The Queen's Journal, Volume 144, Issue 20

the journal Vol. 144, Issue 20

Queen’s University

F r i day , F e b r ua ry 3 , 2 0 1 7

since

1873

JBP elected page 3

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Brian MacKay (left), Jenn Li (middle) and Palmer Lockridge (right) celebrate their AMS election victory on Tuesday night with cigars.

Gaels fall to Paladins at 31st Carr-Harris Cup

Principal Woolf speaks out on US travel ban, welcoming affected academics to Queen’s

‘World’s oldest hockey rivalry’ ends on a sour note for the Gaels Sarah O’Flahery Assistant Sports Editor

When rivalry games are played, it brings out the best in both teams. Often, deep historical ties and bad blood boils over, with anything possible over the course of 60 minutes.

Leading up to the game, Queen’s was a for sure favourite. Currently, Queen’s is ranked seventh in Canada, while RMC has only managed five wins on the year.

But when the final whistle had blown, RMC pulled off the improbable, beating the heavily favoured Gaels 3-2.

The 31st annual Carr-Harris Challenge Cup took place at the K-Rock centre Thursday night, celebrating the 131-year-long rivalry between the Queen’s Gaels and the RMC Paladins men’s hockey teams.

The arena was packed with over 3,000 fans — half the stands were a sea of vibrant tricolour, and the other half a little harder to see in camouflage. Local kids screamed in

Features

PHOTO BY AMANADA NORRIS

delight as the puck dropped and the opposing bands traded riffs from popular songs.

The first period began with fierce competition between the two teams. The gameplay was fast paced and both teams had smooth passing, quick turnovers and big hits.

Particularly big hits at centre ice had fans roaring, as tensions were high without a goal halfway into the first.

The Paladins would strike first blood with a goal from Seamus McGuire at 13:17.

The remainder of the period saw the Gaels have multiple comeback attempts, but shots were consistently too wide. While the Gaels See Too on page 10

Woolf plans to welcome students on short-term basis to provide a ‘safe haven’ at Queen’s Blake Canning Assistant News Editor

After Principal Daniel Woolf released a statement to the student body on Monday, regarding the University’s reaction to American President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, Woolf talked about possible next steps with The Journal.

Starting off, Woolf reiterated his stance on the events transpiring both in the United States and in Sainte-Foy, Quebec last week, where six people

were murdered at a local mosque.

“Canada is not immune from racial and ethnic discrimination,” he said. “We have remarkably little impact on what another country chooses to do. What we can do is stand up for what we think is morally correct and speak out where we see human rights or discrimination taking place, and that is what a number of us have felt over the last few days.”

When discussing the details of how

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Editorials

Opinions

Arts

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

See Universities on page 4

Lifestyle

How does Queen’s pro-life club fit on campus?

Woolf’s strong statement needs backing action

Explore differences on exchange before judging

Rachel Manson: Queen’s drama’s chameleon

Oscar column: La La Land falls flat where Fences flies

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page 6

page 7

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Friday, February 3, 2017

JUDICIAL AFFAIRS

Non-academic misconduct statistics published for 2016

Cases processed by AMS NAM in May to December detailed in report to Assembly

Victoria Gibson News Editor Between May 1 and Dec. 31, 2016, 30 investigations were launched through the AMS’ non-academic misconduct (NAM) system, a report to Assembly detailed.

Of the cases — which are down 25 per cent from last year’s number at this point in the year — 14 have reached hearings and resulted in assigned sanctions to some degree.

The statistics given in the report are out of a percentage of cases with sanctions, not overall cases investigated by the NAM system.

The majority of cases concern

misuse of alcohol, with 71 per cent of cases this reporting period falling under that umbrella versus last year’s 41 per cent and only 25 per cent in 2014-15.

Seventy-one per cent of cases also deal with some form of trespassing versus 23 per cent last year, though the trespassing incidents and alcohol misuse cases aren’t explicitly linked.

Fourteen per cent of cases included an incident of failure to comply, 21 per cent include infringing on the rights of university or community members.

Fifty-seven per cent include failure to adhere to alcohol

regulations, and seven per cent include unlawful public disturbance, threatening civil

GRAPHICS BY RYAN PISTORIUS/VIA DEC. 2 AMS NAM REPORT

order and/or safety, fraud, physical from Queen’s Residences. altercations, or “other.”

Twenty-one per cent of Zero per cent of the last complaints came from the Student reporting period’s NAM Constables. The majority — at 68 per cases dealt with off campus cent — came from Campus Security. noise violations, theft or Out of the cases with sanctions, possession of stolen property, or there have been $350 in incomplete sanctions. bonds assigned, two TriPub bans, Four were dropped, two eight eCHUG Challenges — an at cause of mistaken identity alcohol use feedback program and two because the respondent — one alcohol workshop, 13 was “outside of the jurisdiction educational sanctions and one of NAM,” as non-Queen’s students. warning letter.

The remaining 12 cases, The average day-span to the report stated, are still reach a hearing is 32 days, within the investigation or slightly higher than last year’s settlement process. at 29 days but drastically lower Eleven per cent of complainants than the 71 days in 2011-12. The since May were classified as average day-span to resolution “other,” a catagory which includes is 44.6 days, which is nearly police officers. Four per cent were consistent with last year’s average students and four per cent came of 45 days.

Senate discusses internal grants and Board communication Jan. 31 meeting sees discussion of hiring, research and committee dissolutions

Victoria Gibson News Editor

possibility to investigate.

Study Centre (BISC) in England, Following the impassioned after a multi-year vacancy. statement, his report noted He expressed confidence On Tuesday, the University updates such as the Ministry that the ad-hoc BISC Senate’s first meeting of 2017 of Advanced Education and governing body — formed after began quietly.

Skills Development’s two-year the abrupt 2014 removal of the Following an action-focused extension of the current tuition last serving Executive Director, statement from Principal Daniel framework, which will cap Bruce Stanley — got the program Woolf released earlier this week undergraduate tuition fees at three “back on track” with Queen’s in response to the American per cent increases each year until vision, but explained it was executive order on immigration Aug. 2019. time to hire a director for the and terror attack in Quebec City, Woolf also noted the meeting satellite campus.

Woolf requested that senators join as the last for Vice Principal him in a moment of silence.

(Research) Steven Liss, who External Review After, Woolf re-affirmed an departs Queen’s on Feb. 28 for of Research earlier promise to take concrete a position as Vice President steps against the United States (Research and Innovation) A lengthy discussion was held order, urging senators to send at Ryerson. amongst senators when discussing information of any faculty a list of 13 recommendations or students impacted — at Provost’s Report put forward in the University’s Queen’s and elsewhere — to External Review of Research him personally.

Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon’s Summary Report.

Before introducing the new report touched heavily on the Senate members spoke out members of the Implementation subject of hiring, which he called overwhelmingly in support of Committee on Racism, Diversity the University’s “most important” establishing more internal grants, and Inclusion, he explained that task in determining its identity. which would focus on improving to assess the internal problems of Bacon began by announcing grant applications to external racism and inclusion at Queen’s, that the University has now bodies to procure a better success the University needed to be aware hired a new Dean of Arts and rate of receiving funds. of the “wider world.”

Science. Current York University As well, members agreed to Senators took the address as a Dean and Associate Vice President the benefits of intensifying the chance to ask senior administrators (Graduate Studies) Barbara Crow “research culture” of Queen’s, and whether the current circumstance will serve a five-year term at re-focusing the budget model to was an opportunity to expand Queen’s, effective July 1, 2017. support the research endeavors refugee programs and As well, Bacon noted a search of faculty. international scholarship at opening overseas, for an Executive Engineering Society Student Queen’s, which was noted as a Director of the Bader International Senator Emily Townshend asked

Senate to consider bolstering Teaching Assistants and other supports during grant application season as well, to prevent sacrificing the professors’ time spent on grants or the student learning experience.

The report also communicated the plan to make an “enduring legacy” from physics professor emeritus Arthur McDonald’s 2015 Nobel Prize, under the pillar of communication and marketing.

Dissolving of the Queen’s University Planning Committee

A motion to dissolve a committee deemed to be “searching for its purpose” raised some alarms.

The Queen’s University Planning Committee (QUPC) was created in 2010 as a liaison between the Senate and Board of Trustees, functioning as an advisory body on matters of strategic and foundational plans of the University, and as an oversight body with respect to the annual budget development process and major capital project approvals and implementations.

The committee was described by senators as a response to the failed Queen’s Centre project, and an attempt to mitigate the risk of a

repeated incident.

In 2015, though, a working group was formed to review the degree to which the group has fulfilled its mandate, meeting several times in 2016 and compiling a recommendation report.

The report recommended that QUPC be dissolved and that a new, joint committee be created in its place with a revised mandate.

However, to Senator Laeeque Daneshmend — who chaired the Campus Master Plan Advisory Committee, which reported to the QUPC — the motion left space for a disturbing lack of accountability between the Senate and the Board.

Daneshmend argued repeatedly against the dissolution, claiming that a committee that didn’t function at its most effective didn’t warrant elimination — it warranted change and work.

Other senators eventually joined Daneshmend’s sentiment, with an amendment put to a vote to table the original motion for a later date.

A divided vote saw the amendment fail, and in the afternoon’s closest vote, the motion to dissolve the QUPC passed.

See full story at queensjournal.ca.

Friday, February 3, 2017

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The immediate reactions of Team JBP to the arrival of the AMS Elections team and current executive, signalling their victory against Team MTW.

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PHOTOS BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

JBP to succeed LWT as AMS Executive Jenn Li, Brian MacKay and Palmer Lockridge victorious with 52.61 per cent of the vote

Blake Canning, Morgan Dodson, Victoria Gibson and Maureen O’Reilly Journal News Staff This story originally appeared online on Jan. 31 2017.

Just after 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday night, a boisterous crowd of blue-clad supporters were interrupted by the sudden arrival of the current AMS Executive: the signal that Team JBP had won.

Leading the way through the chanting crowd, Vice President (Operations) Dave Walker was the first to embrace President-elect Jenn Li, Vice President (University Affairs)-elect Palmer Lockridge and Vice President (Operations)-elect Brian MacKay. Li led the way to the front porch of the house where herself, Lockridge and MacKay delivered their acceptance speech, cigars in hand and shivering in the snow. Lockridge addressed the crowd of AMS representatives, club leaders, and supporters with their slogan, "let's do this together!"

