the
Queen’s University
journal
Vol. 144, Issue 8
T h u r s day , O c t o b e r 6 , 2 0 1 6
since
1873
a wave of indie sweeps over campus Story on page 8
PHOTO BY AUSTON CHHOR
AMS launches petition to prevent Uber from being forced out of Kingston Student government argues that the service has proved vital at Queen’s Maureen O’Reilly Assistant News Editor On Sept. 30, the AMS Executive sent a petition to the Queen’s student body, protesting the city’s attempt to drive Uber out of Kingston. The petition, which was sent in a mass email, is addressed to the Kingston Area Taxi Commission and argues that Uber has been proven to ensure student safety, especially after a night of drinking. Uber — a multinational transportation network that allows users to request rides through a smartphone app — they argue, allows a student to see the driver’s name,
photo, car, and license plate number, and that this transparency provides students with a sense of security when traveling. According to the petition, having a ride just one click away and knowing exactly when your car will arrive to pick you up also provides a convenience factor that is attractive to students. The petition form asks for student’s names, schools, email, and additional comments in order to sign. Speaking to The Journal, AMS President Tyler Lively said the issue first came to their attention in the summer, when The Kingston Whig-Standard published an article regarding an incident between Uber and the City. When Uber arrived in Kingston, many taxi drivers and others in the city voiced their concerns that the service, if left unregulated, could be detrimental to other transportation companies in the area and to the general safety of the community.
According to Lively, at a City Hall meeting attended by the team, Mayor Bryan Paterson had stated that the City would be following “best practices” that were implemented in other jurisdictions for regulating ridesharing companies. Lively said he was subsequently surprised to see that the recommended regulations the Kingston Area Taxi Commission put forth were a lot more stringent than in other cities. According to The Whig, the Kingston Area Taxi Commission received a report recommending Uber adopt taxi industry practices such as imposing minimum fares, dress code and behaviour standards for employees, and required police background checks. Furthermore, the report recommended that Uber vehicles should have either a security camera, plastic shield or a blinking
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
See Petition on page 4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Opinions
Practice sustainability for more than just a week page 7
Features
Sports
Lifestyle
page 5
pages 10 & 11
page 13
A look at the experience of women in engineering disciplines Online:
queensjournal.ca
@queensjournal
Queen’s volleyball tournament recap and season preview facebook.com/queensjournal
How to thank your family this weekend
instagram.com/queensjournal
qjlongform.com
Postscript
How a boarding school experience shaped me page 15
News
2 •queensjournal.ca
Thursday, October 6, 2016
PHOTO BY BLAKE CANNING
Herstmonceux Castle, the location of the Bader International Study Centre, which ran it’s first science program last year.
Despite stumble, BISC math and science stands strong After two professors lost in one semester, students rally behind new programs
Blake Canning Assistant News Editor
their work. “The program did very well in its first year, culminating in an outstanding This Frosh Week, last year’s cohort of undergraduate research conference Bader International Study Centre students with poster presentations by Biology arrived in Kingston for their first year on and Chemistry students,” Provost main campus. For science majors, it’s a year Antoine-Benoit Bacon wrote to The Journal. of transition from the first-ever Queen’s The Provost didn’t mention any science program in England. difficulties within the program, and had Last year, the program was off to a no comment regarding the departure of rocky start. Both science professor Eric the two professors in the first half of the Demoncheaux and a math professor left fall term, stating that “Queen’s does not campus, under unclear circumstances, in comment publicly” on the specifics of the first semester. human resources. Previously, the satellite campus had Erika Campbell and Krista Jones, both mainly been focused on the liberal arts, ArtSci ‘19, were among last year’s inaugural and therefore didn’t have their own lab science cohort. Despite the year’s rocky start, both capacities. Last year’s students were transported to nearby Battle Abbey day students agreed they were able to leave the and boarding school facilities to complete BISC with a confidence in their program
heading into second year. “I was very happy with my experience to be honest,” Campbell said. “I know that sure, there were complications in the beginning with the science programs but [Academic Director] Christian Lloyd was very quick to solve all those problems.” Campbell said that those issues caused little hindrance to her learning experience. “Not much was lost there,” she said. “The new profs were brought in very quickly; we didn’t even miss a lecture. They just picked up and kept going.” She addressed the discrepancy in experiences among her classmates, noting the highly personal nature of attending a small, alternative first-year program. “I think everyone will have their negatives and positives,” she said. “I know that some people when I talked to them
about their experience at the castle they hated it, but I think they might have hated it on main campus as well. You never really know.” In her eyes, the science program is strong, especially considering its relative infancy within the academic program. Jones, when asked about the science professor who left weeks into the program, said “I just think he overstepped his abilities a bit, with how much he could have on his plate at once.” The professor also taught full time at Battle Abbey. She noted that “the majority of the class” had expressed concerns during the start of term. Following the departure, Queen’s alumnus Geoffrey Nelson was brought in as a replacement. He has since moved to an administrative position, aiding in the hiring of two new science professors. “Geoff was amazing,” Jones said, adding that his passion enticed students to learning the most they possibly could. “Once Geoff was running the labs, they were a lot better.” According to her, there was a great deal more structure to the program. “You could tell that he actually cared about his students … not just because it was his job, but also because he genuinely wanted us to know about chemistry and he found it interesting. He thought it was this amazing topic to learn about.” Though he declined to speak about the departures, Provost Bacon ended in noting that “teaching at the Castle is a privileged experience … we are fortunate to have an array of first rate instructors on site.”
CORRECTIONS
“Commerce program to terminate ranking system,” published online Oct. 4 2016 The annoucement was made on Sept. 22, not on Oct. 2. “One year of Smith,” published on Sept. 30 2016
Two thirds of the income will go towards funding faculty research, not creating new faculty positions. The Journal regrets the errors.
News
Thursday, October 6, 2016
queensjournal.ca
GUEST SPEAKERS
Big Data speaker series kicks off in Goodes Hall
175th celebration presentations begin Joshua Malm Staff Writer On Tuesday evening, to kick off Queen’s 175th speaker series, IBM data analytics VP Paul Zikopoulos gave an in-depth presentation at Goodes Hall on the often-misunderstood use of ‘big data’. Big data, he explained to the crowd, consists of large data sets that can be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations in human interactions and behaviour. Zikopoulos, who is considered a global expert in data and analytical technology, described to an intimate crowd why big data is important to us and how data analytics have the potential to solve a myriad of social issues. Topics he touched on included sustainable healthcare costs and governmental bureaucratic inefficiencies — from a “360-degree perspective”. As well, businesses can observe consumer behaviour and demographics based on data retrieved from mobile phones and social media apps. Big data is a combination of three factors. The first, the cloud, provides the infrastructure for big data to be compiled. The second factor is social media. Everyone, he said, uses some form of it and it serves as a “pulse of individuality” for consumers. From analyzing social media activity, we know where younger generations are spending their time, what they’re consuming and for how long. Mobile phones are the third factor, as the apps we use every day are the source of most of the analytical data collected by businesses today.
Zikopoulos further explained emerging trends in businesses, as well as what makes a company successful in the 21st century — and its all to do with analytical transformation, as he terms it. Successful companies are hyperpersonalizing their services and products based on the behavioural data of consumers, he said, and meeting needs in an unprecedentedly-tailored way. “Everyone has the opportunity to disrupt almost anything with data,” he said. “Every company will be a data company in the future. Other companies will be disrupted, become data companies or cease to exist.” Apps such as Pokemon Go, Snapchat, or Vine, to him, are prevalent collectors of observable data. “If you don’t pay for a service, you are the product being sold,” he told the crowd. “We are collecting data. If you hook up to WiFi for free, its not for free. Loyalty program? We know about you.” Zikopoulos used cultural examples to illustrate the power and scope of big data, noting that “Uber, a taxi company, owns no taxies. Facebook, a media company, creates no media.” The two are data companies. In his mind, government efficiency and healthcare can also be improved by the use of big data analytics. The ability to view an organization from every possible angle, and derive causations and correlations from said data, would enable them to improve their interior structure. In closing, Zikopoulos expressed his hope that big data will continue to fall into the hands of the everyday consumer, to further the democratic aspects of our data-driven societies.
