the
Queen’s University
journal
Vol. 144, Issue 28
T h u r s day , A p r i l 6 , 2 0 1 7
Keren and Prescott resign
Commissioner of Social Issues and incoming AMS Speaker both issue written resignation notes after heated 72 hours in student governance
After 72 hours of fervour over a decision by the incoming AMS Assembly to elect Alexander Prescott as their Speaker, both Prescott and Commissioner of Social Issues Lea Keren tendered their resignations to the AMS on Wednesday. April 2 On Sunday evening, incoming members of Assembly and ex-officio members gathered for their first “mock” Assembly of the new academic year. The meeting was charged with electing a new Speaker, whose duties involve granting speaking rights and facilitating Assembly meetings for the next year. Prescott, who was the only individual who put their name forward in the meeting, was voted in unanimously and without debate. In 2013, Prescott — who sat on Assembly as an ASUS representative — was formally censured by Assembly during a Special Meeting for his Facebook comments about partial “onus” being placed back on survivors of sexual assault. Then-Assembly members Daniel Basilio, ASUS representative to the AMS, Chelsey Morphy, chair of ASUS Board of Directors, and Greg Allan, ASUS representative to the AMS publicly announced their resignations during the same meeting. Immediately after Sunday night’s meeting, current and former student leaders took to social media to express support for survivors of sexual violence and chastise the AMS’ decisions. Former AMS Commissioner of Social Issues Emily Wong discussed the impact of comments like Prescott’s, and how the AMS’ decisions could affect the student body. “I was in second year during the ASUS special assembly in 2013. I went to support a friend of mine who was sexually assaulted when we were in first year,” she wrote in a statement to The Journal. “There’s something seriously wrong with the social environment when you need to have a professional counsellor who specializes in sexual violence present at assembly (which there was).” Though she said that everyone is capable of going through “the process to unlearn oppression,” Wong maintained that comments like Prescott’s contribute to rape culture on campus, and that listening to the
Features
Reflections born from University District Summit in February Sarina Grewal Staff Writer
Looking back At the biggest
stories of the year
See Keren on page 3
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
In the wake of the AMS’ inaugural University District Summit in February, a first draft report detailing the findings, identifying problems and proposing solutions was released on March 31. The report was compiled by Commissioner of Municipal Affairs Francis Campbell, with an open request for feedback. The response period for the questions posed about current student living conditions was approximately two months. The report received 509 responses, with 87 per cent students, three per cent landlords and 10 per cent residents. For students living in the district, 43 per cent presented a negative or somewhat negative view of University District housing, with 68 per cent satisfied with interior housing quality. Seventy per cent of students say they’ve signed leases with responsive and approachable landlords, while 46 per cent believe that their landlords offset costs onto their tenants. Fifty-nine per cent of student respondents say they are knowledgeable — or at least minimally aware — of their tenants’ rights, and overall, 81 per cent of students report positive off campus living experiences. Eighty-six per cent of landlords reported satisfactory quality of care for their rental properties, with 87 per cent happy with their tenants’ behaviour overall. An average rental cost is also disclosed, with most landlords charging between $500 to $750 per month, utilities not included. Sixty-seven per cent of landlords feel knowledgeable of their rights and responsibilities, with a sizeable 93 per cent overall confirming a positive landlording experience. Residents of Kingston, on the other hand, seem the most dissatisfied with the current housing and neighbourhood situation in the district. Of the resident respondents, 38 per cent describe their neighbourhood as an even mix of students and non-student residents. The biggest problem for most residents seems to be the noise level and cleanliness within their areas, and in total, approximately 55 per cent of residents who responded
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Editorials
Opinions
1873
University District draft report released
Year in Review
Victoria Gibson News Editor
since
Sports
See Primary on page 3
Lifestyle
Peer-to-peer discipline on trial
Darts and laurels: the highs and lows of 2016-17
Long hours in Stauffer need to end
Colour Awards highlight student athletes
Hockey inspired student start-up
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page 5
page 6
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page 10
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News
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Thursday, April 6, 2017
REPORTS
Top earners at Queen’s named on annual Sunshine list Reznick maintains top spot among University’s salaries Jasnit Pabla Staff Writer Since 2012, Professor and Director of the School of Medicine, Richard Reznick has remained one of the two highest-paid public employees at Queen’s. According to the annual Ontario Sunshine list released this past week, Reznick has maintained a 0.69 per cent rise in salary for the second consecutive year, earning $422,403 in 2017. Second to Reznick, Principal Woolf recorded a $360,000 salary, down 0.12 per cent from 2016. Three of the 10 highest-paid Queen’s employees are women. Janet Dancey, director of clinical translation research and professor in the Department of Oncology was the highest paid
of the three, earning $383,591 this year. Tina Dacin, director of the Smith School of Business Centre for Social Impact, has remained a firm member of Queen’s highest-paid employees since 2010. Dacin has moved from highest-paid, earning over $50,000 more than Reznick’s current salary in 2010, to seventh as of this year at $352,914. The largest change in salary among the top ten highest-paid at Queen’s was a 32 per cent increase in now Associate Dean (Faculty) and Professor at the Smith School of Business, R. Brent Gallupe. Gallupe recorded an increase in earnings of approximately $73,000 since 2016. The top 10 earners at Queen’s each earned at least $300,000 in
Queen’s recorded “3,860 employees
earning over $100, 000, the sum of which equates to $156,749,775.40 in salaries and total earnings.
”
annual salaries last year. Despite this, no Queen’s employees are among the top ten earners within the Ontario university sector. Reznick is among the top 25 highest paid within that category. Former Vice-Principal and Provost Alan Harrison recorded an income of $300,278.40 from
Queen’s in 2017, despite departing the University in 2016. Current Vice Principal and Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon, as of August 1, 2016, was also named on the Sunshine list, earning $150,000 this year. In comparison, the top ten earners employed by the University of Toronto recorded at least $435,000. Their top earner, William Moriarty of the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation, posted over $1 million in salary earnings. Moriarty is the second highest paid public employee in Ontario after Ontario Power Generation President, Jeffrey Lyash. Queen’s recorded 3,860 employees earning over $100,000, the sum of which
equates to $156,749,775.40 in salaries and total earnings, a collective difference of 3 per cent from 2016. On a list of total salaries over $100,000 paid out, Queen’s sits as the eighth highest Ontario university, behind University of Toronto, York University, uOttawa, Waterloo, Western, McMaster and Ryerson. Since 1997, U of T has remained at the top of this list. The Sunshine list is published annually with information collected and provided by the Ministry of Finance in compliance with the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act of 1996. Data available on the website stems from 1997 onwards.
QUCA chooses to endorse Maxime Bernier for Conservative leadership Bernier talks free market values, tax reform in MacDonald Hall on Monday Maureen O’Reilly Assistant News Editor “Kevin O’Leary is saying ‘I will be able to beat Justin Trudeau’, but it could be tough for him to have the support of Quebecers — he can’t understand them and he can’t speak to them,” Conservative Party leadership candidate Maxime Bernier said amid laughter in a full room in Macdonald Hall o n Monday. The Queen’s University Conservative Association (QUCA) hosted Maxime Bernier for the final installment of their speaker series, and announced to the crowd that they had elected to endorse him as their candidate for Conservative leadership. President of QUCA Abby Chaudhry, ArtSci’17, explained that QUCA endorses Bernier for his comprehensive platform, which takes “strong principle stances on supply management and simplifying the tax code.” Bernier, a Quebec native, served as the Minister of Industry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Bernier explained to the crowd that his platform is based on four key principles: individual freedom, personal responsibility, respect and fairness. One of Bernier’s main focuses is the abolishment of supply management, or what he called a “legal cartel”, which has doubled the price of most food products in Canada. According to Bernier, the current government has been fixing the prices and production of these goods on the Canadian market, and has imposed a hefty tariff at the border, which he wishes to abolish. Free market values are at the heart of
Bernier’s platform, and he says that the current system of supply management immediately contradicts these values. “If you want to manage the economy, you’d be a communist country. I won’t do that, I will respect the free market,” Bernier said. Bernier also described his plans to reform the current tax system, imposing two income tax rates for citizens instead of five. Under his proposed reform, those earning between $15,000 and $100,000 per year will be taxed at 15 per cent, and those earning above $100,000 will be taxed at 25 per cent. Bernier also promised to increase the personal exemption threshold, meaning that those earning under $15,000 won’t pay any income tax. “My tax reform will be good for the rich, it will be good for the middle class, but it will be good also for the poor,” Bernier said.
will be good “forMythetaxrich,reform it will be good for the middle class, but it will be good also for the poor.
