The Queen's Journal, Volume 146, Issue 7

FEATURES

EDITORIALS

OPINIONS

ARTS

LIFEST YLE

Refugees share their journey to Queen’s

Student leaders deserve to be consulted

Frosh Week revisions need a second look

Authors flock to Kingston’s WritersFest

The journey to law school from Queen’s

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the journal

Q u e e n ’ s U n iv e r s i t y

Vol. 146, Issue 7

M att S cace and M aggie G owland Journal Staff

According to multiple people familiar with the situation, over ten cases of impetigo were discovered among Queen’s varsity athletes last week. The outbreak was contained but prompted a full-scale disinfection and cleaning of the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC), along with facilities at Richardson Stadium.

The first cases of the skin infection were reportedly noticed on the morning of Sept. 19, Queen’s Athletics told The Journal.

During a scheduled 6 a.m. weight lifting session in the ARC’s Lifting Zone, several members of a varsity team approached Athletics and Recreation (A&R) staff with an unknown skin condition on various parts of their bodies.

Individuals who showed symptoms of the condition were removed from the training session and directed to Student Wellness Services (SWS), where they were later confirmed to have contracted impetigo.

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Since 1873

F r i d ay , S e p t e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 8

action to support all students involved and minimize any spread,” Athletics wrote in their statement.

“Further disinfection and cleaning of facilities and equipment was completed that day and another round overnight as a precautionary measure.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TESSA WARBURTON It didn’t specify to what exact measures the Lifting Zone was disinfected—or how—but noted that “[a]s per A&R standard operating procedures, our staff regularly clean equipment.”

When asked whether the Lifting Zone remained open to both athletes and gym members throughout Sept. 19, Athletics didn’t provide direct response. through sweat and skin-to-skin contact. It “ARC staff immediately disinfected areas appears as red sores on the body, which that affected athletes had come in contact give way to honey-coloured crusts over with,” they wrote. “It was all contained within time. While easily treated with antibiotics, a day, and all activities are back to normal.” the condition can be highly contagious and According to Claudia Wheler, ArtSci ‘19 and who worked in the Lifting Zone the highly transmittable.

After the first case of impetigo was morning of the scheduled workouts, the reported, Kingston Public Health (KFLP&A) area remained open to the public till 12:30 was contacted and “[s]everal departments a.m., the ARC’s closing time. across campus mobilized quickly […] to take

OUTBREAK OF IMPETIGO HITS VARSITY ATHLETES BACTERIAL SKIN INFECTION CONTAINED AMONG VARSITY TEAMS, ARC LAST WEEK “Those [affected] individuals were immediately removed from participation in all activities and were directed to Student Wellness Services for assessment and treatment,” Athletics wrote in an email statement to The Journal.

“All students affected were provided with specific instructions about cleaning their homes to minimize risk of spread.”

Impetigo is a skin infection transmitted

Senate motions to scrap 1918 ‘colour bar’ on Black medical students Edward Thomas submits that body rescind century-old ‘historic wrong’ R achel A iken Assistant News Editor This Tuesday, Edward Thomas brought a Notice of Motion to Senate seeking the repeal of a 1918 motion barring Black medical students’

Thomas sits at Senate before presentation.

queensjournal.ca

entry to Queen’s.

The ban hasn’t been in effect for decades, but there’s never been formal rejection of the policy, according to Thomas, Sci ’06, MASc ’12, and a PhD candidate in Cultural Studies.

“This institutional rule was enforced as late as 1965, but [the Senate] has never formally addressed, nor repudiated, that policy,” Thomas said in Senate Tuesday.

“No individual here is responsible for the actions of those long since dead, but you, collectively, are caretakers of a living institution whose moral and

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

@queensjournal

ethical venture stretches beyond the scale of one human life.”

The motion submitted to Senate recommends the resolution be officially rescinded, and a formal apology be made to those affected. The motion was introduced to Senate on Sept. 25, but won’t be voted on until October’s Senate meeting.

Following Thomas’ address, Principal Daniel Woolf announced to Senate he feels it’s important to “acknowledge and address this part of Queen’s history,” and is “pleased” Thomas has brought the issue to his attention.

In 1918, the Senate—advised by James C. Connell, dean of the faculty of medicine—passed the resolution that would ban Black students from admission to Queen’s medical school.

“The Senate’s policy against Black students—and Black students only—is a direct translation of an AMA [American Medical Association] 1910 policy of race discrimination,” Thomas said.

“There is enough documented evidence to at least suggest that Queen’s policy was influenced, at least initially, by its aggressive pursuit of enhanced AMA ranking for its medical school.”

In 1917, Queen’s received a “C” ranking from the AMA’s Council of Medical Education (CME). The CME policy was rooted in the 1910 “Flexner @queensjournal

See Senate on page 5

See Impetigo on page 11

Law school tense as Liberty Lecture approaches

Conrad Black, Joe Martin to speak in praise of Sir John A. Macdonald on Monday I ain S herriff -S cott News Editor

Next Monday, Queen’s Faculty of Law will host National Post columnist Conrad Black and Professor of Business History Joe Martin for a lecture in praise of Canada’s founding father.

The lecture—set to take place amid tensions surrounding the removal of references to Sir John A. Macdonald—has faced criticism from within the faculty.

The lecture, officially titled “In Praise of Sir John A Macdonald: Historical icon meets the PC brigade,” will be held in Macdonald Hall at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

In an email to all Law students, Professor Bruce Pardy explained his reasoning for the next talk in the controversial Liberty Lecture series, which was sponsored by Queen’s Law alum Greg Piasetzki.

Pardy referenced a motion brought forward

@queensjournal

See John A. on page 5

@thequeensjournal

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

Municipal candidates for Sydenham District sit down with The Journal In conversation with Dylan Chenier Madison Bendall Assistant News Editor

In conversation with Peter Stroud Rachel Aiken Assistant News Editor

In conversation with Matt Gaiser Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor

In conversation with Steve France Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor

This interview has been edited for clarity.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Why are you running?

Why are you running?

Why are you running?

Why are you running?

I decided to run mainly because I felt both the Sydenham District and the students of Queen’s haven’t been properly represented over the past several administrations. I wanted to make sure students had a voice on council. I wanted to make sure people who were from a wide range of viewpoints had a view on council, and personally, I’ve been involved municipally over the past few years and running for council is a good way to put yourself out there. You get to meet people along the way and it’s a good stepping-stone into politics.

I’m from this area. I was born in this area, grew up here, lived on Albert Street. My father was a professor. I went to Queen’s and I stayed. I went away briefly, and I came back. I’m raising my family here. Basically, it coincided with the birth of my first child, that I thought I should do something to help the community, and that’s how I started. I was pushed into it. I was a father of three children and I also have a job as a critical care nurse —so I obviously had a lot on my plate—but I also thought, ‘greater good, make time for this, go part time at the hospital, maybe I can help my city.’

Last spring, I was looking for an apartment to rent and [had] a very difficult time either getting landlords to call me back or getting to the apartment before someone else already rented it. I found Kingston has the lowest vacancy rate in all of Ontario at 0.5 per cent. One of the reasons is council isn’t bothering to approve new developments.

It’s not that they’re accepting or rejecting it.

They’re literally sitting on the application and waiting for it to expire. That’s unacceptable to me, because that’s causing rent prices to increase rapidly—3.1 per cent last year..

Not sky-rocketing, but steadily climbing rental rates. That will be addressed a lot [with] all the new developments in Williamsville because there are many high-density buildings going up. There are probably eight or ten that are multi-unit buildings with 350-400 units. That will alleviate the rental squeeze but to try to put a cap on taxes will do that too. I know some of the other candidates have concerns about students’ safety and security on the streets.

I lived in B.C. for 18 years and there they installed a number of police satellite stations that were small offices that were located in key parts of the city. I think the city needs one in the north end.

What do you see as the most pressing municipal issue facing students?

I think overall, the issue is students don’t feel they’re part of the Kingston community as a whole. City council needs to address that specific issue. A very specific issue is the nuisance by-law, [which] is affecting both students and citizens. That [needs] to be addressed immediately by the council and a more permanent solution is going to need to be found. So the two issues, one more broad and one more specific, need to be recognized immediately.

How would you effectively manage town-gown relations?

I would try and have a more open dialogue between student groups and city councillors of Sydenham, Williamsville, and in Portsmouth. I believe there should be dialogue between constituents, students, the councillors and people who live outside of Queen’s and within the community. I also think all councillors who have students within their district need to consult with the AMS and other student groups on campus to make sure that student viewpoints are properly expressed on council.

What is your position on the University District Safety Initiative?

I think there are some aspects of the Initiative that are very important. I think the idea behind the whole by-law is important, as its purpose is to ensure student safety.

The by-law tries to address concerns for paramedics and first responders, [and] there’s some action to be taken there. I believe the current by-law’s pilot project is ineffective in some regards as it treats students as secondary citizens.

What do you see as the most pressing municipal issue facing students?

Most students spend three to five years in this spot. [Y]ou don’t really get to the point where you’re engaged with municipal politics. That’s actually the underlying issue with civic engagement. On top of all the studies, it’s really difficult to get student engagement. So student engagement in civil politics is the number one issue.

How would you effectively manage town-gown relations?

The public good is actually best served by two groups: the AMS student government—which does change over every year, but is always absolutely well intentioned; and the residents’ association, [who’re] the people in the neighbourhood that also want to be engaged. The town-gown relations are shepherded by the administration of Queen’s. The administration doesn’t have the best interests of their own students or the people of Kingston. They don’t. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the truth. The way you achieve town-gown relations is through those two organizations and you remove control from the administration.

What is your position on the University District Safety Initiative?

I’m only [going to] give you facts.

The principal and the mayor got together— ostensibly because of the result of the past St. Patrick’s Day—and they came up with this solution. It was unilateral. There was no public consultation. The AMS was not consulted. The students were not consulted.

The residents were not consulted. It was just imposed from above. I didn’t have any tools How will you bring out the student vote? at my disposal to stop it, I was unable to stop it, but it’s been bothering me ever since it I’m glad to hear there is a polling station was implemented. on campus. The municipality has made it very clear they want to make it very How will you bring out the student vote? accessible for students to vote on campus.

I’ve been doing many things, from talking at You have to appeal to something that lectures, student centers, the ARC, the JDUC. matters to them. Students vote in municipal I’m hopefully going to be organizing a pint elections when they have a reason to and politics event, to energize students and vote and it’s really difficult. Positive encourage [them] to get involved. messaging isn’t very compelling.

What do you see as the most pressing municipal issue facing students?

It’s probably the University District Safety Initiative since that’s going to affect a lot of students through their time at Queen’s and maybe even over the course of their lives, depending on how it’s implemented. As it stands, students are going to have to go to court, and in court there’s a public record.

While they’re not formally given a criminal record, if employers decide to Google them, they could easily find a summons to court.

They claim it’s about safety, but rules that are for safety are [first] applied consistently and [second] applied to everyone. This is neither.

