The Queens Journal, Volume 141, Issue 4

What happened

What’s ahead

Analyzing the Gaels’ schedule PAGE 12

McMaster falls at Richardson PAGE 22

F R I D AY , S E P T E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 3 — I S S U E 4

J THE OURNAL QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY — SINCE 1873

The Underground celebrates grand opening

ORIENTATION WEEK

Frosh leaders face change Increased enrolment and chance of rain are shifting orientation event plans B Y A BBY A NDREW Assistant News Editor With Frosh Week in full throttle, orientation leaders are rushing to make sure all events fall into place — despite forecasts that call for thunderstorms later in the week.

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s highlyanticipated Grease Pole event is at risk of cancellation due to the storm warnings, Matt Slavin, the Orientation Chair said, adding that the committee is scrambling to make sure events run safely and smoothly.

“We can clear that site out in a matter of minutes if it looks like there’s a problem,” Slavin said.

With nearly 720 participants expected, police, ambulances and Queen’s First Aid will all be on site.

Similar to last year, the event may be moved to later in the month in order to accommodate the expected rain. Last year’s rain forced the Engineering Society to reschedule the Grease Pole for two weeks after Frosh Week.

Other stresses of the week include the School of Computing doubling in size, which Lucas

Marcelli, this year’s High Tech, said creates pressure that wasn’t previously accounted for.

“The program was supposed to stay at 70. That’s the number [administration] gave us but significantly more people accepted their offer than they were expecting, so we didn’t find out until August, ” Marcelli, who’s working with 20 techs to oversee over 100 first-year students, said.

“It was pretty fun to plan,” he added.

This year’s Head Gael, Daniel Goncalves, said he’s tweaking

PAGE 11

PAGE 3

Plagiarism persists

Critical Mass PAGE 14

the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Orientation Week to make sure there is something that appeals to everyone in a group of 2,200 students and 460 Gaels.

“We want to make sure that they find something in one of the events that sticks out to them, and that creates a foundation to start calling this place their home,” he said.

A Heritage Fair has been added to this year’s festivities, which Goncalves said will better acquaint the incoming class with Queen’s history and culture,

See Commerce on page 7

Creating a culture of respect

A rebranded and renovated Alfie’s nightclub opened its doors for the first time on Wednesday B Y O LIVIA B OWDEN Assistant News Editor The Underground, formerly known as Alfie’s Nightclub, will open its doors for the first time on Wednesday beginning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 p.m.

The ceremony marks the culmination of a four month-long process to rebrand and renovate the preexisting nightclub space in an attempt to increase its attendance and revenue figures.

The rebrand was also undertaken in response to students’ concerns that “Alfie’s” was disrespectfully appropriated as a nightclub brand name, being the namesake of Alfred Pierce, a celebrated Queen’s legend.

Stephanie Johnson, The AMS Pub Services (TAPS) head manager, said they chose to make many design changes, and described the new space as more edgy and down to earth.

Johnson, alongside AMS hospitality and safety services director Justin Reekie and AMS vice-president of operations Nicola Plummer — as well as a team of seven assistant managers — spearheaded the endeavour.

The club interior décor takes after a “grunge” theme. Student artwork is featured across the interior wall space, as well as the staircase leading into the venue — images of skulls, lips and faces, as well as increased lighting in the bar area, are used to add more colour and visual appeal to the club, Reekie said.

New seating has also been installed inside on the edge of the dance area, a more comfortable alternative to the preexisting furniture which creates a more spacious feel as well, he said. In addition, the plexiglass has been removed from the DJ booth and has been replaced with artwork.

Reekie said that a lot of thought went into using every aspect of the venue.

“We spent a lot of time critically looking at the space, as well as the dead spaces and how we can really utilize them to the best of its ability,” he said.

“With the booths it wasn’t merely just to add seating, but it was also in a space that no one was occupying so it’s a way to bring the club all together.”

See LGBTQ on page 8

News

2 • queenSjournal.ca

underGrOund GallerY

The interior of the Underground features artwork by Queen’s student artists — a redesign process lead by TAPS head manager Stephanie Johnson, AMS vice-president of operations Nicola Plummer and AMS hospitality and safety services director Justin Reekie.

photos by tiffany lam

Friday, September 6, 2013

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Feature Professors are aware that countless students undertake online evaluations as communal endeavors, committing minor breaches of academic integrity on a regular basis.

Academics

The cheating curve Mitigating plagiarism proves challenging, online and off B y E mily M iller Features Editor What could be worse than getting caught cheating? Perhaps being accused when you’ve played by the rules.

Such was the case for a second-year Queen’s student last winter.

Shortly after submitting an assignment following Reading Week, the student, who wished to remain anonymous, was notified in writing of her instructor’s suspicions of plagiarism.

The student was told the accusation derived from the familiar resemblance her own assignment bore to another student’s. She had two choices: confess to breaching Queen’s standards of academic integrity, or appeal her case.

“My writing style is very eloquent, and has been beyond my years for quite some time,” the student, now in third year, said.

“I’m a little worried because I don’t want to change my writing style, but I also want to make sure people aren’t accusing me of plagiarism.”

Innocent of the charges laid against her, the student faced the task of an appeal.

“I was overwhelmed by the fact that I’d been accused of plagiarizing,” she said. “I had to make my case or confess to something I hadn’t done.”

In the midst of additional responsibilities and numerous emotional stressors demanding her attention, making an appeal seemed like an insurmountable feat.

“I just didn’t feel I could fight one more thing,” she said. “The assumption is that you’re guilty. It’s very harsh from the get-go.”

According to the student, she prepared to meet with her instructor, deciding a confession would be the most effective means of diffusing the situation.

And she did just that — confess to an offence she claims she didn’t commit.

“One of my housemates said I should fight it,” she said. “[But] because of things that were happening at the time, I just didn’t want to fight.”

After falsely admitting to committing plagiarism, the student disclosed some of her personal struggles to her professor, who empathetically offered advice and educated her on supportive resources offered by Queen’s, the student told the Journal.

The assignment in question was deemed unmarked, and the student’s final assignment in the course was weighted to compensate.

The student’s academic transcript remains void of any record of the incident.

It seems that such accusations are no rarity at Queen’s.

Allison Williams, AMS commissioner of academic affairs, confirms that larger classes, whether in-person or online, are where you’re likely to find the most infringements of academic honesty.

“Larger classes tend to have more, smaller assignments that are worth a lot less, and students tend to complete those together, so there are more minor breaches in a large course,” Williams said. “In a smaller course with more robust assignments, I’d assume you’d have fewer, but larger breaches.”

While standards of academic integrity remain consistent among courses taught in-person and those instructed online, professors are aware of the minor breaches of academic honesty that remain inherently symptomatic of online methods of evaluation.

“If you have quizzes done regularly, students will do those in conjunction with one another.

Professors are aware that this happens, and how they approach this varies from prof to prof, but

this is a challenge that’s always happened with take-home assignments,” Williams said.

According to Brenda Ravenscroft, associate dean of teaching and learning in the Faculty of Arts and Science, professors of both online courses and on-campus courses with online components invoke a variety of measures to maintain integrity with online quizzes and tests.

These include limiting response times for each question, limiting the number of times a quiz can be taken, limiting the number of questions appearing on a single page and randomizing the order of quiz questions.

“In terms of plagiarism, the availability of information in digital form has undoubtedly made it easier to copy the words of others — but has also made it easier to investigate whether unattributed text is original or not,” Ravenscroft told the Journal via email.

In an era of increasingly prevalent breaches of academic integrity, accusations of plagiarism also appear to be growing in numbers.

“The issue has become that this is happening increasingly often,” Nancy Salay, a Queen’s professor, said. “It’s fine to get together with someone to do your work, but this is where there’s a grey line for some people; it’s not okay to come up with a joint answer.”

Queen’s approaches breaches of academic integrity in a decentralized manner.

Professors are granted the autonomy to notify students of their suspicions of plagiarism on a one-on-one basis, with cases extending beyond the student-instructor relationship only when academic dishonesty has been explicitly affirmed, and classified as a more severe breach of academic integrity.

Insufficient evidence also

prevents many cases from being labeled as instances of academic dishonesty, leaving several cases of suspicious academic behaviour undocumented. It’s thus difficult to assert precisely how many breaches of academic integrity have happened at Queen’s, especially when convoluted by the vast variance in the severity of cases.

A professor of philosophy and instructor of the Critical Thinking course offered online, Salay describes the evolving trends of academic dishonesty in an increasingly digital age.

“It’s certainly been incremental.

Within the past five years, the sophistication of alternatives out there has really improved. I know people can find papers on a really wide variety of topics, and that just didn’t exist before,” she said.

According to Salay, significant adjustments have been made to the structure of online courses to evade countless breaches of academic integrity. The philosophy department in particular has been pressured to assign fewer essays and administer more in-class tests.

