL’S PERSPECTIVE

“Kluwe’s activism, conversely, is a refreshing changeup, and a necessary dose of reality.”

WEATHER

Scorn for Wynne-ter storm

In late December, an ice storm struck southern Ontario, hitting Toronto the hardest and leaving hundreds of thousands in the dark for days due to power outages.

The storm came during the holiday season so its effects were amplified, as Christmas dinners and other celebrations or gatherings had to be rearranged or cancelled at the last second.

The immediate government response to the ice storm was disorganized, and important long-term issues highlighted by the ice storm are being ignored.

Ontarians and Torontonians should demand better from their elected representatives.

In general, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s attempt to provide grocery gift cards for people whose food had spoiled due to power outages was commendable.

The process of distributing those gift cards left much to be desired, however. It’s likely many who didn’t truly need the gift cards received them while those with less mobility in more isolated areas of Toronto didn’t.

Means-testing or some other more orderly process of distribution should have been attempted.

It’s unfortunate that the news and debate about the gift cards

has dominated the coverage of the ice storm, as more important long-term issues desperately need attention.

Ontario’s energy infrastructure is old and susceptible to breakdown.

Power lines should be buried and trees should be properly maintained in the meantime so they don’t fall on wires and cause blackouts.

Ontario and Toronto need politicians and political movements willing to make the case for this investment. The current norm of politicians constantly campaigning and staging photo ops won’t ward off future chaos caused by weather and negligence.

— Journal Editorial Board

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JAMES BOLT CLARA LO STEPHANIE STEVENS Friday, January 10, 2014 • Issue 24 • 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 © 2014 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 25 of Volume 141 will be published on Tuesday, January 14, 2014.

•7

ILLUSTRATION BY KATHERINE BOXALL

SOCIAL ISSUES

Court rules right on sex work On Dec. 20, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down three laws governing activities surrounding sex work.

One law made it illegal to operate a brothel, another made it illegal to “live off the avails” of sex work and a third made it illegal for sex workers to communicate in public with clients.

The Supreme Court judged that these laws made it unsafe to practice as a sex worker, since the act of prostitution itself is technically legal in Canada. The court gave parliament a year to fill the void this judgment left in its wake.

The Supreme Court made the right judgement; sex workers will now be much safer when plying

their trade. That was the primary problem with the situation as it existed before: sex workers were forced to the furthest margins of society in fear of the law.

Sex workers can now hire bodyguards. Previously, they resorted primarily to watching out for themselves and each other.

Sex workers can now work out of supervised brothels rather than having to be on the street. They can now legally do “in-calls” where clients visit them at home rather than more dangerous “out-calls”.

Preferable precautions like STD testing for both sex workers and clients may now be undertaken more easily as well.

While it’s good that sex workers are significantly safer, they now

face the prospect of a Conservative majority making laws that regulate their work. Harper could choose to go with the “Nordic model” where clients are criminalized, or the “German model” where sex work is licensed and regulated.

Both models have drawbacks but the latter would minimize harm, as criminalizing clients simply recreates the same problems.

Sex work will happen whether legal or illegal, so those who undertake it should be as safe as possible. The Supreme Court’s decision was but one significant step in a march towards the safety and inclusion of some of the most marginalized people in our society.

— Journal Editorial Board

NICK FARIS

Jock talk Sports can be an avenue for social change — until those who play the games are silenced.

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe was released from the Minnesota Vikings in May, and last week, he revealed in an article that he believes he was cut for publicly promoting same-sex marriage.

There’s a somewhat tenable football reason for the Vikings snipping Kluwe: he was an average player in an easily replaceable position.

Still, the punter makes a convincing case for his unfair termination, and in doing so, has unearthed the ignorance at play in some corners of the NFL. Special teams coach Mike Priefer is the villain of the narrative.

Kluwe alleges that he berated him for supporting gay rights and said, “we should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows.”

Priefer’s alleged bigotry is abhorrent, but it overshadowed another troubling reaction: the disapproval of the Vikings’ head coach and general manager, who ordered Kluwe to stop speaking out.

Advocating for marriage equality, like anything exogenous to football, was seen as an impediment to the sacred pursuit of wins.

Charged with assembling and leading a successful team, Vikings brass feared that team would collapse if one player dared express an individual thought.

It’s not a story of an athlete being reprimanded for preaching tolerance, but of a club believing openness and performance can’t coexist. It’s a lazy argument, one that inhibits the power of games to create change.

Through the years, sports have been a source of social watersheds.

The pleas of soccer player Didier Drogba helped end the First Ivorian Civil War in the mid-2000s.

Last April, basketball centre Jason Collins became the first active North American athlete to come out as gay.

People like Kluwe facilitate this progress, but some people prefer athletes that play ball, peddle products and shut up.

Certain players, reluctant to publicize any partisan stance, take this mantra to heart. Michael Jordan, for instance, balked when asked to endorse a black Democratic Senate candidate in 1990. “Republicans buy shoes too,” he said.

