The Queen's Journal, Volume 151, Issue 15

the journal Queen’s University

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Vol. 151, Issue 15

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F r i day , N ov e m b e r 2 4 , 2 0 2 3

Philosophy professor removed after accomodations battle, academic freedom in question

‘My course has been hijacked’

Sophia Coppolino Senior News Editor It’s been an illogical semester for PHIL 260 students.

StudentsenrolledinIntroduction to Logic were informed their professor Adèle Mercier had been removed in an email sent to them on

Nov. 20. In the email, Faculty of Arts and Science Associate Dean (Academic) Jenn Stephenson told students to attend their Wednesday class for updates.

The change in instructor followed a month-long battle between Mercier and the Faculty of Arts and Science over students’ accommodations for the midterm exam. The evening before the midterm, students

University focused on settling Bader College students in Kingston

The closure was announced on Nov. 13.

Two weeks have passed since Bader College closed Sophia Coppolino Senior News Editor Students are returning home from Bader College and the University is footing the bill.

Following the announcement closing Bader College on Nov. 13, Provost Matthew Evans clarified the situation in the United Kingdom is evolving.

Queen’s is covering all “reasonable expenses” for students evacuating Bader College, including cancellation charges, flights or transportation change fees, and previously scheduled non-refundable flights. Students have been asked to keep all their travel receipts.

“We are committed to ensuring the University’s decision to suspend activities in the castle building will not financially disadvantage students and families,” Evans said in a statement to The Journal.

For the remainder of the fall term, Bader students will complete their studies online. Spaces will be made for students in courses being held on main campus in Kingston for the winter term.

Bader students will receive a 50 per cent credit of their fall term room and board fees and a full refund of the Fall Bader College Field Studies fee, but not fall tuition because their instruction will continue in a revised format.

Every Bader student will receive what Evans called a “disruption payment” from the University. He didn’t specify the amount to The Journal.

Queen’s identified over 110 queensjournal.ca

SUPPLIED BY JOHN LAFRAMBOISE

residence spaces of various room types which will be made available to Bader students. Bader students who want to live off campus in the winter can work with the Off-Campus Living Advisor Adam King to locate sublets or other housing options.

“We’re working hard to maximize residence capacity, and between residence rooms and off-campus housing options, we will ensure all students have a place to live for the winter term,” Evans said.

There’s a Kingston team planning to welcome Bader students in January. Many former Bader students will connect with newly arrived Bader students through Queen’s Bader College Transition Program.

“Activities will include social connections, access to clubs, intramurals, and other extra-curriculars, and support for finding on-campus jobs,” Evans added.

No decisions have been made about the status of staff and faculty employed by Bader College in the United Kingdom. A full survey of the castle will be conducted in early 2024, at which point the University will have more information on when they can resume in-person operations.

Evans acknowledged the sudden closure is difficult for Bader students and their families.

“Staff in Student Affairs, and the faculties, as well as the team at Bader College, are working hard to ensure a smooth transition for students, and we will continue to provide updates to students and their families as more information becomes available,” Evans said. @queensjournal

to modify the exam format, citing infringement on academic autonomy and the adverse impact on students who were prepared to write a computerized midterm.

Mercier told the Exams Office despite their advisory, she was going to offer students the option of a paper-based or computerized exam. She maintained students who required the use of their laptops for exams would be allowed to do so in her classroom.

The Exam Office told Mercier this wasn’t an option. They reiterated all non-accommodated students had to write a paper-based exam. As for accommodated students, they gave her two options: let the Exam Office step in, or privately administer the computerized exam meeting all the students’ accommodations.

Mercier chose the latter.

“We’d been booking Gordon Hall 400 for those who had accommodations for private rooms or dim lights or things like that, and they could bring their own laptop to Gordon Hall. We arranged our own proctors so that everyone gets to write the exam on the computer,” Chen said.

As students prepared for their exam the following morning, they received an email from Haley Everson, faculty associate director (academic consideration, appeals and advising) cancelling the exam.

Two days later, students received an update, apologizing for the disruption and claiming the faculty was “working with Professor Mercier and the Exams Office to set up exams that meet Queen’s accessibility requirements.” They claimed the decision was made due to a scheduling conflict between the exam time for students with academic accommodations and their other classes.

In her own email to students explaining the cancellation, Mercier told students the “para-academics

Situated on the

traditional lands of

the Anishinaabe and

Haudenosaunee peoples.

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Since 1873

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received an email cancelling the exam for 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 1. The cancellation came as a surprise Elitism is running to students—and to Mercier. rampant at Queen’s “The students are very upset, and I’ve been telling them I’m PAGE 5 upset too. But there’s nothing we can do because my course has been hijacked,” Mercier said in an interview with The Journal.

The painful legacy Since her interview on of a dying artist Nov. 17, Mercier has been instructed not to speak to the media. Her PAGE 7 replacement, Adjunct Assistant Professor Mark Smith, is now at the helm of the course. Mercier’s teaching assistant, Tianze Chen, was dismissed and replaced by the “He hit me and it felt like a University this week. kiss—until it didn’t.” *** It all started when Mercier PAGE 12 decided to modernize her exam to accommodate two students enrolled in PHIL 260 requiring a ArtSci ’26, said in an interview computer to write examinations. with The Journal. “I think confusion Mercier and Chen worked all is the strongest feeling. People I’m semester to computerize the close with are frustrated.” students’ exam, using a “cheat Like many of his peers, Hash proof” software. Students have been was prepared for a computerized using the software throughout the midterm. He expressed frustration semester to complete homework at its sudden cancellation exercises. Logic exams are difficult with minimal explanation and to write on a computer because competing narratives. the discipline uses symbols not In an email obtained by The familiar to most word processors, Journal, a student in the class Mercier explained. told Mercier they withdrew their “The only way to cheat is if you accommodations because they “felt had, for example, two computers, the alternatives [she] gave were just you could sign into the homework fine and very fair.” mode of the program and have Hash described Mercier as access to all the checking functions. an inspiring professor. In classes, During the exam, the homework he reported there was back-andfunction is disabled, and we can forth between Mercier and the tell when you’re doing the exam, students, creating an energizing that you’re staying on atmosphere. Mercier the exam,” Mercier said. has been teaching logic On Oct. 26, Mercier at Queen’s since 1994. contacted the Exams “I think there’s Office to inform them a lot of love for Dr. of the new format for Mercier,” Hash said. the midterm exam.

“As she herself puts it, Problems arose when she’s one of the only Mercier learned women doing in policies restricted the philosophy what Exams Office from she’s doing, which is allowing students teaching logic. It’s a very with accommodations male-dominated field to use their personal and she’s been doing it, JOURNAL FILE PHOTO from what I can computers to complete Professor Adele Mercier. exams. To adhere tell, fantastically to the policy, the Exams Office [are running] the show now, not for 30 years. I think there’s a required all students enrolled your professors,” and she was lot of respect for her in in the course to revert to a “gravely disturbed by ever the classroom.” paper-based exam. increasing infantilization Another student who contacted “I don’t see how they have the of students, and Mercier after the cancellation told authority to tell a professor you victimhood-fostering attitudes her the situation was an “attack must have a paper-based exam,” towards persons with disabilities.”

by Queen’s towards [her] teaching, Mercier said. *** character, and class” and was of “I don’t see how they’re doing With their midterm exam in “utmost disrespect.” their jobs of helping faculty limbo, PHIL 260 students were In emails, Mercier’s replacement accommodate students, if that slapped with a 100 per cent final by her former student Smith involves dictating to professors exam. The course is a requirement brings certainty to what has how they are to perform their for philosophy majors, and students been a confusing situation. On exams, what kind of exams they were stressed.

Nov. 22, Associate Dean Stephenson are to give […] it is not part of “I was confused, I thought introduced the new professor and their competence.” maybe we would be getting an told students they had options.

In response, Mercier filed an explanation of some sort from See Mercier on page 3 official complaint, objecting to the the University but that didn’t end imposition of “para-academics” up happening,” Nicholas Hash, @queensjournal

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NEWS

‘Someday trans love stories will outnumber obituaries’

News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Queen’s and Kingston mark Transgender Remembrance Day

violence, homicide, and suicide.

The day is a commitment from the community to protect trans community members.

Shannon Gendron, a 2SLGBTQ+ psychotherapist at Meghrig Milkon Queen’s and speaker at the event, Assistant News Editor emphasized trans hope, imagining a world where This article includes descriptions hate no longer cuts short of anti-trans violence and may the lives of transgender people. be triggering for some readers.

“Trans hope tells us someday Those seeking support my contact there will be a world where Education on Queer Issues Project trans love stories will outnumber (EQuIP), and Yellow House, obituaries.

Where trans Empower Me, and TELUS Health eulogies will be filled with all One. For those seeking immediate the fullness and magnitude assistance, Campus Security & and beauty of a life so fully Emergency Services can be reached lived and not cut short by the at (613) 533-611. punctuation of hate,” Gendron said.

“I could never do justice to In times of mourning, contain all the wild depths art acts as solace for the and magnitudes and inner transgender community. universes of our lost To honour transgender trans beloveds.” lives lost to anti-trans violence, Gendron encouraged attendees Queen’s Education on Queer Issues to remember loved ones by Project (EQuIP), TransFamily tenderly whispering their names.

Kingston, and ReelOut YGK Trans lives deserve to be collaborated in organizing the remembered with reverence Transgender Day of Remembrance Gendron told the crowd.

(TDOR), held in Market Square For Ren Challacombe, director on Nov. 20. of the Spectrum Voices Choir, Transgender activist the day is significant.

Gwendolyn Ann Smith started the Challacombe reported carrying tradition in honour of Rita Hester, the weight of trans lives lost a transgender woman who to violence, and hoped the day was murdered in 1998. demonstrated the need to act.

Transgender Day of Remembrance Challacombe personally celebrates is time to mourn transgender trans lives through art. people who lost their lives to “I see trans lives being

celebrated, a lot of it is through art.

It’s through acts of self-declaration, that can be anything from an outfit that makes you feel amazing or changing your name in a way that makes you feel like you for the very first time and having the people around you love and embrace that,” Challacombe said.

Challacombe learned to express themselves through singing.

They set out to develop the Spectrum Voices Choir, a group for 2SLGBTQ+ singers to uplift the voices of queer people in the Kingston community.

Hope for transgender people is at the centre of everything for Challacombe.

“Trans hope is in everything we do. It’s in every celebration of a birthday, or of somebody sharing a new name with you,” Challacombe said.

“I believe that trans hope is falling in love making art and laughing with friends.

I think that trans hope is also our survival, that we need things that make life worth living, not just fighting for survival,” Challacombe added.

Hill Werth, an artist and teacher at the Kingston School of Art, couldn’t predict the significance art would have on their life.

“I truly believe that if it wasn’t through creating and through my art, I don’t think I would

Members lit candles on Nov. 20.

be here at this point in my life,” Werth said.

