The Queen's Journal, Volume 146, Issue 1

EDITORIALS

OPINIONS

ARTS

SPORTS

LIFEST YLE

Provincial voters deserve better than simulated news

Roundtable on the provincial election

Queen’s prof’s novel recounts childhood in occupied Greece

Kwemo goes 18 in the CFL Draft

Wendy Crewson, ’77, discusses role in CTV’s The Detail

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the journal

Queen’s University

Vol. 146, Issue 1

M o n day , M ay 2 8 , 2 0 1 8

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since

1873

Queen’s Athletics will New campus building boasts extra not insure Queen’s athletics facilities Innovation and Bands Cheer Wellness Centre After struggling to find insurance for months, historic cheer team will likely become a spirit squad

Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor

of what we do to really keep us safe,” Stone said. “This is why we went to athletics,” she added.

“I think we fit under the ARC [sports model], however, they will not insure us. We’ve had numerous meetings with them. They said they can’t take on another team because of finances, or because we don’t fit into their model. However, on our end, we’ve agreed to change all of that.”

“We’re financially independent,” she continued.

“We keep ourselves going, and we also said that we’ll change whatever type of structure or organization we have to fit into their model, and they’ve said that despite that, they don’t want to insure us and they won’t see it happening in the future.”

Since Queen’s Bands cheerleaders have been unable to stunt, they have stopped going to most events and all weekly practices.

“We got a lot of negative feedback from the crowds,” Stone said, adding cheerleaders could “just wave, that’s about it.”

According to Stone, there is mounting alumni concern about the absence of Queen’s Bands Cheer at events, and despite the cheer team’s long history on campus, she believes that “Queen’s Bands

In the midst of an ongoing lawsuit, Queen’s University Athletics has chosen not to insure the Queen’s Bands Cheer team.

A historic part of Queen’s football games and national parades, the Queen’s Bands Cheer team has been unable to stunt for months.

Meanwhile, in a notice sent to Queen’s Bands Cheer on Dec. 5, 2017, the AMS stated that to maintain coverage under AMS insurance, “Queen’s Bands may no longer have cheerleaders perform lifts, throws, pyramids, etcetera,” and that “all cheerleading members must keep one foot on the ground at all times during training, performing, or any other event.”

The notice also stated that these new limitations were applied to Queen’s Bands as an AMS ratified club, and as a “result of a review of risk associated with the cheerleader portion” of Queen’s Bands.

Amanda Stone, ArtSci ‘18, has been on the Queen’s Bands Cheer team since 2015, and was captain of the cheer team in 2017-18.

According to Stone, Queen’s Bands Cheer has “always been insured by the AMS, and they’ve always turned a blind eye” to the high risks associated with stunting.

“Their reason for pulling our insurance was because they don’t feel comfortable that they know enough about athletics and the nature SUPPLIED BY JEFF CHAN queensjournal.ca

See Bands on page 5

@queensjournal

set to open fall 2018

Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor After closing in 2016 for a renovation overhaul, the Physical Education Centre (PEC) is making a comeback—and with a new name.

The Innovation and Wellness Centre (IWC)—built on the foundation of the PEC and set

to open this coming fall—will be an innovation hub where academic and wellness spaces intersect. It will boast the new Student Wellness Centre, interdisciplinary labs for students and space for exams.

The centre will also include three athletic facilities which are slated to be completed and open to students by January 2019.

The gymnasia will be referred to as the “ARC South” and will be connected—and accessible— to the current ARC by way of an underground tunnel.

The “ARC South” will revitalize two of the previous

The IWC under construction.

PEC gymnasiums and add a third which will include a 4,000 square foot weight room, a 35 metre turf area for conditioning and development and a medicine ball power development wall.

The high-performance training centre will also have an active staircase, universal change rooms, and support offices for student athletes.

Additional recreation space in the IWC will reduce the pressure placed on the ARC by meeting the increasing demand for more space available to students.

See Expansion on page 13

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Former senior fellow sues Queen’s over faculty appointment Dr. Grzegorz Korpanty seeks $924,000 from University Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor In an ongoing lawsuit, a former senior fellow at the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) is suing Queen’s for an alleged breach of contract, according to court fillings obtained by The Journal.

The plaintiff, Dr. Grzegorz Korpanty, is seeking $924,000 over the university allegedly reneging on his appointment to the position of Senior Investigator at the CCTG. On top of the position, he would have also become an assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at a salary of $240,000 @queensjournal

per year.

According to the university’s statement of defence, Queen’s denies a breach of contract and that Korpanty is entitled to compensation.

After responding to a 2014 “national and international recruitment process” to fill the role of Senior Investigator at the CCTG, Korpanty underwent a lengthy interview process. He was chosen for the role on Jan. 16, 2015.

At the time, Korpanty received a letter from Queen’s outlining “various terms and conditions” of his appointment. Because he was not a Canadian citizen at the time, Queen’s proposed a start date of July 1, 2015 to allow time for Korpanty to acquire the necessary documentation.

On May 13, 2015, Queen’s formally offered Korpanty the position of Senior Investigator.

In the university’s statement of defence, it claimed the offer to @queensjournal

appoint Korpanty expired after the July 1 state date. In his claim, Korpanty denied the offer ever expired.

To accept this original appointment and practice medicine in Ontario, he had to obtain a work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and a Certificate of Registration from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

After Korpanty’s anticipated start date of July 1, months went by before he was able to receive either certification. In the interim, Korpanty accepted an offer from the CCTG to commence work as a senior fellow.

Korpanty didn’t obtain the necessary work permit for the appointment until Oct. 28, 2015 and didn’t secure the required CPSO certification until Jan. 28, 2016.

See Korpanty on page 5

@thequeensjournal

News

Monday, May 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca • 5

Former senior fellow says offer never expired Continued from front Korpanty asserted that after fulfilling the two conditions for his appointments set out in the original offer from Queen’s, he expected to be able to enter the positions.

However, only days before receiving his CPSO certification on Jan. 28, Korpanty claimed his supervisors informed him for the first time of deficiencies in his performance as a senior fellow. He was also told that his appointments as senior investigator and assistant professor were in jeopardy if he didn’t improve.

According to his claim, Korpanty was “shocked by the sudden sharp criticism of his performance when he had not previously received any

said that Korpanty’s performance issues “exposed clinical trial patients to serious safety risks.”

On April 21, 2016, Korpanty was told his performance still fell below Queen’s expectations.

He learned the CCTG wouldn’t support his re-appointment to the position of senior investigator.

After reviewing the terms of the original offer, Korpanty sent a letter to Queen’s saying he’d fulfilled the two conditions of the offer and that he wished to discuss how his appointments would Queen’s Bands Cheer stunting. be implemented.

In May 2016, Queen’s Executive Vice-Dean, Dr. Iain Young, sent a letter to Korpanty advising him of the University’s position. Young told Korpanty that because he hadn’t met the conditions of the

Athletics ‘completely unwilling’ to make exceptions

Continued from front CCTG in Botterall Hall.

feedback that he was not meeting Queen’s expectations.”

In response, Queen’s said he’d received critical feedback before the Jan. 28 meeting. According to the University’s statement of defence, supervisors began meeting with Korpanty regularly only three months into his role as senior fellow to “discuss errors he made.”

“These were informal mentorship meetings, during which Dr. Korpanty was given specific examples of his performance issues in the areas of medical safety review, data quality review, protocol development, and trial oversight,” the statement read.

Queen’s claimed that by Jan. 22, 2016 Korpanty “failed to improve” despite regular feedback. In its statement, the University also

SUPPLIED BY JEFF CHAN

PHOTO BY IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

offer by its July 1, 2015 deadline, the appointments would require a new offer.

“On the basis of the receipt of unanticipated, but critically important new information regarding your suitability for the Senior Investigator position, I have decided not to recommend that you be offered an appointment,” Young wrote.

According to Korpanty’s statement of claim, there was “no condition” in the agreement between himself and the university which stated the conditions needed to be met by July 1.

In the University’s statement of defence, Queen’s claimed the offer letter “did not provide unlimited time” to meet the conditions.

The case will continue in Toronto courts.

Cheer as we know it is definitely not there anymore,” and “ will turn into, at the very most with these conditions in place, a spirit squad.”

In an interview with The Journal, Munro Watters, the current AMS Vice-President (University Affairs), said the review of the Queen’s Bands Cheer team activities began in early September 2017.

“Essentially, the reason why this dialogue started in the first place was because the university started requiring a certificate of insurance to book space within the ARC,” she said. “Bands approached us to request information about the insurance policy, which was something they had not done in the past.”

“Seeing as their activities were athletic in nature, we decided to dig deeper,” she continued.

“We looked into the highland and cheer sections of Queen’s Bands. We established that the highland group was not a high risk group, based on the physical activity that they do, but then we established that the cheer team was high risk because they are a no-experience-necessary stunt team that is instructed by upper years and has no formal training program or written procedures.”

The risk assessment was conducted by Watters’ predecessor, Palmer Lockridge, in conjunction with the AMS insurance broker, who was not present at any of the meetings Lockridge had with members of Queen’s Bands.

“Our insurance broker wasn’t present during those conversations with Queen’s Bands,” Watters said. “It was just Palmer [Lockrige] and our general manager. He relayed that information to provide the most relevant, appropriate information for the insurance broker to make the decision, who is qualified.”

According to Watters, the

information Lockridge presented to the insurance broker was collected through conversations with members of Queen’s Bands, not direct observation.

Like Stone, Watters believes Queen’s Bands Cheer should seek insurance from Queen’s University’s Athletics Department.

“Clubs of this nature are better served by our school’s athletics department. Because we’re student government, we can’t manage and supervise such a high risk level of physical activity,” she said.

of this nature “areClubs better served by our school’s athletics department.

”

— Munro Watters, Vice President (University Affairs) The Athletics and Recreation’s sport model includes three categories of sport at Queen’s: varsity teams, varsity clubs and recreational clubs. Varsity teams and clubs compete against other universities, while recreational clubs focus on participation and occasionally compete.

In an email to The Journal, Kim Murphy, Queen’s University’s director of risk management, wrote, “since the development of the sport model, new clubs and teams have not been added when the sport is already represented in one of the three categories.”

Queen’s Bands Cheer would most likely qualify as a recreational club, but because Athletics already insures a varsity cheerleading program, they’re unwilling to insure a second cheer team.

However, currently there’s both a varsity rugby team and a varsity rugby club insured by Athletics at

Queen’s University.

“There’s so many different teams at Queen’s, and that’s something Queen’s really prides itself on,” Stone said. “It does make sense that they would make exceptions to let teams exist. I just don’t see why they won’t make those exceptions for our team.”

Murphy confirmed that there is “an outstanding claim where one of the participants [of QBC] was affected” by an injury related to stunting, but she was unable to discuss details.

Before they cancelled their weekly practices, Queen’s Bands Cheer practiced in the ARC’s combative rooms, where Queen’s varsity cheerleaders also practice. Although Stone could not specifically confirm whether the alleged injury, which occurred at a cheer practice in 2015, happened in the ARC, she believes it would have been “in the same type of room.”

Before the alleged injury occurred, Queen’s didn’t require teams looking to book rooms at the ARC to present a certificate of insurance.

“I remember when I came to Queen’s, they told us that if there’s not a club for something you want, tell them and they’ll make it,” Stone said. “I feel like I haven’t seen that, and I think that’s really disappointing. It’s something Queen’s always advertises, but then here we are with a team that’s existed for so long, and we’re completely willing to change or adapt how they might need us to, and they’re completely unwilling.”

“I had one last meeting to see if there was any hope, even if not for right now, in the next two years,” she said.

“It was almost like a plea. They told us no.”

