The Queen's Journal, Volume 145, Issue 1

the journal

Queen’s University

Vol. 145, Issue 1

M o n day , M ay 2 9 , 2 0 1 6

Concurrent Education applicants directed to study at the BISC

since

1873

Prospective students told no space on main campus, offered spot at the BISC despite not applying I ain S herriff -S cott Assistant News Editor

PHOTO BY BLAKE CANNING

The Bader International Study Centre located in Herstmonceux, England.

Levana Gender Advocacy Centre to be evicted from the Grey House

AMS and Levana conflict on a series of errors that led to loss of club status S arina G rewal Assistant News Editor After operating in the Grey House for 42 years, the Levana Gender Advocacy Centre (LGAC) is now being evicted from the property and has lost their official club status with the AMS. When LGAC — under the name Women’s Centre — was founded in 1975, it functioned as an advocacy group focusing solely on women’s interests. The group changed its name to Levana Gender Advocacy Centre in 2010, and has since expanded its mandate to include and engage in other topics relating

to feminism and equity.

Throughout the club’s 42 year history, they operated from within the Grey House on Bader Lane.

With the loss of club status decided by the AMS, Levana is now being evicted and will look to find another home on campus.

This all stems from the requirement by all clubs in the AMS to complete the re-ratification process in April of this year. Since they didn’t go through the process, Levana is no longer listed in the AMS Clubs Directory, due to what they described in a post on their Facebook page as a “clerical error.”

Failure to re-ratify In an e-mail to The Journal from Levana board member Marion Gonsalves, she clarified the error, explaining that it was “in regards to the new re-ratification process.”

On March 3, the AMS Clubs Office released space allocation and re-ratification packages with a March 27 deadline. The LGAC board claims that there was a lack of clear communication in regards to re-ratifying.

“There were some re-ratification forms we needed to fill out, but they changed from previous years and they [the AMS] were not

transparent,” Gonsalves wrote.

After missing the deadline, the LGAC received an email on April 4 from the Clubs Office with notice of their loss of status. The LGAC then reached out to re-ratify and were directed to the proper forms by the AMS on April 6, with an extension provided until April 11 to complete the packages.

LGAC unable to access portals

Gonsalves stated that, “by the time we understood how the new re-ratification process worked, we couldn’t access the online portal that

See LGAC on page 5

“Because of the high quality of your application, you are eligible to receive an offer to our Concurrent Education (Arts) program, or to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) program, at the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) in East Sussex, UK. We no longer have space in Con-Ed (Arts) on our Kingston campus, and we hope you will seriously consider this option.”

Several prospective Queen’s students who applied only to the main Kingston campus received emails this spring from the University claiming there’s no space on main campus for them. As an alternative option, the university has offered them a spot at the BISC for their first year.

In an email to The Journal, University Communications explained that this is the first year that incoming Con-Ed students have the option of studying at the BISC in their first year of the program.

Carly Silverberg, a prospective Queen’s student, received an email from the University in May stating that they no longer had space to accept her to Con-Ed on main campus, but that she could opt to enroll in her first year of Con-Ed at the BISC. “I was initially upset that I didn’t get into Con-Ed [on main campus] and a little confused because [the email] gave very minimal detail and I wasn’t sure if I was on some type of waiting list,” Silverberg told The Journal via email.

“I think it’s a cool opportunity for maybe later on but I don’t feel ready to go all the way to England for my first year. I’d rather just do BA than go away first year and come back and be in Con-Ed.” University Communications told The Journal that “the response has been very positive” and that they “anticipate a good number of these students will be attending the castle this September in either the Arts or Con–Ed Arts program, and will continue at the Kingston campus for the start of their second year.”

This isn’t the first time these kinds of emails have been distributed.

Katie Sherriff-Scott, a former

See Applicants on page 5

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS

FEATURES

EDITORIALS

ARTS

POSTSCRIPT

Hugh Horton takes over as Executive Director of BISC in England

A historical view on the importance of Levana on Queen’s campus

It’s time to weigh Universities and Colleges equally

Students and Professors remember Art History Professor Allison Sherman

Trip to Nepal leads to a changed perspective on life for travelers

page 3 Online:

queensjournal.ca

page 6

@queensjournal

facebook.com/queensjournal

page 7

instagram.com/queensjournal

page 12 qjlongform.com

page 18

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

REVITALIZATION

Mac-Corry revitalization focused on “active learning”

South wing to become an interactive hub where students can gather I ain S herriff -S cott Assistant News Editor

As a part of an ongoing revitalization project being conducted by the university, the southern wing of Mackintosh-Corry Hall will be renovated this year to transform small-sized lecture halls into interactive teaching and learning spaces.

With renovations happening over the course of the 2017-18 academic year, Mac-Corry is set to be the next beneficiary of the university’s new $1 million per year, three year revitalization plan.

Last year, Duncan McArthur was the first hall to receive the South entrance of Mac-Corry Hall. donation. During the renovation, McArthur’s central auditorium which are harder to facilitate when was fitted with new technology, every desk is fixed in place and all lighting and seating. As a part of the seats look towards the front of other classroom projects, Walter the room,” Mabee wrote.

Light Hall, Theological Hall, Kingston Hall and Ellis Hall were all equipped with their own active [CTL] has noted a learning spaces in 2014. decline in usage for Warren Mabee, Associate small tiered classrooms Professor and Head of the as more instructors Geography and Planning move towards ‘blended’ department, told The Journal via email that the Centre for Teaching or ‘flipped’ classroom and Learning (CTL) has launched teaching styles – the revitalization in response to interactive teaching the observance of new trends in that makes use of teaching that demand more flexible breakouts and group classroom structures. “[CTL] has noted a decline in discussions usage for small tiered classrooms as more instructors move towards — Warren Mabee, ‘blended’ or ‘flipped’ classroom Head of Geography and teaching styles — interactive Planning Department teaching that makes use of breakouts and group discussions, Rooms D201 and D205 will

“

”

undergo the most dramatic changes, given that they have tiered, fixed lecture-oriented seating.

According to Mabee, “a plan emerged to flatten the floors in some of the spaces along the D-wing in order to accommodate this trend in teaching styles.”

These two rooms will be converted to contain 49 non-fixed seats, with a movable partition between the spaces, which will allow the rooms to be combined into a single 98-seat classroom.

Mabee, whose department’s main office has been on the 200-level of Mackintosh-Corry since the 1970s, welcomes the changes.

“We recognized that it might make sense for us to shift our office space across the hall to the E-wing, which would allow CTL to treat the entire block of space along the D-wing as one big project,”

PHOTO BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

Mabee wrote.

While these new learning “At the same time, the environments will enhance the Department of Geography and quality of interactive learning Planning had a plan to renovate during class hours, Mabee is most our main office space, which excited for the long stretch of is in the D-wing as well. We hallway that will provide students hadn’t changed the layout of with a place to gather outside our main office since the 1970s, of class. and our recent merger with the “One interesting feature will be Planning school has increased our the addition of a large amount of staff numbers.” ‘soft’ study space in the hallway These renovations also provide itself, in the form of seating and geography students with the tables. We get students looking for opportunity to take advantage places to read, write, and work with of more modern facilities their peers all the time; the library that are close in proximity to and cafeterias have taken the brunt their department. of this for years, but there is clearly “Geography students will a need for more places for students benefit from having access to to gather,” Mabee wrote. state-of-the-art teaching facilities in “The south end of Mac-Corry our home building; the classrooms will really serve as a gathering won’t belong to us, of course, but place and hub on campus, nicely will be centrally booked and will complementing the BioSci see great demand from other units atrium or the ARC as a place to as well,” Mabee wrote. come together.”

BUDGET

Board of Trustees approves 2017-18 budget Planned tuition and enrolment increases allow for revenue growth M aureen O’R eilly News Editor At their meeting on May 13, the Board of Trustees approved the university’s operating budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, along with projections for 2018-19 and 2019-20.

The 2017-18 operating budget predicts revenues totaling $555.2 million, and addresses challenges such as the university’s ongoing pension plan deficit.

A number of significant spending increases were revealed in the budget. These were largely made possible due to supplementary revenue generated by the university’s steadily increasing

Grant Hall.

within the Faculty of Arts and $700,000 decrease, lowering Science will see a five per cent from a budget of $31.6 million in increase in both 2017-18 2016-17 to that of $30.9 million enrolment and tuition rates, and 2018-19. in 2017-18. which accounts for approximately Law students will pay $19,247 The $700,000 is taken 94 per cent of their total in 2017-18 compared to $18,330 directly from a category listed revenue yearly. last year, while computing in the budget as “Need-Based According to the Senate-approved students will pay $6,769 in 2017- and UG [Undergraduate] Merit enrolment report submitted 18 compared to $6,447 in the Student Assistance.” to the Senate Committee on previous year.

According to the university’s Academic Development in These and other increases will financial assistance webpage, this February of this year, budgeted allow for significant budget growth category essentially accounts total enrolment is expected to in some areas, including faculty for automatic grades-based increase from 6,896 first year and school allocations, which will admission scholarships and other students to 7,379 as of this fall. receive an additional $20.3 million merit-based awards offered to In addition, the university will in 2017-18 compared to 2016-17. successful applicants, along with be applying a number of tuition The university’s infrastructure bursaries provided to students increases over the next couple of renewal budget will also see “whose families are lacking sufficient years, ranging from as little as an a significant increase next financial resources.” increase of one per cent to as much year, rising from $4.9 million According to the budget report, as five per cent for some programs. in 2016-17 to $6.6 million in the student aid budget decrease Tuition in both the Faculty of 2017-18. comes as a result of the findings Law and the School of Computing Student aid will experience a of a financial aid task force formed

PHOTO SUPPLIED VIA WIKIPEDIA

in 2015-16.

Anticipated changes to OSAP in 2018-19 led the task force to expect increases in the Student Access Guarantee (SAG).

The SAG requires publicly funded Ontario universities “to provide enough financial aid to cover a student’s assessed needs for expenses directly related to his or her program, including books, tuition and mandatory fees, that are not fully met by OSAP,” according to the OSAP website.

The budget’s decrease in financial aid is thus reflective of this expected increase in provincial funding.

News

Monday, May 29, 2017

PUBLIC POLICY

queensjournal.ca

•3

BADER INTERNATIONAL STUDY CENTRE

Public policy Hugh Horton to take over as commission releases Executive Director of the Bader International Study Centre interim report Commission finds the public policy world to be rapidly changing

Horton to bring stability to the England campus, focus on increased enrolment

M aureen O’R eilly News Editor

rapidly changing largely due to developments in digital technologies and an increasingly After completing consultations divided public interest, amongst with various stakeholders and other factors. conducting a broad overview These stakeholders also of the landscape of public policy identified an opportunity for in Canada, the Principal’s institutions to respond to these Commission on the Future of trends and adjust their educational Public Policy has released its approaches accordingly. interim report.

The stakeholders suggested that According to its mandate, the Queen’s should expand the scope Commission — which was struck by of practical learning opportunities, Principal Woolf in September 2016 such as internships and practicums, — was charged with “conduct[ing] as well as emphasizing continued a broad review to determine professional development. how Queen’s can modernize The report also recognizes its approach to public policy to the importance of obtaining reflect changes in public policy- foundational knowledge of making and public service as well public policy not only for those as new learning requirements for directly involved in the industry, policy leaders.” but for all government officials Released on May 5, the 33-page and intermediaries. report reveals the findings of the Queen’s continues to face commission’s research, which increased competition as more began in the fall of 2016. universities begin to develop The School of Policy Studies their public policy curriculums. was created in 1987, and currently To address this, stakeholders offers two masters programs, as emphasized the importance of well as a doctorate program in differentiation and branding. conjunction with the Faculty of Law. The report concludes with a The 10 members of the list of 6 key questions for committee met with a number the commission to consider of leaders in public affairs across when producing their official Canada, as well as members of recommendations. the Queen’s community to discuss The final report is due for recent societal changes that affect completion by fall of this year, the realm of public policy. and will draw conclusions from According to the report, the interim findings and produce stakeholders indicated that recommendations for the School of the public policy world is Policy Studies going forward.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Incoming BISC Executive Director Hugh Horton.

Sarina Grewal Assistant News Editor

The BISC administration has arrive in comparison to planned been criticized by students in enrolment. While 2014-15 saw an recent years for lacking clear increase at 117 students, the 2015After a three-year directorial sanctions and policies when faced 16 school year — the most recent vacancy, the Queen’s Bader with reports of sexual misconduct enrolment information available — International Study Centre (BISC) and assault. During the first two saw just 101 first year students. has new leadership. months of the 2014-15 school year, Horton also wrote that Former Associate Dean in the the BISC campus was rampant the BISC has received strong Faculty of Arts and Science Hugh with rumors of sexual misconduct, support from the main campus Horton is preparing to take over as with several being reported admissions team in their pursuit of executive director and vice-provost to administration. increased enrolment. of the BISC, located in England’s According to an article “[Main campus admissions] Herstmonceux Castle, as of July 1. published by The Journal in have recently brought on The position has been vacant November, workshops and public board a new Student Recruiter since the sudden departure forums have been held over the position dedicated to the BISC of Bruce Stanley in 2014, which, past two years in response to these first year program and a search according to a post on the BISC’s rumors. BISC Student Services has for an Admissions Co-ordinator webpage, was due to “a result of also been updating and reviewing for the BISC, who will be based differences with respect to the their sexual violence response on the main campus, will soon priorities of the Bader lnternational system by developing educational be under way.”