Kluwe’s activism, conversely, is a refreshing changeup, and a necessary dose of reality. If speaking out against prejudice is seen as nothing more than an affront to football, we value sports too highly.

Nick is the Journal’s Sports Editor. He’s a third-year politics student.

Dialogue

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014

Opinions — Your Perspective

Journal File Photo Illustration

Dons often face undue stress put on them by their employer, Queen’s Residence Life.

Residence

ResLife requires rethink for residents’ sake Our contributor, a former Residence Life employee, argues that dons and residents deserve better

Rashed Al-Haque, ArtSci ’10, M.Ed ’12 I have the utmost respect for the work Residence Life (ResLife) at Queen’s does. As a two-time Queen’s alumnus, Residence Life staff member and residence don for multiple years, I’m fully aware of the challenges and realities of working with ResLife.

While I am skeptical about the claim made in the article “Dons dissent, discuss unionization,” published in the Journal last term — that it takes over 100 hours to prepare a program — I do have to agree with the don interviewed in the article who feels stressed, overworked and taken advantage of during the last month of the semester.

Beyond preparing programs, dons are expected to be on call, check in with residents, attend meetings and respond to incidents on their floors and sometimes around their buildings.

There’s clearly more than just programming that makes up a don’s job description.

Having an authentic connection

with your residents and being their first point of contact is a don’s first priority, even more than providing programming and being on call.

I agree that there are some dons who take the job for the “free room and board,” but most dons do it because they genuinely care about first-year students and want to have a positive impact on their residence and university experience.

The issue here is the sudden addition of added responsibilities near the end of the term without prior notice. Upper administration within Residence Life should be very explicit and transparent about dons’ roles and responsibilities prior to the don signing their contract.

The manager, through the Residence Life Coordinators, should not tack on additional responsibilities under the “whatever additional responsibilities ResLife deems appropriate” clause if they can avoid it. While I doubt ResLife actively tries to add stress to a don’s life, they should know that adding further responsibilities at the last minute during exam time will exacerbate a don’s stress level.

There shouldn’t be any excuse for poor planning on ResLife’s part, as they have four months over the summer to prepare for the upcoming academic year.

Having said that, I do agree,

from first-hand experience, that there’s a sense of fear permeating in Queen’s ResLife that paralyzes dons from speaking out.

Dons have very little power, or even a voice, when it comes to shaping ResLife policy.

While I doubt ResLife actively tries to add stress to a don’s life, they should know that adding further responsibilities at the last minute during exam time will exacerbate a don’s stress level.

I’ve seen dons who challenged upper administration in the slightest way being placed on what seems like a proverbial ResLife “watchlist.” ResLife seems to watch out for the people who question them and assess whether they should continue in their jobs.

Dons need a voice, and need to speak up about their frustrations. It’s not in ResLife’s best interest to have a group of disgruntled staff members who feel silenced, powerless and marginalized by the very institution they chose to serve.

I don’t think there’s any harm in having a public discussion about these issues.

It’s unfortunate that first-year students have to read about

these discussions in the paper and see the discord that sometimes exists within ResLife.

Our residents are mainly in residence because they want a sense of community while they study at Queen’s. A publicized conflict between factions within ResLife may damage the sense of community that Queen’s Residence fosters.

Let’s acknowledge that our residents should be treated as adults who can make up their minds about the issues once they’ve heard both sides of the argument.

Seeing that some of these residents eventually apply to become dons, it may be useful to inform first-year students about ResLife dynamics and the conflicts that arise between dons and administration.

If senior dons or dons feel that representation through a union is the best course of action to adequately voice their concerns without the fear of getting fired from the job, then we should support that initiative.

I would like to encourage and empower dons and Residence staff to come forward and voice their concerns in a respectful and constructive manner.

Our residents are mainly in residence because they want a sense of community while they study at Queen’s. A publicized conflict between factions within ResLife may damage the sense of There’s a sense of fear community that Queen’s permeating in Queen’s Residence fosters.

ResLife that paralyzes My advice to Queen’s ResLife dons from speaking out. is to be empathetic to the Dons have very little needs and concerns of power, or even a voice, their staff members and when it comes to shaping create an open, safe space to discuss the frustrations ResLife policy. experienced by its employees.

While I doubt that first-years will have any active role in changing ResLife policy, information they receive about this conflict may help them negotiate the terms of their contract if they decide to work in ResLife.

Hopefully these conversations will help the system improve and ensure that both the explicit and implicit expectations of dons and ResLife are met.

Rashed was a Queen’s Residence Life staff member for four years.

Talking heads ... around campus Photos By Erin Sylvester

Were you affected by the recent ice storms?

“No, not really. I was inside the whole time and I had power.”

Adel Ibrahim, Sci ’17

“It’s been affecting my walk to school, so I’ve been walking in the road.”

Carlannah Chester,ConEd ’16

“I didn’t have electricity for 78 hours — I didn’t have Christmas!

Well, I did, but I had to drive five hours to my grandma’s.”

“I didn’t lose power, but my family members who did stayed over, and falling branches hit my house.”

