The Queen's Journal, Volume 143, Issue 27

the journal

Queen’s University

Vol. 143, Issue 27

T h u r s day , M a r c h 1 7 , 2 0 1 6

since

1873

PHE program suspended

CRIME

Suspicious persons reported around campus

Admissions to degree to be stalled for one year

M ikayla W ronko Assistant News Editor Campus Security and Emergency Services issued an alert on Wednesday following four suspicious person reports received on and near main campus in a 24-hour period.

The first incident reported a student being followed home from campus by an unknown man early on Tuesday morning. After the student entered her house, the man continued onto the porch and attempted to open the locked front door.

In a post in the popular Facebook group “Overheard at Queen’s”, the victim elaborated on the event, stating that she had been walking down Alfred St. after returning from Stauffer Library See Three on page 4

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES Four Directions lone Aboriginal support

PHOTO BY KENDRA PIERROZ

The School of Kinesiology and Health Studies announced the suspension last Friday.

J ordana G oldman Assistant News Editor Queen’s will be suspending admissions to the Physical and Health Education program starting September 2017.

The decision was announced Friday afternoon at the Arts and Science Faculty Board, according to the Queen’s Gazette. Susan Mumm, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, said the suspension will last one year.

Mumm agreed to suspend admissions following a recommendation from the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies in September.

The School of Kinesiology and Health Studies will be responsible for revising the program along with Mumm. The suspension will provide the School with the necessary time to explore the options of the program’s future, Mumm said.

“A temporary suspension of

page 3

admission will allow the Faculty time to consult with students, alumni and other key stakeholders about the long-term viability of the program moving forward,” Mumm wrote in an email to The Journal.

Students currently enrolled in the program and graduate students supervised by faculty members in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies will be able to continue their studies without disruption, she added.

ArtsSci to introduce pass/fail course option

New sexual assault policy lacks depth

The Personal Interest Credit will allow Arts and Science students to take 6.0 credits with pass/fail grading

page 7

M ikayla W ronko Assistant News Editor

ARTS Student actress uses talents on reserve

Originally published online on March 14.

Students in the Faculty of Arts and Science will have the option

to take pass/fail courses this coming September.

The new option, called the Personal Interest Credit, was approved by the Arts and Science Faculty Board last Friday. It will allow Arts and Science students to choose up to 6.0 units — one

full-year course or two half-year courses — of electives to receive a pass/fail grade.

The policy, the first of its kind at Queen’s, is intended to reduce the risk of taking courses outside a student’s program of study and to promote interdisciplinary studies.

page 9

SPORTS Winter varsity teams, ranked

page 12

POSTSCRIPT Participating in a dating show on campus

Online:

queensjournal.ca

See Dean on page 5

ACADEMICS

OPINIONS

page 16

Mumm said various factors contributed to the decision, including the considerable overlap of curriculum content with the Kinesiology program and the decrease in PhD programs in the field, which has reduced the number of available teachers.

Mumm also noted that higher education and the health industry have shifted away from physical education programs.

“The number of opportunities

Any course in Arts and Science is eligible for pass/fail designation. @queensjournal

facebook.com/queensjournal

@queensjournal

PHOTO BY ARWIN CHAN

Pass/fail courses will have no effect on a student’s GPA. Any course offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science is eligible for pass/fail designation, although it cannot be a requirement for a student’s degree plan. Students will have the option to designate a course as pass/fail before the deadline to drop a course without academic penalty each term.

In PIC courses, a grade of Pass (P) is given when a student earns higher than a D-. Otherwise, the student receives a grade of Fail (F).

Only one pass/fail course may be taken each term.

Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) President Brandon Jamieson and Vice President Andrew DiCapua campaigned last year on the promise to introduce pass/fail courses in Arts and Science. Since they began their term, ASUS representatives have conducted rounds of consultations with Queen’s staff and faculty to See Pass/fail on page 4

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Banking on a new bill

Queen’s professor steers public engagement for new bank note

V ictoria G ibson Assistant News Editor According to Queen’s professor Jonathan Rose, a new face on Canadian bills may also change the way the Bank of Canada makes decisions.

Rose, an associate professor in Political Studies, has recently been selected to guide public consultation as the Bank of Canada selects a woman to feature on a new Canadian bill.

Rose said the government has set up an advisory council of seven leaders from academia, the arts and cultural activities.

These individuals will tackle the list of nominations, which is now at over 14,000 names — with some duplicates — to determine their recommendation for the Governor General. Rose isn’t a member of this council, but he’ll steer the public engagement process.

“I’m not involved in what decision they make, but the process about how they make that decision,” he said.

He remained tight-lipped concerning his own opinion of who should be selected, choosing instead to describe the criteria the council should consider.

“I’d put someone who was an expression of our national unity, [and] someone who represented the very best of Canadian culture, arts [and] thought.”

“You’ll notice I didn’t answer your question,” he said with a laugh. He did say it may not be necessary to remove a figure from an existing note, as it’s conceivable

to have a face on both sides of a bill.

But Rose was candid about his excitement about the endeavor. He believes the impact will be two-fold.

“It’s about time we had a woman on our currency, so that’s great. But, [the second impact] will be around the process.”

deceased, 10 years from now they M BEE UST H may not be as significant as they A N FOR DECEAVE were,” Rose said.

E 25 Y SED MUST BOT EAR When told of his appointment, N S , L REA NAL he says he was ecstatic.

FICTIO “I mean I’m a guy who [has done] research in public engagement and deliberation, so this complements the work I’ve done,” he said.

MUS B T BE Rose previously served as NAT ORN ORA U the academic director for the CAN RALIZED A “I’d put someone who Ontario Citizens’ Assembly CITI DIAN ZEN on Electoral Reform, and led a was an expression of citizens’ assembly in Prince Edward our national unity, County to study the optimal size of [and] someone municipal council. who represented Rose said the process of selecting the very best of a female figure is the beginning of an Canadian culture, arts important conversation. “[It’s] a conversation about [and] thought.” how we decide who is significant and an educational opportunity.

— Professor Jonathan Rose We’re recognizing the number of amazing women who’ve made a He said he’s thrilled that the significant contribution.”

Bank of Canada is taking a broad, The nomination process is consultative and deliberative open until April 15. The new bank GRAPHIC BY ASHLEY QUAN approach for the first time, note will be put into circulation in The woman chosen for the new Canadian bill must fulfill these three requirements. although he added that such an late 2018. approach has already been taken in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The woman chosen must satisfy three sets of criteria: they must be a naturalized or born Canadian citizen, they must not be fictional and they must have been deceased for 25 years.

The 25-year mandate aligns with a Parks Canada regulation on how to define a historically significant person.

“It kind of makes some sense, right? You want them to stand SUPPLIED BY SARA LONG the test of time. If they’re recently Queen’s professor hopes impact of the change will be three-fold.

AMS to lobby federal government Executive to join other schools to advocate for student issues V ictoria G ibson Assistant News Editor

“The first few years of what they wanted to see [and] what a government are mainly broadly their interests are, and preoccupied by policy change. used that to inform our advocacy After consulting with other With all of the priorities that the position,” he said. universities, the AMS executive government signals, we thought “I will say that, you know, will head to Ottawa at the end of this was the best way to make an we could have just went ahead this month to lobby the federal impact on these programs.” and lobbied. Previous AMS government on student issues.

Joining UWO and Queen’s administrations have just gone The AMS executive will head to Ottawa this month. PHOTO BY KENDRA PIERROZ The AMS, along with other are the student governments ahead and lobbied without letting student governments, will be at the University of British Assembly know.” “engaged and used AMS resources, advocate for student interests at lobbying Members of Parliament Columbia, Saskatchewan, Toronto Chinniah added that the AMS specifically in the Commission of the opportune time and gaining and other government officials and Waterloo. executive asked for Assembly’s the Environment and Sustainability, enough input from students before on international student support, “What we have basically is a authorization to lobby the federal to lobby the federal government, speaking in their name. student loan programs and student relatively loose coalition of schools, to petition the federal government, When asked, he didn’t state any employment. so like, these are the people that to change the Canadian Charter of specific goals the AMS wishes to The initiative was spearheaded are in right now, and any other “With all of the Rights and Freedoms.” achieve through lobbying, adding by the student government at the school can join in, if they would Chinniah said he was “around” that “especially with the federal priorities that the University of Western Ontario like to,” Chinniah said. last year and that the issue was never government, we don’t like to government signals, (UWO), and the student unions Together, the student brought explicitly to Assembly. publicize our specific targets.” we thought this was have been consulting on drafting governments will provide “It was just a pet project by “Another thing you have to the best way to make a proposal. the federal government with the commissioner at that time,” understand is that we’re also Speaking to The Journal, AMS information as stakeholders in the he added. The Commissioner currently still talking to the other an impact on these President Kanivanan Chinniah said policy-making process. From there, of the Environment and schools to solidify the policies that programs.” the AMS usually strays away from the government can decide if and Sustainability at the time was Leah we will be bringing forward.” federal issues and that the lobbying how to use that information.

Kelley, ArtSci ’16.

However, he said they want to — Kanivanan Chinniah, is a “one-time initiative”.

Chinniah said the AMS was For the Blue Dot project, the be “very clear” on how the AMS is AMS President The AMS decided to lobby now unable to consult with students previous AMS executive collected representing students. due to the change of leadership outside of AMS Assembly on signatures from students-at-large to “We have set a standard as the in Ottawa — Trudeau’s Liberal their decision to get involved government over the past two demonstrate support.

AMS, where we want to ensure Party won a majority in October with the lobbying effort due to meetings to garner their input.