How will you effectively manage town-gown relations?

It’s about finding a balance. There are a lot of issues [where], frankly, there’s going to be conflict. You consider development.

Many residents in Sydenham are very against development because it changes the character of the neighbourhood. I think one way to balance that is to focus the development in the Queen’s area instead of expanding the development farther out into the areas where native residents of Kingston live.

What is your position on the University District Safety Initiative?

Rules need to apply to everyone. This one does not, and it’s also arbitrary. Where is the University District? It’s not written in law anywhere. I think that’s unfair to students, and I also think it will do nothing to increase safety because it only applies on certain weekends. If council believes and the city believes this punishment of having people go before a judge is appropriate, they should apply it consistently.

What do you see as the most pressing municipal issue facing students?

I think the [town-gown] committee should be expanded to perhaps 100 people, not 100 at a time but a pool of 100 people, so there’s a forum for presenting a grievance to the committee, instead of going to [campus security] or the police about it. And some way of redress to issue a student fine if there are people urinating on the streets, for instance. Or to help people that have had damage from vandalism on their property. Some of it is just noise concerns. Of course, that takes the AMS and the Queen’s principal to get involved, but I think that would help a lot.

How would you effectively manage town-gown relations?

There’s an all candidates meeting that the AMS is sharing and I’m going. I [also] know a great many students through our business.

We have a small deli business, it’s over on Barrie and Clergy [Street] and we have hundreds of student customers. I’m hoping I can appeal to them. I’m hoping there might be a few hundred student votes for me. I’m fighting against students, so it might be difficult, but the last election 2,900 people voted and it’s very small.

What is your position on the University District Safety Initiative?

I know that was initiated by the principal.

I think that’s good. I mean when you come to University it’s much more than just coming to get a degree, it’s part of the whole process of maturity and people that answer in court to something, I think that’s good. I don’t think a lot of tickets have been handed out during How will you bring out the student vote? frosh, there was just a few, so it’s already much better than it was. I think the police do We’re trying to make voting as easy as a good job. It’s a common-sense approach. possible. Students [can’t] really register to vote online and get their ballots in the mail, How will you bring out the student vote? but they can go vote in the ARC. However, that does mean they need to bring their I think it’s pretty nice as it is. We have a tenant agreement, which, in my case, I’ve business here and been here nine years, so I already lost. I think that’s true of many think it’s a pretty good atmosphere. It’s got a students as well. real community that I like. We have a great rapport with students and residents.

Read the full interviews at queensjournal.ca

News

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

Monday’s protest in photos

queensjournal.ca • 3

Results Released from Senate Engagement Survey Majority of respondents reported ‘insufficient time’ to discuss Senate agenda in detail

Sophie Vlaad speaks at Monday’s protest of Lindsay Shepherd.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Madison Bendall Assistant News Editor In a recent Senate Engagement Survey, a majority of respondents said they’re unhappy with the lack of time allotted to prepare for the body’s meetings.

Approximately 44 per cent of Senators completed the survey, with 40 per cent of the body recording a response for each question. The rate of response dropped slightly when compared to the previous year, with a response rate averaging 56 per cent.

Overall, respondents reacted slightly negatively towards questions related

Students and supporters gathered outside Macdonald Hall Monday.

to engagement in Senate meetings.

When asked about the degree to which respondents felt enriched by the feeling of being a Senator, 56 per cent had recorded they felt the degree was ‘adequate’ or ‘low.’

A mostly positive response was reported when Senators were asked to record the level to which they felt involved in the University’s decision-making process.

Some respondents indicated having only a week to read and analyze the Senate agendas was ‘insufficient’ due to the volume of the agenda and committee report materials.

The survey’s questions supported a consistent theme, finding general satisfaction the Senate is doing the job it’s meant to do.

The Senate Governance Nomination Committee will approve conclusions of the survey, and issues addressed will be discussed during upcoming Senate meetings.

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Principal Daniel Woolf at Tuesday’s Senate meeting.

Protesters boast large signs condemning white supremacy.

journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

News in Brief

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

Police investigating incident of assault in student hub

Direct entry applications up 15 per cent from last year

Kingston police are investigating an Undergraduate applications have incident of assault and bodily harm increased by 15 per cent from 2017, in the student hub on Aug. 3 at according to Interim Provost Tom Harris’ approximately 2 a.m.

Sept. 25 report to Senate.

Two brothers were about to purchase Graduate applications have increased by some food around Princess and Division 11 per cent.

Street when three unknown men In his report, Harris wrote the University approached them. is “on track to meet the undergraduate According to a statement from Kingston first-year enrolment target of police, the trio “seemed to be looking for 4,522 students.” trouble as they had been calling out to The School of Graduate Studies is random people trying to pick a fight.” welcoming 1,599 students this year.

The brothers didn’t provoke the men, Harris will present a more comprehensive but one suspect pushed one of the brothers student enrolment update to the Senate to the ground. When the older brother meeting in November. intervened, he was punched in the face, resulting in injury.

—Raechel Huizinga The suspects are 17-24 years of age and are described as Caucasian. Of the three suspects, two were possibly brothers because of similarities in appearance and large build.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Detective Jamie Graham at 613-549-4660 ext. 6311 or via email at jgraham@kingstonpolice.ca.

—Raechel Huizinga

4 •queensjournal.ca

News

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

Students report long wait-times at walk-in clinic

Health Services receives thousands of students per week, has only 20 physicians Raechel Huizinga Assistant News Editor

Several students have reported long wait-times and rushed appointments at Health Services.

Despite receiving funds from student fees, provincial ministry grants, administrative funds through OHIP and University support, Student Wellness Services struggles to keep up with the weekly flood of students.

Each day between Sept. 16 and 22, Health Services received over 200 students in both the walk-in clinic and booked appointments.

On a typical afternoon, there are only seven physicians in the clinic supported by five nurses. There are 20 physicians in total.

One of the students experiencing long wait-times, Erin Caldwell, ArtSci’ 20, told The Journal she hasn’t gone to the walk-in clinic in years.

“I’ve never had a visit that’s less than four or five hours,” she said. “I haven’t been because you have to wait so long, and then for a really brushed-off kind of visit. I either go to KGH because of my asthma or if it’s just something small I go to the walk-in clinic downtown.”

After missing classes because of long wait-times, she began to structure her appointments around lectures instead of tests and exams.

“You go there, and you know it’s going to be a long time, so you plan around that,” she said.

Sarah*, ArtSci ’20, who spoke with The Journal on condition of anonymity, went to the walk-in clinic on Sep. 20, where she waited an hour for her number to be called.

“You go to a clinic for it to be faster than the emergency room and when you’re waiting there for three hours longer than you’d wait in the emergency room, it’s not enjoyable,” she said in an interview.

After her number was called, Sarah waited another 45 minutes to see a doctor.

“My big problem with [the walk-in clinic]

Sarah told The Journal the size of the waiting room makes her “uncomfortable.”

“A lot of the people that go to the walk-in clinic have a cold or the flu,” she said. “It’s just such tight quarters when you’re there that you almost feel like you’re getting sick because there’s no room to breathe.”

Like Caldwell, Sarah also missed class due to long wait-times. “I showed up two hours before my class started, and I still missed it,” she said.

“When you make an appointment you’d think, I’ll go and they’ll be ready for me and

[Y]ou spend most of your time in the waiting room and once you get into the doctor’s office it feels like they try to rush you right out of there.

—Sarah*

it’ll take less than an hour to get everything done,” she continued. “Then you spend most of your time in the waiting room and once you get into the doctor’s office it feels like they try to rush you right out of there.”

Jennifer Dods, executive director of Health Services, wrote in an email to The Journal that “the University is committed to supporting student health and wellness.”

“We have expanded our hours in Health Services and worked to maximize capacity so we can see as many students as possible,” she wrote.

You go to a clinic for it to be faster than the emergency room and when you’re waiting there for three hours longer than you’d wait in the emergency room, it’s not enjoyable.

—Erin Caldwell

Dods also stressed how many students use the clinic.

“This year is already another very busy one,” she wrote.

From 2017-18, there were more than 34,000 booked appointments at Health Services for almost 10,000 students.

“We want to give students the care they need, and we are working hard every I haven’t been because you day to adjust schedules so we can see have to wait so long, and students who need to be seen by a then for a really brushed-off physician that day,” Dods added.

One way Health Services is trying kind of visit. I either go to to decrease frustration is to make the KGH because of my asthma wa l k- i n c l i n i c re g i s t ra t i o n or if it’s just something small more accessible.

“Based on student feedback, we are I go to the walk-in adjusting the walk-in clinic registration clinic downtown. process so that students have a better —Erin Caldwell sense of how long they will be waiting before seeing a physician and they can go and do something, and come is it takes so long to get things done there,” back at the right time,” Dods wrote. she said. “It’s just the amount of time you “We appreciate that wait times can be have to wait for things.” frustrating, and we will continue to look There are currently three rooms at the at how we can adjust our processes walk-in clinic. further to reduce the amount of time According to a statement from the students are waiting to see a health University, they’re “planning for at least four” care professional.” in the soon-coming Côté Sharp Student Wellness Centre. journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

La Salle building on Stuart Street.

SUPPLIED BY QUEEN’S

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

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

News

queensjournal.ca • 5

Law faculty calls for ‘counter event’ during Black, Martin lecture Continued from front ...

‘politically correct’ reasons. It is not.”

“The unbranding is a small act in to the Faculty Board that would remove Sir making real recognized human rights now John A. Macdonald’s name from the Law protected to an improved degree in Canada’s building, if passed this fall. progressive constitution,” she continued.

He also referenced a bench located near Lahey indicated the lecture comes on the the front doors of the building, which had heels of the formal unveiling of words that “Macdonald Hall” carved in stone, but was are lasting, an Indigenous art installation removed in July. In September, Macdonald’s from Montreal visual artist, Hannah Clause. portrait, which hung on the fifth floor of the After Lahey’s email, other faculty building, was also taken down. members defended her position and In response to the announcement, Pardy expressed opposition to Monday’s lecture. faced criticism from his colleagues. Law In an email, Law Professor Nicholas Bala Professor Kathleen Lahey responded to wrote he’s “deeply troubled” by the event, Pardy’s email with the subject line, “In calling Black’s invitation an “especially praise of the Human Rights brigade.” provocative act.”

In her response, Lahey said she’s “[Black’s] recent book on Canadian “deeply saddened” by the direction of the history has been widely condemned for its lecture series. dismissive, and some have said “disgraceful” Lahey argued the event is “organized treatment of the contributions of around delivering the message that [I]ndigenous peoples to Canada,” Bala wrote. unbranding Queen’s Law as Sir John A. Bala also indicated his offer to debate Macdonald’s legacy school is somehow Black and Martin at the event was refused. a violation of a historical icon for merely “ … [T]his event, which is supposed to

‘We have to be able to learn from it’

promote liberty and free academic discourse, has refused my request … to allow for a proper debate with Black and his colleague at the event.”