News

2 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

COURTS

University faces lawsuit over weight machine malfunction Former Queen’s Law student Brittany Finn seeking half a million in damages Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor A former Queen’s Law student is seeking $500,000 in damages after a weight machine in the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) malfunctioned, causing serious injuries, according to court documents obtained by The Journal.

In an ongoing lawsuit against the University, Brittany Finn claimed Queen’s was negligent for failing to regularly inspect and maintain the equipment. Finn also claimed the University employed individuals who “failed to take

any steps” to ensure the safety of the equipment.

Queen’s has denied all allegations made by Finn.

According to Finn’s statement of claim, in April 2014, she was using a weight machine in the ARC when “suddenly and without warning” a band snapped and a metal piece of the weight machine swung and hit her in the side of the face.

In her 2016 court filing, she claimed the incident caused “sustained serious and permanent injuries.” Finn sustained injuries to her neck, back, face and jaw as a result of the incident.

Her claim also said she will continue to undergo hospitalization, therapy, rehabilitation and other forms of medical treatment.

In its statement of defence, Queen’s claimed that if Finn did sustain injuries, they were a result of her failing to “keep a proper look out for her own safety.”

Queen’s maintained Finn was using the weight machine incorrectly and her observational ability was impaired “due to her physical and mental condition.”

According to the University, when the incident took place, the maintenance and inspection of the ARC’s equipment was contracted out to a third party, BJ Ward.

The University claimed that it was “reasonable to entrust” the maintenance of the exercise equipment to Ward. They also stated that Ward was “competent and qualified.”

However, in July 2016, Queen’s moved to add its third party contractors, BJ Ward and Bernie Burns, to the lawsuit alleging liability on their part for Finn’s injuries.

In Queen’s original third party claim, they asserted their contract with Ward stated he “must” keep all fitness equipment in the ARC safe and in proper working order.

Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) gym

CREDIT: JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

In an amended third party claiming she “failed to follow claim, Queen’s changed the word instructions” and applied “must” to “would.” “excessive or unusual force” while In his defence, Ward claimed using the equipment. his contract with Queen’s began Ward claimed the equipment’s and ended before Finn’s injuries manufacturer was also liable for took place, arguing “no formal the incident. renewal of this agreement was Finn will continue to seek ever signed.” damages while the case remains Additionally, Ward denied ongoing in Toronto courts. any liability for Finn’s accident,

ACADEMICS

School of Public Policy and Global Affairs established Queen’s new medical building.

TRIBUNAL

PHOTO: IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

Hearing scheduled in $11.5 million expropriation case against Queen’s Three years on, professor still seeking payout for properties taken by University Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor A three-year-old ongoing expropriation case between Queen’s and a professor has a ten-day hearing scheduled, according to a recent decision published by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).

As previously reported by The Journal, Dr. Dijana Oliver lodged a claim on May 19, 2015 with the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) seeking more than $11.5

million from Queen’s over the expropriation of 80 Barrie St. and 9 Arch St. for an expansion of the new medical building.

A psychiatry professor in Queen’s School of Medicine, Oliver has worked for the University for almost 27 years.

Oliver’s case was filed under the Expropriations Act, which sets out the rules of expropriation for municipalities.

The Act lends municipalities the approval authority or public agency to take property if it’s in the public interest—regardless of the land owner’s opinion.

Back in 2008, Oliver was set to sell both properties to an outside company for an agreed upon price of $8,950,000.

According to Oliver’s original claim, before she could finalize the deal, Queen’s informed her that the university would be

expropriating both properties, meaning she could no longer move forward with the sale.

At the time, Oliver allowed the University to move forward with the expropriation. On Feb. 26, 2009, she was compensated the amount of $1,745,000.

After six years, she lodged the claim that she hadn’t been compensated properly.

Recently, on Mar. 2, 2018, a pre-hearing for the case took place to determine next steps.

A hearing was then scheduled just days later on Mar. 5, before being cancelled shortly thereafter.

Now, closed mediation has been scheduled for Oct. 18, and a ten-day hearing for Mar. 18, 2019.

Dr. David Walker says Queen’s school of policy studies could ‘achieve more success’ Madison Bendall Assistant News Editor Passed at the final Senate meeting of the year on April 17, Queen’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs has been established.

According to the University, the creation of the new school will allow Queen’s to expand its resources and establish a modernized approach to its education and research in public policy.

Talks about the new school began in 2016 when Principal Daniel Woolf created a commission dedicated to advancing the future of public policy offerings at Queen’s.

The commission, chaired by Michael Horgan, has been involved in the planning and creation of the new school.

In early February, Horgan told The Gazette that the new school will ultimately “enrich the student learning experience, advance the university’s research and innovation goals, increase Queen’s policy influence, and enhance its national and international reputation.”

According to Queen’s, as one of the first schools to adopt a focus on the study of public policy, the University will play an integral role in advising various municipal, provincial, and federal inquiries of political executives.

In an interview with The Journal, Dr. David Walker, executive director and Stauffer-Dunning Co-Chair of Policy Studies said, “it was evident that Queen’s was able to achieve more success within its school of public policy.”

Walker explained that as a part of the transformation of the school, it has adopted a new goal of “leveraging its pan-university assets in policy relevant research to better educate future workers within public service, as well as excel when informing governments who are in need of assistance.”

Walker said the new school of public policy will move forward through the use of better research, the expansion of resources, and assets crucial to policy makers across the nation.

According to Walker, the new school will promote the success of its students, ensuring all graduates will maintain a hundred percent employment rate, which was achieved by the graduating class of 2017.

The commission will continue further discussions with Principal Daniel Woolf in June.

News

Monday, May 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca • 3

ADMINISTRATION

Departures mark shuffle of Queen’s senior administration University to replace top executives as search for new principal broadens Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor In Nov. 2017, Principal Daniel Woolf told the Joint Board/Senate Committee he would not seek a third term as Queen’s University’s principal.

He isn’t the only senior member of Queen’s administration to step away in recent months.

Over the past year, the University has been tasked with replacing the viceprincipal (advancement), the provost and vice-principal (academics) and vice-principal (research).

The announcement of Woolf’s decision came after he’d initially put his name forward for another term. His decision to step away from Queen’s top job closed the Committee to review the principalship, led by Chancellor Jim Leech. Woolf is set to leave the position on June 30, 2019.

Now, Queen’s has kicked off the search for a new principal. In March, the University announced it had employed an executive search firm, Parrett Laver, to seek out candidates for the position.

On May 14, Queen’s announced the search entered into the “active recruitment phase.” The job will now be posted to the search firm Parrett Laver’s website, along with national newspaper ads and popular digital sites.

Meanwhile, last June, Vice-Principal (Advancement) Tom Harris announced he would be leaving his role effective June 30. Harris has held the position for eight years.

In April, Queen’s announced the appointment of Harris’s replacement.

Karen Bertrand—who served in multiple senior positions at the University of Guelph—will enter the role on July 1.

Additionally, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academics) Benoit-Antione Bacon announced last week that he would be stepping down to join Carleton University as the school’s 15th president and vice-chancellor.

In the wake of Bacon’s departure, Harris accepted an appointment to remain at Queen’s as interim provost and vice-principal (academics).

According to The Gazette, “[Harris’s] new appointment will see him stay on the university’s executive team until a new provost is recruited, following a search process that will include the university’s next principal.”

Another senior position the University will have to fill is vice-principal (research).

Currently serving in the interim, Kimberly Woodhouse will be in the role for two years as a search for candidates is conducted.

Woodhouse will enter her interim role on July 1 as senior administration searches for its new personnel.

AMS Commissioner of Academic Affairs, Julia Göllner.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SUPPLIED BY AMS COMMUNICATIONS

AMS commissioner elected first executive member of Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Julia Göllner elected OUSA’s vice-president of administration and human resources Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor On May 17, Queen’s secured its first executive position in the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA)—twenty-six years after becoming a founding member.

Julia Göllner, ArtSci ‘19 and current AMS commissioner of academic affairs (CAA), was elected OUSA’s vice-president of administration and human resources (VPAHR) over her opponent, a steering committee member from Brock University.

OUSA—which advocates for the collective interests of Ontario’s undergraduate students—was one of 2016’s key players in recommending that the $365-million tax credit be repurposed into student grants for low income families.

“I think it’s incredibly exciting,” Göllner told The Journal. “I’m excited that Queen’s now has the opportunity to involve themselves further within OUSA and be

there for more of the decision making.”

Previously, only the AMS vice-president of university affairs (VPUA) could run for the position. However, the nature and responsibilities of the VPUA position makes running for an executive position within OUSA unfeasible.

In 2016, AMS VPUA Carolyn Thompson and CAA Leah Brockie submitted a recommendation to the AMS assembly suggesting the executive vote automatically given to the VPUA be transitioned to the CAA. “They felt that [an OUSA executive position] really prevented the VPUA from completing their duties properly here on campus, because it meant that the VPUA would be away a lot,” current Vice-President of University Affairs, Munro Watters, said in an interview. She added that Thompson suggested this recommendation to her successor Palmer Lockridge.

“Palmer was transitioned on it, however he elected not to follow through with that,” she said. “He decided it would be better for him to maintain the vote, whatever his reasons were for that.”

While Watters wasn’t transitioned on the recommendation, Göllner approached her with the idea.

“Julia came up to me and we had a

conversation about it, and from there I thought, honestly, this makes a lot of sense,” Watters said.

Göllner believes her role as the CAA will help her succeed in her role as the VPAHR. “I think that the nature of my position here at [Queen’s], dealing with academic grievances makes me well prepared to deal with those same kind of issues within OUSA. Most of my transition for the CAA role was reading policy, and I was unknowingly preparing myself for this decision by reading the bylaws,” she said, adding that she read the bylaws four times before she knew she was going to run for vice-president.

Excited for her new role, Göllner said “anything that’s important to the students is something worth advocating for”, but has a special interest in advocating for open educational resources.

Reflecting on British Columbia’s success in introducing free course material, Göllner said it’s made “a huge difference for students in terms of their affordability of post-secondary education.”

“It’s something that Queen’s has been paying a lot of attention to,” she added. “I’m hoping that, through OUSA, I can further that process.”

News

4 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

CRIME

Urban planning display.

ACADEMICS

SUPPLIED BY DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING

Kingston Police media officer, Cameron Mack.

On May 10, a different house on Alfred Street saw a break-in around midnight. Police said the complainant heard a noise and went downstairs to find that a window was open and a laptop, along with other personal items, was stolen.

This story was originally When officers responded, published online on May 25. police questioned one person, but didn’t identify a suspect.

Iain Sherriff-Scott On May 19, a resident of a opportunities to enter such a News Editor Beverley Street house reported a program,” she said. suspicious person after hearing Students who enroll in the Kingston Police has confirmed a noise in their house that night. certificate will be expected to take several break and enters were The complainant went downstairs two core courses called “Cities: reported in the University District to find a door open. Nothing Geography, Planning and Urban between May 10 and May 22. was taken and a suspect was Life” and “Geographies of the Global Three of the cases occurred not identified.

Political Economy.” on Alfred Street and one on Meanwhile, on Queen’s campus, Mullings highlighted that “as Beverley Street. multiple thefts were reported in cities expand and boom, this is an On May 21, a house on Alfred the last ten days. area of employment that has been Street was broken into through According to Kingston Police, placed for the last 2 years as one of a back door overnight. Kingston on May 17, an individual studying top 25 jobs in the country to have.” Police told The Journal there were in Douglas Library reported a “There is an increasing demand “minor damages to the door frame.” stolen wallet. for planners,” she said.

The apartment was vacant and Additionally, based on Students who are enrolled in a nothing was stolen. reports to the Kingston Police degree plan alongside a certificate The next day, the same house crime-mapping tool, another can count up to 50 per cent of the was broken into again. This time theft was reported at Stauffer units required for the certificate the intruder “kicked in a side door” Library on May 14.—a bicycle was towards both the certificate and and entered the property at night. allegedly stolen. On May 23, a theft the degree plan.