Chinniah said that regardless that our representation policy is — which presents them with an time constraints.

He highlighted the Blue of the merits of that policy, there as representative of students opening to lobby for changes to “We broadly took what our Dot Campaign, during which needs to be a balance between as possible.” federal policy. students have told us, in terms of the previous AMS executive the flexibility of the AMS to

Thursday, March 17, 2016

queensjournal.ca

•3

FEATURE New resources, old barriers for Aboriginal students Four Directions is often the sole support for Aboriginal students on campus N ick P earce Features Editor

to meeting general admission requirements for the program, the minimum university admission When Melanie Gray began at average is lowered to 75 per cent.

Queen’s, feeling like she belonged “We had a lot more students was the exception. apply under the policy,” Doxtator She felt isolated and said. But she says some students disconnected from the broader are ambivalent.

Queen’s community when she “Some students say to me, if first arrived, she said. Many I apply under this policy are non-Aboriginal students seemed you going to publish my name focused on their own lives and anywhere? Is anyone going didn’t foster the same sense to find out I got into Queen’s of connection. under the Aboriginal The Four Directions Aboriginal Admissions policy?”

Student Centre became the sole In her experience as a recruiter, source of support for Gray as she some applicants feel it lends greater reconnected with her Aboriginal weight to their heritage than their heritage. Gray says the Centre’s personal merits. But she said she cultural programming gave her a stands by the policy. sense of identity she hadn’t felt in “One thing it addresses is the her classes. barriers and brings it up to a “I would have long been gone level playing field for Aboriginal if it wasn’t for them. They were students,” she said. there for me when my mom had “But I also tell them, once you cancer, they were there for me get your foot in the door, you’re with my anxiety,” Gray, ArtSci ’16, treated the exact same as every said. “They were there for me for other student. They don’t have support when a teacher called me to work less hard. There’s no out for being on disability services special treatment.” to the entire class.”

Melanie Gray, who applied She said she never felt the same through the policy, says she had sense of support as she did at no qualms. She came to Queen’s the Centre. to stay close to her home in “Coming to Queen’s, this Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, a ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT LIN colonial institute, I found Aboriginal student space can be elusive on campus. reserve west of Kingston. my culture,” she said. “[Four While Gray acknowledges Directions] has been my total just under $700,000 from the course on Aboriginal education Aboriginal student experiences the improvements made on support system and the rest of province, but not all of it goes to starting next summer. don’t change. campus, she still thinks there’s a Queen’s hasn’t been.” the Centre.

Outgoing Provost Alan “I think some things have level of tokenism involved with That singular support, however, Instead, it’s divided among Harrison has also unveiled a changed, but some things some efforts. hasn’t always been in place. The Four Directions, the Aboriginal task force to address Indigenous still have stayed the same,” She points to the Common Centre’s real progress — when Teachers Education Program, issues on campus, although Four McCourt said.

Ground’s Aboriginal-themed it gained funding and greatly Aboriginal Access to Engineering, Directions Director Janice Hill She said there was always a fire lounge decorations as an increased its programming — has the School of Policy Studies and is concerned about the future smaller circle of people that were example — she says the taken place over the last six years. the Faculty of Arts and Science. of the task force when Harrison more involved with the Centre decorations are superficial and that Twenty years ago, the Centre The Four Directions portion is is replaced. and Queen’s Native Student it’s not a truly Indigenous space. opened its first space on Bader just around $300,000, although Hill said Principal Woolf Association (QNSA). Likewise, The decorations were recently Lane (it moved to Barrie St. in the University supplements the has said that the new provost, she was often ambivalent about removed to make room for the 2000). A provincial grant provided grant to increase the Centre budget Benoit-Antoine Bacon will likely identifying as Aboriginal and GHETTO retail art exhibit. funding for the Centre, but it to around $600,000. continue to support Aboriginal opening herself up to a “list of QNSA President and lacked the resources and full-time The centre began addressing its resources, and that even if he doesn’t, questions” from students and Vice-President Leah Combs staff it now possesses. perceived shortcomings. It hired Woolf will still be dedicated to faculty about social concerns of and Lauren Winkler expressed Ashley Maracle, ArtSci ’09, more full-time staff, implemented Aboriginal issues.

Aboriginal people: “What’s your similar feelings. objected to the lack of staff and cultural programming and Four Directions is currently percentage? Did you get your Combs, ArtSci ’16, said programming with two other began to play a more active role at capacity, according to tuition paid for?” students’ words often don’t reflect students at her 2009 convocation on campus.

Queen’s Student Affairs, and McCourt said her sister, who their actions. by wearing traditional Mohawk Centre staff introduced the administration had attended Queen’s a year after “Student’s say they care, regalia to the ceremony. programming ranging planned to expand the her, had more difficulties with but then just not show up “I don’t necessarily know if from a drum circle to space in the future for a more racism — especially when myths [to events].” people knew why we were doing moccasin-making workshops to comfortable environment. and prejudices came up in her Winkler, ArtSci ’17, agreed. it,” Maracle told The Journal in the construction of a tipi in Four “And if necessary, I can remind Aboriginal studies class.

While she appreciates that they’re 2014. “Aboriginal issues at the Directions’ backyard.

[Woolf] of that,” Hill said.

“She often got [these] kind of included, she said that while time weren’t really discussed The University also introduced The University also launched a remarks about tuition and just QNSA is often invited to other on campus.” a variety of Indigenous course new minor in Indigenous Studies, misinformation,” McCourt said, clubs’ events to add an Aboriginal Until 2009, a lack of funding content: Mohawk and Inuktitut which Hill hopes to expand to adding that she’s heard Aboriginal voice, those clubs rarely attend was the norm. The following are now taught, Ojibwe writer a major. students experience similar QNSA events. year, the province provided more and Aboriginal literature Professor Four Directions Aboriginal situations today.

Four Directions director Janice than $1 million in a grant to Armand Ruffo was hired in 2014 Advisor Vanessa McCourt attended Nonetheless, Queen’s Hill says any visibility is important, Queen’s for Aboriginal student and all Bachelor of Education Queen’s from 1998 to 2002. With has improved its Aboriginal if only to raise awareness. But she education. Queen’s receives candidates will complete a 12-week that experience in says certain student admission rate in recent added that it’s limited. years. According to the 2015 She hopes to get a sculpture enrollment report, acceptances or work of art to be placed AMONG SELF-IDENTIFIED ABORIGINAL STUDENTS: have increased by 133 per prominently on campus so cent among self-identified that passersby are aware they 58% APPLICATIONS HAVE INCREASED BY Aboriginal students. are on Haudenosaunee and Lisa Doxtator, a recruiter Anishinaabe lands. and community liason at “[Visibility doesn’t go enough.

OFFERS HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY 123% Four Directions, encourages You walk through this campus and Aboriginal students to you would never know Queen’s sits 96% apply under the Aboriginal on traditional Indigenous territory.

YEAR 1-2 UNDERGRADUATE RETENTION RATE IN 2015 Admission policy.

You would never know Indigenous The Aboriginal Admissions presence is here because it’s ACCEPTANCES HAVE INCREASED BY 133% policy is an alternate method of not visible.”

GRAPHIC BY ASHLEY QUAN applying for Queen’s. In addition

News

4 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, March 17, 2016

News in Brief Program to improve access to Aboriginal self-identification New funding from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities aims to make self-identification more accessible and impactful for Aboriginal students at Queen’s.

On March 11, Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala announced funding to back two programs: the Self-Identification Project at Queen’s and the Kickstart College program at St. Lawrence College.

The program at Queen’s will develop new means for Aboriginal students to self-identify on their student records in an effort to increase discussion and access to specialized programs and assistance.

Under the current system, Aboriginal students can self-identify in the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre process, but can’t do so after their application closes.

The Self-ID Project will examine current methods of collecting and reporting information on self-identified Aboriginal students and is seeking to improve recruitment and retention programs.

Services on campus that aid Aboriginal students will also be investigated to determine how they can be improved. Issues to be investigated include possible structural and societal barriers to self-identification.

The funding will be taken from the Ontario Targeted Initiatives Fund, where the province invested $3 million during 2015-16. The fund supports 20 projects within post-secondary and training institutions, community organizations and service delivery partners.

The Ontario government has promised to invest $97 million into support for Aboriginal post-secondary educational initiatives over the next three years.

Queen’s researchers lead study on young people’s health

Masters of Science in Healthcare Quality tuition increased by 36 per cent

Queen’s researchers have found a correlation between the health of young Canadians and relationships with family, school, peers The Board of Trustees passed a and community. series of tuition increases on March Their findings were based on 4 for domestic and international data from a national research students for the 2016-17 study, the 2014 Health Behaviour school year. in School-aged Children Survey While tuition for most programs (HBSC), which gathered responses only increased by 2 to 5 per cent, from 29,784 students from the tuition rate international grades 6 through 10 from 377 students will pay for the 2016-17 schools across Canada. year for the Masters of Science in The study found that social Healthcare Quality was increased supports from parents, teachers by 36.1 per cent. Non-domestic and friends were critical for students, who had previously paid positive health outcomes, with $14,690 for the 2015-16 year, will family support being the most now be paying $20,000. important source of support. Girls Prior to the increase, the were found to be particularly difference between domestic and PHOTO BY KENDRA PIERROZ vulnerable to mental health international tuition was only A female student was followed home from issues, especially girls in grades $690. Domestic students pay Stauffer Library Tuesday morning.