In response to Bala and Lahey, Law Professor Mary-Jo Maur also voiced her dissatisfaction with the event.

“I asked Prof Pardy under separate cover if any other points of view would be represented, and he indicated that no,

I recognize that there will be a wide diversity of views on this question, many passionately held.

—Dean of Law, Bill Flanagan

while the speakers might disagree with one another, they were generally going to be speaking in praise of [Macdonald],” Maur wrote.

“This is not something our faculty needs, particularly in light of the beautiful artwork we now have installed in the building,” she added.

Another faculty member, Law Professor Sharry Aiken, added to the push-back, suggesting opposing faculty members organize a “counter-event” simultaneously.

In an email to all law students the following day, Dean of Law Bill Flanagan cautioned faculty members from using the mass email for “discussion and debate.”

Flanagan indicated he would set up an “online discussion forum” for members of the Queen’s Law community to voice their opinions about the issue, instead over email.

“I recognize that there will be a wide diversity of views on this question, many passionately held,” Flanagan said.

“I look forward to an engaged and respectful debate on this important question.”

Monday’s lecture will be held in Room 202 of Macdonald Hall.

Continued from front ...

as a consequence of the Senate’s officially sanctioned racism spill[ing] over into the Report,” which recommended a limited behaviours of AMS executives, The Queen’s medical education for Black students.

Journal and staff, and other students at large.”

The AMA gave Queen’s Faculty of Thomas said.

Medicine a “B” ranking five months after the The resolution was revisited in 1928, resolution was passed. when the Faculty of Medicine voted to Thomas suggested a memo Connell expand the enrollment ban to encompass sent on Jan. 4, 1918, motivated the any student of African descent. This policy Senate’s approval, which claimed “military was enforced until 1965. hospital soldiers and patients in the A Discrimination Committee Edward Thomas addresses Senate on Tuesday. community objected to receiving care from implemented by the then-Graduate Student Black students.”

Society approached the Dean of Medicine However, in April of 1918, the in 1964, inquiring about the rumoured University’s West Indies Club wrote to the ‘colour bar.’

Acting Governor of Barbados to claim there The Dean assured them the practice had “… ha[d] been not an instance on record of been discontinued but refused to release white patients objecting to being treated in statistics on enrollment of non-white any way by them.” students. There was no formal resolution to In his memo, Connell also wrote that the ban. equivalent resolutions were in practice “Our institutional history of this event at McGill University and the University of has been based for the last 100 years, or so entirely, on Connell’s memo,” Thomas said. “The university’s long-lived account of the 1918 expulsions absolved the Senate, ignored the consequences and anonymized The Black medical the students.” students remaining at In an interview with The Journal after his Queen’s were subjected Senate presentation, Thomas said “[The] fact of the matter is these weren’t expulsions. to racial harassment as This was a ban that was enacted on a consequence of the the books.”

Senate’s officially sanctioned “The institution’s framing of it is really mostly about a kind of blanket absolution racism spill[ing] over into and a kind of curated forgetting. It’s very the behaviours of AMS important for us to understand our history, executives, The Queen’s not as institutional myth—but as a pretty complex narrative that helps us understand Journal and staff, and other our present.” students at large. added his research has shown —Edward Thomas theThomas University’s understanding of the history to be incorrect. Despite this, he called Toronto. This was false. support for his motion “good news.”

As a result of the original policy, “If we want to continue to build the some students were forced to transfer, institution into something even greater than whereas others had to abandon their what it is, we have to be very aware of [the] education altogether. past and we have to be able to learn from it.”

“The Black medical students remaining at Queen’s were subjected to racial harassment journal_news@ams.queensu.ca

PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON

6 • queensjournal.ca

Features

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

IN-DEPTH STORIES FROM AROUND CAMPUS AND IN THE COMMUNITY

Students fleeing conflict find new home on campus

Three refugees share their journey of arriving to Queen’s from Iraq and Syria Bassam Hashen is a third-year Politics major.

Hannah Stafl Features Editor

As a child, Bassam Hashen didn’t drink Coke.

It wasn’t because of strict parents—the soft drink was simply unavailable.

Years later, after fleeing conflict in his home country of Iraq and traveling across continents, the beverage seems to be everywhere. ***

Hashen’s childhood was marked by the economically punishing embargo the UN doled out to reprimand Iraq for its invasion of Kuwait.

For a child, it meant having limited access to resources for clubs and playgrounds, as well as products containing sugar. It meant no pop or candy bars. The scarce resources were unavoidable, even causing Hashen to play soccer instead of basketball because it was cheaper.

Coming from a middle-class family, and a Jordanian mother who would travel to and from Jordan to buy food and other supplies, Hashen considers himself lucky—his childhood was better than the norm.

“She would go to her family and bring the ‘good stuff’ for us, and sometimes when there [was] extra, we would give [it] to the neighbours,” Hashen said.

His retired father’s salary for two months would only buy either 60 eggs or one kilogram of meat

for the entire family.

“I don’t know how people really survived at that time,” Hashen said.

As he and his siblings grew up, Hashen’s eldest brother was drafted for Iraq’s mandatory military service.

“It’s more of a torture than serving the country,” Hashen said about the mandatory duties.

His family “basically sold the house” to keep his brother safe and prevent punishment from superior officers.

During this time, they decided to leave the country for nearby Jordan. Hashen’s parents wanted to prevent him and his second brother from being forced to serve.

It was 1999 and Hashen was 15 years old. Jordan was a culture shock, he said, with more open communication to the outside world.

Hashen was dumbfounded when he first saw a pair of jeans.

Jordan soon became home, and Hashen didn’t want to move to the West—a decision that was becoming commonplace among his neighbours.

Every couple of months, a family in his new neighbourhood would leave, and the entire community would kiss them goodbye—knowing it would be the last time.

When he turned 22, Hashen started to have difficulty living in Jordan. He couldn’t be a resident because of his mother’s citizenship anymore, and he couldn’t move freely around the country or find work.

Orabi (second left) and Altamer (middle) with WUSC members.

PHOTO BY HANNAH STAFL

He decided to move back to Iraq to work. He stayed only eight months. While he lived there, he couldn’t stay out in the streets past 5 p.m.—it was “a ghost city filled with monsters.”

Returning back to Jordan, his problems didn’t change.

Anti-Iraqi sentiments made it difficult to find work and he faced constant discrimination.

He hatched a plan: he’d work for the American army back in Iraq as a translator, using his English and Arabic language skills.

Since the United States would grant a visa to anyone who served for a year, it would give him a ticket out.

After 16 months of risking his life translating for the United States army, the US government reneged on the deal: they wouldn’t give Hashen the visa for his service.

It was his only strategy. While in Jordan to work on immigrating to the US, Hashen was introduced to World University Services of Canada (WUSC).

Too old to be sponsored by the program—the maximum age was 25—Hashen kept finding other candidates for the group to sponsor to go to universities in Canada. The organization then changed the age to 30, but by then he’d passed the age threshold again.

Finally, after a friend noticed a 31-year-old sponsor that the group had, Hashen applied again and was accepted to the program.

Hashen came to Kingston on Aug. 24, 2017, and is currently in his third year of a politics degree at Queen’s.

“It is home, and I feel happy that I am here,” Hashen said.

He realizes how lucky he is—to have not only an opportunity at Queen’s, but a support system through WUSC from the very beginning.

Founded in 1980, the Queen’s WUSC chapter sponsors both male and female students at various academic levels.

The club “has a long-standing commitment of sponsoring students whose families escaped from Sudan and who were born and raised in camps in Kenya,” WUSC’s former co-president Lyndsay Duffin said in an email to The Journal.

Recently, she added, they’ve sponsored more students from

Syria and other countries in the Middle East.

The group helps the students get signed up for courses, buy textbooks, and get computers.

Generally, the club provides a sense of family and support to the new students who may not know anyone else in the country.

WUSC is supported by the fees paid by all Queen’s students.

They’ll be on the Oct. 12 Fall Referendum, and hope to increase their funding—the money goes directly to the sponsored students.

“You’re not actually supporting [the club], you’re supporting somebody who’s come to Canada and wants to further their education,” Sarah Bowie, WUSC’s a d m i n i s t ra t ive co-president told The Journal in an interview.

WUSC only recently developed its Syrian Refugee Program. Syria has been in a civil war since the 2011 Arab Springs revolution. ***

The Journal spoke with two other WUSC-sponsored students, both of whom came to Queen’s from Syria.

When rebels fired a rocket-propelled grenade into his hometown’s city hall at 1 a.m., Ziad Orabi’s house was in the line of fire. His family knew then they needed to leave Syria.

It didn’t help that his father had already been out of work, making life in Syria more difficult. During the 2011 uprisings, they gathered up any money they could from friends and acquaintances.

Orabi’s family made the same fateful trip as Hashen to Jordan.

He skipped his grade 12 year in Syria, taking it one year later in Jordan. Orabi then received a college scholarship and started to pursue civil engineering. While he came to Canada through WUSC, Orabi’s family still remains in Jordan.

The weather in Canada is colder, and the academics seem more rigorous. Even though WUSC sponsors need to be fluent in English, adjusting to speaking it every day isn’t easy.

But Orabi is glad to be at Queen’s. He’s gone into

PHOTO BY HANNAH STAFL

the discipline of computer engineering, hoping to find a job in software engineering.

While Canadian society is quite different than Syria or Jordan, Orabi was perhaps most struck

by Canada’s natural beauty upon arriving. The greenery and lakes were a shock after only having lived in the drier climate of Syria and Jordan.

“Oh, I didn’t see [this], I was in a desert,” Orabi said. ***

Abdollah Altamer was studying in a Syrian university when the country’s protests began.

Many of his peers opposed the Assad regime and participated in the protests.

Following the demonstrations, Altamer said students could be randomly accused of participating in the opposition. This threat of accusation, coupled with the same mandatory military service as Iraq, was what pushed him to leave.

According to Altamer, anyone accused could be captured, tortured or shot.

He, too, left for Jordan. It was the next step for many refugees fleeing the crises in both countries, thanks to its proximity.

After leaving Syria in 2012, Altamer lived in Jordan for six years. He worked in technical support for a bit, then began attending a Jordanian university and finished his studies in two years.

He came across WUSC over Facebook, applied to Queen’s, and—shortly after—was accepted.

For Altamer, WUSC is like a family.

“Without WUSC, you know nobody,” he said.

Taking first-year Economics with some Global Development courses, he looks forward to finishing his Canadian university degree and perhaps going into accounting after graduation.

Thinking of his home, Altamer said even though he’d lived with it all of his life, he knows dictatorship isn’t normal.

“Syria is a country where dictatorship rules all the time, but it’s like normal life, with more difficulties than the typical life [should] be for humans.”

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

EDITORIALS

THE QUEEN’S JOURNAL

The Journal’s Perspective

Increased stimulant prescription a concern for youths

Increased stimulant prescription doesn’t have a clear explanation—but it proves a need for greater scrutiny of the drugs’ impact on young people.