“It’s likely that someone knows was reported on campus at the “A lot of it is about how planners it’s empty and they’re trying to intersection of Stuart Street and can be the interface between go in there to potentially just University Avenue. communities and municipalities, spend the night, but there has Kingston Police received 150 communities and the private sector, been nobody arrested or charged, calls for service on May 22 and 138 in ways that create sustainability.” so we don’t know for sure,” said on May 23.

Certificate in Urban Planning Studies passes at senate Department of Geography and Planning to roll out new certificate this fall Iain Sherriff-Scott News Editor At an April 17 Senate meeting, the university approved a new certificate in Urban Planning Studies, which will be available in September.

According to the Department of Geography and Planning, the certificate “provides a balanced, multi-disciplinary approach to the study of cities by incorporating the main disciplinary foundations of the study of urban planning including social planning, municipal

regulation, transportation, real estate law, resource management, land use planning, and community relations.”

In an interview with The Journal, Associate Professor of Geography and Planning, Beverley Mullings, said the 12-unit certificate program could be taken alongside any degree program at Queen’s.

“Urban planning is often a professional degree, meaning students who are undergraduates very rarely will find an urban planning undergraduate degree program,” she said.

Mullings said the certificate would give students an opportunity to learn more about urban planning and gain credentials in the field.

“It’s a very competitive field to get into a graduate program, so the certificate helps students who are interested in planning at Queen’s to actually boost their credentials and perhaps their

PEER GROUP

New group seeks to fill need for concussion peer support on campus Founders hope to ‘create optimism in people who are in the thick of awful symptoms’ Rachel Aiken Assistant News Editor Jesse Topley (Bsci) and Lauren Van Patter (PhD) have established a peer support group for students suffering from concussions.

Alongside the Concussion Education Safety and Awareness Program (CESAP), Topley and Van Patter have founded CESAPchats.

The peer group will provide an opportunity for those suffering from a concussion to connect with others undergoing the same experience.

According to Topley and Van Patter, CESAPchats plans to begin monthly meetings in the fall and is currently looking to connect with people in the Queen’s community who could benefit.

An offshoot of CESAP, the new group has connected with other resources on campus such as the Student Wellness Services, Accessibilty Services and Health Services to provide a wider support network.

While CESAP largely focuses on education about concussions, CESAPchats seeks to respond to the need for peer support among students recovering on campus.

In an interview with The Journal, Van Patter and Topley discussed the link between mental health and concussion recovery.

“People don’t normally clue in that you’re having this immense physical, cognitive and emotional upheaval,” Van Patter said. “It can

String of break and enter, theft cases reported in University District

be such an isolating experience.”

She identified the unique challenges faced by a student suffering from a concussion.

“There is the understanding that you’re going to have headaches, you’re going to have memory loss,” Topley said. “But there is never the connection between concussions and mental health.”

Van Patter herself suffered a concussion after slipping on ice, forcing her to defer her doctoral degree. “[While] I was fortunate enough to find many healthcare options that really helped me to get along in my recovery, what I always felt was missing was that connection with other people who had had similar experiences,” she said.

Topley became involved with CESAP in 2016 after founding his own concussion awareness program, Beyond the Headache.

Topley played football at Queen’s

Police confirm three break and enters on Alfred Street, theft in Douglas Library

Three break & enters were reported on Alfred.

for three years before suffering a severe concussion, spurring his efforts to raise awareness about the issue.

For Topley, it was a challenge to give up the sport he’d played for 10 years.

“I started sharing my story as a way to help people,” Topley said.

“But it was also a healing process for myself.”

Topley’s personal experience with recovery in the Queen’s community was a negative one.

“The support wasn’t there,” he said.

With the University, Topley described failures to follow up and a lack of guidance toward campus resources.

“I didn’t know there [were] these student services … No one had made mention of that and no one had made the connection that I might be suffering from mental health issues,” he said.

Topley told The Journal he’s

PHOTO: IAIN SHERRIFF-SCOTT

been in contact with Queen’s Football and the Athletic Department in attempts to improve conditions for athletes that suffer concussions.

“Concussions are still just getting your bell rung and there’s still that gladiator mentality of toughen it up and get out there,” he explained.

According to Topley, support for athletes with concussions “isn’t there still.”

There are a lot of really great resources, it’s just really hard in that state to know what’s available,” Van Patter said.

“Our overall vision is to create a community where individuals recovering from concussions can get together and share their experiences, feel less alone and feel optimistic about their recovery,” Van Patter said about CESAPchats.

6 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

Higher education but lower salaries for adjunct professors PhD educations oversupply tenure-track teaching opportunities

Features

Samantha Fink Features Editor

For Andrew Bretz, the high turnover among adjunct professors is a threat to education.

“I’ll just do it this way because this is the way that we’ve always done it,” Bretz, an assistant adjunct professor in the English department, told The Journal, describing the mindset of adjunct faculty who fear losing their jobs if they introduce new content or learning methods in the classroom.

Bretz is one of 411 adjunct professors at Queen’s, most of whom lack the job security once expected of higher education.

According to a 2014 report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), tenured faculty numbers are decreasing in proportion to the huge increase in student enrolment. The increase in contract faculty is not as easy to measure, largely because most universities keep their numbers of contract faculty confidential for fear of scrutiny.

Bretz saw this decrease in full-time faculty take off firsthand when he began his PhD at the University of Guelph in 2008.

“I remember … [E]arly in [2008], there were all these notices on the bulletin board outside the main office of jobs from colleges and universities around North America,” Bretz told The Journal. “And then literally, a month later, those jobs were all gone—and those jobs never came back.”

The adjunct positions which do exist often face reduced salaries.

At Queen’s, adjuncts’ minimum starting salaries range from $8,756 to $12,432 per 3.0 unit courses, according to Deputy Provost (Academic Operations and Inclusion) Dr. Teri Shearer. These salaries are dependent on years of teaching experience and class size.

is an incredibly terrible “ Thislife for people. ” — Andrew Bretz

If an adjunct professor teaches three classes, his or her average starting salary hovers at $31,782—which is $9,569 below the poverty line for a four-person household.

These salaries are competitive compared to the HEQCO report, which suggests starting salaries closer to the range of $6,000 to $8,000

Professors struggle to find secure employment after years of rigorous and expensive education.

per half-course.

According to Bretz, it costs money for universities to keep up with national student rankings, whether this includes investing in construction projects or even handing out free Beavertails every Wednesday—which Bretz said can be trade-offs for lower salaries or less hires.

Bretz—who has worked at five different institutions across Ontario since 2007—said that, although his employment is precarious, some of the best treatment he’s experienced has come from Queen’s, where he’s finally covered by a union contract, and receives health and dental benefits, research funding, reimbursement for travel, and—for the first time—his own office.

However, Bretz admitted that he couldn’t, in good conscience, encourage a student to pursue academia as a profession.

“This is an incredibly terrible life for people,” he said.

For Tim Wright, an adjunct assistant professor in the Classics Department, the situation seems equally pessimistic.

“The problem is systemic, and I expect it’ll get worse before it gets better,” Wright told The Journal.

Wright added there were only two tenure-track job offers in the entire country last year, with each one likely receiving an average of 200 applications.

He said the lack of jobs for adjunct professors could be credited to demographics and time.

“Professors from the baby boomer generation make a lot of money, and there are many of them. [There’s] no easy solution to this, and the long-term consequences of the imbalance are potentially alarming.”

Michael Mombourquette, a continuing adjunct associate professor of Chemistry, explained that demographic issues would similarly affect incoming PhDs. Although he was uniquely hired as a full-time professor from his first day at Queen’s, he predicts challenges for graduates coming into the field.

“I marvel at the fact that people are still entering the PhD program in our department,” he said. “Unfortunately, they are not going to get the kind of positions that they think they are going to get.”

Ceredwyn Hill, a retired adjunct

professor of Biology, has always struggled to find a city where she and her husband, also a professor, could both find employment and settle down.

When her husband found full-time work at Queen’s, Hill accepted a position as a “Group 1” appointee, or what she refers to as an “Adjunct 1.”

The University Secretariat and Legal Counsel lists a Group 1 appointee as “[a person] who [gives] their services to the University for some or no return; persons who normally teach fewer than the equivalent of two full courses per year for remuneration.”

After refusing to continue to teach without payment, Hill stayed as a researcher without pay for 25 years. While she expected the role to progress to full-time work, or at least contracted paid work, it never did.

Hill pointed out one major obstacle: since retirement is no longer enforced at age 65, those faculty members over age 65 are able to collect their current salaries and pensions simultaneously, keeping payment options for those below age 65 limited.

Hill explained that when the university does hire full-time professors, they are more likely to hire externally than to pay someone who already has a spouse employed by the university, and is thus likely to stay regardless.

Conversely, the Queen’s University Faculty Association’s (QUFA) Collective Agreement states that the spouse of any tenured faculty member who applies for an academic position and is qualified, shall be short listed for the position.

Hill noted Adjunct 1 status can also come with a lack of respect.

“I’m concerned I will be discredited when I tell people I [don’t] get paid,

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

even though I’m perfectly happy with what I’ve contributed to this scientific community,” Hill told The Journal.

Furthermore, as an Adjunct 1, Hill recounted often being treated as a scapegoat, especially by male full-time professors.

“We basically have no power at all,” Hill said. “There are things that [full-time professors] can do, that we just can’t.”

The risk of having too many adjunct faculty appears even more significant when it’s pointed out that faculty on contract may have less freedom while teaching.

“For term adjuncts and pretenured faculty, the reality is that the precarious nature of their positions may well lead them to avoid controversial subjects,” Jordan Morelli, Chair of the QUFA’s Political Action and Communications Committee, wrote in QUFA’s newsletter, Voices. “In the current corporate model of universities where the ‘customer’ is always right, it can be very intimidating in practice to adopt teaching methods that truly challenge our ‘customers’ (i.e., students).”

While the situation appears daunting for adjunct professors at the moment, Queen’s will be hiring 200 new tenure-track faculty members over the next five years as part of the University’s commitment to faculty renewal, according to Deputy Provost, Dr. Shearer.

But in a school full of qualified faculty members with widely diverging backgrounds, contracts, salaries, and opinions, one trend is evident: more education doesn’t pave a clear pathway to security or success.

“I wish I had more optimistic answers,” Wright said when asked about the future of adjunct professors.

“Hopefully I’m wrong.”

GRAPHIC BY LAURA O’GRADY Common University Data, published by Queen’s in 2017, lists the number of full-time professors, but adjunct professors are exempt.

Monday, May 28, 2017

queensjournal.ca

EDITORIALS

•7

The Journal’s Perspective

Provincial voters deserve better than simulated news It’s completely legitimate to use stories to your advantage, but creating an entirely new narrative without informing your audience is unacceptable.

In an age where news and opinion are increasingly difficult to distinguish, this is exactly what Doug Ford has done.

In 2012, on his Newstalk1010 radio show, Ford scoffed that journalists “sensationalize and lie through their teeth.” Flash forward six years, and the Ontario Conservative leader is combatting tension with the media through the creation of his own news.

Ford’s latest online promotional videos simulate television news, complete with a reporter played by his press secretary and executive assistant, Lyndsey Vanstone, and glowing interviews with constituents. Critically, no disclaimer or indication of bias is given except for a discreet “Ford Nation” logo in the bottom corner.