9 to 10 — they reported more $14,350 for the incoming year. negative mental and emotional The increases, which were health outcomes than every made based on recommendations other group. by the Capital Assets and Finance The study also uncovered Committee, were in compliance positive changes since the with the Ontario government’s last report in 2010. Reports of tuition fee framework. bullying decreased by 50 per A Queen’s communications cent, although reports of students officer told The Journal via email Continued from front page stated that the males in each call being “victimized” stayed at the that the Capital Assets and Finance were generally described as being same level.

Committee assessed Queen’s around 1:30 a.m.

Caucasian, in their late 30s or early It found that the use of cannabis domestic and international fees Campus Security stated that 40s, approximately 5’8” tall and (marijuana) has decreased among for comparability with peer there were three subsequent wearing a dark colour jacket, blue youth since 2002. Its use among institutions before making its reports of males who appeared jeans and a ball cap.

Canadian youth is at its lowest level recommendations. The committee out of place and had similar Campus Security and Emergency in 24 years, at 23 per cent for both also took into account market descriptions. Campus Security says Services ask that anyone who may boys and girls. demand and the revenue required they can’t conclusively determine have experienced a similar incident Queen’s researchers William to ensure high-quality and relevant if the reports are describing the off-campus contact the Kingston Pickett and John Freeman were programs, they wrote. same person.

Police at 613-549-4660 to make co-principal investigators for the “More specifically, increasing In their alert, Campus Security a report. study, which was coordinated the international fees associated by the Queen’s Social Program with some professional Master’s Evaluation Group (SPEG). programs brings the fees into Researchers from the University alignment with competitor of British Columbia, McGill institutions. Keeping the tuition University and the University of flat for international research New Brunswick also collaborated graduate students maintains our on the study. competiveness in attracting high quality students and keeps it at — Jordana Goldman approximately double the domestic fees,” the email stated.

Three subsequent incidents reported

— Victoria Gibson

— Mikayla Wronko

Pass/fail project eight months in the making Continued from front page

introduce pass/fail courses.

DiCapua said the policy only affects students in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the moment, but could one day extend to other faculties. The initial project was a massive undertaking, as Arts and Science students make up 60 per cent of undergraduate students.

“We have 28 departments [in the Faculty of Arts and Science], and if you can figure out all the intricacies of switching between those departments, going beyond that is not too much more difficult,” DiCapua said.

He added that courses chosen as pass/fail electives cannot be a core course, an optional course or a prerequisite course for a student’s degree plan.

“If you’re in Economics, and you have [to] take a 200-level course as an optional or core class, that doesn’t qualify as a pass/fail course.”

Jamieson told The Journal that the PIC has been in the works for over eight months now. He said student leaders from ASUS have spearheaded consultations with various members of the Queen’s administration, including working groups, undergraduate chairs and departments.

“This project has been entirely, from its inception, driven by students and I think that is, at least in a university [setting], it’s very unconventional. Not many students have these opportunities to, quite literally, build this policy every step of the way,” Jamieson said.

Jamieson said he and DiCapua didn’t expect to gain as much traction as they did when they began building the foundation for a pass/fail policy.

“We went in asking for a lot, and we came out with exactly how much we had gone in wanting,” he said.

He hopes students use the PIC as an opportunity to explore new interests.

“Without concern or second thought, students will be able to take courses purely out of passion or interest ... not only are we going to be able to live up to what Queen’s stands for as a balanced institution, [but] students will be able to have a transformative academic experience.”

News

Thursday, March 17, 2016

queensjournal.ca

•5

Dean will advise Senate on decision to suspend enrolment at the end of the month admission; restructuring the program and resuming admission; for physical education teachers or completely closing of the within the school system is program following Senate policy decreasing. Many universities, and procedure. including Queen’s Faculty of Despite the program’s Education, are no longer offering suspension, Mumm said students a teaching subject in this area,” in Kinesiology or Health Studies she wrote. can still pursue physical education According to Mumm, the courses due to curriculum overlap, decision could go one of four especially in the first two years of directions: suspending the program the program. another two years; resuming She also said Queen’s may Continued from front page

move physical and health education courses to fit them into the Kinesiology or Health Studies programs.

“Part of the process will be looking at courses that still meet the needs of our learners and the industry and ensuring that they fit elsewhere in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies programs,” Mumm wrote.

For example, physical and health education practicum courses

Enrolment for Kinesiology and PhysEd

(called PACT courses) could be her intentions concerning the offered in part or in whole to program’s future. students in Kinesiology and The decision to suspend Health Studies. the program was made in The process for reviewing the accordance with Queen’s Senates’ program will be determined by Recommended Procedures Mumm, who will provide an Concerning the Temporary interim report to the Faculty Board Suspension of Admissions to at the end of the year of suspension. Academic Programs. As outlined Six months before the by the procedure, Mumm expiration of the program will explain the decision to the suspension, she will advise Queen’s Senate at their meeting the Provost and Senate about on March 22.

Number of applicants for Kinesiology and PhysEd

SOURCES: QUEEN’S 2015-16 ENROLMENT REPORT AND SCAD 2015 ENROLMENT TARGETS GRAPHICS BY JACOB ROSEN

GOODMAN INSTITUTE OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

THE JOHN MOLSON MBA® WITH COMPLETE CFA INTEGRATION In Toronto and Montreal

• We’re the first MBA program in Canada to fully integrate the CFA ® Body of Knowledge™ into our curriculum • Our CFA Level 1 pass rates more than double the worldwide rate every year

LEARN MORE AND MEET GRADUATES AT OUR UPCOMING INFORMATION SESSION Tuesday March 22, 6 p.m.

Goodman Institute of Investment Management 20 Bay St., 11th floor REGISTER AT CONCORDIA.CA/MBACFA

PURSUE TWO WORLD-CLASS DESIGNATIONS WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME

6 • queensjournal.ca

Thursday, March 17, 2016

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

ADMINISTRATION

Putting USATs back on the table a good sign Q

ueen’s revision of the student feedback process is a welcome step, but it won’t mean anything if USAT results aren’t taken seriously.

For each class they take, students fill out a USAT form reviewing the course — the University Survey of Student Assessment of Teaching (USAT), which is collected by the Registrar’s Office. The data is crunched electronically and professors are given an amalgamated score, along with anonymous comments from students.

The Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) and the Queen’s administration have agreed to revise this process.

Frankly, it’s about time.

Year after year students sit through subpar courses that, despite student complaints, continue to go unchanged. It can be frustrating for students to fill out these forms and not see any tangible return on their feedback.

When student concerns are ignored for too long, situations arise like the incident in 2015, when Queen’s landed in hot water after several national newspapers reported that a professor taught anti-vaccination content in her health class. The University had received complaints about the professor’s class since 2011.

Less extreme, though still unfair, situations can occur when student feedback is disregarded — from different courses sections teaching vastly different content to students receiving grades that don’t reflect their true knowledge.

Most students’ worries about the USAT process can be alleviated by adding a procedural requirement that professors actually read the comments on the forms.

An average score doesn’t

Volume 143 Issue 27 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Sebastian Leck Anisa Rawhani

Production Manager

Arwin Chan

News Editor

Jacob Rosen

Assistant News Editors

Victoria Gibson Jordana Goldman Mikayla Wronko

Features Editors

Anastasiya Boika Nick Pearce

Editorials Editor

Jane Willsie

Opinions Editor

Kate Meagher

Arts Editor

Ramna Safeer

Assistant Arts Editor

Lauren Luchenski

Sports Editor

Adam Laskaris

Assistant Sports Editor

Joseph Cattana

Lifestyle Editor

Erika Streisfield

Assistant Lifestyle Editor Digital Manager

Kailun Zhang Kayla Thomson

Photo Editors

Kendra Pierroz Stephanie Nijhuis

ILLUSTRATION BY KEITH SAUNDERS

necessarily represent the concerns of the entire class, nor do preset yes or no style questions allow for the most important issues to be addressed.

Reading individual comments may be an arduous task, but if there are red flags about a professor, they will show up in student’s comments.

But as this revision is being conducted between QUFA and the administration, it could become a tug-of-war between the two groups over professors’ accountability and their autonomy.

To make sure that the point of the USAT system — improving students’ education — isn’t forgotten, student leaders like the AMS should have more of a say at the bargaining table.

There’s a legitimate concern But from an external perspective, that student feedback isn’t always USAT scores simply disappear into accurate. For instance, if professors a vacuum and are never seen or are a part of a marginalized heard from again.

For example, the Queen’s group, they may be subjected to student bias. So, a USAT form that Strategic Framework — the asks questions in a way that negates University’s five-year overall plan the possibility for a student’s — measures student engagement prejudice to impact their opinion using the National Survey of of a professor’s competence Student Engagement.

It doesn’t make sense is essential. that Queen’s would use a national survey that isn’t specific to Queen’s or its courses to measure something they could determine from the USATs, which pertain to every student in every course.

Real, informed knowledge about their courses is sitting right under QUFA’s and the Administration’s noses, they Ultimately, the USAT provides just need to read it. a solid informational basis for — Journal Editorial Board the University to make decisions.

From an external perspective, USAT scores simply disappear into a vacuum and are never seen or heard from again.

Joseph Cattana

Doping: it’s only cheating if you’re caught It seems like every few years a major athlete falls from grace when they’re caught doping.

Tennis star Maria Sharapova recently admitted to using meldonium a newly-banned, performance-enhancing drug. With her public confession, she joined the not-so-exclusive club of other high-profile athletes like Lance Armstrong and Alex Rodriguez whose reputations were tarnished by doping.

Yes, doping should be frowned upon, but do we really have a reason to be up in arms when most professional athletes are bending the rules anyways?