”
— Maxime Bernier, Conservative leadership candidate
Another practice that Bernier wishes to abolish is corporate welfare, as he believes that when the government gives corporations large amounts of money, it’s put towards paying expensive executive salaries and benefits, which is unfair to the taxpayers. Bernier also criticized the lack
Maxime Bernier in Macdonald Hall on Monday.
of economic growth under the Trudeau government and attributed it to a reliance on spending to stimulate the economy, where they should instead be encouraging investment from the private sector to do so. “When the government is spending money we don’t have, it is not a stimulant for the economy, it is a sedative for the economy,” Bernier said. Privatization of Canada Post and a reform of the CBC will also be on Bernier’s agenda, should he be elected. Bernier said he wants the CBC to “raise more money from their viewers” while still focusing on their mandate, though he didn’t say specifically how he plans to accomplish this. When asked about his stance on climate change, Bernier said he supports carbon tax implementation on the provincial level, but he won’t impose a federal carbon tax. In place of this tax, Bernier will focus on giving incentive to
PHOTO BY MAUREEN O’REILLY
entrepreneurs to develop new environmentally friendly technologies. In response to a question about freedom of religion, Bernier explained that he won’t specifically “do anything” for Christian Canadians, Jewish Canadians, or Muslim Canadians, because he’s “working for all Canadians, of all faiths.” This response ties into Bernier’s belief, which he asserted several times throughout his speech, that individual liberties and freedoms are of the utmost importance to Canadians. “As Conservatives we have faith in people. We have faith that you have the ability and the right to make your own decisions, and you’re responsible for your actions,” Bernier said. Finally, Bernier noted the importance of his Quebecois heritage in appealing to francophone voters. “I’m speaking about our platform in French in Quebec, and people like it.”
News
Thursday, April 6, 2017
queensjournal.ca
•3
Primary problem reported is disconnect Continued from front
communicate satisfaction with the friendliness and comfortability of students living in the neighbourhood. On the issue of Community Relationships, the primary problem reported was a disconnect between students in mixed neighbourhoods and their Kingston resident counterparts. The Summit revealed a perceived lack of interaction, communication and respect on both sides. The report lists several suggestions to solve these neighbourhood relationship problems, encouraging things like inclusion of Kingstonians in first year residence talks and Orientation Week events. A “Living in the University District” guide produced by the AMS was also mentioned, that would contain all pertinent information about tenants’ rights and responsibilities. Another significant topic is that of accountability. Residents reported a perception that the school fails to take responsibility for the actions of students in the district and instead choose to actively distance themselves.
For students, aggravation largely stems from absentee landlords, which many of student respondents see as taking advantage of first-time renters.
The Summit “ revealed a perceived
lack of interaction, communication, and respect on both sides.
”
Proposed remedies for the accountability problem include the school and City collaborating to invest in education of students on their rights and responsibilities as tenants, as well promoting an off-campus response program, facilitated through the Non-Academic Discipline system. PHOTO BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT Also mentioned is the Mayor of Waterloo Dave Jaworsky (left) and Municipal Affairs Commissioner possibility of the city introducing Francis Campbell (right) on Feb 11 at the Summit. nuisance by-laws, dependent on the feasibility of such legislation, of a landlord rental license. A lack of accessible transit has been extremely positive so alongside a suggestion to provide The final two areas of discussion to campus for students far,” Campbell told The Journal students with garbage bag-tags at the summit were that of north of Princess St. was after the report was released, for use during periods of Quality of Life in the district, identified as an obstacle “though we haven’t received many substantial garbage yield. and of Development. Primary in students branching out to corrections or suggestions yet. The report details the potential areas requiring change include homes and areas beyond the Participants have until April for a Landlord Certification the disparity between student designated borders of the 12th to send in their ideas, Program. The City of Kingston is housing cost and quality, and University District. and following that we’ll create a also looking into the introduction ‘monster homes’. “The response to the report final draft.”
Keren says she ‘no longer feels comfortable earning a salary from the AMS’
said that AMS Secretariat Miguel Martinez informed them they were voices of survivors on campus was in violation of AMS Constitution, then — and still is — critical. policy and procedures. At this point, JBP asked the April 3 AMS Judicial Committee (JCOMM) On Monday, a joint statement to convene and clarify some from the current and incoming sections of policy that were AMS Executive teams called for unclear, including whether the an emergency Special Assembly, AMS Speaker counted as an AMS intended to hold a re-vote. volunteer and would thereby In an email to incoming be privy to the volunteer policy Assembly members, incoming AMS and procedures, and whether President Jenn Li, Vice President the Speaker was a member of (Operations) Brian McKay and Assembly. Both questions were Vice President (University Affairs) ruled to be a yes. Palmer Lockridge wrote that The definition of “just cause” as “while [Prescott] was the only it appears in the AMS Constitution, candidate to present himself for Section 5.5.5 was also clarified the position, he is decidedly the to be “any action or behaviour wrong candidate.” precluding a member of AMS Assembly from being able to effectively uphold one or more of A leader who makes the tenants of the AMS Mandate as light of sexual assault is contained in the AMS Constitution.” definition should rightly no leader at all. I must The reside with legislative bodies of formally and publicly the AMS, not the judiciary, the distance myself from the report concluded. This information was then AMS’ role in giving this taken to a meeting of President’s type of behaviour a Caucus for the incoming year, free pass. which includes faculty society — Lea Keren, executives and ex-officio members Former AMS Commissioner like the Rector and Undergraduate of Social Issues Student Trustee. The body then decided that an Emergency “If Assembly is to truly be a safe Assembly wouldn’t be “a safe space space open to all, this issue will to have constructive dialogue undoubtedly put this to the test. around this issue,” Li said. We hope that all parties will come MacKay added that there was together to discuss this issue fairly, historical precedent for such openly, and in line with established meetings getting out of hand, Assembly decorum,” they wrote. referencing the 2013 Special Immediately after their meeting when Prescott’s original statement was issued, Team JBP comments were called to question. Continued from front
“
”
April 4 Five and half hours before the Special Assembly — slated for Tuesday evening at 10 p.m. — JBP issued a statement cancelling the event. “We must be mindful of our long history of following principles of restorative justice, due process, and fair treatment of all students,” the statement read. “We recognize now that calling this emergency Assembly was the wrong thing to do. It explicitly violates those principles.” On Tuesday morning, Team JBP met with Prescott to discuss the issues raised. Li told The Journal that JBP outlined their concerns and expectations of Prescott in his role, as well as a detailed “action plan” for how the issue would be handled. The action plan, they said, would have included training relating to human rights and sexual violence and sensitivity. Both Li and MacKay said they knew nothing about Prescott’s 2013 comments during Sunday’s Assembly when he was voted in, adding that almost no one — except individuals like Rector Cam Yung, who they pointed out doesn’t hold voting rights but had the chance to speak — has been around long enough to remember. Speaking to The Journal, Yung said that if he could go back to the meeting, he would. “It was quite challenging for me to dissociate myself from my personal opinions and representing the opinions of the student body. Trying to formulate a question within that five to ten minutes was so
challenging for me that I couldn’t.” In their interview with The Journal, MacKay also pointed out the poor “institutional memory” in the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS), of which he is currently finishing his term as Vice President, for not keeping the minutes from the 2013 Assembly somewhere accessible.