Fake news is an increasingly dangerous epidemic—but Ford’s format is arguably more dangerous than what’s considered

Nick Pearce

ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU

traditional fake news. When news sources paint Ford and his party in an unflattering light, he responds by making his own news—effectively trying to extinguish a fire by pouring gas on it. As Ford attempts to drown out establishment media with sponsored campaign material, he challenges the trustworthiness of

Make prisoner health a priority for student advocacy

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL Volume 146 Issue 1 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Editors in Chief

Editorials Editor

Meredith Wilson-Smith

Opinions Editor

Sophia Spencer

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Nick Pearce

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Brittany Giliforte Matt Scace

Lifestyle Editor

Kingston has two sets of bars—in its Hub and in its prisons.

Queen’s students overlook the latter and it’s a detriment to our community. As reports of poor prisoner health trickle in, it’s our social responsibility as members of the city to advocate for better services and institutional safety.

Encouragement for student engagement within the city is often marred by an increased focus on the negatives of Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

While still important, this draws attention away from other pressing issues facing our wider community.

It becomes bracingly clear when we look at the conditions reported over the last month.

In May, the Whig-Standard

Brigid Goulem

Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor

honest reporting.

Unless Ford’s campaign clearly identifies the video’s promotional nature, it seems as if it’s working to hoodwink viewers while avoiding the repercussions of outright dishonesty.

Elections Ontario’s campaign regulations

Amelia Rankine Carter Smith Zier Zhou Tegwyn Hughes Jasnit Pabla

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Hareer Al-Qaragolie

Business Staff Business Manager Head Sales Representative Sales Representative

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Want to contribute?

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

are not restrictive, lending politicians the room to bend the truth more than ever before.

And this is where the problem lies.

“Ford Nation” broadcasts are not typical promotional material. Where press releases and campaign ads benignly seek attention, Ford’s videos actively pretend to be what they’re not—unbiased truth. It’s misleading and dishonest to give viewers fiction under the guise of the facts they asked for.

Provincial parties need better media regulations to draw the line between fact and fantasy so voters are sufficiently informed.

If this action is left to the parties, it will never take place.

The Ontario Conservatives have expanded the scope for potential mass-media manipulation, and this opens the door for all parties to engage in similar behaviour.

When our parties do not present accurate information, our ability to make an informed vote is threatened. It’s up to Elections Ontario to enforce more specific guidelines and demand disclaimers within campaign advertising.

—Journal Editorial Board

reported 11 overdoses in Kingston’s Collins Bay Institution, with one prisoner dying in an apparent fentanyl overdose.

“It started in B.C. and we’re seeing certainly the introduction of fentanyl in the institutions, and obviously at Collins Bay there has been a number of them,” Jason Godin, the national president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said to the Whig-Standard.

News soon followed that local prisons were excluded from the first wave of a potentially life-saving needle exchange program, with Kingston’s institutions having to wait until next year for the program to take full effect.

It’s a positive development that the needle exchange program will be implemented, but pressure from our community, students The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston.

Editorial opinions expressed in The Journal are the sole responsibility of The Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers.

190 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3P4 Editorial Office: 613-533-2800 Business Office: 613-533-6711 Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief.

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included, should push our elected representatives to make prisoner health a priority.

Writing a letter or making a call has an impact. Regardless of our representatives’ jurisdiction, we need to put prisoner health on the agenda—including a timely roll-out of improved health measures.

If we were to prioritize these issues, it would set a precedent for a more active and socially responsible student presence in Kingston.

Queen’s already reaches out to prisoners through the Law Faculty’s Prison Law Clinic and Queen’s Students for Literacy, two initiatives geared to assist inmates in correctional facilities. While these do not specifically push for better prison health conditions, they are quality programs and should inspire further advocacy.

It’s valuable to engage in the city most of us call home for the better part of each year—whether it’s going to shows, cleaning up after HoCo, or supporting local businesses. But there’s more to be done.

The recent rash of overdoses and inadequate services spell out the obvious: local prisoner health is at risk and our community’s response is lacking.

Queen’s is lucky enough to have a highly engaged student body; it’s time we looked outside it.

Nick is The Journal’s Editor in Chief.

He’s a fifth-year Global Development Studies major.

8 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

Opinions What the provincial election means for the youth vote Conservative, Liberal and New Democratic Party student make their cases

Conservative leader Doug Ford (left), Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne (middle) and NDP leader Andrea Horwath (right).

Aidan Scott, ArtSci ‘20 Contributor As it stands, the Progressive Conservative party is the only official party in Ontario which has reasonably concerned itself with debt reduction and the reduction of structural deficits.

With a provincial debt of close to $350 billion, Ontario has become the most indebted sub-national entity on earth— and most of that has taken shape under the Liberals watch, who’ve held power since 2003.

The provincial debt has more than doubled since 2005, going from $150 billion to $350 billion in just a little over a decade.

This, of course, matters for all Ontarians, but most profoundly for young people, who will be forced to carry the burden of overspending by governments they weren’t old enough to elect.

For students, the province’s outstanding debt puts the future of our economic opportunities in jeopardy.

With repeated credit rating downgrades caused by 28 years of structural deficits kicked off by Bob Rae’s NDP, Ontario pays relatively high interest premiums on its debt. At a time of globally low interest rates, the province still spends approximately $1 billion per month on interest payments— more than the average cost of building a new hospital.

Because of the short-sighted deficit spending of former MPs Bob Rae, Dalton McGuinty, and Kathleen Wynne, Ontarians are left with two reasonable options: some austerity now or crippling austerity later.

As students, most of us understand the mentality of procrastination—but fiscal prudence cannot be put off any longer. We cannot afford it.

This election, the Liberals and NDP are proposing that we sacrifice sustainable, long term economic prosperity for short-sighted handouts which bolster their electability.

Unless discretionary spending is controlled—as only the PCs are willing to do—students will enter the workforce amidst ever-deteriorating public services and higher tax burdens to boot. This will make it increasingly difficult for young people to establish rewarding careers, start families, and to own a home.

The discretionary spending that the Liberals and the NDP promote as working to our benefit effectively amount to today’s youth being left worse-off in the long run.

Of course, if Doug Ford and the PCs address over-spending as they’ve indicated they will, it’s unreasonable to think people will immediately have as generous a system of social benefits as the NDP or Liberals have proposed.

We’ll have to pay for some things ourselves. But in doing so, we’ll be able to steadily pay off Ontario’s debt, eventually freeing up 8 percent of government revenues assuming debt to GDP remains static. That’s money that can be put back in our pockets, invested in our companies, saved for retirement, put towards subsequent generations’ educations, or put to use in public policy; meaning increased prosperity for ourselves and our children.

When it comes to your financial future—don’t procrastinate.

Kaitlin Salole, ArtSci ‘20 Contributor The Ontario Liberal’s campaign slogan, “care over cuts,” is indicative of the party’s continued commitment to ensuring both access to equal opportunities and affordable living.

Incumbent MP Kathleen Wynne—who’s running for a second term this coming June—has delivered many progressive changes since assuming office in 2013, many of which have positively favored students and young people in Ontario.

The Liberal government’s OHIP+ policy, for instance, gave way for individuals aged 25 and under to receive their prescription medication at no cost. The program has removed the potential financial barriers which would have prevented young people from receiving the medication they need—and deserve. With prescriptions being provided free of charge, students who are financially insecure are now able to allocate their money to other necessary resources such as textbooks, rent and food.

Acting as the first province in Canada to provide young people with free prescriptions, the Liberals have taken an important step critical to enacting a possible national pharma-care program.

Contrastingly, Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford’s plan to cut essential programs that Ontarians rely on every day will mean that thousands of young people will lose access to free medication.

A further successful area of policy which the Liberals have hit on is OSAP, which has reduced post-secondary tuition costs and made it free for more than 225,000 Ontarian students.

The Liberal government has completely remodeled the assistance program to ensure aid is available for those who need it most. For instance, tuition in

Ontario is absolutely free for students whose family income is less than $50,000—enabling more equal opportunities for all young people while still sustaining economic growth.

As part of Bill 148—the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act—Ontario saw its minimum wage increased from $11.40 to $14 an hour last January, and will again experience an increase to $15 an hour in 2019.

While other parties have been critical of the wage hike, it will serve to especially help students who have struggled to save money throughout their post-secondary careers. In saving, students will be better off financially when entering the workforce upon graduating.

Another noteworthy component of the Liberal’s platform is their $2.1 billion investment in mental health care. The commitment, which stands as the largest provincial investment in mental health in Canadian history, will result in quicker and improved access to mental health services for every Ontarian.

Although attending university can be the most rewarding time of a young life, it also tends to be the most confusing and stressful. This investment is an investment into students’ mental well-being. It will not only grant easier access to improved wellness services, but also improve the conversation and stigmas surrounding it.

Being a student living with a mental illness myself, I can attest to the changes that need to be made in our mental health system—and current provincial government fights for that.

The Liberals are committed not only to ensuring that everybody’s voice are heard, but seriously taken into consideration when making decisions about the future of Ontario.

And as young voters, we hold the future in our hands.

GRAPHIC BY LAURA O’GRADY

Aaron Bailey, ArtSci ‘20 Contributor Rising tuition costs and a dicey labour market are significant sources of stress, anxiety and economic insecurity for young people—and especially for students.

In 2013-2014, universities in Ontario collected more student fees and received the smallest proportion of provincial support than any other province. If elected, NDP leader Andrea Horwath will retroactively forgive all interest on outstanding provincial student loan debt.

Student debt has made pursuing a future career for young people a crippling task, in effect hindering our provincial economy.

And the problem is that this an issue that keeps growing.

Under Horwath, the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) will transition entirely to non-repayable grants, which will allow students to finance their education without accumulating debt owed to the province. Non-repayable grants will allow students to focus on their education and prospective careers instead of the burden their debt carries.

Currently, the Liberal party’s free-tuition program only covers university tuition costs up to $6,160, which is roughly $1,700 short of the national average. The free-tuition program simply doesn’t account for tuition fees of faculties beyond Arts and Science.

The Progressive Conservative Party, too, have yet to present a formal strategy regarding tuition affordability, which ultimately displays a widespread lack of concern for students and their outstanding debts.

Horwath recognizes that the challenges facing young voters don’t end when they graduate.

In order to assist students with finding employment, an NDP government will invest in the creation of 27,000 paid co-op internship opportunities for students in Ontario. Co-op opportunities are a valuable tool in ensuring students are aptly prepared to enter the labour market.

Moreover, they will lower levels of student debt because young people will have steady streams of income earlier than they otherwise would have.

The Liberals recent increase to the minimum wage also means certain young workers are left behind.

For instance, with a Liberal government, students working in food services—i.e., servers and bartenders—are exempt from a $14 minimum wage. The Progressive Conservatives, meanwhile, will cancel the minimum wage increase outright and replace it with a tax credit that will leave workers making minimum wage with $1,553 less on average than a $15 minimum wage would deliver.

By contrast, Horwath is committed to a $15 minimum wage for every type of employee.

For young people who are not covered by a parental or public benefits plan, prescription drugs and trips to the dentist have often become almost unaffordable. Although OHIP+ currently covers prescription medication for Ontarians up to age 25, this demographic is the least likely to require health care resources.

Monday, May 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

CONCERT REVIEW

•9

Arts

Dwayne Gretzky time travels into Ale Cover band takes the 90s in Kingston tour stop Brigid Goulem Arts Editor On May 18, with crimped hair, colourful shirts, and killer dance moves, Dwayne Gretzky brought the ‘90s back to Ale House.

The Toronto-based cover band has risen to fame over the past five years with spirited live performances of everyone’s favourite pop-rock classics.

On their Big Shiny Dwayne tour, the band showcases why they’re a success, paying homage to a decade we only saw while in diapers. “[The ’90’s] was grunge, it was colourful, it was fresh print, and Saved by the Bell, and Friends and Seinfeld, and Bill Clinton, and preinternet, pre-cell phone. All these things that we’re very nostalgic for,” frontman Tyler Kyte said

when he sat down with The Journal.