Through tears, Li thanked campaign manager Andrew DiCapua as well as her teammates. MacKay beamed throughout the announcement, receiving embraces from all directions.

Hardly a block away, MTW campaign manager Emily Vassos got the phone call that her team — Presidential candidate Aniqah Mair, Vice President (University Affairs) candidate Julie Tran, and Vice President (Operations) candidate Landon Wilcock — had lost.

The final tally came in at 52.61 per cent for Team JBP, with a total of 3,492 votes, and 43.68 per cent for Team MTW, with a total of 2,899 votes. 3.71 per cent of votes were cast for none of the above.

Following the news, Team MTW congregated privately for a moment of reflection. When they were ready, they made a public statement to the crowd at their election party.

“Thank you to everyone who supported us, thank you to everyone who has been there for us since day one,” Tran said. “There was no way we’d be here without your support.

Unfortunately we didn’t prepare for a speech like this.”

“I guess you have to take the positives out of a really unfortunate situation,” Wilcock added. “We all really stood up to the typical group that has come year to year to the AMS and we really stood up and said these people need to be heard."

"We love you so much,” Mair told their supporters. In response, the crowd began to chant, “we love you MTW”.

Victoria Chappell, the sole candidate for Undergraduate Student Trustee, was voted in with 93.7 per cent confidence of 5,370 votes cast. She didn’t hold a celebration of her own, and elected to go to JBP’s instead.

way to the front porch “ Liofledthethehouse where herself,

Lockridge and MacKay delivered their acceptance speech, cigars in hand and shivering in the snow.

Lockridge addressed the crowd of AMS representatives, club leaders, and supporters with their slogan, ‘let’s do this together!’

”

and Nick said that he was just glad it was over.

“It was an interesting experience to say the least,” he said, thanking Nick for sticking it out until the end.

Sam Roe of Team Sam and Emma called the Jasmine and Stefan campaign “one of the most disgusting campaigns I’ve ever seen.” “[They] ran an abusive and vicious campaign,” he wrote in a statement to The Journal. “We’re disgusted that their complete lack of integrity and flagrant violation of both election policy and basic decency went unpunished by the elections team.”

Emma Redfearn later added in that the campaign “really opened our eyes to how inaccessible it is for some students to run for student government.”

The Engineering Society logged its highest-documented voter turnout, at 66.5 per cent of the faculty after a concerted social media push to combat voter apathy.

Max Berkowitz was acclaimed as Engineering Society Senator and Nat Wong was voted in as President, Julianna Jeans as Vice President (Student Affairs) and Jillian Reid as Vice President (Operations).

The Engineering Society satire publication, Golden Words, had its $2 mandatory fee renewed — after having its fee increase rejected last year — along with all other fee increases, introductions or continuations on the referendum ballot.

The Residence Society Executive team race went to Team CPR, with presidential candidate Jake Roseman, Vice President (Residence Affairs) Andrea Colisanti and Vice President (Judicial Affairs) Maddie Perrault.

Alex Wojaczek was voted in as the Computing Students’ Association President, with Vice President (University Affairs) Ashley Drouillard and Vice President (Operations) Lauren Yates.

The night also yielded results for the various faculty societies. In the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS), results were followed with contention between teams.

The successful team of Jasmine Lagundzija and Stefan Negus celebrated by passing around champagne bottles to their supporters. "We had other teams in this race and they fought so hard. Abby and Nick and Emma and Sam, we thank you for fighting a hard race," Lagundzija said.

— With files from Mikayla Wronko, Julia Balakrishnan, However, upon receiving the negative results via phone Shivani Gonzalez, Jasnit Pabla, Brigid Goulem, Clayton call, presidential candidate Abby Chaudhry of Team Abby Tomlinson, Iain Sherriff-Scott, Jenna Zucker and Jane Willsie.

See more news online • Vigil in Market Square for Sainte-Foy, Quebec • QHacks ‘hackathon’ doubles participation numbers from last year’s event • Undergraduate Computer Science research journal launched via ASUS queensjournal.ca/news The vigil for Sainte-Foy, Quebec in Springer Market Square.

PHOTOS BY BLAKE CANNING

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AMS Assembly approves final motion to dissolve Commission of Environmental Affairs Fall term break plebiscite question results revealed, Phys Ed program to officially close

Maureen O’Reilly Assistant News Editor AMS Assembly this Thursday began with heartfelt congratulations being given to all the various executive candidates and elections teams for their work over the past two weeks of campaigns.

However, quickly after, the room turned their focus to the dissolution of the Commission of Environmental Affairs (CEA), Fall Term Break, and a closed session to discuss Non-Academic Misconduct.

Commission of Environmental Affairs to be officially dissolved after final reading

After a long series of questions from concerned members-at-large, AMS Assembly officially ratified the motion to dissolve the CEA. Vice President (University Affairs) Carolyn Thompson introduced the final reading of the motion and announced that the executive team plans to create an internally restricted fund of $30,000 to ensure that sustainability remains a priority throughout the AMS. Member-at-large Amy O’Rourke asked whether The Earth Centre will be able to become a club upon dissolution of the CEA, to which Commissioner of Environmental Affairs Liam Dowling and AMS President Tyler Lively reassured her that it would.

Member-at-large Diana

Yoon asked whether the SLC has a sustainability mandate going forward, to which Vice President (Operations) Dave Walker responded that the restructuring of the SLC involved “increasing the time commitment of Operations Manager to add a sustainability mandate” and hiring a new permanent Facilities Officer on staff.

When asked by a member-at-large whether Queen’s Sustainability Week would continue in light of the dissolution, Dowling responded that to the best of his knowledge the week would be cancelled next year.

However, in a follow-up response, Thompson promised that the executive team would advocate for the continuation of Sustainability Week going forward.

Aesculapian Society Junior Representative Julia Milden inquired as to what motivated the executive team to dissolve the committee, to which Lively explained that it was something that had come up about a year ago in their goal planning after realizing the AMS had continually fallen short in terms of sustainability.

“It’s not uncommon for the AMS to make operational changes like this without a broad student consultation,” Lively said.

After about an hour of debate and discussion, the motion went to a vote — it passed 27 to six, with one abstention.

GRAPHIC BY ASHLEY QUAN

Fall Term Break Plebiscite Question Results

Lively announced the results of the Fall Term Break plebiscite question listed on the winter referendum.

The results indicated that 4,152 students voted for option one, and 3,708 students voted for option two, which works out to 52.8 per cent versus 47.2 per cent.

Option one would push move-in day back by one full week, placing it on the Sunday, eight days before Labour Day. Orientation Week would begin on move-in day and last for seven days, ending on the following Sunday. Classes would begin the Tuesday after Labour Day, and a four-day long Fall Term Break would occur from the Tuesday to the Friday after Thanksgiving.

A discussion then followed about how the AMS should advocate for the best interest of students with regards to this issue, and Lively moved to add a motion to the agenda stating that the AMS Assembly should endorse option one when negotiating with administration.

The motion went to a vote, which passed 24 to 6, with two abstentions.

Friday, February 3, 2017

News in Brief AMS discuss JDUC architectural study and long-term options

PhysEd program closure approved by Faculty Board

On Feb. 2, a blog post from AMS At a meeting on Friday, Jan. Marketing and Communications 27, a proposal was approved announced that the surplus that will effectively close the from the $1.2-million JDUC Bachelor of Physical and Health revitalization project will be Education (BPHE) program at invested into an architectural study Queen’s, starting in the 2017-18 of the JDUC to explore options for academic year. long-term planning.

In preparation for the closure, Avenues being explored in admissions were halted in March the study include the addition of 2016, before the closure of more study and social proposal was first brought before spaces, club meeting rooms the Faculty Board on October 28. and offices “equipped with the Interim Dean of Arts and latest technology” and electronic Science Gordon Smith released outlets, as well as spaces to eat a statement on Monday stating and socialize. that the faculty undertook a Options for new business considerable consultation process spaces, available to outlets like before making the decision.

Grocery Checkout, Luce Hair Salon “Recommending a program and the Campus Dentist are also closure is never easy,” Smith wrote. listed, along with rebuilding AMS “Students and alumni expressed Services like The Brew, Tricolour fond memories of their time in Outlet and the Publishing and Phys Ed at Queen’s while also Copy Centre. demonstrating an understanding Funds may be used to of the need for change.” improve the overall accessibility According to the Queen’s Gazette, of the building, to comply the proposal is based primarily fully with the Accessibility for on the fact that the Phys Ed Ontarians with Disabilities program overlaps considerably Act, or to improve the aesthetics with Kinesiology. There are also of the building and bring in “more far fewer opportunities for Phys natural lighting.”

Ed teachers and this has caused Over the upcoming months, the declining interest in Phys Ed AMS will continue to investigate programs throughout Canada. possibilities in partnership with Continuing the closure process, the University. the proposal will be brought Suggestions for the future of before the Senate Committee on the JDUC are invited to be sent Academic Development, who will to JDUCplan@ams.queensu.ca. be meeting on Feb. 8.

— Victoria Gibson

— Blake Canning

that the graduate residence space in the JDUC will be reallocated as student life and club spaces.

Commissioner of Academic Affairs Leah Brockie wrote in her report that the AAC has been working with the library to build a Syllabus Bank system, which would allow the library website to have an Exam Bank-like portal for course syllabi.

Commissioner of Social Issues Lea Keren has created a proposal for a new salaried position within the SIC called the “Equity Affairs Manager.” The job involves working 15 hours a week, from September to April, in which the manager would seek to oversee the internal operations of the commission.

Keren also announced that the Committee Against Racial and Ethnic Discrimination (CARED)

will be receiving a space in the JDUC. Assembly voted to create a new award called the AMS Peer Support Award, to be awarded annually to students who make an outstanding impact in supporting the mental well being of another student at Queen’s and contribute to supporting the Queen’s community.

AMS Assembly attendees were required to sign a confidentiality agreement as the meeting moved into a closed session to discuss the state of AMS Non-Academic Misconduct (NAM), facilitated by Judicial Affairs Manager Ryan Pistorius.

