The Queen's Journal, Volume 145, Issue 3, Frosh in Focus

the journal

Queen’s University

Vol. 145, Issue 3

since 1873

Monday July 31, 2017

FROSH

IN FOCUS page 5

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Photo by Justice King

PHOTO BY SOPHIE BARKS

NEWS

IN FOCUS

IN FOCUS

OPINION

A new mandate for a new era for Queen’s alum as a Canadian ambassador

A behind the scenes look at Arts and Science Orientation Week

Probation on Commerce Orientation week lifted

Looking back on five years Diving into student’s at Queen’s - a student’s mental health in first year perspective

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page 5

page 7

page 9

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POSTSCRIPT

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News

Monday, july 31, 2017

MEDICINE

Accelerated medical program welcomes student from Iqaluit ‘It’s a dream come true’ for Anchaleena Mandal

had a uniquely strong sense of connection with Queen’s, which was something I did not see in the When Anchaleena Mandal alumni of other universities.” received her acceptance into the Mandal’s desire to pursue Queen’s University Accelerated medicine can be traced back to Route to Medical School (QuARMS) her childhood. program, she was both ecstatic “In elementary school, I and genuinely surprised. learned about traditional Inuit “Being from a small, isolated herbal medicines, which I found Arctic community, where I fascinating. In high school, I didn’t get the same spectrum of learned about the agony of my facilities and opportunities as community members due to the other students in Canada, I didn’t lack of culturally-appropriate think I had a chance against the physician services in the North.” numerous applicants,” Mandal told As a volunteer for the The Journal via email.

Kamatsiaqtut Help Line Every year, QuARMS only offers following the Nunavut suicide 10 students the opportunity to crisis in 2015, Mandal felt that fast-track their undergrad and her community’s healthcare enter the School of Medicine services were inadequate. She without taking the MCAT. Upon cited a 2015 Canadian Institute completion of the six-year program, for Health Information database students earn their medical degree. that recorded that per 100,000 PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA Canada`s new climate change ambassador Jennifer MacIntyre.

“I am mostly looking forward residents, Nunavut had only to the experiential learning 27 physicians.

POLITICS component of the program,” “I have come to believe that this Mandal wrote. “In Iqaluit, I did not acute healthcare system is not get the opportunity to volunteer appropriate for the Inuit people,” or work in a medical facility, as Mandal wrote. “A territory like this option wasn’t available in our Nunavut cannot achieve selfsmall local hospital, which is also determination because of a lack of the only hospital in Nunavut.” doctors wilful to live and work in According to the recent the North.”

Inukshuk High School graduate, For now, Mandal hopes to Queen’s alumni in Iqaluit played specialize either in family medicine a significant role in her choosing or mental healthcare. Following the university. an opportunity to shadow a local “When asking my community Iqaluit doctor, Mandal wrote that members about their experiences, she “realized [she] really enjoyed I discovered that there were more the doctor-patient relationship.”

Queen’s alumni working in Iqaluit “I may not be Inuit, but I grew than I had expected,” she wrote. up in Nunavut and can hope to IaIn SherrIff-Scott has taken on a different meaning. forward in Washington.

“However, what touched me the provide the culturally-appropriate Assistant News Editor “Its definitely a new MacIntyre, however, stressed most was that Queen’s alumni care that my community needs.” mandate for a new era,” that her mandate is a global one.

When speaking about her new MacIntyre told The Journal, She explained that Canada’s role as Canadian climate change explaining that the agreement potential for clean growth is what ambassador, Jennifer MacIntyre has had a “big influence” on motivates her, citing the World focused on potential: “If you ask her mandate.

Bank’s estimate of $23 trillion in about the challenges, I think my MacIntyre’s appointment economic opportunity as the world brain switches immediately to comes at an important time shifts towards clean technology. the opportunity.” for climate action. Assuming “The Canadian clean technologies On June 27th, the seasoned the role on the heels of United sector is already growing three diplomat and Queen’s alumnus States President Donald Trump’s times faster than every other MPA ’08, was appointed Canada’s decision to withdraw from the sector of the economy, so new ambassador for climate Paris climate agreement — a already Canadian businesses are change, marking the first time move that placed them beside stepping up to take advantage since 2015 that the role has Nicaragua and Syria as being the of this economic opportunity,” been filled. only countries to reject the deal.

MacIntyre said.

With a rich 15-year career in Despite the largely unpopular MacIntyre believes the key to international relations, MacIntyre move south of the border, attracting global investors is strong has served as Canada’s ambassador MacIntyre remains optimistic domestic policy that favours clean to Switzerland, executive assistant about working with the American growth and investment in new to Canada’s ambassador in the private sector to advance Canada’s high-tech industries.

United States and as deputy climate agenda.

“When we talk about trade and director for Canada’s nuclear “What we’re seeing is that many investment, what we are really security programming in Russia.

US business leaders are coming looking at is what’s our value Her three-year mandate as forward and have been coming proposition, what makes Canada ambassador targets the business forward for a number of months, unique and competitive,” she side of climate action. The role even years, to indicate that they said. “Global investors who are will have her coordinating with are very serious about climate interested in clean technology Canada’s network of embassies action,” she said, adding they are interested in Canada’s across the globe to attract are “interested in working with climate policies.” investors and represent Canadian countries like Canada.”

“Not only has the world come climate interests abroad.

Though there is interest among together and agreed that it is time Since the signing of the Paris American companies to pursue to move forward on climate action Agreement by over 190 countries clean growth, Canadian diplomats and clean growth, but Canada is in 2016, the role of Canada’s and negotiators are certain to face really playing a leadership role.”

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY MANDAL ambassador for climate change a complicated and uncertain path Anchaleena graduating from Inukshuk High School.

JaSnIt Pabla Assistant News Editor

Queen’s alum named Canadian ambassador for climate change

MacIntyre tasked with advancing Canada’s climate agenda

News

Monday, july 31, 2017

queensjournal.ca

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CODING

Queen’s grad supporting female programmers in Kingston Mangos launched Sudo, an initiative to provide coding resources to local women PHOTO SUPPLIED VIA QUEEN’S GAZETTE

Pictured left to right: Melissa Mangos, Jessica Dassanayake, Karina Kim, Annabel Kramer.

Maureen o’reIlly News Editor When Queen’s graduate Melissa Mangos attended the Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing conference in January 2016, she noticed a lack of initiatives available for female computer programmers in Kingston. To remedy the lack of female involvement, Sudo was born four months later.

Launched by Mangos, Sudo is a community initiative aiming to provide an accessible resource for Kingston women who want to learn to code.

With this goal, Sudo offers free monthly workshops and meet-ups at local coffee shops, where individuals gather to discuss programming, work on projects and connect with

like-minded peers.

“We strive to build an energetic and welcoming community of programmers that support women in improving their technical skills,” Mangos, Comp ‘17, wrote in an email to The Journal.

“Equal opportunity is something I strongly believe in and having the opportunity to give women in Kingston a chance to learn about programming was perfect.”

Created and managed during the final year of her undergrad, Mangos advertised open positions on social media for the Sudo staff and wound up hiring “a dedicated internal team of 10.”

“Besides our internal team, we also have volunteer mentors and instructors who are local programmers and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) professionals that assist at our

workshops and other events,” she wrote.

According to Mangos, Sudo has been well-received by the greater Kingston community. Receiving highly positive feedback according to their 2016-17 impact report, Mangos thinks this is because they give back to local professionals and businesses by teaching them coding.

As of March 2017, Sudo had attracted a total of 117 coders to their six workshops — 100 per cent of whom reported that these increased their interest in programming.

According to Mangos, attendees at Sudo events gather for all sorts of reasons, ranging from a desire to advance their professional careers to exploring a new hobby.

“Offering these workshops [is] very important to me since they

Incoming student earns RBC Students Leading Change scholarship

provide a chance for people to learn programming who might not have otherwise had the interest or the opportunity,” Mangos wrote.

Although she wanted to help the Kingston community by creating Sudo, Mangos said Queen’s students continue to influence her work.

“It was mostly the people at Queen’s that really pushed me to found and grow Sudo. Queen’s students have such a drive and ambition that motivated me to achieve my own goals,” Mangos wrote.

“As Sudo has grown this past year, the Queen’s community has been very supportive both as current students and alumni.”

This summer, Sudo has partnered with Girls Inc, a movement which supports girls to “navigate gender, economic,

and social barriers and grow up healthy, educated and independent,” according to their website.

The partnership has allowed Sudo to introduce programming to girls in grades four to eight at Girls Inc summer camp.

“We hope to work more with Girls Inc and with a younger audience in the future.

Additionally, we’re going to introduce brand new workshops on Data Science and more advanced topics,” Mangos wrote.

As Sudo continues to expand, Mangos hopes to clear up common misconceptions about pursuing a career or recreational interest in coding.

“It’s a skill that anyone can learn.

It might [be] daunting at first, but with a little time and effort anyone can become a programmer.”

looking forward to at Queen’s, Landry had a lot to say.

“The culture of Queen’s, the environment — it’s a really nice campus and everyone just seems

so happy to be there. I’m also excited to learn. I’m not really being specific but just, everything.”

— With files from Sarina Grewal.

Landry awarded $10,000 for leadership in LGBTQ+ community Maureen o’reIlly News Editor “I remember doing the application and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll never get this.’”

When Emma Landry got the call that she had received RBC’s Students Leading Change scholarship, she was in one of her computer science classes at her high school, Cobequid Educational Centre in Nova Scotia.

According to a statement provided by RBC Communications Manager Sophie Connor, the Students Leading Change scholarship, valued at $10,000, is awarded to 15 Canadian students annually who demonstrate “a passion to lead and inspire positive change in their community.”

After the long application process, Landry is happy to have won the award.

“I will have time to be involved in more activities because I have this extra money [and now I] don’t have to worry about working a job to pay for school,” Landry said.

As a member of her school’s Gender Sexuality Alliance, Landry developed a passion for advocating for the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Everyone should be able to feel safe no matter who or where they are,” Landry said. “A lot of people [in] the LGBTQ community can’t really feel that, especially as a student.”

Student leadership is especially important to Landry because “it’s easier to create change when people aren’t so cemented in their ways.”

In her scholarship application, Landry proposed the idea of creating a class to teach students about the history of the

LGBTQ+ community.

“I had this idea about how with education you can broaden people’s horizons and make ignorance less prevalent in a community. When you learn about a group of people, it motivates you to help those people, or just to understand them and be accepting,” Landry said.

Aside from her efforts as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Landry spent her after school hours coaching a local Special Olympics swim team and organizing an initiative to offer extra math tutoring to students once a week.

Landry hopes to continue these leadership efforts when she arrives for her first year at Queen’s this fall.

Starting in the Faculty of Arts and Science, Landry plans to major in Computer Science.

When asked what she’s most Incoming Queen’s student Emma Landry.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY SOPHIE CONNOR

News

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Monday, july 31, 2017

Doors Open Kingston features Queen’s Engineers Queen’s Solar Design Team unveils environmental home at local event PHOTO SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S SOLAR DESIGN TEAM

JaSnIt Pabla Assistant News Editor On June 17th, the Queen’s Solar Design Team unveiled to the Kingston community its current major project — a fully autonomous environmental house.

Known as the Queen’s Solar Education Centre (QSEC), this net-zero energy home is located at 244 Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard and was featured at Doors Open Kingston on June 17. Run annually, this event acts as a public showcase of local business, organizations, historic sites and museums in the community.

While the house functions as a practical laboratory for Queen’s students, the QSEC will also be a space to provide educational workshops for anyone in Kingston.

Upon completion, it will rely only on the sun, wind and rain to provide the necessary utilities for habitation.

sustainability “is Energy a huge challenge that University students have the opportunity to tackle.