While the jury is still out on the future of Sharapova’s career, her case is just one example of drugs violating the notion of pure, natural athletic competition.

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

Many argue that the reason sports are so popular is because of the limits they impose on athletes, forcing them to rise to the challenge. What makes athletics so incredible and awe-inspiring is the way athletes creatively change the landscape of what we believe they’re capable of.

Adding doping into the mix makes these limits less clear — the rules of the game change without the fans knowledge — taking away from the beauty of major sporting events.

Whether it’s at the Olympics or in just another regular season game, my awe towards the world’s best athletes has been increasingly undermined by one question — was doping involved?

From 2008-10 nearly 200 world records were broken in

swimming due to polyurethane swimsuits. These full body suits were banned before the 2012 Olympics because they not only helped to cut down on athlete fatigue, but also provided more buoyancy and speed.

Only nine records were broken at the next Olympics after switching back to textile suits.

While no specific athlete has been shamed, nor should they, many believe that the record books of swimming are forever tarnished.

So, while doping breaks the illusion of professional sport, new drugs, training regimes or even certain suits will come along faster than bans and regulations can keep up, allowing athletes to remain ahead of attempts to maintain a level playing field.

New drugs and training

techniques will continue to change the landscape of sports, and with advancements in medicine and technology, records will continue to be broken.

I often get in debates trying to compare two athletes from different generations.

The difference between them isn’t always pure athleticism — it’s also advancements in science and technology.

Once sporting authorities decide a drug or piece of equipment gives too much of an advantage to athletes, it will be banned.

But in any case, the harm has already been done to the sanctity of sport.

Joseph is The Journal’s Assistant Sports Editor. He’s a third-year History major.

Video Editor

Anna Maria Li

Copy Editors

Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy Katie King

Graphics Editor Editorial Illustrator Web Developer

Ashley Quan Keith Saunders Daniel Clarke

Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Auston Chhor Vincent Lin Josh Malm Nina Ricciarelli Charlotte Sanders Emma Sewell Contributors Catherine Ryoo Emily Wong

Business Staff Business Manager Sales Representatives

Katelyn Martinko Michael Ozburn Geoff Roberts Renee Robertson

Outreach Manager Office Administrator

Emma MacNaught Jasmit De Saffel

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute 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, March 17, 2016

queensjournal.ca

•7

OPINIONS

Your Perspective

LETTER TO THE EDITOR “Not fit to print”

Queen’s sexual assault policy has a long way to go The document’s creation is a good step, but lacks practical details Queen’s new policy on sexual assault is in need of further clarification regarding its implementation, Emily Wong argues.

Emily Wong, ArtSci ’15

to addressing sexual violence, the policy needs to back this Queen’s initial sexual violence commitment up by allocating definite resources. For example, it policy leaves much to be desired.

On March 4, the Board says that survivors will be offered of Trustees finally approved support and resources, without a university-wide policy on mentioning what exactly this looks sexual violence, with the like or where it will come from. It acknowledgement that further seems this means that survivors will be relegated to Student Wellness revisions may be required.

It’s a good thing they admitted Services, which is already notorious it’s a work in progress, because the for stretched resources, long wait times and mediocre customer current policy isn’t substantive.

The policy promises many service. This isn’t acceptable.

The policy needs detailed supports and resources for survivors and the community, but frameworks for accommodations Queen’s hasn’t communicated any and support that are specific to the timeline or action plan for how and issue of sexual violence.

Another large hole in the policy when these will be implemented.

Instead, all these outcomes are left is the forgotten mention of how to the yet-to-be-hired Coordinator sexual violence is an experience of the Office of Sexual Violence affected by factors including gender, racialization, sexual orientation Education and Support.

The policy establishes and disability. Queen’s own Sexual various duties for the Office of Assault Prevention and Response Sexual Violence Education and Working Group (SAPRWG) report Support — supporting survivors released in April 2015 noted that (which includes providing these “distinct needs” based on counselling), maintaining statistics, identity need to be taken into handling criminal and non-criminal account, so why was this left out reports, academic accommodations of the policy passed by the Board and coordinating education of Trustees?

There’s no reason to exclude and training.

But beyond hiring a lone similar acknowledgements in coordinator, the University hasn’t Queen’s policy. This isn’t just a promised any other resources for tokenistic gesture. Identity impacts the frequency and experience of this office. sexual violence and an effective That’s a lot to ask one person.

Instead of simply stating that approach to preventing and the University is committed responding to sexual violence takes

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE NIJHUIS

For speaking its mind, a Toronto newspaper had its office trashed and press destroyed — by law students. This was in 1826. Debates on what speech is out of bounds and how to keep it out of bounds are not new. It is only recently that reasoned debate began to be seen as good and helpful. “BDS has no place in student government” and “Queen’s Alive has no place on campus” continue this debate on what speech should be limited and how to go about that limiting.

What is lost in these pieces are the new limits on speech that already exist — and that we unconsciously partake in. Think about it, which governments get the epithet “regime”? To refer to the “Putin regime”? Uncontroversial.

The “Bush regime”? Much less so. Think about which stories get covered. Back in the 1830s we had a number of local papers. The one that’s survived, The Whig, was run by a local. Now The Whig-Standard is part of a large chain and stripped — for budgetary reasons — of much local reporting.

I see the same debates over acceptable limits of public discourse from 175 years ago, but limits go beyond determining what is “damaging” (Curlew) or “intolerant and divisive” (Streisfield) there are broader assumptions we hold that limit the public sphere too.

Thanks, Stephen

whenever it’s mandated by the it into consideration.

As far as talk of prevention goes, province. Effective student the policy places an overwhelming consultation doesn’t involve merely emphasis on promoting a “culture the student representatives from of consent.” Consent is an the AMS and SGPS who already important part of sexual violence sit on the SAPRWG, but reaching education. However, making it the out to student organizations and focus is an inadequate approach, students at large as well.

Many student initiatives as sexual violence doesn’t only occur in the context of sex. Sexual around sexual assault and violence violence includes street harassment are largely focused on a peer or someone dismissing the audience — common events experience of survivors, situations are speakers’ panels, movie Stephen Smith MA’11 is a Teaching which are not uncommon screenings and whiteboard Fellow and 5th year PhD Candidate campaigns. As important as these at Queen’s.

Creating a positive learning events can be for visibility of the environment includes addressing issue, we’re missing out on our policy ahead of the January 2017 the greater social environment. potential to advocate towards the deadline mandated by the Ontario Education can’t focus solely on University Administration. government for universities If we want improved support to have standalone policies on consent, but must also broaden its scope to empower students to services and relevant education, sexual assault. challenge everyday rape culture students need to engage with That being said, it’s vital that key advocates. Reach out to the we don’t rest on our laurels at and intervene as bystanders.

Even though there’s plenty of AMS Executive and Social Issues this point. Timely and effective room for improvement, a policy Commissioner and demand that implementation of the policy is the alone will not solve the issue of this be a lobbying priority. Ask next step, as well as continuing to sexual violence. It’s absolutely for regular evidence of progress identify areas for improvement. critical that both the University to hold the AMS and the If Queen’s can follow through and students continue to work in administration accountable. We on making improvements to its partnership to develop not simply a have to be vocal about the needs policy, successfully implement the better policy, but a comprehensive and interests of students in order to promised education and training, prevention plan and response to back up the advocacy that’s already and assure that the Office of Sexual taking place. sexual violence.

Violence Education and Support The approval of this particular is adequately resourced, we’ll be Students play a role in developing an effective response piece of policy is only a baby closer to our goal of eliminating to sexual violence. Throughout step towards the ultimate goal sexual violence. the process of implementation, of preventing and responding to it’s imperative that the University sexual violence at Queen’s. It’s Emily Wong was the AMS Social continue to seek student feedback good to see that Queen’s has Issues Commissioner for the on an ongoing basis, not only taken initiative and released a 2014-15 school year.

Talking Heads ... around campus PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE NIJHUIS

What do you listen to while you study?

“Dangerous Woman

by Ariana Grande.”

“Something more relaxed.”

“I listen to one indie playlist on YouTube.”

“Country.”

Jia Hui, Comm ’18

Joe Ghabros, Sci ’19

Brittany Baxter, ArtSci ’18

Cole Smith, ArtSci ’17

8 •queensjournal.ca

Thusday, March 17, 2016

ARTS Indigenous artist Sonny Assu uses digital collage and intervention in his works Re-invaders (left) and We shall reassert our inherent rights (right).

PHOTOS BY AUSTON CHHOR

EXHIBITION

Overlaying lost stories over classic art Sonny Assu pushes viewers to consider the absence of Indigenous presence in Canadian art C harlotte S anders Staff Writer

A

striking new exhibition at the Union Gallery sees iconic Canadian artworks reimagined through the eyes of an Indigenous artist.

The exhibition, Re-mixed: Reconfiguring the Imaginary, was curated by Ellyn Walker and features a series of digital paintings

by Vancouver-based artist Sonny Assu entitled “Interventions on the Imaginary.”

Assu’s works take classic Canadian paintings by artists like A.Y. Jackson and Paul Kane, and overlays his own images over on top to challenge the “settler-colonialism” lens that appears in the original paintings.

A particularly striking work is a digital overlay on A.Y. Jackson’s

1927 painting Kispayaks Village.

Assu’s piece, entitled They’re Coming! Quick! I have a better hiding place for you. Dorvan V, You’ll love it, features an Indigenous symbol made to resemble a space ship and a beam of light stretching out to rescue a group of Indigenous peoples.