Study Centre.” programming and reference Horton will spend his As Executive Director, Horton materials for students. summer months working with will be required to face a number of Queen’s approved their updated the BISC management team problems that have come to light in Sexual Violence Policy in November and familiarizing himself with recent years at the castle, including 2016, with a BISC-specific draft the castle’s curriculum and numerous staff dismissals and policy currently under review. Part its infrastructure. instances of sexual misconduct of Horton’s new role will be to Horton summarized his hopes among students. ensure the implementation of this for the upcoming school year, In an email to The Journal, policy when it’s released this fall. telling The Journal that there are Sir David Skegg Horton described the BISC’s For the past few years, the BISC some “big picture priorities” he current methods of ensuring has been falling short of planned would like to emphasize during his Sir David Skegg is a leading proper responses to reports of enrolment targets. With this in first year as Executive Director. cancer researcher, epidemiologist, sexual violence. mind, Horton’s primary focus “These include ensuring that we and public health physician at the “The BISC’s process is will be to ensure the campus’ take steps to achieve and sustain University of Otago in New Zealand. survivor-focused, meaning that increased enrolment. full enrolment at the BISC and that He contributed to the establishment options regarding how to proceed According to the university’s we ensure BISC maintains and of the Matariki Network of after an alleged incident of sexual Annual Planning and Budgeting builds strong partnerships: be they Universities, a partnership that violence are discussed with the Reports, from 2013-14 onwards with academic departments and works to enhance research survivor, and support personnel at the first year enrolment target support services on main campus; capabilities within postsecondary the BISC work with the survivor was set at 120 full-time students. our alumni; or the local community.” institutions. He will receive his as the chosen process is followed,” Unfortunately, the 2013-14 year honorary degree on June 2.

Horton wrote. saw 103 incoming students

News in Brief

Between May 30 and June 9, Queen’s will be granting honorary degrees to 9 individuals hailing from fields of academia, business, politics, science, and the arts.

Stephen J.R. Smith

Stephen Smith, who invested $50 million in business education at Queen’s in 2015, is a leading Canadian entrepreneur and leader in the financial services industry.

He will receive his honorary degree on May 30.

Gururaj and Jaishree Deshpande

Lord John Alderdice

Lord John Alderdice, former leader of the Alliance Party of Gururaj and Jaishree are trustees Northern Ireland, played a key role of the Deshpande Foundation, in peace negotiations forged by the which supports ecosystems that 1998 Good Friday Agreement in make significant contributions to Ireland. He went on to serve as entrepreneurship. They will receive the Speaker of the new Northern their honorary degree on May 31.

Ireland Assembly until his retirement in 2004. He will receive his honorary degree on June 5.

Frank McKenna

Art McDonald

Fredy Peccerelli

Frank McKenna, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States and former Premier of New Brunswick, currently holds the position of Deputy Chair of TD Bank Group, and also serves as Chairman of Brookfield Asset Management. He will receive his honorary degree on June 6.

Art McDonald is a Queen’s professor in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy. He and his colleagues received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015 for their groundbreaking research regarding neutrinos.

He will receive his degree on June 7.

Fredy Peccerelli is a forensic anthropologist, human rights defender, and a founding member of the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala. He will receive his honorary degree on June 8.

— Maureen O’Reilly

News

4 •queensjournal.ca

CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR

Monday, May 29, 2017

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

Queen’s research lands another Tier 1 Canada Research Chair Prestigious chair awarded to Cathleen Crudden of Queen’s Chemistry

ArtSci Student Services Office located in Dunning Hall.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Canada Research Chair recipient Cathleen Crudden.

M aureen O’R eilly News Editor On May 15, Professor Cathleen Crudden was named to the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Metal Organic Chemistry for her extensive and broad research in organic compounds.

The Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a program facilitated by the Government of Canada that’s dedicated to generating global rank for research and development within the country. The program invests approximately $265 million per year to support researchers in degree-granting institutions across the country.

With her interests ranging from the field of pharmaceuticals to agriculture, Crudden’s research focuses specifically on the synthesis of organic compounds with metals.

Alongside her research contributions, Crudden has been a major player in the teaching department for Queen’s doctoral and master’s candidates, as well as postdoctoral fellows. Currently she’s a professor in the Chemistry department, specializing in organic and organometallic materials.

Crudden’s diverse research interests haven’t gone unnoticed by her peers.

“I think one of the best compliments I ever had as a scientist was that it was never obvious what I would be doing

next,” Crudden wrote in an email to The Journal. “All too often people work on one problem for decades, or at least it is easy to predict what they will be doing.”

I’m very proud of my “group now, which has

people of nine different nationalities and a large variety of points of view.

This type of diversity is really important for high quality science and I’m happy to live in a country that understands and supports this.

”

— Cathleen Crudden, Queen’s Chemistry Professor

Crudden’s passion for research began in the third year of her postsecondary degree, and has since introduced her into a diverse community of scientists.

“I’m very proud of my group now, which has people of nine different nationalities and a large variety of points of view. This type of diversity is really important for high quality science and I’m happy to live in a country that understands and supports this.”

“I often tell students to think about the impact of what they do.

It is the first step to think about what one can do, but it’s important to think about what one should do,” Crudden wrote.

With the announcement, Queen’s also saw the renewals of Tier 1 Researcher, Peter Davies alongside Tier 2 Chair Mohammad Zulkernine. Davies works in the field of Protein Engineering and Zulkernine in the position of Chair in Software Reliability and Security.

The depth and scope of the CRC program has attracted researchers from around the country in hopes of addressing complex and challenges facing the world today.

For each Tier 1 Chair, Queen’s receives $200,000 per year over seven years in research funding.

Fifteen years after arriving at Queen’s, Crudden believes she is now “more patient and accepting of differences,” and plans to use her grant to collaborate with individuals within the country and abroad.

Crudden also wants to use the grant to continue her teaching and research. “With this grant, I’ll be able to spend more time on both,” Crudden wrote.

When asked what could be expected next of her, Crudden wrote “I never expected I would be doing surface science or working with plant and animal biologists both of which I am doing now.”

“So from this, I think it is very difficult even for me to predict what I will be doing in the next few years.”

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Two new ArtSci plans announced for 2017-18 academic year Combined specialization and new major to expand learning opportunities in ArtSci

M aureen O’R eilly News Editor

for a minor.

In an email to The Journal, Donato Santeramo, head of the With two new plan offerings for department of LLCU, wrote next year, the Faculty of Arts and that the new major will be “an Science has now made it easier for excellent platform for exchanges students to pursue a degree that and for students to gain additional combines complimentary fields experiential learning.” of study.

“Besides core and language As of the 2017-18 academic year, courses, students may take a students in the Faculty of Arts and variety of courses on literary and Science will now have the option of cultural themes offered within specializing in a combined plan of the Department or in other Politics, Philosophy and Economics, departments, hence offering or majoring in Languages, a range of interdisciplinary Literatures and Cultures. standpoints from which cultural According to the Queen’s Gazette, awareness may be gained,” the Politics-Philosophy-Economics Santeramo wrote.

(PPE) specialization will combine According to Santeramo, complementary skill sets and the major in LLCU is primarily curriculums to help students better targeted towards students who approach modern social issues. are interested in studying multiple The PPE webpage appeals to languages and broadening their students planning to enter graduate understanding of cultural diversity. studies in law, public service, The program takes an international development, policy, interdisciplinary approach, drawing and a range of other careers that on various linguistic, historical, demand strong communication politic, artistic and cultural courses and analytical skills. offered within the Faculty.

According to the webpage, the According to The Gazette, program is structured like “an the LLCU has also partnered augmented medial” or a “triple- with the Queen’s University major”, and provides students with International Centre to provide the choice of over 50 courses, as students in this major with well as opportunities to complete an Intercultural Competence a capstone research project, a Certificate upon graduating. study abroad experience, a The certificate indicates paid internship or an additional a significant understanding certificate upon graduation. of intercultural interactions, ArtSci’s latest major hails from commonalities and the relatively new Department of differences, and an important Languages, Literatures and Cultures development of students’ (LLCU), which was formed in 2011. intercultural competence.

Prior to the announcement, LLCU students could only be recognized

News

Monday, May 29, 2017

queensjournal.ca

LEVANA GENDER ADVOCACY SOCIETY

•5

BISC

LGAC to leave Grey House by May 31 Applicants

“upset”and “confused”

by Con-Ed BISC offer Continued from front

Queen’s applicant, received a similar email regarding her application to the Faculty of Arts and Science back in 2015.

“When I received the email offering a position at the Bader institution I was initially disappointed that there was no room available on the Kingston campus,” Sherriff-Scott wrote.

I received “theWhen email offering a

LGAC’s space in the Grey House located on Bader Lane.

Continued from front

which the meeting on April 25 occurred notifying Levana of their eviction date.

it was hosted on. When we tried to contact the Clubs Manager they did not respond. I think the issues The Memorandum of boil down to a lack of transparency, Understanding clarity, and communication.”

After receiving no reply from On April 26, LGAC uncovered the AMS in regards to being an agreement signed in April unable to access the online 2011 by the AMS and the LGAC, portal, Gonsalves said an LGAC as well as several other equity member met with 2016-17 AMS groups called the Memorandum Clubs Manager Grace Kim on of Understanding (MOU). The April 25.

MOU gives LGAC occupancy rights Kim again informed the LGAC “beyond the normal yearly space member that the AMS decided to allocation procedure.” evict LGAC from the Grey House According to the MOU, “The due to their failure to complete [AMS] shall not reallocate the space the re-ratification procedure. of the organizations listed in Section Levana was given an eviction date 1 without their express permissions, of May 13. given through their appropriate Current Clubs Manager Emmy governing structures.”

Vassos told The Journal via email The organizations listed in that LGAC was given several Section 1 include LGAC, the Queen’s opportunities to complete the Pride Project and the Ontario Public ratification process, “all of which Interest Research Group. were ignored.” LGAC’s failure “Club space is a very limited to re-ratify thus rendered them resource, and only three per ineligible to participate in the yearly cent of AMS-ratified clubs have space allocation procedure. use of dedicated, individual club According to Vassos, LGAC space. The committee makes contacted the Clubs Office on difficult choices every year in April 6 saying that they didn’t have order to enhance student life access to their clubs email account. opportunities and balance the Vassos said LGAC was provided needs of a growing number of with the contact information for students and clubs,” Vassos told AMS IT, and directed to make a The Journal. support request.

When asked about the MOU’s Vassos wrote that “Levana applicability in LGAC’s current claimed that they still have not situation, Vassos explained, “It was heard from the IT department [on based on the fact that all parties April 11], but upon investigation were AMS-ratified clubs. Levana is they failed to submit a request form. no longer an AMS-ratified club and Their password was reset at the the AMS has no authority to assign instruction of the Director of Clubs space under its management to and Levana was informed that the groups or individuals that are not an re-ratification package still needs AMS-ratified club.” to be submitted by midnight on On May 3, Levana was informed the 11.” that the 2011 MOU wasn’t The portal for the ratification enforceable with a reaffirmation of form closed on April 12, and their eviction sent on May 4, along on April 20 Levana emailed the with an extended move-out date Director of Clubs informing her of May 31. According to Vassos, that they had no access to the Levana hasn’t responded to any ratification form or the portal, after emails from the Clubs Office since

May 4.

However, Gonsalves told The Journal that the MOU makes no mention of this club status requirement.

“The AMS is arguing that because Levana didn’t re-ratify as a club using their new system, the aforementioned agreement is null and void — despite the contract avoiding the use of the term ‘club.’ It’s very much a problem revolving around semantics, which is why I believe that the real problem is that the AMS doesn’t understand the value of Levana and isn’t really thinking the decision to reallocate the space through enough.”

A September 2011 Journal article revealed that the MOU was rendered invalid by the 2011 Space Allocation Committee. The committee “reviewed the MOU and determined that it was not valid because it hadn’t passed through the right bodies before it was signed.”

The groups listed on the MOU were informed of its invalidity in July 2011.

Levana and OPIRG also failed to ratify in 2011, and faced eviction in September 2011 by the AMS, who had failed to consult the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) prior to notifying the groups of their eviction. After a meeting between the AMS, SGPS, and the university, the groups were granted an extension to re-ratify, which allowed them to remain in the Grey House that year.

The petition and the demonstration

LGAC launched a petition on May 7 that has garnered 3,856 Canadian supporters as of May 26, with many current and former Queen’s students voicing their support .

On the LGAC’s Facebook page post sharing the petition

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

on May 7, they cited a “clerical error” as the reason for their removal.

However, Vassos asserted in her email that their eviction is “not the result of a ‘clerical error’ or any sort of oversight by the AMS or the Clubs Office.”

LGAC also created pamphlets and held a demonstration prior to a Board of Trustees meeting on May 12, where Gonsalves wrote that they had “a chance to speak to those in attendance about Levana’s current situation.”

Going forward

According to Vassos and Gonsalves, the space held by the LGAC will be taken over either by Jack.org or Queen’s For The Boys.

LGAC won’t be allowed to apply to re-ratify until the fall term.

“If we do not have a space on campus, it renders so much of what we’ve done in the past impossible, expensive, or overly-complicated to achieve,” Gonsalves wrote.

Vassos stands by the actions of the AMS in responding to the LGAC. “Levana was given several opportunities to complete the same ratification process as every other AMS club, and was given an extension of 15 days to their deadline that no other club received,” Vassos wrote.

Underthecurrentcircumstances, LGAC will indeed be leaving the Grey House on May 31.

“I think their [the AMS] actions reflect a lack of understanding about how integral the work Levana does is to the student body,” Gonsalves wrote.

