The Queen's Journal, Volume 152, Issue 12

Unsafe conditions push Canada’s only Master of Art Conservation program students to speak out

Health risks and equipment shortages are causing students’ work to trickle in at a ‘snail’s pace’

Jonathan Reilly Assistant News Editor

Eczema flare-ups, allergies, jackhammer sounds, and a lack of proper equipment are among the complaints from students in the Master of Art Conservation program.

Queen’s is home to Canada’s only Master of Art Conservation program, where students can specialize in preserving paintings, artifacts, and paper objects or, conduct research in conservation science. With a $75 million USD donation from Bader Philanthropy Inc. towards the Agnes Reimagined project, the program will establish a new building featuring larger laboratories and workspaces, facilitate the purchase of new equipment, and support the hiring of additional professors.

During the construction of the new building on 15 Bader Ln., which is expected to take two years to complete. Classes for the program were planned to be moved to Fleming Hall in the Jemmett Wing, however, the space infrastructure wasn’t in good enough condition to accommodate the expensive artwork, according to Quinn, a student in the program.

In response to this issue, the University moved the program to Innovation Park, an off-campus facility. Much like Fleming Hall, it was unprepared for the students’ return in September. Consequently, the University cancelled the program’s labs for September, having completed the facility for an Oct. 4 start, Quinn told The Journal in an interview.

According to Quinn*, the lab work is a major component of the students’ coursework, comprising about 70 percent of their curriculum. Students had to cancel their reading week, and extend their programs into December to make up for the lost time.

Even though students have now started doing their labs at Innovation Park, concerns and problems persist, with Andreea Nita, a second-year Masters

— PAGE 2

Postdoctoral students face potential lockout

providing necessary materials and

“We’ve received

broken or in an unusable state. It’s just been a constant issue, we don’t have any of our analytical

Modularization threatens Queen’s education

Queen’s researcher named STAT Wunderkind

Untapped voting potential of American expats

equipment, the stuff we do have is trickling in at a snail’s pace, most of our study collection has been moved over, and we’ve most of our conservation materials that we use, it’s been pretty

“One of the biggest ones that I’m quite in awe that the University hasn’t responded to yet is the obvious health and safety risks. There have been concerns about eczema flare-ups, a lot of allergies, being in a space that

education we were promised,” Nita said.

“The issue right now is that we feel like there’s a separation between us and the administration—our voices aren’t being heard, but we are willing to get together and come up

has hanging wires as you’re walking in. It’s just not addressed and feels like we’ve been forgotten about,” Nita said in an interview with The Journal Nita explained how poor facilities are impacting their educational quality, emphasizing concerns of missing equipment for the program and how this could negatively affect internship opportunities after graduation. “I think it’s fair to

with solutions together to fix this issue. We just want to be heard together as the whole program,” Nita said.

Quinn* echoes Nita’s concerns about health hazards, noting excessive dust in the facility is problematic and some rooms are as cold as five degrees Celsius. They said constant drilling, jackhammering, and other construction noise are mentally taxing while emphasizing issues the program

Quinn* explained while faculty members specific to the Master of Art Conservation program are putting in hard work to improve upper administration from the University haven’t been helpful.

“From the University side, we got a placid response from the Dean’s [Norma Vorano] office after our first letter that was an acknowledgement of all the things we said with no action involved,” Quinn said, urging the University to personally come and see the conditions of their lab space.

“Come talk to us, come see what it’s actually like to be in here. It’s noisy, it’s dusty, it’s unpleasant, it’s a bad space, and ignoring us isn’t going to help because we’re going to keep asking for basic necessities,” Quinn* said.

The Journal reached out to Norman Vorano, the department head of Art History and Art Conservation through the University for comment but didn’t receive a response in time for publication.

*Name changed to protect the source’s identity

decision

Academic vision or conformity? FAS Faculty Board faces critical

Small class sizes at risk due to proposed curriculum changes

Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor

In pursuit of alignment, the University proposes significant reductions in degree requirements.

As Queen’s prepares for another round of Faculty Board meetings on Nov. 22, Jenn Stephenson, Associate Dean (Academic), has introduced a new motion that’s been in development for the past year and a half regarding significant changes to its degree requirements.

The proposed modifications will affect the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or BAH, Bachelor of Computing (Honours) or BCMP, Bachelor of Science (Honours) or BScH, and Bachelor of Music (BMus) programs by transitioning them to a modular degree plan structure. The report emphasizes the need for these changes, allowing academic units to modify their degree plans by establishing minimum requirements while not imposing restrictions on others.

According to the report, a typical major in the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) requires 60.0 units in BAH plans and 72.0 units in BScH plans, out of a total of 120.0 units. Both Arts and Science minors require 30.0 units.

See News on page 2

GRAPHIC BY SKYLAR SOROKA

Construction in Art Conservation workspaces.

The Master of Art Conservation program is facing lab issues.

Negotiation on thin ice as postdocs face potential lockout

No Board Report casts a shadow over the work of scholars at Queen’s

Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor

As the clock ticks down, postdoctoral scholars rally for fair wages while facing the threat of a historic lockout.

As one of the largest unions in the country, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), with local branches such as PSAC 901, Unit 1, represents over 240,000 workers nationwide. The union offers resources to support Queen’s workers. In the Unit 2 bargaining agreements, PSAC 901 pushing for equitable wages, healthcare benefits, and coverage for relocation expenses.

As of October, negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement between the University and PSAC 901, Unit 2, which represents postdoctoral scholars, have been

ongoing for a year. Ontario’s Ministry of Labour issued a No Board Report on Oct. 26, which permits members of the PSAC Unit 2 bargaining unit to legally strike. The report furtherallows the University to lock out employees starting at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 12.

Since the last meeting between the union and the University on Oct. 16, it has been a frustrating experience, according to Jake Morrow, president of PSAC 901, as the employer made no progress on the key demands of the postdocs.

“It also became clear since [during] that meeting that the employer is moving towards potentially blocking postdocs out of the workplace.

The employer filed and received [the] No Board Report […] that puts them [Queen’s] in a position to legally lock postdocs out of the workplace,” Morrow said in an interview with The Journal.

In a statement to The Journal, the University underscored the obligation of both parties to engage in good faith bargaining and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the union to reach a

mutually ratifiable agreement.

According to Morrow, during a lockout, the administration may legally prevent employees from accessing workspaces, workspace technology and equipment, and performing employment related tasks, including research, or receiving any payment from the employer.

“Essentially, a lockout is a forced strike initiated by the employer, and workers and unions have no say in starting or ending,” PSAC 901 said in a news release.

“A lockout is a forced labour action initiated by an employer to pressure a group of workers into agreeing to certain terms of employment. […] A potential lockout is a dangerous threat to the research currently taking place at this university. This would be an unprecedented move, the first time in Canadian research history that any employer—public or private sector—has ever locked out postdoctoral employees,” PSAC Ontario stated in a media release.

In a conversation with The Journal, Chloe Stewart, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology

Faculty members raise concerns over FAS’ future

Continued from front page...

Specializations range from 84.0 to 105.0 units. But, under the proposed framework, majors will require a minimum of 48.0 units for BAH and 60.0 units for BCHsBCHs for and BScH, also with an additional 12.0 units of supporting courses. Additionally, both Arts and Science minors will require a minimum of 24.0 units.

In an interview with The Journal, Paul Grogan, professor of terrestrial ecosystem in the Department of Biology says some of the arguments used in favour to implement these changes is the University’s “out-of-sync” with all the other U6 comparator universities in Ontario, a group of researchintensive universities in Canada, including the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, Université de Montréal, and McMaster University, this rationale was also presented in the report to the Faculty Board.

While Queen’s tries to emulate other universities, some professors believe there’s no harm in being different.

“I don’t necessarily agree with that [reducing the number of programs to be in sync with other universities]. Why shouldn’t Queen’s be distinctive and have a unique feature?

Why should we just match? Certainly, we have been presented with a lot of evidence to show that we’re out of sync with the others, but why would it be better for us to match other universities is not clear to me,” Grogan said in an interview with The Journal.

While contemplating ways for the University to move forward, Grogan acknowledges he doesn’t have all the answers. He believes pragmatism alone is not the solution—the University also needs a vision to accompany it, as relying solely on pragmatism could be a dangerous way to address problems.

“I realize we have to be pragmatic, but pragmatism

expressed her concerns about the current situation. She described it as an “aggressive moment” in which the University ‘s pressuring the union to back down from its demands for fair wages and healthcare instead of fighting for them.

“All of the postdoctoral fellows at Queen’s have completed our doctoral studies and worked hard to get here. We bring valuable research that the University claims to want and respect, but at the same time, it feels like the University doesn’t respect us. We can feel this lack of respect through their aggressive actions against the union,” Stewart said in an interview with The Journal.