The title includes a playful allusion to Star Trek — Dorvan V is a planet in the show that’s home

Sonny Assu’s piece They’re Coming! Quick! I have a better hiding place for you. Dorvan V, You’ll love it.

to Native American settlers who feared the loss of their traditional culture on Earth.

Assu is a Ligwilda’xw (We Wai Kai) contemporary artist whose work has been featured at the National Gallery of Canada, the Seattle Art Museum and the Vancouver Art Gallery, among others. He’s currently an MFA candidate at Concordia University.

Assu drew his inspiration from Tsimshian-Haida scholar Marcia Crosby, whose iconic essay “The Construction of the Imaginary Indian” critiqued the commodification and misrepresentation of Indigenous identities.

Assu employs a number of strategies to manipulate the original works of art, including digital collage and intervention, a technique where an artist interacts with an existing artwork.

These manipulations allowed Assu to incorporate brightly coloured Indigenous iconography into historic paintings.

The iconography strongly contrasts with the muted colours of the original paintings, asking the viewer to consider how an Indigenous presence is so often omitted from normalized images of Canada.

Director of the Union Gallery Jocelyn Purdie said the exhibition provides a number of opportunities for collaboration and discussion.

“We hosted an interdisciplinary session of Inquiry@Queen’s, the undergraduate research skills conference, where 4 students presented their research on the topic of Colonization and Appropriation,” Purdie wrote in an e-mail.

She noted that the gallery has also held tours by the curator, Ellyn Walker, who spoke at the exhibition’s opening reception.

Walker, who’s currently a PhD student in Cultural Studies at Queen’s, studies the politics of alliance in contemporary curatorial and artistic practices.

She works at the Union Gallery as a research and programming assistant, where she tests out some of her research questions and ideas.

Walker said she was drawn to Assu’s work due to the “critical thinking and personal labour” involved in understanding works that are both artistic and political.

“I am interested in what art can do through making viewers think differently about the way they come to know things, or what I consider a gesture of unsettling,” Walker wrote in an e-mail.

Images, and art in general, are “powerful tools for understanding and constructing ideas of belonging,” she wrote.

“I hope this project helps to complicate the very notion of what it means to represent histories, to reconcile relationships.

The exhibition closes March 19, when it will hold “Curating as Care”, a discussion with Walker and fellow curator Carina Magazzeni about the intersection of curation and critical investigation.

Re-mixed: Reconfiguring the Imaginary forces viewers to confront the ways in which Canadian culture tends to erase any traces of Indigenous presence.

Sonny Assu’s works feature bright colours, innovative design methods and witty references that make for an engaging and thoughtful exhibition.

Arts

Thursday, March 17, 2016

queensjournal.ca

•9

ARTIST PROFILE

Theatre for change in Indigenous communities Kaitlin Lickers believes in theatre’s capacity to alter attitudes toward Indigenous mental health PHOTO BY STEPHANIE NIJHUIS

Student actress Kaitlin Lickers’ work on the Six Nations reserve inspired her involvement with the theatre community at Queen’s.

L auren L uchenski Assistant Arts Editor Kaitlin Lickers’ passion for theatre isn’t just artistic — she’s also inspired by its potential to improve mental health on one of Canada’s largest Six Nations reserves.

Coming to Queen’s from the Six Nations reserve where she lives and works as a mental health worker, Lickers followed her love for drama all the way to Queen’s. Growing up, Lickers was involved with countless productions and she’s moved on to major in drama.

Most recently, Lickers played the role of Michelle in The Hours That Remain — a play presented by Queen’s Native Students Association as part of Aboriginal Awareness Week.

The Hours That Remain, held at the Tett Centre from March 10 to 12, follows the story of an Indigenous woman, Denise, who’s haunted by her missing sister Michelle.

The play is fragmented by a series of visions in which Michelle visits Denise.

Lickers said the mood of the play becomes intense and scary, as Denise

desperately tries to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance.

The play confronts the reality of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in Canada, an issue that gained national attention after reports discovered disproportionately high rates of missing and murdered Aboriginal girls in Canada.

Lickers says the play is a reminder that MMIW is an issue that demands urgent attention.

“Native people are so overlooked sometimes on that issue,” Lickers said.

Growing up on the Six Nations reserve, Lickers, ArtSci ’18, has firsthand experience with important mental health issues that are overlooked by mainstream media and within her community.

Lickers was mental health outreach worker on the Six Nations reserve last summer and hopes to hold the position again this coming summer. The role allows her to be involved with causes like suicide prevention. She said suicide and mental health are often seen as taboo within the reserve community, as there’s a belief that mental health concerns are shameful.

Lickers’ love for theatre was fostered in high school. She said it was a coping mechanism for her own mental health struggles.

“If I ever have mental health struggles, as soon as I got on stage … I can leave everything that’s bugging me at the door and I just feel so much happier when I leave.”

Drama became a source of inspiration and confidence for Lickers, and she realized she wanted to pursue it beyond her community. Today, she can picture herself becoming involved with the technical side of theatre, film — Kaitlin Lickers, ArtSci ‘18 or teaching.

Lickers doesn’t see her Aboriginal heritage as a defining aspect of her said she hosted engaging drama and music identity as an artist, however. Although her workshops to motivate youth to follow their heritage is important to her, The Hours interests beyond the reserve. She believes That Remain was her first involvement with fostering this motivation in youth could help Aboriginal theatre. lower rates of depression and inspire them to “I never did want to do any Aboriginal seek new opportunities. theatre because I didn’t want to be stereotyped “If I wasn’t motivated, I’d still be on the as just an Aboriginal artist who can only do res right now,” Lickers said. “If people are Aboriginal plays,” she said.

“Yes, I am Native, but I can do more than motivated they’re not going to be drawn to just that.” all these bad habits in life.”

“That’s why we have such a high suicide rate on the reserve,” Lickers said. “It’s because nobody wants to talk about [it] … because they feel like no one is going to understand.”

Lickers’ job gave her the opportunity to plan a suicide prevention day within her community in September last year. Lickers

“Yes, I am Native, but I can do more than just that.”

THEATRE

Putting words in women’s mouths A Great Many Women stands out against most other Queen’s productions N ina R icciarelli Staff Writer

Sophia Sun as The Woman in A Great Many Women.

PHOTO BY EMMA SEWELL

There’s a room with gleaming butter-yellow wallpaper in St. Andrew’s Manse, where a group of spectators quietly mingle and walk about the room.

Some look at the pictures, while others enjoy the cookies laid out on the table.

Few notice the woman staring out of the window, her stillness blending into the patterned wallpaper.

The Manse, which was built in 1841, is the house next to a church where a Pastor lives. In the last few decades it has become unnecessary, so it has been left empty.

The building is the backdrop to Colliding Scopes’ latest show: A Great Many Women.

A Great Many Women draws inspiration from The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story by

Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The script draws heavily from the story’s themes of women’s mental health and gendered communication, but wasn’t a direct adaptation of The Yellow Wallpaper.

As an immersive theatre group, Colliding Scopes traditionally adapts classical works into site-specific devised theatre — meaning they’re performed in a non-traditional theatrical setting like a house. They work as a collective, rather than staying within the usual theatre hierarchy, with no one person the director, playwright, set designer and so on. All the members of the collective worked together to create A Great Many Women.

I would usually say that seven people directing and writing together make too many cooks in a kitchen, but A Great Many Women excels with teamwork.

See Colliding on page 10

Arts

10 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, March 17, 2016

MUSIC

Cuban pianist to return to the Isabel Aldo López-Gavilán’s performance is part of the Cuban exchange program J osh M alm Staff Writer After a captivating opening performance two Octobers ago, Havana-based pianist Aldo López-Gavilán is returning to the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre for a solo piano performance.

Classically trained Cuban pianist López-Gavilán will be performing a jazz set on March 23 as part of Queen’s ongoing exchange with the University of Havana.

López-Gavilán — acclaimed as part of an up-and-coming generation of Cuban piano masters and praised by the likes of Chucho Valdez, a legendary Grammy-winning jazz pianist — became acquainted with Karen Dubinsky, a Global Development Studies professor at Queen’s, and the Queen’s exchange program a few years ago. He later came to Kingston accompanied by a

group of musicians and gave a mesmerizing performance at the Isabel in October 2014.

“We fell in love with him and he fell in love with the Isabel,” Dubinsky said. “That piano in the Isabel is such a beautiful, beautiful thing.”

López-Gavilán has toured around the world and has been recognized by Cuba’s “grand old piano men,” according to Dubinsky, who is also co-instructor for the program.

“He’s basically the next big star, so it’s a big deal for us to get him,” she said.

“He’s so versatile and he can move between genres seamlessly.

The combination of his versatility as well as the Isabel theatre, which is acoustically magnificent will make for a really stunning combo — he doesn’t even need a mic.”

All proceeds from the concert will go to the scholarship program that facilitates the Queen’s-Cuba

Cuban pianist López-Gavilán will be returning to perform at the Isabel on March 23.

SUPPLIED BY KAREN DUBINSKY

Queen’s offers DEVS 305: Cuban Culture and Society. The course begins on the Kingston campus but gives students the opportunity to visit Havana University in Cuba, where they attend further classes taught by local professors.

“In May, we take those students who’ve been studying Cuban issues [at Queen’s] to the University of Havana, where

the course continues there,” Dubinsky said.

The agreement also allows someone from Cuba to come to Queen’s for a period of time — typically a professor or member of the art or music scene.

This year, Queen’s invited López-Gavilán. His performance will be a fundraising and publicity vehicle for DEVS 305.

Colliding Scopes Theatre exceeds expectations

by a man.