Contributors of the month
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Take advantage of our many combined programs, including, • Opportunities to earn both common Law and civil law degrees; • A dual JD program with US Universities, allowing you to obtain Canadian and American law degrees;
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Sebastian Bron
Ever since Cassandra pitched her first idea to the Lifestyle section she has been a pleasure to work with. She meets tight deadlines with ease and is always eager to learn from each edit. Her writing has grown, even since the year started. Her ideas are both entertaining and well-researched and she’s always willing to step up when another section is in need. The final products add spice and variety to our pages, and are always appreciated by The Journal and our readers. We look forward to more of Cassandra’s exhilarating ideas and great attitude.
Although he started last year as the men's basketball beat writer, Sebastian Bron has created a new role in the Sports section of The Journal for himself. Whenever Sebastian is given an article, he brings his own detailed voice to the writing, pinning the reader within the article. Consistently he has been a strong writer for the section, showing versatility covering a multitude of sports. His openness to feedback and his willingness to learn for future articles has made him a valuable member of the team. We look forward to reading more of Sebastian's content as the year progresses.
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Application deadline: November 1, 2016 For more information: www.commonlaw.uOttawa.ca
•3
News
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Thursday, October 6, 2016
STUDENT HEALTH
For more news, visit
New director of Student Wellness Services talks plans for future Jennifer Dods to tackle campus mental health crisis Maureen O’Reilly Assistant News Editor Jennifer Dods was appointed the new Executive Director of Student Wellness Services (SWS) this spring, following the retirement of long-time director Mike Condra last summer. At the time she was hired, a study published by the Ontario University and College Health Association (OUCHA) surveyed 25,000 university and college students in the province. The findings were indicative of a mental health crisis. Dods is hoping to tackle this systemic issue in the coming year. “It has been a very busy start to the year
across all the services,” Dods told The Journal via email. SWS provides health, counseling, and accessibility services to members of the Queen’s community. “Other universities across the province have also experienced this,” she stated, in regards to the busy start. “At this point our priority is to ensure that we are seeing as many students as we can.” According to Dods, SWS has combatted the high demand for services by extending hours, adding more appointment times, and hiring more physicians, nurses, counsellors, and accessibility advisors. “SWS has more doctors and more counsellors this year than ever before,” she said.
queensjournal.ca
Dods added that SWS is also looking into alternative ways of providing students with mental health support, such as group counselling, drop-in services and online supports. Looking to students on campus, she encouraged them to prioritize self-care, though she acknowledged this can be difficult given student workloads and pressures. “Health and learning are intertwined and taking time to do the things that keep you healthy will, in the end, lead to greater overall success and well-being in all areas,” she told The Journal. “It can be little things — a phone call to family, making time to watch a movie or read a book, going for coffee with a friend, going for a run,” she wrote. “Taking breaks from assignments and studying to give your mind a rest and to do something relaxing can increase productivity when you come back to a task.”
Waits for funded “mental health care
in community settings are often months long.
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Special Recognition for Staff Award Nominations
This award recognizes staff members who consistently provide outstanding contributions during their workday, directly or indirectly, to the learning and working environment at Queen's University at a level significantly beyond what is usually expected (e.g. improving the workplace efficiency, quality of worklife, customer service, problem-solving, etc.) Information and nomination forms are available from: http://queensu.ca/humanresources/poli cies/queens-special-recognition-staffawards Deadline: October 14, 2016
student ranking system
ASUS President Darrean Baga discusses Strategic Plan
”
— Jennifer Dods
New SWS Executive Director Jennifer Dods.
Commerce faculty terminates
Going forward, Dods hopes to assess the needs and strengths of all Queen’s students related to health and wellness, as to best address any existing gaps in support. “We have a feedback box on our website and welcome student input about what they particularly liked about their experience at Wellness Services and what we could improve,” she said. Dods hopes that SWS can look to other universities for inspiration on what services to provide, and to continue to build strong partnerships both on and off campus. “The need for more mental health care is a systemic need,” said Dods. “Waits for funded mental health care in community settings are often months long, for specialists it can be up to a year.” In comparison, she wrote, the wait times at SWS are about two weeks during the busy season, with appointments available within 24 hours for students in crisis or with an urgent need. The SWS is located in the LaSalle building, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Joseph Brant Hospital
Foundation fails to break Queen’s Guinness record
Tobacco ‘endgame’ summit
recommends national cabinet
Petition hits 500 signatures Continued from front
911 light, and that Uber should set up a physical business office in Kingston. According to the Kingston Area Taxi Operators Association news publication, News From Behind the Wheel, Uber representative Chris Schafer has been in conversation with the Kingston Area Taxi Commission. Schafer, according to the publication, insisted that these recommended requirements are out of step with what cities like Toronto and Ottawa are doing. Uber’s arrival in Ottawa was met with equal resistance. According to a CBC article, many taxi drivers in the city fiercely opposed the arrival of Uber, but in April, City Council voted to legalize the service. Upon hearing of the City’s proposed
regulations that would effectively force Uber out of the city, LWT reached out to other members of the AMS and President’s Caucus for their thoughts on the issue. The student leaders were all in agreement that the issue had to be addressed for the sake of all students in Kingston. LWT then reached out to Uber and asked how they could help, which is when they decided to form their petition. As of Oct. 5, the petition has approximately 500 signatures. According to Lively, “it’s about having choice in the marketplace.” He explained that many students value Uber as a mode of transportation over using Kingston Transit, taxis, or walking. “If students think it’s a valuable choice, and if we can say Uber is a safe service, then it should be present here in Kingston.”
Thursday, October 6, 2016
IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM
queensjournal.ca
Features
•5
AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY
APPLIED SCIENCE
A hidden gender disparity in ECE
Female engineering students discuss their experiences in male-dominated disciplines
Erika Streisfield Arts Editor
is going to have a very different of women first hand when she transferred experience from a girl in computer [and] into ECE from a Life Sciences major. “Coming from a faculty that was 60 to 65 electrical engineering.” While women make up 50 per cent of per cent female to going to one that’s maybe “I took a class in third year where there were more Michaels than girls in my the student body in chemical and geological 10 per cent female was a big difference,” class,” said Emily Townshend, a sixth-year engineering, in other disciplines, such as Hollis said. “It’s definitely an obvious attitude computing, electrical and mining. Women engineering student. Queen’s Faculty of Engineering boasts make up less than 15 per cent, according to difference as well, all the way from one of the highest percentages of female information provided by ECE department the student level to the faculty and administrative level.” students enrolled in engineering in Canada head Michael Greenspan. According to Townshend, women are a — 31 per cent of students in the class of 2020 are women. By comparison, McGill minority in ECE and treated like it. “I don’t feel like if I made a complaint and Waterloo’s engineering programs have against a professor that it would be taken 27 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively. But the 31 per cent doesn’t account seriously,” said Townshend. “There are for the uneven distribution among the professors that have totally been sexist disciplines within engineering, and in the past, but what am I going to do? specifically in electrical and computing I can’t report that. Who am I going to go to? My male supervisor? The male engineering (ECE). For Townshend, Sci ’15, the overall undergraduate chair?” numbers don’t reflect her experience in Townshend said she’s encountered computer engineering where women inappropriate remarks in class by both According to Hollis, at the student level of the ECE department there’s the sense that make up approximately 14 per cent of the professors and students alike. “A coding prof once told us that a “female students need to work harder to gain disciplines’ student body. “Though we are overall as a [faculty] 30 specific topic in class was like ‘looking the same level of respect and recognition as per cent, and that’s a statistic that we love to up the skirt to see what it is.’ There’s also their male counterparts.” The underrepresentation of women at quote, when you actually get down to it and been sexist remarks from male students break into your disciplines, it’s not 30 per that the woman in the program are the faculty and administrative level also ‘doing things’ for marks.” contributes to the department’s less than cent across the board,” Townshend said. Annie Hollis, Sci ’17, experienced the lack inviting atmosphere. “A girl who’s in chemical engineering “I think there’s something to be said for walking into a class, and every class you walk into, you don’t see yourself represented in any way,” Hollis said. Of the 18 faculty members in ECE, there are only two female professors. According to Hollis, she hasn’t heard any conversation happening among ECE faculty and administration members concerning gender disparity at all levels, and more importantly, alleged sexism that pervades the department. “Right now, faculty specific, there is no conversation open about it, so we just keep quiet about most of the instances of blatant sexism,” Hollis said. While these instances are spoken of among the female ECE students, Hollis explained, when a higher authority is needed, ironically, the only person at the administrative level to speak with is male. “It definitely does discourage you from going to talk to anybody about the issues you do face. The fact that it isn’t talked about means that the people who aren’t experiencing it … don’t understand that it exists.” For Hollis, this underrepresentation and lack of support for women by women at the faculty and administrative level, is problematic and should be taken more GRAPHIC BY KAYLA THOMSON // DATA PROVIDED BY MICHAEL GREENSPAN seriously by the department.