“We are very unhappy about having to do this,” Salay said.

“Nobody can do the kind of research and thinking they need to in an in-class setting.”

Furthermore, Salay spoke to the impact of online learning, as universities, including Queen’s, continue to embrace this medium of education.

“Students get material by reading or listening to something. That’s the difference between online, and going in, turning off, and being part of a united experience,” Salay said.

Salay emphasized the problem that decreasingly stable attention spans present for the landscape of higher education.

“People are completely distracted. They can’t stay focused on one idea for more than three minutes, which is what the classroom experience is about.”

Still, evidence suggests it isn’t the method of instruction that delineates outcomes in student achievement. Research on the Effectiveness of Online Learning, a 2011 compilation of research on online learning, revealed considerable evidence in favour of

Photo by Colin Tomchick

online modes of instruction.

“The findings of hundreds, perhaps thousands of studies, over the decades and through the 1990s have been consistent — there are no significant differences in learning outcomes achieved by students engaged in face-to-face instruction compared to those participating in distance education,” the article stipulates. “This holds true regardless of the technology medium used, the discipline, or the type of student.”

Salay emphasized the viability of online courses in regards to specific subject matter, noting how the use of laptops in an in-person lecture can be equally, if not more, detrimental to the learning experience.

“There is a place for online,” she said, adding that a course that is particularly content-heavy, or where the instructor simply passes along information, is well-suited to the online medium.

Still, the experience of learning directly from another human being remains invaluable. Traditionally, discussion has been the ultimate asset to higher education, posing an obstacle for online learning, according to Salay.

“There are some things you actually have to show people,” she said. “The best learning often happens by accident. A student asks a question and now we’re talking about it.”

“Where online won’t work is when part of what you want to teach is manifested in the actual learning experience itself.”

The majority of philosophy courses fall into this category, she said, where the learning experience lies less in the subject matter itself, and more in the method by which it is communicated.

“We need to have dialogue and discussions, because that’s what philosophy is,” Salay said.

“The experience of philosophizing is a huge part of the learning experience. That’s a problem for online. If we could simulate that virtually, I don’t think it would be as big a problem.”

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News

Friday, September 6, 2013

News

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stuDEnt AffAiRs

Non-denominational chaplain appointed Kate Johnson assumes position of campus chaplain following the retirement of Brian Yealland in June B y S eBaStian l eck Assistant News Editor Kate Johnson is the first female chaplain at Queen’s, and the first not to identify as Christian.

Johnson, who identifies as a Quaker, started her work on Aug 19. She replaces Brian Yealland, who retired last June after 32 years of service.

After Yealland announced his retirement last November, the University opened a discussion on whether or not to keep the chaplain position.

The Chaplain’s office provides

spiritual guidance, religious services and accommodations for religious groups on campus.

During the procurement process, the Division of Student Affairs, which oversees the Chaplain’s office, received input from the AMS, SGPS, and faith-based groups on campus.

The Chaplain’s office provides support to a number of religious organizations, such as Four Directions Aboriginal Centre, the Geneva Fellowship, and the Queen’s University Muslim Students Association.

Roxy Denniston-Stewart, the assistant dean of Student Affairs, told the Journal via

Kate Johnson was appointed to the position of Chaplain on Aug. 19.

photo by colin tomchick

email that student groups overwhelmingly opted to keep the position.

“The response clearly indicated that the Queen’s community recognizes the important role the Chaplain plays in providing support and guidance to students,” she said.

Denniston-Stewart said Kate Johnson’s background as a Quaker had little to do with her hiring, besides proving that she was accountable to a faith community.

She said Johnson’s experience as a chaplain and a spiritual counselor were far more important, as was her knowledge of a wider variety of faiths.

“Kate met all the qualifications and more,” she said. “We are thrilled that she accepted the role.”

Kate Johnson said Quakers believe everyone has their own way of understanding God and spirituality.

“There are lots of Christians in my church, but there are also lots of Jews, Buddhists and atheists,” she said.

Johnson said scripture takes second place to everyday life in the Quaker understanding of spirituality.

“We primarily draw from lived experience,” she said. “God reveals God’s self through everyday life.”

She said the open-minded nature of her religion will help her connect with the variety of religious groups on campus.

As a chaplain, she said, her job is to help students explore their spirituality and support them through crises of faith without imposing any of her own values on them.

Johnson added that the Chaplain’s office will also support students who want to let go of their faith.

“People have freedom to practice their religions, as well as freedom from religion,” she said.

Today many Canadians grow up without any formal religious upbringing, she said, but there’s still demand for alternative forms of spirituality.

The popularity of yoga is a good example, Johnson said. For many people, she said, it brings a sense of inner peace which can be described as spiritual.

“It’s about learning how to be quiet,

feeling connected with ourselves and giving our spirits a break from the pressures of the world,” she said.

Johnson has worked as a social worker in the youth offender system and as a chaplain for adult Correctional Services.

She said her experiences in Correctional Services taught her not to judge people on first impressions.

“People make a lot of sense when you know their whole story,” Johnson said.

Everyone has hidden strengths, she said, and listening closely helps her find them.

In the same way, she said she looks forward to helping students discover their potential as they progress through university.

“I’m super stoked about celebrating that stuff with people,” she said.

Johnson said there is still a place for chaplains in secular institutions like Queen’s.

According to Johnson, under international law all institutions with total care of a person must provide access to spiritual services.

She added that an on-site chaplain keeps up the quality of access to spiritual resources and prevents “fringe predatory groups” from moving in.

“There is religious predation, we call them cults,” she said. “They sometimes move in where there is a vacuum.”

Moreover, she said, acknowledging the spiritual needs of students improves their quality of life.

“I think it makes people feel cared for in a fuller kind of way,” she said.

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Friday, September 6, 2013

city of kingston

Bike lanes come to Princess St. Council passes preliminary designs for 1.7 kilometre stretch between Bath Rd. and Division St. B y Vincent B en M atak News Editor The City of Kingston is set to begin preliminary work on the construction of bike lanes on Princess St. — an initiative many cyclists are gearing up for.

The motion to approve a 1.7 km stretch of Princess St., between Bath Rd. and Division St., for new bike lanes was passed at city council with ten votes for and three against.

The new lanes will be 1.5 metres in width and feature a 0.5 metre painted buffer between designated motor vehicle lanes, according to the preliminary design.

Further detailed design work has yet to be completed; however, the City will hold a public meeting on Sept. 25 to garner public input on the project, which is set to be installed in 2014.

The initial proposal for designated bike lanes on Princess St. was put forward in the Williamsville Main Street Study — a report geared to revitalize the area between Bath Rd. and Division St. — two years ago.

Cycle lanes were added in effort to promote healthy, active

and progressive lifestyle choices, according to the report.

Despite this, the plan comes at a cost. Around 65 on-street parking spaces will be removed to make way for the lane. There also will be less room for the so-called “urban forest” — a stretch of trees set to be planted on the sidewalk.

Councillor Sandy Berg, who opposed the motion at council, said the lanes will also unnecessarily restrict Princess St. businesses from potentially constructing sidewalk patios, referring to it as a “lack of potential business development.”

She said an increase in bikers will compete for space with the recently unveiled Kingston Transit express bus, which travels the same route.

“Urban trees are [also] an incredible municipal asset that needs to be weighed and evaluated in the same way that we evaluate other assets that people ordinary and regularly assign value to,” she said.

“They have value in regards to their impacts on climate change with respect to storm water management not exclusively, the cooling and shading effects that

come with trees is certainly one afraid of safety,” Anne MacPhail, very important factor but the storm chair of Kingston Coalition for water management is paramount.” Active Transportation, said.

But for regular cyclists, the MacPhail, who also works as a plan is a much-needed break from public health nurse for Kingston, the constant danger of cycling on Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Princess St., a busy roadway Public Health, and sat on the “Just a couple of years ago [it was] working group for the lanes for the found that Queen’s students who City of Kingston, added that the would typically be the people who lanes will revitalize the surrounding would cycle the most — young, fit, area, largely populated by students, people — weren’t cycling as much that is predominantly seen as expected because they were as run-down.

Sam Gower, ConEd ’14, expressed a similar sentiment.

“I have been down Princess all the time, it’s okay to get down there but you never know if somebody is going to turn or whatever. It’s always so congested that you can just zip down the side but [without] a bike lane, you don’t know you’re safe,” he said

The proposed bike lanes will be approximately 1.5 metres in width.

graphic supplied by the city of kingston

graphic supplied by the city of kingston

An aerial design of the new bike lanes on Princess St.

housing

Graduate students displaced to hotel Students spend second year in a row at Confederation Place B y O livia B owden Assistant News Editor Jessica Donen said she didn’t realize she would be living in Confederation Place Hotel until the week before she arrived at Queen’s.

For Donen, Law ’16, and a few of her fellow graduate students, the suite life has become a reality — a lack of residence space has caused some students to spend another school year in a hotel.