“The one thing that stood out to me was the line: ‘It’s the cold air from walking at night that’s made me so tired and dull-witted,’” said Abbey Lee Hallett, who plays The Wife.

“Because I read that and I thought ‘who would say that about themselves?’ But because it was on the card, I had to force it out because how could I ever speak what I think? That’s what John thinks.”

A Great Many Women is one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve had the pleasure to see this year.

It presented strong ideas and themes, but it also left me hungry for more and mourning the fact that everything about it set an all-too-familiar scene.

“Whose words are these?” The Wife asks. Does it matter? They’re all left to die and decay on the ground regardless.

Continued from page 9

The piece is roughly 40 minutes of cohesive, beautifully performed awesomeness. The short running time makes it so hard-hitting, as if every single word was specifically chosen to resonate with the audience.

The cast of characters is made up of five women: The Woman, The Wife, The Neighbour, The Sister and The Daughter. Each character is devoid of a name,

because names don’t really matter.

What defines each character is their relation to a man. In the case of A Great Many Women, that man is John, who never appears but looms like a heavy cloud over the ensemble.

It was particularly striking that four of the cast members — The Woman being the exception — held a stack of paper cards with lines on them, which they cast away as soon as the words were spoken. The Woman, a

exchange, including the costs required to send students to Cuba and bring a Cuban student to the Kingston campus.

The academic exchange agreement, now in its ninth year, allows Queen’s students to visit Cuba and guests from Havana and Havana University to visit the Queen’s campus.

As part of the agreement,

spectral figure only The Wife can see, was the only character to not carry cards.

None of the women — The Sister, The Daughter and The Neighbour — can see The Woman or the cards that they toss to the ground as they speak. The Wife herself doesn’t see the cards until a moment of enlightenment, where she sees how scripted and tied down to propriety she is. Kneeling in the middle of a room filled with an ocean of paper cards, she

asks: “Whose words are these? No one knows.”

Jesse Gazic, ArtSci ’16, a member of the collective but not an actor, told The Journal that around 30,000 cards were printed for the production — which is “rounded to the nearest 10 thousand.”

Beyond the amount of trees it killed, A Great Many Women stands out as a theatre piece. It brings to light that a gender binary still exists and affects how women communicate even today.

The story of The Wife isn’t exclusive to the production’s vaguely historical setting.

It affects the way that stories are told and the way messages are conveyed.

There’s a sense that nothing is valid unless it has been approved

Are you interested in web design and development? Are you itching to get your hands on a new project?

The Queen’s Journal is looking for a Digital Manager for the 2016-17 year!

Familiarity with web design programs and a an understanding of coding is an asset, but not required.

Applications are now available on

queensjournal.ca/hiring Gabriella Smith, The Daughter, in a scene with Julia Carrie as The Neighbour.

PHOTO BY EMMA SEWELL

Thursday, March 17, 2016

queensjournal.ca

• 11

SPORTS CFL COMBINE

Corby chases CFL dream

Queen’s receiver impresses with fastest 40-yard dash

SUPPLIED BY JOHANY JUTRAS / CFL.CA

Corby, pictured above running at the CFL Combine, was one of the Gaels’ top performers all season.

A dam L askaris Sports Editor

W

hile 0.2 seconds may not seem like much to most people, it could be the difference between a shot at a pro career and being forced to hang up the cleats after university.

When Doug Corby ran his first 40-yard dash at the 2016 CFL Combine this past weekend, he couldn’t believe how slow he was.

The fourth-year receiver from Queen’s, one of the fastest prospects in the country, posted a time just over 4.7 seconds, when he typically runs between 4.4 to 4.5.

It turns out that the initial result was a mistake. Combine organizers realized Corby’s time was entered incorrectly (he ran 4.55 seconds), and his second attempt was actually 4.50 seconds — making his the

best 40-yard dash time on the day.

“It definitely feels good being the fastest there,” Corby said.

“Those are the best guys in the country.”

Corby led the OUA in yards per reception with 19.7 and averaged 118 yards a game. Now, he sits as the 19th-ranked prospect overall, according to the CFL Scouting Bureau’s list.

Corby was the lone Queen’s representative for the national combine, but two other Gaels were at regional combines during the week: fellow receiver Curtis Carmichael and offensive lineman Erick Lessard.

Though he was successful at the combine, Corby said he knows it’s just one part of the greater draft process, which includes evaluation of game film, highlight tapes and an extensive interview process.

“[The combine] doesn’t really show what you can do on the field,” he said, adding it’s a good way to showcase raw abilities such as speed and strength.

“It’s a different aspect coming from a university to a professional level ... it’s a business.”

“They really want to get to know who you are so they can actually value you and put money into you.”

The weekend included a one-on-one TV interview with TSN’s Fahran Lalji, which Corby described as “a dream come true”.

Corby said he’s focused on building up the blocking and physical side of his game before he prepares for the 2016 draft in Toronto on May 10.

“It’s a waiting game ... the draft is a month and a half away,” Corby said.

CURTIS CARMICHAEL

DOUG CORBY

ERICK LESSARD

4.673

4.505

5.943

BENCH PRESS (REPS)

11

11

14

VERTICAL LEAP (INCHES)

33”

31.5”

27”

BROAD JUMP (FEET, INCHES)

10’1.75”

9’7”

6’11”

THREE-CONE DRILL (SECONDS)

6.93

7.41

8.81

SHUTTLE DRILL (SECONDS)

4.28

4.34

5.13

COMBINE RESULTS 40-YARD DASH

(SECONDS)

GRAPHIC BY ASHLEY QUAN

As soon as Corby gets back to Kingston this week to continue training, he and Carmichael have a plan on how to celebrate their hard work in the combines.

“It’s going to be nice to go to Little Caesars and get this

deep-dish bacon-wrapped pizza,” Corby said.

“The past two months, we’ve trained really hard and our diets have been very strict ... no fatty food or any bad food. It’s going to be nice to get a little cheat meal in.”

RUGBY

Learning on the west coast Both rugby squads compete in 7s national championship J oseph C attana Assistant Sports Editor

Men’s rugby went 2-1 in the round robin in BC.

SUPPLIED BY KARYN STEPHEN

Sadie Stephenson (left) was one of the Gaels’ biggest stars at the national tournament.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

It’s not every year a team has a second chance at winning hardware. But for Queen’s rugby’s men’s and women’s sides, the opportunity came at the 2016 National University 7s rugby championships in BC. The women’s rugby team looked to avenge November’s second-place finish at the CIS Championship on Nixon Field, while the men sought to build on their OUA title win at the 15s level.

Because 7s is very much a different style of rugby — one that neither Queen’s team focuses on for much of the year — player development became the main focus of the trip.

After finishing 2-1 in round robin play, the women’s team was pinned against Calgary in the quarterfinal. A 20-5 loss put them in a consolation final against the University of Victoria, where they

would again fall, this time 30-0.

The men’s team, meanwhile, also went 2-1 in round robin play, before also finishing seventh after falling out in the men’s plate semi-final.

Despite a seventh place finish — an improvement from last year’s ninth — women’s co-captain Erin Geddes said the team took a lot from playing 7s. With games lasting only 14 minutes at the tournament, Geddes believes it will help the team with developing quicker starts next year.

“You have to give everything you have in those 14 minutes and you can’t waste time on slowly getting your head in the game — you have to be ready when the whistle goes.”

“In 7s you have to learn to have that quick decision making within plays,” Geddes said. “When you bring it over to 15s you’re just increasing the intensity of the game.”

However, for all the games’ difference, first-year Sadie Stephenson believes that in-game situations rather than practice help build team chemistry.

Even though a game like 7s is different, you are still using the mind and body in the same way,” Stephenson said. “A big thing in rugby is when you have to trust each other and to be aware of who you are playing with — the connection keeps building up when you play.”

With six of 12 women’s players in their first year, the tournament was a learning experience for the young Gaels.

For Stephenson, the weekend brought the team even closer.

“I didn’t know I could get more bonded with these girls, but just hanging out and travelling was a whole new experience and it brings you that much closer,” she said.

In their time off the field, See Rookies Page 13

Sports

12 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Winter Varsity Sports Power Rankings

1

The 2016 playoffs may have been a missed opportunity for men’s volleyball, but there’s no denying that they were the most powerful Gaels team this season.

After finishing second in the OUA regular season with a 15-5 record, Queen’s stormed through the first round of the playoffs with a dominant 3-0 victory over the York Lions.

Following three regular season wins to end the season, the team looked poised for playoff success.

But that was the end of their successes.

3

Following years at the bottom of the OUA standings, men’s basketball broke out this season.

While their 16-13 record might not jump out at you, it’s a significant improvement from 9-16 the year before. The last time Queen’s was at or above .500 was in 200910, when they finished with an even 12-12 record.

Throughout the year, the team remained competitive in the OUA East, and even went into the winter break ahead of this year’s

5

In the three years since goaltender Kevin Bailie arrived at Queen’s, men’s hockey has taken a step forward to join Carleton, McGill and UQTR as perennial contenders in the OUA East division.

A two-time OUA East Goalie of the Year and former OUA East MVP in his rookie year, Bailie’s play was one of the main reasons the Gaels finished this year’s regular season with a 17-7-4 record.

However, the Gaels’ first round meeting with the UOIT Ridgebacks didn’t end well.

2

by Joseph Cattana and Adam Laskaris

Men’s Volleyball The Gaels dropped both the OUA semi-final and bronze medal games on consecutive days, missing a chance to compete at the CIS tournament.

With six players in their final year, the team will see the departure of several veterans, including OUA All-Stars Mike Tomlinson and Marko Dakic.