”

“Energy sustainability is a huge challenge that University students have the opportunity to tackle,” Project Manager Reid Alston wrote in an email to The Journal. “Residences may at some point need to rely on off-grid solutions to power their homes.”

After placing first for Engineering at the 2013 Solar Decathlon held by the United States Department of Energy, Queen’s Solar Design Team decided to take on the project full time. Alston wrote that at this event, which featured sustainable houses built by various universities competing within 10 different categories, awareness was brought to sustainable options for housing.

“It was clear from these results that a more permanent house should be built as a continuing test

for future projects,” he continued.

Due to yearly turnover, a new team of five students took on the project this summer as part of the Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP). While qualified, the transition from one group of students to the next proved a challenge for the team.

“They needed to catch up on the previous team’s work and understand all the knowledge accumulated during the process of building the QSEC,” Alston wrote.

more as a practical laboratory where minimizing cost isn’t the main focus, the knowledge we are able to give the public on our experiences can help them make more educated choices when planning their own projects.”

conditions,” Alston wrote. “The opportunity right now is to develop these sustainable residential technologies and to help find applicable solutions to different house arrangements.”

Welcome to Kingston

They have really “interesting ways

of thinking about engineering problems and so it’s great to see the way they approach them.

We are proud to have you join our community.

”

Find out everything you need to know about living in this beautiful city at CityofKingston.ca/Students

— Arthur Cockfield,

Despite this challenge, Business Manager Arthur Cockfield believes the integration of new students is among the most rewarding aspects of the project.

“My favourite part is being able to work with talented engineering students,” Cockfield told The Journal via email. “They have really interesting ways of thinking about engineering problems and so it’s great to see the way they approach them.”

Stephen Harrison, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has worked alongside the team for over 25 years and is tasked with supervising Engineering students testing green building technologies within the QSEC. Since the opening, the team has been focused on using thermal energy drawn from a unique solar panel to heat the floor and the rest of the home.

When asked how the team intends on maintaining affordability despite utilizing new environmentally sustainable technologies, Alston wrote the long-run savings in utilities would offset the current costs.

“Although the QSEC is set up

The QSEC currently functions as an educational space for engaging with sustainable technologies that also allows for “real-world style” testing.

“We can see how these technologies work under different

@CityofKingston

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JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

ArtSci frosh are covered in shaving cream and dirt.

Frosh in Focus

The art and science of ArtSci frosh week

A behind-the-scenes glance at the ups and downs of planning orientation week for Queen’s largest faculty Brigid goulem and alex Palermo Features Editors How do you inspire 2500 teenagers to bond with each other, on a shoestring budget, in four days or less?

You cover them with shaving cream and hope for the best.

Like clockwork, a new batch of students arrive every year on campus looking forward to frosh week. Seen as a chance to hit the personal reset button for new students, Orientation Week acts as an opportunity for a fresh start in an unfamiliar place to most.

With a participation rate hovering around 90 per cent, Orientation Week effectively sets the university-life pace for most of the incoming first-years. ArtSci, the largest among the faculties and run by the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS), runs orientation week for nearly 2700 students each year.

To change things up, ASUS President Jasmine Lagundzija said there are multiple new events this year. Among these are a group Zumba class focused on the importance of maintaining both mental and physical well-being and a “How Do You Deal” forum focused on topics of equity and diversity.

While Lagundzija and ASUS Vice-President, Stefan Negus are very present throughout the week, they take a back seat during the planning stage of Orientation Week.

“Orientation Week is relatively autonomous. The Executive and members of ASUS Assembly are members of the Head Gael and Chair hiring panels, but from then on the Executive is a support to the Orientation Week Team as needed,” Negus said in an email to

The Journal.

According to Negus, the Vice-President works with the Head Gael to coordinate finances for the week, while the President works with the Academic Orientation Committee which includes members from all Faculty of Arts and Science Orientation weeks.

Orientation is “ often the first point

of contact and we want to show tem what we hope they’ll experience.

”

— Conor Gallant, Head Gael 2017 While many incoming first years forge their most long-lasting friendships in residence and lecture halls, frosh groups offer remarkable memories.

To help first years connect with other students in their faculty, the Orientation Committee will ask students to identify their projected major and will group them together at random. While this doesn’t always work, ASUS President Jasmine Lagundzija doesn’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. “It can be a great way to meet someone outside of your program,” she said, in an email to The Journal, “I met my housemate who’s a drama major through Orientation Week, which wouldn’t have happened if my group was only politics students.”

According to Conor Gallant, Head Gael 2017, there’s a fine line between trying to facilitate friendships and letting them grow organically: “We try to put people

in a position that’s comfortable where you have the option to be as boisterous or as reserved as you want to be,” Gallant said.

Gallant admitted the biggest problem they face as a society is the sheer size of the faculty.

“We are limited in what we can do based on size and it would be really financially inaccessible if we tried to do big trips like [other faculties] do,” Gallant said of the main obstacle faced by the planning committee. “If you think about the students going into Engineering and Commerce, they all have pretty niche interests.

Arts and Science are two very distinct faculties.”

The task of creating an orientation week that both warmly welcomes and consolidates the student’s shift into adulthood is no easy feat.

At the risk of becoming too similar to a summer camp, ArtSci has adopted a multiplicity of events that repeat themselves year after year. The hypnotist, the carnival and a movie night are recurrent events that have entertained frosh on an annual basis.

Even though it seems to run smoothly, there are many barriers facing the ArtSci planning committee compared to those of other faculties. Due to their size, there are very few locations in the Kingston community — let alone on campus — where 3000 people can comfortably congregate. With the additional obstacle of the PEC being under construction this fall, the planning committee is forced to be slightly more creative with meet-up locations.

According to Gallant, this year has been brazenly revamped compared to previous frosh weeks.

“Orientation is often the first point of contact and we want to show them what we hope they’ll experience,” Gallant said, in light

of the social and political climate on campus evolving over the last few years.

We try to put “ people in a position that’s comfortable where you have the option to be as boisterous or as reserved as you want to be

”

— Conor Gallant, Head Gael 2017 In previous years, the mental health event scheduled by Orientation Week leaders was a lecture style event called ‘The NonAcademics of Academics’.

“Putting the word academics in the title twice sometimes isn’t conducive to the message we’re trying to get across: that there’s connection between mental and physical health,” Gallant said of the inspiration behind the change from lecture style to a more interactive event.

In terms of Orientation Week satisfaction, Gallant is confident that it achieves its goal of bridging the gap between frosh and upper years.

“I think a good indicator of how much people enjoy it is that we never have any trouble with the turnout we have for orientation leader hiring every year. We don’t have trouble filling our 500 spots,” said Gallant in response to orientation’s popularity.

“The goal is to put on a fun event. The first years show up not knowing what’s going on and when it’s all done they feel like they’re part of something bigger.”

In Focus

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Monday, July 31, 2017

What can $8.75 get you?

A guide to Queen’s meal equivalency meredith Wilson-smith Copy Editor I was so nervous going into first year of university that I read every FAQ, FYI and Q&A I could find to avoid making familiar frosh mistakes. While I had course selection nightmares like everyone else and somehow managed to manipulate my way into a single room, one thing I forgot to plot was my meal plan.

The most important part of the meal plan I wish I knew more about going into first year was the meal equivalency credits. Worth $8.75, you have $150 of additional flex dollars to supplement your 200 equivalencies. While flex dollars are refillable, meal equivalencies are not, so use them wisely.

Without knowing exactly how best to strategize my Equivalency Allocation Technique (EAT), I finished my first year with 37 meals left. While I might be a lost cause having finished first year, let me save you, future frosh, the flex dollars I couldn’t save myself.

The following is a list of $8.75 meals to help save your funds and fill you up until your next Lazy Riser.

The Lazy Scholar Whether you go for a 1am snack or a 1pm “breakfast” the next day, the Lazy Scholar is close to every frosh’s heart. It’s the most accommodating place on campus to use a meal, with a wide range of suggested combinations. A first year favourite is the four-piece combo: $8.75 for four chicken fingers, curly fries and a pop. For a breakfast option, swipe your card for the Lazy Riser combo: a breakfast sandwich, home-fries, a piece of fruit and a bottle of juice.

Botterell Hall Botterell is Waldron Tower’s best-kept secret and one of my personal favourites for EAT implementation. With all-day breakfast and a ridiculously cheerful staff, I’m convinced it’s the best use of meal equivalencies on campus.

Botterell is famous for its $8.75 Big Breakfast: two eggs, bacon and sausage, home-fries, toast, a muffin, yogurt and juice, pop, coffee or tea. However, after my friends and I had one too many of these, we devised our

West Campus isn’t so bad Why Jean Royce Hall isn’t the nightmare people build it up to be maureen o’reilly News Editor In the late summer of 2014, after months of anticipation, I was finally preparing to enter my first year at Queen’s. However, when I learned the name of my residence placement, my stomach dropped – I was on West Campus.

Every ‘Westie’ can recall the exact moment when they learned they’d be living in Jean Royce Hall for their first year at Queen’s.

For me, it was a moment of disappointment, fear and panic for.

My one saving grace was being granted the request to live with my friend Laura. After talking to her about our placement, we were far from enthusiastic.

We quickly thought about our inevitable isolation from main campus, our inability to make friends outside of our residence and the arduous treks through the snow to class in the winter.

Upon arriving, it was worse than we thought. We were in Phase Two – a building we found out was nicknamed “West of West” because it’s separate from the main residence hall.

With a groan, Laura and I dragged our belongings up to our new home in Shortliffe 217 and got settled. Our first 20-minute walk to main campus did little to lift our spirits.

But here’s the funny

thing – little by little, we came to fall in love with West Campus.

Don’t get me wrong, bundling up for the trek to an 8:30 class in a blizzard was hell. Watching helplessly as the bus drove away from the stop and trying to decide if it was even worth attempting the walk was a problem we faced far too often.

Having to take half your belongings with you to main campus every day was always chaotic.

But for every painful frustration of West Campus, there was another wonderful bright side to make up for it.

For one thing, any true Westie knows that the barista nachos are incomparable. There is nothing like a cheesy pile of the barista’s finest to comfort you after a horrible exam or a bout of homesickness.

Plus, taking the bus wasn’t so bad. In fact, mastering the bus schedule was like unlocking a whole new world. As it turns out, you can get pretty much anywhere in Kingston on the bus for free with your student card – and I can promise this transit knowledge will come in handy throughout your undergrad.

And while some of my friends made zero lasting friendships from their residence floors, I gained some of my best friends at Queen’s from those cozy Lower See Badge on page 7

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

A meal from the Lazy Scholar.

own winning $8.75 combo: a customized breakfast wrap, home-fries, and tea, coffee or juice.

Tim Hortons Using a meal equivalency at Tim Hortons before class means that: 1) opening your bag will result in at least four paper-wrapped items falling out and 2) your TA will judge you. Regardless, desperate times call for desperate measures.

You could feed yourself for a full day on $8.75 at Tim’s – and I have.

My go-to was a BLT or

breakfast sandwich, a cream cheese bagel, a hashbrown, a muffin and a medium coffee or tea. One of my friends preferred a BLT, a no-egg breakfast sandwich, a cream cheese bagel and a medium lemonade.

I could go on and on about the options, but they’re endless. And in the last few months of school, the ability to get two meals in one swipe is especially critical.

Booster Juice Some say that Booster Juice

doesn’t accommodate meal equivalencies, but those people just aren’t trying hard enough.

Just $8.75 at Booster Juice gets you a regular smoothie (with one extra booster) and a piece of fruit.

Perfect for staving off scurvy after a straight week on Tim’s bagels.

Future frosh, I hope these suggestions leave you more informed about navigating the intricacies of EAT than I ever was.