Despite the tour’s theme, Dwayne Gretzky only started in 2013—almost by accident.

They were friends hanging out, playing music together, when a YouTube video of them spontaneously jamming at the Dakota bar in Toronto came out under the name Dwayne Gretzky and launched their career.

Kyte said he and his friends started learning songs that they enjoyed listening to growing up, and wanted to learn to play themselves. Eventually, they found an audience that loved to hear it. “[We would] learn them for no reason other than we just wanted to have something to play in the intermission of the Leafs game while we were just jamming,” Kyte said.

Dwayne Gretzky performing at Ale House on May 18.

On Friday, they brought the laidback vibe of a living-room jam session to Ale House, complimented with an easy chemistry between bandmates.

It was infectious—being a member of their audience felt no different than sitting on the floor of their living room.

The era they played made their performance so strong. When asked what made the ’90s so special, Kyte was adamant that it was the band member’s formative era. For Dwayne Gretzky, and much of the audience, the ’90s were a time when they grew into their own: it was their adolescence, the peak of their musical memory.

Throughout the night, Dwayne Gretzky played plenty of ’90s classics, including “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve, “I Want it That Way” by the Backstreet

Boys, and ’90s hip-hop rap.

While it was largely the killer set list that had people longing for the days of their youth, it was the details in the performance that got people up and jumping around.

The entire band was decked out in ’90s getups right out of a single-set sitcom. Bassist, Dave Dalrymple, sporting a large denim coat, long shaggy hair, and a baseball cap, looked like he’d just walked off the set of the 1992 movie Wayne’s World.

Meanwhile, vocalists Jill Harris and Lydia Persaud looked like they were about to break it down with Salt-N-Pepa in baggy splash pants and colourful windbreakers.

While her outfit was killer, it was Persaud’s smoothly versatile voice that flawlessly switched from soul ballads to hip-hop and rap that really stole the show.

PHOTO BY BRIGID GOULEM

As they played hit after hit, band members cheered each other on and danced along to the night’s guilty pleasures. As if their songs weren’t impressive enough, their dance moves were infectious, encouraging the audience to join them as if they forgot there was anybody else there.

It was clear that playing these songs was as fun for the band as it was for their audience. For the crowd, ’90s culture mattered just as much as now as it did two decades ago.

Like anything nostalgic, the show had a sad tinge. As the night ended and people filtered out, they realized that the show was over, and, evidently, so were the ’90s.

LITERATURE

Novel captures innocence in wartime Occupation Child confronts the brutal reality of WWII

Queen’s professor recounts his experience in occupied Greece through the eyes of a young boy.

Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Tassos Anastassiades’ first book is an unconventional glimpse into growing up in German-occupied Greece through the eyes of a naïve child.

Occupation Child, written

by Queen’s professor Tassos Anastassiades’ under the pen name T. Stypas, follows young Tasouli’s tumultuous journey from German-occupied Greece to 1950’s Canada. Anastassiades paints the grim colours of war-torn Greece by delving into wartime

SUPPLIED BY AUTHOR

starvation, torture, fear and death.

The storytelling is informative as Anastassiades shares his own experiences with the reader through the young Tasouli.

Tasouli is a child in a world of adults, left on his own trying to understand the events happening around him. He finds solace in the imaginative relationship he forms with the author’s character who goes by his pen name, Stypas.

The child’s story isn’t an exact account of Anastassiades’ own childhood, but his real life experiences are reflected through Tasouli’s adventures.

He uses time travel and make-believe as a way to connect the character’s childhood with later events which take place in Canada.

“Tasouli has the ability to travel to another time and another space and there he meets the story teller Stypas and his family, his wife in a faraway place which is called Kingston,” Anastassiade said in an interview with The Journal.

“It’s all based on fact through the eyes of this very imaginative child,” said Anastassiade’s.

He told The Journal that he set out to write this book after discovering how little his own friends and family knew of their story. The discovery came at his father’s memorial service after friends and colleagues expressed their surprise at not knowing about his family history.

Anastassiades’ father taught agricultural chemistry at Macdonald College and lived a long life in Canada—one Anastassiades deemed worthy of immortalization. Occupation Child is like a time capsule, a photo album or a family heirloom—it seals Anastassiades’

family’s history within its pages and shares the experience of political turbulence, uncertainty and persistent hope with the reader.

The events in the story are filtered through the innocent and naïve eyes of Tasouli. This form of storytelling allows Anastassiades to tell dark truths while maintaining a sense of hope and joy. The childlike sense of wonder and utter confusion makes the harsh reality of Anastassiade’s story tolerable.

At one point in the book, Tasouli recalls how adults called his apartment building “Bastille”, after the famous French prison and how honoured he was to live there. His innocence protected him from the implications of calling a home a prison.

Tasouli’s adventures sometimes provide joyful relief from the horrific circumstances of Nazi-occupied Greece.

He tells a story about his friendship with his cat, Joujoukos. The cat stole a piece of meat from Nazi collaborators, who had more food than the average person.

The theft made Joujoukos a hero, not because it gave the meat to the starving people, but because it took something away from the collaborators.

Tasouli shares in this sense of heroism because it was his own way of fighting against the occupation.

This second-hand feeling of nobility develops his budding sense of identity, while remaining defiantly optimistic.

Tasouli’s positive attitude and feelings of heroism appear in excitement at having fought against the occupation, but also in awareness of the fatal urgency of war. His story is still rooted in simplicity, whether it’s his use of colours to refer to periods in his life or a small story he tells himself in wartime.

For Tasouli, these thoughts become an escape.

“At some point I developed an image in my mind. It was a beautiful clear day with an unbelievably blue, blue sky that never went away. That was freedom,” Anastassiades writes in Occupation Child.

Arts

10 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

MUSIC

New tour, new MONOWHALES Alt-pop band changes name to match maturing sound Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor MONOWHALES have found their distinct alt-pop sound—now they’re going to put it to the test on May 31 at the Mansion.

It will be their first tour under their new name. In the past, they’ve released singles under the name Gingerale and The Monowhales but they decided if they were going to establish an original sound, they would need a new name to capture its aesthetic.

“We wanted to streamline the brand of the band and we wanted something that would represent the sort of music we were making now which is very different than what we did before,” drummer Jordan Circosta said in an interview with The Journal.

Their previous EP Bang featured songs with a wide range of sounds, simultaneously revealing both their lacking sense of self and their obvious talent.

Though most of the songs on Bang sound slightly timid and reserved compared to their new songs, “White Walls” demands to be noticed. This song’s aggressive

Zach Zanardo, Holly Jamieson, Sally Shaar, and Jordan Circosta of MONOWHALES play the Mansion May 31st.

tone is far darker than the idyllic retrospective narrative of “Name for Myself”.

Before the switch, they were already referred to as Monowhales for short and their social media accounts were simply ‘MONOWHALES’—the decision to change it was easy.

“We were realizing [our music] doesn’t sound like a band called ‘Gingerale and the Monowhales,’” Circosta said. “I think the sound has matured a lot over the last couple years.”

Singles such as ‘Take it Back” and “Real Love” from their June 1, 2018 EP Control Freak mark the

band’s professional growth. “Real Love” has seen a lot of success with the single reaching 36 on the Canadian Alt Rock charts and the music video receiving over 100,000 views on Facebook.

“When we started out, we were all over the map trying out different stuff, we were music nerds,” Circosta said. “We were all coming from very different backgrounds.”

In their latest singles, MONOWHALES demonstrate their success at mixing their “different backgrounds” together to make something that represented each of their personal musical

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SUPPLIED BY BAND

preferences. Blending keyboard player Jamieson’s folk background with guitarist Zach Zanardo’s love for raw garage rock and Sally Shaar and Circosta’s ambient pop influences, they’ve created something totally new.

“It took a few years until everything coalesced into a sound that feels like all of us but is also something separate too,” Circosta said, reflecting on the struggle of preserving each members’ identity in a collaborative process.

Though their song-writing is a group effort, Shaar takes lead on visuals. Their music videos are stylistically appealing, though

often mask the meaning of their lyrics. In the music video for “Real Love”, Shaar dances in stiff, restrained movements while singing about a toxic relationship.

The choreographed movement, vibrant colours, and artificial props contrast the sadness of the song and its morbid lyrics.

“A lot of those ideas stem from Sally, she’s the visual auteur in the band, she really likes to take the reigns on that stuff. She works with [video directors] Phil Kluba and Dan Slater,” Circosta said of the creative process behind the MONOWHALES music videos.

As for what can be expected when MONOWHALES play the Mansion on May 31, Circosta has said that fans will hear new, un-released songs from the upcoming EP Control Freak, and maybe even snag a CD before the official release date.

“We have some stuff that’s on the poppier side, but then we have far more aggressive stuff that we like playing live because it’s just super intense,” he said. “‘Alive Now,’ it’s a track on the EP, it hasn’t been released yet. That was the one where Sally was crowd surfing,” Circosta said.

If that’s any indication, MONOWHALES’S stage presence and performance style are nearly as unpredictable as their experimental sound.

What’s happening this month...

Friday, March 16, 2018

queensjournal.ca

FOOTBALL

• 11

Sports

Kwemo sees dream come true

Gaels linebacker drafted 18 overall in CFL Draft Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor Nelkas Kwemo was surrounded by family and friends—patiently awaiting his future. Soon, he thought, his childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete would ring true.

And it would.

After hearing his name called at the 2018 CFL Draft, Kwemo said he would forever remember May 3 as, “Overall, one of the best nights of my life.”

The linebacker, who spent four seasons with the Queen’s football program, was selected 18th overall in the second round by the Toronto Argonauts.

Kwemo saw two of his fellow Gaels teammates also get the nod on draft night. Linebacker Mike Moore was picked in the sixth round to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and defensive back

Jacob Firlotte went in the seventh to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Considering his competitive introduction to the sport came at just age 16, Kwemo experienced a quick ascension to the pros.

After playing soccer for most of his childhood, Kwemo began playing football in tenth grade in his Quebec high school, Collège Sainte-Anne de Lachine. He started his career as a quarterback, but—upon transferring to Kent Hills, a prep school in Maine—his then-coach suggested he make the switch to linebacker due to his imposing size.

This, Kwemo said, gave him a strong foundation of which to build his Queen’s career off.

Standing at 6’3 and 226lb, Kwemo led the Gaels in this past season with 48 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions—one of which he returned for his first career touchdown. These efforts

Nelkas Kwemo was drafted to the CFL.

saw him named as an OUA First Team All-Star and U Sports First Team All-Canadian. To put the cherry on top of his senior season, at the Queen’s football Awards Banquet, Kwemo was honoured with the Lou Bruce Trophy for the program’s top defensive player.

Kwemo said that his time at Queen’s has adequately prepared him for the expectations he’ll face at the next level.

“Our coaches have always put a strong emphasis on the importance of mental and

physical preparation— along with professionalism—in everything we do. And that’s the kind of mentality I am approaching this new experience with,” Kwemo said in an interview with The Journal.

He further added that some of his fondest memories at Queen’s came from the football field, especially sharing a field with his brother, Sakhia, a first-year Gael.

At the National CFL Combine, which was held in Winnipeg on Mar. 23, Kwemo was able to separate himself from other highly

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Gabriel DeGroot named new head coach Men’s volleyball assistant coach since 2010 to fill place of retired head coach Brenda Willis

DeGroot coaching the Gaels.

Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor For the first time since 1987, men’s volleyball will be seeing a fresh face pacing the sidelines—though it won’t be an entirely unfamiliar one.