Pistorius also published in his public report a variety of graphs and charts reflecting NAM statistics ranging from May 2011 to December 2016.

at possible situations where “We’re making it known through people could spend time at our graduate school … we can Queen’s in the short term, welcome graduate students who while the situation calms south want to come here on a short of the border — effectively term, there’s a program for these providing what he repeatedly visiting students.” called a “safe haven” for students He clarified that the decisions and faculty. made in response to the “We’re hiring, and welcome immigration ban had little to do people from all background to with Queen’s commitment earlier apply for the positions,” he said. this year to work on influencing

public policy.

“It’s got nothing to do with the commission on policy studies at Queen’s,” he said. “It’s more about Queen’s position about policy in place.”

While there aren’t concrete plans laid yet, Woolf says he’s in contact with other university leaders regarding a united course of action.

Reports

In his President’s Report, Lively announced that they will be selecting an architect by Reading Week, who will carry out future JDUC renovations. He also revealed

Universities need united course of action, Woolf says Continued from front

he planned to take action, Woolf said “I think it’s entirely possible that we’d be able to accept qualified students to transfer here and enroll in the university. Both graduates and undergraduates.”

This action would be directly in response to the executive order

banning travel, as he believes some students may find it unfavourable to stay where they are at American institutions due to their home country being identified by the executive order.

“Depending on how the situation develops,” he said, “there’s a whole lot of up and downs standing on that executive order.”

He and his team are looking

Friday, February 3, 2017

Features

queensjournal.ca

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IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

AMS CLUBS

Examining Queen’s Alive on campus AMS Clubs Manager says one of Queen’s more contested clubs doesn’t break any rules

Alex Palermo Assistant Arts Editor

W

hen Amanda Collins walked into Mac-Corry and caught sight of the Queen’s Alive booth, she first noticed the stack of bookmarks that read “Women DO regret their abortions!” and then she noticed the poster advertising their upcoming movie night.

After her visit to the booth last semester, Collins, ArtSci ‘19, wrote a letter to the AMS registering a complaint against the club. It wouldn’t be the first time in the controversial group’s history they’d faced a complaint from students.

Since 1985, Queen’s Alive has been an AMS-sanctioned and officially ratified club, with eight executives and around 30 participants. Their mission statement is “affirming the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death.”

Collins described her interaction with club to The Journal via Facebook Messenger.

“They kept asking me if I believed in human rights as a response to anything I said,” Collins said of the individuals at the booth.

Collins also said that the person at the booth “tried to compare abortion to the Holocaust.”

Her reasons for complaining weren’t personal, according to Collins. “It was mostly just upsetting to see such aggressive and false information being put out in a space where anyone could have seen it ... or having it lead to making a big decision based on biased information.”

In her complaint to the AMS, a copy of which she provided to The Journal, Collins wrote, “One of the many beautiful traits Queen’s University offers is diversity in many aspects, especially in the wide variety of clubs and activities to choose from ...

However, there are a few aspects about this particular club you have allowed to represent the Queen’s community that I fear does more harm than good.”

Controversy surrounding Queen’s Alive has been recorded in previous Journal articles for years. In 2011, Queen’s Alive stirred campus by inviting Stephanie Gray, co-founder and

executive director of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform’s to present a talk entitled ‘Echoes of the Holocaust’ — a presentation that compared aborted fetuses to Holocaust victims.

Another complaint against the group, filed in 2015, stemmed from a student who claimed that the club was spreading misinformation. The student, Raven Adamson, ArtSci ’18, said members of the group had told her repeatedly that “a woman could get an abortion up until the day before a baby was due.”

1985, Queen’s Alive “hasSince been an AMS-sanctioned

and officially ratified club, with eight executive and 30 participants. Their mission statement is ‘affirming the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death.’

”

Abortions are, in fact, legal in Canada at any stage in the pregnancy, but only if the woman can find a doctor willing to perform the procedure. However, the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health statistics show that abortions are highly uncommon after 20 weeks, and are most often performed when there are serious fetal defects or to protect the mother’s health.

Despite their history, according to AMS Clubs Manager Grace Kim ArtSci ‘17, there’s no clause in the AMS Constitution that Queen’s Alive is in danger of breaking.

In addition, ratified clubs under the AMS operate autonomously and Queen’s Alive has rights under the AMS Constitution.

“We allow any idea to exist on campus.

There are obviously still people that believe in this idea, even if it does make other people uncomfortable.

The line would be if they broke the student or AMS Code of Conduct,” Kim said of the Mac-Corry boothing situation. “They weren’t chasing anyone down. If you didn’t want to engage you could just walk by.”

In Canada, the pro-life movement is a minority and abortion rates are decreasing.

According to the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, in 2007 the total number of abortions recorded in Canada was 98,762.

In 2014, the number decreased to 81,897.

Meanwhile, in 2016, only 14 per cent of Canadians identified as entirely pro-life, according to a nation wide survey by the Angus Reid Institute.

Co-executives of Queen’s Alive, Rebecca LaBarr and Christine Helferty, are members of that 14 per cent.

“We stand for the truth and we believe strongly that science teaches us that the preborn are human beings, and that they deserve human rights. We’re not ashamed of our beliefs, and we’re not ashamed of the truth,” said Helferty of Queen’s Alive’s message.

While their ultimate goal would be the de-legalization of abortion, the group’s current message is the importance of human rights for people of all “developmental levels.”

Planned Parenthood, an international not-for-profit organization that provides reproductive health services is often viewed as the leader for abortion rights. They’re also responsible for providing university students and many other women with sexual health information and resources.

Only 3 per cent of their services are providing abortions.

When asked if they support Planned Parenthood’s purpose as a strategic means of lowering abortion rates, LaBarr said, “we can’t support Planned Parenthood because they perform abortions, and that goes against our beliefs.”

However, abortion clinic canvassing isn’t currently in their repertoire. “Our mission is talking to students on campus. Right now, it’s not in [our mission] to got to clinics. We just want to change minds,” Helferty said.

The executives of Queen’s Alive believe that abortions are wrong in any circumstance — even if it results from sexual assault.

“Life is full of difficult circumstances.

Sexual assault is a difficult circumstance. But we can’t kill anyone because of a difficult circumstance,” Helferty said, when asked specifically about instances of sexual assault.

When discussing their steadfast stance on the topic, Helferty and LaBarr described an unnamed woman who reached out to them. According to Helferty, the woman had told them that she “found her abortion to be more traumatizing than her rape.”

Whether being pro-life is ethical has been brought up a lot in conversations with students around campus, Helferty said, but the interactions between students and Queen’s Alive are generally low-key. “So far our interactions with students have been respectful. We had one group of protesters that showed up at our booth for a while, but they were always nice to us.”

The climate on university campuses is generally pro-choice, leaving pro-life groups like Queen’s Alive on the outs.

In 2010, members of Carleton Lifeline, a pro-life group at Carleton University, hosted a display during Genocide Awareness month featuring a comparison of abortion to the Holocaust. Several members were arrested and charged with trespassing, including Queen’s Alive president at the time, Zuza Kurzawa. Carleton Lifeline was defunded following the incident.

The next year in 2011, the Universities of Ottawa, Victoria, Calgary and Guelph placed bans on on-campus anti-abortion groups.

As it currently stands, as an AMS-ratified club, Queen’s Alive is subject to the same rights as any other group on campus, as well as the same responsibilities, illustrating for many the difficulty of the limits of free speech on university campuse — limits that aren’t easily discernible lines in the sand, but rather seem to zigzag without clear barriers in sight.

ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT LIN

6 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, February 3, 2017

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

Next step for Queen’s response to US immigrant ban: more than just words Kayla Thomson

Students with special needs need more thoughtful aid W

ILLUSTRATION BY VINCENT LIN

C

anadian universities have the power response — they could’ve condemned the exclusionary forces — a commitment that to be safe havens for vulnerable ban and listed a few resources available to the University has the power to implement.

While the administration’s response communities and positive values — so far, students who may be affected.

But Daniel Woolf’s statement went was positive in its promise of inclusion Queen’s is wielding this power well.

After American President Donald beyond this. What’s particularly significant and action, statements like this aren’t the Trump signed an executive order on is his willingness to realize that our political solution — they’re just the beginning.

In future conversations about how Friday to ban immigrants from seven and cultural climate may require more than Queen’s can best welcome those impacted by Muslim-majority countries for 90 words from the Queen’s community. the ban, it would be beneficial to openly days, several Canadian universities recognize the Islamophobic incidents issued statements condemning that often arise as a result of similar the ban and acknowledging its But Daniel Woolf’s statement went negative consequences. beyond this. What’s particularly significant political rhetoric.

Calling Islamophobia by its name On Saturday, a public vigil was is his willingness to realize that our political held in Kingston for the victims and cultural climate may require more than isn’t just a step towards having frank conversations about it, but it also of an Islamophobic attack at a words from the Queen’s community. allows those made vulnerable by its mosque in Quebec City, in which six presence to feel less isolated. people were killed. Following both There’s still so much that can be events, Queen’s Principal Daniel Woolf made a statement through the In recognizing that the Queen’s done on this campus alone to combat the Queen’s Gazette. community “may well need to go beyond same divisive values that introduced the ban In the statement, Woolf acknowledged this, and offer a safe haven” to those facing and fueled the Quebec attack.

Woolf’s words will be most valuable if that the values behind the immigration ban the consequences, he acknowledged that and the Quebec attack “are not Canadian, this wasn’t going to be fixed by only words, they become more than words. But so far, the words were just the right ones. and they are not those of Queen’s University.” but by “concrete measures.”

The idea of going beyond what’s expected In a political situation as sensitive and — Journal Editorial Board divisive as this one, it would’ve been easy and looking for tangible solutions seems for Queen’s to make a generic statement in to be a promise of continual resistance to

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hen it comes to finding the best ways to accommodate marginalized students, students with special needs can often be left out of the conversation.

This past month, the Ontario government announced major changes to the education budget, improving tuition funding for mature students, and students from low-income families. But while the change also offers financial help for students with special needs, it doesn’t take their unique abilities into account.

“In college and university you have to advocate for yourself to ensure you get the supports you need,” the Ontario government website currently reads. Students are required to disclose their disability when applying for post-secondary education, putting the responsibility to receive accommodation on the student when it should be the opposite.