April 5 On Wednesday morning, prior to Prescott’s resignation, current Commissioner of Social Issues Lea Keren wrote a public note of resignation from her position in the AMS. “I’ve decided to make my resignation public for a few reasons. Primarily — as a message of solidarity with survivors of sexual violence, from whom I’ve heard from over the years, and more profoundly, over the past few days,” Keren wrote. While she expressed pride for how current AMS Executive team LWT has “embraced and championed” efforts to combat sexual violence, she wrote that she wasn’t proud of the way JBP handled the week’s events. “A leader who makes light of sexual assault is no leader at all. I must formally and publicly distance myself from the AMS’ role in giving this type of behaviour a free pass,” she wrote. “I no longer feel comfortable earning a salary from the AMS with the expectation of defending its latest decisions.” At approximately 5:30 p.m., Prescott relayed his own
resignation to members of Assembly via Martinez, saying that the resignation was passed along by his own will. “If anyone had approached me before the meeting to express their concerns, I would not have offered myself. If anyone had raised their concerns when I spoke in front of you all, I would have withdrawn my name,” he wrote. Prescott also issued a written statement to The Journal. “What I said back in 2013 was callous and immeasurably hurtful to members of the Queen’s community. I regret them and apologise for them to the core of my being. I wish to retract them entirely,” he wrote. “No survivors of sexual violence should be faced with such a lack of understanding of their individual experiences, and for that I am truly sorry.”
What I said back in “ 2013 was callous and immeasurably hurtful to members of the Queen’s community.
”
— Alexander Prescott, Former AMS Speaker
Incoming Secretariat Neil Sengupta and current Secretariat Martinez will be in touch with Assembly members in coming days about electing a new Speaker.
4 • queensjournal.ca
Features
Thursday, April 6, 2017
IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY
Risk and control in a tug of war For the last 10 years, Queen’s student leaders have been fighting to maintain control over the country’s only peer-to-peer judicial system, while to admin it poses a reputational risk and liability Mikayla Wronko Features Editor In the summer of 2012, Rector Nick Francis hung up the phone with Coroner Roger Skinner. He’d just learned something that would change his perspective on student-run non-academic discipline (NAD), a system he’d been fighting Queen’s for a year to preserve. The NAD system at Queen’s — turning 120 years old next year — is the only University sanctioned peer-to-peer discipline system in the country. Run out of the AMS, the students working in the Judicial Affairs Office try other students who’ve made non-academic offences through the Student Code of Conduct. The Judicial Affairs Office receives cases via other bodies at the University, from the Student Constables to Campus Security with these cases ranging from unruly conduct to harassment. The basis of the NAD system are principles of restorative justice, which handles complaints with sanctions aimed at mediating the situation between the respondent and plaintiff. These sanctions can range from fines to essays to bans from the Tricolour pubs. Partially arising from what initially began as a mock court used by upper years to swindle first years for beer money, the NAD system became a bonafide student judicial system in 1898 for both undergraduate and graduate students. Despite its longevity, the right of student-to-student discipline has been challenged throughout the existence of NAD. Since the AMS is a corporate entity separate from Queen’s, and run by students, questions of risk and liability regarding NAD have been raised by administration and external reviewers. Francis’ phone call with Skinner was one part of a years-long debate between administrators and student leaders over the future of the NAD system, one that began in 2006. Following the 2005 Homecoming riot — the year a car was flipped and lit on fire — the then Dean of Arts and Science, Robert Silverman, put forth a motion with six other faculty deans in Senate to revoke the NAD system, placing jurisdiction over non-academic discipline in the hands of the principal. The motion was ultimately tabled. Five years later, in the fall semester of 2010, the campus was shaken by the deaths of two first-year students. Cameron Bruce and Habib Khan were tragically lost to alcohol-related incidents, the catalyst for another re-evaluation of the NAD system. In response to the deaths of these two students, the Coroner’s Office launched an investigation to evaluate preventative measures related to the two incidents. The investigation was headed by Coroner Roger Skinner. The outcome of the investigation was a letter to the University, known as the Coroner’s Report. Released in May 2011, the Report outlined a set of recommendations with the purpose of addressing and preventing alcohol-related incidents on campus. In the Report, along with suggestions of developing educational programs and resources aimed at managing drinking culture on campus, there was a recommendation calling for the removal of alcohol and other student health and safety concerns from the jurisdiction of student NAD system. In a Queen’s Gazette article following the release of the Report, Principal Woolf promised a commitment to “maximizing student safety and success at Queen’s” by moving “forward immediately in response to the Coroner’s recommendations.”
To read the full story, go to qjlongform.com
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHANIE JIANG
Thursday, April 6, 2017
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EDITORIALS
•5
The Journal’s Perspective
Darts
Laurels
Costume party deemed racist online: A series of photographs from a ‘Beerfest’ costume party surfaced on social media, sparking national media attention and heated debates about cultural appropriation and racism at Queen’s. Following the event, at which partygoers dressed according to cultural stereotypes, the debate was polarizing and signified a larger cultural issue regarding racism at Queen’s — an inability to approach students of colour’s experiences without being defensive. While it shouldn’t have taken these extremes, the subsequent uproar caused administration and student representatives to readjust their focus on anti-racism efforts.
moderated discussion of race, diversity and inclusion on campus, through town hall meetings, extensive research and providing recommendations on how the University can approach these problems that persist.
Othello casting erases canonically Black lead: The Othello casting was a symbol of ignorance and, more importantly, a resistance to critique. By fixating on the experience of a character’s sexual identity, the production focused on one issue at the expense of racialized experience. The casting of Othello as a white female student overlooked the women of colour, particularly the Black women of colour, within the Drama department.
Exception made for Lockridge to run for AMS Executive: On Jan. 19 AMS Assembly changed the AMS Constitution, allowing the Speaker of Assembly to run for AMS Executive and thereby allowing Vice-President-elect Palmer Lockridge to assume his current position. The move spoke to the exclusionary nature of student government and appeared as the AMS bending the rules arbitrarily. TAPS hazing results in student hospitalizations and vandalism: The TAPS hazing incident of fall semester brought the issue of hazing close to home. It pushed students and leaders to realize the negative consequences of power imbalances in the workplace and the toxic culture of initiation rituals. On the bright side, the TAPS scandal was an example of the AMS executive practicing transparency.
Whistle-blower professor, Morteza Shirkhanzadeh, fired: Following an 11-year-long case and hundreds of letters exchanged between him and administration, Professor Morteza Shirkhanzadeh was terminated from the University. The long case was a peek inside Queen’s administration and its priorities, signifying a resounding concern for reputational risk over the well-being of faculty. Commission of Environmental Affairs disbanded: AMS Assembly voted to dissolve the CEA, while promising to ensure that sustainability efforts continue in the AMS. Despite this promise, there isn’t a clear enough plan of how exactly this will look
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 144 Issue 28
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ILLLUSTRATION BY VINCENT LIN
Computing professor hired: The hiring of a new tenure track professor in the Computing department is an example of student politics gone right. Computing is a cutting-edge field that needs fresh perspectives to rotate into AMS Board reverses decision to close their retiring professors’ positions. Without TAPS for Homecoming: Following the a new hire since 1995, a new professor was TAPS hazing, the AMS Executive announced a long overdue addition to the faculty. they would close the TAPS services for Homecoming, only to reverse this decision Queen’s Native Students Association immediately afterwards. When the holds their first conference: The first QNSA executive’s knee-jerk response to hazing was conference is an example of Indigenous to close safe drinking spaces at the busiest students having louder voices and being drinking times of the year, it proved they more visible on campus. QNSA president were removed from the student experience. Lauren Winkler also received a Tricolour Award for her efforts this year to promote Drunk Times Homecoming video sparks visibility of Indigenous students. In a year questions of consent: A video which that also produced a Queen’s response to surfaced the weekend after Homecoming, the Truth and Reconciliation calls to actions, entitled “Drunk Times with College increased visibility of Indigenous students Girls: Queen’s Homecoming” included on campus is a step forwards. footage of female Queen’s students being asked inappropriate and often sexual The Tragically Hip’s final concert: The questions. The video was a symptom of a Tragically Hip concert this past summer larger question of consent and signified made Kingston a focal point of unity between a complacency around rape culture and Queen’s students, alumni and Canadians sexual assault. across the country. The evening that filled the town square and saw PM Justin Trudeau ASUS elections team investigating wandering the streets isn’t something complaints of threats: In the ASUS that will be forgotten in Kingston’s history election, the candidates tackled each other anytime soon. rather than student issues. Out of the three executive team candidates, two teams Health and Wellness Centre breaks took to Facebook to endorse another team ground: Mental health on campus is getting as second choice on the winter elections some much-needed attention with the new ballot. One endorsement alleged threats by Health and Wellness centre breaking ground a member of the opposing team’s campaign, this year. The centre isn’t so much a win for a situation which spoke to the unwelcoming the University, but rather one for advocates nature of student politics. of mental health awareness on campus. It’s comforting to know that mental health Former BISC students discuss incidents resources for students at Queen’s won’t be of sexual misconduct: While progress based out of a single floor in La Salle for has been made in recent months towards much longer. Moving forward, the onus is forwarding sexual violence prevention on the University to keep their focus on and response efforts on Queen’s campus, mental health. the same prioritization doesn’t seem to be the case halfway across the world. Committee on Racism, Diversity and Without the same accountability by Inclusion presents recommendations: proximity, the administration is neglecting The Committee on Racism, Diversity and their responsibility to BISC students Inclusion formed this year in reaction to and failing their duty to protect them. racially charged events and discussion on campus. The committee has succeeded — Journal Editorial Board in fulfilling its mandate of providing going forward. With the mandate of the CEA being placed into lesser-paid positions with lesser responsibilities, sustainability won’t remain a priority.