Emerson MacNeil, a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and PSAC 901 co-chief steward echoed Morrow’s sentiments, saying

the University’s “attempting to threaten and bully those on campus who care about their research and are trying to launch their careers as young academics,” in an interview with The Journal Stewards are departmental union representatives who connect members with the Executive—the elected officials responsible for making decisions, negotiating on behalf of members, and overseeing the union’s activities and operations.

“[Here’s] The bottom line: trying to save money is more important to them [Queen’s] than being an academic institution and it’s deeply troubling,” MacNeil said. “It makes me question why I’m here. It’s embarrassing to say I went to Queen’s when I see things like this happening.”

StudentS liveS may be getting eaSier with an upcoming SoluS update

Students can anticipate changes to

course selection amid growing frustrations

on its own without some vision and ideal is a dangerous thing, I would argu`e, and likewise vision alone or ideal with no pragmatism is not a very clever management strategy either. You need both together,” Grogan said.

As the Board members familiarize themselves with the information and prepare to make a decision, Grogan hopes for a comprehensive discussion on how to safeguard and uphold the values associated with small courses. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining small class sizes to ensure students have an invaluable experience in their degree programs.

“The small course loss is, apparently, reported by Jenn Stephenson to be five per cent, that’s primarily or almost entirely small third and especially fourth year purses. It’s not the big courses. But coming up with ways to safeguard or at least to express the desire that we want to keep as many small courses for that optimized learning opportunity as possible,” Grogan said.

The proposal ranges across both Arts and Science programss and permits these changes across the entire faculty, but departments aren’t required by the proposal to implement these proposals. Nevertheless, they have been strongly encouraged, and as far as Grogan knows, all intend to comply.

The Journal reached out to the University for comment on how it’s ensuring the academic integrity of its degrees but didn’t receive a response in time for publication.

Aya Alhasany

Assistant News Editor

With a new SOLUS interface in the works, students are hoping the course selection platform will allow for a more seamless selection.

SOLUS, the primary platform for Queen’s students to manage crucial academic and personal services like course registration, tuition payments, and financial aid, is undergoing a design overhaul. Beginning with its first phase in 2021, the Digital Academic Calendar project, led by the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) on behalf of the University to enhance the platform’s digital infrastructure, is set to introduce a new course selection and registration interface in its final phase.

The experience of students using SOLUS for course selection has often been less than positive.

Amy Yeung, HealthSci ’28, shared her own course selection went smoothly because she had an early time slot—randomly assigned based on year.

However, she acknowledges the platform’s unreliability during course selection, citing issues such as website crashes and login problems.

“It caused a lot of stress and anxiety that was unnecessary for a lot of students,” she said in an interview with The Journal.

“There’s a general feeling of dislike towards SOLUS within the Queen’s community.”

When asked about Queen’s making potential changes to the course selection platform, Yeung said it’s good the University is trying to do something about it and that they’re aware. She stated

course selection is already a worrying experience for students—with an updated interface, stress and worry could be mitigated. However, even outside of course selection, SOLUS is often regarded by students as a platform that could use improvements. Outside of course selection, Taran Pala, Sci ’28, said SOLUS serves as the first impression for students entering their first year. “SOLUS is the first view, the moment of truth—the first impression you get about the University. That’s really important,” Pala said in an interview with The Journal. Pala also expressed his frustrations with the “hassle” of having to log into the platform multiple times during a single session, as well as the frequent website crashes. The website’s structure doesn’t provide a proper format for checking classes for the Fall and Winter semesters, he added.

Ultimately, nothing is finalized for students, as there is currently no established timeline for the final phase of the Digital Academic Calendar project. The platform “will be available to all students in the future, but the project is still in the testing phase,” the University said in a statement to The Journal. Updates on the project will follow in the coming months.

CORRECTIONS

Pink glitter isn’t going to solve the University’s problems

A previous version of this story incorrectly associated Queen’s University Students VS Cuts with the protest that took place at Senate.

Incorrect information appeared in the Oct. 4 issue of The Queen’s Journal. The Journal regrets the error.

PHOTO BY NAY CHI HTWE

Faculty Board will meet on Nov. 22.

Proposed bylaw changes at Faculty Board sparks equity debate

Debate intensifies as faculty confront equity and attendance

Meghrig Milkon Senior News Editor

What began as a routine monthly meeting swiftly turned into a contentious showdown.

During the Arts and Science Faculty Board meeting on Oct. 25, faculty members voiced concerns to the proposed motion, “Faculty Board approve the changes in the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) By-Laws.” Faculty members debated the proposed bylaw changes, as concerns over equity took centre stage,

leaving many wondering whether the proposed revisions were equitable.

The motion followed recommendations from the Procedures Committee, chaired by Jonathan Rose, professor and head of the Department of Political Studies. Recently finalized, these recommendations aim to update the Faculty Board’s operational procedures, addressing meeting schedules, member roles, and structural changes to better align with current faculty need and terminology.

Among the proposed changes, the committee recommends Faculty Board meetings begin at 2:30 p.m. and be capped at two hours. Extending meetings beyond this limit would require two-thirds approval from members present,

allowing for an additional 30 minutes, with meetings ending no later than 5:30 p.m. Rose stated this adjustment is made to better accommodate faculty members with family commitments, aiming to foster a more inclusive and considerate schedule.

One of the proposed changes attracting the most attention from faculty and students is the recommendation to shift to in-person attendance for Faculty Board meetings. Under the new guidelines, the Board would meet in person, with a streaming option provided for observers whenever possible.

When asked if voting rights would change under the new attendance policy, Rose clarified voting rights would remain unaffected for in-person

attendees. However, it was later clarified members attending virtually would lose their voting privileges and participate as observers only.

President of The Society of Graduate & Professional Students (SGPS), Emils Matiss voiced concerns over the proposed in-person attendance requirement, questioning why hybrid options couldn’t continue given many governance meetings are held in this format. The committee responded, saying the Faculty Board lacks sufficient staffing and resources to ensure accuracy and transparency in hybrid voting.

SGPS Vice-President (Graduate) Zaid Kasim raised concerns about the equity and accessibility of requiring in-person attendance, noting it could disadvantage those with accessibility needs or health issues. While he recognized staffing constraints, Kasim suggested fully online meetings as a more inclusive alternative.

“If we’re going to choose one or the other thing, a fully online version would be preferred. At least in that case, folks who may not be able to attend in person can still engage in Faculty Board matters and can still have their voice heard. […] It’s not necessarily an operational issue, it’s one of equity,” Kasim told the Faculty Board.

In response to the suggestions and recommendations, Rose expressed his appreciation for the items brought forward. He claimed all the work from the committee is complete and asked the Faculty Board to have trust in the committee and the work they’ve done over

the summer months.

“We were motivated almost entirely by making the process equitable. [...] So it’s not up to the Board to re-deliberate what the committee has done. It’s entirely the Faculty Board’s purview, as it should be to accept or reject these recommendations,” Rose said in an interview with The Journal.

When a Board member suggested sending the motion back for further modification, it was clarified the committee responsible had disbanded after completing its work. The Faculty Board must now either reject the motion and revert to the old bylaws or accept the proposed changes as presented. “We’ve done our work and presented it to the Faculty Board. We’re done, so it’s up to the Board to make a recommendation on what we’ve done,” Rose said to the Faculty Board. “The procedures committee was created to make recommendations about the changes to the bylaws. We’ve done that. In my mind, we’re done. I’ve got a day job, so I don’t shave time to do more work on this.”

The motion was postponed to the next Faculty Board meeting on Nov. 22, where faculty will discuss the proposed bylaw revisions and vote on approving changes to the Academic Program Regulation, where Board members will decide whether or not to reduce the number of requirements for FAS degrees.

Undergraduate Trustee election sees a three-way contested debate

Candidates

discuss transparency, fiscal responsibility, and issues facing international students

Lauren Nicol Assistant News Editor

The contested Undergraduate Trustee position this year features three candidates vying for the role.

Three candidates debated their platforms during an hour-and-a-half-long discussion at Goodes Hall on Oct. 28, providing insight just days before the election on Oct. 30 and 31. The candidates focused on transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the issues facing international students at the University.

Seham Kettaneh, ArtSci ’28, EJ Kelvin, ConEd ’29, and Zain Al Sudani, CompSci ’28, were ratified during the October AMS Assembly. The Undergraduate Trustee is one of

the few students on the Board of Trustees, joining the Rector and Graduate Trustee, all of whom hold a fiduciary responsibility to the University.

Transparency & fiscal responsibility

Both Al Sudani and Kelvin emphasized the importance of transparency to help students understand where their tuition is going.

“I feel like there’s a lack of understanding or information for the public about how [Queen’s] is handling the money and where the money is going,”

Al Sudani said during the debate.