“If I wanted to go on a meal plan, I’m a 25 to 30 minute walk from campus. I’m allowed to have a mini fridge, but I can’t even have a kettle or a microwave, so that’s frustrating,” Donen said. “It’s not even close to a bus route.”

The Confederation Place Hotel in downtown Kingston is currently home to approximately 60 Queen’s students, and has been

since Sept 2012 — with no signs of change anytime soon.

Donen, who described the hotel as a “grungier, two-star facility,” said she was comfortable with other aspects of the residence, but the location is her strongest grievance.

Iain Reeve, President of the Society of Graduate and Professional Students, said that the situation is beginning to appear more permanent.

“We had a contract from last year that has been extended for at least another year. It is still ideally a temporary solution, but it’s starting to look more like a medium term solution until they find some other arrangement,” he said.

Graduate students previously occupied the JDUC, which is now comprised of first-year undergraduate students. As a result, graduate students were then

displaced to residences outside of the main campus area last year.

Reeve said that students who are moving in are sometimes unaware supplied that being designated a hotel room Confederation Place is located near Ontario St. and Princess St. is an irregular occurrence.

“Most students going into the construction by 2013, a project circumstance you’d find a better, permanent option,” he said. “But hotel didn’t necessarily know that which has faced delay.

The project has been met with pragmatically given where we’re at it was a new thing, or an alternative.

It was just an option that was harsh criticism from the Kingston now, it’s not the worst thing in the extended to them and they took community over its size, appearance world. It’s better than not having it,” he said. and building congestion in the area. housing at all.”

The hotel has been close to Reeve said that the decision Pietro Giampa, a graduate full student capacity since Queen’s to extend the contract with physics student and PhD candidate, Confederation Place was made said he’s generally impressed with adopted it as a residence in 2012.

A report released by Urban by the Department of Student the Confederation.

Strategies, a Toronto urban design Affairs, who couldn’t be reached “Some people are a bit put off by firm, concluded that Queen’s for immediate comment. the distance, some people are not. does possess enough land space Regardless of the distance, In terms of residences people seem to introduce further expansion to Reeve said that most students quite pleased,” he said. “The only accommodate a potential increase aren’t particularly discontented downside is that you only have a in student population. with their living arrangements at kitchen on the second floor.”

Following the report, two new Confederation Place. residences on campus, by Stuart “A lot of them have actually been St. and Albert St., are set to begin pretty satisfied with it. In an ideal

News

Friday, September 6, 2013

queensjournal.ca

•7

Commerce Chair books comedy group of 454 students, almost all of more space booked at the mystery the Commerce class of 2017 is venue in order to accommodate for the larger number of participants. giving students the opportunity to registered for orientation.

The Engineering and Nursing view memorabilia set up in Grant The Concurrent Education Hall. Traditional activities such Orientation Week has also been faculties, which are traditionally as Frosh Olympics, Shinerama restructured because of growing paired with each other for certain bottle drive and the tamming admission numbers, Mike Young, Frosh Week events, are watching the weather in hopes that their ceremony will also take place this year’s Head Teach, said. this year.

Each year, the faculty goes to collaborated Tournament of the Chase Heinemann, the Chair of a camp in a mystery location but Century (TOC) and Thundermugs Commerce Orientation Committee, according to Young, an unexpected activities will resume.

As last year’s TOC was cancelled said the week’s restructure this year surplus of students registered due to rain, the thunderstorm is due to negative feedback drawn without time to plan accordingly. from last year.

“Up until two weeks before Frosh warnings are forcing the School of “We had a couple too many Week [last year], the numbers that Nursing to create back-up plans for dances during our week, so ... the executives had been given was events, much like other faculties.

“We’re really hoping that TOC we booked a comedian group 190 and then two weeks before [Absolute Comedy] from Ottawa,” they were told there would actually won’t get cancelled,” Andrea be 247,” he said.

Vandepol, this year’s Head Heinemann said.

This year he said there was Cape said.

With an incoming class

Continued from page 1

photo by colin tomchick

Commerce frosh getting to know their Boss.

Campus Calendar Thursday, Sept. 5

11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 23

ASUS Orientation Heritage Fair Grant Hall 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Free

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Concert: Aaron Carter 8:30 p.m. to 11:55 p.m.

The Mansion

Saturday, Sept. 7 Queen’s vs. Windsor Football Game 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Men’s Rugby vs. Wilfrid Laurier 3 p.m.

Men’s Rugby vs. Waterloo 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 8 Kingston Multicultural Arts Festival Confederation Park

Queen’s Tricolour Open House 5 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Queen’s Centre Monday, Sept. 9-15 Fitness FREE-for-All week Athletics and Recreation Centre Wednesday, Sept. 12-15 183rd Kingston Fall Fair 5-7$ a day Saturday, Sept. 21 Run or Dye 5k 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fort Henry $30-55

Thursday, Sept. 26 Gender and Sexual Diversity Resource Fair 6 p.m. to 8:30 pm Grant Hall Friday, Sept. 28 Les Miserables 7 pm St. Andrews Presbyterian Church $25 for students

A FREC debuts his Eng Cut for the incoming class.

photo by colin tomchick

News in brief Innovative mental health program implemented

“EngSoc has Clark Hall Pub, the AMS is a beast on its own and ComSoc gets a lot of donations, but ASUS doesn’t have anything like that,” Tahiri said, adding that ASUS garners most of its revenue stream from student fees. ”We don’t have any additional services but because of good financial bookkeeping from previous executives we have the money from surpluses to conduct the review.”

ASUS was granted $11,000

by ASUS Board of Directors to conduct the review.

Collins Barrow, an accounting firm, was hired to conduct the assessment portion of the review engagement. The assessment will result in ASUS receiving a “grade” in the form of a document, reflecting where the society stands in term of financial accountability.

An important aspect of this review is that the assessment is carried out by a third party, Mason said.

Collins Barrow has done audits and reviews for other Queen’s societies such as the Engineering Society and Residence Society.

All residence dons and orientation leaders will be now be receiving specialized training on reducing stigma on mental health.

The program was created in collaboration between Queen’s professor Heather Stuart, Queen’s Health, Counseling, and Disability Services (HCDS), and Opening Minds, an organization run by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

The program focuses on sharing true stories told by young people suffering from mental illness.

Beth Doxsee, the Peer Health Outreach Coordinator at HCDS, learned about the potential of action-based training programs at a conference last summer.

A team from HCDS worked with Dr. Heather Stuart on the program. Stuart connected the team to Opening Minds, an antistigma organization, which also contributed to the program.

Dr. Stuart, the Bell Canada Mental Health and Anti— Vanessa Hrvatin Stigma Research Chair, will be receiving $1 million from the telephone company Bell over Program marks 25th the next five years to research anniversary anti-stigma practices.

Doxsee said the team hopes Science Quest, a program founded to expand the program within by Queen’s undergraduate Faculty Queen’s and to other campuses. of Engineering, is marking its 25th anniversary.

— Sebastian Leck The program serves as a day camp for elementary school ASUS undertakes fiscal students who flock to the Queen’s campus during the summer months review to participate. Forming in 1988, The Arts and Science Undergraduate the camp enrolls approximately Society (ASUS) has launched a 500 students each year. review engagement of its finances During the school year, over the past two years in an effort Science Quest is represented to increase financial accountability, by undergraduate engineering ASUS vice-president Irfan Tahiri, students who visit classrooms across ArtSci ’14, said.

Kingston in order to encourage The review engagement, youth to follow an interest in considered a voluntary “big picture” science, math, technology and analysis of financial documents, engineering. This is done through looks to reconcile expenses and interactive, fun activities that young students can engage in. receipts regarding ASUS spending.

Science Quest has reached The decision to conduct a review engagement was made by approximately 5,000 students in Tahiri alongside ASUS president the past year. The program is also a Scott Mason, ArtSci ’14. It was part of the charity ACUTA, which launched in late July with results meets with over 250,000 Canadian set to be released by the end students a year. of September.

Science Quest celebrated their It’s the first time the society anniversary with a barbeque in has undertaken a financial review, which members of the program, as pinpointing a lack of funds to well as students who participated in cover the cost, as well as a lack of the day camp attended. oversight on its permanent staff.

He added the society’s — Olivia Bowden annual student turnover also rendered the process difficult to complete beforehand.

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8 • queenSjournal.ca

Friday, September 6, 2013

LGBTQ to come this year, Plummer says Continued from page 1

The renovations, which Plummer said cost “less than $40,000,” weren’t funded by student fees.

“The money comes from the collective surpluses of the services over the past thirty years, but will be paid for by TAPS,” she said.

Plummer declined to specify the exact cost, given that it was passed in closed session of AMS Board of Directors.

Physical changes aside, the team is also set to introduce a number of different theme nights to increase attendance figures, Johnson said, in order to boost revenue.