And if all else fails and four-pieces sweep you off your feet, Ban stir-fries will always have your back.

In Focus

Monday, July 31, 2017

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COMMERCE

From probation to commendation Business school’s frosh week has successfully remedied concerns from 2014 sarina greWal Assistant News Editor Following two year’s worth of changes made to their week’s events, training and culture, Commerce’s faculty orientation week has been cleared of their probationary status.

This probation period came after the Senate Orientation Activities Review Board (SOARB) voiced hazing concerns in a memo sent to the Commerce Office in October 2014. These problems included “verbally abusive and profane taunts” and “relentless pressure to run.”

As a result, Commerce Orientation Week was placed on probation that year by SOARB, with the Commerce Executive on Orientation (CEO) given two years to make changes in accordance with their Terms of Probation.

According to incoming Commerce Society President and former 2016 CEO member Emlyn Folkes, Comm ‘18, SOARB notified the 2016 CEO of their completion of these terms midway through the 2016 fall semster.

In an email to The Journal, SOARB co-chair Brandon Jamieson, ArtSci ‘17, said during the

two-year probation period, “members of SOARB witnessed the ‘culture shift’ that was requested.”

Chair of the 2016 CEO Bruce Meilikhan, Comm ’18, spoke to The Journal about the changes made by the 2015 CEO in the year following the probation notice.

During Meilikhan’s time on the 2015 CEO as a first year representative, he said various tactical changes were made to improve the accessibility of the week. Physical exertion was limited to remain inclusive to all students and leadership modules were improved to ensure Bosses — Commerce’s Orientation Week leaders — were better equipped to support first year students.

On top of this, Bosses were told not to single out individual students and to prioritize the comfortability of the first years.

“We were ready to take a step in the right direction and knew that things needed to be changed,” Meilikhan stated.

Folkes explained that while most of the logistical changes were made in 2015, the 2016 CEO focused on further improving the week’s culture and maintaining improvements made the previous year.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

He also emphasized the importance for all subsequent CEOs to keep up this positive momentum, explaining “the key goal of orientation week is to help people feel like they’re part of a community, while also getting them acquainted with campus.”

“If you’re not including everyone, then you’re not doing the best possible job at building a community.”

To further improve the week’s culture, the CEOs balanced high energy events with others that were more personal and relaxed.

A boat cruise and ‘Commapalooza’ — a low intensity event featuring live music and a beach theme — were introduced in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Meilikhan said the Commapalooza

event “created a very easygoing and simple atmosphere for people to interact and get to know each other.”

Another addition was a mobile application created by 2016 CEO member Julia Di Spirito, Comm ’18.

Not only did the app communicate their schedule for the week, but it also allowed for students to give feedback to the CEO about their orientation experience.

The efforts of the CEO over the past two years proved to be successful — Jamieson said via email that feedback to changes made over the past two years has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

Former AMS Campus Activities Commissioner Greg Kurcin, ArtSci ‘17, said that during his term served on SOARB, the board was

SHINERAMA

Fundraising efforts to benefit campus and community 2017 marks the 50th Queen’s Shinerama campaign sreya roy Copy Editor For many students, the Queen’s Shinerama campaign is associated with memories of deafening cheer-offs, bottle drives, car washes and an ongoing commitment to bettering the lives of Canadians living with cystic fibrosis.

What many students may not be aware of however, is the significance of the Queen’s Shinerama campaign to the overall national organization.

Each year, the Shinerama campaign on campus is organized by the Community Awareness, Respect, and Engagement (CARE) Committee of the ASUS Orientation Committee. According to Kaitlin Kocsis, a CARE Orientation Chair from last year and a current member of the Shinerama National Team, this will be Queen’s 50th Shinerama campaign.

Currently, the national organization raises nearly $1-million annually to go toward cystic fibrosis (CF) research and care. According to The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Registry, CF is one of Canada’s most pervasive and fatal genetic diseases.

To maximize student engagement toward the campaign at Queen’s, Shinerama events

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

are known for their mixing of school spirit with a culture of community.

Shinerama Frosh events begin with the ‘Shine Rally’. Here, first-year students and their Gaels are given a presentation by a representative from the Shinerama organization, followed by a competitive cheer-off between first-years and Gaels.

Later in the week, the campaign’s biggest fundraising initiative on campus takes place in the Sidewalk Sale. This daytime event welcomes all Queen’s students and community members to learn more about the hundreds of student-run organizations on

campus. It’s also an opportunity to become familiar with local businesses and organizations that will have booths set up during the sale. All the proceeds from booth operators during the Sidewalk Sale are donated to Queen’s Shinerama.

Queen’s well-documented history with the Shinerama national organization means the school has the unique capacity to directly influence the lives of Canadians fighting against CF. The Queen’s Shinerama campaign is one of the organization’s largest for a university campus. As a result, the school is in a position to make significant change

through the thousands of dollars raised annually by their involvement.

Last year Queen’s Shinerama raised $89,656 during Frosh Week alone, bringing them closer to their goal of $100,000 for Frosh Week 2017.

“Queen’s may be one of the larger campaigns for Shinerama but that does not mean we shouldn’t push ourselves further,” Kocsis said.

The Queen’s Shinerama campaign is trying to combat the belief that minor donations aren’t as significant as major ones that the national organization receives. The organization is educating students and sharing real stories of CF patients to continue encouraging all donations.

“Shinerama is unique in that the average life expectancy of someone who has CF has increased exceptionally since Shinerama began fundraising and progress is noticeable as the statistics are constantly changing year to year,” Kocsis said.

“There is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis and I know myself and everyone else on the Shinerama National team will not stop until that cure is found and I have a feeling we are on the cusp of that discovery,” Kocsis said.

confident Commerce’s orientation week will continue to improve hereon in.

“I was nothing short of impressed by the CEO’s commitment to improve their Orientation Week activities and culture,” he said. “They went above and beyond the terms of their probation.”

Now off probation, current Chair of the CEO Anthony Lisi, Comm ’19 maintains the CEO will continue to strive to better the week.

“My big message to the CEO and the Boss group this year is not to plateau,” he said. “We’re constantly looking for ways that we can improve.”

‘Badge of honour’ Continued from page 6

Shortliffe-Tracy dorms. As I enter my final year of undergrad, I can honestly say the friends I made back then are, to this day, some of the most rewarding friendships I’ve ever had.

That’s not to say I didn’t make friends outside of West Campus. In fact, Laura and I now live with five other girls, none of whom were on our floor in first year. On West, you’re not confined to your West Campus family, but they’re always there when you need them.

At the very least, spending your days there leaves you with an unrivaled sense of accomplishment.

For the rest of your days, you’ll own that Westie title like a badge of honour.

When you tell people that you lived on West, and they give you that classic look of pity, you’ll find yourself responding with a shrug that says, “It really wasn’t so bad.”

That’s the beauty of West Campus – you’re stuck there, but you’re all there together. And that sense of being stuck there together makes for some pretty amazing friendships.

I wouldn’t trade my first year on West Campus for anything. To all you incoming Westies – your first year is what you make it. Don’t let anyone scare you with West Campus horror stories, because if you embrace it, West really is the best. I promise.

8 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, July 31, 2017

EDITORIALS

The Journal’s Perspective

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

Coding should be available in classrooms, not compulsory

Volume 145 Issue 3 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board Joseph Cattana

Editor in Chief

O

ver the past few decades, coding has gone from an obscure skill to one of the most marketable abilities someone can have on their resume.

In an increasingly tech driven world, coding can and will definitely have some pull in the job market for a diverse range of industries. But this doesn’t mean that every student should be forced to learn it.

In an article written in The Globe and Mail, Kelly Lovell outlines how coding has become the new cursive writing and our need as a society to embrace it as such. To propose that every prospective employee needs to know how to code is discrediting the more practical, creative, and interpersonal skills essential to different jobs and career paths that already exist.

While coding is no doubt becoming a valuable and essential skill in STEM fields and beyond, not every career will hinge on a knowledge of Python or JavaScript.

Web development is essential for a variety of industries and occupations, but without someone focused on the content, it would cease to exist. There’s a balance between the skills needed to create a program or web page and the skills to create what goes into it.

Being made to learn coding as the norm can be positive for encouraging young people to become interested in

STEM fields — especially young women — who are lacking numbers. But by making it the expected norm, students who won’t learn to code as easily as their more mathematically inclined peers could be discredited.

It’s an accepted truth in the educational field that not all students learn in the same way or at the same pace as their peers. Every person has diverse potential in different subjects, yet the Canadian public school system still expects all students to reach a

certain level of knowledge in all of them.

Students with greater financial means have the advantage of private tutoring for the subjects they are weaker in while their peers may have to get by with solely in-class learning time. The unequal academic playing field already in place for today’s students will apply to coding all the same.

Students with access to computers, tablets and smartphones in their household will have more of an advantage when it comes

to academics.

Comparing coding to the now obsolete skill of cursive writing comes with a kind of irony. Once lauded as essential to academics and employability, cursive writing was drilled into young students.

While few jobs required cursive writing skills, all students were forced to learn it. But a skill is only valuable when it relates to what an individual really wants to do.

The prospect of teaching coding in schools brings to light a glaring issue with the current Canadian education system. Instead of letting students gravitate towards what they like and where they are most talented, the elementary and high school systems in place expect them to learn and be judged on every subject, regardless of whether or not they will ever build a career on it. Adding coding into that mix is ignoring a much bigger problem with how we are expected to learn.

The answer to whether kids should be able to learn to code in the classroom is yes, but the education system in place needs an overhaul to benefit individual students first before it adds yet another skill to a static general curriculum.

Joseph Cattana

Don’t forget about old school journalism

Meg Glover

Production Manager

Justice king Maureen O’Reilly

News Editor

Sarina Grewal

Assistant News Editors

Iain Sheriff-Scott Jasnit Palba

Alex Palermo

Features Editor

Brigid Goulem Editorials Editor

Ashley Rhamey

Opinions Editor

Sydney Wilson Nick Pearce

Arts Editor Assistant Arts Editor

Clayton Tomlinson Sebastian Bron

Sports Editor

Matt Scace

Assistant Sports Editor

Shivani Gonzalez

Lifestyle Editor

Josh granovsky

Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Julia Balakrishnan

Photo Editor Video Editor

Max Silverberg Stephanie Jiang

Editorial Illustrator Copy Editors

Meredith Wilson-Smith Sreya Roy

Contributing Staff Staff Writers and Photographers Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy Kiera Liblik Contributors Nikolai Diffield Max Garcia Mikel Gega Sophie Hinton Ramolen Laruan Kaylee O’Meara Eily Shaw Pamoda Wijekoon Zeir Zhou

— Journal Editorial Board

Business Staff Business Manager Head Sales Representative

ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE JIANG

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Managing Editor

Reading and watching short pieces of news might be a quick way to see what’s going on in the world, but a snapshot can’t give you the whole picture.

A piece of news that is low-quality and attention seeking is often described as a hot take. The hot take is a part of a growing culture of storytelling in the media that is not entirely based on fact, but rather focuses on increasing readership rates by disregarding truth to produce provocative journalism. Whether it’s in sports or in the political sphere, the amount of hot take shows and articles being produced has spiked in the last couple of years.

One of the major results of the transition towards short articles and catchy headlines in news media is that news outlets and writers are forced to adapt.

Consequently, fewer and fewer pieces of long form journalism are being published.

There is currently a shift in digital media towards capitalizing on page views and clicks. As a result, organizations and outlets have diluted the marketplace with hot takes instead of more in-depth

news stories.

While I do value the writer’s opinion and think there’s merit to this approach to journalism, there’s also something inherently wrong with it being presented without the whole story. By focusing on potentially controversial opinion rather than on truth, the media has lost the essence of where the story is — not with the journalist, but with the people affected most.