The need to navigate everyday microaggressions is challenging and exhausting.

The constant need to educate people takes a toll on Werth but doesn’t stop them from building a community.

One of Werth’s personal favourite works, “Hate Has No Home” is prominently displayed in several window fronts on Princess St. The piece promotes a safe space for all members of the

PHOTO BY MEGHRIG MILKON

Kingston community.

“I thought it was a step beyond putting a rainbow sticker or rainbow heart in the window.

Because it’s all-encompassing to marginalized groups of individuals,” Werth said.

Werth intends for art to help people recognize and celebrate their similarities rather than focus on their differences.

“As much hate as there is going around, there is a lot more love,” Werth said.

Student walkout held in StuCons now working at support of Palestine AMS Food Bank StuCons a temporary measure at Food Bank

overcrowding there,” Hudson said often since she participated in the in an interview with The Journal.

IEDI-AA training mandatory for all Hudson said in the current AMS management over the summer. economic climate, both the AMS According to PSAC 901 President Food Bank and its sister service Justyna Szewczyk-El Jassem, the Cassidy McMackon PEACH Market are seeing an implementation of StuCons at the Editor in Chief increase in patrons, and the AMS Food Bank raises concern. food supply is running out “If security is more of a concern The next time patrons look to faster than it has previously. than food security, then this is the AMS Food Bank to fill their In September, the Food Bank spent concerning,” she told The Journal. pantry, they’ll find StuCons present $5,507 on groceries.

There’s also been student at the service.

Currently the Food Bank is concerns about an increased Starting on Nov. 13, Queen’s open Monday through Friday, and policing in spaces frequented by StuCons will be working at though the average number of international students. the AMS Food Bank to direct patrons each day ranges from 35 to “This is purely an act of The march occurred on Nov. 23.

PHOTO BY MIKELLA SCHUETTLER foot traffic. The primary reason 40, there have been as many as 53 discrimination and racial profiling out posters reading “Liberation StuCons will be working visitors on any given day. as most patrons are racialized for Palestine.” at the Food Bank is to provide line This marks an increase people and international Students attending the and crowd control for patron and from the summer months, students,” Queen’s student walkout were encouraged to staff safety, while ensuring capacity where the Food Bank was open Idorenyin Williams said. cover their faces with masks or limits in the service aren’t exceeded, three days a week and saw “Recruiting securities to police keffiyehs—a traditional Palestinian according to AMS Vice-President approximately 30 to 35 patrons and surveil patrons totally Mikella Schuettler scarf—to protect their privacy. (Operations) Michelle Hudson. each shift. Students that most makes patrons uncomfortable Assistant News Editor Many students exiting their “We want to make sure often access the food bank include and also speaks to racial afternoon classes stood and patrons who are inside do have graduate students, international profiling and how certain bodies Queen’s community members took watched the march go past, with enough time and enough space to students, and students with family are already marked in certain kind to the streets for Palestine. some filming their peers. get what they need from the food responsibilities. of ways and connotations.”

Approximately 250 Queen’s SPHR posted four demands bank, and make sure there’s not With increased usership, there’s Hudson isn’t aware of any students and faculty members on Instagram urging Queen’s more concern for ensuring both patrons’ concerns with the new marched across campus in support to cut ties from all institutions anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab patrons and staff stay safe while security, however, she’s received of Palestine on the afternoon “complicit in genocide” and to racism and antisemitism. The working in the Food Bank’s small feedback from others who of Nov. 23. The protest was divest from companies “profiting protest occurred two days after space in Rideau Hall. By having are concerned by the decision. organized by Solidarity for from Israeli apartheid,” a SPHR gave a presentation to AMS StuCons present, Hudson hopes to She said the AMS is Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), strategy used by Queen’s Assembly calling on student leaders offer peer-to-peer support instead looking to solicit more a Queen’s student advocacy group. in the 1980s during the South to support Palestinian students of an intimidating security presence. feedback through a QR code that Those leading the march African apartheid. on campus.

StuCons won’t receive specific will be sent to students via email chanted “Free, free Palestine” The group demands the The march started at Ontario training for working at the Food and posted at the Food Bank. and “Stop killing children” University protect all Queen’s Hall and continued up University Bank. Despite this, StuCon Head which echoed through the crowd. community members from all Ave., across Union St., to Tindall Manager Caroline Jarrett will be Continued online at SPHR representatives handed forms of hate, including both Field and then back to Ontario Hall. stationed at the Food Bank more queensjournal.ca/news

250 Queen’s students and faculty march on campus

News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 3

Palestine agenda item at AMS Assembly pulls crowd actions for student government.

Speaker Sean Lee reminded attendees three times not to take videos or photos of students speaking, to protect the privacy of students choosing to speak up.

“Neutrality, when there’s Mikella Schuettler & a genocide and people are Sophia Coppolino dying, is accepting the normal, Journal Staff and the normal right now is hundreds of people are dying Student leaders didn’t budge as 60 by bombardment by the Israeli students crowded Mitchell Hall to occupation,” Malhis said during voice their concerns. his statement at Assembly.

AMS Assembly, held Nov. 21, had Pressmann urged student students of diverse backgrounds leaders to maintain neutrality share their personal experiences of on the topic or risk alienating discrimination and the pain of the the students it represents—a war happening in the Middle East. toll Pressman feels hasn’t been Students at-large, urged student upheld in terms of supporting leaders to take a stand. After Jewish students. three hours of speakers, assembly “The AMS has always committed adjourned before any other topic itself to remain a nonpartisan was discussed. apolitical body, ensuring it’s The forum was spurred by effectively set up to represent what was initially the final point every student at Queen’s equitably,” on the agenda, a discussion titled a Pressmann said. “Your job is to “Call to Action by the Queen’s make sure our life on campus feels Solidarity for Palestinian Human safe, and every student feel safe and Rights (SPHR) student group.” supported.”

“The fact that the word Palestine After all statements were was mentioned in the AMS completed, SPHR gave their SUPPLIED BY CAITLIN PARKES agenda, and then you had this Student leaders met at AMS Assembly on Nov. 21. presentation. The presentation response, the defaming of outside. statements made by any students observing in residences, the included a history leading up to the Palestinians for wanting to speak During the discussion during the statement period. executive and I’ve made the call current conflict. The presentation and wanting to address you, period, Palestinian students “We didn’t receive any contact that a lot of these responses would cited the United Nations just sends a specific message recalled being kicked out of clubs, from any Social Issues Commission come from us, and a lot of the and Amnesty International’s of what’s going on here. It’s and being alienated from their member to actually speak to communication will come from us,” description of the situation in the a silencing,” Layth Malhis, peers for discussing Palestine or us about our concerns when Mills said during Assembly.

Gaza Strip.

ConEd ’24, said during organizing events showcasing Jewish students were facing Mills said the decision was “As elected and student officials AMS Assembly.

Palestinian culture. Others spoke hate crimes on this very campus,” taken because of the sensitive it is your responsibility to hear and In one corner of the room, on the experiences of loved ones Pressmann said. nature of the topic, and the fact that act upon your student constituents’ students held up signs with the living in Palestine.

In the final moments of the the AMS executive has stronger concerns and we ask that you join names and photos of individuals, Throughout the statement meeting, Pressmann asked the connections with senior us in standing against genocide and titled “Murdered by Israel.” period, Jewish students recounted AMS for the second time why administration at the university. apartheid,” Yara Hussein, ArtSci ’24, Across the assembly table, similar experiences, describing the Social Issues Commissioners Throughout the statement said during SPHR’s presentation. students carried signs identifying antisemitism at Queen’s, such as the hadn’t contacted the Jewish period, Palestinian, Israeli, Continued online at hostages taken by Hamas during mezuzahs being torn down from community in light of events Jewish, and Muslim students queensjournal.ca/news the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. doorways in residences. They told on campus. Breaking student l came forward to propose future

Over 60 activists attended AMS Assembly about the Middle East

Students from Palestinian and Israeli backgrounds shared their personal stories with Assembly. The AMS announced a member from the Peer Support Centre (PSC) was on standby

Assembly they felt unsupported and scared by the rise in antisemitic occurrences on Queen’s campus.

No member of AMS Assembly, including AMS and faculty society executives, responded to

eaders’ silence, AMS Vice-President (University Affairs) Victoria Mills responded on behalf of the commission.

“I think with the horrific acts of antisemitism that we’re

New policies risk education quality in ArtSci

Questions go unanswered as new leaked policies surface Meghrig Milkon Assistant News Editor Students are being kept in the dark about policies being implemented for the next two academic years.

Due to Queen’s current financial deficit, the Office of the Provost is introducing policies eliminating

Students call for mercy for Mercier ...continued from front page

The faculty will allow students to drop the course after receiving their final grade with a full tuition refund.

Alternatively, students can change the grade shown on their transcript to “CR,” which administrators like Stephenson recognize as indicating

The policy is one of many The Journal. financial crisis. included in a budgetary measures Queen’s announced new “Responding to what is effectively update sent to faculty and staff strategies to balance the budget a temporary budget issue with from the Faculty of Arts and this year including a hiring permanent dismantling of Science, with some changes set for freeze, and a 1.5 per cent spending programs just seems crazy to me,” next year, obtained by The Journal. cut across the University over Chilcott said.

The University hasn’t issued a public the next two academic years.

The timeline of the new policy statement, or informed students The University’s operating will allow departments to make about the upcoming policies. deficit of $62.8 million is the the necessary adjustments to “Just the scale of the driving factor behind the timetables, the Office of the Provost budget cuts are quite extreme. budgetary decisions.

The wrote in a statement to The Journal.

The fact that they’re planning them University blames the Ontario “Exceptions may be made where for next year, without making it tuition freeze for the deficit. there is a pedagogical reason public or transparent seems really Chilcott claimed the University to run a low enrolment course,” strange,” Ethan Chilcott, ArtSci ‘24, is making permanent decisions the statement read. said in an interview with cutting classes for a temporary The budgetary report included a new policy that aims to reduce an extenuating circumstance. lot of unanswered questions, and that best helps them learn—that the time and completion rates “You don’t have to decide I think the announcement from they won’t be able to do that. for graduate degrees and today, you can decide in January,” Dr. Stephenson didn’t address And if they attempt to do that, they increase hiring teaching fellows to Stephenson told the class. anything directly about the cause may be subject to sanctions by the teach undergraduate courses.

Of the 109 spots in the class, of this whole situation.” school,” Hash said.

“Teaching fellows who are highly 90 students remain enrolled.

For Hash the situation is For Mercier, the situation educated, they’re working towards Under Smith’s guidance they will potentially an infringement on makes her want to quit. With their graduate degrees, but they’re have the option to complete two academic freedom. He plans her sabbatical approaching next not specialists, they haven’t been assignments and a final exam, all to write a letter to Barbara semester, Mercier is unimpressed trained to teach, and it’s effectively paper-based take-homes, which Crow, the dean of the with the University. She believes using students as guinea pigs to see will be weighted in whichever way faculty of arts and science. the whole ordeal could have been if they can teach,” Chilcott said. benefits students most.