However, returning players, including OUA Rookie of the Year Chris Brunet, have the potential to step into larger roles and improve the team’s playoff performance.

Men’s Basketball OUA champion, the Ryerson Rams.

A defining moment was when Queen’s pulled off the upset against the then fourth-ranked Brock Badgers. Prior to that game, Queen’s hadn’t beaten a CIS Top 10 ranked team since 2012.

The team was led this year by fourth-year guard Sukhpreet Singh. Singh flourished as the Gaels’ primary scorer, and finished third in the OUA with 22.3 point per game. For his efforts, he was awarded a First-Team OUA selection.

Men’s Hockey Battling injuries to key players such as Slater Doggett and Spencer Abraham, Queen’s fell in the first round in three games.

Eric Ming had a breakout season, leading the team with 32 points in 27 games.

The potential is high for men’s hockey in the future, but they still have to prove themselves in the playoffs before they can truly consider themselves among the class of the OUA.

Throughout the year, women’s basketball was considered one of the best teams in the OUA and in Canada.

They regularly held a top 10 spot in the CIS, with impressive wins against both McMaster and Windsor, and a remarkable 14-5 finish to the year.

Unfortunately for the team, they hit a rough patch near the close. After losing their last two games, the Gaels were left with an unfavorable match-up in the playoffs against the McMaster Marauders, where they

4

A strong regular season ultimately didn’t translate into playoff success for the women’s hockey team. With a 15-9 record, the team saw themselves tied for third on points in the OUA regular season.

Playing in a very tight league, the fifth-placed Nipissing Lakers knocked off Queen’s in two straight playoff games to end their season early. A stronger playoff performance was expected, but the Gaels only mustered three goals over the two games. Poor finishing ultimately cost

6

After a 12-win season last year, a lot was expected of the women’s volleyball team.

Unfortunately with 12 of their 16 players in second year or younger, the team struggled out of the gate, limping into the winter break at 5-5.

But Queen’s came out firing in the second half, going 7-2 from January onwards to finish with a 12-7 record.

Shannon Neville was the team’s offensive leader, topping the OUA with 228 kills and

JOURNAL FILE PHOTOS

Women’s Basketball lost 66-55.

OUA All-Stars Robyn Pearson and Jenny Wright led the Gaels this year. Wright graduated as the second highest scorer in the program’s history, and the team will miss her 12.3 points per game. Pearson was a force for the Gaels, averaging 10.8 rebounds per game. The team has plenty to look forward to next year.

Myriam Fontaine, who was awarded a spot on the OUA all-rookie team, will be a key player for the Gaels in the future.

Women’s Hockey a long playoff run from an otherwise strong team.

Fifth-year goaltender Caitlyn Lahonen’s play earned her a spot on the OUA second All-Star team after finishing second in the league in goals against average and in save percentage.

The Gaels play host to the 2017 CIS Championship and will concentrate on the chance of national glory.

Women’s Volleyball finishing second with 3.35 kills per set.

In the playoffs their success was short-lived. They were dropped in straight sets against the Ryerson Rams, putting the end to the Gaels season.

First-year Franzi Wihelm will move into the team’s primary setter role for next year. Her 8.5 assist per set is impressive for someone who only started nine games.

Second-year Caroline Livingston will lead the attack next year, as the OUA second team All-Star averaged 2.23 kills per set.

Sports

Thursday, March 17, 2016

queensjournal.ca

• 13

Athletes support special fundraiser Varsity athletes raise over $8,000 for Special Olympics at motionball fundraiser

Sara Fischer (left) and Chris Szymus (right) are the co-chairs of Queen’s motionball.

J oseph C attana Assistant Sports Editor As Chris Szymus watched a pick-up basketball game between varsity athletes, students and Special Olympians in the PEC last weekend, he couldn’t help but crack a smile.

The game was a part of the third annual Varsity Marathon of Sport, a day-long sporting event hosted by the Queen’s chapter of motionball Canada — a non-for-profit organization that helps build awareness and raise money for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation. At the end of the day, the event helped raise over $8,000.

For Szymus, co-chair of Queen’s motionball, the event hits home. His older brother Greg — who has autism — has been a Special Olympian for over 15 years. For as long as Chris could remember, he went to his brother’s games and practices.

Whether they’re going to watch the local Mississauga Steelheads, going on walks or at

Queen’s motionball brought over 120 varsity athletes to the PEC.

a Special Olympics event, Chris said his big their faces, and how something so simple as brother has had a lasting impact on him. sport can be so meaningful to someone.”

“He has taught me to really take a chance While there might only be two Special to learn and get to know that, deep down, Olympians per team, Szymus said they were anyone is capable of doing the same thing. the stars of the day.

They just have different ways of going about “We want people to play equal, but at the it,” he said. end of the day our Special Olympic athletes Throughout the are celebrities.” day, the 14 teams The Varsity “You don’t know what played floor hockey, Marathon isn’t the s o c c e r- b a s e b a l l , only way students happiness is until you see basketball and have gotten the expression on their soccer — all sports involved this year. faces, and how something In the Szymus brothers January, so simple as sport can be so the student-run played together growing up. When organization was meaningful to someone.”

Chris sees these involved along athletes playing and — Chris Szymus with motionball’s having fun, it reminds national campaign: him of playing catch in the backyard with Yellowcard Day. The campaign aims to end the use of offensive language against people his brother.

“I get a feeling that there is so much more with intellecutal disabilities in everyday life.

For motionball co-chair Sara Fischer, the to life,” he said. “You don’t know what happiness is until you see the expression on growing popularity of the Varsity Marathon

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE NIJHUIS

shows that young people do care.

“Many people our age have grown up loving sport, participating in sport, and I think that there is a common belief that everyone should have the right to participate,” Fischer said.

A large portion of support Queen’s motionball has received is from the varsity athletes.

After motionball pitched them the idea of coming to the event, more than 12 teams were interested in helping out.

“Getting them involved was very easy as they seem to always be looking for ways to give back,” Fischer said.

For second-year rower Tory Pearson, participating in the Varsity Marathon of Sport reminded her of what makes sport so great.

“I think that it exemplifies the love of sports in general,” Pearson said. “It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you want to have fun and better yourself that’s really important.”

HELLO FUTURE TAKE YOUR DEGREE FURTHER! Join us for

SPRING OPEN HOUSE

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Saturday, April 2nd, 2016

Men’s rugby used the 7s tournament as part of their training to gear up for a potential fifth-straight OUA title this upcoming season.

REGISTER NOW AT:

Rookies shine in BC

Brockville, Cornwall and Kingston

stlawrencecollege.ca/openhouse

Continued from page 11

the women’s team explored downtown Vancouver, and even went to watch Canada play at an International 7s rugby tournament at BC Place.

During this downtime, the team also hung out with other university teams. For Stephenson, it showed her just how big the Canadian rugby community is.

“It is always pretty awesome to meet people who have the same interest and love for the game,” she said. “Rugby is one of

those sports that is really community-based, so being able to hang out with them at night and forget what happened on the field … is pretty cool.

Meanwhile, the men’s team was led by veterans such as Kai Lloyd and Lucas Rumball, who both ranked among the tournament’s top scorers with three and two tries, respectively.

Members of the men’s team were unavailable for comment.

14 •queensjournal.ca

Thursday, March 17, 2016

LIFESTYLE PHOTO BY KENDRA PIERROZ

DOWNTOWN

An ode to the Sleepless Goat C atherine R yoo Contributor

Goat embodied egalitarian values.

It spearheaded the sustainable food movement by serving Here’s to the fair trade coffee, the vegetarian and vegan-friendly heaping breakfast plates, and in foods and advocating for social my opinion, the Goat’s crowning and environmental responsibility jewel: the morning glory muffin. in every facet of its operations.

You’re inimitable and will be Admittedly, as a vegan, I considered it a haven among overabundant sorely missed.

Having sincerely cited late-night joints serving up Kingston’s title as the city with cheap eats.

Now, given its sudden closure, I the most restaurants per capita in Canada to my friends and family feel an obligation to voice the woes as a major selling point for Queen’s, of its many disheartened patrons.

The beauty of the Sleepless I arrived in the fall in pursuit of the best eatery in town. The Goat was that everyone, no matter pinnacle of my edible adventures their walk of life, was welcome. has indisputably been the Sleepless Its core essence can be distilled down to its prevailing sense of Goat Café.

Established in 1993 and community. The Goat established incorporated as a worker’s a free lending library and a “Pay cooperative in 2000, the Sleepless it Forward” board, which allowed

customers to pay for a menu item in advance for someone who may not have been able to afford it. This culture of kinship — that’s often dismissed in today’s individualistic society — was palpable in every corner of the café.

Its unconventional structure and cool atmosphere earned it the hipster label, but it was just alternative enough to remain accessible to those of us who are more mainstream. The Goat’s chameleonic ability to morph into whatever one needed it to be, was one of its most endearing qualities. In my visits, I observed romantic encounters, study sessions, friendly gatherings and many family lunches. Its clientele and staff were an unfailingly diverse and thoughtful bunch,

which made each experience comfortable and memorable.

Like with any abrupt goodbye, countless regrets have since materialized.

For one, I’ll never get to try the enormous double chocolate chip cookie that I always eyed behind

the glass display case.

The one thing I know for certain: whatever establishment inevitably takes up shop at 91 Princess St. will have a deep goat-shaped hole in my heart to fill.

HOLIDAY

Where to grab a drink this St. Patrick’s Day K ayla T hompson Digital Manager

of the best places to grab a drink or two.