Mark Nardi, ArtSci ’14

Ingrid Cheung, ArtSci ’15

“I lost power and I had to go to my lab and then I went to stay with a friend.”

Maria Cleveland, ArtSci ’14

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

DIALOGUE

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

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10 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014

Arts

Photos supplied by Veronique Vial

Cirque du Soleil

Redemption and rebirth World-renowned performance brings acrobatics to Kingston B y M eaghan Wray Arts Editor

Photo Supplied by Gerhard Fally

Cirque du Soleil’s vibrant show Varekai will premier in Kingston on Jan. 17 at the K-Rock Centre.

Community

A battle of brushes A live painting competition makes visual art accessible B y K ate S hao Staff Writer “I thought it might have been spam.”

Kingston-based artist Sherri Nelson was hesitant to reply to the out-of-the-blue Facebook message inviting her to compete in next week’s Art Battle.

But she’s glad she did.

Nelson will be one of 12 local artists painting against the clock on Tuesday.

“I’m really intimidated by the 20 minutes,” she said. “20 minutes is so short.”

Similar events will take place across the country as part of the larger Art Battle Canada. Each participant gets 20 minutes to paint in front of a live audience.

The winner is selected by a crowd vote and eventually gets the chance to compete in July’s national championships at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

It’s essentially art by democracy.

“The guys that run Art Battle just want to inspire regular people to realize that art is not too high-brow or elitist,” Nelson said.

“A lot people don’t think going to an art opening would be for them

For Craig Jennings, all it took was passion and a little bit of luck.

49-year-old Jennings first heard of Cirque du Soleil 15 years ago when he was in California.

At the time, the troupe was touring their new show Allegria.

That was all it took to spark a new passion.

“I thought to myself,” Jennings said, “this is what I want to do.”

Jennings was playing in a rock-and-roll band prior to joining Cirque. He wrote some music for theatrical shows, but had never performed in a traveling circus.

Now, in the troupe’s show Varekai, he plays the shaman or priest through singing, interacting with the crowd and telling the story as it unfolds on stage.

He said he heard about auditions when the troupe was in New York City, pushing him to take a leap of faith that has led to a long and fruitful career in the industry.

Luckily for him, one individual who had an audition time failed to show up.

“I basically just crashed the auditions,” Jennings said. “I didn’t have an audition time, I just went.”

Jennings’ spontaneous transition from rock-and-roll god to circus performer can be reflected in Cirque’s current show. Varekai, he said, is one of redemption and rebirth.

Like the show itself, Jennings also has his own story.

Although he now calls New York City home, his birthplace of rural northwestern Ohio is very different. He attended Ohio State University, but always had aspirations of making it to the Big Apple.

Through online courses with the Berkeley College of Music (Boston), Jennings has learned piano and guitar skills, music theory and mixing and mastering music.

“The classes have helped a lot,” he said. “When I go out on stage to sing I just feel more rounded.”

Juggling school and traveling with Cirque, Jennings said, helps his work ethic tremendously.

“Sometimes my courses are so difficult that I can’t wait to get out to the circus to do something that

because it’s probably full of snobs or they don’t know the language.”

Although well in its fifth season, the event is relatively new to the Kingston scene. Here, local painters will have their shot at competing for the national title for the first time this year.

The winner receives $1,500 and, of course, gloating rights.

As a beginner battler, Nelson is sticking to what she knows.

And for her, the familiar involves skeletons. She’s held a fixation with Latin America’s Day of the Dead for several years now.

“Skeletons bring out a lot of emotion, whether people think it’s really disgusting and they hate it or they see the fun spirit in it,” Nelson said. “It’s always an attention grabber.”

After a quick scroll through the artist’s website, it’s easy to see what she’s getting at.

Nelson has been a professional artist for around four years. She got her interest in skeletons from learning about Frieda Kahlo soon after. This paved the way for explorations of Latin American folk art.

As her artistic endeavours See It’s on page 12

Schuyler Smith uses his palette knife at an Art Battle competition in Halifax.

feels natural and comfortable,” he said, “and to do something that I know, as opposed to something I’m trying to understand in class.”

At six tours in total, Jennings admits he may be near the end of his career with Cirque.

“I have a feeling I have one or two more years,” he said. “It’s been an amazing ride and I’m so blessed, but I think it will be time for me to move on to something else.”

For Jennings, it’s the true and deep connections with the audience and his fellow troupe members that have made his experience with Cirque what it is.

After about 6,000 shows in total, Jennings said he has seen it all and more.

“There’s been a lot of people that I have opened my heart up to and sang my brains out to,” he said, “and there’s some kind of spiritual connection that I have taken and given.”

Cirque du Soleil will be premiering in Kingston on Jan. 17. Students are invited to save $10 on tickets at the following link: www.cirquedusoleil. com/queens10.

Supplied

ARTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

• 11

UNION GALLERY

Grounded in mystery Aged techniques create modern works of beauty at the Union Gallery B Y M EGAN S CARTH Copy Editor Upon entering Union Gallery’s project room, I’m immediately struck by a sense of melancholy.