“If a tenured professor of mitigated over one phone call Chilcott worries his department, “There’s a lot of goodwill towards so many years, such as Adèle leading up to the midterm exam. the Department of Classics the stand-in professor Dr. Mark Mercier, can be forced out of her “I think we did a great job of and Archaeology, is at risk Smith,” Hash said. “I think he’s a course I worry about younger accommodating students,” Mercier under the proposed policies. good instructor. I think he’s going professors who want to try and said. “Even though the minions to do good things for the course. provide alternative solutions—or don’t know what they don’t know.”

Continued online at But towards the administration, I teach their courses in alternative queensjournal.ca/news think there is a lot of confusion, a ways for their students in the way —With files from Sofia Tosello small course sections within the Faculty of Arts and Science over the next two years. Under the policy, undergraduate courses must have a minimum enrollment of ten students, and graduate courses require five students, otherwise these courses risk being cut.

The Faculty of Arts and Science is consolidating student support services for distance, undergraduate and graduate students. The changes to the faculty’s structure are to achieve $27 million in savings over the next two academic years.

Features

4 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

FEATURES Exploring the Jewish Diaspora: Reflections after October 7

PHOTO BY JOSEPH MARIATHASAN

Hamas’ attack on Israel has negative repercussions in the Jewish community.

‘There’s not just one way to be a diaspora Jew’ Skylar Soroka Features Editor

majority completely turned on and persecuted them. I believe what is happening today to be a small-scale This article contains mentions of reoccurrence of this phenomenon,” antisemitism and may be disturbing Ovadya said in an interview with for readers. The Canadian Mental The Journal.

Health Association Crisis Line can “Many people in the Diaspora be reached at 1-800-875-6213. that aren’t involved in the conflict have taken to discriminate against Nati Pressmann, ArtSci ’25, Jewish people in their communities understands that Hamas’ goal, like over false information and the other people who are antisemitic, negative view being pushed on is to stop Jews from living—to kill them as bystanders,” he added.

Jews as a people and stop them Ovadya highlighted the from practicing their religion. importance that people uninvolved When it comes to the Jewish in the conflict are educated.

Diaspora, Pressmann believes “It isn’t Jewish people, nor there’s an idea many students Palestinians, who are the problem. at Queen’s have that being an The Palestinian people are Ashkenazi Jew equals white not recognized as terrorists by privilege, she said in an interview Diasporic Jews, rather Hamas is,” with The Journal.

Ovadya said.

As Vice-President of the World Statistics Canada data reveals Union of Jewish Students (WUJS), the Jewish community is the most Nati Pressmann does Jewish targeted group in Canada for hate advocacy at Queen’s and beyond, crimes. In Hamas’ call to “kill every focusing on building community Jew in the world,” these crimes and combating antisemitism while have increased across the world. including different perspectives On Nov. 17, the Anne and from Jewish people across Max Tanenbaum Community the globe.

Hebrew Academy of Toronto For Eli Ovadya, a Jewish person (CHAT) received an email alluding living in Kingston, Hamas aims to to bombs on and around school destroy the Jewish people at all costs. property with the words “many He believes radical supporters Jews are going to die today.” are spreading false information, This past week, antisemitic particularly when referring to these graffiti was found on Queen’s terrorists as “freedom fighters,” campus in Mackintosh-Corry Hall, next to a plethora of evidence with phrases supporting Hitler’s proving otherwise, including body regime. Mezuzahs were torn down camera footage, hostage recordings, in residence buildings. and public killings.

“It’s important to remember that Understanding the Diaspora in pre-WWII Germany, Ashkenazi Diaspora is a Greek word Jews lived side by side in the referencing the Jews who general population as friends until dispersed from Israel to different [Adolf] Hitler took power and the places around the world. While the

global population consists of eight billion people, Jewish individuals constitute a mere 0.2 per cent.

Leora Tarshish, director of advocacy and education at Queen’s Hillel, explained the Jewish Diaspora originated from successive mass expulsion events by the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Roman Empires. The dispersion occurred after significant historical events, including the destruction of the Holy Temple in 70 CE and the Hadrianic Genocide in 132 CE. “The Diaspora truly took on the significance it has today when the majority of the Jewish people began living outside of our homeland,” Tarshish said.

If a Jewish person lives outside of Israel, that means they’re in the Diaspora and many have different diasporic experiences, Pressmann said in an interview with The Journal.

Half of Jewish people today identify as Ashkenazi, meaning they descend from Jews who lived in central or eastern Europe.

The other half identify as either Mizrahi—with Middle Eastern roots in Iraq, Iran, and Yemen—or Sephardic, being of Spanish descent and having faced expulsion from Spain after 1492 or forced conversion to Catholicism.

“A lot of the way I view Jewish life is through a mixed perspective of understanding Israeli culture as a part of my identity, since growing up, and also understanding the perspective of Jews who don’t live in bigger Diasporic communities,” Pressmann said.

Both of Pressmann’s parents were born in the Soviet Union, with one being raised in West Germany and one in Israel—both encountered discrimination for their Jewish identity. Her grandfather, a refusenik activist, was denied a visa to immigrate to Israel. Pressmann identifies as an Israeli citizen and embraces the cultural richness of the nation.

“Those who spoke out about [persecution] were called ‘refuseniks’ who would try to leave the Soviet Union, but they would be denied multiple times,” Pressmann said.

“My family were Ashkenazi Jews who lived in Europe during

the Diaspora and had a different experience than other Jews who lived in the Middle Eastern Diaspora,” she said.

In Ashkenazi Judaism, there are diverse branches. For instance, an Ashkenazi Jew from Moldova follows traditions distinct from those of an Ashkenazi Jew from Poland. This diversity extends to other Diaspora communities in places like Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, or India.

Many people fail to grasp the unique characteristics of these communities and often overlook the fact that most Jews worldwide reside in Israel, Pressmann said.

Israel encompasses a population of 6.3 million Jews while the United States follows 5.7 million, France with 448,000, and Canada with 393,000.

“Canadian Jews are, on the whole, a fairly recent diaspora community in that Jewish students on campus at Queen’s today will more often than not be the first or second generation of their family to be born in Canada,” Tarshish said.

The fallout from October 7 at Queen’s The attack by Hamas—who is recognized as a terrorist group by both Israel and the Government of Canada—on Oct. 7 has been described as “the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust,” resulting in over 1,400 dead civilians in Israel as well as 240 hostages taken captive in Gaza.

Hamas infiltrated Israel and slaughtered, raped, murdered, and killed babies, women, kids, [and] elderly people according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel said they are countering this attack with strikes on Hamas targets and has expressed its commitment to dismantling the terror group by aiming to remove it from power in Gaza, where it has reigned as their government since 2007.

The global impact of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel manifested in the Queen’s community, giving rise to blatant instances of antisemitism—an outright hatred directed at Jewish people simply for being Jewish, Pressmann said.

At the November AMS Assembly, Pressmannnoted astudentasserted Israel was promised specifically to Ashkenazi Jews, which overlooks the diversity within the broader Jewish community, including Jewish Mizrahi and Sephardic people. Another individual implied Zionism is a sign of white supremacy.

“A lot of rhetoric we see right now regarding Israel is this very weird way that people are saying that there was peace in the region before 1948—this fails to recognize that there are Jews from Middle Eastern lands,” Pressmann said. She explained Jews in Mandatory Palestine faced violence while Jews in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faced ethnic cleansing and discrimination.

“The way people view Ashkenazi Jews as exactly white people is one view that I find very flawed,” Pressmann said. “Ashkenazi Jews

were never viewed as white enough.

Within the Middle Ages, they were discriminated against because they weren’t Christians or Muslims.

Moving to the Enlightenment era, they didn’t fit into the racial idea of what white meant. This continues today with contemporary white supremacists who very much dislike Jews.”

Though Pressmann acknowledges Queen’s efforts in meeting with Jewish students, she believes there’s a need for a more comprehensive condemnation of antisemitism on a broader scale.

She emphasized the importance of addressing incidents such as the removal of multiple Mezuzahs and other religion-based hate crimes.

“Even though I appear white, if a white supremacist sees me on the street wearing a Magen David, it’s a distinguishable Jewish feature which is subject to face automatic discrimination,” Pressmann said.

She highlighted how, at Queen’s, there’s a prevalent misinterpretation of the Jewish Diaspora, especially in discussions about the ongoing conflict. She emphasized that this misunderstanding becomes more pronounced due to current events on campus.

“When we’re talking about Diaspora, we have to understand that Israeli identity is also affected by Diaspora experiences,” Pressmann said. “To understand the Jewish people, you need to understand the Diaspora. There’s not just one Diasporic Jew. There’s just a failure to understand the uniqueness of the Diaspora.”

Maintaining morale in the face of Hamas’ attacks The massacre of Oct. 7 is a watershed moment for contemporary Jewry, not just in Israel, but the world over, Tarshish said.

“On a personal level, Queen’s has many Jewish students and even faculty who have relatives and friends that were killed, taken hostage, or are still reported as missing. For these students especially, every day since the massacre still feels like it is Oct. 7.

With no knowledge of their loved one’s whereabouts, or facing the grief of a tragic loss, these Jews are constantly reliving the nightmare of that day,” Tarshish said.

Tarshish explained that for the vast majority of Jews at Queen’s, the impact of the massacre has reverberated through the Jewish community and triggered the collective memory trauma inherited from our ancestors.

“This trauma is not just inherited, it’s also acutely felt by Jewish students who are experiencing an unprecedented amount of antisemitic hate from their peers at Queen’s which reaffirms their fear of being targeted for being Jewish,” she said.

Story continued online at queensjournal.ca/features

Editorials

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Elitism is running rampant at Queen’s

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 5

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 151, Issue 15 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Rory Stinson Senior Sports Editor

Editorial Board

Despite what students seem to think, Queen’s is no longer a top university. Queen’s now places 12th in Canada, according to the Times Higher Education 2024 rankings.

Growing up outside of Kingston, I wanted to go to Queen’s before I even knew what a university was or what I would study there.

When I was in grade seven or eight, my school attended sports activity days at surrounding universities, including Queen’s and the University of Ottawa.

Our leader for the day on one tour, a student athlete at uOttawa, asked my class what schools we wanted to attend for post secondary. Most of my classmates replied Queen’s, since members of our community always told us it was the best university. That leader said Queen’s students think they’re superior to everyone else, but the school wasn’t really the best.

At the time, what our leader said annoyed me. I thought she must be jealous of Queen’s students.

But now, uOttawa is ranked number eight in Canada—four spots above Queen’s.

It’s perfectly normal to think your university is the best. That’s what forms school rivalries and a solid alumni pool. However, rather than Queen’s students thinking their school is the best, many seem to think they’re the best just for getting accepted into the school.

I want to make clear that not every Queen’s student thinks this way—I’ve met a lot of kind people who worked hard to be here.