Al Sudani added the student body may better understand and accept the potentially controversial decisions made by the Board of Trustees if they have greater context on the reasoning behind those decisions.

Kelvin highlighted the same issue, stating many students aren’t getting the experience they’re paying for.

“People aren’t happy with

how money is being spent because we spend thousands of dollars to go here, and everyone highlights this amazing education that you’re going to be getting at Queen’s, and then some people don’t feel as if they are getting that experience that they came and paid for,” Kelvin said.

International students

Candidates focused on the international student strategy Queen’s has created to help alleviate the budget deficit. Kettaneh claimed the University has been taking in international students as streams of revenue to help decrease their deficit.

“International students are kind of viewed as cash cows,” Kettenah said.

For a full-time international student paying tuition in the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS), students pay approximately $56,999.69 for both the fall and winter semester whereas domestic Ontario students pay $7,518.59.

Al Sudani responded in

agreement that international students can be seen as “cash cows,” but also understands many universities can progress research and generate profit through international students.

Al Sudani claims the University needs to strike a balance between the two perspectives.

Kettaneh stated she isn’t interested in neutrality when making decisions. “I’m really keen on cutting the bulls—t,” Kettaneh said.

When candidates were asked whether they would prefer to allocate funds to residences, retail spaces, common areas, or academic spaces, Kelvin expressed a preference for investing in residences— not only to bring in more students, but to ensure all students could live within the residence community. Al Sudani stated he would prioritize common spaces for faculties, while Kettaneh indicated she would focus on enhancing academic spaces for students in the years to come

Anticipated challenges as an Undergraduate Trustee

The final question asked candidates what they look forward to as potential student trustees and the challenges they anticipate facing if elected.

Kettaneh expressed her enthusiasm about ensuring her voice is heard in decision-making.

Al Sudani emphasized his eagerness to meet new people and advocate for students, but he also expressed concern about not being able to fulfill the diverse needs of the student body.

Kelvin reflected on the importance of keeping her promises to students, citing a fear of letting them down. She looks forward to developing her leadership skills and focusing on making decisions that will benefit students in the future.

“I would make [decisions] that I think would benefit the most students in the long run and I would be honest and open about that decision,” Kelvin said during the debate.

Faculty Board met on Oct. 25

PHOTO BY NAY CHI HTWE

FEATURES

From Playboy to Pornhub: How the portrayal of violent sex impacts dating

‘Porn is a fantasy, not real-life sex’

psychology, said in a National Library of Medicine publication.

beyond sky high.

“The exposure gives the wrong idea of sex, where it makes men and boys think the type of sexual intercourse you see watching pornography is reality, and it is not,” Cameron said.

Cameron explains exposure to violent pornography has further contributed to a damaging culture in the acceptable manners in how a man can treat a woman during sexual experiences.

“Titles of pornography videos on websites, such as ‘I made her…’ gives boys the idea that it’s socially acceptable to make a women perform certain sexual acts against her desire and essentially allow men to think it is tolerable to sexually assault women,” Cameron said. “Pornography enforces standards of sexual experience for men to expect everything for women, and that sex never involves the women’s desires.”

Cameron reflects on her own experiences during intimate moments with partners of her past, and the long-term damaging affects they’ve had on her and her perception of sex and relationships.

“When I was 14 years-old, I wasn’t a porn-star, but my partner, a porn addict, normalized sexual violence against me,” Cameron said. “It took me an extremely long time to not hate the concept of sex because of this experience.”

afterwards,” Belix said.

The psychologist paints a bleak picture of emotional detachment in hookup culture, and the problem doesn’t end there—it spills over into aggressive, even violent, dating experiences.

“I have had many conversations, both in session time with clients, as well as conversations around my kitchen table with my own girls who are 24, 21 and 19 years old, about their experiences of having aggressive and violent dating experiences,” Belix said.

This violence materializes itself uniquely for each relationship. For example, some of her clients have been punched in the face while kissing a man on a date or choked while having sex without any discussion about desire or consent.

Exposure to violent pornography has led to a higher frequency number of men pressuring their partner to have anal sex with them, according to Belix.

This story first appeared online on Oct. 25.

This article discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers. The Journal uses “survivor” to refer to those who have experienced sexual assault. We acknowledge this term is not universal. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613-544-6424 / 1-800544-6424. For on campus support, community members may email bjl7@queensu.ca.

Playboy and Pornhub aren’t just warping dating expectations—they’re fueling a culture of sexual violence.

A wave of anger crashes over Cameron* like a hot tide, her fists clenching instinctively, nails biting into her palms. Tension coils through her body as she struggles to contain the fire inside her. The thought of men believing it’s acceptable to mimic the violent acts they’ve seen in pornography, crossing the line into real-life assault against women, sends fury coursing through her veins.

This isn’t just an abstract issue for her. It’s a harsh reality she has faced. Someone’s life has been permanently altered because of this, and the weight of that truth ignites her fury, propelling her to confront injustice with determination.

“With the proliferation of the internet and other forms of media, adolescents have easy access to a large collection of sexually explicit material,” Whitney Rostad, PhD in Developmental and Child Psychology, said in a PubMed Central publication.

Rostad reports as of 2015, out of all U.S. Grade 10 high school femaleidentifying students that dated in the past year, 9.6 per cent experienced physical victimization and 10.6 per cent experienced sexual assault.

“A number of cross-sectional and experimental studies spanning several decades suggested that pornography use, particularly by men, is positively associated with sexual aggression and violence-condoning attitudes toward women,” Meagan Brem, PhD in clinical

Social learning theory has been used by researchers to “bolster script theory by suggesting that pornography may reinforce certain behaviours of physical and sexual violence toward women, by portraying men’s and women’s pleasure in response to physical and sexual violence in the absence of negative consequences,” Brem said.

Brem’s study suggests men who exhibit higher self-reported levels of excessive, compulsive, and uncontrollable pornography consumption are more likely to perpetrate physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) than those with lower levels of pornography use.

However, what often begins as an innocent escape into porn can quickly sabotage real-life intimacy with consequences reaching even further, as violent sexual expectations become worryingly normalized.

“I would never want someone to have the idea that sex is supposed to be violent—that shouldn’t be normalized but it has been,” Cameron said in a statement to The Journal “The experience of watching violent pornography is extremely damaging to young girls because it sets unreal standards they must achieve when they lose their virginity to a man and have to mirror exactly what would be seen in pornography.”

“The pornography of today is very violent towards women and quite racist, fetishizing black and brown women,” Tasha Belix, registered psychologist, wrote in a statement to The Journal

Practising in Calgary, Alta., Belix’s private practice specializes in supporting girls 8 to 21 years old and their families, with internalizing disorders. She provides therapy services for anxiety, depression, self-harm, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anger, self-esteem, sports enhancement, conflict in families, trauma, and sexual abuse.

According to Belix, exposure to violent porn can be very intimidating for many young women as they may not have much sexual experience but still feel the pressure to live up to the image of the women portrayed in porn. These standards are

Many women have shared with Belix they believe the increase in violent sexual experiences and “pretty hard-core” sexual requests from men in a dating relationship is due to large doses of violent pornography.

Belix noted the most concerning part of exposure to violent pornography is how women’s and girls’ experiences have become so alike, they’re almost becoming a shared narrative.

“You’re hooking up with someone and while you’re having sex, they kind of look through you and you know they’re off somewhere else thinking about porn—at this point, the girl is really just there as a vagina—there is absolutely no emotional connection, and the girl often feels used

“I can recall a story of a young man being impotent with his long-time girlfriend after sharing his addiction to pornography. His baseline for a turn on, could not be reached with his real-life partner. What likely started as an innocent sexual discovery and enjoyment, turned into an addiction, with very detrimental consequences, including his own mental health,” she said.

“We know most boys will watch porn during their sexual development, and it can be a normal part of life, but for some, this pursuit will become addictive,” Belix said.

Belix recognizes watching porn might be a typical part of growing up for many young men, but for some, it crosses the line into addiction.

“It’s important for adults to show some understanding that curiosity around sexual images and content is normal, understandable, stimulating, and expected to some extent,” Belix said.

*Name changed due to safety concerns Story continued online at www. queensjournal.ca

GRAPHIC BY SARAH ADAMS

Violent pornography increases gender-based violence.

Sarah Adams Features Editor

It’s okay to call men out on their ignorance, even the nice guys.

A viral clip of actress Saoirse Ronan silencing fellow actors Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne on The Graham Norton Show sparked a mass conversation about male privilege. Particularly, even men perceived as kind and respectful can lack awareness of their privilege.

Following the show, the Internet was quick to praise Ronan for speaking up, but directed equal disappointment at the male stars in the room for how their behaviour was a departure from their “nice guy” personas.

