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Q u e e n ’ s U n iv e r s i t y
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Vol. 146, Issue 5
F r i d ay , S e p t . 1 4 , 2 0 1 8
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Car catches fire, explodes on Johnson Street Fire damages building and vehicle
EDITORIALS
R achel H uizinga and R achel A iken Assistant News Editors
Updated disability definition opens door for students
Last night, a car parked at a Johnson Street house caught fire and caused a small explosion, damaging a nearby house.
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OPINIONS Being openly conservative on Queen’s campus
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PHOTO BY AMELIA RANKINE
Firefighters extinguish car fire after explosion shakes student house near Johnson and Division on Sept. 13.
ARTS Greenwood relives Fort McMurray wildfires
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Queen’s denied responsibility in Queen’s receives $1 million sexual assault lawsuit donation for arts University filed crossclaim against two other defendants in case brought by former student I ain S herriff -S cott News Editor
SPORTS Pat Sheahan enters Gael folklore with 100 wins
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LIFESTYLE Stories from a summer at a racehorse fertility clinic
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Acting Fire-Captain, Shawn Welbanks, told The Journal the department received reports of a vehicle that caught fire at around 9 p.m. “The vehicle sustained quite a bit of damage, [and] the house on the outside [sustained] a little bit of damage,” he said. Welbanks said he cleared the residents to re-enter the house after the fire had been extinguished and the damages assessed. “No one was injured,” he said. The vehicle’s owner declined to comment. Brandon Saltzman, ArtSci ’21, and the next-door neighbour of the damaged house, said he and his housemates were the first to notice the smoke.
Queen’s denied all liability for the alleged instances described in a recent sexual assault lawsuit brought forward against the University and two men, according to court filings obtained by The Journal. As previously reported in June, the plaintiff, a former residence advisor, is seeking nearly a million dollars in damages from Queen’s and defendants Ali Erfany and Mustafa Ahmadi in the Superior Court of Justice. In her statement of claim, the plaintiff alleged Erfany and Ahmadi were responsible for physically and sexually abusing her on multiple occasions in Victoria Hall in 2014. At the time, both men were employees of Residence Life. Because the defendants were working in residence, where the incidents took place, the plaintiff claimed Queen’s
was vicariously liable for the attacks. She also claimed Queen’s doesn’t adequately educate students about sexual violence—which the University challenged. In its June 6 statement of defence, Queen’s denied vicarious liability for the alleged incidents. Queen’s claimed the defendants Erfany and Ahmadi weren’t employees or volunteers of the University, but rather of Residence Life, which Queen’s described in its statement as a “separately incorporated entity.” In a statement, the plaintiff also alleged the University didn’t ensure Victoria Hall was reasonably safe to enter. Queen’s said it took “reasonable measures” to ensure that safety and security policies were followed. In the University’s statement of defence, it said the defendants acted “without the knowledge or acquiescence of Queen’s” when they
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committed the alleged sexual assaults. The statement also said the two men “were acting entirely outside the scope and authority, express or implied, of their roles with Queen’s.” The University also filed a crossclaim against the defendants Erfany and Ahmadi, requesting the court shift financial liability for the suit onto them. In their statement, the University said the plaintiff’s damages claims are “excessive” and “exaggerated.” Queen’s also denied that its actions contributed to any of the plaintiff’s alleged “negative life experiences.” In the summer of 2016, Erfany was convicted of unlawfully entering a dwelling and sexual assault. At the time of his conviction, Erfany was still enrolled at Queen’s. He’d also sat on University Senate while
See Lawsuit on page 4
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Alfred and Isabel Bader continue generous donations to campus B rigid G oulem Arts Editor
On Sept. 10, Isabel and Alfred Bader donated $1 million to support four projects in the visual and musical arts at Queen’s. It’s a pattern for the couple, who’ve made several notable contributions including Herstmonceux Castle, Rembrandt paintings, and the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre. Out of the million, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre will receive $645,000. The money will go toward funding the Centre’s first touring exhibition in 30 years. The exhibition, Leiden, circa 1630: Rembrandt Emerges, will tour across Canada at four venues starting in Kingston the fall of next year. In addition to the touring collection, the money will fund the Isabel and Alfred Bader Lecture in European Art, which will give Queen’s access to some of the most @queensjournal
prolific scholars in the field. The Agnes Etherington Centre will also use the new funds increase their online presence and digitize the collection. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that [the Baders’] have really put Queen’s in a leading position,” said Jane Allen, Director of the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre. “They’ve done so very thoughtfully and knowing that is so important for students and the wider intellectual community to have the arts as part of their lives.” The second allotment of the Bader’s donation was $200,000 directed to the Department of Art History and Art Conservation. The money will be used to purchase a digitally assisted 3-D microscope and an electromagnetic multi-based image scanner. Dr. Patricia Smithen, an Assistant Professor in the Art Conservation program said the donation is an excellent opportunity for the program. “It is a wonderful expression of confidence in and support for our program, as well as a keen opportunity
See Isabel on page 9 @thequeensjournal
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Incoming Queen’s students awarded STEM scholarship Schulich Scholars enter first year
Rachel Aiken Assisstant News Editor Four incoming Queen’s students in the class of 2022 have been accepted on the Schulich Leader Scholarship. The Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) scholarship is one of the largest available in Canada. Established in 2012, the $100 million program funds 50 Canadian undergraduate scholarships a year and 50 in Israel. The 20 partner institutions involved in the Canadian program select their individual recipients from a pool of nominees. Each successful individual is awarded $80,000 towards a degree in the sciences, or $100,000 for the pursuit
of an engineering degree. Sonal Gupta, a student from Kingston, was one recipient selected by Queen’s to study for a sciences degree. “My dream is to use my education in science to create sustainable change through philanthropic initiatives on a global level,” Gupta said in a statement. Another scholar, Angela Choi of Fredericton, N.B, will join Gupta in pursuit of the degree. Sophia Ludovice, a recipient of the NS Lieutenant Governor’s Award, was accepted into Queen’s from Bedford, N.S. She hopes to study Chemical Engineering. Peter Matthews will also study engineering while at Queen’s. He was honoured with the Chemical
The group has been struggling to find insurance coverage for nearly a year.
Queen’s currently hosts 17 Schulich Scholars on campus.
Institute of Canada Award for his project on electrolysis. In a press release, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs, Ann Tierney, said, “We are proud of all the Queen’s Schulich Leaders, and honoured these four incoming students have chosen to continue their path of achievement at Queen’s.” Queen’s currently hosts 17 Schulich Scholars on campus, with an additional five who’ve graduated. Philanthropist Seymour Schulich founded the program, while additionally
Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor After unsuccessful negotiations with the University and the AMS, Queen’s Bands Cheer has become a spirit squad. The update comes after nearly a year of the group struggling to find insurance coverage for stunting activities. Last November, the historic team received a notice from the AMS requiring members to keep one foot on the ground at all times during training, practices, and events. The order resulted in a disagreement with both Queen’s Athletics and the AMS over insurance. Cailin McNeely, ArtSci ’20, the team’s operations and finance manager, told The Journal in an interview the group has decided not to stunt anymore.
“It’s out of the question,” she said. “We’re not going to get stunting back. There’s nothing we can do.” Over the summer, Queen’s Bands Cheer explored the option of finding insurance outside the AMS. However, if the group pursued insurance elsewhere, they’d lose affiliation with Queen’s, club space, and access to school events. “If we did want to get our own insurance, it’s a long and tiresome and expensive process that we just can’t afford,” McNeely said. “That was our last resort, and now it’s out of the question as well.” The team didn’t revisit the idea of being insured with Queen’s Athletics. “They’ve just refused,” McNeely said. “There’s not a chance.” McNeely expects an absence of stunting will cause more women to try out for the team than men—creating a need for more women’s uniforms. “[Women’s uniforms] are insanely expensive,” she said. “But we have to adapt to whatever we get thrown at us.”
supporting other education and health care initiatives. “Schulich Leader Scholarships are the largest STEM scholarships in Canada. With 50 outstanding students selected each year from across Canada, this group represents the best and brightest Canada has to offer,” Mr. Schulich said. “They are the next generation of technology innovators.” journal_news@ams.queensu.ca
According to Watters, the reason why Queen’s Bands Cheer avoided a risk assessment for over 20 years is because they hadn’t been following proper event sanctioning procedures. “Queen’s Bands [Cheer] wasn’t following proper policy,” she said. “As a club, you need to go through our event sanctioning forms, and we notify every club of this when they re-sign their contract.” “They had not been filling out the event sanctioning forms for a fairly long time.” Because the AMS supervises over 300 clubs, Watters told The Journal it’s difficult to make sure every club is following the rules. “The only reason we found out is because the ARC adjusted their policies requiring a certificate of insurance if a club wanted to use any of their athletic spaces,” she said. McNeely claimed Queen’s Bands Cheer wasn’t informed of the exact reason why they could no longer stunt until this month. Watters denied this. “From the very beginning, the AMS remained open with Queen’s Bands PHOTO BY JEFF CHAN regarding our concerns with the Cheer section,” Watters said. “We have had several conversations with the Heads of Cheer over the past year concerning the identified risks, encouraging questions and being very clear about what activities were being restricted and for what reasons.” Going forward, Watters told The Out of options, the club will rebrand Journal the AMS will be more consistently as a pep and spirit squad. They will still monitoring clubs to identify any “red be present at football games and parades flags,” and make event sanctioning more to “light up the Queen’s spirit in the crowd,” accessible to prevent a similar situation from happening. according to McNeely. “We’re really trying hard to redefine “We’re stuck, but we’re going to try to these processes, because with event make the best of it,” she added. The club will continue to be insured sanctioning—the way it was set up—it was by the AMS, which will only cover doable and feasible, but there were some things that made it difficult on our end and low-to-medium risk activities. Lifts, throws, and pyramids are classified some things that made it difficult for other as high-risk activities, according to Munro people,” she said. Watters stated stunting isn’t in the future Watters, the current AMS vice-president of Queen’s Bands Cheer at this point in time. (university affairs). “[Queen’s Bands Cheer] wasn’t taken in by In an interview with The Journal, Watters said the AMS was “actively discouraged from Athletics and that’s really unfortunate, but ratifying clubs that include hockey, football, we’re not an athletic department—that’s rugby, swimming and cheerleading because not what we’re built to be,” Watters said. “In of the fact that there is a higher level of terms of insurance and stunting, we’re at the end of that road.” risk involved.” “We tried to explore every option Jim Henry of Hub International Ontario Limited has been the AMS’ insurance broker and every avenue because this isn’t what since 1996. In May, he sent the AMS a we wanted.” letter informing them of the risk levels they journal_news@ams.queensu.ca should be allowing in clubs.
