The Queen's Journal, Volume 148, Issue 1

the journal Queen’s University

Vol. 148, Issue 1

Student fees regain mandatory status

Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.

Since 1873

Monday, June 1, 2020

Pride during the pandemic

Page 3.

Legal battle with the provincial government not impacted by pandemic C laudia R upnik News Editor Several student fees regained mandatory status for the 2020-21 year due to the suspension of the Student Choice Initiative (SCI).

The Board of Trustees approved the student ancillary fees for the 2020-21 year at a meeting on May 8. These include fees for Accessibility Queen’s, the AMS Membership Fee, the Ban Righ Centre Mature Student Bursary, and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

The Journal, Queen’s Legal Aid, the Sexual Assault Centre Kingston, the Sexual Health Resource Centre, the Work Bursary Program, and the World University Services of Canada also regained mandatory fee status.

Following the implementation of the SCI in 2019-20, these services lost significant funding, including the Queen’s Legal Aid (QLA) clinic, which saw a $22,000 decrease in funds.

QLA did not respond to The Journal’s request for comment in time for publication.

The provincial government introduced the SCI in January 2019, giving students the choice to opt out of paying fees deemed non-essential by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU).

The Canadian Federation of StudentsOntario (CFS-O) and the York Federation of Students applied for judicial review of the SCI in May 2019, denouncing its implementation as an overstep of the Ministry’s mandate.

The SCI was ruled unlawful by the Divisional Court of Ontario on Nov. 21, 2019.

However, the provincial government later appealed the decision, arguing it restricts the government’s authority to attach conditions to public funding.

Kayla Weiler, national executive representative of the CFS-O, wrote in a statement to The Journal that the organization is currently waiting to hear back from the Court of Appeal about when the hearing will be scheduled. There have been no changes in procedure since the beginning of the pandemic.

At Queen’s, the list of fees passed by the Board of Trustees in May also reports that the AMS Food Bank and Golden Words secured mandatory status through student referendum this winter.

CFRC radio station, which had a mandatory fee prior to the implementation of the SCI, secured optional status in a March referendum.

Walkhome was the only organization to voluntarily request a decrease in its mandatory fee, from $21.54 to $17.54. queensjournal.ca

Ben Davies, Walkhome head manager, told The Journal the decision was made after the AMS reviewed the Walkhome fee for the 2020-21 year.

While the AMS was solely responsible for funding Walkhome in the two years prior to 2019-20, the service received an activity fee from both the AMS and the SGPS last year.

Davies added that increased enrolment from year to year has inevitably resulted in higher funding for the service.

Davies also said the new scheduling and payroll system implemented in the fall of 2019 introduced key operational controls that assisted management with scheduling staff and controlling costs. “[T]he reviews conducted of the Walkhome 2020-21 fee projected surplus, which is unnecessary to run the service,” Davies said. “The AMS reduced the fee given the efficiencies gained through increased management tools and passed the reduction along to AMS undergraduate students.”

ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT

Incoming Queen’s cross country recruit to run at UBC Still without a coach, cross country team losing recruits M att F unk Sports Editor More bad news was dealt to the cross country team at the end of April when top recruit Mackenzie Campbell announced she will run at the University of British Columbia (UBC) next year.

Her departure comes after two top runners left Queen’s in early April in the wake of Head Coach Steve Boyd’s firing earlier this year.

Campbell, who had been coached by Boyd throughout high school, was one of only two recruits in Queen’s cross country history who was offered a full Athletic Financial Award (AFA) to attend the school. She declined The Journal’s request for comment.

Campbell will join Marley Beckett, one of the two runners who left Queen’s in April, at UBC where they will be coached by former Queen’s assistant coach Brant Stachel.

Queen’s has yet to hire a replacement for Boyd, nor has an interim head coach been appointed, which is a break from the school’s precedent.

See Cross Country on page 11

Features

editorials

Opinions

Student housing during pandemic

Fall tuition maintained

New normal in post-COVID-19 future

How students are navigating the rental world during COVID-19, page 6.

Students need financial support, not the burden of tuition, page 7.

Examining the importance of outdoor spaces during the pandemic, page 8.

Arts

Sports

Lifestyle

Quarantine art

Socially distanced sports

Working during COVID-19

During the pandemic, some students turn to art for therapy, page 9.

The Journal investigates the Queen’s eSports scene, page 12.

Essential worker reflects on summer job during pandemic, page 15.

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News

While tuition unaltered, Queen’s reduces summer student fees “Significant resources” invested into remote learning, according to Provost sobika ganeshalingam Assistant News Editor

While tuition remains the same, the University has adjusted ancillary fees for the summer term to reflect current operations.

“We understand the COVID-19 situation has caused disruption and uncertainty for many in the Queen’s community—including students paying tuition fees,” Mark Green, provost and vice-principal (academic), wrote in a statement to The Journal.

Regarding tuition, Green stated that fees will remain the same for the fall term, though most programs will be delivered remotely.

“Tuition is reflective of the quality of the degree and associated learning outcomes,” Green wrote. “Queen’s has invested significant resources to ensure our students receive a quality learning experience and the value of a Queen’s degree is not diminished.”

He added the University plans to ensure all academic components of each

Monday June 1, 2020 any operational changes or limitations required by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Green wrote.

Green explained that an example of this is the ARC access fee, which has now been reduced by 50 per cent for the summer due to the temporary closure of indoor facilities. The fee is still being charged partially as the ARC is providing remote services, such as online workouts, and is also operating outdoor facilities.

When The Journal inquired about how the AMS is preparing for a scenario in which student ancillary fees are adjusted because of remote learning, the Society wrote that it’s impossible to say what will happen

program will be met, regardless of the $3 million in emergency bursaries since delivery platform. the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are committed to providing our Student ancillary fees support activities students with the extraordinary academic and services provided by the University and student experience for which Queen’s is and by student governments, faculty renowned,” Green wrote. and school societies, as well as clubs According to Green, the University on campus. intends to deliver an “exceptional” remote educational experience, while also ensuring Queen’s is able to resume in-person learning once the institution emerges from COVID-19.

“Academic support and resources, administrative services at the program level, scholarship and financial support, and information technology services, paid in part from tuition fees, continue to be available to support students,” Green wrote.

According to Green, these services include reference materials available electronically through the Queen’s University Library for curbside pick-up, along with student support services including the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC), Four Direction Indigenous Student Centre, Student Academic Success Services (SASS), and Student Wellness Services (SWS).

PHOTOS BY JODIE GRIEVE “In addition, our Student Awards Office The ARC access fee was reduced 50 per cent for the summer term. will continue to assist students [in accessing] financial aid through university and “Those fees will be adjusted as needed right now because its “contingencies government programs,” Green wrote, adding over the summer, in close consultation and plans hinge heavily on the that the University has awarded more than with student governments, to respond to University's plans.”

Enrolment more than doubled for summer courses in some faculties

from textbooks, and guided learning material.

“There are also occasional Zoom call meetings offered for students who have any questions and concerns,” Chen explained, adding that staff and professors have been supportive and accommodating throughout her experience with remote learning.

“My professors have been cooperative with my needs,” Chen wrote. “They allowed me to have extra time to complete essays because of the amount of responsibilities I had to suddenly take care of.”

However, in her case, Chen said she has found online chats with her classmates to be more helpful than the content itself presented online.

“Although online learning is not ideal for most people, like myself, I am confident in our University's ability to offer an effective remote learning environment that’s unlike the format of what students faced at the end of our winter semester,” Chen wrote.

now offers Continuing Teacher Education explained. This means assignments and and Professional Studies courses online class engagements aren't held at one as well. specific time.

“One of the more popular courses this “With this model, students who run into year is Teaching and Learning through technical challenges will not be penalized e-Learning,” explained Green. “It provides if their IT issues occur at a specific time timely skills that can help teachers improve such as a timed test,” Green wrote. sobika ganeshalingam their remote instruction abilities.”

Green added if students run into technical Assistant News Editor Green confirmed students can difficulties, there will be an opportunity access resources like Queen’s academic to reset the assignment or have an Most faculties across Queen’s are seeing a advisors, their instructors, IT support, alternative prepared. large increase in enrolment numbers for and Student Academic Success Services Grace Chen, ConEd ’23, told The Journal summer online programs this year.

(SASS) throughout the summer the initial transition to remote learning in “Compared to May 2019, the Faculty of for support.

March came as a shock.

Arts and Science has seen enrolments for The University has also extended “[I learn] best with in-person lectures, Arts and Science online rise by 50 per cent,” its IT support service hours to ensure tutorials, and conversations that take place Mark Green, provost and vice-principal students have no difficulty accessing online between fellow students and TAs during (academic), wrote in a statement to course materials. in-person interactions,” she said.

The Journal.

To ensure technical issues don’t impact According to Chen, her Green noted the Bachelor of Health student grades, most components of the summer courses are delivered Sciences enrolment has more than doubled courses are run asynchronously, Green using online modules, readings for the summer, with the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Education, and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science also witnessing an increase in demand for summer courses.

According to Green, most summer courses have always been online and are proceeding as usual. “[As a result] there hasn’t been any need to adjust the course requirements or final exams,” Green wrote. “Students in online summer courses receive the same quality and learning outcomes as they would [if they were] taking on-campus courses.”

However, Green said the Smith School of Business has been an example in adapting its programs for remote accessibility. They have adjusted the Graduate Diploma in Business (GDB) program using teaching studio technology and virtual support for enhanced online access.

“It’s designed to be a completely immersive and engaging experience that a student can do from anywhere,” Green wrote.

He also said the Faculty of Education Enrolment in online courses in the Faculty of Arts and Science is up 50 per cent this summer, compared to 2019.

Queen’s continues to adapt remote learning for summer term

News

Monday June 1, 2020

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“Pride—It’s All of Us”: Pride Month moves online due to COVID-19 Kington Pride, student groups pivot celebrations to remote delivery in June Claudia Rupnik News Editor

“Our goal as a board was first, to bring as many of the community’s favourite Pride events back again this year as we could, and then to figure out how to make them virtual,” Burns wrote. “It’s been a challenge, but we can’t wait for everyone to join us over the coming weeks.”

After COVID-19 preventative measures brought an end to in-person public events throughout the summer, Pride Month celebrations have been moved online.

The Kingston Pride Board of Directors cancelled in-person events scheduled for June in a statement on April 2.

[P]ride, as a movement “This year, Kingston Pride and a community can is moving all events to virtual never be cancelled." platforms to ensure our community stays safe throughout - Ian Burns, Kingston Pride Inc. the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ian Communications Officer Burns, communications officer for Kingston Pride Inc., wrote in a statement to The Journal.

They’re now in the process He added this year’s theme of announcing virtual events to “Pride – It’s All of Us” was selected celebrate Pride through their to recognize that “pride, as a social platforms and website, movement and a community, can including a Virtual Parade of never be cancelled.”

Pride Spaces on June 13 to “[I]t’s not about what we do. replace the traditional street Rather, [P]ride is a reflection parade. Community members of who we are as people and are being encouraged to submit as a community,” Burns wrote. photos and videos of spaces, This year’s events will focus on such as homes and storefronts, exemplifying what individuals and that are decorated for Pride. the community can do to show The virtual pride guide will also their pride. be made available this week.

“Through the “Pride Stories: It’s

"

AMS Executive adds COVID-19 pillar to platform

All of Us” collection, we will be recognizing individual members of the LGBTQIA2S* community and listening to their stories,” Burns wrote.

At the Foodshare for Queer & Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Colour on June 12, individuals will come together virtually over food, build community connections, share experiences, and talk about what they hope to see from Kingston Pride.