In an earlier segment, Redmayne spoke about the physical training he underwent for his assassin role in an upcoming mini-series, The Day of The Jackal. He proceeded to talk about several self-defense techniques he learned, one of which involved using your phone as a defense weapon against an attacker. It wasn’t long before the phone was turned into the butt of a joke.

of respect to a female co-star can earn male celebrities a positive reputation. Yet, when we give them so much credit for being respectful or so-called feminists, seeing a different side to them opens doors to inevitable disappointment. When we idolize celebrities, we let our guard down and excuse subpar behaviours that perhaps would benefit from more accountability.

Ignorance on women’s issues isn’t charming

Everyone comes from different backgrounds and privileges: it’s not inherently bad but it leads to unawareness of other people’s lived experience.

This interaction trivializes women’s fear of getting attacked. With traditional self-defense weapons, like pepper spray, being banned in Canada, it’s fully within the realm of possibility for women to use any object on their person should the need for self-defense arise.

While the male stars joked about the unlikelihood of using a phone, of all objects, to fend off an attacker, Ronan’s interjection highlights self-defense as something “girls have to think about all the time.”

Women over the Internet resonated with Ronan’s visible discomfort leading up to that moment, especially as the only woman on the panel. Being outnumbered and feeling like their perspective is overlooked is a more than common experience women face every day.

For celebrities, especially male celebrities, making jokes in poor taste, is unfortunately nothing new. From certain figures, we even expect it. Yet, it never fails to shock us when “nice guy” celebrities make ignorant comments, even if they weren’t intended to harm anyone. We, the fans, play a role in feeding into the positive personas of actors like Mescal and Redmayne. It’s hard not to when the media and the roles these men play frame them as progressive, modern, and likable. In this day, dressing a certain way or demonstrating an ounce

Ronan’s calm handling of the situation brings visibility to an overlooked discrepancy in male and female experiences. Hopefully, it gives men something to take away.

It’s a privilege to move through the world without the underlying fear of being targeted or attacked. For women, safety isn’t concerned with what’s realistic, but about being cautious and resourceful; when your life’s on the line, there’s no such thing as a silly weapon.

—Journal Editorial Board

Media Literacy isn’t dead, it just needs some fine-tuning

Katharine Sung Editorials Editor

There needs to be a revival in our media literacy skills.

Media literacy refers to our ability to analyze and think critically about the media we engage with, whether it be news, websites, social media, or entertainment. In our oversaturated media landscape, where companies and influencers are fighting for our attention, we lack the skills to adequately understand how information is crafted, manipulated, and presented to shape our perceptions.

Even the term “media literacy” has been co-opted and often misunderstood by Internet users as a buzz phrase, much like “gaslighting” or “sensationalization.” Don’t worry—not understanding a reference or lacking the attention span to absorb the meaning of one piece of media doesn’t make you media illiterate.

To avoid sounding pessimistic, I argue media literacy isn’t dead; its importance is just lost on us. Until we re-discover the value of media literacy, it’ll be hard to cultivate skills for smarter media consumption.

Our media is riddled with bias, misinformation, and disinformation. We wouldn’t be as misled if these things were hidden in plain sight, but they’re often professionally hidden or used to win over our attention. It’s up to us to parse through messages in the media, to determine if they’re trustworthy and if there’s more to the picture.

In a video titled, “being a hater

and the overexposure paradigm,”

YouTuber Mina Le discusses how an overexposure to low quality media and underexposure to healthy criticism diminish our ability to process information with nuance.

To keep users hooked and happy, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are designed only for us to engage with content we like. If we don’t agree with a piece of media or find it too complicated, we disengage by scrolling past or blocking it with one click.

Further, everyone wants their opinion to be heard and to play a role in educating the public, which is why we’re in such an abundance of video-essays, TikTok commentaries, and educational infographics. While these media are worthwhile, they aren’t always representative of reality or even truthful.

Our engagement with media and entertainment prioritizes pleasure and gratification, causing critical thinking to take a back seat. When a message is taken at face-value, people are quick to jump to conclusions and run with the

information presented to them without questioning where it comes from or its broader intent.

There’s simply no room for evaluation. It’s no wonder why people are accustomed to such black-and-white thinking.

Being critical of media consumption isn’t always fun. My years spent performing critical analyses in English literature essays, or endlessly dissecting a film scene with convoluted theory is enough to attest to that. If anything, the notion of analysis is exhausting and robs us of the entertaining, escapist function we often look to the media for.

Yet doing these things taught me the necessity of having a critical lens; I wouldn’t have discovered underlying messages and unreliable narrators otherwise. I believe this principle extends to the online world.

We must make more room for nuance in our media consumption habits. It’s not about being overly analytical and skeptical—I enjoy a mindless doomscroll just as much as the next person—it’s about being aware there’s so much more to our media than meets the eye.

Our lives will only become more online from here and it’s time we equipped ourselves with the necessary skills to navigate that.

Katharine is a fourth-year Film and Media and English student and The Journal’s Editorials Editor.

PHOTO BY NICOLE MANNEH

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLA THOMAS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Modularization threatens the heart of Queen’s education

Dear Editors,

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre the falcon cannot hear the falconer, Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,” (from The Second Coming, a poem by W.B. Yeats).

A proposal for the biggest structural change to undergraduate education across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) in the past 21 years that I have been at Queen’s, will be debated at Faculty Board on Friday Nov. 22, 2024. “Modularization” would significantly reduce the minimum total credit units required for all Major, Minor, and Specialization degree plans in both the Arts and the Sciences faculties. This initiative has definite benefits for students in that it will provide flexibility, enable them to readily take double majors, and promote multidisciplinary learning. It will also make our Major degree structure match that of the other major Ontario universities. Although, why exactly that would be a benefit is, in my view, debatable, since surely there’s a value in being distinct and offering some “uniqueness” to our degree structures.

Finally, and most importantly, given the current Queen’s austerity-driven initiatives to substantially reduce teaching personnel (faculty, instructors, support staff, and teaching assistants), there’s absolutely no doubt that modularization will have huge pragmatic benefits in terms of the FAS' future capacity to provide undergraduate degrees.

However, management decisions—especially big structural ones—based on pragmatism alone are liable to failure. Institutions—perhaps universities especially—can only be effective if decision-making is based on some combination of pragmatism with ideals/vision. For me, the ultimate vision of Arts and Sciences undergraduate education is to facilitate a student's rise from dependent learning to independent learning, so that they’re then enabled for a lifetime of further advances in their understanding of themselves and the world around them; so they can go off and explore, investigate, conceptualize, synthesize, and be creative/original; so they can make a strong positive contribution to society.

Yes, there are many, opportunities of helping this process along across all our programs in large first and second year classes, but the best ways are in small third and fourth year classes—that’s when you and your students can look each other in the eye, and you can see and feel their enthusiasm and respond accordingly. That’s when you can best facilitate independent learning, and the generation and exchange of ideas. That’s where the university’s “heart” beats strongest for undergraduates.

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer...”

To be clear—I’m not suggesting for an instant that the institution is on the verge of collapse, but I’m suggesting the ideals at its heart are under

serious threat. The further out the student is spinning from direct eye-to-eye contact with the instructor, the weaker the connection, the weaker the communication, the weaker the learning.

So, what’s all this got to do with the proposed modularization initiative? Currently, there’s a significant portion of students completing FAS degrees without ever taking a small seminar course, or a specialized lab or field course, let alone a one-on-one honours thesis—just medium and large classes, maybe group projects, but no individual “capstone” experience. The administration’s push for fewer full and adjunct professors, fewer lab instructors and other teaching support staff, fewer teaching assistantships will all result in fewer courses (small third and fourth year courses in particular), and probably fewer of our “smaller” departments (i.e. those that are smaller in size, not in edagogical significance).

The reduction in teaching personnel combined with hopefully the same number of students (i.e. no declines in enrollment) adds up to the following: We’ll still have some small third and fourth year courses, but proportionally more of our undergraduate students will complete their degrees just by taking only medium/large first, second, and third year courses… proportionally more of our students will not get, or be encouraged to take, the chance to experience the true “heart” of what we can offer them.

What’s absolutely extraordinary to me is that throughout all the administration’s push for modularization over the past 18 months, there’s been little or no talk of vision or ideals. There’s hardly been even an acknowledgement of any potential negative impacts, let alone any discussion of efforts to develop and incorporate specific measures to counter the inevitable loss of small class-size teaching. Almost no mention at all. And, I in particular, should know because I have been serving as a Chair of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Biology over most of that period and have attended Faculty Board meetings monthly as is the duty of the role.