“They are focusing on these bureaucratic details, which I agree are important, however, I think in this case it is more important for Levana to be reallocated the space the club has occupied for 42 years.”

position at the Bader institution I was initially disappointed that there was no room available on the Kingston campus.

”

— Katie Sherriff-Scott, Former Queen’s applicant

“I was a little surprised by the alternate offer because of how expensive going for just first year would be having not even having a major yet, or having the first year university campus experience. If offered the chance to go once I had chosen my area of study, it would be much more intriguing and I’d probably learn a lot more.”

The BISC has been available to Queen’s student for over 20 years. In recent years, tuition for the BISC has steadily increased while demand has been declining.

According to the university’s budget reports, in 2010, a semester at the BISC cost students $14,465, contrasted to 2016, a semester cost $19,569 and by the end of 2019, prices are projected to increase further to $20,959.

The BISC’s enrollment target of 120 full-time undergraduate students was set by Queen’s in 2013. Since then, they have failed to reach that target once. In 2014-15, the BISC hosted 117 fulltime undergrads, and in 2015-16 that number dropped to 101.

With the addition of the BISC Con-Ed program, the university is steadily increasing its planned enrolment predictions in the 201718 budget report. The university is now planning for the enrolment of 115 students at the BISC in 2016-17, increasing to 120 in 2017-18 and 125 in 2018-19.

Carly Silverberg and Katie Sherriff-Scott are siblings with Max Silverberg and Iain Sherriff-Scott, members of The Journal Editorial Board. The conflict of interest was declared prior to the interview.

6 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

Features

IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

From silent sisterhood to outspoken alliance The evolution of the Levana society as a refuge for minority groups The Levana Society’s annual candle-lighting ceremony in Grant Hall.

ALEX PALERMO Features Editor There were five women in the class of 1884.

While each would go on to have a prosperous career — a writer, a medical missionary, a teacher, a professor and a doctor — their journeys were not without struggle. Their graduation marked an important moment in history, and the beginning of a new era for women at Queen’s.

The Levana Society was formed in 1889; just five years after these women were the first to receive undergraduate degrees from Queen’s. According to the Queen’s website, the society served to “promote the general interest of women at Queen’s”, acting as the University’s own, non-exclusive, women’s alliance. At this time, Levana was the only women’s society in Canada to universally accept all female students — regardless of class, race or appearance.

When Levana was founded, women were only allowed to enrol in arts programs, and until 1976, they were a minority at Queen’s. “There was a feeling that women didn’t belong in university because it was outside their sphere. The attitude was that women had to be protected when they came into this environment,” Queen’s Historian Duncan McDowall told the Journal of student life at the turn of the century.

In their search for refuge, the Levana Society was born as a safe space for women.

During the peak of Levana’s popularity, the notion that men and women were to inhabit parallel and distinct social spheres was prevalent on Queen’s campus. Before second-wave feminism pushed for the spheres to merge, Levana prepared women for “societal life” through formal dances, tea parties and beauty contests. Other activities such as basketball and hockey tournaments allowed women to explore athletics while still in a social environment.

The Levana constitution stated its primary mission as “to serve as a bond of union between all the women at the university,” and to prepare young women for their role in society beyond the ivy-covered walls of Queen’s. McDowall described the contrasting spheres, “The male sphere was considered more aggressive, outgoing and worldly and the feminine one was introverted, maternal and nurturing.”

Over time, Levana developed their own set of well-known rituals and traditions that persisted well into the 1960s.

Among the most well-known of their rites of passage was the annual candle-lighting ceremony that took place during Frosh week. Reminiscent of sorority initiation proceedings,

the female frosh — better known as “freshettes” within the group — were led to a dimly lit and carefully locked Grant Hall to be introduced to second year society members.

At the finale of the ceremony, the graduating Levana members passed their uniforms to the newcomers, along with a ceremonial flame transfer. Speaking volumes about the roles women were expected to fill in society, there were certain implications of the wax drippings off of their candles and onto the tri-colour ribbon. Although not officially in the rules of Levana, the University archives say that whichever coloured ribbon the drippings fell upon predicted their husband’s career (doctor, engineer, arts student), as well as the number of children they would bear.

“The candle-lighting ceremony looked very out of date, and it had that fertility element,” McDowall said of Levana’s most famous, yet most outdated practice.

attitudes about women both on and off campus. The beginnings of second-wave feminism — focusing on workplace equality and reproductive rights — were beginning to appear through several outspoken students.

In 1958, the editor of The Queen’s Journal, Krista Maeots was one of the more vocal women of the second wave of feminists at Queen’s. Alongside Bronwen Wallace — who would later become a well-known writer and poet — Maeots was among the first to raise questions about the role of Levana in the age of equality.

The effects were especially palpable in the late sixties, when several outspoken feminists signed up to participate in a Levana beauty pageant. “They showed up in clown noses and outlandish outfits and everyone else was in prom dresses and heels. It was sort of ‘in your face,’” McDowall said of the spectacle.

With public funding beginning to flow

There was a feeling that women didn’t belong in “university because it was outside their sphere. ”

According to McDowall, there were no disqualifying factors for entry into the society. “[Levana] defended their interest, gave them a sense of confidence and purpose in this world. Where when they looked out the window, all they saw were men.” McDowall understands the original role of the Levana Society to women at Queen’s as “giving women a rich feminist, associational life.”

In spite of their distinct sphere removed from the Old Arts Society — which only allowed men as members — in 1933 they formed an Arts-Levana-Theology coalition during the AMS election.

The coalition formed in response to two fraternities (both formed in the 1920s), which Levana and the Old Arts Society both felt that fostered exclusivity.

McDowall explained Levana’s view on sororities. “You would have a splintering of males and females into groups that competed and were not necessarily dedicated to the overall rights of women.

They feared if sororities came, they would peel women off into class structure of women at Queen’s, and most people don’t like that distinction.”

The coalition sponsored an open meeting, attended by around 1000 students where the motion to deny was passed by vote. In 1934, the Medical fraternity formally refuted the ban but were ultimately defeated in AMS Court later that year.

The end of the 1950s saw a shift in

— Queen’s Historian Duncan McDowall

into Canadian universities due to the post-war economy, Queen’s more than tripled its enrollment before the mid1970s. Enrollment was well above 10,000 students and attitudes about women were rapidly changing.

“Levana looked like an anachronism,” McDowall said of the push-back that came along with the second wave of feminism. “[Women] didn’t want to eat dinner alone and be told how to dress.”

In 1968, Levana had a referendum on whether or not they wished to end their existence and join the Arts Society.

According to McDowall, members pushed toward the direction of a merge with the Arts Society because the rituals associated with Levana were offensive to the modern woman.

Although the sorority culture coined by Levana was beginning to fade, the fight for equality had just begun. The Dean of Women was appointed in 1968 — a position whose place was hotly debated on campus until the 1990s. While the job description changed from designing the women’s dress code and advising them on their decorum to a more modern consultative position for women’s issues, having a Dean of Women was determined to be constitutionally irrelevant in the 1990s.

“There was a decorum to being a woman at Queen’s, and it was about to end. It was a bit like affirmative action. Of course, many women felt this was a sort of patronising

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S ARCHIVES

maternalism,” McDowall said of the general student reactions to continued separation between the sexes that persisted until 1992.

While Queen’s may be commonplace in that they once had a Dean of Women, they were the only Canadian university to have a dedicated society for all women. From 1889 until 1968, from the moment you arrived on campus, as long as you were a female student, you were a member of Levana.

In 1975, the Women’s Centre (WC) at Queen’s was founded to take on female interest on the rapidly evolving Queen’s campus. The WC operated out of the Grey House on Bader Lane, acting as a safe space for women. Eventually, they evolved into the Levana Gender Advocacy Centre (LGAC) and have since taken up a parallel but distinct role on campus.

Self described as an “anti-oppression” group, the LGAC has also taken up residence in the Grey House and taken on the Levana name, holding weekly office hours, promoting access, student produced zines, and acting as a safe space for anyone who might not feel welcome on campus.

According to the LGAC’s mandate, their purpose includes “organizing ongoing programming and actions to challenge systems of oppression (e.g. sexism, transphobia, etc.) and advocate for gender justice and diversity.”

However, their mandate extends beyond everyday inclusivity and weekly lunch time chats with predetermined topics of discussion for hashing out.

The LGAC prides itself on standing up to oppression, and giving it a voice. For current LGAC board member Marion Gonsalves ArtSci ’19, the group helped her and her housemates during the aftermath of the controversial costume party in 2016.

“That was a really distressing event and I felt the need to get involved. The university’s reaction was distressing, and it felt like abandonment on an institutional level,” she said. “For me getting involved, in an unofficial capacity — since I never filled out a volunteer application — was a way for me to cope with that, and a way for me to feel like I had a sense of control in this situation.”

The evolution of Levana has been a catalyst for increased acceptance, and, more importantly, comfort for minority groups. While the role of women is still evolving on a global scale, Levana has stood the test of time.

In the historic 128-year parallel between the original women’s society in 1889 and the gender advocacy centre in 2017, one thing is startlingly clear; minority students have always had a sanctuary in Levana.

Monday, May 29, 2017

queensjournal.ca

EDITORIALS B

oth future and current Canadian judges need an updated education on sexual assault law if they are going to preside over cases.

The former Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose resigned one day after her sexual assault bill passed unanimously.

The bill mandates compulsory sexual assault law training for lawyers who plan to become judges.

Judges are trained to be impartial, but personal bias is impossible to expunge. Sexual assault training can’t remove prejudice, but it can make people aware of their own personal bias.

Amid national backlash for inappropriate comments and acquittals from Canadian judges in past sexual assault cases, the training will make future judges accountable for their actions and intensely aware of what is unacceptable.

Cases concerning sexual assault survivors haven’t always been taken seriously in Canada’s history and culture. Though the bill is a welcome change, it is only one piece of the puzzle.

While it promises that there will be transparency over who has received the training, the bill won’t make the seminars compulsory for current judges. This creates an inconsistency with how the law is practised between current and incoming judges.

Sexual assault cases deal with blurred lines that separate what is

legal and what is not. The job of a judge presiding over a sensitive case like that of sexual assault is to be the person who can firmly draw that line. Since our current judges are the ones who have a history of crossing the line when presiding over sexual assault cases, they seem to be the ones who need to learn about sexual assault law the most.

Continued education for both current and future judges in Canada is what will ensure just administration over sexual assault cases. Survivors are more likely to report sexual assault if they believe that the judicial system will treat them fairly. Taking survivors and their experiences seriously in court will bolster the shift in the victim-blaming culture that surrounds sexual assault across Canada and the world.

The next step is to extend Ambrose’s bill to current Canadian judges that have the power to change the world today rather than only for tomorrow.

— Journal Editorial Board

University is not the only route to success

While we might call Queen’s the ‘only university’, it’s not the only post-secondary institution in town. Although the tri-colour flags throughout Kingston’s downtown streets may suggest otherwise, St. Lawrence College and Royal Military College also call this city home.

This unbalanced view on universities over colleges goes

Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief Managing Editor Production Manager News Editor Assistant News Editors

Features Editor

Joseph Cattana Meg Glover Justice King

Matt Scace

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Lifestyle Editor Photo Editors

Josh granovsky

Eva Stein Zeir Zhou

Editorial Illustrator Copy Editors

Max Silverberg Stephanie Jiang Meredith Wilson-Smith Sreya Roy

Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Michelle Allan

Sarina Grewal

Joshua Finkelstein

Iain Sheriff-Scott

Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy

Jasnit Palba

Kiera Liblik

Alex Palermo

Bilal Shaikh Contributors

Bryn Evans

Ashley Rhamey

Mikel Gega

Opinions Editor

Sydney Wilson

Stephanie Gomes

Nick Pearce

Abbey Dudas

Clayton Tomlinson

Amanda Hanemaayer

Sebastian Bron

Sophie Hinton

Assistant Arts Editor Sports Editor

Tegwyn Hughes

Ramolen Laruan

Julia Balakrishnan

Editorials Editor Arts Editor

far beyond Kingston. While our parent’s generation saw a university degree as the ticket to a secure future, the job market in 2017 is very different. As university grads, we are no longer guaranteed a career with our diplomas alone.

With changes being made at the elementary and secondary levels to accommodate different learning styles, there needs to be a change in how we think about post-secondary education as well.

University and college are two very different things in Canada.

While we see one as inferior to the other, the reality is that the two systems favor different learning styles. A university education teaches theory rather than practice.

While it can absolutely be the right choice for certain careers and students, it’s not for everyone.

Amanda Norris Video Editor

Maureen O’Reilly

Brigid Goulem

ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY RHAMEY

Shivani Gonzalez

Lifestyle Editor

Volume 145 Issue 1 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal

The Journal’s Perspective

Ambrose’s ‘parting gift’ is long overdue for Canadians

Ashley Rhamey

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

•7

Colleges, on the other hand, focus on experience-based learning.

Often, they offer apprenticeship training and programs ranging from bachelor’s degrees to certificates and diplomas in programs that fit individual student needs.

Unfortunately, the stigma attached to opting for a college program rather than a university one — even when it could be the more practical choice — is a remnant of an outdated social system that looks down on those who work in skilled trades. In Ontario, the college system is built specifically to adapt to a changing job market that is looking for skilled tradespeople. While university graduates are having trouble finding employment, an estimated 1.5 million job vacancies 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

Business Staff Business Manager Head Sales Representative Office Administrator

Abby Choudhury LeAnn Sverko Faith Villanueva

Want to contribute?

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

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

Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario.

Contents © 2016 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

await college graduates.