Johnson said there will be three nights rotated each week — Hip-Pop, Throwback, and Classic Rock, and a fourth one that will change periodically. Plummer also said an LGBTQ night will be introduced this school year, and will be connected to a rights group

or on-campus charity.

“One thing we’ve done is we’ve got rid of the event ‘Hoedown’ which was an event that wasn’t all that successful and we’ve replaced that with a new event called ‘Hip-Pop’, which is introducing hip hop and pop music remixes,” said Johnson, adding that it will be similar to “Throwback,” which she said proved popular last year.

The event will premiere this Friday, she said. photo by tiffany lam Plummer said another new event will be Graffiti by Cassidy Van Leeuwan is featured across the stairway walls. called “Re-Think the Pre-Drink” — a theme night geared to combat pre-drinking: an services such as Walkhome, as opposed to this will draw students out of their houses,” activity in which students drink heavily at the sometimes-chaotic environment in the she said.

Plummer said the rebrand will help the home before going to a club or bar later in areas around campus. “[Pre-drinking] obviously poses problems club connect with students, in order to create the night. This is part of an effort to prevent students from overconsumption before their both to student’s health as well as our staff an ideal clubbing experience.

“It’s a lot more than just the theme, it’s the night out has even begun. The hope is that and that they’re now working in a higheratmosphere,” she said. “It’s about the crowd students who attend “Re-Think the Pre- risk environment,” she said.

Drink” will have better access to student “Together we came up with ‘Re-Think the that it attracts … that’s going to be the most Pre-Drink’ which is essentially selling $2.50 important thing to us is how students feel drinks from 9-11 p.m. every night that the about their experience in The Underground.”

Underground is open. The hope is that

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Friday, September 6, 2013

Dialogue

Editorial — The Journal’s Perspective

““

These decisions are made in an authoritarian manner [and] add insult to injury.

education

”

Alberta atrophies

The University of Alberta recently decided to suspend admission to 20 arts programs. The programs were axed because they had too few students enrolled as majors.

In isolation, this decision could be portrayed as pragmatic and reasonable. Nevertheless, changes taking place at universities in North America can’t be ignored.

Universities used to be fairly unique institutions. Amongst other things, they were expected to ensure creative and intellectual vitality in human society. Now, universities are increasingly businesslike and expected to efficiently serve the economy.

This transition, currently in its later stages, is regrettable for many reasons.

Universities used to ensure that individual students were exposed to a variety of subjects. Today, the aggressive separation of subject matter into different “silos” is one of the most pernicious problems with education.

University students often find themselves stuck in a certain major, unable to branch out into related fields. Conversely, students who desire to study a specific topic within their field can’t find enough courses to do so. Either way, filling out prerequisites and required credits to form a seemingly random catalogue of completed courses becomes the default strategy.

Perversely, the strict separation of subjects makes it easier to cut individual faculties as student solidarity is reduced through isolation. Students don’t see the value of the programs on the chopping block because they were largely prevented from engaging with them.

Universities shouldn’t stagnate; they should experiment with things like online courses.

Programs with little or no demand should be put up for elimination or integrated into other programs or faculties.

However, these decisions should be made with increased student and faculty consultation. That was one of the major problems with what happened at the University of Alberta — the decision to suspend the programs was made unilaterally.

It’s not clear how much money the University of Alberta will save by eliminating or restructuring the programs it has suspended.

Broad cuts are now pre-emptively justified based on limited savings.

The fact that these decisions are made in an authoritarian manner adds insult to injury. Those who desire a vibrant society that honours artistic and intellectual pursuits should resist the new paradigm.

— Journal Editorial Board

getting more and more questions about the National Security Agency (NSA)’s spy programs that were revealed by a former government computer specialist named Edward Snowden. am oebrich The overwhelming majority of Canadians who ask me about these programs see them as justifiable; lost privacy is okay if lives are saved by the intelligence gained through snooping.

However, this viewpoint is unsettling — Snowden’s leaks Those who know me would say should discomfort anyone who I’m proud to be an American. Hell, cares about privacy and limiting my nationality makes for a regular state power. conversation-starter living in the Normally, Congress acts as a Great White North. check on the NSA and the entirety After I introduce myself as of the executive branch. However, American, what usually follows are some Congress members have said questions regarding my political they didn’t have full knowledge of beliefs on guns, gay rights and what was being authorized in laws imperialism. Recently, I’ve been that extended the NSA’s power.

S

K

American snoops

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Janina Enrile Alison Shouldice

Production Manager News Editor

Alex Pickering

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 Meaghan Wray

Assistant Arts Editor

Kate Shao

Sports Editor

Religion

Questionable Quebec values along with all the young residents in Montreal hospitals who wear religious attire. Montrealers might end up with longer wait times in hospitals because some people choose to cover their hair.

Quebec’s strong secular tendency has its history in the Quiet Revolution. In response to the oppressive rule of the Catholic Church, Québécois rejected conservative social norms and transferred control of their societal institutions from the Church to the government.

However, these comprehensive and democratic changes stand in contrast to the current proposal.

For one thing, religious groups were not even consulted before

the PQ had formed specific policy proposals.

Worse still, the proposed Charter of Quebec Values is racist and hypocritical. The PQ tolerates the crucifixes that hang in Quebec’s public spaces, including the National Assembly.

The PQ would have us believe that a properly non-religious society is one in which laws can be passed under a cross but a man wearing a kippah cannot be a public employee.

In sum, adopting the Charter of Quebec Values would be short-sighted, anti-democratic, racist and hypocritical.

Moreover, the special court that The NSA’s overreaching oversees the NSA almost always programs and their allows the agency to do what ongoing defence by many it wants.

Washington lawmakers and Young people should be bureaucrats are not signs of especially troubled by these a healthy democracy. We developments as we spend lots deserve greater democratic of time using digital means of accountability from our communication.

Are you governments and should comfortable with your demand it. online activities being monitored Your neighbours to the south and possibly recorded for use at a might very well be reading your later time? text messages, emails and phone Every form of government logs right now — that’s the thing: either directly or indirectly the lack of clarity and secrecy on derives its power from the people all fronts prevents anyone from it governs. Americans get this. knowing specifically what is Canadians get this. Egyptians being logged. get this.

As Canadians, you are

particularly vulnerable to NSA snooping because nearly all of Canadian internet traffic passes through the US. The sad reality is that there’s almost nothing preventing the NSA from spying on non-US citizens.

No matter where they snoop, the principle is the same. By spying indiscriminately, the NSA disrespects established political systems and their participants, including Canadians.

The Parti Québécois (PQ) government’s proposal to introduce a Charter of Quebec Values is an affront to fairness and freedom. The Charter would forbid public employees from wearing religious symbols at work and is therefore an absurd proposal which threatens to completely alienate religious minorities.

Wearing a cross or a turban does not make you bad at your job.

One great critique of the proposed law has come from a Montreal doctor, a Sikh man who wears a turban. He says that if the PQ passes and enforces the Charter, he will be forced to leave Quebec or at least stop practicing medicine

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Erin Sylvester

Arts Editor

illustration by Anisa rawhani

Web Developer

Michael Wong

Blogs Editor Copy Editors

Nick Faris

Postscript Editor Photo Editor

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Sam Koebrich

Jessica Chong Anisa Rawhani Megan Scarth

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Tiffany Lam

Lisa Acchione Vanessa Hrvatin Chloe Sobel

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Kevin Kim

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James Bolt Clara Lo Justin Mathews Friday, September 6, 2013 • Issue 4 • Volume 141

— Journal Editorial Board

Sam is the Assistant Photo Editor (Video) at the Journal. He’s a second-year politics major.

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

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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.

The Journal Online: www.queensjournal.ca

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

Issue 5 of Volume 141 will be published on Tuesday, September 10, 2013.

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queensjournal.ca

• 11

Opinions — Your Perspective

Photo by Colin Tomchick

These new students are being welcomed to Queen’s by their Orientation leaders.

Student Life

With great frosh comes great responsibility Every student can help create a welcoming culture on campus for incoming students, including the frosh themselves

Lisa Acchione, ArtSci ’14 As incoming first-year students settle into their rooms in residence or their own places off-campus, they take a big step. They’re adapting to a new living environment and are fostering connections with individuals they may very well spend the next four years with.

Most importantly, especially throughout Frosh Week, the environment around them is shaping their first impression of Queen’s as an institution.

Whether or not you want to admit it, their first impression of the university they have chosen to attend will last a lifetime. Both residence staff and orientation leaders know that. Therefore, they attempt to ease first-year students’ transition into Queen’s year after year.

However, many students are frequently unaware of the underlying objectives of Orientation Week policy and the important role student leaders play on campus.

The way I see it, the Frosh Week rules and policies that exist are a good start for instilling a culture of responsibility into incoming students. That is, a culture defined by compassion, respect and sensitivity towards others.