The “Rationale” text submitted to Faculty Board in support of the modularization motion contains nothing but positives. And for your information, this is by no means the first time over the past 18 months that I have expressed my fundamental pedagogical concern openly to colleagues, as well as directly to the administration. Overall, it feels like such concerns have “fallen on deaf ears,” and reading “between the lines,” it almost seems as if the primary focus of the entire initiative is to reduce the future demand for small class-size courses—pragmatism without ideals. Yes, a huge amount of administrative time and effort has already gone into developing and pursuing the details of implementing the modularization initiative across all departments in the FAS.

Progress is so advanced that, once approved, modularization is realistically planned to begin in the upcoming academic year. To be frank, at this stage, the “cart has been drawn well before the horse.” And so many reading this will think:

what is this guy doing “holding up progress?” But is it really progress?

I fully acknowledge that Queen’s FAS is experiencing a severe monetary crisis (although I note from some financially savvy colleagues that there’s much to debate on the actual extent of that severity). Accordingly, I acknowledge that there are fundamental pragmatic reasons for modularization. But pragmatism alone is simply insufficient. We need, and have a responsibility, to handle this austerity wisely—not just as accountants, but as academics. We need to be cognizant of, and actively address, the negative pedagogical impacts that threaten the “heart” of what we do as teachers. Hence, the upcoming vote on the modularization initiative is a matter of principle for me.

As a teacher, I’ve spent more than 25 years committed to trying to provide the best learning opportunities for my students that I am capable of. I know that these opportunities are greatest in small fourth year courses because I have personally experienced it… and I also know there’s a very long history of pedagogical research evidence to support my claim: class-size fundamentally influences the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, in all conscience, as someone who cares deeply about education, how can I do anything but vote against this initiative since otherwise I would undeniably be voting in favour of substantial denigration/deterioration of the future quality of our undergraduate programs?

In short, before pursuing this path, we need to first begin a discussion, and then see some specific initiatives, aimed at enshrining protection mechanisms so that as many “falcons” as possible will have the fundamental pedagogical opportunity to fully, slowly, and deeply hear—and communicate with—the “falconers.”

Sincerely,

Paul Grogan

Professor, Department of Biology, Queen’s University

Talking Heads... What are you looking forward to about the new JDUC?

“Finished walls, ceilings, floors, and decorated rooms.”

—Ella Campeau, ArtSci ’26

"I can't wait to have another place where I can study with my friends."

— Rishabh Sablok, HealthSci '25

“I’m looking forward to seeing the architecture of the space and how it blends the old building with the new, modern space on the north end. As a civil engineering student, I was shown examples in class of the structure during construction so I’m excited to see the finished product.”

—Emma Thom, Sci ’25

“I’m excited to enjoy a nice pint at the Queen's Pub.”

—Layla Artzy, ArtSci ’25

"I’m excited to see how it looks different from when I was in first year.”

— Eduard Popescu, HealthSci '25

"I'm looking forward to more study spaces on campus and no longer having to walk past a construction zone."

— Sam Garten, ArtSci '25

Interested in contributing to The Journal? Email journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca to get started.

Queen’s ‘Scientific Superstar’ named STAT Wunderkind

Dr. Vlasschaert is the first ever award recipient from the University

Skylar Soroka Editor in Chief

A Queen’s internal medicine resident is paving the way for a brighter future in kidney health.

Dr. Caitlyn Vlasschaert has been named the first STAT Wunderkind researcher from Queen’s—a major milestone for the University and the broader Canadian medical community.

Recognized for her innovative contributions to science and medicine, Vlasschaert stands out not only as the sole Canadian recipient for 2024 but also as a shining example of the next generation of “scientific superstars.”

“The award sort of came out of the blue. I don’t remember where I was when I found out, probably in the hospital working, because that’s what I’m doing nowadays,”

Dr. Vlasschaert said in an interview with The Journal

Research & Program Advisors

STAT, a prominent US health and medicine news platform,

annually recognizes North America’s emerging leaders in groundbreaking research and clinical practice. This year, Vlasschaert joined an elite cohort of 27 recipients, all “blazing new trails” in the quest to tackle major scientific and medical questions.

Four winners hailed from Harvard University, the top-ranked university in the world according to the Times Higher Education (THE).

Dr. Vlasschaert, who has served as an internal medicine resident in the Department of Medicine since 2019, completed her PhD in Translational Medicine (Clinician Investigator Program) during a break from her residency.

“Being here [at Queen’s] was vital to me actually getting to work on the topic that I wanted to,” Dr. Vlasschaert said. “I was primarily advised by Dr. Michael Rauh [hematopathologist and associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine].

He was my main supervisor at Queen’s, but I worked really closely with someone named Dr. Matthew Lanktree [nephrologist and associate professor of medicine at McMaster University].”

Hematopathology is the study of blood disorders, combining the laboratory diagnosis of hematologic disorders with clinical hematology. Hematopathologists analyze blood

and bone marrow samples to help doctors manage blood-related diseases. Nephrology focuses on the kidneys, involving the study, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases and conditions.

Dr. Vlasschaert emphasizes how the collaboration among her advisors and researchers at various US institutions created a powerful synergy that was crucial to advancing their research efforts.

The internal medicine resident’s advice for aspiring researchers is two-fold.

“If there’s something you’re really interested in […] that you think there’s a big gap in literature and want to address it, just go for it. There’s no time like the present,” she said. “But on the flip side, it’s really important to find a mentor or an advisor that’s aligned with you. In my case, I had someone who was very flexible and willing to change, to some extent, what he was working on, or to at least

have a large part of it be focused on kidneys, which he hadn’t really been much interested in before.”

Kidney Health & CHIP Mutation Implications

At the heart of Dr. Vlasschaert’s research is her exploration of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), a mutation that affects blood cells and has been shown to increase the risk of diseases such as acute kidney injury.

During a six-month research stint in Nashville, Dr. Vlasschaert and her mentor from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Alexander Bick, co-authored a research article on CHIP establishing its connection to kidney health.

“All cancers have a premalignant phase where you have one mutation that if you gain additional mutations, it eventually becomes cancer. CHIP is the state

where there’s one mutation in blood cells,” Dr. Vlasschaert said. “We used to think people have this pre-malignant state, so what we’ll try and figure out is how to prevent them from progressing to blood cancer.”

Dr. Vlasschaert explained all cancers have a pre-malignant phase characterized by an initial mutation, which can lead to cancer if additional mutations occur.

“CHIP is the state where there’s one mutation in blood cells,” she said.

According to Dr. Vlasschaert, CHIP is a state where there’s one mutation in blood cells. In a pre-malignant state, a very small fraction of individuals will have a mutation in their bone before going on to acquire additional mutations which ultimately lead to a form of blood cancer.

Story continuned online at queensjournal.ca

Dr. Vlasschaert is an internal medicine resident.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Women’s Rugby fall short of OUA Gold in extra-time heartbreaker against Gryphons

Championship hopes shift to nationals after narrow loss to Guelph

Aidan Michaelov

Senior Sports Editor

Nixon Field was packed on Oct. 25, with fans of both Queen’s and Guelph filling the stands and lining the sidelines to watch the two OUA juggernauts, the Gaels and Gryphons, face off in their historic rivalry for the OUA Gold.

The Gaels narrowly lost 24-26, with the Gryphons clinching the win through a conversion after time had expired in extra time.

Earlier in the season, the Gaels

clawed their way back from a 24-0 deficit, shutting the Gryphons out in the second half and winning their regular season matchup 31-24.

In this championship rematch, the Gryphons got off to a hot start once again, scoring 12 straight points off two tries and a conversion within the first 15 minutes of the game.

Shortly after, first-team OUA all-star and long-time Gaels dependable offensive threat

Siobhan Sheerin, ArtSci ’25, responded with a powerful try of her own, followed by a try from Lizzie Gibson, ArtSci ’25 who’s been a dependable scorer throughout her Gaels career.

Just before halftime, Sheerin and Gibson struck again, giving the Gaels a two-point lead and sending them into the most crucial

second half of the season with a 14-12 advantage.

Once again taking the Gaels by surprise, the Gryphons regained the lead, with a try and conversion, putting the Gaels down 14-19.

Despite relentless offensive pressure from Queen’s, the Gryphons’ lead held firm until the 70th minute, when Maddy Donnelly, ArtSci ’25, powered her way through Guelph’s defenders to score a try. Gibson then added a conversion, extending her all-time points record and giving the Gaels a 21-19 lead.

Pushing their lead to a trysized gap, Gibson showcased her clutch factor, knocking a penalty kick through the uprights for three more points. While the Gaels found themselves up 24-19 with time nearing expiration.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t

Queen’s Football secures spot in oua semiFinals aFter comeback victory over Windsor lancers

Last-minute play pushes Gaels closer to championship dreams

Herbert Wang Assistant Sports Editor

After finishing the regular season with a 5-3 record, Queen’s Football entered the OUA playoffs

as the fifth seed, poised to play the fourth-seeded Windsor Lancers in the quarterfinals on Oct. 26.