Increased enrolment doesn’t help university graduates either. Students who study in general degree programs with no career orientation can often find themselves floundering after graduation. In a time where most jobs require certain skills, university graduates are now finding themselves in college programs after graduation to be qualified for jobs.

Pressure from family members when making these kinds of choices can have a big effect on young people. From a parent’s point of view, we need to educate them on how the system has changed, and how what worked for them won’t necessarily work for their children. There needs to be a more concentrated effort by secondary schools to give students and parents an unbiased look at colleges and universities, and what each system can really do for them as an individual.

Now, the script has been flipped, and getting a bachelor’s degree from any university is no longer a golden ticket. Despite all of these changes, the idea that a college education is something less than what university can offer persists. It’s time for Canadians to acknowledge that colleges are a valid route to a promising career, and in turn give a new generation of post-secondary students the confidence to choose to go where they’ll really succeed.

Ashley is The Journal’s Editorials Editor. She’s a fifth-year English major.

8 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

OPINIONS Talking Heads ...around campus

PHOTOS BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Your Perspective

Learning outside the classroom The importance of maintaining a life away from school

What was the best summer job you’ve ever had?

“Big Brothers Big Sisters” EMILY ARCHER, ENG ‘19

Amanda Hanemaayer discusses the importance of volunteering to gain academic perspective.

“Working in Singapore” CARLING COUNTER, ARTSCI ‘17

“Volunteering with a summer camp”

ANASTASIA SZYMANSKI, ARTSCI ‘18

“My dad had me be a janitor to build character” ANTHONY VALERI, QUEEN’S ‘17

“I hated all of my summer jobs” CAMERON PINOS, QUEEN’S ‘17

Amanda Hanemaayer, ArtSci ‘19 At the surface, Queen’s University strives to promote a culture that is receptive to diversity and encouraging in the journey of self-discovery. In reality, both silent and spoken expectations allow that ideology to become warped, reinforcing time and time again that success is synonymous with superiority.

Although I might still be in the process of completing my undergrad, I am compelled to question when exactly success in life became defined by how many credits you obtain or how many job titles appear on your resume? It is my belief that finding passions and activities outside of school allows students to not only take a break from their difficult schedules, but also to become versatile, empathetic members of their community.

With all of the pressure placed on students to succeed, our generation seems to feel forced to dismiss life experiences in favour of an academic transcript that will lead them down a specific career path.

In the Life Sciences program — the program I’m apart of — has come to be defined by its competitiveness. With such a considerable proportion of those enrolled hoping to make it into medical school, students have adopted a cutthroat and intense mind-set to reach their lofty goal. Ambition has now become our means of standing out amid the overwhelming number of students striving towards the same common end.

Without a doubt, pursuing the dream of reaching medical school places a high call on prospective students. I know that this demands ambition and sacrifice, but it

shouldn’t hinder our ability to explore and develop interests outside of those that are purely academic. Although the human body develops from our successes and failures in the classroom, we can’t ignore the personal growth that comes from pursuing unique opportunities and finding the things that we truly care about.

Unfortunately, remembering this to be true is not always easy.

Ever since arriving at Queen’s, I’ve become consumed by the idea of maintaining a high standing above my classmates. I’m guilty of allowing a grade to become more important than the information I’ve learned and the academic process that ultimately allowed me to achieve that grade.

When faced with a particularly daunting course earlier this year, I fell into this trap. Organic chemistry is a mandatory course for Life Sciences students that’s notorious for its level of difficulty. Most students in the program consider it a nightmare, with those outside of Life Sciences often offering their sympathy when it comes up in conversation.

I found myself “ struggling against the belief that anything short of perfect was not good enough.

”

Despite working tirelessly throughout the year to maintain a high grade, I found myself struggling against the belief that anything short of perfect was not good enough.

On top of this growing pressure to achieve academic excellence, research positions and hours of hospital volunteerism have basically become expected for most

post-graduate degrees. As a result, I was left with a feeling of obligation to gain experience in these specific areas above all else. Starting early in the school year, I tried to make connections in the field and to perfect my resume in the hopes that someone somewhere may have a job available.

I wish I could say that it had not taken me two full years to realize the beauty of carving out one’s own niche, but it did.

In my first year of university I religiously devoted myself to maintaining high grades. That commitment meant that I offered myself little liberty to experiment with new opportunities. Second year was similar, only I stretched my boundaries to engage in activities that I thought matched the description and the expectations of my degree. But anything that didn’t coincide with the Life Sciences archetype was somehow forbidden and out of reach.

Eventually, I found my way.

This past year, instead of searching for opportunities that seemed to match the expectations of my peers and professors, I carved out my own path. I got involved in leading cooking classes for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and I taught English to a refugee family that recently moved to Kingston from war-torn Syria. Through these experiences, I discovered so much more about the community in which I lived and learned to appreciate it from an entirely different perspective.

It’s because of this volunteering that my summer plans went against the Life Sciences norm. Rather than following the routine of applying to labs and hospital volunteer positions, I found myself instead applying for a four-week volunteer position in Bududa, Uganda.

The responses I received to this decision were varied. Most simply

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

questioned why I was so willing to forfeit my time and resources to travel to a hidden region of the world alongside an organization that most wouldn’t be familiar with.

Although I know when I get back to campus in the fall that I will be confronted with the same overwhelming pressures for conformity, I’ve vowed to break this repetition. For me, being a Life Sciences student doesn’t have to follow any certain path, but rather the one best suited for the individual.

Of course, I am not under the impression that these issues only arise within Life Sciences. So many other students fall into the trap of defining themselves by what will be printed on their diplomas. It’s unfortunate that people forget sometimes to slow down and recognize that there’s beauty and value in the process of learning, not just in a grade that shows how learning is quantified.

Under our current educational system, we place such a high priority on the future. While I understand that it’s important, it was only once I looked at the world through the eyes of those I volunteered with that I truly understood the value of living in the present moment.

Our degrees may be a wonderful starting point for our future careers, but without the room, time and encouragement needed to explore different aspects of life, the value of the work that we do is strictly one-dimensional. It’s only once we step outside our comfort zones and see what challenges and pushes us, that we find exactly what we can truly love and be passionate about in life.

Amanda Hanemaayer is a thirdyear Life Sciences major.

Monday, May 29, 2017

queensjournal.ca

•9

Arts & Entertainment

Emily Joyce and her paintings.

ARTIST PROFILE

From Canvas To Conservation Student Artist Emily Joyce Aims for the Louvre V ishmaaya jeyamoorthy Staff Writer “The dream is to one day work in the Louvre and work on the restoration of the Mona Lisa.”

Only halfway through her Fine Arts degree, Emily Joyce (Fine Arts ’19) is well on her way to reaching the big goals she has set for herself.

Joyce is currently spending her summer in Venice, studying art history at The Biennale, one of the world’s leading contemporary art museums.

“I have never taken a contemporary art course before, and since I am an artist myself it is important to keep up to date with what is going on in the art world today, so I thought this course would be an amazing opportunity for me to broaden my horizons on the creation of art in all of its possible forms,” she said to The Journal via email.

The Biennale is responsible for the biennial Art Biennale exhibit, where artists from over 70 countries showcase contemporary arts

pieces in different country-themed pavilions; Joyce is also completing an internship there, acting as a docent in the Canadian pavilion.

When asked her about her plans, her confidence translated even over email — Joyce is destined for a career in art restoration.

“Art conservation will allow me to work in a museum space where I can be around art history and rich historical culture in the form of art, while also using my love for creating meticulous detail to try to repair paintings to their original state in order for museum goers to view them in the state the artist originally intended to display them,”she wrote.

While she completes her degree, Joyce also works as a studio assistant for Samantha Shuter, an acrylic painter based out of Toronto.

“I would mix specific paint colours for her, copy preliminary sketches onto her canvases and paint base layers on her work. It ended up working out because she ended up connecting me with another Toronto artist, Dani Cooperman, who was looking to pay

a studio assistant for the same job, so I ended up working for the both of them last summer.”

Though Joyce is a powerhouse in the Fine Arts department today, she wasn’t always sure that art was for her. While she used to consider it as just a hobby, Joyce’s parents saw it as more than that — making her audition for the Specialized Visual Arts program at the Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts in North York, Toronto.

“When I was accepted I actually cried and expressed how I didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to leave my elementary school friends who I had been going to school with since I was in kindergarten,” Joyce wrote.

Although her parents forced her to go, she is grateful that they did. “[The] school, program and art teachers changed my entire life.”

At university, Joyce began to explore other forms of art creation, with a special interest in printmaking. “I found a love for this medium because it is a good mix between being able to

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY EMILY JOYCE

create meticulous detail while still having the painterly quality I enjoy in oil painting through the ink incorporated,” she wrote.

“But I am still trying to figure out what my “thing” is … so far I have been finding that I really enjoy using flower and botanical symbolism as well as object symbolism to compose a piece that expresses a feeling of mine or even creates a portrait.”

As Joyce continues to work on her artistic style, she’s making plans for her return from Venice. This summer she’ll go back to Toronto to continue working for both Shuter and Cooperman, as well as continuing to explore different forms of art creation during her time at Queen’s.

It’s just one more step on her journey to the Louvre.

You can find more of Emily Joyce’s artwork on Instagram at @emilyjoyceartwork.

OBITUARY

Remembering Dr. Allison Sherman Art History Student Reflects on Popular Professor’s Passing

Dr. Allison Sherman in Venice.

S ophie H inton Contributor For students like myself, Dr. Allison Sherman will always be remembered as a brilliant art history professor who could always make those around her laugh at one of her corny jokes or personal stories.

Unfortunately on April 26, Dr. Sherman passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. With heavy hearts, flags were lowered around campus on May 2 and 3 as I joined the Art History Department alongside students, colleagues,

family and friends to remember Dr. Sherman.

Dr. Sherman was a professor students could call a friend because of her passion for the story behind the art. I will always remember how she made simple facts like measurements and geographical locations come alive in her class.

She even made policy fun, saying “Don’t Play a Player” to remind students that she was on the lookout for plagiarism, improper citations, and invalid extensions on papers.

Her battle with cancer was a difficult process to witness

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY JILL WEINREICH

because her struggle was visible on her face. She grew tired and her complexion changed from pink to pale, but throughout this she maintained a smile. That amount of determination motivated everyone around her to support her through her battle because we all knew she was worth fighting for.

When I look back on Dr. Sherman’s memory, not only do I think about the positive contributions she made to my life, but also to Queen’s. Kate Hutton, ArtSci ’16, shared my thoughts.

“For me, Alison was an inspiration; a shining example of

determination and brilliance. She always had a smile on her face and a wonderful story to make everyone laugh. I loved taking her courses and was always enraptured by her passion for art history.”

Back in April 2015 — when Dr. Sherman was first diagnosed with breast cancer — a GiveForward page was made in her name to give updates on her progress and to assist her family with medical bills.

The department DSC rallied behind her, hosting a dinner which all proceeds went to Dr. Sherman’s battle with cancer. This wasn’t the lone event — other events like Cezanne’s Closet, an annual silent auction held at the Union Gallery, also raised proceeds for Dr. Sherman’s treatment.

Specializing in Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture,

Dr. Sherman found creative ways to teach dry material. One of my favourite moments was when Dr. Sherman compared the shape of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s groin to the shape of an Italian renaissance groin vault during one of her lectures. The class laughed at the bizarre humour but rarely forgot what a groin vault was.

Sherman was more than a creative professor — she doubled as a mentor, and friend. Her personality disarmed the relationship of student and professor, relaxing the tension of academia.

In the first class that I had with Dr. Sherman, she introduced herself by saying she loved tea and offered an open invitation for anyone to come by for a cup and chat about course difficulties or personal matters. Moments like

See Her on page 11

Arts

10 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

MUSEUM REVIEW

Shipping out to Stockholm’s Moderna Museet Inside the politics of Stockholm’s modern art museum N ick P earce A&E Editor To get cultured, my friends and I took a discount cruise ship from Helsinki to Stockholm. It was massive, housing at least two restaurants, a bar, a club and a mini casino. The cruise company lets students have a cabin and a six-hour stay in Stockholm for pocket change, provided you keep a low profile and don’t steal the towels.

This was my third time aboard.

In round one, I was almost kicked off for lying that I was 21 without a guardian. The other time I had to comfort a friend that was too ambitious with the ship’s duty free alcohol.

When we unpacked this time, I preemptively stole the towels, I didn’t have high expectations.

Miraculously, we weren’t kicked

off the 16-hour boat-ride. We braved the crowds exiting the ship and made the 20-minute walk from Stockholm’s Old Town to the museum built on a pleasant islandturned-park.

The Moderna Musset’s general collection featured an exhibit of political films by Loulou Cherinet, a Swedish artist and fine arts professor. Describing the exhibit for in-house promotion, Cherinet said she wanted to explore “what [politics] tastes, looks and sounds like when a nation manifests itself in our bodies, discussions and behaviours.”

Cherinet’s work looks at outsiders and marginalized communities in Sweden and abroad.

In her piece White Women (2002), Cherinet filmed a staged dinner with eight black men in matching peppermint-patterned shirts discussing their experiences with

The Monument to the Third International by Vladimir Tatlin

ethnic Swedish women.

During the film, the camera continuously revolves in the centre of the circular table to capture the flow of conversation between the eight men. Most of their discussion revolves around their emotional responses to relationships with white women. Disagreements and discussions emerge as one man criticizes the “myth of the black man being inquisitive to have sex with a white woman.”

VIA WIKICOMMONS

Festival D’été De Québec is from July 6-16 in Québec and costs $95.

FESTIVAL FUN

The best of Canada’s music festivals Everything from who to see to what to eat R amolen L aruan Contributor

lives for this time of year: a chance to sleep in a field listening to music and eat barbeque for a whole weekend.