A new Ontario Drug Policy Research Network study indicates use of prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin has risen almost 30 per cent in the past five years. Five per cent of boys aged 13 to 18 are prescribed the drug, compared to 2.4 per cent of girls the same age.

The study raises more questions than it answers. It doesn’t account for the inappropriate prescription of stimulants and their unprescribed use for studying.

However, the gendered divide in the study’s findings suggests stimulant prescriptions

for young people should be carefully scrutinized.

This is clearest in youths under 18. Children often show hyperactive behaviour consistent with attention deficit disorders.

A concerned adult might mistake that with a need for medication.

An early stimulant prescription can “mask the ordinary emotional turmoil of growing up,” potentially prompting children to depend on the drug and its effects as they grow into adulthood.

The study’s findings also present gendered implications. It states lower female prescription rates could indicate disorders going undiagnosed.

Girls show different ADHD symptoms than boys, which could cause some physicians to either misdiagnose—or, in some cases,

ILLUSTRATION BY ZIER ZHOU

completely overlook—young people with the condition. Similarly, boys may be misdiagnosed with an attention deficit disorder while suffering from mental illnesses that unhealthy forms of masculinity stigmatize, including depression and anxiety.

Treating stimulants as a catch-all for behavioural and emotional struggles without a complete understanding presents genuine harm for young people.

Further, the availability of stimulants has vast repercussions for university-aged men.

A 2016 Journal longform detailed study drug abuse at Queen’s, telling the stories of men seeking out stimulants when stressed about meeting expectations.

It’s common for young people

to buy friends’ Adderall or to fake ADHD symptoms to get their own prescriptions. It’s hard for a doctor to deny you medication if you report relevant symptoms, and word-of-mouth promotes stimulants as quick fixes for study habits in times of need.

The increase in stimulant prescription for men has no clear explanation, but it does indicate a problem of access. It’s concerning young people feel the immediate need to turn to drugs without information or a prescription.

As university students, we ignore the results of this study at our own peril. As stimulants are normalized from a young age, comfort with and curiosity about the drugs can shape a young person’s educational future.

Our cultural dependence on stimulants speaks to the ever-increasing pressure on young people to fulfill certain behavioural expectations, with or without ADHD. It’s essential we recognize the dangerous precedent an early dependence on stimulants could render young people—whether it’s prescribed or consumed recreationally. Once a dependence has been established, it can be lifelong and carry vast repercussions.

Before prescription, we must first understand the importance of sufficiently evaluating the impact of stimulants.

—Journal Editorial Board

Ahead of big decisions, listen to student leaders

When it comes to important decisions, leaders who are elected—or appointed—to represent their constituents should be heard. In student politics, they’re often not.

Last week, Mayor Bryan Paterson told AMS Assembly he stood by a June statement saying the AMS had been consulted on the new University District Safety Initiative (UDSI).

In an interview on June 11, AMS President Miguel Martinez told The Journal the Society was only “informed” of the UDSI, and not consulted on the content of the initiative. At the time, Paterson wouldn’t say whether the SGPS had been told.

Paterson’s remarks at Assembly represent an unfortunate trend of student leaders being shut out of consequential decisions—even when their constituents are direct stakeholders.

In the case of the UDSI, the University and the City’s lack of meaningful consultation with student leaders has contributed to potentially damaging consequences for their constituents.

As one member of Assembly pointed out, students ticketed during St. Patrick’s Day

PHOTO BY JULIA BALAKRISHNAN

Iain Sherriff-Scott celebrations in late March—just weeks before final exams—could be forced to appear in front of a judge during a stressful time of year.

In response, Interim Provost Tom Harris couldn’t say whether the University would provide academic considerations for students summoned to court during exams or midterms.

The criticism Paterson and

Harris faced from students last week was a step in the right direction. But it also revealed the extent to which student leaders have been excluded from decision-making.

The same trends are apparent at other institutions as well.

This spring, the University of Toronto’s highest governing body approved the contentious university-mandated leave of

•7

absence policy, despite calls from several student groups to conduct more meaningful consultation.

The policy gives the university authority to place students on a mandatory leave of absence if their mental health poses a risk of harm to themselves or others.

Students can also be subject to the policy if their grades are suffering as a result of their mental health.

Both of U of T’s largest student organizations publicly criticized the brief student consultation process for being inadequate—actions which demonstrate students’ desire to be heard.

Despite calls for expanded consultation from groups representing tens of thousands of students, U of T’s Vice-Provost, Students, Sandy Welsh, told The Varsity, “In terms of where we are right now, we do feel that [student consultation] has been sufficient.”

Every year, students participate in a democratic exercise to elect—or appoint—their leaders.

When it comes to the tough decisions, they should be heard.

Iain is The Journal’s News Editor.

He’s a fourth-year history student.

Volume 146 Issue 7 www.queensjournal.ca @queensjournal Publishing since 1873

Editorial Board

Editors in Chief Sebastian Bron

Nick Pearce Production Manager Julia Balakrishnan News Editor Iain Sherriff-Scott Assistant News Editors Rachel Aiken Madison Bendall Raechel huizinga Features Editors Samantha Fink Hannah Stafl Editorials Editor Meredith Wilson-Smith Opinions Editor Sophia Spencer Arts Editor Brigid Goulem Assistant Arts Editor Brittany Giliforte Sports Editor Matt Scace Assistant Sports Editor Maggie Gowland Lifestyle Editor Josh Granovsky Assistant Lifestyle EditorAlly Mastantuono Photo Editor Chris Yao Assistant Photo Editor Tessa Warburton Video Editor Amelia Rankine Editorial Illustrator Zier Zhou Copy Editors Tegwyn Hughes Jasnit Pabla

Contributing Staff

Staff Writers and Photographers Jack Rabb Rebecca Frost Ramna Safeer Mikayla Wronko

Contributors Max Bradshaw Paige Kedrosky Rachel Rae

Business Staff

Business Manager Morgan Dodson Head Sales Representative Aidan Chalmers Sales Representative Ben Johnstone Office Administrator Liveny Krishnakumar

Want to contribute?

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

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

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

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

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Contents © 2018 by The Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of The Journal.

Circulation 3,000

8 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

OPINIONS

Your Perspective

orientation experience need to understand that Orientation Week’s structure and activities are two different things.

Establishing a better structure should be the first step before addressing programming concerns. Introducing a fall break undermines the opportunity to build a better frosh experience for future students.

Overall, the point of orientation is to help students transition to university, meet new friends and build an initial support network. It’s safer for incoming students if organizers assume the transition isn’t easy rather than worrying about cramping upper-year students’ style.

Our previous Orientation Week structure is better suited for this purpose.

If maintaining this aspect of our Queen’s identify is important, whether the Orientation Week of old gets restored depends on the upper years of today.

The people who have benefitted from a well paced Orientation Week can speak to the validity of the original structure. These are the people who can lobby the Queen’s

Mikayla Wronko ArtSci ’19

After its inaugural run and seeing the new two academic days in practice, the Queen’s community needs to have a conversation about the new Orientation Week structure—and whether it’s something worth reversing.

The class of ‘22 was the first to follow the new format, which was passed by Queen’s Senate in Mar. 2017 in efforts to accommodate the new fall term break.

Past Orientation Weeks began with students moving in on Labour Day Sunday and having orientation week run until the following Saturday night. Students ended with Sunday as a day of rest before the beginning of classes.

Currently, the Thursday and Friday of Orientation Week have become school days with orientation focused activities resuming again on Saturday and Sunday. In exchange, students will receive two days off at the end of October.

Having been active with orientation throughout my years at

We’ll damage first year experiences by trying to have our cake and eat it too.

A huge part of the Queen’s identity comes from our Orientation Week.

Queen’s, it was disheartening to see the fragmented Orientation Week in practice.

Both University and Faculty Orientation Senate and reverse the decision before it kept their same programming in the becomes normalized. new condensed time—making it a challenge As Queen’s tradition chips away and of logistics and stamina for students and our Orientation Week becomes Orientation staff alike. indecipherable from other universities, While the current arrangement the bond keeping our alumni network technically satisfies academic day close will loosen. Possibly one day in requirement for degree accreditations, the future, meeting another Queen’s there were students who found graduate outside of school will lose PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON themselves with empty days.

Wronko takes issue with the new Orientation Week structure. its excitement.

For the students that didn’t have class The benefit of a fully formed Orientation scheduled or who had labs that didn’t run handful of students had the stamina to With time, the consensus could be to Week will have a longer lasting impact until after their first lecture, the modified engage in programming. further reduce Orientation Week to the on Queen’s student’s time than two days Orientation Week schedule was an While Orientation Week experiences standard three days—making the way we off in October. inefficient use of time. When there are more differ, the discombobulating pace was welcome students no different than any We need to understand the short-term activities than time in the schedule, every unignorable and counterintuitive to what a other Canadian university. instant gratification of a fall term break day matters. student’s first week at Queen’s is about.

A huge part of the Queen’s experience pales in comparison to the long-term One of the greatest challenges The idea of a fall term break and a and identity comes from our Orientation social benefits and tight knit legacy Orientation Leaders saw was re-engaging proper Queen’s Orientation Week are Week, its traditions, and how we usher in of orientation. students into frosh events once the mutually exclusive. We’ll damage first year the entering class.

Queen’s pride means looking out for weekend rolled around. Engineering experiences by trying to have our cake and It’s not a surprise that upper year Arts the future students of our institution. If Orientation was especially undermined as eat it too. and Science students voted to support the University and its community are the pole climb—arguably the climax of the There will be inevitable growing pains the fall term break when surveyed by interested in preserving a Queen’s-spirited week—was subdued by the addition of two with a major structural change, and the AMS—a population who’s bemoaned Orientation, the conversation needs to school days. we could give time for the University their orientation in hindsight and stand begin now.

I spoke with students opting to miss out and Faculty orientations to adjust—but to benefit from getting two days on their Saturday events because they were it might be too late. The students who’d of break.

Mikayla is a fifth-year Economics major and anxious to get ahead in their classes. By be able to speak to validity of a full The students who favour the fall Computer Science minor. the last day of Orientation Week, only a Orientation Week will have graduated. term break due to an underwhelming

Fall term break not worth a

fragmented Orientation Week Queen’s legacy fades as the orientation week that once brought us together- falls apart

Talking heads

... students around campus

PHOTOS BY TESSA WARBURTON

What is your take on “juuling”?

“You do you, man.”

Nick Irwine, CompSci ‘22

“I have a lot of friends that vape, I think it’s stupid.”

Choley Sarrazin, ArtSci ‘21

“Some of my friends are pretty addicted, I don’t approve.”

Ryan Truffen, ArtSci ‘21

“I don’t care if you do it, just in moderation.”

Lavallee Forbes, ArtSci ‘19

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

•9

Arts EVENT PREVIEW

Kiss the Fish wins Battle of the Bands Reigning champs take on Clark Hall Pub for a second season

Kiss the Fish will be Clark Hall’s house band for the 2018-19 school year.