Queen’s Bands Cheer will continue spirit, drop stunting Team will forge ahead as pep squad
GRAPHIC BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
News
Friday, Sept 14, 2018
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The MagicScroll, unveiled on Sept. 4.
SUPPLIED BY QUEENS HUMAN MEDIA LAB
Human Media Lab announces novel technology
Rollable touch-screen is first of its kind Rachel Aiken Assisstant News Editor Professor Ned Frank passed away at the age of 81.
SUPPLIED BY UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Queen’s community mourns loss of Professor C.E.S. Franks
In addition to publishing more than 100 scholarly articles, Franks made his mark on the political community by editing and writing 14 books and monographs—including Dissent and the State, The Parliament of Canada, and The Rachel Aiken Canoe and White Water. Assisstant News Editor Franks was also active in the media, authoring op-ed articles in national media Former professor in the Queen’s outlets like The Globe and Mail. department of Political Studies and “Such was the richness of his the School of Physical Health and knowledge about his particular scholarly Education, C.E.S. (Ned) Franks passed passions—especially the study of away peacefully on Sept. 11. He parliamentary regimes in the western was 81. world and beyond—that he was regularly Franks was a professor at the university sought out by domestic and foreign media for 35 years. The loss of his presence outlets.” Haglund said, recalling his and easy-going demeanor has been felt colleague’s scholarly talent. throughout the Queen’s community. Haglund also referenced Frank’s On Tuesday, Principal Daniel Woolf success in the media. He wrote, “I recall tweeted his condolences, saying he was with especial happiness those frequent “saddened to learn of the death today of moments when I read Ned being one of our star political studies emeritus quoted in the New York Times and other professors, C.E.S. (Ned) Franks. Long after top-flight newspapers.” retiring he continued to contribute to Frank’s contributions to the field of Queen’s and the country’s well-being.” political studies made him not only well Franks began his education in his known by colleagues, his work was also hometown of Toronto, attending Upper recognized and awarded on both the Canada College. He came to Queen’s for national and international stage. his BA in 1959 and later, his MA in 1965. In 2002, the former professor was Franks then travelled to Oxford for a granted the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Doctorate of Philosophy. Jubilee Medal, awarded to individuals who Franks returned to Queen’s in 1967 as an played significant roles in shaping Canada. assistant professor, with a knowledge and In addition to his 2002 award, Franks presence beloved by many over the course was awarded the 75th Anniversary of his time at the university. Medallion by the Royal Canadian In an email statement to The Journal, Geographical Society only two years later. Associate Professor David Haglund Franks contributions will continue said Franks’ intellect and personality played to be remembered throughout the a unique role at Queen’s. Queen’s Community. “I always found [Ned] to be an amazingly “He will be missed,” Haglund said. easy—and intriguing—colleague to Funeral arrangements for the professor talk to,” Haglund said. “Ned was a real will be announced shortly. ‘Renaissance’ character, with few topics ever managing to escape the ambit of his vast journal_news@ams.queensu.ca intellectual curiosity.”
Colleagues describe Professor Emeritus as ‘amazingly intriguing’
The Queen’s Human Media Lab (HML) unveiled their new MagicScroll project in Barcelona, Spain on Sept 4. The MagicScroll device has a 7.5 inch, 2K resolution touch-screen which rolls around a cylindrical body. It can also be flattened into a tablet display and includes a rotary wheel at either end, allowing users to scroll seamlessly through the information on the display. The main draw of the device is its camera, which allows users to control it with gestures when its rolled up. This cutting-edge technology has ancient inspiration, according to Professor Roel Vertegaal, project head and director of the lab. In a statement, Vertegaal said the team was “inspired by the design of ancient
scrolls, because their form allows for a more natural, uninterrupted experience of long visual timelines.” In an interview with The Journal, Vertegaal said he wanted to explore the possibility of a continuous display on a uniquely portable device. He added the lightweight cylindrical device is much easier to hold with one hand than traditional tablets. The MagicScroll—a first of its kind and still a prototype—has garnered an overall response which Vertegaal said has been “overwhelmingly positive.” “There’s been a lot of media attention, that tells me there is a market for this,” he added. The HML described MagicScroll as “an iPad that fits in your pocket,” and Vertegaal said he sees a use for the device in everyday life, from reading while commuting to browsing social media. The device is still in development and Vertegaal estimates it will be five years before it hits the market.
News
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Friday, Sept 14, 2018
‘No one was injured’ Continued from front ...
PHOTO TAKEN BY CHRIS YAO
Creators of Queen’s To Go.
Students’ Queen’s To Go app hits top 5 trending on Android Creators aim to make campus resources more accessible Madison Bendall Assistant News Editor After student app Queen’s to Go’s Sept. 11 release, campus resources have never been more portable. The app was developed by second year CompSci students—Yifei Yin, Faranak Shairifi, Shreyansh Anad, Sammy Moss, and Rithik Bhatia—with the goal of making campus more accessible. “The application is meant to be a simple go-to Queen’s app including everything you need in one place,” co-creator Shreyansh Anad said in an interview. According to its creators, the new app will include a map which syncs to SOLUS to a user to the class’s location. The creators said the feature highlights the app’s ability to stand out when compared to other University-related applications.
“When you log in to your SOLUS account, we have a map including pins which includes all names and locations to all of the buildings which you have classes in.” Yin said. “Other apps may include the names of specific buildings, however they don’t include a map.” Another unique feature of Queen’s to Go is it can be used without cellular data or wi-fi. Anad explained the only time wi-fi is required to use the app is when syncing to a SOLUS account. “Most of us don’t have data.” Anad said. “The ability to access your account without looking at a screenshot or connecting to WIFI makes the app so much more accessible to students.” Additional features of the app include a separate page, which displays a list of campus dining facilities, including a short description and a link to the menu. Queen’s To Go also
Plaintiff attemps to hold Queen’s responsible in sexual assault case Continued from front ... his trial was ongoing. Erfany appealed his conviction in 2017. The Journal has since learned he lost his appeal. As previously reported by The Journal in March of 2015, the plaintiff discovered Erfany had been elected to the University Senate, one of Queen’s highest governing bodies. In an email exchange with a human rights office advisor following Erfany’s election, the plaintiff was told there were no policies to have him removed from Senate, despite his criminal charge.
More than three years after the alleged incidents, the plaintiff is attempting to hold the University responsible for its alleged role in the incidents. In an anonymous interview with The Journal in June, the plaintiff said bringing the suit forward was about “justice for myself, but it’s also about taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen to other people.” In their statement, Queen’s requested a judge dismiss the plaintiff’s claim and request its crossclaim be tried during or directly after the trial of the main action.
includes an accessible version of a class timetable and a course schedule. “Once you have your schedule, it’s the first thing you see.” Moss said. “On the bottom you have your timetable, on the top you’ll
housemates were the first to notice the smoke. “We were checking it out to see if there were any major issues and we saw the smoke,” Saltzman told The Journal. “It didn’t seem like it was coming from the engine, so we just decided we would let the car sit overnight.” Half an hour after Salztman and his housemates returned inside, someone knocked on their door and notified them of the growing smoke. “We checked it out again and we saw a little fire behind the
have your schedule for the week.” The app also features a resources page, including transportation methods, links to Facebook pages, and a list to various discounts tailored to students. The idea for the app came only a month into first year. At the time, Anad thought there had to be a way to navigate between an unfamiliar campus’ resources. In March 2017, Anad said he “got bored” enough of studying to work on the app as a side project,
headlight, so we tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher,” he said. “It began to grow and then we called 911.” Courtney Martin, Artsci ’20, and a resident of the house was told to evacuate. “We heard banging on the doors and yelling,” she told The Journal over the phone. “They were yelling fire, get out.” Martin grabbed her phone and her laptop, then ran out of the house barefoot. “I looked out and saw this huge flame,” she said. “It was probably more than 8 feet tall.” at which point he brought the group together to work on it. “We really started working together in May, when exams had finished.” Said Shairifi, Co-creator of Queen’s To Go. “From May until approximately a week ago we kept working on the app” After the app’s initial release, it hit the top five trending ‘tool apps’ and took the 35th spot in overall trending apps nation-wide. The Queen’s To Go app is available for download on Android devices.