After an unforgiving winter, seasonal With the dawn of social media, flooding and exams, our generation the counterculture spirit of music

festivals has evolved into the mainstream. Overpriced food, the great outdoors, and an infinite field of flower-crowns survived the free love morale of Woodstock.

What Canada’s music festivals lack in Coachella-like brand recognition, they make up for in unique Canadian artists and breathtaking settings.

From sea to sea, here’s how to spend your grocery money on weekend passes and extortionately priced vegan burritos.

5. Field Trip (Toronto, ON.)

June 3-4 Price: $80-$200

The Historic Fort York & Garrison Common comes alive with food, art, and music during the festival.

While Field Trip prides itself on bringing Canadian talents such as

VIA WIKICOMMONS

Cherinet’s work goes on to chronicle her other home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with her 2014 piece Big Data. In the film. she analyzes the challenges facing the city’s poor. Likewise, her film Statecraft (2017) features a roundtable discussion on the Swedish political term “Outsidership” that tends to be used as a broad rhetorical device to refer to anyone considered excluded from mainstream politics.

These marginalized “Outsiders” in the film run the gambit. They are unemployed workers, homeless people, and stay-at-home parents, to name a few. Together, they try to create a definition of “Insidership” that could replace its counterpart.

Cherinet’s work made me confront the human face underneath abstract concepts like poverty or race. I felt invited into the films’ conversations, as I learned from the different subjects.

It created dialogue between the piece and the audience.

Beside politics, there was the usual Scandinavian art weirdness.

One piece, Marina Abramović’s Double Edge (1996) replaced all the rungs of a ladder with kitchen knives. Another ladder in the same piece constantly poured white paint over the rungs. The other two ladders, for some reason, were made of normal metal and wood.

They were every stereotype about modern art rolled into one inscrutable package. I didn’t have the time, energy, or internet

access to parse why these ladders existed. It made me wonder if I too could be a member of the high art scene, if I also just left things from my apartment in a museum.

In another piece, Abramovic hollowed out two rocks into shoes and had them positioned by a window overlooking the waterfront.

Shoes for Departure (1991/2015) asked the guest to “Enter the shoes with bare feet. / Eyes Closed. / Motionless. / Depart.”

Standing in a pair of public rocks isn’t as liberating as it sounds.

The more unconventional pieces were balanced against historical pieces chronicling the rise of Russian communism, involving multiple propaganda posters.

Notably, a French reconstruction of Vladimir Tatlin’s model for the Monument to Third International (1920; 1979) dominated one room with a spiraling iron structure.

My friends nodded at the piece thoughtfully and slipped away to our last work: Akira Kanayama’s Foot Prints (1955). True to its name, several footprints on a long piece of paper stretched across the floor before the footprint-paper continued up the wall and onto the ceiling. At this point, my friends were ready to go. We were too exhausted to give these footprints another five minutes.

There’s no amount of stolen towels in the world to keep someone in a modern art museum past two hours, cultured or not.

Feist their major breakthrough, this festival also introduces indie music fans to international artists like Phoenix from France and James Vincent McMorrow from Ireland.

While the music might bring you to the concert, you’ll stay for the food — ranging from fried Szechuan chicken sandwich to vegan tacos, there’s food-a-plenty for your postfestival appetite. With its relatively cheap price, Field Trip Festival is great for those who are new into the music festival scene.

concert. The strength of brass, cheeky syncopated percussion, and silky melody are full of nostalgia for a distant time and place. Embrace improvisation by attending events in the diverse programming. From Igor Butman and Moscow Jazz Orchestra to Feist, there are a lot to help expand one’s (mostly Louis Armstrong) jazz repertoire.

4. Ottawa Jazz Festival (Ottawa, ON.)

June 22 – July 2 Price: $99-$327

Expand your musical horizon and try attending Ottawa’s Jazz Festival this summer. Spend ten days hearing the sweet sound of real musical instruments at a

3. WayHome (Oro-Medonte, ON.)

July 28-30 Price: $89.99-$279.99

WayHome was first held in 2015, and won the Best New Festival at the Canadian Music Week Industry Awards. With its solidified reputation, fans will continue to come back for more. Granted its 2017 lineup is not the best, but shows by Frank Ocean and Solange See Shoutout on page 11

Arts

Monday, May 29, 2017

queensjournal.ca

• 11

Commentary: a call for writing what you know Cultural appropriation limits self-expression on campus

C layton T omlinson Assistant A&E Editor Good intentions abound as we continue to denigrate the minority experience in the arts.

Earlier this month, then Walrus editor Hal Niedzviecki suggested an “appropriation prize” for authors to “write what they don’t know” — all in an issue dedicated to Indigenous writers. Walrus Editor Jonathan Kay soon came to his defense and, like Niedzviecki, resigned.

In light of these resignations and as an aspiring writer, I have to ask: what does it mean to be an artist on a campus with cultural appropriation controversies?

To me, art is about using personal experiences to tell a story about life that speaks to the larger human condition. There’s something so beautiful about being able to express who you truly are without a filter.

It’s frustrating to see the call for appropriation by prominent magazine editors in Canada and the Queen’s Vagabond Theatre Othello casting, both events which devalue the experiences and emotions of people of colour.

These events fly in the face of respecting a person’s ability to express themselves however they choose. It’s this disregard for other cultures that would compel someone to call for cultural appropriation as a creative exercise.

I’m amazed Niedzviecki could make an issue intending to give a voice to those who have never been allowed to speak and then write an editorial which re-relegates true experience in favour of suburban imagination. Niedzviecki and Kay believed they were in the right.

The ‘call’ shows how we need to let people express themselves.

Canadian Indigenous peoples have been treated as second-class citizens since colonialism took hold.

Their culture has been indelibly changed as a result. This is the backdrop Niedzviecki and Kay are hoping hobby-writers will use in their essays and art.

With this in mind, we’re undermining a person’s ability to react to the storied history of their own culture.

Last year on campus, the Vagabond Theatre made the choice of blind-casting Othello. I know that the intention was to show we are all the same, but the reality was that all it shows is the disastrous effects of using Sparknotes instead of just reading the book.

Supposedly overcoming political correctness with the play known worldwide as the only time a white guy tried to empathize with a black guy before the industrial revolution is stupid, plain and simple. It only reveals the lack of respect there is for experience.

The clamor made over race, sexuality and gender continues

to cause violence and widespread oppression yet there’s still a notion that to make light of these things is okay.

As a writer, it was hard to hear about how supposedly imaginative people like myself thought that this was not only a good idea, but one worth defending. In my stories and in my articles like these, it is easy to be inoffensive, but extremely hard to express myself on important matters.

That said, I’ve no cultural constraintsonmycreativeexpression like many others. Events like these,

while brushed aside as nothing by people who have no reason to assume otherwise, strike me to the core.

The call for appropriation is not a new phenomenon; it’s just the newest symptom in the disease of racism. It’s merely a specious reaction to self-expression on the part of minorities.

As a creative person, I see this simply as people with nothing interesting to say about their reality stealing from other people who, if they tried to say the same thing, would be ignored.

“Her natural empathy helped others.”

Continued from Page 9

this as well as when she shared her experience with anxiety during her undergraduate degree humanized Dr. Sherman unlike other professors.

This honesty encouraged students to come by her office hours and talk to her without any trace of fear. Andrea Howard, ArtSci ’18, was one of them.

“Allison Sherman was the first prof to advise me and support me when it came to navigating my mental illness in academia,” Howard said. “She was the only instructor who helped establish a system with me that consisted of disclosing information and keeping open communication with my [professors].”

Dr. Sherman was widely considered as kind, caring and funny and acted with confidence that drew frequent admiration. Her infectious personality and laugh lit up any room.

“I would always hope her door would be slightly ajar, as it would mean I would get to pop in, chat, see her warm smile, hear a good story and share a laugh,” her colleague Dr. Norman Vorano said.

“Her boundless positive energy was completely disarming and her natural empathy helped others around her open up.”

While I would usually dread going to class, her teaching style made me excited every week and gave me something to look forward to. So, when I found out she passed away, something broke inside me and a couple tears came to my eyes because I knew that her story telling was over.

Queen’s University will remember Dr. Sherman. I will always remember Dr. Sherman.

She was an inspiration and always knew how to make someone laugh.

She was well loved.

“I liken Allison Sherman to a comet, that all-too-briefly flashed across the firmament but periodically returns to lighten our lives,” Dr. Pierre Du Prey, a former professor of Sherman, said. “Allie’s Comet illumined so many by her brilliance of intellect, warmth of humor, and unbounded consideration for others.”

If people like Niedzviecki and Kay believe this is productive, I ask who they expect to read the stories stemming from their call? Why would this create stories that are anything other than artistically pointless?

To counter this call for appropriation, I’d like to make a “call for writing what you know”, but only if you’d like to make actual art – because that’s about the only prerequisite.

ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE JIANG

“[T]his festival has one of the best lineups.”

Continued from Page 10

make it worth the trip. A special shoutout also goes to Mura Masa, Honne and Toronto R&B natives, Jahkoy and Daniel Caesar. Gaining some well-deserved attention, these are rising artists to watch. If you’re looking for a bohemian experience that is evocative of famous music festivals, this is the festival for you.

2. Osheaga (Montréal, QC)

August 4-6 Price: $320-$1150

This three-day Festival is one of the most celebrated music and arts festivals in the country, with the attendance growing each year.

Held in the centre of Montréal, this festival has it all, with six stages that vary in genre, there is always

someone to see. With emerging artists playing 30 minute sets and headliners concluding each day with 90 minutes, both small and big names get to show Montreal what they are all about. The Weeknd, Muse, and Lorde headline this year’s show, but Osheaga is at its best when you discover emerging artists. Here are the must-see acts at Osheaga this year: Alabama Shakes, Solange, Father John Misty, Run the Jewels, Sampha, Daniel Caesar, Muna, Cage the Elephant, and BADBADNOTGOOD.

1. Festival Dète De Quebec, (Québec City, QC)

July 6-16

$95 until June 5. $105 as of June 6.

Unknown to most Englishspeakers, this festival has one of the best lineups in the country, featuring headliners such as The Who, P!nk, the Backstreet Boys, Metallica, and Kendrick Lamar. On top of this stacked bunch, they have continued to support Canadian content, including Kingston rockers The Glorious Sons and Ottawa’s A Tribe Called Red. How can it get any better than this? The pass costs $95 and gives general admission to all eleven days.

12 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

SPORTS

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S ATHLETICS

Claire Sumner racing at the U Sports Championship in Quebec.

ATHLETE PROFILE

Another accolade for Sumner Cross country star finishes season with OUA female athlete of the year award M att S cace Assistant Sports Editor Prior to this year, if you were to have told cross country runner Claire Sumner that she would be a national champion and compete for Canada at the IAAF world championships in Uganda, she probably would have never believed you. In a year of surprises for the Queen’s runner, Sumner finished her rise to the top of university sports by being awarded the OUA female athlete of the year award.

“It was quite a surprise, it means a lot. It’s a huge honour just because there are so many talented athletes, so being named female athlete of the year is pretty exciting and I’m really happy about it,” Sumner said.

COACHING PROFILE

Sumner’s impressive year at Queen’s made her an obvious front runner for the award. She started it off with a convincing win at the Queen’s invitational — where both men and women ran eight-kilometers — which acted as only a prelude to what would come in the following weeks. At the OUA championships, Sumner ran the six-kilometre race in a stunning 27:50 to land her the gold medal.

After scoring her win at the OUA’s, Sumner qualified for the national championships at the Plains of Abraham in Quebec.

After winning gold, she began to think about the possibility of racing for team Canada at the world championships.

“When OUAs and [nationals]

went better than I thought, that was when the world team was kind of on the radar,” Sumner said. After a third-place finish at the Canadian Cross Country Championships that took place in Kingston in November, Sumner scored herself the opportunity to run with the world’s best in Kampala, Uganda for Team Canada.

While in Uganda, Sumner was among the likes of athletes that had competed in the Rio Olympics just seven months before. When asked to describe the experience, Sumner jokingly described it as being “quite hot.”

“They’re incredible, they’re the world’s best so just to stand on the line beside them was quite the feeling.”

After admitting that she couldn’t really remember the race, Sumner noted that the running wasn’t the highlight of her experience.

“Putting on the singlet for my country, that was the most exciting thing for me, probably, and I hope to continue to do that,” Sumner proudly said. She finished the race in 52nd place out of 104 runners.

Sumner hasn’t always been a Gael though. After spending her first year at the University of Toronto, Sumner transferred to Queen’s, which was likely one of the most impactful decisions of her cross country career. When

asked about the transfer, Sumner said the result has been a rapid improvement in racing time.

While it would be expected that this kind of success would come at the end of one’s university experience, Sumner still has more to give. Sumner will be making full use of her final year of eligibility, as she will be returning to represent Queen’s on the national and, she hopes, the international stage once again.

“Hopefully another good year ahead,” Sumner said about her hopes for the coming season.

Dave Wilson has been the head coach of Women’s Basketball for 38 years.

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S ATHLETICS

a very enriching experience for my life to be able to have the opportunity to work with some great people.”

This is a common theme with Wilson. As much hard work as he has put in, he is always quick to acknowledge the time put in by the people around him.

When reminiscing on winning the award for U Sports Coach of the Year, Wilson relayed that sentiment.

“It’s very flattering and humbling, and as much as I’d love to take credit for that, I’m not the one that does all the hard work,” Wilson said. “So for me, it’s more of a team award than it’s an individual award.”