However, Burns also noted that a few events haven’t gone virtual.

The City of Kingston will continue to paint the Pride Crosswalk in front of City Hall this year, and City Hall will be lit up in pride colours on June 13.

Acknowledging the move to remote delivery, the AMS said it’s important to continue celebrating the diversity that makes the Queen’s community so unique at all times of the year.

“Pride Month is crucial for the AMS to celebrate as we represent all students on our campus,” AMS Executive President Jared den Otter, Vice-President (Operations) Alexandra Samoyloff, and Vice-President (University Affairs) Alexia Henriques wrote in a statement to The Journal.

They added that their goals include celebrating students and facilitating a campus where they all feel welcome, including members of the LGBTQ+ community.

While the AMS participated in Kingston Pride last year, the Society intends to use this year’s Pride Month to highlight diverse voices.

By promoting the events organized by its clubs and services, they hope to prioritize programming and support for equity-seeking and marginalized students.

One of these student-led initiatives is Virtual Pride 2020, a Facebook group providing the opportunity for community engagement and pride in the month of June.

The group was started by Matthew Panetta, Sci ’20, and Alison McCallion, a master’s student studying biomedical and molecular sciences. Taylor Magee, ArtSci ’21, has been assisting with graphics and ideas for daily conversations.

“Pride is such an important celebration for queer people every year—extremely reaffirming for peoples’ identities [and] a safe space where they can be fully and completely themselves,” Magee wrote in a statement to The Journal.

Every day, the group will post a thread topic for members to discuss, including Queer Athletes, Queer Love, and Queer Good News.

“We do believe in the importance of discourse and discussion, but that’s not necessarily what this group is for,” Magee wrote. “We wanted a nice, simple space for people to enjoy the month

[and] post about online events that may be going on throughout the month.”

Individuals interested in participating can request approval from the group, however they are expected to abide by a number of rules facilitating an inclusive and respectful environment.

Magee added that behavior and participation will be monitored to protect the safety of participants.

“COVID-19 has been an extremely difficult time for every single person on [the] planet.

We’ve never experienced anything like it,” Magee wrote. “[M]any people, who may already deal with mental health issues, could be struggling even more right now.”

Magee pointed to those who are living at home with families who are disapproving of their identities and who would be upset if they dressed and expressed themselves the way they’d like to.

“Some people are members of clubs or other queer groups, or have groups of queer friends they heavily rely on [to feel] safe and [enjoy] themselves,” Magee wrote. “[W]e want to ensure everyone still has that [safe] space and can be themselves to the fullest extent possible during COVID19, while also staying safe and social [distancing].” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

Team AJA looks to deliver campain promises amidst pandemic uncertainty Julia Harmsworth Assistant News Editor

website providing information to undergraduate students about the pandemic at Queen’s.

Though Team AJA is adapting their The site includes a survey in platform to reflect the ongoing which students can submit their pandemic, they’re still hoping to concerns about a remote deliver all the promises from their fall term, as well as links January campaign. to various financial aid and AMS President Jared den food resources.

Otter, Vice-President (Operations) “We recognize the current state Alexandra Samoyloff, and of our campus and community Vice-President (University is ever changing, and with that, Affairs) Alexia Henriques we will not be making any Team AJA said COVID-19 has changed the nature of the Society's work "immensely."

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY THE AMS have added COVID-19 as solidified plans to drop any a new pillar to their original initiatives,” the team said. “We AJA, the main focus for operations at the beginning of is developing their Sustainability platform to reflect the hope to continue working with Orientation Week 2020 is June while complying to physical Commission and forming a “strong current circumstances of our team and campus partners providing student support and distancing protocols. mandate” for its operations. their term. to plan for both short-term maintaining engagement.

The AMS is also working “Although the fall semester “There is no doubt that COVID- and long-term goals that can “The AMS has been advocating with the University and their will be very different than 19 has changed the nature of our improve our campus for for students and will continue Clubs Commission to support what we are all accustomed to, work immensely,” they wrote the better.” to do so during COVID-19,” the club leaders and members, and we are adamant on upholding in a statement to The Journal.

They’ve also created a team said. “We are ensuring with the Sexual Assault Centre our campaign pillars,” the “Currently, we are going through COVID-19-specific email address, that undergraduate interests Kingston to implement initiatives E xe c u t ive said. “ We our platform with our team to which students can use to ask are at the forefront of all related to sexual violence will continue to strive adapt our goals to the current them questions, as well as conversations with the prevention and response, such as t o support Q u e e n’ s situation. The safety of the working groups to discuss specific University Administration.” a survivor support group. students in everything we student body is the main priority issues students may face, including Currently, the AMS is working to In collaboration with the do while working hard to moving forward.” changes to convocation, residence, reopen its Food Bank, which was University Sustainability Office make sure we see our The Society recently added and orientation week. closed on March 20 due to COVID- and Queen’s Housing and goals through.” a COVID-19 page to their According to Team 19. The Society is hoping to resume Ancillary Services, the Executive

News

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Monday June 1, 2020

In conversation with new provost, Student Wellness Services director Mark Green and Cynthia Gibney talk plans for the year, COVID-19 Julia harmswor th Assistant News Editor

socio-economic areas and communities in southeastern Ontario.

He will also focus on the University’s The University welcomed two prominent research mission and how it relates figures to its staff in March: Mark Green, to teaching. provost and vice-principal (academic); and “The student experience at Queen’s is Cynthia Gibney, executive director (student outstanding, but I think that it increasingly wellness services). has to be informed by research excellence,” he wrote. “That’s one of the reasons why Mark Green students come to a research-intensive university such as Queen’s.”

At the start of his five-year term as Regarding COVID-19, Green has Provost, Mark Green (Sci ’87) is excited to been working closely with the Principal, return to Queen’s to create an environment senior leadership, Public Health officials, Cynthia Gibney. where students, staff, and faculty can thrive. and student leaders to ensure the safe “There are so many people across the continuation of University operations.

University who have great, interesting ideas,” Green said he feels “optimistic” about Green wrote in a statement to The Journal. “I the upcoming academic year, despite think that’s going to be an essential part of the pandemic. acting on the Principal’s and community’s “Queen’s core strengths have always vision: recognizing and giving people the been our ability to deliver a transformative space to act upon those great ideas.” learning experience, our exceptional Having completed both an students, and the strong sense of undergraduate degree and post-doctorate community,” he wrote. “There will be fellowship at Queen’s, Green is familiar challenges ahead […] but we have a with the University. He earned full Queen’s strong foundation to carry us through professorship in 2001 and has filled several the pandemic.” positions at the institution throughout his career, including acting associate academic Cynthia Gibney dean and acting head and associate head in the department of civil engineering.

Assuming her new position only two Immediately prior to assuming the role weeks before campus moved to remote of Provost, he was the vice-dean (graduate access, Gibney said she’s ready to keep staff studies and recruitment) of the Faculty of and students safe during the pandemic.

Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS).

“I look forward to working through As Provost, Green said he intends to the challenges that September will bring,” Mark Green. prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion. Gibney wrote in a statement to The Journal.

He also hopes to promote international “Even though the academic and school Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) representation at the University beyond experience is going to be different, I have advisors, and health/lifestyle appointments. increasing the presence of international confidence it will still be great.”

She will also focus on proper cleaning students on campus.

Before coming to Queen’s, Gibney of examination rooms and other clinical “We need to understand how [international worked as the director (health and spaces, having enough personal protective students] influence our community and wellness) at Western University for 16 equipment (PPE) for students, and what changes are required to our years. She was also an adjunct professor in recruiting more clinical staff to allow curriculum," he wrote. “Working on big Western’s School of Nursing and has been increased volumes of students to procure global problems, such as sustainability a registered nurse in southwestern Ontario timely appointments. and climate change, needs to be a part since 1993.

Gibney expressed her interest in getting of that.”

In her new role, Gibney hopes to keep to know Queen’s students, initially by Green hopes to influence the University’s staff and students safe from COVID-19 connecting with the Rector and with student broader impact on society, addressing while maintaining clinic functions. As part leaders in the AMS and SGPS, so she can its relationship with both the of that goal, she wants to introduce remote understand students’ needs and their ideas City of Kingston and different access to mental health counselling, Queen’s for how Student Wellness Services should meet them.

She wants to give students an active role in their health care needs while encouraging the use of a broad spectrum of health care delivery methods.

SGPS offers virtual office hours to students

Society prioritizing financial advocacy and remote support Simone Manning Assistant News Editor While SGPS President Justine Aman said the Society is focused on staying up to date with the needs of graduate and professional students, she acknowledged there’s more work to be done.

Aman, who began her term in May, has found students are forming a network of support in different sectors of their lives, including financial, social, mental wellness and academic.

She said the pandemic has affected each student differently, with a particular

emphasis on financial stability.

“There has been significant financial impact to SGPS members, to which continued advocacy in the reduction of tuition, reimbursement of fees, and the provision of emergency response funding has been the top priority of the Executive Team,” Aman wrote in a statement to The Journal.

In April, graduate students pushed for reduced summer tuition because of campus closure, the University said it was not in a position to waive graduate tuition for the summer term.

At the May 8 Board of Trustees meeting, the University also said it will maintain regular tuition fees in the fall term.

Aman wrote that the SGPS has been working with stakeholders at the University to ensure graduate and professional students are considered in

all levels of conversation surrounding the current pandemic.

“Many of the plans we placed in our platforms during elections have been shifted, but the overall goal has remained the same: to work under the pillars of transparency, honesty, equity, diversity, and inclusivity, and creative advocacy,” Aman wrote.

To support graduate students navigating personal and financial difficulties, the SGPS is using a remote platform to host virtual office hours, generate anonymous feedback forms, and organize an online town hall.

Aman said these endeavours have ensured the Society is working with the most up-to-date student concerns.

Aman said the Society is also outlining both short- and long-term goals of the office in a strategic plan that was released to members on May 1.

“Our team has been working hard to address all concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as ensuring a sense of community during this time,”

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY CYNTHIA GIBNEY

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY MARK GREEN

Gibney’s other priorities involve improving the SWS's website to increase the efficiency of student access to health and wellness information and understanding the Kingston labour market to recruit qualified clinical staff. She also wants to get to know the SWS staff, services, policies and procedures.

She said she hopes to ensure timely appointments and increase both walk-in capacity and access to physicians.

“Now that we are getting to know more about the disease, we are starting to plan for how we can offer students a hybrid of care both remotely and in-person,” she wrote. “I am excited to see how the institution and students work through this challenge." journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

she wrote.

Addressing long-term strategies of the Society, Aman said SGPS commissioners have been working hard to finalize plans for the 2020-21 year. “[O]ur Vice-President (Community) has been in constant communication with the University on planning orientation events,” she wrote.

Aman also cited the efforts of her executive team during the first 25 days in office, including Vice-President (Finance and Services) Tamara Mitterer, VicePresident (Professional) John Jeyaratnam, Vice-President (Community) Anthony Lomax, and Vice-President (Graduate) Courtney Bannerman.

“Although we have been working hard, we recognize how much more work there is to be completed; we will continue to connect with students and stakeholders to address concerns and to put pressure on the University when needed,” Aman wrote.

News

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queensjournal.ca • 5

UNIVERSITY

Over 10,000 alumni participate in Queen’s Community Connections Project More than 100 students have signed up to connect with alumni.

PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE

Watts came forward with this amazing idea. We embraced it and brought it to life,” said Gage Benyon, Annual Leadership and Giving coordinator in the Office of Advancement, in an interview with The Journal.