For example, in the sports world, on April 29th ESPN laid off 100 of their journalists who were focused beat writers and researchers to pour more resources into their TV shows that rely almost solely on opinion.

Changing this trend is hard — I myself watch these 2-3 minute clips on my Facebook feed all the time. The thin line between entertainment and journalism has become blurred by attention seeking-opinion segments on news stories.

Whether it’s in sports or any other form of news, it’s important not to forget that journalism is critical to expanding the conversation on issues prevalent to those around us. When an outlet

breaks a major piece that covers a controversial topic, the story is more likely to become part of a national conversation rather just a headline we may scroll past.

While this form of journalism might be able to hold my attention, it can’t fill the void left by the lack of unbiased, in-depth reporting.

Honest, unbiased and fair stories do what no hot take or short video clip can do — present the facts, both sides of an argument and leave the judgement in the reader’s hands, rather than force feed it to them.

Opinion pieces do have value; they allow viewers and readers to analyze different perspectives of a story as they happen. But we’ve started to perpetuate a culture of debate as our primary means of news-gathering, oversaturating the media market.

In a time where people are shutting journalists out, having our own personal opinions is more important than ever.

Joseph is The Journal’s Editor in Chief. He’s a fifth-year History major.

Office Administrator

Abby Choudhury LeAnn Sverko Faith Villanueva

Want to contribute?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Circulation 6,000

Monday, July 31, 2017

queensjournal.ca

OPINIONS

•9

Your Perspective

What I’ve learned from Queen’s Five years later, I’ll never forget about the people and memories that make this school great Max Garcia, CompSci ’17

If you could tell yourself something before going into your last year of undergrad at Queen’s, what would it be?

This is a question that I’ve been grappling with throughout my summer in Kingston. As I’m going into my fifth year at Queen’s, I’m beginning to realize the time I thought I had to value moments, people and things, is slowly slipping away.

After visiting my brother and his two other house mates in Toronto, I asked them this same question.

Reminiscing about meeting each other when they were students at Queen’s, they all answered the same thing — their time spent together on this campus.

As a result of this conversation, I wrote a blog post on Medium called In Perspective. In it, I made a pledge to myself before entering my last summer and school year as an undergrad at Queen’s — to value and cherish the moments spent with friends, the things I learned from them and how easy it was to see them.

I’m not going to lie, when I moved into the fourth floor of Brockington House in September of 2013 I didn’t have this perspective.

It wasn’t until I became a residence don in my third year that I started to formulate it. As I approached that year as a don, I had one goal in mind: help students accomplish a successful transition from high school to university. I thought my students were going to learn a lot from me.

I ended up learning more from them.

I learned from the set of “firsts” that my students had during the year. First time living away from home, having unlimited access to chocolate milk during meals and the first time they signed a house lease were some of these experiences that first came to mind.

Although I had already experienced all of those “firsts”, it wasn’t until I saw it through the eyes of my students that I began to appreciate how important they all were. By watching them grow

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Max Garcia said Queen’s taught him more than he could ever imagine.

I made a pledge to myself before entering my later summer and “school year as an undergrad at Queen’s — to value and cheish the

moments spent with friends, the things I learned from them and how easy it was to see them.

”

throughout the year, my students helped me treasure these small moments as something part of a bigger picture — but I’ll get to that later.

My time as a don helped me appreciate the “firsts” that students have when they begin their university experience.

During my time in student government, first as the President of the Computing Students’ Association and then as the Director of Media Services for the AMS, I began to admire the initiative, determination and passion that Queen’s students give to everything

they do.

Through my own experience and by watching those who came before me, I learned that a good leader makes plans for one year, while a great leader makes plans for the years to come.

A great leader is not discouraged when they realize they might not be able to see the fruition of their plans and is glad that someone will benefit from them sometime down the road.

Now in my final summer in Kingston as the president of the Queen’s Student Alumni

Association, I’ve been able to gain a different perspective than what students initially get on their first walkthrough of Queen’s.

Being present at all class of 2017 graduations, I’ve learned what it means for someone to give closure to a very important chapter of their lives and how hard it can be to move on from a place that has helped so many people grow.

It has showed me the importance of giving back to a place that has given so much to those who have walked through its limestone campus.

Demonstrating that through

a combination of giving your unique talents, supporting Queen’s charitable initiatives and volunteering time, these different forms of philanthropy can help make a difference in someone’s university experience. One’s connection and involvement with Queen’s doesn’t have to end after graduation.

This school year, I am fortunate to be able to do something that I feel very passionate about: help students in their transitions.

Once again as a residence don, I will help students have a successful transition from high school to university.

As the QSAA president, on the other hand, I will help students have a successful transition into the alumni world. While both transitions are different, I will approach them with one common theme that I like to call ABG. Always Be Grateful – for what you had in the past, what you have right now and what you will have in the future.

For those who are just starting your journey at Queen’s: embrace the firsts.

For those who are moving into your upper years: cherish and do things that you love. Aspire to inspire those who are around you and those who will come after you.

Finally, for those who are entering their last year as students here: value the moments spent with friends, the things you have learned from them and above all, how easy it has been to see them on a daily basis.

The interactions that I’ve had with my brother, his housemates, the students I donned, my friends, and other alumni, have taught me one important lesson: people will come and go from Queen’s, but Queen’s will always stay inside a Gael’s Tricolour heart.

Max is a fifth-year Computer Science major and the Queen’s Student Alumni Association President.

Talking heads ... around campus If you could give advice to your first year self, what would it be?

“Save your flex dollars for exam season” Carson O’Sullivan ArtSci ‘18

“You are not the only one who feels “Get involved in extra curricular a little lonely. Put yourself out there activities and be patient. Four years and you will find your people.” will go by fast.”

Jaedie Sansom ArtSci ‘18

Samuel Fumat ArtSci ‘18

PHOTOS BY JUSTICE KING

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help” Anjelica Giordano ConEd ‘19

10 • queensjournal.ca

Monday, july 31, 2017

Arts & Entertainment

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

The Argument For Fandom How fan communities create positive spaces for every

Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy Staff Writer Fandom. Sometimes it feels like a dirty secret, instead of something that’s actually a truly fulfilling part of my life.

A fandom, sometimes short for fan kingdom or fan domain, is a community – usually formed online – that rallies around a TV show, movie, book or really, anything. If something can have fans, there’s probably a fandom for it. Fandom artists, fan fiction writers, cosplayers, musicians, filmmakers and other kinds of content creators, as well as the people who participate in the fan culture, are what make

a fandom thrive, because it is, at its core, a content-based community first.

I’ve been a part of various fandoms since I was 14. For me, contributing to fandom is a way for me to do some of the things I love.

With fanfiction writers always looking for editors, I used my affinity for copyediting to not only build lasting friendships but to also hone my editing skills. My friends, who are artists, writers and more, all say that being a part of a fandom has given them an opportunity do something they love, while also learning how to get better at it.

As a result, fandom allows artists

to practice their crafts and it’s tough to argue against a community that encourages the creation of art.

Fandom is also a way for me to meet people with a common interest – I have many friends whom I’ve met because of a shared love of Harry Potter and the Dallas Stars. You wouldn’t think a hockey team and a book series would be all it takes for a friendship to blossom, but here I am to tell you that it’s true. These friendships go beyond the fandom; the friends I have made around the world are as important and as close to me as the friends I have at home.

The community that fandom creates is about more than

just the media we consume; the relationships people make often run deeper than talking about whether or not Hermione should have married Ron. I’ve been witness to dozens of crowdfunding campaigns start and be fully funded by a fandom, for everything from paying for school to paying for healthcare. All of this happened because a group of people thought it was important to them and to the world, and they wanted to do something about it.

When I first started contributing to these communities, I was an innocent 14-year-old with a very shallow understanding of my surroundings and the media I was consuming.

Since becoming a part of various fandom communities, I’ve learned to be kind and patient with people who are learning how to live their lives. I’ve learned the value of minding my own business and I’m learning how to be less judgemental. Most importantly, I have unlearned problematic behaviours – for example, since joining these communities, I very quickly learned my understanding of gender was not inclusive and often led to oppressive thinking and actions and I grew from that.

As well as creating friendships and teaching valuable life skills, fandom communities will often discuss and debate various aspects of a show and consequently demand better from creators.

For example, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of The Avengers, Joss Whedon

is equally revered and despised for his white feminist art. Some argue that he, at the very least, creates strong female characters; others say that his version of a strong female character fits into a very strict scope of gender and beauty, and isn’t diverse enough for our time.

This fandom controversy inspires the voicing of various opinions, often leading to more diverse and equitable books, shows and movies. For example, after pressure from these fandom communities, Joss Whedon admitted that Buffy The Vampire Slayer could have included more underrepresented communities.

Fandom is a positive thing – it isn’t just about porn and nerds in basements. These communities deserve to be taken seriously because the art and relationships they create are just as valid as any other. The art that comes out of fandoms takes an equal amount of work, skill and talent as any original content creator.

Likewise, the way some fandoms mobilize to make the world a better place through activities like fundraising or demanding better from influential media creators is the kind of engagement that leads to positive change. That means something far more than a shared interest in hockey teams.

Fandoms create positive, welcoming spaces for culture and community on a global scale. I’ll stand by that any day.

ARTIST PROFILE

Olivia Gilbertson explores her roots Student artist looks to Ojibwe teachings and traditions ramolen laruan Contributor Olivia Gilbertson has a mission: to explore her connection with her newly found Indigenous ancestry through painting, sculpture and textile works.

Going into her final year of pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Art this coming Fall, Gilbertson, ArtSci `18, admits that she only began to bring together art and heritage in her second year at Queen’s.

Growing up with both parents as international teachers, Gilbertson moved to a different country every two years of her childhood.

“Up until university, I was interested in different cultures, but I had never felt like I truly had one that I belonged to. My ‘thing’ didn’t feel like it was mine,” she said.

“I found out about my

Indigenous heritage in my late teens,” reveals Gilbertson, though she has always been inspired by the work of Second Wave of Woodland artist Leland Bell from the Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation reserve on Manitoulin Island.

Her talent was first formally recognized when she created a painting in the style of Bell in Grade 8 and her teachers asked if they could frame the work in the lobby of the school.

“When I was a teenager, my mother found out [Leland Bell] is my grandmother’s cousin, making him my third cousin. This family bond made me infatuated with his work and I’ve made more than a few paintings inspired by his works.”

Gilbertson takes inspiration from all aspects of Indigenous art and culture. With her compositions painted with bold colours obtained from Ojibwe artists, Gilbertson’s art

acts as teachings. With thick black lines that define her heroes, her sculptures are symbols of fortitude and her process of working while listening to drumming are all celebrations of her predecessors.

Art with content and meaning take precedent in Gilbertson’s practice. She relates to artistic mediums that are and were investigated by many Indigenous artists such as sculpture and woodworking.

“I’ve sewn a ceremonial skirt from hand, and the tedious process of sewing on scraps of leather to the fabric remind me of Indigenous women who had to make their own clothing,” Gilbertson said.

“Using hand tools on a wooden block reminds me of traditional woodcarving. The physicality of sculpting creates a more physical bond to the piece, connecting me to my Indigenous culture.”

Unlike the focused attention given to the final product in

Skirt (2016) by Gilbertson.

her previous works, Gilbertson considers the process paramount to her practice today. Once she chooses a story or teaching, Gilbertson reflects on how she can express what she’s relating to in a visual form.

“I like to take every little detail into consideration when I make a piece, so I use many different techniques that I hope viewers recognize. I hope that my viewers can experience my learning with me.”