PHOTO BY AUSTON CHHOR
However, according to recent graduate, Veronica Riehl, Sci ’16, the gender disparity within ECE was never a concern to her academic success or wellbeing. “I never felt going in to it that I was unwelcomed,” Riehl said. While it’s understandable that female students could be intimidated by the male dominated program, Riehl explained that she never experienced sexism firsthand
coding prof once told us that a specific topic in “ Aclass was like ‘looking up the skirt to see what it is.’ There has also been sexist remarks from male students who say that the women in the program are ‘doing things’ for marks.
”
— Emily Townshend, Sci ‘15
from others in the program, students or faculty members. “I remember at graduation they told us that four of the five top students of ECE were women. So even though there were few of us, we did well,” Riehl said. “I think that it’s not just Queen’s but it’s going to be at every school, within those disciplines, the gender ratio is going to be different in each one.” According to Michael Greenspan, associate professor and head of ECE, it’s not for certain why there are so few women in the discipline. “The answer is that I don’t know definitively why that’s the case,” Greenspan said. “When I traveled in India a few years ago, they were surprised to hear there was a lack of female students in electrical and computing engineering because in India, that’s where most female engineering students go whereas they don’t go into chemical engineering there at all.” For Greenspan, the gender disparity in ECE is a complex issue. The number of women coming in and out of ECE remains approximately the same — that is, very low. “We scratch our heads to try to understand,” Greenspan said. In minimizing the gender gap, Greenspan said he’s trying to spread the word about the discipline, with a particular emphasis on its practicality, for incoming students and especially women, to see and take interest in. “It would be great to have a greater percentage of females in our program because everybody comes with a different perspective to solving problems and we want to have a diverse set of inputs in the field as we possibly can.”
6 • queensjournal.ca
Thursday, October 6, 2016
EDITORIALS P
The Journal’s Perspective
Ending Commerce rankings breeds a better environment
ublic judgement doesn’t encourage healthy competition, but negative attitudes. The Commerce Society announced last week that the faculty’s ranking system — which was solely driven by grades and publicized to the student body — was coming to an end. Last year, ComSoc’s Academics Commissioner conducted a survey to garner the student perspective on the ranking system and consulted with professors, employers and administration. From all, but from students especially, they received an overwhelming call to get rid of the rankings. The cut was needed. The potential harm to students who may not have received a high listing vastly outweighs the potential boost to those who did. For those whose names sat lower on rankings, a system that numerically defines a student’s value based on grades is a breeding ground for negativity — especially one that fails to take non-academic involvement into account, let alone mental health and personal factors. It only further perpetuates the idea that prioritizing academic standing above mental health is a valid and necessary
formula for success. The pathway to achievement in the faculty and the industry shouldn’t be by working tirelessly to surpass the very people who could be pillars of support.
cut was needed. “TheThepotential harm to
students who may not have received a high listing vastly outweighs the potential boost to those who did.
”
In a faculty like Commerce that involves collaborative coursework and group projects, the ranking system perpetuated a paradox — that the same students working together in class were in competition against each other for a numerical ranking.
The termination of the Commerce ranking system is an admirable example of a Queen’s tradition being changed to suit the shifting needs of students. When it comes to other debates such as the one over Fall Reading Week, the University may benefit from the attitude that was central to ComSoc’s decision — that students’ wellbeing is more important than an arbitrary tradition. Cutting rankings could breed a more welcoming and less cut-throat environment for students in Commerce. Not only does the decision help promote the idea that success isn’t
determined by any number, but it encourages students to set goals for self-satisfaction, not just to get to top of a list. —Journal Editorial Board
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 144 Issue 8 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873
Editorial Board Jacob Rosen
Editors in Chief
Jane Willsie Production Manager
Kayla Thomson
News Editor
Victoria Gibson Blake Canning
Assistant News Editors
Morgan Dodson Maureen O’Reilly Shivani Gonzalez
Features Editor
Mikayla Wronko Editorials Editor
Ramna Safeer
Opinions Editor
Arththy Valluvan Erika Streisfield
Arts Editor
Alex Palermo
Assistant Arts Editor
Joseph Cattana
Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor
Sarah O’Flaherty Jenna Zucker
Lifestyle Editor
AshleyRhamey
Assistant Lifestyle Editor
Julia Balakrishnan
Photo Editors
Auston Chhor Ghazal Baradari-Ghiami
Video Editor Digital Manager
Valentino Muiruri Rachel Liu
Graphics Editor
Vincent Lin
Editorial Illustrator
Zachary Chisamore
Copy Editors
Brigid Goulem Irene Liu
Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Michelle Allan Josh Finkelstein Madeline Heinke Rebecca Lindsay Joshua Malm Sebastian Molgat Amanda Norris Nick Pearce Clayton Tomlinson
ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT LIN
Sydney Urbanek Ellie Berry
Contributors
Victoria Stevens Diana Yoon
Victoria Gibson
Queen’s needs a lesson on transparency Queen’s has a transparency problem. I was in first year when BISC Executive Director Bruce Stanley was fired, opening the floodgates to two years of dismissals and resignations on Queen’s satellite campus. Before I even knew what The Journal was, I wondered why we — the students impacted by Stanley’s mid-year departure — were left in the dark. In my third year, freshly-hired on The Journal’s news team, I sent a formal request to Queen’s administration to ask why so many professors left. That day, I learned something alarming, though not on the subject of my request. “It would not be appropriate for the university to comment,” wrote back Alan Harrison, then-Provost. As for the individual professors, they were legally prohibited from speaking on the matter. It would be easy to label this unfulfilled request for information as a mere inconvenience — a disgruntled student journalist who had to work around it. But the sentiment has been repeated over and over again.
Queen’s isn’t honest with its students — the University’s interactions with its student newspaper is telling of that indifference. “At this time, we are unable to provide a comment” has become a mass-produced response. A quick search of my inbox found innumerable versions of this same sentence, sent by communications officers relaying the message.
research misconduct, academic freedom and institutional non-compliance. The case goes beyond the intricacies of human resources, which admittedly may be confidential for good reason, and deals with the very heart of academic honesty, research integrity and whether or not this school is a place where we could come forward with information.
While the issue can seem niche to the handful of student writers at The Journal, it’s an indication of a larger trend — one that’s neglecting Queen’s students and faculty at large. Student journalists aren’t being given answers for questions that the student body needs answers for. Another particularly poignant example comes in the story of recently-fired Engineering Professor Morteza Shirkhanzadeh — the subject of a complex case on
During the many months in which The Journal covered the story, administration repeatedly denied communications requests. Often, no explanation was given as to why the requests were denied — just the same no-comment reply. If a group that actively seeks answers can’t find them, what’s the hope for Shirkhanzadeh’s students, or Queen’s academics concerned with integrity? This tight-lipped approach to
isn’t honest with its students — the “ Queen’sinteractions University’s with its newspaper is telling of that indifference. ”
issues that matter to students undermines the significance of student journalism in ensuring the voices of students are heard, but it goes beyond that as well. The average student is limited in their capacity to discuss issues with higher administration, so The Journal provides a space for transparency, a space that’s being abused by silence. That isn’t to say that every administrator is closed off. In my role, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with many administrators who actively seek out honesty with students. However, more often than not, this isn’t the case. In particular, it would be beneficial for Daniel Woolf to rise to this example. There are two sides to every story. For every comment denied, Queen’s is only hurting their own voice. And I know this university can be better than this. Prove me right. Victoria is The Journal’s News Editor. She’s a fourth-year drama and English student.