Features Editor
Editors in Chief
Jacob Rosen Jane Willsie
Production Manager
Kayla Thomson
News Editor
Victoria Gibson
Assistant News Editors
Blake Canning Morgan Dodson
Brigid Goulem
Shivani Gonzalez
Irene Liu
Mikayla Wronko Editorials Editor
Ramna Safeer
Opinions Editor
Arththy Valluvan Erika Streisfield
Arts Editor Assistant Arts Editor Assistant Sports Editor
Michelle Allan Sebastian Bron Kiera Liblik
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Auston Chhor Video Editor Digital Manager Graphics Editor Editorial Illustrator Copy Editors
AJ Lockhard
Ghazal Baradari-Ghiami
Sydney Wilson
Valentino Muiruri Rachel Liu Vincent Lin Zachary Chisamore
Speakers visit campus: Queen’s is a privileged university to be able to host nationally-relevant speakers. Having a prime minister on campus more than once a year, and hearing speakers from different political parties provides students with a wealth of information to absorb. A focus on youth civic engagement from politicians is important, but also shows students that young adults are a part of the conversation of Canadian politics, and that our votes matter.
Vigil after Quebec shooting: The Quebec shooting reminded Canadians that our country isn’t immune to Islamophobia or hate speech; things have a way of spilling over no matter where you are. Here on campus and in Kingston, it’s important for students who are isolated to see they have the support of their peers and neighbors. The large turnout for the vigil in Market Square acknowledged the pain caused by the Quebec shootings, and reaffirmed that the Muslim community in Kingston and Canada isn’t alone.
Commerce rankings terminated: The ranking system is representative of a wider culture of competition and pressure within the Commerce program, but ferocious competition hardly promotes teamwork, and can be extremely damaging for students who are struggling. The termination of the ranking system will give students an opportunity to learn and evaluate their individual success, not their success in relation to others. Bystander Intervention Training conducted by the AMS: Bystander Intervention Training is accessible to all students, and opens the floor to questions as much as it provides answers. It provides students with the tools to act responsibly and appropriately in a crucial role surrounding sexual assault or harassment. The training doesn’t downplay the uncomfortable realities of sexual assault, but addresses them head on. — Journal Editorial Board
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Daniel Woolf’s response to the travel ban: Principal Woolf’s statement on the Trump administration’s proposed travel ban was a positive moment for the University. Our principal took a firm position and pledged to make a difference pro-actively. When he decides to use it, Woolf’s platform as principal gives him the ability to make real change. Hopefully, he will use that power more often.
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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
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OPINIONS
Your Perspective
Sydney Wilson, ArtSci ’18 Whether it’s your first year at Queen’s or your last, by now we’ve all likely heard the familiar sound of a student bragging about the hours they spent in the library cramming for an exam or desperately scrawling out a paper that should’ve been done and edited days before. As students, we often wear these hours in the library like a badge of honor. Spent 24 hours straight at Stauffer? Ordered a pizza to the front lobby at 4 a.m? First in line to Douglas when they opened the doors? These have become both accomplishments and commonplace for students. Rather than continue this cycle, the question we must ask is whether these things are a normal part of the university experience or whether they’re indicative of an unknown expectation that the school sets for students that goes beyond what should be assumed. As exam season rolls around each year, so, too, does the time when Stauffer Library extends its active hours and remains open and accessible to students 24 hours a day. On the surface, this seems like a rather mundane event. These extended hours may be understood to be a privilege for students, allowing for maximum study time should we choose to use it. While this may be true, it also creates an unrealistic and often very unhealthy expectation for students; promoting bad study habits, neglecting self-care and adding to the overall feeling of stress around the final weeks of each semester.
Extending library hours extends expectations Unhealthy study habits don’t deserve praise
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
the stresses and pressures of the previous day. If students were forced to leave — even for a few hours — they would be able to hit the proverbial reset button on their brains and, hopefully, would return to the library with a new motivation and the drive to study. One way to take the stress of students would be to close Stauffer late at night. Currently, seat-saving at the library is one of the most aggravating and frustrating problems that students face. By forcing students to go home, it would reduce the mounds of books and other seat-saving mechanisms that are scattered throughout the library each day. Everyone would start anew and have the same access to library seating as the people who had been there the day before, if only for the morning. By closing the library for just two or three hours a night, forcing students out, the University could send a strong message. That message would remind students to always take care of themselves first, even at the expense of their assignments. It would prove to students that the University cares about their mental and physical wellbeing and values it above their academic standing. Sometimes, in the middle of a hectic exam period, we all need this message to be received loud and clear to break through the tension and stress that cloud our minds.
Simply walking through the doors of Stauffer, students can often feel the stress of their peers, many of whom they don’t even know. As well, it leads to chaos surrounding access to library seating and resources, leaving some students without a place to study while others cling to prime spots for hours, even days, on end. The message that Queen’s sends to students by extending library hours is clear, although unintentional. By extending hours, they’re making it possible and plausible for students to be spending absurd amounts of hours on end in the library, often without leaving and taking breaks. During exams, students can be
found spending nights sleeping in Stauffer and ordering food to the doors. It’s easy to disregard this as a normal tenet of student life but, in reality, it’s quite destructive to both student’s wellbeing as well as their ability to actually absorb and understand information. The University presents this increase in hours as a gift to students that they’re welcome to accept or decline as they wish. While this freedom exists, when deadlines and dates are looming and tensions are high, there’s a guilt that comes along with leaving or, if we regard library time as the social competition it has become, quitting. ‘Survival of the fittest’ shouldn’t
apply to the library. It would be a challenge to argue that the idea of living in the library for 24 hours straight without going home to sleep, shower or eat is a healthy way of studying for exams. We need that break, that fresh air, that change of scenery to stimulate our brains and allow for more productive studying. Even if it feels too distracting to take breaks by browsing the web or watching television, going on short walks or grocery shopping between study sessions can be a great way to remain productive, while also temporarily relieving the stress of exam preparations. There’s something to be said for getting a fresh start, clean from
What will you miss most about working for The Journal?
“Flirting with my coworkers.”
“Living across the street.”
“Pineapples on the pizza.”
“Making fun of the Ops Editor.”
“The people here.”
“The comments section.” Victoria Gibson Vol 144 News Editor
Vincent Lin, Vol 144 Editorial Illustrator
“The staff, they’re magical and I’ll miss them all.”
Sarah O’Flaherty, Vol 144 Assistant Sports Editor
“Listening to the same Chance album every day. ”
“Late nights ;)”
*Cries*
“This guy!!!”
“Having a captive audience.”
“Tapioca.”
Sydney Wilson is a third-year film and English student and next year’s Opinions Editor at The Journal.