More than 100 students have signed up to volunteer since the establishment of the program, providing regular Simone Manning check-ins with a provided list of alumni.

Assistant News Editor This is no small feat according to Benyon, as there are upwards of 10,000 alumni over As COVID-19 continues to upset routine the age of 70 in the contacting pool. interactions, Queen’s is addressing The research conducted by Tamblyn the health effects of social isolation on Watts found social isolation senior citizens. is nearly as dangerous for older people Organized by Queen’s alumnus and expert as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. in elder law Laura Tamblyn Watts, ArtSci ’94, However, additional research and the University’s Office of Advancement, concluded the pairing of older the resulting initiative is the Queen’s alumni and student volunteers Community Connections Project (QCCP), has seen the mental and physical an organization which pairs alumni over the wellbeing of both demographics age of 70 with a student volunteer between significantly increased. the ages of 18 and 24.

“As soon as she contacted us, we created “We are always engaging our alumni the crash course and mapped out a lot and looking for ideas, and Ms. Tamblyn of great ideas, coming with lots of

Student volunteers remotely partnering with senior alumni to combat social isolation

Queen’s promises to prioritize accessibility concerns ahead of online semester

resources for our students,” Benyon said. “[We discussed] how we were going to hire our students in a careful and efficient manner.”

Benyon, responsible for managing student volunteers, has been a factor in the success of the initiative.

“My main role is to hire students, facilitate all of their training and confidentiality agreements, and find them their list of alumni to call, dispatching any questions to an appropriate resource,” Benyon explained.

According to Benyon, the pairing list can depend on several factors, with alumni able to call multiple times a week if both parties are willing. The success of the alumnus-student connection is owed to shared commonalities between the individuals who have been matched.

When students sign up, they’re asked to provide their degree information and extracurricular activities like student government, sports, and AMS clubs or organizations. Utilizing alumni records, the initiative has been able to discover what activities alumni were involved in and match them accordingly to student volunteers. “[This ensures] that alumni are able to make a great connection with the student, and the student is able to establish a strong bond,” Benyon said. “I spoke to one of our student volunteers matched with an alumni who was actively involved in linguistics, and they were able to have a great conversation about career choices and what the alum did with her life.”

Benyon explained the most meaningful connections arise when both parties are able to get something out of the experience

and are able to have several conversations a week about shared interests.

Though the program has only been in effect for a few weeks, Benyon has found the initiative has seen very strong results.

“On average, the alumni are interested in receiving calls at least once a week from the students, which is really great because it means they have someone to talk to,” Benyon said. “We are really proud of our students to have been able to come forward and make connections and ensure that our alumni family is taken care of.”

Over the summer, the QCCP is looking to hire additional students. Benyon said the program is more than happy to take any volunteers who are interested and willing to participate.

With such a vast pool of alumni to call, ensuring each alumnus receives a call on a weekly basis requires the QCCP to have a broad scale of volunteers that regularly connect with the senior Queen’s population.

Discussions are underway concerning whether the QCCP will continue after the physical distancing measures have been lifted.

“It would be fantastic if we could keep continuing to have these conversations,” Benyon said. “Just because someone is currently isolated during COVID-19 does not mean they are not experiencing isolation on a regular basis outside of these exceptional circumstances. They may not have family who are taking care of them and being able to continue that connection with students would be ideal.”

videos are captioned or transcripts are provided.

He said Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) will continue to support and welcome incoming students with disabilities as they prepare for their studies All material used for online courses will be accessible, Pierce said.

PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE in September.

“QSAS is connecting them with supports, and accessibility issues on campus,” It will also continue to provide support for Sobika Ganeshalingam including individualized accommodation he explained. those who rely on borrowing technology Assistant News Editor plans that ensure equitable access, and The provincial government is also from Queen’s to complete course work. transition programming,” said Pierce. “QSAS providing additional support for those “Queen’s has an Adaptive Technology As the University determines the logistics of supports more than 2,000 students with with disabilities.

Centre (ATC), located in Stauffer Library, offering the fall term remotely, it’s keeping disabilities each year.”

“Students with disabilities from Ontario which offers a range of services, computers, the issue of accessibility in the discussion.

QSAS also supports instructors who are OSAP eligible may also be eligible assistive devices, specialized software, and Though Queen’s is in early stages of accommodating students in their online for the Bursary for Students with Disabilities," quiet study space,” explained Pierce. planning for the fall term, John Pierce, vice- courses, including accommodations for said Pierce. “This helps with disabilityThe ATC includes Library Accessibility provost (teaching and learning) said the online exams. related costs students incur at school, Services, an Adaptive Technology Lab, the University intends to prioritize accessibility “Queen’s is committed to building a including their need for computers with Office of the Adaptive Technologist, and the within the delivery of remote learning. campus community that is inclusive for all adaptive software and other technologies.”

Office of the Accessibility Coordinator.

“Queen’s is committed to ensuring its individuals and ensuring that its services, Students are also able to access several Regarding accommodations for students programs are available to any student supports and spaces are accessible for programs to fund the acquisition of living in different time zones, Pierce accepted into a course of study,” Pierce wrote persons with disabilities,” stated Pierce. equipment they may need, including the confirmed instructors will make course in a statement to The Journal. “Financial The Accessibility Hub, an online resource Canada Student Loan Program which has material accessible at any time online need, accessibility or geography should not that elevates inclusion and improves doubled its study grant for the 2020-21 year through either ONQ, Brightspace, or Elentra, be barriers to a Queen’s education.” access for everyone on campus, will to offer a maximum of $6,000 for full-time which are learning management systems.

According to Pierce, the University also be available. studies, or $3,600 for part-time.

“Some lectures or activities may be set is also committed to ensuring all “It provides support and feedback The University intends to provide at specific times, but the content from materials used for online courses are concerning accessibility initiatives and students with a wide array of resources these will be made available to students accessible for students with disabilities. serves as an online community for to support their learning in the fall term, in a recorded form after it is delivered,” Instructors are required to ensure their those seeking information on disability including academic and personal advising. Pierce wrote.

Instructors to caption videos, provide transcripts for fall remote learning

Features

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Monday, June 1, 2020

Features

ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON ANDRADE

‘Good luck finding people to take the house’: Student tenancy hanging in the balance during COVID-19 The coronavirus is complicating the already complex politics of rentals in the student district Carolyn Svonkin, Aysha Tabassum Features Editors Eric* and his four housemates had a plan for their Kingston housing this summer.

They were renting a six-person house, with the plan to split the cost of the sixth tenant until they could find another housemate in August. But after one of Eric’s housemates lost his summer job due to COVID-19, he dropped out before the group signed their lease.

With only four paying tenants, rent increased to $900 per month, excluding utilities. The original cost of rent was $600 per month without utilities. “[The landlords] said if we didn’t have $900 paid each, for first and last month, by the middle of May, that they’d start the eviction process,” Eric said. At that price, they wouldn’t be able to afford rent.

Eric and his housemates drafted a letter to their landlords saying they couldn’t pay the amount. Since they hadn’t signed the lease, Eric felt they had leverage to ask the landlords to renegotiate.

“In the email we said, ‘if we leave, good luck finding people to take the house in the middle of a global pandemic. Good luck finding students when everything’s online in the fall.’”

They were able to renegotiate the rent back down to the initial cost of $600, and Eric’s housemate returned to sign the lease at that price. However, despite the eventual resolution being positive for Eric and his friends, he said he was surprised by his landlords’ insensitivity to the situation the pandemic has put students in.

“They were just concerned about keeping the price the same, and not taking into account that a lot of people are under

financial stress right now,” Eric said about his landlords. ***

The month of May often brings action to the University District as students move out of old places and into new houses. But financial hardship brought on by COVID-19 has raised tensions between both tenants and landlords.

John Done, executive director of Kingston Community Legal Clinic (KCLC), is familiar with disputes like Eric’s. In an interview with The Journal, Done said legal challenges have continued while adapting to distancing restrictions.

“The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is alive and well, but doing hearings differently,” Done said.

During COVID-19, debate has sparked throughout the province surrounding the rights of tenants to withhold rent as a result of lost income, as well as the right of landlords to demand it. The case is no different for students.

Done said the LTB in particular can be harsh on students because “there’s an image of Queen’s students as privileged kids.”

The University is often seen as a cause of the region’s low vacancy rate and extremely high rent growth. The post-secondary student population, which is comprised of students from Queen’s, St. Lawrence College, and RMC, totalled 28,500 in 2016. In the same year, it was estimated 16, 700 of these students—over 13 per cent of Kingston’s population—lived off-campus in rental housing, occupying approximately 4,050 units.

The city is home to several landlords that frequently apply to the LTB to evict tenants. The impacts of COVID19 are only worsening tenant-landlord relationships, with many tenants experiencing difficulty paying rent on time and in the full amount.

While the province has halted the enforcement of all evictions indefinitely, it hasn’t provided concrete guidelines for how the withholding of rent should be handled by either landlords or tenants.

For instance, though the provincial website makes clear that many tenants will be unable to pay rent as a result of lost work, it doesn’t outline whether

tenants will be legally expected to pay their rent at a later date, or whether they may face consequences for failing to do so.

Without outlining the legal consequences for either party where they’re unable to do so, the province website encourages “landlords and tenants to work together during this difficult time to establish fair arrangements.”

As well, the Ontario government has mandated that landlords can only enter a tenant’s unit if they provide 24 hours’ notice, state the date and time they will enter, and the reason for entering. These rules have also increased tensions between students and landlords.

Callum Linden, ArtSci ’20, experienced this first-hand while attempting to move out of his house in May. Despite his housemates having agreed with the new tenants that they’d be out by noon to allow space for a socially distant move, Linden said his landlord came in to do construction on the morning of May 1. He began demolishing the kitchen while Linden and his housemates attempted to move out.

“He couldn’t find any contractors [due to COVID-19], so he came in with his three children and started ripping out the kitchen.

It was a complete s—t show,” Linden said.

Linden worried about the process of moving exposing his parents, who care for his grandmother, to the virus. “Our families were close to his family and the new tenants.

There were at least 20 people in there all together.”

Linden’s family contacted lawyers after the incident on May 1. According to Linden, when the lawyers reached out to his landlord, “he said ‘what I do with my family is none of your business.’” Linden didn’t say whether they’d reached a resolution. ***

COVID-19 has created financial hardship for Canadian students. Students may depend on their summer income to cover living expenses during the school year, with 49 per cent of students who previously had job prospects for the summer saying they lost those opportunities, according to StatsCan. In light of these circumstances, some resources have been made available to

students experiencing financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19.

Queen’s students are able to apply for Queen’s Bursary Assistance for COVID-19 related extenuating circumstances, which can be used to cover rent expense.

The Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) is also available from May to August. Under special circumstances, The Kingston Salvation Army also provides temporary rent assistance to low-income households.

For students who are unable to pay rent and choose to withhold it, Done doesn’t “see a happy ending.”

Regardless of the circumstances of COVID-19, withholding rent is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act, he said.

While evictions are halted, students may still be served eviction notices postpandemic or be held accountable through other means.

Done doesn’t predict that many landlords will seek to evict, but anticipates they may seek out money judgements where tenants are ordered to pay an interest-bearing amount, with terms established on a caseby-case basis.

As more faculties announce remote delivery of fall 2020 courses, the question also remains about how students can approach getting out of full-year leases in cases where they’re not returning to Kingston in September.

Done said that, in these cases, terminating a lease early is possible, but often quite difficult. In the event of lease termination, both parties must terminate the contract on consent.

In the case of Queen’s tenants, Done said the typical process is students will offer a specific amount of money to landlords so they may release them from the remainder of their lease. The parties will continue to negotiate this amount until it’s deemed sufficient by both.