However, enough of the student body thinks this way to make it seem to the outside world

The Journal’s Perspective

that all Queen’s students have an elitist complex, which I believe is demonstrative of broader entitlement.

An example of this entitlement is demonstrated through survey results released in 2020, which showed Queen’s was rated second in Ontario for people having sexual harassment experiences.

Queen’s was behind Western, but only by 0.2 per cent. These sexual harassment rates suggest students feel entitlement towards each other.

Many students who don’t come from rich families can feel excluded within the University. It seems like everybody at Queen’s comes from money, which further feeds into the elitism on a socioeconomic class level. This dissuades many students from becoming a part of the Queen’s community.

Going back to the Times Higher Education Rankings, The Journal reported Principal Patrick Deane called the ranking “depressing.” It’s even more depressing when you realize Queen’s students feel a sense of superiority without the statistics to show for it.

Elitism at Queen’s is unwelcoming and until something is done within the institution to change it, it’s making the university I was once proud to attend something I feel uncomfortable standing behind.

Editors in Chief

Starbucks employee walkouts are justified in advocating better treatment for retail and minimum wage workers.

On Red Cup Day—a promotional event during which Starbucks gifts its customers reusable, red, holiday-themed cups with their purchases—Starbucks employees across the United States walked off the job in protest of their long hours and insufficient staffing.

Workers in stores, restaurants, and cafes remain on their feet for several hours at a time. In addition to this physical labour, they have the emotional labour and responsibility of interacting with customers.

The holiday season can be a particularly unpleasant time to work in retail. Promotional events put on by retailers and upcoming events in the lives of shoppers lead not only to increased volumes of customers, but to increasingly tense customers.

As a result, retail employees are subject to heavier workloads and more aggression from shoppers during the holiday season. Aligning their demonstration with Red Cup Day accurately conveys the burden Starbucks employees face.

Sophia Coppolino

News Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE

A picture is worth a thousand pleas

If they can dissuade violence without disrespecting victims or their loved ones, photos of the aftermath of shootings should be broadcast to the public.

Last week, the Washington Post published an article headlined: “Why we are publishing disturbing content from AR-15 mass shootings.” The article discusses and defends another piece’s inclusion of real photos taken during and after a mass shooting where the weapon of choice was an AR-15.

A photo from the scene of a shooting is much harder to erase from one’s mind than a paragraph describing it.

Because photos are much more effective in directly conveying the reality of the aftermath of a mass shooting, their use may be the next step in inspiring action from the public.

Mass shootings—421 of which have occurred so far in the United States this Rory is a third-year physics student and year—are unspeakably devastating The Journal’s Senior Sports Editor. and horrific events. Whatever means of communication can best convey the extent of that horror must be employed.

Publishing photos alongside articles may be beneficial as they focus on the harm incurred during that horror, rather than sensationalizing the lives of those involved. Attributing too much coverage to shooters, in particular, risks inspiring copycat offenders.

Impactful as they may be, photos shouldn’t be published at the cost of the dignity of the deceased or against the wishes of their loved ones who survive them.

Publications should ask living family or friends for consent before sharing photos, ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE particularly if any bodies pictured Starbucks isn’t only unaccommodating are identifiable. of its workers’ needs during the Another risk of normalizing publishing holiday season. Allegedly, employees in photos from mass shootings is the American and Canadian Starbucks have public growing as desensitized to been subject to pronounced anti-union visual representations of violence as they activity in their workplaces. have to verbal representations.

Unions benefit their members by Those most affected by photos protecting their rights and interests, will likely be those who already such as health benefits and recognize guns as a problem. If fair wages. All employees deserve to such violent visuals become normalized, know their rights are being honoured there will be no more intense a in their workplaces. form of representation to graduate to.

Starbucks discouraging their workers Just as much as gun from unionizing while control laws must be altered before simultaneously dismissing their we can expect to see reduced numbers complaints evinces a total disregard of mass shootings, mental health for their employees. Despite having and illness must be recently seen an 11 per cent increase addressed as well. Most perpetrators in revenue, the company only of gun violence suffer from mental illness. raised wages by three per cent in 2023.

Mass shootings are preventable.

The coffee franchise’s behaviour isn’t Hopefully not many more types of unique. Large companies, those who could media will need to be employed most easily afford to offer living wages, to inspire the public to act on this fact. prefer to short-change their employees and maximize revenue instead.

—Journal Editorial Board Both companies and consumers owe customer service workers more humanity.

—Journal Editorial Board

Curtis Heinzl

Production Manager

EDITORIALS

Starbucks employees have a right to vent-i

Asbah Ahmad Cassidy McMackon

Meghrig Milkon

Assistant News Editors

Mikella Schuettler Sofia Tosello Vineeth Jarabana

Features Editors

Skylar Soroka Cassandra Pao

Editorials Editor Editorial Illustrator

Arden Mason-Ourique

Opinions Editor

Nahira Gerster-Sim

Arts Editor

Maddie Hunt

Assistant Arts Editor

Suzy Leinster Aimée Look

Business, Science & Technology Editors

Violetta Zeitlinger Fontana Rory Stinson

Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor

Aidan Michaelov

Lifestyle Editor

Allie Moustakis Sina Sayyad

Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Herbert Wang

Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor

Joseph Mariathasan Miriam Slessor

Video Editor

Jamie Weiler

Assistant Video Editor

Ali Safadi

Graphics Editor

Norah Kierulf

Copy Editors

Kenzie O’Day Anne Fu

BIPOC Advisory Board Members

Malaieka Khan

Oluwamisimi Oluwole

First-Year Interns

Rishab Chakraborty

Lauren Nicol

Staff Illustrator

Yael Rusonik

Staff Writer

Alex Dawson Elizabeth Provost

Contributors

Maya Luke

Mitchell Lupa

George Manning

Dylan Reid-Davis

Hannah VanLeeuwen

Business Staff Manal Shah

Business Manager

Irina Tran

Sales Representatives

Madeleine Smith Fundraising Representative Margaret Cavanagh-Wall Social Media Coordinator

Ana Coelho

Want to contribute?

For information visit: www.queensjournal.ca/contribute or email the Editor in Chief at journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions.

The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Journal’s Editorial Board acknowledges the traditional territories our newspaper is situated on have allowed us to pursue our mandate.

We recognize our responsibility to understand the truth of our history.

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 Email:

journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca

Please address complaints and grievances to the Editor in Chief and/or Managing Editor.

The Queen’s Journal is printed at WebNews Printing Inc. in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents © 2023 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

6 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

Opinions

OPINIONS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Your Perspective

Dylyn and Mitchell explore the potential fallout of Queen’s dissolving the Landlord Contract Program.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

Queen’s landlords are taking advantage of student tenants Left unchecked, the student housing market will hurt both students and the University DYLYN REID-DAVES & MITCHELL LUPA Contributors Finding a place to live as a student in Kingston is brutal—and it’s only going to get worse.

Most houses in Kingston’s “ghetto”—University District—are in rough shape. Students have grown accustomed to living with mold, rodents, broken appliances, and decaying infrastructure.

Lease agreements are an additional issue.

Those on the hunt for housing should expect ridiculous—and illegal—provisions in some rent contracts: no pets, no guests, and even no guitar playing.

It’s understood across campus that one’s primary goal is to find a lease. Any negotiations or specific requests are left until after the contract is signed. The last thing landlords want is to find themselves renting to students who know their rights.

Despite facing these harsh realities, most students remain undeterred.

Indeed, demand for student housing is as high as ever, and with enrolment numbers at Queen’s increasing year-over-year, there’s no sign of it slowing down any time soon.

It seems Queen’s students prefer to adhere to the three golden rules of real estate—location, location, location. A broken dishwasher and a negligent landlord are worthy sacrifices if it means living closer to campus.

Unfortunately, none of these problems are new. Queen’s students have been subject to shoddy living conditions and exploitative rental agreements for decades.

Back in the ’90s, Queen’s students faced a similar housing crisis. At the time, students were seen as risky tenants and local landlords had little incentive to offer them leases. In 1999, the University responded by implementing the Landlord Contract Program (LCP), granting landlords special privileges if they rented to Queen’s students.

Ontario lease agreements are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). Under the RTA, tenancies end if the tenant chooses to move out or if the landlord evicts the tenant.

Evictionsareaformalandlengthy process, and the Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) has the authority to evict tenants only if landlords provide a legal justification. If no eviction occurs, a one-year lease will automatically convert to a month-to-month agreement.

However, under the LCP, Queen’s exempted landlords from the formal eviction process.

Students are required to sign an eviction agreement alongside their lease, forfeiting their right to appeal to the LTB. The rationale behind this provision was to prevent tenants from staying in units reserved for students after they graduate.

The eviction exemption provided by the LCP also meant that students’ leases couldn’t be converted to month-to-month agreements. If they wanted to stay in their homes, they had to resign a new lease and eviction notice each year.

The LCP did provide students with some perks not included in the

RTA. Typically, when new tenants move into a rental unit, landlords are allowed to increase the rent as much as they please. The LCP forces landlords to adhere to the annual provincial limit regardless of whether new tenants had moved in. Additionally, the LCP required landlords to have their rental units examined and certified by a property inspector to ensure they complied with city standards.

In many ways the LCP was a success. Today, virtually every house and apartment within a 10-minute walking distance of Queen’s functions as student housing. Students are no longer seen as risky tenants, but instead as profitable opportunities.

On the other hand, the LCP undermined student tenants’ rights and landlord accountability.

Notably missing from the LCP were any means of enforcement if tenant rights were disregarded.

Students continued to live in unaffordable and substandard housing, and the University displayed little effort in informing students of their options in cases of landlord misconduct.

After 23 years, Queen’s terminated the LCP in December 2022. In a statement that announced the conclusion of the LCP, Queen’s Community Housing claimed the program no longer provided demonstratable benefits to student tenants.

The news was bittersweet.

Students are no longer forced to accept lease agreements in which eviction is always a threat. However, without the LCP, landlords in the University District are no longer subject to real rent control. They may once again take advantage of the fact that many students don’t know their rights and facetiously cite the

now-defunct LCP’s exemptions to illegally evict tenants—a practice student tenants have already reported experiencing.

Given its recent dissolution, we have yet to see the full impact the absence of the LCP will have on the student housing market in Kingston. At the same time, newer students are navigating this reality.

Under the LCP, my previous house’s monthly rent was $5,600, where each bedroom cost $800 per month. After moving out in May, the new tenants told us they’re paying $7,000—a 25 per cent increase. That’s ten times the 2023 provincial 2.5 per cent increase limit.

The fallout of the LCP impacts all tenants regardless of if they’re students.

In a recent report by the Social Planning Council of Kingston & District (SPCK&D), tenants shared that landlords outside of the LCP have forced tenants to leave after their one-year lease ends under the guise that the landlord decides if they can re-sign. This illegal practice has become increasingly common, allowing landlords to discriminate against tenants and evict them for profit.