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Want to contribute? For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editors in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions. The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston. Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers. 190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Contents © 2016 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal. Circulation 4,000
Thursday, October 6, 2016
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OPINIONS
Your Perspective
Sustainability is more than a week-long commitment
•7
issues “areEnvironmental better tackled with
a larger, more engaged student body that actively views our campus through a sustainable lens.
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Thinking green on occasion just isn’t cutting it Diana Yoon, ArtSci ’17 This week, Queen’s campus celebrated Sustainability Week, a week to promote environmental initiatives on campus. While it was nice to exchange some clothes and lightbulbs, eat some local food samples and get free coffee in a reusable, nice won’t reduce our carbon emissions by 35 per cent by 2020 — a goal outlined in Queen’s Climate Action Plan. Being environmentally-minded throughout the year at Queen’s can be difficult, but it’s easy to walk around campus and notice tangible ways that Queen’s could make itself greener. Why aren’t there any recycling bins on any of the sidewalks on University or Union Streets? Why don’t the bike lanes extend to all roads on campus? Why don’t more of the buildings on campus — other than the AMS offices — run on green energy through Bullfrog Power? It’s because there isn’t a strong enough push for ambitious environmental action at Queen’s — from either the university administration or the students. We can all do better. In 2010 Principal Daniel Woolf signed a commitment to the Climate Action Plan. This spring, nearly six years later, it was published and released. If it took us six years to decide on the university’s greenhouse Diana Yoon argues that Queen’s and its students can do more to make campus sustainable. gas reduction targets, how far will we have exceeded them before we see a tangible, At McGill, the Sustainability Projects well within our reach. step-by-step plan of action on how we’re Fund — their equivalent to the So, how can we achieve a more going to become carbon neutral by 2040? SAF — funded 92 projects worth sustainable Queen’s together? What can In comparison, in 2015, UBC released $2.9 million between 2010 and you, as an individual, do to help? a 20-year Sustainability Strategy for 2013. More than 85 per cent of Support student establishments their Vancouver campus. They defined approved projects have demonstrated like the Tea Room that are “sustainability” to mean “simultaneous collaboration between students and environmentally -friendly, carbon-neutral, improvements in human and environmental staff — which is necessary for long-term and 100 per cent compostable. Vote wellbeing, not just reductions in damage or multi-stakeholder projects. Examples of for student politicians that have strong or harm.” this include their “Preserve 2 Go” program, environmental policies. They’re working towards not only reducing their carbon emissions 67 per cent by 2020 but also leading the university If it took us six years to decide on the university’s environmental movement by investing greenhouse gas reduction targets, how far will we have in green energy and academic research exceeded them before we see a tangible, step-by-step in sustainability. plan of action on how we’re going to become Why don’t we hold ourselves to the same standard? carbon-neutral by 2040? We, as students, also need to be more ambitious in demanding and striving for a more sustainable Queen’s. We need to a collaborative student-staff effort that Demand the University divest from dream bigger and think critically about implements reusable to-go containers at corporations that cause social injury and all the ways the University could be more food establishments on campus. environmental destruction. Stay informed environmentally sustainable. I want you If the SAF capitalized on better and incorporate environmentalism into to know that we have the resources to collaborations with academic or university your daily life. create positive change through hidden departments like the Environmental Studies Environmental issues are better tackled gems like the AMS’s Sustainability Action Department or Physical Plant Services, with a larger, more engaged student body Fund (SAF). programs like the ones at McGill could be that actively views our campus through a
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PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
sustainable lens. Furthermore, Sustainability Week would not have come together without a handful of students who dedicate their time and energy to environmentalism at Queen’s. Having worked alongside them for the past couple of years, I appreciate their passion and enthusiasm despite how slowly progress seems to happen. But progress is only possible with more student environmental leadership. Whether you join a club or start a brand new initiative, we need more students who are willing and excited about climate action — especially ones with fresh ideas to rejuvenate some life into our student environmental movement. Queen’s got a little greener this past week, but I hope this is just the beginning of a new wave of climate action. Let’s stop playing nice and start working towards a more ambitious vision for sustainability at Queen’s. Diana Yoon is a fourth year geography and environmental studies major. She is the Co-Chair of Queen’s Backing Action on Climate Change.
Talking heads ... around campus
PHOTOS BY ARTHTHY VALLUVAN
What is your favourite Thanksgiving dish?
“Turkey stuffing.” Ethan Dignam, ArtSci ’19
“Turnips. I love turnips.” Jordan Greene, ArtSci ’19
“Mashed potatoes with gravy.”
Kaitlyn Brougham, ArtSci ’17
“Mugwort and salt-cured meat stir-fry.” Songyang Zhou, ConEd’ 19
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Thursday, October 6, 2016
ARTS
FOCUS ON:
QPOP!
A wave of indie sweeps over campus
PHOTOS BY AUSTON CHHOR AND ERIKA STREISFIELD
Erika Streisfield, Alex Parlermo Journal Staff HIGHS
Little Scream
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Hometown: Montreal, QC
Members: Doug Haynes, Karrie Members: Douglas, Joel Harrower, Paul Laurel Sprengelmeyer Vroom, Liam Cole Sound: Little Scream is all Sound: The alt-pop band has a vocals. Lead singer Laurel cool eclectic sound with strong Sprengelmeyer’s vocals can vocals and foot-tapping beats. The be compared to Florence lead singer’s high pitched voice is Welch’s — a powerful, cool and catchy and captivating, enticing refined voice that gives you chills listeners to sing along. just listening to it. How would you rate HIGHS What did you think about performance? their performance? “Five stars” “They have a beautiful sound. The — Holly Chow, ArtSci ’20 singer’s voice is amazing. I don’t think this is enough people for how good they are!” — Simon McNally, ArtSci ’17
Ria Mae Reuben and the Dark Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Lucas DiPasquale
Members: Reuben Bullock, Shea Alain, Kaelen Ohm, Brock Geiger and Ian Jarvis Sound: The folk band has an indie chill sound with a smooth acoustic tune and a hint of gospel. Lead singer Reuben Bullock’s voice is comforting and serene, like a blast from Marcus Mumford, and can put you under a spell.
Reuben and the Dark
What did you think about Reuben and the Dark’s Performance? “Amazing. Ten out of five stars. I had never heard them before tonight.” — Priya Gupta, Med “Amazing! They’re very passionate and you can see it in the way they perform. It makes you feel alive when you’re listening to it.” — Kristian Man, PheKin ’17 “Awesome! ’Berta Boys.” - Scott Jelec, ArtSci ’17
QJ Review: The Canadian indie folk band left the Queen’s crowd at the Grad Club speechless with chilling vocals and powerful instrumentals. In the middle of their performance, lead singer Reuben Bullock silenced the crowd for an acoustic version of ‘Bow and Arrow’, turning off all mics and amps. The Grad Club fell quiet under the lead singer’s spell to hear the beautiful voice that graced the stage. Even if you weren’t familiar with their music, it’s easy to find yourself clapping, stomping and humming along to the band’s sweet sounds. Reuben and the Dark is arguably the next Mumford and Sons, if not better. Lucas DiPasquale
HIGHS
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario Members: Lucas DiPasquale Sound: Dipasquale’s music is a solid mix of indie and hip hop with a Jamaican vibe. In addition to the instrumentals, the artist has melodic and strong vocals that can make any lady’s heart melt. How was Lucas’ peformance? “Really good, really fun. He had a nice vibe. The performance was very relaxing. He obviously knew how to pick the guitar ... We were listening to him on Snapchat before we came here.” — Lily Colston ArtSci ’17
QJ Review: While he performed to a smaller crowd, Lucas DiPasquale whisked the Queen’s ladies (us included) off their feet with his impressive acoustic set. While he played some original songs, the crowd couldn’t get enough of his unique covers of Maroon 5’s ‘Sunday Morning’, and our favourite, Kid Cudi’s ‘Soundtrack to My Life’.