This is the general sentiment behind its current exhibit, Grounded by Claire van Eeghan.

Black and white paintings hang on plain white walls. Most of the work seems rather grim in tone, with swirls of blacks and grays taking up most of the space on white canvas backgrounds.

Two of the largest paintings in the room are mysteriously called “Untitled.” At first, their style appears to be abstract, though when examined closely, outlines of leaves can be traced.

Hanging directly above these two paintings are blank sheets of canvas, forming a roof over the viewer’s head. Combined with the small exhibit room, this creates a slight sense of enclosure, making the viewer feel as if they are being drawn into the works.

“Time Lapse,” the only work in the exhibit with colour, provides a sense of relief from these sombre tones. Bright splashes of oranges and yellows make it stand out from the rest of the pieces.

Upon closer inspection, however, faint outlines of skeletons can be seen in the background, lending the work a sense of foreboding.

Like the title of one of its featured paintings, the techniques used to create Grounded bring to mind a passing of time.

These paintings were created using stone lithography, which is a technique that was popular in the 1800s.

It involved creating an oil-based image on a smooth plate and covering the plate with ink. A print would then be made from the plate, forming an image using the ink trapped in by the lines of oil.

The theme of time can be seen in a series of four paintings called “Shoots.”

Each painting features tree branches in some way. The darkness of the paintings makes it difficult to tell whether these plants are alive or dead.

This effect is strangely unsettling.

Viewers are rewarded by examining this series in further detail. In “Shoots II,” an eyeball can be seen at the centre of one of the trunk’s knots.

I also found myself looking at “Shoots III” for quite a long time, attempting to discern the various abstract shapes found within it. Was that a hand on the right? A person

stretched out on the left? There’s an aura of mystery surrounding this series.

Indeed, the sense of mystery and discovery seems to be one of the main purposes of Grounded.

According to van Eeghan’s artist statement, she wants each viewer to have a “unique experience with the piece and one that engages their imagination.”

The Journal Staff compiles a list of our favourite 2013 album releases — everything from rap to electronic, and from punk to indie rock.

ARTS CALENDAR Music Wax Mannequin and Nick Ferrio & His Feelings The Mansion Jan. 10 at 9 p.m.

Brendan Canning Grad Club Jan. 11 at 9 p.m.

Art Oil & Acid Union Gallery Until Jan. 24 Akram Zaatari: All Is Well Agnes Etherington Art Centre Until March 30 Film Fri. to Sat. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013) Philomena (2013)

PHOTO BY CHLOE SOBEL

Grounded uses lithography, a technique popular in the 1800s.

Grounded teaches importance of pausing the surface — themselves in the of nature.

the viewer the to look below to “ground” stark strength

Grounded can be viewed in the Union Gallery’s project room until Jan. 24.

GRAPHIC BY JONAH EISEN

ARTS

12 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

‘It’s a juxtaposition of what’s happening in culture’ Continued from page 10

progressed, Nelson began seeing another side to the Day of the Dead.

“I realized why I was attracted to it in the first place,” she said.

“It matches up this idea of cultural decay with all the joy we all still have to find in our lives despite it.”

Nelson said she finds the

celebration reveals a lot about the society we live in.

“The economy is pretty bad, the threat of war seems non-stop,” she said. “So having a skeleton person almost represents the negative side, while the subject of the painting is positive — it’s a juxtaposition of what’s happening in culture.”

If attendees want to take

Artists compete in the Art Battle National Championship in 2013.

Nelson’s cultural metaphor home, they can. There will be a silent auction for all, the 20-minute masterpieces.

Art Battle Kingston will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 14 at The Renaissance.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY NATE KOGAN

Top 10 Charts

For the week ending January 7th

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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Fade Out Dog Day Reflektor The Arcade Fire Do Not Affect a Breezy Manner Freelove Fenner Snow Bird: The Songs of Gene MacLellan Various Five Spanish Songs Destroyer Baptized by the Mud Kat Danser Flying Colours Shad Spaces Nils Frahm Symmetry Kirk Macdonald Jazz Orchestra Sean Pinchin Rust Bucket

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ARTS

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

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14 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014

Sports ATHLETE PROFILE

A leader’s legacy Nearing an OUA record, hockey captain focuses on her team B y S ean S utherland Assistant Sports Editor

PHOTO BY Tiffany Lam

Morgan McHaffie’s stick and jersey are in the Hockey Hall of Fame — the product of scoring the winning goal in the longest collegiate hockey game ever played.

Even with her equipment in the Hockey Hall of Fame and an OUA MVP award, Morgan McHaffie’s greatest feat isn’t an individual one.

Her stick and jersey went to the Hall of Fame after scoring the winning goal in the longest collegiate hockey game of all time — a six-overtime thriller in the first game of the 2011 OUA final against Guelph. Despite that, the fifth-year women’s hockey captain points towards her two OUA titles as her biggest accomplishment with the Gaels.