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Features
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•5
IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY
Legal decision affects USAT update Ryerson arbitration award impacts the delayed revisions Hannah Stafl Features Editor Ryerson University’s teaching evaluations can no longer affect an instructor’s promotion, tenure or advancement—and it may impact Queen’s. On June 28, Ryerson reached a decision through arbitrator William Kaplan, who found that student-opinion surveys are affected by student bias towards race, age or even accent. He awarded that on the surveys, response rates must be clear to show statistical reliability. Individuals assessing the surveys must be educated on the bias that can impact the survey results. The arbitration comes as Queen’s approaches its third year of revising its A new online teaching assessment may replace the current physical USAT. own teaching evaluations. Some of the same issues are on the TAIC are Professor Elizabeth Hanson representativeon the sub-committee, the table: the goal for revising USATs for QUFA and Professor John Pierce for said student voices are still important includes developing instructions about the University. at Queen’s even if they’re heard the ways the assessments should Hanson told to The Journal via email through a mechanism other than be interpreted. the TAIC is working towards providing the USAT. As Queen’s prepares its the JCAA with recommendations, and “This committee is not looking to revisions, Ryerson’s arbitration decision the JCAA then has the final say on discount student voices. They matter an holds weight—but it’s no court ruling, implementing them. awful lot and were listened to in that room according to Kingston mediator, She went on to explain, “[T]he TAIC has quite a bit,” Soleas said. arbitrator and workplace investigator developed a new survey which it will pilot He said every decision has been John Curtis. in selected classes at the end of the Fall reached by consensus and has been “They would be wise to take a very Term 2018; the majority of classes will open to student explanations. careful look at what that decision could use the existing USAT. The TAIC will then imply if a similar [case] was made involving analyze the results and submit a report Queen’s,” Curtis told The Journal. to the JCAA.” According to Curtis, arbitration can Hanson said that Kaplan’s decision in sometimes set a kind of informal precedent. Ryerson’s case is “based on solid research He said it’s highly persuasive to follow and reasoning, and addresses practices the decision of an arbitrator if any “similar that are applicable to Queen’s. Therefore facts cases” came up. QUFA is taking it very seriously.” In Queen’s case, Curtis said the Pierce, representing the University, University wouldn’t be bound to Ryerson’s concurred with his co-chair. decision, but it would it be of value to the QUFA President Kayll Lake said the decision-making process regardless. committee is focused on developing an online version of the survey, to be Revisions, Revisions, Revisions completed in class. However, there is concern that online surveys lead to lower Every student knows that moment participation rates. —Kayll Lake, President of QUFA at the end of the course where they can For Lake, this would be the finally share their feedback. Completed worst outcome. Tom Harris, the Interim Provost and anonymously without an instructor “Then we would have nothing,” he said. Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s, told present, the USAT is their chance to share Lake added that while the revision The Journal via email that the University their voice. process still has work to be done, the has been pleased with the USAT According to Queen’s University sub-committee’s recommendations revision process. Registrar’s website, the surveys take for the JCAA are in line with the “This is an exciting next step because questions from the university-level down Ryerson decision. for the first time graduate and online to the department, teacher and course. “Whatever we do, in order to avoid courses will be included in the Flipping the page, any thoughts problems, we’ll have to do what they say. survey,” Harris said, discussing the the student has—from course pace When an arbitrator rules, everyone pays pilot program. to lecture style—goes in the student attention,” Lake said. One anonymous member of the TAIC said comment space. Andrew Monkhouse, a Toronto the new format for USAT’s will be online, In the wake of Ryerson’s decision, labour and employment lawyer and is tentatively being called the Queen’s there’s now legal history to suggest these agreed. The decision is likely to be Student Evaluation of Teaching (QSET). considered as highly important in similar Choosing a vendor for the online platform has comments and ratings can be biased. To address this, Queen’s University disputes in higher education. delayed the process—on top of turnover and “It’s about how the weight is attributed. slow-going procedural rules. Faculty Association (QUFA) and the Arbitral decisions technically hold the University are working to update USATs. “Often, the committee comes to a On the ground, the Teaching Assessment same weight to other arbitrations,” point where we’ve reached the end of our Implementation Committee (TAIC) is Monkhouse told The Journal. “That weight mandate, and we need to consult back brainstorming changes for the USAT. It’s would be persuasive but not binding on with the JCAA to receive clearance to continue on, and that can sometimes take a a sub-committee of the Joint Committee the arbitrator.” While the Ryerson decision limits month or so,” the member said. on the Administration of the Agreement (JCAA), created out of a collective agreement the power of teaching assessments, they still remain an important tool to In the classroom between QUFA and the University. Both committees have members from monitor the student experience. the University and QUFA. The co-chairs of Eleftherios Soleas, the SGPS Meanwhile, instructors are the ones in
“Whatever we do, in order to avoid problems, we’ll have to do what they say. When an arbitrator rules, everyone pays attention.”
PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
the middle of the lengthy update process and the changing legal landscape around the evaluations. Susanne Soederberg, a professor in the Global Development Studies department, said the USATs are a useful, yet imperfect, assessment of teaching. “USATs are a good barometer in gauging teaching quality. But, like all forms of measurement, it has limits,” Soederberg said. According to Soederberg, the USATs would provide a more accurate picture of teaching success if they were supplemented with additional documentation, such as letters provided by both undergraduate and graduate students. A professor in the Chemistry department, Dr. Michael Momborquette, expressed his issues with the USATs in a 2017 Journal article. Ultimately, he believed some students can let their biases muddy the waters of the assessments. Discussing the Ryerson decision, Momborquette said it addressed all of his concerns. Momborquette pointed out that the design of the USAT as a factor in promotion and tenure could incentivize instructors to “teach to the USATs,” focusing on higher grades that might translate into higher ratings. He believes this would lead to less deep learning. Momborquette did recognize that the student comments section is very valuable. He reviews it each time in order to make improvements to his teaching. However, Momborquette doesn’t agree with the current system of sending these evaluations to the Deans, and the effect they can have on promotion and salary—as negative ratings did for him. “My salary is now going to take a new track,” he said. As an alternative, Momborquette instead suggested a third-party evaluator attending multiple lectures to accurately evaluate instructors, similar to the process of peer-reviewing a research paper. “You need to throw the data away, and go sit in [their] lecture,” Momborquette said.
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Friday, Sept 14, 2018
EDITORIALS
THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL
The Journal’s Perspective
Volume 146 Issue 4 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal
OHRC’s updated disability definition opens door for students The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s broadened definition of disability reaffirms a student’s right to a discriminationand harassment-free education. In late August, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released an updated Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities. The new definition includes mental disorders, mental illnesses, and learning disabilities within its purview. The OHRC’s new interpretation of disability represents the impact of ableism on students’ access to education when struggling with their mental health. The University of Toronto (U of T) passed a mental health policy over the summer that mandated a leave of absence for students subjectively deemed overly challenged by mental illness. The OHRC, which condemned an earlier version of U of T’s policy, has implicitly denounced its latest version through its statement that “exclud[ing] a student from school due to alleged health and safety risk without sufficient
objective evidence … may constitute discrimination.” Pushing students out instead of giving them a helping hand is no way to run a campus. The OHRC’s new policy forbids that behaviour from institutions on the basis of the Ontario Human Rights Code. Students with disabilities cannot be deemed incapable of receiving an
and qualitative data to understand the barriers blocking access to education and leading to systemic discrimination. U of T now operates with a policy that violates the provincially-mandated human rights of students. As a public research institution
ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU
education unless their capabilities have been professionally assessed and properly accommodated. The Commission also recommends postsecondary institutions collect quantitative
with provincial funding, the legal liability U of T faces due to its discrimination against students impacted by disability could be both costly and damaging. U of T has a responsibility to accommodate every student that pays tuition to attend classes. It’s unacceptable to bar humans from an education
they pay for because of an unjustified assessment claiming they’re unfit to continue learning. A policy that removes students from support resources and networks on campus doesn’t just fail to help those struggling—it a c t ive ly harms them. The OHRC’s suggestion that schools collect data to proactively understand students rather than reject them goes a long way to improve this. Any educational institution can benefit from understanding that having students on your campus thereby puts you in a position of responsibility for their wellbeing. Understanding the OHRC’s provincial reach, Queen’s could benefit from considering the expanded disability definition. Our ever-developing school’s policies are still far from perfect, with long wait times and stigma surrounding accommodations for mental health. The OHRC’s expanded definition of disability protects those struggling with mental health so they can fairly and freely attain an education free of discrimination. —Journal Editorial Board
Conversation of mental health in sports more harrowing than it seems
PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
Matt Scace Conversations about mental health should never have negative repercussions, but professional sports could soon find itself risking just that. Over the past year, professional athletes have opened up in droves, revealing their struggles with mental illness. In a personal essay, NBA star Kevin Love revealed his battle with anxiety and pointed toward the traditional locker room culture that perpetuates ideals
of physical and mental toughness. “It’s like a playbook: Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through it on your own,” he writes. He explains that coaches and teammates view physical injuries the same as mental illness. The best athletes are meant to train their bodies and minds to the point that when game day arrives, they’re ready to go. The word “healthy” isn’t given
enough weight in the athletic sphere—but “strength” is. While Love has been a proponent for a growing movement of athletes expressing their struggle with mental illnesses, I worry about the fallout for players who do the same. I worry they’ll fall victim to the same culture they’re trying to upend. The business of sport has its list of sad truths. At the frontlines of this is the idea that winning is everything. With each decision, the coach of a team tries to remove barriers that stand in the way of championships. That leaves them with choices to make surrounding their players’ careers—if a player has a bad knee, do they trade them for a less talented but healthier player? As the topic of mental health arises, these questions might transition to become uncomfortable conversations: a player has anxiety—how much will it impact their game? And if it’s hurting their play, how do we handle it?
The answers to these questions will be critical to the direction of the mental health movement. There’s a common belief that the mind is as much a part of the body—and as valuable—as one’s joints. If any of those parts aren’t fully functional, the value of an athlete diminishes. They become less coveted and more expendable. But there’s also the belief that like a knee injury, someone can manage their mental illness. An athlete’s battle with mental illness may be seen as a weakness to some, but it can also be viewed as treatable. Nothing about this movement is wrong. Breaking down the cultures that demand athletes to keep a strong psyche is important to raising children into a healthy competitive culture. But in professional sports, many may find themselves at a troubling point when we’re forced to once again consider if it’s worth telling someone.
Matt is The Journal’s Sports Editor. He is a third-year English student.
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OPINIONS
•7
Your Perspective
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Talking heads ... how are you coping with the first week of school?
PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON
Kornak feels isolated on univesity campus for identifying as a conserative.
PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON
A conservative on campus
People struggle to see past a misunderstood political identity Natasha Kornak ArtSci '19 When I told people I was supporting former Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the 2015 federal election in—my first year at Queen’s and first time voting—I was met with silence. Most of my peers favoured Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. Stating my desire to support the Conservatives left me with the immediate feeling of a target on my back. A myth often perpetuated about conservativism is that political leaning is inherited rather than developed. But in my experience, that’s not true. Three years since that federal election, I’m now comfortable with voicing my right-leaning opinions in public discourse. The issue I find unique to being a young conservative on a university campus is once someone finds out about my partisanship, they’re less likely to want to get know me. Since being open about my political affiliations on social media, I’ve lost numerous friends. These are people who—although knowing my true character—struggle to see past a political label that is commonly misunderstood. I didn’t become openly conservative until the summer of my first year. After engaging in plenty of critical discussions with my peers from across the political spectrum, I felt comfortable enough to publicly identify as politically right-leaning. While my views on specific issues are somewhat nuanced, I can easily explain why I’m a conservative. I believe in small government with a focus on the economy. I believe in the power and necessity of a free market, and that capitalism is a force of good. I believe liberty should be widespread and freedoms ubiquitous, and that freedom of speech, religion, and expression, are essential to a democracy. Most people, however, don’t assume I’m conservative based on these ideas. Instead, they assume I’m a homophobic racist who hates my own gender. Conservatives are restrained to a kind of political bubble where their beliefs and motives are limited to
anything but progressive action. An often popular opinion about those who identify as conservative is that we don’t accept concepts like climate change or care about human rights. However—and I’m living proof—these generalizations don’t apply to how every conservative lives their life. I’ve been an outspoken ally of the LGBTQ+ community since high school, where I helped facilitate the gay-straight alliance club. As someone connected to their Métis heritage, I served on Queen’s Native Students Association and attended meetings of the University’s Truth and Reconciliation Task Force. I started an organization dedicated to combatting sexual violence and work to empower more women to seek public office. But no matter how much time and attention I devote to these constructive and progressive causes, all of it seems to be marred by my being conservative—a misconstrued label. During the most recent provincial election, I saw countless Facebook posts comparing current Premier Doug Ford to Donald Trump. I believe this comparison ends at the fact that they’re both loud, burly men. However, when I voiced my opinion and explained why I supported the Progressive Conservatives in the election, I was met with brutal attacks on my intelligence and morality. The mistreatment I received online for expressing support in Premier Ford is just a microcosm of most conservatives’ experiences. I’ve been named a traitor to my gender, but as a woman with equal rights I should be free to make political judgments. I’ve similarly been called a “c—” dozens of times by those who claim to be proponents of tolerance and respect. A Queen’s PhD student even told me to set myself on fire over Twitter once. In addition to the backlash I’ve received from peers, I’ve had professors dock marks and belittle me for challenging their left-leaning views. On several occasions, I’ve witnessed
professors spew blatant lies about the “Having an extremely organized agenda.” former Conservative government, Jen Cooke Canada’s oil and gas industry—of ArtSci '20 which I am an avid proponent—and it’s environmental record. I’m often vocal in class and unafraid of confronting such mistruths. But over the past year, I’ve noticed that doing so has negatively impacted my grades. This discouragement for simply holding views outside of the norm and being open has led me to believe that Queen’s lacks the capacity to tolerate my opinions—something every student should feel comfortable expressing. “I’m doing work ahead of time and While the social alienation that staying on top of it.” accompanies being right-wing can be brutal, I would never stop voicing my views in the Landon Pollock way I do. ArtSci ’22 Recently, myself and a group of other women created Story of a Tory—a blog dedicated to writing on issues from a right-wing and female perspective—after we were tired of being stigmatized. Since doing so, I’ve been approached by dozens of people thanking us for saying what they’re afraid to. They told me they’ve avoided revealing that they’re conservative for fears of being ostracized on campus. Partisanship will never love you back. Being open about your views inherently “Puppy therapy.” makes you vulnerable to attack. It’s not popular to be conservative, but it’s Louis & Juilia Fast-Grass important to live your truth and stick to the ArtSci ’20 values that fulfill you. For those who reside on the opposite end of the political spectrum, I encourage you to do the same. Queen’s administration claims that it’s working to create a more robust culture of respect on campus. I firmly believe it’s vital to the spirit of the university that such a culture extends to include all political views. The more we engage thoughtfully and respectfully with those who differ from us, the more Queen’s grows as a “Smoking lots of weed.” healthy university and the more we grow as individuals. Nu Ard MA ’20 Natasha is a fourth-year Life Sciences major.
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Friday, Sept 14, 2018
Arts
LITERATURE
Therese Greenwood relives Fort McMurray wildfire in Kill As You Go Wolfe Island author publishes short story collection Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor On the day of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, redemption and retribution were everywhere. Two years later, author Therese
Greenwood relives those moments in her short stories by writing fictional accounts of the events which took place in her neighbourhood on the day of the fire. A crime writer and a former Wolfe Island resident, Greenwood moved to Abasand in Fort McMurray in 2011. Five years later, she was losing her home due to a rampant wildfire. “I was living out there for four years in a neighborhood called Abasand, it was one of the three neighborhoods in Fort McMurray that were seriously affected. We lost our house to the fire that day,” Greenwood told The Journal. Despite losing her home and belongings to the wildfire, Greenwood expressed it was a “privilege to be an eyewitness”—an opinion many people might not share. After years of writing fictional scenarios where people had to make split-second decisions that would impact their lives permanently, she was forced to do the same. Then she saw the same thing happen over and over to her neighbours. “Ordinary people were helping neighbours, not leaving until others were on their way out. Cab drivers
MUSIC
Queen’s alum returns to Kingston on tour stop Celtic-punk band plays the Mansion Brigid Goulem Arts Editor
When The Peelers take the stage at the Mansion on Friday night, it’ll be hard to remember Kingston was where they almost quit. In 2013, Dave Barton and his bandmates had to decide whether they would keep making music after 14 years together. Although it’s been four years since the band was last in Kingston, they have a close connection to the town. When Barton chose to complete his degree in his early thirties, he picked Queen’s to wrap up his studies. It was also the place where Barton initially put the brakes on The Peelers. As he worked to finish his degree, Barton had to decide whether to keep touring with the band or to prioritize his schoolwork. “We toured fairly heavily around 2006, and that put me two years into Queen’s. At that point I had to make a decision,” he said. “I was gone fairly often and my attendance and my schoolwork—I kind of put everything on the backburner.” After Barton graduated, the band kept making music, but it wasn’t until 2013 they decided to seriously commit themselves to finishing an album.
“We were still together and we did the odd show here and there,” he said. “We were just talking one day and we said, “We need to do this and if we don’t do it now, we’re going to regret it for the rest of our lives.” The Peelers returned to the studio, and in 2017, released their third full-length album, Palace of the Fiend. The album stays close to form, taking inspiration from the celtic and punk influences in their early songs. The band is a product of the era they grew up in, citing punk rock influences such as the Ramones and the Clash alongside traditional Gaelic music Barton’s parents adored. Regardless, it was punk that spurred Barton and his bandmates into music in their teens. Barton will never forget about the Gaelic music of Glengarry County, where he and most of his bandmates grew up. Sitting in the backseat of his dad’s car, Barton learned to love the Gaelic music as he sang along to his dad’s favourite Irish drinking songs. After, when Barton discovered celtic-punk band The Pogues, his whole world changed. “When I discovered The Pogues, I thought, ‘Oh my god you can do this?’ I got to put my two loves in the music world together! That was a catalyst for us.” For The Peelers, the Gaelic influence
Kill As You Go tells stories of the Fort McMurray wildfire.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY THERESE GREENWOOD
pulled over to the sides of the roads and just picked people up and drove them out of town. People were running out of gas and other people were pulling over to pick them up,” Greenwood told The Journal. The decisions her neighbours made that day were instinctive but also surprised Greenwood, who vividly remembered strange scenes including people fleeing their homes cradling bags of dog food. Even in the most extreme circumstances, people remembered their responsibility to care for their pets, their families, and the strangers who shared their despair. “It was incredibly powerful.” In her new collection of short stories, Kill As You Go, Greenwood explores redemption and retribution—a theme she’s spent her entire career writing about. “I was looking through my stories that I wrote after the fire, to see if thematically things had changed for me and I found that all along, [I’d] been attracted to the idea of ordinary people faced with a split-second decision.” One story in her collection, “Cry Havoc,” is set on the morning of the Fort McMurray fire. It follows a dogcatcher who starts her workday responding to reports of barking. She arrives at a house where a dog is locked in the backyard without food or water. The situation escalates when she calls for help as a neighbour pulls a gun. While being evacuated—and like many
of Greenwood’s stories—a character makes a split-second decision to disarm the neighbour. Although each story has a moment similar to “Cry Havoc,” not every story in Kill As You Go is about the Fort McMurray wildfire. The stories in the collection are, according to Greenwood, simply her 14 best. “Coffin Hop Press approached me because this is the year of women in publishing,” Greenwood said, “but this collection has taken me about 15 years.” While it’s taken a long time to accumulate the 14 stories in Kill As You Go, Greenwood hasn’t been working exclusively on this collection for the past 15 years. She took the past couple years to write a memoir called What You Take with You: Wildfire, Family, and The Road Home, which will be published by University of Alberta Press in 2019. The memoir is focused entirely on her firsthand experience with the wildfire. Greenwood shares how she moved on after losing her home and all of her belongings. It’s a story about loss, grief and resilience, much like the stories in her collection Kill As You Go. She offers her eyewitness account of the life changing event, which affected herself and her neighbours forever. After her memoir is published, Greenwood intends to continue writing and exploring the ways people respond to situations in a split-second, life-altering decisions or risk the consequences.
permeates more than just the instrumentals. Their songs deal with themes of Irish culture, and Barton writes specifically about his own experiences. “I write a lot about fictional stuff in our music and my own experience as well, in the North American Irish diaspora,” he said. Celtic-punk music has seen exciting successes in recent years, with bands like Dropkick Murphy’s and Flogging Molly headlining major punk festivals across
the world. With the steady support of Celtic-punk, The Peelers are confident in their decision to keep making music. As the influence of their genre—and the popularity of their music—grows it can be hard to remember it was here in Kingston that they almost stopped producing music. When The Peelers return to the Mansion on Friday night, the band will share their music with they city it was almost lost in.
The Peelers will be playing at the Mansion Friday, September 14.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY DAVE BARTON
Arts
Friday, Sept 14, 2018
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•9
VISUAL ART
Student-run art gallery returns for another year PotPourri pays amateur artists for their work
Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Hidden away in the basement of Mac-Corry Hall, student-run art gallery PotPourri is back for another year. Cultural Studies students and the exhibit’s co-founders, Stéphanie McKnight and Michelle Smith, installed the exhibit in their department’s student lounge. The Mac-Corry basement location is hard to find. There’s minimal foot traffic in the surrounding hallways of the building and little advertising around campus. It’s not an ideal space for an art show. PotPourri has made strides despite it all. It was recently granted funding from the Queen’s University Experiential L e a r n i n g Project Fund and the School of Graduate Studies Student Initiative Fund, allowing them to pay artists a $50 honorarium for exhibiting a solo show. With new funding, the repurposed student lounge is now home to the exhibits of amateur artists for the entire school year. McKnight and Smith hope to make the space more visible, putting up posters in the building and hosting social events in the lounge to encourage more visits. Meanwhile, their search for artists in this year’s exhibit continues with the help of a small group of students who review artist submissions. McKnight and Smith consult with the Q4F art collective to pick artists
who will then be granted the $50 honorarium. Getting started, McKnight is the first artist to display her work in the makeshift space this September. Her exhibit features several heavily edited photos taken from surveillance cameras in the south of Markstay-Warren near Sudbury. conducting her fieldwork for her Master’s thesis in 2016. Her thesis examined how rural landowners use technology to protect their land from trespassers. The idea for the exhibit struck McKnight when she read researchers David Haggerty and Daniel Trotsky’s articles on technology in nature. The authors
explored if nature can be an escape from modern technology and advancements—and McKnight decided to incorporate their ideas into her art. It was personally compelling: she grew up in the rural town of Markstay-Warren and always lived with technology in nature. In her experience, many rural towns use surveillance, efficiently keeping watch over large areas of open space. While conducting her Masters fieldwork, McKnight investigated surveillance technologies in nature.