It’s precisely this selfless attitude that has left a lasting impact on the players that he coaches and has coached over the years, who

are quick to sing praise about the relationship they have with their coach.

For fourth year guard Sarah Saftich, Wilson is always there for the team on and off the court.

“You can just tell that he really cares about his players and his focus is on not only our basketball skills but also on our character,” she said. “He has really helped develop us as women and as people.”

Saftich added that this feeling instilled by Wilson is infectious, allowing for everyone to be on the same page.

“He makes his team into a family, and he’s really focused on the tradition at Queen’s and respect that we should have for the Kingston community, our school and ourselves.”

Queen’s Bench Boss Dave Wilson Reflects on All-Star Experience Women’s basketball coach named U Sports coach of the year last season B ilal S haikh Staff Writer Gaels’ women’s basketball coach Dave Wilson has been enjoying his fair share of success lately.

After leading the Queen’s women’s basketball team to the OUA Finals and then into the U Sports Championship Tournament, coach Wilson recently received the Coach of the Year award, which came with the honour of coaching Team Wilson at the OUA Women’s Basketball All-Star Game.

This year’s game, constituted as the 10th annual All-Star game, took place at York University on April 29 between Team Wilson and Team McAleenan, led by the head coach of the hometown York Lions.

Wilson wasn’t the lone Gael at the event, as he was accompanied by players Robyn Pearson, Andrea Priamo, Emily Hazlett and

Bridget Mulholland.

Since the All-Star Game was first introduced, Wilson said it has provided a great experience for coaches, players and fans alike.

“It’s a really neat experience because you find out such a different personality in players than what you see as an opponent on the basketball court,” said Wilson. “We’re there to have a good time, to try and be entertaining for the people who were in the stands and hopefully engage young female basketball prospects who were [in attendance].”

For Wilson, last year’s team is arguably the most successful he has coached. They went 18-1 in league play before falling in the OUA Finals against the top-ranked Carleton Ravens. With the second-place finish in the province and fourth at the U

Sports National Championship, Wilson was incredibly proud of his team for their work ethic and consistency.

“It was gratifying for the players to get rewarded for the hard work that they put in this year,” Wilson said. “One of our goals coming into this year was that we would earn the right to host the OUA championships, and we did that. It was a great atmosphere and great experience for our players that I’m sure they’ll never forget.”

Since being named the team’s head coach 35 years ago, Wilson has cultivated a nationally admired program — a result of the team’s consistent success. He credits the athletic department and the people he is surrounded by for this success. “[I’ve had the] opportunity to work with some of the brightest and most motivated minds in the country,” Wilson said. “It’s

Sports

Monday, May 29, 2017

• 13

FOOTBALL

SAILING

Gaels shine at East-West Bowl

Holding their own

Best of Queen’s football put skills on display at annual game

(In order left to right) Head Coach Pat Sheahan, Wesley Mann, Nate Hobbs, Nelkas Kwemo and Defensive Co-ordinator Greg Marshall.

B ryn E vans Contributor

queensjournal.ca

coach Ben D’Andrea, a former defensive back for the Gaels, was selected to coach the East Three Gaels represented Queen’s Special Teams. at the 15th annual Valero This is not the first time East-West Bowl earlier this May. D’Andrea represented the Gaels at Despite boasting a highly skilled the East-West Bowl, as he went as roster, the East was unable to a player in 2010. He commented on defeat the West, with final score his experience as both a past player 37-13 at Laval University’s and coach; “I loved it as a player, TELUS-UL Stadium. and being involved in coaching The annual U Sports Valero definitely brought back some East-West Bowl began in 2003 as great memories. It’s a really fun a match showcasing the top 90 experience to hang out with prospects for the following CFL players from other teams draft year. and compete with the best,” Queen’s quarterback Nate D’Andrea said.

Hobbs, linebacker Nelkas Kwemo, D’Andrea was happy with the and defensive back Wesley Mann Gaels performance, saying, “They were the trio selected to play for did an excellent job showcasing their the East this year. Queen’s defensive talents during testing, in practice and meetings and played exceptionally well during the game. They definitely deserved to be there.”

Despite the positives shown by the Gaels throughout the game, the East fell behind 20-7 at the half, and were never able to recover. At the end of the showcase, the West was victorious 37-13.

During the game, players continually shifted from the field to the sideline to give everyone an opportunity in front of the scouts.

In his action, Hobbs threw for 89 yards, completing 10 of his 17 passing attempts. Mann had a solid game on defense, registering two total tackles.

The standout for Queen’s was Kwemo. On the day he led both teams defensively with eight solo tackles.

Kwemo’s stellar JOURNAL FILE PHOTO. Nate Hobbs throwing performance suggests a pass. he was well prepared for

PHOTO BY MATHIEU BÉLANGER

the contest, which could prove to be critical to his future CFL draft prospects. He attributes much of his success as a player to Queen’s Defensive Coordinator Greg Marshall, who has been with the Gaels since 2014, the same year Kwemo came to campus.

A hurdle that the Gaels seemed to overcome quite well was meshing with their teammates.

Kwemo commented on the team dynamic, saying that “on the defensive side, we clicked pretty quickly.”

“ I am very confident in our chances this upcoming fall.”

—Nelkas Kwemo

One of the best parts of the whole experience for Kwemo was seeing all the different players from across Canada play. By being a part of the OUA conference, often the only way to see other players would be through nationally televised games — which only happens during the U Sports playoffs.

“The best part of the week was having the opportunity to compare ourselves to our competition around the league and learn from every individual present,” he said.

Kwemo is looking forward to his 4th year as a Gael. When asked his thoughts on the upcoming season, he commented, “I believe we have a solid group of veterans returning next year and a tremendous amount of talent on this team. I am very confident in our chances this upcoming fall.”

The East-West rivalry will continue in 2018 once again at Laval University. But for now, the Gaels will continue to prepare for their 2017 campaign that begins August 26, against the Carleton Ravens at Richardson Stadium.

New generation of Queen’s sailors travel to compete at MAISA Championships M ikel G ega Contributor When the ice breaks over Lake Ontario, it signals the start of a new sailing season.

Earlier in May, the Queen’s Gaels sailing team sent four rookies across the border to Ithaca, New York for the America Trophy Regatta — called the MAISA Conference Championships — hosted by Cornell University.

Matti Muru and Max Willms sailed in fleet A, while Michael Montagnese and Iain Doran-DesBrisay sailed in fleet B. Having previously competed against several of their opponents earlier in the year, the Gaels knew they were going up against stiff competition prior to the championship.

“Since most of the people that attended this event had also gone to the Fall MAISA Championship (WAR Memorial), we knew that the other teams were skilled sailors that consisted mainly of third years and fourth years,” said second-year Michael Montagnese.

The weekend started off on Saturday with light but consistent winds coming from the North. In fleet A, Muru and Willms ended the day in fifth place after 16 races, with Queen’s overall ending the day 18th overall.

The Gaels were ready for a strong showing on Sunday, as they were met with similar winds that they experienced the day before.

Each fleet managed to finish two races before the wind died out and postponed the following races. At around two o’clock in the afternoon the next day, the wind picked up steam and reached speeds of up to 15 knots while flipping directions. Both fleets took to the water again for five more races but were cut off after

The group of sailors sent to the MAISA Championship.

just two hours.

Montagnese noted that the results on paper didn’t accurately demonstrate the team’s capabilities. “The results don’t show it but we did better than we did at WAR, and we learned a lot.”

Muru and Willms showed lots of potential with a second-place finish on the first day but struggled to find consistency throughout the weekend. Montagnese and Doran-DesBrisay also showed their skill, consistently finishing around the 14th position. While Queen’s reached as high as 17th on the leaderboard, they finished 18th overall at the end of the weekend.

“The results don’t show it but we did better than we did at WAR, and we learned a lot.”

—Michael Montagnese

This was still a monumental moment in the history of Queen’s sailing, as this was Queen’s first time qualifying for the MAISA Conference Championships in over a decade.

This was a major learning experience for this rookie-heavy team, who demonstrated that the future of Queen’s sailing seems bright.

“For the future, we realized as a team we have a lot of growth,” said Montagnese, reiterating the team’s youth and future ahead in the next couple of years. The youngsters are following in the footsteps of alumni that have recently competed on the international level — a point they aspire to reach during their time at Queen’s.

For now, the Gaels have their sights set on progressing in the extremely competitive American circuit.

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S ATHLETICS.

Sports

14 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

WOMEN`S HOCKEY

Wakefield taking one last shot at glory Women’s hockey captain returning for fifth season with high hopes

J oshua F inkelstein Staff Writer Jess Wakefield has known for a while that this past season, her fourth with the women’s hockey team, wouldn’t be her last. Taking advantage of the U Sports rule that allows athletes to continue competing during a fifth year of school, she will be returning to captain a Gaels squad that finished sixth in the country at the national championships in March.

For Wakefield, deciding to return was an easy decision.

She noted that by second year, it was already on her mind. She organized her schedule accordingly andnow,alongwithafewotherlongserving players that debuted in the 2013-2014 season, she will be trying to win the OUA Championships for the first time in their careers.

Discussing the play of the team throughout her career and any changes that may be expected for her final season, Wakefield mentioned that every year the team begins with the same common mindset. It is important that the team agrees on “what we stand for and how we expect our season to go,” Wakefield said. “Each year we are pushing to get better.”

Because of the high expectations the team sets out, players don’t

Jessica Wakefield is going into her fifth year at Queen’s.

often struggle to buy into the team’s mentality and competitive nature.

This could even be seen over the summer, with the forward speaking to The Journal after having just finished a team lifting session, still more than three months removed from the start of the season.

RECRUITING

Wakefield also noted that hosting the U Sports National Championships in the spring gave the team some added motivation to play their hardest. This is not something she believes will slow down for the team, with most of her teammates now having

Queen’s recruitment goes to great lengths to recruit star athletes

SUPPLIED BY JESSICA WAKEFIELD

experienced the intensity of playing at the highest level.

A particular aspect of the game that Wakefield would like to see improve is the team’s power play.

She mentioned how it was a strong part of their game during the playoffs after struggling throughout the season. This mirrored the course of their 2016-2017 campaign, with the team only finding top form after the

December break.

Wakefield acknowledged that perseverance became an important characteristic shared by everyone on the team. She hopes that this trait holds true throughout the upcoming year, as the road to a successful season often has its bumps and stops along the way.

The OUA playoffs will always be a part of Wakefield’s career at Queen’s. When she began back in 2013, she recorded six goals and five assists on the way to the OUA Finals. Unfortunately for Wakefield and the eight rookies she played alongside — most of whom are returning — they were beat

by Laurier.

The experience of adjusting to the team with many other new faces could have been a challenge that would be reflected on the ice and in the standings. However, Wakefield noted that players “come in, and [are] immediately part of a team.” Now, after being named captain for a second consecutive year, she makes it a priority to show the same support for any new players.

Without the automatic host entry which they had last year, the only way for the Gaels to qualify for the national championships would be to win the OUA championships.

Wakefield, as one would expect, was defiant in stating her goals. “We want to prove we deserve to be on the national stage,” she said.

“It would be pretty special to make it back.”

Gaels go above and beyond for the best M att S cace Assistant Sports Editor In the United States, the way colleges approach athlete recruitment is a lucrative business.

After years with their eyes on young talent, recruitment offices spend inordinate amounts of time and money in order to attract what they hope to be the next best thing.

If all goes well, a full scholarship and the chance to play with America’s best is handed to the athlete. It’s no small deal.

Things are a little different in Canada when it comes to recruiting athletes, and Queen’s is no exception.

“Academics is the most important factor for most students, including student athletes, in their decision to attend Queen’s,” Alex Dominato said in an interview with The Journal. Dominato is the recruitment coordinator at Queens. He oversees all the inner-workings of recruitment at the school.

Dominato explained that there

are significant differences between how Canadian and American schools can recruit. He described that this often boils down to the amount of money a school can give to its athletes.

While American schools can offer full athletic scholarships, Canadian universities like Queen’s can’t. To combat this and remain competitive on the recruiting market, other attempts are made to offset the cost of school, such as providing athletes with on-campus jobs.

The size of the financial assistance given, otherwise known as Athletic Financial Awards (AFAs) is determined by the amount of funds that Queen’s has. This is extremely important to Queen’s ability to attract student-athletes.

“Athletics and Recreation and the Office of Advancement work collaboratively to grow the AFA fund so we can provide more assistance to student-athletes, which may influence their decision,” Dominato said.

Keeping these funds at a level

that will be able to appeal to the athletes is critical in Queen’s efforts to get the student-athletes to commit. Not only does it give them a chance to play their sport at a high level, it has a snowball effect on the ability to grant more valuable AFAs. In the business of sports, the magic formula of profit for organizations is largely predicated The ARC is one of the main recruiting tools for Queen’s. JOURNAL FILE PHOTO on athletic success. It’s simple: the better a team plays, the more With a tremendous history of get to enjoy, which has fed Queen’s revenue the team will generate. It success, Queen’s has been able to consistent levels of positive results can also have a negative impact to enhance many critical factors that over the years. an organization because a slip in students consider when choosing to “Queen’s uses its tremendous success can cause drastic changes play a sport for a specific university academics, people and facilities to in profit. such as recreational facilities. It’s an help attract all students, including Queen’s also uses one of its appeal that not many other schools student-athletes,” Dominato said. best features in order to appeal to potential athletes — the ARC. “They enhance the overall student experience for everyone,” Dominato said. It’s arguable that many universities have recently updated their athletic facilities, as athletes often have a tendency to choose schools that have the best resources for their needs.