Talking heads
... with this year’s outgoing staff PHOTOS BY AUSTON CHHOR & JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
Morgan Dodson, Vol 144 Assistant News Editor
Erika Streisfield, Vol 144 Arts Editor
Ghazal Baradari-Ghiami, Vol 144 Video Editor
Kayla Thomson, Vol 144 Production Manager
Blake Canning, Vol 144 Assistant News Editor
“The pressure, man. It’s so cut throat here. ”
Arththy Valluvan, Vol 144 Opinions Editor
Auston Chhor, Vol 144 Photo Editor
Mikayla Wronko, Vol 144 Features Editor
Zachary Chisamore, Vol 144 Copy Editor
Ramna Safeer, Vol 144 Editorials Editor
Jenna Zucker, Vol 144 Lifestyle Editor
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Collective Reflections, Volume 4.
queensjournal.ca
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PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
REVIEW
Collective Reflections breaks down barriers Fourth annual volume debuts AJ Lockhard Contributor While the weather was hinting towards spring, the Tea Room also took last Wednesday to give a reminder of positive things ahead. The Tea Room hosted the launch party for Volume 4 of Collective Reflections, an anti-oppressive publication about feminism, anti-racism, queer identity, anti-poverty, mental health, and (dis)ability. The collection was first put together in 2012 and is comprised of six unique sections: Queen’s Feminist Review, CultureSHOCK, OutWrite, HeadsUp, Able, and BaseLine which is appearing for its first time in this volume. Stepping into the Tea Room, I was greeted by blue, orange and
THEATRE
red balloon decorations and the glow of warm twinkly lights by which to read the free publication each attendee received. Once I’d gotten my complimentary tea and settled in to a spot by the window, Collective Reflections Editor in Chief, Rylan A. McCloskey, welcomed us all and introduced Stophe Foster, a contributor to the mental health section, HeadsUp. With bravery and poise, Foster told the story of his struggles with psychosis in his twenties and his eventual diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. He read two of his pieces from the collection, ‘Life in a Plagued Mind (Schizophrenia)’ and ‘If Milk Cartons Could Talk’. His powerful poems set the tone for the open conversations and self-expression that lay ahead.
No Subtitles for Saxton Award Student playwrights recognized Julia Balakrishnan Assistant Photos Editor It was their own experience at Queen’s that pushed student playwrights Bushra Afreen, ArtSci’17, and Nina Riccarelli, ArtSci’16, to write a piece depicting the daily experiences of being a minority in a predominantly white community. Last month, Afreen and Riccarelli were awarded the J.C.W Saxton Prize in Playwriting by the Dan School of Drama and Music, given annually to a student who has submitted an exceptional piece of playwriting. The play, entitled No Subtitles, takes a look at the lingual and cultural barriers between racial groups. The drama features two characters, Bengali-Canadian
Brishti and white Canadian Beatrice, as they attempt to navigate the struggles of racial representation in drama. As Brishti tries to get her play, which is set in Bangladesh, onstage, Beatrice’s response is full of micro-aggressions and ignorance that may feel eerily familiar to the average Queen’s drama student. In an email exchange with The Journal, Afreen and Riccarelli — who are from Bangladesh and Brazil respectively — noted that it was based on a combination of both their experiences at Queen’s. They wrote the script in Professor John Lazarus’s playwriting class, using it as a vehicle to express how out-of-place they felt in campus theatre culture. “Nina, who is physically a white person, faced greater pressure
Throughout the evening, I spoke with contributors and fans of the collection, as well as students doing anti-oppressive work on campus and beyond. One piece of artwork that stood out to me as exemplifying the collection was a piece by Morganne Blackwell. Her artwork is mostly collage-like pieces incorporating keywords into the background. The focus of her work Acceptance is an illustrated pair of eyes, complete with messy fringe and bold eyebrows. The words ‘love’, ‘believe’, and ‘acceptance’ decorate the borders of the image in a spiral pattern. Smaller images of children’s eyes squinting into the sunlight are interspersed with hand-drawn hearts. Blackwell perfectly captures the calm and nurturing vibe of the poem ‘To to assimilate. Seeing her grow frustrated with the department was terribly saddening, especially since she was so, so, so excited to be part of Drama,” Afreen wrote. In her time at Queen’s, Riccarelli said she struggled with being “ridiculously white” while also trying to maintain a cultural identity, “especially when Queen’s is so blatantly white Canadian,” Afreen noted. “I mean, I’m Latina and I look nothing like a stereotypical Latina. I have blonde hair and I’m super pale. I don’t look out of place at Queen’s, but I feel like I am,” Riccarelli said. After sharing with each other their frustrating encounters within the Drama department, it became clear what they would write on: something that Afreen dubbed “white-cultural suffocation” — the lack of space for other cultures and realities despite surface-level promises of diversity and inclusion. The script was formed mainly through improv. The main conflict of the short play is Beatrice rejecting a Bengali song in Brishti’s production, saying that cultural diversity has to be “authentic but accessible” to its white, English-speaking audience.
Thelma from Louise’ on the opposite page. The night was a celebration of all the editors’ and contributors’ hard work, and after spending some time with the collection, I can say it was well-deserved. The time and emotional labour put into the collection is evident and the pieces made me laugh, cry and nod in agreement. Collective Reflections is a unique and important publication to have
on Queen’s campus. The writing and art work are sometimes heartbreakingly honest and expose the reader to experiences and important conversations not openly discussed elsewhere. I left the event with hope about the future of anti-oppressive work on Queen’s campus and beyond — a feeling that only grew as I read through the collection. I’m looking forward to Volume 5.
No Subtitles is the 2017 winner of the Saxton award.
In the end, exasperated and disheartened, Brishti walks away from letting it be altered so much, stating, “I’ve gone through this thing before and it always ends up the same.” Both Afreen and Riccarelli were shocked when they found out they’d won the award. The play’s subject matter is particularly significant for the year the Drama department has had. It’s recognition comes at the end of a year in which Queen’s Vagabond’s production of Othello was cut after backlash over the casting of a white woman as the title character, traditionally played by a Black man. “I desperately want to believe that they are two completely
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY
ERIKA STREISFIELD
separate situations but I’m a bit suspicious,” Riccarelli wrote regarding how her play interacts with this year’s events. “Regardless, I’m super stoked that our little passion project got noticed.” Afreen will be the first person of colour to receive the Saxton award, a fact she called “ridiculous”. Nonetheless, the warm reception of No Subtitles may hold promise for more diverse and socially-aware productions on the horizon. “We should try to broaden our selections to include plays about other types of experiences,” Riccarelli concluded. “Canada is so diverse. We should honour that.”
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Thursday, April 6, 2017
Sports
SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S NORDIC SKIING
The Nordic Skiing team in action.
Winter clubs look to summer for training Nordic Skiing, Figure Skating take unconventional approaches to summer months
Joshua Finkelstein Staff Writer As temperatures rise outside, the competitive season for many winter sports comes to an end. However, for the Gaels who strap on their skis or skates every weekend across the country to represent their school, the melting snow puddles filling the streets in no way represent an end to their work for the year. Marlee Sauder, in her third year with the Queen’s Nordic Skiing team, allows herself a few weeks to recover with some light exercise at the end of the season — which can be anywhere from the end of February to the middle of March
— depending on the amount of snow left. In an endurance-heavy sport, sometimes known as the best full-body workout around, Sauder acknowledged that the “strenuous” workload of the season can take a large toll on the body. After the quick respite, though, the team will pick back up, trying to build up even greater endurance for the coming season. Describing her summer training, Sauder said, “these months are mostly set aside for high volume training with some strength mixed in as well.” In the summer, without any snow to practice on, Nordic racers will often turn to other endurance sports like canoeing,
PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS
Lily Jiang accepts the Marion Ross Trophy.
Celebration at Colour Awards Sailing takes home award for top performing club Matt Scace Staff Writer On Tuesday night, the red carpet was rolled out for Queen’s Varsity Club athletes as they celebrated the 81st Colour Awards in a Tricolourthemed ARC. The night commemorated the year’s standout performances from rookie athletes to the best varsity athletes of the season. The ceremony also rewarded the top performing club with the Award of Merit trophy for excellence, and while the awards were given to only a select group of athletes, the
night was largely used to recognize all the blood, sweat and tears put in throughout the year. Award of Merit for Top Team: Sailing
Every year, the Award of Merit Trophy is presented to the most successful varsity club team. This year, the Queen’s sailing team was given the honour of accepting the award after a season that saw them not only represent Queen’s, but win gold at the Student Yachting World Cup. “I think we’re all really proud.
cycling or running to prepare for weekend meets. Additionally, the team may also go “roller skiing-poling” along the street on wooden, road-adapted blades to get more technical practice. Sauder described this as “kind of like roller-blading but specific roller skis for our sport.” Once back at school in the fall, the Gaels travel to Quebec for a training camp on snow stored over the summer. Around that time, the team also increases the depth of their training regimen in preparation for the upcoming season. “Ideally, we have three high-intensity interval training sessions per week,” Sauder said, “with weights and high volume training, along with some good stretching.” Strength training is designed to improve both longterm endurance and explosiveness for the shorter sprint distances and starting in longer races.