ARTS IN BRIEF

City holds culture days this weekend This weekend, the Kingston Arts Council will be hosting Culture Days, part of a nation-wide event celebrating community culture in municipalities.

As the largest cultural event in Canada, Culture Days attracts more than two million people to free activities and performances.

It showcases the best of Canada’s arts and cultural institutions from all corners of the country.

Local celebrations will kick—off on Friday with events hosted by Kingston Transit, the Union Gallery, and the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre among many.

Throughout the weekend, guests will be able to participate in family-friendly arts workshops and presentations across the City.

Activities such as Saturday’s Tett Presents: Kids Creativity Club, and the Scarecrow Festival at the Rideau Heights Community Centre, will offer residents of all ages the opportunity to engage with art in Kingston.

This year introduced the Culture Days Youth Arts Ambassador—a program focused on supporting the next generation of emerging community artists.

Local dancer Kay Kenney has been selected for her project Movement Market/DANCE as COMMUNITY. The program will feature performances and workshops that will take place on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m. and 2p.m.

Be it visual arts, music, literature or dance—Culture Days has activities catered to all interests.

—Brigid Goulem

Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor Clark Hall house band Kiss The Fish’s dedication to each other and their music keeps them afloat in the Kingston music scene.

Having won the Clark Battle of the Bands on Sept. 20, they’ll now be the first band the bar calls when they need some live entertainment.

It’s a nice sense of security compared to the uncertainty of trying to get booked at local bars—or getting to know each other.

In 2015, the first members of the band—rhythm guitarist Cory Scholtz, lead singer Sam Skolrood and trumpet player Mattveeko Hrushewsky—met as first-years in Brant Hall.

Hrushewsky then met lead guitarist, Evan Khodeir, during Frosh Week, before Khodeir ran across Kelby Gutz, a St. Lawrence College student and bass player, while working together in a kitchen.

Then, on one drunken night at a stranger’s party, Scholtz, Skolrood, and Khodeir met drummer Misko McGregor and found the missing piece. Granted, they have no

EVENT PREVIEW

recollection of this happening.

Scholtz woke up to a text from McGregor, asking to start a band.

“We don’t remember meeting him,” Skolrood told The Journal, “We were like, ‘Shit we found someone.’”

Despite their good fortune, the band members weren’t all friends from the start. Skolrood and Hrushewsky didn’t like Gutz at first, saying his size and muscles intimidated them.

When Kiss the Fish played their first show at Clark’s January 2018 Battle of the Bands, they weren’t all friends, but they were getting more comfortable. It was the first time many of them saw their own potential and what they could accomplish in the future.

Their more recent winning outing with Battle of the Bands was a more enjoyable experience—not only because they finally liked each other, but they also had more experience playing in front of a crowd.

It came with time. Since the band’s inception, they’ve had some luck playing at local bars and a few large house parties, including one standout on William Street they can’t even remember outside of the “dancing and grooving.”

Kingston’s Writersfest returns for 10th anniversary Festival introduces new events in celebration, invites students Brittany Giliforte Assistant Arts Editor At the 10th annual Kingston Writersfest, Queen’s students and local residents will gather in the Holiday Inn with some of the most esteemed authors in Canada.

Artistic director Barbara Bell spends a full year organizing the annual five-day festival, welcoming book lovers to exchange ideas and learn more about the craft of writing from experienced professionals.

“I put together conversations and panels—sometimes just two, sometimes three, sometimes four authors—and look for books and writers that have themes in common or writing about similar subject matter so they have points of contact between the two works,” Bell told The Journal.

Marking ten years of Writersfest, Bell has added some new features to the festival she said will benefit Queen’s students.

One event held on Saturday afternoon, “Creeps and Chills,” will focus on Grip-lit and the thriller genre. That same afternoon,

students can attend “Family, Calamity and Survival: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction,” hosted by author Waubgeshig Rice.

Writing masterclasses like these teach young writers a variety of lessons from how to properly write a sentence to how to write about culture—whether it’s your own or not—to avoid appropriation and remain respectful.

“It also will benefit Queen’s students to come off campus and enjoy culture being offered locally,” Bell said.

Students can attend the two events by presenting their student card at the festival’s box office.

For younger readers and aspiring writers, the festival sends out authors to local public schools so students from Kindergarten to grade eight get the opportunity to listen to established authors share their experience and writing advice.

Events geared toward high school students focus on themes, ideas, and subject matter that also appeal to an adult audience.

Bell said teens are more thoughtful than they’re often given credit for, and hopes to appeal to their curiosity around global issues.

Many of the festival’s writers will be available for informal conversations and book signings throughout the event. Bell said this is a valuable opportunity for student readers and writers to speak to accomplished authors about their shared fields of study.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY BAND

Though they all had previous experience playing instruments and singing, they never expected to get to this level of local success.

If they hadn’t ever formed Kiss the Fish, the band said they wouldn’t have ever thought of music. It felt like luck.

For one, while Skolrood always sang, his musical success is more recent. He started singing for an audience in high school, with a first outing as Mike Mooney in Paint Your Wagon—and as Khodeir humbly reminded him—a tree.

“I was the only lead part that didn’t have a solo singing because I used to suck at singing,” Skolrood said.

He’s improved since and appreciates his past run-ins with high school theatre critics.

Without that play, he may never have found his way to Kiss the Fish.

“The goal would be to stick around Kingston probably, I assume, at least for a bit and then try to make Misko drop out early and go to Toronto,” Skolrood said.

Being reigning champs—and the returning house band—they only hope to keep improving and getting to practice their respective skills.

They have no intention of letting this opportunity pass. They know how lucky they’ve been.

One author, out of the 60 scheduled to attend, is Esi Edugyan, who’s shortlisted for the Booker Prize and nominated for the Giller Prize and the Rogers Writer’s Trust Fiction Prize.

“She’s just a star in the literary firmament at the moment,” Bell said.

Another author coming to the festival to teach is Australian writer, and two-time Booker Prize winner, Peter Carey.

He’ll be taking part in the international marquee performance, sharing decades of literary experience.

Though Bell refers to all author talks and panel discussions as performances due to their engaging “more than just a reading” presentation style, there will also be musical performances. Events include live music, book readings, drumming and fireworks at Confederation Basin on Friday night.

There will also be a Saturday night speakeasy, where readings will be done following an improvisational jazz trio set.

“It’s done in a club atmosphere with low lights and people seated at tables, not theatre style. It’s a lot of fun and really a neat multidisciplinary experience.”

Bell hopes the event will be fun and informative, while providing students and Kingston residents the rare opportunity to commune with established authors. She also hopes to see more students in the audience as participants, stating that in past years, they have mostly just attended to volunteer.

Bell believes the event could not only benefit students, but benefit from the students’ presence.

“We’d be thrilled to see more Queen’s students in the audience because they have something to contribute to us too,” Bell said.

Arts

10 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

PLAY REVIEW

EVENT PREVIEW

Play relives Vimy Ridge

Sarah Harmer ticks off ballads for new voting system Singer-songwriter to hold event raising awareness for revised ballots

The Kings Town Players’ newest show revisits World War I Paige Kedrosky Contributor In Vimy, the character can’t forget the World War I battle they survived—their haunted memories are “all stuck in here.”

Running from Sept. 26-29 and Oct. 3-6, Vimy is The King’s Town Players’ newest show.

Directed by Chris McKinnon, the play brings playwright Vern Thiessen’s epic exploration of trauma and memory in World War I to the stage at the Baby Grand Theatre.

The show delves into the human stories behind the nation-defining battle, told through the eyes of four Canadian soldiers and a nurse.

As each character struggles to forget the horrors they faced, they’re forced to remember and reenact their memories, both for their fellow characters and for the nation.

Throughout Vimy, Thiessen attempts to humanize the soldiers in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, studying the pre-and post-war memories of six suffering Canadians. Through it all, Thiessen reveals what these individuals share most is their heartbreak and suffering, not patriotism.

Exploring this shared memory, Nurse Clare tends to four injured soldiers: Jean-Paul, Sid, Will and Mike. Each of them suffers from different mental and physical injuries following their trauma.

Initially the characters claim to not remember the battle, but as the play progresses their memories are triggered—leading them to relieve atrocities of the war.

The play becomes a communal memory, shared between the four patients and Nurse Clare, who lost her lover in the Battle of Vimy.

Through each character, Vimy explores the overlooked aspects of the mythologized battle. Issues such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia are explored with the sympathy required to understand the horrors of war.

The audience is fully immersed in this human and real visual replication of the atmosphere of World War I, supported by the play’s strong technical work.

The lighting and sound create

a wide range of visual effects to recreate the atmosphere of ongoing warfare. Red lights evoke blood as fluorescent green lights reflect the war’s deadly gas attacks. This pivotal use of lighting distinguishes between the present and past memories each character experiences.

Meanwhile, the staging of a four-bed hospital setting allows complex scene changes to occur seamlessly while reminding the audience of the violent horrors of war and the reasoning behind their medical unrest.

The constant change of pace in narrative and lack of repose demonstrates the soldiers’ unrest and pure exhaustion, leading to injury and loss of loved ones.

While the entire cast were an effective ensemble, Andy Pesz’s portrayal of the shell-shocked and excitable Jean-Paul stands out.

Playing a Québécois soldier suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he captures the audience’s attention and makes it impossible to look away.

Jean-Paul’s internal conflict is portrayed externally through his crazed, arresting gaze, paired with constant full body tremors.

It’s hard to overlook.

Vimy explores the overlooked aspects of the myhthologized Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The cast’s other standout—Helen Marks’ Nurse Clare—gave a skillful glimpse into the private loss and pain that many women experienced during the war, while also working to heal the wounded.

This portrayal of troubled individuals in war-torn territory prompts the audience to honour our past and appreciate the present.

Vimy Ridge is often mythologized in the narrow focus on Canadian victory and the omission of death and suffering. The King’s Town Players honour the tragedies of warfare, while respecting the sacrifices soldiers made.

Vimy is playing at the Grand Theatre this fall.

PHOTO BY PAIGE KEDROSKY

Ranked Ballads will take place Oct. 2 at The Spire.

Rachel Rae Contributor Sarah Harmer will be busting out her guitar in support of an upcoming ballot initiative at the Spire this coming Tuesday.

Ranked Ballads is Harmer’s show of support for the upcoming vote to change Kingston’s municipal elections to a ranked ballot system.

The concert will be free to all and is an opportunity for Kingstonians to learn about the reform, which would allow voters to rank candidates on a ballot instead of ticking a single box for their preferred candidate.

For Harmer, the concert was an opportunity to support an initiative that she believes will not only improve our community, but will make historic change in Ontario.

“It’s a really great opportunity to play a potentially historic role in Ontario. Kingston and Cambridge are the two municipalities in the province asking the question [their citizens],” Harmer told The Journal in a phone interview.

“It’s the way the Academy Awards are chosen and political parties choose their leaders,” she added.