Fostering a culture of responsibility throughout Frosh Week, as well

as the rest of the the school year, is important. By considering values shared by the community, we can encourage others to think of how their role on campus impacts others.

A cohesive social culture at our institution will not only unify us as Queen’s students, but also represents why University policy relating to student life exists in the first place.

The way I see it, Frosh Week rules and policies that exist are a good start for instilling a culture of responsibility into incoming students.

One of the most startling misconceptions in regards to university policy I felt was shared by many first-year students while I was a residence staff and firstyear was the idea that dons, and sometimes orientation leaders, hold their positions in order to put a complete halt to drinking alcohol. Or, that they only exist to cultivate students’ understanding of Queen’s in an academic, rather than social, way.

These are misconceptions for a reason. Both residence dons and orientation leaders are in fact present in first years’ lives to make them feel important and welcome to Queen’s during a key transitional period. Their role is not meant to make frosh seem like lesser adults or subject them to hazing or embarrassment.

At their core, orientation events

exist to foster a sense of pride and respect for the institution we attend, and to make first-year students comfortable at a place they will call “home” for the rest of their undergraduate degree. They are also meant to enable students to understand the very important support systems and faculty society hubs they have access to.

As for residence staff, their role on a residence floor, much like the role of an orientation week leader, is to ensure that the students living within the residences on campus are comfortable and feel accepted at Queen’s. They are mandated to promote a safe and inclusive living environment and are tasked with informing students about the non-academic discipline system and why it’s important.

Rules that first-year students are obliged to follow in residences are there to set groundwork for personal responsibility and an acknowledgement of the values of the broad array of individuals who attend our institution. Furthermore, they are there to enable students to comprehend the impact they have the potential to make on other students’ lives.

What many students may be surprised to learn about being a student leader, whether in residences or not, is that, because they’re working in a position of trust, they’re instructed to never lie about the experiences that defined them at Queen’s including, but not limited to, their relationship with alcohol.

Another misconception that students approached me about

Talking heads

regarding “dry” orientation week policy in particular was the fear that they would be “caught” in an intoxicated state.

To be intoxicated in residences is not an infraction. Undermining the dignity and respect, as well as personal space of others, is.

I would explain to them that residence staff members and dons do not “seek out” students who drink, nor do they try to “catch” students in the act of drinking.

Their objective is to ensure that the residence rules are communicated and upheld to promote a living environment that is inclusive and welcoming.

Following this logic, the continuation of the “dry” residence policy throughout Orientation Week should not be seen as a way to prohibit students from consuming alcohol. Instead, it should be seen as a way to encourage students to engage in critical thinking about the environment they share with other individuals who have different interests and living habits.

To be intoxicated in residences is not an infraction. Undermining the dignity and respect, as well as the personal space of others, is.

The individuals who play a role coordinating and implementing a successful orientation week are ultimately there to help ensure the success of our peers. If you have a question, even throughout the school year, there will be an

... around campus Photos By Erin Sylvester

How do you feel about Alfie’s being remade as The Underground?

answer waiting for you on campus whether behind the desk of your student government executive, orientation leader or within a don’s room.

Thus, recognizing that orientation leaders and residence staff members can play the role of a mentor could very well help, rather than hinder, a student’s first year at Queen’s.

So, how did your first week at Queen’s impact your life? If first impressions truly do last a lifetime, it should be fair to assume that Frosh Week policy and rules, if upheld by students and staff members, could very well set a groundwork for fostering a positive and inclusive social culture on campus.

Understanding the merits of Orientation Week policy and the initiatives student leaders put forth on campus should be acknowledged.

It’s only through a unified conception of respect and responsibility that we’ll instill a sense of pride and respect on campus this Frosh Week and this coming academic year. Orientation Week is meant to welcome frosh and calm their fears about the big step they are taking. Let’s respect that fact as a community and work together to foster a culture of responsibility.

Lisa Acchione is on the Senate Orientation Activities Review Board and Senate Committee on Non-Academic Discipline.

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“As long as they have Throwback.”

Theresa Mecozzi, NURS ’15

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Friday, September 6, 2013

Arts

Photos By Charlotte Gagnier

Shayne Dark’s sculptures in his exhibit Critical Mass have alien-like qualities that have the ability to simultaneously awe and disturb their viewers.

ART EXHIBIT

A haunting shock of colour

Alien-like sculptures take shape in Shayne Dark’s exhibit B y C arling S pinney Staff Writer Unlike the artist’s surname, his exhibit Critical Mass is anything but gloomy.

The bright colours of Shayne Dark’s natural-born sculptures are like erupting fireworks against the whitewashed walls of the gallery space at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre (AEAC).

It was a welcome explosion of blue and red when I turned the corner, entering the exhibition for the first time.

I was at once captivated by the towering creatures called “Critical Mass #1” and “Critical Mass #2,” delighted by the anthropomorphic tree top, or “Force of Nature,” that seems to scuttle across the wall and fascinated by “Critical Mass #4,” which appears to be caught in an undertow.

The bursting colours in the Contemporary Feature Gallery drastically oppose the remainder of the AEAC’s artwork — it’s unlike anything else.

The inanimate sculptures take on a life of their own, owing both to

their mid-motion stances and arresting colours.

However, after the initial intrigue, the truly alien nature of the sculptures dawned on me.

What planet did these creatures come from?

Dark uses natural materials, such as ironwood or apple tree roots, to build his creations.

One sculpture, “Windfall,” is left mostly untouched by the fluorescent paint colours, except for a few dashes of blue.

Suspended from the ceiling by various wire cables, it’s left in its natural form just inches from the concrete floor. The seemingly hazardous positioning immediately demands attention.

Perhaps “Windfall’s” slightly more unrefined state is what brings nature-based images to mind. The knotted cluster of tree roots suggests aortic or even cerebral forms.

The artist’s choice of natural materials evokes the life-like character of the

sculptures, yet somehow the vibrant paint morphs them into something otherworldly.

It’s a transformation that is at once gripping and unsettling.

The odd location of “Force of Nature” on the wall can also be rather disturbing.

Similarly, the tall stature of “Critical Mass #1” and “Critical Mass #2” isn’t exactly comforting.

What captured my imagination also had the ability to haunt it.

“Heroes” exudes the same disconcerting feeling. At first glance, I was reminded of futuristic totem poles. The six black pillars, arranged in a circular formation, are covered in grid-like lacerations.

Slowly, the pillars became tall, broken buildings from some kind of dystopian world. But this is precisely what I enjoyed most: Dark’s ability to captivate viewers’ attention and imagination.

Critical Mass is one exhibit that stays with you long after you’ve left.

Shayne Dark’s Critical Mass will be on exhibit until Nov. 3 at the AEAC. Several of Dark’s sculptures are scattered around Kingston. One can be spotted in a tree outside the Pump House Steam Museum, while another can be found outside the MacLachlan Woodworking Museum.

Next issue goes digital Leading ladies Domino Theatre presents a comedic show about two down-and-out actors who pose as relatives of a deceased senior who leaves her riches to her two long lost nephews.

Party for Jane Toronto-based indie rock band Jane’s Party returns to Kingston this month. Natalia Buia from Sticky Magazine described their sound as Zeus with a hint of Tokyo Police Club.

Superstition Kim Kozzi and Queen’s alumnus Dai Skuse decorate two galleries in the Agnes Etherington Art Centre with their pivotal installations.

Arts

Friday, September 6, 2013

queensjournal.ca

• 15

Student Theatre

The importance of space Student-run company utilizes immersive theatre B y M eaghan Wray Arts Editor For some, a production stops when the red curtain closes. For Aimee Bouchard, co-founder and managing director of Colliding Scopes, no such curtain exists.

From shadow puppetry and choreography to original music and immersive theatre, the student-run theatre company, a mere two years old, brings a unique and all-encompassing experience to the artistic table in Kingston.

Bouchard, ArtSci ’13, originally began her post-secondary education in drama at York University. As she left her first year

feeling unfulfilled, a door opened to reveal a new experience.

“Coming to Queen’s and being new — I was really worried about that,” Bouchard said. “Even the idea of creating a theatre company is pretty ambitious … but I’ve had a lot of support from the [drama] department, from professors and from friends.”

Colliding Scopes is not an average theatre company. Bouchard said she wants to pursue her own specific interests, immersive theatre being the most significant one.

Immersive theatre, as the title suggests, works to use space that allows See A whole on page 17

Photos By Colin Tomchick

Victoria Condlln, a former Queen’s student, Evelyn Popiel, ArtSci ‘14, and Aimee Bouchard, ArtSci ‘13, pose outside of Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, which was the first space used in a Colliding Scopes production.

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Arts

Friday, september 6, 2013

Friday, september 6, 2013

Arts

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A whole new world Continued from page 15

for audiences to become a part of the production. In turn, the audience becomes immersed in the choices they must make and in the characters themselves.