Gilbertson’s visual vocabulary continues the Indigenous stories

SUPPLIED BY OLIVIA GILBERTSON

that preceded it, affirming their role as teaching tools while telling these narratives through her work After a few weeks of travelling around Europe this summer, Gilbertson is back at work teaching herself knitting and crocheting techniques that she can utilize for the upcoming year.

She is currently exploring various ways of expressing Indigenous teachings though a diversity of art forms.

“Everyone seems to be trying to find their ‘thing’ in art school. I feel like I’ve found my ‘thing’.”

Arts

Monday, july 31, 2017

queensjournal.ca

• 11

INTERVIEW

Let’s talk about Queen’s Reads Insight behind the engagement of critical thinking on campus Clayton tomlinson Assistant A&E Editor Queen’s Reads is an annual on-campus reading program which distributes a free book to anyone interested. Queen’s Reads Development Coordinator Carolyn Thompson discussed what the program means for interested students as well as detailing the reasons behind choosing The Break. Below is an e-mail interview with the Journal.

The Break is about of a Metis family grappling with intergenerational trauma and growth.

SUPPLIED BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

BOOK REVIEW

Queen’s Reads is The Break you need Novel brings the lives of Métis people in Winnipeg to campus

Clayton tomlinson Assistant A&E Editor After being scrapped for a few years, Queen’s Reads is back with a page-turner.

Queen’s Reads is a community reading program that attempts to engage students on campus with themes and ideas they may not have previously encountered. Every year, the book chosen by Queen’s Reads is distributed free of charge on campus at a variety of locations.

This year’s novel selection —Katherena Vermette’s The Break — is an evocative portrayal of a Métis family grappling with intergenerational trauma and growth.

At first glance, the novel is about a sexual assault survivor and how her family comes together to support her. As well as being a tale of familial allegiance, the novel also touches on the issues of gang violence present in the North End of Winnipeg — the area in which Vermette spent her childhood.

The crux of the novel deals with women of the older generations, the aunts and grandmother of Emily the survivor, realizing they haven’t protected this new generation from the cycle of pain and violence activated by the introduction of residential schools.

Within The Break, Vermette attempts to show the ways coping mechanisms can both cause and mend the pain in our lives.

Many of the characters have disturbing pasts, but it’s the principal characters who deal with the pain by laughing and loving.

Despite their example, many others around them have fallen victim to the easier ways of dealing with their reality by way of alcohol and drug use — something Vermette warns against.

Generational violence underlies the plot surrounding Emily. It’s the residential schools and abusive priests, only briefly

mentioned in the novel, that drives the eldest characters into the cycle of substance abuse and impossible decisions that lead to their unstable situations and to further trauma.

Considering the subject matter it would be easy to place the blame at someone’s feet, but Vermette avoids sensationalizing the pain and suffering of her characters. Instead, she shows the reality of racism that many Métis face and that disinterested authorities often ignore.

Also, Vermette demonstrates the disastrous effects of others reducing the characters to one aspect of their identity which perpetuates the social ills present in the North End of Winnipeg.

Within the novel, characters are defined by single actions without consideration of the complex result of social factors which leads them to involvement with substance use, gang brutality or violent behaviour.

Vermette uses the backdrop of the family and their response to the violence in their surroundings to show that cases of murdered Indigenous women presented in the media show more than just victims, they show human beings with all the accompanying strengths and weaknesses.

Stylistically, this novel is nothing new; it’s a pretty typical example of Canadian literature.

Many have read a multigenerational family saga about hardships and the like before. But it’s the way Vermette uses the medium to generate the feeling of a conversation between a mother and her child, providing comfort despite its subject matter, that makes one keep turning the pages.

The newest selection of Queen’s Reads provides a compelling look into the lives of a group of Métis women and shows the power of their resiliency.

Why was The Break chosen? Does the subject matter of the book have any effect on that choice or is it for other reasons?

The Advisory Group felt that diversity and inclusion, along with resiliency, were important themes to consider when choosing a book for Queen’s Reads. These are part of The Break. The book tells an intergenerational story of a Metis family as they navigate the effects of trauma. The themes align with many of the conversations What is Queen’s Reads?

Queen’s has been having about our own identity, our relationship with our local Queen’s Reads is a common reading community and each other. program that will run over the 2017-2018 academic year for students, staff, faculty and What hopes do you have for this book community members. The 2017-18 Queen’s on campus this year beyond it being Reads book is The Break by Winnipeg author given away in September?

Katherena Vermette.

The program aims to engage the campus Students will have the opportunity to in meaningful discussion, encourage critical participate in events, discussion groups, a thinking, and promote a sense of community. writing/media contest and a visit from the Interested students will be able to pick up author, no matter how much (or little) of the a free copy of the book at locations around book they’ve read! campus, including the Student Experience We hope the community will use Queen’s Office, the AMS Office, Stauffer Library and Reads, its related programming and events Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre. to talk about the book’s important messages All interested students, undergraduate related to identity, diversity, Indigenous and graduate/professional are welcome to culture, sexual violence and resilience. participate.

Those interested in finding out more Who chose the book? about the program can visit our website: queensu.ca/studentexperience The Break was selected by the Queen’s Reads Advisory Group, which had representatives from AMS, Student Affairs, Residence Life, the Student Experience Office, Student Academic Success Services and the Queen’s Learning Commons. Additionally, a student Residence Don, a student-at-large, and a student employee of the Student Experience Office sat on the Advisory Group.

Arts

12 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, july 31, 2017

CELEBRATION

Lost in Austen after 200 years

A Jane Austen scholar shares insights about the acclaimed novelist Pamoda WiJekoon Contributor On the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death, there is still no sign of her work fading to the background of the literary world.

Dr. Robert Morrison, a professor of 19th century literature and culture at Queen’s, has taught Austen to students for the past 25 years. For him, the reason is simple: Jane Austen is “the cleverest woman in the history of the world.”

With her novels translated into over 40 languages, Austen boasts a worldwide fandom of ‘Janeites’ who adore her novels for their romance and escapism. Consequently, this extensive fan base fuels the Jane Austen tourism industry in the South of England, worth millions of pounds. Come September, her face will even grace the new £10 bank note.

However, Dr. Morrison’s first run-in with Austen as a 21 year-old undergrad didn’t share this enthusiasm. In fact, he “didn’t like her very much.” Like many of his students since, he didn’t understand the centuries-long Austen hype.

“I thought well, this is a story about a guy and a girl, and they’re going to get into a fight and then they’re going to get back together again,” Morrison laughed at the typical Austen stereotype. “I didn’t really see the power of what Austen was doing.”

At the time she was writing it was nearly impossible for a woman to support herself

alone. Despite her success as a novelist, Austen was entirely financially dependant on her male relatives.

During the 19th century in England, marriage was the only way to secure a woman’s future and the window for it was minute — the poverty of spinsterhood threatened any woman that was still single by her mid-twenties. In a time where it was almost necessary to comply, women had little freedom and were submissive to men’s demands. It was a difficult world, and as Morrison argued, “it’s not as different now as it should be.”

What makes Jane Austen’s novels revolutionary — and resonant — is her dedication to illuminating the reality of women’s lives and her insistence reality needed to change.

“There are women in Austen who show a tremendous amount of courage by standing up to patriarchy,” Morrison said, “and Austen was one of those women. Through sheer talent and bravery, she stood up and said women deserve better.”

He describes Mr. Darcy’s failed first proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice as a key example of this, “When Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him in that self-satisfied way, she gives him the dressing-down of English literature,” he said. “Darcy has a problem, he’s fallen in love with a woman who doesn’t believe that his big house and his income mean that he is deserving of respect.”

Jane Austen was an English novelist.

“Yes, the novel is funny, and, yes, it’s a very compelling romance, but for me. Austen standing up and saying the way men treat women has to stop [is what] makes her brave, prescient and invaluable.”

This social commentary’s weight relies on believable characters — Austen wrote flawed, realistic characters that readers could identify with, regardless of when they read her books.

Much of her work contemplates the mistakes that people make and the journey they undergo to grow and forgive. Through all six of her official novels, Austen never stops exploring the different ways love, romantic or otherwise, pushes people to be better.

Morrison said Elizabeth Bennet resonates for society now because “she is an […] intelligent, witty, compassionate woman who gets things wrong. It’s not like Austen

SUPPLIED BY FLICKR

gives us this perfect woman, she gives us a person. She is saying that women are people who should be treated with respect.”

And it might just be that simple reality that’s given Austen the longevity she has enjoyed.

Despite the small scope of her novels — all focusing on a few families in country villages — she has struck a chord in the hearts of readers worldwide.

“Nobody is better at revealing the tensions, the injustices and the excitement within that world,” than Jane Austen, according to Morrison. “She’s got it all out so vividly in front of us.”

At it’s heart, “it’s about females saying, ‘I want a decent partner for the rest of my life’. That is what’s attractive to readers, you’re in a novel where women get a voice”.

Monday, July 31, 2017

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Sports

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“I answered the few questions on the ad and it turned out to be a life sentence.”

But even as the sport began to attract a wider audience, Canadian schools remained hesitant to include it as part of their athletic programs.

Al Lenard, the former Queen’s Athletics director, was what Armitrage characterized as “a football guy,” and someone who was reluctant “to see anymore sports at the school.” “[Lenard] said to me, ‘I’m not gonna have a team unless you commit to coach for five years.’”

Remembering back to a decision he made after graduation — to do one thing in the world in business and another in sports — Armitrage instantaneously accepted.

“Taking the job was life changing.” ***

John Armitrage at the Kingston Rowing Club.

Rowing coach wins local Citizenship Award John Armitrage life devotion to rowing and the City results in prestigious award SebaStian bron Sports Editor

During Canada’s sesquicentennial, former

Queen’s rowing coach John Armitrage stood outside City Hall as one of Kingston’s five outstanding citizens for 2017.

With his tireless commitment to the sport and his involvement within the Kingston community, Armitrage was honoured with City of Kingston’s Distinguished Citizenship Award.

It has been 40 years since he founded the rowing program at Queen’s in 1977; working with over 2,000 rowers, winning one national championship, 20 OUA championships and 86 individual OUA gold medals; he has coached 20 rowers who went on to represent Canada at the international level.

While Armitrage paved the way for rowing at Queen’s, he was also active in the city’s economic projects, acting as a past chair to both the city’s Economic Development Commission and the Focus Kingston committee. He also served as president for the Kingston Home Builders Association, the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, and the Area Economic Renewal Project, amongst others.

“The award came as a surprise to me. I didn’t even know I had been nominated,” Armitrage sheepishly admitted. “And, you know, it’s humbling because I thought, ‘There are a lot of people more deserving than I am.’” *** In the early 1960s, John Armitrage and his friends would ride their bikes for hours.

They would course through the calm and still streets of Brockville, Ontario, their hometown, until their legs gave up or the sun came down.

“We were like those kids in E.T. that rode their bikes around all over the place,” Armitrage remembered.

From an early age, Armitrage loved to be active. He gravitated towards anything that exuded even the slightest semblance to physical activity, but it wasn’t until his first year of high school that he found his niche.

“My older friend came up to me and said, ‘We’re going to try rowing!’ And I said ‘O.K., yeah. Sure, I’ll try it.’”

But he didn’t simply try it — he fell “in love with it.”

With sports like football, hockey and baseball dominating the country’s sporting culture before the mid-70s, rowing was considered an afterthought in the realm of Canadian athletics.

Still, since Armitrage’s first stroke of a paddle at age 13, rowing had become a part of him. It wasn’t a means to satisfy his need for physical activity — it was something that he just loved to do.

“It was a part of our lifestyle,” he said, adding that his wife of 40 years, Janice, was also an avid rower during their time at the Brockville Rowing Club.