The choice is indicative of McHaffie’s attitude off the ice and her play on it, where she constantly puts the team ahead of herself.

With seven regular season games remaining in her time at Queen’s,

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

European excursion Holiday trip to Bulgaria pits squad against pro competition B y J osh B urton Staff Writer Instead of heading south for the winter holidays, the men’s volleyball team set their sights to the east.

Second-year libero Ivo Dramov urged head coach Brenda Willis to plan the Gaels’ annual holiday trip to his hometown of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Willis tries to take the team on an intercontinental trip once every four years, having previously visited Holland and Germany multiple times.

“Each generation of athletes will generally get one major trip,” Willis said.

Dramov’s father organized the entire trip from Bulgaria, planning an exhibition tournament with local pro and developmental teams and booking travel, accommodations and meals.

The men’s squad began their trip by playing pro teams in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. After nearly a full day spent in the air, the team didn’t have its best legs and went on to lose both games in four sets.

The real exhibition tournament began upon their arrival in Plovdiv.

Queen’s advanced to the tournament final against professional Bulgarian clubs,

before being out-defended in the championship game.

The Gaels’ Mike Tomlinson took home tournament MVP hardware, making significant progress in his comeback from ACL surgery. The third-year outside hitter missed six league games before returning in late November.

Willis commended the talent level of the Bulgarian volleyball clubs and the devotion of their fans, who packed the bleachers for the tournament. “[Bulgaria] doesn’t have hockey the way we do, so a lot more of the top players at a younger age turn to volleyball and soccer,” she said.

Much like European soccer, Bulgarian volleyball teams use a club system. Development leagues begin as young as the age of 10, training players all the way to the

professional level.

Bulgarian players are usually excellent defenders and have perfect fundamentals from hours of practice at younger ages.

The trip also provided cultural and social benefits for the Gaels.

Organized into the schedule was a tour of Bulgarian monuments, including 1000-year old churches, as well as free time to meet with local players at social events.

“We were absolutely hosted as soon as we got to Plovdiv until we flew back to Toronto,” Willis said.

Such a large-scale trip requires multiple levels of funding. Most came from standard athletic team funds and special high performance grants. Booster and alumni funding provided the rest, along with very minor contributions from each of See Second on page 17

the star centre has a chance for another personal accolade. She’s just nine points back of former Gael Elizabeth Chiasson’s OUA record of 155 career points.

McHaffie said the chance to break the record isn’t a focus for her this year.

“Personally, I haven’t even thought of it,” she said. “My main goal is to get my team back to an OUA championship.”

Currently sitting atop the league, the Gaels are primed to do just that. Winning the title would give McHaffie the additional honour of accepting the trophy, having been named captain over the summer after spending the last two seasons as an assistant.

McHaffie said the captaincy hasn’t changed the way she interacts with her teammates, but there were personal shifts that came along with the position.

“Taking on the C, it’s more responsibility and more weight,” she said. “I know the weight of my actions can affect others, so I really try to make sure I do everything to the best of my ability.”

Part of McHaffie’s role as captain is helping the group of Queen’s rookies rebuild after several key veterans departed last

See Legendary on page 17

MEN’S HOCKEY

First in league, but rivals ahead Biggest test to come for cruising pucksters B y A dam L askaris Staff Writer It was the perfect way to ring in the new year for the men’s hockey team.

The Gaels started off 2014 last weekend with a pair of

inside Men’s Basketball

Tied for fifth with York after loss in 2014 opener.

WOMEN’S basketBALL

Streaking Gaels move into first in division.

PAGE 17

year. Among the graduates was Morgan’s twin sister Brittany.

“We grew up playing together, every year on the same line [and] same team, so it was a challenge in itself right from day one not having her next to me,” McHaffie said.

“Even for lines of communication, you always had someone there you could trust and rely on, and you knew what they were thinking all the time.”

As the year’s gone on, McHaffie has found chemistry with her new linemates, tallying a league-leading 24 points in 17 games.

For all the offensive numbers she puts up, McHaffie has proven just as strong on the defensive side, something she makes her primary focus in her game.

“If we don’t let any goals in, we aren’t going to lose the game,” she said. “Playing defence first and then getting those one or two goals is key. I try and rub that off on my teammates.”

Gaels head coach Matt Holmberg said McHaffie’s two-way play is a major aspect of her game. He noted her prowess on the penalty kill and faceoffs, of which she’s winning around 70 per cent this year.

Libero Ivo Dramov convinced head coach Brenda Willis to bring the Gaels to Bulgaria.

PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE GAGNIER

road victories over the UOIT Ridgebacks and the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks.

Winning has become somewhat of a habit for this Gaels team — they’re now on a six-game win streak and have won nine of their past 10, improving to 12-0-5 on the season. They remain first in the OUA with 29 points.

“There’s a bit of rust not playing a game in about a month,” said head coach Brett Gibson. “But the boys found a way to win both games.

“It’s been a good ride,” added Gibson, who’s coaching the most successful men’s hockey team in his nine seasons as head coach. “We’re not blowing guys out, but we’re playing a strong, structured game.”