While Harmer is involved in many aspects of the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign, she believes music can play a special role in movements like this.

“Historically, [music’s] been part of different social initiatives over the years,” she said. “This is a good chance to combine a moving set of music with some education and information about our community, and what we can do to make things better in [Kingston].”

In this year’s municipal election, the City of Kingston will include a Yes or No referendum to introduce a ranked ballot system for future municipal elections and by-elections.

Ranked ballot systems have voters rank their the candidates in order of most favourite to least favourite. If a candidate receives 50 per cent, plus one vote, they win the seat.

However, if none of the candidates receive a majority of the votes, the candidate with the lowest support is eliminated, and [the first votes for that candidate go to the voter’s second choice on the ballot.]

The votes are redistributed down the ballot until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.

Simon Baron, Director of the Vote Yes campaign, said the ranked ballot system will give Kingston residents greater choice in who they elect to municipal government.

“It means that someone cannot get elected by a small majority when the rest are all voting against that person, but the vote was split,” Baron told The Journal in an interview.

“It takes away the need for strategic voting because people don’t have to sort of pick who they

PHOTO FROM YES KINGSTON WEBSITE

are OK with to avoid someone they hate … they can go with who they love at the start.”

Baron and other members of the ‘Vote Yes’ team, along with the City of Kingston, have undertaken a public education campaign to inform residents of the choice they’re being presented.

For the upcoming City of Kingston referendum to be binding, there must be at least 50 per cent voter participation and a majority of those voters to say ‘Yes’ to a ranked ballot system.

With a high threshold to achieve, Baron isn’t optimistic the referendum will be binding, but rather hopes that a show of support from Kingston residents will give City Council a reason to implement the change.

The vote will take place on Oct. 22 and all students who live in Kingston are eligible to vote.

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

‘Fully contained’

ATHLETICS FACILITIES

Athletics to conclude Richardson revitalization with pavilion

Sports The north end of Richardson Stadium where the pavilion is planned for installation.

Expansion to include new training facilities, offices and additional seating Maggie Gowland Assistant Sports Editor In 2016, Richardson Stadium was rebuilt from the ground up—but revitalization plans aren’t finished yet.

The stadium, which reopened to fans after a year of renovations in 2016, will soon be adding a pavilion to its north end. When complete, the structure will round out the stadium’s current ‘U’ shape.

According to Queen’s Athletics, the pavilion is still in a developmental stage and therefore designs, details, budgets, and a rough timeline for its completion have yet to be finalized.

Funding for the project came by way of two alumni: Stu Lang, Sci ’74 and member of the Queen’s Football Hall of Fame, and his wife, Kim, ArtSci ’75.

The two pledged $10 million towards a campaign to refurbish the Richardson in 2015, and recently added $5 million.

With the addition of the pavilion, the stadium will boast a new team room, more meeting spaces, athletic therapy, and coach’s offices.

“This facility will have an immense impact on student athletes, coaches and staff that currently operate out of the stadium, primarily football, and men’s and women’s soccer,” Leslie Dal Cin, the executive director of Athletics & Recreation, told The Journal in an email.

The pavilion will provide Queen’s athletic teams with better facilities they can rely on for years to come, she added.

“The new features of the pavilion […] will allow the teams to have much-needed, permanent facilities,” Dal Cin said. “Currently, [teams] are making use of temporary locker rooms, athlete therapy, meeting

spaces, and coaches offices.”

Football will reside in the new team room, opening space in the west building behind the bleachers located furthest from the box office.

The west side of the building will be devoted to the soccer teams and other users, such as visiting teams.

“We are very proud to be one of a handful of universities that have made considerable enhancements to athletic venues over the past decade,” Dal Cin said.

Initially, the revitalization of Richardson was identified as a priority within the university’s $500-million Initiative Campaign. The campaign, which ultimately saw $640 million raised, began in 2006 in efforts of modernizing and improving facilities on campus.

The plans for Richardson’s reconstruction began in 2014, and were spearheaded by the Lang’s aforementioned $10 million pledge. After garnering funding through alumni gifts and university investments, the total amount allocated to the stadium’s construction plans reached

FOOTBALL

PHOTO BY MATT SCACE

$20.27 million.

Richardson’s reconstruction officially began in the Fall of 2015, where the previous stadium had stood since 1971.

A year later, on Sept. 17, 2016, it was reopened to the public in the football team’s home opener in the fall of 2016. “[Richardson] was the next step in the university’s efforts to enhance its athletics and recreation facilities to promote the health and wellness of all students, and the addition of the pavilion is the final piece to that project,” Dal Cin said.

Along with Richardson, Athletics has undertaken a handful of advancement projects in recent years. The ARC was built in 2009; Tindall, Nixon, and Miklas-McCarney fields were redeveloped for the 2008-09 season, and the Innovation and Wellness and Centre, set to open within the coming year, will be host to several new athletic facilities.

“We are committed to continuing to develop leading edge athletic facilities,” Dal Cin said.

Football preparing for Western Gaels looking for strong showing on heels of tight win over Guelph Matt Scace Sports Editor As Guelph’s kicker stepped on the field to attempt a game-winning 32-yard field goal, Queen’s running back Jake Puskas could hardly watch.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even watching. I closed my eyes,” Puskas said during a Thursday afternoon press conference. “I knew it was a pretty low chance he was going to miss.”

After leading 33-14 going into the final quarter, the Gaels found themselves up by a point with one minute to go—and a Guelph field goal away—from moving to a 2-3 record.

But when Guelph’s kicker booted it wide to give Queen’s the win, Puskus could finally let out a sigh of relief.

“You just know you did everything you could do to get the team the win,” he said.

For head coach Pat Sheahan, the missed kick was a stroke of luck.

“I looked up closely and there was a shadow of a moose in between the ball and the goalpost,” Sheahan said.

Now with a 3-2 record, the Gaels are preparing to host the 4-0 Western Mustangs.

The Mustangs, along with fourth-year quarterback Chris Merchant, won last year’s Vanier Cup and have shown few signs of slowing down so far this season.

• 11

Sheahan, through 19 years of coaching Queen’s against Western, is aware what’s coming their way on Saturday.

“We can’t put in an 80 per cent effort against these guys,” Sheahan said. “One of the things over the years that’s characterized them is that they don’t give you a ball game.”

While the two have had very different success rates this season, both team’s overall statistics spotlight their strengths.

Queen’s passing game has proven to be one of the strongest in the OUA—the Gaels have totalled 1,589 receiving yards to Western’s 889.

But what may be the difference this weekend’s game is Western’s OUA-best

Continued from front

“[Football’s] lift was at 6 a.m. and they had another team lift come in at 7 a.m.,” Wheler told The Journal. “So lifts were happening, and people were working out [all day].”

Wheler confirmed to The Journal that football players who showed symptoms of the infection were swiftly removed from the weight room. However, those who didn’t show signs of infection completed the rest of their training session.

She added the day following the incident, ARC staff were made to wear gloves while doing laundry in the building’s basement. By the time Wheler spoke to The Journal, Sept. 25, she and her employees were still made to wear gloves.

Considering the situation, though, Wheler said she feels comfortable continuing to work in the laundry room.

“I think it’s been fully contained,” she said.

Adrian Hansen-Taugher, Manager of KFLP&A’s infectious disease program, advised Athletics throughout their sanitation process.

“If there had been reason for them to close down [the Lifting Zone], then we would have made that recommendation,” Hansen-Taugher said. “We told them about the areas that needed enhanced cleaning.”

In an email sent to all varsity athletes on Sept. 20, an Athletics senior management staff member warned students about the impetigo outbreak. Athletes were provided information regarding the condition’s symptoms and referred them to SWS. “If you have difficulty obtaining an appointment,” the email read, “indicate you are calling as a varsity athlete related to the skin issue—SWS is aware of it and has a lead doctor seeing all cases.”

No varsity practices have been cancelled due to the outbreak, however, the day symptoms of the condition first surfaced, all varsity practices were downgraded to non-contact. Athletes who were affected took the day off.

According to Pat Sheahan, head coach of the football program, “somewhere around eight to 10” of his players contracted impetigo.

Considering the timing and progression of the reported impetigo cases, Sheahan said he was impressed with Athletics’ swift response.

“The first day things showed up, [those affected] got it looked at, and as soon as one person said, ‘Hey, I have something that looks like that also,’ they all got treated right away,” Sheahan said.

“I’m happy to say that we’ve had no further cases, and it looks like this is one crisis that has come to an end.” defense. Through four games, the Mustangs have allowed 39 points, leaving them with an average of 9.75 points-against per game.

Meanwhile, the Gaels have allowed 146 points over their first five games.

A ray of hope for the Gaels is Western’s experience on the road this year. In their first away game against Carleton—a team the Gaels lost to by just three points earlier this season—the Mustangs narrowly won 26-23, and in overtime, no less.

Considering Western’s pedigree and current talent, Sheahan remains realistic heading into the Gaels’ third-last game of the season.

“We’re up against a great team. You gotta be in it,” Sheahan said. “It can’t be a game where we could’ve, should’ve, or would’ve.

You gotta deliver against these great teams.”

Irrespective of whether the Gaels find success this weekend, Sheahan will be using the game as a gauge for where his team is at.

After Saturday, they’ll have just two games left in their season—and a big push for the playoffs awaiting them.

Sports

12 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

MEN’S SOCCER

Michael Chang posting career season Jack Rabb Staff Writer This year, Michael Chang has exploded onto the OUA soccer radar.

Through the men’s soccer team’s first eight games, the 5’9” midfielder has certainly found his form—already doubling his previous career total of goals with four.

Three of his tallies were game-winners, tying him for second-most in the league and serving as a reason for why Queen’s has enjoyed a promising 6-3 start to their campaign.

Despite his breakthrough campaign, though, Chang has been humble in response to his recent play. In an interview with The Journal, the midfielder deflected praise to his teammates.

“They’re are the ones pushing me to be better, pushing me to improve,” he said.

For Chang, much of the season has been emotionally-charged due to a recent injury his sister, Samantha, sustained playing soccer at the University of South Carolina—something that brings back memories from his middle school days.

PHOTO BY MATT SCACE

Michael Chang has the most shots on goal for a midfielder in the OUA with 23.

‘I hand-picked [him] to join the program.’

In eighth grade, Chang had damaged one of his patellofemoral ligaments while playing soccer and took more than a year to recover. While he missed out on winning a national championship with his hometown under-14 club, his passion for the sport never wavered.

“Watching it, playing it, I absolutely love it,” Chang said of his attachment to the sport. “Growing up, I couldn’t imagine not competing every summer.”

With his sister on the sidelines, Chang has found an extra jump in his step—inspired by his hopes of her returning to the pitch.

“I want to show that with dedication and putting in the work, it’s going to work out,” he said. “She’s going to have a great career.”

This is Chang’s third year with the program and playing under Queen’s head

coach Christian Hoefler—and there’s a clear, mutual admiration between the two.