In immersive productions, the audience can directly affect the direction of the play through making critical plot decisions.

They are made to feel as one in the play, rather than simply watching.

The first space that was experimented with was for their debut production, Shades of Gray, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The space used was Bouchard’s own house in the Student Ghetto, which she said was a decision based on financial constraints but also became the perfect location for a story that related to Queen’s students themselves.

Their second production, An Awfully Big Adventure, was based on J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.

She said it worked to explore the willingness, or unwillingness, to make difficult decisions in order to grow and change. It took place in a common location where she said personal growth can occur — the Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, a local high school.

She said the use of space ensures that their audience does not become passive.

“Audiences in that space cannot be ignored, they aren’t just being spoon-fed something,” Bouchard said. “It’s really funny watching them, because for the first few minutes they have no idea what they got themselves into.”

Making the shift from passive audience member to a fully immersed one, however, is quick.

“They really do get into it, and by the end you can tell there’s been a switch from anxiety to a sheer thrill with what they’re experiencing,” she said. “Being in that environment makes you a part of that world and you can’t escape.”

Bouchard stressed the importance of the theatre productions being relevant to the

everyday life. For a theatre major, she said it’s difficult to watch a production that has little or no relevance to life.

“Why [would I spend] two hours sitting in the dark, watching a story that has no relevance to me?” Bouchard said. “Theatre was created to spark discussion and we may have lost a bit of that.”

It’s time to bring this passion back to Kingston, she said.

In the past, Bouchard said there have been similar efforts to introduce immersive theatre to the Kingston community. She said Colliding Scopes diversifies the arts scene and merges different types of art.

“What we’re trying to do is create a place for the arts community to band together,” she said. “I think it’s a nice way for people to see that we are trying to encourage other groups to collaborate with each other.”

Announcements regarding Colliding Scopes’ 2013-14 productions will occur on Sept. 6.

MuSIC PREVIEW

Sweet Jets are moving up and on Although their guitarist is leaving the country, the band will continue B y VinCenT M aTaK News Editor Summer is at its end, but Sweet Jets aren’t leaving the beach.

The Kingston-based student band is set to play their last gig before the departure of bassist James Gagne.

But this isn’t the end — it marks the beginning of something new. “[The band] started out as a desire to play music and jam and rock out,” Gagne, ArtSci ’13, said.

“Now that we’ve got the attention

of a few people it’s all about giving them something that we don’t think they already have.”

Gagne’s leave isn’t permanent.

The guitarist is leaving the Queen’s University base to travel, while band members Paul Dyck and guitarist Colin Robinson are staying behind.

With Skype practices and writing sessions, what will result is a more streamlined and efficient mode of music composition, something they’ve been working toward since the release of their full-length album last May.

“Every time you create, you learn,” Gagne said, highlighting the importance of creating the best work for their fans.

Since their inception in 2011, their style has grown consistently — a testament to their commitment to learning their craft.

Gagne described their previous work as “power pop”, but really sort of “a melt between The Misfits and Scott Pilgrim.”

See Last on page 18

Arts

18 •queensjournal.ca

Last sun dance of summer Continued from page 17

“The music we’ll be playing [will be] basically one last sun dance for the summer, to try and have a spiritual thing and keep the sun out as long as possible and send everybody to the beach,” he said.

Gagne said the band wants to test their limits before they decide to split from Kingston for good — an inevitable result of them being students.

Aside from their roots as Queen’s students, the band attributes a lot of their success to fellow Kingston acts, like the recently

dissolved Sleuth Bears and the well-established Gertrudes. “We’ve learned that our music deserves a little bit of respect from the rest of the band and just respecting ourselves in terms of doing things professionally and smoothly,” Gagne said.

Sweet Jets recently released a music video last Friday for their track “Going Home”, consisting entirely of footage filmed in Gagne’s former basement.

Sweet Jets will be playing at The Grad Club on Sept. 7.

While the lead guitarist and vocalist of Sweet Jets is traveling, the band will be practicing and writing using Skype. His absence won’t halt production.

Photo By tiFFany lam

Friday, september 6, 2013

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

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31 24 PAGE 22

SPORTS

PHOTO BY COLIN TOMCHICK

SEASON PREVIEWS

For varsity squads, the time is now West Campus, Nixon Field and Richardson Stadium could all play host to championship teams this fall

FOOTBALL Queen’s enters the 2013 campaign as the team to beat in the OUA. Ranked no. 2 in the CIS pre-season rankings, best in the OUA, the Gaels shellacked the York Lions 52-1 in the season opener. Star receiver Giovanni Aprile scored four touchdowns, including a 115-yard missed field goal return.

Aprile’s 6’3”, 213-lb. frame boasts undeniable power that, coupled with his speed, has allowed him to emerge as one of the nation’s marquee wide outs.

Equally impressive was fourth-year quarterback Billy McPhee’s 311 passing yards and two touchdowns.

If the Gaels are to have any hope at capturing an elusive Yates Cup, McPhee will need to finally solidify himself as the elite signal caller in the OUA. Joining them is feature running back Ryan Granberg — a key part of an offence that boasts 10 returning starters from 2012, with no key losses to speak of.

Four CIS All-Canadians lead the Gaels’ balanced defence, including lineman John Miniaci and defensive back TJ Chase-Dunawa.

Their front seven is built to stop the run and apply pressure to the quarterback, while their ball-hawking secondary will look to make opposing teams second-guess calling deep passing plays.

Placekicker and punter Dillon Wamsley will look to build on a breakout rookie season, where his

14 field goals ranked him fourth in Ontario.

With such a high level of parity in the OUA, the Gaels have a few opponents they can’t take lightly. Key matchups include a trip

MEN’S SOCCER in their roster, the only hurdle standing between the Gaels and OUA supremacy is themselves.

They’ll need to learn from their 2012 incarnation, which was plagued by an offence that stalled at inopportune moments, committed far too many turnovers and blew late-game leads.

McPhee has to minimize his occasional t e n d e n c y to throw d r i v e crippling

PHOTO BY COLIN TOMCHICK

The Gaels’ toughest games will come against Western, Guelph and McMaster. Queen’s topped the Marauders 31-24 on Monday.

to London on Sept. 28 to face the Western Mustangs, as well as the final regular season game against the Guelph Gryphons.

The Oct. 19 tilt against the Gryphons will serve as a shot at redemption for the Gaels, who lost a 22-point fourth quarter lead in last season’s OUA semi-final at Guelph. It’s also the second of Queen’s two reinstated Homecoming games.

With no obvious weaknesses

interceptions. The three-headed rushing attack of Granberg, third-year Jesse Andrews and rookie Jonah Pataki, meanwhile, must keep defences honest to allow for McPhee’s aerial bombardment.

If the 2013 Gaels can play to their abilities, this is a squad that can and should challenge for berths in both the Yates and Vanier Cups.

— Josh Burton

Queen’s soccer is on the cusp of a fourth straight nationals berth — but this time, it’s not the women.

The Gaels men took a major step forward in 2012, clinching the OUA East regular season title and advancing to their f i r s t provincial semi-final since 2007.

A f t e r falling in the semis, head coach Chris Gencarelli said the team’s goal was to repeat as division champs — which would allow them to host this year’s OUA Final Four.

With the league’s preeminent defensive trio in the fold, that’s a distinct possibility.

Fourth-year centre backs Joe Zupo and David Tom both suited up this summer with Kingston FC, facing off against seasoned pros in the Canadian Soccer League.

The defence is backed by fourth-year keeper Dylan Maxwell, the breakout star of the 2012 campaign. The Gaels allowed an OUA-low eight goals in 14 games last season; if anything, that total could be lower this year.

Outside midfielder Nathan Klemencic, now with Kingston FC full-time, is the Gaels’ most notable loss.

PAGE 20

His speed and vision will be hard to replace, but leading scorers Chris Michael, Lucas Lobo and Eric Koskins have all returned to pace a veteran attack.

Wednesday’s season opener at West Campus showcased Queen’s greatest challenger in the OUA East: the Gaels fell to the Carleton Ravens 2-0. They’ll face off again in Ottawa on Oct. 9 — a match that could determine the regular season champ.

— Nick Faris

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Centre back Joe Zupo returns as captain for his fourth OUA season.

Women’s rugby Dethroning a dynasty

Men’s rugby

Women’s soccer

Defending the crown

PAGE 20

Prolonging the reign

PAGE 23

SPORTS

20 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

MEN’S RUGBY The reigning league champs bear some similarities to the last Gaels team to hold that honour.

In 2010, men’s rugby finished third in the OUA, slipping a notch after losing seven seniors from the 2009 title team.

The number of departees could reach double digits this season — but a return trip to the OUA final isn’t entirely out of the question.

Last year’s championship felt like a coronation for a team on the brink. After a string of heart-wrenching losses, the Gaels finally beat the detested Western Mustangs in the final at pristine Nixon Field.