In several cases, rural landowners used hunting cameras mounted on buildings and in woods, electric fences, and warning signs to scare off trespassers. She applied it to her work, and distorted the photos by overlapping images on top of each other, adjusting the saturation and cropping certain landmarks out. She removed all landmarks and made the landowners properties unrecognizable, protecting their identities. Her theme of watchfulness, both in landowner’s security and in the use of surveillance technologies, isn’t a theme in other PotPourri artist’ work. Next month, Jessie Golem’s Humans for Basic Income features a series of portraits of advocates for universal basic income. The subjects hold up pieces of paper with messages detailing how the policy has helped them. Golem puts a human face to a wide-spread social issue. G o l e m ’ s photography is vastly different from McKnight’s, but that’s the intention behind PotPourri. McKnight and Smith chose the name PotPourri because they wanted to create an artist collective that was diverse and inclusive, but compatible as a whole. They will continue accepting artist submissions until the exhibition is fully stocked for the year. In the meantime, the Cultural Studies lounge is open to anyone who wants to take a break from class to view and support up-and-coming artists.
Stéphanie McKnight in front of the PotPourri exhibit.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS YAO
‘[They] have really put Queen’s in a leading position’ Continued from front
for us to invest in some advanced equipment that will transform our ability to do research,” Smithen said. The third allocation of the money is directed to the music program at the Bader International Study Centre at Herstmonceux castle. The allotment’s $70,000 will be used to re-launch the defunct Castle Concert Series, create free masterclasses and lecture-recitals for students, as well as pay for off-campus cultural events. The fourth and final allotment is $150,000 to fund the first-ever Indigenous arts festival and exhibition: Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts. According to Tricia Baldwin, Director of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, the festival is “an illuminating approach to Indigenous culture and creative process, and to social justice.” Isabel Bader particularly has taken special interest in
the support of Indigenous arts at Queen’s. “The Indigenous peoples were here long before ‘we’ came as explorers, conquerors, immigrants—however we came,” Allen said. “They [haven’t] been well treated. Now we have at Queen’s the opportunity to celebrate and share their cultures. I believe [it’s] important to support this.” Janice Hill, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at Queen’s, is delighted to see the strong formal support for Indigenous arts at Queen’s. “I think it’s an amazing step for them to take—to acknowledge that this kind of work is important,” Hill said. “With all the work that we are doing, especially with decolonizing and re-indigenizing the institution, I think it’s a huge step to acknowledge the importance of Indigenous representation, especially in the arts.”
SEASON LAUNCH 20 SEPTEMBER 2018
MEMBERS’ PREVIEW 5–6 PM | PUBLIC RECEPTION 6–7:30 PM
NEW EXHIBITIONS TAU LEWIS WHEN LAST YOU FOUND ME HERE THE HOLD MOVEMENTS IN THE CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION IN THE PRESENT THE ZACKS GIFT OF 1962 PRINTMAKERS AT WAR, 1914–1918 Presented with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts; Ontario Arts Council; City of Kingston Arts Fund through the Kingston Arts Council; and The Bader Legacy Fund, George Taylor Richardson Memorial Fund and Stonecroft Foundation for the Arts Fund at Queen’s University. Tau Lewis, Boom bang (shiny girl), 2018, mixed media. Collection of the artist
www.agnes.queensu.ca
10 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, Sept 14, 2018
Sports
FOOTBALL
Gaels head to Carleton with something to prove Team ‘understands importance of victory,’ coach says Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor
The test of time: Sheahan joins 100-win club at Queen’s
Pat Sheahan had his 100th career win on Aug. 26.
Coach reflects on 19-year career with Queen’s football Matt Scace Sports Editor Pat Sheahan knows he’s a lucky man. Now in the middle of his 19th season coaching the Queen’s football team, Sheahan is the longestserving head coach in all of U Sports football. It’s something most coaches—especially in the competitive r e s u l t s - d r i v e n e nv i ro n m e n t fo o tb a l l fosters—don’t get to say. “There’s no question it’s a high-risk business,” he told The Journal earlier this week. “Having that kind of longevity to stick around that long is gratifying.” And it’s been a long time for Sheahan. Earlier this season, he hit a historic mark with his 100th combined regular season and playoffs win while at Queen’s. With the victory, he joined Frank Tindall and Doug Hargreaves as the only football coaches in Queen’s history to achieve the feat. “I just want to do it again.” ***
In 2000, Sheahan had inherited a rebuilding Gaels team that had previously finished with a 2-6 record in 1999—a startling contrast to where he’d been earlier. Sheahan was the Concordia Stingers’ head coach for ten years, falling short at the Vanier Cup final in 1998, before settling down in Kingston with the Gaels. “We started off very, very humble,” Sheahan said of his 2000 Gaels team, who ended the year with a
1-7 record. “You [have] to start somewhere.” What came next wasn’t a rebuild but an an immediate turnaround of Queen’s football program. In 2001-02, Sheahan was named OUA Coach of the Year after Queen’s finished with a 5-3 record. In the next two seasons the Gaels would go on to consecutive 7-1 seasons, including a prolific 2002-03 run where they’d lose to McMaster at the Yates Cup. But, as Sheahan knows all too well, university football is a game of ebb and flow. Following their three-year rebirth, the Gaels fell into a small lull during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. After that, Sheahan started to see something special come into his hands. In 2006, Sheahan began to build his program from the ground up—brick by brick. “We had to reload,” he said of the 2006-07 season, in which the Gaels finished with a 4-4 record. “Then we went on a great run.” The following year, his team would return to a winning record of 6-2 and what would be a precursor to the Gaels’ perfect 2008 regular season. “We were 8-0, and I mean dominant,” Sheahan said. It was the first time he’d ever seen a perfect season from the sidelines. Almost as quick as the success came, it all fell apart. In the final game of their undefeated season—a game Sheahan said was likely the most difficult of his career—the coach saw three of his top players fall to injury. The Gaels’ then-star quarterback, Danny Brannagan, suffered a concussion that put him on the sidelines up until their first playoff game, while Queen’s all-time leading rusher, Mike Giffin sustained a
season-ending knee injury in the first play of the game. While Queen’s would win the game, they would lose their first round playoff game to the University of Ottawa. “I don’t think there was ever more of a devastating season,” Sheahan said. “It should’ve been us [in the Vanier Cup]” But with the 2008-09 team’s nucleus continuing over into 2009-10, the Gaels followed up on what should’ve been the year prior’s success. “They were on a mission. They were determined,” Sheahan said of his players. His Gaels would go on to finish 7-1—their only loss coming in the final game after electing to sit the majority of their starting core. The playoffs were precisely what Sheahan wanted from the previous year. Racing to the Vanier Cup, the Gaels played a total seven games at home and would go on to play the University of Calgary in the national championship. In a second half thriller, the Gaels came back from a 25-7 deficit at the half to defeat Calgary 33-31. Sheahan’s son, Devan, scored the first touchdown that he said ignited the Gaels’ comeback. Recalling the championship game, Sheahan was understated in his memory of the Gaels’ most successful season in decades—though ultimately staying true to his style. “A win’s a win.” ***
A university football coach’s existence is rarely defined by consistent success—and Sheahan may be the coach most familiar with this sentiment. Of course, he knows the peaks of success. But he’s also seen the valleys, which more often than not follow periods of achievement. “Success is going to be
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY QUEEN`S ATHLETICS
cyclical,” Sheahan said. “You’re going to get a nucleus and develop them, you’re going to get a few special individuals in every group and we’re going to see how far we can go.” Since their 2009-10 run, Sheahan’s Gaels have only pulled off four winning seasons—they held a 7-1 season record in 2013-14—but have never been able to push their way back into the national spotlight. It’s hardly Sheahan’s fault: the constant cycle of athletes coming in and out of the program gives way to years of turnover. It’s something he’s found humour in. “The line I give the guys [is], ‘Just as soon as you guys get good, you graduate,’” Sheahan said. It’s this kind of humour that demonstrates Sheahan’s appreciation for the place he’s at in his career. To be among storied collegiate football names like Hargreaves and Tindall, he said, is something that’s hard to fully understand, but something he nevertheless values. “[I’m] sitting in the same office as these two legends, taking [my] place” Sheahan said, trailing off, recalling his first season at Queen’s when he settled into the offices under Richardson stadium. “To be joined and to be in the same sentence as [Hargreaves and Tindall] is a treat.” Despite currently being in the midst of a long and stressful season, Sheahan is satisfied with his time at Q u e e n’ s — w h e t h e r he’s here for two more years or ten. “If the whole thing ended tomorrow, it would be a successful thing,” he said. “The goal of any coach is to leave it better than how you got it, [and] we’ve had our times.”
While the Carleton Ravens hope to celebrate their homecoming weekend, Queen’s football has something else planned for their face off on Saturday. Currently tied in the OUA with 2-1 records, the Gaels will go head-to-head with the Ravens to seek redemption over a game last season in which head coach Pat Sheahan said his team “could’ve, should’ve, would’ve” won. Queen’s fell to Carleton after a game-winning touchdown by the Ravens with 18 seconds in the fourth quarter put them down 22-17. During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Sheahan said he feels good about what the Gaels have to offer as his team near the halfway point of the season. “Over the years, the games have all been competitive,” Sheahan said about his team’s history with Carleton. “Both teams understand the importance a victory here this week, and the consequence of a loss.” Last week, against the University of Toronto, the Gaels showed sparks of promise they’ll need this coming weekend in Ottawa. Queen’s defense limited U of T to 241 yards and 18 first downs; offensively, the Gaels recorded a season-high in both yards (528) and first downs (30). The eighth nationally-ranked Ravens have had three testing games. They won both of their most recent away matchups at Windsor and Waterloo, but fell to the 2017-18 Vanier Cup champions, Western, in their first game of the season. Carleton currently leads the league in turnovers, but the Gaels have also been competitive in that field. In three games, Queen’s has thrown just one interception and lost no fumbles. At this point, Sheahan is cautious of the Ravens’ and said they can compete with anybody. “They have their strengths and they also have places where they give you opportunities, so whether or not you’re good enough to take advantage is to be determined,” he said. While the Ravens will have home field advantage alongside a raucous homecoming crowd, the emphasis will be placed on recognizing the plays that Carleton tries to implement to get ahead of their game plan. “The critical thing is recognizing what they’re doing at critical points in the game, and not allow those guys to make plays,” Sheahan said. Currently, the regular season is beginning to heat up for most teams—including the Gaels—as they all vie for a playoff spot. Sheahan said the next five weeks will determine where these teams are able to land. “We happen to think that we’re in the thick of it, but we have to prove that,” Sheahan said. “This will be chapter one of a five chapter episode that’s going to determine a large part of where we end up this season … It’s important.”