For Gaels competing on ice instead of the snow, the summer “break” is also a misnomer. Stephanie Collier, in her second year figure skating as a Gael, notes how in the summer, she always does her best to get to the rink as frequently as possible. Combining a summer job with the need to recover from a packed season of competition, Collier admits it isn’t as frequent as during the year. Nonetheless, with such a focus on technique in her sport, the way to work on the skills gained in winter is practicing on the ice. “Figure skating is very detail-oriented,” she said, “so you want to do your best to practice regularly to maintain proper technique that can be lost easily.” For first-year figure skater Leah Monette, in the summer, “off-ice fitness training is very different from actually being on the ice.” It’s important to take a quick rest, after practicing on the ice up to
five times each week during the year. Additionally, Monette will try to create new programs for the upcoming season. Ideally, the skating programs used in competition have enough difficulty and creativity to build on past performances. Both skaters are looking to add to their trophy cabinet next year. In her first year with the team at the OUA Figure Skating Championships, Monette won a second-place finish in the Women’s 4 team, while Collier earned a bronze with her partner Moria Chang. For Sauder, coming into her final year with the Nordic Skiing team, she hopes to continue to improve upon what was her best season yet. With the goal of both making OUA All-Star status in the province and supporting the rest of the team, she’ll relish the opportunity to get better, no matter how short this means the break will be.
We’ve been working on this for three, four years and getting the recognition we deserve is a great feeling. I’m really proud of our team,” fourth-year Simone Larose said. It was a year of monumental successes, as the team also won the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing title, giving them the opportunity to compete at the World Cup. While it’s the end of the road for many members of the team with Queen’s, they don’t expect their careers to finish here. “Sailing is a thing you’re going to do for the rest of your life. We’re never going to stop sailing, it’s our passion,” said Larose.
team and two third-place finishes, throughout her exemplary sportswomanship was always just as impressive as her skill. The four-time OUA All-Star leaves Queen’s with memories that’ll stay with her for the rest of her life. “I think the most important [tournament] was OUAs and especially my last one because I don’t even know where I’m going from here,” said Jiang. “I’ve been fencing since I was 12 and the last OUA I knew that that may very well be my last competition ever so the last hit that got me that gold in individual events, that was kind of [the] highest point.”
couldn’t have been more evident, as his smile couldn’t be erased for the duration of the video. The trails Pinchin has blazed for the Queen’s water polo program will be remembered for many years as the team will try to improve on the past season’s results in their quest for OUA supremacy.
Soon-to-be graduate Lily Jiang now joins a former teammate with being awarded this distinct honour. Queen’s graduate Anna Rogers won the award in Jiang’s first year. “For me it’s a true honour because these people have exemplified sportsmanship and leadership to me so just the fact that I was following in their footsteps means a lot,” Jiang said. Jiang’s graduation marks an incredible four years at Queen’s. She played a significant role in two OUA golds for the fencing
Ian Pinchin was a critical member of the water polo team this year, a major player in making the team a true contender and leading the Gaels to an OUA bronze. As the captain, Pinchin was an influential voice on the team and led Queen’s offence with high spirits and a determined mentality. The 6’4” academic All-Star is currently on exchange in Australia completing a Master’s program and wasn’t available for comment after the awards ceremony, however he accepted the honour over video. Pinchin’s happiness
Marion Ross Trophy for Top Female Athlete: Lily Jiang — Fencing
Jack Jarvis Trophy for Top Male Athlete: Ian Pinchin — Men’s Water Polo
Alfie Pierce Trophy for Top Female Rookie: Jenna Dhanani — Squash
It was another banner year for the women’s squash team, and the team owes much of their success to one of their newest members, Jenna Dhanani. For a third consecutive season, the squash team reigned victorious at the OUA championship. Dhanani joined a squash program that’s proving to be one of the strongest in the province, and its reputation seems to only continue to grow. “It’s been an amazing season with the team, I got to play in a lot of tournaments but the nice thing about our team is that we get the most competition from each other and really get to help build each other up…it’s really a group effort,” said Dhanani. As Dhanani moves into her second season with the Gaels, it’s likely that she’ll fill the role of some of the leaders of the team
See Jonker on page 9
Sports
Thursday, April 6, 2017
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Varsity athletes reflect on five-year careers Singh and Pearson talk Gaels basketball
Sukhpreet Singh is Queen’s all-time leading scorer.
JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Sarah O’Flaherty Assistant Sports Editor
circle and put the jersey on for that last game?
What it was like to put on the jersey the first time for Queen's?
“I think for anyone who’s played varsity sports knows this feeling. The sight of it all coming to an end, the excitement of the last game ahead — for me it was the national bronze game, pretty good one to go out on — and the realization that this would be the very last time.” — Pearson
“I think the first time I put on the jersey was for an intersquad scrimmage actually. Pretty surreal sliding into it for sure. That gold is such a unique colour, and I was so excited to wear it.” — Robyn Pearson, women’s basketball “We actually played North Eastern in August before we started first year, which is actually a Division 1 school. We were all pretty nervous, I got to start that game and I wasn’t expecting that at all, especially as a first year, but to put on that jersey and represent the school and do it with all my friends that were coming in that year, that was pretty special.” — Sukhpreet Singh, men’s basketball What was it like to come full
“That was tough. That whole day was tough. You have your routine that you do every day and you tie your shoes up for the last time, you have your last meal, just stuff like that, little stuff. You’ve done it for five years every single day so it was really emotional for me. Especially at the banquet after with friends and family, that was tough. But we went out on a win, so that was nice.” — Singh What do you hope to be remembered for?
“To put it simply, I hope to be remembered as one of the greatest rebounders in OUA history, a great teammate, and an even better friend. This program and this university has given me so much, I would love for the program’s success to simply grow and continue from here.” — Pearson “Oh man that’s tough. Just the epitome of Queen’s, I mean the all-encompassing character that a Queen’s Gael should embody and obviously one of the best players that played at Queen’s. I think I’m definitely up there and I’ve proven that over my career. Outside of that, just being a good character and person in the community.” — Singh What's next for you?
“I think that basketball will definitely remain a part of my life, either playing in leagues, scrimmaging with university teams and coaching others, it will always be a very important part of myself and my life. As for what’s next, I will be turning to my freelance videography and photography business, Smooth Studios full time.” — Pearson “I obviously have hopes of playing next year, and we’ll see
how that goes, but obviously that’s a tough thing to do, not a lot of people get a chance to play professionally. That’s obviously something I’m looking forward to but obviously there’s a plan B, and that’s to be a police constable so I’m obviously working toward that as well, so we’ll see what the future holds. One of those two, one of those two.” — Singh If there was something you could say to your teammates now, what would it be?
“Remember that your biggest limitation is yourself. If you’re willing to work at basketball, your relationships in your life, and your
school work or career, anything is possible. The first step is being ready to take that next step, from there, you just have to keep pushing. Oh, and don’t forget, once a Gael always a Gael. I love you guys.” — Pearson “Appreciate every moment. Every practice, every shoot around, every pre game talk. Every team bonding thing you have. You only have four or five years with your teammates and it’s probably the best four years of your life, I mean it was for me. Appreciate every little moment, the little things definitely.” — Singh
Jonker top rookie
Continued from page 8
graduating this year.
Alfie Pierce Trophy for Top Male Rookie: Ryan Jonker — Mountain Biking
Ryan Jonker made his presence on the mountain biking team felt from the first day of training, as he provided Queen’s with some of their strongest performances this season. For the seventh season in
a row, the team captured the University Cup. Jonker was critical in the effort, as he finished fourth overall. Throughout the season, he proved himself to be a dependable competitor with five top-five finishes. “It’s awesome to get the award. We had a great team this year… we had a great mountain bike season,” said Jonker. “Next season we’re going to train hard and aim for first.”
M E G A Lrestaurant OS Take-out & Delivery | Large Parties Welcome Private Lower Level | Gift Cards 226 Princess St.