Little Scream
View our full QPOP! coverage on qjlongform.com
Arts
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•9
QPOP!
An interview with Hollerado ‘Outsiders together’ play Grant Hall
Nick Pearce Staff Writer Hollerado’s offbeat, catchy indie rock set the house on fire during QPOP!’s Saturday headlining show — literally. Grant Hall’s fire alarm evacuated the building mid-song, drenching the small but resolute crowd as it waited outside for the show to continue. Lead singer Menno Versteeg’s provided a spoken word recap — including sound effects — to bring the returning crowd up to speed. “I was like [guitar sound effect] and you were all clapping,” he said as he flailed his arms at the committed audience. The band’s returning set included hopeful singles from their upcoming album. The new songs followed Hollerado’s mold — a manic indie-rock sound topped with a generous amount of hooks. Some fan’s were lost with these new songs, but quickly regained their footing with older favourites like ‘Americanarama’ and ‘Pick Me Up’. A few hours earlier, in a cramped
Internet, somehow.” dressing room, drummer Jake Boyd I had Chumbawumba.” “The ideal is to have the “Dean did it all,” Versteeg said, told me their following is built on resources to make the records that shared weirdness between band his voice deadpan. After forming in 2007, the band you believe in,” Nixon Boyd, said, and fans. Versteeg jokingly agreed plucked away until 2009, when chiming in after a few jokes about that their fans certainly aren’t cool. “And neither are we,” Boyd they won a hefty $25,000 in Live a Microsoft-Google-Royal Mountain merger. “Helping said. “We’re bands [we] love is outsiders together.” It’s music reserved for people avoiding the ideal and so far Verseteeg, Jake we’ve been able to Boyd, guitarist the popular table (and often the dance do that. “ Nixon Boyd, and floor), but not every member of the band Aside from the bassist Dean Baxter band’s business grew up on the same had the same taste aspirations, street in Manotick, Hollerado has built ON. They remember pouring over punk rock records 88.5 FM’s “Big Money Shot” battle a reputation for quirky, viral-ready in their teens as they developed of the bands competition. The win music videos. The quartet has been the DIY ethics that would guide kick-started their career, helping to ostrich racing, hot-air balloon flying create their own record label, Royal and bike riding in Holland. their careers. “You get 20 or 30 thousand “The real ideals of punk is do Mountain Records, and create three dollars to make a music video,” whatever you feel like and love that studio albums. The label continues to grow. Versteeg said. “What have you and embrace that,” Versteeg said. My own experience growing up with Canadian up-and-comers always wanted to spend 20 to with the genre agrees — it’s music Alvvays and PUP now call the 30 thousands dollars on? Well reserved for people avoiding the label home alongside a growing we want to go ride ostriches. So, popular table (and often the dance list of other young musicians. that’s what we spent 30 thousand floor), but not every member of the But the band is still coy about the dollars on.” The videos underlie Hollerado’s label’s future. band had the same taste. “We want to sell it to a computer guiding philosophy — a giddy “I had two Backstreet Boys CDs,” Baxter said, prompting some company for a billion dollars,” commitment to offbeat ideas and ribbing. “I had two Limp Bizkit CDs. Versteeg said. “Sell it to the sounds. The band admits that
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PHOTO BY AUSTON CHHOR
they’re only truly successful when they stick to their roots. They point to ‘Firefly’, a pop song written for their previous record, 111 Songs. The song was a successful studio experiment, but it was never true to the band’s identity. “It feels like we put a mask on every time we play that song,” Nixon Boyd said. It’s just not fun to stray from the initial idea of the band, they explained. Nine years ago, they hoped to combine Weezer and The Rolling Stones simply because they wanted to listen to it. Versteeg said the band has finally delivered on that first idea with their upcoming album, while admitting every band says that. When I asked what fans could expect, the band jointly answered “rock.” Then I got more sound effects. “Duh-duh-duh — beh-de-beh — duh-duh – psst psst,” Jake Boyd sang, while playing air guitar. “Kind of like that.”
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Thursday, October 6, 2016
SPORTS ATHLETE PROFILE
Saving Queen’s, one last time Queen’s keeper reflects on her five years in the net
Madison Tyrell is the fifth-year keeper for the women’s soccer team.
Joshua Finkelstein Staff Writer In simplest terms, to be a successful soccer team, the 11 players on the pitch must either score more goals than their opponents, or let in fewer on their own net. There’s no player more familiar with the latter responsibility than Madison Tyrell, the fifth-year goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team — especially on a Gaels team that has proven itself one of the stingiest in the OUA in recent seasons. Now, already two-thirds of the way through her final season, Tyrell spoke to The Journal via email about her personal experiences protecting the posts at Queen’s throughout her five years. “As a fifth year, this season had been about getting the most out
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
of every opportunity,” Tyrell wrote in the midst of a season where the Gaels sit fourth in the OUA East. “I am soaking in all the little things that I used to overlook because I knew there was always next year.” As a key veteran on a Gaels team with players at many different stages of their varsity careers, Tyrell acknowledged how she’s had to take on a leadership role that goes beyond just the 18-yard box. “Compared to previous seasons, I feel more of a responsibility to leave this team having gave everything I could give on and off the field.” Tyrell also pointed out how she’s grateful to have an opportunity in a mentorship role, in order to “pass down all [her] learnings, good and bad, not just for the keepers, but to all the younger years.”
The knowledge that Tyrell has been passing on to her younger teammates has also been crucial to improving her own game. Her own methods may differ from some of those of her teammates, with mental preparation being so important for goalkeepers, in addition to physical.
are won and “lostShootouts between the ears. ” — Madison Tyrell on winning penalties
“As a keeper, my preparation is about connecting with my sense,” she said. To prepare for this, she works on mental imagery, which earlier in her career involved playing Gameboy before the soccer matches, but now has modernized into a game
on her phone. Ultimately, when it comes to preparation for goalkeeping, Tyrell says: “In the net, things happen so quickly. I need my reflexes, decision making and muscle memory to come as second nature.” One aspect of Tyrell’s game that has always stood out is her incredible record in penalty shootouts. Though this is only a factor in the playoffs, the impact a strong record in penalties has had on the Gaels’ fortunes is massive. In last season’s OUA semifinals, Tyrell made two saves in her team’s shootout against the number one seed York Lions, setting them up for a 7-6 win and earning a berth in the CIS Championships. In the Championships, the team won their final two games again with spot kicks, claiming fifth spot
PHOTO BY ADAM LOUDFOOT
nationally, with three Tyrell saves across the two shootouts. Dave McDowell, head coach of the women’s soccer team, mentioned penalties in particular as one aspect of his long-serving keeper’s game that has always impressed. “There’s a sense of real confidence in her that she’ll stop two or three of them,” he said. Tyrell added her own thoughts on the typically unpredictable tiebreaker format, stressing the importance of confidence and focus. “Shootouts are won and lost between the ears … It has taken loads of practice to feel that confidence on the line. I have to trust my practice and enjoy the moment”, she said. “For me I look forward to seizing those moments. I believe they are what makes sports so special.”
A fresh outlook for a new season Season preview for developing Gaels John O’Flaherty Contributor Competing in two exhibition tournaments in the past two weeks, the women’s volleyball team might not have gotten the results they wanted on the scoreboard, but they’re picking up some valuable experience on the court. Through eight exhibition games the team has only managed one win — this weekend against the University of New Brunswick — but overall the team seemed happy with their performance. For veteran outside hitter Caroline Livingston, the team is just learning to grow together. “I feel like we’re starting to find our identity. It may not be the result we were looking for in terms of wins and losses, but definitely in terms of experience,” she said.