Graham Turner, David Worsley and Adam McQueen all return to the Gaels’ backfield after finishing

CROSS COUNTRY

top 10 in OUA scoring. 2012 coach of the year Peter Huigenbos has significant depth to draw from, since men’s rugby carries at least five full reserve teams annually.

The key to it all is fly half Liam Underwood, a sudden fixture on the Canadian senior men’s national team.

Underwood played just two regular season games last season due to commitments with the Ontario Blues club program, but scored 14 of Queen’s 29 points in the championship game.

A late-season stretch will see the Gaels face Western, McMaster and Guelph consecutively. Those results will signify the potential for a second straight OUA banner.

— Nick Faris

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Queen’s lost in the dying seconds of their 2012 regular season match-up against Western, but earned retribution in the OUA final.

WOMEN’S SOCCER After three consecutive national championship appearances, 2013 may be a letdown for women’s soccer.

A few key veterans departed after the team’s loss in the CIS championship game last year, leaving the Gaels with a much

younger core for this season.

While the remaining players have some championship experience, the Gaels’ time at the top is likely coming to a close.

They’ll still make a play for the OUA East crown, but a fourth straight CIS title game seems out of

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

The Gaels fell just short of a third straight Canadian championship in 2012, losing the CIS final to Trinity Western in penalties.

the question.

Up front, the team will be starting a new era without Jackie Tessier, who contributed 14 of the Gaels’ OUA-leading 55 goals last season.

Third-year Breanna Burton and second-year Brittany Almeida will replace the graduating striker. Both players tallied 10 goals last season, tying them for sixth in the OUA. The midfield will have a slight hole with the departure of captain Chantal McFetridge, though returning OUA East All-Stars Riley Filion and Alexis McKinty will keep the team competitive.

After being named an OUA East All-Star last season, third-year defender Jessie De Boer will lead the Gaels’ back end, while second-year keeper Madison Tyrell looks to build on her stellar rookie campaign.

The Gaels won’t be able to keep up with teams like the Ottawa Gee-Gees this season, but they have enough potential to end up near the top of the OUA East standings.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

After two consecutive years of falling just shy, the men’s cross-country team has the chance to finally make it to the podium at nationals.

Last season, the team followed up a bronze medal performance at the OUA championships with a fifth-place finish at the CIS championships.

The Gaels are led by fourth-year runner Jeff Archer, who posted a top-10 time at the OUA championships.

Joining him as the top-tier runners are fellow fourth-year Tyson Loney and third-years David Cashin and Nick McGraw, all of whom placed in the top 30 provincially last year.

The women’s side will need to see overall improvement if they want to reach the level of the men’s team, having finished sixth in the OUA and 11th at nationals in 2012.

The team is led by second-year Julie-Anne Staehli. An All-Canadian last year, she finished sixth at the OUA finals before coming in 14th at the CIS championships.

Running alongside Staehli will be third-years Erin Slade and Marie Soehl, as well as fourth-year Meghan Tait.

Both teams will look to dethrone the Guelph Gryphons at the OUA championships on Oct. 26. Guelph has won the last seven Canadian men’s titles and eight women’s championships.

Julie-Anne Staehli finished 14th as a rookie at last year’s national championships.

— Sean Sutherland

ROWING

The Gaels are banking on international success breeding similar results at home.

Third-years Matt Christie and Jacob Koudys will lead a — Sean Sutherland youthful Queen’s men’s side in 2013, following a third-place overall finish at last October’s OUA championships.

After competing at the U23 World Championships in July, Christie and Koudys will reclaim crucial positions with the Gaels.

Both are part of the lightweight eight crew that won OUA gold and the lightweight four boat that placed first at nationals in 2012.

Coming off an OUA crown, a considerably deep women’s team is poised to contend again.

Their lightweight four was the gold standard in 2012, winning

every race they entered, while the heavyweight double and eight also notched provincial wins.

Fourth-year Meghan Robinson placed fifth with the Canadian women’s eight at the U23 championships. A trio of Gaels second-years — Danielle Abusow, Larkin Davenport Huyer and Shelby Stinnissen — took home silver medals at last month’s Canada Summer Games.

2008 was the last year Queen’s men and women claimed OUA banners simultaneously. Since then, the Gaels women have alternated championships with Western, while the Mustangs and Brock Badgers have swapped men’s titles.

Head rowing coach John Armitage has captured 20 OUA banners during his 37 seasons at Queen’s.

— Nick Faris

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

SPORTS

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

• 21

SPORTS

22 •QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FOOTBALL

Mac streak snapped Gaels unseat reigning OUA champs in home opener B Y S EAN S UTHERLAND Assistant Sports Editor

PHOTO BY COLIN TOMCHICK

Ineffective at the start and end, Queen’s scored 24 points in the second and third quarters to take control.

It wasn’t pretty, but Queen’s finally beat the defending Yates Cup champions — with massive help from their defence.

The nationally second-ranked Gaels beat the sixth-ranked McMaster Marauders 31-24 on Monday at Richardson Stadium, hanging on for their first win over McMaster since 2009.

Queen’s built a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter — then nearly squandered it in the last 10 minutes, a scene reminiscent of several 2012 contests.

Gaels head coach Pat Sheahan said both teams could give better performances than

they did on Monday.

“There’s no question that we can play better than we did today,” he said. “It was a game of mistakes and the team that made more of them lost.”

The Gaels’ defence provided a boost in the second half, with Yann Dika-Balotoken leading the way.

The third-year defensive back intercepted McMaster quarterback Marshall Ferguson for a pair of touchdowns — one a 99-yard return in the third quarter, the other from 70 yards out in the fourth.

The scores turned Queen’s 11-7 advantage at halftime into a 31-10 lead with 12 minutes remaining.

“Without those two big plays, we don’t win the game,” Sheahan said. “It gave our entire team a lift.”

The defensive touchdowns were crucial in a game where Queen’s offence struggled to get going.

Quarterback Billy McPhee was unable to find his rhythm, completing 14 of 29 passes for 114 yards and throwing one interception.

Leading rusher Ryan Granberg was held to 26 yards on 11 carries, while the offence saw 10 drives end in two-and-outs. Only one of Queen’s four fourth-quarter drives resulted in yards gained.

“Our ball control on offence left quite a bit to be desired,” Sheahan said. “This is two weeks in a row we didn’t run the football very well and we’ve got kids who can run it.”

Meanwhile, McMaster found their offensive rhythm, scoring twice in the final frame before the Gaels forced turnovers on the Marauders’ final two possessions.

Locked in a defensive stalemate, neither team was able to gain an advantage in the first half, each managing only a single big offensive play.

For McMaster, it was a 73-yard touchdown reception by slotback Daniel Vandervoort, who slipped untouched behind the Gaels’ secondary in the

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

THREE DOWNS TOUCHDOWN DRIVE A 24-yard reception by Alex Carroll and an 11-yard Billy McPhee scramble set up Doug Corby’s fumble recovery touchdown in the second quarter — Queen’s only offensive score of the game.

PENALTY PROBLEMS McMaster’s final drive of the first half was stalled by two holding penalties and a flag for unnecessary roughness, taking them out of field goal range.

LUCKY BOUNCES In addition to Corby’s touchdown, Yann Dika-Balotoken’s first pick-six bounced off a Marauders receiver before the defensive back grabbed it and bolted 99 yards to the end zone.

— Sean Sutherland

second quarter.

Queen’s touchdown came three minutes later, when receiver Doug Corby pounced on running back Jesse Andrews’ fumble in the end zone. It was the Gaels’ only offensive touchdown of the game.

“Possession is so key in a game like this — that’s basically what it comes down to,” Corby said. “I saw [the ball], got it and the end zone’s right there.”

Alongside their strong defence, Queen’s benefited from an undisciplined McMaster squad that committed 13 penalties, four of which gave the Gaels a first down.

The win keeps Queen’s tied atop the OUA standings with the Guelph Gryphons and Western Mustangs at 2-0. McMaster falls into a four-way tie for fourth at 1-1.

Queen’s will face the Windsor Lancers (1-1) at home tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Lancers fell 24-23 to Guelph on Monday, losing on a field goal with three seconds left.

Queen’s leading rusher in 2012, fifth-year running back Ryan Granberg managed 26 yards on 11 carries against McMaster.

PHOTO BY COLIN TOMCHICK

SPORTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

WOMEN’S RUGBY

Five Gaels were named to the OUA All-Star team in 2012.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Soccer splits home openers Gaels soccer won and lost Wednesday night at a West Campus doubleheader against the Carleton Ravens.

The women’s team remained unbeaten on the season after topping the Ravens 1-0.

Ranked second in the nation, they opened their season last Saturday with a 1-0 road win over the RMC Paladins.