This matchup was a rematch of their season opener, where the Gaels fell 21-25, marking their first loss of the season. This time, they hoped for a different outcome.

With this season being the last in their two-year window to compete for a Vanier Cup in front of a home crowd at

Richardson Stadium, the Gaels faced increased pressure to perform. They closed the regular season with a dominant 54-7 victory over the Waterloo Warriors at Homecoming, but recent blowout losses to the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Western Mustangs—ahead of potential playoff matchups—lingered in their minds.

The Lancers also had a tough end to the regular season,

enough as Guelph managed to tie the game with a late try, securing the OUA gold with a conversion after time had already expired.

Though the Gaels were unable to reclaim their OUA title, Head Coach of the Women’s Rugby team, Dan Valley, spoke about the team’s mindset heading into the U SPORTS National Championships.

“We emptied the tank and now we’ll take tonight to feel what we’ll feel and when we wake up tomorrow, our job is to prepare to win a national Championship,.” Valley said in an interview with The Journal “We were pretty motivated coming into this game, and I don’t know that that’s changed at all. I think we’re going to do everything we can to go and complete the next

playing their final three games against the top three seeds: Laurier, Western, and Guelph, losing each without the morale boost of a Homecoming game. Both teams, battered from the regular season, came into this playoff match determined to shift momentum, with the winner moving on to a semi final showdown against top-seeded Laurier.

Queen’s opened the scoring with a rouge followed by a safety, taking an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter. However, Windsor’s fifth year running back Christopher John responded with a five-yard touchdown run, putting the Gaels down by four.

The second and third quarters became a kicking duel, with Windsor’s Brady Lidster, and Queen’s Tyler Mullan, ArtSci ’26, trading field goals back and forth. Lidster hit four from 27, 42, 50, and 51 yards, while Mullan made three from 18, 21, and 34 yards, leaving the score at 19-12 in Windsor’s favour heading into the final quarter.

Down by seven, the Gaels looked to comeback with a touchdown, however, they couldn’t find much momentum. That was until forced the Lancers into a safety, to cut the deficit down to five

job, right?”

The U SPORTS National Championship is already well underway, and the Gaels have already secured a semifinal berth after defeating the Acadia Axewomen in a 68-0 blowout. With the Gryphons eliminated by the sixth-seeded Ottawa GeeGees and the eighth-seeded Victoria Vikes upsetting top-seeded Laval, the Gaels find themselves in an intriguing position.

The Gaels will play the Vikes in the semifinals on Nov. 1 in Charlottetown, PEI. If they advance to the finals, they’ll face either the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds or the Ottawa Gee-Gees for the U SPORTS title.

with just over four minutes left of the game.

The two teams then exchanged punts until the Gaels found themselves with the ball on their own 24-yard line with a minute and one second left in the game.

Lead by backup quarterback Russell Weir, ArtSci ’26, the Gaels drove down the field to Windsor’s 37-yard line, needing a touchdown to stay alive. After a sack and a short run from Weir, they were left at third and 12 with only one play left before time expired.

The Gaels would need a miracle to come away with a win, needing 39 yards in one play. And a miracle is exactly what happened after Weir launched a deep pass to Logan Walton, ArtSci ’28, who completed the catch to seal the comeback victory.

With this win, Queen’s Football advances to the OUA semi-finals in a matchup against the Laurier Golden Hawks for a chance to win their first Yates Cup, since the national championship team in 2009.

Queen’s hopes to keep their playoff magic alive against the Golden Hawks on Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. at Knight-Newbrough Field in Waterloo, Ont. You can watch them play at OUA.tv.

The Gaels will take to the pitch Nov. 1.

SUPPLIED

The Gaels will take on Laurier Golden Hawks on Nov. 2.

PHOTO BY NELSON CHEN

Horoscopes: What’s written in the stars (and the sheets)

The signs have been reading Cosmopolitan

THE PSYCHIC SCHOLAR Staff Writer

Sex is written in the stars— and we’re not talking about the glow-in-the-dark kind on your hookup’s bedroom ceiling. From fiery affairs to awkward one-night stands, here’s what lies in the cosmos—and the bedroom—for each sign.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

The JDUC construction isn’t the only thing taking a long time to finish, Scorpio. I hate to break it to you, b ut your partner’s lack of satisfaction recently is not a “them” problem—it’s you. Take a step back and consider what might be holding things up. Sometimes, focusing on the journey makes all the difference.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned party hookup, Sagittarius, and the stars say you’ve got one on the horizon. This time, don’t wait for things to fall into place— be bold and make the first move. Chances are, the vibe will be mutual, and you’ll set the tone for an exciting night. After all, taking the lead is half the fun.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

A little advice, Capricorn: keep your sneaky link exactly that—sneaky. Halloween might be over, but some things are better left in the dark. You might feel tempted to take things beyond the bedroom, but tread carefully; sometimes, crossing that line comes with unexpected regrets.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb 18)

Everyone’s envious of you, Aquarius. With so many suitors, I’m impressed by your stamina. Enjoy the thrill and connections—but remember, with great pleasure comes great responsibility. Stay mindful, protect your energy, practice safe sex, and nurture genuine connections amidst all the fun.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)

Pisces, maybe a dry spell isn’t so bad. Instead of spending your evenings entertaining Tinder hook-ups, head to the library—your roommates will appreciate the quiet. Use this pause to focus on self-

care, reflect on what you truly want in relationships, and recharge. Embrace the celibacy— it might lead to deeper, more meaningful encounters ahead.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Go for it, Aries—don’t be afraid to shake things up! Y ou’ve gotten a bit too cozy in your long-term relationship and it’s starting to feel a bit… vanilla. Try adding a toy or a new position to the routine—or better yet, ditch your typical routine altogether. Be spontaneous and passionate, it’ll leave your partner craving more.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Taurus, no matter what anyone says, having sex in your student house shower is not a great idea. Quit while you’re ahead and opt for more private spaces. Not only will it help you avoid awkward encounters with housemates, but you’ll also create a more intimate atmosphere to enjoy with your partner. Trust me, your future self will thank you for choosing comfort over chaos.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

You’ve got a lot of love to give, Gemini, and lately, it might feel like one partner just isn’t enough to match your energy. But don’t worry—it’s not about finding someone new; it’s about adding a fresh spark. Step outside your comfort zone and consider inviting a third (or even fourth) into the mix. Embrace your playful side and explore new dynamics together, it could bring excitement and deepen the connection you already share.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

It’s been a rough few weeks, Cancer, but bigger and better things are coming. Keep your eyes peeled for a rebound hook-up so mindblowing it’ll make you question why you ever wasted time on your ex. Welcome this fresh chapter with open arms and allow yourself to feel the excitement and joy of new connections!

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)

Leo, I’ll be straight with you: just buy the vibrator. Think of it as an investment in your self-care. Plus, it’ll give you the chance to

discover what truly turns you on, which can only benefit your relationships. Enjoy it—you deserve to feel empowered and satisfied, with or without a partner.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)

That pillow looks pretty inviting, Virgo—maybe it’s time to relax and let your partner take the reins. We know you’re used to being in control, but

in the bedroom, it’s fun to let go! Trust them to lead, lean back, and enjoy the moment without needing to direct every step. Sometimes, the best experiences come when you simply surrender.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)

There’s no easy way to put this, Libra—but, quit bringing food into the bedroom. While it might seem hot in the moment,

Need a place to write down your thoughts? journal_ac@ams.queensu.ca

doctors everywhere cringe at the thought of another whipped cream disaster. Romantic escapades can quickly turn into a sticky situation, and let’s face it, nothing kills the mood like trying to scrub syrup off the sheets. So, save the snacks for the kitchen and focus on creating a clean, intimate space that allows you to fully enjoy each other’s company.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Mansion haunts the house with 16th Halloween celebration

Madison Taylor Senior Arts & Culture Editor

If you’re looking for music, costumes, and community, The Mansion is the place to be on Halloween.

The 16th annual Haunted Mansion Halloween Party spooks its way into another year of festivities at The Mansion in 2024. Utilizing all three levels of the venue—the main floor, living room, and the cellar—the night featured performances from Kasador, Carnelian, Squid Pistol, Ibistër, The Roses, RevZed and DJ Devious. With decorations to suit the Halloween theme, and a $1,000 cash prize for best costume, the night is a highlight of The Mansion’s calendar for organizers and attendees alike.

“It’s one of our biggest nights of the year,” Co-Owner Dave Owens said in an interview with The Journal. “We’re fortunate it’s kind of already a bit of a spooky mansion, so we can turn it into the haunted mansion for the night.”