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GOLF
Kristin MacLaren named head coach of golf team Gaels bid farewell to long-time coaches, welcomes new face to lead team Jack Rabb Contributor With a new season on the horizon, the Queen’s golf team has a new face guiding them through the OUA. Earlier this summer, Kristin MacLaren was appointed head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams, taking over from long-time coach, Bert Kea. Sandy McBride, who also served the team as an assistant coach for 13 years, won’t be returning. MacLaren has a long history with the sport, starting to play when she was 15 and improving
so quickly that she earned a full ride scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso. In Texas, she won numerous tournaments and was selected for several all-star teams. At the end of her playing career, she was inducted into the El Paso Golf Hall of Fame. Since 2014, MacLaren has been an assistant coach with the Gaels while working as a pro at the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club. Her extensive experience playing and coaching the game at an elite level, as well as her enthusiasm and teaching ability, bodes well for a seasoned Gaels squad. “I love to see improvement [in my players],” MacLaren told The Journal earlier this week. Despite success at the OUA Championships—both Gaels teams finished second last season—national achievement has escaped Queen’s golfers. In 2017, the men’s team finished a disappointing 12th and the
MacLaren has eliminated the captain position this season.
women’s team finished last. Both teams missed the final cut this year as well. With MacLaren at the helm in her first year as head coach, the Gaels will be employing new strategies to bust through plateaus that have hampered the program in recent years. To start, MacLaren’s decided to abolish the captain’s position. Instead, she’s encouraging leadership by committee, citing her belief in the crop of players she has this season. “We want everyone contributing. Everybody is a
CROSS COUNTRY
captain,” she said, adding having only one captain previously caused logistical issues for the program. “Sometimes [a captain] wouldn’t go to a tournament because they didn’t qualify,” she said. Additionally, while MacLaren isn’t fond of the short six-week schedule, she has plans to keep the team on their toes. This season she’s introducing a year-round schedule that, including more time spent training indoors and in the weight room, promises to leave the Gaels primed and ready for their eventual showing
Men’s and women’s cross country boasting new-look teams Gaels set to take place in upper echelon of U Sports as they prepare to host national championships in November Matt Scace Sports Editor In times of athlete turnover, most teams suffer from one to two-year lulls in performance. But this year’s men’s and women’s cross country teams are hoping to buck that trend. When the men finished fifth and women secured second at last year’s U Sports National Championships, the Gaels were looking at their strongest teams in years. Going into this season, both teams have said goodbye to a group of veterans and brought in a slew of extremely talented young runners. With the program holding home-course advantage at this year’s rendition of the championships, head coach Steve Boyd believes anything is possible for these two teams. Women’s cross country
After last year’s second place finish at nationals, Boyd took a step back. “I think we got a bit ahead of ourselves talking about the big picture rather than focusing on the day-to-day process,” Boyd told The Journal ahead of this weekend’s
Queen’s Invitational, which will take place on Saturday at Fort Henry. The team will take a more measured approach this fall, he added. With departures of U Sports 2017 Gold and 2018 Silver medalist Claire Sumner, as well as Amy Stephenson, Molly Steer, Shannen Murray and Claudia Belanger, the Gaels are looking at an entirely new team “We have the horsepower,” Boyd said, noting his team’s abilities. “But when we’re dealing with rookie athletes and some second-year athletes, it’s a little less secure.” Much of the excitement surrounding the Gaels this year will come with the debut of Brogan MacDougall, one of Canada’s most sought-after cross country recruits in recent memory. Perhaps equally notable, she’s the sister of co-Gael and 2018 OUA Champion, Branna MacDougall. Considering his team’s youth, Boyd believes the women’s team ranks third in the country behind the University of Toronto and Laval. Despite this, he’s not ruling overlooking their ability to overtake these two teams—it may just take some experienced running on the Gaels’ part.
“On paper, we look like we could do it,” Boyd said. Men’s cross country
In many ways, the men’s team’s situation mirrors the women’s. This year, the Gaels will be short of 2017 fourth-place OUA finisher Eric Wynands, 2015 OUA champion Alex Wilkie and veteran Rob Kanko. Again, in spite of the losses, Boyd said the men are expected to uphold their fifth-place position in the U Sports rankings and maybe even move up a spot. “We’re pleasantly surprised by the group of guys we have this year,” Boyd said, noting his team are without rookie recruits this season. This year’s core will consist of Brett Crowley, who’s in his second year of eligibility and has “taken a step forward,” as well as Mitch de Lange, who will be using his first year of eligibility after sustaining an ankle injury early last year. “It’s been a 180 turnaround for him,” Boyd said of de Lange. “He’s leading the team in workouts right now.” Last year, the Gaels finished close behind the McMaster Marauders in both the OUA and national championships.
Boyd said that while it’s a big hurdle to jump, the team is currently aiming to overtake the Marauder’s top position. “[I] think they might be able to move up one notch
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY KRISTIN MACLAREN
at the nationals in May. But for the fall portion of the season, the Gaels’ successes this year are a guarantee for MacLaren. She said that both men’s and women’s teams are capable of podium finishes. “We have a lot of returning athletes, the men’s and women’s teams both. We have the team and the capability.” It’s not this season MacLaren’s excited to see. She commended her newest crop of golfers, saying some will contribute immediately and others will make their mark in the coming years. “We’ve just started up, so we’ve got our one-year plan, but then there’s plans for year two, year three, year five,” she said. MacLaren, a self-described “player’s coach,” has high hopes for this season and seasons beyond. With the help of her revamped staff and a new training schedule, she was resolute when asked whether the team can find their form at nationals next year. “Absolutely,” she said.
in the OUA’s,” Boyd said. “It’s looking more realistic.” Though he’s not setting concrete expectations on the team quite yet, Boyd is a firm believer that this team could pull together a special season. “We’re cautiously excited about this group.”
INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET HELP, GIVE HELP queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Coordinator, Barb Lotan bjl7@queensu.ca
12 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, Sept 14, 2018
Matt Scace and Maggie Gowland Sports Editors
OUA semi-finals match. McMaster will undoubtedly be looking for revenge, with last year’s match propelling the Gaels to the U Sports Championships in Lethbridge, leaving McMaster on the outside looking in. Both teams have plenty to fight for, so expect an intense and physical match.
Every fall, varsity teams run into the season bursting with optimism, eager to prove their mettle. With a jam-packed schedule, we compiled a list of the most exciting varsity games in the coming months.
Men’s Soccer Sept. 29 at Toronto vs. Ryerson Rams
Football Sept. 29 at Richardson Stadium vs Western Mustangs
For the football team, this game is the biggest mountain to climb in their regular season schedule. Up against the reigning Vanier Cup champions, the Gaels will have their hands full with Western’s experienced offence and championship quarterback, Chris Merchant, back in the lineup after an injury. While the Gaels may need some magic, they have home-field advantage against their historic rivals and will have the chance to maintain their strong start to the season. Cross Country Nov. 9 at Fort Henry, U Sports Championships
After finishing second in the national championships last year, head coach Steve Boyd’s younger women’s and seasoned men’s teams will get their chance to compete on the national stage and home soil at the same time. The women are expected to go stride-for-stride with powerhouses in the University of Toronto and Laval, while the men are looking to improve on their fifth-place finish at last year’s championships.
Many Queen’s teams are looking for breakthrough seasons in 2018.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
Key match-ups for Queen’s fall varsity teams The Journal’s sports editors give their takes on the season’s must-see games for Queen’s fall squads Men’s Rugby Sept. 28 at Guelph, ON vs. Guelph Gryphons
Despite defeating them handily 62-17 in last year’s OUA final, the Gaels will need to work hard to stay on top of the Gryphons
this season.
Currently matching them with a record of 2-0, Guelph is the biggest threat to Queen’s quest for a 24th Turner Trophy. The results of this game will show fans if the strong opening to the season will allow the Gaels to continue to dominate—or if
they’re in trouble.
Women’s Rugby September 16 at Hamilton vs. McMaster Marauders
While the Gaels fell a point shy of the Marauders in the OUA standings last year, they squeezed by their conference rivals in a tight
This year, the Gaels are hoping to rewrite their history of falling to the Ryerson Rams. The Rams have taken the last six games over the Gaels, a streak spanning nearly three years. Moreover, Ryerson has kicked the Gaels out of the playoffs in consecutive years. But with a high octane offence leading them to four victories to start the season, they seem poised to give the Rams a tough outing. The men will try to use this strong start to enable them to overcome Ryerson and enter the OUA playoffs with confidence. Women’s Soccer Oct. 7 at Richardson Stadium vs. University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)
Although last year’s Gaels were able to sweep the OUA bronze medal out from under the UOIT Ridgeback’s, they fell short to the team in their second regular season game this year. While the roster is full of fresh faces, these women are hungry for more. When they get back on the field together, the Gaels will be hungry to taste the victory that earned them OUA medals in the past two seasons. The Gaels are sitting with a 3-1 record to start the season.
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Friday, Sept 14, 2018
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• 13
Lifestyle SEX COLUMN
Tri-colour Sex Diary: A drunken princess takes on Queen’s An anonymous Queen’s student documents a weekend in her sex life A locked diary on a desk.