On Apr. 24, Queen’s Athletics announced that Gabriel DeGroot, who served as an assistant coach with the Gaels since 2010, will assume the team’s role of head coach. Degroot will succeed long-time tenured Gaels head coach Brenda Willis.

SUPPLIED BY GABRIEL DEGROOT

Willis spent 31 seasons at the helm of the program and is considered one of Queen’s most accomplished coaches in recent history. In the 2017-18 campaign, she was named OUA Coach of the Year—the fifth time in her career to be honoured with the award—and led the Gaels to both the OUA finals and U Sports national championships.

With last season’s team having 12 of its 17 players in either their first or second years, Degroot’s been left a roster abound with young talent.

Along with coaching at Queen’s, DeGroot was the Team Ontario Assistant and Statistical Analyst at the Canada Summer Games in 2016 and 2017. He will also be spending the coming summer as an assistant coach with Volleyball Canada’s Senior B Men’s indoor team.

Degroot said that his wealth of experience outside of Queen’s has rendered him a variety of skills and abilities which he believes will help in his transition as the Gaels head coach.

“The sacrifice in time will be nothing compared to the experience and knowledge I will be able to bring back to our program here at Queen’s,” DeGroot said, alluding to his experiences coaching outside of Queen’s.

The new head coach added one

of his main focuses will be molding the Gaels into a cohesive group, a quality he thinks will allow them to distribute the ball freely around the court.

“I’ve always loved volleyball because of its focus and need for great team dynamic,” he said.

“Great volleyball teams can at times have stars or stand out players, but you always need an amazing team.”

For the coming season, Degroot hopes to take his experiences as an assistant coach with the Gaels to address their strengths and weaknesses. He said this will aid in targeting areas where the team needs to develop, and will further help the program build on their current young and promising foundation.

In his eight years at Queen’s,

PHOTO BY JEFF CHAN

coveted prospects. He finished fourth in the broad jump, sixth in the bench press, and eighth in the four other fitness testing categories—a strong outing in his final opportunity to impress league managers.

Kwemo noted a particular area of his excitement will be the chance to fully devote his time and energy to one thing—football.

It’ll mark the first time he won’t have to juggle academics and athletics simultaneously.

“Before today, football has always been balanced with school or work, but now football is work and I can commit a lot more time to it,” Kwemo said.

Looking ahead, the linebacker said he’s strictly focused on earning himself a roster spot with the Argonauts. He’ll have the opportunity to prove his worth on May 20 when training camp with his new CFL side takes place.

“The importance to me has always been to end up on a team where I would get the opportunity to show what I can do,” Kwemo said.

“That’s what I have in the Toronto Argonauts and I am beyond excited to get started.”

DeGroot has found that his favourite part of coaching at Queen’s has been seeing the type of athletes the school attracts.

“It can be a challenge to balance the academic demands our athletes have at this institution, but it’s well worth the compromise to coach such intelligent athletes,” he said. “The type of athletes we get are always very driven, dedicated and disciplined.”

With the news of his position still fresh, DeGroot is excited not only to grab hold of a job he loves, but a position which he holds considerable respect for.

“I love being around the game as much as I can be, whether that is working with athletes on the court or watching young prospects,” he said.

“I’m fortunate to have a new position which gives me the opportunity to be around the game I love.”

Sports

12 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Shoveller brings home silver medal at Commonwealth Games Gael comes home with hardware in first international competition

Mike Shoveller (left) representing Canada at the Commonwealth Games.

Bilal Shaikh Staff Writer Success in the game of basketball is nothing new to recent Queen’s graduate and men’s basketball post Mike Shoveller.

After five successful years at the collegiate level, Shoveller’s accomplishments reached new heights this past April when he brought home a silver medal as part of Team Canada at the Commonwealth Games.

The Games, which took place April 4 to 15 in Gold Coast, Australia, are hosted every four years, with this summer’s rendition marking its 21st Games. A total of 71 Commonwealth countries and territories participated in the event, including Canada.

It was only the second time the sport of basketball was featured at the Games and the first time it hosted a Canadian basketball team. The men’s tournament was divided into two pools of four teams, with Canada matching up against the host, Australia, along with Nigeria and New Zealand.

pretty excited ...

“ToI was be able to represent

the country on the national stage. I was kind of overwhelmed with emotions [at first], but once it finally settled in, I was really honoured.

”

Shoveller told The Journal over a phone interview that sporting the red and white in an international capacity was a unique feeling. He noted how fortunate he was to be chosen as one of the athletes to get the honour of representing his home country.

“I was pretty excited ... to be able to represent the country on the national stage,” Shoveller said. “I was kind of overwhelmed with emotions [at first], but once it finally settled in, I was really honoured.”

The Canadian men’s basketball team,

unlike those of other competing nations, was comprised solely of university-level athletes—many of whom Shoveller competed against throughout his Queen’s career. He said playing alongside them, and seeing what each brought to the table, was a positive experience.

“Sharing experiences from different schools and what guys do at different programs was pretty cool,” Shoveller said.

“Obviously going against some of those guys for my whole career … it was a shift to then [be] playing with them, but it was a lot of fun.”

The tournament started with some early struggles for Canada, including two blowout losses to New Zealand and Australia by 22 and 40 points, respectively.

Shoveller attributed the losses to the team’s understandable lack of chemistry on the floor. He noted that members of the team, in contrast with other countries, had never played on the same side of the floor before.

“I think throughout the entire tournament, we came together as a team that never played together before,” Shoveller explained. “The first time we played New Zealand was early in the tournament and we weren’t at the level that we were in the second [game].”

Canada got their chance at revenge against New Zealand in the tournament’s semi-finals. This time around, the scoreline read much differently. After a game winning three pointer by the University of Alberta’s Mamadou Gueye, Canada took the game 88-86 and progressed to the finals with a shot at bringing home the gold.

“We were a more cohesive unit, and the game plan was executed well,” Shoveller said of the team’s approach to the semi-finals.

“It was a memorable victory.”

The gold medal game was less favourable for Canada, losing the to tournament host and favourite Australia 87-47.

Even without a win in their final, Shoveller said grabbing silver—especially at their first Games—was a memorable moment.

“Once it sunk in that we were going to be going home with a medal after that game, it was pretty awesome to be able to share that with those guys,”

Shoveller said of celebrating with his teammates.

Despite graduating from Queen’s in the spring, Shoveller doesn’t plan on ending his basketball career quite yet.

Currently, he’s waiting to hear back from a few graduate schools, where he plans to use his final year of eligibility in basketball. Following that, he hopes to pursue a professional basketball career overseas.

For the time being, Shoveller is simply

SUPPLIED BY MIKE SHOVELLER

enjoying the achievement of a lifelong dream.

“Every time you got to put on the jersey with Canada across your chest, [it] was pretty unique and something I didn’t take for granted while I was there,” Shoveller said of his opportunity at the Games.

“The initial goal for me as a kid was to be able to represent Canada and play on the national team—but to win a medal was just the cherry on top.”

Shoveller’s 2017-18 season averages.

GRAPHIC BY LAURA O’GRADY

Sports

Monday, May 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 13

CROSS-COUNTRY

Sumner impresses on world stage at FISU Championships Gaels graduate finishes eighth at final university race in Switzerland

Matt Scace Sports Editor Over the past five years, Claire Sumner has gone stride for stride with Canada’s best runners—all while becoming one of the best female cross country runners at the collegiate level.

In April, the Queen’s PHE ’55 Alumnae award winner continued to impress, this time on the world stage representing team Canada at the FISU World University Cross Country Championships.

In her final university-level race, Sumner finished eighth in a field of 64 athletes.

“I did go in confident … I was happy with the finish,” Sumner said in a phone interview with The Journal.

The race, which was hosted near the Swiss Alps in St. Gallen on Apr. 7, welcomed 24 countries and over 120 athletes from both men’s and women’s fields. Sumner was selected due to her performance at the 2017-18 U Sports Championships, where she placed second.

Her teammate Branna MacDougall, who finished third in the same race, was invited but chose to not attend the competition.

Sumner had a familiar face helping her from the sidelines, as Queen’s cross country assistant coach Brant Stachel assumed the role of Team Canada’s head coach.

The 10 kilometre race, which required seven laps around the course, was starkly foreign to Sumner and her teammates.

With each lap requiring runners to crawl up a small but steep hill and leap over four separate logs, Sumner was unsure of what to

expect going into the race.

“We were a little nervous beforehand but we practiced the day before and felt more confident,” Sumner said, recalling the uneven ground being another source of concern for her.

“I didn’t actually twist my ankle, but you always felt like you might slightly roll them. There were little dips so you just had to watch your step.”

The race also presented an air of unfamiliarity for Sumner, who had not competed with many of the runners before—something that is less of a problem in smallerscale provincial and national races.

“When you’re in U Sports or OUA you know where to go, so in these ones it’s difficult because you don’t know where you should start or if you’re going too fast,” Sumner said on international races. “You just have to trust your fitness and go by feel.”

In spite of this, Sumner was aware that a number of national teams would be absent. Unsure of her expectations, Stachel told Sumner to try to stick with the leading pack of runners.

“When I got there and realized what teams were missing, [Stachel] did tell me to aim for top ten,” Sumner said.

On race-day, any fears Sumner seemed to have fell away. After falling slightly behind the lead pack in the early stages of the race, she climbed her way back to the eighth spot, where she would remain for the final few kilometres of the race.

“I felt pretty strong and it was nice to be able to pick people off throughout the race. I think I stayed pretty consistent throughout the race,” Sumner

Brant Stachel and Claire Sumner at FISU.

said, fondly recalling the course’s terrain. “It was a good little steeplechase experience.”

With her university running career firmly behind her, Sumner is currently awaiting a response from the University of Alberta for medical school; however,

Sumner plans on staying in Kingston for the upcoming fall term.

“I’d be happy to stay here for a bit longer,” Sumner said, mentioning the possibility of assisting in Kingston’s local junior running programs. After five years

SUPPLIED BY CLAIRE SUMNER

of travelling across the country and abroad while completing an undergrad in life science, Sumner said she feels time off would be optimal.

“It’d be a nice break,” she said.

ATHLETICS FACILITIES

Expansion to house student-athlete wellness services Continued from front

provide additional programming and equipment to accommodate ever-increasing interest and demand from our entire campus community.”

Until the ARC opened in 2009, the PEC was served as the only athletic facility on campus. It originally opened in 1931 before renovation took place in 1970.

Proposed plans to upgrade the IWC compensate for some of the areas of construction in which the University has fallen short on.

The ARC marked just Phase One of the Queen’s Centre project— which, before construction was halted due to overbearing costs,

planned to include a Phase Two and Three. Outstanding phases were intended to create a field house, new hockey arena and an improved student-life centre. This past year also saw a failed proposal to revitalize the JDUC. The IWC offers an extension of Phase One and a version of Phase Three, as student-athlete offices and other student-wellness services will be found in the new building.

Fortunately, the state-of-theart spaces found in the IWC will further expand the athletic opportunity for community members, recreational activities and varsity athletes alike.

queensjournal.ca

14 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

Lifestyle CULTURE COMMENTARY

The Royal Wedding is not another Cinderella story

A look at why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s union is worth celebrating A display at the Mastantuono family’s Royal Wedding viewing party.

Ally Mastantuono Assistant Lifestyle Editor On the morning of May 19, British royal Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle on live television, affording the general public a true “Where were you when...?” moment. While this may not sound important to the average Queen’s student, the story of Markle—an actress turned real-life princess—offers a universal lesson.

Years from now, I’ll remember where I was when the royal couple tied the knot: at my cottage, surrounded by amazing women, popping champagne, brewing Earl Grey tea, and buttering one too many homemade scones.

While it’s safe to say that my family has a strong case of royal fever, I don’t think we’re alone. An estimated 13 million people—or around 40 percent of Canada’s population—tuned in across the country to watch the couple say, “I will,” in a sunny Windsor, England.