If nothing is done to remedy the situation, exorbitant prices will become commonplace across campus. We have already seen tenants local to Kingston priced out of the downtown area. Sooner or later, the majority of students will be forced to move out of the University District, and the student community will be increasingly segregated by wealth.

There’s still hope. The university can—and should—step in. One solution could be to create a reformed LCP that emphasizes accountability and conflict resolution. It should

include rent control, annual property inspections, and limit landlord power over tenants. A new LCP should also establish a formal procedure to involve the University in student-landlord disputes, similar to the grievance arbitration process employed by labour unions.

Students also need to empower themselves and stand up for their rights as tenants. Ignorance works in favour of landlords exploiting tenants’ lack of legal literacy. Queen’s landlords are too comfortable pushing students around and presuming students won’t push back.

Students can’t afford to be uneducated or lenient. A good place to get informed is through Queen’s Legal Aid’s informative guide to student tenant rights.

For more complicated questions, QLA also offers free legal services for students.

It’s becoming harder and harder to justify the increasingly poor conditions and high rent that come with living the student life—all while Queen’s profits from ever-increasing enrolment caps.

Instead of washing their hands of student housing, Queen’s must clean up the mess it has helped make.

Our silence won’t protect us.

Ultimately, for change to occur, students need to take action. It’s high time for us to make our voices heard, which means working with the University to address the student housing crisis before it’s too late.

Dylyn Reid-Davies is an MA candidate in the sociology department, and Mitchell Lupa is a fifth-year political studies student.

Arts

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 7

Ar t never di e s : c elebrati ng t h e one w e l o s t

The pain of showcasing a dying artist’s legacy SUZY LEINSTER Assistant Arts Editor

When Film and Media Technician Cameron Miller sat down with The Journal, he remarked on his incredible relationship with Serina Timperio, BFA ’18, and the experiences that shaped their journey together.

“You know, I’m at stage four [cancer], and I really want to do this,’” Timperio said to Miller.

“It was a burden, but it was a burden I was happy to take on,” Miller said.

Diagnosed with an astrocytoma brain tumour in 2016, Timperio fought cancer until she passed away on Nov. 15, 2022. Now, a year later, Timperio and her art will be celebrated at the Isabel Bader Centre from Nov. 21 to Dec. 1, with a reception hosted on Nov. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. Students, alumni, and Kingston residents are welcome to join the reception and view the installation.

Timperio met Miller in 2017 looking for help on her film project, where they found an instant chemistry that Miller said can’t be put into words.

“You’re always looking for people that click. You can work with lots of people and get something right, but it’s important to find someone who finishes your sentences when you’re talking about ideas. We clicked in that way almost right away,” Miller said.

ARTS

The late Serina Timperio’s art will be showcased from Nov. 21 to Dec. 1.

SUPPLIED BY CAMERON MILLER

Timperio’s brain worked differently than other artists, Miller recounted, and so he kept in contact with her after her graduation in 2018.

“You can see it in her paintings.

You can see it in the sculpture.

So, the brain cancer was a curse, but in some ways, it was also a gift artistically.”

Timperio was dynamic, Miller said. She could change her facial expression within a minute of shooting a photo, a talent Miller hadn’t often experienced as a photographer.

Her unique ability to depict different expressions demonstrated the flexibility of her art not only in content and theme but also in the mediums she used.

Miller found joy in Timperio’s approach to the relationship between personal experience and art, vividly recalling her work with AstroTurf and dreams.

AstroTurf is a synthetic material most often used as the ground surface for sports games and will be showcased at the show.

Timperio had unexplainable dreams which she would write down and then cut into strips and hang them around three mirrors.

Each strip of AstroTurf represented a piece of her dream as they framed a mirror. When one looked in the mirror, they could see themselves surrounded by fragments of someone’s dreams.

The exhibition at the Isabel will feature a range of Timperio’s art, including one of Miller’s favourites: her painting ofgoats, which sparked their first project together after her graduation.

Timperio would boil goat bones to make soup while undergoing cancer treatment as a way to elevate her immunity.

While she cooked, the bones’ curves fascinated her and she set them aside to create a painting.

“I thought this was a neat cycle.

She’s consuming the goats to help her immunity, and she’s using that energy to produce art.

Then the goats are coming out of the art,” Miller said.

The cyclical nature of Timperio’s artistic process inspired Miller to think of ways to blend Timperio and her art. They worked on the installations for the show together, utilizing Miller’s photography skills and Timperio’s portfolio of art.

Miller decided to use a projector image of Timperio’s art, placing that image on top of another image of her body.

Miller then took photos of the two subjects, Timperio as the artist and the painting or sculpture as the art, so they could be shown in one image.

The photographs encompassed Miller’s perspective of Timperio’s art as something cyclical and showcased her presence in the art despite her death.

In the Isabel’s film room, he spoke about how it was a very tough project, illuminated by a singular overhead light above the foldup table haphazardly placed in the center of the room. There was a heavy silence as he explained the importance of this project not only for Timperio, but for him as Timperio’s

albums this year. Released on all streaming services on June 2, Campfire Troubadour, Vol. 2, was followed by Talk to Time, on Oct. 13.

Now touring both albums on the Campfire Troubadour Tour, Hicks departs from his signature party-themed anthems and high-production live performances which have defined the past decade of his music.

Hicks introduced a unique concert experience with the Campfire Troubadour tour, allowing listeners to explore a more intimate and reflective side of his artistry as he delves into the personal narratives, inspirations,

and stories that shaped his music and evolution. The tour promises both his greatest hits and the reimagining of his sound through new records.

“Every time I wrote a song on guitar, people would tell me what a great country song that was. It was irritating to me because the biggest thing going was Nirvana and Oasis and I pictured myself as a rockstar rather than anything else,” Hicks said in an interview with The Journal.

However, this era marks a significant shift for both the artist and his dedicated fanbase, offering a rare glimpse into the soulful origins of the songs that propelled Hicks to stardom.

Performing an abundance of pub gigs as a working musician for nearly 20 years, Hicks said he would consistently have audiences request songs by Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, and Eric Church. As notable names in the country music scene, he began learning and performing their music on a nightly basis.

“When I was working in bars, I would say more than half the time I was by myself playing acoustic guitar and singing and so, you know, I built an audience of people that were used to seeing me

play acoustic. I wanted to kind of showcase that side of my artistry in a way that made sense,” Hicks said.

“Secretly I started turning the dial to country radio where I discovered, and I realized ‘oh my God this is where I belong.’ It took a long time to figure out where I fit as a musician,” Hicks said.

After discovering his own sound, Hicks’ career took off as the “Canadian country party guy,” he said. With songs like “Hell Raisin’ Good Time,” “Stompin’ Ground,” and “Loud,” it’s apparent Hicks’ sound situated itself among partygoers.

Hicks has been successful in this domain. In his decade of releasing music, Hicks holds four singles that have achieved Platinum status, one with Double Platinum recognition, nine Gold singles, and a remarkable nineteen radio hits landing in the top 10. One may bring to light the phrase “don’t fix what’s not broken” when hearing Hicks has shifted sound and performance style.

However, that saying holds little validity in the context of his latest records. Both albums defy the notion that Hicks original style can’t be successfully deviated from, while presenting a profound and aesthetically pleasing exploration

colleague and friend.

“It felt special because she trusted me with this project because it is quite intimate. Finally, there was not going to be a second chance,” Miller said.

“We shot the project in two days.

The first day was more of a friends and family thing to make sure she was comfortable, and we did the shoot. We got through the shoot, and at the end of it, she was just crying.”

Miller said he looked at her and thought they were done, but Timperio said no, and wanted the image of her crying to be a part of the installation’s experience.

“This is the emotion that needs to be captured. One of the final pieces people will see is a picture of her seated in a chair, but she doesn’t look happy, because she isn’t,” Miller said.

The installation completes Timperio’s bucket list, one last chance to get it all done before the cancer had caught up to her.

But for Miller, it was an agreement.

“We’re doing the show a year after her death, and it ties together my promise to her that there would be a show, and that’s why it’s important,” Miller said.

The installation celebrates Timperio’s legacy as an artist, but the show’s central theme is her vulnerability.

“The big thing about it is that the disease chooses anybody.

We are all ‘naked in front of this threat,’” Miller said.

Ti m Hic k s i s s i n g i n g s o n gs aro und t h e c a mp fi r e fo r fan s

Intimate acoustic performances are making a comeback for Hicks MADDIE HUNT Senior Arts Editor

The “Canadian country party guy,” is stripping his image and his production back down to his intimate acoustic performances and sound.

Award-winning Canadian country artist Tim Hicks has released two hot new country

Country artist talks new tour and latest albums.

SUPPLIED BY JESS SEGUIRE

of vivid themes.

“I’m 10 years older than I was when I put out Throw Down, and lots of things have happened.

I wanted to say some different things,” Hicks said.

Talk to Time acts as a testament to eloquent lyricism about the introspection and reflection of one’s life and the desire to slow down time. This thematic richness is depicted in Talk to Time’s title track “Young & Dumb.” With poignant, captivating lyrics written

by Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally, and Ross Copperman, the title track is complemented by masterfully played acoustic guitar, underscored by a robust drum arrangement allowing for the maintenance of a strong rock influence.

Similarly, Campfire Troubadour Vol. 2 introduces a collection of acoustic ballads. Among these are standout examples including “All That You Leave Behind” and “Loved them First,” both of which manifest as love songs that explore the enduring impact an individual can have on one’s life.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/arts

8 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

Business, Science, & Technology

<BIZ-SCI-TECH> Members of QYourVenture group win major award Women in psychology develop modules to help improve financial literacy Cassidy McMackon & Asbah Ahmad Editors in Chief Two Queen’s psychology students were awarded the Top Undergraduate Paper by the Financial Consumer Agency of

Canada’s (FCAC) Building a Better Future Challenge for their efforts to help postsecondary students improve financial literacy when applying for scholarships.

Hannah Burrows, MSc ’25, and Flo Nusselder, ArtSci ’24, were honoured for their paper titled: “Pedagogical Solution to Financial Illiteracy in Canada: Increasing the Accessibility of Higher Education.”

The paper was born from a project that started in a 400-level psychology class in January, which included contributions from Adrianna

Armstrong, ArtSci ’23 and BEd ’24, and Alyssa Giovannangeli, ArtSci ’23, a current MSc student at McMaster University.

Armstrong explained the group’s class asked them to pursue a topic in education they’re passionate about. After being partnered together, Burrows, Giovannangeli, and Nusselder developed a project featuring

six modules tackling topics which include financial literacy, navigating scholarship web pages, building resumes, and asking for a letter of recommendation.

Their pedagogical approach targets grade 11 and 12 students looking to enter higher education in Canada.

The group noticed that hundreds of millions of dollars of available scholarship money go unclaimed in Canada each year.