Once upon a time, a hopeful princess came to Kingston for Frosh Week, ready to down some vodka sodas and drunkenly find a storybook ending with her Prince Charming. Unfortunately, this story isn’t a fairy tale, and I didn’t find anyone close to royalty. The story I’m about to tell is a shameful, messy, and very true recap of my first official weekend back at school. To protect reputations, all identities have been hidden and names have been changed. If I’m being completely honest, sometimes I don’t like that I have a lot of sex. I’m concerned that if I sleep with someone who I’m really interested in the first time we meet, they won’t see me as anything more than a late-night hook-up. That being said, I’m not embarrassed by how many people I’ve slept with. I’m very open about it because I believe I should own up to my decisions. I don’t consider myself to be sexually promiscuous or anything—I just like to have my fun. Due to the shortened frosh week, I had to cram all my sexual
endeavours into a short 72-hour time frame, so let’s get started. Thursday
The plan for my Thursday night was to hit up Stages for the first Stage Rage of the year. After losing all my friends immediately after getting to the club, I ran into a guy—let’s call him Z.*—who recognized me from sleeping with his friend earlier in the summer. I don’t know why I didn’t think Z. recognizing me as “that girl who slept with my friend,” wasn’t a red flag. I brushed past it and left the club with him. He brought me home and within five minutes we were fooling around. After some drunken sex—I’m not even sure if it was good or if I was just really drunk—I abruptly left Z. in his bed. I checked my phone on the way home and saw that an ex from high school, H., was in Kingston. He doesn’t live in the city, so naturally, he had to come over. Friday
I woke up with H. in my bed
ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA RANKINE
shocked any time anyone wants to have sex with me, and I often do it out of fear no one will ever find me attractive again. Ultimately, I don’t think sex is anything to be ashamed of. It’s 2018 and slut-shaming is getting pretty old. Sleep with who you want, even if they're not your Prince Charming.
I woke up in B.’s bed and we had sex twice before I took my "walk of shame" home.
I spent the next day sleeping again. My friends and I decided to close out Frosh Week at Stages that night because that’s the only way we know how. My roommate, though, ended up getting a little too drunk and because I’m a good friend, I took her home to sleep. If you’ve made it this far, you could probably guess that I’m not the type of girl to sit at home on a Saturday night. I invited over a grad student, S., and we slept together. He was out the door as quickly as he came, literally and figuratively. To close out my weekend, I ordered UberEats, went to bed and shut the book on my eventful first weekend back at Queen’s. My relationship with sex is an interesting one. Before I was who I am today, I didn’t have much going on in the looks department. Growing up, I genuinely thought I was going to die a virgin. As a result of that mentality, I’m
are even more impressive when you consider how his albums found space in a genre dominated by men excessively bragging about money, cars and women. Miller's words typify his inner character, which the world only started to get to know when he passed away last week. The artist used what he had to ensure those around him could affect positive change in the world. Since his passing, stories of his bashful kindness and generosity spread across social media. He was someone who quietly paid the bill for a dinner party of 20 and snuck off before his good deeds could be revealed. In another case, he saw the pure intentions behind a young reporter's fake press pass and granted an interview that spanned hours.
These small acts of goodwill paint the picture of a man willing to help others. However, the most selfless move Miller ever made was the space he provided others within the music industry. Hip-hop is full of artists using their platform to call out their competitors. Rap blogs today are overrun by coverage of Nicki Minaj's conspiracy claims against Travis Scott. The current top song on Apple Music is Machine Gun Kelly's Eminem diss track, “Rap Devil.” Miller had different ideas on how to utilize the platform music gave him. In 2012, he invited budding rapper Kendrick Lamar to join him on tour. A year later, he did the same with the then up-andcoming Chance the Rapper. A year
after that, Miller took a chance on the relatively unknown R&B singer, SZA, and offered to produce tracks for her 2014 EP, Z. These connections show Miller's ability to align himself with talents who'd ultimately surpass his own critical and commercial success. More importantly, they exemplify the kind of accepting and hopeful future Miller wanted for hip-hop.
earlier than I would’ve liked to, and then had some classic, very average morning sex. After kicking H. out, I had a hungover breakfast and slept all day—preparing myself for another night of booze and sex. I matched with B. on Tinder earlier in the day, and we decided to meet up later that night. But after seeing both of the long lines at Stages and Ale, we went to his place instead. In talking to B., I realized he happened to live with Z.—who I’d slept with less than 24 hours before. At this point, I was too far in with B. to bail, so I just owned up to sleeping with his roommate and decided it would just make for a really good story. After bragging about my oral skills to B.—and then showing them to him first-hand—I proceeded to pass out on his bathroom floor, definitively proving I’m the hottest mess in Kingston. Saturday
Want to submit your own tricolour sex diary? Email journal_lifestyle@ams.queensu.ca and tell us a little about yourself.
Remembering Mac Miller, a selfless rapper The late musician used all he had to create a loving future This story was published online on Sept. 11, 2018. Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor
On his song "Small Worlds,” the late Mac Miller summed up his most-prized possessions: "A little space and time." Those words came from an artist whose entire catalogue debuted within the top five of the Billboard Mac Miller. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY charts. The humble lyrics
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LIFESTYLE
14 •queensjournal.ca
Friday, Sept 14, 2018
Ally Mastantuono Assistant Lifestyle Editor
weight of academic responsibility. Remember: don’t rely too heavily on your study buddy. They have their own life and commitments to worry about.
While the start of the fall semester is a perfect opportunity to set academic goals, the lingering summer heat makes finding the motivation to buckle down and focus a serious challenge. When given the chance to catch up with friends, explore downtown Kingston and tan at the pier, cracking open textbooks in Stauffer can sink to the bottom of our to-do lists. Shifting out of vacation mode is difficult, but these four tips can help you get back on track before assignments start to build up.
Take advantage of on-campus resources
Treat your days like 9-to-5 workdays
One of the best things about being a university student is having the freedom to create your own class schedule. You can choose to avoid morning classes, free up your Fridays, or take a few online courses. But when you have a lot of free time, it’s easy to procrastinate. Establishing a daily routine—and committing to working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.—can increase your productivity and banish feelings of inadequacy and guilt. While you’ll still be able to pencil in the odd lunch date, working hard for the majority of the day will result in relaxing nights and flexible weekends. Find a study buddy
Finding someone who shares your goals can make all the difference when it comes to studying. Working with a
A student writing in her agenda.
STUDENT LIFE
PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO
How to kick start your fall work ethic Start the school year off right with these tips
friend not only holds you accountable for completing tasks, but also helps you feel less alone. Your study buddy doesn’t have
to be in the same classes—or faculty—for the partnership to work. Instead, think of them like a gym partner: spotting you when you lift the
MOVIE REVIEW
We too often forget help is available if we’re willing to ask for it. Queen’s offers a variety of health, financial and academic resources. Discussing readings and assignments with TAs and professors can similarly make your workload seem more manageable and m o t iva t e you to get a head start on upcoming projects. If you need additional help or clarification, an appointment with Student Academic Success Services may do the job as well. Their staff and volunteers can assist in improving your critical thinking, writing and time management. Block out time for self-care
Finally, don’t forget to take time for yourself. When school gets busy, we like to tell ourselves that we don’t have time for the things that make us happy—but that’s not the case. Take a walk by the lake, run a bubble bath, or spend some quality time with friends. Deadlines may be pressing but they aren’t worth sacrificing your mental health over. The more balanced your life is, the more you can focus when it matters most. School is important, but so are you.
The Kissing Booth normalizes potentially abusive behaviour The movie marks a step in the wrong direction for teen rom-coms Emma Kimmett Contributor The Kissing Booth, a popular Netflix original movie released in May, disguises itself as a run-of-the-mill, teen romcom—while carelessly normalizing early warning signs of an abusive relationship. The film follows Elle Evans, who creates a list of friendship rules with her best friend, Lee, when they’re both children. One of these rules declares relatives of either best friend off limits. It proves problematic for Elle, as she’s crushed on Lee’s older brother, Noah, for her entire childhood. Fast forward to junior year, Elle and Lee set up a kissing booth as a fundraiser for their dance club, and Noah kisses Elle to protect her from a prank. This kiss leads to them starting a secret relationship. While The Kissing Booth is ripe with clichés and sub-par acting, my main issue with the film is of a far more disconcerting nature. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at first, but I just knew I hated Noah. His only two emotions seemed to be angry and horny. At one point, he makes a sexist joke, telling Elle wearing a short skirt is “asking for it,” after a guy touches her without consent. Noah gets extremely jealous and threatens any guy interested in Elle, though he can’t publicly be with her anyways. He then justifies his jealousy as protecting her because all those other guys are players—even though he is considered a player himself. I could go on. But it wasn’t until a scene on the beach, where Noah bangs on the hood of his car and yells at a reluctant Elle to get in it, that the reason for my dislike towards him sunk in.
The moment made me think of something I’d once read on abusive relationships: “if he’s hitting an inanimate object when talking to you, it’s because he wants to hit you and/or scare you into submission.” The scene gets worse. Noah gets Elle into his car and instead of taking her home, he sleeps with her and convinces her that he’s different, so she should be in a relationship with him. When Lee finds out about his best friend and brother’s secret relationship, Noah involves himself in Elle and Lee’s fight and ends up creating a larger rift between the two of them. After finishing the movie, I pulled up a WikiHow article called “Recognize Signs of an Abusive Man.” The site could just as easily have embedded a picture of Noah’s face and called it a day. Some of the signs listed include seeming perfect, being controlling, disrespecting women, intense jealousy and writing jealousy off as protective instincts, aggression towards others and inanimate objects, demanding commitment, and isolating a partner from their friends. Now, had the film condemned Noah’s behaviours or included a commentary on the naivety of young relationships, I could understand the value of his character. However—spoiler alert—Elle rides off into the sunset on a motorcycle with no regrets at the end. The film’s labelling as a teen rom-com makes me think Netflix—which can be accessed easily by young people from any device—should employ more tact when determining which narratives they choose when marketing to younger audiences. The Kissing Booth writes abusive tendencies into a storyline and acts as if nothing is wrong with it,
which normalizes intolerant behaviour and could discourage someone in a similar position from seeking the help they need. Instead, Netflix should use their platform to show young people what an unhealthy relationship looks like and how to get
out of it. It’s incredibly disheartening to see such a leap backwards in the standards of teen rom-coms. Abusive behaviour in a relationship isn’t romantic or funny, and Netflix should strive for more than this.
LIFESTYLE
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STUDENT STORIES
The Frosh Week from hell Students share stories of Frosh Weeks gone wrong Journal Staff Frosh Week’s purpose is to integrate students into Queen’s as smoothly as possible, which creates plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. Here are some stories from current Queen’s students about their Frosh Week mishaps over the years.