Their roster this season includes twice as many rookies as veterans. 10 of the 15 players are in their first year of eligibility and none of the team has more than three years of experience. On the surface, this seems like a red flag for any team with their sights on first place, however Head Coach Michael Ling had a more optimistic view. “With fresh faces comes fresh outlooks, so it’s going to take some development for sure,” he said. He too stressed the importance of growth this year, referring to the past tournaments as “building blocks”. Without a team captain selected, from a spectators point-of-view, this team might seem like it’s in a dangerous position, but players both Livingston and Coach Ling were
See Experience on page 12 Women’s volleyball playing at home for the Queen’s Invitational exhibition tournament .
PHOTO BY REBECCA LINDSAY
Sports
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POINT-COUNTERPOINT
Which Gaels team has impressed you most? Journal Sports staff debate the qualities of two teams
Men’s rugby are currently fourth in the OUA.
Men’s Rugby Sarah O’Flaherty Assistant Sports Editor The Gaels’ men’s rugby team is undoubtedly the best varsity team that Queen’s has to offer. While they might not have a newly renovated stadium, at each match they manage to draw large crowds, play passionately and, almost always, come out with a victory. The team has won the past four OUA championships and are confident in their ability to achieve their “drive for five”, winning a fifth straight OUA championship. At the heart of this year’s team are two players who have longstanding relationships with Rugby Canada — Lucas Rumball and Kainoa Llyod. Rumball, flanker and former captain of the team, is known for his bone-crushing tackles and strong defensive plays. Rumball splits his time between his national team commitments and the Gaels, remaining a consistent force to be reckoned on the Gaels’ front line. He fiercely defends the Gaels’ try line when under attack and is able to stop his competition dead in their tracks. As one of the more physically imposing players on the field, Rumball’s tackles and rucks consistently draw gasps from the crowd and instill fear in the opposition. With players like Rumball at the
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
forefront, Queen’s defense is an almost impenetrable force. With five games down and just three left in the regular season, the Gaels only have 62 points against them, putting them just behind Guelph (20) and Western (58). Kainoa Lloyd, the Gaels’ star winger and lead scorer, is arguably the best player in the OUA right now. He amazes the crowd at every game with his seemingly effortless sprints down field, currently registering 44 points and the most tries of any player in the OUA with eight. With the speed of players like Lloyd, combined with the strength of the team’s front line, opponents rarely stand a chance against their unrelenting attack. Queen’s offense has accumulated 188 points, second in the OUA. Currently, the team is ranked fourth in OUA with a 3-1-1 record. While it might seem low for the defending champions, the team consistently plays at a level far above their ranking. They’ve already beaten the second-best team, the McMaster Marauders; tied the third best team, the Western Mustangs, and had a narrow loss to the number one team in the OUA, the Guelph Gryphons. It’s because of these stars they have on offense and defense, combined with the history of winning that head coach Gary Gilks has to be happy with the team’s prospects of winning their fifth-straight title.
Young team uses pre-season to learn Recapping the Gaels invitational Sarah O’Flaherty Assistant Sports Editor This weekend, the men’s volleyball team faced their first test of the season at home during the Queen’s Invitational men’s volleyball tournament in the ARC. The tournament featured the top teams from across Canada, including the reigning CIS champions, Trinity Western Spartans and runners-up, McMaster Marauders. These were the Gaels’ first matches since coming off a disappointing end to their 2015-16 season. While they made the OUA playoffs last season, they suffered losses to the Ryerson Rams in quarters and the Waterloo Warriors in the bronze medal match, missed out on the CIS national tournament. While Queen’s only managed
JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
to win one set across their three matches, there were a lot of positives to take away from the weekend. On Friday, against the Trinity Western Spartans, Queen’s was highly competitive despite the match ending in a 3-0 loss. The close competition of their match might have come as a surprise to some, as the Gaels were seemingly mismatched against the Spartans. The collective experience of the Gaels’ starters, in terms of years of eligibility, was a mere 15 compared to Trinity Western’s 21. After graduating Ivo Dramov, Tyler Scheerhoorn, Marko Dakic, Scott Brunet and Mike Tomlinson, the Gaels are only left with one of their starters from last year, setter Jamie Wright. While they’ll also see the return of veterans Markus Trence
Women’s soccer has the sixth best defense in the OUA.
Women’s Soccer Joseph Cattana Sports Editor Through ten games this year, the women’s soccer team has made one thing clear — last year wasn’t a fluke. Looking to build on the successes of the 2015 OUA championship, where they went undefeated for 12 games, and later place fifth at the CIS national championships, there were still some questions surrounding this Gaels team. Would they be able to continue their strong defensive record? Can they win tight games? Can they repeat their title run? Those questions have been answered. Other than their 4-2 loss to the Carleton Ravens, Queen’s hasn’t allowed more than one goal in a game. This year’s defensive line of Erin Cliffe, Claudia Glasspoole, Alicia Levy and Rachel Radu have played an integral role while Kyra Steer has been out with an injury, boasting the leagues sixth best defense out of 19 teams in the OUA. Fifth-year goalkeeper Madison Tyrell has been a steady goalie for Queen’s ever since she stepped on campus in 2012. Among starting goalies in the OUA this year (goalies who have played more than nine games), Tyrell ranks sixth in save percentage with a .839 percentage and sixth in goals against with .92 per game. While they might sit at fourth in
and Will Hoey, who were both injured during last season, for half their team, this weekend was their first experience playing at a university level. After keeping it tight with the Spartans during sets one and two, the team came loose in the final points, dropping them 25-22 and 28-26 respectively. In the third set, Queen’s was no match for their opponents,
PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS
the OUA East standings, Queen’s has played one game less than the teams ahead of them, with a win or tie putting them in third place. The Achilles heel of the team last year was an inability to finish close games. With seven draws on their 2015 record, head coach Dave McDowell constantly stressed the idea of winning the tight game. This year, Queen’s has made up for last year’s faults, leaning on the attacking trio of Brittany Almeida, Tara Bartram and Jenny Wolever to win three games by a one goal margin. With Almeida’s ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations, Bartram’s strengths in the air and hold-up play, combined with Wolever’s excellent speed and brilliance on the ball to weave through the opposition, this year’s team doesn’t need to just rely on their defense. At any moment these three can score, as proven in their 4-0 trouncing of U of T at Richardson this year. Currently, Almeida and Bartram have combined to score eight of the 18 Gaels goals this year. In her second year with the team, Wolever has really grown into her role, becoming both a scorer and a provider, currently with three goals and tied for first in the OUA for the most assists with six. With a side that can defend, win by both close and large margins and control in attack, McDowell looks to have his first complete squad since the 2010-12 dynasty which saw his team win two CIS gold’s and a silver.
losing 25-18. On Saturday, the Gaels faced the reigning OUA conference champions, the McMaster Marauders. The first set was close throughout, with the teams going point-for-point at the start. Down 18-15 midway through the set, the Gaels battled back to take the lead at 19-22 before eventually dropping the set 25-23.