Armstrong said they hope to provide students with the skills to access these scholarships, whether they be entering postsecondary education for the first time, are looking for funds to continue their education, or are looking to return to school later.

“We want to give them all the tools and information and build their confidence, so that they feel like they can take this on, and

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023 CORRECTION — Road salt—a scientific, environmental, and labour issue with a legislative solution The story originally stated that municipalities and businesses face legal implications related to salting when in fact the individual contractor faces legal responsibility.

— Incorrect information appeared in the Nov. 10 issue of The Queen’s Journal. The Journal regrets the error.

to help connect them with that money,” Armstrong said.

Both Armstrong and Giovannangeli are looking ahead to upcoming pilot programs out of their old high schools to test run modules and see what kinds of gaps there are in the program.

Armstrong said that while guidance counsellors in high schools do their best to equip students with the resources they need, there’s still a gap in school curricula.

According to Armstrong, the QYourVenture group was developed with the support of the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC). The Centre provided business and entrepreneurial training that psychology students wouldn’t otherwise have access to. The DDQIC has allowed the group to make connections to acquire seed funding from local investors and has also allowed them to advance their venture into a viable product.

Armstrong, Burrows, and Nusselder are currently working on transferring their publication to pressbooks, which is

GRAPHIC BY HERBERT WANG

the same platform the PSYC 100 textbook is built on.

With November designated financial literacy month, Burrows and Nusselder will be announced at an event held by the FCAC. Alongside this, the group filmed a video which will be presented at an internal conference held on Nov. 29.

“They’re showcasing students who have won this challenge, but additionally they roll this publication out. It will be able to be found on Canada.ca, which is exciting,” Burrows said.

Competitions like the FCAC’s Building a Better Future Challenge are important as they provide networking opportunities while showing the inherent value in the student perspective. Nusselder believes competitions are an avenue for psychology students to show the flexibility and range in how their skills can be applied. “[It’s] a wonderful way for us to highlight the benefits of a degree that isn't usually considered in economic spaces,” Nusselder said.

—with files from Zeitlinger Fontana

Violetta

Sports

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 9

SPORTS

place where we want to be right now,” Head Coach Claire Meadows told The Journal.

In an earlier interview with The Journal, Meadows shared her team is looking to

“In anything in life, not just basketball, if you can look at each day and say

court performance.

“We’ve been quite detailed in our approach to practices in terms of what we want to get better at and improve on. We’ve put a pretty heavy emphasis on our defense,” she said. “Especially within the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen a great improvement in that area.”

Meadows emphasized how practices can help with the team’s mentality in each game.

“We talk about trying to raise the level of competition within everything that we’re doing,” Meadows continued.

“I think being very detailed, in particular about the structure of each day, [ensures] that we are elevating the competition in our practices.”

Moving forward, Meadows and her team continue looking at each game as its own separate challenge. When asked what team they were anticipating being their next challenge, Meadows mentioned their upcoming game against the Brock Badgers on Nov. 24.

“If we can take care of today, then the rest will take care of itself moving forward, not placing weight on rankings or wins and losses right now.”

continue improving on their strengths and weaknesses, which is something the team has been working towards during practice.

we were our best selves, and we got better, I think that’s the ultimate goal,” Meadows said.

“Regardless of outcome, if you can surrender to the wins and losses and look at each day and say you’ve gotten better, I think we’re growing as basketball players, but we’re equally growing as humans.”

Meadows emphasized how the team’s practices dictate their

“We don’t look too far ahead of what’s next.

Our sole focus right now is this Friday, and preparing for that and showing up for that,” she said. “Then we’ll move on to whatever is next after that.”

The Gaels’ next home game is Dec. 1 in the ARC as they take on the Guelph Gryphons, followed by a game against the Algoma Thunderbirds the next day.

The Gaels’ next home game is Dec. 1 against Guelph.

The Gaels are 6-0 this season RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor After a win against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks twice this weekend, Queen’s Women’s Basketball is six games into an undefeated season.

On Nov. 17, the Gaels beat Ontario Tech 83-35 at home before a 97-36 win on Nov. 18 in Oshawa.

The Gaels are currently ranked third in the U SPORTS rankings.

“We’re obviously in a

Women’s Basketball Head Coach reflects on current undefeated season

Queen’s Volleyball Men’s and Woman’s Volleyball dominate Brock at the ARC

HANNAH VANLEEUWEN Contributor Men’s Volleyball defeats Brock with 31 service aces in two games Queen’s Men’s Volleyball faced off against the Brock Badgers in their double header weekend—emerging victorious both times.

The Gaels took Saturday’s game in four sets, and Sunday’s game ended in three.

On Nov. 18 the Badgers took an early lead in the first set. Off-target hits and missed serves resulted in the Gaels trailing 20-12. Despite the team picking up momentum towards the end of the first set, they were unable to catch up and fell to the Badgers 25-16. This was the only set they dropped all weekend.

“At times it’s tough when we’re missing serves at the beginning of games, but if we just stay the course, it works out,” setter Chris Zimmerman, ArtSci ’26, said in a post-game interview with The Journal.

It did work out; the Gaels went on to bag 17 aces in their Saturday evening matchup.

Queen’s dominated the second and third sets, going on serving runs and finding kills from all over the court. They took the second set 25-16 and the third set 25-20.

The fourth set went back and forth, with the Gaels putting up a strong defensive effort. Neither team developed a decisive lead until Queen’s pulled ahead late in

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

the match, aided by kills from Erik Siksna, Comm ’24, and Zig Licis, Sci ’24. They snagged the set and won 25-18.

The team’s positive dynamic shone through in their gameplay.

“Our team culture is so important. The way that we work together as a group dictates how we play together on the court,” Zimmerman said. “We’re one hundred per cent dedicated to our team. We hang out all the time.

We have each other’s backs no matter what.”

During Sunday’s game, the Gaels had the Badgers numbered.

Queen’s led the entire first set and finished it 25-21. They kept the momentum going through the second and third sets, and winning 25-18 and 25-21 respectively.

During both games, the Gaels displayed stellar serves. They amassed 31 service aces over the course of both games, with standout performances from Sikna, Licis, Reed Venning, ArtSci ’26, and Dax Tompkins, ArtSci ’24.

“We served the ball really hard.

It’s been our philosophy for the last two months just to serve as hard as we can and we’ll break the game eventually,” Head Coach Gabe DeGroot said. “Everyone else is trying to put the ball over the net and play continuation volleyball and we’re trying to end points as soon as possible and we’re aggressive in that.”

Their philosophy has paid off—the Gaels lead the OUA in service aces, much improved from last year, where they led in

service errors.

With their two wins, the Gaels remain undefeated in the regular season, with a record of 6-0.

Woman’s Volleyball finds victory over Brock for the first time in six years Queen’s Women’s Volleyball team, ranked third nationally by U SPORTS, faced off against the second ranked Brock Badgers in their games this weekend. The rematch of last year’s OUA final saw the teams splitting the doubleheader. Brock walked away with the victory on Saturday Nov. 18 and the Gaels pulled off a win on Sunday Nov. 19.

On Saturday, the Gaels fell in three sets. The Badgers dominated and Queen’s had difficulty running their offense.

“We were a little bit tight,” Head Coach Ryan Ratushniak said in a post-game interview with The Journal. “It’s tough to play against a good team like Brock when we can’t play free and swing freely.”

They dropped the first set 25-16.

In the second and third set the Gaels fought back, putting up a big defence presence at the net, with blocks from Amanda Sikna, ConEd ’25, and Lauren Mellon, ArtSci ’24.

Even with these efforts the Gaels were unable to change the tide and lost the second set 25-19 and the third 25-17.

The Gaels came back with new life in Sunday’s matchup. They took the Badgers to five sets, with an easy win in the fifth.

The Gaels defeated the Brock Badgers last weekend.

Queen’s trailed through the beginning of the first before they found their groove and closed the point deficit. Despite a good performance, Sunday looked like it may repeat Saturday as the Gaels lost 25-21.

Queen’s, however, didn’t want a repeat. They dominated the second and pushed an early 13-2 lead. The Badgers clawed back, but couldn’t rattle the Gaels, who finished the set 25-20 in their favour.

The third set was a marathon, with both teams going point-for-point, until Brock pulled ahead, aided by attack errors from the Gaels. Brock took the set 25-17.

The Gaels refocused in the fourth, bagging a 25-18 victory.

They paired their defence at the net from the day before with a killer offence—the team nabbed 62 kills, more than double that of Saturday.

Standout player Hannah Duchesneau, ArtSci ’24, finished the game with an impressive 26 kills, and currently leads the OUA in total kills.

“We capitalized on our team’s

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

strengths. Shoutout to our setter; she ran such great offence today with all of us. It’s so hard to know who’s going to get set when you have five amazing hitters coming at you from every angle. Shea [Baker, ArtSci ’24] really utilized us today,” Duchesneau said.

They continued their momentum into the fifth set and crushed the Badgers 15-11.

This is the first time the Gaels have defeated the Badgers since 2017.

Considering last year’s Quigly Cup match, this win marked a significant victory for the Gaels.

“Last year we faced Brock in the finals, and we almost beat them there too.

I think it’s awesome to show Queen’s what Queen’s Women’s Volleyball is, especially against people that we met up against in the final last year. It’s nice to be able to claim our home court,” Duchesneau said.

Queen’s volleyball continues their seasons in Windsor on Dec. 1, when they face off against the Lancers. The games are available to stream on oua.tv.

Sports

10 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Sports in Brief: Week 11 AIDAN’S ANGLE

Men’s and Women’s Squash win at McMaster Jester Sectional RORY STINSON Senior Sports Editor Editor’s Note: Herbert Wang is a member of The Journal’s editorial board. He was not involved in editing this piece.

Men’s Rugby On Nov. 17 the Gaels Men’s Rugby team beat the uOttawa GeeGees 14-13 in Langley B.C. at the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Consolation semifinals.

James Webb, Comm ’25, led the Gaels for points to extend their championship run just a little further.

The following day, on Nov. 18 the Gaels took on the Trinity Western (TWU) Spartans, losing 27-24. The game was close, and though the Gaels had a 24-20 lead after the first 60 minutes, they fell to TWU after their opponent scored a late try and conversion to win the game 27-24.

Flanker Daniel Svoboda, Kin ’24, led the Gaels on the scoresheet with two tries in the TWU game.

Expert Artistic Swimming captures second place at McGill Invitational.

Women’s Hockey Nov. 17 saw the Gaels Women’s Hockey team extend their winning streak to five games with a 3-1 home win over the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Forward Emma McKnight, Sci ’24, forward Allyson Reeves, Comm ’24, and defence Aislin Tobin-Fretwell, ArtSci ’26, all made it onto the scoreboard.

The Gaels travelled to Oshawa the next day to take on the Ridgebacks once again, where the Gaels lost 5-1. The lone Gaels goal was a powerplay goal scored by defence Sarah Campbell, Comm ’24.