Get the best of The Journal to your email at queensjournal.ca/subscribe

Friday, October 16, 2015

queensjournal.ca

Lifestyle

A debate over the effects of 2017’s most controversial show S hivani G onzalez D udas Journal Staff

and

• 15

A bbey

Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why adapted from the book of the same title by Jay Asher has been making waves since it first came out as a thirteen-episode series for Netflix on March 31, 2017.

The show focuses on the story of Hannah Baker, a 10th grader who takes her own life.

Her story is told through the main character Clay Jensen, as he listens to the 13 tapes she left behind that feature one for each of the people she blames for her death.

The show has been applauded by some as a platform to open up the conversation about mental health but has raised concerns for teachers, administrators and psychologists, worried about the message the show is going to send kids who don’t fully understand the concepts being portrayed.

Clay Jensen and Hannah Baker.

POP CULTURE

Point counter point: Is 13 Reasons Why worth the risk?

For: 13 Reasons Why is the Push We Need to Increase Mental Health Resources

Depression, suicide and rape are all things that are alluded to in popular culture and television, but 13 Reasons Why is the first show to tackle these issues head on and that’s where it’s strength comes from.

It’s apparent when watching the show that the directors, actors and producers put a strong emphasis on making sure the issues tackled were shown and reacted to in earnest. Scenes that range from the painfully uncomfortable scenes of Bryce raping both Jessica and Hannah and the traumatic-to-watch scene of Hannah’s actual suicide give viewers a real-life depiction and more importantly, an understanding of what people like Hannah go through. All of these scenes were devastating to watch, but they were successful in portraying extremely lifelike realities and problems that teens and young adults face. It’s not pretty, but it’s real.

While mental health awareness and resources are growing year by year, suicide is still a very taboo topic. A show like this forces its watchers to critically analyze and understand the inner workings of young teens like Hannah who are going through these same things. That, in and of itself, will always be an asset in the world we live in today.

Although they were introduced a month after the show’s release, Netflix added

TV

QJ staff Bachelorette picks

Who we think is most likely to win Rachel’s heart J ournal S taff While usually people have a case of the Monday blues, the return of The Bachelorette on TV signifies magic, hilarity and a good excuse to pretend to believe in love once again.

This year is no different than others, with 31 men pulling out all the stops to impress Rachel Lindsay who, let’s be real, is too good for any of these men.

Here at The Journal we are pretty invested in this show so without further ado, here’s The Journal staff’s top three picks of the men we think will go furthest to win our girl Rachel’s heart.

warnings to the show which highlight a hot-line for viewers affected by the story to call. While I can agree that they should have been there right from the beginning, the important thing is that the warnings are there at all. Even though it could seem like a small addition, any little thing helps, and they could be the sign that helps someone struggling to get help.

More understanding for the mental health needs of teenagers is what is going to help save the lives of people like Hannah Baker. Hannah was showing signs of needing help but because of the lack of training and understanding of her peers and her teachers, she did not get the help she needed. Opening people’s eyes to this problem is what can help make sure that those struggling get the help they need.

There’s no doubt that 13 Reasons Why is difficult to watch — the material covered is heartbreaking and potentially relatable to a lot of people — but when is the last time this many people were talking on such a big platform about mental health?

Towns and schools around North America are hosting forums to have a safe space to discuss mental health and suicide and that is something incredible. 13 Reasons Why could be responsible for the push that is extremely needed to have teachers, students and parents understand the dire need for more mental health resources.

—

Shivani Gonzalez, Lifestyle Editor

Bryan, Chiropractor, 37

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t love a Colombian hottie who can speak Spanish as smoothly as he can apply hair gel. Rachel evidently feels the same way about Brian, because he received her first impression rose as well as her first kiss of the season — which was very spicy, by the way. Bryan is probably going to go far this season considering the history of several first impression rose candidates (Rachel herself last season, Jordan Rogers, Shawn Boothe and Catherine Lowe). Looking at the facts and the statistics we have in front of us, The Journal staff is putting Bryan at the top of our list.

PHOTO VIA COSMOPOLITAN

Against: 13 Reasons Why Not Suicide is a difficult topic to discuss in any setting, let alone on a TV show whose audience is mainly impressionable teenagers.

While I do believe that 13 Reasons Why certainly initiates the discussion of suicide, the show itself didn’t focus enough on other important topics like depression and mental health as well as it should have.

While bullying and the actions of Hannah’s peers are a strong contributing factor in her decision, we can’t forget that depression and mental health are also very prominent.

That needs to be considered and taken into account when discussing suicide and there was very little consideration of actual mental health.

Throughout the course of the show, Hannah Baker blames 13 of her peers for her suicide, projecting that responsibility and fault onto them. Yes, some of them did terrible things that could have accelerated or caused her initial thoughts of suicide, but at the end of the day, Hannah was the only one with control over her suicide and the responsibility was her own.

For people who are already having suicidal thoughts, this show sends the misguided message that suicide is an option that allows you to “get back” at the people who wronged you, and that you can continue to live on through your revenge. It can also be perceived as a “how-to guide”, which can be dangerous because suicide portrayals in the media can

PHOTO VIA COSMOPOLITAN

Kenny, Professional Wrestler, 35

From his first introduction video, it’s obvious that Kenny is a sweetheart. He is a professional wrestler and also a dad to a ten year-old girl who he seems crazy about.

Considering the long list of weirdos who stepped out of the limo on night one, Kenny actually seems very sweet and we think that he can treat Rachel well. We didn’t get to know Kenny that well on night one, but we have high hopes for him in the future.

SCREENGRAB FROM NETFLIX

sometimes have a copycat effect. With suicide being the second-highest cause of death for children and young adults aged 10-24, is copycat suicide a risk we are willing to take?

Ultimately, the show is a romanticization of suicide.

Along with romanticization of suicide and risk of copycats, the biggest problem with this show is that it doesn’t truly teach people how to help those who are struggling with their mental health. The message delivered by the show is that you never know what someone else is going through so you should treat your peers with respect and kindness — an important message to focus on — but what do you actually do to help a friend who is showing signs of depression or suicidal thoughts? The show gives the warning signs of what to look out for but doesn’t offer ways to actually help your friends and peers, which is something that needs to be included in a show dealing directly with suicide.

Suicide is something that should be discussed and as a society we should be more open to talking about it. However, creating a show for teenagers about suicide is a tricky thing to do, and it needs to be done right to effectively communicate messages without glamorizing suicide. Unfortunately, for me, 13 Reasons Why doesn’t do a good enough job to be worth the risk of potential negative outcomes.

-- Abbey Dudas, Contributor

Lucas, “Whaboom”, 30

Or better known as Whaboom because of his aggressive catchphrase that he also had printed on his t-shirt. What can we say? The Journal staff loves an underdog, and there always has to be a dramatic guy who stirs things up. On night one the guy who came in with an entire marching band, Blake E., took it upon himself to confront Whaboom for “not being there for the right reasons” and we are sure that, with Whaboom hanging around, tension will continue to rise. And what is The Bachelorette without tension? If we are being honest with ourselves, Whaboom is on this list because we know the producers are going to keep him around for at least a couple weeks, so we might as well get one step closer to accepting it.

PHOTO VIA COSMOPOLITAN

LIFESTYLE

16 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

MUSIC STREAMING

Battle of the streaming bands: Spotify vs Apple Music

A thorough comparison of the two best music streamers — no offense, Tidal

GRAPHIC BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

Spotify and Apple Music logos.

J osh G ranovsky Assistant Lifestyle Editor Everyone knows that to have a picture-perfect, movie-magic kind of summer, you need the perfect summer sound-track. But that picture-perfect moment can be gone in a second if you spend it arguing with your friends over who is going to stream the music.

Fortunately, there are numerous music streaming services ready to blast the playlist of your choice at the tap of a screen. Unfortunately, there are so many seemingly similar services that picking just one can add unneeded stress to

your days off. To make it easier for you, I’ve tested the two most popular streamers, Spotify Premium and Apple Music (sorry, Tidal), on a few fundamental categories to see which one is worthiest of your precious time and wallet.

Music discovery

One of the main draws of streaming is the different ways to find new music. Both Spotify and Apple Music use algorithms to come up with a weekly playlist of music it thinks you would like based on your listening habits.

POLITICS

As well, both can fine-tune your musical taste based on your “liking” and “disliking” of songs. Although Apple Music features a vast range of playlists and radio stations for each genre, Spotify’s range of playlists is one of epic proportions.

Spotify features playlists for every mood, sub-mood and sub-submood on the face of the earth, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for no matter what you’re feeling.

WINNER: Spotify Ease

The last thing you want is to be fumbling around trying to get the perfect song when in the moment, so ease is an important part of judging streaming apps. Apple Music largely benefits from its integration with iTunes, a program that Apple has spent decades perfecting. As a result, Apple Music proves to be a welcome addition to the Music app on your iPhone and the iTunes app on your computer.

Spotify’s interface isn’t necessarily complicated — in fact, it’s exceptionally clean and well — spaced. Maybe it’s because

I’ve relied on iTunes since the sixth grade, but Spotify’s new set of lingo and sections seemed slightly more difficult to navigate in comparison.

WINNER: Apple Music Catalogue Variety

This one is a clear choice.

Another bonus from Apple Music’s iTunes partnership is that it taps into their entire library — basically every song available for purchase.

Though Spotify doesn’t miss out on anything too major, there are a few artists whose absences can be felt.

You unfortunately won’t find any of the full anthologies of Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Garth Brooks, Beyoncé’s Lemonade or, most importantly, the High School Musical soundtrack.

Apple Music is known for having artists release their albums onto the service exclusively for a period, such as Frank Ocean did with Blonde and Chance the Rapper with Coloring Book.

WINNER: Apple Music Price

Spotify Premium and Apple Music both offer student plans for

$4.99 a month, and family plans for $14.99 a month. However, Spotify edges the competition in this category because they also offer a completely free version, albeit with some restrictions and vibe-shattering ads. Even so, if you don’t have room in your budget to spend on a service, the free version beats nothing.

WINNER: Spotify Final Verdict

Well, it would appear we have a tie. Or do we? I mean, we definitely do, but the best advice I could give you would be to prioritize what you want in a service. If your main priority is finding a seamless companion to your established iTunes library, or listening to some high-profile artists before the public, go with Apple Music.

If your goal is to discover new music, or listen to whatever you want for free, Spotify is the more suitable option.

Overall, you can take comfort in knowing that no matter which one you choose, you won’t likely be disappointed.

An update on Trump’s first 100 days in office From Comey’s firing to Trumpcare

Z eir Z hou Contributor With Trump’s presidency hitting 150 days in office in the next couple weeks, it’s time to check and see what he has been up to since the beginning of the summer.

Firing of FBI Director James Comey

On May 9th, President Donald Trump announced the firing of James B. Comey Jr., the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The President allegedly considered the advice of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who wrote a memorandum recommending Comey’s dismissal, as he expressed concern for his role and mishandling in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State.

Comey’s firing occurred hours after he sent a two-page letter to Congress correcting his prior sworn testimony about “hundreds of thousands” of emails that top Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, had forwarded to her ex-husband.

Anthony Wiener’s laptop. In reality, according to Comey’s letter, he stated that only “a small number” of the thousands of emails found on the laptop were forwarded and the

others were accidently backed up from Abedin’s electronic devices.

The Trump administration, especially top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, have been sticking by the reason for dismissal as being a loss of confidence in the FBI. However, speculation has shown that Comey’s sudden removal from office is actually linked to his involvement in leading a criminal investigation into whether Trump’s advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the results of the 2016 presidential election.

According to multiple reports, Comey had requested additional funding and resources to pursue this project just days before he was fired.

In a signed letter released by the White House, Trump informed Comey that he was “not able to effectively lead the bureau,” and “hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately.”

While Andrew McCabe currently serves as the acting FBI Director, it’s been noted that the search for a new and permanent FBI Director will begin promptly.

Shortly following the letter of termination, Trump in an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt commented that “I was going to fire Comey – my decision. There is no good time to do it, by the way.

I was going to fire regardless of

President Donald Trump’s Inauguration

recommendation.”

This comment went directly against the reasoning that the Trump administration had been using to defend Trump’s decision and lead to further speculation and controversy over whether Trump fired Comey to avoid the outcome of the Russia investigation.

Trumpcare in the House

Donald Trump believes that the Affordable Care Act is the root of rising health care costs and less accessibility to care in the United States. The President repeatedly made it clear early on in his campaign that he intended to repeal and replace Obamacare with “something terrific.”

The American Health Care Act wouldn’t require all Americans to purchase health insurance, and would cut taxes for the wealthy.

It plans to reduce federal funding for Medicaid expansion, providing less insurance for the low-income earners. Those who oppose the bill claim that it will result in millions of Americans without health insurance, and their premiums will increase if they have a pre-existing condition.

Some of the 50 pre-existing conditions listed in the American Health Care Act include AIDS/ HIV, anorexia, cancer, lupus, mental disorders (including anxiety, depression, bipolar, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia), paralysis, pending surgery or hospitalization, pregnancy or expecting parents (including men), and transsexualism, to name a few.

Other pre-existing conditions that could raise premium costs include acne, c-sections, celiac disease, lyme disease, post partum depression, migraines and ulcers.

Six weeks following an initial planned vote at the end of March which was cancelled due to lack of support. On May 4th, the House passed Trump’s new healthcare bill by a close margin of 217 to 213 votes. No Democrats voted for the bill, and it has since moved to the US Senate for review.

What comes next remains uncertain, but if the Senate passes the bill, the plan will return to the House for further negotiation and modification.