However, Done said negotiation skills among students are “somewhere between zero and nothing,” leaving them vulnerable to overpaying to end leases, or being unable to reach an agreement altogether. *Name changed for anonymity on the basis of employment restrictions.

Monday, JUNE 1, 2020

queensjournal.ca • 7

EDITORIALS

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

The Journal’s Perspective

Students shouldn’t shoulder the financial burden of remote learning

As a result of COVID-19, students are facing cancelled internships and lost jobs. Now, they must shoulder the burden of regular tuition fees in the fall—despite classes going online.

At a Board of Trustees meeting in May, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Mark Green said the University expects to maintain its regular tuition fees in the fall. He cited concerns of reduced enrollment, particularly from international students.

While The Journal Editorial Board realizes the University will inevitably suffer as physical distancing policies keep students from campus, it questions why students are the ones shouldering the financial burden in the first place.

Like anyone else, students and their families are feeling the economic effects of the pandemic, struggling with lay-offs and reduced income. The University has even acknowledged this in making bursaries available to students suffering financially as a result of the pandemic.

These awards, however, average at a mere $800 for domestic, undergraduate students. Regular tuition is an added expense some may not be able to afford

failed to acknowledge students’ own financial losses as a result of the pandemic.

A transition to remote learning in the fall term also raises the question of quality.

In March, in-person classes were abruptly suspended.

What followed were hastily prepared online courses, mostly consisting of PowerPoint presentations and selflearning. While Green acknowledged students ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON ANDRADE deserve higher quality in full. A remote semester also poses classes for the fall, he didn’t provide details problems for students who might not have about what that will look like. access to adequate technology.

The University needs to give During the pandemic, students need the students a clear picture of what their University to be their advocate. It’s shown online term will look like before expecting itself to be the opposite. them to pay for it. Queen’s should also While the AMS released a student survey be accommodating of students who about the fall term and Rector Sam Hiemstra have the added expense of securing is advocating for reduced tuition, the appropriate technology.

University failed to consult students before Even then, online classes can never making the decision to maintain tuition fees replace the in-person experience. for the fall.

If students are expected to shoulder Instead of weighing its options and this burden, they shouldn’t have to taking student input into consideration, do it alone. The government needs to the University immediately turned to acknowledge the difficult financial position maintaining tuition costs. In doing so, it students are in and subsidize tuition.

Just because the University is suffering doesn’t make it the students’ responsibility to shoulder the burden of its lost income—especially when students are suffering themselves.

The pandemic is forcing us to reconsider how we care for our elderly. We’re better off for it.

As COVID-19 continues to rock old-age homes, it’s time we roll back the clock and re-evaluate the value—and potential inevitability—of the multigenerational family.

In Dr. Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, he writes, “Modernization did not demote the elderly. It demoted the family.” Now, he might say the crisis has promoted both.

In the past, at least one child in the family remained to care for their parents as they progressed into old age.

But as healthcare and technology developed, we renegotiated the way people lived at all ages. Long-term care homes allowed the elderly to live autonomously and the young to live as they pleased.

Over the past three months, that model has crumbled.

During the pandemic, 63.3 per cent of all coronavirus-related deaths in Ontario happened in long-term care homes. The province has taken over management of five homes following a horrifying military report on the home’s conditions. People have been pulling their loved ones out of homes to save them.

What we see in families as a result of the pandemic isn’t entirely different from what was commonplace just over 100 years ago. It’s the middle-aged paying it forward to their parents, being there for them at all hours of the day instead of a few times per month.

Matt Scace

PHOTO BY JODIE GRIEVE

—Journal Editorial Board

It’s young adults getting to know their grandparents a little better, appreciating the wisdom decades of life bring.

Most of us have unquantifiable respect and love for our grandparents, whether they’re alive or not. But long-term care homes have taken on the complications of old age, a potential burden that was traditionally placed on families.

For some this is a necessity, but the overarching message it creates is unnerving: if our elderly loved ones have a story to tell, we’re all ears, but if their health takes a turn, we let the nurses take care of it.

In a period where time seems to sit still, we have a chance to rewire the message—we’re here not just to listen, but also to help if anything goes wrong.

This shift is a result of catastrophic death tolls and economic downturn, but disasters aren’t always restricted to a singular apocalyptic narrative.

The multigenerational family structure might be here to stay. Epidemiologists expect COVID-19 to be around for a while, and economists say it’ll take years to recover financially.

In the meantime, the pandemic is forcing many of us to consider not just what we can learn from the elderly—but that perhaps we can do better than warehousing them away.

Matt is a fifth-year English major and The Journal’s Managing Editor.

Volume 148 Issue 1 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

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8 • queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

Your Perspective

OPINIONS

Monday, June 1, 2020

SUPPLIED BY EMA POPOVIC

Ema Popovic believes outdoor spaces are a necessity for our mental health during the pandemic.

Outdoor spaces should be accessible during COVID-19

Going outside should be the new normal—your mental health will thank you Ema Popovic Contributor

spaces and outdoor activities.

Research from the University of Rochester has shown spending time outdoors decreases levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Ecotherapy is a growing discipline which studies the therapeutic benefits of natural spaces. Recent ecotherapy research from the Harvard Medical School has suggested that outdoor silence can lower blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone often linked to stress levels.

replenished sense of self.

Unfortunately, students could suffer most from recreational When appropriate measures space restrictions. are taken, the mental health A 2016 report from the benefits provided through public Canadian National College Health outdoor and green spaces Assessment found 26.3 per cent outweigh the low risk of of post-secondary students COVID-19 infection. reported being diagnosed or As the COVID-19 pandemic treated for a mental health continues, global health condition. In this data set, a initiatives urge us to expect a new staggering 60.1 per cent of normal to ensure safety going students reported higher levels forward. While this ‘new normal’ of stress during the 12-month should encourage adequate period prior to testing, and 64.5 physical distancing, it should per cent reported experiencing likewise incorporate accessible severe anxiety within that parks, recreational spaces, and [COVID-19] is not 12-month period. patios rather than complete Most citizens understand that highly transmissable in restrictions and barricades. physical distancing decreases the outdoor spaces."

Although COVID-19 is an likelihood of infection, particularly air-borne virus—meaning — Angela Rasmussen, virologist in outdoor environments. Six in 10 i n fe c t i o n can occur at Columbia University Canadians reported adhering to through droplets known as physical distancing rules. aerosol—it’s not highly Accordingly, some Canadian transmissible in outdoor spaces, The Canadian Mental Health cities have acknowledged the according to Angela Rasmussen, Association (CMHA) has also psychological benefits of outdoor a virologist at Columbia identified benefits in spending spaces. Vancouver’s city council University. In a statement, time outdoors. Natural light, has discussed granting restaurants she suggested that outdoor which delivers elements—like humidity, Vitamin D, helps rain, sunlight, and ambient re g u l a te sleep temperature—weaken the cycles and calms virus’ infective properties. The the body. probability of these aerosols The CMHA also reaching your throat or s u p p o r te d the respiratory tract is low, Harvard Medical particularly when proper School findings that physical distancing practices green spaces reduce are followed. stress hormones The enforcement of while increasing barricades and restrictions endorphin levels and favours our physical health dopamine production. but can be detrimental to The psychological mental health, particularly healing properties for at-risk demographics. of the outdoors People living in densely populated are restorative areas need access to green and provide a

"

the freedom to expand their patios onto sidewalks and streets.

The option of “air dining” would assist struggling restaurant businesses while introducing a safe, innovative way to spend time outdoors.

75 miles of asphalt.

Not all Canadian cities, such as Kingston and Toronto, are currently incorporating recreational spaces into their ‘new normal.’

Kingston’s Gord Downie Pier is fenced off from visitors.

In late April, Toronto temporarily gated off High Park, a popular recreational space, to prevent A new normal without the clustering of people with outdoor spaces is not police patrols. This restrictive mentality undermines the normal at all." value of recreational spaces, specifically for those at-risk for mental health challenges.

Stanley Park is a 405-hectare In metropolitan Toronto, park in downtown Vancouver conversations about restaurants currently sealed off from are centring on restricting capacity, cars, but its seawall remains as opposed to increased patio open for walkers and space or sidewalk restaurants. recreational use. Similarly, Unlike Vancouver, Toronto’s plan New York City is opening for a ‘new normal’ neglects the 160 kilometres of roads importance of outdoor space. for pedestrians and bikers.

Physical distancing may well This project will expand become part of life for months sidewalks and launch temporary to come, but urban living must bike lanes. eventually continue. Green “As the weather gets nicer and spaces are indispensable to our this unprecedented health during this stressful and crisis stretches on anxious time; a new normal longer, we need to do without outdoor spaces is not everything in our power normal at all. to keep our neighbors The COVID-19 aftermath safe and healthy. This narrative should focus on announcement is a great creative and innovative starting point for the thinking, rather than barricades ongoing conversation and restrictions. The quality of about how we share our life can be easy to overlook public spaces during when devising a plan solely this pandemic and in a focused on precaution. post-coronavirus future,” A new normal can, and should, explained New York include the continuation of life’s City Council Speaker mundane and essential tasks.

Corey Johnson, We must recognize and respect in support of a newly that for many, outdoor activities introduced bill giving make life worth living. pedestrians and cyclists

"

Arts

Monday, June 1, 2020

queensjournal.ca • 9

STUDENT ART

Queen's students use art to cure quarantine blues Reflecting on the therapeutic power of artistic expression Nathan Gallagher Arts Editor Although quarantine measures have many students feeling trapped, some Queen’s students are staving off feelings of anxiety or boredom by turning to art as a form of self-therapy.

The Journal spoke to Claire Parsons, a third-year politics student, Erin Marcia, a Bachelor of Education student, and Nick Brown, a fourth-year geological engineering student about the role of art in their lives during the age of Queen’s students use art as therapy. social distancing.

When the winter semester went the process…it takes your mind off remote in March, Parsons returned it all.” to her home in Toronto lamenting Along with painting and creative the loss of her reliable daily routine, writing, Parsons is also a trained which she considers important to singer, a craft which she describes her mental health. as a “physical release.”

“Without [a routine], it’s For Parsons, the arts have hard to not get restless and been integral to coping with the overwhelmed,” Parsons said. uncertainty of living through a “When I can take an hour pandemic because she “can take all out of my day to paint those restless, scared, and nervous something or write a feelings and channel them into story, I can dive into something beautiful.”

While the COVID-19 crisis is less than ideal, and many people like Parsons are feeling anxious, Erin Marcia, a digital artist, is grateful that the quarantine has afforded her extra time to experiment with different styles.

Marcia told The Journal that before the crisis, she struggled to find the motivation to create for her own enjoyment. Instead, she would often produce artwork to give away as gifts. But now that

The Agnes goes digital Staff talk pros and cons of digital exhibits Nathan Gallagher Arts Editor In response to quarantine measures, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre expanded its online content, enabling the public to safely enjoy the art from home.

Max Valsamas, curatorial assistant of European Art, and Danuta Sierhuis, digital development coordinator, spoke to The Journal about Agnes’ response to its sudden closing, as well as the pros and cons of online exhibitions.

“We wanted to find a creative way to somehow allow [our audience] to still get access to the themes of the shows,” Sierhuis said.

Sierhuis asserted that creating a fully-interactive virtual exhibition is a project in and of itself, which could not be arranged in the wake of the pandemic. Instead, their aim was to enhance the existing webpages for their ongoing exhibitions with “a selection of featured works.”

“It was a matter of scale,” Sierhuis explained.