After appearing at the Rowing World Championships in Nottingham, England, Armitrage moved to Kingston at age 27 thinking he had completed his final race.

But when Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics, the sport found him again.

“I was reading an ad in the [Kingston] Whig-Standard about a group of people that wanted to start a rowing team at Queen’s,” he continued, “and I got in touch.”

Armitrage’s work at Queens and within the Kingston community illustrates that passion, not time, bears more importance in the direction of a person’s life.

“It’s amazing how much time people waste,” he said with candor.

“There’s 24 hours in a day. If you sleep eight hours and you work eight hours, that’s still another eight hours. It’s just a matter of productively using your time.”

Armitrage has since retired from the Queen’s rowing program and, for the foreseeable future, has hung up his business and volunteering chops.

“I just got back from Brussels to see my granddaughter” he said. “She’s three years old and I had the chance to drop everything and go there for a week and I jumped at it.”

Yet what comforts the Kingston Sports Hall of Famer most is not necessarily time off, but rather the assurance that the avenues of work he’s left behind are in steady hands.

“I’m delighted with the direction that Queen’s Athletics is going related to high performance sport,” Armitrage said, questioning why some schools would ever accept being exclusively recreational in their approach to sport. “High performance in school and sport is not mutually exclusive.

“And Queen’s gets it now. We’re giving all the tools that our high performance athletes need to be the best they can be in every facet.”

***

MEN’S HOCKEY

Abraham nets second NHL shot Spencer Abraham returns to the Florida Panthers’ development camp Mikel GeGa Contributor Although Hockey Canada listed the odds of making it to the NHL as a Canadian-born prospect as 4000-1, Queen’s defenceman, Spencer Abraham, hopes to bend the trend in his favour.

After being invited to the Florida Panthers’ rookie tournament last year, Abraham, who in the fall heads into his first year in Queen’s Law, was welcomed back to their 2017 development camp.

The camp — which ran from June 27-30 — was a four-day event hosting some of Florida’s top draft picks and young prospects. Without an NHL or AHL contact, the camp is often seen as a last-ditch effort to impress professional scouts. Both on-and-off the ice, invitees are given tips by the Panthers’ coaching staff on ways to improve their game.

In this year’s installment, Abraham said the camp offered players advice in terms of nutrition, how to properly rest and how to deal with the stresses of the NHL’s fast paced style of play. Throughout all the team meetings, Abraham added that mental toughness was a theme the coaching staff honed in on, highlighting its importance to success in the league.

“I can compete and contribute amongst the top young prospects in the world,” he said when asked what he learned at the camp. “I hope it will translate from an on-ice perspective going into my fourth season at Queen’s.”

As one of only 10 Canadian university hockey players this year to receive an invite to an NHL camp, Abraham’s work ethic and persistence is commendable. Even in the face of adversity, he said his confidence has never wavered.

“I was a last round draft pick to the OHL

Abraham skating through center ice.

[and] I scratched and clawed in every game I ever played,” the Gaels defenceman said.

“When I came to Queen’s, that attitude didn’t – and still hasn’t – changed.”

Even though Abraham went from a fringe recruit — “I was barely recruited,” he said — to a three-time U-Sports All-Star, he wouldn’t change a thing. Throughout his career, he said he’s loved every challenge, adding that it’s been incredibly rewarding and satisfying.

“I was not guaranteed every opportunity

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

to succeed, I had to earn it,” he said. “I didn’t expect to earn multiple NHL tryouts.”

In September, Abraham hopes to lead the Gaels from the blue-line to another great year. Until then he’ll relish the lessons the development camp rendered him, looking to improve on them as much as he can.

“I simply love hockey, love challenging myself. And those honors and opportunities have come about because of those qualities,” he said.

SportS

14 •queensJournal.ca

Monday, July 31, 2017

Callender ‘honored’to wear Maple Leaf at FISU tournament Gaels captain Laura Callender picked to represent Canada at the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taiwan

SebaStian bron Sports Editor When Laura Callender found out she was selected to represent Canada at the 2017 Summer Universiade this coming August, she felt a myriad of emotions. While taken aback by the announcement, she was simultaneously thrilled for the exciting challenge.

A chance to don the red and white is a humbling feeling – one she takes pride in, she said.

“It’s really an honour,” Callender continued.

The Gaels’ captain will take the pitch in Taipei City – this year’s tournament hosts from August 19-30 – alongside her new teammates who, like herself, will compete on behalf of Canada for the first time.

In the months leading up to the tournament, Callender described her feelings as very different compared to four years ago.

“When I tore my ACL,” Callender said, remembering back to 2013 after her first year at Queens, “everything changed. It went from playing at [OUA] Nationals for championships to just wondering if I’d ever be able to play soccer again.”

Nearly four years and a restructured knee ligament later,

Laura Callender sweeping past opposing defender.

Callender finds it hard to ignore where she came from and why her career has taken the path it has.

She admitted that were if not for an unsolicited invite during her childhood to play soccer — a sport she knew little about — her relationship with the sport may have never materialized.

“I started playing soccer when I was nine, mainly because my best friend was playing, and then I just

kind of kept going with it.”

To prepare for Taipei City, Callender’s training has been a blend of fitness and on-the-ball work. For her, it’s imperative to get outside as much as possible because “the weather is pretty hot in Taiwan.”

With the average summer temperature at 30 degrees, the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire Canadian team gave the athletes a fitness

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

package focussed on sprinting and fitness.

To compliment her cardio regimen, Callender has been keeping up with Queen’s teammates – a handful of whom live in her hometown in Ottawa during the summer – and training with them, honing on more ball-focused, team-oriented work.

As the tournament kicks-off in but a month’s time, Callender

recognizes her career has taken an unconventional route.

Considering the stopgaps she’s encountered throughout her career as detours along the road, Callender remains excited at the idea of gracing the Universiade’s opening ceremonies in Taipei City.

Recalling Callender’s arrival on campus, women’s head soccer coach Dave McDowell said the fifth year player has shown potential since she first hit the field at Queen’s. Her ability on the pitch, he continued, was never questioned by her peers.

“We knew coming in we were getting a fantastic player,” McDowell said on the program’s recruitment of Callender, calling her “A player with tremendous physical presence.”

“And I think, slowly but surely over the years, she’s improved a great deal. It really speaks to how hard she’s worked on her game,” he added.

When asked about Callender’s proactive approach to train with her teammates in Ottawa, it was of little surprise to McDowell. He said it shows the kind of a player – and leader – she is.

“She’s a quiet, committed leader, and one that leads by example,” the coach said of Callender. “We always expected and continue to expect, big things from her.”

SportS

Monday, July 31, 2017

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• 15

ATHLETICS

Queen’s looking for full-time success Queen’s now investing in coaching in rugby and soccer with hopes of sustained improvement Matt Scace Assistant Sports Editor In an attempt to bring more consistent success to their athletic programs, Queen’s announced earlier this summer that they will be investing in full-time coaching positions for men’s and women’s soccer and rugby.

“For us, this is certainly an elevation of our programs,” Leslie Dal Cin, executive director of athletics and recreation, said.

With this move, cross-country remains as the only varsity team without full-time coaching. By doing this, Queen’s is nearly at its goal of having all varsity teams with full-time coaching, which was established in 2010 as a part of their Competitive Sports Model.

For Dal Cin, the investment is seen as a two-pronged advancement for the school’s athletics. Not only will it provide an increasingly stronger commitment to their programs, but it will also allow teams to keep pace with other rivalling school’s similar commitment to building top-tier athletic teams. “[It is] recognizing the demand of the programs in terms of the need for year-round training, the out of season competition that

is becoming a lot bigger part of those two programs and where you really make your biggest gains, which are actually in the off-season,” Dal Cin said.

Just like athletes who train throughout the summer, a coach’s season doesn’t end with the final whistle.

“Recruiting and off-season training is becoming more important, [along with] the alumni, fundraising, community development and having opportunities to professionally develop with provincial and national teams,” Dal Cin explains.

“Those pieces are worth more than 20 percent of a person’s time now.”

The real proof lies in results.

Two years after taking on a coach full-time, the women’s volleyball team won the Ontario championships in 2011-2012.

After moving Matt Holmberg to be the full-time coach, women’s hockey has been a perennial top four team in the OUA, winning a provincial championship in 2010-11 and 2012-13. Across athletics, other teams have seen a measurable increase since moving their coach to full-time as well and will only continue to trend upward as more alumni throw their support behind Queen’s

Dave McDowell (above) has been women’s soccer head coach since 1988.

varsity teams.

“In my view, you need four things to have a really great program,” Dal Cin said. “You need a great coach, you need fantastic athletes, you need [a] good facility and you need a very supportive program around [the athletes] academically and athletically.”

“When you have all four of those and you have the right people leading, great things happen.”

Dal Cin also noted that though investments of this type have generally lead to success, Athletics and Recreation monitor the happenings within teams — particularly their success rates — to ensure positive growth for its programs.

And Queen’s has begun to act on these promises as of late.

Veteran women’s soccer coach, Dave McDowell, was recently given a full-time position as the technical director of both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. In rugby, the Gaels will see two new faces, as Dan Valley will take over for Beth Barz as the women’s rugby coach and David Butcher was announced as the new men’s rugby coach.

By moving to the full-time model, Queen’s has attracted some of Canada’s budding stars in the coaching community. Prior to taking the women’s rugby job, Valley was head coach of the Rugby Canada U18 Women’s 15’ program and is also a Technical Lead for the Canada 7’s NextGen program in Ontario.

With this new leadership, Queen’s now rounds out a large

group of varsity programs with coaches that will not only try to help bring Queen’s to OUA glory, but create a long-lasting trend of success for men’s and women’s rugby and soccer.

Final Four appearance and a bronze medal finish.

To reflect on last season and talk about what they expect for 2017-18, The Journal talked to men’s basketball head coach Stephan Barrie and women’s basketball coach Dave Wilson.

start of his tenure, are going to be relied on early and often following the departure of Gaels all-time leading scorer Sukhpreet Singh.

With only two incoming first-year recruits, the program has shifted its priority to bringing in ready-now players who can contribute from the outset.

The disappointment that plagued the Gaels’ year a season ago warrants concern, but Barrie remains hopeful the team can find some of the magic it left behind during their 2015-16 post-season run.

“I think we can have an excellent year, and part of that excitement comes from our addressing of some of the deficits we had last season,” he said.

“Now it’s just about putting it all together in terms of chemistry and getting everyone on the same page.”

Gaels were on the up-and-up, eventually finishing one game outside of competing for a U-Sports championship.

Women’s basketball head coach Dave Wilson explained to The Journal that consistency in their play year-after-year is the driving force behind his program’s prolonged success. Over the last five years, they haven’t had a losing season.

“A big part of that is our wisdom, our savvy,” Wilson, who was also named OUA and U-Sports Coach of the Year last season, said.

He added that the team’s off-season plans were mainly to refine their game, “fine-tune what we’re already good at it,” he said.

Under his tenure, the Gaels have been through it all – losing seasons, winning seasons, early playoff exits and deep post-season runs. What’s left to the equation is simply staying ready and waiting for their opportunity.

“Our players have been through a lot, we’ve been through a lot of trials and tribulations in tough games, the experiences that we’ve been through the last few years — that’s where we need to make our growth,” he said.

“It’s building on that.”

“The rest of it – how we’ll make the jump – is all mental.”

Men’s Basketball

Both Sukhpreet Singh (left) and Emily Hazlett (right) have graduated from Queen’s.

JOURNAL FILE PHOTOS

BASKETBALL

Positive outlooks for 2017-18 season Head coaches Dave Wilson and Stephan Barrie expectations prior to fall season SebaStian bron Sports Editor After looking back at the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, it’s safe to say the two are almost polar opposites.