“Queen’s students typically take pride in spending countless hours at the pier working on their tan or de-stressing before they drown in papers and assignments. But I didn’t take any pride in my first experience at the pier. On the second day of Frosh Week, my floor and I went down to the lake. I was stunned and excited when I saw the number of students enjoying their time at the beautiful waterfront. As we walked by the water, a couple girls on my floor started chanting my name
A bank surrounded by money.
to get me to jump in the water. I didn’t have my swim trunks on me, so I backed out. After some more prodding from my floormates, I decided I was motivated enough to jump in. I took a few steps back, stuck my chest out and did a flip into the water wearing just my boxers. All I could hear was cheering as I climbed out. Feeling confident, I start throwing high fives around—that is, until my buddy yelled at me, ‘Dude, you have a slit in your boxers!’ I looked down, covered my boxers and prayed that I wouldn’t be known as the guy who had a boxer slit during Frosh Week.” —Jay Kataria, Life Sci ‘21
“After hearing some crazy stories about Queen’s Frosh Week, I decided to go a bit wild since I planned on buckling down with courses and some extracurriculars the following week—I was particularly excited
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY
THE LAZY ECONOMIST
How do banks really make money? Spoiler alert: it’s just like any other business Hannah Stafl Features Editor Even though I study economics, I didn’t fully understand how banks made money until I came across the explanation in my Macroeconomics textbook last year. It’s a misunderstood but important force to understand. When you hear something like “the government is raising the interest rate,” the effects of that can quickly trickle into your everyday banking life. It can affect how much you pay on something like a car loan, and it’s all based around banks ensuring they’re making income. As a kid, I only saw the side of my bank that dealt with chequing and savings accounts and debit cards. I couldn’t figure out why these banks were in business, because all they did was store my money. Banks perform a lot more functions than simply chequing accounts. Depositing and storing money is only a part of the bank umbrella—a cog in a large, money-making machine. To boil it down, banks make their
money from lending out money—like the money 10-year-old me deposited into an account—at an interest rate to those who want it. Essentially, like any other business, a bank sells a product. That product is the loaned-out money, and its “price” is the interest rate it’s lent at. Getting a low interest rate is better than a high one because it means you’re getting your product—money—at a cheaper price, since a lower interest rate means the money you owe back in the end is multiplied by a smaller number. Mortgages, loans, credit cards—these are all different “products” that run on the same fundamental principle of lending out money at a price. That’s all there really is to it. If you were ahead of me and already knew the intricate workings of a bank, let me just leave you with this: a bank is a business, and they want to make money off you. So when you go to buy a new car, make sure you get the lowest interest rate possible.
Frosh sharing horror stories.
to join Queen’s First Aid. So I did the first thing any teenage girl does to rebel against her dad: I got my nipple pierced. I thought this nipple piercing would magically transform me into an effortlessly cool, Cara Delevingne-esque girl. In reality, I fainted in the piercing parlor—topless. Due to the immense physical pain and nausea that occurred whenever I so much as thought about my piercing, I self-medicated with Aspirin and Gravol. I didn’t want my unfortunately-timed pain to slow down my Frosh Week partying, so I also self-medicated with a few tequila shots. Fast forward a couple of hours, I was sick from the alcohol, screaming in pain from my new piercing, and exhausted from the effects of the Gravol. My poor roommate was horrified for me, and decided to call Queen’s First Aid. Two cute, male upper-year students appeared several minutes later, and I had to awkwardly explain my situation. Understandably, I was far too ashamed to apply to join Queen’s First Aid in fear of being recognized as the frosh with the painful nipple piercing.” —Anonymous “After a long day of Engineering Orientation—complete with moshing, spray-painted hair and purple people— all I wanted to do was crash in my residence dorm. However, it seemed someone had other plans for my evening, as I awoke in the middle of the night to a blood-curdling scream. I left my room ready to slap someone
PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO
sideways for waking me up from what would’ve been an otherwise peaceful night’s sleep. I wandered the halls, annoyed but also ready to come to someone’s rescue—despite being 5’1” and having no weapon other than my EngCut. Finding nothing, I went back to sleep, hoping no one had died. Every other night—still around 2 a.m.—for the rest of the fall semester, I would wake up and hear the exact same scream. Months later, I found out that a girl across the hall from me screamed to relieve stress. You can imagine how fun living with her during midterm season was.” —Juliana Brown, Eng ’20
“During Frosh Week of my second year, my friends and I spontaneously decided to bake and consume pot brownies before attending our friends’ housewarming party. I’d never eaten edibles before and didn’t really know what to expect. Although I was closely monitored by my more experienced friends, I ultimately ate more pot brownie than advised. As the night went on, I developed a crippling fear of stairs and forced my housemate to hold my hand every time I had to go up or down even a single step. Additionally, I thought the ground was moving in whatever direction I told it to—turns out I was just walking. All of this went on as I tried to comfort my friend who thought his body was slowly disappearing. Naturally, this series of events didn’t go over well when I tried to explain it to the girl I wanted to impress at the party.” —Anonymous
LIFESTYLE
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Friday, Sept 14, 2018
POSTSCRIPT
Tales from a summer at a racehorse fertility clinic Learning life lessons from a veterinarian
Renee Sands.
Renee Sands Contributor I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian—at least I tried to remind myself that when I shadowed a racehorse fertility vet. His prize job: preparing a fake female horse—parts and all—for the “collection” time of a male in heat. It was a surprise. When I was little, I would tell every grown-up about my dream of being an “animal doctor.” They would react with coos and smiles, because they clearly didn’t yet know that—even as a child—I wa s a wo m a n of my word. I stuck with this career ambition through elementary and high school. While I’ve branched out since coming to Queen’s, it’s always been a dream to pursue veterinary medicine. A few years ago, I got my chance. I was at a family Easter party—a Greek one, to be specific. This means everybody in my immediate and extended family, their families, their neighbours, their high school ex-boyfriends and girlfriends, their dentists, and probably their Uber drivers, were all packed into one backyard. At some point that day, my uncle introduced me to someone in the crowd—a friend of his who recently moved in down the street. He was a veterinarian and meeting him piqued my childhood interest in animal care. I was surprised to learn he was a horse veterinarian. Shortly after, he generously offered to have me shadow him over the summer. That would mean veterinary experience with large animals—something undoubtedly helpful in future vet
school applications. I warned him that I’d never actually rode or been near horses, other than pony-rides at petting zoos. He assured me riding experience wasn’t necessary; I’d pick things up quickly. I agreed to work for him for the summer. If a high school English class was analyzing my life, looking for literary devices, my offer to lend this horse vet “a helping hand” would be a prime example of dramatic foreshadowing. After a red-eye train ride and
If a high school “English class was
analyzing my life, looking for literary devices, my offer to lend this horse vet “a helping hand” would be a prime example of dramatic foreshadowing.
”
two bus transfers, I found myself shadowing the vet at 7 a.m. on the first weekend of my employment. Normally, I cherish my weekend sleep-in time. But watching the sunrise as we bumped along country roads and slid down railroad tracks meant I didn’t mind the sleep deprivation. The vet and I soon met up, packed up his van, and set out for his office—which turned out to be a sprawling farm in the middle of the country. The property was in such a remote location, you might have missed it while driving if you so much as blinked—though the stench of the horses could give it away.
It wasn’t until this ride to my future farm-office where I was told my assigned duties for the summer. I was to clean stalls, feed the horses and bring them to-and-from stables and paddocks. I would be assisting in laboratory reports and what was initially only described as a “procedure.” My actual experiences were much wilder than I could’ve guessed. Over the course of the summer, I found out I’m severely allergic to hay and straw. I consistently wore gloves as long as my whole arm, mixed tubs of lube and smeared it onto said gloves. In one case, I discovered a 1950s racehorse’s $50,000 tube of ejaculate didn’t survive decades of cold storage or the flight overseas from Europe, which we discovered by examining the stationary sperm under a microscope. My daily activities—there’s only a few listed here—would typically end at 2 a.m. and re-start the next morning at 6 a.m. However, if our tests predicted that a mare would begin to ovulate at 4 a.m., you can bet the vet and I would be in the barn, shoulder deep in lube at 2 a.m. for an internal ultrasound—just in case she began to ovulate earlier than predicted. Our tests were often correct, and the extra hour of consideration would be for nothing. The mare would ovulate at 4 a.m., and we'd be able to complete the insemination procedure. But sometimes the predictions weren’t accurate. Best-case scenario for a wrong prediction meant the mare would begin to ovulate at 3 a.m. It’s earlier than predicted, but since we were there early, we’d be able to complete the procedure.
I unfortunately encountered a mare ovulation’s worst-case scenario a few times throughout the summer. The ultrasound we conducted would reveal no signs for hours. The vet and I would meander around the barn doing odd jobs, talking as we checked our patients, before re-checking and re-checking again, in hopes of seeing the coveted faint white blobs finally appear on the grainy screen of the ultrasound machine. Sometimes the ovulation we so gingerly anticipated simply didn’t happen, meaning our all-nighter was for nothing. I slept all the way back home from my first weekend at the farm. I was eager to be reunited with my bed, and to shower the farm grime off my tired and sore body. The vet, on the other hand, spent all his weekends at the barn, with over 30 horses as his company. I have never come across a more hardworking, dedicated, or passionate individual than this vet. His love for horses was palpable and effervescent in a way that made everyone around him passionate about horses, too. Horse fertility doesn’t pause
I have never “come across a
more hardworking, dedicated, or passionate individual than this vet.
”
to accommodate a 9-5 workday. His job is a 24-hour-a-day commitment, which would put even the most intense Wall Street bankers to shame and strike terror into the hearts of
PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO
labour unions worldwide. It’s all in his rigorous work ethic—a testament to how much he truly cares about his occupation. The nature of farm work is difficult in any case, but when you factor in the degree of medical focus that was essential to his duties and his round-the-clock obligation, the work shifts from tough to physically and mentally exhausting. Even with all this work, I never heard him complain once. Not about torrential downpour, 40-degree heat, 3 a.m. mornings, or two hour drives for a house call, where he’d explain to somber families in damp, dark barns that our ultrasound now only picked up silence where a heartbeat used to hide. The stoicism, positivity, and humility of this veterinarian, despite the volatile work, is a mentality I can only hope to emulate. No matter what I go on to do in life, I will always carry
The stoicism, “positivity, and
humility of this veterinarian, despite the volatile work, is a mentality I can only hope to emulate.
”
my time with this vet and his horses. And let me tell you, there’s no better way to get a conversation going than talking about being shoulder-deep in lube at work.