Further, the Ontario government website currently outlines that students with special needs are responsible for looking at the graduation requirements for the program they’re interested in and making sure they’re “able to complete these requirements.”

The onus is on the student to fit into the university’s expectations, but this should be the other way around. It shouldn’t be a matter of students coming to universities only when they can, but any student getting the education they want. Our priority should be searching for ways to accommodate each student in their own unique way according to their unique abilities.

Doing so begins with universities being held more responsible to their students with special needs and recognizing their individuality.

Once inside the classroom, the accommodations for students with special needs are often easily ignored by professors.

Although accommodations do exist — like a request for note-takers — professors aren’t affected and don’t need to change the way they teach. A student may require technology to learn in the classroom, but a professor still has the right to impose a technology ban, which can alienate the only student in a classroom who needs a laptop for accommodation.

Students with special needs require more than the introduction of note takers in their lectures, or specially-formatted textbooks.

University-level education should be made available for everyone, regardless of their differing abilities.

It’s time that these students are brought into the conversation and are embraced by post-secondary institutions.

Kayla is a fifth-year Computing and Creative Arts major. She is The Journal’s Production Manager.

Friday, February 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

•7

OPINIONS Make sure you know before you go Your Perspective

Educational exchange should include cultural awareness

Jessica Park, Comm '18

and the country itself.

As exchange isn’t simply an extended tourism experience, but rather an opportunity to learn from another culture over an extended stay, it’s important for the incoming students to put effort into accepting the differences they may encounter while abroad and act in an appropriate manner.

Experiencing both the role of an incoming exchange student and that of a Korean citizen simultaneously during my time on exchange, I’m able to sympathize with both positions.

I understand the difficulties of settling in a new place and the hardships associated with leaving behind what you know in favour of something foreign. However, I also witnessed the extra effort that many of the Korean citizens put forth in welcoming the exchange students and recognize how important it is for that extra effort to exist on both ends.

When embarking on an education exchange experience, it’s important that young people acknowledge the differences that exist from society to society.

This acknowledgment is the first step in making sure that the learning taking place is healthy and beneficial to both the students and the country.

For me, choosing an exchange destination for a semester in my third year was a simple decision. I wanted to be able to go to a place that would allow me to learn in a variety of ways, and not just in the classroom. That destination was Seoul, South Korea, where I was born and raised until I was seven years old but hadn’t returned to since visiting in 2008.

to be able to “ I wanted go to a place that would allow me to learn in a variety of ways, and not just in the classroom.

I soon realized “ that many exchange

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students weren’t ready to engage with the culture, country and its citizens in a respectful manner.

In August, a little earlier than most exchange students, I arrived in Seoul and was picked up by my family with whom I stayed for a couple weeks before moving into the Global House Residence Before setting off on exchange, provided for exchange students by the Exchange Program — through Yonsei University. the Faculty of Commerce and I must admit, I had it a little Queen’s University International easier than most. I spoke the Centre — helps students prepare language fluently, had enough time for the potential culture shock to prepare before starting at Yonsei they may face. Although these PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN and adequate support from my extra steps may seem trivial at family to make my transition for a semester couple days later when I was asked by my fluently isn’t expected from exchange the time and their importance in Korea smooth. new roommate, who I’d known for two students, but learning the basics, like “hello,” is often lost in the excitement that Then started my exchange experience nights at the most, when the North would “thank you,” “sorry,” or “excuse me,” would’ve the exchange experience induces, the through the university. Orientation began attack the South. taken minimal effort on the part of the preparation and research will allow for a and I was thoroughly uncomfortable.

Or, actually, maybe it was having to students and made communicating with the meaningful exchange experience in the Orientation featured a student from watch my fellow exchange students speak public much easier. long run. the United States who’d just finished her in English wherever they went with little I soon realized that many exchange Exchange is meant to be an eye-opening exchange giving us tips on what Korea was regard for the people they were often just students weren’t ready to engage with experience, where students can learn from like. I’m not sure if it was the “everyone here talking at. the culture, country and its citizens in a other cultures, other education systems, and is an alcoholic” or the “everyone in Korea English is a universal language and respectful manner. other people. But it’s also an experience dresses the same” that didn’t sit well with me understood by most, however, in Korea Before beginning the exchange where young people can learn about but there I was, a Korean-Canadian, hearing — where the official language is Korean experience, students should do more than themselves in relation to the world and we generalizations and stereotypes being — I couldn’t understand how students just initial research on the place they’re need to appreciate it as such. tossed around in front of an auditorium full could speak so naturally in a language that intending to visit. They should make of exchange students who were just being wasn’t understood by most people they efforts to dispel any negative stereotypes Jessica Park is a third-year introduced to the country. encountered on a day to day basis. or beliefs that may dictate the way they Commerce student.

The worst instance though, took place a Of course, learning a new language interact with the citizens they encounter

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Talking heads ... around campus

PHOTOS BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Where would you go on exchange?

“A country in Scandinavia.”

Claire Weersink, PHEKin ’20

“Japan.”

Jeffrey Turnock, Sci ’17

“Paris.”

Claire Swarbrick, PHEKin ’20

“Fiji. It’s too cold here.”

Paul Szirmay-Kalos, ArtSci ’19

8 • queensjournal.ca

Arts

Friday, February 3, 2017

ARTIST PROFILE

Drama queen and comedy machine

Rachel Manson brings personality, laughs and pure talent to the Queen’s stage Alex Palermo Assistant Arts Editor “Nothing kills me more than when people make art that doesn’t really say anything. I’m just like ‘bye’,” Rachel Manson, ArtSci ’17, said in an interview with The Journal. Amen.

The first three things you need to know about Manson are that first, she’s an improv master, second, she swears like a sailor, and third, her favourite cocktail is beer.

After four years in the drama program, a minor stint with the English department, two full years of directing experience at Queen’s Slam Poetry, an exciting Queen’s Players career plus a little improv, Manson has made her mark on the Queen’s theatre scene.

She’s also a playwright and a stand-up comic, performing frequently at stand-up shows around Kingston. “I always go back to what makes people laugh,” Manson said of her favourite writing. “Laughing means listening. A lot of people think it degrades, but it’s a visceral reaction.”

Manson’s parents are both doctors and her sister is currently in law school, leaving her to follow a more creative path. “My parents were very supportive of my … hobby.

Eventually they realized I wanted to keep doing it.” As for her Toronto high school experience, although she was involved in theatre, Manson said she felt as though she was “asleep for four years.”

In terms of her experience growing as an artist at Queen’s, Manson credits the drama department’s focus on extracurriculars. “I’ve learned so much about theatre, I don’t think I really could have learned that anywhere else,” Manson said. She was afforded the rare opportunity of becoming a playwright for the department, having the chance to see some of her writing come to life on stage this past year, including one final farewell this March as her play One Flew Into a

COMMENTARY

Box takes the stage.

When asked if she considers herself a triple threat, Manson laughed. “Minus the two other threats. I sing sometimes in players. Once I fell into a musical by accident.

It was called Dolls and it was weird as fuck.”

Manson has her hands full already, adding that she’s done it all in theatre from lighting cues to costume design and acting.

Her writing style can be characterized as dark and hilarious. She writes only dark comedies and claims to not know how to write anything else. I have my reservations about that claim, Manson seems well-versed in all forms of expression.

She credits Danielle d’Entremont, ArtSci ’14, as her mentor, an older Queen’s student who ran Queen’s Poetry Slam and was also in Queen’s Players. “My friend invited me to this slam poetry thing. I had never written poetry in my life. And it was so fucking cool.

She was running it, and she just passed the torch,” Mason said of d’Entremont.

Her first poem was written on a whim and a table at her first slam. After launching her slam poetry career in first year, Manson started directing in December of 2014, halfway through her second year.

Manson has no current plans to go to grad school, but is exploring some playwriting fellowships as potential next steps after her impending graduation. “I need a healthy break from school,” she explained, “I don’t understand how people can just keep doing it.”

After graduation, Manson wants to still do stand-up, “[Stand-up] is cathartic. Everyone should do it at least once in their life.” On a more stable note, Manson would love to write for a late night show.

When asked where she’d like to be in a decade, she answered, “Just not homeless, honestly. If I can afford a bagel once a week — I will have made it.”

Who has the right to tell Indigenous stories?

Canadian author Joseph Boyden accused of misrepresenting himself as Indigenous

Boyden at a literary festival.

Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy Staff Writer At the crux of the controversy unleashed by allegations that Canadian author Joseph Boyden’s heritage isn’t as Indigenous as he claims is a question readers have to ask themselves as we consider his work: who

SUPPLIED BY WIKICOMMONS

has the right to tell Indigenous stories.

Recent allegations by the Aboriginal People Television Network (APTN) against Boyden claim that he has misrepresented himself as Indigenous. An author whose books on Indigenous peoples and history have garnered numerous prestigious awards, some of which are exclusive to Indigenous

Manson styling Smoke’s Poutine boxes for Queen’s Players.

authors, Boyden has since denied the truthfulness of these claims. However, the allegations have raised controversy, mostly due to how much of Boyden’s career is based on his identity.

Over the course of his career, Boyden has been the recipient of grants and awards meant for Indigenous peoples. For example, he recently received $75,000 from the inaugural (Re)conciliation initiative for a film he’s making in collaboration with Métis filmmaker Terril Calder. He has benefited financially, personally and professionally — his place as a prominent author in the Canadian literary world is informed by his self-identification as an Indigenous person.

Boyden has also been a huge voice for Indigenous rights, speaking on issues like reconciliation, missing and murdered Indigenous women and the Dakota Access Pipeline. He has used his platform as a famous Indigenous author to be vocal on behalf of those who aren’t as privileged.

While Boyden’s identity has been scrutinized by members of the media, the heart of this controversy for me as a reader isn’t only whether he’s fraudulent, but more importantly, whether he has the right to tell Indigenous stories if his claims to Indigenous heritage are false.

Indigeneity and status are incredibly complicated issues that go beyond genetics and blood percentages. To simplify it down to those characteristics is to ignore the history of Indigenous identities being persecuted and policed by the state. So, to me — a non-Indigenous avid reader of Canadian literature — the only person who can confirm to the public if he is Indigenous or not is Boyden himself. His identity isn’t up to me, especially as a non-Indigenous settler.