The men’s tumultuous 2016-17 season, which saw

them suffer their worst losing-skid in program history, left the team with more questions than answers as they headed into this summer.

Conversely, women’s basketball had a statement season in the OUA. Their 18-1 record – tied for best in the OUA – lead them to a U-Sports

JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Dropping one game after the other after the winter break, the Gaels lost a programworst 11 in a row. At 7-12, the Gaels snuck into the playoffs and were eliminated in the first round.

Although the men’s team finished middle of the pack in nearly every statistical category last season – barring blocks, where they topped the OUA – head coach Stephan Barrie is placing specific emphasis this off-season on improving the team’s shooting from beyond the arc.

“We have to become a better three-point shooting team, for sure,” he noted. “That’s a combination of our returning players putting in the time, which they’ve been doing over the summer and it’s also about some of the transfers coming in who have that skill as part of what they bring.”

Barrie’s four transfer students, the most he’s had since the

Women’s Basketball Last season, women’s basketball experienced a record setting year.

With a pair of OUA first team and one second team All-Stars and an OUA All-Rookie selection, their 2016-17 campaign finished at an 18-1 record, good to be tied atop the OUA. After winning 15 consecutive games to tip-off their year, the

Queen’s announces new Women’s Volleyball head coach Following the departure of Michael Ling on May 10, Athletics and Recreation recently announced that Ryan Ratushniak would be stepping in as the new women’s volleyball coach.

A former assistant coach with both the women’s and men’s national teams, he was most recently an assistant coach for the men’s team at the University of Manitoba.

16 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, july 31, 2017

Bullet journal in a Kingston coffee shop.

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Shivani Gonzalez Lifestyle Editor What if you could know exactly what you were wearing, eating or thinking about on this very day exactly five years ago? Well, I am about to find out.

Recently, in the midst of procrastinating at my summer job, I found myself scrolling through my Facebook feed to come across an article on Buzzfeed titled “Q&A a Day: 5 Year Journal”.

The focal point of the Buzzfeed interview was a small brown book with gold trimmed pages and a beautiful interior. Within the journal in discussion, there are five slots on each page to allow for five years of entries per date, each day with a prompting question at the top of the page. These questions can be anything from as trivial as “what are you wearing today?” to as ponderous as “which part of your life feels empty currently?” and as personal as “when was

How a One Question a Day Journal Helped Me Improve Myself The Importance of Self Reflection the last time you talked to your parents?”. The idea of the book is that the owner will answer the same question on the same day for five years and be able to look back after that time and easily compare their answers.

Without too much thought considering I had a loaded Amazon gift card, I proceeded to load my cart with the 5 Year Journal and check out.

In a world where we’re constantly rushing around trying to turn in essays, pick up groceries,

CULTURE COMMENTARY

The Return of Kesha Praying has Kesha back on the map

nikolai DuffielD Contributor Since 2013, Kesha has been locked in a legal battle with her former producer Dr. Luke, a man whom she accuses of physical, sexual, verbal and emotional abuse while they worked together on his record label.

In return, the former CEO of Sony’s Kemosabe Records sued Kesha and her mother for breach of contract and defamation. The on-going battle against her abuser and his music production corporation, as well as the emotional toll of the ordeal, had since prevented Kesha

from releasing any new music; until now.

A masterpiece of struggle and rebirth, the release of single Praying is Kesha’s triumphant return to music since the legal battle began. The Praying music video opens with a monologue

by Kesha. “Am I dead? Or is this one of those dreams. Those horrible dreams, that seem like they last forever. If I am alive, why?”

The video, accompanied with the black-and-white visual of Kesha laying on debris in the middle of the ocean, speaks to the horrifying ordeal she has had to deal with for years. But, as the

visit with friends and balance school, work and social life, it can be very easy to forget to stop and reflect on our lives, memories and feelings.

I, myself, am a very sentimental person – constantly yelled at by my friends for always filming our candid moments. I do this because, the way I see it, time flies by so quickly and I want to hold on to every moment for as long as possible. Even though I’ve always been an advocate for documenting moments, the five year line a day journal takes it to a different level. Answering a different insightful question each

day makes it more about what someone is personally dealing with, not for the sake of Snapchat or your Facebook album but for the sole purpose of reflecting on the person and place you are in that moment.

Now that I have this journal, I make sure to answer my question of the day every night before I go to bed, no matter how late I get home. This summer, I’m spending my months away from school living and working in a city with a job I’ve dreamed about having since I can remember. I wasn’t fully thinking about how proud, mad, excited and melancholy I was in

any given moment because I was always focused on something else.

It was from this that I realized I wasn’t taking in everything from the experience.

Whether you want to buy a journal just like this online or make use of an old notebook, take a couple moments a day to reflect on what’s going on in your life.

Even if you aren’t the type of person who likes to journal or you don’t want to have the responsibility of writing something down every day, I think it’s a good idea in general to take a few moments each day, week, month — however much time you can spend — to sit back and think about yourself in that moment.

What do you want to change?

What are you happy to be doing?

Where can you improve?

These silent moments of reflection, whether it’s in a journal or just in our heads, can do wonders for our mental health by allowing us to take the time to think about everything going on in our lives and how it effects us.

colour returns to the music video we realize that the battle over Kesha’s own agency and voice has been won — she has struggled and taken it back for herself.

The music video—both somber and celebratory — mixes her bohemian aesthetics of past music videos with a new found religiosity.

Kesha is no longer the musician she once was. With a serious and powerful tone, Praying shows a different take on women taking on their abusers. Taking away his PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA power over her, she thanks him: The album artwork for Kesha’s latest single.

“Oh, but after everything you’ve done/I can thank you for how is not a women scorned, she turns struggle against an abuser and strong I have become.” She even inward to heal and reflect. abuse-enabling production prays for him: “Oh, sometimes I Praying is an act of healing company has not ruined her; pray for you at night/ Someday, just as much as it is an act of Kesha has only made herself maybe you’ll see the light.” Kesha bravery. By proving her pain and stronger.

Want to get involved? Join the ‘QJ Lifestyle Contribs 2017-18’ Facebook group

LIFESTYLE

Monday, July 31, 2017 Eily Shaw Contributor With the clock ticking down to when we’re forced to walk like zombies to 8:30 classes, make sure to fully embrace the rest of your summer and the freedom of the days we have left.

Did you finish exams and have all these crazy adventures planned out for the summer ahead? Three months deep into summer break, it’s hard to forget a time when we wanted to do something other than binge watch Netflix in our rooms.

Luckily for all of us, summer isn’t over yet and we still have time to get off the couch and tackle those summer bucket lists, before it’s too late.

Go camping

Unless you’re fortunate enough to have a job that pays you to spend time outdoors, chances are your summer job is keeping you inside so far. Discover a new serene spot outside the bustle of the cities to relax and reconnect with nature.

There are hundreds of camp sites all around Canada, so one quick Google search will give you all the information you need. Celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation by becoming one with nature.

Learn a new recipe

During the school year, it can be hard to find time to spend in the kitchen and sometimes ordering takeout again is just not in the budget. Switch it up by learning to cook something new and you

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LIFE HACKS

Your end of summer bucket list

Your chance to do all the stuff you wanted but never got around to Kingston’s Farmer’s Market.

might discover your next go-to dish. Pinterest is a great place to find creative, easy recipes that will make you feel like a master chef.

Discover a new spot in your city

Whether it’s that new coffee shop that opened down the road or the park that’s just a bit further from your house than you’ve gone before on foot, go exploring outside of your familiar spots and you’ll find a great new gem you hadn’t realized you’d been missing.

Read a book

Obviously we all do enough reading during the school year – that’s a given. But don’t let your summer slip by with endless Netflix binges. Pick up a book that you normally wouldn’t have to read for class; you’ll feel surprised at how refreshing it can be. You can head to your local bookstore

and get suggestions or read any number of articles online to figure out which book you might enjoy.

Do something silly

This is fairly self-explanatory.

Summer is a time for relaxing and sometimes it can help to just act like a kid again. Find time to fly a kite, make popsicles, draw a chalk hopscotch with your friends. Channel your inner child and forget your troubles for an afternoon.

Clean out your closet

With fall approaching faster than we all realize, it’s good to revisit those sweaters, boots and pants we’ve tucked away for the summer and donate what you don’t wear anymore.

Try researching shelters and stores that help outfit those in need with clothes for the winter months, they’re always looking for donations.

Visit the farmer’s market Purchasing food from your town’s farmer’s market is a fantastic way to support your local farmers and eat organic, in-season produce. Go and see what your area has to offer -- if you’re lucky, the farmer’s markets may also have butchers, dairy farmers and other artisans that offer fresh and natural food that you can take straight from their farm to your dining table.

Go to the drive-in theatre movies in the park

Many cities host public movie screenings in parks or town squares. If not, they likely have a drive in movie theatre. Head out with friends to catch a new flick or watch an old favourite.

Make a healthy lifestyle choice

Summer is the perfect time to make new habits and try new

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRASHNAN

things before the business of school can set in. Maybe you want to work out more, try eating vegan or even just wake up earlier on weekend mornings. Now is the perfect time to build these good habits so that they last into the school year.

See some local Kingston attractions Even if you’re living out of Kingston for the summer, make sure to head back to your honorary home a few days before class starts so you have time to see the lovely summer sights Kingston has to offer (besides the Pier and the Hub). One of Canada’s oldest prisons, Kingston Penitentiary, has recently become open to public tours over the summer months. Or, explore the many beautiful biking and hiking paths at the forests of Lemoine Point. There are endless opportunities in our limestone city that will remind you it’s not just your school grounds.

FASHION

The Summer of Bodysuits

Check out more at queensjournal. ca/lifestyle PHOTOS BY JULIA BALAKRASHNAN

Don’t be a Starving Student Leave your grocery shopping up to us; we’ll make sure your fridge and cupboards are always stocked. studentgrocer.com

Grocery delivery plans for less than

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LIFESTYLE

18 •queensjournal.ca

Monday, july 31, 2017

The Official Journal Guide to Avoid Drowning in Sweat this Summer Have a perspiring problem? Don’t sweat it, we’ve got you covered.

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Josh trying to cool down.

JoSh GranovSky Assistant Lifestyle Editor Summer is a glorious thing.

There is no class, no stress and, most importantly, no snow. How on earth did we, as humans, come to deserve such a beautiful time of year with no strings attached? Well, we didn’t.

There’s a string and its name is sweat.

Sweating is, of course, a very normal way for our bodies to tell us we are healthily regulating our internal temperatures. While this is usually fine, the summer has a funny way of bringing so much sweat out of some people that it looks downright unnatural.

If you are like me and find yourself a victim of sweat stains and damp foreheads, you may want to add some of these tricks to your daily routine.

Try some witch hazel Like its name may suggest, witch hazel’s sweat-stopping powers may as well be some type of black magic. Applying any toner with witch hazel to your forehead will effectively ward off beads of sweat by drying it out.

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel toner is your best bet, according to some hyper-enthusiastic Amazon reviews.

Stay away from caffeine and spicy foods Caffeine and spicy foods stimulate your sweat glands in a not-so-friendly way. If you want to stay cool for the summer, you may have to sacrifice a coffee or buffalo wing here and there.

Avoid black clothing in the sun As you may remember from grade four science class, black absorbs all light. Therefore, black

clothing will absorb everything from the sun and may turn a warm, sunny day into an unbearable, sweaty one. Unless your shirt is loose enough to trap any wind, do yourself a favour and...

Wear white undershirts White clothing will reflect the sun’s light and a light undershirt will help keep you cool. The extra layer can also stop any body sweat before it makes its way to your nicer clothes.