The second set was a well matched battle throughout and unlike their previous inability to close out the final points of the set, Queen’s overpowered the Marauders to take the set 20-25. The final two sets were also close but resulted in losses both times, with end results of 25-23 and 25-22. On the final day of the See Learning on page 12
Sports
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Thursday, October 6, 2016
Learning curve for new faces Continued from page 11
tournament the Gaels were up against the Montreal Carabins, resulting in a 3-0 decision. The first two sets were easy victories for the Carabins, with 25-17 and 25-12 results. The third and final set saw the Gaels regaining some power and giving Montreal a tougher competition with a final score of 25-19. Notable changes in the line-up include 6’4” setter Thomas Ellison. This is Ellison’s fourth year on the team. In his first year, he recorded 203 assists over 14 matches, in his second, 80 assists over 10 matches, but in his third he was limited to four matches due to injury, recording a career best 8.33 assists per set, with 100 total. In the three sets on Sunday, Ellison recorded 15 assists, with
the team having trouble converting on their 81 total attacks, with a .049 efficiency rating, compared to Montreal’s .390. Looking forward to the rest of the season, with the loss of many of last year’s starters, including last year’s OUA Rookie of the Year, Chris Brunet, comes opportunities for other players. Markus Trence and Dylan Hutcheson made it clear this weekend that they’ll be forces for this Queen’s team. In his first games since injury last year, Trence was a two-way player. Against McMaster, the outside hitter registered 14 kills, and added 14 digs on defense. After playing off the bench for most of last year, Hutcheson was strong for Queen’s, leading the home side with 10 points on six kills, three aces and one block against Trinity Western and adding another 14 kills
Queen’s celebrates after a point against Trinity Western.
against McMaster. Head Coach Brenda Willis thinks that the tournament was an important experience for the young team going into the season. “We’re playing some of the very best teams in the country in this tournament which is great learning for us, but based on the years of experience in my lineup, there wasn’t a huge expectation around winning,” Willis said. Looking forward to the start of the season, Willis thinks that the team will be in a good place. “We face a lot of teams in our league that are weaker than these teams and hopefully Queen’s block on a McGill attack over the weekend. the fact that we have these experiences will make that seem easier.”
PHOTO BY REBECCA LINSDAY
Experience over result Continued from page 10
PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS
adamant that the undecided captaincy had no negative bearing on the girls. “There’s a strong core of the three third years that have really taken the reins of the team,” coach Ling said. With regards to the captaincy, Livingston believes that it’s everyone’s job on the team to step up and be a leader in their own way. Several rookies played their part during this past weekend’s games, including Danika Ahac — who worked nonstop both on offence and defense throughout Sunday’s match, accumulating 16 digs and five kills, helping the Gaels win the second set by a score of 25-17. While Ling said a captain will
eventually be named, he hoped the lack of one this early in the season would drive the young players to “emerge as leaders”, noting that his mentality is that “a hierarchy of years of eligibility” doesn’t exist on the team. Moving forward from this weekend, Coach Ling said there were a lot of takeaway lessons. “We can certainly play with the best teams, but one of the things we need to minimize is our outright errors, our unforced errors”. The women’s team is heading to the McGill Invitational over Homecoming weekend to build on what they’ve learned thus far. The team’s regular season opens at home, in the ARC on Oct. 29 against Trent.
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LIFESTYLE How to give the perfect Thanksgiving toast A few tactics to giving thanks
Emotional tear-jerker
Madeline Heinke Staff Writer Every Thanksgiving, members of my family are put on the spot as we go around and give thanks, toasting to the fun, sad and exciting news of the past year. If you’re anything like me, an undergraduate student who is still attempting to avoid responsibilities that adulthood comes with and horrified by familial pressures, then this moment requires preparation. Here are my tried-and -true approaches you can take to make sure you don’t spit out some awkward garble and get stuck like a deer in headlights. Short and Sweet
This approach has high success rates, especially when it comes to pleasing your parents. Keep it light and mention being thankful for the opportunities you’ve been given, the friends and family you have, and of course, the food — extra points will be rewarded if you slip in a shout-out to the fabulous cooking.
FASHION
Not so easy to pull off, but scores high marks with the family. Dig deep and open up for the best results, leading your mom to question just when you became so sentimental. Are you proud of the people around you, any challenges you and your family have overcome, or just anything special and significant to yourself? The people around the table will not judge you, but rather praise your honesty and courage to open up. Philosophical scholar
The “look how much I learned” approach. This has mixed responses; some will be shocked by just how much you’ve learned in your first few weeks of the semester, others may think you’re being a know-it-all. If you plan to tackle this strategy, be sure to use eloquent words, talk in circles, sound intelligent, but not really make any sense. Simply raise your glass slowly after taking a sip of your rich red wine, and repeat after me: “What is thanks? What do we deem as gratitude and indebtedness? What bears us food and existence that supplies us with the breath
of our corpses, our civilization, our masses?” On second thought, maybe save the intellectual talk for the dinner debates.
PHOTO BY SEBASTIEN MOLGAT
For your toasting:
Easy way out
This last approach is the easy way out, or what I like to call the ‘tipsy’ approach. Depending on your family dynamics, just shrug when it comes to your toast, hold up your cup, and take a big sip. Simple yet exciting, and depending on your actual level of intoxication, feel free to make fun of yourself. This is the moment for what everyone is thinking but no one’s said i.e. “Remember when Jamie and Sam were dating, nice choice there Sam,” then let out a small hiccup to ease the tension. The level of savagery is your choice, just keep in mind that some university skeletons are best left in the dorm room closet. No matter which way you decide to play it, pause and take in the moment when you make your toast. Raise an honest glass to the night. Thanksgiving after all, is meant for us to give thanks for what we’ve been granted and fortunate to experience in our lives, no matter *hiccup* if you dated a Jamie or Sam this year.
Head-to-toe veganism
A guide to a cruelty-free lifestyle through more than your diet Michelle Allan Staff Writer Whether it’s for moral, environmental, or health reasons, many people are going vegan. But while veganism is often
associated with drinking soy lattes and ordering tofu instead, there’s a lot more to it than just what you eat — it’s a way of life. Whether you’re looking to change to a kinder diet or feeling
PHOTOS VIA FLICKR AND GEOGRAPH.IE
a bit veg-curious, we’ve assembled a small guide to help you with the fashion aspect of vegan life. Clothing
Odds are, most of the clothing youown is already vegan, but there are many animal-based materials you can swap out for vegan-friendly alternatives. First up is leather. Being made of animal skins, leather is perhaps the most notorious
GRAPHIC BY RACHEL LIU // RECIPE VIA YUMMLY.COM
animal-based material, but you can get the same effect with alternative fabrics. Bicast leather, or alternative leather, is a synthetic polymer blend intended to substitute for leather in upholstery, clothing, footwear and fabrics. Another, more out-of-the-box alternative is MuSkin, a new type of vegan leather made out of the skin of mushroom caps using a non-toxic tanning process. The leather produced is biodegradable, and superior to animal leather in breathability, water resistance and softness. Fur garments fill high fashion, but wolves, foxes, rabbits, mink, chinchillas, and even cats and dogs pay the price for them. With fur, it’s almost impossible to know whether the animal died humanely, so it’s best for vegan
lifestylers to avoid the product altogether. Faux fur is readily available at most clothing stores that give you that cozy feel with a clear conscience. We don’t often think of silk as cruel, but the manufacturing of silk traditionally involves boiling silkworms alive. Ahimsa silk provides a solution by harvesting the material in a more humane manner. It’s sometimes referred to as “peace silk”. With the cold weather coming, let’s talk about wool. Although sheep, alpacas, and angora rabbits aren’t killed in the process of making wool, they’re often hurt in the process. While synthetic wool isn’t an option (yet), there are many cozy alternatives to wool, such as cotton, flannel, and polyester fleece. See A cruelty-free on page 14
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Thursday, October 6, 2016
A crueltyfree beauty routine
Continued from page 13
For instance, Patagonia makes cozy fleeces and sweaters out of hemp, organic cotton, recycled down, recycled wool and recycled polyester, so you know nothing was harmed to keep you warm this winter. Beauty
With so many cruelty free options available, it’s easy to have an entirely vegan beauty routine by avoiding key animal-based ingredients like beeswax and honey, lanolin, squalene, carmine, tallow, collagen, allantoin and elastin. A lot of makeup companies test on animals. To help you avoid contributing to cruel testing, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favourite vegan brands:
ACROSS 1 Phony coin 5 Bankroll 8 “Scrabble” piece 12 Sound of contentment 13 Ostrich’s cousin 14 Elevator name 15 “No Kidding!” 17 Works with 18 Kitchen whistler 19 Wine vessel 21 “Whadja say?” 22 Female red deer 23 Mueller’s org. 26 Scarlet 28 Coral structures 31 Reply to “shall we?” 33 Massage 35 Harvard rival 36 Retract one’s words 38 Shade provider 40 Sodium hydroxide 41 Commotions 43 Galley tool 45 Lectern 47 Blurry spot 51 Historic times 52 “Don’t go in there!” 54 Riga resident 55 Excessively 56 Kachina worshipper 57 Adversaries 58 Height of fashion? 59 Detail, for short
DOWN 1 Skewer 2 Mandolinkin 3 – Major 4 Boardroom illustration 5 Meteorologist’s ken 6 Film buff’s cable choice 7 Netherlanders 8 Series of contests 9 “Agreed” 10 Willingly, old-style 11 Being, to Brutus 16 Tea time 20 Melody 23 Winter ailment 24 Stiller or Affleck 25 “Meet you then” 27 Payable 29 Aviate 30 Witness 32 Mean ones 34 Open up, as a bud 37 Thee 39 One of the Three Bears 42 Surname meaning “maker” 44 Gordon and Westheimer 45 Money 46 Sandwich cookie 48 Let gravity take over 49 State stupidly 50 Grand story 53 Pirouette pivot
e.l.f. Cosmetics: This brand is high quality but reasonably priced. Their makeup brushes don’t shed bristles and are fairly cheap. ColourPop: This indie brand is only available online, but they’re critically acclaimed for their high quality eyeshadows that come in every colour you could imagine. Only some of their products are vegan though so make sure you check before purchasing! WetNWild: You can afford to try funky colours and bold looks with this less expensive brand. They don’t test on animals and are currently working towards becoming 100 per cent vegan. For vegan men’s and women’s bodycare and hygiene products, try LUSH. All their products are cruelty free and smell incredible. Hair products and dyes can sometimes be a little difficult to find, but with a little bit of looking you can find lots of great ethical options. For shampoos and conditioners, vegan brands include L’Oreal EverPure, Avalon Organics, Kiss My Face and Nature’s Gate. If you’re looking for a colour pop without hurting living creatures in the process, some vegan hair dyes and colouring products include Surya Brasil Henna Cream, Manic Panic hair colour, Developlus, Shea Moisture and Morrocco Method. If you’re dying you hair at a salon, salons that offer vegan treatments include Aveda and Paul Mitchell. Veganism isn’t all about removing meat from your diet, it’s a lifestyle, and there are numerous options out there for ethically conscious consumers. Your conscience — and the animals — will thank you.