Meanwhile in Canada

PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA

There’s no doubt that Donald Trump’s presidency heavily impacts Canada, regarding major issues that include immigration and the economy.

Since Trump’s first proposed ban of people entering from seven Muslim majority countries, there’s been an increased interest of international students applying to Canadian universities. At Queen’s, acceptances by international students increased by 40 percent.

The increase of international applicants could be due in part to many Canadian university’s response by waiving application fees and extending application deadlines to international students to give the option of coming to Canada instead.

“Canada’s values are those of inclusion, diversity and multiculturalism, and Canadian universities share those values,” Principal Daniel Woolf said following Trump’s first proposed ban.

In the midst of America’s political uncertainty, Canada continues to stand as a nation of hope and opportunity, welcoming people from all walks of life, all around the world.

LIFESTYLE

Monday, May 29, 2017

queensjournal.ca

• 17

LIFE HACKS

How to go to the gym and not be afraid of scary gym people A few tips on overcoming your gym fears

Josh prepares for his first visit to the ARC.

J osh G ranovsky Assistant Lifestyle Editor One of my goals when I came to Queen’s was to get in better shape. I knew, going into it, that this was going be difficult to achieve, but what I didn’t know was that the most difficult part of my journey would simply be making it to the gym.

On my first trip to the ARC, I found myself surrounded by gigantic and massively ripped peers who may as well have been the face — or should I say body — of intense, constant gym activity. To say I was intimidated would be an understatement — I was terrified.

Luckily, after a full year of making up excuses and avoiding the squat rack at all costs, I have picked up a couple tricks on how to avoid feeling overpowered by the muscle that constantly inhabits the ARC.

1. Plan your workout beforehand The best way to combat the feeling of being unqualified is to prepare. Do a bit of planning before to know exactly what exercises you will be doing when you get there. You will be more confident in your actions if you know what you’re doing, or at least look like you know — fake it til’ you make it, am I right? You can find plenty of workouts online, or by asking friends, or consulting a trainer.

2. Get a good playlist to tune out the haters Nothing can take your mind off the pressures of the gym like good music.

Find yourself a solid pump-up playlist from the multitude of streaming services and sites online and allow music’s transformative powers to distract you from the surrounding Sports Illustrated photo-shoot vibe.

TRAVEL

How to get the best deals on Airbnb

The do’s and don’ts of a travelling student’s best friend

3. Find or join a squad of fellow gym newbies A fun fact that may often escape you at the gym is that not every one there is some sort of Hercules Crossfit champion. A large percentage of gym-goers are in the exact same predicament as you. If you’re feeling uncomfortable around those who go a lot, try linking up with people you do feel comfortable with so you can get back to focusing on the workout.

4. Ask a professional for help This group of people didn’t get to their large stature on their own. Proper use of equipment and form are essential to getting in better shape, and they are full of workout tips that can aid your workout experience. Usually they are more than willing to help anyone who asks, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out, there even if they are more fit than you.

checkmark that says “Verified” on the property’s page. This small green sticker ensures that it’s not a scam — the host is a real person that has submitted government ID as a reference.

Reviews It’s best to pick a property that has been reviewed by at least 30 people — because let’s be real, no one has 30 friends to lie for them online.

Reviews can be long and boring to read so it’s important to know what to look for.

Focus on elements such as cleanliness, host reliability, and location.

Host A host can end up playing a bigger role than you think. Their local knowledge can be an outstanding addition to your adventure. They can give you the best advice on food, drinks and transportation, and also help you distinguish the must-sees from the must-skips.

Location

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

E va S tein Contributor

Do you want to travel the world but your bank account is telling you it’s not in your budget to stay in the Paris Ritz-Carlton?

No worries. With Airbnb, you can achieve your dream of travelling the world without bankrupting yourself.

Like with anything else in life, it’s important to know the best tips and tricks

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA

to make sure you have the best — and safest time — possible.

Having stayed in nine Airbnbs across five countries, I’ve picked up a few tricks to successfully select the best Airbnb and make the most of the experience.

Verification

Let’s start with the basics — safety. To ensure you are not willingly entering a murderer’s lair, keep an eye out for a green

Let’s be real, Airbnbs are all about location.

The best Airbnb I stayed in when backpacking this summer was in Rome.

We stepped out of our front door and the Colosseum was visible directly to our right, a 3-minute walk away.

It will often be more expensive to stay in the city’s centre, but you will save a lot by not having to take transportation to get around. In European cities in particular, most destinations are reachable using the metro (a.k.a. the subway for you North American folk) and/or by walking.

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

5. Read up on the “imaginary audience” The most important (and debateably the only) concept I learned in my PSYC100 course this year was the imaginary audience. The imaginary audience refers to how one will believe that many people are intensely watching and listening to them in public, when the other people are actually just minding their own business or thinking the same thing about you. If you begin to get overwhelmed, try to reassure yourself that most of the judgment you feel is in your head.

6. Carve out your own space Sometimes, the best way to avoid feelings of intimidation is to literally avoid the source of those feelings. If you begin to find said feelings unbearable, hop on over to a less-populated area of the gym. My personal favourites are the very back of the stretching room on level 1 or the stretching room at the back of Cardio Zone 1 (level 2 side with the bikes).

The best way to ensure that you stay in a prime location is by taking the time to do some background research before booking an Airbnb. Look into where the main attractions are and then decide what you’d like to be closest to. The best websites for this kind of information are Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and Timeout, which have yet to fail me on details and advice on the best sights, food, etc.

Respect

Using Airbnb is a two-way street: you review the host, and the host reviews you.

A bad review on your profile can kill your future chances of staying in lovely places.

Unless you want a Simon Cowell-esque review, treat the Airbnb nicer than you’d treat your own home, because you have to remember: it’s not yours, it’s someone else’s.

Clean up before you leave. Do the dishes, make the beds, and perhaps leave a “Thank You” note. Make sure to check if there are additional jobs that the host has requested; often they ask you to take out the trash. Don’t be loud after 10pm, as most Airbnbs are in residential areas and you don’t want to disrupt your host’s neighbours.

If you leave your Airbnb just as nice or nicer than when you entered it, you’ll be sure to receive a glowing Paula Abdul-ian review from your host.

With these handy tips in mind, get ready to travel the world like a pro, with the assurance that you will have a comfy bed and a roof over your head to come home to after a long day of sightseeing.

LIFESTYLE

18 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 29, 2017

PHOTOS BY MEG GLOVER

POSTSCRIPT

“Never Ending Peace and Love” A trip of a lifetime to Nepal changes my worldview

M eg G lover Managing Editor

When I first set out to solidify my travel itinerary for the month of May, Nepal was not even in the top 10 on my list of hopeful destinations.

I had always dreamed of the seemingly typical places in Asia like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and more, but never of this little place secretly squished between India and China. Maybe it’s because my knowledge of the country was little to none — I only knew it was home to the famous Mount Everest.

With no desire to freeze and perish 8,000m above civilization, Nepal had been ruled out.

However, my travel partner Dave had other ideas, placing the country at the top of his own list.

After being thoroughly convinced by him to change my mind and slightly reassured by a quick Google Images search, Dave and I booked two one-way tickets out to Nepal’s booming capital Kathmandu, and set off on an adventure of the truly unknown.

Once we arrived and took our first steps outside the Kathmandu airport, we were immediately swarmed by crowds of locals and persistent salesmen. Captivated by the light shades of our hair and skin, they did everything in their power to bargain, bribe and barter for various things we didn’t want or need to no avail.

Leaving the air-conditioned privacy of the airplane to the heat and havoc of the city was seriously overwhelming. Although I was excited to begin our adventure, I felt an uneasiness rise within me. I’ve lived outside of Canada before — albeit in England — but everything that followed was completely foreign to me.

After having a taxi forced upon us for a “special price” — despite our insistence on walking — we drove through the streets of Nepal desiring the safety of our hostel.

Along the way, the view from the cab window was a mix of both rural and urban. While motorcycles roared by us on the narrow streets

of Kathmandu, the sights of cows, goats, and stray dogs were probably the last thing I was expecting to see.

Along the way, there were crowds of people that packed the market stalls, covering their mouths with surgical masks. The city boomed with the continuous drone of car horns and clouds of dust and pollution created a visible smog in the air.

I might not have realized it then, but once I stepped out of the cab and actually onto the street I saw that there’s a beauty to the chaos of Nepal, and specifically to the people that live within it.

Being one of the poorest countries in the world, it became familiar for us to witness those facing the trials of poverty. Over our time exploring Nepal, we grew accustomed to seeing locals bathing publicly on the streets from buckets of water, treading barefoot in the garbage that littered the streets, or sifting through the remaining debris of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in search of salable materials.

I can’t word it any other way — life is extremely hard in Nepal. Yet despite the prevalence of such a hand-to-mouth existence I can safely say that it is one of the happiest places I have ever been. The people seem to adapt to or at least patiently endure the systematic chaos of the city. If you are lucky enough to travel there, the result is a humbling experience that seriously highlighted the absurdity of our own first-world “problems”. ***

The story that truly shows the profound hospitality and kindness of the Nepali people happened just a week into our trip in a smaller part of the country called Sidhing. Dave and I had just finished a strenuous 5-day trek called ‘Mardi Himal’ and were planning on spending the night in Sidhing before heading back to our hostel in the city of Pokhara.

Despite the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains from so high up, the descent was not so pretty. By hour five of the steep downhill decline, we were starting

to get irritated by the heat and the pain in our knees.

Finally arriving in Sidhing, we rejoined with a group of fellow trekkers we had met a few nights before and got a bedroom set up for us in the same place they were staying for the night.

On a trek like Mardi Himal, the places to stay on the mountains are limited and extremely modest.

Despite that, all of the stops we had made over the past week for meals had so far included some kind of dining area as well as a menu, trying to accomplish a restaurant feel.

Flopping onto the bed once in the room, there was a knock on the door from a local woman and her son inviting us to come have dinner.

The woman who came to the door led us past the guest houses and into a small cellar room where we found our fellow hikers, sitting cross legged on individual carpets on the dirt floor.

Slightly confused, Dave and I took our places on the remaining two rugs and began to play catch-up to the reason why we had not been led to a dining room or given menus.

The reality was that this was actually the dining room. We realized that we had been invited to dinner in her home with her family. Our host spoke little English, but in seeing myself and the other three large cross-legged men shifting uncomfortably in the tiny spaces afforded to us, she and her son apologized for the size of their home and promised a warm meal to make up for it.

In such a tiny concrete space — with flies covering the walls like wallpaper — the woman passed around plates and piled them up with food while leaving her own plate empty. We encouraged her to join us for the meal, but she insisted on serving her guests and her son before herself. With so little to give, this woman and her son were completely happy to invite us into their home and offer what they could to make us feel welcome.

Once we had finished, our host finally served herself dinner. She explained to us in broken English a

Nepali saying that she lived their life by. The verse “Atithi Devo Bhava” from ancient Hindu scripture translates into “the guests are like the Gods”, and it truly explains the Nepali hospitality.

Once explained, it became clear where the priorities of our host lay, not valuing materialistic wealth, but people and love. When she left the room to put her son to bed, the four of us sat on our individual rugs on the floor and took a moment to appreciate the night we shared together, forced to recognize our own privilege. Just a few hours before, Dave and I were moaning about our sore knees, and now we had watched this woman create a feast out of nothing, kneeling on the dirt surrounded by mosquitos, with a beaming smile on her face.

In that moment, we realized how much we take for granted in our own everyday lives and how simple it can be to have compassion.

I have witnessed acts of greed, apathy and hate amongst people who are fortunate enough to lead safe and healthy existences. This family on the other hand — who had little to nothing — was happy to put the needs of their guests, four strangers, ahead of their own.

Our dinner that night reminded us of the importance of community and benevolence. ***

Our dinner in Sidhing was just one of the many times we experienced the warmth of Nepali hospitality. It is truly an amazing experience to understand the beauty of Nepal’s organized chaos.

Although parts of the country are in physical turmoil, the people live in a societal nirvana. Tracing our route back to the airport on our day of departure, my entire attitude towards the city was changed. We passed neighborly men walking hand-in-hand, we smelled the familiar aromas in the air of the traditional Dal Bhat meal and of incense burning from within the market shops, and most of all, we had a changed perspective on life.

Watching the country shrink

from the airplane as we left, I began to reflect on the general outlook of the Nepali people I had met in my few weeks of travel compared to my own previous attitude.

During the past school year, I can recall moments of frustration, stress and anger that are natural for the average university student. While I found them justifiable complaints at the time, I began to dissect where they often originated — stressful assignments, housemates failing to clean their dishes, no more honey garlic wraps at QP —and I felt my face slowly flush with shame at the realization. Although sometimes my moments of anger or stress were reasonable and appropriate reactions, others were entirely groundless, I was healthy, safe, supported, educated — I had no real reason to complain.

The Nepali people, on the other hand, have all the reason in the world to complain — they have little access to food, clean water, education, and dry shelter — and yet choose to be joyful instead.

Being surrounded by such a positive outlook on life helped me to gain perspective of my own fortunate reality.

We are extremely lucky to live in a safe, caring community here at Queen’s with the access to such an incredible education. Although there are times when it can become stressful and taxing, there’s an importance placed by Nepali people on emotional strength, human spirit and love that we must strive to emulate.

From the bottom of my list of hopeful destinations, my return to Nepal in the future has now been placed firmly at the top. The people of Nepal — despite the trials of poverty and the devastating repercussions of the Gorkha Earthquake — still understand the importance of friendship and compassion, and prioritizing love.

The name Nepal has been known to stand for “Never Ending Peace And Love” and, being there for this brief time in May, I can understand why.