Queen’s is currently holding onto seventh place in the national rankings, their highest this season and the first time they’ve been in that position since 1982. Still, they find themselves ranked behind OUA rivals McGill (sixth at 12-4-1) and Lakehead (fifth at 13-3-0).

Gibson said CIS rankings may not be as important as overall standings, but they’re still a key inspiring factor for his club.

See Tenders on page 17

Sports

Friday, January 10, 2014

queensjournal.ca

• 15

Men’s Basketball

Lions cruise in Kingston rematch Clubs knotted in standings as second half begins B y J ordan C athcart Staff Writer The York Lions roared past the Gaels last Saturday, winning the second part of an extended home-and-home series against the men’s basketball team.

York prevailed 86-74 at the ARC to open the second half of the OUA season. Queen’s most recent game had been a 73-55 win against the Lions in late November.

Gaels head coach Steph Barrie hopes Saturday’s game can provide a template for his team of what not to do going forward.

“Our goal for the second half of the year is to have them play completely opposite of last game,” Barrie said. “They have to play with energy and passion and with good execution on both ends of the floor, which means communicating with each other on the floor.

“There are a number of things specific to what we do that wasn’t there,” he added.

“We just have to stick to basketball, and if we can do that, the results will take care of themselves.”

The Gaels started slow defensively on Saturday, allowing 48 first-half points, but found themselves down just six at the half.

In the second half, the Gaels only allowed only 38 points, but the offence struggled, finishing a dismal 37 per cent shooting from the field. Guard Sukhpreet Singh led Queen’s scoring charge with 19 points, while forward Greg Faulkner netted 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Barrie pointed to his squad’s slow defensive start as a reason for the loss.

“Starting slowly set the tone for the rest of the game,” he said. “That put us behind the eight ball and we weren’t able to recover from it.”

On Saturday, the Lions featured three players that didn’t play in their previous meeting with Queen’s, with the trio combining for 25 points.

Barrie praised the Lions for being the hungrier team.

“They were more at full strength than the first time we played them, and they played

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like a team that had lost the first meeting,” he said. “They were hungry to get that win and we just came out flat and with no energy.

“It was clear they wanted it more and they took it to us.”

The Gaels knew the importance of the rematch with the Lions, as both teams will be battling until the end of the season for an OUA East playoff berth. They’re currently tied for fifth in the division with matching 6-4 records.

“We talked about the importance of the game all week, especially in the standings with every team fighting to position to make playoffs and trying to get home-court advantage,” Barrie said. “Every game now for the rest of the season is going to be a

Greg Faulkner produced a double-double against York on Saturday.

playoff game, and the intensity level should be no different that an actual playoff game.”

This weekend, the Gaels play host to two Toronto teams, with the marquee matchup coming tonight against the nationally

JOurnal File photo

fourth-ranked Ryerson Rams (9-1).

Saturday will see the Gaels take on a sliding Toronto Varsity Blues squad (2-8).

Both games tip off at 8 p.m.

woMen’s Basketball

Five straight to lead the way Gaels kick off 2014 with home win over York, grab first place in OUA East B y J erry Z heng Staff Writer The Gaels are finally healthy and winning.

The past few years have been difficult for women’s basketball, who often charged into games with a depleted roster due to injuries.

This year, their injuries have been minimized and their talents are on full display.

They currently lead the OUA East division with a 7-3 record, ahead of both the Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens, after defeating the York Lions last Saturday 74-61.

Guard Emily Hazlett scored a team-high 18 against the Lions, as four other Gaels reached double digits in points. Post Robyn Pearson snagged 17 rebounds and added 14 points for her third double-double of the season.

The win, their second straight over York, has Queen’s on a five-game winning streak.

Confidence has been running high among the players on the team. Captain Liz Boag

said the Gaels’ goal prior to the start of the season was to be one of the top two teams in the East.

“We always knew we were capable of doing [it],” Boag said. “It’s not a surprise, but a payoff from our hard work.”

Coach Dave Wilson expected this level of success from his team earlier in the season, barring injuries.

“It was a question of how long it was going to take to gel and whether or not we will be healthy,” Wilson said. “Those were … the biggest questions we had probably in the last four or five years, with health being the biggest one.”

The Gaels have played against two nationally ranked teams this season — the McMaster Marauders and the Brock Badgers — and won both contests.

The team has been helped by the off-season acquisitions of rookies Abby Dixon and Andrea Priamo, both of whom have been extremely productive and

serviceable since the beginning of the season.

“We had pretty good expectations for two of the rookies playing significant minutes,” Wilson said. “[Priamo] has probably exceeded my expectations for a first year player more than anything.”

Second-years Pearson and Hazlett have also brought more to the team.

Pearson is currently one of the top 10 rebounders in the country, sitting ninth among all CIS players with 10.1 rebounds per game.

The second half of the season is going to be more difficult for the Gaels, as teams in their division have gotten better. The Ryerson Rams acquired NCAA Division I player Mariah Nunes from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues have found their stride after winning their past four games.