Chang credits Hoefler for the environment and culture of excellence that’s been established within the team, and for pushing him to improve and embrace the creative side of his game.

From Hoefler’s perspective, his starting midfielder’s breakout season was always fast approaching. “[He was one of the players] I hand-picked to join the program,” Hoefler said of Chang, “and most of that was because of [his] character.”

Hoefler added he had endless reasons to recruit Chang to the team two years ago.

“He can be quite lethal,” he said. “[With his] quality and technical ability, he can play many roles.”

In his first eight games this season, Chang’s offensive play has been tough to ignore. He’s peppered opposing goalies with 23 shots, good for any midfielder in the OUA. But beyond attacking and getting balls on net, Chang’s been embracing his identity as a creative spark plug for the Gaels.

“I’ve just been working on taking my

opportunities better [and] being more offensive minded. I think just letting the game come to me a bit more this year and not forcing anything [has been the key].”

According to Chang, Hoefler has been working on fostering a team identity based on quick, technical passes, and playing fast-paced soccer—a plan Chang enthusiastically welcomes.

“I think I do [embody the team identity],” Chang said. “So do lots of the other guys, that’s where our chemistry comes in.”

He worked hard all summer to improve his playmaking, honing his unpredictable game by playing futsal, a form of indoor soccer with five players per team. The results speak for themselves.

“I feel more confident on the ball. I’m dribbling more,” Chang said. “I think that’s why I’m scoring more this year. So much of it is just my teammates’ belief in me … That’s really helped me up my game this year over previous years.”

After enduring two disappointing seasons to open his career with the Gaels, Chang and his teammates look posed for a promising year.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Women’s lacrosse has won their first 7 games this season.

Max Bradshaw Contributor The women’s lacrosse team is one of the most dominant teams at Queen’s this fall.

The Gaels, who’ve won all seven of their regular season games, are off to perfect start—outscoring their opponents by a cumulative score of 93-23 and shutting out three teams entirely.

Head coach Mike Watson attributed his team’s early success to their preparation and intensity in practice.

“We take a lot of time to prepare. We run practice three times a week and run conditioning twice a week,” Watson said, crediting the Gael’s speed to their conditioning programming.

Compared to last season, Watson added the Gaels are a more threatening team on offence and defence. It’s allowed the coaching staff to be confident with every

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY KIAH SHANKS

player they put out on the field.

“We have more depth than last year.

We can only start so many players but we have players who come in off the bench,” Watson said. “Because of the depth we have, it allows us to push the pace more this year.”

Queen’s has already shown they want to improve on where they finished last season.

During the 2017-18 campaign, the Gaels finished second in the OUA, losing to the Western Mustangs in the finals.

This season, the team avenged their championship loss in their third game of the year when they beat the Mustangs 10-5.

Second-year Kiah Shanks, who logged 13 goals in her first three games of the season, said the Gaels’ current record has come with its share of bumps. She cited the Gaels’ fourth game against the Trent Excalibur, where they found themselves

Women’s lacrosse undefeated to start season Gaels sitting first in OUA at halfway point of 2018-19 campaign down early.

“I think they got into our heads,” Shanks said regarding the Gaels’ game agains Trent.

The team’s resiliency, she added, paved the way for them to come back and win 10-8.

“We were down at one point and we just kept pumping each other up.”

Shanks has also attributed a share of the Gaels’ success to chemistry and how well the team has been getting along to start the season.

“We are all so close and [we’re] bonding which helps with communication on the field,” Shanks said. “When we believe in each other, things just work out on the field.”

With regards to the team’s on-field performance, Shanks said one of the team’s core assets has been their speed.

“I think we are one of the fastest teams in [the] league and it allows us to force a lot of turnovers against good teams,” Shanks said.

The Gaels have six games left this season and have their sights set on an OUA championship when playoffs begin this coming October. The team will be going in with high expectations, as they’ve already had successful encounters with three of their upcoming opponents.

Although they’ve been the top team in their league so far, Shanks said she’s continuing to urge her teammates to maintain their intensity as they near the postseason.

“We have to keep pushing it and try not to be too confident.”

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

Ally Mastantuono Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Lifestyle TECHNOLOGY

Recapping Apple’s lackluster iPhone XS and XR reveal The tech giant’s latest smartphone unveiling leaves much to be desired

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

Josh Granovsky Lifestyle Editor The set-up for Forever, Amazon’s newest half-hour comedy starring former SNL powerhouses Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen, is a married couple decides to shake up their annual fishing trip and try skiing. The punchline is a delicate and understated rumination on the value and drawbacks of monogamous relationships.

Yes, you read that right.

Forever, released two weeks ago on Amazon Canada’s Prime Video service, isn’t the show you’d expect from two performers who’ve made careers on their adrenaline-fuelled, live sketch comedy performances. Its eight-episode first season trades Saturday Night Live’s trademark high-octane laughs and eye-catching sets for long-gestating plots and subdued, suburban houses.

But don’t worry: it’s also very, very good.

Rudolph and Armisen, who also executive produce Forever, play married couple June and Oscar. The show’s tone-setting opening sequence strings together vignettes depicting June and Oscar’s relationship highlights, from their first meeting and date to their engagement and respective job promotions.

The montage is instantly reminiscent of Up’s infamous opening, where Pixar constructs a heartbreakingly beautiful portrait of an aging couple’s undying love within just a few minutes.

However, the eternal spark between our main couple that Up prepared us for begins to lose

This month, Apple announced a line of new products, including the iPhone XS, XS Max, and a more affordable alternative, the iPhone XR. If the tech giant’s release of new phone models is news to you, you’re not alone—the launch flew largely under the radar, and for good reason.

The [iPhone] launch flew largely under the radar, and for good reason.

Although Apple’s latest iPhones boast various improvements, they lack standout features.

You’d be hard pressed to spot the differences between the new phone models, and even more so with their predecessor, the iPhone X, released in Nov. 2017.

If you’re deciding which model to choose, or debating upgrading at all, the following breakdown might help cure your indecision.

The new and exciting

The new iPhone models may look like they’re straight out of 2017—with the iPhone X’s trademark edge-to-edge display and missing home button—but all three products are smarter, faster, and louder than any iPhone released to date.

According to Apple, the new smartphone models’ A12

Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph play married couple Oscar and June.

TV

Bionic processor and superior face-scanning algorithms will make using your phone and securely unlocking it more efficient. The changes will speed up app performance and officially improve the once-finicky Face ID. I m m e r s ive listening experiences are also in store for the new iPhones, with four built-in microphones per phone and a wider stereo sound. That means purchased, recorded, and shared audio and video will be louder and richer than ever.

Of course, you can’t have enhanced sound quality without an improved camera. The three phones share a brand-new camera sensor capable of Smart HDR, which combines various frames to create one great photo—selfie Sundays will be forever changed.

The underwhelming

While Apple has made some clear technological advancements in the past year, it’s fair to say the new phones are far from revolutionary. Improved performance, audio, and visuals are things to applaud, but maybe not break the bank for.

The phones’ prices range from $800 to $2,000. If the hefty price tag doesn’t scare you off, the poor Wi-Fi connectivity and cell reception new iPhone owners are already complaining about might.

The difference between iPhone XS and XR

Since the XS Max is merely a larger version of the iPhone XS, the

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH GRANOVSKY

Forever isn’t the TV show you’re expecting

The Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen starrer is filled with understated beauty its shine in Forever’s version of a love story. The cute moments of brushing teeth together and celebrating a bowling strike are replaced by fishing, eating dinner, fishing again, and so on.

The camera pans from one dinner scene to the next, unwavering in its left-to-right movement until it lands on June, trying to hide her boredom from a still-content Oscar. It’s a rare montage where time doesn’t pass by quickly. We can feel each excruciatingly plain moment of June and Oscar’s decades-long marriage.

The rest of the first episode, which chronicles the couple’s

trip to a ski lodge, is filled with similar middle-ground relationship activities.

Oscar and June banter with a sharp-tuned wit, but it’s obvious they’ve said it all before. They gleefully discuss the perfect way to spend a half-hour, but notably dismiss 30 minutes of sex as “too long.” The cracks in their dynamic are clear, even if June is the only one of them who sees it.

But after the first episode, Forever becomes an entirely different show.

To reveal any more plot details would spoil its magic, but Forever continuously reinvents itself over the course of its eight installments.

Episode formats change on the fly, and stories abruptly begin and end in glorious fashion. As soon as you become comfortable with the show’s new form, it

[Forever] never stops asking its characters—and by extension, its viewers—the same questions about the validity of monogamy.

shape-shifts into a different one.

Despite Forever’s abundance of plot twists, the show never

• 13

real consumer decision is between the XS and XR. Whether you splurge on the XS or settle for the XR, the core hardware is the same in each phone. The real difference is in the display, camera, and battery life.

Naturally, the pricier—and thinner—XS has a better screen, higher resolution, and more innovative cameras.

While the XS has two cameras in the back—a wide-angle and telephoto—the XR only has one, albeit with the same quality as the XS’s wide-angle. But the cheaper XR has both a longer battery life and comes in a variety of colours including blue, yellow, and coral.

Keep in mind you’ll have to wait at least another month before you can get your hands on the XR. If you think the cheaper iPhone is worth the wait, it might be the one for you. iOS 12

For those not willing to upgrade to a new hardware, Apple’s latest iPhone software update, iOS 12, might be enough to last you through the year.

Not only is the free update compatible with any device dating back to the iPhone 5S, its features include better notification management, a built-in tape measure feature, and a tool in the Settings app to help you manage and limit your screen time.

Sadly, in order to take advantage of the viral Memoji feature, you’ll need to have a phone no older than the iPhone X. stops asking its characters—and by extension, its viewers—the same questions about the validity of monogamy.

Why should people tie themselves down to a single person when seven billion other ones roam the planet?

Alternatively, how could anyone ever willingly let go of a person who could keep them happy indefinitely?

Rudolph and Armisen explore these questions in various ways over the course of the season.

Don’t let their co-star billing mislead you—Rudolph is Forever’s crown jewel.

Both actors handle the show’s comedic side with ease, and Armisen knocks any joke tossed his way out of the park. It’s Rudolph’s performance, though, that does the heavy lifting.

Whereas Armisen’s Oscar never truly rises into three-dimensional territory, the subtle multitude of emotions Rudolph’s June feels is palpable throughout.

Even in Rudolph’s big comedic moments—including a showdown with a brace-faced ski-bully—you can feel her character asking herself how on earth she wound up in this monotonous life, and wondering whether it’s more wrong to stay or run.

If you’re looking for an SNL sister-show closer in tone and punchiness to 30 Rock or Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Forever may disappoint you.

If you’re okay with your jokes being coupled with deep contemplation on the idea of permanent romantic commitments, carve out an afternoon and give this wonderfully loopy show a shot.

14 •queensjournal.ca

Lifestyle

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

Lifestyle

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

queensjournal.ca

QUEEN’S TAKES THE REAL WORLD

The

from Queen’s to la y e w n r sch jou

ool

• 15

people who also felt vulnerable in their experience and simply wanted to reach for their most authentic selves where I found my niche.