Rookie striker Tara Bartram has scored both of Queen’s goals on the year, netting in the 75th minute against Carleton to secure their second consecutive shutout.

The Gaels are vying for pole position in the OUA East with the Ottawa Gee-Gees (3-0), who they’ll face on the road tomorrow.

After streaking past Carleton for the 2012 division championship, Queen’s men struggled in this year’s season opener, dropping a 2-0 decision to the Ravens.

The game was their first since the Old Four tournament in late August. The Gaels won the exhibition championship in London with wins over the McGill Redmen and Western Mustangs.

— Nick Faris

The Gaels are poised to be OUA champions this year — if they can get over the hurdle that is Guelph.

The Gryphons have won the OUA every year since 2008, but their annual dominance was challenged last season by the Gaels’ performance in the league title game — a 10-6 loss for Queen’s.

This year’s squad will have that memory fresh in their minds, as the Gaels return with most of last season’s core, including four OUA All-Stars.

Fourth-year forwards Taylor White and Bronwyn Corrigan will need to build on their 2012 seasons to help push the Gaels to the next level. White was named an All-Canadian last season, while Corrigan was second in the OUA with 55 points scored.

The team will also benefit from the return of fourth-year forwards Claragh Pegg and Kayla Roote and third-year back Lauren McEwen.

Nadia Popov won’t return after being named OUA East Rookie of the Year in 2012. She’s training with a Canadian national program in Victoria, B.C. The Gaels’ biggest test of the regular season comes in their season opener, when they take on the McMaster Marauders. The winner of that game will more than likely be the Russell (East) division champion.

If Queen’s wins their division and meets Guelph in the final, they have a chance to end the Gryphons’ five-year title run.

— Sean Sutherland

Follow @QJSports.

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LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

• 23

24 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, September 6, 2013

postscript

Supplied

Participants run among pits of blazing firewood for the “Fire Walker” obstacle during the Tough Mudder obstacle race.

Athletics

Runners getting down and dirty Obstacle races have athletes pushing their limits to climb walls, crawl through mud and cross over fire B y K atie G randin Postscript Editor Obstacle racing is no ordinary marathon, it’s an uphill battle.

As I simulated training for an obstacle race, with mud splashing up my back while I ran over hilled and uneven terrain, I was distracted by my own clean-freak nature.

It took me a while of running through a forested ravine before I could shake my disdain for the mud and began to feel more primal.

I felt like I could have been training for the Hunger Games.

Obstacle races, like Tough Mudder and the Spartan Race, are a popular alternative to the ordinary five or 10 kilometre run.

Typically arranged on ski hills, they feature skill-testing obstacles such as crawling under wires through the mud, or rope climbing.

For some new racers, however, a lack of experience and knowledge of the course can leave them unprepared.

Without knowing what to expect from an obstacle race, many first-timers find they’re training blindly.

When Tiffany Miller, ArtSci ’14, ran her first Spartan Race in June 2013 she was unsure of what she had signed up for.

“One of my goals for the summer was to get in shape and be fit and be active, and I thought that by registering for something like the Spartan Race, that would be a motivation to achieve my goals,” Miller said.

However, upon arriving at the site of her course, Miller said she was disappointed to find the race set up on a steep ski hill, hindering her ability to run.

“I don’t know what exactly I had been mentally prepared for,” she said. “Realistically, I should have done some more upper body training because [the race] involved a lot of lifting and climbing, but I mainly stuck to cardio.”

Miller said that throughout the five kilometre race, dehydration became an issue for her teammates, as the race took place in 30 degree weather, and only one water station was set up on the course.

“I think the website did warn participants that there wouldn’t be a lot of water provided,” Miller said, “but then again, I don’t understand how someone can lug

around a water bottle when you’re crawling under wire in the mud.”

The rough conditions of the race can sometimes put participants at risk, resulting in dangerous and occasionally lethal consequences.

Two men in Kansas City, Missouri, collapsed from the heat and died while running the Warrior Dash in 2011. Three people developed E. coli infections after running a Tough Mudder event in Scotland in 2012. In the same year, 30-year-old Tony Weathers was found dead in the water during Fort Worth, Texas’ Original Mud Run. Despite the challenges, Miller said that she still values her experience at the Spartan Race as an obstacle that she has overcome, finishing in the middle of the large pack.

“I’m just really proud that I can say that I did the Spartan Race. It was something that I set out to do and I completed it and I didn’t die, so that was good,” she said. “But, I also learned that for me, because I was mostly training as a runner, I really should stick to five or 10 km runs instead.”

Training for obstacle races becomes a lifestyle for dedicated competitors, though not all obstacle races follow the same pattern.

While both races focus on overcoming obstacles, team work and camaraderie, every race has its own flavour, explains Oleg Vinokurov, Sci ’13, who has completed two Tough Mudder races and six Spartan Races in the last year.

“In Spartan Race, competitors are timed with little electronic chips and ranked, and there’s a much more competitive spirit in general,” Vinokurov said, “whereas Tough Mudder is not a timed race, but rather an event or challenge where participants work together to complete the challenge, with a big party aspect thrown in at the end.”

The variety of mental and physical challenges propels Vinokurov to continue to compete in obstacle races, he said, because it shows him what he’s made of.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than completing a race during which you are pushing your sanity and wanting to quit,” he said.

As a promotional representative for the Spartan Race, Vinokurov says he has become a firm

believer in the whole culture that surrounds adventure racing.

“There are so many stories out there of people completely turning their lives around when it comes to obstacle course racing, and a lot of times these people are a lot more physically disadvantaged than the average person who just says that they can’t do it,” he said.

Vinokurov said that the only thing preventing someone from running an obstacle race is the belief that they won’t be able to.

“If they can do that despite the difficulties that they face, they really overcome these challenges and these races and that motivates me to be even more competitive in it and reach for the high level,” he said.

Vinokurov’s competitive spirit fuels his constant, year-round training, which includes any kind of simulation of what he may encounter on the course.

“This includes a lot of hill sprints and balance, and carrying heavy stuff uphill and downhill, a lot of bodyweight training,” he said. “You need to be aware of your body and able to handle it really well.”

While Vinokurov’s training and experience leaves him feeling prepared for each course, first-time participants must work hard before arriving at the starting line.

After learning about obstacle racing a few months ago, Danielle Pereira, ArtSci ’15, decided to sign up for her first Tough Mudder race, hoping that it would be a fun way to challenge herself.

“I have been working out six days a week, with more of a focus on muscle training in hopes that I will be prepared for all of the obstacles,” Pereira said in an email to the Journal.

With her Tough Mudder race scheduled to take place in a few weeks, Pereira said she looks forward to the event, but as a first time participant, she’s nervous.

“The only obstacles I am really worried about are the greased monkey bars because I am unsure how I will be able to do them, and a bit anxious about the “electric shock therapy” obstacle [where you run through many high voltage wires],” she said. “I have no idea what to expect for this.”

Racing for the top Obstacle races are designed to challenge participants and push them out of their comfort zones. While they encourage camaraderie and overcoming obstacles like mud, climbing, lifting and crawling, not all obstacle races are alike.

The Spartan Race Founded in 2009 with events currently held across North America, Europe, Australia and South Korea, the Spartan Race is a timed obstacle race, featuring physically and mentally challenging obstacles, in which the participants are ranked.

The Spartan Race comes in three varieties to accommodate all fitness levels: • The Spartan Sprint: 5+ km with 15+ obstacles.

• The Super Spartan: 10+ km with 20+ obstacles.

• The Spartan Beast: 20+ km with 25+ obstacles.

Tough Mudder This isn’t a timed race but places a focus on using teamwork to overcome challenges. Tough Mudder began in 2010 and has events around the world, including North America, Europe, South Africa, Asia and Australia. The race requires teammates to work together to achieve completion through obstacles like mud, fire, ice-water, and 10, 000 volts of electricity. The Tough Mudder course is 16-20 km in length and has a 78 per cent rate of successful completion.

Run For Your Lives Featuring events across the United States with its first event in Canada this year, Run For Your Lives is no ordinary obstacle race. While it still features natural and man-made obstacles, the speed, strength and endurance of participants will be tested as they’re chased through the 5K course by zombies. With the option to participate as a runner, or as a fully made-over zombie, participants get covered in mud and zombie guts. They’re greeted at the finish line with an apocalypse-themed party.

Mudd, Sweat & Tears A mud run with events in North America, Australia, Germany and Belize, Mudd, Sweat & Tears is available as a 5K or 10K obstacle race situated on extreme sites, like high altitude ski slopes. The race incorporates natural obstacles as a part of the course, as well as signature obstacles exclusive to the event that are designed by Army Cadets trainers.

— Katie Grandin Sources: http://www.spartanrace.com http://toughmudder.com http://www.runforyourlives.com http://www.muddsweatandtears.com http://runningmagazine.ca http://www.kvue.com http://www.huffingtonpost.com