But in conversations about Indigenous

SUPPLIED BY RACHEL MANSON

literature, it’s frustrating to think that the loudest voice belongs to someone who may not be Indigenous themselves. Settlers — meaning non-Indigenous people living on Indigenous land — can and should have a place in conversations about reconciliation and the role Indigenous literature plays in that, but their priority should be to listen, not to dominate and steer the conversation.

As a reader, it’s valid to feel conflicted about Boyden allegedly lying about his identity, because if it’s true, it sounds like he co-opted a history of violence and genocide for his own personal gain. However, readers of his work should know that he’s also been supported by several Indigenous communities who say that regardless of his Indigeneity, his work is important in the conversation about reconciliation.

Wab Kinew, an Anishinaabe author and politician, recently wrote an op-ed for The Globe and Mail saying that there’s room in Indigenous communities for Boyden.

While Kinew isn’t excusing Boyden, he says that making “room in the circle” for others ultimately makes a community stronger.

At the end of the day, the only people who have the right to decide who gets to tell Indigenous stories are Indigenous peoples themselves and the only people who get to decide what it means to be Indigenous is, again, these communities. For readers outside of this community like me, the best that can be done is ask ourselves critically if and how Boyden’s Indigeneity matters to us when we’re reading his work.

And if it does, as settlers, the best way we can engage with Indigenous literature is to listen; listen carefully to the stories told by those who can and do offer them.

Arts

Friday, February 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

•9

POETRY SLAM

Winter poetry slam brings the heat Queen’s Poetry Slam showcases some old and new favourites Mikayla Wronko Features Editor My only exposure to slam poetry before Monday night was Jonah Hill screaming “Cynthia” in 22 Jump Street. But there I was, trying to find a chair in a lamp-lit room of The Grad Club to watch my first poetry slam.

I know that social circles beyond my own exist at Queen’s, but looking around The Grad Club I realized I’d found the community for poetry slam. The poetry slam regulars were mingling, catching up with those they hadn’t seen since the break. They seemed like they were in their element.

Silencing the buzzing, a willowy girl in black jumped on the stage and screamed, “How the fuck are you?!” It was an intense introduction I wasn’t expecting. In fact, part of me was relieved I was tucked in the corner because I didn’t want to be picked on by the emcee.

The girl in black introduced herself as Rachel Manson, an executive for the Queen’s Poetry Slam Club, and went on about how we were all weirdos for being at a poetry slam on a Monday night. Manson asked the room if we’d never been to a poetry slam before and I cautiously put my hand up. There were a couple of other hands stretched out with me.

Manson, ArtSci ’17, thanked us for coming and went on to give us the run down of the rules for a poetry slam — and there were a lot of rules.

If you liked something said in the poem, you snapped your fingers, and you had to scream, “Three, two, one, score!” at the end to signal the judges to hold up their whiteboard score.

There was another rule — if the performer went over three minutes, the audience had to interrupt the performance by screaming, “You rat bastards, you’re ruining it for everyone, but it was well worth it.” We were also instructed to make a hook with our hand, or else be picked on by Manson in the audience.

To make sure we understood all the rules that came with poetry slam, Manson introduced Bruce Kauffman to read his poem, ‘On the Shore’, as our trial run. Woven into nautical themes, Kaufman spoke of the desperations that come with love. I enjoyed the tired delivery but wished I could see the lyrics or have re-heard it to really understand what he was saying.

At the end of the reading, we screamed, “Three, two, one, score!”, and Kaufman was awarded with a 9, 9.3, 9.5 and a 10 with a cartoon sheep.

I realized rather quickly that the kindness of the community wouldn’t award anyone who went up on stage and was vulnerable reading their work anything less than a nine.

It was time for the real competition and for the student poets to read. Of the eight poets that read, a couple stood out to me — both in content and delivery.

Jessica Read, ArtSci ’17, delivered a choked and emotional poem about being at war with her body for not being skinny enough. “I felt the most powerful when I wasn’t eating,” was the introductory line of the poem, as she juxtaposed how being strong was rooted in the pursuit of being fragile.

Billie Kearns, a.k.a. Billie the Kid, a regular slammer, delivered the same piece she spoke at last season’s poetry slam called ‘Things My Mother Told Me’. Clearly, it was still as palpable and entertaining at her last performance. What stood out to me about the poem wasn’t just the verses’ ability to describe a nuanced mother-daughter relationship and Indigenous identity, but how she used her hands to tell the story.

From strongly gesturing out the verses, to conveying just a little more expression, Billie’s hands added grace to her storytelling.

Her movements gave the delivery a new dimension that made me emotional thinking about my own relationship with my mother.

My two favourite poets placed third and fourth respectively, with the winning poem going to Jessie Shewfelt, ArtSci ’17, who crafted an anti-metaphor by insisting that the idea of weeds in a flower bed wasn’t related to white colonialism.

The poem was objectively sharp and I thought the idea of an anti-metaphor was brilliant but, for myself, felt lectured. From the recent travelling ban in the United States to campus culture, I already had political fatigue. Maybe I was naïve for thinking that poetry slam would offer that kind of escapism.

In a way, I stepped out of my own comfort zone by seeing how these student poets allow themselves to be vulnerable. For slam poetry, I learned, you don’t have to be the one performing to be a part of the community.

Jessie Shewfelt performing a singing act at the slam.

PHOTO BY AUSTON CHHOR

LOCAL ART

SUPPLIED BY LEAH DECTER

Decolonializing culture through the arts Q&A with artist and activist Leah Decter Erika Streisfield Arts Editor

the present. I’ll focus on one in particular: about 12 years ago, I was developing artwork in relation to the experiences of displacement that precipitated my maternal grandfather’s immigration to Canada.

This led me to look critically at how such arrivals are linked to the goals of colonial ‘settlement,’ and consequently, the ways both my ancestors and I are implicated in Indigenous dispossession.

As I moved forward in this work from what I understand as a ‘critical white settler perspective’ I’ve been deeply informed

by Indigenous and allied settler scholars, artists, communities and activists. I have a commitment to contending with these issues, both in my art and research practices, and in my everyday life. For me, it’s a matter of unlearning the ways I’ve been conditioned by colonial thinking, and working to enter into and sustain respectful relationships with and on this land.

“I hope to communicate in ways that encourage, move or incite people to pause and question ways of being, relating and thinking they take for granted,” Leah Decter, artist and activist, said in an interview with The Journal.

Decter is a multi-media artist who combats existing colonial frameworks through art and social activism. When I first met the Winnipeg-based artist in a guest lecture, I was immediately drawn to the unique perspective embedded in her work and the passion behind every stroke and action that came to produce such powerful pieces.

Decter has showcased and screened her work widely in Canada including at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Grunt Gallery, Dunlop Art Gallery, and MacKenzie Art Gallery, to name a few.

She works closely with the Kingston Q: Official Denial: Trade Value in Progress community producing pieces that decolonize is a very emotional piece. What was the process like in creating the series? continuing colonial practices, commemorate and celebrate Indigenous cultures that once flourished on this land. Decter will be A: It’s challenging to reflect on a five-plus-year undertaking a new performance piece in project that had hundreds of participants with brevity. One aspect of this project Kingston this June. that’s particularly significant is the idea of Q: What triggered your career path in art listening. When I initially conceived of this piece, I was interested in devising a platform and activism? through which individuals would have an A: The short story is that I’ve always made opportunity to deeply listen to one another things, both in professional capacities and in close and distant proximity, and to do so recreationally. When a friend suggested in an embodied way. I also saw it as a way I should go to art school, I enrolled in a for people to listen to, and hopefully reckon couple of courses. I quickly recognized my with, often troubling national histories affinity for communicating in this way and and narratives.

Jaimie Isaac’s involvement, first as a was further drawn to the capacity for art to engage in complexities of meaning in curator, and then as a collaborator, shifted ways that can affect how we think and live the project and enriched the frameworks of listening. I can’t speak for those who saw or our lives. participated in the project, but for me the most meaningful part was working alongside Q: What sparked your interest in Jaimie and having the opportunity to engage decolonization and Indigenous with all of the participants who contributed reconciliation? Why do you think it’s their thoughts and time, and to listen to important to tackle these issues? the evolving, thoughtful and sometimes A: There are a number of threads that led contentious dialogue. me to the imperative of contending with Read the full Q&A online at Canadian nation-building as an enduring www.queensjournal.ca/art settler colonial structure that stretches to

10 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, February 3, 2017

Sports

Too little, too late for final minute comeback

Darcy Greenaway (right) at the face-off circle in the Gaels 3-2 loss.

Continued from front page

had plenty of scoring chances throughout the period, when the whistle blew for the end of the first, the score was locked at 1-0.

The second period began with a bang — the Paladins scored off a second chance attempt 33 seconds into the period. The Paladins remained dominant for the following 19 minutes of the period, shutting down each opportunity the Gaels had. The Paladins’ defence were particularly cohesive and managed to regain puck control on almost all Gaels’ attempts into their end.

Queen’s lack of efficiency with the puck was a big factor in the game. Even on the powerplay in the second period, RMC

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

managed to maintain control while a man down. The second period ended at 2-0 in favour of the Paladins and the Gaels were visibly frustrated as they returned to their dressing room with 20 minutes left to overcome the deficit.

In the final period, tensions were at an all-time high. As the crowd screamed, big hits were thrown. Through all the tension, RMC remained in control, pushing the lead to 3-0.

But in the final moments, the Gaels seemed to wake up. Darcy Greenaway scored a beautiful backhand goal off a pass from behind the net, which got the Gaels back in the game. With 37 seconds left of play, Dylan Anderson scored the Gaels’ second goal. The Gaels pulled their goalie to try to even

the game, but after a few missed chances, the whistle blew in favour of the Paladins.

Interim head coach Tony Cimellaro said that the Gaels’ performance was “unacceptable,” regardless of the fact that the team is currently without four of their best players: Eric Ming, Slater Doggett, Spencer Abraham and starting goalie Kevin Bailie.

“It’s hard to say right now that we’re a full team — we’re not.

We’re a three, four-man team and those guys aren’t on our roster right now, they’re overseas. So hopefully someone steps up and decides to take this team to the next level, but right now we’re not proving anyone wrong losing those three guys,” Cimellaro said after the game.