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10 •queensjournal.ca
Thursday, April 6, 2017
KINGSTON CORNER
Lifestyle
Small Batch, big flavour
A review of a new Princess Street staple
Ramna Safeer Editorials Editor
O
n the outside, Small Batch seems like nothing more than a small storefront with a bright turquoise awning, squeezed between a nail salon and a clothing store. But on the inside, the Princess Street gem is a perfect marriage of specialty coffee, local art and small town comfort. Let’s start where every café review should start: the coffee. My go-to drink this month has been the rosemary latte — strong espresso, steamed milk and a shot of rosemary flavouring. It may be an acquired taste, but it’s not too sweet and has an herby, earthy taste, perfect for cold weather. Their current speciality drink is a lavender latte — it’s a subtle and flowery taste just in time for spring. The walls of the café are lined with art by local artists, often depictions of Kingston at its best.
Small Batch is a prime study spot — it’s airy and refreshing, the music is soothing and the coffee keeps you there for hours. The cherry on top is their selection of snacks. All made in the back kitchen, Small Batch has everything from carrot cake — which is melt-in-yourmouth amazing — to gluten-free dark chocolate cookies. Unlike Balzac’s down the street, Small Batch isn’t lunchbox friendly — even if you bring something to eat in a Tupperware container, they’ll have you put it away (trust me). But the selection of food and snacks almost makes up for it, although it’s not too forgiving on your wallet. Small Batch is the ideal retreat from campus without being too far from campus. It may be called Small Batch, but they pack a punch that’ll have you coming back An afternoon at Small Batch Cafe. for more.
PHOTO BY AUSTON CHHOR
BUSINESS BASICS
Student start-ups: Puck App
A Queen’s Commerce grad takes an easy problem and solves it with technology Shivani Gonzalez Features Editor
KINGSTON CORNER
Cooking with Grandmas Grandmas and students share a meal.
Meg Glover Contributor As exam season rolls around and our professors pack a year’s worth of work into the 30 days of April, there’s nothing more comforting than a home-cooked meal. Most of us don’t have culinaryskilled adults on call throughout the year for a hug or a handhold after hour eight at Stauffer. So, here I am with a solution: allow me to introduce “Cooking with Grandmas”. The first time I saw those three words strung together was when my housemate invited me to the Facebook event. I thought it was nothing more than a funny, albeit random, joke. However, after looking into it further, I realized it just may be the best discovery of the semester. Held by volunteers from the Queen’s Women’s Association, “Cooking with Grandmas” is a monthly event filled with delicious food and wonderful conversation in a stress-free environment. Initiated by Queen’s Interfaith Chaplain Kate Johnson, “Cooking with Grandmas” is a night where a delightful group of ladies will teach
and demonstrate the makings of a true Sunday night family dinner in exchange for $5. “My sense is that the boomers were looking for ways to interact with the millennials and vice versa. Where better to meet than across a dining room table?” Johnson said when asked what initiated the idea for the event. “I also felt like students needed some alcohol-free social opportunities and that a lot of students needed access to elder wisdom.” So, on a cold night in February, my housemate and I made our way to 144 Albert Street. Walking into the warmth of the little house, we were greeted by a variety of delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. After slapping on a name tag and meeting our fellow “grandchildren”, we were carefully and lovingly instructed by the women on the makings of a feast. Dinner was an abundance of pork tenderloin with a hoisin sauce, root vegetable crumble and banana bread to top it off for dessert. After some light-hearted gossiping and an amateur chef tutorial in the kitchen, we were
PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN
led to a large table in the dining room that was set up for our new little family. Giving a toast of thanks to the grandmas for their loving patience and culinary expertise, we clinked our glasses and dug in. “It was the best I’ve eaten all semester,” Nicolette Kabitsis, ArtSci’18, laughed, recalling the event and looking ruefully at her bowl of Kraft Dinner. With plans to increase their amount of dinners to a weekly occurrence, “Cooking with Grandmas” hopes to spread awareness to more students and increase attendance for next year. “It’s an authentic way to make sure people feel cared for that transcends religious and cultural barriers — we all need to eat!” Johnson said, nodding her head thoughtfully. Although the last chance to cook with grandmas has passed for the month of April, mark your calendars for September. If you’re missing your mom’s cooking, you need faith that houses can be clean again or you just want an honestto-goodness hug from a warm, friendly grandma, you now know where to go.
If you can imagine the melding of Uber and Tinder, add in a game of minor league hockey and a need for a goalie, you’ll have something similar to Niki Sawni’s app, Puck App. Sawni, Comm ’13, knew he wanted to start his own business when he graduated from Queen’s. “From my day-to-day, I always think of what I want to solve and put the idea in a jar. I play a ton of hockey but a lot of the time the problem is finding a goalie,” Sawni said. “Maybe you have one or two and if they can’t make it you can’t play and you have to forfeit the game and lose money.” The way the app works is that you put in a request for game time, level and rank of the goalie you need. You have a goalie come to the game and you can message back and forth and then you can rate them. “If you’re a hockey goalie, there is no downside of being on the app. You get a notification and you can choose to join the game and make around $25 to $30 and if not it’s just another notification on your phone you can ignore,” Sawni said. Currently the app is available in cities like Toronto and Ottawa. Hamilton, Quebec City and Windsor, but Sawni is looking to expand, as well to make the app available in Calgary and Edmonton. There are currently 800 goalies on the app, who play around 100 games a month.
Sawni’s inspiration behind the app, other than his love for hockey, was the ability to use technology to solve everyday problems. “How can I leverage technology to make it the best customer experience? My focus is around the teams looking for goalies, how can I make it as easy for them as possible without reaching a third party?” Hockey goalie renting services did exist prior to this app, but according to Sawni they didn’t have the same convenience. “There were other ones out there but they were really outdated. So, here is a small problem, a uniquely Canadian problem, that technology can solve.” Sawni’s favourite part of the app is the leaderboard feature, where goalies can log in and see the highest ranked goalies. This allows for goalies to see how they measure up compared to others in the area. Puck App recently launched a program for young hockey goalies to apply for one of four $250 awards to help them and their families buy equipment, which can often be pricey. The most surprising part of running Puck App, Sawni is the personal connections. “Some people on the app send me messages saying ‘I really need money, anything you can do’ or ‘I am a struggling single dad and want to be able to help my kids out.’ You get really personal with a lot of users,” Sawni said.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
LIFESTYLE
Best of Kingston 2017 We polled Queen’s students for their favorite activity specific locations from all across Kingston and campus. Here are some winners — find the rest online!
SEXUALITY
Maybe Carrie and maybe Charlotte
One last piece of advice from S&M
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and sex positive community. We feel as though we haven’t only strengthened our bond with each other but also with those who were brave and open enough to send us their deepest thoughts and questions. And for that, we thank you. As we prepare to leave Queen’s behind in three short weeks, we’ve learned something else that we think you should know. So, for the final time, allow us to give you this one last piece of advice: Moving on from something that you’re comfortable with is scary. We know that. But don’t dwell on the past. Look forward to whatever new adventure is coming your way with a sense of confidence and excitement. Throwing yourself into a brand new situation in which you’re uncomfortable can allow you to grow and learn about yourself and others. So embrace it. If we, two very small 21-year-olds, who are qualified for absolutely nothing, can do it, so can you. Go forth with the confidence that you can do whatever you put your mind to. We’ll always be rooting for you from over here, baby. — S&M ;)
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
It feels like we only started this journey yesterday, but here we are at the close of this sexy chapter of our lives. Writing this column was never something we thought we’d be doing in our undergrad, but we’re grateful for the opportunity that The Journal gave us to get to connect with the Queen’s community in such a unique way. S&M has given us the space to be our uncensored, totally authentic selves — for better or worse. We’ve been able to openly discuss topics like female masturbation, nude photos and safe sex with a welcoming
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LIFESTYLE
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Jane Willsie Editor in Chief I’ve been writing these words in my head for the last 12 months. I’ve been revising and rewriting as I went, as the things I thought I’d be saying by the end of this year became less and less true. There’s a saying, something about a fool and a hopeless cause, that’s appropriate to describing student journalism. To the rest of the world, The Journal can seem an exercise in
futility; in long nights with little reward, in thankless and tedious toil for little praise or glory — not to mention money. At The Journal, it takes 26 people to put out a newspaper. Twenty-six people who, regardless of the struggles they face in their lives or their squabbles with each other, regardless of their lack of sleep or mounting piles of schoolwork, are willing to work together to create something because they believe
We want to thank everyone who contributed to Vol. 144: Nabeela Jivraj Sarina Grewal Iain Sherriff-Scott Jasnit Pabla Pamoda Wijekoon Gillian Moir Raechel Huizinga Matt Cohn Greg Radisic Jessica Gibson Ariana Bascom Tamarra Wallace Sean Sutherland Korey Pasch Lena Gilmour Nick Pateras Lesley Jamieson Michelle Allan
I recognize the footsteps of each person walking past my door. I know their voices as they call to each other and of course, the unique sound of each of their laughter. Their tirelessness, their hope, love for each other and genuine wonderfulness are the only evidence I need that this year was well spent. Kayla — I’m completely serious when I say that I wouldn’t have made it through this year without you. Neither, I think, would a lot of people. You kind of are The Journal. Shivani, Mikayla, Jenna, Ramna, Arththy, Erika, Valentino, Julia, Auston, Ghazal — each one of you brought something unique and special to your sections and to The Journal. I think each one was a reflection of how special and unique you are. Sarah, Ashley, Alex, Morgan, Blake, Maureen — it seems insufficient to call you assistants. You brought life and energy into this house, thank you. To all the staff members, photographers, contributors and readers I don’t have the space to name here — thank you for your dedication and your decision to be a part of this incredible organization.