The funny thing about my time at Queen’s is I don’t really miss it. But then I think about the little network of kindred spirits I cultivated in those four years. I think about the light they offered me. I think about the brilliance they gave to Queen’s.

Those friends listened to me worry and tolerated my anxiety while I was trying my hardest to get out of there. I walked down the stage with some of these people at graduation, and some of them are still at Queen’s—all of them are changing their own worlds for the better.

It was alongside the people “who also felt vulnerable in their experience and simply wanted to reach for their most authentic selves where I found my niche.

”

A Queen’s student prepares to enter the real world.

I’m caught between making it and faking it, and that’s okay Ramna Safeer Staff Writer When I graduated from Queen’s this past June—my best friend by my side and in identical convocation robes, my mom wiping her tears as I strutted down the stage—I remember thinking this Hallmark moment couldn’t last forever.

Just a few months later, I’m beginning law school, knee-deep in self-doubt, and scheduling time to cry into my bullet journal.

Convocation Me had no idea how right she was.

In April of this year, I was wrapping up my final courses at Queen’s to complete my English major and tying up the loose ends at my full-time student government job in the AMS. I had an acceptance to my dream law school and a plane ticket to Europe in my back pocket. I was burnt out but self-assured.

A summer of travel-induced blisters, part-time work at Queen’s Student Affairs, and the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again soundtrack sped by. By August, I’d signed my lease in Toronto and bought overpriced highlighters in every color for school. I was as ready to start this new journey as I was ever going to be.

In Legally Blonde, there’s a scene where Elle Woods makes her ex-boyfriend Warner’s thick-set jaw drop by strutting her way into

Harvard Law School. When Warner asks Elle how she got into the best law school in the country, Elle responds with a sharp, “What, like it’s hard?”

While this quip is basically the mantra of a whole generation of boundary-defying women, my journey to get where I am was hard. And it hasn’t gotten easier.

I’ve been dreaming about law school since before I knew what law school was.

For years, I watched my dad pack his briefcase every morning and take it to his modest, one-office immigration law practice in the heart of Scarborough. He once told me that law isn’t anything heroic, but rather the kind of tool that—when turned and tightened in just the right angles—makes our communities more just for those who need it most.

But last year, writing the LSAT and applying to law school while also juggling my full course load, full-time job and desire to give my friends and family the fullest of me, I felt anything but empowered.

After not getting the LSAT score I wanted the first time around and whittling my self-worth down to 500 words for too many law school entrance essays, this dream of mine felt further than ever before. I think I stress-ate my weight in chocolate-covered almonds in December alone.

Coming into law school earlier this month, I was worried that after dreaming about this for so long, I’d romanticized what it meant to study the law. But I know I’m where I need to be because it feels right to be here.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have moments of crippling self-doubt, or that I don’t wonder how I faked my way into a place where I’m constantly surrounded by brilliant, change-making people.

The imposter syndrome is real, and it often looks like me watching “top organization tips for law students” YouTube videos and crying into my quinoa. Then I wake up the next morning, put on red

ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA RANKINE

lipstick, and walk to my Criminal Law class like I know what I’m doing.

Looking back, I didn’t have the “Cha Gheill” Queen’s experience shown in Tricolour Outlet ads or Homecoming Facebook photos. It was alongside the

That, more than any winding Mac-Corry hallway, gets me dizzy with gratitude.

You might be worried about how to get from Point A, Queen’s, to Point B, a job hunt, more school, or a life lived on your own terms. Here are three tips on how to make that journey.

One, think about the times you’ve been shaken. And then think about the times you’ve steadied yourself. And then think about who was next to you, listening, validating, waiting. Let those people be your net. You are not a burden. You are not a burden. You are not a burden. Say it to yourself enough times for it to seem true.

Two, I’m not going to tell you it gets easier. But I will tell you that if you’ve made it this far, that means you’ve made it out of your worst days. A 100 per cent track record makes you pretty capable in my eyes.

Three, there’s not much that qualifies me to give you advice. While you’re probably receiving wise words from people at every turn, I think other people’s advice isn’t always as sage as it’s cracked up to be. Find what words make you feel the strongest and say them to yourself.

If I can make it, you can. Grab a bag of chocolate-covered almonds and get going.

Don't Be Late Nominate!!

Special Recognition for Staff Award Nominations This award recognizes staff members who consistently provide outstanding contributions during their workday, directly or indirectly, to the learning and working environment at Queen's University at a level significantly beyond what is usually expected (e.g. improving the workplace efficiency, quality of worklife, customer service, problem-solving, etc.)

Information and nomination forms are available from: http://www.queensu.ca/humanresources/eventsrecognition/special-recognition-staff-awards

DEADLINE: October 15, 2018

Lifestyle

16 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, Sept 28, 2018

POSTSCRIPT

Five days of post-worthy student perfection I lived like a social media influencer and wasn’t impressed

Tegwyn taking a picture of her notebooks to post online.

Tegwyn Hughes Copy Editor The public personas of social media stars are perfect—no ‘cheat days,’ no sleeping in, and no mistakes.

As an avid Instagram and YouTube consumer, I’ve noticed social media personalities commenting on fitness, diet, and the student lifestyle. Their messages seem positive, but leave no room for error.

I wanted to see if this picture-perfect existence is actually attainable.

Based off i n te n s e research—also known as obsessively watching “morning routine” and “what I eat in a day” videos on YouTube—I made a list of daily requirements needed to become the perfect student: wake up at 5:30 a.m., exercise, drink 2.5 litres of water, eat healthy meals, keep my living space spotless, and stay on top of all my schoolwork.

I would also need to upload one Instagram post daily to truly experience the life of an influencer.

As I prepared for my five days of flawlessness, I wondered whether I would end the experiment feeling healthier, or burn out from the pressure of perfection.

Saturday (Day 1)

The night before my experiment, I prepared by setting out my gym clothes, running shoes, and water bottle. At my 5:30 a.m. alarm, I grit my teeth through a yawn and rushed out the door to the ARC. When I arrived and saw the locked doors, I realized the ARC wasn’t open until 8 a.m. on weekends. Instead, I ran along Kingston’s waterfront for half an

hour before calling it quits.

Not the perfect start I was hoping for, but I still got a morning workout.

For breakfast, I grabbed oatmeal, a bagel, and half of a grapefruit. I stared longingly at the potatoes I’m so used to getting in the morning, but powered through.

My friend was visiting from Ottawa and we went to a bubble tea shop that afternoon to get some work done. Even though my bubble tea was definitely not a healthy beverage, I would make up for it by finishing a reading or two ahead of time.

On our way back to my residence, I made my friend stop as I snapped an artsy photo of the waterfront for Instagram. While I admit it looked pretty good on my feed, I felt pretentious typing, “Enjoy it. Because it’s happening,” in the caption.

By early evening, I realized I hadn’t come close to drinking 2.5L of water. I carried a mason jar and metal straw to the other side of the University District and chugged water at a friend’s party while everyone else drank beer.

Sunday (Day 2)

I woke up sorer than anticipated from the previous day’s run. Deciding to combine physical activity with some Instagram-worthy mindfulness, I found a yoga video on YouTube and followed along. It felt nice to stretch my aching muscles, even if it was 5:30 a.m. and the sun hadn’t risen yet.

At breakfast, I opted for soy yogurt with granola, half a grapefruit, and some peanut butter toast. Admittedly, this is a typical breakfast for me, but no

potatoes and ketchup still had me feeling unsatisfied.

Sunday is my laziest day. I found it hard to justify doing more than the bare minimum of schoolwork, even for this challenge. I did complete a short assignment ahead of time for one of my courses, and counted that as a win.

a selfie from a few weeks ago.

I was starting to feel uneasy at the thought of posting on Insta more than two days in a row, but was surprised to see the same amount of likes and comments I usually get.

Maybe, as social media influencers would say, my “brand was growing.”

On Monday morning I leapt out of bed with a fierce sense of determination. I was excited to finally go to the gym and be active before officially starting my day.

Walking into the ARC at 6 a.m. felt like walking into my own personal training facility.

I could pick any treadmill I wanted—what a life.

Working out in the empty ARC was a dream, but going to my 8:30 a.m. class covered in a clammy sheen of sweat was a nightmare.

Tuesday started with another yoga session, because there was no way I was trekking to the ARC in the rain. After finishing my 8:30 a.m. class, I settled into a chair at Stauffer Library and cranked out notes for a solid three hours.

My afternoon made me feel even more like an influencer—I had tons of extracurricular meetings where I felt like a boss. My mood was definitely high.

At dinner, I stacked my plate with salad and balanced it out with a couple slices of vegan pizza. It felt appropriate, considering how many Instagram models pose with junk food to be relatable.

That might be validating my actions, but I’ll let you be the judge.

Monday (Day 3)

Working out in the “empty ARC was a

dream, but going to my 8:30 a.m. class covered in a clammy sheen of sweat was a nightmare.

”

I was a red-in-the-face mess trying to listen to my history professor, while equally trying to stay awake as the adrenaline of my workout wore off. The only benefit was my exhaustion, plus my earlier gym session, made it easier to chug half of my required water by noon.

That night I was way too tired to think about taking a picture for Instagram. I dug through my photos and found a gem of

Tuesday (Day 4)

Wednesday (Day 5)

I was over my perfect week. I got up for another run when all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed. I’ll admit jogging along the water in the breeze was great, but it was tough to enjoy. I was running in the dark and was paranoid I’d smash into a pole.

I got back home at 6:15 a.m. and fell back asleep for an hour. Oops.

I still had enough time to get my things together and rush to breakfast for peanut butter toast and soy milk, but my slacking didn’t help me feel put together

PHOTO BY CHRIS YAO

and accomplished.

The rest of my day was spent in class, before finishing some readings and completing a short quiz for my online history course. I managed to drink enough water, thanks to the supersized water bottle I’d started carrying around.

While I was glad my challenge was coming to a close, I would miss tracking my habits—knowing myself, I wouldn’t keep them up for much longer.

After an exhausting and occasionally rewarding week in the life of a perfect student, I learned a very important lesson: perfection is bulls—t.

Rigid and lofty goals set you up for failure. Doing this challenge really reinforced my knowledge that celebrities use social media to lie to you. Their food is prepared for them, their clothes are designer, and their exercise routines involve a personal trainer.

Attempting to replicate the day-to-day lives of the rich and famous, or at least the parts they choose to share with fans, is impossible when you’re on your own. For a busy university student like myself, it’s laughably unmanageable.

I’m not disappointed by my so-called “failures” during this challenge. None of my days were perfect, but they were attainable.

I ate mostly healthy meals, but I sometimes caved to cravings. I usually exercised, but sometimes a simple stretch was more realistic. I didn’t drink so much water I felt nauseous, but instead sipped when I was thirsty.

I listened to my body, not a stranger appearing on my phone, and I’m not sorry for it.