While I’m not completely sure Tir Nan Og Irish Pub what exactly people are celebrating, I know St. Patrick’s Day is one of Over the past few years, the pub the best days of the year. lovingly referred to as the Nog has You may be venturing over to been the go-to place for karaoke Aberdeen or you’re one of the poor Thursdays. More importantly souls stuck in Stauffer all day. But though, Tir Nan Og has thick roots whoever you are, it’s the one day of in the Irish culture, and it’s the the year where green is universally perfect place to get away from flattering — especially in the form the craziness that will likely be the of pancakes and beer.

University District.

In celebration of this wonderful The Nog is located down by day, I’m here to give you a rundown the water and is cherished by the

Kingston community. The bar has been preparing for St. Paddy’s Day for the past few weeks with festive drinks and appetizers.

If you want to get away from the youths and have a beer with some truly spirited Irishmen, the If you need a break from Aberdeen, head Nog is the place for you. down to any of these pubs.

Queen’s Pub (QP) Regardless of what you’re celebrating, QP is a classic. With its convenient location, it’s the perfect spot if you have a break in a work-heavy day, or want to

stake out and wait for the rise of Aberdeen.

Like every other holiday, the pub will also likely feature a festive drink menu. My favourite from last year was their green sangria: less sugary than their usual recipe

PHOTO BY ANNA MARIA LI

and perfect for sharing.

The Brass Pub Although a bit off theme, the Brass is the place for those of See Pubs on page 15

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Lifestyle

Pubs to bring out your Irish spirit Continued from page 14

you who aren’t super into celebrating St. Paddy’s. There isn’t any marketing for a special themed day, but it’s generally one of my favourite places to grab a drink in Kingston.

Also, the Brass is great for a midday meal. Coincidentally, their Irish nachos are awesome when paired with a pint.

Clark Hall Pub Clark Hall has always been known for drawing a crowd during their Friday

queensjournal.ca

• 15

Sudoku

rituals, but the pub is holding an extra one for St. Paddy’s.

Clark is usually filled with engineers and great music, which will make for a fun St. Paddy’s celebration. While Clark has a wide selection of beer, their turbo is hard to deny: it’s a combination of beer and Smirnoff Ice. That sounds kind of disgusting, but it’s definitely worth a try.

In addition, the lovely Clark Hall staff are calling the next day’s event “Hangover Ritual”. Regardless of how St. Paddy’s treats you, a $13 pitcher of mimosa isn’t something to turn your nose up at.

© Kevin Stone [www.brainbashers.com]

Crossword

ACROSS 1 Paddington or Pooh 5 That guy’s 8 Edinburgh native 12 Soft cheese 13 Shrill bark 14 Perspiration outlet 15 Laos neighbor 17 Leak out slowly 18 Single 19 Timesaving type

of necktie 21 PC shortcut 24 Ring out 25 Persia, now 26 Sheer undergarment 30 Part of RSVP 31 “Family Guy” dog 32 Skillet 33 Race for a seat 35 Flex 36 Ceremony 37 Wild West show 38 Acid neutralizer 41 Scatter seed 42 Skeletal 43 Alabama’s state flower 48 Fencing sword 49 Past 50 Deserve 51 Lecherous look 52 Journey segment 53 Colored

DOWN 1 Telly letters 2 Mound stat 3 Intent 4 Given new energy 5 Jekyll counterpart 6 Square root of IX 7 Astronaut, usually 8 Goes bad 9 Henhouse 10 Pasta

resembling rice 11 Adolescent 16 Yoko of music 20 Rested 21 Uncategorized (Abbr.)

22 Met melody 23 Tranquil

24 Baseball’s Satchel 26 Decisive 27 Newspaper pg.

28 Highway division 29 Within (Pref.)

31 $50, in Monopoly 34 Orison 35 Tackled tenpins 37 Fish eggs 38 First victim 39 Easy bounding gait 40 Elbow counterpart 41 Urban pollutant 44 Time of your life?

45 Secular 46 Anger 47 As well as

Last Issue’s Answers

16 •queensjournal.ca

Lifestyle

Thursday, March 17, 2016

PHOTO BY ERIKA STREISFIELD

At the end of the show, female contestants would take the hand of the male contestant she preferred.

POSTSCRIPT

The game of love One contestant’s experience on a dating show S ean S utherland Staff Writer I never guessed I’d end up on a dating show.

Call me old-fashioned, but my idea of finding a potential date doesn’t involve Ellis Hall’s auditorium and competing against nine other students. But on Sunday night, I took part in the Queen’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association’s “Take Me Out” dating show.

This may have been in part because I was asked to participate at the last minute and chose to do it for The Journal, more so than a real interest in getting a date.

The event was based on a Chinese dating show, “If You Are the One”, which has a pretty simple concept: 10 potential male suitors compete for the affection of one young bachelorette. There are four rounds, each with a new woman and recycled men.

The male suitors sit behind lights with a switch at their fingertips. If their interest in the young woman on stage dwindles, they turn off a light in front of them, symbolically turning out the lights on a chance with the girl.

Each potential date had several chances to turn off the light, as the female contestants had three videos — one showcasing personality, one showcasing their thoughts on relationships and one from their friends to show off a talent to the audience and their possible partners.

This wasn’t the first time I’ve been thrown into an unfamiliar dating situation — in the past I tried online dating. That experience forced me to confront my feelings of potentially going on a date with someone I’ve never seen. Sunday’s experience left me with a completely new challenge.

I’m a naturally competitive contestant showed off her singing person, but not in the context talent by performing a cover of of dating. The idea of competing Taylor Swift’s “Fearless”. Despite against other people for someone’s a pretty solid performance, a few affections was a little nerve-racking more lights shut off, with one of — especially considering there the men on stage quipping that he were very few chances to actually couldn’t be with a girl who would show what mattered to the female “outshine him.”

At this point, I began to wonder contestants other than my looks.

One major thing I picked up on what it would be like when I while taking part was the cultural inevitably had to get up on stage disconnect between myself and the and take part in the show. I realized show. As a non-Chinese participant, I didn’t really have a desire to do there were times when my inability so, though I understood why the to understand comments made in whole process could be rewarding.

Mandarin or Cantonese went over my head.

This slightly lessened my experience because I felt like I was missing out on something that could have been important.

Luckily, there were a few other contestants who didn’t speak either language, so I wasn’t alone in not understanding the humour.

Of the show’s four rounds, I sat out the first one, watching from the audience, which was packed with over 100 students.

The whole thing wasn’t for me.

This allowed me to get a better understanding of the rules than a I didn’t really get why I’d want quick briefing from the organizers. to take a chance on keeping my I sat with mild curiosity while light on, when it doesn’t actually the opening contestant made her prove anything. A few questions doesn’t really determine whether decision.

The game opened with each guy couples are compatible, especially on stage keeping his light on while the questions posed that night.

One of the questions was a the contestant came down. She had the option to pick her “heartbeat contestant’s thoughts on sex before guy” off nothing more than looks, marriage. He answered honestly, revealing it to the show’s MCs. He basing it on his religious beliefs. I was guaranteed to be one of her wouldn’t have been anywhere near final choices, even if he switched as cordial if that had been asked to me. his light off.

Ultimately, the female contestant A video played introducing the female contestant’s interests and was given the choice to turn off personality to the audience and the the lights of the remaining guys potential prospects. More than a and pick one final eligible bachelor. few lights turned off at this point, Along with the “heartbeat guy”, as interest waned. he was brought up on stage and Continuing onwards, the female she picked between the two. In a

slightly surprising move, she went against her “heartbeat guy” after a period of indecision, despite him having left his light on.

As the couple walked off, there was an opening on stage. I was called up and took a spot behind a light. At this point, I realized I’d made a mistake agreeing to this. I didn’t want to do this. I’d no desire to meet somebody off the basis of a few questions and a talent.

But there I was, in it for the long haul.

The same format went into play as the next contestant came up.

I figured I’d give the contestant a fair chance.

Maybe my head was somewhere else, or maybe it was because the entire concept of the show confused me, but it was clear my heart wasn’t really in the show.

I gave the contestant two videos and the presentation of her singing ability before turning off my light. While I was more or less pessimistic about the show, there was definitely a fun vibe emanating from behind the podium. Jokes were being made by the male contestants and I was called “savage”

by Cameron, the contestant seated next to me, after turning my light off for the first time.

That vibe continued with the third female contestant. After she came down and showed off her hip hop dancing and twerking skills, one of the contestants popped a balloon in front of him, indicating his interest in her and guaranteeing himself a spot amongst her final choices. He may have been impressed by her performance, but another male contestant gleaned that she had “a nice butt” from her dance.

It ultimately didn’t matter as she’d chosen him as her

If their interest in the young woman on stage dwindles, they turn off a light in front of them, symbolically turning out the lights on a chance with the girl.

“heartbeat guy,” and they left together, with the promise of a potential all-expenses paid trip to Eastern Canada.

Despite being prodded by The Journal’s Lifestyle Editor to at least keep my light on until the final round — giving the female contestant the ability to decide my fate — there was no way I was going to. I just wasn’t enthused about the idea of taking part in it.

Even if it was fun for the people involved, I just wanted to focus on the show being over.

Some more humour came through, as a male contestant’s dancing elicited laughter from the audience and more than a few chuckles from those of us still behind the podiums. Even if my feelings towards being on the show were less than positive, it was still something I’d have enjoyed from the audience side of things.

The final contestant was able to select her “heartbeat guy”. He left his light on until the end and they walked off together.

If given this opportunity again this time next year, I’d politely decline. But if you’re looking to have some fun, or for that special someone, who’s to say you won’t meet the person of your dreams?