Cimellaro also mentioned his team’s mentality and preparation going into the game as one of the key reasons for the poor play.

“The way we competed tonight was the same way we were practicing all week — you know it’s an embarrassing effort on our part. Any time you can come in and play a game and be shut out for 57 minutes is uncalled for, and that’s the same way guys practice. They think they’re better than what they are and they certainly are not.”

While there were many issues in the Gaels’ gameplay, Cimellaro pointed to scoring opportunities and getting to the net as the biggest

PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS

ones. “It’s something we harped on for the last two weeks: we’re going to struggle to score goals but you got to do the right things to score goals. If you don’t do the right things, you’re not scoring goals, and that’s what happened tonight.”

However, Cimellaro thought there were a few players that had a good night at the K-Rock Centre. “I think probably [Darcy Greenaway].

[He] is the heart and soul, he competes, he gives his everything he’s got every night. We know that there’s a couple of kids that care in there, so we’ll build around that and regroup and go into Oshawa and look for a better result.”

Dixon grows as team flourishes From rookie to veteran, Abby Dixon has stepped up as a leader on the court during an undefeated 14-0 season Brittany Almeida Contributor When Abby Dixon decided to focus her sights on basketball over competitive soccer as a 16-year-old, multi-sport athlete, she couldn’t have anticipated the success that her basketball career would bring.

A fast-paced, team-oriented sport, basketball enticed Dixon, whose strengths lay in her speed and defensive skill. From that moment onwards, basketball would become a focal point in Dixon’s life.

A British Columbia native, Dixon was heavily recruited by west coast universities. However, her time spent playing on the B.C. provincial team is what would secure her place as a basketball player at Queen’s.

At the 2012 National Championships hosted in New Brunswick, Dixon got her first introduction to the Gaels.

Interested in Queen’s for it’s academic reputation, Dixon reached out to head coach Dave Wilson. At nationals, he came out to watch her play and subsequently invited Dixon to visit Queen’s.

After signing for Queen’s in 2013, she didn’t know what

to expect.

“When I came into the women’s basketball program in first year, I didn’t have many expectations for myself,” she said in retrospect.

“I wasn’t sure how I would fit, but I ended up getting minutes and contributing every game.”

Four years later, she’s found her role.

In Queen’s 14 wins, she’s averaged 9.5 points per game to go with 2.4 steals. As a defensive player who doubles as an efficient shooter, Dixon has helped the women’s basketball team stand at the top of the OUA East and remain the only undefeated basketball team in U Sports — in both the women’s and men’s divisions.

Dixon attributes this achievement to the team’s tight-knit camaraderie as a small roster of 15 players. “As a team, we really feed off of each other. We know what everyone can do and we lean on one another to fulfill a specific role on the team.”

For the Gaels, confidence has been another key to overcoming close games and tough overtimes.

“We all contribute and have confidence in each player on the floor,” Dixon said.

With a 14-0 season accompanied by being ranked

fourth nationally, most would be surprised to learn that none of the Gaels players are currently listed as the top 50 scorers in the CIS. “We have a true team dynamic,” Dixon said, reflecting on the top scores list.

It’s the “true team” mentality that has been a rallying point for the Gaels and undoubtedly contributed to a recent milestone win for the team. In a 70-68 victory over the McMaster Marauders -— the previously number one ranked team in the nation — the Gaels secured the number four spot in the country, the highest in program history.

For Dixon, beating the Marauders is among one of her greatest moments of the season so far. “Knowing I’d never won in that gym before while standing on the free throw line in the last second of the game was a big moment,” Dixon said. “I knew we were going to win at that point in the game and it was a great feeling.”

With the big win, the Gaels kept pace with their momentous stride and unfaltering confidence.

The team secured another set of back-to-back wins over Nipissing and Laurentian this past weekend.

With Ryerson in their sights

Abby Dixon during the 2015-16 season.

this weekend, Dixon noted the importance of maintaining the same style of play that has rewarded the Gaels thus far. “We will continue to play our game and get pumped up to face Ryerson.” A familiar opponent, the Gaels saw an overtime victory against the Rams during their last match-up in January.

As an experienced player, Dixon exudes a cool confidence, while retaining an unyielding

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

competitive focus.

“We’ve played some close games, but haven’t encountered much adversity yet. As an undefeated team, experiencing a loss and bouncing back could be an obstacle for us.”

Defending their undefeated title remains a point of pride for the Gaels. For Dixon, the 14-0 run comes as no surprise. “We have worked hard as a team for the streak,” she said. “We earned it.”

Sports

Friday, February 3, 2017

queensjournal.ca

• 11

SIDELINE COMMENTARY

Looking at the stats: women’s volleyball Slow start can still be turned around Sarah O’Flaherty Assistant Sports Editor With every season comes a fresh start, an opportunity to turn the chapter on last year. At 5-8, the women’s volleyball team currently sits fifth in the OUA East with only Trent and RMC behind them.

With six games left, the team has a chance now to turn the page on a less than exciting start to the 2016-17 season and start fresh midway through the season.

While they’ve improved greatly over the course of the season — this month the team had a 2-2 record, impressive in comparison to their 3-6 record after the first half of the season — they still have far to go.

On the offensive side of things, the team is in the upper tier of the OUA, currently averaging 11.24 kills per set and 10.39 assists per set, both of which rank third in the OUA East. Their service aces per set are at par for the middle of the league, averaging 2.02.

The team’s biggest issues this season are coming defensive. The Gaels currently average 14.69 digs per set, whereas the number one and undefeated team in the OUA East, the Toronto Varsity Blues, average 17.86 digs per set.

The team also only averages 1.20 blocks per set. This is second lowest in the OUA East, only ahead

of the RMC Paladins average of 0.70. In comparison, the number two Ryerson Rams’ average blocks per set are more than double that of the Gaels’, with 2.46 blocks per set.

But with all the negatives, the team still has an opportunity to change the narrative of their season.

This weekend, the team heads to Trent, looking to repeat their 3-0 victory over them at the start of the season. After Trent, the Gaels return home for two weekends to host Lakehead — who is 3-11 and at the bottom of the OUA West standings.

In the second weekend of their home stand, Queen’s will play host to York and Nipissing, which will be the most important set of games for the team this year. When the teams faced off earlier this year, Queen’s dropped both games 3-2 in tight matchups.

If the team can prioritize their offensive and get into a rhythm, there is a real chance to gain momentum and find their way into the OUA playoffs.

If they manage to maintain a strong offensive front, whilst reinforcing their defensive efforts, they should manage to move up in the OUA rankings before the whistle blows on their season.

Stephanie Pascal made 31 saves against Laurentian, sealing the Gaels win.

PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS

Women’s hockey continues to roll Gaels look to win ninth straight game this weekend Matt Scace Staff Writer It wasn’t the start that any of them had in mind. After ten games, the women’s hockey team was looking at a 4-6 record and a discouraging weekend consisting of two straight losses. Something wasn’t right. And then it was.

After the winless November 11-12 weekend, the Gaels went on to win eight-straight games, a streak they have no intention of ending this weekend against Western and Ryerson. The turnaround wasn’t something that happened overnight, though.

Captain Jessica Wakefield reflected on the team’s “rock-bottom weekend” recently saying, “we didn’t play close to what we can play.”

Team leading goal scorer Addi

MEN’S HOCKEY

Halladay concurred. “We had a bit of a reality check. We realized something had to be done and with hosting nationals we wanted to be a team that deserved to be there,” she said.

Following the losses, the Gaels had what Wakefield called a “character skate,” which gave way to a period of reflection for the team. Wakefield emphasized that the feeling that came from that winless weekend has served as motivation for the team — not wanting to experience what they felt that weekend. It was clear that it wasn’t a strategic change that needed to happen, it was their mentality.

For Wakefield, the greatest feeling they developed was belief.

“The biggest changes have been emotionally and mentally knowing we can do what we are

capable of if we put in the max effort,” Wakefield said. “Believing in ourselves and in each other is the biggest thing.”

Wakefield also commented on her captaincy and role as a leader, saying that while players look up to her in tough situations, the team’s trust in each other isn’t lacking.

“I think that everyone has this kind of trust for each other, which is why I think we’re doing so well,” she said.

Through this stretch, there have also been some on-ice differences. With their leading goal scorer tied for only 26th in the OUA for scoring, the Gaels have been able to distribute the scoring up and down the lineup, speaking to their depth.

Following their eighth win in a See Push on page 12

Gaels focus on successful system even with players gone Men’s hockey head coach and players in Kazakhstan for Winter Universiade Spencer Belyea Staff Writer

Isabelle Korchinski bumping the ball in the ARC.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Teams can sometimes be put in difficult situations because of their success, and that’s exactly what has happened with the men’s hockey team.

Having their best season in years, with a veteran-laden roster sitting near the top of the OUA, the final stretch of the regular season should be a time for fine-tuning and small adjustments.

As a direct result of the success of the team and the program, Gaels players Slater Doggett, Eric Ming, Spencer Abraham and Kevin Bailie, along with their head coach Brett Gibson, are with the Canadian national team at the Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan — part of an U Sports all-star team representing Canada

at the competition.

“There’s no question it’s been challenging,” said assistant coach Tony Cimellaro, who’s taken on more responsibilities in Gibson’s absence. “It hurts us more than a team like UQTR who has more depth,” he added, but while the players lost can’t be replaced, the team takes pride in its recruiting and ability to fill roster spots from within.

“We expect everyone to be ready and to contribute, no excuses,” defenceman Jake Clements said. “Everyone has to take their game to the next level,” he said, whether it’s the first line or fourth line, some players are going to be seeing more ice time.

One of the keys for the team being able to maintain continuity in light of key absences — behind the bench and on the ice — is the

system that has been put in place.

Both Cimellaro and Clements highlighted this, pointing out that the structure of how the team plays hasn’t changed, some roles are just filled by different players.

And while they’re missing three of their top four scorers, this isn’t seen as too much of an issue.

“We’re not designed to win games 6-5. We’ll struggle a bit to score up front, but overall not too much changes,” Cimellaro said. Having allowed the second-fewest goals in the OUA, sticking to the system is a sound strategy. “We’re looking to win the same way,” Clements said. “We’ve always won based on structure, having a tight system — we just have to play even tighter [defense] than before.”