This begs the question: why is there such widespread fascination with, what really is, just a wedding?

Since the blind date in July 2016 that brought them together, the world has watched Harry and Markle’s fairytale romance unfold.

Despite her seven-season stint on the popular legal drama Suits, Markle lived a relatively quiet life in Toronto before becoming associated with the Royal Family.

Within months of meeting, Markle was juggling her career as an actress and blogger, all the while flying across the world to spend time with the Prince.

Once engaged—and once she traded walking her dogs down the streets of Toronto for a walk down the aisle—Markle instantly drew global envy and public obsession.

Although Markle managed to find and marry her Prince Charming, she’s no Cinderella.

She exceeds that fairy-tale by a country mile.

Markle, who is now the firstever Duchess of Sussex, is a remarkably non-traditional wife by royal standards. Not only is she an American actress, but also a biracial divorcée, passionate humanitarian and social activist.

Successfully protesting a sexist

Proctor & Gamble soap commercial at only 11 years old, Markle’s a longtime advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. She has dedicated her adult life to working with charitable organizations like World Vision, One Young World, and the United Nations.

And if the Royal Wedding itself is any indication, her role as Duchess won’t stop her from fighting for change.

The televised ceremony, hailed

by The Guardian as “a rousing celebration of blackness,” broke royal tradition in a variety of ways.

In a nod to Markle’s mixed heritage, the wedding service featured an electrifying sermon on the “redemptive power of love” by African-American bishop Michael Curry. Viewers and attendees were also treated to The Kingdom Choir’s soulful rendition of AfricanAmerican singer Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” and a performance by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the first black musician to win the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year award.

The wedding has certainly left many people excited for how Markle will use her new royal platform.

Shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry, Kensington Palace launched Markle’s own page on the Royal Family’s official website.

Sitting amongst a brief overview of her life and an account of her charitable endeavors is a promising quote from the Duchess herself: “I am proud to be a woman and a feminist.”

Back in February, at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum, Markle confirmed her plans to continue to empower women and girls, taking the opportunity to reference the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements.

“You’ll often hear people say, ‘Well, you’re helping women finding their voices’ and I fundamentally disagree with that,” Markle said. “Women don’t need to find a voice. They have a voice.

They need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen.”

PHOTO BY ALLY MASTANUONO

While the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may seem trivial at best to those of us living across the pond, there is significance behind all the pomp and circumstance. When the Royal Wedding craze dies down, the new Duchess will continue to inspire and empower millions.

Much like Kensington Palace and the Royal Family, our own university honours its history and long-standing traditions. For us at Queen’s, Markle stands as a reminder that while tradition should be respected, we need to make room for improvement, diversity and inclusion on and off campus.

Taken at face value, the lesson to be learned from Markle’s groundbreaking induction into the Royal Family may seem to be “anyone can be a princess.”

However, in reality, Markle’s impressive accomplishments prove anyone with enough passion and drive can bring positive change to even the most traditional environments.

WEB CULTURE

A peek behind the curtain of Queen’s meme factory Three prominent student meme makers discuss their locally viral jokes Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor The wildly popular dissemination of memes has forever altered the way our generation uses social media, relates to each other and communicates our thoughts. It shouldn’t be too much of a shock to discover memes have hit the Queen’s community in a big way.

The “Overheard at Queen’s” Facebook group, which has more than 30,000 members, has lately become a hotbed for campus-specific memes.

During this past exam season, over 50 memes were posted by students in the group—easily beating the fall semester’s tally—and likes per post ranged from single to quadruple digits.

According to some of Queen’s busiest meme producers, creating

these school-specific jokes begins the same way any other meme does: examining what’s popular online.

Urla Javier, ArtSci ’20, began making memes by applying the ones she saw online to the context of her university surroundings.

Her video on Overhead, which was posted in March, portrays different Queen’s majors as viral Vines and currently sits at 1,400 likes.

“At first, I wasn’t really serious about [making the video],” Javier told The Journal, “but over the [next few] days I kept re-watching some compilations and I was, like, ‘Oh, maybe that one could apply to this major or program!’”

While Javier saw her video as a way to poke fun at the general perception students have of other majors, Lilly Kelly’s locally-viral meme had a much simpler

Queen’s Principal Daniel Woolf in the meme factory.

goal: procrastination.

“There’s [a] relatively viral meme that takes [Bazzi’s] song ‘Mine’ and puts different images over it. A lot of the time it’s ironic,” Kelly said, whose video quickly raked up 1,200 likes. “So, our principal [Daniel Woolf] is meme-d a lot and he’s just got such a loveable, precious face.”

“I had three exams to write, so I was like: ‘You know what I’m going to do, instead of studying, to procrastinate? I’m going to make this meme video to demonstrate [Queen’s students’] appreciation and love for [Woolf].’”

While Overheard limits the reach of these memes due to a privacy setting, the levels of local fame still often surpass Queen’s meme-rs’ wildest expectations.

Noah Gennaro’s meme,

which mashed-up a popular clip from Pirates of the Caribbean and video of a boat crowd-surfing on Aberdeen Street at a St. Patrick’s Day party, garnered over 5,000 likes, 400 comments and 1,800 shares.

“I totally didn’t expect [the meme] to get that big,” Gennaro told The Journal. “My friends and I always joked about getting [the] Overlord [GPA bar for 1000 likes] and such. But once I posted it, it just started going and going, and some of my friends at other universities had seen it.”

While this sort of internet fame does not appear to extend to real-world interactions, everyone interviewed for this article conceded having to mute their Facebook notifications in order to preserve their sanity.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

Though memes are not typically intended for deep analysis, there is something to be said about the importance of a joke that’s able to bring together a significant percentage of the Queen’s population. “[Memes] really [are] just a big kind of inside joke that everyone gets if you go to Queen’s and you were there or you see that,” Gennaro said.

With the volume of Queen’s-centric memes on the rise, it’s safe to assume there’s no end in sight for this particular brand of school-related, socially relevant content.

“It’s something that we can all relate to and kind of laugh at, whether it’s something serious or something not—like someone crowd-surfing in a boat.”

Lifestyle

Monday, May 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

• 15

POP CULTURE

I miss the old Kanye: free thought gone too far Kanye West’s new philosophy has dangerous consequences Meredith Wilson-Smith Editorials Editor Earlier this spring, Kanye West rapped, “We ain’t made it off the plantation,” calling himself a ‘slave’ to fan expectations after professing admiration for right-wing causes.

The rapper subsequently tweeted in late April, “the mob can’t make [him] not love” Donald Trump, a president known for institutionalizing racism.

West defended his statement with his new philosophy of free thought. The rapper’s wealth has led him to believe he’s surpassed racial divisions, allowing him to operate on a higher plane of universal harmony where he can think anything he wants as long as it’s accompanied with love.

Despite his claim of free-spirited love, West’s recent song title—“Ye vs. the People”—proves more than a name.

Instead, it becomes a full-fledged and dangerous division.

From “Black Skinhead” to “Jesus Walks,” West has made his career voicing experiences of racial inequality. His discussion of police brutality and power disparity, however, took a turn when the

rapper began to express harmful views in a quest for originality.

West says he preaches love, but calling slavery a “choice” achieves the opposite—which is exactly what Kanye did in his May 1 interview with TMZ. TMZ employee Van Lathan took West to task, challenging him by saying, “I think what you’re doing right now is actually the absence of thought. ... The rest of us in society have to deal with these threats to our lives.”

This is the core of the issue with West’s philosophy—he’s so preoccupied with his image as a solitary truth-teller that he fails to realize his words impact the Black community he’s aligned himself with throughout his career.

West’s entertainment is political, which is common through Black history. From jazz to blues to hip-hop, marginalized Black artists have used music to cut through the noise and make

Kanye West and his catchphrases.

their perspectives heard.

But as West is isolated by opulence, he’s also isolated from the many current realities of racism. It’s irresponsible for a celebrity of Kanye’s stature to make unfounded blanket statements, and particularly about a race he consistently aligns himself with in his music.

Chance the Rapper came to West’s defence, tweeting, “Black people don’t have to be democrats.”

Sure, West doesn’t have to be a democrat—but he does have to acknowledge the widespread reach of his views.

And in the case of his slavery remarks, West’s views are not aligned with fact.

His controversial comments on slavery came just days before Childish Gambino released “This is America,” a music video creatively depicting the Black experience and gun violence in the United States. Some have said Gambino does what West thinks he’s doing: both men seek to provoke as much as they seek to enlighten, but Gambino doesn’t cause this provocation for himself.

Gambino is able to simultaneously express his views and present a forum for discussion; West only does the first and runs away from confrontation under the guise of across-the-board love.

Where Gambino acknowledges the realities of his status as an

Staff Writer

For a shorter commute: The Anthropocene Reviewed

If you’re lucky enough to have a short commute, the perfect podcast to help spice it up is author John Green’s new podcast, The Anthropocene Reviewed.

Green, whose most famous novels include The Fault in our Stars and Paper Towns, plucks two different aspects out of mundane human life—like Canada geese or Diet Dr. Pepper—and reviews their usefulness in each episode.

While this may not immediately seem thrilling, Green’s reviews tend to come with fascinating

African-American man, West both resents his characterization as a Black musician and seeks to leverage it.

The rapper claims to preach free thought and love, but his terms are shallow and selfish.

In his 2013 song “New Slaves,” West—or what will now likely be known as the Old Kanye—compares business partners to slave owners, but his careless endorsement of Trump reveals he still wants a seat at their table.

Kanye fears irrelevance, so he seeks attention through offensive statements. However, the only way for him to avoid irrelevance is to think carefully about the fans that propelled him to fame—those he claims to represent.

West can practice all the free thought he likes, but if he continues to spread misinformation about the Black experience, he fails to fulfil the role he created for himself: preaching his fans’ truths.

For when you want your commute to feel productive: Hannahlyze This

lauren trossman

The unfortunate truth about summer is despite the post-exam rush of freedom, it can be incredibly boring once summer jobs begins—especially if you are one of many students who will be commuting daily.

Whether you’re taking the subway, bus, car, or using your own two feet this summer, podcasts are the perfect way to keep you occupied and shake off feelings of wasted time.

If you’re a podcast lover, these six suggestions are sure to delight you. And if you’re not familiar with podcasts, download a few episodes anyways—anything to distract from the smell of hot sidewalk, right?

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA O’GRADY

Listening to podcast on the bus.

STUDENT LIFE

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

A serial commuter’s guide to summer podcasts Finding the perfect podcast for your warm weather commute backstories, hilarious anecdotes and engaging philosophical takes on human life. Each episode runs approximately 20 minutes and is split into two halves, making it ideal for your blessedly short commute.

For

a

longer commute: Armchair Expert

For an unfortunately long commute, actor Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert is a great reprieve from the boredom of your trip. Episodes are usually around two hours long, so say goodbye to the Spotify playlist you’ve played endlessly on repeat. The podcast features a

different celebrity each episode, hosting everyone from Zach Braff to Katie Couric, to Shepard’s wife, Kristen Bell.

Shepard has a knack for getting his guests to share the intimate details of their lives, which is part of what makes the podcast so appealing. In my favourite episode, Ellen DeGeneres shares her experiences as a struggling comedian coming out as gay in the late 1990s.

For the commute that needs a little more fun: Adult Sh1t

Everyone’s had an early morning or late night commute that could be brightened by a few laughs. If

so—and if its name is any i n d i c a t i o n — Ad u l t Sh1t might be the podcast for you. Hosted by BuzzFeed correspondents Kelsey Darragh and Kate Peterman, Adult Sh1t explores the intricacies of day-to-day life as a millennial woman.

