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
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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