Of course, to make the system See We’re on page 12

Sports

12 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, February 3, 2017

‘We’re proud of those guys’ Continued from page 11

work at a close approximation of where it was at full strength, other players will have to step up and take on larger roles.

Cimellaro noted that forward Dylan Anderson, who has shifted from the wing to centre, has had a “fantastic” last two games, with his line carrying the play in the defensive zone.

But the player who has probably had to step up the most is goalie Jake Brennan. While he had started about a third of the Gaels’ games during the season, with Bailie’s departure, Brennan is now the number one goalie. Posting a 2-1 record — prior to Thursday night’s Carr-Harris Cup — with Bailie in Kazakhstan, Brennan is enjoying a solid season, highlighted

by a shutout over first-place McGill.

Usually as a backup, Brennan’s numbers place him with the league’s best — he’s second in both goals against average and save percentage.

During all of this, Brennan says his mindset hasn’t changed too much. “It’s my job to stop the puck, and for now I’ve got the opportunity to do it every night.”

Not suffering a setback in net has been crucial for the Gaels to be able to keep relying on their defensive system.

While there’s no question that the team has faced challenges as a result of their key absences, there’s also no frustration or disappointment at this.

“It goes without saying we’re proud of those guys,” Clements said. “We fully support them going

there and hope they do well.”

This was echoed by Coach Cimellaro, who feels that the chance to represent their country, and learn from playing and coaching with the best, can only help the team. At the end of the day, this Gaels team is well-equipped to handle the difficulties of being without their coach and top players.

Gibson and Cimellaro have been coaching together for many years, making for a seamless transition within the system, and the players are prepared to step up and play bigger roles as needed.

While a late-season shakeup such as this one may not have been the ideal situation for the Gaels, they are embracing it, thriving in it, and expect to come out better because of it.

PHOTO BY AMANDA NORRIS

Men’s hockey is currently ranked seventh in Canada.

Jessica Wakefield (right) scored the game-tying goal and winner against Laurentian last weekend.

‘Push for nine’ Continued from page 11

row, in which all three goals came from separate lines, head coach Matt Holmberg said, “I think we’re really starting to develop that depth as a team and the back end is starting to stabilize itself really nicely too.”

Additionally, Queen’s has been able to establish itself as a determined, hard-nosed team over the stretch. In their first ten games, four of their losses were by two goals or less. Over their winning streak, six of their eight have been won by a single goal with two coming in the shootout and one in overtime.

“It’s about who’s going to get in the dirty area to do the extra work,” Halladay said, “and we’ve been doing a pretty good job with that.”

This appears to trace back to the core feeling of belief, and as the experienced Wakefield says

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about overtime, “when it gets to that it’s not about the skill or talent — every team has that. It’s just who’s willing to push through.”

It’s been made clear through out this streak to the players, management, and fans that the Gaels are the team that’s willing to push through.

With six games remaining in their schedule and assuming the third spot in the OUA standings, Queen’s has no plan on resting until the job is done.

On the team’s current locker room mentality going into the final stretch and into the playoffs, Halladay says the team is locked in and their goal is to “just keep pushing. We’re not sitting back at all. We want to push for nine.”

The Gaels aim to do just that this weekend as they hit the road with winning being the only thing on their mind.

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Reviewing the nominees: La La Land and Fences

• 13

Lifestyle

A critical look at this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture Kayla Thomson Production Manager My favourite thing about movies is that when you look closely, you can see the combined hopes and fears of the people who made the film.

The Academy Awards are a night to celebrate the product of these hopes and fears coming together.

This year, leading up to the big event on February 26, I am going to take you on the wild ride that is the Best Picture nomination list.

Since I am a self-proclaimed movie fanatic, I’ve taken it upon myself to watch each Best Picture nominee, and tell you whether or not I deem it worthy. I’ll do my best to be kind and avoid spoiling the plots, but will attempt to be critical and not rant about the amazingness of Dev Patel or Viola Davis — no promises though.

To start us off, I watched the two movies I’ve been anticipating most: La La Land and Fences.

La La Land

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t gone a day since November without hearing someone talk about this movie. It cleaned out the Golden Globes, winning Best Musical or Comedy, Best Actor and Actress, Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Screenplay.

And I’m really not surprised.

The film feels like an homage to the days of Singin’ in the Rain, but with more accessible performances by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. You feel every ounce of happiness and pain in Stone’s

KINGSTON CORNER

performance, alongside Gosling’s brooding and imperfectly-sung turn as a jazz pianist.

La La Land is a modern day musical set in Hollywood. It follows Stone’s Mia, a barista and struggling actress and Gosling’s Sebastian, an out of work jazz pianist. Told over four seasons, the two meet and bond over their unrecognized talent.

The story itself is cliché and

should be less predictable to compete with the other nominees, but nevertheless it stands out because of the original songs, strong acting performances and beautiful cinematography.

It has everything it needs to make audiences fall in love with it, especially because it brings back the golden days of Hollywood coupled with the modern day struggles of the working class.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

However, the light plot brings the film down, and, in my opinion, will cost it the Academy Award.

Fences

It’s been weeks and I’m still speechless about this movie.

Fences is an adaptation of a play written by Pulitzer Prize winner

August Wilson, a man who paved the way for African-American writers in show business. It’s honest, pure and painful to watch.

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis lead the cast as married couple Troy and Rose Maxson in 1950s Pittsburgh, alongside their son Cory, Troy’s other son Lyons, and Troy’s special needs brother Gabe, who suffered a head injury in World War II. The film is centered on Troy and Rose’s relationship and their struggles as a black family in a low-income neighborhood.

The film has a very minimal setting and is instead led by incredible dialogue and even more incredible performances.

Washington and Davis are yin and yang in this film. Where Washington’s Troy is hard and violent, Davis’ Rose is understanding and forgiving.

At the beginning of this movie, I was worried that its overall impact would be lost on me. The plot and experiences of the characters isn’t something I can relate to, and in the first few minutes so many timely references were thrown out that I couldn’t grasp.

However, as the plot twists and turns and the characters grow together and apart, the film’s passion to tell the story oozes in each cinematic moment and I was drawn in. The conclusion is honest yet powerful and emblematic of the film in its entirety. You really need to see it.

Keep an eye out for more reviews to come!

Things I wish I’d known before I signed my lease Don’t rush into your rental Ashley Rhamey Assistant Lifestyle Editor Being in first year, I wasn’t exactly a seasoned renter when I started looking for places and neither were any of my soon-to-be housemates. The place we ended up with wasn’t all that bad, but the issues we ran into were enough to warrant some regrets.

The utility bill

At 17-years-old, I wasn’t even sure what a utility bill was, let alone that it can fluctuate a lot throughout the year and changing temperatures — all on top of rent! My second-year home had reasonable bills in the summer, fall, and spring, but when it came to the winter, the rates shot up. Our building

was heated by an old-school furnace instead of natural gas, which is why it got to be so expensive. Figuring out how your prospective home is heated and whether the price is included in your rent could impact your decision.

Reading the lease and all of its clauses before signing

My lease — which was upwards of thirty pages long — was pretty much impossible to take in and research before signing at the end of our hour-long meeting.

The lease-signing meeting we had with our landlord was the first time we would see the document, which means that we had to either sign it, or back out of the lease.

While some made sense, some were downright weird.

No parties, or rather, no persons other than the tenants exceeding a total of four after 9 p.m. Oh, and no composting, or playing guitar. Since we signed it, it’s legally binding. But, if you can see your lease and ruminate on it before, you may be able to secure yourself some freedom.

Always look at other houses and meet other landlords

I started looking for places in November, long before most rentals are even posted in Kingston. I had this fear that I would wait too long and

suddenly be stuck with somewhere terrible, or worse, no place at all. I didn’t realize that students don’t actually have to declare whether they’re renewing a lease until the end of November. That means that the majority of the places that would become available, many of them much nicer than the one I ended up with, after I had already signed a lease.

Despite what you may have heard, the good ones don’t always go first.

Exactly what my landlord was going to be like

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

My landlord, who shall remain nameless, is on the intrusive side. By on the intrusive side, I mean that her properties are patrolled by rent-a-cops, and conduct semi-regular cleanliness inspections. No matter how much you scrub, it’s impossible to get an A on them. Yes, she does grade them, and the highest we’ve ever gotten is 75 per cent. Being in university, I really don’t need another number scale to be disappointed with. Ergo, my next point.

See Don’t on page 15

LIFESTYLE

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Friday, February 3, 2017

KINGSTON

The stories behind the structure

Kingston’s most architecturally interesting buildings uncovered

McIntosh Castle: 14 Sydenham Street Cassandra Littlewood Contributor One house, or rather, castle, located on Sydenham Street just a few blocks from campus is more famously known as McIntosh Castle. While its size isn’t that of a conventional castle, its octagonal, turreted tower facing the street makes the dwelling worthy of the name. Two wings emerge from the tower with green shutters outlining the windows, contrasting the grey stone covering the exterior of the castle.

There are many legends associated with the castle, one being that Donald McIntosh, the owner during its first phase of construction, promised his family a castle with a view of Lake Ontario to induce them to move to the New World from Scotland.

While McIntosh may have kept his promise by initiating the castle’s existence, the family never got to live in it. It was sold while still under construction in 1850.

The castle’s current resident confirmed that McIntosh ran out of money and went broke forcing him

The entryway at McIntosh Castle.

to abandon the project and leaving a castle with his name to it in the middle of downtown Kingston.

The castle has had the same owners for 40 years and remains a private home for the residents.

The castle also harbours another legend that the current

resident of the house was unable to confirm. The “widow’s walk,” a tower rising from the castle that overlooks the adjacent courthouse, according to legend, was installed so that the lady of the house could comfortably sit and drink tea while watching the hangings of criminals

ILLUSTRATION BY C.R. LAWRENCE, PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

that took place at the gallows behind the courthouse.

While he couldn’t confirm the morbid reasoning, the current resident admitted that the tower does have a very good view of the courthouse.

One interesting feature of the

house is that it doesn’t contain any square rooms and according to the resident, is filled with bay windows, further making its architecture unique on the inside, matching its exterior grandeur.

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Friday, February 3, 2017

Steve Bannon.