The hosts answer viewer questions, discuss their personal lives and give their unique takes on more serious topics including physical and mental health. With new episodes coming out every Thursday, Adult Sh1t will routinely make your fellow commuters doubt your sanity as you laugh maniacally to yourself.

Hosted by YouTube personality Hannah Hart, Hannahlyze This accurately advertises itself on iTunes as the “self-help podcast that just can’t help itself.” Hart is joined by her best friend Hannah Gelb, where the two discuss love, mental health and the quest for fulfillment.

The hosts release a new podcast every Tuesday and often debate over or try things like laughter therapy, sensory deprivation tanks and self-help retreats. Listening to Hannahlyze This during your commute will satisfy your need for productivity, teach you about ways to care for yourself and assure you that you’re not alone.

For when you want to block out your surroundings: Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

If you want to forget that you’re commuting in the first place, check out Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations. Since July 2017, real-life goddess Oprah Winfrey has graced our ears with a podcast so good—so zen—you’ll be able to tune out even the loudest of street buzz. Similar to Armchair Expert, each episode sees Winfrey interview an A-List celebrity about their life experiences and provides enough impressively deep insights to keep you hooked.

Lifestyle

16 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, May 28, 2018

ALUMNI INTERVIEW

Wendy Crewson is ready for gender equality on television Queen’s alum and actress reflects on school, her latest TV role and gender equality in the workplace

Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor When Wendy Crewson graduated from Queen’s drama department in 1977, she had no idea what the outside world would hold for her. Least of all did she expect to win a Gemini Award, share the screen with Hollywood greats like Robin Williams and step into the shoes of some of Canada’s most well-known women icons.

Now, decades into her career and starring in CTV’s new law enforcement drama The Detail, Crewson prepares to unexpectedly enter a new phase in her career that she’s long coveted: working with women both in front of and behind the camera.

Crewson spoke to The Journal over the phone about her time as a student at Queen’s, her proudest career accomplishments and why an “unapologetically femaleled” series like The Detail is much overdue.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What was your experience like at Queen’s?

I had a phenomenal time at Queen’s. I loved being a student there. I found the drama

John Mulaney in Kid Gorgeous.

wasn’t enough opportunity in Toronto—there wasn’t the kind of industry that there is now. I moved down to New York City, got a series in Los Angeles and it kept on snowballing.

It never happens very quickly.

It’s a long climb into being able to support yourself as an actor.

Is there an accomplishment from your career that you’re most proud of?

Wendy Crewson.

department very quickly and found myself at home. It was really the beginning of everything.

I received so much support and guidance from our wonderful head of department, Maury Breslow, and the terrific teachers that were there. I found that my love for doing theatre really blossomed and I was given tremendous encouragement to continue.

REVIEW

How did you make the jump from Queen’s to your career as a working actress?

Well, it was there at Queen’s that I decided acting was what I wanted to do. After my first year, I decided theatre was my path and everyone [at Queen’s] really helped me figure out my next steps. The drama department

SCREENSHOT FROM NETFLIX

John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous is relatability at its best The comedian’s third stand-up special prioritizes the human experience over politics Jonathan Karr Staff Writer Since the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, the entertainment industry saw a dramatic spike in its production of highly-politicized content. Whether intentional or not, it seems as if art released today—especially in the form of comedy—can be spun to fit a conservative or liberal agenda.

But John Mulaney’s new Netflix stand-up special, Kid Gorgeous, offers viewers a refreshing experience. It manages to largely avoid politics while maintaining a relevant and relatable narrative.

Released May 1, Kid Gorgeous marks Mulaney’s third stand-up special—but you wouldn’t think it. Despite his relatively young age, 35, the comedian speaks with a kind of confidence in his

new special that makes it seem as though he’s been delivering jokes to sold-out crowds for years.

Mulaney’s ability to seamlessly transition from one joke to the next with such ease means there’s something in Kid Gorgeous for everyone. For example, he tells a long-winded joke about how he feels like a 75-year-old stuck in a 35-year-old’s body, just before he effortlessly segues into a bit

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

I’m very proud of the work I’ve done telling stories about real Canadian women. That’s my pleasure, really … the idea of telling real stories. Doing the Sue Rodriguez story, Louise Arbour, Lorraine Evanshen—just ordinary women in challenging circumstances who end up doing extraordinary things. Those are the stories I find most interesting.

Those are the things I’m most proud of.

secretary at the time made sure all this information about theatre schools was available to us. She [and] the professors walked us through the process of getting into these schools.

We had one professor, Alan Knight, who was on sabbatical in London and had a flat in Earl’s Court. So, I auditioned for Weber Douglas Theatre School in London, got in, decided to go, and ended up renting a room in this professor’s flat. It was very smooth, and it was that kind of help that gave me the confidence to think [acting] was something I could do.

After two years at Weber Douglas and auditioning around England, I decided I wanted to come home for a visit. While I was there, I managed to find an agent, get some auditions and ended up with a role on CBC’s The Great Detective. From that role, I went onto a CBC movie called War Brides. Then they did a series called Home Fires, which I got the lead on.

After a while, I decided there

For the full interview with Crewson, visit queensjournal.ca/ lifestyle

about modern technology and the lengths we go to appease it.

As a Queen’s student, the highlight of this special for me comes towards the end.

Mulaney talks about how his alma mater, Georgetown University, contacts him asking for an alumni donation, even though he’s years removed from graduating. Growing up, I’d hear my parents receive the same such calls plenty of times—but the way Mulaney explains the weirdness behind the idea of paying a school years after they’ve provided their service is phenomenal.

The unique thing about Kid Gorgeous is every person I’ve talked to about it has found different personal highlights throughout. Viewers can relate to Mulaney in their own, distinct way and it exemplifies the comedian’s consistency throughout the special.

I personally related to Mulaney’s awkwardness while making small

talk with acquaintances. A friend of mine related most to Mulaney’s random need to please every person he passes on the street, as if he is “running to be the mayor of nothing.”

Mulaney evokes different kinds of feelings for different people, but that doesn’t create distance between one fan to the next.

I related more to some parts of the special, while my friend to others, yet we still both enjoyed it. We just focused on the aspects of ourselves that make us think of the comedian as a friend, rather than a distant celebrity on a screen.

Kid Gorgeous offers viewers a breath of fresh air from the negativity we often see in today’s mainstream media. Despite your best efforts, I can assure you that in watching this special, you’ll let out anything ranging from frequent giggles to huge laughs — there will likely be many of both.

Can you describe the basic premise of your current show, CTV’s The Detail, for any students who’ve yet to check it out?

The Detail is an unapologetically female-led series. It has the traditionally patriarchal format of a police procedural but with three women as the leads and the men as the secondary characters.

It certainly adds a new slant on a very familiar TV environment and examines how women work together to solve crimes in different ways than men do.

Lifestyle

Monday, May 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

Various pictures of Hareer throughout her life.

• 17

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

POSTSCRIPT

Finding the strength in an allegedly weak name How I reclaimed the meaning behind my first name Hareer Al-Qaragolie Contributor Our parents’ names for us can be reminders of what they hope we become.

My family gave me various nicknames but the weakness associated with my birth name hung over me until I learned to understand its true meaning.

To my grandfather I was Assal (honey); to my mother I was Sumaya (highest point) and to my father I was Hareer (silk)— which was the only name that stuck. Rumor has it my father got the name when I wrapped my hands around him as an infant, reminding him of the soft embrace of silk.

My whole life, I’ve heard the phrase “Hareer zay il Hareer”, which is Arabic for “silk is just like silk.” When you’re Arab, it’s not peculiar to have such a name. It’s a reminder of the value of silk and the great efforts required to own it.

Silk is delicate, difficult to deal with and easily damaged if mishandled. Overtime, it became hard to keep the positive meaning behind Hareer—its beauty and uniqueness—when it was turning into a liability.

As much as I hated it, I am everything that name embodies: sensitive, soft and lightweight. In my mind, all these qualities made me weak so I resented where they came from—my name, Hareer.

I never connected my identity to my name because I didn’t want to be labeled as sensitive. However, my perspective started to shift when I was sixteen in a parentteacher conference at school.

The first thing the teacher said

was, “Hareer zay il Hareer, you are very sensitive. Habibti. You need be stronger.”

In my mind, “ all these qualities made me weak so I resented where they came from—my name, Hareer.

”

Even though I’d heard this phrase used to describe me before, I began blushing. I’d never heard it used in such a blunt manner, especially coming from a teacher and to my parents.

Throughout the meeting, my teacher didn’t mention my love for Arabic literature, my interests in AP courses, my participation in co-curriculars, my good relationship with my teachers or any of my academic achievements.

The meeting revolved around her concern for me as a sixteen year old girl who was too shy to raise her hand in class, too emotional in her writing and too afraid to speak up when necessary.

She went on to criticize my shyness, the softness of my voice and how I looked “breakable”.

I started to lose focus on her words out of the humiliation. But what stood out the most was her description of me as “too weak to face challenges,” which she said was “not a good thing for college.”

After that, I didn’t know if what I was feeling was shame or pure distress.

For the most part, it wasn’t

my teacher’s words that made me uncomfortable, but rather the condescending way she spoke. To her, I was too delicate to handle any frank criticism.

I realized my vulnerability was visible to everyone. I felt violated, weak, and completely naked all at the same time. I blamed everything I didn’t like about myself on my name because I didn’t have the strength to blame anything else.

After the conference, I remember leaving my parents to go to the student centre to grab our coats. But instead, I found myself in a bathroom stall. My heart started racing, my hands were numb and my head was spinning. I found it hard to stand upright.

As tears rolled down my cheeks, I struggled to control my breathing. That moment reinforced my worry that everything my teacher said was true.

I was so easily broken. I was so gullible to think I could be someone other than Hareer, the girl fated to always remain weak.

What was supposedly a gift of a name began to feel like a burden.

What used to be a beautiful and valuable reminder to the world of who I was started to feel like an anchor.

I couldn’t excel because I was Hareer. I couldn’t speak out because my voice was like Hareer. I couldn’t stand my guard

because I was lightweight like Hareer. Everything I wanted to be or achieve seemed like an unachievable dream, because I was Hareer.

My name was the biggest weight I had to carry.

As the burden of my name grew, so did my curiosity as to why my father gave me this cursed.

When I was 18, my dad and I were watching The Avengers in our living room. In the middle of the movie, I abruptly asked my dad why he named me Hareer.

What reminded him of that name when he saw me?

“You were named after two things,” he said. “Hareer referred to an old silk route—the main and the only channel for trade. At the time, Asia was represented

by India and was the source of the most valuable trading materials—items like spice and silk. It was precious, just like you.”

“The second link was related to the valleys in northern Iraq. The series of mountains there were called Hareer. They signified strength in beauty. Your name—and all that it stands for—are revered for its quality, transparency and value. You are all of that.”

Up until that point, I’d completely forgotten the origin of the word Hareer and the value it holds. Instead, I’d let my

name’s meaning be hijacked and scrutinized by my own self-doubt.

For the longest time, I believed vulnerability should be hidden, sensitivity was a weakness and shyness was anything but a virtue.

I looked at myself the way the world looked at me. I forgot to look beyond the definition others imposed on my name and see the worth in it.

To this day, people often say, “Hareer zay il Hareer” to me upon hearing my name and I’ve learned to take pride in that.

this day, people “To often say ‘Hareer zay il Hareer’ to me upon hearing my name and I’ve learned to take pride in that.

”

Silk has a value that I will always cherish. It made me realize there is no shame in being vulnerable because it enables the sensitivity and compassion needed to care deeply for others.

For so long I abused my name, and sometimes I still do, but I will never forget the value behind it.

I’ll strive to not let my name fully consume or define me, but instead serve as a reminder of my worth.