Rather than overwhelm viewers with a flood of images from their disrupted exhibitions, she said they wanted the themes and intentions of the shows to be “easily grasped” in their digital incarnations.

One of the exhibitions that

Some Agnes exhibits are available online.

was cut short by the pandemic is From Tudor to Hanover: British Portraits, 1590-1800, which was curated by Valsamas. He told The Journal about the themes of the show and the process of translating the exhibition into an online showcase.

“The Agnes has never really had a British portraiture show of this magnitude before,” Valsamas said.

“Part of what I was really thrilled to highlight is portraits in a variety of media.”

Among other styles, the physical exhibition would have featured paintings, engravings, and mezzotints—a unique style of engraving a picture onto a metal plate.

“All brought together, it’s a very rich representation of

CREDIT: THE AGNES ETHERINGTON ART CENTRE

ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON ANDRADE

she has so much extra time on her hands, she’s using it to broaden her array of digital design skills.

“I have been exploring different styles that are outside of my comfort zone, such as vintage lettering and portraits,” Marcia said. “I find myself working hard to practice these new styles and techniques which I wouldn’t have had time to do before.”

Marcia is pleased that she’s making the most of a bad

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

the Agnes’ collection,” Valsamas said.

Speaking on the themes of From Tudor to Hanover, Valsamas explained that because the show covers a time period of over 200 years, one can see very different representations emerging within the tradition of British portraiture.

Valsamas said the variety of portraits demonstrate what each of the different artists sought to highlight in a person’s image, “whether that’s inner or outer beauty, whether it’s wealth, [or] whether it’s social aggrandizement.”

“There’s a lot going on even when we think these are in some ways similar images.”

Valsamas chose to highlight 20 of the works from his show on the Agnes website. If you click on each of them, you’re directed to a page with more information about the origin and dimensions of the piece.

Still, Valsamas laments the fact that people can no longer see all of the

situation by strengthening her abilities.

“My art has been motivating me, challenging me, and making me happy to see improvements in new styles. I’m grateful for the amount I’ve been able to create, learn, and practice during quarantine.”

For Nick Brown, the greatest challenge that social distancing measures have brought him is boredom, but he says that making art goes a long way to prevent him from feeling like he’s stagnating.

“While being stuck in quarantine, I have turned to using a few forms of art to help pass the time.

I draw, write poetry and songs, and play a few instruments,” Brown said. “Drawing and playing instruments are what I use to stop myself from getting too bored as I don’t need to think while doing it and it is quite fun.”

As with Parsons’ singing, Brown said his art provides a much-needed release during the international health crisis.

“For writing poetry and songs, I’ve found that they act as a way for me to let my inner thoughts out of my head and to help just vent all my life problems. It definitely works for me.”

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

works in person for the time being.

“There really isn’t anything like experiencing or viewing an artwork firsthand because you can see the scale of an artwork exactly in front of you as is,” he said.

Valsamas added looking at artworks as a digital image can minimize a viewer’s ability to detect “subtle differences” in colour, texture and other details.

Sierhuis added that “while digital [exhibitions] will never be able to replace…the aura of physical art because that can be quite an emotional experience, the good thing about [going] digital is that it does provide accessibility beyond the in-person visit.”

Despite the drawbacks of the digital Agnes experience, Sierhuis said there are still some benefits of the digital Agnes experience.

“We’re also able to extend our reach and the reach of the artwork that we have in our collection beyond Kingston and to elevate them and the research attached to them.”

queensjournal.ca • 10

Arts

Monday, June 1, 2020

Queen’s alumni teach and perform comedy online with Second City Comedy troupe goes digital during pandemic Nathan Gallagher Arts Editor During quarantine, Queen’s alumni Garrett Rodman (Arts ‘05) and Carly Heffernan (Arts ‘07) have moved comedy troupe Second City’s classes and improv shows online.

In an interview with The Journal Rodman and Heffernan said Second City has a proud history dating back to 1959. It was founded that year in Chicago by a small group of performers making improv sketches based around political satire.

In 1973, the company established a theatre in Toronto with a comedy troupe featuring alumni Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner of SNL fame.

Heffernan, who has performed and

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

directed sketches for Second City and now teaches classes, explained that despite the pandemic offering a lot of free time to writers, it poses challenges to productivity. “[Quarantine] has been a great downtime for a lot of writers, but it can also be a source of great writer’s block when we all have that voice ringing in our ears that Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the plague so we should do something equally as grand,” she said.

Heffernan now teaches a course inspired by the conditions of the stay-at-home order, in which she and her students are writing a comedy show specifically designed to be performed live on Zoom, an online video chatting platform.

In addition, Rodman, who works in artist management, explained that pivoting Second City’s operations online was a tall task because of the large number of members in Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Despite this, he says the group’s teachers did what they do best and improvised.

“All of our teachers were absolutely amazing in all three cities,” said Rodman.

He also said that in response to a bad situation, the teachers and students of Second City employed the famous improv technique of “Yes, and…” which is a method of cooperation wherein other members of the group accept and elaborate on what one has said to ensure the show is cohesive.

Rodmanwaspleasedtoseealargepercentage of students say “yes, and. . .” to Second City’s pivot online, adding the group has created even more opportunities for online learning by developing new classes.

“We’ve also created a program called our Escape Series where we’re offering advanced improv, stand-up and writing [lessons] in this four-week format,” Rodman said. “It’s basically indoor recess for adults and it’s a chance for you to try improv…all without leaving your living room.”

According to Heffernan, performing improv online is a different dynamic compared to

performing on the stage, especially regarding audience participation.

“It’s taking improv and putting it into more of a TV format,” she said.

Traditionally, Second City improv shows will invite input from the audience to shape the direction of the show; viewers can still do that through the Zoom chat feature but “it looks and feels far more like a TV show,” Heffernan said.

The two Queen’s alumni agreed the expansion of Second City’s online offerings, which was prompted by COVID-19, has been a blessing in disguise. They said it allows the group to spread laughter to people all around the world who may be feeling scared or alone. “[Comedy] helps people break up the routine of their physical isolation and working from home,” said Rodman.

In that vein, Heffernan added that “in this moment in time, people are really craving connection and we are able to give that to them.”

an interview with The Journal. “It’s a major employer, but the gig economy is much more vulnerable.”

With this in mind, the Bader Centre introduced the Ballytobin Online Summer Music Festival, accessible through the Centre’s website. The Ballytobin Foundation offers philanthropic support to the Arts and Culture sector in Kingston.

“Artists walk away with a video that’s theirs with high fidelity sound,” Baldwin said.

Artists are also given widespread exposure, as the livestreams are broadcast through the Chamber Music Society of Detroit, Rhode Island Chamber Music Concerts, and War Memorial of Gross Point, Michigan, in addition to the Bader Centre’s local audience.

The festival takes place at the Isabel’s Digital Concert Hall, but is streamed to the Centre’s Facebook and YouTubepagesaswell.TheDigitalConcertHall has live countdowns before every scheduled performance’s livestream.

There are 16 total livestreams, taking place from May-August of 2020. Performance genres range from Indigenous to classical and hip hop.

Taking notes from the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall, the Bader Centre’s technical team, led by Aaron Holmberg, worked on creating a dynamic viewing experience.

The Bader Centre’s Online Festival was specially innovated to maintain

the live experience, but Baldwin plans to improve the digital viewing experience moving forward.

“People’s attention spans are very short visually,” she said. “So, we had to make sure different camera angles are happening.”

She added their technical team plans on experimenting with 360° cameras.

The Gryphon Trio, a classical music ensemble, was the first to perform live at the Bader Centre on May 16. Their livestream, available on Facebook, is an hour and forty minutes, and in it they play classical pieces including Beethoven’s Archduke Trio and Dvořák’s “Dumky” Piano Trio in E minor.

Isabel Bader Centre hosts online Summer Music Festival

With public events on hold, the Isabel hits the internet Fiona Mulrooney Assistant Arts Editor Although quarantine measures remain in place, people can still tune in to Isabel music shows from the comfort of their homes.

In the absence of ticket revenue, Isabel Bader Centre Director Tricia Baldwin chose to host music performances online to support the livelihoods of local artists.

“The arts and cultural [sector] in Canada is a 54-billion-dollar industry,” she said in

Sports

Monday, June 1, 2020

VARSITY SPORTS

11 • queensjournal.ca

SPORTS

Pandemic Practices How Queen’s Gaels are improvising their off-season training Matt Funk Sports Editor While many may have loosened their workout regimens due to COVID-19, the same doesn’t go for varsity athletes. With access to athletic facilities put on hold, The Journal reached out to Gaels to get a sense of how they’re maintaining peak performance amidst a pandemic.

The consensus among the student athletes is that while the pandemic has presented challenges to their off-season plans, they’ve been able to adapt effectively.

Erik Siksna, a second-year on the men’s volleyball team and U-Sports Rookie of the Year, told The Journal he had his sights set on the national junior team this summer, which has now been tabled.

“There’s no doubt that this offseason has been and will continue to be very different from the offseason that many of us planned for,” he wrote in a statement. “[T]hese plans are no longer on the table, which now puts me in a difficult situation for getting offseason reps in.”

The closure of gyms has also led the outside hitter to get creative with make-shift equipment around the house.

“I’ve been able to find ways to train just as hard as […] I planned on this offseason. Two months in and the piano bench—now my workout bench—is still holding up,” Siksna said.

Claire Ellison of the women’s rowing team echoed the difficulties of suddenly shifting training regimens. But like Siksna, she’s found her groove.

“I personally found the first few weeks following in-class cancelations the most difficult time during the pandemic so far,” Ellison wrote to The Journal.

“I missed having practices with my teammates, a constant class schedule, and my well-defined routine. Once I found a new, very different routine, I found it much easier to get back at it with training.”

While many students may be catching up on much-needed sleep after a stressful semester, athletes haven’t been able to let off the gas.

Sophie de Goede, dual-sport athlete on Queen’s rugby and basketball teams, said her typical weekday starts before the sun rises.

“Our local rugby club has a private gym that we can use one at a time, so I get up at 5:15 every morning and bike there early before other people start wanting to

Queen’s athletes share their experiences training during COVID-19.

come in,” she wrote to The Journal.

“After the gym, I do conditioning on the field and bike back for breakfast. Then I do schoolwork [until] mid-afternoon when I get shots up at the outdoor court near my house and/or do rugby skills in the backyard with my parents.”

Tyler Gowdy, a fifth-year Goalkeeper for men’s soccer, now finds himself busier than during the semester, balancing a full-time landscaping gig while getting his reps in.

“Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I’ll do sprints in the morning, and then I’ll lift weights in the evening.

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, I’ll do a technical session in the morning, and

CROSS COUNTRY

then I’ll do a tempo run in the evening,” he wrote.

“I work between 40-50 hours a week doing landscaping, so my time is exclusively devoted to training and working other than reading whenever I get the chance.”

A consistent sentiment among athletes was their off-seasons have been largely dependent on Queen’s Strength and Conditioning (S&C) to tailor athletespecific workouts depending on available equipment.

Liam Varvaris, lock on the men’s rugby team, is confident he’ll return to campus in top form.

“Not having access to equipment or teammates to work on these skills with has made [training] difficult. [S&C] have been really

GRAPHIC BY ALISON ANDRADE

great providing all athletes with a program that we can do from home with varying levels of equipment. So, I really haven’t had to worry about whether I’ll be in shape come the start of season”.

As for finding motivation for a season that may not happen, the Gaels remain undaunted and know their hard work will pay dividends when the time comes.

“The pandemic’s impact regarding the uncertainty of the season hasn’t affected my motivation to train at all,” Gowdy said. “Even if there is no season, that just means I’ll have even more time to keep working like a dog and to prepare for my next opportunity.”