Last Words
Jacob Rosen Editor in Chief
When you’re in the business of words, it’s never a good sign when you can’t come up with the right ones to describe how you’re feeling — but, that may very well be the best metaphor to describe my past year. This year has been an absolute mess for me and it’s still too raw to fully comprehend — let alone come up with something to say about it. But, seeing as this will be my last contribution to The Journal, the place I’ve come to call home for the past three years, I’m going to try to put something together, at least to fill some space. The thing is, there’s a lot I could say about my time at The Journal. I’ve met some of the most amazing people through my experience here and they’ve inspired me, even in the toughest of times. I’m already sick of reminiscing on it myself and I can only imagine how bored you are. So, instead, I’m going to tell you what I’ve been working on. I don’t want to get into too much into detail, but I felt lost a lot of the time this year, like I just wasn’t on the same page as everyone else. I’ve witnessed a lot of issues on
in its common value — because something created together is so much more powerful than each person working alone. Maybe I’m a fool, but that doesn’t seem like a hopeless cause to me. While at the end of this month I’ll walk through the shabby, paintchipped rooms one last time and think that I’m saying goodbye, I know I’m not really leaving. I’m glad to lift the weight of what feels like the world at times from my shoulders, but I’ll miss feeling a part of that world. I know that I won’t be able to stop myself from anxiously peering over the shoulders of Volume 145, wishing I’d thought of it first or had time to implement it. After all, a year is a blink of the eye to an institution like The Journal. It’s not easy — but often more honest — to admit when you don’t know everything. So, in that way, if somewhat grudgingly, I’m thankful for the lesson in humility that was this year of frequent failure and small victories. A leader isn’t defined by what they have within themselves, but by what they’re able to bring out in others. As I sit in my office on my last press day in this house,
Thursday, April 6, 2017
campus during my three years at The Journal, but one of the major ones that I’ve become personally invested in is likely one you don’t know exists. I’m talking about the major systemic issues that plague this very paper. It’s no secret that the news industry worldwide has fallen into tough times. Beyond the financial woes, papers are struggling to find their place in an increasingly online world. I could go on about the industry for days but the point I’m trying to make is that very few papers, if any, have been doing well in recent years. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to The Journal. For years, The Journal has been stuck in an old way of thinking because its system doesn’t allow for true progress to take place. Below are some of the issues I’ve included in my more than 12,000 word report on recommendations for future editors. One of the only reasons The Journal survives year-to-year is because of dedicated editors who work far more hours than expected for a pathetic honourarium. But
Liam Bloomfield Dana Mitchell Kasey Caines Jessica Park Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy Charlotte Heller Amy O’Rourke Monique Ling Sonia Chase Darian Doblej Nik Papageorgiou Miela Lilles Tegwyn Hughes Junaid Indawala Orlaith Croke-Martin Kylie Dickinson Josh Milburn David Sinkinson Diana Yoon Erin Clancy Melissa Forcione
shouldn’t dedication amount to more than survival? For The Journal to survive — let alone prosper — roles and responsibilities need to be altered, along with schedules, procedures and training manuals. Dedication shouldn’t be the benchmark to meeting our standards, it should result in improving on them. Not to mention that, for a group of people who spend a lot of energy advocating for mental health resources on campus, we spend very little time on our own discussing obvious in-house issues. And here we are, at the end of my story. You may never see the changes in action because I wasn’t the right leader to implement them, but I can leave knowing I did my part in the hopes that the right time will come for my recommendations to guide a new day at The Journal. Beyond all of that, there are a lot of people I need to address, but I think I’ll do most of that personal stuff somewhere else. Here are just a few of these final thoughts: To Nick and Vince — Thank you for taking a chance on me even though I bailed as a contributor the year before.
Ben Pulver Adam Laskaris Joseph Gilpin Phoenix Tapley Kate Cole Nick Scott Matt Scace Sebastian Bron Brittany Almeida Joshua Finkelstein Eric Gallo-Miscevich Bilal Shaikh John O’Flaherty James Hynes Spencer Belyea Matt Christie Henry Jeong Bryn Evans Kiera Liblik Cassandra Littlewood Josh Granovsky
To Anisa and Sebastian — It was an absolute honour serving as your News Editor. Words can’t describe the amount of respect I have for you two. To Jane — I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way we planned. To the editors of Vol. 144 — I wanted to be your leader, your mentor and above all, your editor. But in the end, I sort of just became the guy who read over your work. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to inspire you — I guess I had trouble inspiring myself.
Aleksandra Popovik Meghan Bhatia Monica Mullin Ryan Little Elizabeth Ononiwu Kyle Gonci Tori Brown Danielle Ruderman Madeline Heinke Carly Williams Michelle Allan David Hao Heather Park Clayton Tomlinson Ronen Goldfarb Leslie Egan Erkia Siegert Victoria Stevens Kate Meagher Cayla Wolever Aidan Tammaro
Catherine Ryoo Kyle Curlew Alex Jarvis Ivette Rodriguez Ryan Pistorius Alixandra Glance Sean Sutherland Orli Levitt Audrey Rott Spencer Belyea Chloe Chan Lara Liebovitz Alan Wren Sammy Zucker Clayton Tomlinson Spencer Leefe Ramolen Laruan Madeline Wright Michelle Boon AJ Lockhard Raechel Huizinga
Vic — it’s been immaculate. Anisa and Sebastian — I learned so much from both of you, about grace, decency and honesty. I’m glad I get the chance to thank you in writing for giving me this part of my life. I hope I lived up to what you saw in the girl you didn’t know, but who you decided to hire to be the voice of The Journal’s Editorials section. Joe. I’ve told you this before, but this is a more permanent place to put it: I believe in you. You have so much ahead of you, but you’ve already come pretty far. If I can give you one piece of advice — among the many others to follow — it’s to not forget what made you want to be an Editor in Chief in the first place or what made you want to be great at it. If you can remember that, you will be. People complain about the rudeness of the Oscar’s music in cutting off people’s acceptance speeches, but they haven’t encountered the far more resolute barrier of a word count. Mine is almost reached. For all the people who’ve trusted me with their lives and experiences, I hope I lived up to them. But words, much like these last ones of mine, only ever tell a part of the story. Jane is ready to see the world To everyone I’ve met because of The Journal — Thank you for opening my mind. To my peoples outside The Journal — I don’t know where I’d be without your support. And finally, to Joe — I’m confident that you’ll do a great job. You have a lot of work ahead of you and I’ll be around next year trying to finish my degree if there’s anything you need. Trust the process — but don’t be afraid to change it, things don’t always work out the way you plan. Jacob is ready to have his life back.
Pamoda Wijekoon Dana Mitchell Zelia Bukhari Will Alley Gabi Sandler Elissa Bozhkov Emily Sanders Nick Pearce Josh Malm Stephanie Nijhuis Kailun Zhang Sophie Hinton Sydney Urbanek Cameron Treanor Lauren Luchenski Nina Ricciarelli Caela Fenton Betsy Studholme