However, if the Gaels keep their current pace, a deep playoff run will be in their sights.

16 •queensjournal.ca

Sports

Friday, January 10, 2014

Sports

Friday, January 10, 2014

Tenders stand tall

• 17

Second place overseas Continued from page 14

Continued from page 14

“I think our motivation right now is seeing that there’s still two teams in Ontario ranked higher than us,” Gibson said. “Every day, day in and day out we’re looking to get better.”

Rookie forward Harrison Hendrix scored the overtime winner on Friday against UOIT — his fourth goal of the season — to lead the Gaels to a 3-2 win.

Meanwhile, forward Patrick McGillis was a prime performer on the weekend, picking up a pair of goals and adding an assist to earn Queen’s Male Athlete of the Week honours.

“McGillis is a guy who we look to produce and he showed that this weekend,” Gibson said.

Other goal scorers on the weekend for the Gaels included Braeden Corbeth and Tyler Moore against UOIT, as well as Jordan Coccimiglio and Corey Bureau on Saturday in Queen’s 3-1 victory over Laurier.

While they scored six goals over the two games, it was strong play in net that the Gaels have grown accustomed to this season that helped seal the wins.

Netminder Kevin Bailie got the win on Friday with 23 saves, while backup Chris Clarke impressed on Saturday, stopping 33 of 34 en route to a victory of his own.

Both goaltenders continue to perform well, as Bailie improved to 8-0-4 while Clarke moved to a record of 4-0-1. The pair has combined to give up just 34 goals in 17 games, the lowest total in the OUA. In the next two weeks, the Gaels will face what may end up being their toughest three-game stretch of the season. They host the perennial contender Carleton Ravens tonight, followed by a two game home-and-away series with the third-place McGill Redmen starting tomorrow and concluding next Friday in Montreal.

Gibson made no attempt to belittle the importance of the upcoming matchups.

“Absolutely, it’s our biggest test of the year,” he said. “McGill’s the measuring stick for every team in the OUA — they’ve won a national championship recently. Carleton’s no slouch either.

“Those are two of the top teams in the league.”

queensjournal.ca

JOurnal File photo

Captain Corey Bureau netted in Queen’s 3-1 win over Laurier last Saturday.

the players.

The tournament was far more than just a fun excursion for them. Facing strong opponents forced the team to step up and play its best volleyball all season. Men’s volleyball is reaching mid-season form just as their roster begins to stabilize.

Rookie setter Jamie Wright stepped into a starting role because of injuries and excelled, providing the team with depth and likely ensuring him more playing time in the future.

A healthy Tomlinson also means all starters can return to their natural positions.

Currently sitting sixth in the OUA at 4-6, Willis’ team must play to their potential for the rest of season if they hope to reach their goal of a top-four finish in the OUA and a shot at a berth to nationals.

The Gaels will return to OUA action tomorrow, when they host the Waterloo Warriors at 3 p.m.

Follow @QJSports.

JOurnal File photo

The Gaels finished second against professional competition in a Bulgarian exhibition tournament.

Legendary showings Continued from page 14

Holmberg was an assistant coach when the McHaffie twins were originally recruited and was named head coach the summer before their first year at Queen’s. Over the years, he’s seen a number of remarkable performances from Morgan — last year’s playoffs being one of them.

Playing on an injured knee that forced her to miss one game, McHaffie came back to total 11 points in the team’s six other games, including a five-point performance that helped eliminate the Windsor Lancers.

McHaffie injured her other knee in the nationals championships against the Calgary Dinos, but stayed on the ice long enough to pot a goal.

“When you think about gutsy performances, that whole playoff run last year was pretty remarkable,” Holmberg said.

With her time at Queen’s coming to an end, McHaffie has a chance to add a scoring title, an OUA record and another provincial

championship to her on-ice accolades, but Holmberg sees a greater legacy outside of the rink.

“Off the ice, she’s a fantastic teammate and she will always, always, always put her teammates and the team and school ahead of herself,” he said.

“I think that attitude and that personality, long after she’s done playing on the ice, will continue to resonate with the players that are still playing.”

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• 19

postscript Beauty

The effects of aging A transformative makeup experience can give a glimpse into the future B y J essica C hong Blogs Editor Special effects makeup often creates drastic results — and for me, it was a surreal experience.

Refusing to look at the mirror until the process was complete, I wanted a full transformation, adding a few decades and wrinkles onto my face.

Kingston-based makeup artist Jessie Walsh said one of the highlights of the job is the look on her clients’ face, the joy and confidence they gain from their new appearance.

“What I really love about makeup artistry is that each client is going to be different, and you never know where exactly you’re going to end up,” she said. “I like that today I did the old age makeup on you, but next week I’ll probably be doing beauty shoots.”

To determine where my natural wrinkles would lie, Walsh prompted me to make a lot of faces — squinting, frowning, looking surprised — in order to properly create pronounced wrinkles on my forehead, eyes, mouth, lips and chin.