Lack of interim coach is break in Queen’s precedent Continued from front ...

The team claims that requests directed towards Athletics regarding the appointment of an interim coach have been ignored.

Athletics and Recreation did not respond to The Journal’s request for comment.

The University told The Journal in a written statement that the search for a new coach will commence shortly and that the team members will be involved in the hiring process.

The University is also hiring for a full-time position. Historically, the head coach position has been a part-time role.

“We had to adapt our normal processes and timelines for all Athletic and Recreation position Queen’s crosss country is navigating their offseason without a mentor. searches, especially sport-specific positions, to build in additional the team now finds themselves before would carry forward into flexibility as a result of the without a mentor. our team.” ongoing pandemic,” the statement In an interview with The Brackenbury added the team read. “Information about the new Journal, team captain Miles “loves” Weiler and would like him position and the process and Brackenbury stated the team never to stay on for continuity. timelines will be shared with the received an explanation from “[R]ight now in the middle of a team, and student-athletes from Athletics about why no interim pandemic, it’s not exactly the best the team will be on the interview coach was appointed. time to hire a new coach and we panel; this is our common practice “If you look at the women’s just feel it would be responsible within our varsity team head basketball team, they just hired to have an interim coach and do a coach searches.” an amazing new coach, but they very thorough hiring process.”

Following Boyd’s dismissal, had an interim coach who The second-year thinks the programming was led by was their assistant coach,” he lack of a head coach has played a Assistant Coach Steve Weiler, said. “They had him for over a role in dissuading recruits from although he was never formally year. So, we were kind of hoping attending Queen’s. appointed as an interim coach. that the same process which “The future of our team is really His contract has since expired and has been used many times unknown at this point,” he said. “So,

know that they’re not alone. But we want the recruits who aren’t coming to know that we respect their decision and we wish them all the best.”

Originally, the cross country team threatened an exodus if Boyd wasn’t reinstated. On May 22, Principal Deane upheld the decision to fire Boyd. Now that the team has been informed the search for a new coach is starting and they will have a say in the selection, their stance has changed.

In a written statement following his interview, Brackenbury wrote that “[the team] intend[s] to compete for Queen’s, assuming the hiring process is fair.”

Editor’s Note

PHOTO CREDIT: MADDISON ANDREWS

it’d be awesome if things turned around and, in the future, we get more amazing recruits, but right now, we’re the least appealing option to any sort of up and coming runners.”

The team captain sympathizes with Campbell’s decision, but wants recruits who choose Queen’s to know the team is eager to help them.

“I totally support the decision, and I think if we were in the same position as [Campbell], I think all of us would have made the same call,” Brackenbury said. “We want the recruits that are coming to

At The Journal, it is our mandate to collect, edit, and distribute information in an impartial, objective manner.

As a member of the Queen’s Cross Country team at the time of Steve Boyd’s firing, I represent a significant conflict of interest in the coverage of his dismissal and its fallout. As a result, I have recused myself from the editing process of all stories related to the matter. It is my belief that this decision reflects The Journal’s devotion to publishing impartial, factual information.

— Matt Scace, Managing Editor

Sports

queensjournal.ca • 12

Monday, June 1, 2020

During pandemic, Queen’s eSports forges on With over 50 members, Queen’s eSports Association having teams compete across North America Daniel Green Assistant Sports Editor Electronic sports—otherwise known as eSports—are among the lesser talked about sports on campus. That’s not to say they’re any less competitive than a varsity basketball or football team.

The Queen’s eSports Association (QEA) hosts multiple teams across various mainstream eSports, including League of Legends (LoL), Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), and Overwatch. They compete internationally with other teams across North America.

According to QEA Chairman Brendan Willet, CompSci 21’, there are over 50 players across all of the association’s teams.

While not being a part of Athletics and Recreation, Willet said joining a QEA competitive eSports team at Queen’s is similar to joining a varsity sports team.

“Although [our focus is] video games, we do want to maintain somewhat of a formal structure so that everything feels like you’re competing on a semi-varsity team,” Willet said in an interview with The Journal.

To join QEA, there are signups, tryouts, coaches, analysts, and interviews.

Platforms like Collegiate Starleague (CSL) and Tespa allow Queen’s and various other colleges and universities around the world to compete against one another.

Something that’s unique to Queen’s eSports in comparison to the University’s other physical sports is who they compete against. The average Queen’s sports team competes against other Ontario universities, but the online nature of eSports allows Queen’s to be recognized on an international scale, as the team plays schools all over North America.

Last season, the QEA Golden Gaels’ League of Legends team ranked fourth in one of the eight North-East divisions with a record of 8-3, while their CS: GO team ranked fifth in one of the two North divisions with a 6-5 record.

“Video games aren’t a closeted, niche group nowadays,” Willet said.

There’s big money and high stakes in eSports, and it continues to grow. Players can win millions of dollars in the world’s largest eSports tournaments.

Dota 2’s annual torunament, The International, has set records for eSports prize money amounts. The International 2019’s prize pool was $34,330,068 USD, the 2019 solo Fortnite World Cup Finals had a prize pool of $15,287,500 USD, and the League of Legends 2018 World Championship’s prize pool was $6,450,000 USD. For comparison, the purse for the 2019 Wimbledon tennis championships was around $42 million USD across all of their events, and the Masters golf tournament’s 2019 prize pool was $11.5 million USD. While the university scene may not be racking in millions of dollars, there are tournament cash prizes and some

universities offer eSports scholarships to incoming students.

Miami University was the first top-tier U.S. university to launch a scholarship program for gamers. In Canada, the University of Toronto and University of British Columbia, among others, also offer eSports scholarships.

Queen’s has yet to implement an eSports scholarship program, but hopes are high as they continue to gain publicity.

“I’ve been really hoping to expand the club and bring it into the mainstream Queen’s and Kingston crowd so that it’s not just this niche little group that you have to hear about from other people,” Willet said.

“I want it to be prevalent on campus [to a point where] people know our school is being represented in these video games that people are pretty well aware of.”

Aside from the ultra-competitive side of the QEA, there is space for more casual players to meet people with similar interests and flourish in the Queen’s gaming community.

Alongside the QEA, there’s also the Queen’s Fighting Game Community (QFGC), an affiliate club where students compete in games like Super Smash Bros., Tekken, Street Fighter, and others.

Fighting game tournaments are held in-person rather than online, as these games are played on a console. While games like Smash Bros. Ultimate could be played online, like physical sport, every fraction of a second counts, and it’s ideal to play locally to avoid any latency, lag, or delay issues for the competing parties.

QEA and their subsidiary QFGC offer some in-school competitive and casual tournaments and sometimes invite one or two other schools to also participate in those tournaments. Willet said the intensity ranges as they offer both highly competitive tournaments and casual intramural game nights.

While one might assume the online nature of Queen’s eSports would free them from COVID-19 interruptions, they’ve been affected like many other sports leagues. QFGC has suffered the most because of the necessity for in-person competition.

However, games played on personal computers haven’t been affected in the same way, as those are played online from home.

Partially due to the pandemic, QEA is hoping increase participation throughout the summer by hosting gaming nights and tournaments.

Willet said Queen’s eSports is becoming an increasingly compelling source of entertainment and competition as the world shifts online.

“We’re hoping that, due to everyone being home more often now, that we’ll see an uptick in our computer-gaming eSports interest, and hopefully that translates into the next semester.”

Members of QEA gather to play video games prior to the pandemic.

SUPPLIED BY QEA

Sports in Brief: COVID-19 Update Direction of varsity seasons still undecided, Queen’s offering online fitness classes in lieu of closed ARC Matthew Funk and Daniel green Sports Editors Varsity seasons remain up in the air

It’s also uncertain whether students who opt to return to campus in the fall will be able to use the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC). The ARC is closed until further notice, according to its website.

As with sports seasons, A&R’s decision will depend on consultations with KFL&A Public Health.

While Queen’s students now know their fall classes will be delivered online, student athletes don’t know whether their seasons will be played this fall semester.

Queen’s offering fitness classes over The Athletics and Recreation (A&R) Zoom website says the pandemic is an ever- As of May 4, A&R started offering online changing situation and, ultimately, the fitness classes to supplement closed facilities decision on fall semester sports will depend during the COVID-19 pandemic. on advice from Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox Among others, A&R is offering live dance & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health, as well classes, strength and conditioning, Zumba, as the plans of Ontario University Athletics and yoga.

(OUA) and U Sports.

The classes are taught by Queen’s “The University is assessing how remote Strength and Conditioning coaches, as instruction for most students for the fall well as Gaels coaches and players to help term may impact sport and recreation to keep Queen’s students fit during the determine what options may be feasible pandemic. The coaches have also been and available. This includes receiving advice providing varsity athletes with remote from public health, as well as monitoring conditioning plans that allow them to what other institutions and the OUA and U work out from home.

SPORTS are planning,” the Queen’s Athletics Students can attend any of the classes website states. over Zoom from Monday to Friday at The University opened limited outdoor different time slots between 10 a.m. facilities on May 22 where social distancing and 7 p.m. is feasible. These facilities include Nixon As well, Queen’s Strength and and Tindall Fields, along with the Tindall Conditioning is offering training running track and Summerhill tennis courts. “tips and tricks” each weekday on Fields on West Campus remain closed.

Instagram Live.

Some campus fields have re-opened.

PHOTO CREDIT: MADDISON ANDREWS

LIFESTYLE

Monday, JUNE 1, 2020

queensjournal.ca •13

The Half of It proves breaking down barriers doesn’t happen perfectly

Lifestyle

TV REVIEW

Never Have I Ever is a hilarious, candid approach to life in high school Mindy Kaling's latest TV project is as full of laughs and cringes as you'd expect.

Netflix show confronts highs and lows of teenage life Maddie Ward Contributor As hard as it might be to admit, high school was an awkward time for most of us. Mindy Kaling’s latest TV creation, Never Have I Ever, embraces this awkwardness with open arms.

The Netflix Original show follows Devi Vishwakumar, a fifteen-year-old teenager who’s struggling with the highs and lows of life in high school and the recent loss of her father.

Never Have I Ever’s opening scene sets the show’s tone right from the jump. Devi, kneeling in front of her household’s shrine in prayer, makes some requests that are relatable to most sophomore

students: she wants to be cool, go to a party, and snag a hot boyfriend.

For Devi, not just any nerdy boy will do—she’s looking for a "stonecold hottie, who could rock [her] all night long."

Boys, parties, and coolness aside, Devi’s underlying mission is the same as that of many teenagers: to cultivate some ‘grown-up’ life experience.

Although her goals are seemingly straightforward, and ones that I probably set out for myself at some point in high school, Devi’s struggle to extend her academic success to her high school’s social scene is reminiscent of a fairly typical teenage journey.

However, the show’s true success stems from its attempts to work beyond ‘typical.’

Devi’s character represents

GAMING

more than just a boy-obsessed teen: she’s incredibly smart, has a bad temper, doesn’t process her grief well, and deflects the blame whenever she makes a mistake.

As she grows and develops throughout the show, Devi is far from a perfect rom-com heroine: she stumbles often, struggling with difficult decisions and making more than a few questionable choices. Her feisty, hot-headed nature might create awkward situations that are hard to watch, but Devi’s depth is what makes viewers want to continue watching to better understand her.