QJ POLITICS

You are the company you keep Why we should care about Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon Ryan Little Contributer June 2016 — Trump Tower. A lightning bolt flashes over the New York skyline as a small hand pens a contract. Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has caused the Republican nominee headache after headache. Trump is at his lowest point in the campaign.

A single tear rolls down Lewandowski’s face as he walks out of Trump Tower.

Trump sinks back in his chair. He needs a new campaign manager. A good campaign manager. The BEST campaign manager.

Enter Steve Bannon. He has an impressive resume in conservative circles, with such experience as helping break Sarah Palin out of obscurity and transforming Breitbart News into the largest ‘alt-right’ online publication in the world.

Trump’s campaign stabilized after hiring Bannon, eventually leading to the situation that we find ourselves in today. Bannon’s effectiveness came from his ability to make Trump appealing to a populist and violently anti-establishment element of America that for much of American history has been outside the Republican voting base.

On top of this, under Bannon, Trump’s rhetoric became steadily more nationalistic, with policies like the infamous Muslim ban

Don’t rush renting Continued from page 13

Meet with the previous tenants to get unbiased opinion

I met my apartment’s previous tenants in the span of about 45 seconds while we were being shown the house by the landlord.

They smiled and said it was a good place, but it would’ve been a good idea to go back and talk

VIA WIKIPEDIA

being announced after Bannon was hired.

Throughout the campaign, Trump repeatedly admitted that he doesn’t know much about domestic and foreign policy and would simply surround himself with the BEST experts to advise him on the finer aspects of governing. Here lies the problem, and the relevance of Steve Bannon.

Bannon has had a large part in creating and propagating the ‘alt-right’ group, a loosely-related ideology of right-wingers who vehemently reject mainstream conservative movements, especially the Republican political establishment.

Bannon describes himself as an “economic nationalist”, and has in the past stated that he believes the “Judeo-Christian West” are locked in a war against Islam, according to The Washington Post.

After winning the election, Trump made Bannon his chief political strategist, meaning he’ll be perhaps the closest advisor helping Trump pen policy. Bannon was a skilled campaign operative due to his ability to appeal to further right elements within the American public, however, any political science major can tell you, there’s a major difference between campaigning and governing.

Simply put, campaigning is the art of getting people to vote for you.

It involves giving speeches, making media appearances and other outreach, all things that Trump has been good at throughout his career.

Governing however, is much more about the policies themselves that will be implemented. This isn’t Trump’s strong suit, meaning many of the people who were instrumental in his campaign will be influential in drafting policy that Trump puts into effect. What happens when those who were most instrumental in Trump’s campaign have an ideology that many have called fascist?

Since being appointed into the Trump administration, Bannon has been able to effectively position himself as a main power broker,

very much involved with these issues of governing. It has become increasingly clear that Bannon has undue influence over Trump, and is pushing him in a nationalist, right-wing direction.

A prime example of this is Trump’s increasingly-hawkish rhetoric towards countries like Syria and Iraq. During the campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to stop American imperialism in the Middle East, but since Bannon took control, Trump has said things like advocating taking Iraq’s oil to combat ISIS. Just look at the Trump cabinet, many of whom follow to some degree Bannon’s nationalistic ideas. Picks like Jeff Sessions for attorney general, who has faced allegations of racism, Steve Mnuchin for Treasury secretary, who failed to disclose almost $100 million of his own assets, and Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education, who doesn’t believe in public education, instead favouring controversial religious charter schools, according to The New Yorker.

Perhaps the most alarming part of Bannon’s appointment however is his unprecedented position on the National Security Council (NSC). The NSC is reserved for the American military establishment, and deals with American use of force. By bringing Bannon into the NSC, Trump is also bringing these nationalist ideas into one of the only rooms on the planet that holds the keys to a nuclear arsenal.

We’ve all heard that you’re only as good as the company you keep. If this is true, we can easily predict the direction of the Trump administration by examining the company he keeps. If Trump wants to avoid making Bannon his own Dick Cheney, he needs to stop ceding power to a man who clearly has his own ideological agenda.

For us in the global population, if we’re going to effectively argue against the rise of far-right nationalism in our own countries, we must identify the types of individuals from which these ideologies first arise.

to them about any problems they’d had without the landlord breathing down their necks.

There are a lot of services offered at Queen’s that I wish I’d taken advantage of before and during searching for a house.

Queen’s Student Community Relations provides a lease review service to go over your lease with you and help make sense of the legal jargon.

They have open office hours in the JDUC for students that need help with landlord relations, housing safety review, tenant rights and

responsibilities, and any other off-campus housing issue that may crop up.

Some things you can deal with, some are deal breakers, and others are just good to know beforehand. No place is perfect, but taking your time, doing your research, and evaluating the landlord along with the property is the only way to make a safe bet.

queensjournal.ca

• 15

LIFESTYLE

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Friday, February 3, 2017

POSTSCRIPT

A summer of experience at the Queen’s Biology Station My SWEP opportunity in Elgin, Ontario Tori Brown Contributor Contrary to my initial belief, waders — the waterproof overall type garment that fishermen use — aren’t invincible.

You see, they have a rather large hole in the top — you know, where you insert your torso — and when you fall, for the 73rd time over the course of a day, this hole is submerged with icy swamp water.

At least, that’s how I found out waders weren’t invincible on my first day of work as a Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP) Field Assistant at the Queen’s University Biology Station in Elgin, Ontario where students have the opportunity to participate in fieldwork.

Let’s take a step back and answer a few questions you may have.

Why was I flouncing around in fishing waders in the middle of a swamp? As a SWEP student during the summer of 2014, I worked in the lab of Dr. Paul R. Martin studying songbird ecology. Specifically, we were studying interactions between song and swamp sparrows and how they’re closely related.

How did I end up here? In 2014, I was finishing first year — which for any biology major means I could rhyme off every enzyme in the Krebs cycle, assure you that not all veins carry deoxygenated blood and, of course, the mitochondrion is indeed the powerhouse of the cell. But for anyone who isn’t a biology major, my point is, I didn’t really know much about birds.

To be completely honest, before beginning my job I could confidently distinguish little more than a blue jay from a cardinal. What’s more, I’ve always had the goal of attending veterinary school, and never really intended on pursuing research beyond my undergraduate years.

Nevertheless, I applied for this SWEP position as I had a keen interest in ecology.

It sounded interesting and I thought living at the biology station might be fun, so I took a risk to try something new.

During my time at the station, my days consisted of waking up at ungodly hours,

strapping on my waders and heading out into the field with my crew — comprising of three other students, all first-timers to field work.

One of our main jobs involved maintaining the devices called song meters that were essentially large recorders meant to capture any acoustic interactions between our target species. We also mapped territories of birds — let me assure you, I had no idea birds even maintained territories prior to this experience — located and monitored nests — which I will liken to finding a needle in a haystack, except that haystack is made of needles — and, my personal favourite, caught, measured and banded birds.

At the end of the summer, we also spent time conducting vegetation plots, which involved classifying and documenting the vegetation surrounding a nest in an attempt to understand why a bird chose that particular location. For any science buffs reading, believe it or not, we actually used a dichotomous key for something useful.

Throughout this experience, I learned an incredible amount about biology, natural history and ornithology. With the guidance of Dr. Martin — who, I kid you not, can identify a bird based on a momentary blur of feathers from 30 feet away — we learned to identify birds by both sight and song and a tremendous amount about bird behaviour and biology.

While it was only an introduction, over the course of only a couple months. I went from learning about the red-winged

blackbird to having dreams that featured black-throated green warbler songs.

I also learned a great deal about myself throughout this experience. For example, I can survive waking up at 4 a.m. I fall a lot more than the average person. I once took two steps into a marsh, tripped on a submerged log and filled my waders in less than a foot of water — and when it comes down to it, I’m not embarrassed to relieve myself while balancing precariously on a piece of flotsam in the middle of a swamp, surrounded by people I met only mere weeks prior.

All joking aside, my summer working as a SWEP field assistant was a summer of extensive personal growth, discovery and character building. I uncovered a deeper passion for biology and scientific research.

I was able to apply what I learned in first year biology to the real world. I was faced with challenges where I had to problem solve, prioritize and cooperate with fellow students.

My actual experience with the job itself was only the beginning. I would like to take a moment to highlight the wonder that is the Queen’s University Biology Station (QUBS). Located about 50 minutes north of Queen’s, this facility, built on the shore of Lake Opinicon, is unique and world renowned. It provides an essential hub for researchers from around the globe to work.

I found this community to be one of QUBS’ best assets. You can establish connections from numerous countries, working in

diverse fields, studying an array of species from swallows to sunfish to spring peepers.

But most importantly, you will make lifelong friends.

The field crew I worked with that summer have become three great friends.

It turns out spending numerous hours chest-deep in swamp is a great catalyst for bonding, and we still talk almost every day.

I am so thankful to have met so many like minded, passionate individuals, with whom I would almost certainly not have crossed paths without this experience. As a first year, I was able to learn so much from the other students. I also had the opportunity to assist with projects outside my own.

At the biology station, I was immersed in such a fantastic, natural area that supports an amazing diversity of wildlife. Over the summer, I was serenaded by cerulean warblers, derisively snorted at by northern river otters and threatened by an irate beaver when my presence in his marsh was less than pleasing. I serendipitously stumbled upon exquisitely camouflaged smooth green snakes, young fawns hidden in the long grass and, on one occasion, even a lactating fisher.

With these encounters, I developed an even deeper appreciation for Ontario wildlife. Summer 2014 was one of the best in my life thus far, and I owe it entirely to the SWEP program for making that possible.

After such an amazing experience working in the Martin lab that summer, I carried on to volunteer in the lab back at Queen’s during second year. I was introduced to new people, contributed to new projects and attended weekly lab meetings. I continued volunteering in third year and went on to complete an independent research mentorship, where I inputted data, analyzed that data and wrote my own paper.

This past summer, I was again working as a SWEP student in the Lougheed lab as a field and lab assistant in reptile and amphibian conservation. Most recently, I started my first year at the Ontario Veterinary College! I feel my time as a SWEP student really shaped my Queen’s experience as a whole and opened me up to so many amazing opportunities and individuals, and for that I am so grateful.

(Left) A bird’s nest; (top) a bird being tagged; (right) the view, all at the Queen’s University Biology Station

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY TORI BROWN