Unlike conventional beauty makeup application, where the client is asked to relax their face, these prompts proved to be entertaining.

“I do both — I like making someone gory like a skeleton or zombie and like making someone feel pretty,” Walsh said.

Walsh said special effects makeup, like conventional makeup application, follows a procedure.

“You always start at the top and work your way down,” she said. “It’s all in order so you’re not smudging anything”

After 30 minutes of leisurely application, I had aged profusely. It was hideous.

I was intrigued by what some contouring with darker skin shades could do to create the appearance of wrinkles.

“The only thing really is knowing where the wrinkles go and how to apply it,” she said, “so [having] you make those crazy faces to go with the natural lines in your face.”

Old age isn’t something we tend to embrace as a society. The crow’s feet, wrinkles near my eyes, and sagging creases near my mouth, nasolabial folds, Walsh explained, made me gain a greater appreciation for my youthful skin.

Walsh said we weren’t finished yet — she offered me blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick to complete the “granny” look.

She explained in the 80s, it was trendy to wear bright blue or pink eyeshadow, or both.

“That was what was in during [our grandparents’] day and they just haven’t modernized their makeup,” Walsh said.

Like wrinkling contours, she said, bruise effects involve more than applying darker shades of makeup.

“To look more [realistic], you use baby wipes and sponges to give [the bruises] the right texture,” Walsh said.

Burns also need added texture and dimension to create a realistic look. The different stages of burns, she said, was something she practiced creating at beauty school.

“There are different products you can put on the burn to give it that shiny texture, you know when you freshly burn yourself,” she said.

Makeup artist Jessie Walsh has honed her skills in both special effects and beauty makeup.

Aside from hiring a makeup artist for a few special occasions like prom, I’ve never personally encountered special effects makeup.

Yet, exposure to makeup, even from a young age, can cultivate a desire to be creative.

Walsh remembers being surrounded by makeup since childhood.

“I was always that kid that was into the makeup bags when I shouldn’t have been,” she said.

It was an act that sparked her career aspirations and prompted her to pursue makeup training at the Canadian Beauty College in Mississauga, a drastic change from her small hometown.

“It gave us a good chance to stay within our comfort zone,” Walsh said, “but go all out of your comfort zone at the same time.”

Walsh, a recent graduate of the program, explains special effects makeup was one of the most fun and challenging aspects.

“My teacher switched it around so that [the special effects training] was around Halloween,” she said, “everything from the old age makeup to wounds and cuts.”

Walsh said era makeup, revisiting and learning about trends of past decades — the good and bad — was another lesson learned at beauty school.

Blogs Editor Jessica Chong before and after her age transformation with special effects makeup.

“Like 1920s, for instance it was a lot of grey colour on the lids with a lot of eyeliner,” she said. “Their lipstick went beyond their lips and was bright red and you’d have learn why it was like that.”

Tracing these beauty trends linked to certain historic eras like the Great Depression, where hardly anyone could afford makeup, is important to understanding today’s trends, Walsh said. “[The] ’50s was a lot of pinup girls. That was what was in — the winged eyeliner with the beige lid and bright red cherry lipstick,” she said.

Walsh, having helped to remove my makeup and return me to a more youthful appearance, shows that special effects knowledge can help makeup artists become more than a one-trick pony.

“Even gory movies, because of all the blood and action, all the bruising and seatbelt burns,” she said. “That’s all makeup and you don’t even think about it until you go to school for it and realize how much is actually out there.”

Seasoned makeup artist and Kingston native Jess Bird graduated from the St. Lawrence

Photos by Arwin Chan

Photo by ARwin Chan

College program in makeup artistry and from a private beauty school, Complexions International. She had her first taste of special effects makeup with the Discovery Channel in Toronto.

“It was very unique — there were only two places in Toronto that offered the course I took,” she said.

Unlike regular beauty makeup, which involves highlighting natural facial features, special effects makeup is often a masking of one’s true appearance, explained Bird.

“Every week we’d do an episode which was filmed in a different time era,” Bird said. “So we started in 1910 and worked our way up to 1990.”

Bird, who worked as a makeup artist in Toronto for five years, said that while special effects makeup knowledge may be an asset in larger cities like Toronto, it doesn’t give someone such a competitive edge in a smaller city like Kingston.

“Kingston has a very, very limited clientele base,” she said.

“If you were looking to be a makeup artist and specialize in special effects, you’d definitely want to go to British Columbia or Toronto.”

Bird said that she specializes in bridal makeup because that is Kingston’s main clientele.

Comparatively, working on a set or in a theatre, it would be an asset to have both regular and special effects makeup skills.

“In Canada you have to have a broad perspective of special effects and beauty makeup,” she said.

Bird said that while she specializes in bridal makeup now, prosthetics, especially creating a mask from scratch that fit the mold of the client’s face, was always one of the most fascinating lessons learned at beauty school.

“Doing prosthetics is extremely fun because we’re basically creating a story,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons I love being a makeup artist. You’re kind of put to the test and you have to come up with the best story for the script.”

20 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, January 10, 2014