Invest in clinical-strength antiperspirants If you are sweating more than the average person, your deodorant should be stronger than average as well. Look into getting some of the strong

stuff — there is plenty available on Amazon or at drug stores with no prescription needed.

While all these tips will help control physical sweat production, a sweat-producer we unfortunately can’t control is our emotions.

Stress, excitement and anger are all known to induce perspiration, so essentially if you feel emotion, there’s a good chance you will sweat. In my experience, it’s much easier to distract people from your sweat than to rid yourself of it. Every time I dance, I sweat.

But if I whip out my signature move, a hardy step-clap, I assure you that no one will be focused on my forehead. Keep it cool, but if you can’t, just give everyone something else to focus on.

CULTURE COMMENTARY

The Bachelorette used racism as plot fodder ABC’s The Bachelorette proved they are incapable of tackling issues of race

Sarina Grewal Assistant News Editor The first time I watched the Bachelor was in 2015: the first semester of my second year, my housemates insisted I watch the show with them in our kitchen.

I agreed, not expecting myself to find it engaging in any way.

Instead, that day, I become more invested in the show than I care to admit. The Bachelor and Bachelorette became the shows I hated that I liked.

Fast forward to this year: Rachel Lindsay was declared the first ever woman of colour to become the bachelorette.

When I first heard the news, I was half-pleased, half-frustrated.

It shouldn’t have taken 34 seasons of this franchise - over 15 years - to have a black person in the lead role. But better late than never I guess?

I was also wary. I wasn’t sure if

Bachelorette producers would be able to properly navigate the racial politics that would undoubtedly accompany Rachel’s casting.

And little to my surprise, racism eventually became fodder This year’s Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. for plot on the show.

Contestant Lee Garrett, a to Lee why his unwarranted use were unaware of the dangerous country musician who was of the term ‘aggressive’ was not ideas that Lee was perpetuating. initially mildly irritating, quickly only negative, but racially charged, If they truly weren’t, that’s took a turn for the worse when saying, “There is a long-standing irresponsible. If they were, that he began deliberately picking on history of regarding black men in means they deliberately cast his fellow contenders. Specifically, America as ‘aggressive’ to justify a a bigot. contestant Dean Uglert said Lee lot of other things.”

On a show that promotes itself was doing this to men he likely did Lee, instead of taking Will’s as focused on romance, we have not interact with regularly — i.e. words into consideration, became black men being forced to navigate the black men. defensive and accused Kenny of a racial minefield by trying to During his time on the show, Lee “playing the race card.” explain racism to a man who had a few verbal confrontations It later came out that Lee does not care enough to listen. It with black contestants Eric had a series of Islamophobic, stopped being petty drama and and Kenny, neither of whom homophobic and racist tweets became something more, in the were remotely violent, where on his Twitter account, where he worst way. he antagonized and belittled likened the Black Lives Matter The final straw was when them. He then promptly lied to movement to terrorism, insulted I saw the promo for the next Rachel about these arguments, feminist women and inexplicably episode following Kenny and Lee’s repeatedly and negligently calling compared Hillary Clinton to argument, where the two were Kenny “aggressive“. What’s more, OJ Simpson. pitted against each other on a Lee took blatant, obvious and All contestants on this show two-on-one date with Rachel. horrifying “joy in making Kenny’s go through background checks Kenny, a doting father to a young world crumble“, to use Lee’s and psychological tests because girl and an all-around nice guy, was own words. the producers are responsible forced into direct competition with Another black contestant for ensuring a safe environment. an obviously prejudiced man, all named Will calmly and very Considering this to be true, I find for the sake of drama. It was cruel. eloquently attempted to explain it hard to believe the producers Not to mention, Rachel was put

SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE

in a situation where her decision would have more consequences than any previous bachelorette.

She didn’t just have two guys who disliked each other; she had a man being subjected to racism versus a man who took pleasure in it. If she’d unwittingly chosen Lee over Kenny, the judgment she’d have faced when the episode aired would have been paramount.

It was incredibly unfair to her.

Although she couldn’t have known at the time, she would have been severely judged.

I didn’t watch that episode and I haven’t watched the season since.

I know she picked Kenny over Lee, thankfully, but this situation really soured my opinion of the show and franchise.

I want to hope that Bachelorette producers will learn from their mistakes this season. But odds are, that won’t happen anytime soon.

Monday, July 31, 2017

queensjournal.ca

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POSTSCRIPT

Diary of a Frazzled Frosh

What I learned about my mental health in first year

Student Kaylee O’Meara singing in The Caledonias.

Kaylee O’Meara Contributor I remember arriving at Queen’s with painful clarity.

Approaching the Sir John A. Macdonald exit on the 401, my stomach had grown so knotted it seemed I’d turned to stone in the passenger’s seat. The campus was packed with cars, parents and students alike as we neared Leggett Hall, my new home.

When we reached the curb, I sprang into action and moved my belongings upstairs via trolleys.

Once the last volunteer had left and my mother was parking the car, I was alone in my new room.

Feeling like I would start to cry if I stood still, I unpacked some bags and disconcertedly placed their contents illogically around the space, specifically, my kettle under the bed and my pillow on the top shelf.

My mum finally returned after to move me in more productively.

Although I felt more settled after my mom and I walked around campus, a harsh reality hit me. I realized that I would be staying in this new, foreign place alone.

Suddenly, I longed for loved ones back home.

‘Numb’ would be the best word to describe my mindset during Orientation Week. Sure, I made friends and had some fun with my frosh group but it all felt like a surreal week of summer camp. My Gaels ushered us around to activities while we wore the same dirty yellow shirt all week. Safe to say, I was excited for the real school experience to begin.

The first few weeks of classes were good. I enjoyed the courses, but I was bewildered by my new life — it felt like I was moving in slow motion.

It was not until I came home for a weekend in late October that I asked myself, “Am I happy?” At this moment, the anxiety that I’d had my whole life that had seemed to disappear during high school hit me like a truck.

What made me feel so isolated from my peers was that I felt like I wasn’t gaining the seemingly typical Queen’s experience. I had heard stories of first years

wanting to take campus by storm and start living the ‘best years’ of their lives. The Queen’s that I’d seen in brochures and on campus tours showed a school that everyone wanted to attend and never leave.

It was not until “I came home for

a weekend in late October that I asked myself, ‘Am I happy?’

”

I felt guilty about not fitting into this archetype. What right had I to be this anxious? What reasons did I have to be feeling sorry for myself? I knew how lucky I was to be at university. I even hit the proverbial lottery with a single-plus room on main campus, arguably the best room you can get. It felt awful to seem ungrateful so I didn’t speak about my anxiety with many people.

I started wondering how many of my first year peers were struggling too. From what I observed, I seemed to be the only one — a fact I know now to be completely inaccurate. Sure, students would complain about school work in tutorials and talk about how generally stressed they were, but that’s not what I was feeling.

While I was doing fine on the academic side, it was social anxiety and not feeling comfortable in my new environment that was getting me every day. I began to find social interactions exhausting and started spending more time alone.

Despite having a spacious single-plus room, my residence experience was far from perfect.

Single-plus rooms are somewhat synonymous with hotel rooms.

After all, Leggett Hall’s Snapchat geofilter is ‘Hotel Leggett’. This sounds great until you realize how difficult it is to make a hotel room feel like home. All year, my room felt so temporary and impersonal.

Leggett Hall’s paper-thin walls would broadcast and amplify normal conversations down the hall. Even when the floor was quiet I sat in my room dreading the next

time the voices would reach me.

I was also on high alert for noise from my can-mate who saw no issue with 3:00 am FaceTime calls in our bathroom, amongst other things. The anticipatory anxiety of the noise made it impossible to ever feel fully relaxed in residence.

First year is when students are away — possibly for the first time — from the people who know them best. This poses a significant risk to students’ well-being as it is loved ones who might better recognize warning signs of mental illness such as social withdrawal, increased anxiety, and depression.

After realizing that it was doing me no good to pretend to be enjoying myself, I started reaching out to people about my mental health. My mom suggested that the therapist I’d seen infrequently during high school might be willing to do a FaceTime appointment. When my therapist told me that mental illness is ‘rampant’ on university campuses, it instantly put my situation in a clearer perspective.

Next came talking to friends who were many miles away, most of which — to my surprise — said that they too were dealing with a mirage of problems in their new campus environments. Connecting with my friends meant so much.

It seemed the more I let tumble out – that I was having sleeping problems, trouble focusing – the more they were able to empathize and make my feelings of disenchantment valid.

I still felt scared to tell my new friends, mainly because I hadn’t heard mental health discussed at Queen’s yet. I tentatively told a friend on my floor how I felt. To my great surprise she earnestly replied that she felt the same and she was so glad I had said something. For the first time since arriving in res, I didn’t feel alone.

After one particularly hard day I ventured to the Queen’s Peer Support Centre (PSC) for the first time. I was so surprised by how easy it was to pour my heart out to a complete stranger. I felt so relieved to air my feelings to an upper year student who has been through the turbulent time that is first year. Ever since that day,

knowing that there is a room and a compassionate peer on campus whose only job is to listen to me has been an immense comfort.

As I’m a person who’s happier busier than idle, I began to throw myself into extracurricular activities. I joined The Caledonias — a female a cappella choir — who instantly became a source of constant joy for me , giving me a family away from home. In a further attempt to get out of res more, I went on frequent self-guided walking tours around Kingston and tried to immerse myself in campus as much as possible. I found quiet corners in the library where I could turn my phone off and study.

hardest part “of The coming to Queen’s

was losing my close knit support system from high school and building a new one from scratch.

”

My mother proposed that I write a list of everything I was thankful for, in order to gain some perspective. It seemed like such a simple thing, yet to my surprise I ended up writing down over 40 things and felt better immediately.

I have been happily adding to it ever since.

The hardest part of coming to Queen’s was losing my close-knit support system from high school and building a new one from scratch. I made use of every support I could find: my family and old friends (via the wonders of technology), walking, swimming at the athletic centre and Queen’s peer services like the PSC. I was also lucky to have support from my mom’s friends in Kingston who offered me home cooked meals and unforeseen care and support.

Although I had expected to adjust to Queen’s within the first few weeks at school, it was actually not until about March that I actually started to feel comfortable.

It was a huge adjustment, but I do have great memories of

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

first year, including singing with the Callies, taking interesting classes, being a delegate in Queen’s Model Parliament, discovering the understated awesomeness that is the City of Kingston and meeting many incredible people.

With first year now under my belt, I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on self-care — an extremely important part of a university student’s hierarchy of needs. My self-care list includes the following: drink lots of water, get outside, take walks, 10-minute yoga sessions with mindful breathing, map out school work each week, meal prep something yummy for the week, wash your bed sheets (you’ll sleep so well that night), use a colouring book, call someone who builds you back up, send snail mail to friends far away, go to The Isabel, have a cathartic cry, go to the PSC and possibly the most important, eat CoGro cake.

The reason I’m writing this article is because I struggled much more in first year than I ever expected. My anxiety reared its ugly head in a way that I wasn’t, and really couldn’t have been prepared for. Even on good days, I walked around campus with anxiety bubbling just under the surface. First year often felt like Grade Nine 2.0 in the sense that you’re at the bottom of the food chain and feel like you’re treading water all the time to remain afloat.

As summer dwindles and school is fast approaching, I’m cautiously yet incredibly optimistic for second year. I am excited about my courses and I have volunteered to be a Peer Learning Assistant with Queen’s SASS and also at the PSC where I hope to pay forward some of the incredible support that I received.

The biggest thing that first year taught me - something no professor could instill - is the importance of self-care and surrounding yourself with people who love and support you. I would like to send out a huge thank-you to everyone who helped me in my first year.

I am incredibly thankful to be attending a great university and am excited for new experiences this year.

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Monday, july 31, 2017