The Gaels next home game is Friday, Dec. 1 against the Western Mustangs. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m at the Memorial Centre.

Men’s Hockey The Queen’s Men’s Hockey team closed out the second game of a home-and-home series against the Royal Military College Paladins with a 8-3 win on Nov. 17.

The Gaels won the first game of the series 5-1 on Nov. 15.

Derek Hamilton, ArtSci ’27, and Nolan Hutcheson, ArtSci ’25, scored two goals each for the Gaels during the Friday game, with the remaining Friday goals scored by Jack Duff, ArtSci ’25, Owen Lalonde, ArtSci ’25, Hayden Fowler, ArtSci ’25, and Jonathan Yantsis, ArtSci ’24.

The Men’s Hockey team plays their next home game against

the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 24, AIDAN MICHAELOV followed by an afternoon game Assistant Sports Editor against the Western Mustangs on Nov. 25.

Intercollegiate athletics in Canada have a rich history. Dating back to Men’s and Women’s Squash 1902, the formation of the Canadian The Men’s and Women’s Squash Intercollegiate Athletic Union teams travelled to the McMaster marked the start of what we know Jester Sectional on Nov. 19. today as the Ontario University The Women’s Squash Athletics (OUA). team swept their opponents 1902-03 marked what would be with two 7-0 wins against the first Queen’s Cup, which is now the University of Guelph and the OUA’s hockey championship.

McMaster while the Men’s Squash McGill, who at the time were team beat McMaster 6-1 and inappropriately called the York University-Glendon 7-0.

Redmen, were the first ever Queen’s Ranked second in their Squash Cup victors.

Ontario division, the Women’s With a century of growth, team has a win-loss record of 6-1, identity and pride comes rich while the Men’s team is ranked values across campuses, promoting seventh in their division with a institutions to increase their record of 3-4. dedication and care towards their jerseys and logo designs.

Men’s and Women’s Fencing With this, I’ll rank and critique The Queen’s Men’s and Women’s the top five jerseys from the 19 fencing teams travelled to the university hockey teams in the OUA, Brock Fencing Open hosted by alongside some honourable Brock University this past weekend. mentions, of course.

The tournament was spread out My grading criteria for the over Nov. 18 and 19. jerseys is simple, with the first Queen’s graduate student category being its design. I’m Luke Steverango won bronze in looking for creativity, a nice colour scheme, and clean logos—jersey that could evolve into a nice vintage piece decades down the line.

I’ll be researching the logo or jersey’s heritage, and consider its historical significance and how well it relates to the university’s identity.

Before we begin, I’ll be ranking each school’s jerseys individually.

Their home and away jerseys will be judged separately, and one school can occupy multiple spots on this list.

PHOTO BY HERBERT WANG

the Senior Men’s Saber division, tying for third out of 74 competitors on Nov. 18.

Other top Queen’s finishes on Nov. 18 were Ewan Peterson, Comp ’26, who finished seventh in Junior Men’s Foil.

Herbert Wang, Sci ’25, finished 32nd in Senior Men’s Épée, and Hannah Bryan, HealthSci ’24, finished 17th in Senior Women’s Foil.

On Nov. 19 Peterson finished with another 7th place standing in the Senior Men’s Foil. Lucas Joonwoo Byun, Comp ’27, finished 18th in Junior Men’s Saber, Sophie Kitson, ArtSci ’26, finished 17th in the Junior Women’s Foil, Kirstin Lang, Kin ’24, finished 23rd in the Senior Women’s Saber, Charlotte Reed, Sci ’24, finished 21st in the Senior Women’s Épée, and Nathan Harrison, Sci ’26, finished 22nd in the Junior Men’s Épée.

Artistic Swimming The Queen’s Artistic Swimming Expert team captured second place at the McGill Invitational on Nov. 18. There was a total of ten teams competing.

Other standings included Noémie Guidon-Riopel, ArtSci ’26, and Meg Vrkoc, ArtSci’25, who placed fourth out of 20 teams in Expert Duets and Sarah Taylor, ArtSci ’26, who placed fifth out of 12 in Expert Solo.

The novice team placed sixth at the tournament.

5. Carleton Ravens (Back in Black alternate jerseys) The Carleton Ravens’ “Back in Black” alternate jerseys stood out to me as a highly creative and innovative jersey design.

Electing for a black and white colour palette, the Ravens contested conventional jersey designs. By using the black background to flood their black logo into the jersey, they created the image of only a raven’s eye and beak.

The “raven” name comes from an old Carleton College studentrun newspaper. Supposedly, they started calling the players, who at that time had no real moniker, the ravens by associating the dark bird with the largely black jerseys worn at the time.

4. Concordia Stingers The Concordia Stingers’ maroon jerseys are, in my opinion, some of the best-looking jerseys in the OUA. Any time you put maroon and yellow together on a jersey it’s bound to stand out, and the Stingers’ jersey is no exception.

Although the use of stripes is more effective on Concordia’s white jerseys—being able to showcase the yellow and maroon together against the white background—I love the way their reversable logo floods out into the maroon jersey.

It provides a seamless look that ties the jersey together nicely without giving you too much to look at.

I’m sensing a trend of my admiration for teams neglecting to use a badge for their logo,

Ranking OUA hockey jerseys.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Unveiling the finest tarps the OUA has to offer Is the Gaels’ style as dominant as their athletics?

and instead playing into the contrast of the logo against primary jersey colour.

3. Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins The RMC Paladins’ red jerseys remind me of one of the most iconic jerseys in hockey: the Detroit Red Wings.

With red and white being the only colours used on their jerseys, the Paladins didn’t worry about doing too much with their design or colour choices, which helps them attract attention without becoming and eyesore on the ice.

With the Paladin logo in all its glory in the centre of the jersey, the Paladins elected for a centre bar which is only seen on the front.

The logo lines up perpendicularly with bars that wrap the sleeves of the jerseys, creating a fluid and dynamic aesthetic.

2. Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks Though Laurier and their Golden Hawks’ purple jerseys fall on the flashier side of the spectrum, I still think they nailed the design.

Using a yellow outline of their current badge logo, the Golden Hawk crest pops against a royal purple that’s reminiscent of the Los Angeles Kings jerseys from the 70s to the 90s. Unlike the Golden Hawks’ yellow jerseys, the yellow trim prevents their badge from washing out into the purple jersey. Though I still like the yellow jersey, this sweater doesn’t flow as nicely as the purple-on-purple with a vibrant yellow border.

With this, you’re left with a clean, flashy jersey that would probably look best if paired with pants that weren’t black, which is something the Golden Hawks have yet to accomplish.

Honourable Mention: Queen’s Gaels Although I bleed tricolour, the use of the Queen’s colours and the selected logo is just a huge disappointment for me.

The Q logo, which the Gaels used to sport, would have provided a much cleaner look. Although the deep blue jersey is most likely to wash out any light-coloured logo, the Q would provide the Gaels with the freedom to slide the tricolour stripe at the bottom of the jersey to the middle.

Though the yellow jerseys are more intriguing, I can’t help but think the current jerseys could be more creative. Even rotating the “Gaels” logo on the front of the jerseys to be running diagonally across the jerseys—like the New York Rangers did with their sweaters—might help add some character to the Gaels’ uniform.

1. University of Toronto Varsity Blues The University of Toronto Varsity Blues’ classic white jerseys are timeless.

Immensely clean, their jerseys are as iconic in OUA hockey as the University of North Carolina Tarheels’ baby blue men’s basketball jerseys are to National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) basketball. Sporting the classic double navy bars on both the bottom of the jersey and its sleeves, the focal point of the jersey is on its crest, where you’ll see the classic navy blue ‘T”, with a small red maple leaf sticking to the bottom right-hand side.

Contrasting the red of the maple leaf with the navy blue and white found everywhere else on the jersey really does something for me.

They’re able to accomplish a lot while not doing too much and have truly constructed a jersey that will be recognizable through future generations.

Another thing I like about the Varsity Blues’ jerseys is that they haven’t strayed too far from their original jersey and have maintained the same colours with only minor changes to their logo.

Overall, the OUA offers several flashy jerseys that catch your eye, or more subtle jerseys working to paying homage to their predecessors.

While nothing stands out in the OUA as abysmal or atrocious, I think many teams, including our Gaels, would benefit from implementing some changes when it comes to jersey designs. I’d love to see a Boo Hoo the Bear comeback someday, whether that be on an alternate jersey or as a small decal, a shoulder patch, or even reincorporating the classic Queen’s tartan someday.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

LIFESTYLE

Lifestyle

QUEENSJOURNAL.CA • 11

FROM LIZ, WITH LOVE: WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY STILL TALK TO THEIR EX?

Navigating jealousy in new relationships Elizabeth Provost Staff Writer Dear Liz,

Part two of ‘The Crown’ season six comes out on Dec. 14.

I’ve been seeing this girl for a couple of months and things are starting to become more serious. We’ve both been in relationships before but haven’t really talked too much GRAPHIC BY ALI SAFADI about them, and all I know is her last relationship, which was over two years, ended amicably. Recently, I found out she’s still in contact with her ex. She says they’re just and historical events, offering friends, and I believe her, but I insight into how society evolves. don’t really see the point in them Seasons one and two did keeping in contact. I haven’t talked this especially well, where to my ex since we broke up so if it depictions of a post-war Britain were up to me, I’d prefer for her to bustling with new ideas about stop talking to hers as well. Am I what the monarchy should be wrong for this? Is it possible to be just were coupled with depictions friends with an ex? of Elizabeth’s transition from heir to monarch and the toll Signed, it took on both herself and Conflicted & Confused her relationships.

This balance showcased Dear Conflicted & Confused, the inevitability of change in society with new wars, political leaders, I jumped at the chance to answer and social events counterbalanced this question because I’ve personally with the fact the only constant faced the same inner dilemma. The is the Crown. solution came to me when I realized By season six, however, this everyone has different approaches balance is eradicated, with to post-breakup dynamics. the sole storyline revolving Some people find it easier to around Charles and Diana’s sever ties completely, while others domestic life. While focusing on manage to maintain a platonic their lives post-divorce makes connection. Both approaches are for an interesting narrative, it valid, and neither is inherently diminishes the show’s identity right or wrong. I admire your ability by sidelining the social to be vulnerable with me and open commentary and historical up about the fact this is something depiction that broadened that may be triggering for you as the its appeal. relationship progresses and it’s The story in Diana’s case understandable that you’d like to writes itself, where tragedy avoid detrimental effects. strikes a newly liberated princess I’m part of the group of serial finally free from the shackles blockers. It helps me start a new of her marriage, when she’s slate and really focus on healing. killed before she fully establishes This is why I usually don’t herself outside of the life that ask questions about exes, since I imprisoned her. don’t see the point in bringing up the past when you’re in the present.