The show finds much of its comedy in candour, a quality that’s become a staple of Mindy Kaling’s TV projects. Although Devi’s snappy retorts and witty punchlines may not always feel natural coming from a teenage

How Animal Crossing: New Horizons is helping people through social distancing Breaking down the Nintendo Switch game’s popularity during the pandemic Julia Harmsworth Assistant News Editor For those of us who have been stuck at home for the past two months, the most recent addition to Nintendo’s classic Animal Crossing video game series couldn’t have launched at a better time.

The global pandemic has found many students confined to their homes with lots of extra time on their hands. If you’re like me, struggling to stave off boredom and nagging anxieties, Animal

Crossing: New Horizons has come as a welcome solution.

The concept of New Horizons is simple: players start with a deserted island and, by decorating, constructing buildings, and changing the landscape, slowly develop their island into a beautiful paradise. Along the way, you can expect to meet a cast of animal villagers who will become your friends and fellow island-dwellers.

And, of course, you’ll have to work to pay back the perpetually greedy island developer, Tom Nook.

New Horizons has become something of a phenomenon: released on March 20, it sold 11.77 million copies in just 12 days.

The game’s popularity can be attributed to more than people’s desire to design their own private island—for many, it’s become a source of relaxation and distraction during this challenging

time. After all, who doesn’t love a bit of escapism?

The style and gameplay of New Horizons provides players with interim substitutes for many of the experiences they’re missing right now.

Perhaps most notably, the game is incredibly relaxing—I find that whenever I turn it on, I forget about the coronavirus-related anxieties I’d been harbouring, even if briefly.

The game gives you complete freedom to progress at the pace you want. If I’m in the mood to, I don't have to do anything at all—I can simply stare at the beautiful graphics and feel a little more at peace.

New Horizons features a museum which you fill with fish, bugs, fossils, and art you collect throughout the game.

The museum functions as a sort of pause on all other aspects of

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JODIE GRIEVE

character, the show’s sense of humour makes its most difficult moments a little easier to swallow.

Never Have I Ever’s most impressive quality is its ability to capture a snapshot of the diversity of the teenage experience and the universality of hardship.

It tackles serious topics like grief, family, and identity with humour and honesty.

Each of the show’s diverse cast of characters depicts a different facet of life during high school.

Whether it’s coming out, struggling with fitting in, or accepting that your parent has flaws, there’s a storyline that just about every viewer can relate to.

Never Have I Ever isn’t perfect, but neither is high school. The show might be a little messy or awkward at times, but that only makes it a more relatable portrayal of the teenage experience. island life—if you want to, you can just sit and watch the fish swim by. It features calming music and darkened rooms, instantly putting me at ease.

New Horizons also offers a unique way to socialize while in isolation. You can interact with your fellow island residents, all of whom have different designs and personalities, and—for those willing to pay $5 per month for Nintendo Switch Online—you can even visit your friends’ islands and invite them to yours.

Some people have become creative with this feature of the game by using their islands to host birthday parties, commencements, and other social events that have been cancelled in light of the coronavirus.

To read the rest of this article, go to queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

The Netflix film’s execution isn’t without a few flaws, and that’s okay Alexa Margorian Contributor Flawless storytelling and perfect writing isn’t where Netflix’s new film The Half of It draws its success.

Its story carves a place for itself as a thoughtfully portrayed LGTBQ+ experience in the messy, dramatic, and sometimes clichéd world of coming-of-age movies.

The film follows Ellie Chu, a quiet, straight-A student who lives in the predominantly white and Christian fictional town of Squahamish, Washington. She befriends high school football player Paul Munsky while helping him write love letters to woo Aster Flores, who Ellie also has a crush on.

The beauty of The Half of It is that Ellie is gay, but that’s not what the movie hinges itself on. She doesn’t agonize about coming out, nor does she have to come to terms with her sexuality.

That’s not to say Ellie lives in an idealized world where everyone is met with acceptance and respect—Squahamish is far from a place like that—but it’s refreshing to see a movie where a character’s sexuality isn’t the most important thing, or the only thing, we know about them.

However, in focusing on dismantling the heteronormative clichés often found in its coming-of-age predecessors, The Half of It leaves many tropes untouched.

Both Ellie and Paul spend most of the movie pining over Aster, a nice, pretty, popular peer with more depth than someone of her social status might be expected to have.

Like too many teen film love-interests, Aster represents an idealized version of femininity that’s unrealistic and verging on trope-y: she’s pretty but demure, popular but not rich, intelligent but humble. Aster may read intellectual novels and care about foreign policy, but her otherwise shallow representation detracts from the romantic aspect of the movie.

While The Half of It is filled with its own twists and turns, the hardest thing to wrap your head around is why two of the protagonists are obsessed with such a flimsy character.

To read the rest of this article, go to queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON ANDRADE

LIFESTYLE

14• queensjournal.ca

Monday, June 1, 2020

CULTURAL COMMENTARY

The pandemic is exposing the weaknesses of celebrity activism Celebrities need to prioritize meaningful action over social media slacktivism Celebrities can't subsitute social media messages for meaningful activism.

Shelby Talbot Lifestyle Editor Celebrities are just like the rest of us—if you discount their privilege and ability to create meaningful change with enviable ease.

Some are making meaningful donations during the COVID-19 crisis or raising thousands of dollars through charity initiatives, while others are singing covers of “Imagine.” Like it or not, celebrities have a significant amount of influence, and this influence manifests in a variety of ways during difficult times—current pandemic included.

Unsettl ing close-ups and questionable vocals aside, the Gal Gadot-organized dilution of John Lennon’s “Imagine” is illustrative of one of the cornerstones of unproductive celebrity culture: slacktivism.

Slacktivism hasn’t always had the overt

negative connotation it has today. The term was originally coined to describe the positive impact even small online actions can have thanks to the global platform created by social media.

The majority of criticism for slacktivism stems from the unfortunate reality that too many of us are replacing traditional activism with likes and retweets. It can feel easier, or even safer, to repost a viral video about front-line healthcare workers to your Instagram story than volunteering for a non-profit working to supply them with personal protective equipment (PPE).

While spreading awareness is always valuable, engaging in social causes from behind a screen can devolve into regurgitating platitudes that don’t get enough done.

Like us ordinary folks, A-list celebrities can fall into the comforting lull of online social and political activism. It’s probably

TV REVIEW

Will Riverdale’s surprisingly strong season finale carry into season five?

The CW teen drama’s promising five-year time jump could give the show the fresh start it needs Kirby Harris Assistant Lifestyle Editor Riverdale’s writing, acting, and musical choices in its most recent season have turned even its most dedicated viewers away. But with change on the horizon in the world of Riverdale, it’s possible the show may be able to save itself from more self-inflicted embarrassment in season five.

Following in the footsteps of its past three seasons, season four of the CW’s Riverdale had more diverging plotlines than a single season of television should ever need.

Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica took down an organ-harvesting cult, inner-city gangs, mean principals, and a private school secret society—all while navigating their senior year. Of course, some of these storylines were executed better than others. Jughead faking his own death with the help of his friends was a lot more engaging than Veronica and Cheryl starting a maple rum business.

It’s the nature of the show that few plots are well-written or without glaring mistakes.

After enduring yet another rollercoaster of a

season, I was left with a nagging question: why, even after four seasons of absurdity, do so many viewers like myself still choose to tune in to Riverdale every week? I found a clear answer in the season four finale.

Although “Chapter Seventy-Six: Killing Mr. Honey” wasn’t originally intended to be the season four finale, it earned the spot.

Directed by Madchen Amick, who plays Alice Cooper, the episode delivered a refreshingly well-paced plot and performance.

“Killing Mr. Honey” follows two parallel stories—one real, one imagined—where the gang seeks revenge on Mr. Honey, the Riverdale High principal, for cancelling prom and ‘ruining’ their senior year.

While the teens succeed in running Mr. Honey out of Riverdale High, the episode leaves them with the realization that their stuffy principal was never their true enemy, and the real danger of their senior year is still looming.

The biggest mysteries of the season may have been left unanswered due to Riverdale’s filming being shut down in midMarch, but “Killing Mr. Honey” still managed to shine as one of the season’s strongest moments. The episode was a reminder that Riverdale is at its best when it’s following a

ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT

easy to think that a post aimed at comforting people during difficult times constitutes meaningful action because it’s going to reach millions of followers.

While Gadot’s video was clearly well-intentioned, watching a disheveledlooking Will Ferrell croon, “No need for greed and hunger” isn’t what people need right now—or, really, ever.

People need jobs. They need mental health resources. They need those with time and money to spare to give even a little to help out.

If you have the means and opportunity to do some good during a global crisis, it begs the question: is there not something better you can do for others than record a five-second clip of yourself ‘singing’ on your front-facing camera?

There are plenty of celebrities using their platform and privilege to do important work right now. Actor Misha Collins’ non-

profit has done incredible work in the last two months, from raising money to address coronavirus-confounded food insecurity to helping first responders source PPE; Guy Fieri has helped to raise over $20 million for out-of-work restaurant workers.

Several of the celebrities in the viral “Imagine” video have engaged in some sort of charitable action for COVID-19 relief themselves. That doesn’t quite erase the tone-deaf sentiment behind the video, but it’s a step in the right direction in terms of meaningful action.

Social media should be regarded as a powerful tool to aid activism, not a substitute for it. This sentiment extends to celebrities, too. Boosting morale and fostering a sense of community is important in times like these.

But for people with the resources and privilege of most celebrities, that can’t be the only action they’re taking.

tight, focused plot that gets all of its leads in the same room.

While the characters were off on their own storylines for most of season four, “Killing Mr. Honey” proved that the chemistry between Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead—along with their friends Cheryl, Reggie, and Kevin—is Riverdale’s saving grace.

As the show moves into season five—which is confirmed to start with an approximate five-year time jump that skips past the gang’s college years—it’s important Riverdale’s writers have a plan if they’re looking to save the show from future ridicule.

It’s hard to know what the time jump will mean for the direction of the show, except that it’ll inevitably bring lots of change with it. But change might be exactly what Riverdale needs to win back some of its old audience.

Skipping ahead five years could give the show an opportunity for a fresh start: the cast will be playing characters much closer to their real ages, and the writers will no longer have to juggle the perils of

high school along with the main plots.

It could mean a return to focused storylines that don’t leave audiences scrambling to remember what happened in the last episode.

However, if the writers decide that the gang will emerge from the five-year time jump with estranged relationships, Riverdale’s already-thin silver lining may be diminished.

The remaining three episodes of season four are set to be filmed when production opens back up again and will include a graduation and senior prom. Hopefully these episodes will also give a satisfying conclusion to the season’s main storyline of snuff films and stalker videotapes, laying out a promising transition into season five.

I won’t set my expectations too high, though. After all, it’s still Riverdale.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHELBY TALBOT

Monday, June 1, 2020

queensjournal.ca • 15

Debating the merit of the long-finished but still popular show Aysha tabassum and Maddie Ward Yes The first season of Glee is charming but infuriating—it’s the perfect example of how not to do satire.

Quinn’s claim in season one that her teen pregnancy likens her experiences to those of racial minorities, for instance, is enough to make a person give up on the show all together.

But, like most of the couples on the show, the Glee writers switch things up pretty quickly following that first rocky season. By bringing on a team of more diverse writers—women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of colour—Glee is able to create a genuine connection with most of its viewers, not solely white American high schoolers.

Even if it pats itself on the back a bit too much for doing so, Glee features an incredibly diverse set of characters, most of whom find rich character development and happy endings—a rarity at the time of its run, especially for queer characters.

Glee is a poignant reminder of an aspect of satire that we often forget. Satire isn’t always meant to gauge a political reaction or call out the privileged out on their social position. Sometimes satire can bring the underprivileged together, exaggerating relatable issues until they’re laughable—it’s a lot easier than constantly feeling run down by them.