With 500 to 700 people typically passing through the building over the course of the night, the bill’s diverse range of musicians provides something for everyone. “This year we have Kasador headlining on the main floor, they’re a big local band, and then we have Carnelian headlining upstairs, which

From

Kasador, Carnelian, and DJ Devious make up part of a diverse bill

is a Queen’s band—they’re fantastic, they bring a great crowd,” Owens said.

The multifaceted nature of the event offers an opportunity for bands to diversify their listenership and vice versa. “It gives people a little bit of a taste of different genres on different floors, and allows people to have a more complete night,” Owens added. “It’s a nice bit of variety.”

The Haunted Mansion Halloween Party also brings together some familiar faces, with most of the featured musicians having played at The Mansion many times before.

“We like to work with relationships we’ve already built, so we, you know, give them the opportunity if they’re interested in doing it,” Owens said.

Though the event has had touring bands in the past, such as My Son the Hurricane, this year it was all local. “We like to keep it mostly local bands, and kind of reward bands that have worked with us in the past,” Owens shared.

Keeping ticket prices low is important to the organizers, who want as many people to enjoy the opportunity as possible, reminding folks of the vibrant music scene that exists in the city. “We try to make it a cost-effective opportunity. You’re not

paying $50, $60 for a ticket [to the event], right? It’s $15 for an advance ticket, 20 bucks at the door. We try to just give value to that,” Owens said.

An exciting portion of the event that sets The Mansion’s event apart from the rest is the highly anticipated costume competition, offering a $1,000 cash prize to the lucky winner. Judged by local photographer Virginia Meeks, creativity, effort, and originality are key ingredients for the winning ensemble. After trying different selection methods over the years, this has been most effective.

“We think we found the best system to make it fair for everybody, and Virginia takes it very seriously, which is good because people put a lot of effort.” Owens said. In the past, individuals, couples’ costumes, and groups have won the prize.

Past winners have included a group of green army men, painted green and posed like the children’s toys, and a detailed mermaid, complete with a fishtank over her head. The winner is announced the following day and posted on social media. The participant can then come down to The Mansion to collect their coveted prize.

Liz, With Love:

Was I ever more than a chapter?

Sometimes love leaves a mark, even if it ends in confusion

Elizabeth Provost Copy Editor

Dear

Liz,

I started dating a longtime friend in January. It was my first real relationship, and I fell deeply in love with her. We became that annoyingly inseparable couple. She’s leaving for an exchange program next

week, and after a summer of tough conversations, she decided she didn’t want to try long distance while she’s away. I was devastated but understood—until a week or two after we broke up, when she posted an Instagram story cozying up with her ex-boyfriend. I brushed it off at first, knowing they were still friends. But yesterday, a mutual friend told me they’re

back together and planning to try long distance while she’s on exchange. She’s also removed all our photos (even as friends) from her profile and taken the pride flag out of her bio. Did I mean anything to her at all?

Signed, Lost in Love and Left Behind

Owens is excited for what the future of the event has in store, building on its legacy each year. It’s more just kind of trying to do everything a little bit better each year, get the feedback from people, and see what people are looking for,” Owens said. “We’re just looking to continue making it better and better every year and making sure everyone has a good time.”

Dear Lost in Love and Left Behind,

The ending of relationships often don’t match the tenderness of their beginnings. This isn’t because your connection didn’t matter. Your experience and what you put into the relationship is a testament to the depth of your feelings and courage, not a reflection of your worth. Any kind of love always means something. But people, especially when they’re unsure in who they are, can sometimes react to love by pulling away or attempting to redefine themselves, sometimes painfully.

There’s no rule that a relationship must last to be “successful.” Every person we let into our lives—even those who leave—leaves a mark on us. And undeniably, we leave a mark on them. For the 20 year anniversary of the New York Times Modern Love column this month, editor Daniel Jones wrote a reflection titled, “Seven Ways to Love Better.” He shares the story of one author from the column, who wrote “The 12-Hour Goodbye That Started Everything” in 2017. The author describes struggling to move on after a breakup, feeling like the end of the relationship meant she had

somehow failed. Her therapist finally says to her, “It’s not about getting over and letting go. It’s about honoring what happened.” So, in response to whether your relationship truly mattered to her: yes, it did. Even if she won’t acknowledge it, your love and the moments you shared held real significance. Those experiences have left a mark and remain part of her story, regardless of her current choices.

Her actions—getting back with her ex, removing photos, even taking out the pride flag—suggest she may be going through her own confusing process. These changes might be less about you, and more about things she’s grappling with internally as she prepares to move and redefine her life. I know this doesn’t make her choices any less hurtful, but remember, her actions don’t erase the moments you shared or the meaning behind them.

You deserve to feel appreciated and loved for all the parts of you she didn’t fully see. With time, you’ll be able to look back on this relationship as something that taught you how much you’re capable of feeling.

With love, Liz

The event occurred on Oct. 31. SUPPLIED BY VIRGINIA MEEKS

GRAPHIC BY NATALIE VIEBROCK

‘Alice & The World We Live In’ takes audiences on a journey through grief

Alice’s world is reshaped through the death of her husband

Eva Sheahan Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Prompting both laughter and tears, Alice & The World We Live In is an emotionally well-rounded exploration of memory.

The play follows a woman named Alice as she embarks on her pre-planned hike through Italy shortly after losing her husband in a sudden terrorist attack. Canadian playwright Alexandria Habier’s original play is directed by Rosemary Doyle and stars Helen Bretzke and Sean Roberts. Brought to life by Theatre Kingston at The Grand Theatre, this two-person play marks only the second time it has been performed. The 90-minute production is running from Oct. 24 to Nov. 16.

The play delves into the process of grieving a loved one and learning how to move forward through tragedy. Alice’s current hike was originally planned with her husband, Ever, to celebrate their anniversary, before his untimely death. The tragedy leaves Alice on the non-refundable hike alone, grappling with his absence.

Set on a moss-covered Italian mountainside, the production’s lighting—cleverly controlled by Will Smith-Blyth—transports the audience with Alice, shifting seamlessly between the mountain and into the realm of memory. The lighting of The Baby Grand Theater fluctuates, mirroring Alice’s various positive and negative memories with Ever.

Alice’s trek over the mountain becomes a metaphor for the obstacle of grief. She returns to the same memories over and over, including the memory of meeting Ever in class. The repetition works to engrain the memories into the audience’s mind, immersing us in her loss and her struggle to move forward after such a tragedy.

As Alice worries and thinks aloud, Ever walks through the audience and speaks from different angles of the stage. This positioning immerses the audience in Alice’s experience, as if surrounded by Ever’s voice and presence.

The entire production felt very real, as though Bretzke herself is living through Alice’s dilemma. The authenticity was encouraged through moving monologues performed full of emotion.

Rosemary Doyle director of the play and artistic producer for Theatre Kingston, spoke to The Journal about the importance of truth in the show, emphasized through the actors’ performances.

The chemistry between Bretzke and Roberts as Alice and Ever was crucial in making the story believable and the relationship mournable. The fluidity of memory is examined throughout the show as Alice attempts to return to, and tamper with, her past memories to change the ending of her and Ever’s story. I felt emotional watching Ever gently urge Alice to move on, saying “sweetheart, you need to move forward,” yet, their exchanges are

mostly humorous as they quip back and forth with effortless chemistry.

Doyle employed “free time” rehearsals, stepping out of the room to allow Bretzke and Roberts to develop their natural chemistry.

“You can’t fake chemistry like that, you have to create it. That safety and knowledge, being comfortable and trusting one another, you have to let that happen and sometimes, as a director in the room, you can become a wedge between the natural process,” Doyle said.

Watching Alice and Ever joke about their lifetime of memories and experiences as a relationship, the audience sees their connection and fills in the grief themselves without the play feeling overly heavy. Alice & The World We Live In is all about those little decisions you make along the way that create the life you have,” Doyle said.

Alice & The World We Live In is a cleverly written play that examines loss, and takes a critical approach to memory, questioning its purpose.

Tragedy often doesn’t give us a warning before it strikes, but we can’t live in fear. It’s always better to have loved and lost, to have never loved at all. Alice & The World We Live In teaches us this sentiment through being a beautiful reflection of human relationships and a nuanced exploration of the weight of knowing and loving another person who has passed away.

Untapped voting potential of American expats

Razor-thin margins indicate overseas Americans’ votes could tip the scales

Cordelia Jamieson QTBIPOC Advisory Board Member

With the Nov. 5 United States presidential election predicted to be a tight race, the mobilization of American voters living abroad is more significant than ever. Despite being dispersed

across the globe, US expatriates hold substantial electoral power, and their votes could potentially sway the outcome in key battleground states. The US maintains a complicated relationship with its citizens abroad, marked by notable barriers to accessing essential government services, a burdensome taxation and

financial reporting system, and a hefty $2,350 fee for those seeking to renounce their citizenship. One overseas arena receiving increased attention, however, is absentee voting, as both Republican and Democratic parties recognize the strategic importance of engaging American voters living abroad.