Continued online at Others, especially those coming out queensjournal.ca/lifestyle of long-term relationships or those that were friends before they began dating, prefer to gradually depart Stars, while timeless classics like from each other’s life, or instead Mean Girls and Clueless became establish a new kind of relationship. a must-watch for every middle Take a moment to reflect why school sleepover. this issue resonates with you. Have Critics often argue these films you considered the diverse ways set an unrealistic expectation people cope with breakups? Are for love, especially for young your worries rooted in feelings and impressionable girls, with of jealousy or insecurity? Do you criticssaying that they’ll ask too not understand why she’s talking much of significant others to her ex or are you worried there as they expect “princess treatment” may be, or come to be, something because of a movie. While it’s more from her friendship true love may not be as simple with them? as it’s made to seem in the My main piece of advice, when movies, this shouldn’t stop people it comes to any kind of inner from seeking love that mirrors thought or doubt you may have what’s found on the silver screen.

While it’s unlikely your sacrifices for our partners and school crush will turn out to be a settle for nothing less than 300-year-old vampire, there true love. are aspects to every rom-com 2000s children grew up that influence our generation’s seeing Chad Michael Murray kiss perception of and aspirations for Hillary Duff in the rain in front love, usually in a positive way. of the whole school and sacrifice While many claim these his win on the football field. If movies taught us fairytale love is that doesn’t scream romance, I all we should aspire to, I would don’t know what does. say they taught us to make great While the primary narrative

‘The Crown’season six

‘The Crown’ overlooks narratives for a timeless monarchy George Manning Contributor After six seasons, The Crown no longer reigns supreme.

When The Crown debuted in 2016, it offered a revolutionary peek into the secretive world of one of the most powerful families in the world: the British monarchy. As a Brit, the monarchy was a novelty and the series helped portray the inner workings of a family that was only ever perceived through public events, official ceremonies, and tabloids. The arrival of The Crown marked a significant departure from this historical norm, providing Brits with an intimate glimpse into the lives of the royal family.

Now in its sixth and final season, The Crown delves into the penultimate chapter of a fascinating story that explores the effect of the passage of time. As the season unfolds, viewers witness a metamorphosis not only in its central protagonist, but also in the fabric of society that surrounds the royal family. The distant memory of the 50s gives way to the complexities of the 21st century.

Yet, amidst this evolution, Peter Morgan, the showrunner, skilfully explores the dichotomy of the show, where even as society and the royal family changes, the Crown remains a constant.

It’s been revealed the show is set to conclude in 2005, with the wedding of Charles and Camilla. The backlash to this decision is completely understandable. Many fans, including myself, envisioned the end of The Crown being the inevitable yet unthinkable death of Queen Elizabeth, with Charles forced to ascend to the throne in the twilight of a life lived in the shadow of his mother. The reason this wasn’t the case was the insistence of the writers that the show be historical rather than “journalistic.”

However, this insistence of sticking to a more satisfying payoff for fans is symptomatic of how the show has dropped the ball with its latest season.

Though finishing a 50-year story with a wedding maintains the fairy tale feel that may be associated with the Royal family, it doesn’t engage the real implications of the British monarchy in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The strength of The Crown’s early seasons was its ability to portray the complexity of the world the monarchy exists within, with equal parts family intrigue as well as political

Rom-coms can guide us towards a healthy relationship.

GRAPHIC BY ALI SAFADI

Rom-coms shape our view of love

Don’t settle for anything less than a fairytale Lauren Nicol Intern The early 2000s was undoubtedly the best era for romantic comedies.

Many 00s babies fondly remember watching classics such as The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted, and the many variations of A Cinderella Story on their portable DVD players during long car rides.

As these kids became teens, they graduated to the more serious and moody romantic films like Twilight and The Fault in Our

about your partner, is to ask them about it directly. It’s normal to question something your partner may do or say, but don’t stay up all night or go over scenarios in your head. Instead, express how you feel about her maintaining contact with her ex and inquire about the nature of their relationship now in a calm, non-confrontational manner.

Expressing your feelings doesn’t mean demanding her to cut off the friendship, but instead opens the door for you to understand each others perspectives better.

You can practice what you’re going to say in the mirror—it’s best to have this conversation in person than over text, by the way—so here are some key points to help you form the most coherent “I” statement to ensure a productive and kind conversation.

First, make sure you explicitly state that you trust her completely. Admit you have a different approach to dealing with breakups. Then, mention how you sometimes feel unsettled about her communication with her ex, or how you’d like to learn more to understand it further. If you’d ike, you can mention your worries that there might be unresolved romantic feelings that she might want to act on. Remember to reflect before you approach her.

A way not to go about this conversation would involve “you” statements with an accusatory approach. Avoid “I don’t understand why you talk to your ex,” and “I feel like there might be something more between you and your ex that you’re not telling me about.”

Doing this sooner rather than later will avoid jealousy harming the relationship. It’s crucial to find a balance between setting boundaries and respecting each other’s friendships and pasts.

If her interactions with her ex doesn’t affect your relationship negatively and there aren’t any red flags, giving her the benefit of the doubt is worthwhile.

Relationships are founded on trust, and this might be one of those instances where it’s up to you to have faith in your partner.

Your girlfriend’s openness about her current friendship with her ex is a positive sign but having a conversation will be worth your while to prevent you from spiralling any further or causing insecurity in future relationships.

With Love, Liz xo

Got a problem? Email journal_ editors@ams.queensu.ca and we’ll pass the tea around.

may capture the journey of two people who fall in love, these films are equally about two people who overcome conflict to grow with and for each other, as character development is the backbone of any compelling plot.

Continued online at queensjournal.ca/lifestyle

Lifestyle

12 • QUEENSJOURNAL.CA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Signs of a domestically violent relationship.

ILLUSTRATION BY ARDEN MASON-OURIQUE

Love me tenderized: How I recognized I was in an abusive relationship

A rabbit can outrun a fox Anonymous Contributor

This article discusses sexual violence and may be triggering for some readers. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613-544-6424 / 1-800-544-6424 or by emailing bjl7@queensu.ca.

He hit me and it felt like a kiss—until it didn’t.

I was in an abusive relationship for a couple of years, and in denial for a couple more. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, and stupid to think that someone who was supposed to love me, care for me, and be there for me was the very same person hurting me.

I met the person when I was 15 and they were 17. I attended a smaller school, and coupled with my sheltered upbringing, I was the epitome of naive. With a parent who was always away for work and came back with apologies and gifts setting an example of what love was for me, it was a recipe for disaster.

“I think if it were laid out for me, step by step, I could have eventually pieced the horrible picture together

Despite my dumb innocence at the time, I still think about what would’ve made me realize the abnormality of the relationship sooner. I think if it were laid out for me, step by step, I

could have eventually pieced the horrible picture together.

So here are some signs that no matter how colour-blind you claim to be, are alarmingly red.

First there’s a buildup of disrespect. This may seem obvious, but I’m not just talking about someone directly being rude towards you. Disrespect comes in many forms, whether that be not accepting boundaries, your time, or the things that clearly matter to you. Each time, they push the limits of what’s acceptable until you’re settling for, or even happy with behaviour that’s less than ideal. Although I don’t like blaming media or societal influences, we tend to romanticize disrespect in our relationships.

I’ll offer an analogy to help your visualization. Imagine taking the train, and the first couple weeks you take it, it comes a couple of minutes late. Weeks go by and those minutes start to turn into a couple of hours, and sometimes you even start to wonder if the train is going to come at all. Now since it’s just a train, you’d probably be frustrated by the situation and maybe finally get your driver’s licence. But when the train is a person, whether you realize it or not they’ve shown they don’t have respect for you or your time.

The second sign you might notice is isolation from loved ones. The best way to break someone down is to take away their support system. With no other people present to hold them accountable for their actions, it’s easier to continue a cycle of abuse. Your partner can construct narratives that your friends don’t know what’s best for you, or

your family doesn’t love you, leaving only their distorted version of love as your lifeline.

Though it may sound absurd in writing, this pervasive, manipulative logic holds the power to warp your reality.

In my relationship, the isolation I felt was heightened when I moved away for the summer with my partner.

This was when the cycle got dark. I had no friends in this new city, no real co-workers, and on top of that, the person hacked my phone. Calls would mysteriously drop, and I no longer had safe access to the lifeline of my parents or friends.

When I questioned the situation, I was told it was the reception in our apartment, though they themselves could receive and continue calls, no problem.

“As I got out of the relationship, it was startling to see how much of myself I sacrificed

The third sign is a breakdown of self-identity or increased self-doubt. I didn’t recognize it at first, but as I got out of the relationship, it was startling to see how much of myself I sacrificed as the things I once loved were ridiculed and minimized over time.

The biggest contrast I saw was in my playlists. After my breakup, I returned to genres I had lost touch with and was frustrated by the number of hours I probably spent listening to their sh—tty music. This might seem as minuscule as

someone switching a song in the car, but eventually, you stop listening to songs you like to avoid an argument.

For your fourth sign, you’ll notice your partner’s need for control. The imbalance of power in an abusive relationship often manifests as a desire for control—they aren’t necessarily in love with you, rather the amount of power they hold over you.

My ex-partner exerted control through my eating habits. They would often complain about the amount of food I ate and how I ate it. They claimed I chewed loudly (I asked several people who said I don’t) and said they couldn’t stand the sight of me eating. I’d have to eat in another room or not eat at all if I was around them, which was difficult since we lived together. Worst of all is that I’d cook for them, watch them eat the food I made, and then say I wasn’t hungry since I wasn’t in the mood to be yelled at for eating.

Forced to eat in isolation or skip meals, I became a prisoner in my own home.

During my relationship, I was so underweight I kept getting sick but would still be called “too fat” when compared to other girls. Even after breaking free, the echoes of my ex’s influence persisted, and I still atch myself avoiding foods they would’ve deemed “too loud” or eating on the other side of the room out of habit.

Fifth, your partner might project their actions or feelings onto you. Although this postscript isn’t the nicest read, I’d advise against reading the next paragraph if you’re triggered by violence.

I was heavily accused of cheating in my relationship and my partner would become very sexually aggressive.

While some people can become hypersexual after cheating, my partner’s behaviour bordered on sexual assault. Eventually, this compounded with my pre-existing health issues and led to some dark days.

“A rabbit will always outrun a fox, because it’s not running for its dinner, it’s running for its life

I hit a turning point when a doctor looked at my bruises and medical history, and asked me a simple question: “Are you in a domestically violent relationship?”

I replied “No,” but that moment flipped a switch in my mind—this wasn’t normal. I cried by myself in the doctor’s room and pretended to be fine, but I knew this couldn’t go on forever.

I’d like to say I got out of the cycle as soon as I noticed, but it took my friends yelling at me and another chance event I won’t disclose to move on. I broke up with my partner one night and regretted the decision, thinking no one would ever love me again.

Though I left out a lot of essential background information, this isn’t supposed to be a sob story. A rabbit will always outrun a fox, because it’s not running for its dinner, it’s running for its life. So, take this piece as a lifeline for any reader out there who recognizes any of these signs or resonates with this story.