For me, Glee offers a chance to

The show's sense of humour remains as controversial as ever.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH WILLIS

Is Glee a clever satire? laugh at the pitfalls of living in an immigrant family. Watching Tina Cohen-Chang and Mike Chang obsess over the ‘Asian F’—an A minus—was a way to relieve the stress of the pressure that my own parents put on me to be an overachiever.

I can’t speak to the experiences of those groups and individuals that Glee was more insensitive towards, but I imagine I’m not the only one whom this show helped cope with some serious personal issues.

Glee is an undoubtedly ridiculous series. It plays on every possible high school cliché and often appears downright offensive in its portrayal of otherwise serious issues like teen pregnancy, ableism, and body dysmorphia.

However, there’s a key reason why this show has maintained a lasting cultural impact long after its finale: Glee doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Its satire isn’t rooted in a desire to beat social issues to a pulp.

Glee doesn’t push solutions to persistent problems—unless you think butchering Britney Spears’ hits is a viable solution. Instead, Glee is a show that reminds us to laugh at ourselves and at each other.

— Aysha Tabassum, Features Editor No Glee brings up memories of Finn Hudson locker magnets and begging my mom to buy me the

show’s cover of “Rumor Has It/ Someone Like You” on my iPod. But like these middle school staples, Glee has proven it’s better left in the past.

Revisiting Glee seemed like a good way to pass time while stuck at home. This nostalgia-trip, however, wasn’t as fun as I thought it’d be: re-watching Glee as an adult made me uncomfortable with how the show depicts several of its characters and mocks serious topics under the guise of satirical comedy.

Sue Sylvester's character, while a fan-favourite, is often questionable at best.

In the show’s first season, Sue wants to blackmail Principal Figgins, so she takes him out for dinner and spikes his drink. When

the drugs kick in, she strips him down and takes incriminating pictures of him in bed. Instead of condemning this behavior, the show plays it off as humorous, failing to acknowledge that blurring the line of consent is never funny.

The show is also disproportionally hard on the character Marley Rose in pursuit of a laugh. One storyline saw her clothes being altered to be smaller so she would think she was gaining weight. In making light of Marley's body image and eating disorder, the show is doing these serious topics a disservice.

Even when Glee tries to approach the issue with a more serious tone, it does so with little success. When Marley, who’d been purging, faints on stage during a performance, the glee club gets angry because she cost them a competition. Marley accepts her friends’ anger as a wake-up call and, as by magic, her eating disorder disappears.

Although the show’s intention may have been to promote discourse surrounding eating disorders and mental illness, Glee glamourized these issues more than it portrayed their harsh realities.

While it can be argued that Glee approaches serious topics with humour because it’s a satire, that doesn’t mean it’s a good one.

Where the show attempts to build conversation around important topics, it often fails to do so in a way that is positive and insightful.

I’m not writing Glee off as a show that’s entirely bad—it has its moments. But while comedy is subjective, Glee fails to toe the line between being satirical and insensitive.

— Maddie Ward, Contributor

STUDENT LIFE

Reflections of an essential worker Recognizing the value in the sense of normalcy brought about

by Ontario’s essential services Tessa Warburton Production Manager When I think of an essential worker, I picture paramedics, nurses, and doctors—the people on the front line risking their lives every day.

Through working at Costco’s garden centre this summer I’ve realized it’s not only the work that saves lives that’s important during this difficult time but work that makes life appear a little more normal too.

When the Ontario government first ordered businesses to close due to the spread of coronavirus,

I thought I’d be out of a summer job. I didn’t see the garden centre, where I worked last summer, as being considered an essential service. Plants seemed arbitrary compared to groceries and healthcare.

The thought of spending the summer without a sense of productivity worried me, so I enrolled in two online courses for the summer term.

Not even a week later, I received an email from the garden centre explaining we’d be going ahead with a few key changes: the centre was limited to a smaller space, strict physical distancing was required, and face masks became a mandatory part of our uniforms.

I arrived at my first shift expecting a slow day, but the stream of customers rivalled some of our busiest days last season. Walking up to the store, I saw a line of at least 100 or more people waiting. Inside, there was another long line waiting to go out into the garden centre.

At her summer job, Tessa found a sense of purpose.

This was my first indication that although the world had ground to a near-halt, people had not.

Because of the pandemic, Costco now has a dedicated ‘senior’s hour’ for shopping first thing in the morning. Now, my earliest days start at 6 a.m.

Last summer, the garden centre would receive around 60 racks of plants to fill the store each day. This season we’ve reduced how much product is in the centre to create room for customers to shop while distancing, and it’s meant significant changes to how deliveries are managed.

Instead of getting one big delivery before opening, we now

get more medium deliveries interspersed throughout the day.

Deliveries have become some of the most stressful parts of a shift—condensing flowers and making room for new racks on the fly is no easy task.

At peak hours, I find myself seeking out secluded corners to lift up my mask and take one full, deep breath.

I started my job confused about why people were so keen to buy plants in a global pandemic, but now I think I understand.

We’re all looking for a purpose right now, and it makes sense to want to watch something grow— to see life march forward during a time when most of our lives feel static.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON ANDRADE

Even though my mask makes my skin break out, my feet hurt by the end of the day, and I’m probably developing a wicked half-face tan, I’m grateful to have my job this summer— and not just because of the paycheck. Working at the garden centre allows me to help customers recover a sense of normalcy and gives my day purpose.

That’s not to say there aren’t days when I curse my alarm clock and count down the minutes until I’m done my shift, but luckily those feelings are fleeting and few.

If nothing else, they remind me of the ‘normal’ summer experience many of us are missing.

queensjournal.ca • 16

Monday, June 1, 2020

POSTSCRIPT

Recognizing being white-passing as a privilege

In her first year at Queen's, Hareer realized her responsibilty to her commmunity.

Where I stand as a proudly-identifying Arab Muslim Hareer Al-Qaragolie Contributor I was born in Baghdad to Iraqi parents who fled war to Amman, Jordan. Although I grew up as part of a marginalized Iraqi community in Jordan, I was also part of the majority of the population, adapting to the Jordanian accent and identifying as both an Arab and a Muslim.

In Jordan, I never thought of my privilege beyond the fact that I was part of the Iraqi diaspora.

However, through my experiences at Queen’s, I’ve had to add another definition to what privilege means to me: being white-passing.

Otherwise known as racial passing, white-passing is when a person of colour belonging to a marginalized community “passes” to identify as white, allowing them to have access to a certain amount of white privilege.

Moving to Canada was a step I was never really afraid of taking. I had always planned to study abroad and expand my perspective without sparing much consideration for the drastic cultural differences.

At that point in my life, I hadn’t truly experienced racism or discrimination of any kind.

Because of this, I didn’t harbour any worries about adapting to life in Canada.

Of course, this changed after I arrived.

Just like any international student, I struggled with the countless questions rolling around in my head about my identity, where I stood at Queen’s, and how

to tackle the burdensome feelings of loneliness.

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) students each face different fears about oppression and discrimination based on their ethnicities. I, however have come to realize why my fears of being a person of color at Queen’s weren’t as significant as some of my peers’: my pale appearance had made life in Canada easier for me.

The complexity of my Arabic name, the undertones of my Arab accent, my Muslim values, my family’s historical trauma, and my ongoing struggle to find my voice in a predominantly white space fit the criteria of the immigrant narrative.

But because I am not darkskinned and I choose to not wear a hijab, I am a less obvious target for islamophobia and racism.

ut because I am not Bdark-skinned and I choose to not wear the hijab, I am a less obvious target for islamophobia and racism.

I’ve never had to be afraid while walking the streets of Kingston or heading to class on campus because of my appearance.

I’ve never had to ignore the stares while eating out at a restaurant that many hijabi women experience.

The colour of my skin grants me the privilege of feeling safe.

With that privilege comes a responsibility for me to do my part in advocating for my community, and in acknowledging that colourism is very much alive within it.

Growing up in an Iraqi household, I was praised for

having pale skin.

The history of the affects of colonization and imperialism are very much prevalent in my community, stemming from Eurocentric beauty ideals that have dominated Iraqi communities for generations.

I have also come to understand that most of my friends’ and relatives’ praise for a white-passing appearance isn’t merely due to a prevalent beauty standard. As countless Iraqis have escaped the political turmoil in their country and found refuge in the West, the idea that being white-passing allows people to hide their identity of being coloured and avoid targeted hate has shifted to the forefront of peoples’ minds.

I remember a video call I had with a close family relative who lives in the United States.

When talking about my studies at Queen’s, she asked if people immediately recognized if I was Arab from my name or accent.

When I told her no, she responded with “good.”

At the time, I didn’t think to be mad or to question what she said. Since then, I’ve begun to realize the extents to which my family would go to access white privilege. It’s a reminder of the trauma they endured leaving Iraq during the war and the ongoing struggles they continue to experience from the colour of their skin and personal freedom of wearing the hijab.

Needless to say, I am very privileged to be white-passing.

I do not disregard the fact that I still do face certain oppressions and discriminations similar to the Arab and/or Muslim community, but I must acknowledge I have it easier when it comes to my pale skin.

This is not to say that I have never faced racism here at Queen’s. In fact, it’s an experience I had in first year that shifted

my perspective about this country, one that people talk so highly about back home.

During my first year, I met many great people whom I still today call my closest friends. One person I befriended that year had a particularly significant effect on me.

The two of us would talk about our upbringings, our struggles, and find relief and pleasure in opening up about ourselves to each other. I shared how very different life in Amman was compared to life in Canada, and I shared all the values I brought with me.

Most importantly, I told her how happy I was to be Muslim and how freeing my beliefs are to me.

told her how happy I Iwas to be Muslim and

how freeing my beliefs are to me.

This ‘friend’ later told my roommate that she felt bad for me because I’m a Muslim. She said that she must “save me” from my beliefs and liberate me from the values she thought oppressed me.

As devastated as I was to learn someone I trusted would speak of me this way, I was also confused about why she remained my friend for so long.

I have come to realize it’s because, to her, I was the “safe kind” of Muslim.

I didn’t adhere to her inaccurate definition of what it means to be a Muslim: I didn’t look Muslim to her, I didn’t “dress” as a Muslim, and—what hurt the most—I didn’t scare her as a Muslim.

My white-passing appearance made her feel safe.

I called this girl my friend not only because I felt comfortable with

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY HAREER AL-QARAGOLIE

her, but because I loved hearing stories from her, supporting her, uplifting her, and genuinely cared about her. To me, that is what it means to be a Muslim: to love and give unconditionally to your surroundings regardless of who they are, what they identify as, and what they believe in.

I never previously thought I would need to educate people about acceptance and respect.

I started to consider how the situation would have unraveled further if I wore a hijab or had dark skin.

My whole life, I never second-guessed my Arab-ness or my beliefs. I built myself a little bubble to try to avoid the pain and frustration that comes with being confronted with the racism and discrimination that I face today.

I must acknowledge that as significant and confusing as my pain is, it will never compare to Arab and/or Muslim folks who experience this treatment on a regular basis because of their appearance.

At Queen’s, I’ve had to learn a lot from my negative experiences, particularly in terms of where people think I stand as a proudly-identifying Arab Muslim in a predominantly white community.

Every year I spend at Queen’s forces me to add to my understanding of what it means to be part of a minority, as well as the responsibility I hold in helping my community as a white-passing woman of colour.

Acknowledging your privilege is the first step to understanding how you can support BIPOC individuals. I check my own privilege by speaking up, knowing my resources, and continuously educating myself to enhance my advocacy and promotion of effective activism.