Defending the camera eats first phenomenon

Taking photos of your food can be a meditative practice

Eva Sheahan Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

It’s no longer cringe to let the camera eat first.

The “camera eats first” phenomenon reflects a modern way of appreciating and preserving memories of beautiful meals that were shared with different people in different places.

In a digital world where we document nearly everything, capturing these moments feels natural. But, when it comes to food, some people, including celebrity Millie Bobby Brown, snub the idea of taking photos of your food, deeming it “cringe.” Yet, if almost everything is frozen and immortalized through photographs, why not extend that to one of life’s greatest pleasures—food?

Meals offer a daily chance to pause, nourish ourselves and our minds. It shouldn’t be viewed as lame to express gratitude for the pleasures of a good meal. Eating is a necessary act that humans must undertake to survive, but eating delicious and filling meals is a privilege that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Instagram culture and the endless search for a perfectly curated feed has led users to search for photo opportunities to create an idyllic life to express through social media. But having a rich appetite for life should extend to embracing your actual appetite.

In Ryan Murphy’s 2010 movie, Eat Pray Love, the main character, Elizabeth Gilbert, played by Julia Roberts, enjoys a pizza with her friend in Italy. Her friend expresses distress over eating pizza because she doesn’t want to gain weight. Elizabeth combats this sentiment saying she’s through with guilt; “I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe

in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me in return.”

A meal like this one that introduces great conversation with your close friend, seemingly radical acceptance for yourself, and deep appreciation for life is a very valid reason to snap a photo, as it’s a memory and a feeling that’s worthy of being cherished.

Recognizing the joy that accompanies eating good food is a gratitude-inducing idea. Beyond being appreciative, the act of celebrating food, as Elizabeth does in the previous scene, is very freeing. When I decide to exercise gratitude for the small moments of life, including eating, it helps me to recognize the beauty within life that I may have originally taken for granted.

It’s not necessary to take photos of your food to show appreciation for it, but photographs can be a great way to reflect on the pleasant moments in life. Photographs help turn fleeting moments into something lasting. If it’s become normalized to snap constant photos with friends or of sunrises, it’s about time to embrace the idea of taking photos of your food as a practice of resting and acknowledging what you have.

As a busy student, I rarely have the chance to cook elaborate meals. But when I do, I feel fulfilled. When I take photos of the meals I’ve created in my bustling student house to send to my mom, or to remember the recipes, that meal often becomes my favorite memory of the day to look back on.

If we deny ourselves the opportunity to celebrate food, immortalized through a cute photograph, because we’re worried about being perceived as “cringe,” we may unintentionally neglect the simple pleasure of remembering the joy of a delicious meal.

Twenty-two states, including Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New York, have embraced digital solutions, allowing for email requests of absentee ballots, while others rely on paper forms mailed in. According to federal guidelines, American citizens living abroad can register based on their last state of residence to receive absentee ballots for

national, state, and local elections. This opportunity extends to military families, students, and workers stationed overseas, all of whom have a stake in the outcomes that ripple back to the United States.

The show runs at the Grand Theatre from Oct. 24 to Nov.

PHOTO BY EVA SHEAHAN

Cherish the small moments. GRAPHIC BY NATALIE VIEBROCK

Mourning someone I never met

Sharing in grief opened my eyes to the depth of human connection

Allie Moustakis Editor in Chief

The first time I ever went to a funeral was to mourn a person I never met.

I went because my friend, and roommate, asked me to. She’d lost someone close to her, and though I didn’t know the person who had passed, I’d heard stories of the person she was.

At 21 years old, I consider myself lucky to have avoided this kind of personal loss. I’d never experienced the strange, weighted silence of a funeral home or the collective grief of people brought together to say goodbye. Death, for me, had always been an abstract concept, something I’d only ever seen in movies and books.

But standing outside the church that day, meeting the family of the person who was no longer with us, I realized I had stepped into a space where death was real, immediate, and impossible to ignore.

The morning of the funeral, I remember opening my bedroom door in my student house, staring down the hallway, and feeling an odd sense of disconnection. I was preparing to enter a world I didn’t fully understand, one that I hadn’t been part of yet.

My roommate was already awake—she hadn’t gotten much sleep to begin with—dressed in somber black with a pop of colour to honour the liveliness her loved

one brought into the world. I could see how exhausted she looked, as if she were holding herself together with only the thinnest threads of strength.

“I was preparing to enter a world I didn’t fully understand, one that I hadn’t been part of yet

I took my time picking out an outfit, borrowing a top from my roommate that felt understated and respectful. I called my mom while she was on her way to work, and I continued to get ready. Her familiar voice was everything I needed as I was preparing for this unfamiliar experience. It was a short call: I asked her what to say and how to support my friend in a situation that felt beyond anything I knew.

Choosing her words carefully, my mom told me that being there was enough. I didn’t have to know the right words. So, I fell back on the one thing I knew to do when I was uncomfortable: make jokes, break the tension, and try to bring some normalcy into an abnormal situation. But today felt different—humour felt out of place, and I knew there was a line I shouldn’t cross.

Still, before leaving the house and while we were in the car, my other roommate and I tried to make her smile. I made a joke about… God, I can’t even remember what it was now, but it was silly and random. She gave a soft laugh, just a quick glimmer of her usual self, and that was enough to make me feel like I was helping in some way, even if it was small.

As we walked up to the church, the silence between us felt like a fragile bubble, filled with the weight of everything unsaid. The air around the church was thick with grief. People moved slowly, embracing each other, nodding in quiet recognition of their shared sorrow. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged, each gesture loaded with a shared understanding, a language of grief that didn’t need words.

Inside, we walked down the aisle, our arms linked, and settled into one of the long wooden pews, the varnish slightly worn from years of families just like this one, sitting here in moments just like this one. We found a seat near the middle, close enough to feel part of the service but not too close to the front.

The service began, and I listened as family and friends stepped forward to share stories, painting a picture of someone who had brought light and love into the world. As each person spoke, I felt like I was seeing a patchwork quilt of memories come together—a story of a life that had woven with so many others.

I glanced at my friend every so often, seeing the weight of these memories wash over her, watching her shoulders shake with the quiet sobs she tried to hold back. I held her arm as the choir started singing her favourite hymn. I’m not Catholic, nor am I even religious, but in that moment, the song felt like something sacred, connecting everyone in the room through shared emotion, regardless of faith or background.

I could feel my friend’s grief in the way her hand held onto mine. I realized then that even

though I didn’t share this connection to the hymn or the faith, I could still share in her sorrow, her reverence, and her love for this person who was gone.

We kneeled when the congregation did, the old wooden kneeler creaking under us. I followed the motions around me, not out of obligation, but out of respect for the ritual that was so meaningful to my friend and to those who had loved the person they were there to mourn. I found myself listening to the prayers and hymns, feeling oddly comforted by the steady rhythm that had been spoken at funerals for generations.

After the final blessing, we stood, filed out, and made our way to the parking lot outside of the church. It was a sunny fall morning the light outside bringing me back to the reality of the day. The world continued on, even though a part of my friend’s world had changed irrevocably. The contrast felt surreal—the brightness of the sun and the weight of the sorrow we carried.

“The world continued on, even though a part of my friend’s world had changed irrevocably

As we reached the car, my friend turned to me, her face still pale and eyes red, but there was a small, grateful smile on her lips as she thanked me for coming. Not knowing what to say, I cracked another joke.

In that moment, I realized that sometimes, the most meaningful way we can show up for someone

isn’t through grand gestures or perfectly chosen words—it’s simply by being there, by bearing witness to their pain and letting them know they’re not alone.

I always imagined the first funeral I’d attend would be for someone I knew well, a family member or one of my parents’ friends. Instead, it was for a stranger, someone I never had the chance to meet but who had left a mark on someone I care about deeply.

Since that day, I’ve thought a lot about what it means to support someone through loss. It’s easy to believe that empathy requires shared experience, that only those who have suffered the same pain can offer true comfort. But standing beside my friend at a stranger’s funeral taught me love and compassion often don’t need understanding, just presence.

There are no “right words” that make it easier—all we have are these small gestures, like holding hands in a pew, lending a shoulder, sharing a laugh even when things feel impossibly heavy.

I still can’t remember exactly what I said to her in the car, but I do remember her small, grateful smile. I remember her squeezing my hand in the church and the way her shoulders relaxed, just slightly, when she felt my support. I remember realizing sometimes, the greatest gift we can give someone is simply our company, our willingness to sit with them in silence, to help shoulder the weight, however briefly.

Want to write a postscript? Email journal_postscript@ams.queensu.ca for more details.

Allie reflects on the first funeral she ever attended.

PHOTO BY SKYLAR SOROKA