LIFESTYLE
Thursday, October 6, 2016
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POSTSCRIPT
High school away from home The pressures and lessons that come with life at boarding school Sarah O’Flaherty Assistant Sports Editor
W
hen I was 14, I boarded a ferry with all of my possessions packed tightly in pink Rubbermaid storage boxes in the back of my father’s truck. It looked like something out of a movie. People were walking around the grassy fields and brick buildings in their pristine uniforms, all laughing together and carrying books or sports equipment. I had arrived at my home for the next three years: a boarding school in Nova Scotia. It was sunny out and a warm September breeze rustled the big trees that lined the front hill. Students were playing music and throwing a ball around. Every time a new student got out of their car and started moving boxes in, they would all stop and watch. Some came up to help or introduce themselves. There were teachers with clipboards who directed us to our rooms and greeted us with big smiles. After my father left, I didn’t have time to be sad. We had floor meetings where we met our new flatmates, we had dorm meetings where we learned the litany of rules and things that could get you expelled (“no boys in the girls dorm,” “no alcohol,” “no drugs,” “no plagiarism”) and all of the things that could get you in trouble (“no staying up after 10 p.m.,” “no talking during prep,” “don’t be late for breakfast”). It was overwhelming. Students, teachers and staff stopped by every few minutes to introduce themselves, their position at the school, and remind me of a meeting I had to attend later that day. The school nurse confiscated my Advil, with the instruction that I could go to her and she would determine if it should be administered. This move signified a change in my life. My high school experience became vastly different from that of my friends back home. I shared a bathroom with 20 girls every morning; ate breakfast in the same room as all my classmates; my teachers told me when to turn out my lights for bed, chaperoned our dances and knew about all our drama and relationships. The school, at first, signified a loss of freedom to me. I had to earn the right to leave campus during my first month there. I wasn’t allowed to go into the town unless I had successfully made it through September without causing trouble and having all my work done. I was required to tell the teachers where I was at all times, and sign in and out with a teacher who asked questions about my motives as if I were trying to break out of jail. We had room inspection every morning, during which the floor’s houseparent determined whether your room was clean. Items could
be confiscated if they didn’t fit within the student code of conduct, such as posters that “would make the inspector uncomfortable” or a kettle. I constantly interacted with teachers who asked a lot of me. Not only were my teachers the instructors of my courses, but they also coached the sports teams, lead various clubs and volunteer organizations and were on duty every night to make sure you did your work and went to bed. While at first being around teachers that much seemed oppressive, we got to know each other and respected each other. Although there were a lot of hiccups during my first few weeks at school, I slowly acclimatized. By June of my first year, I couldn’t wait to go back. I missed waking up every day to my friends and being surrounded by them at all times. My home in Newfoundland seemed quiet and slow compared to the hustle of boarding school. The interesting thing about boarding school that most people don’t realize is that it’s a lot like a business. They offer the parents who send their kids there a service: they’ll get your kid into university, get them a good resume, teach them to be self-sufficient and turn them into the classic conception of an overachiever. My graduating class had a 100 per cent university acceptance rate. The schools put its students under a lot of pressure to be overachievers. You had to be on three different sports teams (one a semester), take a full course load and were highly encouraged to be a part of the clubs on campus. They ensured that you spent time volunteering and monitored your university application process. Students had to be in army cadets — where you marched in platoons and had parades around town — and through that program, they volunteered in the community once a week. There were also opportunities to volunteer at the school’s chapel and write for the school’s newsletter. While we were being molded into model students, the mold used was the same for every other student there. Individual talents were appreciated, but deviation from the norm was not. It took me and many of my classmates some time to foster our individualities after graduation. Coming to university, a place filled with diverse people, I can definitely say I came into my own more quickly than I could’ve imagined. I’m glad that I had structure when I was growing up, but on reflection, I sometimes wish that we had been more encouraged to experiment and learn what it meant to be ourselves, whatever that might have looked like. It could be a tense environment for a teenager to live in. I pulled more all-nighters in my twelfth grade year than I have in my entire university career. I was constantly monitored by staff who would
advise each other of any “issues” in my life. There was no such thing as a private life. The school also taught me a lot of important lessons. I became a fairly independent person; so moving away to university after living away from my family for three years was a breeze. It taught me how to get along with people that I likely wouldn’t have been friends with in junior high. Because we lived together, we had to find common ground and get along. We all came to respect each other, and I realized that the onedimensional characterization that we often attribute to highschoolers is unfair. One of my friends was a successful rugby player and wrestler who was one of the biggest, and most intimidating, guys at school. He was also intelligent, thoughtful, funny
and kind. He always had my back and watched out for my younger brother for me. If we hadn’t lived together, I would have thought of him as a jock, and assumed that we never could have anything in common. Boarding school also teaches loyalty. The friends that I made at boarding school would have done anything for me and I would have done anything for them. Even now, four years after I graduated, I call or text them whenever I need them and they’re there for me. We’re always rooting for each other’s successes and when we’re reunited, it feels like we only left each other last week. Although I occasionally resented my experience at the time and couldn’t wait to graduate when I was in the twelfth grade, I’m grateful for the experience and happy I did it.
PHOTO BY SEBASTIEN MOLGAT
When I crossed the stage at graduation, I was a far different person than the scared 14-year-old girl that showed up with her headband and leggings on that fateful September morning. I believed in myself and I confidently went in my own direction, once again to a new place where I didn’t know a soul. I knew that I had a support system and friends that loved me and while my life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows since I graduated high school, I’ve continued to grow into the person I am today. I know that I can handle change, I know that I can take on a busy workload, I know I can make friends in new places and I know that I’ll be okay, no matter how scary and alone things can feel. I’m very thankful for that.
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